"Doyou consider it wise for you--of all men--to interfere with my liberty?Remember the affair of the Boulevard Haussmann!"
The speech had its desired effect. The artist shrank from her.
"At the same time," exclaimed Gabrielle, addressing her, "remember thereare other sentences in the Penal Code besides imprisonment."
"I don't understand you," answered Valerie, giving her shoulders a shrugindicative of unconcern.
"There is death for those who take the lives of their fellow-creatures."
The adventuress shuddered. Then resuming her air of indifference,said--
"You are talking enigmas."
"You wish me to speak more plainly. Very well. Perhaps you haveforgotten that night we met at my rooms in the Boulevard St. Michel,when, after your taunts and threats, I prophesied that a day would comewhen I would hold your life in my hands, and compel you to beg formercy. That day has dawned."
"I'll not stay here to be insulted in my own house," cried Valeriefiercely.
"We shall compel you," remarked her husband abruptly.
"This is some infamous plot against me," she said, boldly facing him."You are unworthy the name of husband if you do not protect me from thispair of criminals."
"We've had enough of heroic talk," interrupted Gabrielle impatiently."It will be as well to get to the business of our visit at once."
"If your business is only to insult me, I'll ring for the servants andhave you turned out."
"In that case we should embrace the opportunity of relating to yourguests a story which would no doubt interest them," answered Gabriellecalmly.
"Bah! you are cowards," she said, with face blanched by rage. "Three ofyou against one defenceless woman!"
"Ah; do not malign us," urged the other, in a tone of banter. "I knowthat the sight of your husband is somewhat embarrassing, especially whenyou and your adored Pierre very ingeniously proved his demise." With asmile she added: "I should feel a trifle disconcerted myself under suchdistressing circumstances. Indeed, it is a most awkward _contretemps_,is it not?"
"_Sacre_! keep your sympathies to yourself," screamed Valerie, with asudden outburst of terrible passion.
Then, panting with excitement, she stood supporting herself by a chair,and facing her traducers. She saw plainly that the result of theconflict must be either complete annihilation, or a triumphantvindication of the character which Hugh had hitherto consideredimmaculate.
Drawing a deep breath, she braced herself up for the ordeal, and stoodready to hurl back the accusation into the teeth of her enemies.
CHAPTER THIRTY FOUR.
DREGS OF LIFE.
"If you two men would understand how you both have been ensnared andbetrayed, listen to the facts I will relate," said Gabrielle, leaning onthe table before her.
"Lies," observed Valerie, as if speaking to herself.
"A few years ago in Paris," continued Mademoiselle Debriege, turning toher companions, "there lived, as you know, three artists, named Holt,Glanville, and Egerton. At that time I, too, lived in the QuartierLatin and became acquainted with them by meeting them frequently at theChat Noir, whither I sometimes went in company with the man who hadpromised me marriage. The latter, however, forsook me--bah! it was theusual story--a woman's foolish trust in a man who cast her off like afrayed glove. You understand?"
She paused, and the colour mounted to her cheeks.
"Ruin came," she went on; "my father, a small tradesman, turned me fromhis door, and I found myself wandering friendless, forsaken, andhomeless in the great city. Eventually I obtained an engagement as a_figurante_ at the Opera, and while there I first met the woman beforeyou, Valerie Duvauchel. Although a gay coquette, she confided in me thefact that she was living under the protection of Victor Berard, aconvicted thief. I was poor, earning scarcely enough to keep body andsoul together, when she asked me to assist her and her lover in theirvarious schemes of robbery. This temptation proved too great, for I wasto receive a fair share of the plunder. The first occasion on which Iparticipated in the crusade against riches was at a burglary at Auteuil.We were successful, and I received a thousand francs for my services.During the nine months I was connected with them I assisted at a numberof robberies of jewellery and plate, sometimes as a decoy, at otherspilfering myself."
"I never knew you allied yourself in that manner with them," remarkedthe artist in surprise, "although I often thought the dresses you worecost you more than you obtained at the Opera."
"In order to carry out our plans, I was compelled to dress well," shereplied. "But that has little to do with the events that followed.While assisting Berard, I frequently spent days about the _ateliers_,and Glanville, the student of the Quai Montabello, and I becameenamoured of one another. He had more money at his command than theaverage denizen of the Ile de la Cite, therefore I was not averse toaccompanying him to cafes, balls, and theatres, especially as I hadgiven up my engagement of the Opera, and was dependent entirely upon theproceeds of Victor's depredations. After a few months at this life Idiscovered, by mere accident, that my English lover was not so devotedas I believed, and--that he knew Valerie. The affection between thiswoman and Egerton was a matter of comment among the students living onthe Quai, but no one suspected that she favoured Glanville, whomeverybody believed idolised me."
"I didn't encourage him. I couldn't help your lover admiring me, couldI?" protested Valerie scornfully.
"My awakening was a cruel one," Gabrielle continued, speaking slowly anddistinctly. "I taxed him with faithlessness, but he denied it soearnestly that at length I became convinced of his firm affection for mealone. A few days later a calamity befell us. I had stored in my roomsa quantity of stolen property previous to disposing of it. One evening,while I was out, Glanville called, and, entering with his key, sat downto await me. Hardly a quarter of an hour elapsed before two detectivesand half a dozen policemen entered the place, armed with a warrant.They searched and quickly found several valuable articles, descriptionsof which had been circulated. Then they arrested and charged him withperpetrating the robberies."
"Were you arrested also?" asked Hugh, greatly interested in thenarrative.
"No; fortunately Victor got wind of the affair, and warned me not toreturn. I was present, however, at the trial. The police hadunfortunately discovered that the property was the proceeds of severalextensive burglaries, and the court sentenced him to ten years'transportation. The first few months he spent in performing hard labourat Brest, and at the end of that period I received a letter from him.It was long and earnest, reminding me of how he was suffering for mysake, and declaring his passionate love. To this I replied, and, afterthe lapse of a few weeks I received another, urging me to marry him. Hesaid that he was sailing for New Caledonia that day, therefore if Iconsented I should be compelled to follow him out there. To meet thiscontingency he gave me the address of a bank, where I was to call andobtain money for my journey; and, further, he stated that in the eventof my consenting to become his wife, he had given orders that threethousand francs were to be paid annually to me until his liberation.Naturally, such a proposal caused me grave doubts, especially as I haddiscovered a few days previous to his arrest a fresh and most strikingproof of his love for this vile woman who stands now before you."
"Did you marry him after all?" inquired the artist impatiently, for hehad been in ignorance of all this.
"Yes, Valerie and Victor, having suspicions that the police had scentedthem, fled from Paris: consequently I was without means. Although I wasfond of Glanville, and admired his courage in shielding me, yet I didnot love him so well as another man I had lately met. However, findingmyself almost destitute, I drew the money from the bank, and sailed for`La Nouvelle' where, after a few weeks' residence, the Governor gave uspermission to marry. The ceremony was duly performed, and I have herethe lines which prove it," she added, exhibiting a small strip of paperwhich she had taken from her pocket.
"Your honey noon was scarcely pleasant, I should
think," observed Hughsympathetically.
"Its brevity did not allow either of us to become bored," she said. "Iparted from him at the chapel door, and I have not seen him since."
"Not seen him!" repeated Egerton. "Why, has he not yet obtained hisfreedom?"
"Yes; he escaped before he had been there two years. However, we nevermet."
"But why did you marry him?" the artist asked. "A convict was hardly adesirable husband."
"Ah! you wonder. Well, there were several reasons," she said."Firstly, I was afraid lest he should expose me with regard to a certainincident which occurred at Passy, in which Berard