an incroyable and a merveilleuse
a cooling sensation brought him to. his glance, at first vague and undecided, gradually settled upon his surroundings. they were in nowise disquieting. he was in a boudoir, which was also used as a dressing-room, and was hung with pearl-gray satin dotted with roses. he was lying upon a sofa covered with the same material as the hangings.
a woman stood behind him, supporting his head with a pillow; another on her knees beside him was bathing his head with a perfumed sponge. this was what had caused that soothing sensation of coolness which had restored him to consciousness. the woman, or rather the young girl, who was bathing his head, was pretty and well dressed; but it was the prettiness and elegance of the waiting-maid. the young man's eyes, therefore, did not linger long upon her, but were raised almost immediately to the woman who stood over him, and who could be none other than the mistress. he uttered a cry of delight, for he recognized the same person who had warned him from the window, and he started as though he would rise and go to her; but two white hands, pressing his shoulders, held him down upon the couch.
"not so fast, citizen coster de saint-victor!" said the young woman; "we must dress your wound first; and after that we will see how far your gratitude will be allowed to carry you."
"ah! then you know me, citizeness," exclaimed the young man, with a smile that disclosed teeth of a dazzling[pg 266] whiteness and a glance that few women could withstand. he had used the democratic "thou" in this speech.
"in the first place," said the young lady, "i wish to remind you that it is becoming very bad form for a man who follows the fashion as you do to say 'thou,' especially to ladies."
"alas!" sighed the young man, "it is especially with them that the old fashion had its uses. brutal as it may be when addressed to a man, 'thou' has a tender charm when a lovely woman is its recipient. i have always contended that the english sustained an incalculable loss when they abandoned its use. but i am too grateful, madame, not to obey you; only allow me to repeat my question, though i change its form: do you know me?"
"who does not know the handsome coster de saint-victor, who would be the king of fashion and elegance, if the title of king were not abolished."
coster de saint-victor turned suddenly and looked the young lady full in the face.
"obtain the restoration of kings, madame," said he, "and i will hail the beautiful aurélie de saint-amour as queen."
"so you know me, too, citizen?" said the young woman, laughing.
"who does not know our modern aspasia? this is the first time, though, that i have had the honor of seeing you so near at hand, madame, and—"
"and—you were saying?"
"that paris has no need to envy athens, nor yet barras to envy pericles."
"come, come! that blow on the head was not as dangerous after all as i thought."
"what do you mean?"
"because it has not impaired your wit."
"no," replied coster de saint-victor, kissing her beautiful hand, "but it may have taken away my reason."
just then the bell rang in a peculiar fashion, and the[pg 267] hand which coster was holding trembled. aurélie's waiting-maid rose and looked uneasily at her mistress.
"madame," said she, "that is the citizen-general."
"yes," replied the latter, "i recognized his ring."
"what will he say?" asked the maid.
"nothing."
"what do you mean?"
"i shall not open the door." the courtesan shook her head rebelliously.
"you will not admit citizen-general barras?" asked the terrified maid.
"what?" cried coster de saint-victor, "was that citizen barras who rang?"
"yes," replied mademoiselle aurélie de saint-amour with a laugh, "and you see he is quite as impatient as ordinary mortals."
"but, madame—" persisted the maid.
"i am mistress in my own house," said the capricious courtesan, "and it pleases me to receive the citizen coster de saint-victor, and it does not please me to receive citizen barras. i open my door to the first, and i close it to the second, or rather i do not open it to the second."
"pardon me, my generous hostess," cried coster de saint-victor; "but i cannot permit you to make such a sacrifice. allow your maid to admit the general, i beg of you, and while he is in your salon i will withdraw."
"and if i admit him only on condition that you do not withdraw?"
"oh! then i will remain," said coster, "and very willingly, too, i assure you."
the bell rang for the third time.
"go and open the door, suzette," said aurélie.
suzette ran out. aurélie bolted the door of the boudoir behind her, extinguished the two candles which were burning on the dressing-table, and seeking coster de saint-victor in the darkness, pressed her lips to his forehead, and went out murmuring: "wait for me."
[pg 268]
then she went into the salon from the boudoir just as citizen-general barras appeared in the door of the dining-room. "and what is this i hear, my beauty," said barras, "have they been cutting throats under your window?"
"yes, my dear general, and my foolish suzette did not dare to open the door for you. i had to tell her three times, before she would obey me, she was so fearful lest one of the combatants had come to demand shelter. in vain i told her that it was your ring. i thought i should be obliged to open the door for you myself. but to what do i owe the pleasure of your visit this evening?"
"a first representation at the feydeau this evening; and i will take you if you will go with me."
"no, thank you; all this firing and shouting has upset my nerves. i am not well and i prefer to remain at home."
"very well; but as soon as the piece is over i shall come and ask you for some supper."
"ah! you did not let me know in time, and i have nothing to offer you."
"do not worry about that, pretty one; i will pass garchi's on my way to the theatre and will leave an order for them to send a bisque, a bechamel, a cold pheasant, some shrimps, some ice-cream and fruit—a mere trifle, you perceive."
"my dear friend, you had much better let me go to bed. i warn you that i shall be very cross."
"i will not prevent your going to bed. you can take supper in bed and be cross as comfortably as possible."
"you insist?"
"no, i implore. you know, madame, that you are sole mistress here, and that you have but to order, and that i, as the first of your servants, will obey."
"oh! can i refuse a man who speaks like that? go to the theatre, my lord, and your humble servant will await your return."
"my dear aurélie, you are simply adorable, and i do not see why i have not had bars put at your windows like those of rosine."
[pg 269]
"what would be the good! you are the count of almaviva."
"there is no cherubino hidden in your boudoir?"
"i will not say 'here is the key,' but 'it is in the door.'"
"well, see how magnanimous i am; if he is there i am going to give him time to escape. au revoir, my beautiful goddess of love; expect me in an hour."
"very well. and when you come back you must tell me about the play. i shall like that better than if i had seen it myself."
"certainly, only i do not promise to sing it to you."
"when i want to hear singing, my good friend, i will send for garat."
"and let it be said in passing, my dear aurélie, that i think you send for him rather too often."
"oh! do not be uneasy about that. he is protected by madame krüdener. she keeps as close to him as his shadow."
"they are putting up a pretty romance between them."
"yes, in action."
"are you not a little malicious?"
"faith, no; i do not care enough. i leave that sort of thing to the great ladies who are virtuous and ugly."
"once more, won't you come with me to the feydeau?"
"no."
"then au revoir."
"au revoir."
aurélie accompanied the general to the door of the salon, and suzette followed him to the outer door of the apartment, which she closed and trebly locked after him. when the beautiful courtesan turned round, coster de saint-victor was waiting for her on the threshold of the boudoir. she sighed, for he was marvellously handsome.
