Allwasblurr,hurry,confusion,tumult。YetIremember,aswepressedonwardswiththestreamandpartofit,certainsharpoutlines。Icaughthereandthereaglimpseofapalescaredfaceatawindow,ahalf—cladformatadoor,ofthebig,wonderingeyesofachildhelduptoseeuspass,ofaChristatacornerruddyinthesmokyglareofalink,ofawomanarmed,andinman’sclothes,whowalkedsomedistancesidebysidewithus,andledoffaribaldsong。Iretainamemoryofthesethings:ofbriefburstsoflightandlongintervalsofdarkness,andalways,aswetrampedforwards,myhandonPavannes’sleeve,ofanever—growingtumultinfront——anever—risingfloodofnoise。
Atlastwecametoastandstillwhereasidestreetranoutofours。Intothisthehurryingthrongtriedtowheel,and,unabletodoso,halted,andpressedabouttheheadofthestreet,whichwasalreadyfulltooverflowing;andsosoughtwithhungryeyesforplaceswhencetheymightlookdownit。PavannesandI
struggledonlytogetthroughthecrowd——togeton;buttheeffortsofthosebehindpartlyaidingandpartlythwartingourown,presentlyforcedustoapositionwhencewecouldnotavoidseeingwhatwasafoot。
Thestreet——thissidestreetwasablazewithlight。Fromendtoendeverygable,everyhatchmentwasglowing,everywindowwasflickeringintheglareoftorches。Itwaspavedtoowithfaces——humanfaces,yetscarcelyhuman——alllookingoneway,alllookingupward;andthenoise,asfromtimetotimethisimmensecrowdgroanedorhowledinunison,likeawildbeastinitsfury,wassoappalling,thatIclutchedPavannes’armandclungtohiminmomentaryterror。IdonotwondernowthatIquailed,thoughsometimesIhaveheardthatsoundsince。ForthereisnothingintheworldsodreadfulasthatbrutebeastwecalltheCANAILLE,whenthechainisoffanditscowardlysoulisroused。
Nearourendofthestreetagroupofhorsemenrisingisland—likefromtheseaofheads,satmotionlessintheirsaddlesaboutagateway。Theyweresilent,takingnonoticeoftheriotingfiendsshoutingattheirgirths,butwatchingingrimquietwhatwaspassingwithinthegates。Theywerehandsomelydressed,althoughsomeworecorsletsovertheirsatincoatsorlaceabovebuffjerkins。Icouldevenatthatdistanceseethejewelsgleaminthebonnetofonewhoseemedtobetheirleader。Hewasinthecentreoftheband,averyyoungman,perhapstwentyortwenty—one,ofmostsplendidpresence,sittinghishorsesuperbly。Heworeagreyriding—coat,andwasaheadtallerthananyofhiscompanions。Therewasprideintheveryairwithwhichhishorseborehim。
IdidnotneedtoaskPavanneswhohewas。IKNEWthathewastheDukeofGuise,andthatthehousebeforewhichhestoodwasColigny’s。Iknewwhatwasbeingdonethere。AndinthesamemomentIsickenedwithhorrorandrage。Ihadavisionofgreyhairsandbloodandfuryscarcelyhuman,AndIrebelled。I
battledwiththerabbleaboutme。IforcedmywaythroughthemtoothandnailafterPavannes,intentonlyonescaping,onlyongettingawayfromthere。Andsoweneitherhaltednorlookedbackuntilwewereclearofthecrowdandhadlefttheblazeoflightandtheworkdoingbyitsomewaybehindus。
Wefoundourselvestheninthemouthofanobscurealleywhichmycompanionwhisperedwouldbringustohishouse;andherewepausedtotakebreathandlookback。Theskywasredbehindus,theairfulloftheclashanddinofthetocsin,andthefloodofsoundswhichpouredfromeverytowerandsteeple。Fromtheeastwardcametherattleofdrumsandrandomshots,andshrieksof\"ABASCOLIGNY!\"\"ABASLESHUGUENOTS!\"Meanwhilethecitywasrisingasoneman,paleatthisdreadawakening。Fromeverywindowmenandwomen,frightenedbytheuproar,werecraningtheirnecks,askingoransweringquestionsorhurriedlycallingforandkindlingtapers。Butasyetthegeneralpopulaceseemedtobetakingnoactivepartinthedisorder。
Pavannesraisedhishataninstantaswestoodintheshadowofthehouses。\"ThenoblestmaninFranceisdead,\"hesaid,softlyandreverently。\"Godresthissoul!Theyhavehadtheirwaywithhimandkilledhimlikeadog。Hewasanoldmanandtheydidnotsparehim!Anoble,andtheyhavecalledintheCANAILLE
totearhim。Butbesure,myfriend\"——andasthespeaker’stonechangedandgrewfullandproud,hisformseemedtoswellwithit——\"besurethecruelshallnotliveouthalftheirdays!No。
Hethattakestheknifeshallperishbytheknife!Andgotohisownplace!Ishallnotseeit,butyouwill!\"
Hiswordsmadenogreatimpressiononmethen。Myhardihoodwasreturning。Iwasthrobbingwithfierceexcitement,andtinglingforthefight。Butyearsafterwards,whenthetwowhostoodhighestinthegroupaboutColigny’sthresholddied,theoneatthirty—eight,theotheratthirty—five——whenHenryofGuiseandHenryofValoisdiedwithinsixmonthsofoneanotherbytheassassin’sknife——IrememberedPavannes’augury。Andrememberingit,IreadthewaysofProvidence,andsawthattheveryaudacityofwhichGuisetookadvantagetoentrapColignyledhimtooinhisturntotripsmilingandbowing,acomfitboxinhishandandthekissesofhismistressdamponhislips,intoaking’scloset——aking’sclosetatBlois!Ledhimtoliftthecurtain——
ah!toliftthecurtain,whatFrenchmandoesnotknowthetale?
——behindwhichstoodtheAdmiral!
