The Hero of the People: A Historical Romance of Love, Liberty and Loyalty
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CHAPTER XXVI.
GAMAIN PROVES HE IS THE MASTER.
The reader will not be much surprised, after the permission Lafayettegave for the King to have his locksmith call to relieve him of a troublein lockmaking, that Gamain should present himself at the palace with hisapprentice who gave the name of Louis Lecomte.
Though there was nothing in the pair aristocratic, King Louis ran to theforge door on hearing the announcement and bade them enter.
"Here I am," returned Gamain, with the familiarity of a crony.
Whether he was less used to royal company, or endowed by more respectfor crowned heads under whatever attire they appeared, the boy kept onthe sill, at a space from his master, with his cap in his hand near thedoor closed by the valet behind both.
He may have been better placed there to catch the gleam of glee in theKing's dull eye, and to give unseen a respectful nod.
"Glad to see you, my old Gamain," said Louis; "I really did not look foryou--I thought you had forgotten old times."
"And that is why you have taken on a 'prentice," said Gamain. "You didright enough to have help when I was not on hand, but unfortunately anapprentice is not a master."
"How could I help it? I was assured that you did not care to come nearme from fear of injuring yourself."
"Faith, it was not hard to learn at Versailles that it was not healthyto be friend of yours--as witness that brace of your Lifeguardsman whomthey cut off the heads of! ay, and by the same token had the Queen'sbarber Leonard dress them in the latest fashion, which I saw in a saloonat Secres."
A cloud passed over the royal brow and the apprentice hung his head.
"But folks say that you are getting on nicely since you came back totown, and that you can make the Parisians do anything you like; not thatit is astonishing, for the Parisians are ninnies and the Queen is such aweedler when she likes to be."
Louis made no remark, but his cheeks were colored. The young man seemedpained by the locksmith's familiarity. After wiping his forehead with ahandkerchief, rather fine for a locksmith's help, he approached the Kingto whom he said:
"Does your Majesty allow me to tell how we have Master Gamain here andhow I am in your employment?"
"Yes, my dear Louis," said the King.
"That is the style! 'My dear Louis!' as long as your arm. To afortnight's acquaintance, a workman, a 'prentice! why, what are yougoing to call me, who has known you these five and twenty years? who putthe file in your fist? who am the master? this is the advantage ofhaving white hands and a glib tongue."
"I will call you 'My good Gamain' if you like. I speak to the ladaffectionately because I owe to him the joy of seeing my old masteragain: not because he speaks prettily or keeps his hands smooth, for youknow I think nothing of these fine ways--but I like him for proving itwas false what they said about my never seeing you any more."
"Well, it was not me that held back, but that wife of mine. She wasalways saying: 'Gamain, you have bad acquaintances, those who fly toohigh for you. It is not good to hobnob with aristocrats nowadays. Wehave a little property--look after it. Let us rear our young ones: andlet the Dauphin learn locksmithing from others than you, if he wants to,like his father before him. There are plenty of smiths in France.'"
Louis glanced at the apprentice, and stifling a sigh, partly sad andpartly rallying, said:
"No doubt, but there are few like you."
"Just what I said to the master when I called on him," said the youngman, "I told him the King was making a hidden-bolt lock; and that he hadgot along very well till he came to the sliding bolt itself----"
"I should think so," interrupted Gamain: "bless you, the bolt is thebackbone of a lock. It is not given to everybody to get over thatdifficulty."
"No, nor mine in passing the examination you put me through to beconvinced I came from the King," replied the young man, laughing. "Yousaid it was a trap laid by your enemies; but the twenty-five yellow boyssent by his Majesty convinced you. So off we started, and here we are."
"And welcome," said the royal smith, thanking the speaker with a glance;"and now, Master Gamain, as you appear in a hurry, let us tackle thejob."
"You have hit it. I promised the mistress that I should be home byevening. Let us see this puzzler of a lock."
The King put in his hands a lock three-parts finished.
"Lord help us," said the man, grinning: "this is not a secret bolt but atrunk lock. You have three wards on it and the second ought to catchwhile the first is released by the key."
He was using the key as he spoke and the others contemplated hisdemonstration with awe for his learning.
