The Chevalier De Maison Rouge (14 page)

pied, he recommended the strictest vigilance to his col-

league, Agricola, quickly descended the staircase, and went to lie in ambush at the angle of La Eue Porte Foin, to see

if they came out of the house. It was in vain ; no one

appeared. He could not resist the suspicion which had

entered his mind at the moment the companion of

Tison's daughter had persisted in maintaining so ob-

stinate a silence. Maurice directed his course toward the

Old Rue St. Jacques, where he arrived, bewildered by

the strangest suspicions, doubts, and fears. When he

entered, Genevieve, attired in a white morning-dress, was

seated under an arbor of jasmine, where they were accus-

stomed to take their breakfast. She, as usual, accorded

Maurice a friendly greeting, and invited him to take a cup

of chocolate with her. Dixmer, on his part, who had in

the meantime arrived, expressed the greatest joy at meet-

ing Maurice at this unexpected hour of the day ; but be-

00 THE CHEVALIER DE MAISON ROUGE.

fore he permitted Maurice to take the cup of chocolate

he had accepted (always enthusiastically attached to his

trade), he insisted that his friend, the secretary to the

" Section Lepelletier," should make a tour through the manufactory with him. Maurice consented.

" My dear Maurice/' said he, " I have important news for you."

" Political ? " asked Maurice, always occupied with one idea.

" Ah ! dear citizen," said Dixmer, smiling, and taking the young man's arm, " do you think we trouble ourselves about politics ? No, no ; relating to business, Dieu merci!

My honored friend, Morand, who, as you know, is a cele-

brated chemist, has discovered the secret of staining

leather red in an unequaled manner ; that is to say, unal-

terable a process never discovered until now. It is this

color I want to show yon. Besides, you will see Morand

at work ; he is quite an ' artiste. " :

Maurice did not exactly comprehend how making a red

dye constituted an "artiste ; " but, nevertheless, accepted his offer, and followed Dixmer across the tan-yards, and

in a separate sort of office saw the Citizen Morand at work.

He wore blue spectacles, was in his working-dress, and

seemed fully occupied in changing a skin from dirty white

to purple. His hands and arms, visible under his sleeves,

which were turned up, were red to the elbow.

He merely moved his head to Maurice, so entirely was

he preoccupied.

" Well, Citizen Morand," said Dixmer, " what say we ? "

" We shall gain one hundred thousand livres by this

process alone ; but I have not slept for eight clays, and

these acids have affected my sight."

Maurice left Dixmer with Morand, and joined Gene-

veive, murmuring softly :

" It must be confessed the trade of municipal stupefies the hero. About eight days in the Temple, one might

fancy one's self an aristocrat, and denounce one's self.

Good Dixmor ! Brave Morand ! Sweet Genevieve ! Aiid

for an instant they suspected me."

THE CHEVALIER DE MAISON ROUGE. 91

Genevieve awaited Maurice with a sweet smile calcu-

lated to make him forget all his latent cause for sus-

picion. She was, as usual, sweet, amiable, and charming.

The hours passed in Genevieve's society were those only

in which Maurice could be said really to exist.

At all other times he was infected with that fever

which might be termed the fever of '93, by which Paris

was separated into tvo camps, and existence rendered a

perpetual combat. Toward noon he quitted Genevieve,

and returned to the tower of the Temple.

At the extremity of La Rue St. Avoie, he encountered

Louis, now relieved from guard. He left the ranks and

came to meet Maurice, who still wore upon his counte-

nance the impress of the happiness he had enjoyed in the

society of the lovely Genevieve.

" Ah ! " said Louis, cordially shaking his friend by the hand :

" In vain you seek your anguish

Within your heart to hide,

I know for whom you languish,

For whom so long you've sighed ;

Within your heart, within your eyes,

Love reigns, and triumphs in his prize."

