第42章

Eugenie gave no thought to these rarities, nor to her father's mania for them, nor to the danger she incurred in depriving herself of a treasure so dear to him; no, she thought only of her cousin, and soon made out, after a few mistakes of calculation, that she possessed about five thousand eight hundred francs in actual value, which might be sold for their additional value to collectors for nearly six thousand. She looked at her wealth and clapped her hands like a happy child forced to spend its overflowing joy in artless movements of the body. Father and daughter had each counted up their fortune this night,--he, to sell his gold; Eugenie to fling hers into the ocean of affection. She put the pieces back into the old purse, took it in her hand, and ran upstairs without hesitation. The secret misery of her cousin made her forget the hour and conventional propriety; she was strong in her conscience, in her devotion, in her happiness.

As she stood upon the threshold of the door, holding the candle in one hand and the purse in the other, Charles woke, caught sight of her, and remained speechless with surprise. Eugenie came forward, put the candle on the table, and said in a quivering voice:

"My cousin, I must beg pardon for a wrong I have done you; but God will pardon me--if you--will help me to wipe it out.""What is it?" asked Charles, rubbing his eyes.

"I have read those letters."

Charles colored.

"How did it happen?" she continued; "how came I here? Truly, I do not know. I am tempted not to regret too much that I have read them; they have made me know your heart, your soul, and--""And what?" asked Charles.

"Your plans, your need of a sum--"

"My dear cousin--"

"Hush, hush! my cousin, not so loud; we must not wake others. See,"she said, opening her purse, "here are the savings of a poor girl who wants nothing. Charles, accept them! This morning I was ignorant of the value of money; you have taught it to me. It is but a means, after all. A cousin is almost a brother; you can surely borrow the purse of your sister."Eugenie, as much a woman as a young girl, never dreamed of refusal;but her cousin remained silent.

"Oh! you will not refuse?" cried Eugenie, the beatings of whose heart could be heard in the deep silence.

Her cousin's hesitation mortified her; but the sore need of his position came clearer still to her mind, and she knelt down.

"I will never rise till you have taken that gold!" she said. "My cousin, I implore you, answer me! let me know if you respect me, if you are generous, if--"As he heard this cry of noble distress the young man's tears fell upon his cousin's hands, which he had caught in his own to keep her from kneeling. As the warm tears touched her, Eugenie sprang to the purse and poured its contents upon the table.

"Ah! yes, yes, you consent?" she said, weeping with joy. "Fear nothing, my cousin, you will be rich. This gold will bring you happiness; some day you shall bring it back to me,--are we not partners? I will obey all conditions. But you should not attach such value to the gift."Charles was at last able to express his feelings.

"Yes, Eugenie; my soul would be small indeed if I did not accept. And yet,--gift for gift, confidence for confidence.""What do you mean?" she said, frightened.

"Listen, dear cousin; I have here--" He interrupted himself to point out a square box covered with an outer case of leather which was on the drawers. "There," he continued, "is something as precious to me as life itself. This box was a present from my mother. All day I have been thinking that if she could rise from her grave, she would herself sell the gold which her love for me lavished on this dressing-case;but were I to do so, the act would seem to me a sacrilege." Eugenie pressed his hand as she heard these last words. "No," he added, after a slight pause, during which a liquid glance of tenderness passed between them, "no, I will neither sell it nor risk its safety on my journey. Dear Eugenie, you shall be its guardian. Never did friend commit anything more sacred to another. Let me show it to you."He went to the box, took it from its outer coverings, opened it, and showed his delighted cousin a dressing-case where the rich workmanship gave to the gold ornaments a value far above their weight.

"What you admire there is nothing," he said, pushing a secret spring which opened a hidden drawer. "Here is something which to me is worth the whole world." He drew out two portraits, masterpieces of Madame Mirbel, richly set with pearls.

"Oh, how beautiful! Is it the lady to whom you wrote that--""No," he said, smiling; "this is my mother, and here is my father, your aunt and uncle. Eugenie, I beg you on my knees, keep my treasure safely. If I die and your little fortune is lost, this gold and these pearls will repay you. To you alone could I leave these portraits; you are worthy to keep them. But destroy them at last, so that they may pass into no other hands." Eugenie was silent. "Ah, yes, say yes! You consent?" he added with winning grace.

Hearing the very words she had just used to her cousin now addressed to herself, she turned upon him a look of love, her first look of loving womanhood,--a glance in which there is nearly as much of coquetry as of inmost depth. He took her hand and kissed it.

"Angel of purity! between us two money is nothing, never can be anything. Feeling, sentiment, must be all henceforth.""You are like your mother,--was her voice as soft as yours?""Oh! much softer--"

"Yes, for you," she said, dropping her eyelids. "Come, Charles, go to bed; I wish it; you must be tired. Good-night." She gently disengaged her hand from those of her cousin, who followed her to her room, lighting the way. When they were both upon the threshold,--"Ah!" he said, "why am I ruined?"

"What matter?--my father is rich; I think so," she answered.