'Pray remember, Monsieur Lagnier, that I wish particularly to go out
this morning. It is now past one o'clock, and if you continue
endeavouring to do what is quite impossible, my hair will never be
dressed. You had much better plait it as usual.'
Adelaide de Varenne pronounced these words in a tone of pettishness
very unusual with her, as, giving vent to a long sigh of impatience
and weariness, she glanced hastily at the mirror on her toilet-table,
and saw there reflected the busy fingers of M. Lagnier, the
hairdresser, deliberately unfastening her hair, and preparing once
more to attempt the arrangement, which repeated failures had declared
to be an impossibility. He looked up, however, as he did so, and
seemed to read the expression of her features, for a comic mixture of
astonishment and dismay immediately overspread his own.
'Fifteen years,' he exclaimed, 'I have had the honour of daily
attending mademoiselle, and she never was angry with me before! What
can I have done to offend her?'
'Oh, nothing very serious,' replied the young girl, good-naturedly;
'but really I wish you would not dally so long. It is of very little
consequence, I think, how one's hair is worn.'
'Why, certainly every style is equally becoming to mademoiselle,' was
the old man's polite reply. 'Nevertheless, I had set my heart upon
arranging it to-day according to the last fashion: it would suit
mademoiselle _à ravir_.' Adelaide laughed.
'But you see it is impossible,' she said. 'I have so very little hair;
and I am sure it is not my fault--nor,' she added archly, 'the fault
of all those infallible pomades and essences recommended to me by
somebody I know.' M. Lagnier looked embarrassed.
'Mademoiselle is so gay, she finds amusement in everything,' he
replied. '_I_ cannot laugh upon so serious a subject.' Adelaide
laughed again more heartily than before, and M. Lagnier continued,
indignantly: 'Mademoiselle does not care for the loss of her beauty,
then?'
'Oh, I did not know there was any question of that!' and the young
girl suddenly resumed an expression of gravity, which completely
imposed upon the simple old man.
'You see, mademoiselle,' he continued earnestly, 'I have been
considering a long time what is best to be done. It is evident that my
pomades, usually so successful, have no effect upon _your_ hair;
owing, I suppose, to--to---- I can't say exactly what it is owing to.
It is very strange. I never knew them to fail before. Would
mademoiselle object to wearing a slight addition of false hair?' he
asked anxiously, after a moment's pause.
'Indeed, I should not like it,' was the reply. 'Besides, Monsieur
Lagnier, you have often told me that, in all Paris, it was impossible
to obtain any of the same shade as mine.'
'Ah, but I have succeeded at last!' exclaimed he; and as he spoke, he
drew triumphantly from his pocket a small packet, in which was
carefully enveloped a long lock of soft golden hair.
'How beautiful!' Adelaide involuntarily exclaimed. 'Oh, Monsieur
Lagnier, that is far finer and brighter than mine.'
'The difference is very slight indeed; it would be imperceptible when
both were braided together,' returned the hairdresser. 'Do, pray,
allow me, mademoiselle, to shew you the effect;' and without waiting
for a reply, he commenced the operation. In a few moments it was
completed, and the old man's delight was extreme. 'There!' he
exclaimed in ecstasy. 'I knew the style would suit you exactly. Oh,
mademoiselle, pray allow it to remain so; I should be _au désespoir_
were I obliged to unfasten it now.'
Adelaide hesitated: it was, however, no conscientious scruple which
occasioned her hesitation. She was a Frenchwoman, a beauty, and a
little--a very little--of a coquette. To add to her attractions by the
slight _supercheries_ of the toilet was, she thought, a very venial
sin; it was a thing which, in the society that surrounded her, was
looked upon as necessary, and sometimes even considered as a virtue.
She was a strange girl, a dreamer, an enthusiast, with a warm heart,
and a lively, but perhaps too easily-excited imagination. From her
infancy, she had been accustomed to reflect, to question, and to
reason; but left almost entirely to her own unguided judgment, the
habit was not in every respect favourable to the formation of her
character. It was, however, but little injured by it. She was one of
those favoured beings whom no prosperity can spoil, no education
entirely mislead, and whose very faults arise from the overflowings of
a good and generous nature. The thought which agitated her now was one
worthy of her gentle heart.
