The White House Part 64

The two hors.e.m.e.n soon espied Isaure; they dismounted, and she walked toward them. Alfred's presence, far from annoying Isaure, seemed to please her; she received him as graciously as ever, and manifested as much friends.h.i.+p for him; but she had no hesitation in disclosing before him the more tender feeling which bound her to Edouard. In love for the first time, loving with all the sincerity of her years, she thought that she ought not to make a mystery of her love, especially to her lover's friend.

Alfred responded graciously enough to Isaure's friendly advances. It was easy for him to see that Edouard had told him the truth, that it was he who possessed the young girl's heart; but he tried to overcome the chagrin that he felt. The two young men stayed a shorter time than usual with Isaure, for Edouard was not so happy in the presence of Alfred, before whom he did not wish to speak of his love; and Alfred, despite all his efforts, could not succeed in recovering his usual gayety.

"My dear Edouard," said Alfred as they rode back to the chateau, "hereafter, I shall let you go alone to see Isaure; you are the one she loves, she does not try to conceal it; but really she is so pretty, so fascinating, even with the man whom she is not seeking to please, that despite all my friends.h.i.+p for you, if I should see her often, I would not promise--yes, I should do some crazy thing, and then I should be in despair over it; so it is much better that I should cease to see this girl, or at all events that I should wait until the sight of her makes less impression upon my heart. People say that I am thoughtless and fickle; I pray that I may be as much so as people say, and that I may soon forget!--Well, it is all over; she loves you, and henceforth I propose to think of her only as a sister."

Edouard shook Alfred's hand affectionately and exclaimed:

"A friend like you and a sweetheart like her! Should not one be the happiest of men with those?"

And yet Edouard sighed as he said this, for he thought of the secret which Isaure concealed from him, and of the unknown obstacle which interfered to prevent his being entirely happy. But Isaure loved him, she had told him so a hundred times; her lips could not know falsehood; the mystery which she concealed from him would undoubtedly soon be cleared up, for she herself had given him that hope; so that he ought to see nothing in the future save the most perfect happiness. Thus did Edouard console himself; to see happiness in the future is much, even though one is destined never to attain it.

On reaching the chateau, the young men noticed a bustle and a movement there which indicated something new. Robineau had already returned from the town, and they found him in the salon, listening to the verses which Monsieur Ferulus was declaiming.

"Congratulate me, messieurs," he cried to his two friends the instant that he caught sight of them; "my wishes have been gratified! I have carried the day over my numerous rivals! In a word, Monsieur le Marquis de la Pincerie has solemnly promised me his daughter's hand, and has authorized me to look upon myself already as a member of his ill.u.s.trious family."

"My dear fellow," said Alfred, "as you wish to be congratulated, we will congratulate you; and in fact, now that it is decided, it is the best thing there is to do."

"What! you are going to marry, Monsieur Jules?" said Edouard; "and who is the lady whom you are to marry, pray? There were so many people at your fete that I do not remember----"

"The sister of the pretty woman whom, by the way, you always had on your arm, my dear child of the Muses."

"Ah! I remember now: Mademoiselle Cornelie?"

"Herself. Oh! you could not have helped noticing her! She was so conspicuous! I confess that I am in a state of intoxication, of enchantment!"

"You have reason enough, certainly!" said Alfred. "But do you propose to give a second fete at the chateau so soon? All your people have such a busy look!"

"It is because they are preparing apartments for my future family, who have consented to pa.s.s at my chateau the time which must still intervene before my wedding. I would have liked to marry at once; but monsieur le marquis, who is a great stickler for form, for propriety, declares that it cannot be done so abruptly. Besides, there are papers to be drawn, and purchases to make,--the wedding gifts which I shall send to Paris for; and in order that all this time may seem less long to us, they are coming to pa.s.s it at my chateau, and to enjoy the pleasures of the country. I expect the whole family this very day.--I trust, messieurs, that henceforth we shall see you here a little more, and that you will not leave the chateau early in the morning, to return only at dinner time."

"For my part, I promise to wait upon the ladies," said Alfred, "and to be as gallant and as agreeable as I can."

"I dare not promise as much," said Edouard; "I realize that I am a very unentertaining guest, and as you have so much company coming, allow me to leave you."

"Leave us! What! go away before my marriage,--not be present at my wedding? No, I certainly will not allow it! Besides, it would disappoint the ladies; they asked me particularly if my two friends were still at the chateau, and urged me not to let you go away. So it is decided, you will stay. Oh! we are going to have plenty of sport! We shall hunt.

Monsieur le marquis tells me that he loves to hunt. You must teach me to hunt, messieurs; for I admit that I never tried it; but my future bride says that a man should know how to fire a gun, and consequently I propose to become a great hunter."

