Part 40 (1/2)
”I have been struck with a stick of wood by a half-witted person under a misunderstanding of my intentions; but the circ.u.mstances are such as to blacken my character hopelessly; but I am innocent!” he cried, stretching forward both arms and quite losing his momentary self-control.
”'Sieu' Frowenfel'!” cried Clotilde, tears leaping to her eyes, ”I am shoe of it!”
”I believe you! I believe you, 'Sieur Frowenfel'!” exclaimed Raoul with sincerity.
”You will not believe me,” said Joseph. ”You will not; it will be impossible.”
”_Mais_” cried Clotilde, ”id shall nod be impossib'!”
But the apothecary shook his head.
”All I can be suspected of will seem probable; the truth only is incredible.”
His head began to sink and a pallor to overspread his face.
”_Allez, Monsieur, allez_,” cried Clotilde to Raoul, a picture of beautiful terror which he tried afterward to paint from memory, ”_appelez_ Doctah Kin!”
Raoul made a dash for his hat, and the next moment she heard, with unpleasant distinctness, his impetuous hand slam the shop door and lock her in.
”_Baille ma do l'eau_” she called to the little mulattress, who responded by searching wildly for a cup and presently bringing a measuring-gla.s.s full of water.
Clotilde gave it to the wounded man, and he rose at once and stood on his feet.
”Raoul.”
”'E gone at Doctah Kin.”
”I do not need Doctor Keene; I am not badly hurt. Raoul should not have left you here in this manner. You must not stay.”
”Bud, 'Sieur Frowenfel', I am afred to paz dad gangue!”
A new distress seized Joseph in view of this additional complication.
But, unmindful of this suggestion, the fair Creole suddenly exclaimed:
”'Sieu' Frowenfel', you har a hinnocen' man! Go, hopen yo' do's an' stan juz as you har ub biffo dad crowd and sesso! My G.o.d! 'Sieu' Frowenfel', iv you cannod stan' ub by you'sev--”
She ceased suddenly with a wild look, as if another word would have broken the levees of her eyes, and in that instant Frowenfeld recovered the full stature of a man.
”G.o.d bless you!” he cried. ”I will do it!” He started, then turned again toward her, dumb for an instant, and said: ”And G.o.d reward you! You believe in me, and you do not even know me.”
Her eyes became wilder still as she looked up into his face with the words:
”_Mais_, I does know you--betteh'n you know annyt'in' boud it!” and turned away, blus.h.i.+ng violently.
Frowenfeld gave a start. She had given him too much light. He recognized her, and she knew it. For another instant he gazed at her averted face, and then with forced quietness said:
”Please go into the shop.”