CHAPTER VIII.
THE QUESTION.
"Sweep the room, Monsieur? And remove this medley? But, M. leCapitaine--"
"The captain is at the village," I replied sternly. "And do you move!move, man, and the thing will be done while you are talking about it.Set the door into the garden open--so!"
"Certainly, it is a fine morning. And the tobacco of M. leLieutenant--But M. le Capitaine did not--"
"Give orders? Well, I give them!" I answered. "First of all, removethese beds. And bustle, man, bustle, or I will find something toquicken you."
In a moment-- "And M. le Capitaine's riding-boots?"
"Place them in the passage," I replied.
"_Ohe!_ In the passage?" He paused, looking at them in doubt.
"Yes, booby; in the passage."
"And the cloaks, Monsieur?"
"There is a bush handy outside the window. Let them air."
"_Ohe_, the bush? Well, to be sure they are damp. But--yes, yes,Monsieur, it is done. And the holsters?"
"There also!" I said harshly. "Throw them out. Faugh! The place reeksof leather. Now, a clean hearth. And set the table before the opendoor, so that we may see the garden. So. And tell the cook that weshall dine at eleven, and that Madame and Mademoiselle will descend."
"_Ohe!_ But M. le Capitaine ordered the dinner for half past eleven?"
"It must be advanced, then; and, mark you, my friend, if it is notready when Madame comes down, you will suffer, and the cook too."
When he was gone on his errand, I looked round. What else was lacking?The sun shone cheerily on the polished floor; the air, freshened bythe rain which had fallen in the night, entered freely through theopen doorway. A few bees lingering with the summer hummed outside. Thefire crackled bravely; an old hound, blind and past work, lay warmingits hide on the hearth. I could think of nothing more, and I stood andwatched the man set out the table and spread the cloth. "For how many,Monsieur?" he asked, in a scared tone.
"For five," I answered; and I could not help smiling at myself. Whatwould Zaton's say could it see Berault turned housewife? There wasa white glazed cup--an old-fashioned piece of the second Henry'stime--standing on a shelf. I took it down and put some late flowers init, and set it in the middle of the table, and stood off myself tolook at it. But a moment later, thinking I heard them coming, Ihurried it away in a kind of panic, feeling on a sudden ashamed of thething. The alarm proved to be false, however; and then again, takinganother turn, I set the piece back. I had done nothing so foolishfor--for more years than I liked to count.
But when Madame and Mademoiselle came, they had eyes neither for theflowers nor the room. They had heard that the captain was out beatingthe village and the woods for the fugitive, and where I had looked fora comedy I found a tragedy. Madame's face was so red with weeping thatall her beauty was gone. She started and shook at the slightest sound,and, unable to find any words to answer my greeting, could only sinkinto a chair and sit crying silently.
Mademoiselle was in a mood scarcely more cheerful. She did not weep,but her manner was hard and fierce. She spoke absently and answeredfretfully. Her eyes glittered, and she had the air of straining herears continually to catch some dreaded sound. "There is no news,Monsieur?" she said, as she took her seat. And she shot a swift lookat me.
"None, Mademoiselle."
"They are searching the village?"
"I believe so."
"Where is Clon?" This in a lower voice, and with a kind of shrinkingin her face.
I shook my head. "I believe they have him confined somewhere. AndLouis, too," I said, "But I have not seen either of them."
"And where are--? I thought these people would be here," she muttered.And she glanced askance at the two vacant places. The servant hadbrought in the meal.
"They will be here presently," I said coolly. "Let us make the most ofthe time. A little wine and food will do Madame good."
She smiled rather sadly. "I think we have changed places," she said;"and that you have turned host, and we guests."
"Let it be so," I said cheerfully. "I recommend some of this ragout.Come, Mademoiselle; fasting can aid no one. A full meal has saved manya man's life."
It was clumsily said perhaps, for she shuddered and looked at me witha ghastly smile. But she persuaded her sister to taste something; andshe took something on her own plate and raised her fork to her lips.But in a moment she laid it down again. "I cannot," she murmured. "Icannot swallow. Oh, my God, at this moment they may be taking him!"
I thought that she was about to burst into a passion of tears, and Irepented that I had induced her to descend. But her self-control wasnot yet exhausted. By an effort painful to see, she recovered hercomposure. She took up her fork, and ate a few mouthfuls. Then shelooked at me with a fierce under-look. "I want to see Clon," shewhispered feverishly. The man who waited on us had left the room.
"He knows?" I said.
