第331章

"Oh," said Valentine, "we have been waiting for you with such impatience, dear M.d'Avrigny.But, first of all, how are Madeleine and Antoinette?" Madeleine was the daughter of M.d'Avrigny, and Antoinette his niece.M.d'Avrigny smiled sadly."Antoinette is very well," he said, "and Madeleine tolerably so.But you sent for me, my dear child.It is not your father or Madame de Villefort who is ill.As for you, although we doctors cannot divest our patients of nerves, Ifancy you have no further need of me than to recommend you not to allow your imagination to take too wide a field."Valentine colored.M.d'Avrigny carried the science of divination almost to a miraculous extent, for he was one of the physicians who always work upon the body through the mind."No," she replied, "it is for my poor grandmother.You know the calamity that has happened to us, do you not?""I know nothing." said M.d'Avrigny.

"Alas," said Valentine, restraining her tears, "my grandfather is dead.""M.de Saint-Meran?"

"Yes."

"Suddenly?"

"From an apoplectic stroke."

"An apoplectic stroke?" repeated the doctor.

"Yes, and my poor grandmother fancies that her husband, whom she never left, has called her, and that she must go and join him.Oh, M.d'Avrigny, I beseech you, do something for her!""Where is she?"

"In her room with the notary."

"And M.Noirtier?"

"Just as he was, his mind perfectly clear, but the same incapability of moving or speaking.""And the same love for you -- eh, my dear child?""Yes," said Valentine, "he was very fond of me.""Who does not love you?" Valentine smiled sadly."What are your grandmother's symptoms?""An extreme nervous excitement and a strangely agitated sleep; she fancied this morning in her sleep that her soul was hovering above her body, which she at the same time watched.It must have been delirium; she fancies, too, that she saw a phantom enter her chamber and even heard the noise it made on touching her glass.""It is singular," said the doctor; "I was not aware that Madame de Saint-Meran was subject to such hallucinations.""It is the first time I ever saw her in this condition,"said Valentine; "and this morning she frightened me so that I thought her mad; and my father, who you know is a strong-minded man, himself appeared deeply impressed.""We will go and see," said the doctor; "what you tell me seems very strange." The notary here descended, and Valentine was informed that her grandmother was alone."Go upstairs," she said to the doctor.

"And you?"

"Oh, I dare not -- she forbade my sending for you; and, as you say, I am myself agitated, feverish and out of sorts.Iwill go and take a turn in the garden to recover myself."The doctor pressed Valentine's hand, and while he visited her grandmother, she descended the steps.We need not say which portion of the garden was her favorite walk.After remaining for a short time in the parterre surrounding the house, and gathering a rose to place in her waist or hair, she turned into the dark avenue which led to the bench; then from the bench she went to the gate.As usual, Valentine strolled for a short time among her flowers, but without gathering them.The mourning in her heart forbade her assuming this simple ornament, though she had not yet had time to put on the outward semblance of woe.She then turned towards the avenue.As she advanced she fancied she heard a voice speaking her name.She stopped astonished, then the voice reached her ear more distinctly, and she recognized it to be that of Maximilian.