Toreturntoourownfortunes;afterahurriedglanceweresumedourway,andspedthroughthealley,holdingabriefconsultationaswewent。Pavannes’firsthastyinstincttoseekshelterathomebegantoloseitsforce,andhetoconsiderwhetherhisreturnwouldnotendangerhiswife。Themobmightbeexpectedtospareher,heargued。Herdeathwouldnotbenefitanyprivatefoesifheescaped。Hewasforkeepingawaytherefore。ButI
wouldnotagreetothis。Thepriest’screwofdesperadoes——
assumingPavannes’suspicionstobecorrect——wouldwaitsometime,nodoubt,togivethemasterofthehouseachancetoreturn,butwouldcertainlyattacksoonerorlateroutofgreed,iffromnoothermotive。Thenthelady’sfatewouldatthebestbeuncertain。Iwasanxiousmyselftorejoinmybrothers,andtakeallfuturechances,whetherofsavingourLouis,orescapingourselves,withthem。Unitedweshouldbefourgoodswords,andmightatleastprotectMadamedePavannestoaplaceofsafety,ifnoopportunityofsuccouringLouisshouldpresentitself。WehadtootheDuke’sring,andthismightbeofserviceatapinch。
\"No,\"Iurged,\"letusgettogether。Wetwowillslipinatthefrontgate,andboltandbarit,andthenwewillallescapeinabodyattheback,whiletheyareforcingthegateway。\"
\"Thereisnodoorattheback,\"heanswered,shakinghishead。
\"Therearewindows?\"
\"Theyaretoostronglybarred。Wecouldnotbreakoutinthetime,\"heexplained,withagroan。
Ipausedatthat,crestfallen。Butdangerquickenedmywits。InamomentIhadanotherplan,notsohopefulandmoredangerous,yetworthtryingIthought,Itoldhimofit,andheagreedtoit。Ashenoddedassentweemergedintoastreet,andIsaw——forthegreylightofmorningwasbeginningtopenetratebetweenthehouses——thatwewereonlyafewyardsfromthegateway,andthesmalldoorbywhichIhadseenmybrothersenter。Weretheystillinthehouse?Weretheysafe?Ihadbeenawayanhouratleast。
AnxiousasIwasaboutthem,Ilookedroundmeverykeenlyasweflittedacrosstheroad,andknockedgentlyatthedoor。I
thoughtitsolikelythatweshouldbefallenuponhere,thatI
stoodonmyguardwhilewewaited。Butwewerenotmolested。
Thestreet,beingatsomedistancefromthecentreofthecommotion,wasstillandempty,withnosignsoflifeapparentexcepttherowsofheadspokedthroughthewindows——allpossessingeyeswhichwatchedusheedfullyandinperfectsilence。Yes,thestreetwasquiteempty:except,ah!except,forthatlurkingfigure,which,evenasIespiedit,shotroundadistantangleofthewall,andwaslosttosight。
\"There!\"Icried,recklessnowwhomighthearme,\"knock!knocklouder!nevermindthenoise。Thealarmisgiven。Ascoreofpeoplearewatchingus,andyonderspyhasgoneofftosummonhisfriends。\"
Thetruthwasmyangerwasrising。Icouldbearnolongerthesilentregardsofallthoseeyesatthewindows。Iwrithedunderthem——cruel,pitilesseyestheywere。Ireadinthemamorbidcuriosity,apatientanticipationthatdrovemewild。Thosemenandwomengazingonussostonilyknewmycompanion’srankandfaith。Theyhadwatchedhimridinginandoutdaily,oneofthesightsoftheirstreet,gayandgallant;andnowwiththesameeyestheywerewatchinggreedilyforthebutcherstocome。Theverychildrentookafreshinterestinhim,asonedoomedanddying;andwaitedpantingfortheshowtobegin。SoIreadthem。
\"Knock!\"Irepeatedangrily,losingallpatience。HadIbeenfoolishinbringinghimbacktothispartofthetownwhereeverysoulknewhim?\"Knock;wemustgetin,whetherorno。Theycannotallhaveleftthehouse!\"
Ikickedthedoordesperately,andmyreliefwasgreatwhenitopened。Aservantwithapalefacestoodbeforeme,hiskneesvisiblyshaking。AndbehindhimwasCroisette。
Ithinkwefellstraightwayintooneanother’sarms。
\"AndMarie,\"Icried,\"Marie?\"
\"Marieiswithin,andmadame,\"heansweredjoyfully;\"wearetogetheragainandnothingmatters,Butoh,Anne,wherehaveyoubeen?Andwhatisthematter?Isitagreatfire?Oristhekingdead?Orwhatisit?\"
Itoldhim。Ihastilypouredoutsomeofthethingswhichhadhappenedtome,andsomewhichIfearedwereinstoreforothers。
Naturallyhewassurprisedandshockedbythelatter,thoughhisfearshadalreadybeenaroused。Buthisjoyandrelief,whenheheardthemysteryofLouisdePavannes’marriageexplained,weresogreatthattheyswallowedupallotherfeelings。Hecouldnotsayenoughaboutit。HepicturedLouisagainandagainasKit’slover,asouroldfriend,ourcompanion;astrue,staunch,bravewithoutfear,withoutreproach:anditwaslongbeforehiseyesceasedtosparkle,histonguetorunmerrily,thecolourtomantleinhischeeks——longthatisastimeiscountedbyminutes。
ButpresentlytheremembranceofLouis’dangerandourownpositionreturnedmorevividly。Ourplanforrescuinghimhadfailed——failed!
\"No!no!\"criedCroisette,stoutly。Hewouldnothearofit。
Hewouldnothaveitatanyprice。\"No,wewillnotgiveuphope!Wewillgoshouldertoshoulderandfindhim。Louisisasbraveasalionandasquickasaweasel。Wewillfindhimintimeyet。Wewillgowhen——Imeanassoonas——\"
Hefaltered,andpaused。Hissuddensilenceashelookedroundtheemptyforecourtinwhichwestoodwaseloquent。Thecoldlight,faintanduncertainyet,wasstealingintothecourt,disclosingarowofstablesoneitherside,andatinyporter’shutchbythegates,andfrontingusanoblehouseoffourstorys,tall,grey,grim—looking。
Iassented;gloomilyhowever。\"Yes,\"Isaid,\"wewillgowhen——\"
AndItoostopped。Thesamethoughtwasinmymind。Howcouldweleavethesepeople?Howcouldweleavemadameinherdangeranddistress?Howcouldwereturnherkindnessbydesertion?Wecouldnot。No,notforKit’ssake。BecauseafterallLouis,ourLouis,wasaman,andmusttakehischance。Hemusttakehischance。ButIgroaned。
Sothatwassettled。IhadalreadyexplainedourplantoCroisette:andnowaswewaitedhebegantotellmeastory,along,confusedstoryaboutMadamed’O。Ithoughthewastalkingforthesakeoftalking——tokeepupourspirits——andIdidnotattendmuchtohim;sothathehadnotreachedthegistofit,oratleastIhadnotgraspedit,whenanoisewithoutstayedhistongue。Itwasthetrampoffootsteps,apparentlyofalargepartyinthestreet。Itforcedhimtobreakoff,andpromptlydroveusalltoourposts。
Butbeforeweseparatedaslightfigure,hardlynoticeableinthatdim,uncertainlight,passedmequickly,layingforaninstantasofthandinmineasIstoodwaitingbythegates。I
havesaidIscarcelysawthefigure,thoughIdidseethekindtimideyes,andthepalecheeksunderthehood;butIbentoverthehandandkissedit,andfelt,truthtotell,nomoreregretnordoubtwhereourdutylay。Butstood,waitingpatiently。
