CHAPTER XXI. THE ARREST
Facts proved how correct had been La Boulaye's anticipations of thecourse that Cecile would adopt, Within a half-hour of his having quittedthe house of Billaud Varennes, she presented herself there, and demandedto see the Deputy. Upon being told that he was absent she determined toawait his return.
And so, for the matter of an hour, she remained in the room where theporter had offered her accommodation, fretting at the delay, and onlyrestrained from repairing to some other member of the Convention by theexpectation that the next moment would see Varennes arrive. Arrive hedid at last, when her patience was all but exhausted, and excitedly shetold her tale of what had taken place. Varennes listened gravely, andcross-questioned her in his unbelief--for it seemed, indeed, monstrousthat a man of La Boulaye's position should ruin so promising a futureas was his by an act for which Varennes could not so much as divine amotive. But her story hung together so faithfully, and was so far borneout by the fact that Varennes himself had indeed signed such a documentas she described, that in the end the Deputy determined to take somesteps to neutralise the harm that might have been done.
Dismissing the girl with the assurance that the matter should havehis attention, he began by despatching a courier to Robespierre atChartres--where he knew the Incorruptible to be. That done, he resortedto measures for La Boulaye's detention. But this proved a gravematter. What if, after all, that half-hysterical girl's story should beinaccurate? In what case would he find himself if, acting upon it in themeantime, he should order Caron's arrest? The person of a Deputy was notone to be so lightly treated, and he might find himself constrainedto answer a serious charge in consequence. Thus partly actuated bypatriotism and the fear of Robespierre, and partly restrained bypatriotism and the fear of La Boulaye, he decided upon a middle course:that of simply detaining La Boulaye at his lodging until Robespierreshould either return or send an answer to his message. Thus, whilstleaving him perfect freedom of movement within his own apartments, hewould yet ensure against his escape so that should Robespierre demandhim he could without difficulty be produced.
To this end he repaired with a sous-lieutenant and six men to LaBoulaye's house in the Rue Nationale, intending to station the soldiersthere with orders not to allow the Deputy to go out, and to detain andquestion all who sought admittance to him. He nourished the hopethat the ci-devant Vicomte might still be with La Boulaye. At theRue Nationale, however, he was to discover that neither Deputy noraristocrat was to be found. Brutus informed him that he was expectingthe Citizen La Boulaye, but beyond that he would say nothing, and hewisely determined to hold his peace touching the valise that he had beenordered to pack and the fact that he knew the Deputy meditated leavingParis. Brutus had learnt the value of silence, especially when those whosought information were members of the Convention.
Alarmed at this further corroboration of Cecile's story of treacheryVarennes left the military at Caron's house, with orders not to allowthe Deputy to again depart if in the meantime he should happen toreturn, whilst to every barrier of Paris he sent instructions to haveLa Boulaye detained if he should present himself. By these measures hehoped still to be able to provide against the possibility of Caron'sseeking to leave Paris.
But Caron had been gone over an hour, and as a matter of fact, he wasback again in Paris within a very little time of these orders havingbeen issued. At the Barriere d'Enfer, although recognised, he was notmolested, since the orders only, and distinctly, concerned his departureand nowise his arrival.
Thus, not until he had reached his lodgings did he realise that all wasnot as he had hoped. And even then it was only within doors that hemade the discovery, when he found himself suddenly confronted by thesous-lieutenant, who was idling in the passage. The officer salutedhim respectfully, and no less respectfully, though firmly, informed himthat, by order of the Citizen-deputy Billaud Varennes, he must ask himto confine himself to his own apartments until further orders.
"But why, Citizen-officer?" La Boulaye demanded, striving to excludefrom his voice any shade of the chagrin that was besetting him. "What dothese orders mean?"
The officer was courtesy personified, but explanations he had none togive, for the excellent reason, he urged that he was possessed of none.He was a soldier, and he had received orders which he must obey, withoutquestioning either their wisdom or their justice. Appreciating thefutility of bearing himself otherwise, since his retreat was alreadyblocked by a couple of gendarmes, Caron submitted to the inevitable.
