Florine entered mysteriously the apartment of Mrs. Grivois, the first woman of the princess.
"Well?" demanded Mrs. Grivois of the young woman.
"Here are the notes which I have taken this morning," said Florine, putting a paper into the duenna's hand. "Happily, I have a good memory."
"At what time exactly did she return home this morning?" asked the duenna, quickly.
"Who, madame?"
"Miss Adrienne."
"She did not go out, madame. We put her in the bath at nine o'clock."
"But before nine o'clock she came home, after having passed the night out of her house. Eight o'clock was the time at which she returned, however."
Florine looked at Mrs. Grivois with profound astonishment, and said-"I do not understand you, madame."
"What's that? Madame did not come home this morning at eight o'clock?
Dare you lie?"
"I was ill yesterday, and did not come down till nine this morning, in order to assist Georgette and Hebe help our young lady from the bath. I know nothing of what passed previously, I swear to you, madame."
"That alters the case. You must ferret out what I allude to from your companions. They don't distrust you, and will tell you all."
"Yes, madame."
"What has your mistress done this morning since you saw her?"
"Madame dictated a letter to Georgette for M. Norval, I requested permission to send it off, as a pretext for going out, and for writing down all I recollected."
"Very well. And this letter?"
"Jerome had to go out, and I gave it him to put in the post-office."
"Idiot!" exclaimed Mrs. Grivois: "couldn't you bring it to me?"
"But, as madame dictated it aloud to Georgette, as is her custom, I knew the contents of the letter; and I have written it in my notes."
"That's not the same thing. It is likely there was need to delay sending off this letter; the princess will be very much displeased."
"I thought I did right, madame."
"I know that it is not good will that fails you. For these six months I have been satisfied with you. But this time you have committed a very great mistake."
"Be indulgent, madame! what I do is sufficiently painful!" The girl stifled a sigh.
Mrs. Grivois looked fixedly at her, and said in a sardonic tone:
"Very well, my dear, do not continue it. If you have scruples, you are free. Go your way."
"You well know that I am not free, madame," said Florine, reddening; and with tears in her eyes she added: "I am dependent upon M. Rodin, who placed me here."
"Wherefore these regrets, then?"
"In spite of one's self, one feels remorse. Madame is so good, and so confiding."
"She is all perfection, certainly! But you are not here to sing her praises. What occurred afterwards?"
"The working-man who yesterday found and brought back Frisky, came early this morning and requested permission to speak with my young lady."
"And is this working-man still in her house?"
"I don't know. He came in when I was going out with the letter."
"You must contrive to learn what it was this workingman came about."
"Yes, madame."
"Has your mistress seemed preoccupied, uneasy, or afraid of the interview which she is to have to-day with the princess? She conceals so little of what she thinks, that you ought to know."
"She has been as gay as usual. She has even jested about the interview!"
"Oh! jested, has she?" said the tire-woman, muttering between her teeth, without Florine being able to hear her: "'They laugh most who laugh last.' In spite of her audacious and diabolical character, she would tremble, and would pray for mercy, if she knew what awaits her this day." Then addressing Florine, she continued-"Return, and keep yourself, I advise you, from those fine scruples, which will be quite enough to do you a bad turn. Do not forget!"
"I cannot forget that I belong not to myself, madame."
"Anyway, let it be so. Farewell."
Florine quitted the mansion and crossed the park to regain the summer house, while Mrs. Grivois went immediately to the Princess Saint-Dizier.
Volume 3
Table of Contents
