THE MARQUIS DE MALOUET.
MALOUET, _20th September_.
I have just received your letter. You belong to the true breed of
Monomotapa friends, Paul. But what puerility! And such is the case of your
sudden return! A trifle, a silly nightmare which for two successive nights
caused you to hear the sound of my voice calling on you for help! Ah!
bitter fruits of the wretched German cuisine! Really, Paul, you are
foolish! And yet, you tell me things that move me to tears. I cannot
answer you as I would like to. My heart is tender, but my speech is dry.
I have never been able to tell any one, "I love you!" There is a jealous
fiend who checks on my lips every word of affection, and imparts to it a
tone of irony. But, thank God, you know me!
It seems that I make you laugh while you make me weep! Well, I am glad of
it. Yes, my noble adventure in the forest has had a sequel, and a sequel
with which I might very well have dispensed. All the misfortunes which
you felt were threatening me have actually happened to me; rest easy,
therefore.
The day following this fatal day, I began by re-conquering the esteem
of my hosts at the mill, by relating to them good-naturedly the most
piquant episodes of my famous race. I saw them beaming as they heard the
narrative; the woman in particular was writhing in atrocious convulsions,
and with formidable stretches of her jaws. I have never seen anything so
hideous, in all my life, as this coarse, cowherd's joy!
As a testimonial of the complete restoration of his sympathy, the miller
asked me if I was fond of hunting, took down from a hook over his
mantelpiece a long, rusty tube, that made me think of Leather Stocking's
rifle, and laid it into my hands, while boasting of the murderous
qualities of that instrument. I acknowledged his kindness with an outward
appearance of lively satisfaction, never having had the heart to undeceive
people who think they are doing something to please me, and I started for
the woods that cover the hill-sides, carrying like a lance that venerable
weapon, which seemed indeed to me of the most dangerous kind. I went to
take a seat on the heather, and I carefully laid down the long gun by me;
then I amused myself driving away, by throwing stones at them, the young
rabbits that ventured imprudently in the vicinity of an engine of war for
the effects of which I could not be responsible. Thanks to these
precautions, for over an hour that this hunt lasted, no accident happened
either to the game or to myself.
To speak candidly, I was rather glad to allow the hour to pass when the
hunting-party from the chateau are in the habit of taking the field, not
caring very much, through a remnant of vain glory, to find myself on their
passage that day. Toward two o'clock in the afternoon, I left my seat of
mint and wild thyme, satisfied that I had henceforth no unpleasant
encounter to apprehend. I handed the blunderbuss to the miller, who seemed
somewhat surprised to see me empty-handed, and more so, probably, to see
me alive still. I went to take a stand opposite the portal, and I
undertook to finish a general view of the ruin, a water-color, which, I
feel, is certain to secure the approbation of the minister.
I was deeply absorbed in my work, when I suddenly fancied I could hear
more distinctly than usual that sound of running horses which, since my
misadventure, was forever haunting my ears. I turned around sharply, and I
discovered the enemy within two hundred paces of me. This time, he was
attired in plain clothes, being apparently equipped for an ordinary ride;
he had obtained, since the previous day, several recruits of both sexes,
and now really formed an imposing body. Though long prepared for such an
occurrence, I could not help feeling a certain discomfort, and I secretly
cursed those indefatigable idlers. Nevertheless, the thought of retreating
never occurred to me; I had lost all taste for flight for the rest of my
days.
As the cavalcade drew nearer, I could hear smothered laughter and
whisperings, the subject of which was but too evident to me. I must
confess that a spark of anger was beginning to burn in my heart, and while
going on with my work with an appearance of unabated interest, and
indulging in admiring motions of the head before my water-color, I was
lending to the scene going on behind me a somber and vigilant attention.
However, the first intention of the party seemed to be to spare my
misfortune; instead of following the path by the side of which I was
established, and which was the shortest way to the ruins, they turned
aside toward the right, and filed by in silence. One alone among them,
falling out of the main group, came rapidly in my direction, and stopped
within ten steps of my studio; though my face was bent over my drawing, I
felt, by that strange intuition which every one knows, a human look fixed
upon me. I raised my eyes with an air of indifference, dropping them again
almost immediately; that rapid gesture had been sufficient to enable me to
recognize in that indiscreet observer the young lady with the blue
feathers, the original cause of all my mishaps. She was there, boldly
seated on her horse, her chin raised, her eyes half closed, examining me
from head to foot with admirable insolence. I had thought it best at
first, out of respect for her sex, to abandon myself without resistance to
her impertinent curiosity; but after a few seconds, as she manifested no
intention of putting an end to her proceedings, I lost patience, and
raising my head more openly, I fixed my eyes upon her with polite gravity,
but persistent steadiness. She blushed; seeing which, I bowed. She
returned me a slight inclination of the head, and moving off at a canter,
she disappeared under the vault of the old church. I thus remained master
of the field, keenly relishing the triumph of fascination I had just
obtained over that little person, whom there certainly was considerable
merit in putting out of countenance.
