CHAPTER XXXV.
MAN PROPOSES.
"Your highness! your highness at my lodging!" cried D'Harmental. "Whathave I done to merit such an honor?"
"The hour is come, chevalier," said the duchess, "when it is right thatwe should show people the opinion we hold of their merits. It shallnever be said that the friends of Madame de Maine expose themselves forher, and that she does not expose herself with them. Thank God, I am thegranddaughter of the great Conde, and I feel that I am worthy of myancestor."
"Your highness is most welcome," said Pompadour; "for your arrival willget us out of a difficulty. Decided, as we were, to obey your orders, wenevertheless hesitated at the idea of the danger incurred by an assemblyat the Arsenal, at such a moment as the present, when the police havetheir eyes upon it."
"And I thought with you, marquis; so, instead of waiting for you, Iresolved to come and seek you. The baron accompanied me. I went to thehouse of the Comtesse de Chavigny, a friend of De Launay's, who lives inthe Rue du Mail. We had clothes brought there; and, as we were only afew steps off, we came here on foot, and here we are. On my honor,Messire Voyer d'Argenson would be clever, indeed, if he recognized us inthis disguise."
"I see, with pleasure," said Malezieux, "that your highness is not castdown by the events of this horrible day."
"Cast down! I! Malezieux, I hope you know me too well to have feared itfor a single instant. Cast down! On the contrary, I never felt morevigor, or more determination. Oh, if I only were a man!"
"Let your highness command," said D'Harmental, "and everything that youcould do if you could act yourself, we will do--we, who stand in yourstead."
"No, no; it is impossible that any other should do that which I shouldhave done."
"Nothing is impossible, madame, to five men as devoted as we are.Moreover, our interest demands a prompt and energetic course of action.It is not reasonable to believe that the regent will stop there. The dayafter to-morrow--to-morrow evening, perhaps--we shall all be arrested.Dubois gives out that the paper which he saved from the flames at thePrince of Cellamare's is nothing less than the list of the conspirators.In that case he knows all our names. We have, then, at this very moment,a sword hanging over each of our heads; do not let us wait tamely tillthe thread which suspends it snaps; let us seize it, and strike!"
"Strike! What--where--and how?" asked Brigaud. "That abominableparliament has destroyed all our schemes. Have we measures taken, or aplot made out?"
"The best plan which has been conceived," said Pompadour, "and the onewhich offered the greatest chance of success, was the first; and theproof is, that it was only overthrown by an unheard-of circumstance."
"Well, if the plan was good then, it is so still," said Valef; "let usreturn to it!"
"Yes, but in failing," said Malezieux, "this plan put the regent on hisguard."
"On the contrary," said Pompadour; "in consequence of that very failure,it will be supposed that we have abandoned it."
"And the proof is," said Valef, "that the regent, on this head, takesfewer precautions than ever. For example--since his daughter,Mademoiselle de Chartres, has become abbess of Chelles, he goes to seeher every week, and he goes through the wood of Vincennes withoutguards, and with only a coachman and two lackeys, and that at eight ornine o'clock at night."
"And what day does he pay this visit?" asked Brigaud.
"Wednesday."
"That is to-morrow," said the duchess.
"Brigaud," said Valef, "have you still the passport for Spain?"
"Yes."
"And the same facilities for the route?"
"The same. The postmaster is with us, and we shall have only to explainto him."
"Well," said Valef, "if her royal highness will allow me, I willto-morrow call together seven or eight friends, wait for the regent inthe Bois de Vincennes, carry him off; and in three days I am atPampeluna."
"An instant, my dear baron," said D'Harmental. "I would observe to youthat you are stepping into my shoes, and that this undertaking belongsto me of right."
"You, my dear chevalier! you have already done what you had to do: nowit is our turn."
"Not at all, if you please, Valef. My honor is concerned in it, for Ihave revenge to take. You would annoy me infinitely by insisting on thissubject."
"All that I can do for you, my dear D'Harmental," said Valef, "is toleave it to her highness's choice. She knows that we are equally devotedto her; let her decide."
"Will you accept my arbitration, chevalier," said the duchess.
"Yes, for I trust to your justice, madame," said D'Harmental.
"And you are right; yes, the honor of the undertaking belongs to you. Iplace in your hands the fate of the son of Louis the Fourteenth, and thegranddaughter of the great Conde. I trust entirely to your devotion andcourage, and I have the greater hope of your success, that fortune owesyou a compensation. To you, my dear D'Harmental, all the honor, and allthe peril."
"I accept both with gratitude," said D'Harmental, kissing the duchess'shand; "and to-morrow, at this hour, I shall be dead, or the regent willbe on the way to Spain."
"Very good," said Pompadour, "that is what I call speaking; and if youwant any one to give you a helping hand, my dear chevalier, count onme."
"And on me," said Valef.
"And are we good for nothing?" said Malezieux.
"My dear chancellor," said the duchess, "to each one his share. Topoets, churchmen, and magistrates, advice; to soldiers, execution.Chevalier, are you sure of finding the men who assisted you before?"
"I am sure of their chief, at least."
"When shall you see him?"
"This evening."----"At what time?"
