THE DENOUEMENT.
For a moment they confronted each other; then Count Schulenberg, with
open arms, advanced toward the countess.
"Now, Margaret," cried he, "you are mine. I have earned this victory by
my superhuman patience. It is achieved--I am rewarded--come to my
longing heart!"
He would have clasped her in his arms, but she stepped back, and again,
as in her dressing-room at Vienna, her hands were raised to ward him
off. "Do not touch me," said she, with a look of supreme aversion. "Come
no nearer, Count Schulenberg, for your breath is poison, and the
atmosphere of your proximity is stifling me."
The count laughed. "My beautiful Margaret, you seek in vain to
discourage me by your charming sarcasm. Oh, my lovely, untamed angel,
away with your coldness! it inflames my passion so much the more. I
would not give up the triumph of this hour for a kingdom!"
"It will yield you nothing nevertheless, save my contempt. You must
renounce your dream of happiness, for I assure you that it has been but
a dream."
"You jest still, my Margaret," replied the count, with a forced laugh.
"But I tell you that I intend to tame my wild doe into a submissive
woman, who loves her master and obeys his call. Away with this mask of
reluctance! You love me; for you have given me the proof of your love by
leaving kindred and honor to follow me."
"Nay, count I have given you a proof of my contempt, for I have
deliberately used you as a tool. You, the handsome and admired Count
Schulenberg--you who fancied you were throwing me the handkerchief of
your favor, you are nothing to me but the convenient implement of my
revenge. You came hither as my valet, and as I no longer need a valet, I
discharge you. You have served me well, and I thank you. You have done
admirably, for Dupont told me to-day that you had not yet exhausted the
money I gave you for the expenses of our journey. I am, therefore,
highly satisfied with you, and will recommend you to any other woman
desirous of bringing disgrace upon her husband."
The count stared at her in perfect wonder. He smiled, too--but the smile
was sinister and threatened evil.
"How!" said the countess. "You are not yet gone! True--I forgot--a lady
has no right to discharge her valet without paying him."
With these words she drew a purse from her pocket and threw it at his
feet.
A loud grating laugh was the reply. He set his foot upon the purse, and
folding his arms, contemplated the countess with a look that boded no
good to his tormentor.
"You do not go, Count Schulenberg?" said she.
"No--and what is more, I do not intend to go."
"Ah!" cried Margaret, her eyes glowing like coals, "you are dishonorable
enough to persist, when I have told you that I despise you!"
"My charming Margaret, this is a way that women have of betraying their
love. You all swear that you despise us; all the while loving us to
distraction. You and I have gone too far to recede. You, because you
allowed me to take you from your husband's house; I, because I gave in
to your rather exacting whims, and came to Paris as your valet. But you
promised to reward me, and I must receive my wages."
"I promised when we should reach Paris to speak the truth, Count
Schulenberg; and as you are not satisfied with as much as I have
vouchsafed, hear the whole truth. You say that in consenting to
accompany you, I gave a proof of love. Think better of me, sir! Had I
loved you, I might have died for you, but never would I have allowed you
to be the partner of my disgrace. You have shared it with me precisely
because I despise you, precisely because there was no man on earth whom
I was less likely to love. As the partner of my flight, you have freed
me from the shackles of a detested union, to rupture which, I underwent
the farce of an elopement. The tyranny of Maria Theresa had compelled me
to marriage with a wretch who succeeded in beguiling me to the altar by
a lie. I swore to revenge myself, and you have been the instrument of my
revenge. The woman who could condescend to leave her home with you, is
so doubly-dyed in disgrace that Count Esterhazy can no longer refuse to
grant her a divorce. And now, count, that I have concealed nothing,
oblige me by leaving me--I need repose."
"No, my bewitching Margaret, a thousand times no!" replied the count.
"But since you have been so candid, I shall imitate your charming
frankness Your beauty, certainly, is quite enough to madden a man, and
embolden him to woo you, since all Vienna knows how the Countess
Esterhazy hates her husband. But you seemed colder to me than you were
to other men, all of whom complained that you had no heart to win. I
swore not to be foiled by your severity, and thereupon my friends staked
a large wager upon the result. Fired by these united considerations, I
entered upon my suit and was successful. You gave me very little
trouble, I must say that for you, countess. Thanks to your clemency, I
have won my bet, and on my return to Vienna, I am to receive one
thousand louis d'ors."
"I am delighted to hear it, and I advise you to go after them with all
speed," replied the countess quietly.
"Pardon me if I reject the advice--for, as I told you before, I really
love you. You have thrown yourself into my arms, and I would be a fool
not to keep you there. No, my enchantress, no. Give up all hope of
escaping from the fate you have chosen for yourself. For my sake you
have branded your fair fame forever, and you shall be rewarded for the
sacrifice."
"Wretch," cried she, drawing herself proudly up to her full height, "you
well know that you had no share in the motives of the flight! Its shame
is mine alone; and alone will I bear it. To you I leave the ridicule of
our adventure, for if you do not quit my room, I shall take care that
all Vienna hears how I took you to Paris as my valet."
"And I, Countess Esterbazy, shall entertain all Vienna with the contents
of your album, which I have taken the liberty not only of reading, but
of appropriating."
The countess gave a start. "True," murmured she, "I have missed it since
yesterday."
"Yes, and I have it. I think a lover has a right to his mistress's
secrets, and I have made use of my right. I have been reading your
heavenly verses to the object of your unhappy attachment, and all Vienna
shall hear them. What delicious scandal it will be to tell how
desperately in love is the Countess Esterhazy with the son of her
gracious and imperial godmother!"
"Tell it then," cried Margaret, "tell it if you will, for I do love the
emperor! My heart bows down before him in idolatrous admiration, and if
he loved ME, I would not envy the angels their heaven! He does not
return my love--nor do I need that return to make me cherish and foster
my passion for him. No scorn of the world can lessen it, for it is my
pride, my religion, my life! And now go and repeat my words; but beware
of me, Count Schulenberg, for I will have revenge!"
"From such fair hands, revenge would fall quite harmless," exclaimed the
count, dazzled by the splendor of Margaret's transcendent beauty; for
never in her life had she looked lovelier than at that moment. "Revenge
yourself if you will, enchantress, but mine you are doomed to be. Come,
then, come!"
Once more he approached, when the door was flung violently open, and a
loud, commanding voice was heard:
"I forbid you to lay a finger upon the Countess Esterhazy," exclaimed
the emperor.
Margaret uttered a loud cry, the color forsook her cheeks, and closing
her eyes she fell back upon the sofa.