CHAPTERIX。
THEHEADOFERASMUS。
Waiting,andwaitingalone!Thegateswerealmostdownnow。Thegangofruffianswithout,reinforcedeachmomentbyvolunteerseagerforplunder,rainedblowsunceasinglyonhingeandsocket;
andstillhotterandfasterthroughadozenriftsinthetimberscamethefireoftheirthreatsandcurses。Manygrewtired,butothersreplacedthem。Toolsbroke,buttheybroughtmoreandworkedwithsavageenergy。Theyhadshownatfirstameasureofprudence;lookingtobefiredon,andtoberesistedbymen,surprised,indeed,butdesperate;andthebolderofthemonlyhadadvanced。Butnowtheypressedroundunchecked,meetingnoresistance。Theywouldscarcelystandbacktoletthesledgeshaveswing;buthallooedandraninonthecreakingbeamsandbeatthemwiththeirfists,wheneverthegatesswayedunderablow。
Onestoutironbarstillhelditsplace。AndthisIwatchedasiffascinated。Iwasaloneintheemptycourtyard,standingalittleaside,shelteredbyoneofthestonepillarsfromwhichthegateshung。Behindmethedoorofthehousestoodajar。
Candles,whichthedaylightrenderedgarish,stillburnedintheroomsonthefirstfloor,ofwhichthetallnarrowwindowswereopen。OnthewidestonesillofoneofthesestoodCroisette,aboyishfigure,lookingsilentlydownatme,hishandonthelatticedshutter。Helookedpale,andInoddedandsmiledathim。Ifeltratherangerthanfearmyself;remembering,asthefiendishcrieshalf—deafenedme,oldtalesoftheJacquerieanditsdoings,andhowwehadtroddenitout。
Suddenlythedinandtumultflashedtoaloudernote;aswhenhoundsonthescentgivetongueatsight。Iturnedquicklyfromthehouse,recalledtoasenseofthepositionandperil。Theironbarwasyieldingtothepressure。Slowlytheleftwingofthegatewassinkinginwards。ThroughthewideningchasmI
caughtaglimpseofwild,grimyfacesandbloodshoteyes,andheardabovethenoiseasharpcryfromCroisette——acryofterror。ThenIturnedandran,withadefiantgestureandanansweringyell,rightacrosstheforecourtandupthestepstothedoor。
Iranthefasterforthesharpreportofapistolbehindme,andthewhirrofaballpastmyear。ButIwasnotscaredbyit:
andasmyfeetalightedwithaboundonthetopmoststep,I
glancedback。Thedogswerehalfwayacrossthecourt。Imadeabunglingattempttoshutandlockthegreatdoor——failedinthis;
andheardbehindmearoarofcoarsetriumph。Iwaitedfornomore。Idarteduptheoakstaircasefourstepsatatime,andrushedintothegreatdrawing—roomonmyleft,bangingthedoorbehindme。
Theoncesplendidroomwasinastateofstrangedisorder。Someoftherichtapestryhadbeenhastilytorndown。Onewindowwasclosedandshuttered;nodoubtCroisettehaddoneit。Theothertwowereopen——asiftherehadnotbeentimetoclosethem——andthecoldlightwhichtheyadmittedcontrastedinghastlyfashionwiththeyellowraysofcandlesstillburninginthesconces。
Thefurniturehadbeenhuddledasideorpiledintoabarricade,aCHEVAUXDEFRISEofchairsandtablesstretchingacrossthewidthoftheroom,itsintersticesstuffedwith,anditsweaknesspartlyscreenedby,thetorn—downhangings。Behindthisfraildefencetheirbackstoadoorwhichseemedtoleadtoaninnerroom,stoodMarieandCroisette,paleanddefiant。Theformerhadalongpike;thelatterlevelledaheavy,bell—mouthedarquebuseacrossthebackofachair,andblewuphismatchasI
entered。Bothhadinadditionprocuredswords。Idartedlikearabbitthroughalittletunnelleftonpurposeformeintherampart,andtookmystandbythem。
\"Isallright?\"ejaculatedCroisetteturningtomenervously。
\"Allright,Ithink,\"Ianswered。Iwasbreathless。
\"Youarenothurt?\"
\"Nottouched!\"
Ihadjusttimethentodrawmyswordbeforetheassailantsstreamedintotheroom,adozenruffians,reekingandtattered,withflushedfacesandgreedy,staringeyes。Onceinside,however,suddenly——sosuddenlythatanidlespectatormighthavefoundthechangeludicrous——theycametoastop。Theirwildcriesceased,andtumblingoveroneanotherwithcursesandoathstheyhalted,surveyingusinmuddledsurprise;seeingwhatwasbeforethem,andnotlikingit。Theirleaderappearedtobeatallbutcherwithapole—axeonhishalf—nakedshoulder;buttherewereamongthemtwoorthreesoldiersintheroyalliveryandcarryingpikes。Theyhadlookedforvictimsonly,havingmetwithnoresistanceatthegate,andtheforemostrecoilednowonfindingthemselvesconfrontedbythemuzzleofthearquebuseandthelightedmatch。
Iseizedtheoccasion。Iknew,indeed,thatthepausepresentedouronlychance,andIsprangonachairandwavedmyhandforsilence。Theinstinctofobedienceforthemomentasserteditself;therewasastillnessintheroom。
\"Beware!\"Icriedloudly——asloudlyandconfidentlyasIcould,consideringthattherewasaquaveratmyheartasIlookedonthosesavagefaces,whichmetandyetavoidedmyeye。\"Bewareofwhatyoudo!WeareCatholicsoneandalllikeyourselves,andgoodsonsoftheChurch。Ay,andgoodsubjectstoo!VIVELE
ROI,gentlemen!GodsavetheKing!Isay。\"AndIstruckthebarricadewithmysworduntilthemetalrangagain。\"GodsavetheKing!\"
\"CryVIVELAMESSE!\"shoutedone。
\"Certainly,gentlemen!\"Ireplied,withpoliteness。\"Withallmyheart。VIVELAMESSE!VIVELAMESSE!\"
Thistookthebutcher,wholuckilywasstillsober,utterlyaback。Hehadneverthoughtofthis。Hestaredatusasiftheoxhehadbeenabouttofellhadopeneditsmouthandspoken,andgrievouslyataloss,helookedforhelptohiscompanions。
Laterintheday,someCatholicswerekilledbythemob。Buttheirdeathsasfarascouldbelearnedafterwardswereduetoprivatefeuds。Saveinsuchcases——andtheywerefew——thecryofVIVELAMESSE!alwaysobtainedatleastarespite:moreeasilyofcourseintheearlierhoursofthemorningwhenthemobwerescarceateaseintheirlibertytokill,whilekillingstillseemedmurder,andmenwerenotyetdrunkwithbloodshed。
Ireadthehesitationofthegangintheirfaces:andwhenoneaskedroughlywhowewere,Irepliedwithgreaterboldness,\"IamM。AnnedeCaylus,nephewtotheVicomtedeCaylus,Governor,undertheKing,ofBayonneandtheLandes!\"ThisIsaidwithwhatmajestyIcould。\"Andthese\"Icontinued——\"aremybrothers。
Youwillharmusatyourperil,gentlemen。TheVicomte,believeme,willavengeeveryhairofourheads。\"
Icanshutmyeyesnowandseethestupidwonder,thebaulkedferocityofthosegapingfaces。Dullandsavageasthemenweretheywereimpressed;theysawreasonindeed,andallseemedgoingwellforuswhensomeoneintherearshouted,\"Cursedwhelps!
