Joseph Balsamo (12 page)
JOSEPH BALSAMO. 85
CHAPTER X.
C L A I R V O Y A X C E.
BALSAMO advanced to meet the young lady, who moved toward him in a direct line, rigid in her movement as the bronze statue of Don Juan. However strange her com-ing might seem to any other than Balsamo, he appeared in no degree surprised at it.
“I commanded you to sleep ‘ said he. “Do you sleep ? “
She sighed, but did not answer. Balsamo drew nearer her, imparting to her still more of the electric fluid.
” It is my will that you speak,” he said.
She started.
” Have you heard my command ? “
Andre assented by a gesture.
” Then why do you not speak ? “
She put her hand to her throat, as if to indicate that she could not articulate.
” Well, sit down,” said Balsamo.
He took her by the hand which Gilbert had so lately kissed without her being conscious, and his touch gave her that shudder which she had then exhibited, but which had been caused by the electric fluid descending on her at that moment from the room above. Led by him, she made three steps backward and sat down in an armchair.
” Do you see ? ” he asked.
Her eyes dilated as she tried to take in all the rays of light in the apartment.
” I do not mean to ask if you see with your eyes, do you see inwardly ? ” and, drawing from under his embroidered coat a littfe rod of steel, he touched her heaving breast ; she bounded as if a dart of flame had pierced her and entered her heart, and then her eyes closed.
” And now you begin to see ? ” he said.
8 } JOSEPH BALSAMO.
She bowed in assent.
And you will soon speak.”
“Yes,” replied Andre, but at the same moment she put her hand to her head in a manner expressive of great suffering.
” What is the matter ? ” asked Balsamo.
” I am in pain. 5 ‘
“Wherefore?”
” Because you force me to see and speak.”
lie made several movements over her head, as if to lessen the influence of the electricity.
” Do you suffer now ? “
“Not so much.”
” Well, then, look where you are.”
Her eyes remained closed, but her face expressed great surprise.
“I am in the red chamber ! ” she murmured.
“With whom ?”
” With you ! ” continued she, shuddering.
“What is the matter ?”
” I am afraid I am ashamed ! “
” Of what ? Are we not united by sympathy ?”
” Yes, certainly.”
” And you know that I have caused you to come here with a pure intention ? “
” True, true,” said she.
” That I respect you as a sister ? “
” I know it, indeed ! ” and her face grew calm, then again was troubled.
” You do not tell me all you do not pardon me entirely. “
” Because I see that though you would not wrong me, you would another, perhaps.”
” Possibly,” he muttered ; ” but look not at that ! ” he added, in an authoritative tone.
Her face resumed its usual expression.
” Are all asleep in the house ? “
” I do not know.”
” Then look and see.”
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” Where shall I look ? “
” Let me see. First, in your father’s room. What is he doing ? “
” He is in bed.”
” Asleep?”
” No ; he is reading.”
” What is he reading ? “
” One of those bad books which he wishes me to read.”
” And you will not read them ? “
“No!” said she, with an expression of the greatest scorn on her features.
“Well, we are safe, then. Look in Nicole’s room.”
” There is no light in her room.”
“But yon do not want light to see.”
” Not if you command me.”
“See ! it is my will.”
” Ah, I see ! “
” What ? “
” She is half undressed she is opening her door softly she is going down-stairs.”
” So ! Where is she going ? “
” She stops at the courtyard gate she waits behind it she watches ! “
Balsamo smiled.
” Is she watching to see whether you are out ? “
“No.”
” Well, that is the principal matter ; for when a young lady is free from her father’s and her waiting-maid’s eye, she has nothing to fear, unless “
” No.”
“You are replying to my thought.”
“J see it.”
* ‘ Then you have no lover ? “
” I ?” asked she, disdainfully.
“Yes ; you might be in love ; young people do not leave their convents to be shut up. They give liberty to their hearts when their persons are set free.”
Andre shook her head. ” My heart is free,’ 1 ‘ she said, sadly, and such an expression of candor and virgin mod-
gg JOSEPH BA.LSAMO.
esty lighted her features that Balsamo exclaimed, with rapture :
” A lily ! a true pupil ! a clairvoyante ! ” and he clasped his hands with joy and gratitude.
