Chapter LVI: Preparations for Departure
ATHOS lost no more time in combating this immutable resolution. He gave all his attention to preparing, during the two days the duke had granted him, the proper appointments for Raoul. This labor chiefly concerned Grimaud, who immediately applied himself to it with the good-will and intelligence we know he possessed. Athos gave this worthy servant orders to take the route to Paris when the equipments should be ready; and to avoid all risk of keeping the duke waiting, or of injury to Raoul if the duke should perceive his absence, he himself, the day after the visit of M. de Beaufort, set off for Paris with his son.
In the heart of the poor young man it aroused emotions easily to be understood, thus to return to Paris among all the people who had known and loved him. Every face recalled to him who had endured so much, a suffering; to him who had loved so much, some circumstance of his love. Raoul, on approaching Paris, felt as if he were dying. Once in Paris, he really existed no longer. When he reached De Guiche’s residence, he was informed that De Guiche was with Monsieur. Raoul took the road to the Luxembourg, and when arrived, without suspecting that he was going to the place where La Valliere had lived, he heard so much music and breathed so many perfumes, he heard so much joyous laughter and saw so many dancing shadows, that if it had not been for a charitable woman, who perceived him dejected and pale in a doorway, he would have remained there a few minutes, and then would have gone away never to return. But, as we have said, in the first antechambers he had stopped, solely to avoid mingling with all those happy existences which he felt were moving around him in the adjacent salons. And when one of Monsieur’s servants, recognizing him, had asked him if he wished to see Monsieur or Madame, Raoul had scarcely answered him, but had sunk down upon a bench near the velvet portiere, looking at a clock, which had stopped an hour before. The servant had passed on, and another, better acquainted with him, had come up and asked Raoul whether he should inform M. de Guiche of his being there. This name even did not rouse the recollections of poor Raoul. The persistent servant went on to relate that De Guiche had just invented a new game of lottery, and was teaching it to the ladies. Raoul, opening his large eyes like the absent-minded man in Theophrastus, had made no answer; but his sadness had increased by it two shades.
With his head hanging down, his limbs relaxed, his mouth half open for the escape of his sighs, Raoul remained, thus forgotten, in the antechamber, when all at once a lady’s robe passed, rubbing against the doors of a lateral salon which opened upon the gallery. A lady, young, pretty, and gay, scolding an officer of the household, entered by that way, and expressed herself with much vivacity. The officer replied in calm but firm sentences; it was rather a little love-pet than a quarrel of courtiers, and was terminated by a kiss on the fingers of the lady.
Suddenly, on perceiving Raoul, the lady became silent, and pushing away the officer, “Make your escape, Malicorne,” said she; “I did not think there was any one here. I shall curse you if they have either heard or seen us!”
Malicorne hastened away. The young lady advanced behind Raoul, and bending her joyous face over him, “Monsieur is a gallant man,” said she, “and no doubt-” She here interrupted herself by uttering a cry,- “Raoul!” said she, blushing.
“Mademoiselle de Montalais!” said Raoul, more pale than death.
He rose unsteadily and tried to make his way across the slippery mosaic of the floor; but she had comprehended that savage and cruel grief. She felt that in the flight of Raoul there was an accusation, or at least a suspicion against herself. A woman, ever vigilant, she did not think she ought to let the opportunity slip of making a justification; but Raoul, though stopped by her in the middle of the gallery, did not seem disposed to surrender without a combat. He took it up in a tone so cold and embarrassed that if they had been thus surprised, the whole court would have had no doubt about the proceedings of Mademoiselle de Montalais.