Valancourt? he was an handsome youth, and a good one; is he well, mademoiselle?'
Emily was much agitated.
'A blessing on him!' continued Theresa.'Ah, my dear young lady, you need not look so shy; I know all about it.Do you think I do not know, that he loves you? Why, when you was away, mademoiselle, he used to come to the chateau and walk about it, so disconsolate! He would go into every room in the lower part of the house, and, sometimes, he would sit himself down in a chair, with his arms across, and his eyes on the floor, and there he would sit, and think, and think, for the hour together.He used to be very fond of the south parlour, because I told him it used to be yours; and there he would stay, looking at the pictures, which I said you drew, and playing upon your lute, that hung up by the window, and reading in your books, till sunset, and then he must go back to his brother's chateau.And then--'
'It is enough, Theresa,' said Emily.--'How long have you lived in this cottage--and how can I serve you? Will you remain here, or return and live with me?'
'Nay, mademoiselle,' said Theresa, 'do not be so shy to your poor old servant.I am sure it is no disgrace to like such a good young gentleman.'
A deep sigh escaped from Emily.
'Ah! how he did love to talk of you! I loved him for that.Nay, for that matter, he liked to hear me talk, for he did not say much himself.But I soon found out what he came to the chateau about.
Then, he would go into the garden, and down to the terrace, and sit under that great tree there, for the day together, with one of your books in his hand; but he did not read much, I fancy; for one day Ihappened to go that way, and I heard somebody talking.Who can be here? says I: I am sure I let nobody into the garden, but the Chevalier.So I walked softly, to see who it could be; and behold!
it was the Chevalier himself, talking to himself about you.And he repeated your name, and sighed so! and said he had lost you for ever, for that you would never return for him.I thought he was out in his reckoning there, but I said nothing, and stole away.'
'No more of this trifling,' said Emily, awakening from her reverie:
'it displeases me.'
'But, when M.Quesnel let the chateau, I thought it would have broke the Chevalier's heart.'
'Theresa,' said Emily seriously, 'you must name the Chevalier no more!'
'Not name him, mademoiselle!' cried Theresa: 'what times are come up now? Why, I love the Chevalier next to my old master and you, mademoiselle.'
'Perhaps your love was not well bestowed, then,' replied Emily, trying to conceal her tears; 'but, however that might be, we shall meet no more.'
'Meet no more!--not well bestowed!' exclaimed Theresa.'What do Ihear? No, mademoiselle, my love was well bestowed, for it was the Chevalier Valancourt, who gave me this cottage, and has supported me in my old age, ever since M.Quesnel turned me from my master's house.'
'The Chevalier Valancourt!' said Emily, trembling extremely.
'Yes, mademoiselle, he himself, though he made me promise not to tell; but how could one help, when one heard him ill spoken of? Ah!
dear young lady, you may well weep, if you have behaved unkindly to him, for a more tender heart than his never young gentleman had.He found me out in my distress, when you was too far off to help me; and M.Quesnel refused to do so, and bade me go to service again--Alas! Iwas too old for that!--The Chevalier found me, and bought me this cottage, and gave me money to furnish it, and bade me seek out another poor woman to live with me; and he ordered his brother's steward to pay me, every quarter, that which has supported me in comfort.Think then, mademoiselle, whether I have not reason to speak well of the Chevalier.And there are others, who could have afforded it better than he: and I am afraid he has hurt himself by his generosity, for quarter day is gone by long since, and no money for me! But do not weep so, mademoiselle: you are not sorry surely to hear of the poor Chevalier's goodness?'
'Sorry!' said Emily, and wept the more.'But how long is it since you have seen him?'
'Not this many a day, mademoiselle.'
'When did you hear of him?' enquired Emily, with increased emotion.
'Alas! never since he went away so suddenly into Languedoc; and he was but just come from Paris then, or I should have seen him, I am sure.Quarter day is gone by long since, and, as I said, no money for me; and I begin to fear some harm has happened to him: and if Iwas not so far from Estuviere and so lame, I should have gone to enquire before this time; and I have nobody to send so far.'
Emily's anxiety, as to the fate of Valancourt, was now scarcely endurable, and, since propriety would not suffer her to send to the chateau of his brother, she requested that Theresa would immediately hire some person to go to his steward from herself, and, when he asked for the quarterage due to her, to make enquiries concerning Valancourt.But she first made Theresa promise never to mention her name in this affair, or ever with that of the Chevalier Valancourt;and her former faithfulness to M.St.Aubert induced Emily to confide in her assurances.Theresa now joyfully undertook to procure a person for this errand, and then Emily, after giving her a sum of money to supply her with present comforts, returned, with spirits heavily oppressed, to her home, lamenting, more than ever, that an heart, possessed of so much benevolence as Valancourt's, should have been contaminated by the vices of the world, but affected by the delicate affection, which his kindness to her old servant expressed for herself.