\"Hereisacockofafinehackle!\"Andsoon,andsoforth,whileheturnedgrinningtohiscompanions,lookingfortheirapplause。
Iwasitchingtochastisehim,andyethesitating,lestthethingshouldhaveitsseriousside,whenanewactorappeared。\"Shame,youbrutes!\"criedashrillvoiceaboveusinthecloudsitseemed。Ilookedup,andsawtwogirls,coarseandhandsome,standingatawindowoverthestable,alightbetweenthem。\"Forshame!Don’tyouseethattheyaremerechildren?Letthembe,\"
criedone。
Themenlaughedlouderthanever;andforme,Icouldnotstandbyandbecalledachild。\"Comehere,\"Isaid,beckoningtothemaninthedoorway。\"Comehere,yourascal,andIwillgiveyouthethrashingyoudeserveforspeakingtoagentleman!\"
Heloungedforward,aheavyfellow,tallerthanmyselfandsixincheswiderattheshoulders。MyheartfailedmealittleasI
measuredhim。Butthethinghadtobedone。IfIwasslight,I
waswiryasahound,andintheexcitementhadforgottenmyfatigue。IsnatchedfromMariealoadedriding—whiphecarried,andsteppedforward。
\"Haveacare,littleman!\"criedthegirlgaily——yethalfinpity,Ithink。\"Orthatfatpigwillkillyou!\"
Myantagonistdidnotjoininthelaughthistime。Indeeditstruckmethathiseyewanderedandthathewasnotsoreadytoentertheringashismatesweretoformit。ButbeforeIcouldtryhismettle,ahandwaslaidonmyshoulder。AmanappearingfromIdonotknowwhere——fromthedarkfringeofthegroup,I
suppose——pushedmeaside,roughly,butnotdiscourteously。
\"Leavethistome!\"hesaid,coollysteppingbeforeme。\"Donotdirtyyourhandswiththeknave,master。Iampiningforworkandthejobwilljustsuitme!IwillfithimforthewormsbeforethenunsabovecansayanAVE!\"
Ilookedatthenewcomer。Hewasastoutfellow;notovertall,noroverbig;swarthy,withprominentfeatures。Theplumeofhisbonnetwasbroken,butheworeitinarakishfashion;andaltogetherheswaggeredwithsodare—devilanair,clinkinghisspursandswingingouthislongswordrecklessly,thatitwasnowonderthreeorfourofthenearestfellowsgavebackafoot。
\"Comeon!\"hecried,boisterously,formingaringbythesimpleprocessofsweepinghisbladefromsidetoside,whilehemadethedaggerinhislefthandflashroundhishead。\"Whoisforthegame?WhowillstrikeablowforthelittleAdmiral?Willyoucomeone,two,threeatonce;oralltogether?Anyway,comeon,you——\"Andheclosedhischallengewithavolleyoffrightfuloaths,directedatthegroupopposite。
\"Itisnoquarrelofyours,\"saidthebigman,sulkily;makingnoshowofdrawinghissword,butratherdrawingbackhimself。
\"Allquarrelsaremyquarrels!andnoquarrelsareyourquarrels。Thatisaboutthetruth,Ifancy!\"wasthesmartretort;whichourchampionrenderedmoreemphaticbyaplayfullungethatcausedthebigbullytoskipagain。
Therewasaloudlaughatthis,evenamongtheenemy’sbackers。
\"Bah,thegreatpig!\"ejaculatedthegirlabove。\"Spithim!\"
andshespatdownonthewhilomHector——whomadenogreatfigurenow。
\"ShallIbringyouasliceofhim,mydear?\"askedmyrakehellyfriend,lookingupandmakinghisswordplayroundtheshrinkingwretch。\"Justatit—bit,mylove?\"headdedpersuasively。\"A
mouthfulofwhiteliverandcapersauce?\"
\"Notforme,thebeast!\"thegirlcried,amidthelaughteroftheyard。
\"Notabit?IfIwarranthimtender?Ladies’meat?\"
\"Bah!no!\"andshestolidlyspatdownagain。
\"Doyouhear?Theladyhasnotasteforyou,\"thetormentorcried。\"PigofaGascon!\"Anddeftlysheathinghisdagger,heseizedthebigcowardbytheear,andturninghimround,gavehimaheavykickwhichsenthimspinningoverabucket,anddownagainstthewall。Therethebullyremained,swearingandrubbinghimselfbyturns;whilethevictorcriedboastfully,\"Enoughofhim。Ifanyonewantstotakeuphisquarrel,BlaiseBureishisman。Ifnot,letushaveanendofit。Letsomeonefindstallsforthegentlemen’shorsesbeforetheycatchachill;andhavedonewithit。Asforme,\"headded,andthenheturnedtousandremovedhishatwithanexaggeratedflourish,\"Iamyourlordship’sservanttocommand。\"
Ithankedhimwithaheartiness,half—earnest,half—assumed。Hiscloakwasragged,histrunkhose,whichhadoncebeenfineenough,werestained,andalmostpointless,Heswaggeredinimitably,andhadled—captainwrittenlargeuponhim。Buthehaddoneusaservice,forJeanhadnofurthertroubleaboutthehorses。Andbesidesonehasanaturallikingforabraveman,andthismanwasbravebeyondquestion。
\"YouarefromOrleans,\"hesaidrespectfullyenough,butasoneassertingafact,notaskingaquestion。
\"Yes,\"Ianswered,somewhatastonished,\"Didyouseeuscomein?\"
\"No,butIlookedatyourboots,gentlemen,\"hereplied。\"Whitedust,north;reddust,south。Doyousee?\"
\"Yes,Isee,\"Isaid,withadmiration。\"Youmusthavebeenbroughtupinasharpschool,M。Bure。\"
\"Sharpmastersmakesharpscholars,\"hereplied,grinning。AndthatanswerIhadoccasiontorememberafterwards。
\"YouarefromOrleans,also?\"Iasked,aswepreparedtogoin。
\"Yes,fromOrleanstoo,gentlemen。Butearlierintheday。Withletters——lettersofimportance!\"Andbestowingsomethinglikeawinkofconfidenceonus,hedrewhimselfup,lookedsternlyatthestable—folk,pattedhimselftwiceonthechest,andfinallytwirledhismoustaches,andsmirkedatthegirlabove,whowaschewingstraws。
Ithoughtitlikelyenoughthatwemightfindithardtogetridofhim。Butthiswasnotso。Afterlisteningwithgratificationtoourrepeatedthanks,hebowedwiththesamegrotesqueflourish,andmarchedoffasgraveasaSpaniard,humming——
\"Cepetithommetantjoli!
