The Chevalier De Maison Rouge (20 page)

thanked her, and went out.

Then Genevieve tremblingly wrote :

" CITIZEN MAURICE, You know how much my hus-

band respects you. Three weeks of separation, which to us

have appeared an age. have made you forget. Come, we

await you j your return will be a real fete.

" GE-NEYIEVE."

OHAPTEE XV.

THE GODDESS REASON.

As Maurice had informed General Santerre the preced-

ing evening, he was seriously ill while he kept his chamber.

Louis, in his daily visits, had made use of every argument

to induce him to enter into some amusements ; but

Maurice continued obstinate. There are some maladies

we do not desire to heal. On the 1st of June, he arrived

toward one o'clock.

" Is there anything particular going on to-day," asked Maurice, " that you are so superb ?"

Indeed, Louis was most splendidly attired. The " bon-

net-rouge," the " carmagnole," and the tricolored girdle, ornamented with two instruments then called the " cruets of the Abbe Maury," but which before and since have

been honestly termed pistols.

" In the first place," said Louis, " it is generally the breaking of the ice of the Bironde which is in train for execution ; but the drum beats. At this moment, for ex-

ample, the ' bonnets-rouges ' chafe upon La .Place du Car-

130 THE CHEVALIER DE MAISON ROUGE.

rousel ; then, in particular, there is a grand solemnity to which I invite you, after to-morrow."

" But what is there to-day ? You came to seek me, do

you say ? "

" Yes ; to-day we have the rehearsal."

" What rehearsal ? "

" Why, the rehearsal of this great solemnity."

" Mon cher," said Maurice, "you know that it is now eight days since I last went out, consequently I am ignorant of everything ; and. therefore, the more require to be fully informed."

" What ! Have I not told you ?"

'"' You have told me nothing."

" First, you already know we had suppressed ' God ' for some time past , and have replaced it by the ' Supreme

Being.' "

"Yes; I know all that."

"Eli lien ! it seems they have found out one thing :

that the ' Supreme Being ' was aModere, a Rolandist, and,

in short, a Girondin."

" Do not make a jest of anything holy, Louis ; you know I do not like it,"

"What would you have, mon cher? it is necessary to

accord with the age. I like the ancient God well enough ;

first, because I am accustomed to it. As for the ' Supreme

Being,' it appears Ho lias been really wrong, and since He

has been above, everything has been playing at cross-

purposes, consequently, our legislators have decreed His

downfall."

Maurice shrugged his shoulders.

" Shrug your shoulders as much as you please," said Louis ; " but now we are going to worship the ' Goddess Reason."

"And are you engaged in all these masquerades ?"

said Maurice.

"All, nwn ami, if you knew the Goddess Reason as I

know her, you would be one of her warmest partisans.

Listen : I wish you to know her, and will present you to

her."

THE CHEVALIER DE MAISON ROUGE. 131

" A truce with all this folly. I am out of spirits, you well know."

" The very thing, mor'bleu ! she will enlighten you ;

she is a nice girl. Ah ! but you know the austere god-

dess whom the Parisians wish to crown with laurels, and

promenade about in a gilded paper chair ! It is

Guess."

" How can I guess ? "

" It is Arthemise."

" Arthemise !" said Maurice, taxing his memory in vain to recollect the name.

"Yes ; a handsome brunette, with whom I formed an

acquaintance last year at the ball at the Opera ; by the

same token, you came to sup with us, and made her

tipsy."

" Ah, yes," said Maurice. "I remember now. It is she, is it ? "

" She has the best chance. I presented her to the con-

course. All the Thermopyles have promised me their

votes. In three days the general election will take place.

To-day we enjoy the preparatory dinner, to-day we spill

the wine of Champagne, perhaps after to-morrow we may

spill blood. Let them spill what they like, Arthemise

shall be goddess, or may the devil carry me away ! Allans,

come : we will help to put on her tunic."

' Thanks ; but I have always entertained a repugnance

for tilings of this sort."

