第68章

Eugenie came slowly back from the garden to the house, and avoided passing, as was her custom, through the corridor. But the memory of her cousin was in the gray old hall and on the chimney-piece, where stood a certain saucer and the old Sevres sugar-bowl which she used every morning at her breakfast.

This day was destined to be solemn throughout and full of events.

Nanon announced the cure of the parish church. He was related to the Cruchots, and therefore in the interests of Monsieur de Bonfons. For some time past the old abbe had urged him to speak to Mademoiselle Grandet, from a purely religious point of view, about the duty of marriage for a woman in her position. When she saw her pastor, Eugenie supposed he had come for the thousand francs which she gave monthly to the poor, and she told Nanon to go and fetch them; but the cure only smiled.

"To-day, mademoiselle," he said, "I have come to speak to you about a poor girl in whom the whole town of Saumur takes an interest, who, through lack of charity to herself, neglects her Christian duties.""Monsieur le cure, you have come to me at a moment when I cannot think of my neighbor, I am filled with thoughts of myself. I am very unhappy; my only refuge is in the Church; her bosom is large enough to hold all human woe, her love so full that we may draw from its depths and never drain it dry.""Mademoiselle, in speaking of this young girl we shall speak of you.

Listen! If you wish to insure your salvation you have only two paths to take,--either leave the world or obey its laws. Obey either your earthly destiny or your heavenly destiny.""Ah! your voice speaks to me when I need to hear a voice. Yes, God has sent you to me; I will bid farewell to the world and live for God alone, in silence and seclusion.""My daughter, you must think long before you take so violent a step.

Marriage is life, the veil is death."

"Yes, death,--a quick death!" she said, with dreadful eagerness.

"Death? but you have great obligations to fulfil to society, mademoiselle. Are you not the mother of the poor, to whom you give clothes and wood in winter and work in summer? Your great fortune is a loan which you must return, and you have sacredly accepted it as such.

To bury yourself in a convent would be selfishness; to remain an old maid is to fail in duty. In the first place, can you manage your vast property alone? May you not lose it? You will have law-suits, you will find yourself surrounded by inextricable difficulties. Believe your pastor: a husband is useful; you are bound to preserve what God has bestowed upon you. I speak to you as a precious lamb of my flock. You love God too truly not to find your salvation in the midst of his world, of which you are noble ornament and to which you owe your example."At this moment Madame des Grassins was announced. She came incited by vengeance and the sense of a great despair.

"Mademoiselle," she said--"Ah! here is monsieur le cure; I am silent.

I came to speak to you on business; but I see that you are conferring with--""Madame," said the cure, "I leave the field to you.""Oh! monsieur le cure," said Eugenie, "come back later; your support is very necessary to me just now.""Ah, yes, indeed, my poor child!" said Madame des Grassins.

"What do you mean?" asked Eugenie and the cure together.

"Don't I know about your cousin's return, and his marriage with Mademoiselle d'Aubrion? A woman doesn't carry her wits in her pocket."Eugenie blushed, and remained silent for a moment. From this day forth she assumed the impassible countenance for which her father had been so remarkable.

"Well, madame," she presently said, ironically, "no doubt I carry my wits in my pocket, for I do not understand you. Speak, say what you mean, before monsieur le cure; you know he is my director.""Well, then, mademoiselle, here is what des Grassins writes me. Read it."Eugenie read the following letter:--My dear Wife,--Charles Grandet has returned from the Indies and has been in Paris about a month--"A month!" thought Eugenie, her hand falling to her side. After a pause she resumed the letter,--I had to dance attendance before I was allowed to see the future Vicomte d'Aubrion. Though all Paris is talking of his marriage and the banns are published--"He wrote to me after that!" thought Eugenie. She did not conclude the thought; she did not cry out, as a Parisian woman would have done, "The villain!" but though she said it not, contempt was none the less present in her mind.

The marriage, however, will not come off. The Marquis d'Aubrion will never give his daughter to the son of a bankrupt. I went to tell Grandet of the steps his uncle and I took in his father's business, and the clever manoeuvres by which we had managed to keep the creditor's quiet until the present time. The insolent fellow had the face to say to me--to me, who for five years have devoted myself night and day to his interests and his honor!--that /his father's affairs were not his/! A solicitor would have had the right to demand fees amounting to thirty or forty thousand francs, one per cent on the total of the debts. But patience! there are twelve hundred thousand francs legitimately owing to the creditors, and I shall at once declare his father a bankrupt.

I went into this business on the word of that old crocodile Grandet, and I have made promises in the name of his family. If Monsieur de vicomte d'Aubrion does not care for his honor, I care for mine. I shall explain my position to the creditors. Still, Ihave too much respect for Mademoiselle Eugenie (to whom under happier circumstances we once hoped to be allied) to act in this matter before you have spoken to her about it--There Eugenie paused, and coldly returned the letter without finishing it.

"I thank you," she said to Madame des Grassins.

"Ah! you have the voice and manner of your deceased father," Madame des Grassins replied.

"Madame, you have eight thousand francs to pay us," said Nanon, producing Charles's cheque.