Part 6

'Are you a judge of jewels?' continued Monsieur Alphonse, holding up his brawny hand; 'how do you like this? Here is the ring I am going to give her to-morrow.'

So saying, he drew from the first joint of his little finger a large ring set with diamonds, in the form of two hands clasped together; a pretty allusion, which seemed quite poetical. The workmanship was very ancient, but appeared to have been lately retouched, to let in the diamonds. On the inner side of the ring were these words in Gothic characters: '_Sempr' al te_,' that is, 'Always with thee.'

'It is a very beautiful ring,' said I; 'but these diamonds which have been added seem to have destroyed its character a little.'

'Oh! it is much handsomer as it is,' replied he, smiling. 'There is twelve hundred francs' worth of diamonds there. My mother gave it to me. It was a family ring; very ancient, of the time of chivalry. She got it from my grandmother, who had it from her's. The Lord knows when it was made.'

'It is the custom in Paris, on these occasions,' said I, 'to give a ring that is entirely plain, usually composed of two different metals, such as gold and platinum. Look, the other ring, which you have on this finger, would be more appropriate. This one with the diamonds, and the hands in relief, is so large that a glove cannot be worn over it.'

'Oh! Madame Alphonse must manage that as she pleases. I think she will be very well content to have it as it is. Twelve hundred francs on one's finger is not so bad. This little ring here,' added he, regarding the plain ring on his left hand with an air of complacency, 'was given me by a lady at Paris one Shrove-Tuesday. Ah!' added he, with a sigh of regret, 'what fine times I had in Paris two years ago! That's the place for sport.'

As we were to dine this day at Puygarey, with the relatives of the future bride, we proceeded in a carriage to the chateau, which was about a league and a half distant from Ille. I was introduced and welcomed as a friend of the family. I shall not speak of the dinner, nor of the conversation which ensued, in which I took but little part.

Mademoiselle de Puygarey was about eighteen years of age; and her slender and delicate figure formed a strong contrast with the coarse and robust frame of her affianced. She was not merely beautiful, but winning and attractive. I admired the perfect simplicity of all her movements, and the ingenuousness of her replies; and the general expression of her countenance, which was not exempt from a slight tinge of malice, reminded me, in spite of myself, of the Venus of my host. In the inward comparison I made between them, I asked myself whether the superiority of beauty, which must clearly be conceded to the statue, did not in some degree depend upon her fierce and tiger-like expression; for energy, even in bad passions, always excites, mingled with astonishment, a sort of involuntary admiration.

'What a pity,' said I to myself on leaving Puygarey, 'that the wealth of so lovely a person should have rendered her the object of attraction to a man totally unworthy of her!'

On our return to Ille, not exactly knowing what to say to Madame Peyrade, to whom I thought it but civil occasionally to address a word: 'You are sensible people at Roussillon,' said I; 'how happens it that you are going to have a wedding on a Friday? At Paris we should be more superstitious; nobody would dare to marry on that day.'

'Oh! good Lord! don't speak of it,' said she; 'if it had depended upon me, you may be sure I should have chosen another day. But Peyrade would have it so; and we had to give up to him. It troubles me, however, a good deal. Suppose some misfortune should happen? There must be some truth in the superstition, since every body has a dread of Friday.'

'Friday!' exclaimed her husband, in a gay tone; 'it is the day of Venus! An excellent day for a wedding! You see, my dear colleague, I can think of nothing but my Venus. To tell the truth, it is on her account that I have pitched upon Friday. To-morrow, if you please, before the ceremony, we will make a little sacrifice to her; two ring-doves as an offering, and if I knew where to get a little incense'----

'Fie upon you, Peyrade!' interrupted his wife, highly scandalized at this proposition. 'Offer incense to an idol! It would be an abomination! Why, what will all the country say of it?'

'At least,' said Monsieur Peyrade, 'you will permit me to place upon her head a crown of roses and lilies:

'Manibus date lilia plenis.'

You see, Sir,' added he, turning to me, 'the charter is but an empty name. We have not the freedom of worship!'

