Le collier de la reine. English
Page 64
CHAPTER LXII.
THE LOOK OUT.
Oliva went to bed, and slept better. She admired the count, whom she didnot in the least understand. She could no longer think him timid; shedid not suspect that he was only cold and insensible. She felt pleasedat the perfect safety in which he assured her she was; and in themorning she examined her new rooms, and found them nobly and luxuriouslyfurnished, and enjoyed immensely her privilege of going out into thebalcony, filled with flowers, and where she got sunshine and fresh air,although she drew back whenever she saw any one approaching, or heard acarriage coming. There were not many, however, in the Rue St. Claude.She could see the chateau of Menilmontant, the great trees in thecemetery, myriads of houses of all colors; and she could see the fieldsbeyond, full of children at play, and the peasants trotting along theroads on their donkeys. All this charmed Oliva, who had always a heartof love for the country, since she had left Taverney Maison-Rouge. Atlast, getting tired of this distant view, she began to examine thehouses opposite to her. In some, she saw birds in cages; and in one,hung with yellow silk curtains, and ornamented with flowers, she thoughtshe could distinguish a figure moving about. She called herfemme-de-chambre to make inquiries about them; but the woman could onlyshow her mistress all the churches, and tell her the names of thestreets; she knew nothing of the neighbors. Oliva therefore sent heraway again, and determined to watch for herself.
She saw some open their doors, and come out for a walk, and othersvariously occupied. At last she saw the figure of a woman seat herselfin an armchair, in the room with the yellow curtains, and abandon herhead for an hour and a half to a hair-dresser, while he built up one ofthose immense edifices worn at that time, in which minerals, vegetables,and even animals, were introduced. At last, it was complete: Olivathought she looked pretty, and admired her little foot, encased in arose-colored slipper, which rested on another chair. She began toconstruct all sorts of romances about this lady, and made variousmovements to attract her attention, but she never turned her eyes thatway, as that room had never before been occupied, and she began todespair. The lady was, of course, Jeanne de Valois, who was deeplyabsorbed in devising some scheme for preventing the queen and thecardinal from meeting. At last, Oliva, turning suddenly round, knockedover a flower-pot which fell from the balcony with a crash: at the soundthe lady turned and saw her, and clasping her hands she called out,"The Queen;" but looking again, she murmured, "Oh! I sought for a meansto gain my end, and I have found one." Then, hearing a sound behind her,Oliva turned and saw Cagliostro, and came in directly.