LikemostcountrymenIwasreadytobelieveinanyexaggerationofthecity’slatehours,themoreasshemadenoremark。I
supposed——shakingoffthemomentaryimpression——thatwhatIsawwasinnocentandnormal。Besides,IwasthinkingwhatIshouldsaytoPavanneswhenIsawhim———inwhattermsIshouldwarnhimofhisperil,andcasthisperfidyinhisteeth。Wehadhurriedalonginthisway——andinabsolutesilence,savewhensomeobstacleorpitfalldrewfromusanexclamation——foraboutaquarterofamile,whenmycompanion,turningintoaslightlywiderstreet,slackenedherspeed,andindicatedbyagesturethatwehadarrived。Alamphungovertheporch,towhichshepointed,andshowedthesmallsidegatehalfopen。Wewereclosebehindtheotherthreenow。IsawCroisettestooptoenterandasquicklyfallbackapace。Why?
InamomentitflashedacrossmymindthatweweretoolatethattheVidamehadbeenbeforeus。
Andyethowquietitallwas。
ThenIbreathedfreelyagain。IsawthatCroisettehadonlysteppedbacktoavoidsomeonewhowascomingout——theCoadjutorinfact。Themomenttheentrancewasclear,theladshotin,andtheothersafterhim,thepriesttakingnonoticeofthem,northeyofhim。
Iwasforgoingintoo,whenIfeltMadamed’O’shandtightensuddenlyonmyarm,andthenfallfromit。Apprisedofsomethingbythis,Iglancedatthepriest’sface,catchingsightofitbychancejustashiseyesmethers。Hisfacewaswhite——nayitwasuglywithdisappointmentandrage,bittersnarlingrage,thatwashardlyhuman。Hegraspedherbythearmroughlyandtwistedherroundwithoutceremony,soastodrawherafewpacesaside;yetnotsofarthatIcouldnothearwhattheysaid。
\"Heisnothere!\"hehissed。\"Doyouunderstand?HecrossedtherivertotheFaubourgSt。Germainatnightfall——searchingforher。Andhehasnotcomeback!Heisontheothersideofthewater,andmidnighthasstruckthishourpast!\"
Shestoodsilentforamomentasifshehadreceivedablow——
silentanddismayed。Somethingserioushadhappened。Icouldseethat。
\"Hecannotrecrosstherivernow?\"shesaidafteratime。\"Thegates——\"
\"Shut!\"herepliedbriefly。\"ThekeysareattheLouvre。\"
\"Andtheboatsareonthisside?\"
\"Everyboat!\"heanswered,strikinghisonehandontheotherwithviolence。\"Everyboat!Noonemaycrossuntilitisover。\"
\"AndtheFaubourgSt。Germain?\"shesaidinalowervoice。
\"Therewillbenothingdonethere。Nothing!\"
CHAPTERVII
AYOUNGKNIGHT—ERRANT。
Iwouldgladlyhaveleftthetwotogether,andgonestraightintothehouse。IwaseagernowtodischargetheerrandonwhichI
hadcomesofar;andapartfromthisIhadnolikingforthepriestorwishtooverhearhistalk。Hisanger,however,wassopatent,andtherudenesswithwhichhetreatedMadamed’OsopronouncedthatIfeltIcouldnotleaveherwithhimunlesssheshoulddismissme。SoIstoodpatientlyenough——andawkwardlyenoughtoo,Idaresay——bythedoorwhiletheytalkedoninsubduedtones。Nevertheless,Ifeltheartilygladwhenatlength,thediscussionendingMadamecamebacktome。Iofferedhermyarmtohelpheroverthewoodenfootofthesidegate。
Shelaidherhandonit,butshestoodstill。
\"M。deCaylus,\"shesaid;andatthatstopped。NaturallyI
lookedather,andoureyesmet。Hersbrownandbeautiful,shininginthelightofthelampoverheadlookedintomine。Herlipswerehalfparted,andonefairtressofhairhadescapedfromherhood。\"M。deCaylus,willyoudomeafavour,\"sheresumed,softly,\"afavourforwhichIshallalwaysbegrateful?\"
Isighed。\"Madame,\"Isaidearnestly,forIfeltthesolemnityoftheoccasion,\"Iswearthatintenminutes,ifthetaskInowhaveinhandbefinishedIwilldevotemylifetoyourservice。
Forthepresent——\"
\"Well,forthepresent?ButitisthepresentIwant,MasterDiscretion。\"
\"ImustseeM。dePavannes!Iampledgedtoit,\"Iejaculated。
\"ToseeM。dePavannes?\"
\"Yes。\"
Iwasconsciousthatshewaslookingatmewitheyesofdoubt,almostofsuspicion。
\"Why?Why?\"sheaskedwithevidentsurprise。\"Youhaverestored——andnearlyfrightenedmetodeathindoingit——hiswifetoherhome;whatmoredoyouwantwithhim,mostvaliantknight—
errant?\"
\"Imustseehim,\"Isaidfirmly。Iwouldhavetoldherallandbeenthankful,butthepriestwaswithinhearing——orbarelyoutofit;andIhadseentoomuchpassbetweenhimandBezerstobewillingtosayanythingbeforehim。
\"YoumustseeM。dePavannes?\"sherepeated,gazingatme。
\"Imust,\"Irepliedwithdecision。
\"Thenyoushall。ThatisexactlywhatIamgoingtohelpyoutodo,\"sheexclaimed。\"Heisnothere。Thatiswhatisthematter。Hewentoutatnightfallseekingnewsofhiswife,andcrossedtheriver,theCoadjutorsays,totheFaubourgSt。
Germain。Nowitisoftheutmostimportancethatheshouldreturnbeforemorning——returnhere。\"
\"Butishenothere?\"Isaid,findingallmycalculationsatfault。\"Youaresureofit,Madame?\"
\"Quitesure,\"sheansweredrapidly。\"Yourbrotherswillhavebythistimediscoveredthefact。Now,M。deCaylus,Pavannesmustbebroughtherebeforemorning,notonlyforhiswife’ssake——
thoughshewillbewildwithanxiety——butalso——\"
\"Iknow,\"Isaid,eagerlyinterruptingher,\"forhisowntoo!
