CHAPTER XCI.
THE ASSASSINATION.
Bussy, himself without disquietude or hesitation, had been receivedby Diana without fear, for she believed herself sure of the absenceof M. de Monsoreau. Never had this beautiful woman been morebeautiful, nor Bussy more happy. She was moved, however, by fearsfor the morrow's combat, now so near, and she repeated to him,again and again, the anxiety she felt about it, and questionedhim as to the arrangements he had made for flight. To conquerwas not all; there was afterwards the king's anger to avoid,for it was not probable that he would ever pardon the death ordefeat of his favorites.
"And then," said she, "are you not acknowledged to be the bravestman in France? Why make it a point of honor to augment your glory?You are already superior to other men, and you do not wish toplease any other woman but me, Louis. Therefore, guard your life,or rather--for I think there is not a man in France capable ofkilling you, Louis--I should say, take care of wounds, for you maybe wounded. Indeed, it was through a wound received in fightingwith these same men, that I first made your acquaintance."
"Make yourself easy," said Bussy, smiling; "I will take care ofmy face--I shall not be disfigured."
"Oh, take care of yourself altogether. Think of the grief youwould experience if you saw me brought home wounded and bleeding,and that I should feel the same grief on seeing your blood. Beprudent, my too courageous hero--that is all I ask. Act likethe Roman of whom you read to me the other day: let your friendsfight, aid the one who needs it most, but if three men--if twomen attack you, fly; you can turn, like Horatius, and kill themone after another."
"Yes, my dear Diana."
"Oh, you reply without hearing me, Louis; you look at me, anddo not listen."
"But I see you, and you are beautiful."
"Do not think of my beauty just now! Mon Dieu! it is your lifeI am speaking of. Stay, I will tell you something that will makeyou more prudent--I shall have the courage to witness this duel."
"You!"
"I shall be there."
"Impossible, Diana!"
"No; listen. There is, in the room next to this, a window lookinginto a little court, but with a side-view of the Tournelles."
"Yes, I remember--the window from which I threw crumbs to thebirds the other day."
"From there I can have a view of the ground; therefore, aboveall things, take care to stand so that I can see you; you willknow that I am there, but do not look at me, lest your enemyshould profit by it."
"And kill me, while I had my eyes fixed upon you. If I had tochoose my death, Diana, that is the one I should prefer."
"Yes; but now you are not to die, but live."
"And I will live; therefore tranquilize yourself, Diana. Besides,I am well seconded--you do not know my friends; Antragues useshis sword as well as I do, Ribeirac is so steady on the groundthat his eyes and his arms alone seem to be alive, and Livarotis as active as a tiger. Believe me, Diana, I wish there weremore danger, for there would be more honor."
"Well, I believe you, and I smile and hope; but listen, and promiseto obey me."
"Yes, if you do not tell me to leave."
"It is just what I am about to do. I appeal to your reason."
"Then you should not have made me mad."
"No nonsense, but obedience--that is the way to prove your love."
"Order, then."
"Dear friend, you want a long sleep; go home."
"Not already."
"Yes, I am going to pray for you."
"Pray now, then."
As he spoke, a pane of the window flew into pieces, then thewindow itself, and three armed men appeared on the balcony whilea fourth was climbing over. This one had his face covered witha mask, and held in his right hand a sword, and in his left apistol.
Bussy remained paralyzed for a moment by the dreadful cry utteredby Diana at this sight. The masked man made a sign, and the threeothers advanced. Bussy put Diana back, and drew his sword.
"Come, my brave fellows!" said a sepulchral voice from under themask; "he is already half-dead with fear."
"You are wrong," said Bussy; "I never feel fear."
Diana drew near him.
"Go back, Diana," said he. But she threw herself on his neck."You will get me killed," said he; and she drew back.