She nodded, her beautiful face strangely disfigured. Her closed teethshowed between her lips. Two red spots burned in her white cheeks, andshe breathed quickly. I felt, as I looked at her, a sudden pain at myheart; and a shuddering fear, such as a man awaking to find himselffalling over a precipice, might feel. How these women loved the man!
For a moment I could not speak. When I found my voice it sounded dryand husky. "He is a safe confidant," I muttered. "He can neither speaknor write, Mademoiselle."
"No, but--" and then her face became fixed. "They are coming," shewhispered. "Hush!" She rose stiffly, and stood supporting herself bythe table. "Have they--have they--found him?" she muttered. The womanby her side wept on, unconscious what was impending.
I heard the captain stumble far down the passage, and swear loudly;and I touched Mademoiselle's hand. "They have not!" I whispered. "Allis well, Mademoiselle. Pray, pray calm yourself. Sit down, and meetthem as if nothing were the matter. And your sister! Madame, Madame,"I cried, almost harshly, "compose yourself. Remember that you have apart to play."
My appeal did something. Madame stifled her sobs. Mademoiselle drew adeep breath and sat down; and though she was still pale and stilltrembled, the worst was past.
And just in time. The door flew open with a crash. The captainstumbled into the room, swearing afresh. "_Sacre nom du Diable!_" hecried, his face crimson with rage. "What fool placed these thingshere? My boots? My--"
His jaw fell. He stopped on the word, stricken silent by the newaspect of the room, by the sight of the little party at the table, byall the changes I had worked. "_Saint Siege!_" I he muttered. "What isthis?" The lieutenant's grizzled face peering over his shouldercompleted the picture.
"You are rather late, M. le Capitaine," I said cheerfully. "Madame'shour is eleven. But come, here are your seats waiting for you."
"_Mille tonnerres!_" he muttered, advancing into the room, and glaringat us.
"I am afraid the ragout is cold," I continued, peering into the dishand affecting to see nothing. "The soup, however, has been kept hot bythe fire. But I think you do not see Madame."
He opened his mouth to swear, but for the moment thought better of it."Who--who put my boots in the passage?" he asked, his voice thick withrage. He did not bow to the ladies, or take any notice of theirpresence.
"One of the men, I suppose," I said indifferently. "Is anythingmissing?"
He glared at me. Then his cloak, spread outside, caught his eye. Hestrode through the door, saw his holsters lying on the grass, andother things strewn about. He came back. "Whose monkey game is this?"he snarled, and his face was very ugly. "Who is at the bottom of this?Speak, Sir, or I--"
"Tut-tut! the ladies!" I said. "You forget yourself, Monsieur."
"Forget myself?" he hissed, and this time he did not check his oath."Don't talk to me of the ladies! Madame? Bah! Do you think, fool, thatwe are put into rebels' houses to bow and smile and take dancinglessons?"
"In this case a lesson in politeness were more to the point,Monsieur," I sai
d sternly. And I rose.
"Was it by your orders that this was done?" he retorted, his browblack with passion. "Answer, will you?"
"It was!" I replied outright.
"Then take that!" he cried, dashing his hat violently in my face. "Andcome outside."
"With pleasure, Monsieur," I answered, bowing. "In one moment. Permitme to find my sword. I think it is in the passage."
I went thither to get it. When I returned I found that the two menwere waiting for me in the garden, while the ladies had risen from thetable and were standing near it with blanched faces. "You had bettertake your sister upstairs, Mademoiselle," I said gently, pausing amoment beside them. "Have no fear. All will be well."
"But what is it?" she answered, looking troubled. "It was so sudden. Iam--I did not understand. You quarrelled so quickly."
"It is very simple," I answered, smiling. "M. le Capitaine insultedyou yesterday; he will pay for it to-day. That is all. Or, not quiteall," I continued, dropping my voice and speaking in a different tone."His removal may help you, Mademoiselle. Do you understand? I thinkthat there will be no more searching to-day."
She uttered an exclamation, grasping my arm and peering into my face."You will kill him?" she muttered.
I nodded. "Why not?" I said.
She caught her breath and stood with one hand clasped to her bosom,gazing at me with parted lips, the blood mounting to her cheeks.Gradually the flush melted into a fierce smile. "Yes, yes, why not?"she repeated, between her teeth. "Why not?" She had her hand on myarm, and I felt her fingers tighten until I could have winced. "Whynot? So you planned this--for us, Monsieur?"
I nodded.
"But can you?"
