Captain Fracasse

by Théophile Gautier

  CHAPTER XI. THE PONT-NEUF

  It would be too long and tedious to follow our comedians, step by step,on their way up to Paris, the great capital. No adventures worthy ofbeing recorded here befell them; as they were in good circumstancesfinancially, they could travel rapidly and comfortably, and were notagain subjected to such hardships and annoyances as they had enduredin the earlier stages of their long journey. At Tours and Orleans theystopped to give a few representations, which were eminently successful,and very satisfactory to the troupe as well as the public. No attemptbeing made to molest them in any way, Blazius after a time forgot hisfears, which had been excited by the vindictive character of the Duke ofVallombreuse, but Isabelle could not banish from her memory the wickedplot to abduct her, and many times saw again in her dreams Chiquita'swild, weird face, with the long, tangled elf-locks hanging around it,just as it had appeared to her that dreadful night at the Armes deFrame, glaring at her with fierce, wolfish eyes. Then she would startup, sobbing and trembling, in violent agitation, and it required themost tender soothing from her companion, Zerbine, whose room she hadshared ever since they quitted Poitiers, to quiet and reassure her. Thesoubrette, thoroughly enamoured of Isabelle as of old, was devoted toher, and took great delight in watching over and ministering to her;an own sister could not have been kinder or more affectionatelyconsiderate.

  The only evidence that de Sigognac gave of the anxiety which hesecretly felt, was his always insisting upon occupying the room nearestIsabelle's, and he used to lie down in his clothes, with his drawn swordon the bed beside him, so as to be ready in case of any sudden alarm.By day he generally walked on in advance of the chariot, taking uponhimself the duty of a scout; redoubling his vigilance wherever therehappened to be bushes, thickets, high walls, or lurking places of anykind, favourable to an ambuscade, near the roadside. If he perceivedfrom afar a group of travellers approaching, whose appearance seemed tohim in the least suspicious, he would instantly draw his sword and fallback upon the chariot, around which the tyrant, Scapin, Blazius andLeander formed an apparently strong guard; though, of the last twomentioned, one was incapacitated for active service by age, and theother was as timid as a hare. Some times, varying his tactics like agood general, who thinks of and provides against every emergency, thebaron would constitute himself a rear guard, and follow the chariot ata little distance, keeping watch over the road behind them. But all hisprecautions were needless, for no attack was made upon the travellers,or any attempt to interfere with them, and they proceeded tranquillyon their way, "without let or hindrance." Although it was winter, theseason was not a rigorous one, and our comedians, well fortified againstthe cold by plenty of warm clothing and good nourishing food, did notmind their exposure to the weather, and found their journey a veryenjoyable affair. To be sure, the sharp, frosty air brought a morebrilliant colour than usual into the cheeks of the fair members of thetroupe, but no one could say that it detracted from their charms; andeven when it extended, as it did sometimes, to their pretty littlenoses, it could not be found serious fault with, for everything isbecoming to a young and beautiful woman.

  At last they drew near to the capital--following the windings of theSeine, whose waters flow past royal palaces, and many another edifice ofworld-wide renown--and at four o'clock of a bright winter afternoon camein sight of its spires and domes. The smoke rising from its forest ofchimneys hung over it in a semi-transparent cloud, through which the sunshone, round and red, like a ball of fire. As they entered the city bythe Porte Saint Bernard, a glorious spectacle greeted their wonderingeyes. In front of them Notre Dame stood out in bold relief, with itsmagnificent flying buttresses, its two stately towers, massive andmajestic, and its slender, graceful spire, springing from the loftyroof at the point of intersection of the nave and transepts. Many otherlesser towers and spires rose above churches and chapels that were lostamid the densely crowded houses all about them, but de Sigognac hadeyes only for the grand old cathedral, which overwhelmed him withastonishment and delight. He would have liked to linger for hours andgaze upon that splendid triumph of architecture, but he needs must goforward with the rest, however reluctantly. The wonderful and unceasingwhirl and confusion in the narrow, crowded streets, through whichthey made their way slowly, and not without difficulty, perplexed anddistracted him, accustomed as he had been all his life to the vastsolitude of the Landes, and the deathly stillness that reigned almostunbroken in his own desolate old chateau; it seemed to him as if amill-wheel were running round and round in his head, and he could feelhimself staggering like a drunken man. The Pont-Neuf was soon reached,and then de Sigognac caught a glimpse of the famous equestrian statue inbronze of the great and good king, Henri IV, which stands on its loftypedestal and seems to be keeping guard over the splendid bridge, withits ever-rolling stream of foot-passengers, horsemen, and vehiclesof every kind and description, from the superb court carriage to thehuckster's hand-cart; but in a moment it was lost to view, as thechariot turned into the then newly opened Rue Dauphine. In this streetwas a fine big hotel, frequently patronized by ambassadors from foreignlands, with numerous retinues; for it was so vast that it could alwaysfurnish accommodations for large parties arriving unexpectedly. As theprosperous state of their finances admitted of their indulging in suchluxury, Herode had fixed upon this house as their place of abode inParis; because it would give a certain prestige to his troupe to belodged there, and show conclusively that they were not mere needy,vagabond players, gaining a precarious livelihood in their wanderingsthrough the provinces, but a company of comedians of good standing,whose talents brought them in a handsome revenue.