"Ah!" said the masked man, "it is M. de Bussy, and I would notbelieve it, fool that I was! Really, what a good and excellentfriend! He learns that the husband is absent, and has left hiswife alone, and fears she may be afraid, so he comes to keepher company, although on the eve of a duel. I repeat, he is agood and excellent friend!"
"Ah! it is you, M. de Monsoreau!" said Bussy; "throw off yourmask."
"I will," said he, doing so.
Diana uttered another cry; the comte was as pale as a corpse,but he smiled like a demon.
"Let us finish, monsieur," said Bussy; "it was very well forHomer's heroes, who were demigods, to talk before they fought;but I am a man--attack me, or let me pass."
Monsoreau replied by a laugh which made Diana shudder, but raisedBussy's anger.
"Let me pass!" cried he.
"Oh, oh!"
"Then, draw and have done; I wish to go home and I live far off."
During this time two other men mounted into the balcony.
"Two and four make six," said Bussy, "where are the others?"
"Waiting at the door."
Diana fell on her knees, and in spite of her efforts Bussy heardher sobs.
"My dear comte," said he, "you know I am a man of honor."
"Yes, you are, and madame is a faithful wife."
"Good, monsieur; you are severe, but, perhaps, it is deserved;only as I have a prior engagement with four gentlemen, I beg tobe allowed to retire to-night, and I pledge my word, you shallfind me again, when and where you will."
Monsoreau shrugged his shoulders.
"I swear to you, monsieur," said Bussy, "that when I have satisfiedMM. Quelus, Schomberg, D'Epernon, and Maugiron, I shall be atyour service. If they kill me, your vengeance will be satisfied,and if not----"
Monsoreau turned to his men. "On, my brave fellows," said he.
"Oh!" said Bussy, "I was wrong; it is not a duel, but anassassination."
"Yes."
"We were each deceived with regard to the other; but remember,monsieur, that the Duc d'Anjou will avenge me."
"It was he who sent me."
Diana groaned.
Instantaneously Bussy overturned the prie-Dieu, drew a tabletowards him, and threw a chair over all, so that in a second hehad formed a kind of rampart between himself and his enemies.This movement had been so rapid, that the ball fired at him fromthe arquebuse only struck the prie-Dieu. Diana sobbed aloud.Bussy glanced at her, and then at his assailants, crying, "Comeon, but take care, for my sword is sharp."
The men advanced, and one tried to seize the prie-Dieu, but beforehe reached it, Bussy's sword pierced his arm. The man uttereda cry, and fell back.
Bussy then heard rapid steps in the corridor, and thought hewas surrounded. He flew to the door to lock it, but before hecould reach it, it was opened, and two men rushed in.
"Ah! dear master!" cried a well-known voice, "are we in time?"
"Remy!"
"And I?" cried a second voice, "it seems they are attemptingassassination here."
"St. Luc!" cried Bussy, joyfully. "Ah! M. de Monsoreau, I thinknow you will do well to let us pass, for if you do not, we willpass over you."
"Three more men," cried Monsoreau. And they saw three new assailantsappear on the balcony.
"They are an army," cried St. Luc.
"Oh! God protect him!" cried Diana.
"Wretch!" cried Monsoreau, and he advanced to strike her. Bussysaw the movement. Agile as a tiger, he bounded on him, and touchedhim in the throat; but the distance was too great, it was only ascratch. Five or six men rushed on Bussy, but one fell beneaththe sword of St. Luc.
"Remy!" cried Bussy, "carry away Diana."
Monsoreau utter
ed a yell and snatched a pistol from one of themen.
Remy hesitated. "But you?" said he.
"Away! away! I confide her to you."
"Come, madame," said Remy.
"Never! I will never leave him."
Remy seized her in his arms.
"Bussy, help me! Bussy!" cried Diana. For any one who separatedher from Bussy, seemed an enemy to her.
"Go," cried Bussy, "I will rejoin you."