Quitoujourscauseettoujoursrit,Quitoujoursbaisesamignonne,Dieugard’demalcepetithomme!\"
Onourgoingin,thelandlordmetuspolitely,butwithcuriosity,andasimmeringofexcitementalsoinhismanner。
\"FromParis,mylords?\"heasked,rubbinghishandsandbowinglow。\"Orfromthesouth?\"
\"Fromthesouth,\"Ianswered。\"FromOrleans,andhungryandtired,MasterHost。\"
\"Ah!\"hereplied,disregardingthelatterpartofmyanswer,whilehislittleeyestwinkledwithsatisfaction。\"ThenIdareswear,mylords,youhavenotheardthenews?\"Hehaltedinthenarrowpassage,andliftingthecandlehecarried,scannedourfacesclosely,asifhewishedtolearnsomethingaboutusbeforehespoke。
\"News!\"Iansweredbrusquely,beingbothtired,andasIhadtoldhim,hungry。\"Wehaveheardnone,andthebestyoucangiveuswillbethatoursupperisreadytobeserved。\"
Buteventhissnubdidnotcheckhiseagernesstotellhisnews。
\"TheAdmiraldeColigny,\"hesaid,breathlessly,\"youhavenotheardwhathashappenedtohim?\"
\"Totheadmiral?No,what?\"Iinquiredrapidly。Iwasinterestedatlast。
Foramomentletmedigress。Thefewofmyagewillremember,andthemanyyoungerwillhavebeentold,thatatthistimetheItalianqueen—motherwastherulingpowerinFrance。ItwasCatharinede’Medici’sfirstobjecttomaintainherinfluenceoverCharlestheNinth——herson;who,ricketty,weak,andpassionate,wasalreadydoomedtoanearlygrave。Hersecond,tosupporttheroyalpowerbybalancingtheextremeCatholicsagainsttheHuguenots。Forthelatterpurposeshewouldcoquetfirstwithoneparty,thenwiththeother。AtthepresentmomentshehadcommittedherselfmoredeeplythanwasherwonttotheHuguenots。Theirleaders,theAdmiralGasparddeColigny,theKingofNavarre,andthePrinceofConde,weresupposedtobehighinfavour,whilethechiefsoftheotherparty,theDukeofGuise,andthetwoCardinalsofhishouse,theCardinalofLorraineandtheCardinalofGuise,wereindisgrace;which,asitseemed,eventheirfriendatcourt,thequeen’sfavouriteson,HenryofAnjou,wasunabletoovercome。
SuchwastheoutwardaspectofthingsinAugust,1572,buttherewerenotwantingrumoursthatalreadyColigny,takingadvantageofthefootinggivenhim,hadgainedaninfluenceovertheyoungking,whichthreatenedCatharinede’Mediciherself。Theadmiral,therefore,towhomtheHuguenothalfofFrancehadlonglookedastoitsleader,wasnowtheobjectoftheclosestinteresttoall;theGuisefaction,hatinghim——astheallegedassassinoftheDukeofGuise——withanintensitywhichprobablywasnottobefoundintheaffectionofhisfriends,popularwiththelatterashewas。
Still,manywhowerenotHuguenotshadaregardforhimasagreatFrenchmanandagallantsoldier。We——thoughwewereoftheoldfaith,andtheotherside——hadheardmuchofhim,andmuchgood。TheVicomtehadspokenofhimalwaysasagreatman,amanmistaken,butbrave,honestandcapableinhiserror。Thereforeitwasthatwhenthelandlordmentionedhim,Iforgotevenmyhunger。
\"Hewasshot,mylords,ashepassedthroughtheRuedesFosses,yesterday,\"themandeclaredwithbatedbreath。\"Itisnotknownwhetherhewillliveordie。Parisisinanuproar,andtherearesomewhofeartheworst。\"
\"But,\"Isaiddoubtfully,\"whohasdaredtodothis?Hehadasafeconductfromthekinghimself。\"
Ourhostdidnotanswer;shrugginghisshouldersinstead,heopenedthedoor,andusheredusintotheeating—room。
Somepreparationsforourmealhadalreadybeenmadeatoneendofthelongboard。Attheotherwasseatedamanpastmiddleage;richlybutsimplydressed。Hisgreyhair,cutshortaboutamassivehead,andhisgrave,resoluteface,square—jawed,anddeeply—lined,markedhimasonetowhomrespectwasdueapartfromhisclothes。Webowedtohimaswetookourseats。
Heacknowledgedthesalute,fixingusamomentwithapenetratingglance;andthenresumedhismeal。Inoticedthathisswordandbeltwereproppedagainstachairathiselbow,andadag,apparentlyloaded,layclosetohishandbythecandlestick。Twolackeyswaitedbehindhischair,wearingthebadgewehadremarkedintheinnyard。
Webegantotalk,speakinginlowtonesthatwemightnotdisturbhim。TheattackonColignyhad,iftrue,itsbearingonourownbusiness。ForifaHuguenotsogreatandfamousandenjoyingtheking’sspecialfavourstillwentinParisindangerofhislife,whatmustbetheriskthatsuchanoneasPavannesran?Wehadhopedtofindthecityquiet。IfinsteaditshouldbeinastateofturmoilBezers’chancesweresomuchthebetter;andours——andKit’s,poorKit’s——somuchtheworse。
Ourcompanionhadbythistimefinishedhissupper。Buthestillsatattable,andseemedtoberegardinguswithsomecuriosity。
Atlengthhespoke。\"AreyougoingtoParis,younggentlemen?\"
heasked,histoneharshandhigh—pitched。
Weansweredintheaffirmative。\"To—morrow?\"hequestioned。
\"Yes,\"weanswered;andexpectedhimtocontinuetheconversation。Butinsteadhebecamesilent,gazingabstractedlyatthetable;andwhatwithourmeal,andourowntalkwehadalmostforgottenhimagain,whenlookingup,Ifoundhimatmyelbow,holdingoutinsilenceasmallpieceofpaper。