Thereisadangerthreateninghim。\"
Sheturnedswiftly,asifstartled,andIturned,andwelookedatthepriest。Ithoughtweunderstoodoneanother。\"Thereis,\"
sheansweredsoftly,\"andIwouldsavehimfromthatdanger;buthewillonlybesafe,asIhappentoknow,here!Here,youunderstand!Hemustbebroughtherebeforedaybreak,M。deCaylus。Hemust!Hemust!\"sheexclaimed,herbeautifulfeatureshardeningwiththeearnestnessofherfeelings。\"AndtheCoadjutorcannotgo。Icannotgo。Thereisonlyonemanwhocansavehim,andthatisyourself。Thereis,aboveall,notamomenttobelost。\"
Mythoughtswereinawhirl。Evenasshespokeshebegantowalkbackthewaywehadcome,herhandonmyarm;andI,doubtful,andinaconfusedwayunwilling,wentwithher。Ididnotclearlyunderstandtheposition。IwouldhavewishedtogoinandconferwithMarieandCroisette;butthejuncturehadoccurredsoquickly,anditmightbethattimewasasvaluableasshesaid,and——well,itwashardforme,alad,torefuseheranythingwhenshelookedatmewithappealinhereyes。Ididmanagetostammer,\"ButIdonotknowParis。Icouldnotfindmyway,Iamafraid,anditisnight,Madame。\"
Shereleasedmyarmandstopped。\"Night!\"shecried,withascornfulringinhervoice。\"Night!Ithoughtyouwereaman,notaboy!Youareafraid!\"
\"Afraid,\"Isaidhotly;\"weCaylusesareneverafraid。\"
\"ThenIcantellyoutheway,ifthatbeyouronlydifficulty。
Weturnhere。Now,comeinwithmeamoment,\"shecontinued,\"andIwillgiveyousomethingyouwillneed——andyourdirections。\"
Shehadstoppedatthedoorofatall,narrowhouse,standingbetweenlargeronesinastreetwhichappearedtometobemoreairyandimportantthananyIhadyetseen。Asshespoke,sherangthebellonce,twice,thrice。Thesilverytinklehadscarcelydiedawaythethirdtimebeforethedooropenedsilently;Isawnoone,butshedrewmeintoanarrowhallorpassage。Ataperinanembossedholderwasburningonachest。
Shetookitup,andtellingmetofollowherledthewaylightlyupthestairs,andintoaroom,half—parlour,half—bedroom—sucharoomasI,hadneverseenbefore。Itwasrichlyhungfromceilingtofloorwithbluesilk,andlightedbythesoftraysoflampsshadedbyVenetianglobesofdelicatehues。Thescentofcedarwoodwasintheair,andonthehearthinavelvettrayweresometinypuppies。Adaintydisorderreignedeverywhere。
Ononetableajewel—casestoodopen,onanotherlaysomelacegarments,twoorthreemasksandafan。Agemmedriding—whipandasilver—hiltedponiardhungonthesamepeg。And,strangestofall,huddledawaybehindthedoor,Iespiedaplain,black—
sheathedsword,andaman’sgauntlets。
Shedidnotwaitamoment,butwentatoncetothejewel—case。
Shetookfromitagoldring——aheavysealring。Sheheldthisouttomeinthemostmatter—of—factway——scarcelyturning,infact。\"Putitonyourfinger,\"shesaidhurriedly。\"Ifyouarestoppedbysoldiers,oriftheywillnotgiveyouaboattocrosstheriver,sayboldlythatyouareontheking’sservice。Callfortheofficerandshowthatring。Playtheman。Bidhimstopyouathisperil!\"
Ihastilymutteredmythanks,andsheashastilytooksomethingfromadrawer,andtoreitintostrips。BeforeIknewwhatshewasdoingshewasonherkneesbyme,fasteningawhitebandoflinenroundmyleftsleeve。Thenshetookmycap,andwiththesameprecipitationfixedafragmentofthestuffinit,intheformofaroughcross。
\"There,\"shesaid。\"Now,listen,M。deCaylus。Thereismoreafootto—nightthanyouknowof。ThosebadgeswillhelpyouacrosstoSt。Germain,butthemomentyoulandtearthemoff:
Tearthemoff,remember。Theywillhelpyounolonger。Youwillcomebackbythesameboat,andwillnotneedthem。Ifyouareseentowearthemasyoureturn,theywillcommandnorespect,butonthecontrarywillbringyou——andperhapsmeintotrouble。\"
\"Iunderstand,\"Isaid,\"but——\"
\"Youmustasknoquestions,\"sheretorted,wavingonesnowyfingerbeforemyeyes。\"Myknight—errantmusthavefaithinme,asIhaveinhim;orhewouldnotbehereatthistimeofnight,andalonewithme。Butrememberthisalso。WhenyoumeetPavannesdonotsayyoucomefromme。Keepthatinyourmind;I
willexplainthereasonafterwards。Saymerelythathiswifeisfound,andiswildwithanxietyabouthim。Ifyousayanythingastohisdangerhemayrefusetocome。Menareobstinate。\"
Inoddedasmilingassent,thinkingIunderstood。AtthesametimeIpermittedmyselfinmyownmindalittlediscretion。
Pavanneswasnotafool,andthenameoftheVidame——but,however,Ishouldsee。Ihadmoretosaytohimthansheknewof。MeanwhilesheexplainedverycarefullythethreeturningsI
hadtotaketoreachtheriver,andthewharfwhereboatsmostcommonlylay,andthenameofthehouseinwhichIshouldfindM。
dePavannes。
\"HeisattheHoteldeBailli,\"shesaid。\"Andthere,Ithinkthatisall。\"
\"No,notall,\"Isaidhardily。\"ThereisonethingIhavenotgot。Andthatisasword!\"
Shefollowedthedirectionofmyeyes,started,andlaughed——alittleoddly。Butshefetchedtheweapon。\"Takeit,anddonot,\"sheurged,\"donotlosetime。DonotmentionmetoPavannes。Donotletthewhitebadgesbeseenasyoureturn。
Thatisreallyall。Andnowgoodluck!\"Shegavemeherhandtokiss。\"Goodluck,myknight—errant,goodluck——andcomebacktomesoon!\"
Shesmileddivinely,asitseemedtome,asshesaidtheselastwords,andthesamesmilefollowedmedownstairs:forsheleanedoverthestair—headwithoneofthelampsinherhand,anddirectedmehowtodrawthebolts。ItookonebackwardglanceasIdidsoatthefairstoopingfigureaboveme,theshiningeyes,andtinyoutstretchedhand,andthendartingintothegloomI
hurriedonmyway。
Iwasinastrangemood。AfewminutesbeforeIhadbeenatPavannes’door,attheendofourjourney;onthevergeofsuccess。Ihadbeenwithinanace,asIsupposedatleast,ofexecutingmyerrand。Ihadheldthecupofsuccessinmyhand。
Andithadslipped。Nowtheconflicthadtobefoughtoveragain;thedangertobefaced。ItwouldhavebeennomorethannaturalifIhadfeltthedisappointmentkeenly:ifIhadalmostdespaired。
Butitwasotherwise——farotherwise。NeverhadmyheartbeathigherormoreproudlythanasInowhurriedthroughthestreets,avoidingsuchgroupsaswereabroadinthem,andintentonlyonobservingtheproperturnings。Neverinanymomentoftriumphinafterdays,inloveorwar,didanythingliketheexhilaration,theenergy,thespirit,ofthoseminutescomebacktome。Ihadawoman’sbadgeinmycap——forthefirsttime——themusicofhervoiceinmyears。Ihadamagicringonmyfinger:atalismanonmyarm。Myswordwasatmysideagain。Allroundmelayamistycityofadventures,ofdangerandromance,fulloftherichestandmostbeautifulpossibilities;acityofrealwitchery,suchasIhadreadofinstories,throughwhichthosefairygiftsandmyrighthandshouldguidemesafely。Ididnotevenregretmybrothers,orourseparation。Iwastheeldest。
Itwasfittingthatthecreamoftheenterpriseshouldbereservedforme,AnnedeCaylus。Andtowhatmightitnotlead?