'Monsieur Lagnier,' she said earnestly, 'such beautiful hair could
only have belonged to a young person. She must have been in great
distress to part with it. Do you know her? Did she sell it to you?
What is her name? I cannot bear to wear it: I shall be thinking of her
continually.'
'Ah, Mademoiselle Adelaide, that is so like you! Why, I have provided
half the young ladies in Paris with false tresses, and not one has
ever asked me the slightest question as to how or where they were
obtained. Indeed, I should not often have been able to reply. In this
case, however, it is different. I bought it myself, and consequently
can give you a little information respecting it. Yesterday evening, I
was standing at my door in the Rue St Honoré, when a young girl,
attracted no doubt by the general appearance of my window, stopped to
admire the various articles exhibited there. She had a pretty face,
but I scarcely looked at that; I only saw her hair, her beautiful,
rich, golden hair. It was pushed carelessly behind her ears, and half
concealed beneath a little white cap. "Mademoiselle," I said,
accosting her--for I could not bear that she should pass the door--"is
there anything that you would like to buy? a pair of combs, for
instance. I have some very cheap; although," I added, with a sigh, as
she appeared about to move on, "such lovely hair as yours requires no
ornament." At these words, she returned quickly, and looking into my
face, exclaimed: "Will you buy my hair, monsieur?" "Willingly, my
child," I replied; and in another instant she was seated in my shop,
and the bright scissors were gleaming above her head. Then my heart
failed me, and I felt half inclined to refuse the offer. "Are you not
sorry, child, to part with your hair?" I asked. "No," she answered
abruptly; and gathering it all together in her hand, she put it into
mine. The temptation was too great; besides, I saw that she herself
was unwilling that we should break the contract. Her countenance never
changed once during the whole time, and when all was over, she
stooped, and picking up a lock which had fallen upon the ground, asked
in an unfaltering voice: "May I keep this, monsieur?" I said yes, and
paid her; and then she went away, smiling, and looking quite happy,
poor little thing. After all, mademoiselle, what is the use of beauty
to girls in her class of life? She is better without it.'
'And her name--did you not ask her name?' inquired Adelaide
reproachfully.
'Why, yes, mademoiselle, I did. She told me that it was Lucille
Delmont, and that she was by trade a _fleuriste_. It was all the
information she would give me.'
'What could she have wanted with the money? Perhaps she was starving:
there is so much misery in Paris!' continued Mademoiselle de Varenne,
after a pause.
'She was very pale and thin,' said the hairdresser; 'but then so are
the generality of our young citizens. Do not make yourself unhappy
about it, mademoiselle; I shall see her again, probably, and shall
endeavour to find out every circumstance respecting her.' With these
words, M. Lagnier respectfully took leave, having by one more
expressive glance testified his delighted approval of the alteration
which had taken place in the young lady's appearance.
Adelaide, having summoned her maid, continued her toilet in a listless
and absent manner. Her thoughts were fixed upon the young girl whose
beauty had been sacrificed for hers, and an unconquerable desire to
learn her fate took possession of her mind. Her intended disposal of
the morning seemed quite to be forgotten; and she was on the point of
forming new plans, very different from the first, when the lady to
whose care she had been confided during the absence of her father from
town, entered the apartment, and aroused her from her reverie by
exclaiming: 'Ah, you naughty girl! I have been waiting for you this
half hour. Was not the carriage ordered to take us to the Tuileries?'
'Yes, indeed, it was; but I hope you will excuse me: I had almost
forgotten it.' And Adelaide immediately related to her friend the
circumstance which had occurred, and begged her aid in the discovery
of Lucille. Madame d'Héranville laughed--reasoned, but in vain; and,
finding Adelaide resolved, she at length consented to accompany her
upon the search, expressing as she did so her entire conviction that
it would prove useless and unsatisfactory.