Throwthemover!\"
Ilookedswiftlyinthedirectionwhencethevoicecame——thedarkestcorneroftheroomthecornerbytheshutteredwindow。I
thoughtImadeoutaslenderfigure,cloakedandmasked——awoman’sitmightbebutIcouldnotbecertainandbesideitacoupleofsturdyfellows,whokeptapartfromtheherdandwellbehindtheirfugleman。
Thespeaker’scouragearosenodoubtfromhispositionatthebackoftheroom,fortheforemostoftheassailantsseemedlessdetermined。Wewereonlythree,andwemusthavegonedown,barricadeandall,beforearush。Butthreearethree。Andanarquebuse——Croisette’smatchburnedsplendidly——wellloadedwithslugsisanuglyweaponatfivepaces,andmakesnastywounds,besidesscatteringitschargefamously。This,agoodmanyofthemandtheleadersinparticular,seemedtorecognise。Wemightcertainlytaketwoorthreelives:andlifeisvaluabletoitsownerwhenplunderisafoot。BesidesmostofthemhadcommonsenseenoughtorememberthattherewerescoresofHuguenots——genuineheretics——toberobbedforthekilling,sowhygooutoftheway,theyreasoned,tocutaCatholicthroat,andperhapsgetintotrouble。WhyriskMontfauconforawhim?andoffendamanofinfluenceliketheVicomtedeCaylus,fornothing!
Unfortunatelyatthiscrisistheiroriginaldesignwasrecalledtotheirmindsbythesamevoicebehind,cryingout,\"Pavannes!
WhereisPavannes?\"
\"Ay!\"shoutedthebutcher,graspingtheidea,andatthesametimespittingonhishandsandtakingafreshgripoftheaxe,\"Showusthehereticdog,andgo!Letusathim。\"
\"M。dePavannes,\"Isaidcoolly——butIcouldnottakemyeyesofftheshiningbladeofthatman’saxe,itwassoverybroadandsharp——\"isnothere!\"
\"Thatisalie!Heisinthatroombehindyou!\"theprudentgentlemaninthebackgroundcalledout。\"Givehimup!\"
\"Ay,givehimup!\"echoedthemanofthepole—axealmostgoodhumouredly,\"oritwillbetheworseforyou。Letushaveathimandgetyougone!\"
Thiswithanairofmuchreason,whileagrowlasofachainedbeastranthroughthecrowd,mingledwithcriesof\"AMORTLES
HUGUENOTS!VIVELORRAINE!\"——crieswhichseemedtoshowthatalldidnotapproveoftheindulgenceofferedus。
\"Beware,gentlemen,beware,\"Iurged,\"Iswearheisnothere!I
swearit,doyouhear?\"
Ahowlofimpatienceandthenasuddenmovementofthecrowdasthoughtherushwerecomingwarnedmetotemporizenolonger。
\"Stay!Stay!\"Iaddedhastily。\"Oneminute!Hearme!Youaretoomanyforus。Willyousweartoletusgosafeanduntouched,ifwegiveyoupassage?\"
Adozenvoicesshriekedassent。ButIlookedatthebutcheronly。Heseemedtobeanhonestman,outofhisprofession。
\"Ay,Iswearit!\"hecriedwithanod。
\"BytheMass?\"
\"BytheMass。\"
ItwitchedCroisette’ssleeve,andhetorethefusefromhisweapon,andflungthegun——tooheavytobeofusetouslonger——
totheground。Itwasdoneinamoment。Whilethemobsweptoverthebarricade,andsmashedtherichfurnitureofitinwantonmalice,wefiledaside,andnimblyslippedunderitonebyone。Thenwehurriedinsinglefiletotheendoftheroom,noonetakingmuchnoticeofus。Allwerepressingon,intentontheirprey。Wegainedthedoorasthebutcherstruckhisfirstblowonthatwhichwehadguarded——onthatwhichwehadgivenup。
Wesprangdownthestairswithboundinghearts,heardaswereachedtheouterdoortheroarofmanyvoices,butstayednottolookbehind——pausedindeedfornothing。Fear,tospeakcandidly,lentuswings。Inthreesecondswehadleapttheprostrategates,andwereinthestreet。Acripple,twoorthreedogs,aknotofwomenlookingtimidlyyetcuriouslyin,ahorsetetheredtothestaple——wesawnothingelse。Noonestayedus。Nooneraisedahand,andinanotherminutewehadturnedacorner,andwereoutofsightofthehouse。
\"Theywilltakeagentleman’swordanothertime,\"IsaidwithaquietsmileasIputupmysword。
\"Iwouldliketoseeherfaceatthismoment,’Croisettereplied。
\"YousawMadamed’O?\"
Ishookmyhead,notanswering。Iwasnotsure,andIhadaqueer,sickeningdreadofthesubject。IfIhadseenher,Ihadseenoh!itwastoohorrible,toounnatural!Herownsister!
Herownbrotherin—law!
Ihastenedtochangethesubject。\"ThePavannes,\"Imadeshifttosay,\"musthavehadfiveminutes’start。\"
\"More,\"Croisetteanswered,\"ifMadameandhegotawayatonce。
Ifallhasgonewellwiththem,andtheyhavenotbeenstoppedinthestreetstheyshouldbeatMirepoix’sbynow。Theyseemedtobeprettysurethathewouldtakethemin。\"
\"Ah!\"Isighed。\"Whatfoolsweweretobringmadamefromthatplace!IfwehadnotmeddledwithheraffairswemighthavereachedLouislongagoourLouis,Imean。\"
\"True,\"Croisetteansweredsoftly,\"butrememberthatthenweshouldnothavesavedtheotherLouisasItrustwehave。HewouldstillbeinPallavicini’shands。Come,Anne,letusthinkitisallforthebest,\"headded,hisfaceshiningwithasteadycouragethatshamedme。\"Totherescue!Heavenwillhelpustobeintimeyet!\"
\"Ay,totherescue!\"Ireplied,catchinghisspirit。\"Firsttotheright,Ithink,secondtotheleft,firstontherightagain。
Thatwasthedirectiongivenus,wasitnot?Thehouseoppositeabook—shopwiththesignoftheHeadofErasmus。Forward,boys!
