"And you are right," exclaimed the baron. "There is no one in the whole world I hate as I hate that infernal hunchback!"
"I have seen him twice," Helena said, piously, in her turn. "Every vice seems to be written on his face. He looks like Satan himself."
"Well, one day this Satan suddenly dropped down from the clouds, as cool as you please, though he hadn't set foot in my house for five or six years, and he has called several times since."
"If he has taken to flattering you and paying court to you it can hardly be on his own account."
"Evidently not, so I am convinced that M. de Maillefort has some ulterior motive, and I am resolved to discover this motive."
"I'm sorry to learn that he's coming here again," said M. de la Rochaigue. "He is my greatest antipathy, my _bete noire_."
"Oh, don't talk nonsense," exclaimed the baroness, impatiently; "we have got to put up with the marquis, there's no help for it. Besides, if a man of his position makes such advances to you, how will it be with others? This is an incontestable proof of our influence. Let us endeavour to profit by it in every possible way, and by and by, when the girl is ready to settle down, we shall be stupid indeed if we cannot induce her to make a choice that will be very advantageous to us."
"You state the case admirably, my dear," said the baron, apparently much impressed, while Helena, who was evidently no less deeply interested, drew her chair closer to that of her brother and his wife.
"And now had we better hasten or retard the moment when Ernestine makes her choice?" asked the baroness.
"A very important question," said the baron.
"My advice would be to defer any decision upon this subject for six months," said the baroness.
"That is my opinion, too," exclaimed the baron, as if this statement of his wife's views had given him great inward satisfaction.
"I agree with you perfectly, my brother, and with you, my sister," said Helena, who had listened silently and with downcast eyes to every word of the conversation.
"Very well," said the baroness, evidently well pleased with this harmony of feeling. "And now there can be no doubt that we shall be able to conduct the affair to a successful termination, for we will all take a solemn oath, by all we hold most dear, to accept no suitor for Ernestine's hand, without warning and consulting one another."
"To act alone or secretly would be an act of infamous, shameless, and horrible treachery," exclaimed the baron, as if shocked at the mere idea of such an atrocity.
"_Mon Dieu!_" murmured Helena, clasping her hands. "Who could ever think of acting such a treacherous part?"
"It would be an infamous act," said the baroness, in her turn, "and worse,--it would be a fatal blunder. We shall be strong if we act in unison, but weak, if we act independently of one another."
"In union there is strength!" said the baron, sententiously.
"So, unless we mutually agree upon a change of plan, we will defer all action on the subject of Ernestine's marriage for six months, in order that we may have time to strengthen our influence over her."
"This question decided, there is another important matter to be considered," continued the baroness. "Is Ernestine to be allowed to retain her governess or not? This Madame Laine, as nearly as I can ascertain, is only a little above the ordinary maid. She has been with Ernestine two years, though, and must, consequently, have some influence over her."
"In that case, we had better oust the governess, or prejudice Ernestine against her," volunteered the baron, with an air of profound wisdom.
"That would be the thing to do."
"A very silly thing," retorted the baroness.
"But, my dear--"
"The only sensible thing to do in such a contingency is to win the governess over to our side, and then see that she acts according to our instructions. In that case, this woman's influence, instead of being dangerous, would prove of the greatest possible service to us."
"That is true," said Helena.
"Yes, considered from this point of view, the governess might be very useful, very serviceable, and very advantageous," said the baron, thoughtfully; "but if she should refuse to ally herself with our interests,--if our attempts to conciliate this woman should excite Ernestine's suspicions, what then?"
"We must first see what can be done, and I'll attend to that," said the baroness. "If we find that the woman cannot be won over, then we will adopt M. de la Rochaigue's first suggestion, and get rid of the governess."
The conference was here interrupted by a servant, who came to announce that the courier who preceded Mlle. de Beaumesnil's carriage had just ridden into the courtyard, and said that he was but a half hour in advance of the others.
"Quick--quick--to our toilets," said the baroness, as soon as the servant left the room. Then she added, as if the thought had just occurred to her:
"But, now I think of it, being cousins, we wore mourning six weeks for the countess. It would be a good idea, perhaps, to put it on again. All Ernestine's servants are in black, and by our order her carriages will be draped in black. Don't you think that if I should be dressed in colours the first time she sees me, the child would think hard of it?"
"You are right, my dear," said the baron. "Resume your mourning, if only for a fortnight."
"I hate the idea," said the baroness, "for black is frightfully unbecoming to me. But this is one of the many sacrifices a person is obliged to make. Now, as to our compact," added the baroness. "No secret or independent step is to be taken in regard to Ernestine. We will all make a solemn promise to that effect. I, for one, swear it."
"And I," said the baron.
"And I," murmured Helena.
All three then hurried off to dress for the evening.
The baroness had no sooner locked herself in her own room, however, than she seated herself at her desk, and hastily penned the following note:
"MY DEAREST JULIE:--The child arrives this evening. I shall be at your house to-morrow morning at ten o'clock. We haven't a minute to lose.
Notify a certain person at once. We must come to a full understanding without delay. Silence and prudence,
"L. DE L. R."
The baroness addressed this note to--
_Madame la Vicomtesse de Mirecourt._
Then, calling her maid, and handing her the missive, she said:
"While we are at table you must take this to Madame de Mirecourt. You will take a box with you when you go out, as if you were going on an errand."
Almost at the same moment the baron was affixing his signature to the following note:
"M. de la Rochaigue begs that M. le Baron de Ravil will see him to-morrow at his house between one and two o'clock in the afternoon. The matter is urgent.
"M. de la Rochaigue counts upon seeing M. de Ravil at the time and place named, and assures him of his most distinguished consideration."
The baron addressed this note to--
_M. le Baron de Ravil,_ _No. 7 Rue Godot-de-Mauroy._
Then he said to his valet: