"Look you, Alfred, a very bright woman said to me not long ago, at Paris: "There"s a vast difference between _desire_ and love"; you desire to possess Isaure, but you do not really love her."
"My dear Edouard, your lady friend told you nothing new; I learned long ago that to desire and to love are not synonymous; but because one loves, that is no reason for not desiring; and the fact that one desires does not prove that one does not love. You may say that to the lady from me, when you see her.--However, how do you know that Isaure won"t prefer me to you?"
"Oh! I don"t know it, of course!" Edouard replied, forcing back a sigh.
After that they were both silent, and returned, deep in thought, to the chateau.
XV
WHICH PROMISES SOMETHING
Several days had pa.s.sed, during which Alfred and Edouard had not failed to pa.s.s every morning with Isaure. Faithful to their agreement, they started together from the chateau and returned together. It was easy to see, however, that the compact was displeasing to both, but neither dared to break it; each was very glad to accompany his rival when he went into the mountains, but would have liked to return thither alone, to see the young woman.
Isaure, being accustomed to see the two friends every morning, had resumed her happy and trustful demeanor with them. She laughed and romped with Alfred, whose pranks and nonsense seemed to amuse her; then she would return to Edouard and ask him innocently:
"Why don"t you play with us?"
Whereupon, Edouard would say nothing, but would try to smile; the more merry Alfred was, the less inclined he felt to share his enjoyment; he suffered in secret; it seemed to him that Isaure showed a greater preference for Alfred, that it was he at whom she looked and smiled most frequently. He tried to conceal the suffering that he felt, but jealousy was already rending his heart. This condition of affairs could not last long. Alfred flattered himself that he pleased the girl, but he desired to acquire the actual certainty of that fact. Edouard was in despair, but he was determined to avow his suffering to her who was the cause of it, and to learn from her mouth whether he must abandon the hope of being loved by her. Isaure, alone at ease in the presence of the two young men, who had ceased to speak to her of love, pa.s.sed a certain part of every day with them, with no suspicion of the danger to herself which was likely to result from their frequent visits.
Several times on leaving the valley, the young men had noticed the vagabond, who, sometimes seated on a cliff, sometimes standing in the middle of a field, would cast a mocking glance at them, and then turn his head away in order to avoid entering into conversation.
"There"s that extraordinary man with whom you talked," said Alfred one day as they left Isaure"s house. "What the deuce is he doing here? I begin to agree with Robineau that that fellow has evil designs. But the little one must know him; I am curious to know if he has ever spoken to her. I propose also that the rascal shall tell me why he presumes to smile when he looks at us; there"s something sarcastic in his expression which I am going to ask him to explain."
"The man is unfortunate," said Edouard; "we must overlook eccentricities in him which are perhaps the consequence of the troubles he has undergone."
"Troubles! He doesn"t seem to have had any; he whistles and sings and laughs all to himself."
"But with all that, Alfred, one can detect a bitter expression, which indicates that his gayety is not altogether genuine!"
The next day the young men asked Isaure if she knew the man who was wandering about the mountains. From the portrait which they drew of him the girl remembered that she had seen him once or twice; but he had never spoken to her and had never entered her house.
"If he ever should come here," said Alfred, "I advise you to be on your guard."
"Why so?" said Isaure; "is he a bad man?"
"I don"t know, but I am not prepossessed in his favor. However, if he should venture to offer you the slightest affront----"
"Why on earth should he want to injure me? I have never injured anybody!"
"That"s not always a reason, but I hope that Vaillant will defend you. I remember the way in which he receives those who try to kiss you."
As he said this, Alfred smiled and took the girl"s hand; she blushed; Edouard, who was some yards away, said nothing, but his features betrayed all the suffering of his heart. Isaure glanced at him, and instantly taking her hand from Alfred"s, she ran to Edouard and said in a tone which went to his very heart:
"What is the matter, pray? One would think that you were suffering. Can it be that I have pained you?"
That sweet, tender voice, and the way in which Isaure looked at him, revived hope in Edouard"s heart, while it produced an entirely contrary effect upon Alfred. He frowned, moved about impatiently, and exclaimed:
"Let us go, it"s time!"
And he instantly left the cottage, much less satisfied than when he had entered, dragging away Edouard, who would gladly have remained longer.
Only a word, a glance, a smile from beauty is necessary to make us happy or to destroy our hopes.
On leaving the cottage the young men saw the stranger seated on the ground a few yards away. According to his custom, he was watching them, and his face wore its habitual mocking expression. Alfred dropped Edouard"s arm and walked toward the vagabond, who remained calmly in his place. When he stood in front of him, Alfred said to him in a haughty tone:
"You seem to spy upon all our actions, and you look at us with an expression that I don"t like. I am not fond of insolent or inquisitive people, I give you fair warning."
The stranger leaned back, and merely replied:
"I am like you: I am not fond of insolent or inquisitive people. I have always avoided the latter and have found a way to punish the former."
"Do you mean that for a challenge?" said Alfred, with a contemptuous glance at the stranger.
"A challenge! Oh! dear me, no! I no longer amuse myself in that way.
Other times, other manners. As for your actions, it isn"t necessary to watch them long to understand them, as well as your schemes."
"What do you mean by that?"
"Parbleu! when young men go to see a young girl, anyone knows what the result is likely to be, and one need not be very shrewd to guess it.
But, after all, I a.s.sure you that it makes no difference to me; I see nothing out of the common course in it."
"I consider you very presumptuous to dare to indulge in such reflections. If you were not constantly at our heels, how would you know where we go? But if you presume to say another word about that girl, I shall find a way to chastise such insolence!"
The vagabond"s only reply was to stretch himself out on the turf with a sneering laugh; then he took a snuffbox from his pocket, and after dipping his own fingers in it, handed it to Alfred, saying very calmly:
"Do you use it? It"s fresh, I bought it this morning at Saint-Amand."
The stranger"s placidity upset all Alfred"s ideas; his wrath redoubled, and he was on the point of resorting to some act of violence; but Edouard held him back and stepped between him and the stranger.
"My dear De Marcey, what are you thinking about? and why are you so incensed with this poor fellow?"
Alfred stopped, blushing as if ashamed because he had been unable to control himself. But at the name of Marcey, which Edouard had p.r.o.nounced, the stranger acted as if he had been struck by lightning; and a sudden change took place in his whole aspect. His face no longer wore an expression of indifference or irony, but of surprise, interest and disquietude. He rose suddenly and walked up to Alfred, scrutinizing him anxiously; then he said to him:
"I beg pardon, monsieur, but your name, please?"
The stranger"s voice was no longer the same; it had lost the harsh, stern accent which seemed natural to it and had taken on an entirely new tone; his changed manner of address was that of a man who is accustomed to good society.
Alfred and Edouard were struck by the change which had taken place in the poor devil"s aspect. But he repeated his question and Alfred replied:
"My name--why, you have just heard it,--Alfred de Marcey."
"Are you the son of the Baron de Marcey who was a colonel of cavalry?"
"Yes, he is my father. How do you know? Did you ever know him?"