InfancyIsawmyselfalreadyadukeandpeerofFrance——alreadyIheldthebaton。
YetwhileIexultedboyishly,IdidnotforgetwhatIwasabout。
Ikeptmyeyesopen,andsoonremarkedthatthenumberofpeoplepassingtoandfrointhedarkstreetshadmuchincreasedwithinthelasthalfhour。Thesilenceinwhichingroupsorsinglythesefiguresstolebymewasverystriking。Iheardnobrawling,fightingorsinging;yetifitweretoolateforthesethings,whyweresomanypeopleupandabout?Ibegantocountpresently,andfoundthatatleasthalfofthoseImetworebadgesintheirhatsandontheirarms,similartomine,andthattheyallmovedwithabusinesslikeair,asifboundforsomerendezvous。
Iwasnotafool,thoughIwasyoung,andinsomematterslessquickthanCroisette。Thehintswhichhadbeendroppedbysomanyhadnotbeenlostonme。\"Thereismoreafootto—nightthanyouknowof!\"Madamed’Ohadsaid。AndhavingeyesaswellasearsIfullybelievedit。Somethingwasafoot。SomethingwasgoingtohappeninParisbeforemorning。Butwhat,Iwondered。
Coulditbethatarebellionwasabouttobreakout?IfsoIwasontheking’sservice,andallwaswell。Imightevenbegoing——
andonlyeighteen——tomakehistory!Orwasitonlyabrawlonagreatscalebetweentwopartiesofnobles?IhadheardofsuchthingshappeninginParis。Then——wellIdidnotseehowIcouldactinthatcase。Imustbeguidedbyevents。
Ididnotimagineanythingelsewhichitcouldbe。Thatisthetruth,thoughitmayneedexplanation。Iwasaccustomedonlytothemilderreligiousdifferences,themoreevenlybalancedpartiesofQuercy,wherethepeacebetweentheCatholicsandHuguenotshadbeenwelcometoallsaveaveryfew。IcouldnotgaugethereforethefanaticismoftheParisianpopulace,andlostcountofthefactor,whichmadepossiblethatwhichwasgoingtohappen——wasgoingtohappeninParisbeforedaylightassurelyasthesunwasgoingtorise!IknewthattheHuguenotnobleswerepresentinthecityingreatnumbers,butitdidnotoccurtomethattheycouldasabodybeindanger。Theyweremanyandpowerful,andaswassaid,infavourwiththeking。TheywereundertheprotectionoftheKingofNavarre——France’sbrother—
in—lawofaweek,andthePrinceofConde;andthoughtheseprinceswereyoung,Colignythesagaciousadmiralwasold,andnotmuchtheworseIhadlearnedforhiswound。Heatleastwashighinroyalfavour,atrustedcounsellor。Hadnotthekingvisitedhimonhissick—bedandsatbyhimforanhourtogether?
Surely,Ithought,ifthereweredanger,thesemenwouldknowofit。AndthentheHuguenots’mainenemy,HenrileBalafre,thesplendidDukeofGuise,\"ourgreatman,\"and\"Lorraine,\"asthecrowdcalledhim——he,itwasrumoured,wasindisgraceatcourt。
Inawordthesethings,tosaynothingofthepeacefulandjoyousoccasionwhichhadbroughttheHuguenotstoParis,andwhichseemedtoputtreacheryoutofthequestion,weremorethanenoughtopreventmeforecastingtheevent。
Ifforamoment,indeed,asIhurriedalongtowardstheriver,anythinglikethetruthoccurredtome,Iputitfromme。IsaywithprideIputitfrommeasathingimpossible。ForGodforbid——onemayspeakoutthetruththesefortyyearsback——Godforbid,sayI,thatallFrenchmenshouldbearthebloodguiltinesswhichcameofotherthanFrenchbrains,thoughFrenchwerethehandsthatdidthework。
Iwasnotgreatlytroubledbymyforebodingstherefore:andthestateofexaltationtowhichMadamed’O’sconfidencehadraisedmyspiritslasteduntiloneofthenarrowstreetsbytheLouvrebroughtmesuddenlywithinsightoftheriver。Herefaintmoonlightburstingmomentarilythroughthecloudswasshiningontheplacidsurfaceofthewater。Thefreshairplayedupon,andcooledmytemples。Andthiswiththequietscenesoabruptlypresentedtome,gavechecktomythoughts,andsomewhatsoberedme。
AtsomedistancetomyleftIcoulddistinguishinthemiddleoftheriverthepileofbuildingswhichcrowdtheIledelaCite,andcouldfollowthenearerarmofthestreamasitsweptlandwardsofthese,closelyhemmedinbyhouses,butunbrokenasyetbythearchesofthePontNeufwhichIhavelivedtoseebuilt。Notfarfrommeonmyright——indeedwithinastone’sthrow——thebulkymassoftheLouvrerosedarkandshapelessagainstthesky。Onlyanarrowopenspace——theforeshore——
separatedmefromthewater;beyondwhichIcouldseeanirregularlineofbuildings,thatnodoubtformedtheFaubourgSt。Germain。
IhadbeentoldthatIshouldfindstairsleadingdowntothewater,andboatsmooredatthefootofthem,atthispoint。
AccordinglyIwalkedquicklyacrosstheopenspacetoaspot,whereImadeoutacoupleofpostssetuponthebrink——
doubtlesstomarkthelandingplace。
Ihadnotgonetenpaces,however,outoftheshadow,beforeI
chancedtolookround,anddiscernedwithanunpleasanteeriefeelingthreefiguresdetachthemselvesfromit,andadvanceinarowbehindme,soasthebettertocutoffmyretreat。Iwasnottosucceedinmyenterprisetooeasilythen。Thatwasclear。