"Directly, if your highness wishes it."
"The sooner the better."
"In a quarter of an hour I will be ready."
"Where can we learn the result of the interview?"
"I will come to your highness, wheresoever you may be."
"Not at the Arsenal," said Brigaud, "it is too dangerous."
"Can we not wait here?" asked the duchess.
"Remember," said Brigaud, "that my pupil is a steady fellow, receivingscarcely any one, and that a long visit might arouse suspicion."
"Can we not fix a rendezvous where there would be no such fear?" askedPompadour.
"Certainly," said the duchess, "at the stone in the Champs-Elysees, forinstance. Malezieux and I will come there in a carriage without livery,and without arms. Pompadour, Valef, and Brigaud will meet us there, eachone separately; there we will wait for D'Harmental, and settle the lastmeasure."
"That will suit well," said D'Harmental, "for my man lives in the RueSaint Honore."
"You know, chevalier," replied the duchess, "that you may promise asmuch money as you like."
"I undertake to fill the purse," said Brigaud.
"That is well, abbe, for I know who will undertake to empty it," saidD'Harmental.
"Then all is agreed," said the duchess. "In an hour, in theChamps-Elysees."
Then the duchess--having readjusted her mantle so as to hide herface--took Valef's arm, and went out. Malezieux followed at a littledistance, taking care not to lose sight of her. Brigaud and Pompadourwent out together, and D'Harmental went directly to the Rue SaintHonore.
Whether it were chance, or calculation on the part of the duchess, whoappreciated D'Harmental, and understood how fully she might rely uponhim, the chevalier found himself more than ever put forward in theconspiracy: but his honor was engaged; and although he foresaw theterrible consequences of the step which he was about to take, he wentboldly forward, resolved to sacrifice everything, even his life and hislove, to the fulfillment of his promise.
He presented himself at La Fillon's with the same tranquillity asbefore, although many things were altered in his life since then, andhaving been, as before, received by the mistress of the house in personhe inquired if Captain Roquefinette were visible.
Without doubt La Fillon had expected a much less m
oral demand; for onrecognizing D'Harmental, she could not repress a movement of surprise.However, she asked if he were not the same person, who--two monthsbefore--had come there to inquire for the captain. D'Harmental repliedin the affirmative. As soon as she was informed on this point, shecalled a servant, and ordered her to conduct the chevalier to No. 72.The girl obeyed, taking a candle, and going before D'Harmental, whofollowed her. This time, no songs guided him in his ascent; all wassilent in the house; and as the chevalier himself was occupied withgrave thoughts, he mounted the six flights, and knocked at once at thedoor.
"Enter," said Roquefinette.
The chevalier slipped a louis into the servant's hand, opened the door,and went in.
The same change was observable in the interior as in the exterior.Roquefinette was no longer, as on the first occasion, sitting among thedebris of a feast, surrounded by slaves, smoking his long pipe. He wasalone, in a little dark attic, lighted by a single candle, which, nearlyburned out, gave more smoke than flame, and whose flickering light gavea strange expression to the harsh face of the brave captain, who wasstanding leaning against the chimney-piece.
"Ah!" said Roquefinette in a slightly ironical tone, "it is you,chevalier; I expected you."
"You expected me, captain! and what induced you to do so?"
"Events, chevalier; events."
"What do you mean?"
"I mean that you thought you could make open war, and consequently putpoor Captain Roquefinette aside, as a bandit, who is good for nothingbut a nocturnal blow at a street corner, or in a wood; and now Duboisknows all; the parliament, on whom we thought we might count, havefailed us, and has said yes, instead of no. Now we come back to thecaptain. My dear captain here! my good captain there! Is not thisexactly as it has happened, chevalier? Well, here is the captain, whatdo you want of him? Speak."
"Really, my dear captain," said D'Harmental, not knowing exactly how totake this speech, "there is some truth in what you say. Only you aremistaken if you think we had forgotten you. If our plan had succeeded,you would have had proof that my memory was better, and I should havecome to offer you my credit, as I now come to ask your assistance."
"Hum!" said the captain; "for the last three days, since I haveinhabited this new apartment, I have made many reflections on the vanityof human things, and have more than once felt inclined to retirealtogether from these affairs, or--if I did undertake one--to take carethat it should be sufficiently brilliant to insure my future."
"What I come to propose to you is just the thing. Without preamble, itis--"
"What?" asked the captain, after waiting two or three minutes in vainfor the end of the speech.
"Oh captain, I thought--"
"What did you think, chevalier?"
"I thought I heard steps--a sort of creaking in the wall."
"Ah!" said the captain, "there are not a few rats in this establishment,I can tell you."
"Oh, that must be it!" said D'Harmental. "Well! my dear Roquefinette, wewish to profit by the regent's returning unguarded from Chelles to carryhim off and take him to Spain."
"Before going any further," said Roquefinette, "I must warn you thatthis is a new treaty, and that every new treaty implies new conditions."
"No need of discussions on that point. You shall fix them yourself; butcan you still dispose of your men?"
"I can."
"Will they be ready at two o'clock to-morrow?"
"They will."
"That is all that is necessary."
