The Later Life Part 29

"And I'll tell him to his face ... that he's a dirty blackguard,"

the old nurse insisted, obstinately.

She knelt beside Emilie, opened the girl's blouse and softly rubbed her breast:

"The blackguard!" she repeated.

The sisters let her alone. They were silent, all three; the room was all in confusion. Emilie had dropped back again limply among Marianne's clothes. Leentje got up and began tidying.

"Louise," whispered Emilie.

"My poor sissy!"

"I see Uncle Henri's portrait there.... And there.... And another over there.... Marianne's fond of Uncle Henri...."

"Yes, but hush!"

"She's fond of him ... she's in love with him, Louise."

"Yes, I know. Hush, Emilie!"

"Does Mamma know?"

"We don't talk about it. But I think so."

"Does everybody know?"

"No, no, not everybody!"

"Does Marianne never talk about it?"

"No, never."

"Is there nothing to be done? Aunt Adolphine and Aunt Cateau were speaking of it the other day. Everybody knows about it."

"No, no, not everybody, surely?"

"Yes, everybody. And everybody knows too that Eduard beats me.... Louise!"

"Ssh! I hear voices."

"That's ... Henri!"

"Yes, it's Henri's voice...."

"And Eduard...."

"Heavens!... Leentje!" cried Louise. "Go to Mr. Henri and Mr. Eduard and tell them that Papa doesn't wish them to speak loud."

"The blackguard!" said Leentje.

She left the room and went down the stairs. The whole house was lit up, the doors of the reception-rooms were open; one caught the glitter of the dinner-table amid its flowers and the sound of laughing voices: a soft, well-bred society-ripple, a ring of silver, a faint tinkling of crystal.

"The blackguard!" thought the old nurse.

She was down in the hall now: from the kitchen came the voices of bustling maids, of the chef, the footmen. The cloak-room was lighted and open, was full of wraps and overcoats. On the other side of the hall was the sitting-room of the two undergraduates.

Old Leentje opened the door. She saw Van Raven standing opposite Henri; their voices clashed, in bitter enmity:

"Then why did Emilie telegraph to me?"

"I don't know; but our affairs don't concern you."

"Mr. Henri, Mr. Eduard," said the old nurse, "your papa asks, will you please not speak loud...."

"Where is Emilie?" asked Henri.

"The poor dear is in Marianne's room," said Leentje. "Come with me, my boy...."

She took Henri, who was shaking all over, by the hand. And, as she left the room with Henri, she said, out loud:

"The blackguard!"

"Who?" asked Henri.

"He!"

"What has he done?"

"What hasn't he done!"

She hesitated to tell him, dreading his temper, went cautiously up the stairs, past the open doors of the lighted rooms.

Henri caught a glimpse of the dinner-table, through the flowers, and of three of the guests talking and laughing, lightly and pleasantly, in their well-bred, expressionless voices.

And then he found his two sisters in Marianne's room. As soon as Emilie saw him, she threw herself into his arms:

"Henri!"

"Sissy, what is it?"

She told him, briefly.

"The cad!" he cried. "The cad! Has he hit you? I'll ... I'll ..."

He wanted to rush downstairs; they held him back:

"Henri, for goodness' sake," Louise entreated, "remember there are people here!"