"Safely," I said; then, muttering to her to take her sister upstairs,I turned towards the garden. My foot was already on the threshold, andI was composing my face to meet the enemy, when I heard a movementbehind me. The next moment her hand was on my arm. "Wait! Wait amoment! Come back!" she panted. I turned. The smile and flush hadvanished; her face was pale. "No!" she said abruptly. "I was wrong! Iwill not have it. I will have no part in it! You planned it lastnight, M. de Barthe. It is murder."
"Mademoiselle!" I exclaimed, wondering. "Murder? Why? It is a duel."
"It is murder," she answered persistently. "You planned it last night.You said so."
"But I risk my own life," I replied sharply.
"Nevertheless--I will have no part in it," she answered more faintly."It will bring no good." She was trembling with agitation. Her eyesavoided mine.
"On my shoulders be it then!" I replied stoutly. "It is too late,Mademoiselle, to go back. They are waiting for me. Only, before I go,let me beg of you to retire."
And I turned from her, and went out, wondering and thinking. First,that women were strange things. Secondly--_murder?_ Merely because Ihad planned the duel and provoked the quarrel! Never had I heardanything so preposterous. Grant it, and dub every man who kept hishonour with his hands a Cain--and a good many branded faces would beseen in some streets. I laughed at the fancy, as I strode down thegarden walk.
And yet, perhaps, I was going to do a foolish thing. The lieutenantwould still be here: a hard, bitter man, of stiffer stuff than hiscaptain. And the troopers. What if, when I had killed their leader,they made the place too hot for me, Monseigneur's commissionnotwithstanding? I should look silly, indeed, if on the eve of successI were driven from the place by a parcel of jack-boots.
I liked the thought so little that I hesitated Yet it seemed too lateto retreat. The captain and the lieutenant were waiting in a littleopen space fifty yards from the house, where a narrower path crossedthe broad walk, down which I had first seen Mademoiselle and hersister pacing. The captain had removed his doublet, and stood in hisshirt leaning against the sundial, his head bare and his sinewy throatuncovered. He had drawn his rapier and stood pricking the groundimpatiently. I marked his strong and nervous frame and his sanguineair: and twenty years earlier the sight might have damped me. But nothought of the kind entered my head now, and though I felt with eachmoment greater reluctance to engage, doubt of the issue had no placein my calculations.
I made ready slowly, and would gladly, to gain time, have found somefault with the place. But the sun was sufficiently high to give noadvantage to either. The ground was good, the spot well chosen. Icould find no excuse to put off the man, and I was about to salute himand fall to work, when a thought crossed my mind.
"One moment!" I said. "Supposing I kill you, M. le Capitaine, whatbecomes of your errand here?"
"Don't trouble yourself," he answered, with a sneer--he had misread myslowness and hesitation. "It will not happen, Monsieur. And in anycase the thought need not harass you. I have a lieutenant."
"Yes, but what of my mission?" I replied bluntly. "I have nolieutenant."
"You should have thought of that before you interfered with my boots,"he retorted, with contempt.
"True," I said, overlooking his manner. "But better late than never. Iam not sure, now I think of it, that my duty to Monseigneur will letme fight."
"You will swallow the blow?" he cried, spitting on the groundoffensively. "_Diable!_" And the lieutenant, standing on one side withhis hands behind him and his shoulders squared, laughed grimly.
"I have not made up my mind," I answered irresolutely.
"Well, _nom de Dieu!_ make it up," the captain replied, with an uglysneer. He took a swaggering step this way and that, playing hisweapon. "I am afraid, Lieutenant, there will be no sport to-day," hecontinued, in a loud aside. "Our cock has but a chicken heart."
"Well!" I said coolly, "I do not know what to do. Certainly it is afine day, and a fair piece of ground. And the sun stands well. But Ihave not much to gain by killing you, M. le Capitaine, and it mightget me into an awkward fix. On the other hand, it would not hurt me tolet you go."
"Indeed?" he said contemptuously, looking at me as I should look at alacquey.
"No!" I replied. "For if you were to say that you had struck Gil deBerault, and left the ground with a whole skin, no one would believeyou."
"Gil de Berault!" he exclaimed, frowning.
"Yes, Monsieur," I replied suavely. "At your service. You did not knowmy name?"
"I thought your name was De Barthe," he said. His voice soundedqueerly; and he waited for the answer with parted lips, and a shadowin his eyes which I had seen in men's eyes before.
"No," I said. "That was my mother's name, I took it for this occasiononly."
