having carried off (I know not where) some persons (I know not whom), in order to prevent their being here at the proper time—'
'Yes, I accuse you of this infamy!' cried the soldier exasperated by the calmness and audacity of the reverend father: 'yes—and I will—'
'Once again, sir, I conjure you to be so good as to let me finish; you can reply afterwards,' said Father d'Aigrigny, humbly, in the softest and most honeyed accents.
'Yes, I will reply, and confound you!' cried Dagobert.
'Let him finish, father. You can speak presently,' said Agricola.
The soldier was silent as Father d'Aigrigny continued with new assurance: 'Doubtless, if there should really be any other heirs, besides the Abbe Gabriel, it is unfortunate for them that they have not appeared in proper time. And if, instead of defending the cause of the poor and needy, I had only to look to my own interest, I should be far from availing myself of this advantage, due only to chance; but, as a trustee for the great family of the poor, I am obliged to maintain my absolute right to this inheritance; and I do not doubt that M. Notary will acknowledge the validity of my claim, and deliver to me these securities, which are now my legitimate property.'
'My only mission,' replied the notary, in an agitated voice, 'is faithfully to execute the will of the testator. The Abbe Gabriel de Rennepont alone presented himself, within the term fixed by the testament. The deed of gift is in due form; I cannot refuse, therefore, to deliver to the person named in the deed the amount of the heritage—'
On these words Samuel hid his face in his hands, and heaved a deep sigh; he was obliged to acknowledge the rigorous justice of the notary's observations.
'But, sir,' cried Dagobert, addressing the man of law, 'this cannot be. You will not allow two poor orphans to be despoiled. It is in the name of their father and mother that I speak to you. I give you my honor—the honor of a soldier!—that they took advantage of the weakness of my wife to carry the daughters of Marshal Simon to a convent, and thus prevent me bringing them here this morning. It is so true, that I have already laid my charge before a magistrate.'
'And what answer did you receive?' said the notary.
'That my deposition was not sufficient for the law to remove these young girls from the convent in which they were, and that inquiries would be made—'
'Yes, sir,' added Agricola, 'and it was the same with regard to Mdlle. de Cardoville, detained as mad in a lunatic asylum, though in the full enjoyment of her reason. Like Marshal Simon's daughters, she too has a claim to this inheritance. I took the same steps for her, as my father took for Marshal Simon's daughters.'
'Well?' asked the notary.
'Unfortunately, sir,' answered Agricola, 'they told me; as they did my father, that my deposition would not suffice, and that they must make inquiries.'
At this moment, Bathsheba, having heard the street-bell ring, left the Red Room at a sign from Samuel. The notary resumed, addressing Agricola and his father: 'Far be it from me, gentlemen, to call in question your good faith; but I cannot, to my great regret, attach such importance to your accusations, which are not supported by proof, as to suspend the regular legal course. According to your own confession, gentlemen, the authorities, to whom you addressed yourselves, did not see fit to interfere on your depositions, and told you they would inquire further. Now, really, gentlemen, I appeal to you: how can I, in so serious a matter, take upon myself a responsibility, which the magistrates themselves have refused to take?'
'Yes, you should do so, in the name of justice and honor?' cried Dagobert.
'It may be so, sir, in your opinion; but in my view of the case, I remain faithful to justice and honor, by executing with exactness the last will of the dead. For the rest you have no occasion to despair. If the persons, whose interests you represent, consider themselves injured, they may hereafter have recourse to an action at law, against the person receiving as donee of the Abbe Gabriel—but in the meanwhile, it is my duty to put him in immediate possession of the securities. I should be gravely injured, were I to act in any, other manner.'
The notary's observations seemed so reasonable, that Samuel, Dagobert and Agricola were quite confounded. After a moment's thought, Gabriel appeared to take a desperate resolution, and said to the notary, in a firm voice—
'Since, under these circumstances, the law is powerless to obtain the right, I must adopt, sir, an extreme course. Before doing so, I will ask M. l'Abbe d'Aigrigny, for the last time, if he will content himself with that portion of the property which falls justly to me, on condition that the rest shall be placed in safe hands, till the heirs, whose names have been brought forward, shall prove their claim.'
'To this proposition I must answer as I have done already,' replied Father d'Aigrigny; 'it is not I who am concerned, but an immense work of charity. I am, therefore, obliged to refuse the part-offer of the Abbe Gabriel, and to remind him of his engagements of every kind.'
'Then you refuse this arrangement?' asked Gabriel, in an agitated voice.
'Charity commands me to do so.'
'You refuse it—absolutely?'
'I think of all the good and pious institutions that these treasures will enable us to establish for the Greater Glory of the Lord, and I have neither the courage nor the desire to make the least concession.'
'Then, sir,' resumed the good priest, in a still more agitated manner, 'since you force me to do it, I revoke my donation. I only intended to dispose of my own property, and not of that which did not belong to me.'
'Take care M. l'Abbe,' said rather d'Aigrigny; 'I would observe that I hold in my hand a written, formal promise.'
'I know it, sir; you have a written paper, in which I take an oath never to revoke this donation, upon any pretext whatever, and on pain of incurring the aversion and contempt of all honest men. Well, sir! be it so,' said Gabriel, with deep bitterness; 'I will expose myself to all the consequences of perjury; you may proclaim it everywhere. I may be hated and despised by all—but God will judge me!' The young priest dried a tear, which trickled from his eye.
'Oh! do not be afraid, my dear boy!' cried Dagobert, with reviving hope. 'All honest men will be on your side!'
'Well done, brother!' said Agricola.
'M. Notary,' said Rodin, in his little sharp voice, 'please to explain to Abbe Gabriel, that he may perjure himself as much as he thinks fit, but that the Civil Code is much less easy to violate than a mere promise, which is only—sacred!'
'Speak, sir,' said Gabriel.
'Please to inform Abbe Gabriel,' resumed Rodin, 'that a deed of gift, like that made in favor of Father d'Aigrigny, can only be cancelled for one of three reasons—is it not so?'
'Yes, sir, for three reasons,' said the notary.
'The first is in case of the birth of a child,' said Rodin, 'and I should blush to mention such a contingency to the Abbe Gabriel. The second is the ingratitude of the donee—and the Abbe Gabriel may be certain of our deep and lasting gratitude. The last case is the non-fulfilment of the wishes of the donor, with regard to the employment of his gifts.
'Now, although the Abbe Gabriel may have suddenly conceived a very bad opinion of us, he will at least give us some time to show that his gifts have been disposed of according to his wishes, and applied to the Greater Glory of the Lord.'
'Now, M. Notary,' added Father d'Aigrigny, 'it is for you to decide and say, if Abbe Gabriel can revoke the donation he has made.'
Just as the notary was going to answer, Bathsheba reentered the room, followed by two more personages, who appeared in the Red Room at a little distance from each other.
BOOK VI.
PART SECOND.—THE CHASTISEMENT. (Concluded.)
XXVI. A Good Genius XXVII. The First Last, And the Last
First XXVIII. The Stranger XXIX. The Den XXX. An Unexpected
