Part 33 (1/2)

”She will herself tell you. She requested me, with tears, to bring her to Elise Gotzkowsky, for, she a.s.sured me, the happiness of her life depended on it.”

Elise felt an icy shudder run through her. She laid her hand on her heart, as if to protect it against the terrible danger which she felt threatened her, and with trembling lip she repeated, ”What does the lady wish with me?”

Bertram did not answer her, but letting go the arm of the unknown, he bowed low. ”Countess,” said he, ”this is Mademoiselle Elise Gotzkowsky. I have fulfilled my promise: allow me now to leave you, and may G.o.d impart convincing power to your words!”

He greeted the ladies respectfully, and left the room quickly. The two ladies were now alone together. A pause ensued. Both trembled, and neither ventured to break the silence.

”You desired to speak to me,” said Elise, finally, in a low, languid voice. ”May I now beg of you--”

The lady threw back her veil, and allowed Elise to see a handsome countenance, moistened with tears. ”It is I who have to beg,” said she, with a touching foreign accent, while seizing Elise's hand, she pressed it warmly to her breast. ”Forgive me; since I have seen you, I have forgotten what I had to say. At sight of you, all my words, and even my anger have left me. You are very beautiful. Be as n.o.ble as you are beautiful. My fate lies in your hands. You can restore me to happiness.”

”G.o.d alone can do that,” said Elise, solemnly.

”At this moment you are the divinity who has the disposal of my fate.

You alone can restore me to happiness, for you have deprived me of it--yes, you, so young, so handsome, and apparently so innocent. You are the murderess of my happiness.” Her eyes sparkled, and a bright blush suffused her hitherto pale cheeks. ”Yes,” cried she, with a triumphant laugh, ”now I am myself again. My hesitation has vanished, and anger is again supreme. I am once more the lioness, and ready to defend the happiness of my life.”

Elise drew herself up, and she, too, felt a change in her heart. With the instinct of love, she felt that this handsome woman who stood opposite to her was her rival, her enemy with whom she had to struggle for her most precious property. Pa.s.sion filled her whole being, and she vowed to herself not to yield a single step to this proud beauty.

With an expression of unspeakable disdain, she fixed her eyes upon the countess. Their flas.h.i.+ng looks crossed each other like the bright blades of two combatants in a duel.

”I do not understand you,” said Elise, with angry coldness. ”You must speak more plainly, if you wish to be understood.”

”You do not wish to understand me,” cried the countess. ”You wish to avoid me, but I will not let you. I have suffered so much that I will not suffer any longer. We stand here opposite each other as two women engaged in a combat for life and death.”

Elise suppressed the cry of pain which rose in her breast, and compelled herself to a.s.sume a proud and impa.s.sible composure. ”I still do not understand you, nor do I desire to contend with an unknown person. But if you will not leave my room, you will allow me to do so.”

She turned to go, but the countess seized her hand, and held her back.

”No! you cannot go!” cried she, pa.s.sionately. ”You cannot go, for I know that you are going to him, to him whom I love, and I come to demand this man of you.”

These half-threatening, half-commanding words, at last drove Elise from the a.s.sumed tranquillity she had maintained with so much difficulty. ”I know not of whom you speak,” cried she, in a loud voice.

But the countess was tired of dealing in these half-concealed meanings, these mysterious allusions. ”You know of whom I speak,”

cried she, vehemently. ”You know that I have come to demand the restoration of my holiest possession, the heart of my beloved. Oh!

give him back to me, give me back my betrothed, for he belongs to me, and cannot be another's. Let my tears persuade you. You are young, rich, handsome; you have every thing that makes life happy. I have nothing but him. Leave him to me.”

Elise felt furious. Like a tigress, she could have strangled this woman, who came to destroy her happiness. A wild, angry laugh rang from her lips: ”You say that you love him,” exclaimed she. ”Well, then, go to him and ask him for his heart. Why do you demand it of _me_? Win it from him, if you can.”

”In order to be able to win it, you must first release him from the fetters with which you have bound him.”

An angry flush overspread Elise's pale face. ”You become insulting,”

she said.

The countess paid no attention to these words, but continued still more vehemently: ”Make him free. Loose the bands which fetter him, and then, I am sure, he will return to me and be mine again.”

Elise stared terrified at the face of the countess, excited and streaming with tears. She had heard but one little word, but this word had pierced her heart like a dagger.

”_Return_ to you?” asked she, breathlessly. ”Be yours _again_? He was then _once_ yours?”