4.
We stood hand in hand--Estelle and I--fronting the door through whichMr. Farewell would presently appear.
"To-night we fly together," I declared.
"Where to?" she whispered.
"Can you go to the woman at your former lodgings?"
"Yes!"
"Then I will take you there to-night. To-morrow we will be marriedbefore the Procureur du Roi; in the evening we leave for England."
"Yes, yes!" she murmured.
"When he comes in I'll engage him in conversation," I continuedhurriedly. "You make a dash for the door and run downstairs as fast asyou can. I'll follow as quickly as may be and meet you under theporte-cochere."
She had only just time to nod assent when the door which gave on thesitting-room was pushed open, and Farewell, unconscious at first ofour presence, stepped quietly into the room.
"Estelle," he cried, more puzzled than angry when he suddenly caughtsight of us both, "what are you doing here with that lout?"
I was trembling with excitement--not fear, of course, though Farewellwas a powerful-looking man, a head taller than I was. I stepped boldlyforward, covering the adored one with my body.
"The lout," I said with calm dignity, "has frustrated the machinationsof a knave. To-morrow I go to England in order to place MademoiselleEstelle Bachelier under the protection of her legal guardians,Messieurs Pike and Sons, solicitors, of London."
He gave a cry of rage, and before I could retire to some safeentrenchment behind the table or the sofa, he was upon me like a maddog. He had me by the throat, and I had rolled backwards down on tothe floor, with him on the top of me, squeezing the breath out of metill I verily thought that my last hour had come. Estelle had run outof the room like a startled hare. This, of course, was in accordancewith my instructions to her, but I could not help wishing then thatshe had been less obedient and somewhat more helpful.
As it was, I was beginning to feel a mere worm in the grip of thatsavage scoundrel, whose face I could perceive just above me, distortedwith passion, whilst hoarse ejaculations escaped his trembling lips:
"You meddlesome fool! You oaf! You toad! This for yourinterference!" he added as he gave me a vigorous punch on the head.
I felt my senses reeling. My head was swimming, my eyes no longercould see distinctly. It seemed as if an unbearable pressure upon mychest would finally squeeze the last breath out of my body.
I was trying to remember the prayers I used to murmur at my mother'sknee, for verily I thought that I was dying, when suddenly, through myfading senses, came the sound of a long, hoarse cry, whilst the floorwas shaken as with an earthquake. The next moment the pressure on mychest seemed to relax. I could hear Farewell's voice uttering languagesuch as it would be impossible for me to put on record; and through itall hoarse and convulsive cries of: "You shan't hurt him--you limb ofSatan, you!"
Gradually strength returned to me. I could see as well as hear, andwhat I saw filled me with wonder and with pride. Wonder at Ma'ameDupont's pluck! Pride in that her love for me had given such power toher mighty arms! Aroused from her slumbers by the sound of thescuffle, she had run to the study, only to find me in deadly peril ofmy life. Without a second's hesitation she had rushed on Farewell,seized him by the collar, pulled him away from me, and then thrown thewhole weight of her hundred kilos upon him, rendering him helpless.
Ah, woman! lovely, selfless woman! My heart a prey to remorse, in thatI could not remain in order to thank my plucky deliverer, Inevertheless finally struggled to my feet and fled from the apartmentand down the stairs, never drawing breath till I felt Estelle's handresting confidingly upon my arm.