CHAPTER XXXIII
THE ARREST
There was no long delay. Passing Villon with a single, keen,scrutinizing glance, a man, a stranger to them all, entered, pausing ayard or two within the room. Four or five troopers showed behind himin the doorway, but made no attempt to cross the threshold. All weredusty, travel-stained, and with every sign of having ridden both farand fast. Their leader alone was bareheaded, his sheathed sword caughtup in a gauntleted hand.
"In the King's name, Monseigneur," he said, turning to the Dauphin witha salute which halted evenly between respect and contempt. But theDauphin only shrank closer to Ursula de Vesc and it was La Mothe whoanswered.
"You are from Valmy?"
"By order of the King."
"With despatches?"
"With instructions, and," he paused, motioning to the open doorwaybehind him, then added, "means to carry them out."
"What are your instructions?"
"To arrest Monsieur Stephen La Mothe----"
"Arrest Monsieur La Mothe? Why? On what ground--on what charge?"Sweeping the Dauphin aside Ursula de Vesc moved forward as she spoke.The instinct of protection had given way to something very like theinstinct of attack: her love for the boy was satisfied with a passivitywhich could never content her love for the man.
"If I could tell you, I would," he replied courteously, "but I fearMonsieur La Mothe must ask the King that question himself. I knownothing beyond my instructions."
"Are your orders in writing?" It was Villon who spoke.
"Yes, but I do not recognize your right to see them."
"My right, then," said La Mothe, "since it is against me they aredirected."
"Certainly; no doubt you can identify the writing."
"I can," answered Ursula, stretching out her hand for the paper whichwould have been Beaufoy's passport to promotion but for his unluckyappetite. But it was withheld in obvious hesitation.
"Remember, mademoiselle, that if it is destroyed, I still have themeans behind me----"
"Oh, monsieur," she interrupted, striking at him with her tongue andfinding a relief in the contempt, "it is easy to see you come fromValmy."
A sour smile crossed his face as the colour rose at the gibe, but heonly shrugged his shoulders with a little outward gesture of the hands.
"Yes, we grow suspicious in Valmy. There are my instructions,mademoiselle; you will see they leave me no alternative."
"Yes, the writing is the King's throughout. 'Go to Amboise,'" sheread, "'Arrest Monsieur Stephen La Mothe, and bring him to Valmywithout delay. Tell him his orders are cancelled, and on your life lethim hold no communication with the Dauphin.--LOUIS.'" With everysentence her voice hardened; spots of colour flecked the pallor of hercheeks, grew and deepened. "It is vile, infamous, contemptible," shesaid, "but it is like your King. Yes! You come from Valmy, there canbe no doubt you come from Valmy. Stephen, I shall speak. Useless?Perhaps; but I shall speak all the same. Your King has hid spies inAmboise, we know that, spies who can lie or tell the truth as it suitstheir master. Through them the King knows that Monsieur La Mothe hastwice saved the Dauphin at the risk of his own life, and now--now!"She paused, beating the paper with the back of her hand with a forcethat lent her words power and meaning, "now he is to hold nocommunication with the Dauphin! Monsieur La Mothe may set his own lifeon the hazard to save the Dauphin but he may not speak with him! Thatis Valmy gratitude and the King's miserable, jaundiced mind. And hiscommission is cancelled! What that commission is I do not know, but,thank God! Monsieur La Mothe, you are freed from it, whatever it is,since it came out of Valmy."
"I thank God too," said La Mothe, his eyes meeting hers a moment andtravelling behind to where the Dauphin stood hugging the wall withDiane and Lui-meme at his feet. The significance of the glance wasunmistakable, and the girl paused, breathless, in the revelation. Thegifts were his commission, the mask which killed Charlot was hiscommission, and the commission was cancelled. The King had repented,had he not repented there would be no cancellation. "Yes," repeated LaMothe, "very humbly I thank God, nor do I think the King can have heardas yet of the Dauphin's second danger. Monsieur, I am at your service;I was about to leave for Valmy to-night in any case."
"So much the better; but I regret you must go as my prisoner. You canunderstand that I have no option."
"I quite understand, and here is my sword. Monseigneur--no, since youpermit it, Charles, my friend, I leave you in good keeping. You willhave Mademoiselle de Vesc, Father John, and Villon here, to watch overyou. Villon, beware of that third cast of the net. I think that isnow the one great danger."
"La Mothe, La Mothe, must you go? Is there no other way? RememberMolembrais."
"What other way is possible? The King has my word, and if that werenot enough there are what Monsieur de Commines would call five goodreasons behind the door. Monsieur, you have my parole. Somethingstronger than your five reasons holds me. Good-bye, Charles, myfriend----"
But somewhere in the boy's blood a dash of the Crusader's spirit he hadsneered at stirred. Brushing past Ursula de Vesc he ranged himself byLa Mothe's side, his coat-of-mail an undulating pool of light as whenthe moon shines on a falling wave pitted by the wind.
"Monsieur from Valmy, Mademoiselle de Vesc is right. You may tell myfather that Monsieur La Mothe has twice saved my life and that allAmboise knows it. That he saved me may not count for much in Valmy--itmay even be against him--but what all Amboise knows all France willknow. I think my father will understand. Monsieur La Mothe, good-bye,and when you come back we shall play our games together again. I don'tthink I care about the mask, but I shall not forget to be Roland.Come, Father John, let us go and pray that Monsieur La Mothe will sooncome back to us."
"Monseigneur--Charles!" cried La Mothe, taking the stretched-out handin both his, "you are a gallant little gentleman. No; I do not thinkyou will forget to be Roland. God save the Dauphin!"
"Thank you, Monsieur La Mothe. Monsieur from Valmy, you have my leaveto go. Come, Father John." With a stiff little bow he hooked his arminto the brown sleeve of the Franciscan, and the two left the room.
"I think, monsieur," said Ursula de Vesc, "the Dauphin speaks thesentiments of us all. You have Monsieur La Mothe's parole: he willfollow you in five minutes."
But how spirit drew to spirit as lip to lip in these five minutes needsnot to be told. Whoso has seen love go out of life, uncertain ofreturn, will understand. But if that morning there had been a passingbehind the veil into the holy of holies where immortal love dwelleth,then in these five minutes there was the very throbbing of the heartwhich beats eternal even in these earthly walls of time.
Nor was Villon drier of eye as he waited under the stars.
"He knows too much," he said; "and when a man knows too much, not evena ballad can save him."
The Justice of the King Page 33
