Surmounting at length the embarrassment caused by the steadfast look of the soldier, Father d’Aigrigny raised his head, and repeated.  “I ask you, sir, who you are, and what you want?”

“Do you not recognize me?” said Dagobert, hardly able to restrain himself.

“No, sir—­”

“In truth,” returned the soldier, with profound contempt, “You cast down your eyes for shame when, at Leipsic, you fought for the Russians against the French, and when General Simon, covered with wounds, answered you, renegade that you were, when you asked him for his sword, ’I do not surrender to a traitor!’—­and dragged himself along to one of the Russian grenadiers, to whom he yielded up his weapon.  Well! there was then a wounded soldier by the side of General Simon—­I am he.”

“In brief, sir, what do you want?” said Father d’Aigrigny, hardly, able to control himself.

“I have come to unmask you—­you, that are as false and hateful a priest, as Gabriel is admirable and beloved by all.”

“Sir!” cried the marquis, becoming livid with rage and emotion.

“I tell you, that you are infamous,” resumed the soldier, with still greater force.  “To rob Marshal Simon’s daughters, and Gabriel, and Mdlle. de Cardoville of their inheritance, you have had recourse to the most shameful means.”

“What do you say?” cried Gabriel.  “The daughters of Marshal Simon?”

“Are your relations, my dear boy, as is also that worthy Mdlle. de Cardoville, the benefactress of Agricola.  Now, this priest,” he added, pointing to Father d’Aigrigny, “has had them shut up—­the one as mad, in a lunatic asylum—­the others in a convent.  As for you, my dear boy, I did not hope to find you here, believing that they would have prevented you, like the others, from coming hither this morning.  But, thank God, you are here, and I arrive in time.  I should have been sooner, but for my wound.  I have lost so much blood, that I have done nothing but faint all the morning.”

“Truly!” cried Gabriel, with uneasiness.  “I had not remarked your arm in a sling.  What is the wound?”

At a sign from Agricola, Dagobert answered:  “Nothing; the consequence of a fall.  But here I am, to unveil many infamies.”

It is impossible to paint the curiosity, anguish, surprise, or fear, of the different actors in this scene, as they listened to Dagobert’s threatening words.  But the most overcome was Gabriel.  His angelic countenance was distorted, his knees trembled under him.  Struck by the communication of Dagobert which revealed the existence of other heirs, he was unable to speak for some time; at length, he cried out, in a tone of despair:  “And it is I—­oh, God!  I—­who am the cause of the spoliation of this family!”

“You, brother?” exclaimed Agricola.

“Did they not wish to rob you also?” added Dagobert.

“The will,” cried Gabriel, with increasing agony, “gave the property to those of the heirs that should appear before noon.”