CHAPTER XXV. TERMS OF SURRENDER.
I still had my hand on the trap when a touch on the shoulder caused meto turn, and in a moment apprised me of the imminence of a new peril; aperil of such a kind that, summoning all my resolution, I could scarcelyhope to cope with it. Henry was at my elbow. He had taken of his mask,and a single glance at his countenance warned me that that had happenedof which I had already felt some fear. The glitter of intense excitementshone in his eyes. His face, darkly-flushed and wet with sweat, betrayedovermastering emotion, while his teeth, tight clenched in the effort torestrain the fit of trembling which possessed him, showed between hislips like those of a corpse. The novelty of the danger which menacedhim, the absence of his gentlemen, and of all the familiar faces andsurroundings without which he never moved, the hour, the mean house,and his isolation among strangers, had proved too much for nerves longweakened by his course of living, and for a courage, proved indeed inthe field, but unequal to a sudden stress. Though he still strove topreserve his dignity, it was alarmingly plain to my eyes that he was onthe point of losing, if he had not already lost, all self-command.
'Open!' he muttered between his teeth, pointing impatiently to the trapwith the hand with which he had already touched me. 'Open, I say, sir!'
I stared at him, startled and confounded. 'But your Majesty,' I venturedto stammer, 'forgets that I have not yet--'
'Open, I say!' he repeated passionately. 'Do you hear me, sir? I desirethat this door be opened.' His lean hand shook as with the palsy, sothat the gems on it twinkled in the light and rattled as he spoke.
I looked helplessly from him to the women and back again, seeing ina flash all the dangers which might follow from the discovery of hispresence there--dangers which I had not before formulated to myself, butwhich seemed in a moment to range themselves with the utmost clearnessbefore my eyes. At the same time I saw what seemed to me to be a way ofescape; and emboldened by the one and the other, I kept my hand on thetrap and strove to parley with him.
'Nay, but, sire,' I said hurriedly, yet still with as much deferenceas I could command, 'I beg you to permit me first to repeat what I haveseen. M. de Bruhl is without, and I counted six men whom I believe to behis following. They are ruffians ripe for any crime; and I implore yourMajesty rather to submit to a short imprisonment--'
I paused struck dumb on that word, confounded by the passion whichlightened in the king's face. My ill-chosen expression had indeedapplied the spark to his wrath. Predisposed to suspicion by a hundredtreacheries, he forgot the perils outside in the one idea which on theinstant possessed his mind; that I would confine his person, and hadbrought him hither for no other purpose. He glared round him with eyesfull of rage and fear, and his trembling lips breathed rather than spokethe word 'Imprison?'
Unluckily, a trifling occurrence added at this moment to his disorder,and converted it into frenzy. Someone outside fell heavily against thedoor; this, causing madame to utter a low shriek, seemed to shatter thelast remnant of the king's self-control. Stamping his foot on the floor,he cried to me with the utmost wildness to open the door--by which I hadhitherto kept my place.
But, wrongly or rightly, I was still determined to put off opening it;and I raised my hands with the intention of making a last appeal tohim. He misread the gesture, and retreating a step, with the greatestsuddenness whipped out his sword, and in a moment had the point at mybreast, and his wrist drawn back to thrust.
It has always been my belief that he would not have dealt the blow,but that the mere touch of the hilt, awaking the courage which heundoubtedly possessed, and which did not desert him in his last moments,would have recalled him to himself. But the opportunity was notgiven him, for while the blade yet quivered, and I stood motionless,controlling myself by an effort, my knee half bent and my eyes on his,Mademoiselle de la Vire sprang forward at his back, and with a loudscream clutched his elbow. The king, surprised, and ignorant who heldhim, flung up his point wildly, and striking the lamp above his headwith his blade, shattered it in an instant, bringing down the potterywith a crash and reducing the room to darkness; while the screams ofthe women, and the knowledge that we had a madman among us, peopled, theblackness with a hundred horrors.
