CHAPTER XL.
Parting with his sister at the bottom of the stairs which led up tothe apartments of Rose d'Albret and the priest, Monsieur de Liancourtmounted in haste. It might be that, as he said, he was anxious to havea painful scene over as speedily as possible; it might be that, like acertain stage hero, of the name of Acres, he began to feel his courageoozing out of the tips of his fingers. It were vain to deny that, erehe came to the first landing, his heart beat quick and his breathbegan to fail; but finding the man Martin sitting there in an idleattitude, he found an excuse in that fact to pause for an instant,asking his sister's servant, why he did not go and join the rest inthe hall, and ordering him to do so.
The man obeyed without reply; for, in the first place, he was tired ofhis post; in the next place, he never knew how far any one was trustedby the Marchioness, so that one indiscreet friend might do muchmischief by chattering to another; and, in the third place, he couldnot well refuse or neglect to obey the orders of Monsieur de Liancourtin his own house.
As soon as he was gone, the Count resumed the ascent, and, in a momentor two, reached the door of the ante-room. He gave a gentle knock,and, entering, found Blanchette sitting with a pale cheek, a cloudedcountenance, and some piece of female apparel lying on her knee,apparently scarcely touched.
"Well, Blanchette," he said, as he went into the room, "is yourmistress ready to accompany me?"
"I am sure, Sir," replied the maid, "I do not know. I got all herthings ready, and told her what Madame de Chazeul said; but sheanswered me, as bold as a lion, that she would put on no other thingsthan her ordinary clothes, as the idea of forcing her to a ceremonywith a man she hates, was quite vain and foolish."
"She shall learn that it is not so," answered the Count, in a sharpand angry tone; "whether dressed as becomes a bride, or like awandering vagrant as she returned hither, she shall be wedded thisday, if my name by De Liancourt. Go, tell her I am waiting for her."
The maid went into the inner chamber; and the Count could hear themurmur of voices speaking for some moments; but yet Rose d'Albret didnot appear.
"She mocks me," he said, at length; "she will not even come forth tospeak with me. Then I must seek her," and, advancing to the door ofher chamber, he entered without ceremony.
Rose was seated at the very farthest part of the room, with her handsclasped over her eyes, and the bitter tears rolling down her cheeks.The moment she heard his step, however, she dried them hastily, rosefrom her seat, and, advancing a step or two towards him, cast herselfat his feet, clasping his knees.
He felt his resolution begin to waver; but, making an effort, heexclaimed, "How now! how now! No more of this! You know mydetermination. I announced it to you the day before yesterday, I havesolemnly sworn to keep it; and I insist upon obedience."
"Hear me, hear me, Sir!" cried Rose; "if you have no pity, if you haveno regard for me, hear me for my father's sake, hear me for the memoryof your dead friend, and have some compassion on his child."
"It is no use hearing," answered the Count; "the matter is determined.It is to be done. Rise, and follow me! I command, I insist."
"Not till you have heard me," answered Rose; "that, at least, I mayrequire. Would you, Monsieur de Liancourt, not only break yourcontract with my father, by which my hand was promised to Louis deMontigni--"
"Pshaw! that contract, if it referred to him at all, is at an end byhis death," cried Monsieur de Liancourt; "talk not to me of that anymore."
"But he lives, he lives!" exclaimed Rose, vehemently. "You have beendeceived, indeed you have, by the tale they invented to deceive me;and I have more wrongs, more deceits to tell you of, from which I knowyour noble mind will shrink with horror--schemes which none but thebasest of men could conceive or execute."
"It is all in vain, Rose, it is all in vain," answered the Count."Nothing you can say will make the least difference. I know all thathas taken place; Chazeul's folly, which has compromised yourcharacter, and all the rest. But he is sorry for it, is willing to doall that is right to justify your fame, by wedding you this moment,and--"
"Is willing, you mean to say, Sir," cried Rose, "to profit by hisvillany, to gain the very object he had in view, by the very means heemployed. Why did he come here, but to injure my reputation, with thehope of forcing me to marry him, and inducing you to drive me to sucha course? But I heard it all beforehand and escaped the snare. Helende la Tremblade was sent by good father Walter to tell me of the basetreachery, to warn me of my danger, and show me the means of escapingfrom it."
"She came here because she wants to marry him herself," replied theCount. "Once more I say, Mademoiselle d'Albret, I command you, as yourguardian, to rise and follow me, without farther words, to give yourhand to Monsieur de Chazeul, for whom I have long destined you, and toforget Louis de Montigni, who misled you to quit this house, and hassince paid for some other imprudence with his life."
"He is living! Indeed, indeed, he is living!" cried Rose "Give me butan hour and a patient hearing, and I will show you, Sir, that he isliving, and that it is you who have been deceived, not I."
"Thank God! I am not so easily deceived Mademoiselle d'Albret,"replied the Count. "I cannot grant your request. The contract liesready for signature; every one is waiting for you in the hall; theycannot be disappointed; my word shall not be broken, and I insist thatthis vain, this stupid, resistance cease instantly."
"The contract may lie there, Sir, for ever," replied Rose, rising andseating herself again. "I will never sign it, so help me God! Yourefuse to hear reason and truth; you listen to falsehood and wrong;you may kill me, place me in a convent, do aught with me you like; butmake me the wife of Nicholas de Chazeul, of so base, so bad, socontemptible a being, you never shall, while I have breath."
