Volume Ii Part 10 (1/2)
Mademoiselle Helose, who had retained her former footing of intimacy with her old friend, because she was careful to call her nothing but Madame de Belleville, suddenly appeared, in evident uneasiness, and whispered to Thelenie:
”I say, my dear, I just saw--down in the street, standing in front of the house, that horrid man who came to your old rooms one day, so wretchedly dressed, all in rags, and who had such a strange name--Croque, I think.”
”Ah! you recognized him?”
”Yes, although he is dressed a little better than he was the other time.
He has one of those faces that one doesn't forget! he looks like a night-owl!”
”So Croque has found my trail,” thought Thelenie, ”and some day he will present himself again. Oh, well! it matters little, after all; I have an idea now that I may have occasion to make use of him.”
V
THE CHERRIES.--THE RAVINE
Edmond very soon put in execution the plan he had formed. On the day after that on which he had dined at Madame Dalmont's, he returned to Ch.e.l.les alone. He did not call upon the ladies, because a second visit after so brief an interval would have been indiscreet; but he went all about the neighborhood and succeeded in finding an attractive house to let all furnished, a very short distance from Madame Dalmont's. The house was large enough for a good-sized family; it was much too large for a single man; but the tenant could have possession at once, and it was only five minutes' walk from Madame Dalmont's; so Edmond did not hesitate; he hired it for the balance of the year for one thousand francs, one-half of which he paid in cash to Monsieur Durand, the owner of the property.
Two days later, the young man called at Madame Dalmont's.
”It is a neighbor of yours,” he said, ”who ventures to pay you a visit, and who, if it is not too presumptuous, will ask your permission to come now and then in the evening, to play and sing with you.”
”What! have you hired a house here?” cried Agathe, unable to restrain a joyous movement.
”Yes, mademoiselle, a summer house, belonging to a Monsieur Durand, very near that lady's house where Freluchon was so coldly received when he went there to ask for me a few days ago.”
”Oh! I know the place,” said Honorine, ”but it seems to me to be very large for a single man.”
”Oh! what difference does it make? Besides, Freluchon will come to see me often, and pa.s.s the night.”
”I thought that he didn't like this part of the country.”
”He will get used to it; for my part, the longer I am here, the better I like it.”
As he said this, Edmond's eyes were fixed on Agathe, and she understood perfectly why the young man liked Ch.e.l.les so much.
But it was not without considerable disquietude that Honorine saw Edmond Didier take up his abode so near to them; and Agathe, who could read her protectress's face very easily, said to her after Edmond's departure:
”How serious you look! Are you sorry that Monsieur Edmond has hired a country house in this vicinity? You frown at me; is it my fault?”
”Your fault? yes, of course it's your fault; and yet I can't scold you!
Why, you know perfectly well that this young man is in love with you; and that that was the only motive that led him to hire that house, which is large enough for ten persons.”
”My dear friend, I swear to you that Monsieur Edmond has never said a word to me which would lead me to suppose that--that he was thinking of me.”
”I believe you; indeed, he has not been coming here long.”
”Do you mean that you think that that young man is capable of saying unseemly things to me? Do you suppose that I would listen to them?”