Too late Macreuse awoke to the fact that the duchess had a marriageable son, and the haughty and sarcastic greeting she had just given him confirmed this pious young man's suspicions; but he troubled himself very little about this hostility, feeling sure, from Mlle. Helena de la Rochaigue's reports, that he was not only the first suitor in the field, but that he had already made a deep impression upon the young heiress by his touching melancholy and piety.
So, full of hope, M. de Macreuse first satisfied himself that Mlle. de Beaumesnil was not in the room, and then stationed himself in a convenient place to watch for her arrival, resolved to take advantage of the first opportune moment to invite her to dance.
"Did any one ever see anything to equal his impudence?" exclaimed Madame de Senneterre, as the abbe's protege moved away.
"Really, my dear duchess, what you tell me astonishes me beyond measure.
And to think that M. de Macreuse is regarded as a model of virtue and piety almost everywhere!"
"A fine model he is! There are plenty of other things I could tell you about him, too--"
But interrupting herself, Madame de Senneterre exclaimed:
"Here comes Mlle. de Beaumesnil at last. Ah, what a pity it is that Gerald is not here!"
"Oh, well, you can console yourself with the thought that Mlle. de Beaumesnil will hear nothing but your son's praises the entire evening.
Remain here, and I will bring the dear child to you. You and the baroness must not leave her even for a moment."
And Madame de Mirecourt advanced to meet Mlle. de Beaumesnil, who had just come in, accompanied by M. and Madame de la Rochaigue.
The young girl was leaning on her guardian's arm. A low buzzing sound, produced by loud whispers of "That is Mlle. de Beaumesnil," created a general stir in the spacious rooms, and a crowd of curious observers soon filled the doorways of the salon in which Ernestine found herself.
It was in the midst of this eager excitement that the richest heiress in France, lowering her eyes under the curious looks directed upon her from every side, made her entrance into society.
The poor child was secretly comparing this eagerness and impatience to see and to be seen by her, as well as the murmurs of admiration which she heard as she advanced, with the entirely different reception she had received at Madame Herbaut's house the Sunday before; and all this only made her the more resolved to carry her attempted test as far as possible, and thus satisfy herself once for all in regard to the honour and sincerity of the people with whom she seemed destined to live.
Mlle. de Beaumesnil, to the utter dismay of the Rochaigues, and with a sudden display of obstinacy that both amazed and cowed them, had insisted upon dressing as simply as on the occasion of Madame Herbaut's little entertainment.
A plain white muslin gown and a blue sash, exactly like those she had worn the Sunday before, composed the attire of the heiress, who wished to look neither better nor worse than she did then.
The thought of attiring herself in a ridiculous manner had occurred to her, almost certain that, even in that case, the charming originality of her toilet would be loudly praised on every side, but the thought of what a serious and important thing this test was to her led to a speedy abandonment of that idea.
As had been planned in advance by Mesdames de Mirecourt, de Senneterre, and de la Rochaigue, Mlle. de Beaumesnil, as soon as she arrived at the ball, and made her way through the eager crowd that blocked her passage, was conducted by her hostess to the large and magnificent room which had been reserved for dancing. Here, Madame de Mirecourt left Ernestine in the care of Madame de la Rochaigue and Madame de Senneterre, whom the baroness had just met--by the merest chance.
Not far from the divan on which the heiress was seated were several charming young girls, all as pretty and much more elegantly dressed than the belles of Madame Herbaut's ball, but every eye was riveted upon Ernestine.
"I shall not lack partners this evening," she thought, "nor shall I be asked out of pity. All those charming girls over there will doubtless be neglected on my account."
While Mlle. de Beaumesnil was absorbed in these observations, recollections, and comparisons, Madame de Senneterre was telling Madame de la Rochaigue, in subdued tones, that, unfortunately, Gerald was so ill that it would be impossible for him to attend the ball, and it was therefore decided that Ernestine should be allowed to dance very little, and then only with carefully selected partners.
To attain this end, Madame de la Rochaigue said to Ernestine:
"My darling child, you can judge of the sensation you are creating in spite of the unheard-of simplicity of your toilet. My predictions are more than realised, you see. You are sure to be overwhelmed with invitations to dance, but as it would never do for you to dance with everybody, we will manage in this way. When I think it advisable for you to accept an invitation, I will open my fan; if, on the contrary, I keep it closed, you will decline on the plea that you are dancing very little, and that you have made too many engagements already."
