The False Chevalier

  CHAPTER LI

  LOVE ENDURETH ALL THINGS

  Cyrene, when she found herself in darkness, had a confused idea that shewas waking from a dream and lying in her bed at the house in the RueHonore. Under that impression she drew a breath of relief. A curse froma woman's voice somewhere near by made her realise the truth; the cry ofDominique, "They have finished me!" and the circumstances of hisdisappearance from her side returned vividly, and her heart sickened.But misery is like a thermometer; after reaching a particular degree itcan fall but slightly lower. The death of Dominique only benumbed herbrain. Her next impression was that this place in which she lay must bea dungeon, and as her eyes could make out nothing whatever in thedarkness she concluded that the woman she heard must be a prisoner in anadjoining cell.

  In a short time a stealthy step approached. It stopped, a wooden doorswung back, and a band of greyish light showed a low room of rough beamswithout a window. At the door Wife Gougeon peered in, and behind her wasthe cheerless perspective of the shop, additionally cheerless in thegrey of early morning.

  "Well, wench, how do you like being a _Sans-culotte_? You slept too softin the Old _Regime_."

  Cyrene had not noticed how she had been sleeping; she now saw that herbed was a pile of straw on a box.

  "Get up, you sow, and sweep my floor!" exclaimed the ragman's wife. "Getup!"

  Cyrene's first instinct was to lie still in tacit disdain. Therecollection of Germain, however, crossed her mind. Rather submit toanything than exasperate his enemies; so she rose, with an effort. Herlimbs felt heavy.

  "Out now, take this broom, you sot, and sweep the floor."

  Cyrene came out and proceeded to brush aside the dust between the pilesof metal. Wife Gougeon sat back on a block of wood and laughed, inimmense enjoyment.

  "So you were a baroness once, one of the heretofores? Well, I likebaronesses to do my dirty work for me and Montmorencys for my sweeps.You never thought the people would arrive at this, eh? You thought, youaristocrats, that you could have the fine houses and we could do all thescullery work. How do you like it? Oh, I have dirtier work than thatthat I will make you do. This is only the commencement. Sweep that boardclean, you pig!"

  The woman fumed at Cyrene's silence.

  "Have you no tongue, animal? Why don't you answer when I speak? I'llteach you," and, her eyes glittering, she picked up an iron bolt andthrew it at her victim. It struck Cyrene's arm, bruising it severely.The girl winced, but continued wielding the broom as meekly as before.

  "Ah," went on Wife Gougeon, "do you know what I will do with you? I willhave your head sliced off. What nice necks you 'heretofores' have. I'veseen many a one chopped through."

  "Hush, hush, dear citizeness Gougeon," said the Abbe, appearing nearby. "I brought the citizeness to you for protection; I wish to speak toher apart--say in the chamber there."

  Cyrene looked at him in sorrowful relief.

  "Citizeness," he said, making the greatest effort at ingratiation, "Ihave a few things to speak to you. You will excuse us, citizenessGougeon?"

  "Republicans do not excuse and excuse like you 'heretofores.' If it werenot for the Galley, I would slice your neck to-morrow too. Go, and bequick about it, Blacklegs, while I wait to see her sweep for me again."

  Cyrene staggered after him in her weakness into her chamber again, and,while she sat upon her pallet, he shut the door, took a candle down froma beam, and lit it.

  "Do not mind her," he said while doing so. "She is a Jacobiness."

  She looked at him as closely as her fevered sight permitted, and sawthat he was shivering with excitement and his long face and downcasteyes contorting.

  She sat speechless, unable to comprehend him.

  "Madame Baroness," said he, "have you never wondered at your long escapefrom the perils of these times? When the mansions of others were burned,your house has been free from molestation; when their goods wereappropriated by the nation, yours have been left intact; when allaristocrats have been sent to the guillotine, you have slept in safety.Have you not thought this strange?"

  The questioning seemed to be lost upon her, except for a nod.

  "Did you never," he went on, "suspect that some power was protectingyou, and ask by whose influence you were thus surrounded and your peacesecured? Did you never recognise a faithfulness which relaxed at nomoment, a care which was unlimited--in a word, a secret friend at thesource of affairs? Madame, I was that friend."

  He stopped and looked at her, his increasing excitement overcoming hisstealth. She was moved, and tears brimmed in her eyes.

  "I am grateful, Abbe Jude; let me say it from my heart. You have beenwronged by us. We believed you were different."

  At the tribute his eager look intensified itself into a piercing gazewhich made her feel dread of him.

  "Yes, I was that secret friend," he cried. "It was I who protected youat the sections, I struck your name from the lists of proscriptions, Idiverted the marches of the patriots from your portals. Do you think allthis would be done for three years without true faithfulness?"

  "You have indeed proved yourself a loyal friend."

  "More than that," he exclaimed; "it was more than loyalty, it wasworship! Madame, believe me your name has always been to me a sacredadoration, a passion, an affection beyond expression. Do you doubt it?Know that I loved you from the first moment I saw you in the house ofthe Princess de Poix. I loved you, I adored you secretly, I sought for afavourable time to declare my passion."

  Her eyes opened wide as she listened, and she would have given worlds toescape, yet her feeling was mainly of pity.

  "This is very unfortunate. Calm yourself, Abbe. I will ever have alively feeling of gratefulness for your devotion. Think of me on thoseterms."

