Les Quarante-cinq. English

by Alexandre Dumas

  CHAPTER LXIV.

  MONSEIGNEUR.

  At this moment another man entered the hall, and came forwardrespectfully.

  "Ah! it is you, my friend," said the burgomaster.

  "Myself, monsieur," replied the man.

  "Monseigneur," said the burgomaster, "it is the man whom we sent toreconnoiter."

  At the word "monseigneur," addressed not to the Prince of Orange, thenew comer made a movement of surprise and joy, and advanced quickly tosee better who was designated by this title. He was one of those Flemishsailors, of whom the type is so recognizable, being marked, a squarehead, blue eyes, short neck, and broad shoulders; he crushed in hislarge hands his woolen cap, and as he advanced he left behind him a lineof wet, for his clothes were dripping with water.

  "Oh! here is a brave man who has swum back," said monseigneur, lookingat the man with his accustomed air of authority.

  "Yes, monseigneur, yes; and the Scheldt is broad and rapid," said thesailor, eagerly.

  "Speak, Goes, speak," said monseigneur, knowing how a sailor would prizebeing thus called by his name.

  Thus from that minute Goes addressed himself to the unknown exclusively;although, having been sent by another, it was to him that he should havegiven an account of his mission.

  "Monseigneur," said he, "I set out in my smallest bark and passed, bygiving the word, through all our ships, and reached those cursed French.Ah! pardon, monseigneur."

  The stranger smiled and said, "Never mind, I am but half French, soshould be but half cursed."

  "Then monseigneur pardons me?"

  He nodded, and Goes went on.

  "While I rowed in the dark with my oars wrapped in cloth, I heard avoice crying, 'Hola! bark, what do you want?' I thought it was to methat the question was addressed, and was about to reply something orother, when I heard some one cry behind me, 'Admiral's boat.'"

  Monseigneur looked at the council.

  "At the same moment," continued Gues, "I felt a shock; my bark wasswamped, and I fell into the water, but the waves of the Scheldt knew mefor an old acquaintance, and threw me up again. It was the admiral'sboat taking M. de Joyeuse on board, and which had passed over me; Godonly knows how I was not crushed or drowned."

  "Thanks, brave Goes, thanks," said the Prince of Orange, putting a purseinto his hand. However, the sailor seemed to wait for his dismissal fromthe stranger, who gave him a friendly nod, which he valued more than theprince's present.

  "Well," said monseigneur to the burgomaster, "what do you say of thisreport? Do you still doubt that the French are preparing, and do youbelieve that it was to pass the night on board that M. de Joyeuse wasleaving the camp for his ship?"

  "But you are a diviner, then, monseigneur," cried the bourgeois.

  "Not more than Monseigneur the Prince of Orange, who is in all things ofmy opinion, I am sure. But I, like him, was well informed, and know wellthose on the other side, so that I should have been much astonished hadthey not attacked to-night. Then be ready, gentlemen, for if you givethem time, the attack will be serious."

  "These gentlemen will do me the justice to own," said the prince, "thatbefore your arrival I held exactly the same language to them that younow do."

  "But," said the burgomaster, "why does monseigneur believe that theattack is about to commence?"

  "Here are the probabilities. The infantry is Catholic; it will fightalone; that is, on one side. The cavalry is Calvinist; they will fightalone on another side. The navy is under M. de Joyeuse, from Paris, whowill take his share of the combat and the glory. That is three sides."

  "Then let us form three corps," said the burgomaster.

  "Make only one, gentlemen, with all your best soldiers, and leave any ofwhom you may be doubtful in close fight to guard your walls. Then withthis body make a vigorous sally when Francois least expects it. Theymean to attack; let them be forestalled, and attacked themselves. If youwait for their assault you are lost, for no one equals the French at anattack, as you, gentlemen, have no equals at defending your towns."

  The Flemings looked radiant.

  "What did I say, gentlemen?" said William.

  "It is a great honor," said the unknown, "to have been, without knowingit, of the same opinion as the greatest captain of the age."

  Both bowed courteously.

  "Then," continued the unknown, "it is settled: you will make a furioussortie on the infantry and cavalry. I trust that your officers will soconduct it as to defeat your enemies."

  "But their vessels?" cried the burgomaster. "The wind is northeast, andthey will be in our city in two hours."