  Upon their arrival at this imposing hostelry, they were first shown intoan immense kitchen, which presented an animated, busy scene--a wholearmy of cooks bustling about the great roaring fire, and around thevarious tables, where all sorts of culinary rites were in activeprogress; while the mingling of savoury odours that pervaded the wholeplace so tickled the olfactory organs of Blazius, Herode, and Scapin,the gourmands of the troupe, that their mouths expanded into thebroadest of grins, as they edged as near as possible to the numeroussaucepans, etc., from which they issued. In a few moments a servant cameto conduct them to the rooms that had been prepared for them, andjust as they turned away from the blazing fire, round which they hadgathered, to follow him, a traveller entered and approached it, whoseface seemed strangely familiar to de Sigognac. He was a tall, powerfulman, wearing large spurs, which rang against the stone floor at everystep, and the great spots of mud--some of them not yet dry--with whichhe was bespattered from head to foot, showed that he must have beenriding far and fast. He was a fierce-looking fellow, with an insolent,devil-may-care, arrogant sort of expression, and bold, swaggering gait,yet he started at sight of the young baron, and plainly shrunk from hiseye; hastening on to the fire and bending over it, with his back turnedto de Sigognac, under pretence of warming his hands. In vain did ourhero try to recall when and where he had seen the man before, but hewas positive that he had come in contact with him somewhere, and thatrecently; and he was conscious of a vague feeling of uneasiness withregard to him, that he could not account for. However, there was nothingfor him to do but follow his companions, and they all went to theirrespective chambers, there to make themselves presentable for the mealto which they were shortly summoned, and which they thoroughly enjoyed,as only hungry travellers can. The fare was excellent, the wine capital,the dining-room well lighted, warm, and comfortable, and all were inhigh spirits; congratulating each other upon having happily reachedthe end of their long journey at last, and drinking to their own futuresuccess in this great city of Paris. They indulged in the flatteringhope of producing a sensation here as well as at Poitiers, and evendared to dream of being commanded to appear before the court, and ofbeing rewarded royally for their exertions to please. Only de Sigognacwas silent and preoccupied, and Isabelle, whose thoughts were all ofhim, cast anxious glances at him, and wished that she could charm awayhis melancholy. He was seated at the other end
of the table, and stillpuzzling over the face that he had seen in the kitchen, but he soonlooked towards her, and caught her lovely eyes fixed upon him, with suchan adorable expression of chaste love and angelic tenderness in theirshadowy depths, that all thoughts save of her were at once banished fromhis mind. The warmth of the room had flushed her cheeks a little, hereyes shone like stars, and she looked wonderfully beautiful; the youngDuke of Vallombreuse would have been more madly enamoured of her thanever if he could have seen her then. As for de Sigognac, he gazed at herwith unfeigned delight, his dark, expressive eyes eloquent of adoringlove and deep reverence. A new sentiment mingled with his passionnow--ever since she had opened her heart to him, and let him see all itsheavenly purity and goodness--which elevated, ennobled, and intensifiedit. He knew now the true, lofty beauty of her soul, that it was akinto the angels, and but for the keen, ever-increasing grief he sufferedbecause of her firm refusal to give herself wholly to him, hishappiness, in possessing her faithful, devoted love, would have been tooperfect for this life of trials and sorrow.

  When supper was over, de Sigognac accompanied Isabelle to the threshholdof her own room, and said ere he left her, "Be sure to fasten your doorsecurely, my sweet Isabelle, for there are so many people about in agreat hotel like this that one cannot be too careful."

  "You need have no fears for me here, my dear baron," she replied; "onlylook at this lock, and you will be convinced of that. Why it is strongenough for a prison door, and the key turns thrice in it. And here isa great thick bolt besides--actually as long as my arm. The window issecurely barred, and there is no dreadful bull's eye, or opening of anykind in the wall, to make me afraid. Travellers so often have articlesof value with them that I suppose it is necessary for them to have suchprotections against thieves. Make yourself easy about me, de Sigognac!never was the enchanted princess of a fairy tale, shut up in her strongtower guarded by dragons, in greater security than am I in this fortressof mine."

  "But sometimes it chances that the magic charms and spells, representedby these bolts and bars, are insufficient, my beloved Isabelle, andthe enemy manages to force his way in, despite them all--and the mysticsigns, phylacteries, and abracadabras into the bargain."

  "Yes; but that is when the princess within secretly favours hisefforts," said Isabelle, with a mischievous smile, "and in somemysterious way constitutes herself his accomplice; being tired of herseclusion, perhaps, or else in love with the bold intruder--neither ofwhich is my case you know, de Sigognac! Surely if I'm not afraid--I, whoam more timid than the trembling doe when she hears the dread sound ofthe hunter's horn and the baying of the hounds you should not fear--you,who are brave as Alexander the Great himself. Sleep in peace to-night,my friend, I pray you, and sleep soundly--not with one eye open, as youhave done so often of late for my sake; and now, good night."