The day was spent in visits to the principal _modistes_ of Paris; but
from none could any information be gained concerning the young
flower-girl. None had ever even heard her name. Adelaide was returning
home, disappointed, but not discouraged. Still resolved to continue
her endeavours, she had just announced to Madame d'Héranville her
intention of visiting upon the following day the shops of an inferior
class, when the carriage was suddenly arrested in its course by the
crowd of vehicles which surrounded it, and they found themselves
exactly before the door of a small warehouse of the description she
alluded to. She was about to express a wish to enter, it being still
early, when her attention was attracted by two persons who stood
conversing near the door, and whose voices, slightly raised, were
distinctly audible. They had excited the interest and curiosity of
both Adelaide and her companion by the earnestness of their manner,
and by the expression of sorrow depicted upon the countenance of the
elder speaker, a young man of about twenty-five years of age, who,
from his costume, as well as accent, appeared to be a stranger in
Paris.
'I have promised--will you not trust me?' he said in a
half-reproachful tone; and Adelaide bent eagerly forward to catch a
glimpse of the young girl to whom these words were addressed; but her
face was turned away, and the large hood of a woollen cloak was drawn
over her head, almost completely concealing her features.
'I do trust you,' she said in reply to the young man's words--'I do
indeed. And now, good-by, dear André; we shall meet again soon--in our
own beautiful Normandie.' And she held out her hand, which he took and
held for an instant without speaking.
'May I not conduct you home?' he asked at length.
'No, André; it is better that we should part here. We must not trust
too much to our courage, it has failed us so often already.' And as
she spoke, she raised her head, and looked up tearfully at her
companion, disclosing as she did so a face of striking beauty,
although worn and pallid to a painful degree, and appearing even more
so than it really was from the total absence of her hair. The tears
sprang to Adelaide's eyes. In the careworn countenance before her she
read a bitter tale. Almost instinctively, she drew forth her purse,
and leaning over the side of the carriage, called 'Lucille! Lucille!'
But the young girl did not hear her; she had already turned, and was
hastening rapidly away, while André stood gazing after her, as if
uncertain of the reality of what had just occurred. He was so deeply
engrossed in his reflections, that he did not hear his name repeatedly
pronounced by both Adelaide and her friend. The latter at length
directed the servant to accost him, and the footman was alighting for
that purpose, when two men turned quickly the corner of the street,
and perceiving André, stopped suddenly, and one of them exclaimed:
'Ah, good-evening, Bernard; you are just the very fellow we want;' and
taking André by the arm, he drew him under the shade of a _porte
cochère_, and continued, as he placed a small morocco case in his
hand: 'Take care of this for me, André, till I return: I shall be at
your lodgings in an hour. Giraud and I are going to the Cité, and as
this pocket-book contains valuables, we are afraid of losing it. _Au
revoir_!'
André made no reply. He placed the pocket-book carelessly in his
bosom, and his two friends continued hastily their way. He was himself
preparing to depart, when the footman touched him gently on the
shoulder, and told him of Mademoiselle de Varenne's wish to speak to
him. André approached the carriage, surprised and half abashed at the
unlooked-for honour; then taking off his cap, waited respectfully for
one of the ladies to address him. At the same instant, a
police-officer seized him roughly by the arm, and exclaimed: 'Here is
one of them! I saw them all three together not two hours ago!' And
calling to a comrade who stood near, he was about to lead André away.
At first, the young man made no resistance; but his face grew deadly
pale, and his lip trembled violently.
'What do you want? What have I done?' he demanded at length, turning
suddenly round to face his accuser; but the latter only replied by a
laugh, and an assurance that he would know all about it presently. A
slight struggle ensued, in the midst of which the pocket-book fell to
the ground, and a considerable number of bank-notes bestrewed the
pavement. At this sight, André seemed suddenly to understand the cause
of his arrest; he stood for an instant gazing at the notes with a
countenance of horror; then, with an almost gigantic effort, he broke
from the grasp which held him, and darted away in the direction which
had before been taken by the young girl. He was immediately followed
by the police; but although Adelaide and her friend remained for some
time watching eagerly the pursuit, they were unable to ascertain
whether he had succeeded in effecting his escape.
'I am sure I hope so, poor fellow!' murmured Adelaide as they drove
homewards--'for Lucille's sake, as well as for his.'
'You have quite made up your mind, then, as to its being Lucille that
we saw?' said Madame d'Héranville with a smile. 'If it was,' she
added, more gravely, 'I think she can scarcely merit all the trouble
you are giving yourself on her account. Her friendship for André does
not speak much in her favour.'
'Why not? Surely you do not think _he_ stole the pocket-book?' asked
Adelaide, in undisguised dismay.