Fearing above all for mademoiselle, I made my way as soon as I couldrecover my wits to the embers of the fire, and regardless of the king'ssword, which I had a vague idea was darting about in the darkness, Isearched for and found a half-burnt stick, which I blew into a blaze.With this, still keeping my back to the room, I contrived to light ataper that I had noticed standing by the hearth; and then, and thenonly, I turned to see what I had to confront.
Mademoiselle de la Vire stood in a corner, half-fierce, half-terrified,and wholly flushed. She had her hand wrapped up in a 'kerchief alreadystained with blood; and from this I gathered that the king in his frenzyhad wounded her slightly. Standing before her mistress, with her hairbristling, like a wild-cat's fur, and her arms akimbo, was Fanchette,her harsh face and square form instinct with fury and defiance. Madamede Bruhl and Simon cowered against the wall not far from them; and in achair, into which he had apparently just thrown himself, sat the king,huddled up and collapsed, the point of his sword trailing on the groundbeside him, and his nerveless hand scarce retaining force to grip thepommel.
In a moment I made up my mind what to do, and going to him in silence, Ilaid my pistols, sword, and dagger on a stool by his side. Then I knelt.
'The door, sire,' I said, 'is there. It is for your Majesty to open itwhen you please. Here, too, sire, are my weapons. I am your prisoner,the Provost-Marshal is outside, and you can at a word deliver me to him.Only one thing I beg, sire,' I continued earnestly, 'that your Majestywill treat as a delusion the idea that I meditated for a momentdisrespect or violence to your person.'
He looked at me dully, his face pale, his eyes fish-like. 'Sanctus,man!' he muttered, 'why did you raise your hand?'
'Only to implore your Majesty to pause a moment,' I answered, watchingthe intelligence return slowly to his face. 'If you will deign to listenI can explain in half a dozen words, sire. M. de Bruhl's men are sixor seven, the Provost has eight or nine; but the former are the wilderblades, and if M. de Bruhl find your Majesty in my lodging, and inferhis own defeat, he will be capable of any desperate stroke. Your personwould hardly be safe in his company through the streets. And there isanother consideration,' I went on, observing with joy that the kinglistened, and was gradually regaining his composure. 'That is, thesecrecy you desired to preserve, sire, until this matter should bewell advanced. M. de Rosny laid the strictest injunctions on me in thatrespect, fearing an EMEUTE in Blois should your Majesty's plans becomeknown.'
'You speak fairly,' the king answered with returning energy, though heavoided looking at the women. 'Bruhl is likely enough to raise one. Buthow am I to get out, sir?' he continued, querulously. 'I cannot remainhere. I shall be missed, man! I am not a hedge-captain, neither soughtnor wanted!'
'If your Majesty would trust me?' I said slowly and with hesitation.
'Trust you!' he retorted peevishly, holding up his hands and gazingintently at his nails, of the shape and whiteness of which he wasprouder than any woman. 'Have I not trusted you? If I had not trustedyou, should I have been here? But that you were a Huguenot--God forgiveme for saying it!--I would have seen you in hell before I would havecome here with you!'
I confess to having heard this testimony to the Religion with a pridewhich made me forget for a moment the immediate circumstances--the perilin which we stood, the gloomy room darkly lighted by a single candle,the scared faces in the background, even the king's huddled figure, inwhich dejection and pride struggled for expression. For a moment only;then I hastened to reply, saying that I doubted not I could stillextricate his Majesty without discovery.
'In Heaven's name do it, then!' he answered sharply. 'Do what you like,man! Only get me back into the castle, and it shall not be a Huguenotwill entice me out again. I am over old for these adventures!'
A fre
sh attack on the door taking place as he said this induced me tolose no time in explaining my plan, which he was good enough to approve,after again upbraiding me for bringing him into such a dilemma. Fearinglest the door should give way prematurely, notwithstanding the barsI had provided for it, and goaded on by Madame de Bruhl's face, whichevinced the utmost terror, I took the candle and attended his Majestyinto the inner room; where I placed my pistols beside him, but silentlyresumed my sword and dagger. I then returned for the women, andindicating by signs that they were to enter, held the door open forthem.
