CHAPTER IX

THE DEPARTURE

At the announcement of the Marquis, Madame de Rohan-Soubise had risen; the count and the abbé did the same,--and so also did the princess Julie.

The Marquis found these four persons present: Madame Rohan-Soubise, in full dress, arrogant, irritated, haughty; the abbé, by way of reassuring himself, caressed _Puff_, who, awaking with a start, whined a little; the count, leaning his elbow on the mantle-piece, played carelessly with his watch-chain; Mlle. de Soissons, calm and resolved, supported herself with one hand on her embroidery frame, and looked at Létorière with an air at once tender and grateful.

The Marquis had hardly respectfully saluted Madame Rohan-Soubise, when she turned towards M. de Lugeac, with a gesture of supreme disdain, and asked him, "Who is this gentleman?"

The count, very much embarrassed, hesitated to answer, when the Marquis sharply said, "M. de Létorière absolves M. de Lugeac from being responsible for him to Madame de Rohan-Soubise."

"It was at my request, madame, that M. the Marquis of Létorière has been kind enough to come here," said the princess Julie, in a firm and decided voice.

"At your request? . . . yours . . . Julie?" cried Madame Rohan-Soubise, at the height of astonishment. "'Tis impossible!"

"However _unknown_ I may unhappily be to Madame de Rohan-Soubise, I dare to hope that she will understand that the formal orders of Mlle. de Soissons have been necessary to bring me to the Chateau Soubise--an honor which, until now, I have at least had the modesty or the good taste never to aspire to," replied the Marquis, in a tone of marked irony.

"Princess Julie . . . explain yourself . . . this has already continued too long!" cried Madame de Rohan-Soubise, imperiously.

The count and the abbé made a movement to retire, but Mlle. de Soissons said to them:

"Have the goodness to remain, gentlemen, that you may be witnesses to what I wish to say to madame."

The two gentlemen bowed respectfully. Mlle. de Soissons then addressed her aunt: "I have begged M. de Létorière to come here, madame, that I might tell him before you, and you before him, my irrevocable intentions. I am an orphan, and free in all my actions when they are not unworthy of my birth; but you are my relative, madame, and I know what is due to you, and I cannot better prove my respect than in imparting to you a resolution on which depends my destiny." . . .

With the exception of the Marquis, the actors in this strange scene were lost in astonishment. Madame de Rohan-Soubise, stupefied at the language of the princess Julie, could not believe what she heard.

Mlle. de Soissons continued:

"I have offered my hand to M. de Létorière; he has accepted it." . . .

"You have offered your hand!!" . . . cried Madame de Rohan-Soubise. "Princess Julie, you have lost your reason . . . or is this all an ill-judged pleasantry?"

"Ah! mademoiselle," said Létorière, with a reproachful accent, seeing the young girl thus breaking the promise she had made to him, to wait the issue of the lawsuit before making a final decision.

The princess Julie turned towards him:

"You will soon learn why I have acted thus," said she; and she added, addressing her aunt with a solemn air, "I have not lost my reason; and what I say is serious. . . . Before God, who hears me, before you, madame, before you, Count de Lugeac, and before you, Abbé d'Arcueil, I, Julie Victorie de Soissons, swear to have no other husband but the Marquis of Létorière here before us;" and she tendered him her hand with a gesture of grandeur and simplicity.

The Marquis took the charming hand, which he kissed with the most respectful and lively tenderness.

This scene was so unexpected, so like a thunderbolt, that Madame Rohan-Soubise remained for a moment mute, interrogating with her eyes the count and the abbé, not less astonished.

"And I," replied the Marquis, "swear to consecrate my life to the noble princess who has honored me with her choice. . . ."

"And I, with all the authority which my relationship gives me," impetuously cried Madame de Rohan-Soubise, coming out of her stupor, "I declare to you, mademoiselle, that this shameful alliance is impossible, and that it shall never take place!"

"The honor which Mlle. de Soissons deigns to do me, madame, prevents me from answering your outrageous words," said the Marquis, much moved.

The Princess Julie replied, addressing herself to her aunt:

"With the delicacy which ought to characterize the man to whom I intrust my destiny, M. de Létorière wished to await the issue of his lawsuit, which the Aulic Council of the empire is about to decide, before accepting formally the hand which I have freely offered him; if he gains his lawsuit he will be recognized as of a princely house, and then there will be no difference of rank, as it is called; but if this proposition was noble and delicate, I was a coward to accept it; I pretended to recognize exigencies which I do not admit; I pretended to wait the favorable issue of the lawsuit before making my decision. But that did not suit me; I meant loyally and openly, madame, to declare to you my unalterable resolution, whether the lawsuit be gained or lost. M. de Létorière starts to-night for Vienna. . . . This evening I shall go to the Abbey of Montmartre, and there await his return; you will understand, madame, that it is impossible for me to live any longer in your house." . . .

"Undoubtedly the Chateau Soubise is disagreeable to you, mademoiselle; yet you must either leave it to make a marriage worthy of your family, or enter a convent forever." . . .

"At least, madame, his majesty allows me to be free to retire at once to the lady-superior of Montmartre," said Mlle. de Soissons, handing to Madame Rohan-Soubise a letter which she took from her pocket.

"The hand-writing of the king!" cried Madame Rohan-Soubise.

"Yesterday I wrote to his majesty, who is acquainted with my resolution; read his answer, which is addressed to you, madame":

"MY COUSIN: For sufficient reasons, I desire that Mlle. de Soissons may enter the Abbey of Montmartre until further orders.

"Your affectionate

"LOUIS."

Madame de Rohan-Soubise, astonished beyond expression, read the letter twice.

"Wonderful!" said she, with concentrated spite; "you have prevailed, mademoiselle, but his majesty can reconsider . . . undoubtedly will reconsider, a determination which has been surprised from him. . . . And I shall go immediately to the king."

"I believe that I am sufficiently acquainted with his majesty's intentions, madame, to be certain of the futility of your application," said Mlle. de Soissons. Then she offered her hand to M. de Létorière, saying: "Adieu, my friend; go to Vienna . . . I will wait for you at Montmartre Abbey."

That very evening M. de Létorière started for Vienna.