StillIthoughtitbettertoactasifIhadnotseenmyfollowers,andcollectingmyself,IwalkedasquicklyasIcoulddowntothesteps。Thethreewerebythattimecloseuponme——
withinstrikingdistancealmost。Iturnedabruptlyandconfrontedthem。
\"Whoareyou,andwhatdoyouwant?\"Isaid,eyeingthemwarily,myhandonmysword。
Theydidnotanswer,butseparatedmorewidelysoastoformahalf—circle:andoneofthemwhistled。Ontheinstantaknotofmenstartedoutofthelineofhouses,andcamequicklyacrossthestripoflighttowardsus。
Thepositionseemedserious。IfIcouldhaverunindeed——butI
glancedround,andfoundescapeinthatfashionimpossible。
Thereweremencrouchingonthestepsbehindme,betweenmeandtheriver。Ihadfallenintoatrap。Indeed,therewasnothingforitnowbuttodoasMadamehadbiddenme,andplaythemanboldly。Ihadthewordsstillringinginmyears。IhadenoughoftheexcitementIhadlatelyfeltstillboundinginmyveinstogivenerveanddaring。Ifoldedmyarmsanddrewmyselfup。
\"Knaves!\"Isaid,withasmuchquietcontemptasIcouldmuster,\"youmistakeme。Youdonotknowwhomyouhavetodealwith。
Getmeaboat,andlettwoofyourowmeacross。Hinderme,andyournecksshallanswerforit——oryourbacks!\"
Alaughandanoathofderisionformedtheonlyresponse,andbeforeIcouldaddmore,thelargergrouparrived,andjoinedthethree。
\"Whoisit,Pierre?\"askedoneoftheseinamatter—of—factway,whichshowedIhadnotfallenamongstmerethieves。
Thespeakerseemedtobetheleaderoftheband。Hehadafeatherinhisbonnet,andIsawasteelcorsletgleamunderhiscloak,whensomeoneheldupalanthorntoexaminemethebetter。
Histrunk—hosewerestripedwithblack,white,andgreen——theliveryasIlearnedafterwardsofMonsieurtheKing’sbrother,theDukeofAnjou,afterwardsHenrytheThird;thenaclosefriendoftheDukeofGuise,andlaterhismurderer。Thecaptainspokewithaforeignaccent,andhiscomplexionwasdarktoswarthiness。Hiseyessparkledandflashedlikeblackbeads。ItwaseasytoseethathewasanItalian。
\"Agallantyoungcockenough,\"thesoldierwhohadwhistledanswered;\"andnotquiteofthebreedweexpected。\"Heheldhislanthorntowardsmeandpointedtothewhitebadgeonmysleeve。
\"Itstrikesmewehavecaughtacrowinsteadofapigeon!\"
\"Howcomesthis?\"theItalianaskedharshly,addressingme。
\"Whoareyou?Andwhydoyouwishtocrosstheriveratthistimeofnight,youngsir?\"
Iactedontheinspirationofthemoment。\"Playthemanboldly!\"
Madamehadsaid。Iwould:andIdidwithavengeance。Isprangforwardandseizingthecaptainbytheclaspofhiscloak,shookhimviolently,andflunghimoffwithallmyforce,sothathereeled。\"Dog!\"Iexclaimed,advancing,asifIwouldseizehimagain。\"Learnhowtospeaktoyourbetters!AmItobestoppedbysuchsweepingsasyou?Harkye,IamontheKing’sservice!\"
Hefairlysplutteredwithrage。\"Morelikethedevil’s!\"heexclaimed,pronouncinghiswordsabominably,andfumblingvainlyforhisweapon。\"King’sserviceornoserviceyoudonotinsultAndreaPallavicini!\"
Icouldonlyvindicatemydaringbygreaterdaring,andIsawthisevenas,deathstaringmeintheface,myheartseemedtostop。ThemanhadhismouthopenandhishandraisedtogiveanorderwhichwouldcertainlyhavesentAnnedeCaylusfromtheworld,whenIcriedpassionately——itwasmylastchance,andI
neverwishedtolivemorestronglythanatthatmoment——Icriedpassionately,\"AndreaPallavicini,ifsuchbeyourname,lookatthat!Lookatthat!\"Irepeated,shakingmyopenhandwiththeringonitbeforehisface,\"andthenhindermeifyoudare!To—
morrowifyouhavequarteringsenough,Iwillseetoyourquarrel!Nowsendmeonmyway,oryourfatebeonyourownhead!Disobey——ay,dobuthesitate——andIwillcallontheseverymenofyourstocutyoudown!\"
Itwasaboldthrow,forIstakedallonatalismanofwhichI
didnotknowthevalue!Tomeitwastheturnofadie,forI
hadhadnoleisuretolookatthering,andknewnomorethanababewhoseitwas。Buttheventurewasashappyasdesperate。
AndreaPallavicini’sexpression——nopleasantoneatthebestoftimes——changedontheinstant。Hisfacefellasheseizedmyhand,andpeeredattheringlongandintently。Thenhecastaquickglanceofsuspicionathismen,ofhatredatme。ButI
carednothingforhisglance,orhishatred。Isawalreadythathehadmadeuphismindtoobeythecharm:andthatformewaseverything。\"Ifyouhadshownthattomealittleearlier,youngsir,itwould,maybe,havebeenbetterforbothofus,\"hesaid,asurlymenaceinhisvoice。Andcursinghismenfortheirstupidityheorderedtwoofthemtounmooraboat。
Apparentlythecrafthadbeensecuredwithmorecarethanskill,fortoloosenitseemedtobeaworkoftime。MeanwhileIstoodwaitinginthemidstofthegroup,anxiousandyetexultant;anobjectofcuriosity,andyetcuriousmyself。Iheardtheguardswhispertogether,andcaughtsuchphrasesas\"ItistheDucd’Aumale。\"
