CHAPTER XXXVI.
DAVID AND GOLIATH.
Toward ten o'clock in the morning the Abbe Brigaud entered D'Harmental'sroom; he brought him 20,000 francs, partly in gold, partly in Spanishpaper. The duchess had passed the night at the Comtesse de Chavigny's,in the Rue du Mail. The plans of the preceding day were in no degreechanged, and they had ascertained that the regent would pay hisaccustomed visit to Chelles. At ten o'clock Brigaud and D'Harmental wentdown, Brigaud to join Pompadour and Valef on the Boulevard du Temple,and D'Harmental to visit Bathilde.
Uneasiness was at its height in the little household; Buvat was stillabsent, and it was easy to see by Bathilde's eyes that she had had butlittle sleep. As soon as she saw D'Harmental, she understood that someexpedition was preparing. D'Harmental again wore that dark costume inwhich she had never seen him but on that evening when, on returning, hehad thrown his mantle on a chair, and displayed to her sight the pistolsin his belt. Moreover, she saw by his spurs that he expected to rideduring the day. All these things would have appeared insignificant atany other time, but, after the nocturnal betrothal we have described,they took a new and grave importance. Bathilde tried at first to makethe chevalier speak, but he told her that the secret she asked did notbelong to himself, and she desisted. An hour after, Nanette appeared,with a distressed face. She came from the library; Buvat had not beenthere, and no one had heard anything of him.
Bathilde could contain herself no longer; she fell into Raoul's arms,and burst into tears. Then Raoul confessed to her his fears, and thatthe papers which the pretended Prince de Listhnay had given Buvat tocopy were politically important, by which he might have been compromisedand arrested, but had nothing to fear, and that the passive part whichhe had played in this affair did not endanger him in the least.
Bathilde, having feared some much greater misfortune, eagerly seized onthis idea. She did not confess to herself that the greater part of heruneasiness was not for Buvat, and that all the tears she shed were notfor the absent.
When D'Harmental was near Bathilde, time appeared to fly; he wasastonished when he found that he had been with her an hour and a half,and remembering that at two o'clock he had to arrange his new treatywith Roquefinette, he rose to go. Bathilde turned pale. D'Harmental, toreassure her, promised to come to her again after the departure of theperson he expected.
The chevalier had only been a few minutes at his window when he sawRoquefinette appear at the corner of the Rue Montmartre. He was mountedon a dapple-gray horse, both swift and strong, and evidently chosen by aconnoisseur. He came along leisurely, like a man to whom it is equallyindifferent whether he is seen or not. On arriving at the door hedismounted, fastened up his horse, and ascended the stairs. As on theday before, his face was grave and pensive, his compressed lipsindicated some fixed determination, and D'Harmental received him with asmile, which met with no answer on the captain's face. D'Harmental at aglance took in all these different signs.
"Well, captain," said he, "I see that you are still punctuality itself."
"It is a military habit, chevalier, and is not astonishing in an oldsoldier."
"I did not doubt you, but you might not have been able to meet yourmen."
"I told you I knew where to find them."
"And where are they?"
"In the horse-market at the Porte Saint Martin."
"Are you not afraid they will be noticed?"
"How should twelve or fifteen men dressed as peasants be noticed amongthree hundred other peasants, buying and selling horses? It is like aneedle in a bottle of hay, which none but myself can find."
"But how can these men accompany you, captain?"
"The simplest thing in the world. Each one has bargained for the horsewhich suits him. Each one has offered a price, to which the vendorreplies by another. I arrive, give to each twenty-five or thirty louis.Every one pays for his horse, has it saddled, mounts, slips into theholsters the pistols which he has in his belt, and, by a differentroute, arrives at a given place in the Bois de Vincennes at fouro'clock. Then only I explain to them for what they are wanted. I againdistribute money, put myself at the head of my squadron, and go to thework--supposing that you and I agree on the conditions."
"Well, these conditions, captain," said D'Harmental, "let us discussthem, and I think I have arranged so that you will be satisfied withwhat I have to offer you."
