第228章

THE ENCOUNTERS.

At the sight of Dagobert and Agricola, Mother Bunch remained motionless with surprise, a few steps from the convent-gate.The soldier had not yet perceived the sempstress.He advanced rapidly, following the dog, who though lean, half-starved, rough-coated, and dirty, seemed to frisk with pleasure, as he turned his intelligent face towards his master, to whom he had gone back, after caressing Mother Bunch.

"Yes, yes; I understand you, old fellow!" said the soldier, with emotion.

"You are more faithful than I was; you did not leave the dear children for a minute.Yes, you followed them, and watched day and night, without food, at the door of the house to which they were taken--and, at length, weary of waiting to see them come forth, ran home to fetch me.Yes;

whilst I was giving way to despair, like a furious madman, you were doing what I ought to have done--discovering their retreat.What does it all prove? Why, that beasts are better than men--which is well known.Well, at length I shall see them again.When I think that tomorrow is the 13th, and that without you, my did Spoil-sport, all would be lost--it makes me shudder.But I say, shall we soon be there? What a deserted quarter! and night coming on!"

Dagobert had held this discourse to Spoil-sport, as he walked along following the good dog, who kept on at a rapid pace.Suddenly, seeing the faithful animal start aside with a bound, he raised his eyes, and perceived the dog frisking about the hunchback and Agricola, who had just met at a little distance from the convent-gate.

"Mother Bunch?" exclaimed both father and son, as they approached the young workwoman, and looked at her with extreme surprise.

"There is good hope, M.Dagobert," said she with inexpressible joy.

"Rose and Blanche are found!" Then, turning towards the smith, she added, "There is good hope, Agricola: Mdlle.de Cardoville is not mad.

I have just seen her."

"She is not mad? what happiness!" exclaimed the smith.

"The children!" cried Dagobert, trembling with emotion, as he took the work-girl's hands in his own."You have seen them?"

"Yes; just now--very sad--very unhappy--but I was not able to speak to them."

"Oh!" said Dagobert, stopping as if suffocated by the news, and pressing his hands on his bosom; "I never thought that my old heart could beat so!--And yet, thanks to my dog, I almost expected what has taken place.

Anyhow, I am quite dizzy with joy."

"Well, father, it's a good day," said Agricola, looking gratefully at the girl.

"Kiss me, my dear child!" added the soldier, as he pressed Mother Bunch affectionately in his arms; then, full of impatience, he added: "Come, let us go and fetch the children."

"Ah, my good sister!" said Agricola, deeply moved; "you will restore peace, perhaps life, to my father--and Mdlle.de Cardoville--but how do you know?"

"A mere chance.And how did you come here?"

"Spoil-sport stops and barks," cried Dagobert, who had already made several steps in advance.

Indeed the dog, who was as impatient as his master to see the orphans, and far better informed as to the place of their retreat, had posted himself at the convent gate, and was beginning to bark, to attract the attention of Dagobert.Understanding his dog, the latter said to the hunchback, as he pointed in that direction with his finger: "The children are there?"

"Yes, M.Dagobert."

I was sure of it.Good dog!--Oh, yes! beasts are better than men--except you, my dear girl, who are better than either man or beast.But my poor children! I shall see them, I shall have them once more!"

So saying, Dagobert, in spite of his age, began to run very fast towards Spoil-sport."Agricola," cried Mother Bunch, "prevent thy father from knocking at that door.He would ruin all."

In two strides, the smith had reached his father, just as the latter was raising his hand to the knocker."Stop, father!" cried the smith, as he seized Dagobert by the arm.

"What the devil is it now?"

"Mother Bunch says that to knock would ruin all."

"How so?"

"She will explain it to you." Although not so nimble as Agricola, Mother Bunch soon came up, and said to the soldier: "M.Dagobert, do not let us remain before this gate.They might open it, and see us; and that would excite suspicion.Let us rather go away--"

"Suspicion!" cried the veteran, much surprised, but without moving from the gate; "what suspicion?"

"I conjure you, do not remain there!" said Mother Bunch, with so much earnestness, that Agricola joined her, and said to his father: "Since sister rashes it, father, she has some reason for it.The Boulevard de l'Hopital is a few steps from here; nobody passes that way; we can talk there without being interrupted."

"Devil take me if I understand a word of all this!" cried Dagobert, without moving from his post."The children are here, and I will fetch them away with me.It is an affair of ten minutes."

"Do not think that, M.Dagobert," said Mother Bunch."It is much more difficult than you imagine.But come! come!--I can hear them talk in the court-yard."

In fact, the sound of voices was now distinctly audible."Come father!"

said Agricola, forcing away the soldier, almost in spite of himself.

Spoil-sport, who appeared much astonished at these hesitations, barked two or three times without quitting his post, as if to protest against this humiliating retreat; but, being called by Dagobert, he hastened to rejoin the main body.

It was now about five o'clock in the evening.A high wind swept thick masses of grayish, rainy cloud rapidly across the sky.The Boulevard de l'Hopital, which bordered on this portion of the convent-garden, was, as we before said, almost deserted.Dagobert, Agricola, and the serving-

girl could hold a private conference in this solitary place.

The soldier did not disguise the extreme impatience that these delays occasioned in him.Hardly had they turned the corner of the street, when he said to Mother Bunch: "Come, my child, explain yourself.I am upon hot coals."