' To robe goddesses ? Peste ! mon cher, you are diffi-

cult to please. Let me see if that does not suit you, I

will put it on, and you shall take it off."

' Louis, I am ill, and not only out of spirits, but the

gaiety of others makes me miserable."

' Ah. that is it ! You frighten me, Maurice ; you

neither laugh nor fight. Are you by any chance engaged

in some plot ? "

" Me ? Would to God ! "

<" You ought to say, ' Would to the Goddess Reason ! ' '

" Leave me, Louis ; I cannot, and will not, go out.

i -un in bed, and there let me rest in peace."

132 THE CHEVALIER DE MAISON ROUGE.

Louis scratched his ear.

" Well/' said he, "I see how it is."

"What do you see ?"

"That you wait for the Goddess Reason."

" Corbleu ! " cried Maurice, " spiritual friends are very troublesome. Go, or I shall utter a few imprecations on

you and your goddess."

" Charge ! Charge ! "

Maurice raised his hand to curse him, when he was

interrupted by his official, who at this moment entered,

bearing in his hand a letter for the citizen, his- brother.

" Citizen Agricola," said Louis, "you enter at an unfortunate moment. Your master was about to become

superb."

Maurice let fall his hand, which he listlessly extended

for the letter ; but the instant he had touched it he

started ; and having eagerly examined both the seal and

handwriting, grew very pale in the anticipation of bad

tidings, and broke the seal hastily.

"Oh! our interest 'is awakened at last," said Louis,

"it seems to me."

Maurice heard him not ; his whole soul was merged

in the four lines of Genevieve. He read and reread them

three or four times over ; and then raising his head,

gazed at Louis like a man quite stupefied.

" Diable ! " said Louis, "the sight of a letter, it appears, makes all fierce feeling subside."

Maurice read the letter for the fifth time, and a hue of

vermilion suffused his face, the moisture disappeared

from his eyes, and a deep sigh relieved his breast ; then,

forgetting at once his illness and attendant weakness, he

leaped from his bed.

"My clothes !" cried he, to the astonished official ;

" my clothes, my dear Angesilas. Oh, my dear Louis

my poor Louis, I will attend you every day. Indeed, I

did not expect or hope for this. Here ; my white trou-

sers or frilled shirt, that they may dress my hair and shave me."

The official hastened to execute the orders of Maurice.

THE CHEVALIER DE MAISON ROUGE. 133

" Ah, Louis ! " cried the young man, " I never till this moment knew what happiness meant."

" My poor Maurice," said Louis, " I think you require the visit I recommended to you."

" Oh ! my dear friend, pardon me ; for truly, reason

has forsaken me."

" Then I offer you mine," said Louis, laughing at his own execrable pun.

The most surpassing thing was, Maurice laughad also.

His present happiness rendered this easy.

This was not all.

" Wait," said he, cutting some orange-blossoms from a tree in full bloom ; "present this from me to the worthy widow of Mansole."

" A la bonne heure ! " said Louis. " In consideration of your gallantry, I pardon you. Then it appears to me

you are absolutely in love, and I always feel profound

respect for its unfortunate victims."

" Yes, I am in love," said Maurice ; and his heart dilated with joy. " I am in love ; and now, since she

loves me, I may declare it ; for since she has recalled me, must she not love me, Louis ? "

"Doubtless," complacently replied the adorer of the Goddess Reason ; " but take care, Maurice, for the

fashion in which you take this makes me fear for you."

<( Bravo ! bravo ! " cried Maurice, clapping his hands ; then, taking to his heels, he descended the stairs, four

at once, and directed his steps toward the well- known

Old Rue St. Jacques.

" He is worse than I thought him," said Louis, in his turn descending the staircase in a rather calmer mood.

Arthemise was not Genevieve.

