white lies-第39节

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e　if　I　don'tha！　ha！'well；　for　your　comfort；　I　am　by　no　means　so　sure　she　might　not　have　been　brought　to　do　ANYTHING　for　you；　except　openly　defy　mamma：　but　now　of　course〃

And　here　this　young　lady's　sentence　ended：　for　the　sisters；　unlike　in　most　things；　were　one　in　grammar。

Camille　was　so　disconcerted　and　sad　at　what　he　had　done；　that　Rose　began　to　pity　him：　so　she　rallied　him　a　little　longer　in　spite　of　her　pity：　and　then　all　of　a　sudden　gave　him　her　hand；　and　said　she　would　try　and　repair　the　mischief。

He　began　to　smother　her　hand　with　kisses。

〃Oh！〃　said　she；　〃I　don't　deserve　all　that：　I　have　a　motive　of　my　own；　let　me　alone；　child；　do。　　Your　unlucky　speech　will　be　quoted　to　me　a　dozen　times。　　Never　mind。〃

Rose　went　and　bribed　Josephine　to　consent。

〃Come；　mamma　shall　not　know；　and　as　for　you；　you　shall　scarcely　move　in　the　matter；　only　do　not　oppose　me　very　violently；　and　all　will　be　well。〃

〃Ah；　Rose！〃　said　Josephine；　〃it　is　delightfulterrible；　I　meanto　have　a　little　creature　about　one　that　reads　one　like　this。　　What　shall　I　do？　　What　shall　I　do？〃

〃Why；　do　the　best　you　can　under　all　the　circumstances。　　His　wound　is　healed；　you　know；　he　must　go　back　to　the　army；　you　have　both　suffered　to　the　limits　of　mortal　endurance。　　Is　he　to　go　away　unhappy；　in　any　doubt　of　your　affection？　and　you　to　remain　behind　with　the　misery　of　self…reproach　added　to　the　desolation　of　absence？think。〃

〃It　is　cruel。　　But　to　deceive　my　mother！〃

〃Do　not　say　deceive　our　mother；　that　is　such　a　shocking　phrase。〃

Rose　then　reminded　Josephine　that　their　confessor　had　told　them　a　wise　reticence　was　not　the　same　thing　as　a　moral　deceit。　　She　reminded　her；　too；　how　often　they　had　acted　on　his　advice　and　always　with　good　effect；　how　many　anxieties　and　worries　they　had　saved　their　mother　by　reticence。　　Josephine　assented　warmly　to　this。

Was　there　not　some　reason　to　think　they　had　saved　their　mother's　very　life　by　these　reticences？　　Josephine　assented。　　〃And；　Josephine；　you　are　of　age；　you　are　your　own　mistress；　you　have　a　right　to　marry　whom　you　please：　and；　sooner　or　later；　you　will　certainly　marry　Camille。　　I　doubt　whether　even　our　mother　could　prevail　on　you　to　refuse　him　altogether。　　So　it　is　but　a　question　of　time；　and　of　giving　our　mother　pain；　or　sparing　her　pain。　　Dear　mamma　is　old；　she　is　prejudiced。　　Why　shock　her　prejudices？　　She　could　not　be　brought　to　understand　the　case：　these　things　never　happened　in　her　day。　　Everything　seems　to　have　gone　by　rule　then。　Let　us　do　nothing　to　worry　her　for　the　short　time　she　has　to　live。　Let　us　take　a　course　between　pain　to　her　and　cruelty　to　you　and　Camille。〃

These　arguments　went　far　to　convince　Josephine：　for　her　own　heart　supported　them。　　She　went　from　her　solid　objections　to　untenable　onesa　great　point　gained。　　She　urged　the　difficulty；　the　impossibility　of　a　secret　marriage。

Camille　burst　in　here：　he　undertook　at　once　to　overcome　these　imaginary　difficulties。　　〃They　could　be　married　at　a　distance。〃

〃You　will　find　no　priest　who　will　consent　to　do　such　a　wicked　thing　as　marry　us　without　my　mother's　knowledge；〃　objected　Josephine。

