Sweet is the breath of vernal shower,
The bees' collected treasures sweet,
Sweet music's melting fall, but sweeter yet
The still, small voice of gratitude.
GRAY
On the following day, the arrival of her friend revived the drooping
Emily, and La Vallee became once more the scene of social kindness and
of elegant hospitality. Illness and the terror she had suffered had
stolen from Blanche much of her sprightliness, but all her affectionate
simplicity remained, and, though she appeared less blooming, she was not
less engaging than before. The unfortunate adventure on the Pyrenees had
made the Count very anxious to reach home, and, after little more than a
week's stay at La Vallee, Emily prepared to set out with her friends
for Languedoc, assigning the care of her house, during her absence,
to Theresa.
On the evening, preceding her departure, this old servant
brought again the ring of Valancourt, and, with tears, entreated her
mistress to receive it, for that she had neither seen, or heard of M.
Valancourt, since the night when he delivered it to her. As she said
this, her countenance expressed more alarm, than she dared to utter;
but Emily, checking her own propensity to fear, considered, that he had
probably returned to the residence of his brother, and, again refusing
to accept the ring, bade Theresa preserve it, till she saw him, which,
with extreme reluctance, she promised to do.
On the following day, Count De Villefort, with Emily and the Lady
Blanche, left La Vallee, and, on the ensuing evening, arrived at the
Chateau-le-Blanc, where the Countess, Henri, and M. Du Pont, whom
Emily was surprised to find there, received them with much joy and
congratulation.
She was concerned to observe, that the Count still
encouraged the hopes of his friend, whose countenance declared, that
his affection had suffered no abatement from absence; and was much
distressed, when, on the second evening after her arrival, the Count,
having withdrawn her from the Lady Blanche, with whom she was walking,
renewed the subject of M. Du Pont's hopes. The mildness, with which
she listened to his intercessions at first, deceiving him, as to her
sentiments, he began to believe, that, her affection for Valancourt
being overcome, she was, at length, disposed to think favourably of
M. Du Pont; and, when she afterwards convinced him of his mistake, he
ventured, in the earnestness of his wish to promote what he considered
to be the happiness of two persons, whom he so much esteemed, gently
to remonstrate with her, on thus suffering an ill-placed affection to
poison the happiness of her most valuable years.
Observing her silence and the deep dejection of her countenance, he
concluded with saying, 'I will not say more now, but I will still
believe, my dear Mademoiselle St. Aubert, that you will not always
reject a person, so truly estimable as my friend Du Pont.'