"But the second ward catches, like the Assembly when you want it to dosomething your way and says: 'I won't budge.'"
"But there must be some way of getting over the fix," said the King.
"Of course; it would be a day's work to an ordinary workman but I willknock it off in a couple of hours. Only," said he, with the suspiciousair of an artisan jealous of the secrets of the craft; "I want nofussing round me."
What Gamain desired was the yearning of the King. His loneliness wouldallow him a dialogue apart with the Apprentice.
"But you may need something?"
"I will set the footman trotting."
The King went himself to the door to acquaint Francois with thearrangement, and then led away the apprentice, Louis Lecomte, in whomthe reader will have recognized Louis Bouille.
They went by a secret stairway into the royal study, where a table wascovered by a large map of France, showing the King had been studying theroute of the flight.
"Now that we are alone, count," said he, "let me compliment you on yourskill and thank you for your dedication of services to me."
"And I ask to be excused for my apparel and the language I have had touse before you."
"You speak like a brave gentleman and your apparel covers a loyal heartin any case. But we have no time to lose. Even the Queen is ignorant ofyour presence here; nobody is listening; so to the point."
"Did not your Majesty send us a naval officer, the count of Charny, whobrought a letter----"
"Insignificant," interrupted the monarch, "a mere introduction to averbal communication."
"He fulfilled it and it was to make its performance certain that myfather sent me to town to try to have an interview alone with yourMajesty. The King can have the certainty of leaving France. My father isproud and happy of the honor done him."
"Now for the principal point; what says he of the project?"
"That it is hazardous and requires great precautions but is notimpossible."
"Firstly, will not your father want the command over the adjoiningdistricts?"
"It is his advice, but he would not like it to be thought personalambition----"
"Pooh, do I not know his disinterestedness? did he explain about thebest road to take?"
"In the first place he fears one thing: that many projects of flighthave been proposed and that all these getting entangled, this one willmeet some block which will be ascribed to fatality, when it will be thespite or the rashness of the other parties."
"I promise, my dear Louis, to let the parties intrigue around me; it istheir want and a necessity of my position. While they are followingthese threads which will end in nothing but leading them astray we willfollow our own route with no other confidants, with more security fromour greater secresy. But I do not want to leave the kingdom altogether.It is hard for a sovereign to get back if he does so. I have decided onMontmedy as the place of retirement, which is in the centre of yourfather's command and at a suitable distance."
"Has your Majesty planned out the flight or is this but a sketch?"queried the count.
"Nothing is settled," replied Louis, "and all depends on circumstances.If I see the Queen and the Family running fresh dangers from theruffians I will take an irrevocable decision."
"My father thinks the dangers of the journey will be diminished bydividing the passengers."
"Yes, bu
t it is useless to discuss this point. In a solemn hour theQueen and I resolved to go together or not at all."
The envoy bowed.
"At the meet moment the King has but to issue the orders to have themexecuted," he said. "Now, for the route. There are three ways toMontmedy."
"I have marked them on the map. The best is through Reims, but I wasconsecrated there and would be recognized by many. I choose the ChalonsRoad _via_ Vacennes and going round Verdun. Let the regiments be postedin the petty towns between Chalons and Montmedy: I see no inconveniencein the first detachment awaiting me in the former place."
"Sire, the location of the regiments will have to be settled. By theway, the King should know that there is no posting-house at Varennes."
"I am glad you are so well informed," observed the King, merrily; "itshows you have deeply studied the plans. But do not worry about suchmatters. Charny is my engineer, who has drawn up the maps and he willsee to the supply of horses."
"And now, Sire, that all is arranged on the main lines," said the youngconspirator, "will your Majesty allow me to quote some lines from anItalian author, which my father thought appropriate to the situation?They are:
"Delay is always prejudicial, and there is no wholly favorable time inany business; hence if one were to wait for a perfect chance, nothingwould ever be done, or if done be bungled."
"That is Machiavelli," said the King. "I will remember the advice ofthat secretary to the Magnificent Republic of Venice. But hush! I hearsteps--it is Gamain; let us go to meet him so that he may not think wewere busy about something else than the cupboard the lock is for."
He opened the secret door, in time, for the master locksmith was there,with the lock in his hand and a grin on his face.