Camille was terribly uneasy.He concluded the secret had transpired through female indiscretion.Then they all tortured themselves as to the old man's intention.But what seemed most likely was, that he was with them to prevent a clandestine marriage by his bare presence, without ****** a scene and shocking Josephine's pride: and if so, was he there by his own impulse? No, it was rather to be feared that all this was done by order of the baroness.There was a finesse about it that smacked of a feminine origin, and the baroness was very capable of adopting such a means as this, to spare her own pride and her favorite daughter's."The clandestine" is not all sugar.A more miserable party never went along, even to a wedding.
After waiting a long time for the doctor to declare himself, they turned desperate, and began to chatter all manner of trifles.This had a good effect: it roused Aubertin from his reverie, and presently he gave them the following piece of information: "I told you the other day that a nephew of mine was just dead; a nephew Ihad not seen for many years.Well, my friends, I received last night a hasty summons to his funeral.""At Frejus?"
"No, at Paris.The invitation was so pressing, that I was obliged to go.The letter informed me, however, that a diligence passes through Frejus, at eleven o'clock, for Paris.I heard you say you were going to Frejus; so I packed up a few changes of linen, and my MS., my work on entomology, which at my last visit to the capital all the publishers were mad enough to refuse: here it is.Apropos, has Jacintha put my bag into the carriage?"On this a fierce foot-search, and the bag was found.Meantime, Josephine leaned back in her seat with a sigh of thankfulness.She was more intent on not being found out than on being married.But Camille, who was more intent on being married than on not being found out, was asking himself, with fury, how on earth they should get rid of Aubertin in time.
Well, of course, under such circumstances as these the diligence did not come to its time, nor till long after; and all the while, they were waiting for it they were failing their rendezvous with the mayor, and ****** their rendezvous with the curate impossible.But, above all, there was the risk of one or other of those friends coming up and blurting all out, taking for granted that the doctor must be in their confidence, or why bring him.
At last, at half-past eleven o'clock, to their great relief, up came the diligence.The doctor prepared to take his place in the interior, when the conductor politely informed him that the vehicle stopped there a quarter of an hour.
"In that case I will not abandon my friends," said the doctor, affectionately.
One of his friends gnashed his teeth at this mark of affection.But Josephine smiled sweetly.
At last he was gone; but it wanted ten minutes only to twelve.
Josephine inquired amiably, whether it would not be as well to postpone matters to another day--meaning forever."My ARDOR is chilled," said she, and showed symptoms of crying at what she had gone through.
Camille replied by half dragging them to the mayor.That worthy received them with profound, though somewhat demure respect, and invited them to a table sumptuously served.The ladies, out of politeness, were about to assent, but Camille begged permission to postpone that part until after the ceremony.
At last, to their astonishment, they were married.Then, with a promise to return and dine with the mayor, they went to the cure.
Lo and behold! he was gone to visit a sick person."He had waited a long time for them," said the servant.
Josephine was much disconcerted, and showed a disposition to cry again.The servant, a good-natured girl, nosed a wedding, and offered to run and bring his reverence in a minute.
Presently there came an old silvery-haired man, who addressed them all as his children.He took them to the church, and blessed their union; and for the first time Josephine felt as if Heaven consented.
They took a gentle farewell of him, and went back to the mayor's to dine; and at this stage of the business Rose and Josephine at last effected a downright simultaneous cry, apropos of nothing that was then occurring.
This refreshed them mightily, and they glowed at the mayor's table like roses washed with dew.
But oh! how glad at heart they all were to find themselves in the carriage once more going home to Beaurepaire.
Rose and Josephine sat intertwined on the back seat; Camille, the reins in his right hand, nearly turned his back on the horse, and leaned back over to them and purred to Rose and his wife with ineffable triumph and tenderness.
The lovers were in Elysium, and Rose was not a little proud of her good management in ending all their troubles.Their mother received them back with great, and as they fancied, with singular, affection.
She was beginning to be anxious about them, she said.Then her kindness gave these happy souls a pang it never gave them before.
Since the above events scarce a fortnight had elapsed; but such a change! Camille sunburnt and healthy, and full of animation and confidence; Josephine beaming with suppressed happiness, and more beautiful than Rose could ever remember to have seen her.For a soft halo of love and happiness shone around her head; a new and indefinable attraction bloomed on her face.She was a wife.Her eye, that used to glance furtively on Camille, now dwelt demurely on him; dwelt with a sort of gentle wonder and admiration as well as affection, and, when he came or passed very near her, a keen observer might have seen her thrill.
She kept a good deal out of her mother's way; for she felt within that her face must be too happy.She feared to shock her mother's grief with her radiance.She was ashamed of feeling unmixed heaven.
