CHAPTER V.
A BAD START.
Diana de Laurebourg was a strange compound; under an appearance of themost artless simplicity she concealed an iron will, and had hidden fromevery one of her family, and even from her most intimate friends, herfirm resolve to become the Duchess of Champdoce. All her rambles in theneighborhood had turned out of no avail; and as the weather was now veryuncertain, it seemed as if her long strolls in the country roads andfields would soon come to an end. "The day must eventually come,"murmured she, "when this invisible prince must make his appearance." Andat last the long-expected day arrived.
It was in the middle of the month of November, and the weather wasexceedingly soft and balmy for the time of year. The sky was blue,the few remaining leaves rustled on the trees, and an occasional birdwhistled in the hedgerows. Diana de Laurebourg was walking slowly alongthe path leading to Mussidan, when all at once she heard a rustling ofbranches. She turned round sharply, and all the blood in her body seemedto rush suddenly to her heart, for through an opening in the hedge shecaught sight of the man who for the past two months had occupied allher waking thoughts. Norbert was waiting for something with all theeagerness of a sportsman, his finger on the trigger of his gun.
Here was the opportunity for which she had waited so long, and with suchill-concealed impatience; and yet she could derive no advantage from it,for what would happen? Simply this: Norbert would bow to her, and shewould reply with a slight inclination of her head, and perhaps twomonths might pass away before she met him again. Just as she was aboutto take some bold and decisive step she saw Norbert raise his gun andpoint it in her direction. She endeavored to call out to him, but hervoice failed her, and in another moment the report rang out, and shefelt a sharp pang, like the touch of a red-hot iron upon her ankle. Witha wild shriek she threw up her arms and fell upon the pathway. She didnot lose her senses, for she heard a cry in response to her own, and thecrashing of something forcing its way through the hedge. Then she felta hot breath upon her face, and then something cold and wet touched hercheek. She opened her eyes languidly, and saw Bruno licking her face andhands.
At the same moment Norbert dashed through the hedge and stood beforeher. At once she realized the advantage of her position and closed hereyes once more. Norbert, as he hung over the seemingly unconscious formof this fair young creature, felt that his senses were deserting him,for he greatly feared that he had killed Mademoiselle de Laurebourg. Hisfirst impulse was to fly precipitately, and his second to give whataid he could to his victim. He knelt down by her, and, to his infiniterelief, found that life was not extinct. He raised her beautiful head.
"Speak to me, mademoiselle, I entreat you," cried he.
All this time Diana was returning thanks to kind Providence for thefulfillment of her wishes. After a time she made a slight move, andNorbert uttered an exclamation of joy. Then, opening her beautiful eyes,she gazed upon the young man with the air of a person just awaking froma dream.
"It is I," faltered the distracted young man. "Norbert de Champdoce. Butforgive me, and tell me if you are in pain?"
Pity came over the wounded girl. She gently drew herself away from thearm that encircled her, and said softly,--
"It is I who ought to apologize for my foolish weakness; for I am reallymore frightened than hurt."
Norbert felt that heaven had opened before his very eyes. "Let me go forhelp," exclaimed he.
"No, no; it was a mere scratch." And, raising her skirt, she displayed afoot that might have turned a steadier head than Norbert's. "See," saidshe, "it is there that I am in pain."
And she pointed to a spot of blood upon the delicate white stocking. Atthe sight of this the young man's terror increased, and he started tohis feet.
"Let me run to the Chateau," said he, "and in less than an hour--"
"Do nothing of the kind," interrupted the girl; "it is a mere nothing.Look, I can move my foot with ease."
"But let me entreat you--"
"Hush! we shall soon see what it is that has happened." And sheinspected what she laughingly termed his terrible wound.
It was, as she had supposed, a mere nothing. One pellet had grazed theskin, another had lodged in the flesh, but it was quite on the surface.
"A surgeon must see to this," said Norbert.
"No, no." And with the point of a penknife she pulled out the littleleaden shot. The young man remained still, holding his breath, as achild does when he is putting the topmost story on a house of cards. Hehad never heard so soft a voice, never gazed on so perfectly lovely aface. In the meantime Diana had torn up her handkerchief and bandagedthe wound. "Now that is over," exclaimed she, with a light laugh, as sheextended her slender fingers to Norbert, so that he might assist her torise.
As soon as she was on her feet, she took a few steps with the prettiestlimp imaginable.
"Are you in pain?" said he anxiously.
"No, I am not indeed; and by this evening I shall have forgotten allabout it. But confess, Marquis," she added, with a coquettish laugh,"that this is a droll way of making an acquaintance."
Norbert started at the word Marquis, for no one but Daumon had everaddressed him thus.
"She does not despise me," thought he.
"This little incident will be a lesson to me," continued she. "Mammaalways has told me to keep to the highroad; but I preferred the by-pathsbecause of the lovely scenery."
Norbert, for the first time in his life, realized that the view was abeautiful one.
"I am this way nearly every day," pursued Diana, "though I am verywicked to disobey my mother. I go to see poor La Berven. She is dying ofconsumption, poor thing, and I take her a little soup and wine every nowand then."
She spoke like a real Sister of Mercy, and, in Norbert's opinion, wingsonly were lacking to transform her into a perfect angel.
"The poor woman has three children, and their father does nothing forthem, for he drinks what he earns," the young girl went on.
Berven was one of the identical men to whom Norbert had given hispromissory note for four thousand francs, for he was one of the twomen who had intrusted Daumon with their savings for investment; butthe young man was not in a condition to notice this. Diana had meantimeslung her basket on her arm.
"Before I leave you to-day," said she, "I should so much like to ask afavor of you."
"A favor of me, mademoiselle?"
"Yes; oblige me by saying nothing of what has occurred to-day to anyone; for should it come to my parents' ears, they would undoubtedlydeprive me of the little liberty that they now grant me."
"Mademoiselle," answered Norbert, "be sure that I will never mention theterrible accident that my awkwardness has caused."
"Thank you, Marquis," answered the girl, with a half-mocking courtesy."Another time let me advise you, before you shoot, to look that no oneis behind a hedge."
With these words she tripped away, without her tiny feet showing anysigns of lameness. She had read Norbert's heart like the pages of abook, and felt that there was every chance of her winning the game. "Iam sure of it now," said she; "I shall be the Duchess of Champdoce." Howgrateful she felt for that untimely shot! And she felt sure that Norberthad understood what she meant when she had said that she went along thatpath. She felt certain that the young man had not lost one word. Shebelieved that the only opposition would come from his father. As shelooked round for a moment, she saw Norbert standing fixed and motionlessas the trees around him.
After Diana had departed, the unhappy lad felt as if she had takenhalf his life with her. Was it all a dream? He knelt down, and, aftera slight search, discovered the little pellet, the cause of all themischief; and, taking it up carefully, returned home. To his extremesurprise, he found the main gateway wide open, and from a window heheard his father's voice calling out in kindly accents,--
"Come up quickly, my boy, for our guest has arrived."