  She held out to him a pretty little hand, white and soft enough to havebelonged to a veritable princess, which he kissed as reverently as if ithad been a queen's; then waited to hear her turn the big, clumsy, ironkey three times in the lock--no easy task for her delicate fingers--andpush home the heavy bolt. Breathing a fervent blessing upon her, heturned away reluctantly towards his own door. As he paused an instantbefore it he saw a shadow moving, turned round quickly, and caught sightof the very man he had been thinking of, and puzzling over, so muchthat evening--whose approach he had not heard at all--passing stealthilyalong the corridor, presumably on his way to his own room. Not anextraordinary circumstance, that; but the baron's suspicions wereinstantly aroused, and under pretext of trying to introduce his keyinto the lock, he furtively watched him the whole length of the passage,until a turn in it hid him from view, as he gained an unfrequented partof the house; a moment later, the sound of a door being softly openedand closed announced that he had probably reached his own chamber, andthen all was still again.

  "Now what does this mean?" said de Sigognac to himself, and haunted by avague feeling of anxiety and uneasiness, he could not even bring himselfto lie down upon his bed and rest his weary frame; so, after pacingrestlessly about the room for a while, he concluded to occupy himself inwriting a letter to his good old Pierre; he had promised to apprise himof his arrival in Paris. He was careful that the handwriting should bevery large, clear, and distinct, for the faithful old servant was notmuch of a scholar, and addressed him as follows:

  MY GOOD PIERRE:--Here I am at last, actually in Paris, the greatcapital, where, according to general belief, I am to fall in with somesort of good fortune or other, that will enable me to re-establish theancient prosperity of my house--though in truth I cannot see where I amto look for it. However, some happy chance may bring me into relationswith the court, and if I could only get to speak to the king--the greatdispenser of all favours--the important and famous services renderedby my ancestors to his royal predecessors would surely incline him tolisten to me with indulgence and interest. His gracious majesty couldnot, it seems to me, suffer a noble family, that had devoted all theirpossessions to the service of king and country, in many wars, to dieout so miserably, if once he knew of it. Meantime, for want of otheremployment, I have taken to acting, and have made a little moneythereby--part of which I shall send to you, as soon as I can find a goodopportunity. It would have been better perhaps if I had enlisted asa soldier; but I could not give up my liberty, and howeverpoverty-stricken a man may be, his pride revolts at the idea of puttinghimself under the orders of those whom his noble ancestors used tocommand. The only adventure worth relating that has befallen me sinceI left you was a duel that I fought at Poitiers, with a certainyoung duke, who is held to be invincible; but, thanks to your goodinstructions, I was able to get the better of him easily. I ran himthrough the right arm, and could just as well have run him through thebody, and left him dead upon the field, for his defence was weak andinsufficient--by no means equal to his attack, which was daring andbrilliant, though very reckless--and several times he was entirely atmy mercy, as he grew heated and angry. He has not been so thoroughlytrained to preserve his sang-froid, whatever may happen, as I, and I nowappreciate, for the first time, your wonderful patience and perseverancein making me a master of the noble art of fencing, and how valuable myproficiency in it will be to me. Your scholar does you honour, my bravePierre, and I won great praise and applause for my really too easyvictory. In spite of the constant novelty and excitement of my new wayof life, my thoughts often return to dwell upon my poor old chateau,crumbling gradually into ruin over the tombs of my ancestors. From afarit does not seem so desolate and forlorn, and there are times whenI fancy myself there once more, gazing up at the venerable familyportraits, wandering through the deserted rooms, and I find a sortof melancholy pleasure in it. How I wish that I could look into yourhonest, sunburnt face, lighted up with the glad smile that alwaysgreeted me--and I am not ashamed to confess that I long to hearBeelzebub's contented purring, Miraut's joyful bark, and the loudwhinnying of my poor old Bayard, who never failed to recognise mystep. Are they all still alive--the good, faithful, affectionatecreatures--and do they seem to remember me? Have you been able to keepyourself and them from starvation thus far? Try to hold out until myreturn, my good Pierre, so as to share my fate--be it bright or dark,happy or sad--that we may finish our days together in the place where wehave suffered so much, yet which is so dear to us all. If I am to be thelast of the de Sigognacs, I can only say, the will of God be done. Thereis still a vacant place left for me in the vault where my forefatherslie.

  "BARON DE SIGOGNAC."