〃Oh！　as　to　that；〃　said　Rose；　〃you　know　the　mayor　marries　people　nowadays。〃

〃I　will　not　be　married　again　without　a　priest；〃　said　Josephine；　sharply。

〃Nor　I；〃　said　Camille。　　〃I　know　a　mayor　who　will　do　the　civil　forms　for　me；　and　a　priest　who　will　marry　me　in　the　sight　of　Heaven；　and　both　will　keep　it　secret　for　love　of　me　till　it　shall　please　Josephine　to　throw　off　this　disguise。〃

〃Who　is　the　priest？〃　inquired　Josephine；　keenly。

〃An　old　cure：　he　lives　near　Frejus：　he　was　my　tutor；　and　the　mayor　is　the　mayor　of　Frejus；　also　an　old　friend　of　mine。〃

〃But　what　on　earth　will　you　say　to　them？〃

〃That　is　my　affair：　I　must　give　them　some　reasons　which　compel　me　to　keep　my　marriage　secret。　　Oh！　I　shall　have　to　tell　them　some　fibs；　of　course。〃

〃There；　I　thought　so！　　I　will　not　have　you　telling　fibs；　it　lowers　you。〃

〃Of　course　it　does；　but　you　can't　have　secrecy　without　a　fib　or　two。〃

〃Fibs　that　will　injure　no　one；〃　said　Rose；　majestically。

From　this　day　Camille　began　to　act　as　well　as　to　talk。　　He　bought　a　light　caleche　and　a　powerful　horse；　and　elected　factotum　Dard　his　groom。　　Camille　rode　over　to　Frejus　and　told　a　made…up　story　to　the　old　cure　and　the　mayor；　and　these　his　old　friends　believed　every　word　he　said；　and　readily　promised　their　services　and　strict　secrecy。

He　told　the　young　ladies　what　he　had　done。

Rose　approved。　　Josephine　shook　her　head；　and　seeing　matters　going　as　her　heart　desired　and　her　conscience　did　not　quite　approve；　she　suddenly　affected　to　be　next　to　nobody　in　the　businessto　be　resigned；　passive；　and　disposed　of　to　her　surprise　by　Queen　Rose　and　King　Camille；　without　herself　taking　any　actual　part　in　their　proceedings。

At　last　the　great　day　arrived　on　which　Camille　and　Josephine　were　to　be　married　at　Frejus。

The　mayor　awaited　them　at　eleven　o'clock。　　The　cure　at　twelve。　　The　family　had　been　duly　prepared　for　this　excursion　by　several　smaller　ones。

Rose　announced　their　intention　over　night；　a　part　of　it。

〃Mamma；〃　said　she；　blushing　a　little；　〃Colonel　Dujardin　is　good　enough　to　take　us　to　Frejus　tomorrow。　　It　is　a　long　way；　and　we　must　breakfast　early　or　we　shall　not　be　back　to　dinner。〃

〃Do　so；　my　child。　　I　hope　you　will　have　a　fine　day：　and　mind　you　take　plenty　of　wraps　with　you　in　case　of　a　shower。〃

At　seven　o'clock　the　next　morning　Camille　and　the　two　ladies　took　a　hasty　cup　of　coffee　together　instead　of　breakfast；　and　then　Dard　brought　the　caleche　round。

The　ladies　got　in；　and　Camille　had　just　taken　the　reins　in　his　hand；　when　Jacintha　screamed　to　him　from　the　hall；　〃Wait　a　moment；　colonel；　wait　a　moment！　　The　doctor！　don't　go　without　the　doctor！〃　And　the　next　moment　Dr。　Aubertin　appeared　with　his　cloak　on　his　arm；　and；　saluting　the　ladies　politely；　seated　himself　quietly　in　the　vehicle　before　the　party　had　recovered　their　surprise。

The　ladies　managed　to　keep　their　countenances；　but　Dujardin's　discomfiture　was　evident。