Istartedhisfacewassograve。Butseeingthattherewerehalf—a—dozenguestsofameanersortatanothertablecloseby,I
guessedthathemerelywishedtomakeaprivatecommunicationtous;andhastenedtotakethepaperandreadit。Itcontainedascrawloffourwordsonly——
\"Vachasserl’Idole。\"
Nomore。Ilookedathimpuzzled;abletomakenothingoutofit。St。Croixwrinkledhisbrowoveritwiththesameresult。
ItwasnogoodhandingittoMarie,therefore。
\"Youdonotunderstand?\"thestrangercontinued,asheputthescrapofpaperbackinhispouch。
\"No,\"Ianswered,shakingmyhead。Wehadallrisenoutofrespecttohim,andwerestandingalittlegroupabouthim。
\"Justso;itisallrightthen,\"heanswered,lookingatusasitseemedtomewithgravegood—nature。\"Itisnothing。Goyourway。But——Ihaveasonyondernotmuchyoungerthanyou,younggentlemen。Andifyouhadunderstood,Ishouldhavesaidtoyou,’Donotgo!Thereareenoughsheepfortheshearer!’\"
HewasturningawaywiththisoracularsayingwhenCroisettetouchedhissleeve。\"Praycanyoutellusifitbetrue,\"theladsaideagerly,\"thattheAdmiraldeColignywaswoundedyesterday?\"
\"Itistrue,\"theotheranswered,turninghisgraveeyesonhisquestioner,whileforamomenthissternlookfailedhim,\"Itistrue,myboy,\"headdedwithanairofstrangesolemnity。\"WhomtheLordloveth,Hechasteneth。And,Godforgivemeforsayingit,whomHewoulddestroy,Hefirstmakethmad。\"
HehadgazedwithpeculiarfavouratCroisette’sgirlishface,I
thought:MarieandIweredarkanduglybythesideoftheboy。
Butheturnedfromhimnowwithaqueer,excitedgesture,thumpinghisgold—headedcaneonthefloor。Hecalledhisservantsinaloud,raspingvoice,andlefttheroominseeminganger,drivingthembeforehim,theonecarryinghisdag,andtheother,twocandles。
WhenIcamedownearlynextmorning,thefirstpersonImetwasBlaiseBure。Helookedratherfiercerandmoreshabbybydaylightthancandlelight。Buthesalutedmerespectfully;andthis,sinceitwasclearthathedidnotrespectmanypeople,inclinedmetoregardhimwithfavour。Itisalwaysso,themoresavagethedog,themorehighlyweprizeitsattentions。IaskedhimwhotheHuguenotnoblewaswhohadsuppedwithus。ForaHuguenotweknewhemustbe。
\"TheBarondeRosny,\"heanswered;addingwithasneer,\"Heisacarefulman!Iftheywerealllikehim,witheyesonbothsidesofhisheadandadagbyhiscandle——well,mylord,therewouldbeonemorekinginFrance——oroneless!Buttheyareablindlot:asblindasbats。\"HemutteredsomethingfartherinwhichIcaughttheword\"to—night。\"ButIdidnothearitall;orunderstandanyofit。
\"YourlordshipsaregoingtoParis?\"heresumedinadifferenttone。WhenIsaidthatwewere,helookedatmeinashamefacedway,halftimid,halfarrogant。\"Ihaveasmallfavourtoaskofyouthen,\"hesaid。\"IamgoingtoParismyself。Iamnotafraidofodds,asyouhaveseen。Buttheroadswillbeinaqueerstateiftherebeanythingonfootinthecity,and——well,Iwouldratherridewasyougentlementhanalone。\"
\"Youarewelcometojoinus,\"Isaid。\"Butwestartinhalf—an—
hour。DoyouknowPariswell?\"
\"Aswellasmysword—hilt,\"herepliedbriskly,relievedI
thoughtbymyacquiescence,\"AndIhaveknownthatfrommybreeching。IfyouwantagameatPAUME,oraprettygirltokiss,Icanputyouinthewayfortheoneortheother。\"
ThehalfrusticshrinkingfromthegreatcitywhichIfelt,suggestedtomethatourswashbucklingfriendmighthelpusifhewould。\"DoyouknowM。dePavannes?\"Iaskedimpulsively,\"WherehelivesinParis,Imean?\"
\"M。LouisdePavannes?\"quothhe。
\"Yes。\"
\"Iknow——\"herepliedslowly,rubbinghischinandlookingatthegroundinthought——\"wherehehadhislodgingsintownawhileago,before——Ah!Idoknow!Iremember,\"headded,slappinghisthigh,\"whenIwasinParisafortnightagoIwastoldthathisstewardhadtakenlodgingsforhimintheRueSt。Antoine。\"
\"Good!\"Iansweredoverjoyed。\"Thenwewanttodismountthere,ifyoucanguideusstraighttothehouse。\"
\"Ican,\"herepliedsimply。\"Andyouwillnotbetheworseformycompany。Parisisaqueerplacewhenthereistroubletothefore,butyourlordshipshavegottherightmantopilotyouthroughit。\"
Ididnotaskhimwhattroublehemeant,butranindoorstobuckleonmysword,andtellMarieandCroisetteoftheallyI
hadsecured。Theyweremuchpleased,aswasnatural;sothatwetooktheroadinexcellentspiritsintendingtoreachthecityintheafternoon。ButMarie’shorsecastashoe,anditwassometimebeforewecouldfindasmith。ThenatEtampes,wherewestoppedtolunch,wewerekeptanunconscionabletimewaitingforit。AndsoweapproachedParisforthefirsttimeatsunset。A
ruddyglowwasatthemomentwarmingtheeasternheights,andpickingoutwithflamethetwintowersofNotreDame,andtheonetalltowerofSt。JacqueslaBoucherie。Adozenroofshigherthantheirneighboursshonehotly;andagreatbankofcloud,whichlaynorthandsouth,andlookedlikeaman’shandstretchedoverthecity,changedgraduallyfromblood—redtoviolet,andfromviolettoblack,aseveningfell。
