"Well, now nothing prevents you--so file off!"
"Certainly, I will file off, if you wish it, my dear sir though I think I have some reason to be surprised at such a reception."
"It is no reception at all--so begone!"
"I had come, my dear sir to speak to you--"
"I have no time for talking."
"Upon business of great importance."
"I have no other business of importance than to remain with these children."
"Very good, my dear sir," said Rodin, pausing on the threshold. "I will not disturb you any longer; excuse my indiscretion. The bearer of excellent news from Marshal Simon, I came--"
"News from our father!" cried Rose, drawing nearer to Rodin.
"Oh, speak, speak, sir!" added Blanche.
"You have news of the marshal!" said Dagobert, glancing suspiciously at Rodin. "Pray, what is this news?"
But Rodin, without immediately answering the question, returned from the threshold into the room, and, contemplating Rose and Blanche by turns with admiration, he resumed: "What happiness for me, to be able to bring some pleasure to these dear young ladies. They are even as I left them graceful, and fair, and charming--only less sad than on the day when I fetched them from the gloomy convent in which they were kept prisoners, to restore them to the arms of their glorious father!"
"That was their place, and this is not yours," said Dagobert, harshly, still holding the door open behind Rodin.
"Confess, at least that I was not so much out of place at Dr.
Baleinier"s," said the Jesuit, with a cunning air. "You know, for it was there that I restored to you the n.o.ble imperial cross you so much regretted--the day when that good Mdlle. de Cardoville only prevented you from strangling me by telling you that I was her liberator. Aye!
it was just as I have the honor of stating, young ladies," added Rodin, with a smile; "this brave soldier was very near strangling me, for, be it said without offense, he has, in spite of his age, a grasp of iron.
Ha, ha! the Prussians and Cossacks must know that better than I!"
These few words reminded Dagobert and the twins of the services which Rodin had really rendered them; and though the marshal had heard Mdlle. de Cardoville speak of Rodin as of a very dangerous man, he had forgotten, in the midst of so many anxieties, to communicate this circ.u.mstance to Dagobert. But this latter, warned by experience, felt, in spite of favorable appearances, a secret aversion for the Jesuit; so he replied abruptly: "The strength of my grasp has nothing to do with the matter."
"If I allude to that little innocent playfulness on your part, my dear sir," said Rodin, in his softest tone, approaching the two sisters with a wriggle which was peculiar to him; "if I allude to it, you see, it was suggested by the involuntary recollection of the little services I was happy enough to render you." Dagobert looked fixedly at Rodin, who instantly veiled his glance beneath his flabby eyelids.
"First of all," said the soldier, after a moment"s silence, "a true man never speaks of the services he has rendered, and you come back three times to the subject."
"But Dagobert," whispered Rose, "if he brings news of our father?"
The soldier made a sign, as if to beg the girl to let him speak, and resumed, looking full at Rodin: "You are cunning, but I"m no raw recruit."
"I cunning?" said Rodin, with a sanctified air.
"Yes, very. You think to puzzle me with your fine phrases; but I"m not to be caught in that way. Just listen to me. Some of your band of black-gowns stole my cross; you returned it to me. Some of the same band carried off these children; you brought them back. It is also true that you denounced the renegade D"Aigrigny. But all this only proves two things: first, that you were vile enough to be the accomplice of these scoundrels; and secondly, that, having been their accomplice, you were base enough to betray them. Now, those two facts are equally bad, and I suspect you most furiously. So march off at once; your presence is not good for these children."
"But, my dear sir--"
"I will have no buts," answered Dagobert, in an angry voice. "When a man of your look does good, it is only to hide some evil; and one must be on guard."
"I understand your suspicions," said Rodin coolly, hiding his growing disappointment, for he had hoped it would have been easy to coax the soldier; "but, if you reflect, what interest have I in deceiving you?
And in what should the deception consist?"
"You have some interest or other in persisting to remain here, when I tell you to go away."
"I have already had the honor of informing you of the object of my visit, my dear sir."
"To bring news of Marshal Simon?"
"That is exactly the case. I am happy enough to have news of the marshal. Yes, my dear young ladies," added Rodin, as he again approached the two sisters, to recover, as it were, the ground he had lost, "I have news of your glorious father!"
"Then come to my room directly, and you can tell it to me," replied Dagobert.
"What! you would be cruel enough to deprive these dear ladies of the pleasure--"
"By heaven, sir!" cried Dagobert, in a voice of thunder, "you will make me forget myself. I should be sorry to fling a man of your age down the stairs. Will you be gone?"
"Well, well," said Rodin mildly, "do not be angry with a poor old man.
I am really not worth the trouble. I will go with you to your room, and tell you what I have to communicate. You will repent not having let me speak before these dear young ladies; but that will be your punishment, naughty man!"
So saying, Rodin again bowed very low, and, concealing his rage and vexation, left the room before Dagobert, who made a sign to the two sisters, and then followed, closing the door after him.
"What news of our father, Dagobert?" said Rose anxiously, when the soldier returned, after a quarter of an hours absence.
"Well, that old conjurer knows that the marshal set out in good spirits, and he seems acquainted with M. Robert. How could he be informed of all this? I cannot tell," added the soldier, with a thoughtful air; "but it is only another reason to be on one"s guard against him."
"But what news of our father?" asked Rose.
"One of that old rascal"s friends (I think him a rascal still) knows your father, he tells me, and met him five-and-twenty leagues from here.
Knowing that this man was coming to Paris, the marshal charged him to let you know that he was in perfect health, and hoped soon to see you again."
"Oh, what happiness!" cried Rose.
"You see, you were wrong to suspect the poor old man, Dagobert," added Blanche. "You treated him so harshly!"
"Possibly so; but I am not sorry for it."
"And why?"
"I have my reasons; and one of the best is that, when I saw him came in, and go sidling and creeping round about us, I felt chilled to the marrow of my bones, without knowing why. Had I seen a serpent crawling towards you, I should not have been more frightened. I knew, of course, that he could not hurt you in my presence; but I tell you, my children, in spite of the services he has no doubt rendered us, it was all I could do to refrain from throwing him out of the window. Now, this manner of proving my grat.i.tude is not natural, and one must be on one"s guard against people who inspire us with such ideas."
"Good Dagobert, it is your affection for us that makes you so suspicious," said Rose, in a coaxing tone; "it proves how much you love us."
CHAPTER LV. THE IMPROVISED HOSPITAL
Among a great number of temporary hospitals opened at the time of the cholera in every quarter of Paris, one had been established on the ground-floor of a large house in the Rue du Mont-Blanc. The vacant apartments had been generously placed by their proprietor at the disposal of the authorities; and to this place were carried a number of persons, who, being suddenly attacked with the contagion, were considered in too dangerous a state to be removed to the princ.i.p.al hospitals.