第287章

During this scene, the reverend father and his socius, at first alarmed and shaken in their audacity, had by degrees recovered all their coolness.Rodin, still leaning upon the casket, had said a few words in a low voice to Father d'Aigrigny.So that when Agricola, carried away by his indignation, reproached the latter with his infamous machinations, he bowed his head humbly, and answered: " We are bound to forgive injuries, and offer them to the Lord as a mark of our humility."

Dagobert, confounded at all he had just heard, felt his reason begin to wander.After so much anxiety, his strength failed beneath this new and terrible blow.Agricola's just and sensible words, in connection with certain passages of the testament, at once enlightened Gabriel as to the views of Father d'Aigrigny, in taking charge of his education, and leading him to join the Society of Jesus.For the first time in his life, Gabriel was able to take in at a glance all the secret springs of the dark intrigue, of which he had been the victim.Then, indignation and despair surmounting his natural timidity, the missionary, with flashing eye, and cheeks inflamed with noble wrath, exclaimed, as he addressed Father d'Aigrigny: "So, father, when you placed me in one of your colleges, it was not from any feeling of kindness or commiseration, but only in the hope of bringing me one day to renounce in favor of your Order my share in this inheritance; and it did not even suffice you to sacrifice me to your cupidity, but I must also be rendered the involuntary instrument of a shameful spoliation! If only I were concerned--if you only coveted my claim to all this wealth, I should not complain.I am the minister of a religion which honors and sanctifies poverty; I have consented to the donation in your favor, and I have not, I could never have any claim upon it.But property is concerned which belong to poor orphans, brought from a distant exile by my adopted father, and I will not see them wronged.But the benefactress of my adopted brother is concerned, and I will not see her wronged.But the last will of a dying man is concerned, who, in his ardent love of humanity, bequeathed to his descendants an evangelic mission--an admirable mission of progress, love, union, liberty--and I will not see this mission blighted in its bud.No, no; I tell you, that this his mission shall be accomplished, though I have to cancel the donation I have made."

On these words, Father d'Aigrigny and Rodin looked at each other with a slight shrug of the shoulders.At a sign from the socius, the reverend father began to speak with immovable calmness, in a slow and sanctified voice, keeping eyes constantly cast down: "There are many incidents connected with this inheritance of M.de Rennepont, which appear very complicated--many phantoms, which seem un usually menacing--and yet, nothing could be really more simple and natural.Let us proceed in regular order.Let us put aside all these calumnious imputations; we will return to them afterwards.M.Gabriel de Rennepont--and I humbly beg him to contradict me, if I depart in the least instance from the exact truth--M.Gabriel de Rennepont, in acknowledgment of the care formerly bestowed on him by the society to which I have the honor to belong, made over to me, as its representative, freely and voluntarily, all the property that might come to him one day, the value of which was unknown to him, as well as to myself."

Father d'Aigrigny here looked at Gabriel, as if appealing to him for the truth of this statement.

"It is true," said the young priest: "I made this donation freely."

"This morning, in consequence of a private conversation, which I will not repeat--and in this, I am certain beforehand, of the Abbe Gabriel--"

"True," replied Gabriel, generously; "the subject of this conversation is of little importance."

"It was then, in consequence of this conversation that the Abbe Gabriel manifested the desire to confirm this donation--not in my favor, for I have little to do with earthly wealth--but in favor of the sacred and charitable works of which our Company is the trustee.I appeal to the honor of M.Gabriel to declare if he have not engaged himself towards us, not only by a solemn oath, but by a perfectly legal act, executed in presence of M.Dumesnil, here present?"

"It is all true," answered Gabriel.

"The deed was prepared by me," added the notary.

"But Gabriel could only give you what belonged to him," cried Dagobert.

"The dear boy never supposed that you were making use of him to rob other people."

"Do me the favor, sir, to allow me to explain myself," replied Father d'Aigrigny, courteously; "you can afterwards make answer."

Dagobert repressed with difficulty his painful impatience.The reverend father continued: "The Abbe Gabriel has therefore, by the double engagement of an oath and a legal act, confirmed his donation.Much more," resumed Father d'Aigrigny: "when to his great astonishment and to ours, the enormous amount of the inheritance became known, the Abbe Gabriel, faithful to his own admirable generosity, far from repenting of his gifts, consecrated them once more by a pious movement of gratitude to Providence--for M.Notary will doubtless remember, that, after embracing the Abbe Gabriel with transport, and telling him that he was a second Vincent de Paul in charity, I took him by the hand, and we both knelt down together to thank heaven for having inspired him with the thought too offer these immense riches to the Greater Glory of the Lord."

"That is true, also," said Gabriel, honestly; "so long as myself was concerned, though I might be astounded for a moment by the revelation of so enormous a fortune, I did not think for an instant of cancelling the donation I had freely made."