The arrangements for the next day were made as follows: Every one was to be ready, in full dress, at ten o'clock precisely. After taking chocolate, we were to go in carriages to Puygarey, where the civil marriage was to be performed before the mayor of the village, and the religious ceremony in the chapel of the chateau. Then there was to be a breakfast; after which each one was to pass the time as he pleased until seven o'clock, when the two families were to return to Ille to sup together at the house of Monsieur Peyrade. The rest would follow as a matter of course. Not being able to have a dance, it was determined there should be as much eating and drinking as possible.

Since eight o'clock I had been sitting before the Venus, with crayon in hand, recommencing for the twentieth time the head of the statue, without being able to catch the expression. Monsieur Peyrade was bustling about, giving me advice, and repeating his Phenician etymologies; he then placed a garland of Bengal roses upon the pedestal of the statue, and in a tragi-comic tone addressed prayers to it for the young couple who were about to take up their abode under his roof. About nine o'clock, he reëntered the house to make his toilet, and immediately afterward Monsieur Alphonse made his appearance, squeezed into a new coat of the latest pattern, with white gloves, well polished shoes, embossed buttons, and a rose at his button-hole.

'You must take the likeness of my wife!' said he, leaning over my drawing; 'she is very pretty.'

At this moment a game of tennis commenced upon the playground, of which I have already spoken, which immediately attracted the attention of Monsieur Alphonse. As for myself, wearied with my task, and despairing of catching the diabolical expression of the countenance, I presently gave up my drawing to look at the players. There were among them some Spanish muleteers, who had arrived at Ille the evening before. They were from Arragon and Navarre, and most of them of great skill and dexterity; so that the Illians, although encouraged by the presence and counsel of Monsieur Alphonse, were soon beaten by these new champions. The national spectators were in consternation. Monsieur Alphonse looked at his watch; it was but half past nine; his mother had not yet completed her toilet; he hesitated no longer; threw off his coat, called for a jacket, and challenged the Spaniards.

Not a little surprised, I looked at him with a smile.

'We must sustain the honor of the country,' said he. I now noticed that he was in reality a handsome man. He was excited; and his dress, which occupied so much of his attention at other times, was nothing to him now. A few moments before he would scarcely have turned his head for fear of discomposing his cravat; now he thought no longer of his curled locks, or of his ruffles so neatly plaited. And his bride! in sooth, had it been necessary, I believe he would have postponed the marriage, sooner than have declined the game. I saw him put on in haste a pair of slippers, turn up his sleeves, and with an air of confidence place himself at the head of the conquered party, like Cæsar rallying his soldiers at Dyrrachium. I leaped the hedge, and seated myself comfortably in the shade of a linden tree, that I might see the game to advantage.

Contrary to general expectation, Alphonse missed the first ball. It is true it came glancing along the ground, propelled with surprising force by an Arragonian who seemed to be the leader of the Spaniards. He was a man of about forty years of age, dry and sinewy, six feet in height, and his olive skin had a tint almost as deep as the bronze of the Venus.

Monsieur Alphonse cast his racket upon the ground in a great passion. 'It was this cursed ring,' cried he, 'which cramped my finger, and made me lose a sure ball!'

He took off, though not without some difficulty, his diamond ring. I approached to receive it, but he prevented me, ran to the Venus, passed the ring over the third finger, and resumed his place at the head of the Illians.

He was pale, but calm and resolute. After this, he made not a single mistake, and the Spaniards were completely beaten. It was a fine thing to see the enthusiasm of the spectators. Some uttered shouts of joy, casting their caps into the air. Others shook hands with the conqueror, calling him the pride of the country. Had he repelled a hostile invasion, I do not think he could have received more hearty or sincere congratulations. The chagrin of the conquered party added still more to the eclat of the victory.

'We will have some more games together, my fine fellow,' said he to the Arragonian, with an air of superiority; 'but I must give you odds.'

I could have wished that Alphonse had been a little more modest; and I felt almost pained at the humiliation of his rival.