Passingwithinthegatesandacrossfirstonebridgeandthenanother,wewereastonishedandutterlyconfusedbythenoiseandhubbubthroughwhichwerode。Hundredsseemedtobemovingthiswayandthatinthenarrowstreets。Womenscreamedtooneanotherfromwindowtowindow。Thebellsofhalf—a—dozenchurchesrangthecurfew。Ourcountryearsweredeafened。Stilloureyeshadleisuretotakeinthetallhouseswiththeirhigh—
pitchedroofs,andhereandthereatowerbuiltintothewall;
thequaintchurches,andthegroupsoftownsfolk——sullenfellowssomeofthemwithafiercegleamintheireyes———who,standinginthemouthsofreekingalleys,watchedusgoby。
Butpresentlywehadtostop。Acrowdhadgatheredtowatchalittlecavalcadeofsixgentlemenpassacrossourpath。Theywereridingtwoandtwo,loungingintheirsaddlesandchatteringtooneanother,distainfullyunconsciousofthepeopleaboutthem,ortheremarkstheyexcited。TheirgracefulbearingandtherichnessoftheirdressandequipmentsurpassedanythingI
hadeverseen。Adozenpagesandlackeyswereattendingthemonfoot,andthesoundoftheirjestsandlaughtercametousovertheheadsofthecrowd。
WhileIwasgazingatthem,somemovementofthethrongdrovebackBure’shorseagainstmine。Burehimselfutteredasavageoath;uncalledforsofarasIcouldsee。ButmyattentionwasarrestedthenextmomentbyCroisette,whotappedmyarmwithhisridingwhip。\"Look!\"hecriedinsomeexcitement,\"isnotthathe?\"
Ifollowedthedirectionofthelad’sfinger——aswellasIcouldfortheplungingofmyhorsewhichBure’shadfrightened——andscrutinizedthelastpairofthetroop。Theywerecrossingthestreetinwhichwestood,andIhadonlyasideviewofthem;orratherofthenearerrider。Hewasasingularlyhandsomeman,inageabouttwenty—twoortwenty—threewithlonglovelocksfallingonhislacecollarandcloakoforangesilk。Hisfacewassweetandkindlyandgracioustoamarvel。Buthewasastrangertome。
\"Icouldhavesworn,\"exclaimedCroisette,\"thatthatwasLouishimself——M。dePavannes!\"
\"That?\"Ianswered,aswebegantomoveagain,thecrowdmeltingbeforeus。\"Oh,dear,no!\"
\"No!no!Thefartherman!\"heexplained。
ButIhadnotbeenabletogetagoodlookatthefartherofthetwo。Weturnedinoursaddlesandpeeredafterhim。HisbackintheduskcertainlyremindedmeofLouis。Bure,however,whosaidheknewM。dePavannesbysight,laughedattheidea。\"Yourfriend,\"hesaid,\"isawidermanthanthat!\"AndIthoughthewasrightthere——butthenitmightbethecutoftheclothes。
\"TheyhavebeenattheLouvreplayingpaume,I’llbesworn!\"hewenton。\"SotheAdmiralmustbebetter。TheonenextuswasM。
deTeligny,theAdmiral’sson—in—law。Andtheother,whomyoumean,wastheComtedelaRochefoucault。\"
Weturnedashespokeintoanarrowstreetneartheriver,andcouldseenotfarfromusamassofdarkbuildingswhichBuretolduswastheLouvre——theking’sresidence。Outofthisstreetweturnedintoashortone;andhereBuredrewreinandrappedloudlyatsomeheavygates。Itwassodarkthatwhen,thesebeingopened,heledthewayintoacourtyard,wecouldseelittlemorethanatall,sharp—gabledhouse,projectingoverusagainstapalesky;andagroupofmenandhorsesinonecorner。
Burespoketooneofthemen,andbeggingustodismount,saidthefootmanwouldshowustoM。dePavannes。
Thethoughtthatwewereattheendofourlongjourney,andintimetowarnLouisofhisdanger,madeusforgetallourexertions,ourfatigueandstiffness。GladlythrowingthebridlestoJeanweranupthestepsaftertheservant。Thethingwasdone。Hurrah!thethingwasdone!
Thehouse——aswepassedthroughalongpassageandupsomesteps——seemedfullofpeople。Weheardvoicesandtheringofarmsmorethanonce。Butourguide,withoutpausing,ledustoasmallroomlightedbyahanginglamp。\"IwillinformM。dePavannesofyourarrival,\"hesaidrespectfully,andpassedbehindacurtain,whichseemedtohidethedoorofaninnerapartment。Ashedidsotheclinkofglassesandthehumofconversationreachedus。
\"Hehascompanysuppingwithhim,\"Isaidnervously。Itriedtoflipsomeofthedustfrommybootswithmywhip。IrememberedthatthiswasParis。
\"Hewillbesurprisedtoseeus,\"quothCroisette,laughing——alittleshyly,too,Ithink。Andsowestoodwaiting。
Ibegantowonderasminutespassedby——thegaycompanywehadseenputtingitinmymind,Isuppose——whetherM。dePavannes,ofParis,mightnotturnouttobeaverydifferentpersonfromLouisdePavannes,ofCaylus;whethertheking’scourtierwouldbeasfriendlyasKit’slover。AndIwasstillthinkingofthiswithouthavingsettledthepointtomysatisfaction,whenthecurtainwasthrustasideagain。Averytallman,wearingasplendidsuitofblackandsilverandastifftrencher—likeruff,camequicklyin,andstoodsmilingatus,alittledoginhisarms。Thelittledogsatupandsnarled:andCroisettegasped。
ItwasnotouroldfriendLouiscertainly!ItwasnotLouisdePavannesatall。Itwasnooldfriendatall,ItwastheVidamedeBezers!
