The chimneys and roofs of the tall houses along the boulevards stood out
sharp and clear in the light of the rising sun. Here and there squads
of street-cleaners appeared, and belated hucksters urged their horses
toward the markets; but except for these, the streets were deserted, and
the little coupe that carried Caesar and his misfortunes rolled rapidly
toward the Barriere du Trone.
With all the coach-windows lowered, in order to admit the fresh morning
air, the energetic nobleman, buffeted by ill-luck, suddenly raised his
head and steadily looked in the face the consequences of his defeat.
He, too, could say that all was lost save honor; and already, from the
depths of his virile soul, sprang the only resolution that seemed to him
worthy of himself.
When he entered his own rooms in order to dress, his mind was made up;
and although, during the military exercises that morning, his commands
were more abrupt than usual, no one would have suspected that his mind
was preoccupied by any unusual trouble.
He decided to call upon his superior officer that afternoon to request
from him authorization to seek an exchange for Africa. Then he went
quietly to breakfast at the pension of the officers of his own rank,
who, observing his calm demeanor, in contrast to their own, knew that
he must be unaware of the important news just published in the morning
journals. General de Lorencez, after an unsuccessful attack upon the
walls of Puebla, had been compelled to retreat toward Orizaba, and to
intrench there while waiting for reenforcements.
This military event awakened the liveliest discussions, and in the
midst of the repast a quartermaster entered to announce the reply to the
report, first presenting his open register to the senior lieutenant.
“Ah! By Jove, fellows! what luck!” cried that officer, joyously.
“What is it?” demanded the others in chorus.
“Listen to this!” And he read aloud: “‘General Order: An expedition
corps, composed of two divisions of infantry, under the command of
General Forey, is in process of forming, in order to be sent to Mexico
on urgent business. The brigade of the advance guard will be composed of
the First Regiment of Zouaves and the Eighteenth Battalion of infantry.
As soon as these companies shall be prepared for war, this battalion
will proceed by the shortest route to Toulon; thence they will embark
aboard the Imperial on the twenty-sixth day of June next.’”
Arousing cheer drowned the end of the reading of this bulletin, the
tenor of which gave to Henri’s aspirations an immediate and more
advantageous prospect immediate, because, as his company was the first
to march, he was assured of not remaining longer at the garrison; more
advantageous, because the dangers of a foreign expedition opened a much
larger field for his chances of promotion.
Consequently, less than a month remained to him in which to settle his
indebtedness. After the reading of the bulletin, he asked one of his
brother officers to take his place until evening, caught the first train
to town, and, alighting at the Bastille, went directly to the Hotel
de Montgeron, where he had temporary quarters whenever he chose to use
them.
“Is the Duke at home?” he inquired of the Swiss.
Receiving an affirmative reply, he crossed the courtyard, and was soon
announced to his brother-in-law, the noble proprietor of La Sarthe,
deputy of the Legitimist opposition to the Corps Legislatif of the
Empire.
The Duc de Montgeron listened in silence to his relative’s explanation
of his situation. When the recital was finished, without uttering a
syllable he opened a drawer, drew out a legal paper, and handed it to
Henri, saying:
“This is my marriage contract. Read it, and you will see that I have
had, from the head of my family, three hundred and fifteen thousand
livres income. I do not say this to you in order to contrast my riches
with your ruin, but only to prove to you that I was perfectly well able
to marry your sister even had she possessed no dot. That dot yields
seven hundred and fifteen thousand francs’ income, at three per cent.
We were married under the law of community of goods, which greatly
simplifies matters when husband and wife have, as have Jeanne and
myself, but one heart and one way of looking at things. To consult her
would be, perhaps, to injure her. To-morrow I will sell the necessary
stock, and ere the end of the week Monsieur Durand, your notary and
ours, shall hold at your disposal the amount of the sum you lost last
night.”
The blood rose to the cheeks of the young officer.
“I--I” he stammered, pressing convulsively the hands of his
brother-in-law. “Shall I let you pay the ransom for my madness and
folly? Shall I a second time despoil my sister, already robbed by me of
one half her rightful share? I should die of shame! Or, rather--wait a
moment! Let us reverse our situations for an instant, and if you will
swear to me that, were you in my place, you would accept--Ah, you see!
You hesitate as much now as you hesitated little a moment ago in your
simple and cordial burst of generosity: Consequently, I refuse!”
“What do you mean to do, then?”
“To sell Prerolles immediately-to-day, if possible. This determination
troubles you because of the grief it will cause Jeanne. It will grieve
me, too. And the courage to tell this to her is the only effort to which
my strength is unequal. Only you can tell it in such a way as to soften
the blow--”
“I will try to do it,” said the Duke.
“I thank you! As to the personal belongings and the family portraits,
their place is at Montgeron, is it not?”
“That is understood. Now, one word more, Henri.”
“Speak!”
“Have you not another embarrassment to settle?”
“I have indeed, and the sooner the better. Unhappily--”
“You have not enough money,” finished the Duke. “I have received this
morning twenty-five thousand francs’ rent from my farms. Will you allow
me to lend them to you?”
“To be repaid from the price of the sale? Very willingly, this time.”
And he placed in an envelope the notes handed him by his brother-in-law.
“This is the last will and testament of love,” said the Marquis, as he
departed, to give the necessary instructions to his notary.