第142章

"Your highness sees, therefore," resumed the doctor, "that I am not likely to show any weakness.I perfectly understand the responsibility of what I undertake; but such immense interests, you told me, were at stake--"

"Yes," said D'Aigrigny, "interests of the first consequence."

"Therefore I did not hesitate," proceeded M.Baleinier; "and you need not be at all uneasy.As a man of taste, accustomed to good society, allow me to render homage to the charming qualities of Mdlle.Adrienne; when the time for action comes, you will find me quite as willing to do my work."

"Perhaps, that moment may be nearer than we thought," said Madame de Saint-Dizier, exchanging a glance with D'Aigrigny.

"I am, and will be, always ready," said the doctor."I answer for everything that concerns myself.I wish I could be as tranquil on every other point."

"Is not your asylum still as fashionable--as an asylum can well be?"

asked Madame de Saint-Dizier, with a half smile.

"On the contrary.I might almost complain of having too many boarders.

It is not that.But, whilst we are waiting for Mdlle.Adrienne, I will mention another subject, which only relates to her indirectly, for it concerns the person who, bought Cardoville Manor, one Madame de la Sainte-Colombe, who has taken me for a doctor, thanks to Rodin's able management."

"True," said D'Aigrigny; "Rodin wrote to me on the subject--but without entering into details."

"These are the facts," resumed the doctor."This Madame de la Sainte-

Colombe, who was at first considered easy enough to lead, has shown herself very refractory on the head of her conversion.Two spiritual directors have already renounced the task of saving her soul.In despair, Rodin unslipped little Philippon on her.He is adroit, tenacious, and above all patient in the extreme--the very man that was wanted.When I got Madame de la Sainte-Colombe for a patient, Philippon asked my aid, which he was naturally entitled to.We agreed upon our plan.I was not to appear to know him the least in the world; and he was to keep me informed of the variations in the moral state of his penitent, so that I might be able, by the use of very inoffensive medicines--for there was nothing dangerous in the illness--to keep my patient in alternate states of improvement or the reverse, according as her director had reason to be satisfied or displeased--so that he might say to her:

`You see, madame, you are in the good way! Spiritual grace acts upon your bodily health, and you are already better.If, on the contrary, you fall back into evil courses, you feel immediately some physical ail, which is a certain proof of the powerful influence of faith, not only on the soul, but on the body also?'"

"It is doubtless painful," said D'Aigrigny, with perfect coolness, "to be obliged to have recourse to such means, to rescue perverse souls from perdition--but we must needs proportion our modes of action to the intelligence and the character of the individual."

"By-the-bye, the princess knows," resumed the doctor, "that I have often pursued this plan at St.Mary's Convent, to the great advantage of the soul's peace and health of some of our patients, being extremely innocent.These alternations never exceed the difference between "pretty well," and "not quite so well." Yet small as are the variations, they act most efficaciously on certain minds.It was thus with Madame de la Sainte-Colombe.She was in such a fair way of recovery, both moral and physical, that Rodin thought he might get Philippon to advise the country for his penitent, fearing that Paris air might occasion a relapse.This advice, added to the desire the woman had to play `lady of the parish,'

induced her to buy Cardoville Manor, a good investment in any respect.

But yesterday, unfortunate Philippon came to tell me, that Madame de la Sainte-Colombe was about to have an awful relapse--moral, of course--for her physical health is now desperately good.The said relapse appears to have been occasioned by an interview she has had with one Jacques Dumoulin, whom they tell me you know, my dear abbe; he has introduced himself to her, nobody can guess how."

"This Jacques Dumoulin,"said the marquis, with disgust, "is one of those men, that we employ while we despise.He is a writer full of gall, envy, and hate, qualities that give him a certain unmercifully cutting eloquence.We pay him largely to attack our enemies, though it is often painful to see principles we respect defended by such a pen.For this wretch lives like a vagabond--is constantly in taverns--almost always intoxicated--but, I must own, his power of abuse is inexhaustible, and he is well versed in the most abstruse theological controversies, so that he is sometimes very useful to us."

"Well! though Madame de la Sainte-Colombe is hard upon sixty, it appears that Dumoulin has matrimonial views on her large fortune.You will do well to inform Rodin, so that he may be on his guard against the dark designs of this rascal.I really beg a thousand pardons for having so long occupied you with such a paltry affair--but, talking of St.Mary's Convent," added the doctor, addressing the princess, "may I take the liberty of asking if your highness has been there lately?"

The princess exchanged a rapid glance with D'Aigrigny, and answered: "Oh, let me see! Yes, I was there about a week ago."