\"Welcome,gentlemen!\"hesaid,smilingatus——andneverhadthecastbeensoapparentinhiseyes。\"WelcometoParis,M。Anne!\"
CHAPTERIV。
ENTRAPPED!
Therewasalongsilence。Westoodglaringathim,andhesmileduponus——asacatsmiles。Croisettetoldmeafterwardsthathecouldhavediedofmortification——ofshameandangerthatwehadbeensooutwitted。FormyselfIdidnotatoncegrasptheposition。Ididnotunderstand。IcouldnotdisentanglemyselfinamomentfromthebeliefinwhichIhadenteredthehouse——
thatitwasLouisdePavannes’house。ButIseemedvaguelytosuspectthatBezershadswepthimasideandtakenhisplace。Myfirstimpulsetherefore——obeyedontheinstant——wastostridetotheVidame’ssideandgrasphisarm。\"Whathaveyoudone?\"I
cried,myvoicesoundinghoarselyeveninmyownears。\"WhathaveyoudonewithM。dePavannes?Answerme!\"
Heshowedjustalittlemoreofhissharpwhiteteethashelookeddownatmyface——aflushedandtroubledfacedoubtless。
\"Nothing——yet,\"herepliedverymildly。Andheshookmeoff。
\"Then,\"Iretorted,\"howdoyoucomehere?\"
HeglancedatCroisetteandshruggedhisshoulders,asifIhadbeenaspoiledchild。\"M。Annedoesnotseemtounderstand,\"hesaidwithmockcourtesy,\"thatIhavethehonourtowelcomehimtomyhousetheHotelBezers,RuedePlatriere。\"
\"TheHotelBezers!RuedePlatriere!\"Icriedconfusedly。\"ButBlaiseBuretoldusthatthiswastheRueSt。Antoine!\"
\"Ah!\"herepliedasifslowlyenlightened——thehypocrite!\"Ah!
Isee!\"andhesmiledgrimly。\"SoyouhavemadetheacquaintanceofBlaiseBure,myexcellentmasterofthehorse!
WorthyBlaise!Indeed,indeed,nowIunderstand。Andyouthought,youwhelps,\"hecontinued,andashespokehistonechangedstrangely,andhefixedussuddenlywithangryeyes,\"toplayarubberwithme!Withme,youimbeciles!YouthoughtthewolfofBezerscouldbehunteddownlikeanyhare!Thenlisten,andIwilltellyoutheendofit。Youarenowinmyhouseandabsolutelyatmymercy。Ihavetwoscoremenwithincallwhowouldcutthethroatsofthreebabesatthebreast,ifIbadethem!Ay,\"he,added,awickedexultationshininginhiseyes,\"theywould,andlikethejob!\"
Hewasgoingontosaymore,butIinterruptedhim。TherageI
felt,causedasmuchbythethoughtofourfollyasbyhisarrogance,wouldletmebesilentnolonger。\"First,M。deBezers,first,\"Ibrokeoutfiercely,mywordsleapingoveroneanotherinmyhaste,\"awordwithyou!LetmetellyouwhatI
thinkofyou!Youareatreacheroushound,Vidame!Acur!abeast!AndIspituponyou!Traitorandassassin!\"Ishouted,\"isthatnotenough?Willnothingprovokeyou?Ifyoucallyourselfagentleman,draw!\"
Heshookhishead;hewasstillsmiling,stillunmoved。\"Idonotdomyowndirtywork,\"hesaidquietly,\"norstintmyfootmenoftheirsport,boy。\"
\"Verywell!\"Iretorted。AndwiththewordsIdrewmysword,andsprangasquickaslightningtothecurtainbywhichhehadentered。\"Verywell,wewillkillyoufirst!\"Icriedwrathfully,myeyeonhiseye,andeverysavagepassioninmybreastaroused,\"andtakeourchancewiththelackeysafterwards!
Marie!Croisette!\"Icriedshrilly,\"onhim,lads!\"
Buttheydidnotanswer!Theydidnotmoveordraw。Forthemomentindeedthemanwasinmypower。Mywristwasraised,andIhadmypointathisbreast,Icouldhaverunhimthroughbyasinglethrust。AndIhatedhim。Oh,howIhatedhim!Buthedidnotstir。Hadhespoken,hadhemovedsomuchasaneyelid,ordrawnbackhisfoot,orlaidhishandonhishilt,Ishouldhavekilledhimthere。ButhedidnotstirandIcouldnotdoit。Myhanddropped。\"Cowards!\"Icried,glancingbitterlyfromhimtothem——theyhadneverfailedmebefore。\"Cowards!\"I
muttered,seemingtoshrinkintomyselfasIsaidtheword。AndIflungmyswordclatteringonthefloor。
\"Thatisbetter!\"hedrawledquiteunmoved,asifnothingmorethanwordshadpassed,asifhehadnotbeeninperilatall。
\"ItwaswhatIwasgoingtoaskyoutodo。Iftheotheryounggentlemenwillfollowyourexample,Ishallbeobliged。Thankyou。Thankyou。\"
Croisette,andaminutelaterMarie,obeyedhimtotheletter!I
couldnotunderstandit。Ifoldedmyarmsandgaveupthegameindespair,andbutforveryshameIcouldhaveputmyhandstomyfaceandcried。Hestoodinthemiddleunderthelamp,aheadtallerthanthetallestofus;ourmaster。Andwestoodroundhimtrapped,beaten,foralltheworldlikechildren。Oh,I
couldhavecried!Thiswastheendofourlongride,ouraspirations,ourknight—errantry!