He mounted leisurely to his study, and the ruin that stared him inthe eyes was enough to have daunted the boldest of men. Yet, to do himjustice, he was more concerned at the moment with the consequences thisturn of affairs might have for Mademoiselle than with his own impendingdownfall. That he had Cecile to thank for his apprehension he neverdoubted. Yet it was a reflection that he readily dismissed from hismind. In such a pass as he now found himself none but a weakling couldwaste time and energy in bewailing the circumstances that had conspiredto it. In a man of La Boulaye's calibre and mettle it was more befittingto seek a means to neutralise as much as possible the evil done.
He called Brutus and cross-questioned him regarding the attitude andbehaviour of the soldiery since their coming. He learnt that nothinghad been touched by them, and that they were acting with the utmostdiscreetness, taking scrupulous care not to exceed the orders they hadreceived, which amounted to detaining La Boulaye and nothing more.
"You think, then, that you might come and go unmolested?" he asked.
"I think that I might certainly go. But whether they would permit meto return once I had left, I cannot say. So that they will let you passout, that is all that signifies at the moment," said Caron. "Should theyquestion you, you can tell them that you are going to dine and to fetchme my dinner from Berthon's. As a matter of fact, I shall want you to goto Choisy with a letter, which you must see does not fall into the handsof any of these people of the Convention."
"Give me the letter, Citizen, and trust me to do the rest," answered thefaithful Brutus.
La Boulaye searched a drawer of his writing-table for the blank passporthe required. Having found it, he hesitated for a moment how to fill itin. At last he decided, and set down three names--Pierre, Francois,and Julie Michael, players, going to Strasbourg--to which he addeddescriptions of himself, the Vicomte, and Mademoiselle. He reasoned thatin case it should ultimately prove impossible for him to accompany them,the passport, thus indited, would still do duty for the other two. Theycould easily advance some excuse why the third person mentioned was notaccompanying them. From this it will be seen that La Boulaye was farfrom having abandoned hope of effecting his escape, either by his ownresourcefulness or by the favour of Robespierre himself, whose kindnessfor him, after all, was a factor worth reckoning upon.
To Mademoiselle he now wrote as follows:
I am sending you the laissez-passer filled in for the three of us. I am unfortunately unable to bring it myself as my abstraction of the order of release has already been discovered, and I am being detained pending the arrival of Robespierre. But I am at my own lodging, and I have every hope that, either by the use of my own wit, or else by the favour of my friend Robespierre, I shall shortly be able to join you. I would therefore ask you to wait a few days. But should I presently send you word not to do so any longer, or should you hear of events which will render it impossible for me to accompany you, you can then set out with Ombreval, travelling under the guise described in the passport, and informing any questioners that the other person mentioned has been forced by ill health to interrupt his journey. As I have said, I have every hope of winning through my present difficulties; but should I fail to do so, my most earnest prayer will be that you may make your way out of France in safety, and that lasting happiness may be your lot in whatever country you may elect to settle. You may trust the bearer implicitly, patriotic though he may appear.
He subscribed the letter with his initials, and, havin
g enclosed thepassport and sealed the package, he gave it to Brutus, with the mostminute instructions touching its delivery.
These instructions Brutus carried out with speed and fidelity. He wasallowed to quit the house without so much as a question, which left hisplan for readmittance the greater likelihood of succeeding. Insomething less than an hour--for he hired himself a horse at the nearestpost-house--he had delivered his letter to Mademoiselle at Choisy.
Its contents sowed in her heart the very deepest consternation--aconsternation very fully shared by the Vicomte.
"Tenez!" he exclaimed, when he had read it. "Perhaps now you will admitthe justice of my plaint that you did not make a simple purchase ofmy liberty, as I counselled you, instead of entering into this idioticcompact with that sans-culotte."