Wemaydoityet。\"
ButbeforeIpursueourfortunesfartherletmeexplain。Theroomwehadguardedsojealouslywasempty!TheplanhadbeenmineandIwasproudofit。ForonceCroisettehadfallenintohisrightfulplace。Myflightfromthegate,thevainattempttoclosethehouse,thebarricadebeforetheinnerdoor——thesewerealldesignedtodrawtheassailantstoonespot。Pavannesandhiswife——thelatterhastilydisguisedasaboy——hadhiddenbehindthedoorofthehutchbythegates——theporter’shutch,andhadslippedoutandfledinthefirstconfusionoftheattack。
Eventheservants,aswelearnedafterwards,whohadhiddenthemselvesinthelowerpartsofthehousegotawayinthesamemanner,thoughsomeofthem——theywerebutfewinallwerestoppedasHuguenotsandkilledbeforethedayended。IhadthemorereasontohopethatPavannesandhiswifewouldgetclearoff,inasmuchasIhadgiventheDuke’sringtohim,thinkingitmightservehiminastrait,andbelievingthatweshouldhavelittletofearourselvesonceclearofhishouse;unlessweshouldmeettheVidameindeed。
Wedidnotmeethimasitturnedout;butbeforewehadtraversedaquarterofthedistancewehadtogowefoundthatfearsbasedonreasonwerenottheonlyterrorswehadtoresist。Pavannes’
house,wherewehadhithertobeen,stoodatsomedistancefromthecentreoftheblood—stormwhichwasenwrappingunhappyParisthatmorning。ItwasseveralhundredpacesfromtheRuedeBethisywheretheAdmirallived,andwhatwiththiscomparativeremotenessandtheexcitementofourownlittledrama,wehadnotattendedmuchtothefuryofthebells,theshotsandcriesanduproarwhichproclaimedthestateofthecity。Wehadnotpicturedthesceneswhichwerehappeningsonear。Nowinthestreetsthetruthbrokeuponus,anddrovethebloodfromourcheeks。Ahundredyards,theturningofacorner,sufficed。Wewhobutyesterdayleftthecountry,whoonlyaweekbeforewereboys,carelessasotherboys,notreckingofdeathatall,wereplungednowintothemidstofhorrorsIcannotdescribe。Andtheawfulcontrastbetweentheskyaboveandthethingsaboutus!
Evennowthelarkwassingingnotfarfromus;thesunshinewasstrikingthetopmoststoreysofthehouses;thefleecycloudswerepassingoverhead,thefreshnessofasummermorningwas——
Ah!wherewasit?Nothereinthenarrowlanessurely,thatechoedandre—echoedwithshrieksandcursesandfranticprayers:
inwhichbandsoffuriousmenrushedupanddown,andwherearchersoftheguardandthemorecruelrabblewerebreakingindoorsandwindows,andhurryingwithbloodyweaponsfromhousetohouse,seeking,pursuing,andatlastkillinginsomehorridcorner,someplaceofdarkness——killingwithblowonblowdealtonwrithingbodies!Nothere,surely,whereeachminuteachild,awomandiedsilently,amansnarlinglikeawolf——happyifhehadsnatchedhisweaponandgothisbacktothewall:wherefoulcorpsesdammedtheverybloodthatrandownthekennel,andchildren——littlechildren——playedwiththem!
IwasatCahorsin1580inthegreatstreetfight;andtherewomenwerekilled,IwaswithChatillonnineyearslater,whenherodethroughtheFaubourgsofParis,withthisverydayandhisfatherColignyinhismind,andgavenoquarter。IwasatCourtasandIvry,andmorethanoncehaveseenprisonersledouttobepikedinbatches——ay,andbyhundreds!Butwariswar,andthesewereitsvictims,dyingforthemostpartunderGod’sheavenwitharmsintheirhands:notmenandwomenfreshrousedfromtheirsleep。Ifeltonthoseoccasionsnosuchhorror,I
haveneverfeltsuchburningpityandindignationasonthemorningIamdescribing,thatlong—pastsummermorningwhenI
firstsawthesunshiningonthestreetsofParis。Croisetteclungtome,sickandwhite,shuttinghiseyesandears,andlettingmeguidehimasIwould。Mariestrodealongontheothersideofhim,hislipsclosed,hiseyessinister。Onceasoldieroftheguardwhoseblood—stainedhandsbetrayedtheworkhehaddone,camereeling——hewasdrunk,asweremanyofthebutchers——
acrossourpath,andIgavewayalittle。Mariedidnot,butwalkedstolidlyonasifhedidnotseehim,asifthewaywereclear,andtherewerenouglythinginGod’simageblockingit。
Onlyhishandwentasifbyaccidenttothehaftofhisdagger。
Thearcher——fortunatelyforhimselfandforustoo——reeledclearofus。Weescapedthatdanger。Buttoseewomenkilledandpassby——itwashorrible!SohorriblethatifinthosemomentsIhadhadthewishing—cap,Iwouldhaveaskedbutforfivethousandriders,andleavetochargewiththemthroughthestreetsofParis!IwouldhavehadthedaysoftheJacqueriebackagain,andmymen—at—armsbehindme!
Forourselves,thoughtheorgywasatitsheightwhenwepassed,wewerenotmolested。Wewerestoppedindeedthreetimes——onceineachofthestreetswetraversed——bydifferentbandsofmurderers。Butasweworethesamebadgesasthemselves,andcried\"VIVELAMESSE!\"andgaveournames,wewereallowedtoproceed。Icangivenoideaoftheconfusionanduproar,andI
scarcelybelievemyselfnowthatwesawsomeofthethingswewitnessed。Onceamangailydressed,andsplendidlymounted,dashedpastus,wavinghisnakedswordandcryinginafrenziedway\"Bleedthem!Bleedthem!BleedinMay,asgoodto—day!\"
andneverceasedcryingoutthesamewordsuntilhepassedbeyondourhearing。Oncewecameuponthebodiesofafatherandtwosons,whichlaypiledtogetherinthekennel;partlystrippedalready。Theyoungestboycouldnothavebeenmorethanthirteen,Imentionthisgroup,notassurpassingothersinpathos,butbecauseitiswellknownnowthatthisboy,JacquesNompardeCaumont,wasnotdead,butlivesto—day,myfriendtheMarshaldelaForce。
Thisremindsmetooofthesingleactofkindnesswewereabletoperform。Wefoundourselvessuddenly,onturningacorner,amidagangofsevenoreightsoldiers,whohadstoppedandsurroundedahandsomeboy,apparentlyaboutfourteen。Heworeascholar’sgown,andhadsomebooksunderhisarm,towhichheclungfirmly——thoughonlyperhapsbyinstinct——notwithstandingthefuriousairofthemenwhowerethreateninghimwithdeath。Theywereloudlydemandinghisname,aswepausedoppositethem。Heeithercouldnotorwouldnotgiveit,butsaidseveraltimesinhisfrightthathewasgoingtotheCollegeofBurgundy。WasheaCatholic?theycried。Hewassilent。Withanoaththemanwhohadholdofhiscollarlifteduphispike,andnaturallytheladraisedthebookstoguardhisface。AcrybrokefromCroisette。
Werushedforwardtostaytheblow。
\"See!see!\"heexclaimedloudly,hisvoicearrestingtheman’sarmintheveryactoffalling。\"HehasaMassBook!HehasaMassBook!Heisnotaheretic!HeisaCatholic!\"