Maurice put his hand in his pocket to search for the

key. This was the method he adopted to put a stop to

his friend's poetical vein. But he saw the movement and

ran away, laughing.

" Apropos," said Louis, retracing his steps, "you have three days more at the Temple ; I recommend the little

Capet to your care."

CHAPTER XII.

LOVE.

IN fact, Maurice for some time had experienced a

strange mixture of happiness and misery. It is always

thus at the commencement of des grandes passions. His

daily occupation at the Section Lepelletier, his evening

visits to the Old Rue St. Jacques, and some occasional

visits to the club of the Thermopyles, filled up his days.

92 THE CHEVALIER DE MAISON ROUGE.

He did not dissimulate. He well knew that to see

Genevieve daily was to imbibe large draughts of love,

unaccompanied by hope. Genevieve was a woman of re-

tired manners and pleasing appearance, who would frankly

tender her hand to a friend, and would innocently ap-

proach his face with her lips, with the confidence of

a sister and the ignorance of a vestal, before whom the

words of love appear as blasphemy.

Thus, in the purest dreams that the first style of

Raphael has traced upon the canvas, is a Madonna with

smiling lips, chaste eyes, and heavenly expression. It is

necessary to borrow from the divine pupil of Perugino to

portray the likeness of Genevieve.

In the midst of flowers, she imbibed their freshness and

perfume ; isolated by the occupation of her husband, and

by her husband himself, she appeared to Maurice each

time he saw her like a living enigma, of which he could

not divine the meaning, and dare not ask it. One eve-

ing, when, as usual, he remained alone with her, they

were both seated at the same window by which he had

entered, a few nights since, with so little ceremony ; the

perfume of the lilacs in full bloom floated upon the soft

breeze that had succeeded the radiant sunset.

After a long silence, Maurice, having, during this

silence, followed the intelligent and holy eye of Gene-

vieve, as she watched the appearance of the stars in the

azure vault of heaven, ventured to inquire concerning the

great disparity between herself and husband. She so

young, and he already past the middle age ; she so

dixtinf/ue, Avhile everything around announced him a

man of inferior birth and education ; she so refined in

her tastes, while her husband had not an idea beyond his

manufactory.

" Here, at the abode of a master tanner, are harp, piano, and drawings, which you acknowledge to be your own.

How is it that this aristocracy which I detest in others I

adore in you ? "

Genevieve fixed upon Maurice a look full of candor.

" Thanks," said she, "for this inquiry ; it proves to me THE CHEVALIER DE MAISON ROUGE. 93

you have not sought information concerning me from

any one else. "

" Never! inadame," said Maurice, "I have a devoted friend who would die for me ; I have a hundred comrades

ready to follow wherever I may lead them ; but among

all these hearts, when a woman is concerned, and, above

all, such a woman as Genevieve, I know but of one I

would trust, and that one is :~yself."

"Thanks, Maurice," said tl.e young woman ; " I will myself tell you all you desire to l:now."

"Your maiden name first/' said Maurice. "I only

know your married one at present."

Genevieve detected the selfishness of love in this ques-

tion, and smiled.

"Genevieve clu Treilly," said she.

Maurice repeated, " Genevieve du Treilly."

"My family," continued Genevieve, "was ruined after the American war, in which both my father and

elder brother had taken part."

"Both gentlemen ?" said Maurice.

"No, no," said Genevieve, blushing.

" And yet you said your maiden name was Genevieve

du Treilly."

" My family, Monsieur Maurice, was rich, but not

noble. "

' You challenge me," said the young man, smiling.

" Oh, no, no," replied Genevieve. " In America my father was connected with the father of Monsieur Morand.

Monsieur Dixmer was managing man to Monsieur Morand.

We were ruined, and Monsieur Morand, knowing that

Monsieur Dixmer was a man of independent fortune,

presented him to my father, who, in his turn, presented

him to me.''

" I saw lie had beforehand formed a resolution of mar-

riage. I understood it was the wish of my family. I did

not love, neither had I ever loved any one, and I accepted

him.