  The baron sealed this letter with the ring bearing his family arms,which was the only jewel remaining in his possession; directed it, andput it into his portfolio, to wait until he should find an opportunityto forward it to Gascony. Although by this time it was very late, hecould still hear the vague roar of the great city, which, like the soundof the ocean, never entirely ceases, and was so strange and novel tohim, in contrast with the profound silence of the country that he hadbeen accustomed to all his life long. As he sat listening to it,
hethought he heard cautious footsteps in the corridor, and extinguishinghis light, softly opened his door just a very little way, scarcely morethan a crack--and caught a glimpse of a man, enveloped in a large cloak,stealing along slowly in the direction the other one had taken. Helistened breathlessly until he heard him reach, and quietly enter,apparently the same door. A few minutes later, while he was still on thelookout, another one came creeping stealthily by, making futile effortsto stifle the noise of his creaking boots. His suspicions now thoroughlyaroused, de Sigognac continued his watch, and in about half an hour cameyet another--a fierce, villainous looking fellow, and fully armed, asevery one of his predecessors had been also. This strange proceedingseemed very extraordinary and menacing to the baron, and the numberof the men--four--brought to his mind the night attack upon him in thestreets of Poitiers, after his quarrel with the Duke of Vallombreuse.This recollection was like a ray of light, and it instantly flashed uponhim that the man he had seen in the kitchen was no other than one ofthose precious rascals, who had been routed so ignominiously--and these,without doubt, were his comrades. But how came they there? in the veryhouse with him--not by chance surely. They must have followed him up toParis, stage by stage, in disguise, or else keeping studiously out ofhis sight, Evidently the young duke's animosity was still active, aswell as his passion, and he had not renounced his designs upon eitherIsabelle or himself. Our hero was very brave by nature, and did not feelthe least anxiety about his own safety trusting to his good sword todefend himself against his enemies--but he was very uneasy in regard tohis sweet Isabelle, and dreaded inexpressibly what might be attemptedto gain possession of her. Not knowing which one of them the fourdesperadoes had in view now, he determined not to relax his vigilancean instant, and to take such precautions as he felt pretty sure wouldcircumvent their plans, whatever they might be. He lighted all thecandles there were in his room--a goodly number--and opened his door,so that they threw a flood of light on that of Isabelle's chamber, whichwas exactly opposite his own. Next he drew his sword, laid it, with hisdagger, on a table he had drawn out in front of the door, and thensat down beside it, facing the corridor, to watch. He waited some timewithout hearing or seeing anything. Two o'clock had rung out from aneighbouring church tower when a slight rustling caught his listeningear, and presently one of the four rascals--the very man he had firstseen--emerged from the shadow into the bright light streaming out intothe passage from his open door. The baron had sprung to his feet at thefirst sound, and stood erect on the threshold, sword in hand, withsuch a lofty, heroic, and triumphant air, that Merindol--for it washe--passed quickly by, without offering to molest him, with a mostdeprecating, crestfallen expression; a laughable contrast to hishabitual fierce insolence. His three doughty comrades followed in quicksuccession--but not one of them dared to attack de Sigognac, and theyslunk out of sight as rapidly as possible. He saluted each one with amocking gesture as he passed, and stood tranquilly watching them aslong as he could see them. In a few minutes he had the satisfaction ofhearing the stamping of horses' feet in the court-yard below, then theopening of the outer door to let them pass out into the street, andfinally a great clattering of hoofs as they galloped off down the RueDauphine.

  At breakfast the next morning the tyrant said to de Sigognac, "Captain,doesn't your curiosity prompt you to go out and look about you a littlein this great city--one of the finest in the world, and of such highrenown in history? If it is agreeable to you I will be your guide andpilot, for I have been familiar from my youth up with the rocks andreefs, the straits and shallows, the scyllas and charybdises of thisseething ocean, which are often so dangerous--sometimes so fatal--tostrangers, and more especially to inexperienced country people. I willbe your Palinurus--but I promise you that I shall not allow myself tobe caught napping, and so fall overboard, like him that Virgil tells usabout. We are admirably located here for sight-seeing; the Pont-Neuf,which is close at hand, you know, is to Paris what the Sacra Via was toancient Rome--the great resort and rallying place of high and low, greatand small, noble men, gentlemen, bourgeois, working men, rogues andvagabonds. Men of every rank and profession under the sun are to befound gathered together at this general rendezvous."

  "Your kind proposition pleases me greatly, my good Herode," de Sigognacreplied, "and I accept it with thanks; but be sure to tell Scapin thathe must remain here, and keep a sharp watch over all who come and go;and, above all, that he must not let any one gain access to Isabelle.The Duke of Vallombreuse has not given up his designs against her andme--I feel very anxious about her safety," and therewith he recountedthe occurrences of the preceding night.

  "I don't believe they would dare to attempt anything in broad daylight,"said the tyrant; "still it is best to err on the safe side, and we willleave Scapin, Blazius and Leander to keep guard over Isabelle while weare out. And, by the way, I will take my sword with me, too, so thatI can be of some assistance in case they should find an opportunity tofall upon you in the streets."

