when coningsby had returned to his grandfather’s hotel that morning, it was with a determination to leave paris the next day for england; but the accident to lady monmouth, though, as it ultimately appeared, accompanied by no very serious consequences, quite dissipated this intention. it was impossible to quit them so crudely at such a moment. so he remained another day, and that was the day preceding sidonia’s fête, which he particularly resolved not to attend. he felt it quite impossible that he could again endure the sight of either sidonia or edith. he looked upon them as persons who had deeply injured him; though they really were individuals who had treated him with invariable kindness. but he felt their existence was a source of mortification and misery to him. with these feelings, sauntering away the last hours at paris, disquieted, uneasy; no present, no future; no enjoyment, no hope; really, positively, undeniably unhappy; unhappy too for the first time in his life; the first unhappiness; what a companion piece for the first love! coningsby, of all places in the world, in the gardens of the luxembourg, encountered sir joseph wallinger and edith.
to avoid them was impossible; they met face to face; and sir joseph stopped, and immediately reminded him that it was three days since they had seen him, as if to reproach him for so unprecedented a neglect. and it seemed that edith, though she said not as much, felt the same. and coningsby turned round and walked with them. he told them he was going to leave paris on the morrow.
‘and miss monsieur de sidonia’s fête, of which we have all talked so much!’ said edith, with unaffected surprise, and an expression of disappointment which she in vain attempted to conceal.
‘the festival will not be less gay for my absence,’ said coningsby, with that plaintive moroseness not unusual to despairing lovers.
‘if we were all to argue from the same premises, and act accordingly,’ said edith, ‘the saloons would be empty. but if any person’s absence would be remarked, i should really have thought it would be yours. i thought you were one of monsieur de sidonia’s great friends?’
‘he has no friends,’ said coningsby. ‘no wise man has. what are friends? traitors.’
edith looked much astonished. and then she said,
‘i am sure you have not quarrelled with monsieur de sidonia, for we have just parted with him.’
‘i have no doubt you have,’ thought coningsby.
‘and it is impossible to speak of another in higher terms than he spoke of you.’ sir joseph observed how unusual it was for monsieur de sidonia to express himself so warmly.
‘sidonia is a great man, and carries everything before him,’ said coningsby. ‘i am nothing; i cannot cope with him; i retire from the field.’
‘what field?’ inquired sir joseph, who did not clearly catch the drift of these observations. ‘it appears to me that a field for action is exactly what sidonia wants. there is no vent for his abilities and intelligence. he wastes his energy in travelling from capital to capital like a king’s messenger. the morning after his fête he is going to madrid.’
this brought some reference to their mutual movements. edith spoke of her return to lancashire, of her hope that mr. coningsby would soon see oswald; but mr. coningsby informed her that though he was going to leave paris, he had no intention of returning to england; that he had not yet quite made up his mind whither he should go; but thought that he should travel direct to st. petersburg. he wished to travel overland to astrachan. that was the place he was particularly anxious to visit.
after this incomprehensible announcement, they walked on for some minutes in silence, broken only by occasional monosyllables, with which coningsby responded at hazard to the sound remarks of sir joseph. as they approached the palace a party of english who were visiting the chamber of peers, and who were acquainted with the companions of coningsby, encountered them. amid the mutual recognitions, coningsby, was about to take his leave somewhat ceremoniously, but edith held forth her hand, and said,
‘is this indeed farewell?’
his heart was agitated, his countenance changed; he retained her hand amid the chattering tourists, too full of their criticisms and their egotistical commonplaces to notice what was passing. a sentimental ebullition seemed to be on the point of taking place. their eyes met. the look of edith was mournful and inquiring.
‘we will say farewell at the ball,’ said coningsby, and she rewarded him with a radiant smile.
