Le Juif errant. English

by Eugène Sue

  CHAPTER XLI. TREACHERY.

  The Princess de Saint-Dizier, accompanied by D'Aigrigny, and followedby the servants, stopped short in the next room to that in which hadremained Adrienne, Tripeaud and the doctor.

  "Where is the commissary?" asked the princess of the servant, who hadjust before announced to her the arrival of that magistrate.

  "In the blue saloon, madame."

  "My compliments, and beg him to wait for me a few moments."

  The man bowed and withdrew. As soon as he was gone Madame de SaintDizier approached hastily M. d'Aigrigny, whose countenance, usually firmand haughty, was now pale and agitated.

  "You see," cried the princess in a hurried voice, "Adrienne knows all.What shall we do?--what?"

  "I cannot tell," said the abbe, with a fixed and absent look. "Thisdisclosure is a terrible blow to us."

  "Is all, then, lost?"

  "There is only one means of safety," said M. d'Aigrigny;--"the doctor."

  "But how?" cried the princess. "So, sudden? this very day?"

  "Two hours hence, it will be too late; ere then, this infernal girl willhave seen Marshal Simon's daughters."

  "But--Frederick!--it is impossible! M. Baleinier will never consent. Iought to have been prepared before hand as we intended, after to-day'sexamination."

  "No matter," replied the abbe, quickly; "the doctor must try at anyhazard."

  "But under what pretext?"

  "I will try and find one."

  "Suppose you were to find a pretext, Frederick, and we could actimmediately--nothing would be ready down there."

  "Be satisfied: they are always ready there, by habitual foresight."

  "How instruct the doctor on the instant?" resumed the princess.

  "To send for him would be to rouse the suspicions of your niece," saidM. d'Aigrigny, thoughtfully; "and we must avoid that before everything."

  "Of course," answered the princess; "her confidence in the doctor is oneof our greatest resources."

  "There is a way," said the abbe quickly; "I will write a few words inhaste to Baleinier: one of your people can take the note to him, as ifit came from without--from a patient dangerously ill."

  "An excellent idea!" cried the princess. "You are right. Here--upon thistable--there is everything necessary for writing. Quick! quick--But willthe doctor succeed?"

  "In truth, I scarcely dare to hope it," said the marquis, sitting downat the table with repressed rage. "Thanks to this examination, goingbeyond our hopes, which our man, hidden behind the curtain, hasfaithfully taken down in shorthand--thanks to the violent scenes, whichwould necessarily have occurred to-morrow and the day after--the doctor,by fencing himself round with all sorts of clever precautions, wouldhave been able to act with the most complete certainty. But to ask thisof him to-day, on the instant!--Herminia--it is folly to think of!"--Themarquis threw down the pen which he held in his hand; then he added,in a tone of bitter and profound irritation: "At the very moment ofsuccess--to see all our hopes destroyed!--Oh, the consequences of allthis are incalculable. Your niece will be the cause of the greatestmischief--oh! the greatest injury to us."

  It is impossible to describe the expression of deep rage and implacablehatred with which D'Aigrigny uttered these last words.

  "Frederick," cried the princess with anxiety, as she clasped her handsstrongly around the abbe's, "I conjure you, do not despair!--The doctoris fertile in resources, and he is so devoted to us. Let us at least,make the attempt."

  "Well--it is at least a chance," said the abbe, taking up the pen again.

  "Should it come to the worst." said the princess, "and Adrienne go thisevening to fetch General Simon's daughters, she may perhaps no longerfind them.

  "We cannot hope for that. It is impossible that Rodin's orders shouldhave been so quickly executed. We should have been informed of it."

  "It is true. Write then to the doctor; I will send you Dubois, to carryyour letter. Courage, Frederick! we shall yet be too much for thatungovernable girl." Madame de Saint-Dizier added, with concentratedrage: "Oh, Adrienne! Adrienne! you shall pay dearly for your insolentsarcasms, and the anxiety you have caused us."

  As she went out, the princess turned towards M. d'Aigrigny, and said tohim: "Wait for me here. I will tell you the meaning of this visit of thepolice, and we will go in together."

  The princess disappeared. D'Aigrigny dashed off a few words, with atrembling hand.