Lucile Triumphant Part 19

"I made one last, agonized appeal to Jeanette, but she kept her face averted and answered me nothing, and I, stricken, bewildered, hardly knowing what I did, followed the servant to my father's rooms.

"I found him pacing the room with an angry scowl upon his face and an air that augured ill for me. Far from being taken aback, I welcomed this att.i.tude of my father. I felt, somehow, that he was to blame for the tears of my Jeanette. I could have fallen upon him, doing him bodily injury, so great and terrible was my anger. With an effort, I conquered this first mad impulse and waited, with hands so tightly clenched that the nails bit deep into the flesh.

"I had not long to wait. At the sound of the opening door my father whirled and, with an imperious gesture, ordered the servant to retire.

When the door was closed behind the man, my father burst out, furiously, 'So you have been deceiving me, lying to me in my own house. You need not start and look surprised, for what I have not seen with my own eyes has been faithfully retailed to me through one I can trust.'

"I fear I must have appeared stupid, for suddenly my brain refused to act naturally. How was it for my father to find out this--my so great secret?

Surely, I had taken every precaution. But my father's voice broke in rudely upon my bewilderment.

"'Have you nothing to say?' said he, furiously. 'Must you stand there like a dog, a monkey, a piece of wood, and make no attempt to defend yourself? Ah, to have reared such a son?'

"Suddenly, in a flash, came my wits again. In an instant I had drawn myself to my full height and stood regarding calmly my enraged father.

Ah, that I have not one kind thought--one gentle memory----" Again the stranger paused, and the girls felt the undernote of tragedy in his voice. Instinctively, Lucile glanced at her own father where he sat, knees crossed, cigar in hand, listening attentively, and her heart gave a great, warm throb as she whispered, "Dear old Dad!"

"Well," said the Frenchman, with a shrug of his shoulders, "there is not much more to tell, though it may mean the wrecking of two lives, mine and that of Jeanette. My father and I had many words, calm on my part, enraged on his, and during the interview I learned that our great secret had been discovered by that old witch, the housekeeper, the week before, when Jeanette and I had had our never-to-be-forgotten conversation. For some unknown reason she had kept the discovery to herself till the day before.

"'So you meant to marry Jeanette?' my father flung at me.

"'Oui, Monsieur, mon pere,' I answered, still calmly, 'and if Jeanette will do me the great honor to become my wife, I have not in the least altered my determination.'

"'Ah!' cried my father, stung by my calm. 'But she will not have you--Jeanette. She has too much pride!'

"'What do you mean?' I cried, shaken out of my composure for the first time. 'Explain quickly; my patience is almost at an end.'

"'Ah, if that is all, my impatient son,' said my father, lowering his voice, craftily, 'you will soon know far too much for your peace of mind!'

"'Explain!' I cried, my wrath rising to fever heat. I towered above him, white with rage, and he, seeming to realize for the first time I was no longer a child, retreated nervously.

"'You have often asked about the parents of Jeanette, and now I think it is but right you should know all.'

"'Ah!' I cried, joyfully. 'At last!'

"'But there is little cause for rejoicing,' said my father, lowering his voice till it was scarce above a whisper. 'What would you say, my son, if I were to tell you that the father of your fair Jeanette was--a _thief_?'

Ah, the evilness of that smile! How I hated him at that moment!

"'Sir,' said I, 'no such statement will I give belief till it has been proven to me beyond all doubt, and----' I leaned forward, speaking with intensity, 'you have yet to understand that were Jeanette's father doubly a thief, still would Jeanette be Jeanette, and the more obstacles you set in our path, only the more determined shall I become to wed her--if she will have me.'

"'Ah, but that is the question,' sneered my father. 'It seems you know not your Jeanette so well, after all, for you have left her natural pride outside your fine calculations. Suppose she will not have you, what then, eh?'

"'Ah, then you have told her!' I cried, choking with rage at my father--with pity and a great longing to hold my love in my arms and dry away her tears. 'Why could you have not have spared the child that knowledge? Oh, Jeanette!' I cried, and flung myself against the door; then, turning, met my father's sneering look with one of bitter defiance.

'I will see Jeanette first,' I said, tensely. 'And then, my father, we will have a short reckoning,' and going out, I slammed the door upon his sneering face and flung myself down the stairs in search of my love.

"'Jeanette,' I cried, implored, 'Come to me!' and ran from room to room, when, not finding her, I became frantic and knocked wildly upon the door of her own room, calling to her aloud. But she was not there, nor could I find her anywhere. Her room showed evidence of a hurried packing--small things strewn here and there; but her sweet presence, that had filled the gloomy house with sunshine, had fled, where, where, I could not tell!"

Here the speaker's voice trailed off and came to a stop. Then he turned to the group about him, saying, half questioningly, half apologetically, "I fear to tire you with this so long tale. After all, I suppose it is interesting only when applied to one's self."

