"Mlle. de Beaumesnil's majordomo, who solicits the honour of throwing himself at her feet."
Ernestine evinced so much surprise that the baroness said, smilingly:
"It is only one of M. de la Rochaigue's jokes. It is he who is at the door."
Mlle. de Beaumesnil also tried to smile as the baroness said, in a loud voice:
"Come in, M. majordomo, come in!"
Whereupon the baron entered, showing his long teeth more than ever in the broad smile his joke had inspired. Approaching Ernestine with great deference, he bowed low before her and even kissed her hand, saying as he did so:
"Is my charming ward still content with me? Is anything lacking for her comfort? Does she find her establishment on a suitable footing? Has she discovered any inconveniences in her apartments? Is she satisfied with her servants?"
"There is nothing with which I can find the slightest fault," answered Ernestine; "quite the contrary, indeed, for this magnificent suite of rooms, exclusively for my use, is--"
"Nothing can be too handsome or too luxurious for the richest heiress in France," interrupted the baron, in his most peremptory tones.
"I am deeply gratified and touched by the affectionate welcome I have received from your family," said Ernestine; "and I assure you that everything else is of very little importance to me."
Just then the folding doors opened, and the butler announced, in a loud voice: "Mademoiselle is served."
CHAPTER XXI.
THE HUNCHBACK MEETS THE HEIRESS.
The baron offered his arm to Ernestine, and conducted her into the dining-room. Helena came in a few minutes afterwards, a trifle late by reason of having despatched a letter to Abbe Ledoux, announcing her plans for the morrow.
During the entire repast Ernestine was the object of the most obsequious attentions, not only from the baron and his wife and sister, but also from the servants, who were as deeply impressed as their employers by the magical power of those words, "the richest heiress in France."
Towards the end of the meal, the baron, with the most careless air imaginable, remarked to Mlle. de Beaumesnil:
"Well, my dear ward, as you have now recovered from the fatigue of your journey, it seems to me you ought to go out to-morrow and amuse yourself a little."
"Helena and I think so, too," replied Madame de la Rochaigue, "so your sister is going to take Ernestine to church to-morrow morning. In the afternoon, Mlle. Palmyre and Mlle. Barenne will come with some dresses and hats I ordered yesterday for our dear child, and day after to-morrow Ernestine and I are going for a drive."
"Capital, capital!" exclaimed the baron. "I see that to-morrow and the day after will be fully occupied, but I think it is hardly fair for me to be so entirely left out, so I beg to have my turn on the day following. Will you grant my request?"
"Certainly, with the greatest pleasure," replied Ernestine.
"The readiness of the response increases its value two-fold," said the baron, with such evident gratitude that the orphan was wondering what she could have said when the baroness, turning to her husband, exclaimed:
"Well, let us hear your plans for your day, M. de la Rochaigue."
"I am not so spiritual-minded as my sister, nor as worldly as you, my dear," answered the baron, "so I am going to propose to our dear ward (weather, of course, permitting) a visit to one of the most beautiful gardens in Paris, where she will see a wonderful collection of plants and flowers."
"You could not have pleased me better, monsieur," exclaimed Ernestine, delightedly. "I am so fond of flowers."
"Nor is that all," added the baron, "for, as I am a prudent man, in case of bad weather, my charming ward and I can enjoy a promenade through several superb conservatories, or a magnificent picture-gallery, rich in masterpieces of the modern school of art."
"And where is this combination of rare and beautiful things to be found, monsieur?" inquired Ernestine, with great interest.
"A nice Parisienne you are, and you, too, baroness, and you, too, my sister," laughed M. de la Rochaigue, with a knowing air, "for I see very plainly that none of you have the slightest idea where this collection of wonders is to be found, though it is almost at your very door."
"Really," began Mlle. de la Rochaigue, "I have been trying to think."
"And you can't imagine," retorted the baron, radiant. "Ah, well, I will take pity on you. All these wonders are to be found at the Luxembourg."
"The Luxembourg!" exclaimed the baroness, laughing. Then, turning to Ernestine:
"Ah, my dear child, it is a trap, an abominable trap, M. de la Rochaigue has set for you. You don't know my husband's passion for another of the wonders of the Luxembourg. He has taken good care not to reveal that, I'll be bound!"
"And what is this other attraction, madame?" asked the young girl, smiling.
"Ah, you poor, dear innocent, let me tell you that M. de la Rochaigue is quite capable of taking you to a session of the Chamber of Peers, under pretext of showing you beautiful conservatories and flowers and picture-galleries."
"Well, why should I not take her into the diplomatic gallery, if she wishes?" retorted the baron. "She will find plenty of good company there in the shape of the fortunate wives of foreign ambassadors and ministers,--for I maintain that there is not a more delightful, charming, and enviable position in the world than that of the wife of a minister and ambassador. Ah, my dear wife," added this unknown Canning, turning to the baroness, "what would I not give to be able to elevate you to such a position. You would be envied, flattered, adored! You would become, I am sure, a wonderfully clever politician! It is not unlikely that you would even control the state, perhaps. Could any woman desire a grander role?"
"You see what a dangerous flatterer M. de la Rochaigue is, my dear child," remarked the baroness. "He is quite capable of imbuing you with a taste for politics, too."
"Me? Oh, I have no fear of that," responded Ernestine, smiling.
"You may laugh at me as much as you like, my dear," the baron said to his wife; "but I do assert that I perceive in our dear ward a thoughtfulness, a self-control, and a power of discrimination remarkable in one of her years, to say nothing of the fact that she strikingly resembles the portrait of the beautiful and famous Duchesse de Longueville, who exerted such a marvellous influence in politics under the Fronde."
"Well, well, this is really too much," exclaimed the baroness, interrupting her husband with a fresh outburst of merriment.
The orphan, who had suddenly become thoughtful, did not join in this gaiety. She was thinking how very strange it was that within the last two hours three persons had, in turn, discovered that she was so singularly adapted to fill three such entirely different roles, viz.: That of a devotee, that of a woman of fashion, and that of a female politician.
The conversation was interrupted by the sound of carriage-wheels in the courtyard below.
"Haven't you given orders that you are not at home this evening?"
inquired the baron, turning to his wife.
"No, but I am expecting no one,--that is, no one but Madame de Mirecourt, who, you know, occasionally drops in for a few minutes on her way to some ball or reception."
"Shall you see her in case she does?"
"If it will not be disagreeable to you, and if you will allow me to receive her in your drawing-room," said the baroness, turning to Ernestine. "She is a very charming woman."
"Do exactly as you please, madame," replied Ernestine, cordially.
"Show the visitor into Mlle. de Beaumesnil's drawing-room," the baroness said to one of the servants.
The man withdrew, but returned a moment afterwards to say: