The White House Part 71

"If you don't believe me, a.s.sure yourself of it. It is not probable that the man I saw has come into this part of the country for a single day.

Your eyes will satisfy you that I have told you the truth; and you will regret perhaps that you did not follow my advice; you will be sorry that you stood on so much ceremony with a little sly-boots who laughed at you and your friend; but, I say again that, whenever you please, it will be easy enough to make up for lost time."

As he spoke, the stranger took his little lantern; and, leaving the room by a secret door, he disappeared before Alfred, who was lost in thought, had noticed his absence. Not till some minutes later did young De Marcey, happening to look up, discover that he was alone in the tower.

Then he reflected that the people in the chateau must be surprised, and perhaps anxious, at his non-return. He would have been glad to talk further with the stranger, and especially to forbid him to come again at night to the chateau; but the man was no longer there, and Alfred decided to leave the tower.

The whole party was a.s.sembled in Cornelie's apartment; the ladies were anxious; Edouard desired to go in search of Alfred, Monsieur Ferulus quoted divers authors who denied the existence of ghosts, and Robineau still held his razor in his hand, repeating:

"A wedding-eve! It is very cruel to fatigue oneself so at such a time, is it not, my dear bride?"

The bride did not reply, but made a slight grimace, and Robineau said to himself:

"She does not like equivocal remarks; she is chast.i.ty personified."

At last Alfred returned, and they overwhelmed him with questions.

"Was there anybody there?"

"Was it a ghost?"

"Was it a thief?"

"Was it very terrible?"

"It was nothing at all," Alfred replied; "I found the tower empty, and everything in its place. The result is, we must conclude that the light that was seen was but the reflection of the moon on the window panes."

"But there is no moon to-night, my dear fellow," said Robineau.

"No? In that case, it was anything you please; but, I a.s.sure you, mesdames, that you may sleep in peace, and that no evil spirit will come to disturb you."

They were fain to be content with what Alfred said; they noticed, however, that he was much less cheerful than before he went to the tower; but he persisted in saying that he had seen nothing, and they decided at last to return to bed,--Eudoxie complaining because she had been awakened for nothing, Cornelie looking after Alfred to make sure that he returned to his room, Alfred glancing sadly at Edouard, uncertain whether or not to tell him what he had heard from the vagabond, and Robineau brandis.h.i.+ng his razor, as if he had sworn to shave all the ghosts in the chateau.

XXV

ROBINEAU'S MARRIAGE

Alfred reflected all the rest of the night upon what the vagabond had told him; he did not know whether he ought to disturb Edouard's happiness by telling him what he had learned concerning Isaure's conduct. Before dealing him so terrible a blow, before letting loose in his heart all the demons of jealousy, was it not his duty to a.s.sure himself of the truth? Alfred determined not to allow Edouard to form any indissoluble bond until he had solved the mystery; but he did not feel as yet the courage to afflict his friend. Moreover, that day they would be too busy with Robineau's wedding to have opportunity to talk together alone.

Edouard himself had had to make a great sacrifice that day: he was not to visit Isaure, for Robineau had entreated him not to leave the chateau; he had selected him to escort his sister-in-law, for the order of the ceremony had been arranged long before. Robineau desired that everybody should be present; and even then he thought that there would not be enough witnesses of his good fortune. Edouard felt that it would be discourteous to his host to refuse to comply with his wishes; so that he would be all day without seeing Isaure. That day would seem very, very long to him! But, when one goes into society, one must often sacrifice to it one's dearest pleasures.

At ten o'clock, the whole company was to a.s.semble for breakfast, to which were invited as witnesses the Chevalier de Tantignac, Monsieur Berlingue, and an old annuitant, a friend of the marquis. The three carriages at the chateau, that is to say, the post-chaise, Robineau's char-a-bancs, and the marquis's chariot, were to take the company to the town, where the ceremony would take place; then they were to return to the chateau, where only a few persons were invited to dinner; and there would be no dancing in the evening, it being too vulgar.

The servants had donned their fine livery; Monsieur Ferulus had had the metal b.u.t.tons sewn on his coat, and he had a piece of poetry in each pocket. Robineau was in black from head to foot; he held himself very stiffly and did not laugh; because his father-in-law, the marquis, had told him that one could not have too solemn an expression on his wedding-day; lastly, Uncle Mignon had laid in a stock of pins, which he had concealed under the cuffs of his coat, because he thought that on a wedding-day there would inevitably be something that would need to be pinned.

The three guests had arrived. Alfred and Edouard, who had sacrificed their day, would have been glad to infuse a little merriment into the occasion; but Monsieur de la Pincerie, who had joined them in the salon, seemed to wear an even more disagreeable expression than usual; and Robineau, to imitate his father-in-law, a.s.sumed a melancholy or sentimental air. They exchanged a few complimentary remarks in such a serious tone that they seemed to have come together to follow a hea.r.s.e.

However, Monsieur Berlingue had already uttered some spiteful remarks in a low tone, and the chevalier had relieved himself of a few falsehoods, when the ladies appeared at last.

Cornelie wore a very elaborate dress; and although she did not seem by her expression to be seeking to attract homage, she deserved a great deal. At sight of her, Robineau stepped back and grasped Alfred by the arm, exclaiming:

"Mon Dieu! how dazzling she is!"

The witnesses echoed his words. Monsieur de la Pincerie stepped forward to take his daughter's arm; then, leading her toward Robineau, he said to him in a majestic and almost threatening tone:

"Monsieur de la Roche-Noire, I bestow upon you a most magnificent young lady, perfectly well-bred, and the descendant of an ill.u.s.trious family.

I flatter myself that you will render yourself worthy of the honor of this alliance. But if I should learn that my daughter was not happy, that she had reason to complain of her husband! Corbleu! Monsieur de la Roche-Noire, then I should have something to say to you!"

"She shall be happy, my dear father-in-law, she shall be happy, and so shall I too, I flatter myself!" cried Robineau, who seemed to be afraid of being whipped if he were not good. "But breakfast is awaiting us, and all our moments are occupied."

They adjourned to the breakfast table. Eudoxie, who was determined that some attention should be paid to her as well, had a slight attack of hysteria while they were eating the cutlets; but it amounted to nothing, and she warned the guests that she might have several during the day, because a marriage ceremony caused her the greatest emotion. The gentlemen, whose appet.i.tes were not taken away by this accident, encouraged her by telling her that they were well provided with flasks.

Monsieur Berlingue, who had nothing in his, filled it with water; but he declared that that would produce the same effect as ether; and the Chevalier de Tantignac exhibited a small phial carefully bestowed in a leather case, with the contents of which he claimed to have restored more than twenty people to life.

Toward the end of the breakfast, Monsieur Ferulus pulled a huge roll of paper from his pocket and was preparing to read, when monsieur le marquis said in a solemn tone:

"It is time to start for the town."

Monsieur Ferulus pocketed his poetry again. Everybody rose; Robineau, who dared not offer his hand to his future bride, before whom he constantly kept his eyes on the floor, for fear of being dazzled too much, allowed Edouard to escort Cornelie to the chariot, in which he took his place with her, her father and her sister. Alfred and the three witnesses took the char-a-bancs; and Robineau entered the post-chaise with Uncle Mignon and Monsieur Ferulus, who, as soon as he was seated in the carriage, began to rehea.r.s.e his poetry, to which only Mignon listened, scratching his nose and showing his teeth the while.

But the post-chaise was drawn by the lame horse, and could not keep up with the other two carriages, which went quite fast. When Robineau could no longer see the marquis's chariot in front of him, he cried:

"Ah! Mon Dieu! I shall be late; my bride will have to wait for me, and that will be very disagreeable!"

"Monseigneur," said Ferulus, "you may be sure that the ceremony will not begin without you."

"Of course not; but monsieur le marquis will scold me."

"It is not our fault if our horse will not go any faster."

"That is true; Uncle Mignon, you are a witness that it is the horse's fault."

"Yes, yes, yes!" replied Mignon; "oh, yes! it is the horse."

"This wretched beast isn't going to be married," said Robineau, las.h.i.+ng the poor creature with all his might.

"Perhaps if he were, he would go still lamer," said Ferulus in an undertone.

"Ah! one's wedding-day is a great day, messieurs!" said Robineau with a sigh.

"It is a day which serves as a memento, monseigneur.--_Est pater ille quem nuptiae demonstrant_."

"Yes, yes, yes!" a.s.sented Mignon with a smile.

"I confess," continued Robineau, "that I thought myself stronger, more stoical; but it is true that my bride is so ravis.h.i.+ng--it upsets me so--I am all of a tremble.--I beg pardon, messieurs, but let us stop a moment, if you please."

He stopped the horse, which asked nothing better. Then he alighted and stepped a hedge, while Monsieur Ferulus observed:

"'_h.o.m.o sum et humani a me nihil alienum puto!_'"