Mademoiselle, whose bandaged hand I could not regard without emotion,though the king's presence and the respect I owed him forbade me toutter so much as a word, advanced readily until she reached the doorwayabreast of me. There, however, looking back, and seeing Madame de Bruhlfollowing her, she stopped short, and darting a haughty glance at me,muttered, 'And--that lady? Are we to be shut up together, sir?'
'Mademoiselle,' I answered quickly in the low tone she had used herself,'have I ever asked anything dishonourable of you?'
She seemed by a slight movement of the head to answer in the negative.
'Nor do I now,' I replied with earnestness. 'I entrust to your care alady who has risked great peril for US; and the rest I leave to you.'
She looked me very keenly in the face for a second, and then, withoutanswering, she passed on, Madame and Fanchette following her in thatorder. I closed the door and turned to Simon; who by my direction hadblown the embers of the fire into a blaze so as to partially illuminethe room, in which only he and I now remained. The lad seemed afraid tomeet my eye, and owing to the scene at which he had just assisted, or tothe onslaught on the door, which grew each moment more furious, betrayedgreater restlessness than I had lately observed in him. I did not doubthis fidelity, however, or his devotion to mademoiselle; and the orders Ihad to give him were simple enough.
'This is what you have got to do,' I said, my hand already on the bars.'The moment I am outside secure this door. After that, open to no oneexcept Maignan. When he applies, let him in with caution, and bid him,as he loves M. de Rosny, take his men as soon as the coast is clear, andguard the King of France to the castle. Charge him to be brave and wary,for his life will answer for the king's.'
Twice I repeated this; then fearing lest the Provost-Marshal should makegood his word and apply a ram to the door, I opened the trap. A dozenangry voices hailed my appearance, and this with so much violence andimpatience that it was some time before I could get a hearing; theknaves threatening me if I would not instantly open, and persisting thatI should do so without more words. Their leader at length quieted them,but it was plain that his patience too was worn out. 'Do you surrenderor do you not?' he said. 'I am not going to stay out of my bed all nightfor you!'
'I warn you,' I answered, 'that the order you have there has beencancelled by the king!'
'That is not my business,' he rejoined hardily.
'No, but it will be when the king sends for you to-morrow morning,' Iretorted; at which he looked somewhat moved. 'However, I will surrenderto you on two conditions,' I continued, keenly observing the coarsefaces of his following. 'First, that you let me keep my arms until wereach the gate-house, I giving you my parole to come with you quietly.That is number one.'
'Well,' the Provost-Marshal said more civilly, 'I have no objection tothat.'
'Secondly, that you do not allow your men to break into my lodgings. Iwill come out quietly, and so an end. Your order does not direct you tosack my goods.'
'Tut, tut!' he replied; 'I want, you to come out. I do not want to goin.'
'Then draw your men back to the stairs,' I said. 'And if you keep termswith me, I will uphold you to-morrow, For your orders will certainlybring you into trouble. M. de Retz, who procured it this morning, isaway, you know. M. de Villequier may be gone to-morrow. But depend uponit, M. de Rambouillet will be here!'
The remark was well timed and to the point. It startled the man as muchas I had hoped it would. Without raising any objection he ordered hismen to fall back and guard the stairs; and I on my side began to undothe fastenings of the door.
The matter was not to be so easily concluded, however; for Bruhl'srascals, in obedience, no doubt, to a sign given by their leader, whostood with Fresnoy on the upper flight of stairs, refused to withdraw;and even hustled the Provost-Marshal's men when the latter would haveobeyed the order. The officer, already heated by delay, replied bylaying about him with his staff, and in a twinkling there seemed tobe every prospect of a very pretty MELEE, the end of which it wasimpossible to foresee.
Reflecting, however, that if Bruhl's men routed their opponents ourposition might be made worse rather than better, I did not act on myfirst impulse, which was to see the matter out where I was. Instead, Iseized the opportunity to let myself out, while Simon fastened the doorbehind me. The Provost-Marshal was engaged at the moment in a wordydispute with Fresnoy; whose villainous countenance, scarred by the woundwhich I had given him at Chize, and flushed with passion, looked itsworst by the light of the single torch which remained. In one respectthe villain had profited by his present patronage, for he was decked outin a style of tawdry magnificence. But I have always remarked thisabout dress, that while a shabby exterior does not entirely obscure agentleman, the extreme of fashion is powerless to gild a knave.