'Perhaps not; but his intimacy with those who did, leads one to
suppose that he is not unaccustomed to such scenes. You remember the
old proverb: "Dis moi qui tu hantes, je te dirai qui tu es."'
'Do you not think we should give information respecting what we saw?
He was certainly unconscious of its contents?' asked Adelaide again,
after a short silence.
'He appeared so,' returned Madame d'Héranville; 'and I shall write
to-morrow to the police-office. Perhaps our evidence may be useful to
him.'
'To-morrow!' thought Adelaide; but she did not speak her thoughts
aloud. 'And to-night he must endure all the agonies of suspense!' And
then she looked earnestly at her companion's face, and wondered if,
when hers, like it, was pale and faded, her heart should also be as
cold. A strange, sad feeling crept over her, and she continued quite
silent during the remainder of the drive. Her thoughts were still busy
in the formation of another plan for the discovery of Lucille, when,
upon her arrival at home, she was informed that M. Lagnier desired
anxiously to see her, having something to communicate.
'Mademoiselle, I have not been idle,' he exclaimed, immediately upon
entering the apartment. 'Here is Lucille's address, and I have seen
her mother. Poor things!' he added, 'they are indeed in want. Their
room is on the sixth floor, and one miserable bed and a broken chair
are all the furniture. For ornament, there was a rose-tree, in a
flower-pot, upon the window-seat: it was withered, like its young
mistress!'
'They are not Parisians?' inquired Adelaide.
'No, no, mademoiselle. From what the mother said, I picked up quite a
little romance concerning them. The husband died two years ago,
leaving them a pretty farm, and a comfortable home in Normandie.
Lucille was very beautiful. All the neighbours said so, and Mrs
Delmont was proud of her child. She could not bear her to become a
peasant's wife, and brought her here, hoping that her beauty might
secure to her a better fate. The young girl had learned a trade, and
with the assistance of that, and the money they had obtained upon
selling the farm, they contrived to manage very well during the first
year. Lucille made no complaint, and her mother thought she was happy.
A Parisian paid her attention, and asked her to become his wife. She
refused; but as he appeared rich, the mother would not hear of
declining the offer. She encouraged him to visit them as much as
possible, and hoped at length to overcome Lucille's dislike to the
marriage. One evening, however, as they were all seated together, a
young man entered the room. He had been an old lover of Lucille's--a
neighbour's son, and an early playmate. She sprang forward eagerly to
meet him, and the rich pretender left the place in a fit of jealous
anger, and they have not seen him since. Then troubles came, one
following another, until at last they fell into the state of
destitution in which I found them. André Bernard, who had quarrelled
with his parents in order to follow them, could find no work, and
every sou that Lucille gained was given to him, to save him, as she
said, from ruin or from sin. Last week she sold her hair, to enable
him to return home. She had made him promise that he would do so, and
to night he is to leave Paris.'
'It is he, then, whom we saw arrested!' exclaimed Adelaide; 'and he
will not be able to return home. Oh, let us go to Lucille at once! Do,
pray, come with me, Madame d'Héranville!' and turning to her friend,
she pleaded so earnestly, and the large tears stood so imploringly in
her eyes, that it was impossible to resist. Madame d'Héranville
refastened her cloak, and soon afterwards, with Adelaide and M.
Lagnier, found herself ascending the steep and dilapidated staircase
of the house inhabited by the Delmonts. Adelaide seated herself upon
the highest step, to await the arrival of her friend, whose agility in
mounting was not quite equal to her own. As she did so, a loud and
angry voice was heard proceeding from the apartment to which this
staircase led. It was followed by a sound as of a young girl weeping,
and then a few low, half-broken sentences were uttered in a voice of
heart-broken distress.
'Mother, dear mother,' were the words, 'do not torture me. I am so
ill--so wretched, I wish I were dead.'
'Ill! wretched! ungrateful girl!' was the reply. 'And whose fault is
it that you are so? Not mine! Blame yourself, if you will, and him,
your darling André. What will he do now that you have no more to give?
nothing even that you can sell, to supply him with the means of
gratifying his extravagance. You will soon see how sincere he is in
his affection, and how grateful he feels for all the sacrifices that
you have made--sacrifices, Lucille, that you would not have made for
me.'
