Part 40 (1/2)

”Oh! G.o.dmother!” whispered Celeste, yielding to the freshness of her feelings, ”suppose it were he!”

And the tears filled her eyes as she pressed Madame Thuillier's hand.

At this moment the servant threw open the door of the salon, and, singular complication! announced Monsieur Felix Ph.e.l.lion.

The young professor entered the room, bathed in perspiration, his cravat in disorder, and himself out of breath.

”A pretty hour,” said Ph.e.l.lion, sternly, ”to present yourself.”

”Father,” said Felix, moving to the side of the room where Madame Thuillier and Celeste were seated, ”I could not leave before the end of the phenomenon; and then I couldn't find a carriage, and I have run the whole way.”

”Your ears ought to have burned as you came,” said la Peyrade, ”for you have been for the last half-hour in the minds of these ladies, and a great problem has been started about you.”

Felix did not answer. He saw Brigitte entering the salon from the dining-room where she had gone to tell the man-servant not to bring in more trays, and he hurried to greet her.

After listening to a few reproaches for the rarity of his visits and receiving forgiveness in a very cordial ”Better late than never,”

he turned towards his pole, and was much astonished to hear himself addressed by Madame de G.o.dollo as follows:--

”Monsieur,” she said, ”I hope you will pardon the indiscretion I have, in the heat of conversation, committed about you. I have told these ladies where I met you this morning.”

”Met me?” said Felix; ”if I had the honor to meet you, madame, I did not see you.”

An almost imperceptible smile flickered on la Peyrade's lips.

”You saw me well enough to ask me to keep silence as to where I had met you; but, at any rate, I did not go beyond a simple statement; I said you saw Pere Anselme sometimes, and had certain scientific relations with him; also that you defended your religious doubts to him as you do to Celeste.”

”Pere Anselme!” said Felix, stupidly.

”Yes, Pere Anselme,” said la Peyrade, ”a great mathematician who does not despair of converting you. Mademoiselle Celeste wept for joy.”

Felix looked around him with a bewildered air. Madame de G.o.dollo fixed upon him a pair of eyes the language of which a poodle could have understood.

”I wish,” he said finally, ”I could have given that joy to Mademoiselle Celeste, but I think, madame, you are mistaken.”

”Ah! monsieur, then I must be more precise,” said the countess, ”and if your modesty still induces you to hide a step that can only honor you, you can contradict me; I will bear the mortification of having divulged a secret which, I acknowledge, you trusted implicitly to my discretion.”

Madame Thuillier and Celeste were truly a whole drama to behold; never were doubt and eager expectation more plainly depicted on the human face. Measuring her words deliberately, Madame de G.o.dollo thus continued:--

”I said to these ladies, because I know how deep an interest they take in your salvation, and because you are accused of boldly defying the commandments of G.o.d by working on Sundays, that I had met you this morning at the house of Pere Anselme, a mathematician like yourself, with whom you were busy in solving a problem; I said that your scientific intercourse with that saintly and enlightened man had led to other explanations between you; that you had submitted to him your religious doubts, and he did not despair of removing them. In the confirmation you can give of my words there is nothing, I am sure, to wound your self-esteem. The matter was simply a surprise you intended for Celeste, and I have had the stupidity to divulge it. But when she hears you admit the truth of my words you will have given her such happiness that I shall hope to be forgiven.”

”Come, monsieur,” said la Peyrade, ”there's nothing absurd or mortifying in having sought for light; you, so honorable and so truly an enemy to falsehood, you cannot deny what madame affirms with such decision.”

”Well,” said Felix, after a moment's hesitation, ”will you, Mademoiselle Celeste, allow me to say a few words to you in private, without witnesses?”

Celeste rose, after receiving an approving sign from Madame Thuillier.

Felix took her hand and led her to the recess of the nearest window.

”Celeste,” he said, ”I entreat you: wait! See,” he added, pointing to the constellation of Ursa Minor, ”beyond those visible stars a future lies before us; I will place you there. As for Pere Anselme, I cannot admit what has been said, for it is not true. It is an invented tale.

But be patient with me; you shall soon know all.”