He　looked　piteously　at　Josephine；　and　then　asked　Aubertin　if　they　were　to　set　him　down　anywhere　in　particular。

〃Oh；　no；　I　am　going　with　you　to　Frejus；〃　was　the　quiet　reply。

Josephine　quaked。　　Camille　was　devoured　with　secret　rage：　he　lashed　the　horse　and　away　they　went。

It　was　a　silent　party。　　The　doctor　seemed　in　a　reverie。　　The　others　did　not　know　what　to　think；　much　less　to　say。　　Aubertin　sat　by　Camille's　side；　so　the　latter　could　hold　no　secret　communication　with　either　lady。

Now　it　was　not　the　doctor's　habit　to　rise　at　this　time　of　the　morning：　yet　there　he　was；　going　with　them　to　Frejus　uninvited。

Josephine　was　in　agony；　had　their　intention　transpired　through　some　imprudence　of　Camille？

Camille　was　terribly　uneasy。　　He　concluded　the　secret　had　transpired　through　female　indiscretion。　　Then　they　all　tortured　themselves　as　to　the　old　man's　intention。　　But　what　seemed　most　likely　was；　that　he　was　with　them　to　prevent　a　clandestine　marriage　by　his　bare　presence；　without　making　a　scene　and　shocking　Josephine's　pride：　and　if　so；　was　he　there　by　his　own　impulse？　　No；　it　was　rather　to　be　feared　that　all　this　was　done　by　order　of　the　baroness。　　There　was　a　finesse　about　it　that　smacked　of　a　feminine　origin；　and　the　baroness　was　very　capable　of　adopting　such　a　means　as　this；　to　spare　her　own　pride　and　her　favorite　daughter's。　　〃The　clandestine〃　is　not　all　sugar。　　A　more　miserable　party　never　went　along；　even　to　a　wedding。

After　waiting　a　long　time　for　the　doctor　to　declare　himself；　they　turned　desperate；　and　began　to　chatter　all　manner　of　trifles。　　This　had　a　good　effect：　it　roused　Aubertin　from　his　reverie；　and　presently　he　gave　them　the　following　piece　of　information：　〃I　told　you　the　other　day　that　a　nephew　of　mine　was　just　dead；　a　nephew　I　had　not　seen　for　many　years。　　Well；　my　friends；　I　received　last　night　a　hasty　summons　to　his　funeral。〃

〃At　Frejus？〃

〃No；　at　Paris。　　The　invitation　was　so　pressing；　that　I　was　obliged　to　go。　　The　letter　informed　me；　however；　that　a　diligence　passes　through　Frejus；　at　eleven　o'clock；　for　Paris。　　I　heard　you　say　you　were　going　to　Frejus；　so　I　packed　up　a　few　changes　of　linen；　and　my　MS。；　my　work　on　entomology；　which　at　my　last　visit　to　the　capital　all　the　publishers　were　mad　enough　to　refuse：　here　it　is。　　Apropos；　has　Jacintha　put　my　bag　into　the　carriage？〃

On　this　a　fierce　foot…search；　and　the　bag　was　found。　　Meantime；　Josephine　leaned　back　in　her　seat　with　a　sigh　of　thankfulness。　　She　was　more　intent　on　not　being　found　out　than　on　being　married。　　But　Camille；　who　was　more　intent　on　being　married　than　on　not　being　found　out；　was　asking　himself；　with　fury；　how　on　earth　they　should　get　rid　of　Aubertin　in　time。

Well；　of　course；　under　such　circumstances　as　these　the　diligence　did　not　come　to　its　time；　nor　till　long　after；　and　all　the　while；　they　were　waiting　for　it　they　were　failing　their　rendezvous　with　the　mayor；　and　making　their　rendezvous　with　the　curate　impossible。　　But；　above　all；　there　was　the　risk　of　one　or　other　of　those　friends　coming　up　and　blurting　all　out；　taking　for　granted　that　the　doctor　must　be　in　their　confidence；　or　why　bring　him。

At　last；　at　half…past　eleven　o'clock；　to　their　great