His florid cheek lost a shade of its colour, and he bit his lips as heglanced at the lieutenant, trouble in his eyes. I had seen these signsbefore, and knew them, and I might have cried "Chicken-heart!" in myturn; but I had not made a way of escape for him--before I declaredmyself--for nothing, and I held to my purpose. "I think you will allownow," I said grimly, "that it will not harm me even if I put up with ablow!"
"M. de Berault's courage is known," he muttered.
"And with reason," I said. "That being so, suppose we say this daythree months, M. le Capitaine? The postponement to be for myconvenience."
He caught the lieutenant's eye, and looked down sullenly, the conflictin his mind as plain as daylight. He had only to insist, and I mustfight; and if by luck or skill he could master me, his fame as aduellist would run, like a ripple over water, through every garrisontown in France and make him a name even in Paris. On the other sidewere the imminent peril of death, the gleam of cold steel already infancy at his breast, the loss of life and sunshine, and thepossibility of a retreat with honour, if without glory. I read hisface, and knew before he spoke what he would do.
"It appears to me that the burden is with you," he said huskily; "butfor my part, I am satisfied."
"Very well," I said, "I take the burden. Permit me to apologize forhaving caused you to strip unnecessarily. Fortunately the sun isshining."
"Yes," he said gloomily. And he took his clothes from the sundial, andbegan to put them on. He had expressed himself satisfied; but I knewthat he was feeling very ill-s
atisfied with himself, and I was notsurprised when he presently said abruptly and almost rudely, "There isone thing I think we must settle here."
"What is that?" I asked.
"Our positions," he blurted out. "Or we shall cross one another againwithin the hour."
"Umph! I am not quite sure that I understand," I said.
"That is precisely what I don't do--understand!" he retorted, in atone of surly triumph. "Before I came on this duty, I was told thatthere was a gentleman here, bearing sealed orders from the Cardinal toarrest M. de Cocheforet; and I was instructed to avoid collision withhim so far as might be possible. At first I took you for thegentleman. But the plague take me if I understand the matter now."
"Why not?" I said coldly.
"Because--well, the matter is in a nutshell!" he answered impetuously."Are you here on behalf of Madame de Cocheforet to shield her husband?Or are you here to arrest him? That is what I don't understand, M. deBerault."
"If you mean, am I the Cardinal's agent--I am!" I answered sternly.
"To arrest M. de Cocheforet?"
"To arrest M. de Cocheforet."
"Well--you surprise me," he said.
Only that; but he spoke so drily that I felt the blood rush to myface. "Take care, Monsieur," I said severely. "Do not presume too faron the inconvenience to which your death might put me."
He shrugged his shoulders. "No offence!" he said. "But you do notseem, M. de Berault, to comprehend the difficulty. If we do not settlethings now, we shall be bickering twenty times a day!"
"Well, what do you want?" I asked impatiently.
"Simply to know how you are going to proceed. So that our plans maynot clash."
"But surely, M. le Capitaine, that is my affair!" I replied.
"The clashing?" he answered bitterly. Then he waved aside my wrath."Pardon," he said, "the point is simply this: How do you propose tofind him if he is here?"
"That again is my affair," I answered.
He threw up his hands in despair; but in a moment his place was takenby an unexpected disputant. The lieutenant, who had stood by all thetime, listening and tugging at his grey moustache, suddenly spoke."Look here, M. de Berault," he said, confronting me roughly, "I do notfight duels. I am from the ranks. I proved my courage at Montauban in'21, and my honour is good enough to take care of itself. So I saywhat I like, and I ask you plainly what M. le Capitaine doubtless hasin his mind but does not ask: Are you running with the hare andhunting with the hounds in this matter? In other words, have youthrown up Monseigneur's commission in all but name and become Madame'sally; or--it is the only other alternative--are you getting at the manthrough the women?"
"You villain!" I cried, glaring at him in such a rage and fury I couldscarcely get the words out. This was plain speaking with a vengeance!"How dare you! How dare you say that I am false to the hand that paysme?"
I thought he would blench, but he did not. He stood up stiff as apoker. "I do not say; I ask!" he replied, facing me squarely, andslapping his fist into his open hand to drive home his words thebetter. "I ask you whether you are playing the traitor to theCardinal? Or to these two women? It is a simple question."
I fairly choked. "You impudent scoundrel," I said.
"Steady, steady!" he replied. "Pitch sticks where it belongs. But thatis enough. I see which it is, M. le Capitaine; this way a moment, byyour leave."
