THE PRIVATE STAIRWAY.
In spite of the deep and novel impression made upon Gerald by his
interview with Herminie, he had met Ernestine de Beaumesnil; for, in
accordance with the plans of the Rochaigues, the richest heiress in
France had directly or indirectly made the acquaintance of the three
aspirants for her hand.
A month had passed since these different presentations, and since the
first interview between Gerald and Herminie, an interview whose
consequences will become apparent later on.
The clock had just struck eleven, and Mlle. de Beaumesnil was sitting
alone in her chamber, deeply absorbed in thought. Her girlish face had
lost none of its sweetness and candour, though a rather sarcastic, and
sometimes almost mournful, smile occasionally flitted across her lips,
and one sometimes noticed a resolute expression, which contrasted
strangely with the almost childish ingenuousness of her features.
Suddenly Mlle. de Beaumesnil rose, walked to the mantel, and placed her
hand on the bell rope; then she paused a moment as if undecided in
relation to some important matter.
At last, as if her mind was fully made up, she rang, and almost
immediately Madame Laine, her governess, entered, with an eager, almost
obsequious, air.
"Does mademoiselle desire anything?" she asked.
"Sit down, my dear Laine."
"Mademoiselle is too kind."
"Sit down, I beg. There is something I wish to say to you."
"Only to obey mademoiselle," said the governess, much surprised at this
familiarity on the part of her young mistress, who had always treated
her heretofore with marked reserve.
"My dear Laine," said Mlle. de Beaumesnil, in an almost affectionate
tone, "you have often told me that I could count upon your attachment."
"Oh, yes, mademoiselle."
"And upon your devotion as well?"
"In life and in death, mademoiselle."
"And also upon your discretion?"
"I only ask that mademoiselle will put me to the test, then she can
judge," replied the governess, more and more delighted with this truly
promising beginning.
"Very well, I am about to put you to the test."
"How rejoiced I am at such a mark of confidence on mademoiselle's part!"
"Yes, a mark of great confidence, of which I hope you will be found
deserving."
"I swear to mademoiselle that--"
"Oh, I believe you," said Ernestine, interrupting these protestations on
the part of her governess; "but tell me, nearly a week ago you asked me
to give you to-morrow evening, in order that you might attend a small
reunion which takes place every Sunday night at the house of one of your
friends named--What is the name? I have forgotten it."
"Her name is Madame Herbaut, mademoiselle. This friend of mine has two
daughters, and every Sunday she invites a few people of their age to her
house. I think I said as much to mademoiselle when I asked her
permission to attend the entertainment."
"And who are these young people?"
"The young girls who visit Madame Herbaut are mostly shop-girls, or
young women who give music and drawing lessons. There are also several
bookkeepers among them. As for the men, they are, for the most part,
shop-keepers, or musicians, or lawyer's clerks,--all very respectable
young men, I assure you, for Madame Herbaut is very particular about the
people she invites, and very naturally, as she has daughters to marry
off, and between you and me, mademoiselle, it is to establish them in
life that she gives these little reunions."
"My dear Laine," said Ernestine, as if it were the most natural thing in
the world, "I want to attend one of these reunions at Madame Herbaut's."
"Mademoiselle!" exclaimed the governess, thinking her ears must have
deceived her, "what did mademoiselle say?"
"I said I wished to attend one of Madame Herbaut's
entertainments,--to-morrow evening, for instance."
"Good heavens! Is mademoiselle really in earnest?"
"Decidedly so."
"What, you, mademoiselle, go to the house of such a very humble person!
Impossible! Mademoiselle cannot even be thinking of such a thing?"
"Impossible, and why, my good Laine?"
"Why, the baron and baroness would never give their consent."
"So I do not intend to ask it."
"But mademoiselle would not go to Madame Herbaut's without consulting
the baron!" cried the governess.
"Certainly."
"But how could you, mademoiselle?"
"My dear Laine, you told me a minute ago that I could count upon you."
"And I repeat it, mademoiselle."
