Volume Ii Part 17 (1/2)
”You must have heard wrong, niece; or else the young gentleman was amusing himself at his friend's expense.--A man of the Marvejols blood does not contract a marriage without letting it be known beforehand in society! That would in truth be most extraordinary!”
At that moment a servant appeared and announced the Baron de Germandre.
The old lady ordered him to be admitted, and soon a little, wizened, bald-headed old man entered the salon, saluted the ladies with all the grace of a courtier, and, after presenting his respects with a sprightly air, dropped upon a sofa, saying:
”Great news, mesdames! great news! I am always among the first to learn the news, you know. I like that; early fruits are always agreeable: ha!
ha! ha!”
”What is it, Monsieur de Germandre?” asked Madame de Ravenelle, half raising her head; ”is the king making love to his wife? is Richelieu out of favor?”
”No, no, to-day's news does not concern the court, but a gentleman of n.o.ble lineage, of a very ancient family.--Why, it is utterly inconceivable! And if I had not had my information from the old Duc de Montaulac, who was one of the witnesses, I should refuse to believe it; but one must yield to evidence!”
”When you are willing to explain yourself fully, baron, we shall be very glad; for thus far you have confined yourself to most ambiguous phrases.”
”That is true, mesdames--I beg pardon; this is the authentic news: the son of the Marquis de Marvejols, young Comte Leodgard, is married!”
”Married!” cried Madame de Ravenelle, unable to control a movement of surprise; and she glanced at her niece; but the latter remained impa.s.sive and simply pressed her lips tightly together, like one who was not at all surprised by what she heard.
”That would be perfectly natural,” continued the baron; ”the count's marriage was sure to come, and it would surprise no one if he had married someone of his own rank, a person of n.o.ble birth, of an ill.u.s.trious family. But if you knew to whom he has given his name!--why, it is beyond belief; such a thing was never seen!”
”Really, baron, you are intolerable! You keep us in this suspense!”
”Oh! a thousand pardons, _belle dame_!--Well, the descendant of the house of Marvejols, Comte Leodgard, has married a girl of the common people--the daughter of a bath keeper. That is the sort of people with whom that n.o.ble gentleman has allied himself.”
Valentine clenched her fingers on the chair on which her hand rested, but she strove to retain her self-control.
For the first time in her life perhaps, Madame de Ravenelle uttered an exclamation, and seemed deeply moved; she could hardly murmur:
”It cannot be so, baron; there must be some mistake; such a marriage is impossible!”
”Mon Dieu! I said exactly the same thing, madame, when I heard of it; but since the Duc de Montaulac and the Baron de Freilly were present as witnesses to the marriage, and since they have confirmed the report, how can you entertain any further doubt?”
”And the old Marquis de Marvejols consented to this marriage?”
”He not only consented, but--and this may seem to you even more incredible--he forced his son to contract it, so to speak.”
”He? the marquis?”
”Yes, madame.--You know that he is a very strange man, is the dear marquis! He has certain ideas, certain principles, on the subject of honor, which are worthy of much respect, no doubt; but still there are cases when one may well make an exception to the rule.”
”And the Duc de Montaulac and the Baron de Freilly consented to act as witnesses to a marriage which violates all the proprieties, which is almost an insult to the n.o.bility?”
”What would you have? It seems that it is quite a romantic story. They say that the girl, who was a model of virtue, was seduced by that scapegrace of a Leodgard--for the gentleman is said to be a sad rake.
And then, the affair having had certain--er--consequences, the girl was turned out of doors by her parents, and but for a friend who a.s.sisted her and gave her shelter she would probably have died in the street; for the das.h.i.+ng Leodgard had abandoned her!”
”That was very wrong! He should have given her money--a great deal of money!”
”He has never had any too much for himself; though now, they say, he spends as much as a sultan!--To make my story short, the father learned all from the girl's friend, who went to see him. He summoned all the parties before him, and it was then that the Duc de Montaulac and Monsieur de Freilly were present. He told his son that he owed reparation to the father of the girl he had seduced. This father is an old soldier, so it seems; the marquis gave the count his choice between marrying the girl and fighting a duel with her father?”
”And Leodgard preferred the marriage? It is inconceivable!”