the viscountess de bois arden had not been wrong when she told andre in van klopen’s establishment that community of sorrow had brought the count and countess of mussidan nearer together, and that sabine had made up her mind to sacrifice herself for the honor of the family. unfortunately, however, this change in the relations of husband and wife had not taken place immediately; for after her interview with doctor hortebise, diana’s first impulse had not been to go to her husband, but to write to norbert, who was as much compromised by the correspondence as she herself. her first letter did not elicit a reply. she wrote a second, and then a third, in which, though she did not go into details, she let the duke know that she was the victim of a dark intrigue, and that a deadly peril was hanging over her daughter’s head. this last letter was brought back to her by the messenger, without any envelope, and across it norbert had written,—
“the weapon which you have used against me has now been turned against yourself. heaven is just.”
these words started up in letters of fire before her eyes as the presage of coming misfortune, and telling her that the hour of retribution had now come, and that she must be prepared to suffer, as an atonement for her crimes. then it was that she felt all was lost, and she must go to her husband for aid, unless she desired that copies of the stolen letters should be sent to him; and in a little boudoir, adjoining sabine’s own room, she opened her heart and told her husband all. she performed it with all the skill of a woman who, without descending to falsehood, contrives to conceal the truth. but she could not hide the share that she had taken, both in the death of the late duke of champdoce and the disappearance of george de croisenois.
the count’s brain reeled. he called up to his memory what diana had been when he first saw and loved her at laurebourg: how pure and modest she looked! what virginal candor sat upon her brow! and yet she was even then doing her best to urge on a son to murder his father.
de mussidan had had hideous doubts concerning the relations of norbert and diana, both before and after marriage; but his wife firmly denied this at the moment when she was revealing the other guilty secrets of her past life. he had believed that sabine was not his child, and now he had to reproach himself with the indifference he had displayed towards her.
he made no answer to the terrible revelation that was poured into his ears; but when the countess had concluded, he rose and left the room, stretching out his hands and grasping the walls for support, like a drunken man.
the count and countess believed that sabine had slept through this interview, but they were mistaken, for sabine had heard all those fatal words—“ruin, dishonor, and despair!” at first she scarcely understood. were not these words merely the offspring of her delirium? she strove to shake it off, but too soon she knew that the whispered words were sad realities, and she lay on her bed quivering with terror. much of the conversation escaped her, but she heard enough. her mother’s past sins were to be exposed if the daughter did not marry a man entirely unknown to her—the marquis de croisenois. she knew that her torments would not be of very long duration, for to part with her love for andre would be to part with life itself. she made up her mind to live until she had saved her parents’ honor by the sacrifice of herself, and then she would be free to accept the calm repose of the grave.
but the terrible revelation bore its fruits, for her fever came back, and a relapse was the result. but youth and a sound constitution gained the day, and when she was convalescent her will was as strong as ever.
her first act was to write the letter to her lover which had driven him to the verge of distraction; and then, fearing lest her father might, in his agony and remorse, be driven to some rash act, she went to him and told him that she knew all.
“i never loved m. de breulh,” said she with a pitiful smile, “and therefore the sacrifice is not so great after all.”
the count was not for a moment the dupe of the generous-souled girl, but he did not dare to brave the scandal of the death of montlouis, and still less the exposure of his wife’s conduct. time was passing, however, and the miscreants in whose power they were made no signs of life. hortebise did not appear any more, and there were moments when the miserable diana actually ventured to hope. “have they forgotten us?” thought she.
alas! no; they were people who never forgot.
the champdoce affair had been satisfactorily arranged, and every precaution had been taken to prevent the detection of paul as an impostor, and engaged as he had been, mascarin had no time to turn his attention to the marriage of sabine and de croisenois. the famous limited company, with the marquis as chairman, had, too, to be started, the shares of which were to be taken up by the unhappy victims of the blackmailers; but first some decided steps must be taken with the mussidans, and tantaine was dispatched on this errand.
this amiable individual, though he was going into such very excellent society, did not consider it necessary to make any improvement in his attire. this was the reason why the footman, upon seeing such a shabby visitor and hearing him ask for the count or countess, did not hesitate to reply, with a sneer, that his master and mistress had been out for some months, and were not likely to return for a week or two. this fact did not disconcert the wily man, for drawing one of mascarin’s cards from his pocket, he begged the kind gentleman to take it upstairs, when he was sure that he would at once be sent for.
de mussidan, when he read the name on the card, turned ghastly pale.
“show him into the library,” said he curtly.
florestan left the room, and the count mutely handed the card to his wife, but she had no need to read it.
“i can tell what it is,” gasped she.
“the day for settling accounts has come,” said the count, “and this name is the fatal sign.”
the countess flung herself upon her knees, and taking the hand that hung placidly by his side, pressed her lips tenderly to it.
“forgive me, octave!” she muttered. “will you not forgive me? i am a miserable wretch, and why did not heaven punish me for the sins that i have committed, and not make others expiate my offences?”
the count put her gently aside. he suffered intensely, and yet no word of reproach escaped his lips against the woman who had ruined his whole life.
“and sabine,” she went on, “must she, a de mussidan, marry one of these wretched scoundrels?”
sabine was the only one in the room who preserved her calmness; she had so schooled herself that her distress of mind was not apparent to the outward eye.
“do not make yourselves miserable,” said she, with a faint smile; “how do we know that m. de croisenois may not make me an excellent husband after all?”
the count gazed upon his daughter with a look of the fondest affection and gratitude.
“dearest sabine!” murmured he. her fortitude had restored his self-command. “let us be outwardly resigned,” said he, “whatever our feelings may be. time may do much for us, and at the very church door we may find means of escape.”