Then, turning again to Andre : ” But if you do not love, you may be loved,” said he.
” I do not know,” replied she, softly.
“What, yon do not know?” he cried, imperiously. ” When I question, I expect a proper answer ; ” and he touched her bosom again with the steel rod. She started, but without evincing so much pain as before.
” Yes, I see,” said she ; ” but be gentle, or you will kill me.”
” What do you see ? “
” Oh but no ! It cannot be ‘ said she.
” What, then, do you see ? “
“A young man who, ever since my leaving the convent, has followed me, watched me, brooded on me, yet always secretly.”
” Who is the young man ? “
“I do not see his face. I see his coat ; it is like that of a workman.”
“Where is he ?”
“At the foot of the stairs. He seems in sorrow he weeps. “
” Why can you not see his face ? “
” It is hidden in his hands.”
” Look through his hands.”
She made an effort, then exclaimed : “Xo ; “it is im-possibleGilbert ! “
“Why impossible?”
” He ?-v-he dare not love me ! ” cried she, with a lofty expression of disdain.
Balsamo smiled like one who knows mankind, and who is aware that there is no distance the heart will not over-leap, were there an abyss between it and its object.
” And what is he doing at the foot of the staircase ? “
“Stay ; he removes his hands from his face he seizes the balustrade he rises he ascends.”
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” Ascends where ? “
” Up here. But no matter ; he dare not come in.”
” Why not ? “
” Because he is afraid,” said she, with a smile of contempt.
‘But he will listen ?”
” Yes ; for he is now putting his ear to the door.”
” That annoys you ? “
” Yes ; he may hear what I say.”
” And would he use it against her whom he loves ? “
” Yes, in a moment of passion or jealousy in such a moment he would be capable of anything.”
” Then let us get rid of him, ‘ said Balsamo, and he walked noisily to the door.
Gilbert’s hour to be courageous was not yet come, for at the noise, fearing to be caught, he jumped astride on the balustrade, and slid down noiselessly to the bottom of the staircase. Andre uttered a stifled cry.
” Look no more in that direction,” said Balsamo, returning toward her ; ” the loves of the vulgar are of no importance. Speak to me of the Baron of Taverney, will you?”
“I will answer what you choose,” said she, sighing.
” The baron is very poor, is he not ? “
” Very poor.”
” Too poor to allow you any amusement ? “
” Oh, yes.”
” You are heartily tired of Taverney ? “
” Heartily.”
” You are ambitious, perhaps ?”
“No.”
*’ You love your father ? “
” Yes,” said the young girl, with hesitation.
” Yet I thought this evening your filial love was not very apparent,” said Balsamo, smiling.
” 1 am vexed at him for having wasted my mother’s fortune, so that poor Maison Eouge has to pass his time in garrison, and cannot worthily support the dignity of our family.”
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” Who is this Maison Eonge ? “
“My brother Philip.”
” Why do you call him Maison Rouge ? “
” It is, or rather, it was the name of one of our castles, and the eldest of the family bears it until the death of the chief then he is called Taverney.”
“You love your brother, then ?”
“Oh, dearly, dearly ! “
” More than any one in the world ?”
“More than any one in the world.”
” Why do you love him so warmly, and your father so coldly?”
” Because he has a noble heart. He would die for me ! “
” And your father?”
She was silent. Doubtless Balsamo thought it bettei not to force her against her will on this point ; and perhaps, also, he already knew as much of the baron as he wished.
“And where is the Chevalier Maison Rouge at this mo-ment?”
” Where is Philip ? “
“Yes.”
” In the garrison at Strasbourg.”
” Do you see him there ? “
” Where ? “
“At Strasbourg.”
“fdo not see him.”
” Do you know that town ? “
” No.”
” I know it. Let us visit it together will you ? “
” Yes ; with pleasure.”
” Now. Is he at the theater ? “
“No.”
” Is he at -the coffee-house in the square with the other officers ? “
“No.”
” Has he gone back to his apartment ? I wish that you should look for him there.”
