Volume III Part 57 (1/2)

”Oh! my lord, to such n.o.ble words one can only answer by grateful tears,”

cried Clemence. Then, composing herself, she added, ”My lord, some one comes; it is your child.”

”Oh! do not refuse me,” cried Rudolph, in a supplicating voice; ”in the name of my love, say our child.”

”Our child,” murmured Clemence; at the same moment Murphy opened the door, leading in Fleur-de-Marie.

The girl, descending from the carriage, had crossed an ante-chamber, filled with footmen in full livery; a waiting-room, where valets attended; then the ushers' saloon; and, finally, the waiting-rooms, occupied by a chamberlain and the aides of the prince in full uniform. Let the reader imagine the astonishment of the poor Goualeuse, who knew no other splendors than those of the farm at Bouqueval, on traversing these princely apartments, resplendent with gold, mirrors, and paintings.

As soon as she appeared, Lady d'Harville ran toward her, took her by the hand, and placing her arm around her for support, she conducted her toward the prince, who, standing near the chimney, had not been able to move.

Murphy, after having confided Fleur-de Marie to the care of Lady d'Harville, hastily disappeared behind the folds of one of the immense window-curtains, finding that he was not altogether sure of his self-possession. At the sight of her benefactor, her savior, who regarded her with silent ecstasy, Fleur-de-Marie, already so agitated, began to tremble.

”Compose yourself, my child,” said Lady d'Harville; ”there is your friend, M. Rudolph, who awaits you impatiently; he has been very uneasy about you.”

”Oh! yes, very--very uneasy,” said Rudolph, still immovable, his heart almost breaking at the sight of the sweet pale face of his child.

Thus, in spite of his resolution, the prince was for a moment obliged to turn his head to conceal his emotion.

”Stay, my child, you are still very weak; sit down there,” said Clemence, to turn her attention from the prince; and she led her to a large arm-chair of bronze and gilt, in which the Goualeuse seated herself. Her agitation increased every moment: she was oppressed, speech failed her; she had not a word of grat.i.tude for Rudolph.

At length, on a sign from Lady d'Harville, who was leaning on the back of the chair, and holding one of Fleur-de-Marie's hands in her own, the prince approached softly to the other side of the seat. With more self-command, he then said to Fleur-de-Marie, who turned toward him her enchanting face:

”At length, my child, you are once more reunited to your friends, and forever! You never shall leave them more Now you must forget what you have suffered.”

”Yes, my child, the best way to prove that you love us,” added Clemence, ”is to forget the past.”

”Believe me, M. Rudolph--believe me, my lady, that if I do recall it sometimes, it will only be to say to myself, that, without you, I should still be very unhappy.”

”Yes; but we will take care that you have no more such gloomy thoughts. Our tenderness will not leave you the time, my dear Marie,” answered Rudolph, ”for you know that I gave you this name at the farm.”

”Yes, M. Rudolph. And is Madame George, who allowed me to call her mother, well?”

”Very well, my child. But I have important news to tell you.”

”Me, M. Ruldoph?”

”Since I have seen you, great discoveries have been made concerning your birth.”

”My birth!”

”It is known who were your parents--who was your father.”

Rudolph was so much choked by his tears on his p.r.o.nouncing these words, that Fleur-de-Marie, very much affected, turned quickly toward him: he had turned away his head. An incident, half burlesque, diverted the attention of La Goualeuse, and prevented her from remarking more closely the emotion of her father: the worthy squire, who still remained behind the curtain, and, apparently was very attentively looking into the garden of the hotel, could not refrain from blowing his nose with a most formidable noise, for he wept like a child.

”Yes, my dear Marie,” Clemence hastened to say, ”your father is known--he still lives.”

”My father!” cried the Goualeuse, with an outburst which put the composure of Rudolph to a new trial.

”And some day,” resumed Clemence, ”very soon, perhaps, you will see him.

What will doubtless surprise you very much is, that he is of high standing--n.o.ble birth.”