Madame de la Rochaigue had scarcely addressed this remark to Ernestine before quite a number of young people began to take their places for a quadrille. Several young men who were dying to invite Mlle. de Beaumesnil hesitated a little, rightly thinking that it was hardly the thing to ask her the minute she entered the ball-room; but M. de Macreuse, being either less scrupulous or more daring, did not hesitate a second, but, making his way swiftly through the crowd, begged Ernestine to do him the honour to dance the quadrille that was then forming, with him.
Madame de Senneterre, positively stupefied by what she called such unheard-of audacity on M. de Macreuse's part, turned to hastily implore Madame de la Rochaigue to give the signal for a refusal, but it was too late.
Mlle. de Beaumesnil, anxious to find herself virtually alone with M. de Macreuse as soon as possible, promptly accepted the invitation, without waiting to note the movements of Madame de la Rochaigue's fan, and, to that lady's great astonishment, immediately rose, accepted the pious young man's arm, and walked away.
"That scoundrel's insolence is really unbearable!" exclaimed the duchess, wrathfully.
But checking herself suddenly, she exclaimed in an entirely different tone:
"Why, there he is now!"
"Who?"
"Gerald."
"How fortunate! Where do you see him, my dear duchess?"
"Over there by the window. Poor boy, how pale he looks!" added the duchess, feelingly. "How brave it was in him to come! We are saved!"
"Yes, it is, indeed, Gerald!" said Madame de la Rochaigue, no less delighted than her friend. "M. de Maillefort is with him. The marquis did not deceive me, after all. He promised that he would do nothing to interfere with my plans as soon as he found out that M. de Senneterre was the husband I had picked out for Ernestine."
The music struck up, and just as Madame de Senneterre motioned to Gerald that there was a vacant seat beside her, the quadrille in which M. de Macreuse and Mlle. de Beaumesnil were to participate began.
CHAPTER XII.
M. DE MACREUSE OVERDOES THE MATTER.
Mlle. de Beaumesnil had eagerly availed herself of the first opportunity for a conversation with M. de Macreuse, for from this conversation she hoped to ascertain whether her distrust of him was well founded. She was strongly inclined to think so, the abbe's protege having assured Mlle.
Helena that he had fallen suddenly and passionately in love with Mlle.
de Beaumesnil at first sight.
And after her experience at Madame Herbaut's, the heiress knew what to think of the sudden and irresistible impressions her beauty must produce.
But recollecting the different things that had attracted her attention to M. de Macreuse, recalling the profound grief he had seemed to feel at his mother's death, the charity of which he had given such convincing proof by his alms, and, above all, the rare virtues which Mlle. Helena was continually lauding to the skies, Ernestine was anxious to know exactly what to think of this so-called model young man.
"M. de Macreuse has interested me very much," she said to herself. "He is very prepossessing in appearance, and his melancholy is extremely touching; in fact, but for M. de Maillefort's sneering remarks, which have made me distrust myself as well as others, I should perhaps have taken a decided fancy to M. de Macreuse. Perhaps, captivated by the rare virtues of which I have heard so much, I should have unconsciously yielded to Mlle. Helena's influence, and perhaps have married M. de Macreuse, a choice which I am told would assure my happiness for life.
Let me see, then, what kind of a choice I should have made, for I have an infallible means of distinguishing truth from falsehood now."
M. de Macreuse, full of confidence by reason of Helena's flattering reports, and realising the decisive nature of this interview, had long been preparing himself to play the liar to perfection.
When Ernestine laid her hand lightly on his arm, this pious youth pretended to give a sudden start, and the young girl was conscious of the sort of thrill that traversed her partner's arm.
When they had taken their places, M. de Macreuse made two ineffectual attempts to address a few words to Mlle. de Beaumesnil, but he seemed dominated by such a powerful, though perfectly natural emotion, that speech failed him and he could only blush deeply.
Abbe Ledoux, by the way, had taught his protege an almost infallible means of blushing: this was to hang one's head for several seconds, holding one's breath all the while.
This skilfully counterfeited emotion occupied the first few minutes of the quadrille, M. de Macreuse having addressed scarcely a word to Mlle.
de Beaumesnil.
Moreover, by a marvel of tact and cunning, the originator of the St.
Polycarpe mission not only managed to escape the ridicule to which a profoundly melancholy man exposes himself when he undertakes to dance, but also to preserve an interesting appearance in Mlle. de Beaumesnil's eyes in spite of the terpsichorean evolutions he was obliged to perform.