CHAPTER VII.
GOOD NEWS.
The cause of Olivier's surprise and alarm was only too apparent.
Commander Bernard, pale as death and greatly agitated, was clinging to Mlle. de Beaumesnil's arm as if for support; while the young girl, quite as pale as the old officer, and clad in a simple lawn dress, had several blood-stains on her forehead and cheek.
"What is the matter, uncle?" cried Olivier, scrutinising the veteran's face with deep anxiety. "What has happened?"
"Great Heavens! Ernestine, are you hurt?" cried Herminie, almost simultaneously.
"It is nothing, Herminie," replied the young girl, trying to smile, though her voice trembled violently. "It is nothing, but excuse me for bringing this gentleman in. Just now--I--you see--"
But the poor child could say no more. Strength and courage were alike exhausted. Every vestige of colour fled from her lips; her eyes closed, her head fell back, her limbs gave way under her, and she would have fallen if Herminie had not caught her in her arms.
"She has fainted!" cried the duchess. "Help me carry her into my room, M. Olivier."
"And I--I am the cause of all this trouble," said the commander, following Olivier and Herminie with tottering steps as they carried Ernestine into Herminie's room. "Poor child," he murmured; "what a kind heart she has! What courage she displayed!"
The duchess, having placed Ernestine in the armchair, removed her hat and pushed back from the pure white brow her beautiful chestnut hair, which rolled down in heavy, shining waves upon her shoulders; then, while Olivier supported the girl's unconscious head, Herminie with a soft handkerchief staunched the blood which was flowing from a slight wound a little way above the temple.
The old sailor stood near, watching this touching scene, his lips trembling, and unable to utter a word, while big tears dropped slowly down from his eyes upon his white moustache.
"Support her, M. Olivier, while I go for some cold water and a little cologne," said Herminie.
She returned almost immediately with a handsome china basin, and a bottle of cologne, and, after sponging the wound lightly with a mixture of cologne and water, Herminie poured a little cologne in the palm of her hand and made Mlle. de Beaumesnil inhale it.
Gradually Ernestine's pale lips recovered their wonted colour and a slight flush succeeded the pallor in her cheeks.
"Heaven be praised! She is recovering consciousness," whispered Herminie, gathering up the orphan's long tresses and securing them with her shell comb.
Olivier, who had seemed deeply affected by the scene, now said to the duchess, who was standing beside the armchair, supporting Mlle. de Beaumesnil's head on her bosom:
"Mlle. Herminie, I regret very much that it should be under such unfortunate circumstances that I have the honour of introducing to you my uncle, Commander Bernard."
[Illustration: "'_She has fainted._'"
Original etching by Adrian Marcel.]
The young girl responded with an almost affectionate smile and bow, and the old officer said:
"And I, mademoiselle, am doubly sorry, as I was unfortunately the cause of this accident which distresses you so much."
"But how did it happen, uncle?" asked Olivier.
So while Herminie, seeing that, thanks to her attentions, Ernestine was gradually regaining consciousness, made her again inhale a few drops of cologne, Commander Bernard began his explanation by saying:
"I went out this morning while you were talking with one of your friends, Olivier."
"Yes, uncle, Madame Barbancon told me that you had been so imprudent as to go out in spite of your extreme weakness, but she felt less anxious about you, I thought, from the fact that you had seemed in unusually good spirits when you left the house."
"Yes, yes, I was unusually gay because I was happy, oh, very happy, for this morning--"
But the commander, checking himself suddenly, gazed at Olivier with a peculiar expression, then added, with a sigh:
"No, no, I must not tell you now. Well, as I said before, I went out--"
"It was a very imprudent thing for you to do, uncle."
"Perhaps it was, but I had my reasons for wanting to go; besides, I thought a walk in the open air might do me good. Still, being a little doubtful of my strength, instead of going out on the plain as usual, I followed the broad grassy terrace that borders the railroad track in this direction. Feeling tired after I had walked a short distance, I sat down to rest and sun myself on the top of a bank on the side of one of those new streets which have been graded and paved, but on which no houses have yet been erected. I sat there a quarter of an hour, perhaps, then, thinking myself sufficiently rested, I decided that I would get up and start for home. But the walk, short as it was, had exhausted my strength completely, for I had scarcely gotten upon my feet before I was seized with vertigo, my knees trembled under me, I lost my balance; the bank was steep--"
"And you fell?" asked Olivier, anxiously.
"I must have slidden rather than fallen to the foot of the bank, I think, and my situation would not have been at all dangerous, I suppose, if a big wagon, loaded with stones and drawn by horses which had been left to guide themselves by the driver who was walking on ahead, had not happened to come along just then."
"Great God!" exclaimed Olivier.
"How terrible!" cried Herminie.
"Ah, yes, especially to that dear young lady you see lying there wounded, yes, wounded by risking her own life to save mine!"
"What, uncle, this wound of Mlle. Ernestine's--?"
"When I fell from the top of the bank," resumed the old man, interrupting his nephew, who had cast a look of inexpressible gratitude on Mlle. de Beaumesnil, "my head struck the pavement, and I lay there unable to make the slightest movement, though I seemed to see the horses advancing towards me through a sort of mist. My head could not have been more than a yard from the wheel when I heard a loud cry, and dimly perceived a woman, who was coming in the opposite direction from the horses, rush towards me. Then consciousness deserted me entirely. When I regained it," continued the old man, with increasing emotion, "I was half lying, half sitting, on the bank a couple of yards from the spot where I had fallen, and a young girl, an angel of goodness and courage, was kneeling beside me, with clasped hands, her face still pale with terror, and her forehead covered with blood. And it was she," exclaimed the old officer, turning to Ernestine, who had now entirely recovered her senses, "yes, it was you, mademoiselle, who saved my life at the risk of your own,--you, a frail, delicate creature who listened only to the promptings of your noble heart and indomitable courage."
"Oh, Ernestine, how proud I am of being your friend!" cried the duchess, pressing the blushing and embarrassed girl to her heart.
"Yes, you may well be!" cried the old man, enthusiastically.
"Mademoiselle," said Olivier, in his turn, addressing Mlle. de Beaumesnil with unmistakable agitation, "I can only say--but I feel sure that you will understand what these words mean to me--I owe the life of my uncle, or rather of the most tenderly loved father, to you."
"M. Olivier," replied Mlle. de Beaumesnil, averting her eyes after a wondering glance at the young man, "what you say makes me doubly happy, for until now I was entirely ignorant that this gentleman was that dear relative of yours Herminie was telling me about day before yesterday."
"But how are you feeling now, mademoiselle?" inquired the old man, with deep interest. "Don't you think it would be well to send for a physician, Mlle. Herminie? Olivier will run and get one."
"Pray do nothing of the kind, M. Olivier," cried Ernestine, hastily. "My head hurts me very little; the wound must be scarcely more than a scratch, for I hardly feel it. When I fainted just now, it was more from excitement than pain."
"That makes no difference, you must have a little rest, all the same,"
said Herminie. "I think, with you, that your wound is slight, but you have had such a fright that I intend to keep you a few hours."
"Oh, so far as that prescription is concerned, I will take it with pleasure, my dear Herminie," responded Mlle. de Beaumesnil, smiling; "and I shall try to make my convalescence last as long as possible."
"And now, Olivier, if you will give me your arm, we will leave these young ladies," said the veteran.
"M. Olivier, it will not do at all for Commander Bernard to return home on foot, weak as he is. You had better tell our portress to call a cab for you."