The Spanish giant seemed to feel this insult deeply. I saw him turn pale beneath his swarthy skin. He looked mournfully at his racket, grinding his teeth, and then in a stifled voice, said: '_Me lo pagaràs._'

The voice of Monsieur Peyrade disturbed the triumph of his son; mine host, who had been very much surprised at not finding him superintending the getting-up of the new carriage, was now still more so at seeing him all in a perspiration, with a racket in his hand. Monsieur Alphonse, however, in haste ran to the house, washed his face and hands, put on his new coat, and his polished shoes, and in ten minutes we were in full trot, on the road to Puygarey. All the Illian tennis-players and a great many of the spectators followed us with cries of joy; and scarcely could the vigorous horses which drew us keep ahead of these intrepid Catalonians.

We arrived at Puygarey, and the marriage train were on the point of proceeding to the town-hall, when Monsieur Alphonse, striking his forehead, said to me in a low voice:

'What a blunder! I have forgotten my ring! It is on the finger of the Venus; devil take her! However, say nothing to my mother; perhaps she will not notice it.'

'Could you not send some one back for it?' said I.

'Bah! my servant remained at Ille; and I cannot trust these fellows. Twelve hundred francs' worth of diamonds; 't would be too great a temptation. And beside, what would they think of my forgetfulness? They would run their jokes upon me, and call me the husband of the statue. If it is not stolen----Luckily, however, these rascals are afraid of the statue, and dare not come within arm's length of her. Bah! 't is no matter; this other ring will do.'

The two ceremonies, religious and civil, were performed with suitable pomp; and Mademoiselle de Puygarey received the ring of a Parisian milliner, without suspecting that the bridegroom had made for her the sacrifice of a pledge of love. The party then seated themselves at table, where they ate, drank, and even sang by turns. I pitied the bride, for the coarse and vulgar jests to which she was exposed. She, however, made the best of her situation, and her embarrassment was neither that of awkwardness nor affectation. Possibly courage comes with difficult situations.

At length breakfast terminated, and it was now nearly four o'clock: the men walked out into the park, which was a magnificent one, where they amused themselves with looking at the peasant girls of Puygarey in holyday attire, dancing on the greensward of the chateau. In this manner we whiled away some hours. In the mean time the women crowded around the bride to admire her wedding presents. Afterward, she changed her apparel, and I noticed that she covered her beautiful tresses with a cap, and hat, and feathers, for married women usually lose no time in assuming the dress which custom forbids them to wear as maidens.

It was nearly eight o'clock when all were in readiness to set off on our return to Ille. And then a pathetic scene took place. The aunt of Mademoiselle de Puygarey, who had supplied to her the place of a mother, a very aged and pious lady, was not able to accompany us to the city. At the leave-taking, she made to her niece a long and touching speech on the duties of a wife, which produced a torrent of tears, and kisses, and embracings without end. Monsieur Peyrade compared this separation to the rape of the Sabines. We at length got away, and during the journey, every one attempted to divert the bride, and make her smile, but in vain.

At Ille, supper was waiting for us, and such a supper! If the coarse jollification of the morning had shocked me, still more so now, did the vulgar jests and rude jokes of which the bride and groom were especially the subjects. The bridegroom, who had disappeared for a few moments before seating himself at table, looked pale and haggard. He drank freely every few moments, of the old wine of Collioure, which was almost as strong as brandy. As I was seated by his side, I thought proper to caution him.

'Be careful!' said I; 'they say that wine'----I hardly know what foolish speech, in accordance with the tone of the company, I was about making, when he touched my knee, and in an under tone, whispered:

'When they get up from table, let me speak two words with you.'

His solemn manner surprised me. I looked at him more attentively, and remarked a strange alteration in his countenance.

'Do you feel indisposed?' inquired I.

'No!' and he began again to drink.

Presently, amidst shouts and clapping of hands, a child of about eleven years of age, who had slipped under the table, held up before the company a pretty riband of white and red, which he had just detached from the dress of the bride. They called it her garter. It was immediately cut in pieces, and distributed among the young men, who ornamented their button-holes with it, after an old custom which is still observed in some patriarchal families. This made the bride blush to her eyes. But her confusion was at its height, when Monsieur Peyrade, having proclaimed silence, sang to her some Catalonian verses, which, as he said, were impromptu. Their meaning, as nearly as I could comprehend them, were as follows:

'What is the meaning of this, my friends? Does the wine cause me to see double? There are two Venus's here'----

At this, the bridegroom suddenly turned his head with an air of affright, which set all the guests a laughing. 'Yes, my friends,' continued Monsieur Peyrade:

'There are two Venus's beneath my roof. The one I found in the earth like a truffle; The other, heaven-descended, comes to share with us her girdle.'

He wished to say, 'her garter.'

'My son take which you like best; The Roman, or the Catalonian Venus. The rogue chooses the Catalan, and his choice is good. The Roman is black, the Catalan is fair. The Roman is cold, the Catalan inflames the hearts of all who approach her.'

This sally excited a hurrah so loud, and shouts of applause, and laughter so obstreperous, that I thought the ceiling would have fallen upon the table. There were but three serious faces present: those of the newly-married pair, and my own. I had a violent headache; and beside, I know not why, a marriage always makes me feel sad. This one, moreover, was not to my taste.

Some concluding couplets having been sung by the deputy magistrate, which, I must say, were quite clever, we passed into the hall to witness the departure of the bride, who, as it now drew near midnight, was soon to be conducted to her chamber. At this moment, Monsieur Alphonse drew me into the recess of a window, and with averted eyes said:

'I know you will laugh at me; but I don't know what is the matter; I am bewitched! The devil's got me!'

My first thought was, that he imagined himself threatened with some such malady as those of which Montaigne and Madame de Sévigné speak:

'Tout l'empire amoureux est plein d'histoires tragiques,' etc. I remembered, however, that these accidents only befel men of wit.

'You have drank too freely of the Collioure wine, my dear Monsieur Alphonse,' said I. 'You remember I cautioned you against it.'

'Yes, may be so,' replied he, in a lamentable voice; 'but this is something much more dreadful.'

He spoke in broken accents, and I thought him completely tipsy.

'You remember my ring?' continued he, after a few moments' silence.

'What of it? Has any one stolen it?'

'No.'

'Well, then, have you got it?'

'No. I--I cannot get it off the finger of this devil of a Venus.'

'Indeed! you did not pull hard enough.'

'Yes I did; but the Venus--she has shut her finger!'

He looked fixedly at me with a haggard expression, and leaned against the casement for support.

'What a story is this!' said I: 'you have pushed the ring on too far. To-morrow you can get it off with pincers; but you must be careful not to injure the statue.'

'No! no! I tell you, the finger of the Venus is bent, closed; she shuts her hand; do you understand me? She is my wife, doubtless, since I have given her my ring. She will not give it back.'

For an instant, I experienced a sudden chill, and my flesh seemed to creep upon me. But a long-drawn sigh, which he gave, sent a puff of wine into my face, and all emotion vanished. 'The miserable wretch,' thought I, 'is completely drunk.'

'You are a learned man, Sir,' added the poor fellow, in a deplorable tone; 'you know all about this sort of statues; may be there is some power, some deviltry, which I do not understand. If you would go and see!'

'Willingly,' said I; 'come along with me.'

'No; I had rather you would go alone.'

I left the hall: the weather had changed during supper, and the rain was beginning to fall with violence. I was about asking for an umbrella, when a sudden thought stopped me. 'I shall make a great fool of myself by going to see if what this drunken fellow has told me, is true. And beside, it is possible he wishes to play some trick upon me, to set these honest country folks a-laughing, and the least that I can get off for will be a good soaking, and an attack of rheumatism.'