Thefellowloweredhisweapon,andsullenlysnatchedthebooks。
Helookedatthemstupidlywithbloodshotwanderingeyes,theredcrossonthevellumbindings,theonlythingheunderstood。Butitwasenoughforhim;hebidtheboybegone,andreleasedhimwithacuffandanoath。
Croisettewasnotsatisfiedwiththis,thoughIdidnotunderstandhisreason;onlyIsawhimexchangeaglancewiththelad。\"Come,come!\"hesaidlightly。\"Givehimhisbooks!Youdonotwantthem!\"
Butonthatthementurnedsavagelyuponus。Theydidnotthankusforthepartwehadalreadytaken;andthistheythoughtwasgoingtoofar。Theywerehalfdrunkandquarrelsome,andbeingtwotoone,andtwoover,begantoflourishtheirweaponsinourfaces。Mischiefwouldcertainlyhavebeendone,andveryquickly,hadnotanunexpectedallyappearedonourside。
\"Putup!putup!\"thisgentlemancriedinaboisterousvoice——
hewasalreadyinourmidst。\"Whatisallthisabout?Whatistheuseoffightingamongstourselves,whenthereismanyabonnythroattocut,andheaventobegainedbyit!putup,Isay!\"
\"Whoareyou?\"theyroaredinchorus。
\"TheDukeofGuise!\"heansweredcoolly。\"Letthegentlemengo,andbehangedtoyou,yourascals!\"
Theman’sbearingwasastrongerargumentthanhiswords,forI
amsurethatastouterormorerecklessbladeneverswaggeredinchurchorstreet。Iknewhiminstantly,andeventhecrewofbutchersseemedtoseeinhimtheirmaster。Theyhungbackafewcursesathim,buthavingnothingtogaintheyyielded。Theythrewdownthebookswithcontempt——showingtherebytheirsenseoftruereligion;andtroopedoffroaring,\"TUES!TUES!AuxHuguenots!\"atthetopoftheirvoices。
ThenewcomerthusleftwithuswasBure——BlaiseBure——thesamewhoonlyyesterday,thoughitseemedmonthsandmonthsback,hadluredusintoBezers’power。Sincethatmomentwehadnotseenhim。Nowhehadwipedoffpartofthedebt,andwelookedathim,uncertainwhethertoreproachhimorno。He,however,wasnotonewhitabashed,butreturnedourregardswithanotunkindlyleer。
\"Ibearnomalice,younggentlemen,\"hesaidimpudently。
\"No,Ishouldthinknot,\"Ianswered。
\"Andbesides,wearequitsnow,\"theknavecontinued。
\"Youareverykind,\"Isaid。
\"Tobesure。Youdidmeagoodturnonce,\"heanswered,muchtomysurprise。Heseemedtobeinearnestnow。\"Youdonotrememberit,younggentleman,butitwasyouandyourbrotherhere\"——hepointedtoCroisette——\"didit!AndbythePopeandtheKingofSpainIhavenotforgottenit!\"
\"Ihave,\"Isaid。
\"What!YouhaveforgottenspittingthatfellowatCaylustendaysago?CA!SA!Youremember。Andverycleanlydone,too!
Aprettystroke!Well,M。Anne,thatwasacleverfellow,averycleverfellow。HethoughtsoandIthoughtso,andwhatwasmoretothepurposethemostnobleRaouldeBezersthoughtsotoo。
Youunderstand!\"
HeleeredatmeandIdidunderstand。IunderstoodthatunwittinglyIhadridBlaiseBureofarival。Thisaccountedfortherespectful,almostthekindlywayinwhichhehad——well,deceivedus。
\"Thatisall,\"hesaid。\"Ifyouwantasmuchdoneforyou,letmeknow。Forthepresent,gentlemen,farewell!\"
Hecockedhishatfiercely,andwentoffatspeedthewaywehadourselvesbeengoing;hummingashewent,\"Cepetithommetantjoli,Quitoujourscauseettoujoursrit,QuitoujoursbaisesamignonneDieugard’demalcepetithomme!\"
Hisrecklesssongcamebacktousonthesummerbreeze。Wewatchedhimmakeaplayfulpassatacorpsewhichsomeonehadproppedinghastlyfashionagainstadoor——andmissit——andgoonwhistlingthesameair——andthenacornerhidhimfromview。
Welingeredonlyamomentourselves;merelytospeaktotheboywehadbefriended。
\"Showthebooksifanyonechallengesyou,\"saidCroisettetohimshrewdly。Croisettewassomuchofaboyhimself,withhisfairhairlikeahaloabouthiswhite,excitedface,thatthepictureofthetwo,oneadvisingtheother,seemedtomeastrangelyprettyone。\"Showthebooksandpointtothecrossonthem。AndHeavensendyousafetoyourcollege。\"
\"Iwouldliketoknowyourname,ifyouplease,\"saidtheboy。
Hiscoolnessanddignitystruckmeasadmirableunderthecircumstances。\"IamMaximiliandeBethune,sonoftheBarondeRosny,\"
\"Then,\"saidCroisettebriskly,\"onegoodturnhasdeservedanother。Yourfather,yesterday,atEtampes——noitwasthedaybefore,butwehavenotbeeninbed——warnedus——\"
Hebrokeoffsuddenly;thencried,\"Run!run!\"
Theboyneedednosecondwarningindeed。Hewasofflikethewinddownthestreet,forwehadseenandsohadhe,thestealthyapproachoftwoorthreeprowlingrascalsonthelookoutforavictim。Theycaughtsightofhimandwerestronglyinclinedtofollowhim;butweweretheirmatchinnumbers。Thestreetwasotherwiseemptyatthemoment:andweshowedthemthreeexcellentreasonswhytheyshouldgivehimaclearstart。
Hisafteradventuresarewell—known:forhe,too,lives。Hewasstoppedtwiceafterheleftus。Ineachcaseheescapedbyshowinghisbookofoffices。Onreachingthecollegetheporterrefusedtoadmithim,andheremainedforsometimeintheopenstreetexposedtoconstantdangeroflosinghislife,andknowingnotwhattodo。Atlengthheinducedthegatekeeper,bythepresentofsomesmallpiecesofmoney,tocalltheprincipalofthecollege,andthismanhumanelyconcealedhimforthreedays。
Themassacrebeingthenatanend,twoarmedmeninhisfather’spaysoughthimoutandrestoredhimtohisfriends。SonearwasFrancetolosinghergreatestminister,theDukedeSully。
Toreturntoourselves。Theladoutofsight,weinstantlyresumedourpurpose,andtryingtoshutoureyesandearstothecruelty,andribaldry,anduproarthroughwhichwehadstilltopass,wecountedourturningswithadesperateexactness,intentonlyononething——toreachLouisdePavannes,toreachthehouseoppositetotheHeadofErasmus,asquicklyaswecould。Wepresentlyenteredalong,narrowstreet。Attheendofittheriverwasvisiblegleamingandsparklinginthesunlight。Thestreetwasquiet;quietandempty。Therewasnolivingsoultobeseenfromendtoendofit,onlyaprowlingdog。Thenoiseofthetumultraginginotherpartswassoftenedherebydistanceandtheinterveninghouses。Weseemedtobeabletobreathemorefreely。
\"Thisshouldbeourstreet,\"saidCroisette。
Inodded。AtthesamemomentIespied,half—waydownit,thesignweneededandpointedtoit,Butah!wereweintime?Ortoolate?Thatwasthequestion。Byasingleimpulsewebrokeintoarun,andshotdowntheroadwayatspeed。AfewyardsshortoftheHeadofErasmuswecame,onebyone,Croisettefirst,toafullstop。Afullstop!
