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That night, while "The Saint Louis" was rocking lazily over her anchors, was the first night, since Daniel had heard of Count Ville-Handry's marriage, that he slept with that sweet sleep given by hope. He was only aroused by the noise of the people who came in the quarantine boat; and, when he came on deck, he found that there was nothing any longer to prevent his going on shore.
Count Ville-Handry's eyes beamed with delight and with pride as he heard these words. He exclaimed, "Say she is the greatest beauty, the most marvellous and transcendent beauty, you ever saw. And that, M. Daniel Champcey, is her smallest attraction.
And I even know that you are one of the most frequent visitors at Count Ville-Handry's house." She looked at Daniel with a kind of malicious simplicity, and then added, "I do not mean to say that the count would not be wrong if he attributed your frequent visits exclusively to his own merits. I have heard something of a certain young lady" "Sarah," here broke in Mrs.
A walk in company with his friend, Maxime de Brevan; a visit to the theatre, when a particularly fine piece was to be given; and two or three calls a week at Count Ville-Handry's house, these were his sole and certainly very harmless amusements. "A genuine old maid, that sailor is," said the concierge of the house.
Go, sir!" Twenty-four hours after Daniel had thus left Count Ville-Handry's palace, pale and staggering, he had not yet entirely recovered from this last blow. He had made a mortal enemy of the man whom it was his greatest interest to manage; and this man, who of his own accord would have parted with him only regretfully, had now turned him disgracefully out of his house.
"Ah!" he said to himself, his heart filled with rage, "how could I fail to recognize in this abominable treachery Miss Brandon's cunning hand?" First she had closed against him the gates of Count Ville-Handry's palace, and thus separated him from his beloved Henrietta, so that they could not meet nor speak to each other. But this was not enough for the accursed adventuress.
As the day before, they dined together at one of the restaurants on the boulevard; and after dinner M. de Brevan insisted upon accompanying his friend back to Count Ville-Handry's house. As they reached it long before the appointed hour, they walked up and down on the sidewalk which runs along the wall of the immense park belonging to the palace. It was a cold but perfectly clear night.
I speak, therefore, to Count Ville-Handry's son-in-law, and I repeat, Do you see any objections to this match?" The question was too precisely put to allow of any prevarication. And still Daniel was bent upon gaining time, and avoiding any positive answer. For the first time in his life he said a falsehood; and, turning crimson all over, he stammered out, "I see no objection." "Really?" "Really."
The thought had just occurred to him, that Count Ville-Handry's secret was not his own, and that he was in duty bound not to betray it, if possible, even if he could have absolutely relied upon his friend's discretion. He did not reply, therefore, but walked up and down the room, seeking in vain some plausible excuse, and suffering perfect agony.
She wanted to cry; but her voice ended in a rattle in her throat. Then her ideas became utterly confused. Respiration ceased. It was all over. She was suffering no longer. Thus a few minutes longer, and all was really over. Count Ville- Handry's daughter was dying! Count Ville-Handry's daughter was dead!
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