"Very well, then, you must take me to Madame Herbaut's to-morrow
evening."
"I, mademoiselle? Really, I don't know whether I am awake or only
dreaming."
"You are not dreaming, so to-morrow evening you will introduce me to
Madame Herbaut as one of your relatives, an orphan."
"One of my relatives! Great Heavens! I should never dare!"
"Let me finish, please. You will introduce me, I say, as one of your
relatives, recently arrived from the country, who earns her living
as--as an embroiderer, for example. But, remember this, if you are
guilty of the slightest indiscretion or blunder, and so cause any one to
suspect that I am not what I wish to appear, that is to say, an orphan
who supports herself by her own exertions, you will not remain another
minute in my service, while if you follow my instructions carefully you
may expect anything from me."
"Really, mademoiselle, you surprised me so I cannot seem to get over it.
But why does mademoiselle wish me to introduce her to Madame Herbaut as
a relative of mine and an orphan?"
"Don't ask me any more questions, Laine. Can I depend upon you, yes or
no?"
"Yes, mademoiselle, in life and in death. But--"
"No 'buts,' if you please, and now one word more, and the last. You
know, of course," added the young girl, with a strangely bitter smile,
"that I am the richest heiress in France."
"Certainly, mademoiselle, everybody knows that, and says that there is
no other fortune in the country nearly as large as mademoiselle's."
"Ah, well, if you will do what I ask, and, above all, if you will be
discreet, thoroughly discreet, understand,--I insist upon that, for it
is absolutely necessary that Madame Herbaut should believe me what I
mean to appear, a poor orphan supporting herself by her own
exertions,--in short, if, thanks to your cleverness and discretion,
everything passes off as I wish, you shall see how the richest heiress
in France pays a debt of gratitude."
"What you say pains me deeply, mademoiselle," exclaimed the governess,
with a gesture of superb disinterestedness. "Can mademoiselle suppose
that I wish to set a price on my devotion?"
"No, but I deem it only right to set a price on my gratitude."
"Good Heavens! Mademoiselle, you know very well that if you should
become as poor as I am I should be just as devoted to you."
"I do not doubt that in the least, but until I become poor, do what I
ask. Take me to Madame Herbaut's to-morrow evening."
"But if you will talk the matter over a little you will see how
impossible your plan is."
"And why?"
"In the first place, how can you arrange to have the disposal of your
evening? The baron and baroness and Mlle. Helena never leave you."
"Oh, I can manage that very easily. To-morrow morning I will say that I
passed a very uncomfortable night, and that I am not feeling at all
well. I will remain in my room all day, and to-morrow evening you will
go to the family and tell them that I am asleep and don't wish to be
disturbed by anybody. My guardian and his family respect my slightest
wish so abjectly that they will not dare to disturb my slumbers," added
Mlle. de Beaumesnil, with mingled sadness and disdain.
"Oh, mademoiselle is perfectly right about that. No one would dare to
contradict or oppose mademoiselle in anything. If mademoiselle should
tell M. le baron to stand on his head, he would do it without a word."
"Oh, yes, they are certainly the most considerate of relatives, so full
of tenderness and dignity," replied Ernestine, with a rather peculiar
expression. "Ah, well, you see, then, that it will be an easy matter
for me to secure an evening to myself."
"Yes, mademoiselle, but how shall we manage to get out of the house?"
"Get out of the house?"
"Yes. I mean without meeting any one on the stairway, or being seen by
the concierge."
"That is your lookout. I depend upon you to devise a means of doing
that."
"Oh, it is very easy to say devise a means, mademoiselle, but--"
"I foresaw this difficulty, of course, but I said to myself, 'My dear
Laine is very clever. She will assist me in this.'"
"Heaven knows I would be only too glad to, mademoiselle, but I really do
not see--"
"Put on your thinking-cap. I have never used any but the main stairway,
but are there no servants' stairways leading from my apartments?"
