Part 56 (1/2)
The Dubuissons and M. Spiegel had promised to come at four o'clock.
One of the scenes which did not go very well had to be rehea.r.s.ed.
Bijou, who was busy gathering flowers, went towards the cab when they arrived, and was surprised to see only Jeanne and her father.
”What have you done with M. Spiegel?” she asked.
It was M. Dubuisson who answered, in a confused sort of way:
”He is coming--with your cousin M. de Rueille, who was at Pont-sur-Loire and who offered to bring him.”
”Don't disturb your grandmamma,” said Jeanne, taking Bijou's arm.
”Papa won't come in yet, he has his lecture to prepare, and he will go and do it, walking about in the park.” And then, as soon as M.
Dubuisson had moved off, she began again: ”If M. Spiegel and I had not had parts in the play, and so had not been afraid of spoiling it for you by not appearing, we should not have come.”
”You would not have come?” exclaimed Bijou, in astonishment; ”and why not, pray?”
”Because we are now in the most false and ridiculous position.”
”You?”
”Yes, we are--our engagement is broken off.”
”Broken off!” repeated Bijou, in consternation; ”broken off! but what for?”
”Because I was quite certain that he cared for me very little or not at all,” answered Jeanne, speaking very calmly, but not looking at Bijou, ”and so I told him this morning that I did not feel equal to accepting the life of misery which I foresaw, and that I gave him back his liberty.”
”Good heavens, is it possible--and you do not regret anything?”
”Nothing! I am very wretched, but my mind is more easy.”
Bijou looked straight into her eyes as she asked:
”And it is--it is because of me, isn't it? it is because of M.
Spiegel's manner towards me that you broke it all off?” Jeanne nodded, and Bijou went on: ”And so you really thought that your _fiance_ was making love to me?”
”Oh, as to making love to you, no, perhaps not--but he certainly cares for you.”
”And what then?”
”What do you mean by _what then_?”
”Well, what would be the end of that for him?”
”Well, it would cause him to suffer; and who knows, he might have hoped--?”
”Hoped what? to marry me?”
”No--yes! I don't know; he might have hoped in a vague sort of way--I don't know what.”