  After having made every arrangement for Isabelle's safety, de Sigognacand his companion sallied forth into the Rue Dauphine, and turnedtowards the Pont-Neuf. It was quickly reached, and when they had takena few steps upon it a magnificent view suddenly burst upon them, whichheld the young baron enthralled. In the immediate foreground, on thebridge itself, which was not encumbered with a double row of houses,like the Pont au Change and the Pont Saint Michel, was the fineequestrian statue of that great and good king, Henri IV, rivalling inits calm majesty the famous one of Marcus Aurelius, on the CapitolineHill at Rome. A high railing, richly gilded, protected its pedestal frominjury by mischievous street arabs, and the deep, strong tints of thebronze horse and rider stood out vigorously against the appropriatebackground formed by the distant hill-sides beyond the Pont Rouge. Onthe left bank of the river the spire of the venerable old churchof Saint Germain des Pres pointed upwards from amid the houses thatcompletely hemmed it in, and the lofty roof of the unfinished Hotelde Nevers towered conspicuously above all its surroundings. A littlefarther on was the only tower still standing of the famous, andinfamous, Hotel de Nesle, its base bathed by the river, and though itwas in a ruinous condition it still lifted itself up proudly above theadjacent buildings. Beyond it lay the marshy Grenouillere, and in theblue, hazy distance could be distinguished the three crosses on theheights of Calvary, or Mont-Valerien. The palace of the Louvre occupiedthe other bank right royally, lighted up by the brilliant wintersunshine, which brought out finely all the marvellous details of itsrich and elaborate ornamentation. The long gallery connecting it withthe Tuileries, which enabled the monarch to pass freely from his citypalace to his country house, especially challenged their admiration;with its magnificent sculptures, its historical bas-reliefs andornamented cornices, its fretted stonework, fine columns and pilasters,it rivalled the renowned triumphs of the best Greek and Romanarchitects. Beyond the gardens of the Tuileries, where the city ended,stood the Porte de la Conference, and along the river bank, outside ofit, were the trees of Cours-la-Reine, the favourite promenade of thefashionable world, which was thronged of an afternoon with gay andluxurious equipages. The two banks, which we have thus hastily sketched,framed in the most animated scene imaginable; the river being coveredwith boats of all sorts and descriptions, coming and going, crossing andrecrossing, while at the quay, beside the Louvre, lay the royal barges,rich with carving and gilding, and gay with bright-coloured awnings, andnear at hand rose the historic towers of Saint Germain l'Auxerrois.

  After gazing silently for a long time at this splendid view, de Sigognacturned away reluctantly at his companion's instance, and joined thelittle crowd already gathered round the "Samaritan," waiting to see thebronze figure surmounting the odd little hydraulic edifice strike thehour with his hammer on the bell of the clock. Meanwhile they examinedthe gilt bronze statue of Christ, standing beside the Samaritan, who wasleaning on the curb of the well, the astronomic dial with its zodiac,the grotesque stone mask pouring out the water drawn up from the riverbelow, the stout
figure of Hercules supporting the whole thing, andthe hollow statue, perched on the topmost pinnacle, that served as aweathercock, like the Fortune on the Dogana at Venice and the Giraldaat Seville. As the hands on the clock-face at last pointed to ten andtwelve respectively, the little chime of bells struck up a merry tune,while the bronze man with the hammer raised his ponderous arm anddeliberately struck ten mighty blows, to the great delight of thespectators. This curious and ingenious piece of mechanism, which hadbeen cunningly devised by one Lintlaer, a Fleming, highly amused andinterested de Sigognac, to whom everything of the kind was absolutelynew and surprising.

  "Now," said Herode, "we will glance at the view from the other side ofthe bridge, though it is not so magnificent as the one you have alreadyseen, and is very much shut in by the buildings on the Pont au Changeyonder. However, there is the tower of Saint Jacques, the spire of SaintMederic, and others too numerous to mention; and that is the SainteChapelle--a marvel of beauty, so celebrated, you know, for its treasuresand relics. All the houses in that direction are new and handsome, asyou see; when I was a boy I used to play at hop-scotch where they nowstand. Thanks to the munificence of our kings, Paris is being constantlyimproved and beautified, to the great admiration and delight ofeverybody; more especially of foreigners, who take home wondrous talesof its splendour."

  "But what astonishes me," said de Sigognac, "more even than the grandeurand sumptuousness of the buildings, both public and private, is theinfinite number of people swarming everywhere--in the streets and opensquares, and on the bridges--like ants when one has broken into an anthill; they are all rushing distractedly about, up and down, back andforth, as if life and death depended upon their speed. How strange it isto think that every individual in this immense crowd must be lodgedand fed--and what a prodigious amount of food and wine it must take tosatisfy them all."

