The Chevalier De Maison Rouge (17 page)

" Do you think so, Dixmer ? "

" I think, chevalier, that you have no more self-com-

mand than I have, to give utterance to sentiments on the

impulse of the moment. Neither you, I, nor Genevieve

belong to ourselves, Morand. We are the chosen de-

fenders of a certain cause, and this cause depends upon

its supporters."

Morand trembled, and preserved a gloomy and thought-

ful silence. They took several turns round the garden

without exchanging a word. Then Dixmer left Morand.

"I have some orders to give,'"' said he, in a calm voice.

" I must leave you, Monsieur MoraiuL"

Morand held out his hand to Dixmer, and looked after

him as he turned away.

" Poor Dixmer !" said he. " I fear much that in all this you risk the most."

Dixmer returned to the manufactory, and having issued

several orders, looked over the day-book, and distributed

110 THE CHEVALIER DH MAISON ROUGE.

bread and fuel to the poor of the section, went home, and

changed his working-dress for his walking costume im-

mediately on his arrival there.

An hour afterward, Maurice Lindey, while deeply en-

gaged in his readings and allocutions, was interrupted by

the voice of his official, whispering in his ear :

" Citizen Lindey, some one who, so he pretends, at

least, has something of importance to say to you, is wait-

ing at your house."

Maurice, on entering, was much surprised at meeting

the master tanner, who had there comfortably installed

himself, and was turning over the newspapers. All the

way along he had questioned the domestic, who, of course,

not knowing Dixmer, could afford him no clue to his rec-

ognition. On perceiving Dixmer, Maurice stopped at

the threshold of the door, and blushed in spite of himself.

Dixmer smilingly arose, and held out his hand.

"What ails you ? and what have you written to me ?"

he inquired of the young man. " Indeed, my dear Maurice, I feel it sensibly. You designate me as ' lukewarm and a

false patriot.' Now, as you dare not repeat these accusa-

tions to my face, acknowledge you wish to seek a quarrel

with me."

" I will avow anything you please, my dear Dixmer, for your conduct to me has always been that of a worthy man ;

but I have, nevertheless, made a resolution, and that res-

olution is irrevocable."

" But how is that," said Dixmer, " when, according to your own account, you have nothing to reproach me with,

and yet, notwithstanding, you leave us ? "

" My dear Dixmer, believe me, acting as I now am, and

depriving myself of such a friend, I must be actuated by

powerful motives."

" Yes ; but under any circumstances," said Dixmer, affecting to smile, "these reasons are not those you have written. What you have written to me is merely a subterfuge."

Maurice reflected an instant.

" Listen, Dixmer," said he ; " we live in an epoch when THE CHEVALIER DE MAISON ROUGE.

c. doubt conveyed in a letter could and would annoy you,

I can well understand. It would then be acting like a

dishonorable man to allow you to remain in this state of

inquietude. Yes, Dixmer, the reasons I gave you were

not the true ones."

This avowal, which should have cleared the face of the

merchant, only seemed the more to cloud it.

" But at least tell me the true motive," said Dixmer.

" I cannot tell you," said Maurice, " and yet I am certain, if you knew it, you would afford me your approval."

Dixmer still continued to press him.

"Then you really v-sh to know it," said Maurice.

" Yes," replied Dixmer.

"Well, then," replied Maurice, who felt a sensation of relief as he approached the truth, " this is the truth.

You have a young and beauteous wife, virtuous a-s she is

beautiful ; yet it is well known that I cannot visit at

your house without my visits being misinterpreted."

Dixmer turned rather pale.

"Truly, then, my dear Maurice," said he, "you ought to thank the wife for the wrong you do the

friend."

"Understand," said Maurice, " I have not the folly to suppose my presence can be dangerous to your repose, or

that of your wife ; but it might, perhaps, afford subjeet

for calumny, and you are aware that the more absurd the

scandal, the easier it gains belief."

" Absurd ! " said Dixmer, shrugging his shoulders.

" Absurd, us much as you please," said Maurice ; " but separate, we shall not the less be good iriends, for we

shall have nothing to reproach ourselves with, while, on

the contrary, if near "

" Well, what then ? "

"There would be food for scandal."

" Do you think, Maurice, that I should believe "

" Eh, mon Dicu ! " said the young man.

"But why did you not write this instead of telling it

to me, Maurice ? "

THE CHEVALIER DE MAISON ROUGE.

"Just to avoid the scene of this moment."

" And are you vexed, Maurice, that I respected you

sufficiently to demand an explanation ? w

" No ; on the contrary, I swear I am glad to have seen you once again before our final separation."

" Our final separation, citizen ; you whom we esteem

so much ! "taking Maurice's hand and pressing it between his own.

Maurice started.

" Morand," continued Dixmer, who failed not to notice this start, "Morand said to me only this morning, 'Do

all in your power to bring back Maurice.' ''

" Monsieur," said the young man, frowning, and drawing away his hand, " I do not believe I stand very high in the estimation of Monsieur Morand."

" You doubt it ?" said Dixmer.

" Me ! " replied Maurice. " I neither believe nor doubt it, and have no motive to inquire on the subject. When

I went to your house, it was to visit yourself and your

wife, and not on account of Monsieur Morand."

" You do not know him, Maurice," said Dixmer ;

" Morand possesses a noble soul."

" I grant it," said Maurice, smiling bitterly.

"Let us, however, return to the object of my visit,"

continued Dixmer.

Maurice bowed, like a man who hears all, but has

nothing more to say.

"You say, then, that these reports have already circu-

lated ? "

" Yes, citizen."

' ' Well, then, let us speak frankly. Why should you

pay any attention to the silly prattling of idle neighbors ?