At this moment Monsoreau fired, and Bussy saw Remy totter, andthen fall, dragging Diana with him. Bussy uttered a cry, andturned.
"It is nothing, master," said Remy. "It was I who received theball. She is safe."
As Bussy turned, three men threw themselves on him; St. Luc rushedforward, and one of them fell. The two others drew back.
"St. Luc," cried Bussy, "by her you love, save Diana."
"But you?"
"I am a man."
St. Luc rushed to Diana, seized her in his arms, and disappearedthrough the door.
"Here, my men, from the staircase," shouted Monsoreau.
"Ah! coward!" cried Bussy.
Monsoreau retreated behind his men. Bussy gave a back strokeand a thrust; with the first he cleft open a head, and with thesecond pierced a breast.
"That clears!" cried he.
"Fly, master!" cried Remy.
"Diana must save herself first," murmured he.
"Take care," cried Remy again, as four men rushed in through thedoor from the staircase. Bussy saw himself between two troops,but his only cry was, "Ah! Diana!"
Then, without losing a second, he rushed on the four men; andtaken by surprise, two fell, one dead, one wounded.
Then, as Monsoreau advanced, he retreated again behind his rampart.
"Push the bolts, and turn the key," cried Monsoreau, "we havehim now." During this time, by a great effort, Remy had draggedhimself before Bussy, and added his body to the rampart.
There was an instant's pause. Bussy looked around him. Sevenmen lay stretched on the ground, but nine remained. And seeingthese nine swords, and hearing Monsoreau encouraging them, thisbrave man, who had never known fear, saw plainly before him theimage of death, beckoning him with its gloomy smile.
"I may kill five more," thought he, "but the other four willkill me. I have strength for ten minutes' more combat; in thatten minutes let me do what man never did before."
And rushing forward, he gave three thrusts, and three times hepierced the leather of a shoulder-belt, or the buff of a jacket,and three times a stream of blood followed.
During this time he had parried twenty blows with his left arm,and his cloak, which he had wrapped round it, was hacked to pieces.
The men changed their tactics; seeing two of their number falland one retire, they renounced the sword, and some tried to strikewith the butt-ends of their muskets, while others fired at himwith pistols. He avoided the balls by jumping from side to side,or by stooping; for he seemed not only to see, hear, and act,but to divine every movement of his enemies, and appeared morethan a man, or only man because he was mortal. Then he thoughtthat to kill Monsoreau would be the best way to end the combat,and sought him with his eyes among his assailants, but he stoodin the background, loading the pistols for his men. However,Bussy rushed forward, and found himself face to face with him.He, who held a loaded pistol, fired, and the ball, striking Bussy'ssword, broke it off six inches from the handle.
"Disarmed!" cried Monsoreau.
Bussy drew back, picking up his broken blade, and in an instantit was fastened to the handle with a handkerchief; and the battlerecommenced, presenting the extraordinary spectacle of a manalmost without arms, but also almost without wounds, keeping sixenemies at bay, and with ten corpses at his feet for a rampart.When the fight began again, Monsoreau commenced to draw away thebodies, lest Bussy should snatch a sword from one of them. Bussywas surrounded; the blade of his sword bent and shook in hishand, and fatigue began to render his arm heavy, when suddenly,one of the bodies raising itself, pushed a rapier into his hand.It was Remy's last act of devotion. Bussy uttered a cry of joy,and threw away his broken sword: at the same moment Monsoreaufired at Remy, and the ball entered his brain. This time he fellto rise no more.
Bussy uttered a cry. His strength seemed to return to him, andhe whirled round his sword in a circle, cutting through a wristat his right hand, and laying open a cheek at his left. Exhaustedby the effort, he let his right arm fall for a moment, whilewith his left he tried to undraw the bolts behind him. Duringthis second, he received a ball in his thigh, and two swordstouched his side. But he had unfastened the bolt, and turnedthe key. Sublime with rage, he rushed on Monsoreau, and woundedhim in the breast.
