"Mon Dieu! are we surrounded by robbers?" exclaimed Honorine.

"This is very extraordinary!" said Paul; "I have never seen him in such a fit of anger; he is ordinarily content to bark at people whom he doesn't like or doesn't know. But see what a frenzy he is in now; it is impossible to pacify him--he won't listen to me."

Ami ascended the steps leading to the summer-house, and from there he leaped over the wall, and darted along the road. Paul hurried to the gate and started in pursuit of his dog. Edmond would have followed him, but the two ladies held him back, for they were afraid and unwilling to be left without a protector.

XIV

THE PATH

"Well, monsieur," said Thelenie to her husband, as he entered her chamber, "I gave you several commissions two or three days ago; I asked you to find out who that small boy was who threw stones at me, and who was the owner of an enormous dog that jumped at me; what have you found out?"

Chamoureau began by looking at himself in a mirror which happened to be in front of him--a habit common to many people, who, while they are talking to you, do not cease to ogle themselves; and those who do it are not the most comely!

"My dear love," replied Chamoureau, after smiling at his image, "as for the small boy, I know nothing as yet. The peasants are not always inclined to give you information when you question them; they imagine that you're making fun of them.--As for the dog, that's a different matter; I haven't found him yet--those that I've seen don't correspond with the description you gave me."

"I might have known that you wouldn't be capable of discovering anything. Luckily, my friend the baron is here; I will place the matter in his hands, and he will be more skilful than you."

"I don't know whether Monsieur de Schtapelmerg will be more skilful than I--in fact, I doubt it. Still, it's no wonder that I am preoccupied,--I have such an interesting question in my head."

"For heaven's sake, what have you in your head, monsieur?"

"The age of trees, madame, the age of trees, which I mean to succeed in determining exactly."

"What good will it do, monsieur? what's the use of knowing the exact age of a tree?"

"Why, madame, it will be a wonderful discovery, of the very greatest utility--for wood-choppers and dealers in wood! To be able to say the instant you see a tree: 'It is so old--it was born under such a reign;'--why, it will be magnificent! and I shall succeed in doing it!--Ah! here's our dear friend the Baron von Schtapelmerg."

Croque entered the room; he was pale and haggard, and he did not walk with his usual swagger. He nodded to the husband and wife.

"Good-morning, n.o.ble baron," said Chamoureau, offering him his hand.

"You're not ill, are you? You have rather a tired look this morning."

"I slept badly; it doesn't amount to anything; it will disappear after a few puffs of smoke."

"What a fellow! he prefers a pipe to a cigar!"

"We old soldiers are used to a pipe."

"Have you served, baron?"

"Yes, I made the campaign of--of--the war against the Turks."

"Ah! you have fought against the Turks; no doubt that was when you received that wound on the left cheek, which left you that n.o.ble scar?"

"Exactly; it was a lance thrust."

"Do the Turks fight with lances?"

"Always--unless they use some other weapon."

"Give me your arm, baron," said Thelenie, "and let us go for a walk while monsieur reflects concerning the age of trees."

"I am at your service, _belle dame_."

"What is there new?" inquired Thelenie, when she and Croque had left the room. "Your appearance is quite agitated."

"_Sacredie!_ there's reason enough! I had a scare last night, and I'm all of a tremble still."

"What was the cause of this scare?"

"About ten o'clock I walked in the direction of our ladies' house. I wanted to examine the locality, take a look at the walls, in short, find out where there was a good chance to get inside; because, of course, I don't expect to fascinate the girl--I'm not good-looking enough, I do myself justice; if I want to arrive at my end, I've got to do it by surprise--by force."

"Well--what then? what then?"

"I was prowling round the garden wall, and before long I heard a dog growling. I didn't pay any attention to it at first, but as I was running my hands over a place where the wall is rather rickety, the barking got louder and fiercer; I discovered that the dog was close to me, that there was nothing but the wall between us. They called him from the house and tried to quiet him; time thrown away. I says to myself: 'That's a dangerous beast; let's stand off sh.o.r.e!'--So I turned tail. In another minute what did I have at my heels but the infernal dog, who had leaped the wall, no doubt, and started after me. Fear gave me wings; I flew--and so did the d.a.m.ned dog! However, he only succeeded in getting hold of the tail of my coat, and it remained in his jaws; I managed to escape. But, _bigre!_ it was high time! Look, see this big piece gone out of my coat--the cloth was very stout and new, so the beast must have pulled hard."

"Upon my word! I didn't expect to hear anything like this; I thought you were brave and strong, one of those men, in short, whom nothing terrifies, who recoil before no danger! And here you are all upset and cowed because a dog ran after you! You make me blush! Didn't you have your cane to beat the dog off with?"

"Oh! my girl! one minute! let's not put on airs; let's not act as if we wanted to make Bibi angry!--To be sure, I am bold; with men I don't retreat, and I am not afraid; but with a dog--that's another matter!--Besides, I have a good reason to be afraid of them; didn't I come near being strangled by Monsieur Duronceray's dog? Didn't he make this wound on my face, that I've still got the scar of? And it's deep, too! I don't know why, but it seemed to me last night as if it was that same dog that chased me."

"What nonsense! he must be dead long ago!"

"Why dead? he was very young then--not more than a year and a half; so he'd be ten or eleven now; dogs live much longer than that."

"Well, after what you have told me, I see that it's of no use to rely on you to undertake anything against the girl."

"If those women always have that dog to guard them, it will be rather hard."

"They have no dog in the house; their gardener, whom I took care to employ a few days ago, told me so. It was a mere chance that there was one in their house last night.--But this young man coming this way--it is Edmond! At last I have an opportunity to speak to him. Leave me, Croque--go away."

"All right; I will join your estimable husband and breakfast with him."

"Be careful not to get tipsy as you did the other day; for, when you do, you entirely forget your role."

"Don't worry, _belle dame_, I will retain my self-respect."

Edmond was walking slowly along the road; he was thinking of Agathe, whose husband he ardently desired to be; but he was thinking also of the future.

On his last trip to Paris, he had made up his accounts and tried to bring some semblance of order out of the chaos of his affairs; he had paid all his creditors and had found that he possessed only sixteen thousand francs. With that amount a tradesman may start in business on a small scale; but that was not the lot in life which Edmond desired to offer to Agathe.

"To have a pleasant voice and be able to sing decently--that isn't enough to marry on," he was saying to himself; "I should have done better to think of getting rich."

Absorbed in his thoughts as he was, the young man had not seen Thelenie, who was close beside him when he raised his eyes. He started back as if to retrace his steps; but it was too late, the young woman with the great black eyes had already taken his arm, saying:

"What! you propose to turn back because you find me here? Am I so very odious to you then? Does the sight of me produce such an intensely disagreeable effect on you?"