"Now listen to me, Rose d'Albret," replied the Count, advancingangrily towards her. "I am your guardian; am I not? You are my ward;is it not so? By the power given me by the law, I have promised yourhand to Nicholas de Chazeul--"
"In violation of the contract from which your only power is derived,"replied Rose. "That contract, in which you are named my guardian,promises my hand to De Montigni."
"The girl will drive me mad!" exclaimed Monsieur de Liancourt. "Oncemore I tell you he is dead; and if you refuse yourself to sign themarriage contract, I will sign it for you. Rise, and come with mewithout another word, or you will compel me to force you."
"Never!" answered Rose. "Louis de Montigni is not dead. I have offeredto prove it to you; but you will not even hear in what the proofconsists, although you know that, until he has resigned his claim tothe succession of De Liancourt, not even a doubt can exist that he isthe person specified in the contract."
The Count seemed not shaken--no not in the least--but embarrassed; forhis own doubts of De Montigni's death were strong upon the side ofRose d'Albret; and the certainty that, if his nephew still lived, hewas committing a gross violation of the contract with her father, lefthim but little to say in his own defence. He was not shaken, for hehad before made up his mind to overleap his own doubts upon thatscore, to take advantage of the bare report which had reached him, inorder to justify the course to which he had been led by others, andresolutely to believe that report true, in despite of all that couldbe said to prove it false. The combat of weak people is withthemselves, more than with any external things. They wish to convincethemselves they are acting right, while they know they are actingwrong; and their labours for that object are not light. But Monsieurde Liancourt had no reply ready, no reason to assign for not listeningto the proofs Rose offered, and he paused, for a full minute, inpainful hesitation as to what he should say.
"This is all an artifice to gain time," he answered at length "and Iwill not yield to it. It is ascertained, beyond all doubt, that Louisde Montigni is no more, and has justly paid for insulting a princelike the Duke of Nemours."
"Oh! Sir," cried Rose, in a tone of mingled indignation and grief,"how can you suffer your own nature to be thus changed by the basecounse
ls of others, so to speak of your sister's son? He is not dead!he will yet live to shame those who calumniate him. Were he indeedlaid in the tomb, I still say, nothing should ever lead me to marryNicholas de Chazeul; but, as long as Louis de Montigni lives, I shallregard him as my husband. Show me that he is indeed, gone; and I amwilling to resign everything that this man really covets--my wealth,my lands--and to retire to a life of seclusion and prayer; but I amnot willing, and never shall I be willing, to wed one whom I so muchdespise and abhor."
"You will have no choice," replied the Count. "You shall be his wifethis day ere noon. These are all evasions and affectations.--I knowright well which way your mind inclines. You would save your credit,Rose, appear reluctant, and only yield to force; but force shall notbe wanting, and perhaps more than you expect or like.--Yes, you mayweep!--We are prepared for such things; but you had better dry youreyes; and, as you must appear before a large assembly of witnesses,look your best."
"Sir, you are ungenerous and unkind," replied Rose d'Albret; "but Iknow whence your impulses are derived; and shame upon them who fill anoble mind with such base suspicions. Use what force you like; thepower has not yet appeared on earth that shall make my hand or mytongue so belie my heart, as to promise aught like love, attachment,or obedience, towards Nicholas de Chazeul."
"Oh, is it so?" exclaimed the Count. "This is carrying the matter toofar, Mademoiselle d'Albret. Will you, or will you not accompany me, inobedience to my commands, quietly and decently?"
Rose was silent; her mind agitated with many conflicting thoughts. Shefeared to yield the least point, lest it should be accepted as apromise of farther compliance; and yet she naturally shrunk, with alla woman's timidity, from driving those who oppressed her to haverecourse to violence.--She dreaded the moment when it was to begin;she would fain have procrastinated: every minute seemed somethinggained ere the actual struggle commenced.
She was silent; but, after waiting a few moments, the Count seized herby the wrist, exclaiming, "Come, I insist.--Not one moment more!"
"Well, Sir, well," cried Rose d'Albret, trying to withdraw her hand,"I will go with you to the hall: but remember, it is but to refusemost resolutely to do that which would be equally against my duty andmy heart."
"Duty!" cried the Count with a scoff, unloosing her arm. "Talk not ofduty, after all that you have done! As to the course you intend topursue, be it what it may, mine is determined. We shall see what isyour conduct, and I will answer for it, I will match it.--Go on,Mademoiselle. You know your way to the hall, I think."
With a slow step and trembling limbs, Rose d'Albret proceeded throughthe ante-room, and down the stairs. She felt at every moment as if sheshould faint, but yet, remembering that if such a weakness overcameher, they might take advantage of her insensibility, to proceedrapidly in whatever course they thought fit, she nerved her heart tothe best of her power, and paused for a moment before entering thehall, to make one more appeal to the Count de Liancourt.
But he would not hear her speak, and throwing open the door violently,he waved her to go in.
All seemed confusion, and dim indistinctness to her sight. There was acrowd of faces, some of which appeared strange, and some familiar; butthey were almost all those of men. There was wine, and meat, andlaughter, and flowers, and everything the most dissonant to all thefeelings of her heart; while, through the whole mass of misty imageswas seen, in terrible prominence, like some colossal statue in aneastern temple, the tall rigid form, and stern sarcastic features ofMadame de Chazeul.
She was leaning upon a table just opposite the door; her complexion,where not besmeared with rouge, was unusually pale; there was anexpression of weariness, and even of pain in her face. But when Roseappeared, that harsh countenance lighted up with a look of scornfultriumph; and the poor girl's eyes grew dim, her head turned giddy withthe thought of all she was to encounter in that hall.