  And indeed, it was not surprising that the great numbers of people,moving in every direction, should strike one unaccustomed to the crowdedthoroughfares of large cities as extraordinary. On the Pont-Neuf anunceasing stream of vehicles rolled in each direction--fine carriages,richly decorated and gilded, drawn by two or four prancing horses, withlackeys in brilliant liveries clinging on behind, and stately coachmenon the box; less pretentious carriages with more quiet steeds and fewerservants; heavy carts laden with stone, wood, or wine-barrels, whosedrivers swore loudly at the detentions they were frequently obliged tosubmit to, and which were unavoidable in such a crush of vehicles; andamong them all, gentlemen on horseback, threading their way carefullyin and out among the press of carts and carriages, and endeavouringto avoid coming in contact with their muddy wheels--not alwayssuccessfully; while here and there a sedan chair crept slowly along,keeping upon the edge of the stream, so as not to be crushed; andthe narrow, raised walk on either side was thronged with pedestrians.Presently a drove of cattle made its appearance on the bridge, and thenthe uproar and confusion became terrible indeed; horses, as well asfoot-passengers, were frightened, and tried to run away from danger,requiring all the strength of their drivers to restrain them. Soon afterthat excitement was over a detachment of soldiers came marching along,with drums beating and colours flying, and everybody had to make way forthe valiant sons of Mars, no matter at what inconvenience to themselves.And so it went on, one thing after another--a constant scene of bustle,hurry, and commotion. As de Sigognac and the tyrant strolledslowly along they were beset by beggars, more or less impudent andpertinacious, and by all sorts of odd characters, plying variousextraordinary vocations for the amusement of the passers-by, forwhich they seemed to be liberally enough remunerated. Here was animprovisatore, singing, not unmelodiously, his rather clever verses;there a blind man, led by a stout, jolly-looking old woman, who recitedhis dolorous history in a whining voice, and appealed to the charity ofthe ever-changing multitude; farther on a charlatan, loudly claimingto be able to cure "all the ills that flesh is heir to" by his magicalcompound--and finding plenty of dupes; and next to him a man with amonkey, whose funny tricks caused much merriment. Suddenly a greattumult arose near the other end of the bridge, and in a moment acompact crowd had gathered around four men, who, with loud cries andimprecations, were fighting with swords--apparently with great fury,though in reality it was only a mock combat, probably intended to give agood chance to the thieves and pickpockets in the throng, with whom theywere in league; such tactics being very common, as well as successful.By Herode's advice, de Sigognac refrained from mingling with the crowdimmediately around the combatants, so he could not get a very good viewof them; but he was almost sure that they were the very men he had metfirst in the streets of Poitiers, to their great discomfiture, and hadseen again the previous night at the hotel in the Rue Dauphine, wherethey certainly had gained no advantage to make up for their formerdefeat. He communicated his suspicions to the tyrant, but the rascalshad already slipped away, and it would have been as useless to attemptto find them in the throng as to look for a needle in a haystack.

  "It certainly is possible," said Herode, thoughtfully, "that thisquarrel was gotten up with a view to involving you in it, by some meansor other, for we are undoubtedly followed and watched by the emissariesof the Duke of Vallombreuse. One of the scoundrels might have madebelieve that you were in the way, or that you had struck him, andfalling upon you suddenly, before you had time to draw your sword, havegiven you a thrust that would have done for you; and if he failed towound you mortally; the others could have pretended to come to theircomrade's aid, and have completed the job--nothing would have beeneasier. Then they would have separated, and slipped away through thecrowd, before any one could interfere with them, or else have stoodtheir ground, and declared unanimously that they had been obliged toattack you in self defence. It is next to impossible in such cases toprove that the act was premeditated, and there is no redress for theunhappy victim of such a conspiracy."

  "But I am loath to believe," said the brave, generous young baron, "thatany gentleman could be capable of such an utterly base and unworthy actas this--what, send a set of hired ruffians to foully assassinate hisrival! If he is not satisfied with the result of our first encounter, Iam willing and ready to cross swords with him again and again, untilone or the other of us is slain. That is the way that such matters arearranged among men of honour, my good Herode!"

  "Doubtless," replied the tyrant, dryly, "but the duke wellknows--despite his cursed pride--that the result of another meeting withyou could not but be disastrous to himself. He has tried the strengthof your blade, and learned by bitter experience that its point is sharp.You may be sure that he hates you like the very devil, and will notscruple to make use of any means whatever to revenge himself for hisdefeat at your hands."

  "Well, if he does not care to try my sword again, we could fight onhorseback with pistols. He could not accuse me of having any advantageof him there."

  Talking thus the two had reached the Quai de l'Ecole, and there acarriage just missed running over de Sigognac, though he did his best toget out of its way. As it was, only his extremely slender figure savedhim from being crushed between it and the wall, so close did it come tohim--notwithstanding the fact that there was plenty of room on the otherside, and that the coachman could easily have avoided the foot passengerhe actually seemed to pursue. The windows of the carriage were allclosed, and the curtains drawn down, so that it was impossible to tellwhether it had any inmates or not--but if de Sigognac could have peepedwithin he would have seen, reclining languidly upon the luxuriouscushions, a handsome young nobleman, richly dressed, whose right arm wassupported by a black silk scarf, arranged as a sling. In spite of thewarm red glow from the crimson silk curtains, he was very pale, and,though so remarkably handsome, his face wore such an expression ofhatred and cruelty, that he would have inspired dislike, rather thanadmiration--as he sat there with a fierce frown contracting his brow,and savagely gnawing his under lip with his gleaming white teeth. Infine, the occupant of the carriage that had so nearly run over the Baronde Sigognac was no other than
the young Duke of Vallombreuse.