  "Ah, Madame, those were the only terms which might have been possible informer days; but they do not belong to the new _regime_. We are allequal now. Nothing will satisfy me short of possessing you entirely."

  "Abbe, you are excited."

  "No, citizeness, I have long been determined you shall be my mate." Sheshrank from the word and the uncanny passion of his gaze.

  "When you will have reflected a few hours you will see that this isimpossible."

  "What! impossible? And why impossible? Ah, yes, I know, it is because ofyour pretty-faced lover Repentigny. I know all about that. I could havecrushed him between my fingers; and I will crush him yet. What!--thatman between myself and you! Why, then, did I bring you here? Was it toallow his interference with my object? After all I have done for you, amI to be met with answers of this sort?"

  "I appreciate entirely your services, Abbe; they are too great to beunderrated."

  "They shall be more, citizeness. In these days it is _my_ turn todictate."

  "Am I to understand that this has been your aim all along?"

  He hesitated, but replied boldly, "It has, and were it not for that, Imight long ago have pointed out both you and your doll-head lover to theCommittee of Public Safety."

  "Then your whole service has been abstention from positive treachery foryour own ends?"

  "You dare me? Caution, citizeness! You are in my power."

  "In your power? You are a coward as well as a knave, then?"

  "Remember still more," he hissed, losing all control of himself, "thatyour lover also is in my power; he is captured."

  "My God! you have brought us to this!" she cried.

  The door creaked and the Admiral entered.

  "Be off, you cur!" said he, standing sternly over the Abbe, who shrankas if struck. "Go to your work, you----"

  A look of terror upon his countenance, Jude precipitated himself throughthe doorway.

  The Admiral closed it, and returning, sat down by the candle and beganto talk to Cyrene. Seeing his features so close and large andaccentuated by the candle-light, their coarseness and horror filled herwith wonder.

  "So that fellow boasts of his fidelity!" he exclaimed, in a repulsivelymodulated and familiar tone. "What a wealth of tenderne
ss such akidnapping shows! Possibly you knew his profession, citizeness?--that ofsalaried spy. Your protector he claims to be? Excellent--when he couldnot turn a straw in your favour. He has deprived you of your freedom;that was easier in these times. I, on the other hand," he added, smilingyet more hideously, "am here to return it to you."

  "I thank you," she replied wearily, without hope.

  "I shall reveal to you the true reason of your immunity for so long fromthe wrath of the people. It was because of Repentigny, not of yourself.I arranged it, and you were then unknown to me. Through him Bec andCaron, two friends of the people, had died six years ago, in the days ofthe tyrant. It was I, as avenger, not the worm Jude as lover, whowatched over your household in the Rue Honore, reserving Repentigny forprolonged punishment. It was I whose power surrounded you as it hassurrounded all Paris." He paused proudly.

  "Citizeness, last night I saw you for the first time. Your wonderfulcourage, your astonishing beauty, overcame the most martial of hearts."

  She started and shivered violently. Was she to endure two proposalswithin the hour, from such revolting creatures, and at what violencewould their outrages end?

  "Come," he said, offering to embrace her. She started back in terror.

  "Do not tremble," he went on patronisingly; "you have nothing to fearfrom me, everything to expect. I am able to give you whatever youask--mansions, carriages, jewels, pleasures, unlimited wealth, unlimitedpower. These are in my hands. I rule Paris--yes, France--and shall ruleEurope. You shall sit by my side, and the whole world shall serve you.They shall fear or love you as you will, but I am able to see that theyobey you or sink under my hand. Do not fear the squalor of these bruteswhom I govern; you shall see nothing of them, for we shall sit upon theheights of the Revolution. Around us Paris shall always be gay andfascinating. Tell me your slightest wish, citizeness; it shall beyours."

  "You will grant me a wish?" she exclaimed.

  "Assuredly," he answered.

  "Take me, then," said she, "to him you call Repentigny."

  "Repentigny or Lecour?" he said, pointing to the name. "Citizeness, heis unworthy of you--totally unworthy."

  "Maligner!"

  "Keep your coolness, Madame; the man has long deceived you. The storythat he is a plebeian is true. I can prove it."

  "I asked you nothing of that sort; take me--only take me to him. Keepyour promise."

  "Very well, citizeness, there is but one condition. He is in theConciergerie--in going to him you must, like him, be committed to becondemned."

  "Gladly! gladly! Take me to him--take me to him--for the love ofheaven."

  "I love not heaven very much, citizeness, but, curse you, you seem foolenough to be granted what you ask. Look out of this door."

  Obeying, she saw that a crowd of _Sans-culottes_ had filled the shop.

  Carmagnoled and sabred, they lounged in slothful consultation andobscured the air with bad tobacco-smoke. On the Admiral opening thedoor, they rose in a disorderly way and made him a sort of salute.

  "Arrest her," he ordered, beckoning the two foremost and waving hisskinny hand back to Cyrene. They came forward and grasped her arms.

  "To the Conciergerie!" he said, "and each of you answers for her withyour head."

  As terrified as she, the two guards tied her hands and marched her offthrough the Street of the Hanged Man.

  In times of great misery strange things bring us happiness; the thoughtof her condemnation to death lifted her like an aerial tide, becausebeing with Germain went with it.