Mlle.Moriaz divined Samuel Brohl's thought; she exclaimed: "The man Iloved was he whose history you related to me."He would have liked to kill her, so that she never should belong to another.Behind Antoinette, not twenty steps distant, he descried the curb of a well, and grew dizzy at the sight.He discovered, with despair, that he was not made of the stuff for crime.He dropped down on his knees in the grass, and cried, "If you will not pardon me, nothing remains for me but to die!" She stood motionless and impassive.She repeated between her teeth Camille Langis's phrase: "Iam waiting until this great comedian has finished playing his piece."He rose and started to run towards the well.She was in front of him and barred the passage, but at the same moment she felt two hands clasp her waist, and the breath of two lips that sought her lips and that murmured, "You love me still, since you do not want me to die."She struggled with violence and horror; she succeeded, by a frantic effort, in disengaging herself from his grasp.She fled towards the house.Samuel Brohl rushed after her in mad pursuit; he was just reaching her, when he suddenly stopped.He had caught sight of M.
Langis, hurrying from out a thicket, where he had been hidden.Growing uneasy, he had approached the orchard through a path concealed by the heavy foliage.Antoinette, out of breath, ran to him, gasping, "Camille, save me from this man!" and she threw herself into his arms, which closed about her with delight.He felt her sink; she would have fallen had he not supported her.
At the same instant a menacing voice saluted him with the words, "Monsieur, we will meet again!""To-day, if you will," he replied.
Antoinette's wild excitement had given place to insensibility; she neither saw nor heard; her limbs no longer sustained her.Camille had great difficulty in bringing her to the house; she could not ascend the steps of the terrace; he was obliged to carry her.Mlle.Moiseney saw him, and filled the air with her cries.She ran forward, she lavished her best care on her queen.All the time she was busy in bringing her to her senses she was asking Camille for explanations, to which she did not pay the least attention; she interrupted him at every word to exclaim: "This has been designed, and you are at the bottom of the plot.I have suspected you--you owe Antoinette a grudge.
Your wounded vanity never has recovered from her refusal, and you are determined to be revenged.Perhaps you flatter yourself that she will end by loving you.She does not love you, and she never will love you.
Who are you, to dare compare yourself with Count Larinski? Be silent!
Do I believe in Samuel Brohl? I do not know Samuel Brohl.I venture my head that there is no such person as Samuel Brohl.""Not much of a venture, mademoiselle," replied M.Moriaz, who had arrived in the meantime.
Antoinette remained during an hour in a state of mute languor; then a violent fever took possession of her.When the physician who had been sent for arrived, M.Langis accompanied him into the chamber of the sick girl.She was delirious: seated upright, she kept continually passing her hand over her brow; she sought to efface the taint of a kiss she had received one moonlight night, and the impression in her hair of the flapping of a bat's wings that had caught in her hood.
These two things were confounded in her memory.From time to time she said: "Where is my portrait? Give me my portrait."It was about ten o'clock when M.Langis called on Samuel Brohl, who was not astonished to see him appear; he had hoped he would come.
Samuel had regained self-possession.He was calm and dignified.
However, the tempest through which he had gone had left on his features some vestige of its passage.His lips quivered, and his beautiful chestnut locks curled like serpents about his temples, and gave his head a Medusa-like appearance.
He said to Camille: "Where and when? Our seconds will undertake the arrangement of the rest.""You mistake, monsieur, the motive of my visit," replied M.Langis."Iam grieved to destroy your illusions, but I did not come to arrange a meeting with you.""Do you refuse to give me satisfaction?"
"What satisfaction do I owe you?"
"You insulted me."
"When?"
"And you said: 'The day, the place, the weapons.I leave all to your choice.' "M.Langis could not refrain from smiling."Ah! you at last acknowledge that your fainting-fit was comedy?" he rejoined.
"Acknowledge on your part," replied Samuel, "that you insult persons when you believe that they are not in a state to hear you.Your courage likes to take the safe side.""Be reasonable," replied Camille."I placed myself at Count Larinski's disposal: you cannot require me to fight with a Samuel Brohl!"Samuel sprang to his feet; with fierce bearing and head erect he advanced to the young man, who awaited him unflinchingly, and whose resolute manner awed him.He cast upon him a sinister look, turned, and reseated himself, bit his lips until the blood came; then said in a placid voice:
"Will you do me the favour of telling me, monsieur, to what I owe the honour of this visit?""I came to demand of you a portrait that Mlle.Moriaz is desirous of having returned.""If I refuse to give it up, you will doubtless appeal to my delicacy?""Do you doubt it?" ironically replied Camille.