\"No,itisnotD’Aumale。Itisnothinglikehim。\"
\"Well,hehastheDuke’sring,fool!\"
\"TheDuke’s?\"
\"Ay。\"
\"Thenitisallright,Godblesshim!\"Thislastwasutteredwithextremefervour。
Iwasconscioustooofbeingtheobjectofmanyrespectfulglances;andhadjustbiddenthemenonthestepsbelowmetobequick,whenIdiscoveredwithalarmthreefiguresmovingacrosstheopenspacetowardsus,andcomingapparentlyfromthesamepointfromwhichPallaviciniandhismenhademerged。
InamomentIforesawdanger。\"Nowbequickthere!\"Icriedagain。ButscarcelyhadIspokenbeforeIsawthatitwasimpossibletogetafloatbeforetheseotherscameup,andI
preparedtostandmygroundresolutely。
Thefirstwords,however,withwhichPallavicinisalutedthenew—
comersscatteredmyfears。\"Well,whatthefoulfienddoyouwant?\"heexclaimedrudely;andherappedouthalf—a—dozenCORPOSbeforetheycouldanswerhim。\"Whathaveyoubroughthimherefor,whenIlefthimintheguard—house?Imbeciles!\"
\"CaptainPallavicini,\"interposedthemidmostofthethree,speakingwithpatience——hewasamanofaboutthirty,dressedwithsomerichness,thoughhisclotheswerenowdisorderedasthoughbyastruggle——\"Ihaveinducedthesegoodmentobringmedown——\"
\"Then,\"criedthecaptain,brutallyinterruptinghim,\"youhavelostyourlabour,Monsieur。\"
\"Youdonotknowme,\"repliedtheprisonerwithsternness——aprisonerheseemedtobe。\"YoudonotunderstandthatIamafriendofthePrinceofConde,andthat——\"
Hewouldhavesaidmore,buttheItalianagaincuthimshort。\"A
figforthePrinceofConde!\"hecried;\"Iunderstandmyduty。
Youmayaswelltakethingseasily。Youcannotcross,andyoucannotgohome,andyoucannothaveanyexplanation;exceptthatitistheKing’swill!Explanation?\"hegrumbled,inalowertone,\"youwillgetitsoonenough,Iwarrant!Beforeyouwantit!\"
\"Butthereisaboatgoingtocross,\"saidtheother,controllinghistemperbyaneffortandspeakingwithdignity。\"YoutoldmethatbytheKing’sordernoonecouldcross;andyouarrestedmebecause,havingurgentneedtovisitSt。Germain,Ipersisted。
Nowwhatdoesthismean,CaptainPallavicini?Othersarecrossing。Iaskwhatthismeans?\"
\"Whateveryouplease,M。dePavannes,\"theItalianretortedcontemptuously。\"Explainitforyourself!\"
Istartedasthenamestruckmyear,andatoncecriedoutinsurprise,\"M。dePavannes!\"HadIheardaright?
ApparentlyIhad,fortheprisonerturnedtomewithabow。
\"Yes,sir,\"hesaidwithdignity,\"IamM。dePavannes。Ihavenotthehonourofknowingyou,butyouseemtobeagentleman。\"
Hecastawitheringglanceatthecaptainashesaidthis。
\"Perhapsyouwillexplaintomewhythisviolencehasbeendonetome。Ifyoucan,Ishallconsideritafavour;ifnot,pardonme。\"
Ididnotanswerhimatonce,foragoodreason——thateveryfacultyIhadwasbentonaclosescrutinyofthemanhimself。
Hewasfair,andofaruddycomplexion。Hisbeardwascutintheshortpointedfashionofthecourt;andintheserespectsheboreakindoflikeness,acuriouslikeness,toLouisdePavannes。
Buthisfigurewasshorterandstouter。Hewaslessmartialinbearing,withmoreoftheairofascholarthanasoldier。\"YouarerelatedtoM。LouisdePavannes?\"Isaid,myheartbeginningtobeatwithanoddexcitement。IthinkIforesawalreadywhatwascoming。
\"IamLouisdePavannes,\"herepliedwithimpatience。
Istaredathiminsilence:thinking——thinking——thinking。AndthenIsaidslowly,\"Youhaveacousinofthesamename?\"
\"Ihave。\"
\"HefellprisonertotheVicomtedeCaylusatMoncontour?\"
\"Hedid,\"heansweredcurtly。\"Butwhatofthat,sir?\"
AgainIdidnotanswer——atonce。Themurderwasout。I
remembered,inthedimfashioninwhichonerememberssuchthingsaftertheevent,thatIhadheardLouisdePavannes,whenwefirstbecameacquaintedwithhim,mentionthiscousinofthesamename;theheadofayoungerbranch。ButourLouislivinginProvenceandtheotherinNormandy,thedistancebetweentheirhomes,andthetroublesofthetimeshadloosenedatiewhichtheircommonreligionmighthavestrengthened。Theyhadscarcelyeverseenoneanother。AsLouishadspokenofhisnamesakebutonceduringhislongstaywithus,andIhadnotthenforeseentheconnectiontobeformedbetweenourfamilies,itwasnowonderthatinthecourseofmonthsthechancewordhadpassedoutofmyhead,andIhadcleanforgottenthesubjectofit。
Herehowever,hewasbeforemyeyes,andseeinghim;Isawtoowhatthediscoverymeant。Itmeantamostjoyfulthing!amostwonderfulthingwhichIlongedtotellCroisetteandMarie。ItmeantthatourLouisdePavannes——mycheekburnedformywantoffaithinhim——wasnovillainafterall,butsuchanoblegentlemanaswehadalwaystillthisdaythoughthim!Itmeantthathewasnocourtgallantbentonbreakingacountryheartforsport,butKit’sowntruelover!And——anditmeantmore——itmeantthathewasyetindanger,andstillignorantofthevowthatunchainedfiendBezershadtakentohavehislife!Inpursuinghisnamesakewehadbeenledastray,howsadlyIonlyknewnow!Andhadindeedlostmostprecioustime。
