The baroness sighed deeply, and the tears came into her eyes."Oh, you must not be down-hearted, old lady," shouted Raynal."Why, I am as likely to come back from Egypt as not.It is an even chance, to say the least."This piece of consolation completed the baroness's unhappiness.She really had conceived a great affection for Raynal, and her heart had been set on the wedding.
"Take away all that finery, girls," said she bitterly; "we shall not want it for years.I shall not be alive when he comes home from Egypt.I never had a son--only daughters--the best any woman ever had; but a mother is not complete without a son, and I shall never live to have one now.""I hate General Bonaparte," said Rose viciously.
"Hate my general?" groaned Raynal, looking down with a sort of superstitious awe and wonder at the lovely vixen."Hate the best soldier the world ever saw?""What do I care for his soldiership? He has put off our wedding.
For how many years did you say?"
"No; he has put it on."
In answer to the astonished looks this excited, he explained that the wedding was to have been in a week, but now it must be to-morrow at ten o'clock.
The three ladies set up their throats together."Tomorrow?""To-morrow.Why, what do you suppose I left Paris for yesterday?
left my duties even."
"What, monsieur?" asked Josephine, timidly, "did you ride all that way, and leave your duties MERELY TO MARRY ME?" and she looked a little pleased.
"You are worth a great deal more trouble than that," said Raynal simply."Besides, I had passed my word, and I always keep my word.""So do I," said Josephine, a little proudly."I will not go from it now, if you insist; but I confess to you, that such a proposal staggers me; so sudden--no preliminaries--no time to reflect; in short, there are so many difficulties that I must request you to reconsider the matter.""Difficulties," shouted Raynal with merry disdain; "there are none, unless you sit down and make them; we do more difficult things than this every day of our lives: we passed the bridge of Arcola in thirteen minutes; and we had not the consent of the enemy, as we have yours--have we not?"Her only reply was a look at her mother, to which the baroness replied by a nod; then turning to Raynal, "This empressement is very flattering; but I see no possibility: there is an etiquette we cannot altogether defy: there are preliminaries before a daughter of Beaurepaire can become a wife.""There used to be all that, madam," laughed Raynal, putting her down good-humoredly; "but it was in the days when armies came out and touched their caps to one another, and went back into winter quarters.Then the struggle was who could go slowest; now the fight is who can go fastest.Time and Bonaparte wait for nobody; and ladies and other strong places are taken by storm, not undermined a foot a month as under Noah Quartorze: let me cut this short, as time is short."He then drew a little plan of a wedding campaign."The carriages will be here at 9 A.M.," said he; "they will whisk us down to the mayor's house by a quarter to ten: Picard, the notary, meets us there with the marriage contract, to save time; the contract signed, the mayor will do the marriage at quick step out of respect for me--half an hour--quarter past ten; breakfast in the same house an hour and a quarter:--we mustn't hurry a wedding breakfast--then ten minutes or so for the old fogies to waste in ****** speeches about our virtues--my watch will come out--my charger will come round--Irise from the table--embrace my dear old mother--kiss my wife's hand--into the saddle--canter to Paris--roll to Toulon--sail to Egypt.But I shall leave a wife and a mother behind me: they will both send me a kind word now and then; and I will write letters to you all from Egypt, and when I come home, my wife and I will make acquaintance, and we will all be happy together: and if I am killed out there, don't you go and fret your poor little hearts about it;it is a soldier's lot sooner or later.Besides, you will find Ihave taken care of you; nobody shall come and turn you out of your quarters, even though Jean Raynal should be dead; I have got to meet Picard at Riviere's on that very business--I am off."He was gone as brusquely as he came.
"Mother! sister!" cried Josephine, "help me to love this man.""You need no help," cried the baroness, with enthusiasm, "not love him, we should all be monsters."Raynal came to supper looking bright and cheerful."No more work to-day.I have nothing to do but talk; fancy that."This evening Josephine de Beaurepaire, who had been silent and thoughtful, took a quiet opportunity, and purred in his ear, "Monsieur!""Mademoiselle!" rang the trombone.
"Am I not to go to Egypt?"
"No."
Josephine drew back at this brusque reply like a sensitive plant.
But she returned to the attack.
"But is it not a wife's duty to be by her husband's side to look after his comfort--to console him when others vex him--to soothe him when he is harassed?""Her first duty is to obey him."
"Certainly."
"Well, when I am your husband, I shall bid you stay with your mother and sister while I go to Egypt.""I shall obey you."
He told her bluntly he thought none the worse of her for ****** the offer; but should not accept it.
Camille Dujardin slept that night at a roadside inn about twelve miles from Beaurepaire, and not more than six from the town where the wedding was to take place next day.
It was a close race.
And the racers all unconscious of each other, yet spurred impartially by events that were now hurrying to a climax.