'Mother,' murmured the poor girl in a tone of heart-broken reproach,
'I have given my beauty for him; but I have given my life for you.'
Adelaide listened no more. Shocked beyond measure at the misery
expressed in the low, earnest voice of Lucille, she knocked at the
door of the apartment, and scarcely waiting for permission, lifted the
latch and entered hurriedly.
Lucille was seated at a window working, or seeming at least to do so;
for her head was bent over a wreath of artificial flowers, through
which her emaciated fingers passed with a quick convulsive motion. It
needed not, however, a very nice observation to discover that the work
progressed but slowly. The very anxiety with which she exerted
herself, seemed to impede her movements, and the tears which fell from
time to time upon the leaves obscured her sight, and often completely
arrested her hand. She did not raise her head as Adelaide entered; too
deeply engrossed in her own sadness, she had not heard the opening of
the door, or her mother's exclamation of surprise, and Mademoiselle de
Varenne was at her side before she was in the least conscious of her
presence. Adelaide touched her gently on the arm.
'What is the matter, Lucille?' she asked. 'Tell me: I will do all I
can to help you.' At these words the mother interposed, and said
softly: 'I am sure, madame, you are very kind to speak so to her. I am
afraid you will find her an ungrateful girl; if you had heard her
words to me just now--to me, her own mother!'
'I did hear them,' returned Adelaide. 'She said she had given her life
for you. What did she mean? What did you mean, Lucille?' she asked,
gently addressing the young girl, whose face was buried in her hands.
'Forgive me, mother; I was wrong,' murmured Lucille; 'but I scarcely
know what I say sometimes. Mademoiselle,' she continued earnestly, 'I
am not ungrateful; but if you knew how all my heart was bound to home,
and how miserable I am here, you would pity and forgive me, if I am
often angry and impatient.'
'You were never miserable till he came,' retorted the mother; 'and now
that he is going, you will be so no more. It will be a happy day for
both of us when he leaves Paris.' At this moment heavy steps were
heard ascending the stairs; then voices raised as if in anger. Lucille
started up; in an instant her pale cheek was suffused with the deepest
crimson, her eye flashed, and her whole frame trembled violently. Her
mother grasped her by the hand, but she freed herself with a sudden
effort, and darting past Madame d'Héranville and the hairdresser, who
had entered some time before, she ran out upon the landing. Adelaide
followed, and at once perceived the cause of her emotion. André was
rapidly ascending the stairs, his countenance pale, and his whole
demeanour indicating the agitation of his feelings. He was closely
followed by the police-officer, whose voice, as he once more grasped
his prisoner, appalled the terrified Lucille. 'You have given us a
sharp run,' he exclaimed, 'and once I thought you had got off. You
should not have left your hiding-place till dark, young gentleman.'
And, heedless of the frantic and agonised gestures of the unhappy
youth, he drew him angrily away.
Lucille sprang forward, and taking André's hand in hers, she looked
long and earnestly in his face. He read in her eyes the question she
did not dare to ask, and replied, as a crimson blush mounted to his
forehead: 'I am accused of robbery, Lucille, and many circumstances
are against me. I may perhaps be condemned. I came here to tell you of
my innocence, and to return you this;' and he placed a gold piece in
her hand. It was the money she had given him for his journey--the
fruit of the last sacrifice she had made. She scarcely seemed to
understand his words, and still looked up inquiringly. 'Lucille,' he
continued, 'they are taking me to prison; I cannot go home as I
promised; but you will not think me guilty. How could I do what I knew
would break your heart?'
She smiled tenderly and trustfully upon him; then letting fall his
hand, she pushed him gently away, and whispered: 'Go with him, André.
Justice will be done. I am no longer afraid.' Madame d'Héranville and
Adelaide at this moment approached, and eagerly related what they had
seen, both expressing their conviction of the young man's innocence.