"Monseigneur," said Ferulus, "the arrival of these gentlemen interrupted us; with your permission, I will begin again the poem I have written for your marriage. I have taken for my text this pretty line of Propertius:

"'_Nec domina ulla meo ponet vestigia lecto._'"

"That is at once gallant and voluptuous. I start----"

"I beg pardon, Monsieur Ferulus, but we are starting too; by reading us your verses in advance, you deprive us of all the pleasure of a surprise. Besides, company is coming,--ladies; we must pay a little attention to our toilet."

"That is true," said Robineau; "why, I still have on my travelling coat!--Francois, come and dress your master."

Alfred and Edouard went in one direction, Robineau in another; Ferulus left alone, but determined to recite his poetry to someone, ran after Jeannette, whom he saw in the courtyard, and compelled the poor girl to listen to the whole hundred and forty Alexandrines; after which, chucking her under the chin, he said:

"Well! how dost thou--Mon Dieu! what a _lapsus linguae_!--How do you like that, Jeannette?"

"Monsieur, I like the lament of Angelique and Medor better."

"You are a fool, Jeannette; and really you are good for nothing but warming beds."

"Ah! By the way, monsieur, you better buy a warming pan; for the fall's almost here, and if I've got to warm beds that way, I should get pretty tired!"

"Hus.h.!.+ I have given you the most agreeable place; perform your duties gracefully, and do not grumble."

The La Pincerie family had promised to reach the chateau in time for dinner, and about four o'clock the wicker and oilcloth vehicle drove into the courtyard. The father, the uncle, and the two ladies alighted from it; then they took out a mult.i.tude of boxes and bundles, and Monsieur de la Pincerie's rifle, which was so long that it resembled a fowling-piece. Robineau attempted to hurry forward to meet his guests; but at the sight of his future bride his emotion was so great that he dropped into a chair, saying:

"That woman deprives me of the use of my legs. What will it be when I am really her husband?"

Alfred and Edouard offered their hands to the ladies; but at sight of Alfred, Mademoiselle Cornelie, a.s.suming her grand and haughty air, hastily took Edouard's arm. On her side, the languorous Eudoxie, who had not been satisfied with the young poet's conduct, seemed to have determined to transfer to Alfred the sentiments which she had manifested for Edouard.

Monsieur le marquis was already intent upon his rifle. Uncle Mignon was ordered to attend to the transportation of the boxes, so that his nieces' dresses might not receive too much of a shaking. Robineau, who had succeeded in recovering the use of his legs, came forward to receive the company, and escorted them to the salon on the ground floor, saying to Mademoiselle de la Pincerie:

"Pray, come and embellish this abode, of which you will soon be lady and mistress."

But the ladies did not choose to stop in the salon until they had visited the apartments a.s.signed to them and had readjusted their clothes, which they said were disarranged by the drive. Thereupon Monsieur Ferulus, who had greeted each member of the family with a honey-sweet expression, came forward and said:

"I shall have the honor of escorting the ladies."

"You, monsieur?" said Eudoxie; "it is very gallant of you, no doubt; but a servant would be much more suitable, for we may have to ask for innumerable things for our toilet, and you understand that it would be unpleasant to ask you for them."

"That is the most perfect logic," replied Ferulus with a bow.--Thereupon Robineau called Francois and said to him:

"Have the honor to escort these ladies to their apartments."

"What! you give us a man for lady's maid!" cried Cornelie, shrugging her shoulders. "Why, that is ridiculous. Do you expect that this fellow is going to lace us and arrange our hair and dress us?"

"Oh! a thousand pardons! I am absurd!--Francois, go and call Mademoiselle Cheval."

"Who on earth is Mademoiselle Cheval?" said the widow, with a horrified air. "Mon Dieu! I shall never dare to entrust my head to that woman!"

"Oh! you will be pleased with her; she is my cook, but she is a girl who has all sorts of talent; she will lace you tight."

"Oh! the idea! it's an outrage! To give us a cook for lady's maid!" said Cornelie. "Our hair will smell of soup!--I tell you, monsieur, that I will not allow your cook to come near me."

"Why, monseigneur," said Ferulus, "you have just the person these ladies need; Jeannette, who came to the chateau to do everything, and whose hair is as curly as a negro's."

"That is true! I am so confused, so happy, that I did not think of her.

Send for Jeannette."

"At all events," said Madame de Hautmont, "she has a human name."

Jeannette appeared; as Francois had told her that they were going to give her something to do, she brought her foot-warmer under her arm.

"Jeannette," said Robineau, "you will consider yourself at the orders of these ladies."