Thehouseoppositethebookseller’swassacked!guttedfromtoptobottom。Itwasatallhouse,immediatelyfrontingthestreet,andeverywindowinitwasbroken。Thedoorhungforlornlyononehinge,glaringcracksinitssurfaceshowingwheretheaxehadsplinteredit。Fragmentsofglassandware,hungoutandshatteredinsheerwantonness,strewedthesteps:anddownonecornerofthelatteradarkredstreamtrickled——tocurdlebyandbyinthegutter。Whencecamethestream?Alas!therewassomethingmoretobeseenyet,somethingoureyesinstinctivelysoughtlastofall。Thebodyofaman。
Itlayonthethreshold,theheadhangingback,thewideglazedeyeslookinguptothesummerskywhencetheswelteringheatwouldsoonpourdownuponit。Welookedshudderingattheface。
Itwasthatofaservant,avaletwhohadbeenwithLouisatCaylus。Werecognisedhimatonceforwehadknownandlikedhim。Hehadcarriedourgunsonthehillsadozentimes,andtoldusstoriesofthewar。Thebloodcrawledslowlyfromhim。
Hewasdead。
Croisettebegantoshakeallover。Heclutchedoneofthepillars,whichboreuptheporch,andpressedhisfaceagainstitscoldsurface,hidinghiseyesfromthesight。Theworsthadcome。InourheartsIthinkwehadalwaysfanciedsomeaccidentwouldsaveourfriend,somestrangerwarnhim。
\"Oh,poor,poorKit!\"Croisettecried,burstingsuddenlyintoviolentsobs。\"Oh,Kit!Kit!\"
CHAPTERX。
HAU,HAU,HUGUENOTS!
HislateMajesty,HenrytheFourth,Iremember——thanwhomnobravermanworesword,wholoveddangerindeedforitsownsake,andcourteditasamistress——couldneversleeponthenightbeforeanaction。IhaveheardhimsayhimselfthatitwassobeforethefightatArques。Croisettepartookofthisnaturetoo,beinghigh—strungandapttobeeasilyover—wrought,butneveruntilthenecessityforexertionhadpassedaway:whileMarieandI,thoughnotawhitstouteratapinch,wereslowertofeelandlesseasytomove——moreGermanicinfact。
InamethisherepartlylestitshouldbethoughtafterwhatI
havejusttoldofCroisettethattherewasanythingofthewomanabouthim——savethetenderness;andpartlytoshowthatweactedatthiscrisiseachafterhismanner。’WhileCroisetteturnedpaleandtrembled,andhidhiseyes,Istooddazed,lookingfromthedesolatehousetothefacestiffeninginthesunshine,andbackagain;wondering,thoughIhadseenscoresofdeadfacessincedaybreak,andaplenitudeofsufferinginalldreadfulshapes,howProvidencecouldletthishappentous。Tous!Inhisinstinctsmanisasselfishasanyanimalthatlives。
Isawnothingindeedofthedeadfaceanddeadhouseafterthefirstconvincingglance。Isawinsteadwithhot,hoteyestheoldcastleathome,thegreenfieldsaboutthebrook,andthegreyhillsrisingfromthem;andtheterrace,andKitcomingtomeetus,Kitwithwhitefaceandpartedlipsandavideyesthatquestionedus!Andwewithnocomforttogiveher,nolovertobringbacktoher!
Afaintnoisebehindasofasigncreakinginthewind,rousedmefromthismostpainfulreverie。Iturnedround,notquicklyorinsurpriseorfear。Ratherinthesamedullwonder。Theupperpartofthebookseller’sdoorwasajar。ItwasthatIhadheardopened。Anoldwomanwaspeeringoutatus。
Asoureyesmet,shemadeaslightmovementtoclosethedooragain。ButIdidnotstir,andseemingtobereassuredbyasecondglance,shenoddedtomeinastealthyfashion。Idrewastepnearer,listlessly。\"Pst!Pst!\"shewhispered。Herwrinkledoldface,whichwaslikeaNormandyapplelongkept,wassoftwithpityasshelookedatCroisette。\"Pst!\"
\"Well!\"Isaid,mechanically。
\"Ishetaken?\"shemuttered。
\"Whotaken?\"Iaskedstupidly。
Shenoddedtowardstheforsakenhouse,andanswered,\"Theyounglordwholodgedthere?Ah!sirs,\"shecontinued,\"helookedgayandhandsome,ifyou’llbelieveme,ashecamefromtheking’scourtyestereven!Asbonnyasightinhissatincoat,andhisribbons,asmyeyeseversaw!Andtothinkthattheyshouldbehuntinghimlikearatto—day!\"
Thewoman’swordswerefewandsimple。Butwhatachangetheymadeinmyworld!Howmyheartawokefromitsstupor,andleaptupwithanewjoyandanew—bornhope!\"Didhegetaway?\"I
criedeagerly。\"Didheescape,mother,then?\"
\"Ay,that。hedid!\"sherepliedquickly。\"Thatpoorfellow,yonder——heliesquietenoughnowGodforgivehimhisheresy,sayI!——keptthedoormanfullywhilethegentlemangotontheroof,andranrightdownthestreetonthetopsofthehouses,withthemfiringandhootingathim:foralltheworldasifhehadbeenasquirrelandtheyapackofboyswithstones!\"
\"Andheescaped?\"
\"Escaped!\"sheansweredmoreslowly,shakingheroldheadindoubt。\"IdonotknowaboutthatIfeartheyhavegothimbynow,gentlemen。Ihavebeenshiveringandshakingupstairswithmyhusband——heisinbed,goodman,andthesafestplaceforhim——thesaintshavemercyuponus!ButIheardthemgowiththeirshoutingandgunpowderrightalongtotheriver,andIdoubttheywilltakehimbetweenthisandtheCHATELET!Idoubttheywill。\"
\"Howlongagowasit,dame?\"Icried。
\"Oh!maybehalfanhour。Perhapsyouarefriendsofhis?\"sheaddedquestioningly。
ButIdidnotstaytoanswerher。IshookCroisette,whohadnotheardawordofthis,bytheshoulder。Thereisachancethathehasescaped!\"Icriedinhisear。Escaped,doyouhear?\"AndI
toldhimhastilywhatshehadsaid。
Itwasfine,indeed,andasight,toseethebloodrushtohischeeks,andthetearsdryinhiseyes,andenergyanddecisionspringtolifeineverynerveandmuscleofhisface,\"Thenthereishope?\"hecried,graspingmyarm。\"Hope,Anne!Come!Come!