\"Yourwife,M。dePavannes\"——Ibeganinhaste,seeingthenecessityofexplainingmatterswiththeutmostquickness。\"Yourwifeis——\"
\"Ah,mywife!\"hecriedinterruptingme,withanxietyinhistone。\"Whatofher?Youhaveseenher!\"
\"Ihave。SheissafeatyourhouseintheRuedeSt。Merri。\"
\"ThankHeavenforthat!\"herepliedfervently。BeforehecouldsaymoreCaptainAndreainterruptedus。Icouldseethathissuspicionswerearousedafresh。Hepushedrudelybetweenus,andaddressingmesaid,\"Now,youngsir,yourboatisready。\"
\"Myboat?\"Ianswered,whileIrapidlyconsideredthesituation。
OfcourseIdidnotwanttocrosstherivernow。NodoubtPavannes———thisPavannes——couldguidemetoLouis’address。\"Myboat?\"
\"Yes,itiswaiting,\"theItalianreplied,hisblackeyesrovingfromonetotheotherofus。
\"Thenletitwait!\"Iansweredhaughtily,speakingwithanassumptionofanger。\"Plagueuponyouforinterruptingus!I
shallnotcrosstherivernow。ThisgentlemancangivemetheinformationIwant。Ishalltakehimbackwithme。\"
\"Towhom?\"
\"Towhom?Tothosewhosentme,sirrah!\"
Ithundered。\"YoudonotseemtobemuchintheDuke’sconfidence,captain,\"Iwenton;\"nowtakeawordofadvicefromme!Thereisnothing:soeasilycastoffasanover—officiousservant!Hegoestoofar——andhegoeslikeanoldglove!Anoldglove,\"Irepeatedgrimly,sneeringinhisface,\"whichsavesthehandandsuffersitself。Bewareoftoomuchzeal,CaptainPallavicini!Itisadangerousthing!\"
Heturnedpalewithangeratbeingthustreatedbyabeardlessboy。Buthefalteredallthesame。WhatIsaidwasunpleasant,butthebravoknewitwastrue。
IsawtheimpressionIhadmade,andIturnedtothesoldiersstandinground。
\"Bringhere,myfriends,\"Isaid,\"M。dePavannes’sword!\"
Oneranuptotheguardhouseandbroughtitatonce。Theyweretownsfolk,burgherguardsorsuchlike,andforsomereasonbetrayedsoevidentarespectforme,thatIsoberlybelievetheywouldhaveturnedontheirtemporaryleaderatmybidding。
Pavannestookhissword,andplaceditunderhisarm。WebothbowedceremoniouslytoPallavicini,whoscowledinresponse;andslowly,forIwasafraidtoshowanysignsofhaste,wewalkedacrossthemoonlitspacetothebottomofthestreetbywhichI
hadcome。Therethegloomswallowedusupatonce。Pavannestouchedmysleeveandstoppedinthedarkness。
\"Ibegtobeallowedtothankyouforyouraid,\"hesaidwithemotion,turningandfacingme。\"WhomhaveIthehonourofaddressing?\"
\"M。AnnedeCaylus,afriendofyourcousin,\"Ireplied。
\"Indeed?\"hesaid\"well,Ithankyoumostheartily,\"andweembracedwithwarmth。
\"ButIcouldhavedonelittle,\"Iansweredmodestly,\"onyourbehalf,ifithadnotbeenforthisring。\"
\"Andthevirtueoftheringliesin——\"
\"In——IamsureIcannotsayinwhat!\"Iconfessed。Andthen,inthesympathywhichthescenehadnaturallycreatedbetweenus,I
forgotoneportionofmylady’scommandsandIaddedimpulsively,\"AllIknowisthatMadamed’Ogaveitme;andthatithasdoneall,andmorethanallshesaiditwould。\"
\"Whogaveittoyou?\"heasked,graspingmyarmsotightlyastohurtme。
\"Madamed’O,\"Irepeated。Itwastoolatetodrawbacknow。
\"Thatwoman!\"heejaculatedinastrangelowwhisper。\"Isitpossible?Thatwomangaveityou?\"
Iwanderedwhatonearthhemeant,surprise,scornanddislikeweresoblendedinhistone。Itevenseemedtomethathedrewofffrommesomewhat。\"Yes,M。dePavannes,\"Ireplied,offendedandindignant,\"Itissofarpossiblethatitisthetruth;andmore,Ithinkyouwouldnotsospeakofthisladyifyouknewall;andthatitwasthroughheryourwifewasto—dayfreedfromthosewhoweredetainingher,andtakensafelyhome!\"
\"Ha!\"hecriedeagerly。\"Thenwherehasmywifebeen?\"
\"AtthehouseofMirepoix,theglover,\"Iansweredcoldly,\"intheRuePlatriere。Doyouknowhim?Youdo。Well,shewaskeptthereaprisoner,untilwehelpedhertoescapeanhourorsoago。\"
Hedidnotseemtocomprehendeventhen。Icouldseelittleofhisface,buttherewasdoubtandwonderinhistonewhenhespoke。\"Mirepoixtheglover,\"hemurmured。\"Heisanhonestmanenough,thoughaCatholic。Shewaskeptthere!Whokeptherthere?\"
\"TheAbbessoftheUrsulinesseemstohavebeenatthebottomofit,\"Iexplained,frettingwithimpatience。Thiswonderwasmisplaced,Ithought;andtimewaspassing。\"Madamed’Ofoundoutwhereshewas,\"Icontinued,\"andtookherhome,andthensentmetofetchyou,hearingyouhadcrossedtheriver。Thatisthestoryinbrief。\"
\"Thatwomansentyoutofetchme?\"herepeatedagain。
\"Yes,\"Iansweredangrily。\"Shedid,M。dePavannes。\"
\"Then,\"hesaidslowly,andwithanairofsolemnconvictionwhichcouldnotbutimpressme,\"thereisatraplaidforme!
