able
hypocrisy was united with rare audacity, and both served by a skill no
less remarkable, that M. Baleinier was, in fact, the blind instrument of
the Princess de Saint-Dizier. From that moment, she remained silent and
calm, but full of dignity; not a complaint, not a reproach was allowed to
pass her lips. She waited. Yet, though they left her at liberty to walk
about (carefully depriving her of all means of communicating with any one
beyond the walls), Adrienne's situation was harsh and painful,
particularly for her, who so loved to be surrounded by pleasant and
harmonious objects. She felt, however, that this situation could not last
long. She did not thoroughly understand the penetration and action of the
laws; but her good sense taught her, that a confinement of a few days
under the plea of some appearances of insanity, more or less plausible in
themselves, might be attempted, and even executed with impunity; but that
it could not be prolonged beyond certain limits, because, after all, a
young lady of her rank in society could not disappear suddenly from the
world, without inquiries being made on the subject--and the pretence of a
sudden attack of madness would lead to a serious investigation. Whether
true or false, this conviction had restored Adrienne to her accustomed
elasticity and energy of character. And yet she sometimes in vain asked
herself the cause of this attempt on her liberty. She knew too well the
Princess de Saint-Dizier, to believe her capable of acting in this way,
without a certain end in view, and merely for the purpose of inflicting a
momentary pang. In this, Mdlle. de Cardoville was not deceived: Father
d'Aigrigny and the princess were both persuaded, that Adrienne, better
informed than she wished to acknowledge, knew how important it was for
her to find herself in the house in the Rue Saint-Francois on the 13th of
February, and was determined to maintain her rights. In shutting up
Adrienne as mad, it was intended to strike a fatal blow at her future
prospects; but this last precaution was useless, for Adrienne, though
upon the true scent of the family-secret they lead wished to conceal from
her, had not yet entirely penetrated its meaning, for want of certain
documents, which had been lost or hidden.
Whatever had been the motives for the odious conduct of Mdlle. de
Cardoville's enemies, she was not the less disgusted at it. No one could
be more free from hatred or revenge, than was this gene
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