Part 25 (1/2)
”Why, to be sure it's I, sacrificing myself to save poor Raymond, who's in such a fright that it will make him ill.”
”Ha! ha! ha! I can't get over it!”
”Hus.h.!.+ he's in there; he can hear you laugh, and I fancy that he would take it ill of you just at this moment.”
”Really! what do I care for that? Ha! ha! ha! Do you think that I'm in love with Raymond, I should like to know? Oh! he is much too stupid, really! and he tries to play the Lovelace! I couldn't stand it any longer! When I opened the window and saw Gerville on the boulevard, I gave a shriek and stepped back into the room as quick as I could; for I don't want Gerville to see me with Raymond. Not that he's jealous, but he might not like it. Do you know what I did? It came into my head to tell my old idiot that Gerville is fiendishly jealous, and that he had been suspicious of him ever since he learned that we spent two hours together on the landing, and that I was certain that he was on the boulevard for the sole purpose of watching us. The more I said, the more frightened my adorer became, for he has even more affection for his own person than for mine. And when I added that Gerville was quite capable of stabbing him,--ha! ha! the poor man took his hat, and is running still, I fancy. Ha! ha! ha! but it's very kind of him to send me such an agreeable companion. Meanwhile, I would like to know what has become of Gerville; I think that he was just waiting for one of his friends.”
”Hus.h.!.+ somebody is coming upstairs. Raymond is opening his door; let's listen. Gerville is speaking.”
We put our ears close to the door, which we very softly opened an inch or two, and overheard the following conversation:
”Ah! it's neighbor Raymond.”
”Himself, at your service. How are you?”
”Very well. How's this? are you dining alone in a private room?”
”Yes; I have something on my mind, some important business, and I was glad not to be disturbed.”
”In that case, I'll leave you. I am waiting for somebody who agreed to meet me on the boulevard here; but he's late, and I am going to dine.
Good-day, neighbor; and a good appet.i.te!”
”Your servant!”
Gerville closed the door of Raymond's room and went into another, pa.s.sing ours as he did so.
”Well, mademoiselle,” I said to Agathe, ”choose; to which of these gentlemen will you give the preference?”
”Oh! I have a delicious idea!”
”Some crazy scheme, I'll be bound, for you think of no other kind.”
”This will be unique. Help me, my dear Eugene, I beg you.”
Without another word to me, Agathe began to stride up and down the room; she pushed the chairs about, threw some of them down, and, amid the uproar, cried out from time to time:
”Don't be angry with me, my friend! I a.s.sure you that you are mistaken.
I give you my word that I haven't seen Raymond; that I don't care for him! Ask Dorsan; he invited me to dinner, because he was expecting a lady.”
I began to understand Agathe's plan; she proposed to make Raymond think that Gerville was with us. To second her, I also made noise enough for two, and attempted now and then to imitate Gerville's voice. We stopped at last, tired out by our comedy; Agathe made me a sign which I understood; I left the room, the door of which she locked behind me, and stole on tiptoe into Raymond's, where I found him s.h.i.+vering and half dead with terror in front of a beefsteak with potatoes. I locked the door before approaching him, and put a finger to my lips; we had the aspect of two conspirators. Raymond spoke so low at this time that I could hardly hear him.
”He's in there,” I said, pointing to the next room.
”Oh! I know it only too well; I heard him. But how did it happen?”
”We thought he had gone downstairs, and we opened our door; but he was on the watch; he saw Agathe and came in. Then there was a terrible scene, for he suspected that she came here with you; I'm not the one of whom he is jealous.”
”Parbleu! I know only too well that it's I. I saw plainly enough just now that he didn't believe what I told him. He had doubts; perhaps he saw us coming along the boulevard.”