Donotletusloseanotherinstant。Ifhebealiveletusjoinhim!\"
Theoldwomantriedtodetainus,butinvain。Nay,pityingus,andfearing,Ithink,thatwewererushingonourdeaths,shecastasidehercaution,andcalledafterusaloud。Wetooknoheed,runningafterCroisette,whohadnotwaitedforouranswer,asfastasyounglimbscouldcarryusdownthestreet。Theexhaustionwehadfeltamomentbeforewhenallseemedlostbeitrememberedthatwehadnotbeentobedortastedfoodformanyhours——fellfromusontheinstant,andwascleangoneandforgotteninthejoyofthisrespite。Louiswaslivingandforthemomenthadescaped。
Escaped!Butforhowlong?Wesoonhadouranswer。Themomentweturnedthecornerbytheriver—side,themurmurofamultitudenotloudbutcontinuous,struckourears,evenasthebreezeoffthewatersweptourcheeks。AcrosstheriverlaythethousandroofsoftheIledelaCite,allsparklinginthesunshine。Butweswepttotheright,thinkinglittleofTHATsight,andcheckedourspeedonfindingourselvesontheskirtsofthecrowd。
Beforeuswasabridge——thePontauChange,Ithink——andatitsheadonoursideofthewaterstoodtheCHATELET,withitshoaryturretsandbattlements。Betweenusandthelatter,andbackedonlybytheriver,wasagreatopenspacehalf—filledwithpeople,mostlysilentandwatchful,cometogetherastoashow,andbetraying,atpresentatleast,nodesiretotakeanactivepartinwhatwasgoingon。
Wehurriedlyplungedintothethrong,andsooncaughtthecluetothequietnessandthelackofmovementwhichseemedtoprevail,andwhichatfirstsighthadpuzzledus。Foramomenttheabsenceofthedreadfulsymptomswehadcometoknowsowell——theflyingandpursuing,therandomblows,theshrieksandcursesandbatteringsondoors,thetipsyyells,hadreassuredus。Butthereliefwasshort—lived。Thepeoplebeforeuswereundercontrol。
Atightergripseemedtocloseuponourheartsaswediscernedthis,forweknewthatthewildfuryofthepopulace,liketherushofabull,mighthavegivensomechanceofescape——inthiscaseasinothers。Butthiscold—bloodedorderedsearchleftnone。
Everyfaceaboutuswasturnedinthesamedirection;awayfromtheriverandtowardsablockofoldhouseswhichstoodoppositetoit。Thespaceimmediatelyinfrontofthesewasempty,thepeoplebeingkeptbackbyascoreorsoofarchersoftheguardsetatintervals,andbyasmanyhorsemen,whokeptridingupanddown,belabouringthebolderspiritswiththeflatoftheirswords,andsopreservingaline。Ateachextremityofthis——morenoticeablyonourleftwherethelinecurvedroundtheangleofthebuildings——stoodahandfulofriders,seveninagroupperhaps。Andaloneinthemiddleofthespacesokeptclear,walkinghishorseupanddownandgazingatthehousesrodeamanofgreatstature,bootedandarmed,thefeathernoddinginhisbonnet。Icouldnotseehisface,butIhadnoneedtoseeit。
Iknewhim,andgroanedaloud。ItwasBezers!
Iunderstoodthescenebetternow。Thehorsemen,stern,beardedSwitzersforthemostpart,whoeyedtherabbleaboutthemwithgrimdisdain,andwerebynomeanscharyoftheirblows,wereallinhiscoloursandarmedtotheteeth。Theorderanddisciplinewereofhismaking:therevengeofhisseeking。Agraspasofsteelhadsettleduponourfriend,andIfeltthathislastchancewasgone。LouisdePavannesmightaswellbelyingonhisthresholdwithhisdeadservantbyhisside,asbeinhidingwithinthatringoforderedswords。
Itwaswithdespairingeyeswelookedattheoldwoodenhouses。
Theyseemedtobebowingthemselvestowardsus,theirupperstoriesprojectedsofar,theyweresodecrepit。Theirroofswereawildernessofguttersandcrookedgables,oftotteringchimneysandwoodenpinnaclesandrottingbeams,AmongsttheseI
judgedKit’sloverwashiding。Well,itwasagoodplaceforhideandseek—withanyotherplayerthanDEATH。Inthegroundfloorsofthehousestherewerenowindowsandnodoors;byreason,Ilearnedafterwards,ofthefrequentfloodingoftheriver。Butalongwoodengalleryraisedonstrutsranalongthefront,rathermorethantheheightofamanfromtheground,andaccesstothiswasgainedbyawoodenstaircaseateachend。
Abovethisfirstgallerywasasecond,andabovethatalineofwindowssetbetweenthegables。Theblock——itmayhaverunforseventyoreightyyardsalongtheshore——containedfourhouses,eachwithadooropeningontothelowergallery。IsawindeedthatbutfortheVidame’sprecautionsLouismightwellhaveescaped。Hadthemoboncepouredhelter—skelterintothatlabyrinthofroomsandpassageshemightwithluckhavemingledwiththem,unheededandunrecognized,andeffectedhisescapewhentheyretreated。
Butnowthereweresentriesoneachgalleryandmoreontheroof。
Wheneveroneofthelattermovedorseemedtobelookinginward——
whereasearchparty,Iunderstood,wereatwork——indeed,ifhedidbutturnhishead,athrillranthroughthecrowdandamurmurarose,whichonceortwiceswelledtoasavageroarsuchasearlierhadmademetremble。Whenthishappenedtheimpulsecame,itseemedtome,fromthefartherendoftheline。Theretherougherelementswerecollected,andthereImorethanoncesawBezers’troopersinconflictwiththemob。Inthatquartertooasavagechantwaspresentlystruckup,thewholegatheringjoininginandyellingwithanindescribablyappallingeffect:
\"Hau!Hau!Huguenots!
FaitesplaceauxPapegots!\"
inderisionoftheoldsongsaidtobepopularamongsttheProtestants。ButintheHuguenotversionthelastwordswereofcoursetransposed。
Wehadworkedourwaybythistimetothefrontoftheline,andlookingintooneanother’seyes,mutelyaskedaquestion;butnotevenCroisettehadananswerready。Therecouldbenoanswerbutone。Whatcouldwedo?Nothing。Weweretoolate。Toolateagain!Andyethowdreadfulitwastostandstillamongthecruel,thoughtlessmobandseeourfriend,thetouchofwhosehandweknewsowell,donetodeathfortheirsport!Donetodeathastheoldwomanhadsaidlikeanyrat,notasoulsaveourselvespityinghim!Notasoultoturnsickathiscryofagony,orshudderattheglanceofhisdyingeyes。Itwasdreadfulindeed。
\"Ah,well,\"mutteredawomanbesidemetohercompanion——thereweremanywomeninthecrowd——\"itisdownwiththeHuguenots,sayI!ItisLorraineisthefineman!Butafterallyonisabonnyfellowandaproper,Margot!IsawhimleapfromrooftoroofoverLoveLane,asiftheblessedsaintshadcarriedhim。Andhimaheretic!\"
\"Itistheblackart,\"theotheranswered,crossingherself。
\"Maybeitis!Buthewillneeditalltogivethatbigmantheslipto—day,\"repliedthefirstspeakercomfortably。
\"Thatdevil!\"Margotexclaimed,pointingwithastealthygestureofhateattheVidame。Andtheninafiercewhisper,withinarticulatethreats,shetoldastoryofhim,whichmademeshudder。\"Hedid!Andsheinreligiontoo!\"sheconcluded。