CHAPTER XXVI.
A MAN CHASE.
When the men on the stairs heard the whistle blown by Robeccal, theyrushed through the crowd brandishing their knives. They disappeared inthe street.
Aube hurried up-stairs. Francine had disappeared. Fernando had finallysucceeded in separating the combatants, and pushed Frederic out of thedoor.
Arthur, foaming with rage, called out to Aube:
"Make haste, the girl has been carried off by the order of these people!I know what I say!"
Aube hastened to his private rooms; he found the door that led to thestairs unlocked and open.
"What scoundrels they are!" cried Aube.
"Yes," answered Montferrand, "but scoundrels who bear the best names inFrance--one is the Vicomte de Talizac, son of the Marquis deFongereues."
A young man suddenly appeared on the stairs.
"Who speaks of Talizac and de Fongereues?" he asked.
"Ah! Monsieur Fanfar! heaven has sent you to my assistance. Myestablishment is ruined, but that is nothing to the ruin of this poorgirl!"
"What poor girl?" asked Fanfar. "Pray explain yourself, Monsieur Aube."
Montferrand had heard that this Fanfar was only a rope-dancer; but hisair and manner, his dress, too, proclaimed him to hold a very differentposition, and he was greatly attracted by his appearance.
"It is a disgraceful piece of business, sir," he answered, "in which, Iam sorry to say, I am in a measure concerned;--the Vicomte de Talizac--"
"I knew it!" murmured Fanfar.
"And his friend, Fernando de Vellebri--"
"The Italian spy, who betrayed his brothers, the Carbonari, and is nowthe slave of the Jesuits."
"All of which I knew nothing of; but at all events these two men, whom Ihave called my friends, to my shame, have carried off a young girl, astreet singer--
"A most odious crime; but have you any idea where they have taken her?"
"No, not the slightest."
"And this girl, has she no father, no mother?"
"She is an orphan, and is called the Marquise."
"Ah! but her real name? Where does she live?"
"Only a little way from here, but a man named Robeccal can tell youexactly."
"Robeccal! A miserable scoundrel!"
"You know him then?"
"Only too well!"
"I know that the Marquise boards with a woman who is bed-ridden, and Iremember that she is sometimes spoken of as Cinette, or Francine."
"Cinette!" cried Fanfar, "how old is she!"
"Fifteen or sixteen, I should say."
"Merciful Heavens! Can it be she! Am I going mad?"
"What are you saying, sir?" and Montferrand seemed to feel a realinterest.
"You can't understand, but I shall save her. If I chance to meet thatTalizac, I will crush him as I would a venomous reptile!"
"You are going in pursuit of the girl?" asked Aube.
"Most certainly, nor will I rest until I have rescued her!"
"Accept my services," said Montferrand.
"Where am I to turn? What shall I do first? My head is dizzy." He heldhimself more erect. "But this is no time to give way. Thank you, sir,for your generous offer, of which I may avail myself later."
"I regret to have seemed, even for a moment, the accomplice of thesemen. My name is Arthur, son of the Marquis de Montferrand. Here is mycard."
Fanfar took the bit of shining pasteboard.
"And here is my hand!" added Arthur.
"And now," said Fanfar, after a vigorous exchange of handshaking, "andnow we have not a moment to lose!"
There was another disturbance below. A great noise, and a voiceshouting, "Open! in the name of the law!"
Fanfar started.
"At last!" cried Aube. "It is the police; probably by this time the menare arrested."
Fanfar laid his hand on his shoulder, and said rapidly, "No, no; thepolice of Louis XVIII. do not disturb themselves for such trifles; theyare after other game than criminals--"
"Open, in the name of the king! If not, we force the door!"
"These officers are in pursuit of men who have sworn eternal war againstoppression and corruption--who detest a despotic monarchy and demand afree and honest republic!"
"Do you speak of yourself?" asked Montferrand, quickly.
Aube opened his eyes wide. Certainly, this was a most extraordinaryevening!