  "Another failure!" said he to himself, with an oath, as he rolled alongup the broad quay past the Tuileries. "And yet I promised that stupidrascal of a coachman of mine twenty-five louis if he could be adroitenough to run afoul of that confounded de Sigognac--who is the bane ofmy life--and drive over him, as if by accident. Decidedly the star of mydestiny is not in the ascendant--this miserable little rustic lordlinggets the better of me in everything. Isabelle, sweet Isabelle, adoresHIM, and detests me--he has beaten my lackeys, and dared to wound ME.But there shall be an end of this sort of thing, and that speedily--eventhough he be invulnerable, and bear a charmed life, he must and shall beput out of my way--I swear it! though I should be forced to risk my nameand my title to compass it."

  "Humph!" said Herode, drawing a long breath; "why those brutes must beof the same breed as the famous horses of that Diomedes, King of Thrace,we read of, that pursued men to tear them asunder, and fed upon theirflesh. But at least you are not hurt, my lord, I trust! That coachmansaw you perfectly well, and I would be willing to wager all I possessin the world that he purposely tried to run over you--he deliberatelyturned his horses towards you--I am sure of it, for I saw the wholething. Did you observe whether there was a coat of arms on the panel?As you are a nobleman yourself I suppose you must be familiar with thedevices of the leading families in France."

  "Yes, I am of course," answered de Sigognac, "but I was too muchoccupied in getting out of the way of the swift rolling carriage tonotice whether there was anything of that kind on it or not."

  "That's a pity," rejoined the tyrant regretfully, "for if we only knewthat, we should have a clew that might lead to our discovering the truthabout this most suspicious affair. It is only too evident that some oneis trying to put you out of the way, quibuscumque viis, as the pedantwould say. Although we unfortunately have no proof of it, I am very muchinclined to think that this same carriage belongs to his lordship, theDuke of Vallombreuse, who wished to indulge himself in the pleasure ofdriving over the body of his enemy in his chariot, in true classical andimperial style."

  "What extraordinary idea have you got into your head now, Sir Herode?"said de Sigognac, rather indignantly. "Come, that would be too infamousand villainous a proceeding for any gentleman to be guilty of, and youmust remember that after all the Duke of Vallombreuse is one, and thathe belongs to a very high and noble family. Besides, did not we leavehim in Poitiers, laid up with his wound? How then could he possibly bein Paris, when we have only just arrived here ourselves?"

  "But didn't we stop several days at Tours? and again at Orleans? Andeven if his wound were not entirely healed he could easily travel in hisluxurious carriage, by easy stages, from Poitiers to Paris. His hurt wasnot of a dangerous character, you know, and he is young and vigorous.You must be on your guard, my dear captain, unceasingly; never relaxyour vigilance for one moment, for I tell you there are those aboutwho seek your life. You once out of the way, Isabelle would, be in theduke's power--for what could we, poor players, do against such agreat and powerful nobleman? Even if Vallombreuse himself be not inParis--though I am almost positive that he is--his emissaries are, asyou know, and but for your own courage and watchfulness you would havebeen assassinated in your bed by them last night."

  This de Sigognac could not dispute, and he only nodded in token ofassent, as he grasped the hilt of his sword, so as to be ready to drawit at the slightest cause for suspicion or alarm. Meantime they hadwalked on as far as the Porte de la Conference, and now saw ahead ofthem a great cloud of dust, and through it the glitter of bayonets.They stepped aside to let the cavalcade pass, and saw that the soldierspreceded the carriage of the king, who was returning from Saint Germainto the Louvre. The curtains of the royal vehicle were raised, andthe glasses let down, so that the people could distinctly see theirsovereign, Louis XIII, who, pale as a ghost and dressed all in black,sat as motionless as an effigy in wax. Long, dark brown hair fell abouthis mournful, ghastly countenance, upon which was depicted the sameterrible ennui that drove Philip II of Spain, to seclude himself somuch, during the later years of his life, in the silence and solitude ofthe dreary Escorial. His eyes were fixed on vacancy, and seemed utterlylifeless--no desire, no thought, no will lent them light or expression.A profound disgust for and weariness of everything in this life hadrelaxed his lower lip, which fell sullenly, in a morose, pouting way.His hands, excessively thin and white, lay listlessly upon his knees,like those of certain Egyptian idols. And yet, for all, there wasa truly royal majesty about this mournful figure, which personifiedFrance, and in whose veins flowed sluggishly the generous blood of HenriIV.

  The young baron had always thought of the king as a sort of supernaturalbeing, exalted above all other men. Glorious and majestic in his person,and resplendent in sumptuous raiment, enriched with gold and preciousstones; and now he saw only this sad, motionless figure, clad indismal black, and apparently unconscious of his surroundings, sunk in aprofound reverie that none would dare to intrude upon. He had dreamedof a gracious, smiling sovereign, showering good gifts upon his loyalsubjects, and here was an apathetic, inanimate being, who seemed capableof no thought for any one but himself. He was sadly disappointed,shocked, amazed; and he felt, with a sinking heart, how hopeless was hisown case. For even should he be able to approach this mournful, listlessmonarch, what sympathy could be expected from him? The future lookeddarker than ever now to this brave young heart. Absorbed in thesesorrowful reflections he walked silently along beside his companion, whosuspected his taciturn mood, and did not intrude upon it, until, as thehour of noon approached, he suggested that they should turn their stepshomeward, so as to be in time for the mid-day meal. When they reachedthe hotel they were relieved to find that nothing particular hadhappened during their absence. Isabelle, quietly seated at table withthe others when they entered, received the baron with her usual sweetsmile, and held out her little white hand to him. The comedians askedmany questions about his first experiences in Paris, and inquiredmischievously whether he had brought his cloak, his purse, and hishandkerchief home with him, to which de Sigognac joyfully answeredin the affirmative. In this friendly banter he soon forgot his sombrethoughts, and asked himself whether he had not been the dupe of ahypochondriac fancy, which could see nothing anywhere but plots andconspiracies.

