Within an Inch of His Life Part 96

And in his anger he wrung his hands till they nearly bled.

"You see," said the young advocate, "there is no use in trying to get outside of our circle of defence. Any new effort would be useless."

"No!" replied Jacques. "No, I shall not stop there!"

And after a few moments' reflection,--if he can be said to have been able to reflect,--he said,--

"I hope you will pardon me, my dear sir, for having exposed you to such insults. I ought to have foreseen it, or, rather, I did foresee it. I knew that was not the way to begin the battle. But I was a coward, I was afraid, I drew back, fool that I was! As if I had not known that we shall at any rate have to come to the last extremity! Well, I am ready now, and I shall do it!"

"What do you mean to do?"

"I shall go and see the Countess Claudieuse. I shall tell her"--

"Oh!"

"You do not think she will deny it to my face? When I once have her under my eye, I shall make her confess the crime of which I am accused."

M. Folgat had promised Dr. Seignebos not to mention what Martha and her governess had said; but he felt no longer bound to conceal it.

"And if the countess should not be guilty?" he asked.

"Who, then, could be guilty?"

"If she had an accomplice?"

"Well, she will tell me who it is. I will insist upon it, I will make her tell. I will not be disgraced. I am innocent, I will not go to the galleys!"

To try and make Jacques listen to reason would have been madness just now.

"Have a care," said the young lawyer. "Our defence is difficult enough already; do not make it still more so."

"I shall be careful."

"A scene might ruin us irrevocably."

"Be not afraid!"

M. Folgat said nothing more. He thought he could guess by what means Jacques would try to get out of prison. But he did not ask him about the details, because his position as his counsel made it his duty not to know, or, at least, to seem not to know, certain things.

"Now, my dear sir," said the prisoner, "you will render me a service, will you not?"

"What is it?"

"I want to know as accurately as possible how the house in which the countess lives is arranged."

Without saying a word, M. Folgat took out a sheet of paper, and drew on it a plan of the house, as far as he knew,--of the garden, the entrance-hall, and the sitting-room.

"And the count's room," asked Jacques, "where is that?"

"In the upper story."

"You are sure he cannot get up?"

"Dr. Seignebos told me so."

The prisoner seemed to be delighted.

"Then all is right," he said, "and I have only to ask you, my dear counsel, to tell Miss Dionysia that I must see her to-day, as soon as possible. I wish her to come accompanied by one of her aunts only. And, I beseech you, make haste."

M. Folgat did hasten; so that, twenty minutes later, he was at the young lady's house. She was in her chamber. He sent word to her that he wished to see her; and, as soon as she heard that Jacques wanted her, she said simply,--

"I am ready to go."

And, calling one of the Misses Lavarande, she told her,--

"Come, Aunt Elizabeth, be quick. Take your hat and your shawl. I am going out, and you are going with me."

The prisoner counted so fully upon the promptness of his betrothed, that he had already gone down into the parlor when she arrived at the prison, quite out of breath from having walked so fast. He took her hands, and, pressing them to his lips, he said,--

"Oh, my darling! how shall I ever thank you for your sublime fidelity in my misfortune? If I escape, my whole life will not suffice to prove my grat.i.tude."

But he tried to master his emotion, and turning to Aunt Elizabeth, he said,--

"Will you pardon me if I beg you to render me once more the service you have done me before? It is all important that no one should hear what I am going to say to Dionysia. I know I am watched."

Accustomed to pa.s.sive obedience, the good lady left the room without daring to make the slightest remark, and went to keep watch in the pa.s.sage. Dionysia was very much surprised; but Jacques did not give her time to utter a word. He said at once,--

"You told me in this very place, that, if I wished to escape, Blangin would furnish me the means, did you not?"

The young girl drew back, and stammered with an air of utter bewilderment,--

"You do not want to flee?"

"Never! Under no circ.u.mstances! But you ought to remember, that, while resisting all your arguments, I told you, that perhaps, some day or other, I might require a few hours of liberty."

"I remember."

"I begged you to sound the jailer on that point."

"I did so. For money he will always be ready to do your bidding."

Jacques seemed to breathe more freely.

"Well, then," he said again, "the time has come. To-morrow I shall have to be away all the evening. I shall like to leave about nine; and I shall be back at midnight."

Dionysia stopped him.

"Wait," she said; "I want to call Blangin's wife."