\"Nowperhapsyouwilllistentome,\"hewentonsmoothly,\"andhearwhatIamgoingtodo。Ishallkeepyouhere,younggentlemen,untilyoucanservemebycarryingtomademoiselle,yourcousin,somenewsofherbetrothed。Oh,Ishallnotdetainyoulong,\"headdedwithanevilsmile。\"YouhavearrivedinParisatafortunatemoment。Thereisgoingtobea——well,thereisalittleschemeonfootappointedforto—night——singularlyluckyyouare!——forremovingsomeobjectionablepeople,somefriendsofoursperhapsamongthem,M。Anne。Thatisall。Youwillhearshots,cries,perhapsscreams。Takenonotice。Youwillbeinnodanger。ForM。dePavannes,\"hecontinued,hisvoicesinking,\"IthinkthatbymorningIshallbeabletogiveyoua——amoreparticularaccountofhimtotaketoCaylus——toMademoiselle,youunderstand。\"
Foramomentthemaskwasoff。Hisfacetookasombrebrightness。Hemoistenedhislipswithhistongueasthoughhesawhisvengeanceworkedoutthenandtherebeforehim,andweregloatingoverthepicture。TheideathatthiswassotooksuchaholduponmethatIshrankback,shuddering;readingtooinCroisette’sfacethesamethought——andalaterepentance。Nay,themalignityofBezers’tone,thesavagegleamofjoyinhiseyesappalledmetosuchanextentthatIfanciedforamomentI
sawinhimthedevilincarnate!
Herecoveredhiscomposureveryquickly,however;andturnedcarelesslytowardsthedoor。\"Ifyouwillfollowme,\"hesaid,\"Iwillseeyoudisposedof。Youmayhavetocomplainofyourlodging——Ihaveotherthingstothinkofto—nightthanhospitality,Butyoushallnotneedtocomplainofyoursupper。\"
Hedrewasidethecurtainashespoke,andpassedintothenextroombeforeus,notgivingathoughtapparentlytothepossibilitythatwemightstrikehimfrombehind。Therecertainlywasanoddqualityapparentinhimattimeswhichseemedtocontradictwhatweknewofhim。
Theroomweenteredwasratherlongthanwide,hungwithtapestry,andlightedbysilverlamps。Richplate,embossed,I
afterwardslearned,byCellinitheFlorentine——whodiedthatyearIremember——andricherglassfromVenice,withacrowdofmeanervesselsfilledwithmeatsanddrinkscoveredthetable;
disorderedasbytheattacksofanumerousparty。Butsaveaservantortwobythedistantdresser,andanecclesiasticatthefarendofthetable,theroomwasempty。
Thepriestroseasweentered,theVidamesalutinghimasiftheyhadnotmetthatday。\"YouarewelcomeM。leCoadjuteur,\"hesaid;sayingitcoldly,however,Ithought。Andthetwoeyedoneanotherwithlittlefavour;ratherasbirdsofpreyabouttoquarreloverthespoil,thanashostandguest。PerhapstheCoadjutor’sglitteringeyesandgreatbeak—likenosemademethinkofthis。
\"Ho!ho!\"hesaid,lookingpiercinglyatus——andnodoubtwemusthaveseemedamiserableanddejectedcrewenough。\"Whoarethese?Notthefirst—fruitsofthenight,eh?\"
TheVidamelookeddarklyathim。\"No,\"heansweredbrusquely。
\"Theyarenot。Iamnotparticularoutofdoors,Coadjutor,asyouknow,butthisismyhouse,andwearegoingtosupper。
Perhapsyoudonotcomprehendthedistinction。Stillitexists——forme,\"withasneer。
ThiswasasgoodasGreektous。ButIsoshrankfromthepriest’smalignanteyes,whichwouldnotquitus,andfeltsomuchdisgustmingledwithmyangerthatwhenBezersbyagestureinvitedmetositdown,Idrewback。\"Iwillnoteatwithyou,\"
Isaidsullenly;speakingoutofakindofdullobstinacy,orperhapsachildishpetulance。
ItdidnotoccurtomethatthiswouldpiercetheVidame’sarmour。Yetadullredshowedforaninstantinhischeek,andheeyedmewithalook,thatwasnotallferocity,thoughtheveinsinhisgreattemplesswelled。Amoment,nevertheless,andhewashimselfagain。\"Armand,\"hesaidquietlytotheservant,\"thesegentlemenwillnotsupwithme。Layforthemattheotherend。\"
Menareodd。ThemomenthegavewaytomeIrepentedofmywords。ItwasalmostwithreluctancethatIfollowedtheservanttothelowerpartofthetable。Morethanthis,mingledwiththehatredIfeltfortheVidame,therewasnowastrangesentimenttowardshim——almostofadmiration;thathaditsbirthIthinkinthemoment,whenIheldhislifeinmyhand,andhehadnotflinched。
Weateinsilence;evenafterCroisettebygraspingmyhandunderthetablehadbeggedmenottojudgehimhastily。Thetwoattheupperendtalkedfast,andfromthelittlethatreachedus,I
judgedthatthepriestwaspressingsomecourseonhishost,whichthelatterdeclinedtotake。
OnceBezersraisedhisvoice。\"Ihavemyownendstoserve!\"hebrokeoutangrily,addingafierceoathwhichthepriestdidnotrebuke,\"andIshallservethem。ButthereIstop。Youhaveyourown。Well,servethem,butdonottalktomeofthecause!
