She rose, leaving Thaddeus
half unconscious behind her, slowly re-entered her boudoir, and went
back to Adam's chamber.
An hour later Paz returned to the sick-room, and began anew, with
death in his heart, his care of the count. From that moment he said
nothing. He was forced to struggle with the patient, whom he managed
in a way that excited the admiration of the doctors. At all hours his
watchful eyes were like lamps always lighted. He showed no resentment
to Clementine, and listened to her thanks without accepting them; he
seemed both dumb and deaf. To himself he was saying, "She shall owe
his life to me," and he wrote the thought as it were in letters of
fire on the walls of Adam's room. On the fifteenth day Clementine was
forced to give up the nursing, lest she should utterly break down. Paz
was unwearied. At last, towards the end of August, Bianchon, the
family physician, told Clementine that Adam was out of danger.
"Ah, madame, you are under no obligation to me," he said; "without his
friend, Comte Paz, we could not have saved him."
The day after the meeting of Paz and Clementine in the kiosk, the
Marquis de Ronquerolles came to see his nephew. He was on the eve of
starting for Russia on a secret diplomatic mission. Paz took occasion
to say a few words to him. The first day that Adam was able to drive
out with his wife and Thaddeus, a gentleman entered the courtyard as
the carriage was about to leave it, and asked for Comte Paz.
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