I cast from the door a glance toward the statue, which was dripping with water, and then ascended to my chamber, without reëntering the hall. I went to bed, but could not get asleep. All the scenes of the past day were present to my mind. I thought upon this young girl, so beautiful and so pure, abandoned to a brutal drunkard. 'What a detestable thing,' said I to myself, 'is a marriage of convenience!' A magistrate puts on a tri-colored scarf, a priest a stole, and here is one of the finest girls in the world given up to a minotaur! What can two beings who do not love each other have to say at a moment like this, which two real lovers would purchase at the price of their existence? Can a woman ever love a man whom she has once seen make a beast of himself? First impressions are never effaced, and I am sure this Monsieur Alphonse deserves to be hated.'

During my monologue, which I have here much abridged, I heard a great deal of walking to and fro through the house, doors opening and shutting, and carriages leaving: then I seemed to hear upon the staircase the light footsteps of a number of women which were directed toward the end of the corridor opposite my chamber. They were probably the attendants of the bride, whom they were conducting to the bridal chamber. At length they all re-descended the staircase. The door of Madame Peyrade was closed. 'How troubled and sad must this poor girl now feel!' thought I, as I turned myself upon my bed in not the best of humors. A bachelor plays but a sorry part in a house where a wedding is taking place.

Silence reigned for some time, when it was interrupted by heavy footsteps which ascended the stairs. The steps of wood creaked loudly.

'What a booby!' exclaimed I. 'Ten to one, he will fall down the stairs.'

All became tranquil. I took up a book to change the current of my thoughts. It was a statistical work of the department, enriched by a memoir of Monsieur Peyrade upon the Druidical monuments of the district of Prades. I fell asleep at the third page.

I slept badly and awoke a number of times. It might be about five o'clock in the morning, and I had been awake more than twenty minutes, when a cock crew. Day was about breaking. At this moment I distinctly heard the same heavy footsteps, the same creaking of the stairs which I had heard before I went to sleep. It seemed strange. I tried, while yawning, to divine why Monsieur Alphonse should get up so early. I could imagine nothing that seemed probable. I was about closing my eyes, when my attention was again excited by a strange trampling of feet, with which was presently mingled the ringing of bells, and the noise of doors loudly opened; I then distinguished confused outcries.

'My drunken friend has set fire to something!' thought I, as I leaped from my bed.

I dressed myself quickly and went out into the corridor. Cries and lamentations proceeded from the opposite extremity, and a piercing voice was heard above all the others, exclaiming, 'My son! my son!' It was evident that some accident had happened to Monsieur Alphonse. I ran to the bridal chamber; it was full of persons. The first object which met my eyes was the young man half dressed, stretched across the bed, the frame work of which was broken. He was livid and motionless. His mother was weeping and uttering wild shrieks at his side. Monsieur Peyrade in extreme agitation, was rubbing his temples with cologne water, and putting salts to his nostrils. Alas! his son had been for some time dead. On a couch, at the other end of the room, lay the bride in strong convulsions. She uttered inarticulate cries, and two stout maid-servants could scarcely hold her.

'Good God!' cried I, 'what has happened?' I approached the bed, and raised the body of the unfortunate young man; he was already cold and stiff. The set teeth and blackened face expressed the most horrible agony. It was evident that his death had been violent, and that he had suffered terribly. No traces of blood, however, were to be found on his clothes. I drew aside his shirt, and perceived upon the breast a livid mark, which extended around the sides and back. One would have said that he had been enclosed within a circle of fire. My foot touched something hard which lay upon the carpet; I stooped down and found it was the diamond ring.

I led Monsieur Peyrade and his wife to their own chamber, to which I afterward caused the bride to be conveyed. 'You have still a daughter,' said I to them; 'she requires all your care.' I then left them alone.

I had no doubt that Monsieur Alphonse had been the victim of an assassination, the perpetrators of which had found means to introduce themselves by night, into the bridal chamber. The bruises upon the breast, and their circular direction embarrassed me a good deal, for a club or bar of iron would not have produced them. Suddenly, I remembered to have heard that at Valencia the bravos are in the habit of using long sacks of leather filled with fine sand, for the purpose of putting to death those for whose murder they have been paid. I immediately recalled to mind the Arragonian muleteer and his threat; although I could scarcely believe that a few random words would have instigated him to so terrible a revenge.