And in a very cavalier way he took his officer by the arm, and drewhim into a side-walk, leaving me to stand in the sun, bursting withanger and spleen. The gutter-bred rascal! That such a man shouldinsult me, and with impunity! In Paris I might have made him fight,but here it was impossible. I was still foaming with rage when theyreturned.
"We have come to a determination," the lieutenant said, tugging hisgrey mustachios and standing like a ramrod. "We shall leave you thehouse and Madame, and you can take your line to find the man. Forourselves, we shall draw off our men to the village, and we shall takeour line. That is all, M. le Capitaine, is it not?"
"I think so," the captain muttered, looking anywhere but at me.
"Then we bid you good-day, Monsieur," the lieutenant added. And in amoment he turned his companion round, and the two retired up the walkto the house, leaving me to look after them in a black fit of rage andincredulity. At the first flush there was something so offensive inthe manner of their going that anger had the upper hand. I thought ofthe lieutenant's words, and I cursed him to hell with a sickeningconsciousness that I should not forget them in a hurry: "Was I playingthe traitor to the Cardinal or to these women--which?" _Mon Dieu!_ ifever question--but there! some day I would punish him. And thecaptain? I could put an end to his amusement, at any rate; and Iwould. Doubtless among the country bucks of Auch he lorded it as achief provincial bully, but I would cut his comb for him some finemorning behind the barracks.
And then, as I grew cooler I began to wonder why they were going, andwhat they were going to do. They might be already on the track, orhave the information they required under hand; in that case I couldunderstand the movement. But if they were still searching vaguely,uncertain whether their quarry were in the neighbourhood or not, anduncertain how long they might have to stay, it seemed incredible thatsoldiers should move from good quarters to bad without motive.
I wandered down the garden thinking sullenly of this, and pettishlycutting off the heads of the flowers with my sheathed sword. Afterall, if they found and arrested the man, what then? I should have tomake my peace with the Cardinal as I best might. He would have gainedhis point, but not through me, and I should have to look to myself. Onthe other hand, if I anticipated them--and, as a fact, I felt that Icould lay my hand on the fugitive within a few hours--there would comea time when I must face Mademoiselle.
A little while back that had not seemed so difficult a thing. From theday of our first meeting--and in a higher degree since that afternoonwhen she had lashed me with her scorn--my views of her, and myfeelings towards her, had been strangely made up of antagonism andsympathy; of repulsion, because in her past and present she was sodifferent from me; of yearning, because she was a woman andfriendless. Then I had duped her and bought her confidence byreturning the jewels, and in a measure I had sated my vengeance; andthen, as a consequence, sympathy had again begun to get the better,until now I hardly knew my own mind or what I intended. _I did notknow_, in fact, what I intended. I stood there in the garden with thatconviction suddenly new-born in my mind; and then, in a moment, Iheard her step and turned to find her behind me.
Her face was like April, smiles breaking through her tears. As shestood with a tall hedge of sunflowers behind her, I started to see howbeautiful she was. "I am here in search of you, M. de Barthe," shesaid, colouring slightly, perhaps because my eyes betrayed my thought,"to thank you. You have not fought, and yet you have conquered. Mywoman has just been with me, and she tells me that they are going!"
"Going?" I said. "Yes, Mademoiselle, they are leaving the house."
She did not understand my reservation. "What magic have you used?" shesaid, almost gaily--it was wonderful how hope had changed her."Moreover, I am curious to learn how you managed to avoid fighting."
"After taking a blow?" I said bitterly.
"Monsieur, I did not mean that," she said reproachfully. But her faceclouded. I saw that, viewed in this light--in which I suppose she hadnot seen it--the matter perplexed her still more.
I took a sudden resolution. "Have you ever heard, Mademoiselle," Isaid gravely, plucking off while I spoke the dead leaves from a plantbeside me, "of a gentleman by name De Berault? Known in Paris, so Ihave heard, by the sobriquet of the Black Death?"
"The duellist?" she answered, in wonder. "Yes, I have heard of him. Hekilled a young gentleman of this province at Nancy two years back. Itwas a sad story," she continued, shuddering, "of a dreadful man. Godkeep our friends from such!"
"Amen!" I said quietly. But, in spite of myself, I could not meet hereyes.
"Why?" she answered, quickly taking alarm at my silenc
e. "What of him,M. de Barthe? Why have you mentioned him?"
"Because he is here, Mademoiselle."
"Here?" she exclaimed.
"Yes, Mademoiselle," I answered soberly. "I am he."
Historical Romances: Under the Red Robe, Count Hannibal, A Gentleman of France Page 8