"You are lost!" cried Montferrand.
"Not yet!" answered Fanfar. "Pray, Monsieur Aube, hold them inconversation, a few minutes. Good-bye, but remember that I shall rescueFrancine." As he spoke, he ran lightly up the upper stairs.
Aube, according to his instructions, slowly raised the bars of the door,at which the police were impatiently knocking. When at last the door wasopened, a crowd poured in, headed by a Police Commissioner.
"Keeping me waiting in this way will cost you dear, let me tell you!"foamed this important functionary.
"But why are you here?" stammered the proprietor of the restaurant.
"I don't suppose we are bound to tell you that, are we? But first, whois that man?" and he pointed to Arthur, who pale and covered with blood,was not especially reassuring in appearance.
"That man, sir, of whom you speak so rudely," said Arthur, with someheat, "is the son of the Marquis de Montferrand."
"I beg ten thousand pardons!" said the official, in the most obsequioustone, "but this house is a den--"
"A den!" gasped Aube.
"Yes, a den where the enemies of our beloved king plot together."
"And who are these enemies? What may their names be?"
"Gudel, or Iron Jaws, and a scoundrel named Fanfar."
"Indeed! Very good, sir, if you have come to arrest these men, do notlet me detain you!"
Arthur and Aube exchanged a glance. Fanfar was by this time undoubtedlyin safety.
"The house is well watched," continued the Commissioner, "and theycannot escape our vigilance!"
Montferrand started on hearing this. The Commissioner ran up-stairs,followed by his men. He reached the upper floor. An oath was heard.
"The birds have flown!" he shouted.
"They went by the roof!" some one called from below. This some one wasCyprien, who had been on guard in the street, and had seen forms againstthe sky.
"To the roof, then! And remember your orders, take them alive or dead!"
Cyprien, as agile as a tiger cat, now stood by the side of theCommissioner.
"You must go out this way," he said, pointing to the window.
"Zounds!" muttered the Commissioner, drawing back.
"Take care!" sneered Cyprien, "the king has his eyes on you!"
Thus cheered and encouraged, the Commissioner stepped out on the narrowcornice.
"There they are!" cried Cyprien. "There they are! They wish to reach thenext house. We shall have them! we shall have them!"
Gudel and Fanfar had gone as far as they could. They found they mustturn. Fanfar stopped short and seemed to be doing something to achimney.
"Surrender!" shouted the Commissioner, some distance off.
"Surrender!" repeated Cyprien.
At this moment a man was seen to vault into space; it was Fanfar, whohad sprang across the gulf between the two houses. With him he had takenthe end of the rope which he had fastened to the chimney. He held therope so firmly that it made a bridge. Gudel began the perilous voyage.
"At all events, we will have a dead body!" growled the Commissioner, whoadvanced to cut the rope.
Cyprien did not at first understand.
"Stop!" he shouted. "Stop!"
To kill Gudel was ruin, for he was the only human being who could proveFanfar's birth. But he was too late, the zealous Commissioner had cutthe rope.
"Fool!" shouted Cyprien, and then he listened to hear the dull thud ofthe body falling on the stones below.
But he heard nothing, for Gudel had not fallen. By a movement more rapidthan thought, Fanfar, divining what was to happen, ha
d thrown himselfflat on the roof with his arms extended beyond the gutter, and hadshouted to Gudel:
"Hold fast to the rope!"
Iron Jaws snatched the rope between his formidable jaws, and when therope was cut he simply hung and waited. Fanfar slowly drew him up. Itwas a magnificent display of energy and strength. And presently Fanfarand Gudel stood side by side.
"Now, gentlemen, it is your turn," said Fanfar.
"No! it is my turn!" shouted Cyprien, taking a pistol from his pocketand firing.
The ball broke a slate which fell into the street. As to Gudel andFanfar, they were far away and a high chimney hid them from view.
The Son of Monte-Cristo Page 28
