第100章

He then declared that he must beg of Mr.Newman to deny himself for the present the satisfaction of sitting with M.de Bellegarde;more than any one else, apparently, he had the flattering but inconvenient privilege of exciting him.M.Ledoux, at this, swallowed a glass of wine in silence; he must have been wondering what the deuce Bellegarde found so exciting in the American.

Newman, after dinner, went up to his room, where he sat for a long time staring at his lighted candle, and thinking that Valentin was dying down-stairs.Late, when the candle had burnt low, there came a soft rap at his door.

The doctor stood there with a candlestick and a shrug.

"He must amuse himself, still!" said Valentin's medical adviser.

"He insists upon seeing you, and I am afraid you must come.

I think at this rate, that he will hardly outlast the night."Newman went back to Valentin's room, which he found lighted by a taper on the hearth.Valentin begged him to light a candle.

"I want to see your face," he said."They say you excite me," he went on, as Newman complied with this request, "and I confess I do feel excited.

But it isn't you--it's my own thoughts.I have been thinking--thinking.

Sit down there, and let me look at you again." Newman seated himself, folded his arms, and bent a heavy gaze upon his friend.

He seemed to be playing a part, mechanically, in a lugubrious comedy.

Valentin looked at him for some time."Yes, this morning I was right;you have something on your mind heavier than Valentin de Bellegarde.

Come, I'm a dying man and it's indecent to deceive me.

Something happened after I left Paris.It was not for nothing that my sister started off at this season of the year for Fleurieres.

Why was it? It sticks in my crop.I have been thinking it over, and if you don't tell me I shall guess.""I had better not tell you," said Newman."It won't do you any good.""If you think it will do me any good not to tell me, you are very much mistaken.There is trouble about your marriage.""Yes," said Newman."There is trouble about my marriage.""Good!" And Valentin was silent again."They have stopped it.""They have stopped it," said Newman.Now that he had spoken out, he found a satisfaction in it which deepened as he went on.

"Your mother and brother have broken faith.They have decided that it can't take place.They have decided that I am not good enough, after all.They have taken back their word.

Since you insist, there it is!"

Valentin gave a sort of groan, lifted his hands a moment, and then let them drop.

"I am sorry not to have anything better to tell you about them,"Newman pursued."But it's not my fault.I was, indeed, very unhappy when your telegram reached me; I was quite upside down.

You may imagine whether I feel any better now."Valentin moaned gaspingly, as if his wound were throbbing.

"Broken faith, broken faith!" he murmured."And my sister--my sister?"

"Your sister is very unhappy; she has consented to give me up.

I don't know why.I don't know what they have done to her;it must be something pretty bad.In justice to her you ought to know it.They have made her suffer.I haven't seen her alone, but only before them! We had an interview yesterday morning.

They came out, flat, in so many words.They told me to go about my business.It seems to me a very bad case.

I'm angry, I'm sore, I'm sick."

Valentin lay there staring, with his eyes more brilliantly lighted, his lips soundlessly parted, and a flush of color in his pale face.

Newman had never before uttered so many words in the plaintive key, but now, in speaking to Valentin in the poor fellow's extremity, he had a feeling that he was making his complaint somewhere within the presence of the power that men pray to in trouble;he felt his outgush of resentment as a sort of spiritual privilege.

"And Claire,"--said Bellegarde,--"Claire? She has given you up?""I don't really believe it," said Newman.

"No.Don't believe it, don't believe it.She is gaining time; excuse her.""I pity her!" said Newman.

"Poor Claire!" murmured Valentin."But they--but they"--and he paused again.

"You saw them; they dismissed you, face to face?""Face to face.They were very explicit.""What did they say?"

"They said they couldn't stand a commercial person."Valentin put out his hand and laid it upon Newman's arm.

"And about their promise--their engagement with you?""They made a distinction.They said it was to hold good only until Madame de Cintre accepted me."Valentin lay staring a while, and his flush died away.

"Don't tell me any more," he said at last."I'm ashamed.""You? You are the soul of honor," said Newman simply.