She looked at him a moment in silence. She was suffering as it wasat the very thought that La Boulaye's life might be in danger inconsequence of what he had done for her. With reluctance had sheaccepted the sacrifice of his career which he had made to serve her.Now that it became the question of a sacrifice of life as well she wasdismayed. All the wrongs that she and hers had done that man seemed torise up and reproach her now. And so, when presently she answeredthe Vicomte, it was no more than natural that she should answer himimpatiently.
"I thought, Monsieur, that we had already discussed and settled that?"
"Settled it?" he echoed, with a sneer. "It seems none so easy to settle.Do you think that words will settle it."
"By no means," she answered, her voice quivering. "It seems as if aman's life will be required for that."
He shrugged his shoulders, and his face put on a look of annoyance.
"I hope, Mademoiselle, that you are not proposing to introducesentimentality. I think you would be better advised to leave thatvulgarity to the vulgar."
"I do not propose to pursue the discussion at all, Monsieur," was herchilly answer.
"The way of woman," he reflected aloud. "Let her find that she is beingworsted in argument, and she calmly tells you that she has no mindto pursue it. But, Mademoiselle, will you tell me at least what youintend?"
"What do I intend?" she questioned. "What choice have we?"
"Whenever we are asked to follow a given course, we have always thechoice between two alternatives," he theorised. "We can comply, or notcomply."
"In the present instance I am afraid your rule is inapplicable. There isno room for any alternative. We can do nothing but wait."
She looked at him impatiently, and wearily she sank on to a chair.
"Monsieur," she said, as calmly as might be, "I am almost distracted bymy thoughts as it is. I don't know whether you are seeking to completethe rout of my senses. Let me beg of you at least not to deal in riddleswith me. The time is ill-chosen. Tell me bluntly what is in your mind,if, indeed, anything."
He turned from her peevishly, and crossed to the window. The twilightwas descending, and the little garden was looking grey in the now pallidlight. Her seeming obtuseness was irritating him.
"Surely, Mademoiselle," he exclaimed at last, "it is not necessary thatI should tell you what other course is open to us? It is a matter forour choice whether we depart at once. We have a passport, and--and,enfin, every hour that we remain here our danger is increased, and ourchances of escape are lessened."
"Ah!" She breathed the syllable contemptuously. "And what of LaBoulaye?"
"Pooh! he says himself that he is in no great danger. He is among hisfellows. Leave him to extricate himself. After all, it is his faultthat we are here. Why should we endanger our necks by waiting hisconvenience?"
"But surely you forget what he has done for us. You are forgetting thathe has rescued you from the guillotine, dragged you out of the veryjaws of death. Do you think that to forsake him now would be a fair, anhonest return?"
"But name of a name," rasped the Vicomte, "does he not say that he isfar from despairing? His position is not half so dangerous as ours. Ifwe are taken, there will be an end of us. With him matters are far frombeing so bad. He is one of the rabble himself, and the rabble will lookafter its own."
She rose impatiently.
"Monsieur, I am afraid the subject is not one that we may profitablydiscuss. I shall obey the voice of my conscience in the matter, and Ishall wait until we hear again from La Boulaye. That is the message I amabout to return him by his servant."
The Vicomte watched her fling out of the room, and his weak face wasnow white with anger. He rapped out an oath as he turned to the windowagain.
"Mad!" he muttered, through-set teeth. "Mad as a sun-struck dog. Thetroubles she has lately seen have turned her head--never a difficultmatter with a woman. She talks as if she had been reading Rousseau onthe 'Right of man'. To propose to endanger our lives for the sake ofthat scum, La Boulaye! Ciel! It passes belief."
But it was in vain that he was sullen and resentful. Suzanne's mindentertained no doubt of what she should do, and she had her way in thematter, sending back Brutus with the message that she would wait untilLa Boulaye communicated with her again.
That night Caron slept tranquilly. He had matured a plan of escape whichhe intended to carry out upon the morrow, and with confident hope tocradle him he had fallen asleep.
But the morrow--early in the forenoon--brought a factor with whichhe had not reckoned, in the person of the Incorruptible himself.Robespierre had returned in hot haste to Paris upon receiving Varennes'message, and he repaired straight to the house of La Boulaye.
