Part 52 (1/2)

”Let us understand each other,” said their visitor. ”There is not the faintest idea in the mind of one of us that Professor Frowenfeld is guilty of even an intention of wrong; otherwise I should not be here. He is a man simply incapable of anything ign.o.ble.”

Clotilde was silent. Aurora answered promptly, with the air of one not to be excelled in generosity:

”Certainly, he is very incapabl'.”

”Still,” resumed the visitor, turning especially to Clotilde, ”the known facts are these, according to his own statement: he was in the house of Palmyre on some legitimate business which, unhappily, he considers himself on some account bound not to disclose, and by some mistake of Palmyre's old Congo woman, was set upon by her and wounded, barely escaping with a whole skull into the street, an object of public scandal. Laying aside the consideration of his feelings, his reputation is at stake and likely to be ruined unless the affair can be explained clearly and satisfactorily, and at once, by his friends.”

”And you undertake--” began Aurora.

”Madame Nancanou,” said Honore Grandissime, leaning toward her earnestly, ”you know--I must beg leave to appeal to your candor and confidence--you know everything concerning Palmyre that I know. You know me, and who I am; you know it is not for me to undertake to confer with Palmyre. I know, too, her old affection for you; she lives but a little way down this street upon which you live; there is still daylight enough at your disposal; if you will, you can go to see her, and get from her a full and complete exoneration of this young man. She cannot come to you; she is not fit to leave her room.”

”Cannot leave her room?”

”I am, possibly, violating confidence in this disclosure, but it is unavoidable--you have to know: she is not fully recovered from a pistol-shot wound received between two and three weeks ago.”

”Pistol-shot wound!”

Both ladies started forward with open lips and exclamations of amazement.

”Received from a third person--not myself and not Professor Frowenfeld--in a desperate attempt made by her to avenge the wrongs which she has suffered, as you, Madam, as well as I, are aware, at the hands of--”

Aurora rose up with a majestic motion for the speaker to desist.

”If it is to mention the person of whom your allusion reminds me, that you have honored us with a call this evening, Monsieur--”

Her eyes were flas.h.i.+ng as he had seen them flash in front of the Place d'Armes.

”I beg you not to suspect me of meanness,” he answered, gently, and with a remonstrative smile. ”I have been trying all day, in a way unnecessary to explain, to be generous.”

”I suppose you are incapabl',” said Aurora, following her double meaning with that combination of mischievous eyes and unsmiling face of which she was master. She resumed her seat, adding: ”It is generous for you to admit that Palmyre has suffered wrongs.”

”It _would_ be,” he replied, ”to attempt to repair them, seeing that I am not responsible for them, but this I cannot claim yet to have done. I have asked of you, Madam, a generous act. I might ask another of you both jointly. It is to permit me to say without offence, that there is one man, at least, of the name of Grandissime who views with regret and mortification the yet deeper wrongs which you are even now suffering.”

”Oh!” exclaimed Aurora, inwardly ready for fierce tears, but with no outward betrayal save a trifle too much grace and an over-bright smile, ”Monsieur is much mistaken; we are quite comfortable and happy, wanting nothing, eh, Clotilde?--not even our rights, ha, ha!”

She rose and let Alphonsina in. The bundle was still in the negress's arms. She pa.s.sed through the room and disappeared in the direction of the kitchen.

”Oh! no, sir, not at all,” repeated Aurora, as she once more sat down.

”You ought to want your rights,” said M. Grandissime. ”You ought to have them.”

”You think so?”

Aurora was really finding it hard to conceal her growing excitement, and turned, with a faint hope of relief, toward Clotilde.

Clotilde, looking only at their visitor, but feeling her mother's glance, with a tremulous and half-choked voice, said eagerly:

”Then why do you not give them to us?”

”Ah!” interposed Aurora, ”we shall get them to-morrow, when the sheriff comes.”