The Champdoce Mystery | Page 9

Emile Gaboriau
and her parents, who had wished her to take the veil, had
only been induced to remove her owing to her obstinate refusal to
pronounce the vows, coupled with the earnest entreaties of the lady
superior, who was kept in a constant state of ferment owing to the
mutinous conduct of her pupil. Her father was wealthy, but all the
property went over to her brother, ten years older than herself; and so
Diana was portionless, with the exception of a paltry sum of forty
thousand francs.
"My child!" said her father to her the first day of her return, "you have
come back to us once more, and now all you have to do is to fascinate
some gentleman who is your equal in position and who has plenty of
money. If you fail in that, back you go to the convent."
"Time enough to talk about that some years hence," answered the girl
with a smile; "at present I am quite contented with being at home with
you."

M. de Laurebourg had commented with some severity upon the
conduct of the Duke de Champdoce towards his son, but he was
perfectly willing to sacrifice his daughter's heart for a suitable
marriage.
"I shall gain my end," murmured the girl, "I am sure of it."
She had heard a friend of her father's speaking of Norbert and his
colossal expectations.
"Why should I not marry him?" she asked of her own heart; and, with
the utmost skill, she applied herself to the execution of her design; for
the idea of being a duchess, with an income of two hundred thousand
francs, was a most fascinating one. But how was she to meet Norbert?
And how bring over the money-raking Duke to her side? Before,
however, she could decide on any plan, she felt that she must see
Norbert. He was pointed out to her one day at Mass, and she was struck
by his beauty and by an ease of manner which even his shabby dress
could not conceal. By the quick perception which many women possess,
she dived into Norbert's inmost soul; she felt that he had suffered, and
her sympathy for him brought with it the dawn of love, and by the time
she had left the chapel she had registered a solemn vow that she would
one day be Norbert's wife. But she did not acquaint her parents with
this determination on her part, preferring to carry out her plans without
any aid or advice. Mademoiselle Diana was shrewd and practical, and
not likely to err from want of judgment. The frank and open expression
of her features concealed a mind of superior calibre, and one which
well knew how to weigh the advantages of social rank and position.
She affected a sudden sympathy with the poor, and visited them
constantly, and might be frequently met in the lanes carrying soup and
other comforts to them. Her father declared, with a laugh, that she
ought to have been a Sister of Charity, and did not notice the fact that
all Diana's pensioners resided in the vicinity of Champdoce. But it was
in vain that she wandered about, continually changing the hour of her
visits. The "Savage of Champdoce" was not to be seen, nor was he even
a regular attendant at Mass. At last a mere trifle changed the whole
current of the young man's existence; for, a week after the conversation

in which the Duke had laid bare his scheme to his son, he again referred
to it, after their dinner, which they had partaken of at the same table
with forty laborers, who had been hired to get in the harvest.
"You need not, my son," began the old gentleman, "go back with the
laborers to-day."
"But, sir--"
"Allow me to continue, if you please. My confidential conversation
with you the other night was merely a preliminary to my telling you
that for the future I did not expect you to toil as hard as you had
hitherto done, for I wish you to perform a duty less laborious, but more
responsible; you will for the future act as farm-bailiff."
Norbert looked up suddenly into his father's face.
"For I wish you to become accustomed to independent action, so that at
my death your sudden liberty may not intoxicate you."
The Duke then rose from his seat, and took a highly finished gun from
a cupboard.
"I have been very much pleased with you for some time past," said he,
"and this is a sign of my satisfaction. The gamekeeper has brought in a
thoroughly trained dog, which will also be yours. Shoot as much as you
like, and, as you cannot go about without money in your pocket, take
this, but be careful of it;
Continue reading on your phone by scaning this QR Code

 / 131
Tip: The current page has been bookmarked automatically. If you wish to continue reading later, just open the Dertz Homepage, and click on the 'continue reading' link at the bottom of the page.