  "You have yourselves six old ships and thirty boats at St. Marie; thatis a mile off, is it not? That is your maritime barricade across theScheldt."

  "Yes, monseigneur, that is so. How do you know all these details?"

  Monseigneur smiled.

  "I know them, as you see; it is there that lies the fate of the battle."

  "Then," said the burgomaster, "we must send aid to our brave seamen."

  "On the contrary, you may dispose otherwise of the 400 men who arethere; twenty brave, intelligent, and devoted men will suffice." TheAntwerpians opened their eyes in surprise.

  "Will you," continued monseigneur, "destroy the French fleet at theexpense of your six old vessels and thirty boats?"

  "Hum!" said the Antwerpians, looking at each other, "our ships are notso old."

  "Well, price them," said the stranger, "and I will pay you their value."

  "See," said William softly to him, "the men against whom I have tocontend every day. Were it not for that, I should have conquered longago."

  "Come, gentlemen," continued the stranger, "name your price, but name itquickly. I will pay you in bills on yourselves, which I trust you willfind good."

  "Monseigneur," said the burgomaster, after a few minutes' deliberationwith the others, "we are merchants, and not soldiers; therefore, youmust pardon some hesitation, for our souls are not in our bodies, but inour counting-houses. However, there are circumstances in which, for thegeneral good, we know how to make sacrifices. Dispose, then, of ourships as you like."

  "Ma foi, monseigneur," said William, "you have done wonders. It wouldhave taken me six months to obtain what you have done in ten minutes."

  "This, then, is my plan, gentlemen," said monseigneur. "The French, withthe admiral's galley at their head, will try to force a passage. Makeyour line long enough, and from all your boats let the men throwgrappling-irons; and then, having made fast the enemy's ships, set fireto all your own boats, having previously filled them with combustiblematerials, and let your men escape in one reserved for the purpose."

  "Oh!" cried William, "I see the whole French fleet burning."

  "Yes, the whole; then no more retreat by sea and none by land, for atthe same time you must open the sluices of Malines, Berchem, Lier,Duffel, and Antwerp. Repulsed by you, pursued by your open dykes,enveloped on all sides by these waters unexpectedly and rapidly rising,by this sea, which will have a flow, but no ebb, the French will bedrowned--overwhelmed--destroyed."

  The officers uttered a cry of joy.

  "There is but one drawback," said the prince.

  "What is it, monseigneur?"

  "That it would take a day to send our orders to the different towns, andwe have but an hour."

  "And an hour is enough."

  "But who will instruct the fleet?"

  "It is done."

  "By whom?"

  "By me. If these gentlemen had refused to give it to me, I should havebought it."

  "But Malines, Lier, Duffel?"

  "I passed through Malines and Lier, and sent a sure agent to Duffel. Ateleven o'clock the French will be beaten; at one they will be in fullretreat; at two Malines will open its dykes, Lier and Duffel theirsluices, and the whole plain will become a furious ocean, which willdrown houses, fields, woods, and villages, it is true, but at the sametime will destroy the French so utterly, that not one will return toFrance."

 
A silence of admiration and terror followed these words; then all atonce the Flemings burst into applause. William stepped forward, and,holding out his hand, said: "Then, monseigneur, all is ready on ourside?"

  "All; and, stay--I believe on the side of the French also."

  And he pointed to an officer who was entering.

  "Gentlemen," cried the officer, "we have just heard that the French aremarching toward the city."

  "To arms!" cried the burgomaster.

  "To arms!" cried all.

  "One moment, gentlemen," cried monseigneur; "I have to give onedirection more important than all the rest."

  "Speak!" cried all.

  "The French will be surprised; it will not be a combat, nor even aretreat, but a flight. To pursue them you must be lightly armed. Nocuirasses, morbleu! It is your cuirasses, in which you cannot move,which have made you lose all the battles you have lost. No cuirasses,gentlemen. We will meet again in the combat. Meanwhile, go to the placeof the Hotel de Ville, where you will find all your men in battlearray."

  "Thanks, monseigneur," said William; "you have saved Belgium andHolland."

  "Prince, you overwhelm me."

  "Will your highness consent to draw the sword against the French?" askedthe prince.

  "I will arrange as to fight against the Huguenots," replied the unknown,with a smile which his more somber companion might have envied.