Caron was in his dressing-gown when Robespierre was ushered into hisstudy, and the sight of that greenish complexion and the small eyes,looking very angry and menacing, caused the song that the young man hadbeen humming to fade on his lips.
"You, Maximilien!" he exclaimed.
"Your cordial welcome flatters me," sneered the Incorruptible, comingforward. Then with a sudden change of voice: "What is that they tell meyou have done, miserable?" he growled.
It would have been a madness on Caron's part to have increased ananger that was already mounting to very passionate heights. Contritely,therefore, and humbly he acknowledged his fault, and cast himself uponthe mercy of Robespierre.
But the Incorruptible was not so easily to be shaken.
"Traitor that you are!" he inveighed. "Do you imagine that because itis yours to make high sounding speeches in the Convention you are toconspire with impunity against the Nation? Your loyalty, it seems, isno more than a matter of words, and they that would keep their heads ontheir shoulders in France to-day will find the need for more than wordsas their claim to be let live. If you would save your miserable neck,tell me what you have done with this damned aristocrat."
"He is gone," answered La Boulaye quietly.
"Don't prevaricate, Caron! Don't seek to befool me, Citizen-deputy. Youhave him in hiding somewhere. You can have supplied him with no papers,and a man may not travel out of France without them in these times. Tellme--where is he?"
"Gone," repeated La Boulaye. "I have set him free, and he has availedhimself of it to place himself beyond your reach. More than that Icannot tell you."
"Can you not?" snarled Robespierre, showing his teeth. "Of what are youdreaming fool? Do you think that I will so easily see myself cheated ofthis dog? Did I not tell you that rather would I grant you the lives ofa dozen aristocrats than that of this single one? Do you think, then,that I am so lightly to be baulked? Name of God? Who are you, LaBoulaye, what are you, that you dare thwart me in this?" He looked atthe young man's impassive face to curb his anger. "Come, Caron," headded, in a wheedling tone. "Tell me what you have done with him?"
"I have already told you," answered the other quietly.
As swift and suddenly as it changed before did Robespierre's humourchange again upon receiving that reply. With a snort of anger he strodeto the door and threw it open.
"Citizen-lieutenant!" he called, in a rasping voice.
"Here, Citizen," came a voice from below.
"Give yourself the trouble of coming up with
a couple of men. Now,Citizen La Boulaye," he said, more composedly, as he turned once moreto the young man, "since you will not learn reason you may mount theguillotine in his place."
Caron paled slightly as he inclined his head in silent submission. Atthat moment the officer entered with his men at his heels.
"Arrest me that traitor," Maximilien commanded, pointing a shakingfinger at Caron. "To the Luxembourg with him."
"If you will wait while I change my dressing-gown for a coat,Citizen-officer," said La Boulaye composedly, "I shall be grateful."Then, turning to his official, "Brutus," he called, "attend me."
He had an opportunity while Brutus was helping him into his coat towhisper in the fellow's ear:
"Let her know."
More he dared not say, but to his astute official that was enough, andwith a sorrowful face he delivered to Suzanne, a few hours later, thenews of La Boulaye's definite arrest and removal to the Luxembourg.
At Brutus's description of the scene there had been 'twixt Robespierreand Caron she sighed heavily, and her lashes grew wet.
"Poor, faithful La Boulaye!" she murmured. "God aid him now."
She bore the news to d'Ombreval, and upon hearing it he tossed asidethe book that had been engrossing him and looked up, a sudden light ofrelief spreading on his weak face.
"It is the end," said he, as though no happier consummation could haveattended matters, "and we have no more to wait for. Shall we set outto-day?" he asked, and urged the wisdom of making haste.
"I hope and I pray God that it may not be the end, as you so fondly deemit, Monsieur," she answered him. "But whether it is the end or not, I amresolved to wait until there is no room for any hope."
"As you will," he sighed wearily, "The issue of it all will probably bethe loss of our heads. But even that might be more easily accomplishedthan to impart reason to a woman."
"Or unselfishness, it seems, to a man," she returned, as she sweptangrily from the room.