Hardly had Louis and his orange-blossom arrived at

the Rue St. Honore, when a crowd of young citizens, to

whom he had been accustomed to administer either kicks

or half-pence, according to the humor he happened to be

in, respectfully followed him mistaking him, no doubt,

for one of those virtuous individuals to whom St. Just

had proposed they should offer the white robe and a bunch

134 THE CHEVALIER DE MAISON RODGE.

of orange-blossoms. As the cortege every moment in-

creased in numbers for even at this epoch a virtuous

man was a rare sight to behold there were several thou-

sand young citizens present when the bouquet was

offered to Arthemise, a homage which made several

other " Reasons " who had joined the ranks very ill with sick headache next day. It was on the same evening

that the famous song was circulated through Paris :

" Long life to Goddess Reason

The pure, clear dawn of day."

And as it has arrived thus far without any knowledge

of the author a fact which has exceedingly exercised the

sagacity of the revolutionary historian we have almost

the audacity to affirm it was composed for la belle Arthe

mise by our poetical friend, Hyacinthe Louis.

CHAPTER XVI.

THE PRODIGAL CHILD.

MAURICE could not have been quicker, had he even

possessed wings. The streets were crowded, but Maurice

only remarked the crowd as it retarded his course. It

was said everywhere that the Convention was sitting ;

that the majesty of the people was offended through the

representatives, whom they prevented from coming out ;

and of this there seemed some probability, as the tinkling

of the tocsin was heard, and the thunder of the cannon

sounding an alarm. But what, at this moment, to

Maurice, mattered either the tocsin or the cannon ?

What cured lie whether the deputies were or were not

able to come out, when the prohibition did not extend

to him ? So he quickened his pace that was all. While

running, he pictured to himself Gcnevieve waiting at the

little window overlooking the garden, in order to see him,

and that she would perceive him far off ; and then her

smile, more than ever charming, would welcome him

THE CHEVALIER DE MAISON ROUGE. 135

back again. Dixmer also was no doubt informed of this

happy return, and would tender him his coarse, large

hand, so frank and loyal in its greetings. He loved

Dixmer ; now, even his love almost extended to Morand,

with his black locks and his green spectacles, behind

which he fancied he could see the glitter of his brilliant

but saturnine eyes. He loved the whole world, for he

was happy, and would willingly have showered flowers on

the heads of all mankind, that they might be as happy

as himself. But for once he was deceived. Poor

Maurice 3 lie deceived himself, as a man generally does

when he reckons according to his wishes.

Instead of the sweet smile awaiting Maurice, which was

to receive him when he would be seen from afar,, Genevieve

had determined on meeting Maurice with the most distant

politeness a feeble rampart with which to oppose the

torrent that threatened to invade her heart. She had

retired to her chamber on the first floor, and did not

intend coming down till sent for. Alas ! she also de-

ceived herself. Dixmer alone was not deceived ; he

watched for Maurice through a wired lattice, and smiled

ironically. Morand was gravely occupied in dyeing black

some tails which are placed on white catskin to imitate

ermine.

Maurice pushed open the little door of the alley, to

enter unceremoniously through the garden, as of old ;

the door opening produced a peculiar sound, which in-

dicated the arrival of Maurice.

Genevieve, who had stationed herself behind the closed

window, started, and let fall the curtain she hud drawn

on one side.

The first sensation experienced by Maurice on entering

his friend's house was disappointment. Xot only was

Genevieve absent from the window on the ground floor,

but on entering the little salon where he had uttered his

lust adieu, he found no one, and was compelled to an-

nounce himself, as if an absence of three weeks' duration

had transformed him into a stranger. His heart was

oppressed.

136 THE CHEVALIER DE MAISON ROUGE.

It was Dixmer whom Maurice first saw. He came for-

ward and embraced him with exclamations of joy.

Genevieve then came down. She tried in vain to restore

some color to her pallid cheek ; but before she had pro-

ceeded twenty steps the blood receded to her heart.

Maurice saw Genevieve appear in the shadow of the door ;

he advanced toward her, smiling, intending to kiss her