第340章

"Have courage, sir!" said Mdlle.de Cardoville, sadly."Alas! you must seek consolation in the affection of the two angels that remain to you."

"General!" said Dagobert, in a firm grave tone, "I returned from Siberia-

-alone with your two daughters."

"And their mother! their mother!" cried Simon, in a voice of despair.

"I set out with the two orphans the day after her death," said the soldier.

"Dead?" exclaimed Pierre Simon, overwhelmed by the stroke; "dead?" A

mournful silence was the only answer.The marshal staggered beneath this unexpected shock, leaned on the back of a chair for support, and then, sinking into the seat, concealed his face with his hands.For same minutes nothing was heard but stifled sobs, for not only had Pierre Simon idolized his wife, but by one of those singular compromises, that a man long cruelly tried sometimes makes with destiny, Pierre Simon, with the fatalism of loving souls, thought he had a right to reckon upon happiness after so many years of suffering, and had not for a moment doubted that he should find his wife and child--a double consolation reserved to him after going through so much.Very different from certain people, whom the habit of misfortune renders less exacting, Simon had reckoned upon happiness as complete as had been his misery.His wife and child were the sole, indispensable conditions of this felicity, and, had the mother survived her daughters, she would have no more replaced them in his eyes than they did her.Weakness or avarice of the heart, so it was; we insist upon this singularity, because the consequences of these incessant and painful regrets exercised a great influence on the future life of Marshal Simon.Adrienne and Dagobert had respected the overwhelming grief of this unfortunate man.When he had given a free course to his tears, he raised his manly countenance, now of marble paleness, drew his hand across his blood-shot eyes, rose, and said to Adrienne, "Pardon me, madame; I could not conquer my first emotion.Permit me to retire.I have cruel details to ask of the worthy friend who only quitted my wife at the last moment.Have the kindness to let me see my children--my poor orphans!--" And the marshal's voice again broke.

"Marshal," said Mdlle.de Cardoville, "just now we were expecting your dear children: unfortunately, we have been deceived in our hopes."

Pierre Simon first looked at Adrienne without answering, as if he had not heard or understood.--" But console yourself," resumed the young girl;

"we have yet no reason to despair."

"To despair?" repeated the marshaling by turns at Mdlle.de Cardoville despair?--of what, in heaven's name?"

"Of seeing your children, marshal," said Adrienne; "the presence of their father will facilitate the search."

"The search!" cried Pierre Simon."Then, my daughters are not here?"

"No, sir," said Adrienne, at length; "they have been taken from the affectionate care of the excellent man who brought them from Russia, to be removed to a convent."

"Wretch!" cried Pierre Simon, advancing towards Dagobert, with a menacing and terrible aspect; "you shall answer to me for all!"

"Oh, sir, do not blame him!" cried Mdlle.de Cardoville.

"General," said Dagobert, in a tone of mournful resignation, "I merit your anger.It is my fault.Forced to absent myself from Paris, I entrusted the children to my wife; her confessor turned her head, and persuaded her that your daughters would be better in a convent than at our house.She believed him, and let them be conveyed there.Now they say at the convent, that they do not know where they are.This is the truth: do what you will with me; I have only to silently endure."

"This is infamous!" cried Pierre Simon, pointing to Dagobert, with a gesture of despairing indignation."In whom can a man confide, if he has deceived me? Oh, my God!"

"Stay, marshal! do not blame him," repeated Mdlle.de Cardoville; "do not think so! He has risked life and honor to rescue your children from the convent.He is not the only one who has failed in this attempt.Just now, a magistrate--despite his character and authority--was not more successful.His firmness towards the superior, his minute search of the convent, were all in vain.Up to this time it has been impossible to find these unfortunate children."

"But where's this convent!" cried Marshal Simon, raising his head, his face all pale and agitated with grief and rage."Where is it? Do these vermin know what a father is, deprived of his children?" At the moment when Marshal Simon, turning towards Dagobert, pronounced these words, Rodin, holding Rose and Blanche by the hand, appeared at the open door of the chamber.On hearing the marshal's exclamation, he started with surprise, and a flash of diabolical joy lit up his grim countenance--for he had not expected to meet Pierre Simon so opportunely.

Mdlle.de Cardoville was the first to perceive the presence of Rodin.

She exclaimed, as she hastened towards him: "Oh! I was not deceived.He is still our providence."

"My poor children!" said Rodin, in a low voice, to the young girls, as he pointed to Pierre Simon, "this is your father!"

"Sir!" cried Adrienne, following close upon Rose and Blanche."Your children are here!"