Have you not your own clear conscience, Maurice ; and

Genevieve, has she not a sense of honor ? "

" I am younger than you," said Maurice, who began to be astonished at this pertinacity, "and perhaps view things with more susceptibility. This is why I declare

that on the reputation of such a woman as Genevieve a

shadow even should not be permitted to be cast. Permit

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me, therefore, my dear Dixmer, to adhere to my former

resolution."

" And now," said Dixmer, " since we are in order for confession, tell me one thing more."

" What ? " said Maurice, coloring. " What more do you wish me to avow ? "

" That it is neither politics nor the report of your assiduities at my house that induces you to leave us."

"What Is it, then ?"

" The secret you have discovered."

"What secret ?" demanded Maurice, with so naive an expression of curiosity as completely to reassure the tanner.

" The secret of the smuggling affair, which you dis-

covered the same evening when our singular acquaintance

commenced. You have never forgiven me this fraud,

and accuse me of being a bad Republican, because I em-

ploy English produce in my manufacturing."

" My dear Dixmer, I solemnly declare to you that

when I visited at your house, I had totally forgotten I

was in the house of a contrabandist."

" Truly ? "

"Truly."

" You really, then, had no other reason for abandoning the house, than that you have stated ? "

" Upon my honor."

"Well," said Dixmer, rising and offering his hand to the young man, " 1 hope you will consider this resolution, which has been productive of pain to us all, and will

again return to us as usual."

Maurice bowed, but made no reply, which was, of

course, equivalent to a refusal. Dixmer left, annoyed at

not having been able to reestablish an intimacy witli this

man. whom certain circumstances bad rendered not only

useful to him, but absolutely indispensable. Maurice

was agitated by a variety of emotions of a contrary nature.

Dixmer entreated him to return. Genevieve would par-

don him. Why, then, should he despond ? Louis, in

his place, would have selected a crowd of aphorisms from

114 TBE CHEVALIER DE MAISON ROUGE.

his favorite authors. But then he had Genevi&ve's letter, that formal adieu, which he had carried with him to the

section and placed near his heart ; also the little word

received from her the day after he had rescued her from

the cowards who insulted her ; and, lastly, the obstinate

jealousy still retained by this young man against the

detestable Morand, the first cause of his rupture with

Genevieve.

Maurice remained inflexible in his resolution. But it

must be acknowledged, the privation of his daily visits

to the Old Rue St. Jacques formed a sad blank in his

existence ; and when the hour arrived at which he had

been accustomed to pay his daily visit to the quarter St.

Victor, he fell into a profound fit of melancholy, and be-

gan, from that moment, to survey every aspect of hope

or regret. Each morning, on awakening, he expected to

receive a letter from Dixmer, and acknowledged to him-

self that he who had so firmly resisted all persuasion

would now at last yield to a letter ; each day he sallied

out in hopes of meeting Genevieve, and, beforehand, had

arranged a thousand ways of speaking to her ; each

evening he returned in hopes of there finding a letter

or message left since the morning, though, doubtless, it

would bring an addition to the grief, now become his

constant companion. Often, in his hours of despair, his

strong nature rebelled at the idea of enduring so much

torture, without retaliating upon the primary cause of all

his suffering and all his misery, Morand. Then he

formed a project to go and seek some quarrel with Mo-

rand, but Dixmer's partner was so inoffensive and gentle-

manly, that to insult or provoke him would be a cowardly

proceeding on the part of a Colossus like Maurice.

It was fortunate Louis came to distract the attention

of his friend from troubles which he obstinately con-

cealed in his own heart, without having the power to

destroy them. He had used every argument of theory

and practise to secure to its country that heart totally

engrossed by another love. But although this was to

be regretted, and although, in another state of mind, it

THE CHEVALIER DE MAISON ROUGE. H5

might have dragged Maurice into the center of the polit-

ical whirlpool, it had not restored to the young Republi-

can that first activity which had distinguished him as a

hero on the 14t.h of July and the 10th of August. These

two systems, for the last ten months in view of each

other, and which, thus far, had only carried on light at-

tacks, and commenced a few skirmishes, prepared to

meet body to body, when it was evident that the struggle,

once begun, would end fatally for one or the other.

These two systems born from the breast of the revolution

itself, were those of moderation, represented by the

Girondins, that is to say, by Bressot, Petion, Vergniaud,

Valais, Lanjuinais, Barbaroux, etc., etc., and La Ter-

reur, or La Montagne, represented by Danton, Robes-

pierre, Chenier, Fabre, Marat, Collot d'Herbois, Ilebert,

etc., etc.

After the 10th of August, as after every action, the

power appeared to pass into the hands of the Moderes.

A ministry had been formed from the wreck of the former

ministry, and of a new adjunction. Roland, Servien,

Clavieres, former ministers, had been recalled. Danton,

Mous;e, and Le Brun had been nominated afresh. With

o *

one exception only, all these ministers belonged to the

moderate party. Of course, when we say " moderate,"

we speak relatively. But the 10th of August had had its

eclio from afar, and the coalition hastened to march, not

to the assistance of Louis XVI. personally, but to the

royalist principles tottering at its basis. Then were

heard the menacing words of Brunswick, and, as a terrible

realization, Longwy and Verdun had fallen into the

power of the enemy. Then a dreadful reaction had taken

place then Danton had dreams of the days of September,

and realized the bloody dream, which displayed before

the enemies of France an entire scene of immense assas-

sination, ready to struggle for uii existence, compromised

with all the energy of despair.

September had saved France ; but all, in saving her,

had exceeded the limits of the law. France saved,

energy became useless ; the Moderes had regained some

116 THE CHEVALIER DE MAISON ROUGE.

strength, and then wished to recriminate those dreadful

days. The words murderer and assassin had been uttered,