Volume Ii Part 58 (1/2)
”Oh! how you bore me, monsieur!”
”Madame, I didn't bring you twenty-two thousand five hundred francs a year for the privilege of sleeping alone. Deuce take it! I married for another purpose--otherwise it wasn't worth while for me to marry!--Why----”
”Have you finished, monsieur?”
”Madame, you made me dance seventeen times with different women. Some of them were very ugly. I do whatever you want me to; and it seems to me that you, in your turn----”
”How dare you talk to me of such matters, monsieur, when you have a duel on hand for to-morrow--a serious duel? If Monsieur Luminot should fall, it would be your duty, as his second, to avenge him.”
The memory of the duel instantly put to flight the amorous thoughts which were agitating Chamoureau. He turned pale and stammered:
”I don't know, madame, why you mixed me up in that affair, which did not concern me at all. There was your old friend, Baron von Schtapelmerg--a man who has fought against the Turks; he would have asked nothing better than to be Monsieur Luminot's second. However, two seconds are required; I will see the baron to-morrow, and----”
”You will not see him; the baron has gone to Paris.”
”What! Monsieur de Schtapelmerg has left Ch.e.l.les like this--without shaking hands with me--without bidding me adieu?”
”You will see him later; urgent business compelled him to start at once.
The other second can be found to-morrow. Now I feel the need of rest.
This day has tired me terribly. Good-night, monsieur.”
Chamoureau took a candle, blew it out because he saw that day was breaking, and made up his mind at last to go to his room, saying to himself:
”I am beginning to think that I should have done as well to remain a widower. O Eleonore! you would not refuse to admit me to your bedroom!
To be sure, we had only one between us.”
Thelenie hastened into the garden. Croque was awaiting her in a clump of trees. Having satisfied herself that they were quite alone, she said:
”Listen attentively to what I expect you to do. This time I trust that you will not hesitate to obey me; the commission that I am going to intrust to you is not dangerous.”
”Sacrebleu! I am no coward, but only a blasted fool puts himself in the way of being thrashed when there's no need of it. That young Freluchon's as strong as Hercules; I saw that at a glance. He would have thrown me down as he did Luminot. How would that have helped us?”
”Listen: you saw that nurse, that Jacqueline, who came here during dinner, with a little boy?”
”Yes; and you didn't want to see her, for you skipped out in a hurry!--I'd like to bet something that you're the Baronne de Mortagne, and that that little chap is your son.”
”Hus.h.!.+ hold your tongue!”
”Oh! after all, it's your business! It's all one to me, you understand!”
”What I want you to understand is that this nurse must leave this part of the country to-morrow; for if chance should bring us face to face----”
”True; she would recognize you, and that would have a bad effect, the world is so unfeeling!--And the little boy?”
”She must take him with her. In two or three hours, you will go to this woman----”
”Where does she live?”