"Better tell her than let her find out," said Rose."We must tell her some day."At last, after a long and agitated discussion, Josephine consented;but Rose must be the one to tell."So then, you at least will make your peace with mamma," argued Josephine, "and let us go in and do this before our courage fails; besides, it is going to rain, and it has turned cold.Where have all these clouds come from? An hour ago there was not one in the sky."They went, with hesitating steps and guilty looks, to the saloon.
Their mother was not there.Here was a reprieve.
Rose had an idea.She would take her to the chapel, and show her the monument, and that would please her with poor Camille."After that," said Rose, "I will begin by telling her all the misery you have both gone through; and, when she pities you, then I will show her it was all my fault your misery ended in a secret marriage."The confederates sat there in a chilly state, waiting for the baroness.At last, as she did not come, Rose got up to go to her.
"When the mind is made up, it is no use being cowardly, and putting off," said she, firmly.For all that, her cheek had but little color left in it, when she left her chair with this resolve.
Now as Rose went down the long saloon to carry out their united resolve, Jacintha looked in; and, after a hasty glance to see who was present, she waited till Rose came up to her, and then whipped a letter from under her apron and gave it her.
"For my mistress," said she, with an air of mystery.
"Why not take it to her, then?" inquired Rose.
"I thought you might like to see it first, mademoiselle," said Jacintha, with quiet meaning.
"Is it from the dear doctor?" asked Josephine.
"La, no, mademoiselle, don't you know the doctor is come home? Why, he has been in the house near an hour.He is with my lady."The doctor proved Jacintha correct by entering the room in person soon after; on this Rose threw down the letter, and she and the whole party were instantly occupied in greeting him.
When the ladies had embraced him and Camille shaken hands with him, they plied him with a thousand questions.Indeed, he had not half satisfied their curiosity, when Rose happened to catch sight of the letter again, and took it up to carry to the baroness.She now, for the first time, eyed it attentively, and the consequence was she uttered an exclamation, and took the first opportunity to beckon Aubertin.
He came to her; and she put the letter into his hand.
He put up his glasses, and eyed it."Yes!" whispered he, "it is from HIM."Josephine and Camille saw something was going on; they joined the other two, with curiosity in their faces.
Rose put her hand on a small table near her, and leaned a moment.
She turned half sick at a letter coming from the dead.Josephine now came towards her with a face of concern, and asked what was the matter.
The reply came from Aubertin."My poor friends," said he, solemnly, "this is one of those fearful things that you have not seen in your short lives, but it has been more than once my lot to witness it.
The ships that carry letters from distant countries vary greatly in speed, and are subject to detaining accidents.Yes, this is the third time I have seen a letter come written by a hand known to be cold.The baroness is a little excited to-day, I don't know from what cause.With your approbation, Madame Raynal, I will read this letter before I let her see it.""Read it, if you please."
"Shall I read it out?"
"Certainly.There may be some wish expressed in it; oh, I hope there is!"Camille, from delicacy, retired to some little distance, and the doctor read the letter in a low and solemn voice.
"MY DEAR MOTHER,--I hope all are well at Beaurepaire, as I am, or Ihope soon to be.I received a wound in our last skirmish; not a very severe one; but it put an end to my writing for some time.""Poor fellow! it was his death wound.Why, when was this written?--why," and the doctor paused, and seemed stupefied: "why, my dears, has my memory gone, or"--and again he looked eagerly at the letter--"what was the date of the battle in which he was killed? for this letter is dated the 15th of May.Is it a dream? no! this was written since the date of his death.""No, doctor," said Rose, "you deceive yourself.""Why, what was the date of the Moniteur, then?" asked Aubertin, in great agitation.
"Considerably later than this," said Camille.
"I don't think so; the journal! where is it?""My mother has it locked up.I'll run."
"No, Rose; no one but me.Now, Josephine, do not you go and give way to hopes that may be delusive.I must see that journal directly.I will go to the baroness.I shall excuse her less than you would."He was scarcely gone when a cry of horror filled the room, a cry as of madness falling like a thunderbolt on a human mind.It was Josephine, who up to this had not uttered one word.But now she stood, white as a corpse, in the middle of the room, and wrung her hands."What have I done? What shall I do? It was the 3d of May.
I see it before me in letters of fire; the 3d of May! the 3d of May!--and he writes the 15th.""No! no!" cried Camille wildly."It was long, long after time 3d.""It was the 3d of May," repeated Josephine in a hoarse voice that none would have known for hers.
Camille ran to her with words of comfort and hope; he did not share her fears.He remembered about when the Moniteur came, though not the very day.He threw his arm lovingly round her as if to protect her against these shadowy terrors.Her dilating eyes seemed fixed on something distant in space or time, at some horrible thing coming slowly towards her.She did not see Camille approach her, but the moment she felt him she turned upon him swiftly.
"Do you love me?" still in the hoarse voice that had so little in it of Josephine."I mean, does one grain of respect or virtue mingle in your love for me?""What words are these, my wife?"
"Then leave Raynal's house upon the instant.You wonder I can be so cruel? I wonder too; and that I can see my duty so clear in one short moment.But I have lived twenty years since that letter came.