"Ah!" cried Bussy, "I begin to think I shall escape." The fourmen rushed on him, but they could not touch him, and were repulsedwith blows. Monsoreau approached him twice more, and twice morewas wounded. But three men seized hold of the handle of his sword,and tore it from him. He seized a stool of carved wood, and struckthree blows with it, and knocked down two men; but it broke on theshoulder of the third, who sent his dagger into Bussy's breast.
Bussy seized him by the wrist, forced the dagger from him, andstabbed him to the heart. The last man jumped out of the window.Bussy made two steps to follow him, but Monsoreau, raising himselffrom the floor, where he was lying, wounded him in the leg withhis dagger. The young man seized a sword which lay near, andplunged it so vigorously into his breast, that he pinned him tothe floor.
"Ah!" cried Bussy, "I do not know if I shall live, but at leastI shall have seen you die!"
Bussy dragged himself to the corridor, his wounds bleeding fearfully.He threw a last glance behind him. The moon was shining brilliantly,and its light penetrated this room inundated with blood, andilluminated the walls pierced by balls, and hacked by blows, andlighted up the pale faces of the dead, which even then seemedto preserve the fierce look of assassins.
Bussy, at the sight of this field of battle, peopled by him withslain, nearly dying as he was, experienced a feeling of pride.As he had intended, he had done what no man had done before him.There now remained to him only to fly.
But all was not over for the unfortunate young man. On arrivingon the staircase, he saw arms shine in the courtyard; some onefired, and the ball pierced his shoulder. The court being guarded,he thought of the little window, where Diana had said she wouldsit to see the combat, and as quickly as he could he draggedhimself there, and locked the door behind him; then he mountedthe window with great difficulty, and measured the distance withhis eyes, wondering if he could jump to the other side.
"Oh, I shall never have the strength!" cried he.
But at that moment he heard steps coming up the staircase; itwas the second troop mounting. He collected all his strength,and made a spring; but his foot slipped, and he fell on the ironspikes, which caught his clothes, and he hung suspended.
He thought of his only friend.
"St. Luc!" cried he, "help! St. Luc!"
"Ah, it is you, M. de Bussy," answered a voice from behind sometrees.
Bussy shuddered, for it was not the voice of St. Luc.
"St. Luc!" cried he again, "come to me! Diana is safe! I havekilled Monsoreau!"
"Ah! Monsoreau is killed?" said the same voice.
"Yes." Then Bussy saw two men come out from behind the trees.
"Gentlemen," cried he, "in heaven's name, help an unfortunatenobleman, who may still escape if you aid him."
"What do you say, monseigneur?" said one.
"Imprudent!" said the other.
"Monseigneur," cried Bussy, who heard the conversation, "deliverme, and I will pardon you for betraying me."
"Do you hear?" said the duke.
"What do you order?"
"That you deliver him from his sufferings," said he, with a kindof laugh.
Bussy turned his head to look at the man who laughed at such atime, and at the same instant an arquebuse was discharged intohis breast.
"Cursed assassin! oh, Diana!" mu
rmured he, and fell back dead.
"Is he dead?" cried several men who, after forcing the door, appearedat the windows.
"Yes," said Aurilly. "But fly; remember that his highness theDuc d'Anjou was the friend and protector of M. de Bussy."
The men instantly made off, and when the sound of their stepswas lost, the duke said, "Now, Aurilly, go up into the room andthrow out of the window the body of Monsoreau."
Aurilly obeyed, and the blood fell over the clothes of the duke,who, however, raised the coat of the dead man, and drew out thepaper which he had signed.
"This is all I wanted," said he; "so now let us go."
"And Diana?"
"Ma foi! I care no more for her. Untie her and St. Luc, and letthem go."
Aurilly disappeared.
"I shall not be king of France," murmured the duke, "but, at allevents, I shall not be beheaded for high treason."