Ought I to have had him shown down again?"
"A nice question! How should I know? Wait till I have seen him,
miss, and then I'll tell you!" With these words the general
turned on his heel, and went into the drawing-room.
His daughter would have followed him, but Danville caught her by
the hand.
"Can you be hard-hearted enough to leave me here alone?" he
asked.
"What is to become of all my bosom friends in the next room, you
selfish man, if I stop here with you?" retorted mademoiselle,
struggling to free herself.
"Call them in here," said Danville gayly, making himself master
of her other hand.
She laughed, and drew him away toward the drawing-room.
"Come," she cried, "and let all the ladies see what a tyrant I am
going to marry. Come, and show them what an obstinate,
unreasonable, wearisome--"
Her voice suddenly failed her; she shuddered, and turned faint.
Danville's hand had in one instant grown cold as death in hers;
the momentary touch of his fingers, as she felt their grasp
loosen, struck some mysterious chill through her from head to
foot. She glanced round at him affrightedly, and saw his eyes
looking straight into the drawing-room. They were fixed in a
strange, unwavering, awful stare, while, from the rest of his
face, all expression, all character, all recognizable play and
movement of feature, had utterly gone. It was a breathless,
lifeless mask--a white blank.
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