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” I see nothing. I think he is not at Strasbourg.”
” Do you know the road from thence ? “
“No.”
” I know it follow me. Is he at Saverne ? “
” No.”
” Is he at Saarbruck ? “
“No.”
” Is he at Nancy ? “
” Stay stay ! ” The young girl seemed collecting all her powers her heart beat, her bosom heaved. ” I see him ! I see him ! Dear Philip what joy ! “
“What is he doing?”
” Dear Philip ! ” continued Andre, her eyes sparkling with joy.
“Where is he ?”
“On horseback, riding through a town I know well.”
“What town ?”
” Nancy ! Nancy ! where I was at the convent.”
” Are you sure that it is he ? “
” Oh, yes ; the torches around show his face.”
“Torches ?” said Balsamo, with surprise. “Why, are there torches ? “
” He is on horseback, at the door of a magnificent carriage, richly gilt.”
” Ah ! ” cried Balsamo, who appeared to comprehend this, ” who is in the carriage ?”
“A young lady. Oh, how majestic she is! how graceful ! how beautiful ! Strange, I almost fancy I have seen her before no ; it is Nicole’s features which resemble hers.”
“Nicole resembles the young lady who is so beautiful and so majestic ? “
” Yes, yes ; but as a jasmine may be said to resemble a lily.”
” Let us see what is passing at Nancy at this moment.”
” The young lady bends forward, and makes a sign to Philip to approach ; he obeys, and takes off his hat respectfully.”
” Can you hear what they say ?”
92 JOSEPH BALSAMO.
“I am listening,” said Andre, impressing silence on Balsamo by a gesture. “I hear, I hear!” murmured she.
” What does the young lady say ?”
“She orders him with a sweet smile to hasten the pace of the horses. She says she will require her escort to be ready at six in the morning, as she wishes to stop on the road.”
” To stop ? where ? “
” My brother is just asking her. Heavens ! she wishes to stop at Taverney to see my father. Such a great princess at our poor house ! what shall we do without plate almost without linen ! “
” Do not be uneasy ; that will be provided for.”
” Oh, thanks, thanks ! ” and the young girl, who had half risen from her seat, sunk back with a heavy sigh, completely exhausted.
Balsamo immediately approached her, and by some magnetic passes in an opposite direction, changed the course of the electric fluid.
A calm sleep then stole over her lovely frame, which had bent down exhausted, her head sinking on her palpitating bosom.
“Kecover thy strength,” said Balsamo, gazing at her with a stern delight. ” I shall soon require thy light again. Oh, Science,” continued he, with the rapture of exalted faith, ” thou alone never deceivest us ! to thee, then, man ought to sacrifice every feeling. This young girl is beautiful, pure as an angel, and He who made beauty and innocence knows how dear they ought to be to us. But let the creature perish how pure, how perfect, how beautiful soever she be if I can but make her speak the words of truth ! Let all the delights of the world, love, passion, rapture, exist no longer for me, if I can only, with a firm step, advance on the path of light and science. And now, young girl now that my will has given thee strength, awake, or, rather, sink again in the ‘ sleep which reveals all things ! Speak again ; but now it is for me that thou must speak.”
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He spread his hands over her head, and forced her to sit up by breathing upon her. Seeing her ready and submissive, he took from his pocket-book a curl of jet-black hair, which he put into Andre’s hand.
” See ! ” he commanded.
” Again ? ” said she, with anguish. ” Oh, no ; let me rest. It is too painful, and just now I felt so happy ! “
” See ! ” replied Balsamo, pitilessly, touching her again with the steel rod.
She wrung her hands, struggling to evade the tyranny of the experimenter. The foam was on her lips, as formerly it gathered on those of the pythoness on her sacred tripod.
1 I see ! I see ! ” cried she, with the despair of a subdued will.
” What do you see ? “
” A woman.”
” Ah,” exclaimed Balsamo, with wild joy, “science is not, then, a useless word like virtue. Mesmer is greater than Brutus ! Describe the woman, that I may know you really see her whom I would have you see ! “
” She is a brunette, tall, with blue eyes, jet-black hair, and sinewy arms.”