  He had not been alarmed without reason however, for his enemies, vexedbut not discouraged by the failure of their several attempts upon him,had by no means renounced their determination to make away with him.Merindol, who was threatened by the duke with being sent back to thegalleys whence he had rescued him, unless he and his comrades succeededin disposing of the Baron de Sigognac, resolved to invoke the assistanceof a certain clever rascal of his acquaintance, who had never been knownto fail in any job of that kind which he undertook. He no longer felthimself capable to cope with the baron, and moreover now, labouredunder the serious disadvantage of being personally known to him. Hewent accordingly to look up his friend, Jacquemin Lampourde by name, wholodged not very far from the Pont-Neuf, and was lucky enough to find himat home, sleeping off the effects of his last carouse. He awoke him withsome difficulty, and was violently abused for his pains. Then, havingquietly waited until his friend's first fury was exhausted, he announcedthat he had come to consult with him on important business, havingan excellent job to intrust to him, and begging that he would be goodenough to listen to what he had to say.

  "I never listen to anybody when I am drunk," said Jacquemin Lampourde,majestically, putting his elbow on his knee as he spoke, and resting hishead on his hand--"and besides, I have plenty of money--any quantityof gold pieces. We plundered a rich English lord last night, who wasa walking cash-box, and I am a gentleman of wealth just at present.However, one evening at lansquenet may swallow it all up. I can't resistgambling you know, and I'm deuced unlucky at it, so I will see youto-night about this little matter of yours. Meet me at the foot of thebronze statue on the Pont-Neuf at midnight. I shall be as fresh andbright as a lark by th
at time, and ready for anything. You shall give meyour instructions then, and we will agree upon my share of the spoils.It should be something handsome, for I have the vanity to believethat no one would come and disturb a fellow of my calibre for anyinsignificant piece of business. But after all I am weary of playingthe thief and pickpocket--it is beneath me--and I mean to devote all myenergies in future to the noble art of assassination; it is more worthyof my undisputed prowess. I would rather be a grand, man-slaying lionthan any meaner beast of prey. If this is a question of killing Iam your man--but one thing more, it must be a fellow who will defendhimself. Our victims are so apt to be cowardly, and give in without astruggle--it is no better than sticking a pig--and that I cannot stand,it disgusts me. A good manly resistance, the more stubborn the better,gives a pleasant zest to the task."

  "You may rest easy on that score," Mirindol replied, with a malicioussmile; "you will find a tough customer to handle, I promise you."

  "So much the better," said Lampourde, "for it is a long time since Ihave found an adversary worth crossing swords with. But enough of thisfor the present. Good-bye to you, and let me finish my nap."

  But he tried in vain to compose himself to sleep again, and, afterseveral fruitless efforts, gave it up as a bad job; then began to shakea companion, who had slept soundly on the floor under the table duringthe preceding discussion, and when he had succeeded in rousing him, bothwent off to a gaming-house, where lansquenet was in active progress.The company was composed of thieves, cut-throats, professional bullies,ruffians of every sort, lackeys, and low fellows of various callings,and a few well-to-do, unsophisticated bourgeois, who had been enticedin there--unfortunate pigeons, destined to be thoroughly plucked.Lampourde, who played recklessly, had soon lost all his boasted wealth,and was left with empty pockets. He took his bad luck with the utmostphilosophy.

  "Ouf!" said he to his companion, when they had gone out into the street,and the cool, night air blew refreshingly upon his heated face, "heream I rid of my money, and a free man again. It is strange that it shouldalways make such a brute of me. It surprises me no longer that richmen should invariably be such stupid fools. Now, that I haven't a pennyleft, I feel as gay as a lark--ready for anything. Brilliant ideas buzzabout my brain, like bees around the hive. Lampourde's himself again.But there's the Samaritan striking twelve, and a friend of mine must bewaiting for me down by the bronze Henri IV, so goodnight."

  He quitted his companion and walked quickly to the rendezvous, where hefound Merindol, diligently studying his own shadow in the moonlight; andthe two ruffians, after looking carefully about them to make sure thatthere was no one within ear-shot, held a long consultation, in very lowtones. What they said we do not know; but, when Lampourde quitted theagent of the Duke of Vallombreuse, he joyously jingled the handfulof gold pieces in his pocket, with an imprudent audacity that showedconclusively how much he was respected by the thieves and cut throatswho haunted the Pont-Neuf.