Mora himself, notwithstanding his extreme weakness, although he felt his head absolutely blank, and, as he said, “not an idea anywhere,” was far from suspecting the gravity of his condition. It was only on the third day, on waking in the morning, that the sight of a tiny stream of blood, which had trickled from his mouth over his beard and the stained pillow, had frightened this fastidious man, who had a horror of all human ills, especially sickness, and now saw it arrive stealthily with its pollutions, its weaknesses, and the loss of physical self-control, the first concession made to death. Monpavon, entering the room behind Jenkins, surprised the anxious expression of the great seigneur faced by the terrible truth, and at the same time was horrified by the ravages made in a few hours upon Mora’s emaciated face, in which all the wrinkles of age, suddenly evident, were mingled with lines of suffering, and those muscular depressions which tell of serious internal lesions. He took Jenkins aside, while the duke’s toilet necessaries were carried to him—a whole apparatus of crystal and silver contrasting with the yellow pallor of the invalid.
“Look here, Jenkins, the duke is very ill.”
“I am afraid so,” said the Irishman, in a low voice.
“But what is the matter with him?”
“What he wanted, parbleu!” answered the other in a fury. “One cannot be young at his age with impunity. This intrigue will cost him dear.”
Some evil passion was getting the better of him but he subdued it immediately, and, puffing out his cheeks as though his head were full of water, he sighed deeply as he pressed the old nobleman’s hands.
“Poor duke! poor duke! Ah, my friend, I am most unhappy!”
“Take care, Jenkins,” said Monpavon coldly, disengaging his hands, “you are assuming a terrible responsibility. What! is the duke as bad as that?—ps—ps—ps—Will you see nobody? You have arranged no consultation?”
The Irishman raised his hands as if to say, “What good can it do?”
The other insisted. It was absolutely necessary that Brisset, Jousseline, Bouchereau, all the great physicians should be called in.