Sheistheworst,themostwicked,thevilestofwomen!Ifshesentyou,thisisatrap!Andmywifehasfallenintoitalready!Heavenhelpher——andme——ifitbeso!\"
CHAPTERVIII。
THEPARISIANMATINS。
Therearesomestatementsforwhichitisimpossibletobeprepared;statementssostrongandsostartlingthatitisimpossibletoanswerthemexceptbyaction——byablow。AndthisofM。dePavanneswasoneofthese。Iftherehadbeenanyonepresent,IthinkIshouldhavegivenhimthelieanddrawnuponhim。ButalonewithhimatmidnightintheshadownearthebottomoftheRuedesFosses,withnowitnesses,witheveryreasontofeelfriendlytowardshim,whatwasItodo?
Asafact,Ididnothing。Istood,silentandstupefied,waitingtohearmore。Hedidnotkeepmelong。
\"Sheismywife’ssister,\"hecontinuedgrimly。\"ButIhavenoreasontoshieldheronthataccount!Shieldher?HadyoulivedatcourtonlyamonthImightshieldherallIcould,M。deCaylus,itwouldavailnothing。NotMadamedeSauvesisbetterknown。AndIwouldnotifIcould!Iknowwell,thoughmywifewillnotbelieveit,thatthereisnothingsonearMadamed’O’sheartastogetridofhersisterandme——ofbothofus——thatshemaysucceedtoMadeleine’sinheritance!Oh,yes,Ihadgoodgroundsforbeingnervousyesterday,whenmywifedidnotreturn,\"headdedexcitedly。
\"ButthereatleastyouwrongMadamed’O!\"Icried,shockedandhorrifiedbyanaccusation,whichseemedsomuchmoredreadfulinthesilenceandgloom——andwithalsomuchlesspreposterousthanitmighthaveseemedinthedaylight。\"Thereyoucertainlywrongher!Forshame!M。dePavannes。\"
Hecameastepnearer,andlayingahandonmysleevepeeredintomyface。\"Didyouseeapriestwithher?\"heaskedslowly。\"A
mancalledtheCoadjutor——adown—lookingdog?\"
Isaid——withashiverofdread,asuddenrevulsionoffeeling,bornofhismanner——thatIhad。AndIexplainedthepartthepriesthadtaken。
\"Then,\"Pavannesrejoined,\"IamrightThereISatraplaidforme。TheAbbessoftheUrsulines!Sheabductmywife?Why,sheisherdearestfriend,believeme。Itisimpossible。Shewouldbemorelikelytosaveherfromdangerthanto——umph!waitaminute。\"Idid:Iwaited,dreadingwhathemightdiscover,untilhemuttered,checkinghimself——\"Canthatbeit?CanitbethattheAbbessdidknowofsomedangerthreateningus,andwouldhaveputMadeleineinasaferetreat?Iwonder!\"
AndIwondered;andthen——well,thoughtsarelikegunpowder。Theleastsparkwillfireatrain。Hiswordswerefew,buttheyformedsparkenoughtoraisesuchaflareinmybrainasforamomentblindedme,andshookmesothatItrembled。Theshockover,IwasleftfacetofacewithapossibilityofwickednesssuchasIcouldneverhavesuspectedofmyself。IrememberedMirepoix’sdistressandthepriest’seagerness。Ire—calledthegruffwarningBezers——evenBezers,andtherewassomethingveryoddinBezersgivingawarning!——hadgivenMadamedePavanneswhenhetoldherthatshewouldbebetterwhereshewas。I
thoughtofthewakefulnesswhichIhadmarkedinthestreets,thesilenthurryingtoandfro,thesignsofcomingstrife,andcontrastedthesewiththequietudeandseemingsafetyofMirepoix’shouse;andIhastilyaskedPavannesatwhattimehehadbeenarrested。
\"Aboutanhourbeforemidnight,\"heanswered。
\"Thenyouknownothingofwhatishappening?\"Irepliedquickly。
\"Why,evenwhileweareloiteringhere——butlisten!\"
Andwithallspeed,stammeringindeedinmyhasteandanxiety,I
toldhimwhatIhadnoticedinthestreets,andthehintsIhadheard,andIshowedhimthebadgeswithwhichMadamehadfurnishedme。
Hismannerwhenhehadheardmeoutfrightenedmestillmore。Hedrewmeoninakindoffurytoahouseinthewindowsofwhichsomelightedcandleshadappearednotaminutebefore。
\"Thering!\"hecried,\"letmeseethering!Whoseisit?\"
Heheldupmyhandtothischancelightandwelookedatthering。Itwasaheavygoldsignet,withonecuriouscharacteristic:ithadtwofacets。Ononeofthesewasengravedtheletter\"H,\"andaboveitacrown。Ontheotherwasaneaglewithoutstretchedwings。
Pavannesletmyhanddropandleanedagainstthewallinsuddendespair。\"ItistheDukeofGuise’s,\"hemuttered。\"ItistheeagleofLorraine。\"
\"Ha!\"saidIsoftly,seeinglight。TheDukewastheidolthen,aslater,oftheParisianpopulace,andIunderstoodnowwhythecitizensoldiershadshownmesuchrespect。TheyhadtakenmefortheDuke’senvoyandconfidant。
ButIsawnofarther。Pavannesdid,andmurmuredbitterly,\"Wemaysayourprayers,weHuguenots。Thatisourdeath—warrant。
To—morrownighttherewillnotbeoneleftinParis,lad。Guisehashisfather’sdeathtoavenge,andthesecursedParisianswilldohisbiddinglikethewolvestheyare!TheBarondeRosnywarnedusofthis,wordforword。IwouldtoHeavenwehadtakenhisadvice!\"
\"Stay!\"Icried——hewasgoingtoofastforme——\"stay!\"Hismonstrousconception,thoughitmarchedsomewaywithmyownsuspicions,outranthemfar!Isawnosufficientgroundsforit。
\"TheKing——thekingwouldnotpermitsuchathing,M。dePavannes,\"Iargued。
\"Boy,youareblind!\"herejoinedimpatiently,fornowhesawallandInothing。\"YonderwastheDukeofAnjou’scaptain——
Monsieur’sofficer,thefollowerofFrance’sbrother,markyou!
AndHE——heobeyedtheDuke’sring!TheDukehasafreehandto—
night,andhehatesus。Andtheriver。Whyarewenottocrosstheriver?TheKingindeed!TheKinghasundoneus。HehassoldustohisbrotherandtheGuises。VACHASSERL’IDOLE\"forthesecondtimeIheardthequaintphrase,whichIlearnedafterwardswasananagramoftheKing’sname,CharlesdeValois,usedbytheProtestantsasapassword——\"VACHASSERL’IDOLEhasbetrayedus!IremembertheverywordsheusedtotheAdmiral,’Nowwehavegotyouhereweshallnotletyougosoeasily!’
