The Chevalier De Maison Rouge (24 page)

" Oh, believe me, poor fool ! " said she, with a smile (which, although anything but jealous, might have been

a charming confession), " believe me. Besides, if you

wish to know more, Morand loves a woman in whose

presence all others sink into insignificance, as the flowers of the field fade before the stars of heaven."

"And who is this woman able to eclipse all other

women ?" demanded Maurice, " when among the number we find Genevieve."

"Do we not always," said Genevieve, smiling, "consider the one we love us the chef deuvre of the crea-

tion ? "

"Then," said Maurice, " if you do not love me, Genevi6ve " The young woman waited with anxiety the

end of the sentence. "If you do not love me," continued Maurice, " will you swear never to love another ?"

156 THE CHEVALIER DE MAISON ROUGE.

" Ah 1 that, Maurice, I will swear with all my heart,"

cried the young woman, delighted that he had thus com-

promised with her conscience.

Maurice seized her raised hands, and covered them

with ardent kisses.

"And now," said he, " I will be kind, indulgent, and confiding. I will even be generous. I wish to see you

smile, and myself to be happy."

" And you will ask me nothing more ?"

" I will endeavor."

" And now," said Genevive, " I think it will be useless to hold the horse any longer. The section will wait."

" Oh, Genevie"ve ! the whole world might wait, if I could only stay with you ! "

Steps were heard in the courtyard.

"They come to tell us that dinner is ready," said Genevieve. They silently pressed each other's hands.

It was Morand who came to tell them they only

awaited their presence at table. He also was in fuU

dress for the Sunday's dinner.

CHAPTER XIX.

THE REQUEST.

Ix the meantime, Morand did not a little excite the

curiosity of Maurice. The most refined of fops could not

discover a fault in the tie of his cravat, the folds of his boots, or the texture of his linen ; but it must be allowed his hair and spectacles were always the same. It then

appeared to Maurice, so much was he reassured by the

oath of Genevieve, that he now, for the first time, viewed

these locks and spectacles in a proper light.

"The devil!" said Maurice to himself "the devil take me if I am now ever again jealous of this worthy

Citizen Morand. Put on every day, if you choose, your

full-dress coat, or even make yourself one of cloth of

gold, since from this time I promise to see nothing but

THE CHEVALIER DE MAI8ON ROUGE. 157

your wig and spectacles, and, above all, never again to

accuse you of loving Genevie"ve. M

We can easily understand the shake of the hand be-

stowed upon the Citizen Morand at the conclusion of

this soliloquy was more frank and cordial than usual.

Contrary to custom, the party was small, covers being

placed for only three on a narrow table. Genevieve was

seated nearly opposite Maurice, between himself and the

light, which reflected on her luxuriant black curls, tinged them with the blue hue of the raven's wing, enhancing

the brilliancy of her eyes and complexion. Beyond his

pigeon-colored suit, Morand appeared to have dismissed

all recollection of the day from his mind that brilliant

mind, which Maurice had sometimes heard burst fresh

from the lips of this singular man, which would no doubt

have been accompanied by the flashes from his eyes, had

they not been totally obscured by the green spectacles.

He uttered a thousand witticisms, but never himself

smiled ; indeed, what added piquancy to his witticisms,

and a strange charm to his sallies, was his own impene-

trable gravity. This merchant, who had made numerous

voyages, and visited various countries, trading in every

sort of skin, from the skin of the panther to that of the

rabbit ; this chemist with arms dyed with his own

chemical preparations, was as conversant with Egypt as

Herodotus, Africa as Lavaillaut, and the opera and the

boudoir as any fop.

" But the devil take me, Monsieur Morand," said

Maurice, "you are not only a clever man, but a scholar also."

" Ah ! I have both seen and read much," said Mo-

rand ; '* and then it is necessary I should prepare my-

self in some degree for the life of pleasure I intend to lead, when I retire on my fortune. It is time, Citizen Maurice,

it is time/'

" Bah ! " said Maurice ; "you talk like an old man.