"Oh, no!" cried Lucile, impulsively, while her eyes shone with eagerness.

"Please go on!"

"You are good, Mademoiselle," murmured the Frenchman, and went on with his story:

"Well, I sat down outside her door and wept like a child, for to me the world seemed ended; but then, drawing myself together, and angry at what I termed my miserable weakness, I set to work earnestly, doggedly, to find some way out of this great chain of circ.u.mstances that bound me.

Where to find Jeanette? My brain reeled with the schemes and plans that came crowding upon me, only to be rejected one by one as improbable, fantastic, children of an overwrought imagination.

"At last, one idea became fixed in my mind. The thought came to me and stayed persistently that, in her great extremity, she would naturally fly to the one place of refuge which she knew--the old chateau where she had spent her so happy childhood.

"I knew the place to be still occupied by the old servant and his wife--this sc.r.a.p of information my father had thrown to me--but, alas! I knew not the location, and there were so many chateaux of the kind in the province! How could I hope to find it?

"I sprang to my feet, while a new determination and resolve took possession of me, and I uttered a solemn oath, swearing that I would leave the house that night, _not_ returning till I should bring Jeanette with me--my wife!"

Little chills of excitement chased themselves all over the girls in a highly disconcerting manner, and even scoffing Phil leaned forward in his chair to miss not one word of this remarkable story.

CHAPTER XIV

A VAIN QUEST

"So I packed what few belongings I had and took the money which I had managed to save from my father's so meager allowance," the low voice continued; "and when night came and all was still in the house, I stole quietly away and turned my back upon what was the only refuge I have ever known.

"I will not dwell upon the days and weeks that followed. Suffice it to say that they were very, very hard, and I was dangerously near giving up all hope, when, one day, I chanced to come across an old, old man, full three score ten he must have been, perhaps more, who seemed to know something of the people I sought. When I had described them to the best of my ability, he nodded sagely and directed me up a side road near by.

Three miles of steady travel would bring Monsieur to the chateau where lived the old caretaker and his wife. Aye, he remembered the old gentleman, who was now dead, and the little, fairy-like creature, his ward, whom all had loved.

"I thanked him with great warmth, for he had brought a little spark of hope to a heart that before had lain heavy as lead.

"Wearily I trudged along till I was rewarded by the vision of a small chateau, almost surrounded by dense woodland. My unruly heart throbbed violently at the thought that in these very woods my sweet Jeanette had played when a child and earned the name throughout the countryside of the fairy child, whom every one loved. My heart yearned toward the little home which I was convinced must shelter my love, and, weary as I was, in my impatience I began to run, covering the remaining distance with feet as light as air and a heart that sang with dawning hope and joy.

"As I neared the door of my heart's desire, it opened and out stepped a plump, middle-aged little person, looking very trim and neat in her spotless white attire.

"To her I appealed. 'Madame,' said I, 'will you be so kind as to allow me the privilege of a few words of conversation? You have it in your power either to raise me to the heights of joy or to sink me in the very depths of despair.'

"She gazed upon me as she would upon a madman, and perhaps, after all, it was not so strange that she should do so, I being footsore and weary and all covered with the stains and dust of travel--or perhaps it was merely my so strange form of address which startled her. However, she retreated several steps toward the house and stood with her hand clasping the latch, as though making ready to fly should I attempt any violence.

"'May I ask sir,' she said, with great primness, not unmixed with fear, 'who comes so early in the morning with so strange, so unusual, requests?'

"'Aye, Madame,' said I, with most rea.s.suring manner, 'if you will but allow me, I will soon make all clear. Give me but a hearing,' I cried, frantically, as I saw she was about to retire.

"To my great surprise, when she spoke it was in so much different and more gentle a tone that I could have gone on my knees to her, so great was my grat.i.tude for a little kindness!

"'Oh, Monsieur, I believe you are honest,' she said, gently. 'I will listen to what you have to say.'

"'Ah, Madame, you are good!' I cried from my heart. 'I am sure your good opinion will be strengthened when you hear all.'

"Then did I pour out my story, while the good soul listened attentively, nodding now and then or uttering little exclamations of surprise or sympathy. 'And, oh, Madame,' I finished, 'if you have seen her; if, as I believe, she is here, I beg you, take me to her. Let me but see her, and all, I am convinced, will be well.'

"Then, what was my great horror, my boundless despair, when the good woman slowly and sadly shook her head, saying, in a voice full of sympathy and commiseration, 'How loath I am to shatter your hopes and add more trouble to your already much overheavy sorrows, you cannot know, Monsieur, but I fear I can give you little encouragement.'

"'Ah, Madame,' I cried, wildly, beseechingly, 'surely, you cannot be so cruel; surely, you must give me some hope! If Jeanette is not here now, surely, you have heard from her, seen her, can give me some clue to her present whereabouts!'