" I have now been Dixmers wife for three years, and

I am. bound to say he has proved to me so good and excel-

94 THE CHEVALIER DE MAISON ROUGE.

lent a husband, that notwithstanding the difference of

taste and the disparity of age, I have never even for a

moment experienced the slightest feeling of regret."

" But," said Maurice, " when you married Monsieur Dixmer he was not at the head of this manufactory ? "

" No ; we lived at Blois. After the 10th of August,

Monsieur Dixmer purchased this house and the adjoin-

ing work-shops, and that I might not be annoyed by the

workmen, and to spare me the sight of many things re-

pulsive to a person of my habits, which are, as you ob-

served, Maurice, a little aristocratic, he gave me this

pavilion, where I live alone, retired, gratifying my various fancies and desires, and happy when a friend like yourself, Maurice, comes either to distract or partake in my

reveries."

And Genevieve tendered her hand to Maurice, which

he ardently kissed. Genevieve blushed slightly.

" Xow, my friend," said the young woman, drawing

away her hand, "you know howl became the wife of

Monsieur Dixmer."

" Yes/' said Maurice, regarding Genevieve with great

attention ; " but you have not told me how Monsieur

Morand came to be associated with your husband."

4< Oh, that is very simple," said Genevieve. " Monsieur Dixmer had, as I have told yon, some fortune, but still

not sufficient to engage alone in a large concern like this.

The son of Monsieur Morand, his protector, as I have be-

fore said, this friend of my father, you will remember,

provided half the funds, and as he possesses a good knowl-

edge of chemistry, he devotes himself to various improve-

ments with the energy you have remarked, and, thanks

to which, the biisiness of Monsieur Dixmer has extended

considerably."

" Monsieur Morand is also a great friend of yours, is he not, madame ?" said Maurice.

" Monsieur Morand is a noble-hearted being, one of the worthiest men in existence," gravely replied Genevieve.

" If he has given you no other proofs," said Maurice, a little piqued at the importance accorded by Genevieve

THE CHEVALIER DE MAISON ROUGE. 95

to the young man, the partner of her husband, than,

dividing the expenses of this establishment with Monsieur

Dixmer, and inventing a new color for the morocco, allow

me to say you rather overrate his merits."

" He has given me many other proofs, monsieur," said Genevieve.

" He is young, is he not ? " said Maurice. " His wearing green spectacles renders it difficult to tell his age."

" He is thirty-five."

" You have known him, then, a long time ?"

" From infancy."

Maurice bit his lips ; he had always suspected Morand

loved Genevieve.

"Oh !" said Maurice, "that explains his familiarity with you."

" It seems to me, monsieur," said Genevieve, smiling,

" that this familiarity, which at least is only that of a friend, does not need any explanation."

" Oh, pardon me, madame ; you know all affectionate

natures are jealous, and my friendship was jealous of that

you appear to feel for Monsieur Morand."

He was silent. Genevieve also remained silent. There

were no more questions to-day respecting Morand, and

Maurice quitted Genevieve more than ever in love, for he

was jealous.

So blinded was the young man by his passion, that he

had not remarked, during the recital of Genevieve, many

gaps, much hesitation, and many concealments, which,

although at the moment had escaped his notice, now re-

turned to his memory, and strangely tortured him ; and

then lie might not be able to secure to himself the liberty allowed him by Dixmer, of conversing with Genevieve as

often and as long as he pleased, and in solitude, as they

now found themselves every evening ; and more, not only

had he become a constant and expected guest at the

house not only remained in perfect security with Gene-

viCve, who seemed guarded by her angelic purity from any

advances on the part of the young man, but he now ea-

corted her in all the excursions made from time to time

96 THE CHEVALIER DE MAISON ROUGE.

in that quarter. In the midst of this established intimacy

one thing surprised him. The more he sought (perhaps