第41章

Hisonevirtueconsistedofhisfondnessforhorses，andinthecarehetookoftheanimalsunderhischarge。Inaword，hewastoogoodagroomtobeeasilyreplaced，orhewouldhavequittedmyservicelongsince。OntheoccasionofwhichIamnowwriting，hewasreportedtomebymystewardasgrowingidleanddisorderlyinhishabits。Theprincipaloffenseallegedagainsthimwas，thathehadbeenseenthatdayinthecityofMetz，inthecompanyofawoman(supposedtobeanEnglishwoman)，whomhewasentertainingatatavern，whenheoughttohavebeenonhiswaybacktoMaisonRouge。Theman’sdefensewasthat“thelady“(ashecalledher)

wasanEnglishstranger，unacquaintedwiththewaysoftheplace，andthathehadonlyshownherwhereshecouldobtainsomerefreshmentsatherownrequest。Iadministeredthenecessaryreprimand，withouttroublingmyselftoinquirefurtherintothematter。Infailingtodothis，Itookmythirdstep，blindfold，towardthelastactinthedramaoftheHostler’sDream。

Ontheeveningofthetwenty-eighth，IinformedtheservantsatthestablesthatoneofthemmustwatchthroughthenightbytheEnglishman’sbedside。JosephRigobertimmediatelyvolunteeredfortheduty——asameans，nodoubt，ofwinninghiswaybacktomyfavor。Iacceptedhisproposal。

Thatdaythesurgeondinedwithus。TowardmidnightheandIleftthesmokingroom，andrepairedtoFrancisRaven’sbedside。

Rigobertwasathispost，withnoveryagreeableexpressiononhisface。TheFrenchmanandtheEnglishmanhadevidentlynotgotonwelltogethersofar。FrancisRavenlayhelplessonhisbed，waitingsilentlyfortwointhemorningandtheDreamWoman。

“Ihavecome，Francis，tobidyougoodnight，“Isaid，cheerfully。

“To-morrowmorningIshalllookinatbreakfasttime，beforeI

leavehomeonajourney。“

“Thankyouforallyourkindness，sir。Youwillnotseemealiveto-morrowmorning。Shewillfindmethistime。Markmywords——shewillfindmethistime。“

“Mygoodfellow！shecouldn’tfindyouinEngland。HowintheworldisshetofindyouinFrance？“

“It’sborneinonmymind，sir，thatshewillfindmehere。AttwointhemorningonmybirthdayIshallseeheragain，andseeherforthelasttime。“

“Doyoumeanthatshewillkillyou？“

“Imeanthat，sir，shewillkillme——withtheknife。“

“AndwithRigobertintheroomtoprotectyou？“

“Iamadoomedman。FiftyRigobertscouldn’tprotectme。“

“Andyouwantedsomebodytositupwithyou？“

“Mereweakness，sir。Idon’tliketobeleftaloneonmydeathbed。“

Ilookedatthesurgeon。Ifhehadencouragedme，Ishouldcertainly，outofsheercompassion，haveconfessedtoFrancisRaventhetrickthatwewereplayinghim。Thesurgeonheldtohisexperiment；thesurgeon’sfaceplainlysaid——“No。“

Thenextday(thetwenty-ninthofFebruary)wasthedayofthe“SilverWedding。“Thefirstthinginthemorning，IwenttoFrancisRaven’sroom。Rigobertmetmeatthedoor。

“Howhashepassedthenight？“Iasked。

“Sayinghisprayers，andlookingforghosts，“Rigobertanswered。

“Alunaticasylumistheonlyproperplaceforhim。“

Iapproachedthebedside。“Well，Francis，hereyouare，safeandsound，inspiteofwhatyousaidtomelastnight。“

Hiseyesrestedonminewithavacant，wonderinglook。

“Idon’tunderstandit，“hesaid。

“Didyouseeanythingofyourwifewhentheclockstrucktwo？“

“No，sir。“

“Didanythinghappen？“

“Nothinghappened，sir。“

“Doesn’tTHISsatisfyyouthatyouwerewrong？“

Hiseyesstillkepttheirvacant，wonderinglook。Heonlyrepeatedthewordshehadspokenalready:“Idon’tunderstandit。“

Imadealastattempttocheerhim。“Come，come，Francis！keepagoodheart。Youwillbeoutofbedinafortnight。“

Heshookhisheadonthepillow。“There’ssomethingwrong，“hesaid。“Idon’texpectyoutobelieveme，sir。Ionlysaythere’ssomethingwrong——andtimewillshowit。“

Ilefttheroom。HalfanhourlaterIstartedforMr。Beldheimer’shouse；leavingthearrangementsforthemorningofthefirstofMarchinthehandsofthedoctorandmywife。

XVI

TheonethingwhichprincipallystruckmewhenIjoinedtheguestsatthe“SilverWedding“isalsotheonethingwhichitisnecessarytomentionhere。Onthisjoyfuloccasionanoticeableladypresentwasoutofspirits。Thatladywasnootherthantheheroineofthefestival，themistressofthehouse！

InthecourseoftheeveningIspoketoMr。Beldheimer’seldestsononthesubjectofhismother。Asanoldfriendofthefamily，I

hadaclaimonhisconfidencewhichtheyoungmanwillinglyrecognized。

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