The ride through the forest lasted some twenty minutes, and I soon beheld
the brilliant fantasia debouching pell-mell from the portal. I feigned
again a profound abstraction; but this time again, one of the riders left
the company and advanced toward me; he was a man of tall stature, who wore
a blue frock-coat, buttoned up to his chin, in military style. He was
marching so straight upon my little establishment, that I could not help
supposing he intended passing right over it for the amusement of the
ladies. I was therefore watching him with a furtive but wide-awake glance,
when I had the satisfaction of seeing him stop within three steps of my
camp-stool, and removing his hat.
"Monsieur," he said, in a full and frank tone of voice, "will you permit
me to look at your drawing?"
I returned his salutation, nodded in token of acquiescence, and went on
with my work. After a moment of silent contemplation, the unknown
equestrian, apparently yielding to the violence of his impressions,
allowed a few laudatory epithets to escape him; then, resuming his direct
allocution:
"Monsieur," he said, "allow me to return thanks to your talent; we shall
be indebted to it, I feel quite sure, for the preservation of these ruins,
which are the ornament of our district."
I abandoned at once my reserve, which could no longer be anything but
childish sulkiness, and I replied, as I thought I should, that he was
appreciating with too much indulgence a mere amateur's sketch; that I
certainly had the greatest desire of saving these beautiful ruins, but
that the most important part of my work threatened to remain quite
insignificant, for want of historical information which I had vainly tried
to find in the archives of the county-seat.
"Parbleu, monsieur," rejoined the horseman, "you please me greatly. I have
in my library a large proportion of the archives of the abbey. Come and
consult them at your leisure. I shall feel grateful to you for doing so."
I thanked him with some embarrassment. I regretted not to have known it
sooner. I feared being recalled to Paris by a letter which I was expecting
this very day. Nevertheless, I had risen to make this answer, the ill
grace of which I strove to attenuate by the courteousness of my attitude.
At the same time, I formed a clearer idea of my interlocutor; he was a
handsome old man, with broad shoulders, who seemed to carry with ease the
weight of some sixty winters, and whose bright blue eyes expressed the
kindliest good feeling.
"Come! come!" he exclaimed, "let us speak frankly. You feel some
repugnance at mingling with that band of hare-brained scamps you see
yonder, and whom I tried in vain yesterday to keep out of a silly affair,
for which I now beg to tender you my sincere apologies. My name is the
Marquis de Malouet, sir. After all, you went off with the honors of the
day. They wished to see you; you did not wish to be seen. You carried your
point. What else can you ask?"
I could not help laughing on hearing such a favorable interpretation of my
unlucky scrape.
"You laugh!" rejoined the old marquis; "bravo! we'll soon come to an
understanding, then. Now, what's to prevent your coming to spend a few
days at my house? My wife has requested me to invite you; she has heard in
detail all your annoyances of yesterday. She has an angel's disposition,
my wife. She is no longer young, always ill; a mere breath; but she is an
angel. I'll locate you in the library--you'll live like a hermit, if you
like. Mon Dieu! I see it all, I tell you; these madcaps of mine frighten
you; you are a serious man; I know all about that sort of disposition!
Well! you'll find congenial company--my wife is full of sense; I am no
fool myself. I am fond of exercise; in fact, it is indispensable to my
health--but you must not take me for a brute! The devil! not at all! I'll
astonish you. You must be fond of whist; we'll have a game together; you
must like to live well--delicately, I mean, as it is proper and suitable
for a man of taste and intelligence. Well! since you appreciate good
living, I am your man; I have an excellent cook. I may even say that I
have two for the present; one coming in and the other going out; it is a
conjunction; the result is, a contest of skill, an academic tourney, of
which you will assist me in adjudging the prize! Come! sir," he added,
laughing ingenuously at his own chattering, "it's settled, isn't it? I'm
going to carry you off."
Happy Paul, thrice happy is the man who can say No! Alone, he is really
master of his time, of his fortune, and of his honor. One should be able
to say No! even to a beggar, even to a woman, even to an amiable old man,
under penalty of surrendering at hazard his charity, his dignity, and his
independence. For want of a manly No, how much misery, how many downfalls,
how many crimes since Adam!
While I was considering in my own mind the invitation which had just been
extended to me, these thoughts crowded in my brain; I recognized their
profound wisdom, and I said Yes! Fatal word, through which I lost my
paradise, exchanging a retreat wholly to my taste--peaceful, laborious,
romantic, and free--for the stiffness of a residence where society
displays all the fury of its insipid dissipations.
I demanded the necessary time for effecting my removal, and Monsieur de
Malouet left me, after grasping my hand cordially, declaring that he was
extremely pleased with me, and that he was going to stimulate his two
cooks to give me a triumphant reception. "I am going," he said in
conclusion, "to announce to them an artist, a poet: that'll work up their
imagination."
Toward five o'clock, two valets from the chateau came to take charge of my
light baggage, and to advise me that a carriage was waiting for me on top
of the hills. I bade farewell to my cell; I thanked my hosts; and I kissed
their little urchins, all besmeared and ill-kempt as they were. These kind
people seemed to see me going with regret. I felt, myself, an
extraordinary and unaccountable sadness. I know not what strange sentiment
attached me to that valley, but I left it with an aching heart, as one
leaves his native country.
More to-morrow, Paul, for I am exhausted.