A WOMAN'S INSTINCT
The General had been more favorably impressed with Zibeline's appearance
than he cared to show. The generous action of this beautiful girl, her
frankness, her ease of manner, her cleverness in repartee, were likely to
attract the attention of a man of his character. He reproached himself
already for having allowed himself to be influenced by the rancorous
hostility of the Desvanneaux, and, as always happens with just natures,
the sudden change of his mind was the more favorable as his first opinion
had been unjust.
Such was the theme of his reflections on the route from the Hotel de
Montgeron to that of Eugenic Gontie's, with whom he was engaged to dine
with some of her friends, invited to celebrate her success of the evening
before.
On entering her dining-room Eugenie took the arm of Lenaieff, placed
Henri de Prerolles on her left and Samoreau opposite her--in his
character of senior member, so that no one could mistake his transitory
function with that of an accredited master of the house.
The four other guests were distinguished writers or artists, including
the painter Edmond Delorme, and, like him, all were intimate friends of
the mistress of the house.
Naturally the conversation turned upon the representation of Adrienne,
and on the applause of the fashionable audience, usually rather
undemonstrative.
"Never have I received so many flowers as were given to me last night,"
said Eugenic, displaying an enormous beribboned basket which ornamented
the table. "But that which particularly flattered me," she added, "was
the spontaneous tribute from that pretty foreigner who sought me in the
greenroom expressly to offer me her bouquet."
"The young lady in the proscenium box, I will wager," said Lenaieff.
"Precisely. I know that they call her Zibeline, but I did not catch her
real name."
"It is Mademoiselle de Vermont," said Edmond Delorme. "She is, in my
opinion, the most dashing of all the Amazons in the Bois de Boulogne.
The Chevalier de Sainte-Foy brought her to visit my studio last autumn,
and I am making a life-size portrait of her on her famous horse, Seaman,
the winner of the great steeplechase at Liverpool, in 1882."
"What were you pencilling on the back of your menu while you were
talking?" asked the actress, curiously.
"The profile of General de Prerolles," the painter replied. "I think
that his mare Aida would make a capital companion picture for Seaman, and
that he himself would be an appropriate figure to adorn a canvas hung on
the line opposite her at the next Salon!"
"Pardon me, dear master!" interrupted the General. "Spare me, I pray,
the honor of figuring in this equestrian contradance. I have not the
means to bequeath to posterity that your fair model possesses--"
"Is she, then, as rich as they say?" inquired one of the guests.
"I can answer for that," said the Baron de Samoreau. "She has a letter
of credit upon me from my correspondent in New York. Last night, during
an entr'acte, she gave me an order to hold a million francs at her
disposal before the end of the week."
"I know the reason why," added Henri.
"But," Lenaieff exclaimed, "you told me that you did not know her!"
"I have made her acquaintance since then."
"Ah! Where?" Eugenie inquired, with interest.
"At my sister's house, during the meeting of a charitable society."
"Had it anything to do with the society for which Monsieur Desvanneaux
asked me to appear in a kermess?"
"Well, yes. In fact, he has gone so far as to announce that he is
assured of your cooperation."
"I could not refuse him," said Eugenie. "Under the mantle of charity,
the holy man paid court to me!"
"I knew well enough that he had not yet laid down his arms forever," said
the General.
"Oh, he is not the only one. His son-in-law also honored me with an
attack."
"What, Monsieur de Thomery? Well, that is a good joke!"
"But what is funnier yet," continued the actress, "is the fact that the
first-named gentleman was on his knees, just about to make me a
declaration, apparently, when the second was announced! Immediately the
father-in-law jumped to his feet, entreating me not to allow them to
meet. I was compelled to open for him the door leading to the servants'
stairway--"
"And what did you do with the other man?" asked Lenaieff, laughing
loudly.
"I rid myself of him in the same way. At a sign from me, my maid
announced the name of the father-in-law, and the alarmed son-in-law
escaped by the same road! Oh, but I know them! They will come back!"
"Under some other pretext, however," said the General. "Because
Mademoiselle de Vermont's million francs have destroyed their amorous
designs."
"So now we see Zibeline fairly launched," remarked the banker. "Since
the Duchesse de Montgeron has taken her up, all the naughty tales that
have been fabricated about her will go to pieces like a house of cards."
"That is very probable," the General concluded, "for she has made a
complete conquest of my sister."
At these words a slight cloud passed over the actress's face. The
imagination of a jealous mistress sees rivals everywhere; especially that
of an actress.
After dinner, while her other guests went into the smoking-room, Eugenic
made a sign to her lover to remain with her, and seated herself beside
him.
"I wish to ask you a question, Henri," said she.
"What is it?"
"Do you still love me?"
"What reason have you to doubt it?"
"None that warrants me in reproaching you for anything. But so many
things separate us! Your career, to which you owe everything! Your
social standing, so different from mine! Oh, I know that you are
sincere, and that if you ever have a scruple regarding our liaison, you
will not be able to hide it from me. It is this possibility of which I
think."
"You are quite wrong, I assure you. Did I hide myself last night in
order to prove openly my admiration for you? Did I appear to disclaim
the allusions which you emphasized in seeming to address me in the course
of your role?"
"No, that is true. Shall I make a confession? When I am on the stage,
I fear nothing, because there the points of comparison are all in my
favor, since you can say to yourself: 'This woman on whom all eyes are
fixed, whose voice penetrates to the depths of the soul--this woman,
beautiful, applauded, courted, belongs to me--wholly to me,' and your
masculine vanity is pleasantly flattered. But later, Henri! When the
rouge is effaced from my lips, when the powder is removed from my cheeks
--perhaps revealing some premature line caused by study and late hours--
if, after that, you return to your own circle, and there encounter some
fresh young girl, graceful and blooming, the object, in her turn, of the
fickle admiration of the multitude, forgetful already of her who just now
charmed them--tell me, Henri! do you not, as do the others, covet that
beautiful exotic flower, and must not the poor comedienne weep for her
lost prestige?"
"It is Mademoiselle de Vermont, then, who inspires you with this
apprehension," said the General, smiling.
"Well, yes, it is she!"
"What childishness! Lenaieff will tell you that I have never even looked
at her."
"Last night, perhaps--but to-day?"
"We exchanged no more than a dozen words."
"But the more I think of her visit to the greenroom, the more
inexplicable it appears to me."
"You need not be surprised at that: she does nothing that any one else
does."
"These things are not done to displease you."
"I may agree as to that; but what conclusion do you draw?"
"That she is trying to turn your head."
"My head! You jest! I might be her father."
"That is not always a reason--"
Nevertheless, Henri's exclamation had been so frank that Eugenie felt
somewhat reassured.
"Are you going so soon?" she said, seeing him take his hat.
"I promised my sister to join her at the opera. Besides, this is your
reception night, and I leave you to your duties as hostess. To-morrow,
at the usual hour-and we will talk of something else, shall we not?"
"Ah, dearest, that is all I ask!" said Eugenie.
He attempted to kiss her hand, but she held up her lips. He pressed his
own upon them in a long kiss, and left her.