“Berthe, you little addle-pated goose! You–oh you little ninny, you, you––” Her phrases were broken by laughter, then by an uncontrollable peal that was near a shriek, “Little, little fool, dost thou know, thou hast this night lost to France fifteen thousand leagues of empire? Thou–thou––” Yet kisses were again the portion of the thief of fifteen thousand leagues.
“But do you think they will be in time, Berthe? Yes, yes, you’ve answered that once. And Michel leads them, you say?”
“Oui, madame, Monsieur Ney was most eager to go, above all when His Excellency gave him Frenchmen to command. They are the cuirassiers. They will surely save the American monsieur.”
“But will they be in time? Yes, yes, I think I’ve asked that already.”
Her hysteric glee, changing to anxiety, now changed as quickly to something else. Her face went deathly white, the pretty jaws set hard, and there was the glint of resolution in the gray eyes. She seized a cloak and threw it about her.
“Come,” she said to the maid.
“Madame is going––”
“Yes, to undo your mischief. Bazaine must send to overtake Ney, must command him not to interfere with the execution. Bazaine will do this, when I see him.”
“But you will not find His Excellency to-night. Madame la Maréchale ordered the carriage for them both, as I was leaving there.”
226“Indeed? Then she knew you were coming here to me? Then she did not mention where they were going?”