"Of course, mademoiselle. There are two such staircases, but you would
run a great risk of meeting the servants if you used either of them;
that is," added the governess, thoughtfully,--"that is unless you should
choose the time that they are at dinner, about eight o'clock, for
example."
"Your idea is an admirable one."
"Mademoiselle should not rejoice too soon."
"Why?"
"Mademoiselle will still have to pass the porter's lodge, and he is a
regular Cerberus, for ever on the watch."
"That is true, we shall have to think of some other way."
"I am trying, mademoiselle, but it's no easy matter, I assure you."
"But not impossible, it seems to me."
"Ah, I have an idea, mademoiselle!" exclaimed the governess, suddenly,
after reflecting a moment.
"Let me hear it."
"Excuse me, mademoiselle, but I'm not sure that it is at all feasible
yet. Let me go and see. I'll be back in a moment."
And the governess darted out of the room. The orphan was left alone.
"I was right," she murmured, with an expression of bitter disgust. "This
woman has a base and mercenary nature, like so many others, but these
very failings will ensure me her submission, and, above all, her
discretion."
In a few minutes the governess returned, radiant.
"Victory, mademoiselle!" she exclaimed, rapturously.
"Explain, if you please."
"Mademoiselle is aware that her dressing-room opens into my bedroom."
"Yes."
"And adjoining my chamber there is a large room containing the wardrobes
for mademoiselle's dresses."
"Well?"
"There is a door in this room which opens upon a narrow staircase to
which I never paid any attention before."
"And where does this staircase lead?"
"It leads down to a small door which has been closed up, but which
opens, as nearly as I can judge, upon the side street."
"This door opens upon the street?" cried Mlle. de Beaumesnil, quickly.
"Yes, mademoiselle, and this is not at all surprising. In many of the
large houses in this neighbourhood there are small private stairways
leading up to the sleeping apartments, because in former times the
ladies of the court--"
"The ladies of the court?" inquired Ernestine, so naively that Madame
Laine's eyes fell before the girl's innocent gaze.
So, fearing that she was going too far, and that she might imperil her
recently acquired intimacy with her pupil, Madame Laine said:
"I don't care to fill mademoiselle's ears with a lot of servants'
gossip."
"And you are right. But if this door which leads into the street is
condemned, how shall we open it?"
"It is bolted and nailed up on the inside--but mademoiselle needn't
worry. I have all night before me, and to-morrow morning I hope to have
a good report to make to mademoiselle."
"Very well If you think it necessary, inform your friend, Madame
Herbaut, in advance that you will bring a relative with you to-morrow
evening."
"I will do so, though it isn't at all necessary. Mademoiselle, if she
accompanies me, will be as cordially received as I am. There is very
little ceremony among people of that class."
"Very well, it is understood, then. But I repeat once more that I shall
expect the utmost caution on your part. Your reward depends upon that."
"Mademoiselle can punish me in any way she pleases if I break my word."
"I would much rather reward you. See what you can do about that door
now, and let me hear early to-morrow morning."
"But really, mademoiselle, all this is very extraordinary!"
"What do you mean?"
"I refer to mademoiselle's desire to go to Madame Herbaut's. It seems to
me such a strange idea on mademoiselle's part. But I feel no
uneasiness," added the governess, with a complacent air. "I know
mademoiselle too well to suppose for one moment that she would involve a
poor woman like myself in any trouble, and though I do not presume to
question mademoiselle, may I not--as I, of course, must not speak of
this matter to any one else--may I not know why, mademoiselle--"
"Good-night, my dear Laine," said mademoiselle, rising, and thus putting
an end to the conversation. "Let me know the results of your researches
early to-morrow morning."
Delighted to have a secret between her pupil and herself at last, a
secret which she regarded as convincing proof of a confidence which
would ensure her a modest fortune, at least, Madame Laine discreetly
withdrew, leaving Mlle. de Beaumesnil again alone.
After a few moments of reflection the orphan unlocked her desk, and,
opening the journal dedicated to her mother, began to write hurriedly,
even impetuously.