Thecause?Tohellwiththecause!Ihavemycause,andyouhaveyours,andmylordofGuisehashis!Andyouwillnotmakemebelievethatthereisanyother!\"
\"Theking’s?\"suggestedthepriest,smilingsourly。
\"SayrathertheItalianwoman’s!\"theVidameansweredrecklessly——meaningthequeen—mother,Catherinede’Medici,I
supposed。
\"Well,then,thecauseoftheChurch?\"thepriestpersisted。
\"Bah!TheChurch?Itisyou,myfriend!\"Bezersrejoined,rudelytappinghiscompanion——atthatmomentintheactofcrossinghimself——onthechest。\"TheChurch?\"hecontinued;
\"no,no,myfriend。Iwilltellyouwhatyouaredoing。Youwantmetohelpyoutogetridofyourbranch,andyouofferinreturntoaidmewithmine——andthen,sayyou,therewillbenosticklefttobeateitherofus。Butyoumayunderstandonceforall\"——andtheVidamestruckhishandheavilydownamongtheglasses——\"thatIwillhavenointerferencewithmywork,masterClerk!None!Doyouhear?Andasforyours,itisnobusinessofmine。Thatisplainspeaking,isitnot?\"
Thepriest’shandshookasheraisedafullglasstohislips,buthemadenorejoinder,andtheVidame,seeingwehadfinished,rose。\"Armand!\"hecried,hisfacestilldark,\"takethesegentlementotheirchamber。Youunderstand?\"
Westifflyacknowledgedhissalute——thepriesttakingnonoticeofus——andfollowedtheservantfromtheroom;goingalongacorridorandupasteepflightofstairs,andseeingenoughbythewaytobesurethatresistancewashopeless。Doorsopenedsilentlyaswepassed,andgrimfellows,incorsletsandpaddedcoats,peeredout。Theclankofarmsandmurmurofvoicessoundedcontinuouslyaboutus;andaswepassedawindowthejingleofbits,andthehollowclangofarestlesshoofontheflagsbelow,toldusthatthegreathousewasforthetimeafortress。Iwonderedmuch。ForthiswasParis,acitywithgatesandguards;thenightashortAugustnight。YettheloneliestmanorinQuercycouldscarcelyhavebristledwithmorepikesandmusquetoons,onawinter’snightandintimeofwar。
Nodoubtthesesignsimpressedusall;andCroisettenotleast。
ForsuddenlyIheardhimstop,ashefollowedusupthenarrowstaircase,andbeginwithoutwarningtostumbledownagainasfastashecould。Ididnotknowwhathewasabout;butmutteringsomethingtoMarie,Ifollowedtheladtosee。AtthefootoftheflightofstairsIlookedback,Marieandtheservantwerestandinginsuspense,whereIhadleftthem。Iheardthelatterbidusangrilytoreturn。
ButbythistimeCroisettewasattheendofthecorridor;andreassuringthefellowbyagestureIhurriedon,untilbroughttoastandstillbyamanopeningadoorinmyface。Hehadheardourreturningfootsteps,andeyedmesuspiciously;butgavewayafteramomentwithagruntofdoubtIhastenedon,reachingthedooroftheroominwhichwehadsuppedintimetoseesomethingwhichfilledmewithgrimastonishment;somuchsothatIstoodrootedwhereIwas,tooproudatanyratetointerfere。
Bezerswasstanding,theleeringpriestathiselbow。AndCroisettewasstoopingforward,hishandsstretchedoutinanattitudeofsupplication。
\"Nay,butM。leVidame,\"theladcried,asIstood,thedoorinmyhand,\"itwerebettertostabheratoncethanbreakherheart!Havepityonher!Ifyoukillhim,youkillher!\"
TheVidamewassilent,seemingtoglowerontheboy。Thepriestsneered。\"Heartsaresoonmended——especiallywomen’s,\"hesaid。
\"ButnotKit’s!\"Croisettesaidpassionately——otherwiseignoringhim。\"NotKit’s!Youdonotknowher,Vidame!Indeedyoudonot!\"
Theremarkwasill—timed。IsawaspasmofangerdistortBezers’
face。\"Getup,boy!\"hesnarled,\"IwrotetoMademoisellewhatIwoulddo,andthatIshalldo!ABezerskeepshisword。BytheGodaboveus——iftherebeaGod,andinthedevil’snameI
doubtitto—night!——Ishallkeepmine!Go!\"
Hisgreatfacewasfullofrage。HelookedoverCroisette’sheadashespoke,asifappealingtotheGreatRegistrarofhisvow,intheverymomentinwhichheallbutdeniedHim。IturnedandstolebackthewayIhadcome;andheardCroisettefollow。
Thatlittlescenecompletedmymisery。AfterthatIseemedtotakenoheedofanythingoranybodyuntilIwasarousedbythegratingofourgaoler’skeyinthelock,andbecameawarethathewasgone,andthatwewerealoneinasmallroomunderthetiles。
Hehadleftthecandleonthefloor,andwethreestoodroundit。
Saveforthelongshadowswecastonthewallsandtwopalletshastilythrowndowninonecorner,theplacewasempty。Ididnotlookmuchatit,andIwouldnotlookattheothers。Iflungmyselfononeofthepalletsandturnedmyfacetothewall,despairing。Ithoughtbitterlyofthefailurewehadmadeofit,andoftheVidame’striumph。IcursedSt。Croixespeciallyforthatlasttouchofhumiliationhehadsettoit。Then,forgettingmyselfasmyangerabated,IthoughtofKitsofarawayatCaylus——ofKit’spale,gentleface,andhersorrow。AndlittlebylittleIforgaveCroisette。Afterallhehadnotbeggedforus——hehadnotstoopedforoursakes,butforhers。
IdonotknowhowlongIlayatsee—sawbetweenthesetwomoods。
Orwhetherduringthattimetheotherstalkedorweresilent,movedabouttheroomorlaystill。ButitwasCroisette’shandonmyshoulder,touchingmewithaquiveringeagernessthatinstantlycommunicateditselftomylimbs,whichrecalledmetotheroomanditsshadows。\"Anne!\"hecried。\"Anne!Areyouawake?\"
\"Whatisit?\"Isaid,sittingupandlookingathim。
\"Marie,\"hebegan,\"has——\"
Buttherewasnoneedforhimtofinish。IsawthatMariewasstandingatthefarsideoftheroombytheunglazedwindow;
which,beinginaslopingpartoftheroof,inclinedslightlyalso。Hehadraisedtheshutterwhichclosedit,andonhistip—