Seeing me on a sudden at the Provost's elbow, he recoiled with a changeof countenance so ludicrous that that officer was himself startled, andonly held his ground on my saluting him civilly and declaring myselfhis prisoner I added a warning that he should look to the torch whichremained; seeing that if it failed we were both like to have our throatscut in the confusion.
He took the hint promptly, and calling the link-man to his side preparedto descend, bidding Fresnoy and his men, who remained clumped at thehead of the stairs, make way for us without ado. They seemed muchinclined, however, to dispute our passage, and replying to hisinvectives with rough taunts, displayed so hostile a demeanour that theProvost, between regard for his own importance and respect for Bruhl,appeared for a moment at a loss what to do; and seemed rather relievedthan annoyed when I begged leave to say a word to M. de Bruhl.
'If you can bring his men to reason,' he replied testily, 'speak yourfill to him!'
Stepping to the foot of the upper flight, on which Bruhl retained hisposition, I saluted him formally. He returned my greeting with asurly, watchful look only, and drawing his cloak more tightly round himaffected to gaze down at me with disdain; which ill concealed, however,both the triumph he felt and the hopes of vengeance he entertained. Iwas especially anxious to learn whether he had tracked his wife hither,or was merely here in pursuance of his general schemes against me, andto this end. I asked him with as much irony as I could compass to whatI was to attribute his presence. 'I am afraid I cannot stay to offer youhospitality,' I continued; 'but for that you have only your friend M.Villequier to thank!'
'I am greatly obliged to you,' he answered with a devilish smile, 'butdo not let that affect you. When you are gone I propose to help myself,my friend, to whatever takes my taste.'
'Do you?' I retorted coolly--not that I was unaffected by the threat andthe villainous hint which underlay the words, but that, fully expectingthem, I was ready with my answer. 'We will see about that.' Andtherewith I raised my fingers to my lips, and, whistling shrilly, cried'Maignan! Maignan!' in a clear voice.
I had no need to cry the name a third time, for before theProvost-Marshal could do more than start at this unexpected action,the landing above us rang under a heavy tread, and the man I called,descending the stairs swiftly, appeared on a sudden within arm's lengthof M. de Bruhl; who, turning with an oath, saw him, and involuntarilyrecoiled. At all times Maignan's hardy and confident bearing was of akind to impress the strong; but on this occasion there was an added dashof recklessness in his manner which was not without its effect on thespectators. As he stood there smiling darkly over Bruhl's head, whilehis hand toyed carelessly with his dagger
, and the torch shone ruddilyon his burly figure, he was so clearly an antagonist in a thousandthat, had I sought through Blois, I might not have found his fellowfor strength and SANG-FROID. He let his black eyes rove from one to theother, but took heed of me only, saluting me with effusion and a touchof the Gascon which was in place here, if ever.
I knew how M. de Rosny dealt with him, and followed the pattern asfar as I could. 'Maignan!' I said curtly, 'I have taken a lodging forto-night elsewhere. Then I am gone you will call out your men and watchthis door. If anyone tries to force an entrance you will do your duty.'
'You may consider it done,' he replied.
'Even if the person be M. de Bruhl here,' I continued.
'Precisely.'
'You will remain on guard,' I went on, 'until to-morrow morning if M.de Bruhl remains here; but whenever he leaves you will take your ordersfrom the persons inside, and follow them implicitly.'
'Your Excellency's mind may be easy,' he answered, handling his dagger.
Dismissing him with a nod, I turned with a smile to M. de Bruhl, and sawthat between rage at this unexpected check and chagrin at the insultput upon him, his discomfiture was as complete as I could wish. As forFresnoy, if he had seriously intended to dispute our passage, he wasno longer in the mood for the attempt. Yet I did not let his masteroff without one more prick. 'That being settled, M. de Bruhl,' I saidpleasantly, 'I may bid you good evening. You will doubtless honour me atChaverny tomorrow. But we will first let Maignan look under the bridge!'
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