Oh,thetraitor!Thewretchedtraitor!\"
Heleanedagainstthewallovercomebythehorroroftheconvictionwhichhadburstuponhim,andunnervedbytheimminenceoftheperil。Atalltimeshewasanunreadyman,I
fancy,morefit,courageapart,forthecollegethanthefield;
andnowhegavewaytodespair。Perhapsthethoughtofhiswifeunmannedhim。Perhapstheexcitementthroughwhichhehadalreadygonetendedtostupefyhim,orthesuddennessofthediscovery。
Atanyrate,Iwasthefirsttogathermywitstogether,andmyearliestimpulsewastotearintotwopartsawhitehandkerchiefIhadinmypouch,andfastenonetohissleeve,theotherinhishat,inroughimitationofthebadgesIworemyself。
ItwillappearfromthisthatInolongertrustedMadamed’O。I
wasnotconvinced,itistrue,ofherconsciousguilt,stillI
didnottrustherentirely。\"Donotwearthemonyourreturn,\"
shehadsaidandthatwasodd;althoughIcouldnotyetbelievethatshewassuchasirenasFatherPierrehadwarnedusof,tellingtalesfromoldpoets。YetIdoubted,shudderingasIdidso。Hercompanionshipwiththatvilepriest,herstrangeeagernesstosecurePavannes’return,hermysteriousdirectionstome,heranxietytotakehersisterhome——home,whereshewouldbeexposedtodanger,asbeinginaknownHuguenot’shouse——
thesethingspointedtobutoneconclusion;stillthatonewassohorriblethatIwouldnot,evenwhileIdoubtedanddistrustedher,Iwouldnot,Icouldnotacceptit。Iputitfromme,andrefusedtobelieveit,althoughduringtherestofthatnightitkeptcomingbacktomeandknockingforadmissionatmybrain。
AllthisflashedthroughmymindwhileIwasfixingonPavannes’
badges。NotthatIlosttimeaboutit,forfromthemomentI
graspedthepositionasheconceivedit,everyminutewehadwastedonexplanationsseemedtomeanhour。Ireproachedmyselfforhavingforgottenevenforaninstantthatwhichhadbroughtustotown——therescueofKit’slover。Wehadsmallchancenowofreachinghimintime,misledaswehadbeenbythismiserablemistakeinidentity。Ifmycompanion’sfearswerewellfounded,LouiswouldfallinthegeneralmassacreoftheHuguenots,probablybeforewecouldreachhim。Ifill—founded,stillwehadsmallreasontohope。Bezers’vengeancewouldnotwait。Iknewhimtoowelltothinkit。AGuisemightsparehisfoe,buttheVidame——theVidamenever!WehadwarnedMadamedePavannesitwastrue;butthatabnormalexerciseofbenevolencecouldonly,I
cynicallythought,havethemoreexasperatedthedevilwithinhim,whichnowwouldberaveninglikeadogdisappointedofitsvictuals。
Iglancedupatthelineofskyvisiblebetweenthetallhouses,andlo!thedawnwascoming。Itwantedscarcelyhalf—an—hourofdaylight,thoughdowninthedarkstreetsaboutusthenightstillreigned。Yes,themorningwascoming,brightandhopeful,andthecitywasquiet。Therewerenosigns,nosoundsofriotordisorder。Surely,Ithought,surelyPavannesmustbemistaken。Eithertheplothadneverexisted,thatwasmostlikely,orithadbeenabandoned,orperhaps——Crack!
Apistolshot!Short,sharp,ominousitrangoutontheinstant,asolitarysoundinthenight!Itwassomewherenearus,andI
stopped。Ihadbeenspeakingtomycompanionatthemoment。
\"Wherewasit?\"Icried,lookingbehindme。
\"Closetous。NeartheLouvre,\"heanswered,listeningintently。
\"See!See!Ah,heavens!\"hecontinuedinavoiceofdespair,\"itwasasignal!\"
Itwas。One,two,three!BeforeIcouldcountsofar,lightssprangintobrightnessinthewindowsofnineoutoftenhousesintheshortstreetwherewestood,asiflightedbyasinglehand。BeforetooIcouldcountasmanymore,oraskhimwhatthismeant,beforeindeed,wecouldspeakorstirfromthespot,orthinkwhatweshoulddo,withahurriedclangandclash,asifbroughtintomotionbyfuriousfrenziedhands,agreatbelljustaboveourheadsbegantoboomandwhirr!Ithurleditsnotesintospace,itsuddenlyfilledallthesilence。Itdasheditsharshsoundsdownuponthetremblingcity,tilltheairheaved,andthehousesaboutusrocked。Itmadeinaninstantapandemoniumofthequietnight。
Weturnedandhurriedinstinctivelyfromtheplace,crouchingandamazed,lookingupwardswithbentshouldersandscaredfaces。
\"Whatisit?Whatisit?\"Icried,halfinresentment;halfinterror。Itdeafenedme。
\"ThebellofSt。Germainl’Auxerrois!\"heshoutedinanswer。
\"TheChurchoftheLouvre。ItisasIsaid。Wearedoomed!\"
\"Doomed?No!\"Irepliedfiercely,formycourageseemedtoriseagainonthewaveofsoundandexcitementasifreboundingfromthemomentaryshock。\"Never!Wewearthedevil’slivery,andhewilllookafterhisown。Draw,man,andlethimthatstopsuslooktohimself。Youknowtheway。Leadon!\"Icriedsavagely。
Hecaughttheinfectionanddrewhissword。Sowestartedboldly,andtheresultjustifiedmyconfidence。Welooked,nodoubt,aslikemurderersasanywhowereabroadthatnight。
Movinginthisdesperateguisewehastenedupthatstreetandintoanother——stillpursuedbythedinandclangourofthebell——andthenashortdistancealongathird。Wewerenotstoppedoraddressedbyanyone,thoughnumbers,increasingeachmomentasdoorafterdooropened,andwedrewnearertotheheartofthecommotion,werehurryinginthesamedirection,sidebysidewithus;andthoughinfront,wherenowandagainlightsgleamedonamassofweapons,oronwhiteeagerfaces,fillingsomealleyfromwalltowall,weheardtheroarofvoicesrisingandfallinglikethemurmurofanangrysea。