toes——forthesillwasalmosthisownheightfromthefloor——waspeeringout。IlookedsharplyatCroisette。\"Isthereagutteroutside?\"Iwhispered,beginningtotinglealloverasthethoughtofescapeforthefirsttimeoccurredtome。
\"No,\"heansweredinthesametone。\"ButMariesayshecanseeabeambelow,whichhethinkswecanreach。\"
Isprangup,promptlydisplacedMarie,andlookedout。WhenmyeyesgrewaccustomedtothegloomIdiscernedadarkchaosofroofsandgablesstretchingasfarasIcouldseebeforeme。
Nearer,immediatelyunderthewindow,yawnedachasm——anarrowstreet。Beyondthiswasahouseratherlowerthanthatinwhichwewere,thetopofitsroofnotquitereachingthelevelofmyeyes。
\"Iseenobeam,\"Isaid。
\"Lookbelow!\"quothMarie,stolidly,Ididso,andthensawthatfifteenorsixteenfeetbelowourwindowtherewasanarrowbeamwhichranfromourhousetotheoppositeone——forthesupportofboth,asiscommonintowns。Intheshadownearthefarendofthis——itwassodirectlyunderourwindowthatIcouldonlyseetheotherendofit——Imadeoutacasement,faintlyilluminatedfromwithin。
Ishookmyhead。
\"Wecannotgetdowntoit,\"Isaid,measuringthedistancetothebeamandthedepthbelowit,andshivering。
\"Mariesayswecan,withashortrope,\"Croisettereplied。Hiseyeswereglisteningwithexcitement。
\"Butwehavenorope!\"Iretorted。Iwasdull——asusual。Mariemadenoanswer。Surelyhewasthemoststolidandsilentofbrothers。Iturnedtohim。Hewastakingoffhiswaistcoatandneckerchief。
\"Good!\"Icried。Ibegantoseenow。Offcameourscarvesandkerchiefsalso,andfortunatelytheywereofhomemake,longandstrong。AndMariehadahankoffour—plyyarninhispocketasitturnedout,andIhadsomestoutnewgarters,andtwoorthreeyardsofthincord,whichIhadbroughttomendthegirths,ifneedshouldarise。Infiveminuteswehadfastenedthemcunninglytogether。
\"Iamthelightest,\"saidCroisette。
\"ButMariehasthesteadiesthead,\"Iobjected。Wehadlearnedthatlongago——thatMariecouldwalkthecoping—stonesofthebattlementswithaslittleconcernaswepacedaplanksetontheground。
\"True,\"Croisettehadtoadmit。\"Buthemustcomelast,becausewhoeverdoessowillhavetolethimselfdown。\"
Ihadnotthoughtofthat,andInodded。ItseemedthattheleadwaspassingoutofmyhandsandImightresignmyself。StillonethingIwouldhave。AsMariewastocomelast,Iwouldgofirst。
Myweightwouldbesttesttherope。Andaccordinglyitwassodecided。
Therewasnotimetobelost。Atanymomentwemightbeinterrupted。Sotheplanwasnosoonerconceivedthancarriedout。Theropewasmadefasttomyleftwrist。ThenImountedonMarie’sshoulders,andclimbed——notwithoutquavering——throughthewindow,takingaslittletimeoveritaspossible,forabellwasalreadyproclaimingmidnight。
AllthisIhaddoneonthespurofthemoment。Butoutside,hangingbymyhandsinthedarkness,thestrokesofthegreatbellinmyears,Ihadamomentinwhichtothink。Thesenseofthevibratingdepthbelowme,theairiness,thespaceandgloomaround,frightenedme。\"Areyouready?\"mutteredMarie,perhapswithalittleimpatience。Hehadnotascrapofimagination,hadMarie。
\"No!waitaminute!\"Iblurtedout,clingingtothesill,andtakingalastlookatthebareroom,andthetwodarkfiguresbetweenmeandthelight。\"No!\"Iadded,hurriedly。
\"Croisette——boys,Icalledyoucowardsjustnow。Itakeitback!
Ididnotmeanit!Thatisall!\"Igasped。\"Letgo!\"
Awarmtouchonmyhand。Somethinglikeasob。
ThenextmomentIfeltmyselfslidingdownthefaceofthehouse,downintothedepth。Thelightshotup。Myheadturnedgiddily。
Iclung,oh,howIclungtothatrope!Halfwaydownthethoughtstruckmethatincaseofaccidentthoseabovemightnotbestrongenoughtopullmeupagain。Butitwastoolatetothinkofthat,andinanothersecondmyfeettouchedthebeam。I
breathedagain。Softly,verygingerly,Imadegoodmyfootingontheslenderbridge,and,disengagingtherope,letitgo。Then,notwithoutanotherqualm,Isatdownastrideofthebeam,andwhistledintokenofsuccess。Successsofar!
Itwasastrangeposition,andIhaveoftendreamedofitsince。
InthedarknessaboutmeParislaytoallseemingasleep。A
veil,andnottheveilofnightonly,wasstretchedbetweenitandme;betweenme,amerelad,andthestrangesecretsofagreatcity;stranger,grimmer,moredeadlythatnightthaneverbeforeorsince。Howmanymenwerewatchingunderthosedimly—
seenroofs,witharmsintheirhands?Howmanysatwithmurderatheart?Howmanywerewaking,whoatdawnwouldsleepforever,orsleepingwhowouldwakeonlyattheknife’sedge?ThesethingsIcouldnotknow,anymorethanIcouldpicturehowmanyboon—companionswerepartingatthatinstant,justrisenfromthedice,onetogoblindly——theotherwatchinghim——tohisdeath?I
couldnotimagine,thankHeavenforit,thesesecrets,orahundredthpartofthetreacheryandcrueltyandgreedthatlurkedatmyfeet,readytoburstallboundsatapistol—shot。Ithadnosignificanceformethatthepastdaywasthe23rdofAugust,orthatthemorrowwasSt。Bartholomew’sfeast!
No。Yetmingledwiththejubilationwhichthepossibilityoftriumphoverourenemyraisedinmybreast,therewascertainlyaforeboding。TheVidame’shints,nolessthanhisopenboasts,hadpointedtosomethingtohappenbeforemorning——somethingwiderthanthemeremurderofasingleman。ThewarningalsowhichtheBarondeRosnyhadgivenusattheinnoccurredtomewithnewmeaning。AndIcouldnotshakethefeelingoff。I
fancied,asIsatinthedarknessastrideofmybeam,thatI
couldsee,closingthenarrowvistaofthestreet,theheavymassoftheLouvre;andthatthemurmurofvoicesandthetrampofmenassemblingcamefromitscourts,withnowandagainthestealthychallengeofasentry,therestrainedvoiceofanofficer。