"Something else is necessary--money to buy a horse and arms."
"There are a hundred louis in that purse; take it."
"It is well. You shall have an account of it."
"Then to-morrow at my house at two o'clock."
"It is agreed, chevalier; you are not to be astonished if I am a littleexacting."
"You know that last time I only complained of your being too modest."
"Very well, that will do," said the captain, "you are easily satisfied.Let me light you; it would be a pity that a brave fellow like you shouldbreak his neck."
And the captain took the candle, which, now burned down to the paper,threw a splendid light over the staircase.
D'Harmental had not forgotten that Madame de Maine waited with anxietyfor the result of the interview. He did not trouble himself, therefore,about what had become of La Fillon, whom he did not see on leaving; andhaving gone down the Rue des Feuillons, he passed along theChamps-Elysees, which, without being altogether deserted, wasnevertheless almost solitary. Having arrived at the stone, he noticed acarriage standing on the opposite side of the road, while two men werewalking at a little distance off in the cross-road. He approached thecarriage; a woman, seeing him, put her head impatiently out of thewindow. The chevalier recognized Madame de Maine; Malezieux and Valefwere with her. As to the walkers, who, seeing D'Harmental, approachedthe vehicle, it is needless to say that they were Brigaud and Pompadour.
The chevalier, without naming Roquefinette, or enlarging on thecharacter of the illustrious captain, told them in a few words what hadpassed. This recital was welcomed by a general exclamation of joy. Theduchess gave D'Harmental her hand to kiss; the men pressed his. It wasagreed that the next day at two o'clock the duchess, Pompadour, Laval,Valef, Malezieux, and Brigaud, should meet at No. 15, Faubourg SaintAntoine, a house occupied by D'Avranches' mother, and that they shouldthere await the event.
The result was to be announced to them by D'Avranches himself, who, atthree o'clock, should be at the Barriere du Trone with two horses, onefor himself, the other for the chevalier. He was to follow D'Harmentalat a distance, and return to announce what had passed. Five otherhorses, saddled and bridled, were to be ready in the stables of thehouse in the Faubourg Saint Antoine, so that the conspirators might flyat once in case of the chevalier's failure.
These plans settled, the duchess forced the chevalier to seat himselfbeside her. The duchess wished to drive him home, but he told her thatthe appearance of a carriage at Madame Denis's door would produce toomuch sensation, and that, flattering as it would be to him, it would betoo dangerous for all. In consequence, the duchess set D'Harmental downin the Place des Victoires, after repeatedly expressing her gratitudefor his devotion. It was ten o'clock in the evening. D'Harmental hadscarcely seen Bathilde during the day; he wished to see her again; hewas sure to find her at her window, but that was not sufficient, forwhat he had to say was too serious to be thus spoken from one side tothe other of the street.
He was thinking under what pretext he could present himself at such alate hour, when he thought he saw a woman at the door of her house. Headvanced and recognized Nanette, who was there by Bathilde's order. Thepoor girl was dreadfully uneasy, Buvat not having returned. All theevening she had remained at the window to watch for D'Harmental, but hadnot seen him. It seemed to Bathilde that there must be some connectionbetween Buvat's strange disappearance and the melancholy which she hadremarked the day before in D'Harmental's face. Nanette was waiting atthe door for Buvat and D'Harmental; she now waited for Buvat, andD'Harmental went up to Bathilde.
Bathilde had heard and recognized his step, and ran to open the door. Atthe first glance she noticed the pensive expression of his face.
"Oh! mon Dieu, Raoul!" she exclaimed, "has anything happened to you?"
"Bathilde," said D'Harmental, with a melancholy smile, "you have oftentold me that there is in me something mysterious which frightens you."
"Yes," cried Bathilde; "it is the only torment of my life; my only fearfor the future."
"And you are right; for before I knew you, Bathilde, I had abandoned apart of my free-will; this portion of myself no longer belongs to me,but submits to a supreme law, and to unforeseen events. It is a blackpoint in a clear sky. According to the way the wind blows, it maydisappear as a vapor or increase into a storm. The hand which holds andguides mine may lead me to the highest favor or to the most completedisgrace. Tell me, Bathilde, are you disposed to share my good and evilfortune; the calm
and the tempest?"
"Everything with you, Raoul."
"Think of what you are undertaking, Bathilde. It may be a happy and abrilliant life which is reserved for you; it may be exile; it may becaptivity; it may be that you will be a widow before you are a wife."
Bathilde turned so pale that Raoul thought she would fall; but shequickly regained her self-command, and, holding out her hand toD'Harmental--
"Raoul," said she, "have I not already told you that I love you; that Inever have and never can love any other? It seems to me that all thesepromises you ask are included in those words; but since you wish themrenewed, I do so. Your life shall be my life, and your death my death;both are in the hands of God."
"And I, Bathilde," said D'Harmental, leading her before the crucifix, "Iswear that from this moment you are my wife before God and before men;and since the events which may dispose of my life leave me nothing butmy love to offer to you, that love is yours--profound, unalterable,eternal;" and the young people exchanged their first kiss with therenewal of their vows.
When D'Harmental left Bathilde, Buvat had not returned.