'It is not to me you must speak, ladies,' returned the gendarme,
wonderfully softened by their words. 'If you will be so good as to
give me your names, and come to-morrow to our office, I have no doubt
that your evidence will greatly influence the magistrate in favour of
the prisoner.' The ladies gave their names, and promised to attend the
court the following morning; and shortly afterwards, they left the
house, having by their kind promises reassured the weeping girl, and
succeeded in softening her mother's anger towards her. The next day
they proceeded early to the court. As Adelaide entered, she looked
round for Lucille, and perceived her standing near the dock, her
earnest eyes fixed upon the prisoner, and encouraging him from time to
time with a look of recognition and a smile. But notwithstanding all
her efforts, the smile was a sad one; for her heart was heavy, and the
appearance of the magistrate was not calculated to strengthen her
hope. André had declared his innocence--his complete ignorance of the
contents of the pocket-book his friend had placed in his hand; but his
very intimacy with such men operated strongly against him. Both Giraud
and his companion were well known to the police as men of bad
character, and very disreputable associates. The prisoner's
declaration, therefore, had but little effect upon those to whom it
was addressed; and the magistrate shook his head doubtfully as he
listened. Madame d'Héranville and Adelaide then related what they had
seen--describing the young man's listless look as he received the
book, and endeavouring to prove, that had André been aware of its
contents, his companion need scarcely have made the excuse he did for
leaving it with him. At this moment, a slight movement was observed
among the crowd, and two men were brought forward, and placed beside
André. At their appearance, a scream escaped from Lucille; and,
turning to her mother, she pointed them out, while the name of Jules
Giraud burst from her lips. Hearing his own name, one of the men
looked up, and glanced towards the spot where the young girl stood.
His eyes met hers, and a flush overspread his face; then, after a
momentary struggle, which depicted itself in the workings of his
countenance, he exclaimed: 'Let the boy go: we have injured him enough
already. He is innocent.'
'What do you mean?' inquired the magistrate; while a look of heartfelt
gratitude from Lucille urged Giraud to proceed.
'André knows nothing of this robbery,' he continued; 'his sole
connection with us arises from a promise we gave him, to find him
employment in Paris; and all the money he received we took from him
under the pretence of doing so. Yesterday morning, we met him for the
purpose of again deceiving him, but failed. He had a louis-d'or; but
it had been given him by his _fiancée_, that he might return home, and
he was determined to fulfil his promise. I would have taken his last
sou; for he'--and the destined _forçat_ ground his teeth--'for he owed
me a debt! However,' he continued recklessly, 'it is all over now. I
am off for the galleys, that's clear enough; and before starting, I
would do something for Lucille.'
'How had the accused harmed you?' asked the magistrate.
Giraud hesitated; but Madame Delmont came forward, and exclaimed: 'I
will tell you, monsieur. He wished to marry my daughter himself; and
I,' she added, in a tone of deep self-reproach, 'would almost have
forced her to consent.'
The same evening, Madame Delmont, André, and Lucille were seated
together, conversing upon what had passed, and deliberating as to the
best means of accomplishing an immediate return to Normandie, when a
gentle tap was heard at the door, and the old hairdresser entered the
room. He appeared embarrassed; but at length, with a great effort
restraining his emotion, he placed a little packet in Lucille's hand,
and exclaimed: 'Here, child, I did not give you half enough for that
beautiful hair of yours. Take this, and be sure you say nothing about
it to any one, especially to Mademoiselle Adelaide;' and without
waiting for one word of thanks, he was about to hurry away, when he
was stopped by Mademoiselle de Varenne in person.
'Ah, Monsieur Lagnier,' she merrily exclaimed, 'this is not fair. I
hoped to have been the first; and yet I am glad that you forestalled
me,' she added, as she looked into the bright glistening eyes of the
old hairdresser. 'My father has just arrived in town, Lucille,' she
continued, after a short pause, 'and he is interested in you all. He
offers André the porter's lodge at the château, and I came here
immediately to tell you the good news. It is not very far from your
old home, and I am sure you will like it. Do not forget to take with
you this poor rose-tree; it looks like you, quite pale for want of
air. There! you must not thank me,' she exclaimed, as Madame Delmont,
André, and Lucille pressed eagerly forward to express their gratitude:
'it is I, rather, that should thank you. I never knew till now how
very happy I might be.'
And as Adelaide de Varenne pronounced these words, a bright smile
passed across her face. The old hairdresser gazed admiringly upon her,
and doubted for a moment whether the extraordinary loveliness he saw
owed any part of its charm to the lock of false hair.