What age, then, are you ? "

Morand turned round, startled by tins question,

natural as it certainly was.

158 THE CHEVALIER DE MAISON ROUGB.

" I am thirty-eight," said he. " Ah I see what it is to be a scholar, as you term it. It makes one old."

Generic" ve began to laugh, and Maurice joined in ; but Morand merely smiled.

"You have then, made several voyages ?" demanded

Maurice, pressing Genevieve's foot between his own.

" Part of my youth," replied Morand, " was passed among foreigners."

" And you have seen much ? Pardon me, I ought to

say, have observed much ; for a man like yourself can

not see without observing," replied Maurice.

"Ma foil yes; seen much?" replied Morand; "I have almost seen everything."

"Everything, citizen?" replied Maurice, laughing

gaily, " that is saying a great deal. If you. were to

search "

" Ah ! yes, you are right ; there are two things I have never seen. It is true, in our days, these two things

have become rare."

" What are they, then ? " demanded Maurice.

" The first," said Morand, " is a god."

" Ah ! " said Maurice, " but in lieu of a god, I shall be able to show you a goddess, Citizen Morand."

" How so ? " interrupted Genevieve.

" Yes, a goddess of modern creation the Goddess

Reason. I have a friend, of whom you have sometimes

heard me speak my dear and brave Louis, with a heart

of gold, whose only fault is that of making verses and

vile puns."

"Well ?"

"Well, lie selected for Paris a Goddess Reason, of

good repute, and in whom they can discover nothing at

all objectionable. It is the Citoyenne Arthemise, ox-

dancer of the Opera, and at present parfitmense, Rue

Martin. As soon as she is definitely received as goddess,

I will show her to you."

Morand bowed his head in token of thanks, aud con-

tinued :

" The other," said he, gravely, " is a king."

THE CHEVALIER DE MAISON ROUGE. 159

" Ah ! that is more difficult," said Genevi^ve ; " there are no more of them," she added, forcing a smile.

"You should have seen the last," said Maurice; "it would have been prudent to have done so."

" The result is," said Morand, " I have not the least idea of a crowned head ; it must be very sad."

" Very sad, indeed/' said Maurice ; " I respond to you.

I who see one nearly every month."

" A crowned head ? " demanded Genevie 1 ve.

"At least," said Maurice, "one that has borne the weight and miserable burden of a crown."

" Ah, yes, the queen," said Morand ; " truly, Monsieur Maurice, it must be a melancholy sight "

" Is she as proud and beautiful as they say ? " demanded Genevieve.

" Have you never seen her, then, madame ? " demanded Maurice, surprised in his turn.

" I ? never ! " replied the young woman.

"Indeed," said Maurice ; "that is strange."

" And why strange ? " said Genevieve. " "We lived in the province till '91 ; since '91 we have resided in the Old Rue St. Jacques, which much resembles the province,

only there they have neither light nor air, and, still less, flowers. Yon are acquainted with my life, Monsieur

Maurice ? It has always been the same. How do you

suppose I could have seen the queen when I have had no

opportunity whatever of so doing ? "

' And I do not think you will avail yourself of that

which, unfortunately, perhaps, may present itself/' said

Maurice.

"What do you mean to say?" demanded Geu-

evieve.

" The Citizen Maurice," replied Morand, "alludes to one tiling no longer a secret."

"To what ?" demanded Genevieve.

" To the probable condemnation of Marie Antoinette,

and to her death upon the same scaffold where her hus-

band died. The citizen said, in short, that you would

not avail yourself of the opportunity offered you of seeing 160 THE CHEVALIER DE MAISON ROUGE.

her the day when she will quit the Temple for La Place

de la Revolution-"

" Oh, certainly not ! " cried Genevie" ve, as Morand pronounced these words with the greatest sang froid.

" Then you can only lament," said the impassible

chemist ; " for the Austrian is well guarded, and the Republic a fairy that renders invisible what seems best to

her."

"I acknowledge, however," said Genevieve, "I have been very much wishing to see this poor woman."

