TREACHERY.
The Princess de Saint-Dizier, accompanied by D'Aigrigny, and followed by
the servants, stopped short in the next room to that in which had
remained Adrienne, Tripeaud and the doctor.
"Where is the commissary?" asked the princess of the servant, who had
just before announced to her the arrival of that magistrate.
"In the blue saloon, madame."
"My compliments, and beg him to wait for me a few moments."
The man bowed and withdrew. As soon as he was gone Madame de Saint Dizier
approached hastily M. d'Aigrigny, whose countenance, usually firm and
haughty, was now pale and agitated.
"You see," cried the princess in a hurried voice, "Adrienne knows all.
What shall we do?--what?"
"I cannot tell," said the abbe, with a fixed and absent look. "This
disclosure is a terrible blow to us."
"Is all, then, lost?"
"There is only one means of safety," said M. d'Aigrigny;--"the doctor."
"But how?" cried the princess. "So, sudden? this very day?"
"Two hours hence, it will be too late; ere then, this infernal girl will
have seen Marshal Simon's daughters."
"But--Frederick!--it is impossible! M. Baleinier will never consent. I
ought to have been prepared before hand as we intended, after to-day's
examination."
"No matter," replied the abbe, quickly; "the doctor must try at any
hazard."
"But under what pretext?"
"I will try and find one."
"Suppose you were to find a pretext, Frederick, and we could act
immediately--nothing would be ready down there."
"Be satisfied: they are always ready there, by habitual foresight."
"How instruct the doctor on the instant?" resumed the princess.
"To send for him would be to rouse the suspicions of your niece," said M.
d'Aigrigny, thoughtfully; "and we must avoid that before everything."
"Of course," answered the princess; "her confidence in the doctor is one
of our greatest resources."
"There is a way," said the abbe quickly; "I will write a few words in
haste to Baleinier: one of your people can take the note to him, as if it
came from without--from a patient dangerously ill."
"An excellent idea!" cried the princess. "You are right. Here--upon this
table--there is everything necessary for writing. Quick! quick--But will
the doctor succeed?"
"In truth, I scarcely dare to hope it," said the marquis, sitting down at
the table with repressed rage. "Thanks to this examination, going beyond
our hopes, which our man, hidden behind the curtain, has faithfully taken
down in shorthand--thanks to the violent scenes, which would necessarily
have occurred to-morrow and the day after--the doctor, by fencing himself
round with all sorts of clever precautions, would have been able to act
with the most complete certainty. But to ask this of him to-day, on the
instant!--Herminia--it is folly to think of!"--The marquis threw down the
pen which he held in his hand; then he added, in a tone of bitter and
profound irritation: "At the very moment of success--to see all our hopes
destroyed!--Oh, the consequences of all this are incalculable. Your niece
will be the cause of the greatest mischief--oh! the greatest injury to
us."
It is impossible to describe the expression of deep rage and implacable
hatred with which D'Aigrigny uttered these last words.
"Frederick," cried the princess with anxiety, as she clasped her hands
strongly around the abbe's, "I conjure you, do not despair!--The doctor
is fertile in resources, and he is so devoted to us. Let us at least,
make the attempt."
"Well--it is at least a chance," said the abbe, taking up the pen again.
"Should it come to the worst." said the princess, "and Adrienne go this
evening to fetch General Simon's daughters, she may perhaps no longer
find them.
"We cannot hope for that. It is impossible that Rodin's orders should
have been so quickly executed. We should have been informed of it."
"It is true. Write then to the doctor; I will send you Dubois, to carry
your letter. Courage, Frederick! we shall yet be too much for that
ungovernable girl." Madame de Saint-Dizier added, with concentrated rage:
"Oh, Adrienne! Adrienne! you shall pay dearly for your insolent sarcasms,
and the anxiety you have caused us."
As she went out, the princess turned towards M. d'Aigrigny, and said to
him: "Wait for me here. I will tell you the meaning of this visit of the
police, and we will go in together."
The princess disappeared. D'Aigrigny dashed off a few words, with a
trembling hand.