"Citizen," she said to him, "you are no doubt too well bred to dog my steps.The Republic, when it sent my parents to the scaffold, did not magnanimously provide me with a guardian.Though you have, from extreme and chivalric gallantry accompanied me against my will to this place" (she sighed), "I am quite resolved not to allow your protecting care to become a burden to you.I am safe now, and you can leave me."She gave him a fixed and contemptuous look.Corentin understood her;he repressed the smile which almost curled the corners of his wily lips as he bowed to her respectfully.
"Citoyenne," he said, "it is always an honor to obey you.Beauty is the only queen a Republican can serve."Mademoiselle de Verneuil's eyes, as she watched him depart, shone with such natural pleasure, she looked at Francine with a smile of intelligence which betrayed so much real satisfaction, that Madame du Gua, who grew prudent as she grew jealous, felt disposed to relinquish the suspicions which Mademoiselle de Verneuil's great beauty had forced into her mind.
"It may be Mademoiselle de Verneuil, after all," she whispered to her son.
"But that escort?" answered the young man, whose vexation at the young lady's indifference allowed him to be cautious."Is she a prisoner or an emissary, a friend or an enemy of the government?"Madame du Gua made a sign as if to say that she would soon clear up the mystery.
However, the departure of Corentin seemed to lessen the young man's distrust, and he began to cast on Mademoiselle de Verneuil certain looks which betrayed an immoderate admiration for women, rather than the respectful warmth of a dawning passion.The young girl grew more and more reserved, and gave all her attentions to Madame du Gua.The youth, angry with himself, tried, in his vexation, to turn the tables and seem indifferent.Mademoiselle de Verneuil appeared not to notice this manoeuvre; she continued to be simple without shyness and reserved without prudery.
This chance meeting of personages who, apparently, were not destined to become intimate, awakened no agreeable sympathy on either side.
There was even a sort of vulgar embarrassment, an awkwardness which destroyed all the pleasure which Mademoiselle de Verneuil and the young sailor had begun by expecting.But women have such wonderful conventional tact, they are so intimately allied with each other, or they have such keen desires for emotion, that they always know how to break the ice on such occasions.Suddenly, as if the two beauties had the same thought, they began to tease their solitary knight in a playful way, and were soon vying with each other in the jesting attention which they paid to him; this unanimity of action left them free.At the end of half an hour, the two women, already secret enemies, were apparently the best of friends.The young man then discovered that he felt as angry with Mademoiselle de Verneuil for her friendliness and freedom as he had been with her reserve.In fact, he was so annoyed by it that he regretted, with a sort of dumb anger, having allowed her to breakfast with them.
"Madame," said Mademoiselle de Verneuil, "is your son always as gloomy as he is at this moment?""Mademoiselle," he replied, "I ask myself what is the good of a fleeting happiness.The secret of my gloom is the evanescence of my pleasure.""That is a madrigal," she said, laughing, "which rings of the Court rather than the Polytechnique.""My son only expressed a very natural thought, mademoiselle," said Madame du Gua, who had her own reasons for placating the stranger.
"Then laugh while you may," said Mademoiselle de Verneuil, smiling at the young man."How do you look when you have really something to weep for, if what you are pleased to call a happiness makes you so dismal?"This smile, accompanied by a provoking glance which destroyed the consistency of her reserve, revived the youth's feelings.But inspired by her nature, which often impels a woman to do either too much or too little under such circumstances, Mademoiselle de Verneuil, having covered the young man with that brilliant look full of love's promises, immediately withdrew from his answering expression into a cold and severe modesty,--a conventional performance by which a woman sometimes hides a true emotion.In a moment, a single moment, when each expected to see the eyelids of the other lowered, they had communicated to one another their real thoughts; but they veiled their glances as quickly as they had mingled them in that one flash which convulsed their hearts and enlightened them.Confused at having said so many things in a single glance, they dared no longer look at each other.Mademoiselle de Verneuil withdrew into cold politeness, and seemed to be impatient for the conclusion of the meal.
"Mademoiselle, you must have suffered very much in prison?" said Madame du Gua.
"Alas, madame, I sometimes think that I am still there.""Is your escort sent to protect you, mademoiselle, or to watch you?
Are you still suspected by the Republic?"Mademoiselle felt instinctively that Madame du Gua had no real interest in her, and the question alarmed her.
"Madame," she replied, "I really do not know myself the exact nature of my relations to the Republic.""Perhaps it fears you?" said the young man, rather satirically.
"We must respect her secrets," interposed Madame du Gua.