" Let us see," said Maurice, anxious to gratify all the wishes of Genevieve ; " have you really such an inclination ?

Then only say the word. I agree with the Citizen Morand,

the Republic is a fairy ; but I, in the quality of municipal, am somewhat of a wizard."

" Could you allow me a sight of the queen you, mon-

sieur ? " cried Genevieve.

" Certainly I can."

"And how ?" exclaimed Morand, exchanging a rapid

glance with Genevieve, which escaped the notice of the

young man.

" Nothing more simple," said Maurice. " There are certainly some municipals of whom they are mistrustful ;

but as for me, I have given sufficient evidence of my de-

votion to the cause of liberty to render me above all sus-

picion. Besides, admittance to the Temple depends con-

jointly on the municipals and the chiefs of the post.

Now, the chief of the post is, just at this moment, my

friend Louis, who appears to me to be called indubitably

to replace General Santerre, seeing that, in three months,

he has risen from the rank of corporal to that of ad-

jutant-major. Well, come to me the day I shall be

on guard ; that is to say, next Thursday, at the Tem-

ple."

" Well," said Morand, "I hope now your wishes may be gratified. Take care that you find him."

" Oh ! no, no," said Genevieve, " indeed, I cannot."

" And wherefore not ? " said Maurice, who only anticipated in this visit to the Temple an opportunity of seeing THE CHEVALIER DE MAISON ROUGE. 161

Genevieve on a day when he could enjoy this happiness

alone, without the presence of others.

" Because it might, perhaps, dear Maurice, expose you

to some unpleasant dispute ; and if anything were to

happen to you through gratifying a whim of mine, I

should never, while I lived, forgive myself."

" You have spoken wisely, Genevieve," said Morand.

" Suspicion is very great, the best patriots are now even suspected. Eenounce this project, which, as you say, is,

after all, a mere caprice of curiosity."

" They will say that you are envious, Morand, and that, not having yourself seen either king or queen, you do not

wish others to do so. Come, to end all discussion, join

the party."

"Me? Mafoifno."

" It is, then, no longer the Citoyenne Dixmer who

wishes to visit the Temple ; it is I who entreat you to

come there, to divert a poor prisoner. For the great

door, once closed upon me, I remain for twenty-four

hours as much a prisoner as the king would be, or a prince

of the blood." And pressing between his own the foot

of Genevieve, " Come, then," said he, "I entreat you."

'"' Voyfins, Morand," said Genevieve, " come with me."

" It will be losing a day," said Morand, " and will prevent my going where I ought on business."

{i Then I shall not go," said Geuevieve.

" But why ?" demanded Morand.

" Because I cannot depend upon my husband to escort

me ; and if you will not accompany me you, a respect-

able man, thirty-eight years of age I have not the hardi-

hood to encounter alone all the chasseurs, cannoniers,

and grenadiers, requesting to speak to one of the munic-

ipals only three or four years older than myself,"

" Then," said Morand, " since you deem my presence indispensable, citoyennc "

"Allans, allons/ learned citizen, be as gallant as if you wer

"Well, let it be so," said Morand.

162 THE CHEVALIER DE MAISON ROUGE.

" Xow," said Maurice, " I only require one thing from you, that is discretion. Any one visiting the Temple is

considered a suspicious proceeding, and, consequently,

should any accident occur afterward, we should all be

guillotined. The Jacobins do not jest. Peste ! you

see hov they have treated the Girondins."

"Diable!" said Morand, "this observation of the Citizen Maurice requires consideration. It would be a

sort of retiring from business if I could not go out at all."

"Have you not heard," said Genevieve, smiling,

"that the Citizen Maurice said all ?"

"Eh, lien, all?"

"All."

"Yes, without doubt," said Morand, "your company is very agreeable, but I much prefer, belle sentimentale,

to live in your society than to die in it."

" What the devil was I thinking of ?" said Maurice to himself, "when I imagined this man loved Genevieve ?"

" Then it is all settled," said Genevieve. "I address myself to you, Morand, thoughtful, absent man that you