"Let us hear them," said Roquefinette, sitting down by the table.
"First, double the sum you received last time," said the chevalier.
"Ah!" said Roquefinette, "I do not care for money."
"What! you do not care for money, captain?"--"Not the least in theworld."
"What do you care for, then?"
"A position."
"What do you mean?"
"I mean, chevalier, that every day I am four-and-twenty hours older, andthat with age comes philosophy."
"Well, captain," said D'Harmental, beginning to be seriously uneasy,"what is the ambition of your philosophy?"
"I have told you, chevalier, a position suitable to my longservices--not in France, you understand. In France I have too manyenemies, beginning with the lieutenant of police; but in Spain, forinstance. Ah! that would suit me well. A fine country--beautifulwomen--plenty of doubloons! Decidedly, I should like a rank in Spain."
"The thing is possible; it depends on the rank you desire."
"Well, you know, chevalier, when one is wishing, it is as well to wishfor something worth the trouble."
"You make me uneasy, monsieur," said D'Harmental, "for I have not theseals of King Philip, to sign brevets in his name. But never mind;speak."
"Well," said Roquefinette, "I see so many greenhorns at the heads ofregiments, that I also have thought of being a colonel."
"Colonel? Impossible!"
"Why so?"
"Because, if they make you a colonel, you who only hold a secondaryposition in the affair, what am I to ask, I, who am at the head?"
"That is the very thing: I wish to change positions for the moment. Youremember what I said to you on a certain evening in the Rue du Valois?"
"Aid my memory, captain. I have unfortunately forgotten."
"I told you that if I had an affair like this to manage, things would gobetter. I added that I would speak to you of it again. I do so now."
"What the devil are you talking about, captain?"
"A simple matter, chevalier. We made a first attempt together, whichfailed. Then you changed batteries: you thought you could do without me,and you failed again. The first time you failed at night, and withoutnoise: we each went our own way, and there was nothing known about it.The second time, on the contrary, you failed in broad daylight, and withan eclat which has compromised all; so that if you do not saveyourselves by a bold stroke, you are all lost, as Dubois has your names;and to-morrow--to-night perhaps--you may be all arrested, knights,barons, dukes, and princes. Now, there is in the world one man, and oneonly, who can free you from your troubles--that man is CaptainRoquefinette, and you offer him the same place he held before! Fie,chevalier!--you wish to bargain with him. Remember, pretensions increasewith the services to be rendered. I am now an important personage. Treatme as such, or I put my hands in my pockets, and leave Dubois to do ashe likes."
D'Harmental bit his lips, but he understood that he had to treat with aman who was accustomed to sell his services as dear as possible; and aswhat the captain said of their necessity was literally true, herestrained his impatience and his pride.
"Then you wish to be a colonel?"
"That is my idea."
"But suppose I make you this promise, who can answer that I haveinfluence enough to ratify it?"
"Oh, chevalier, I reckon on managing my little affairs myself."
"Where?"
"At Madrid."
"Who told you that I shall take you there?"
"I do not know if you will take me there, but I know that I shall gothere."
"You, to Madrid! What for?"
&nbs
p; "To take the regent."
"You are mad."
"Come, come, chevalier, no big words. You ask my conditions; I tell themyou. They do not suit you: good-evening. We are not the worst friendsfor that."
And Roquefinette rose, took his hat, and was going toward the door.
"What, are you going?"
"Certainly."
"But you forget, captain."
"Ah! it is true," said Roquefinette, intentionally mistakingD'Harmental's meaning: "you gave me a hundred louis; I must give you anaccount of them."
He took his purse from his pocket.
"A horse, thirty louis; a pair of double-barreled pistols, ten louis; asaddle, bridle, etc., two louis; total, forty-two louis. There arefifty-eight louis in this purse; the horse, pistols, saddle, and bridle,are yours. Count, we are quits."
And he threw the purse on the table.
"But that is not what I have to say to you, captain."
"What is it, then?"
"That it is impossible to confide to you a mission of such importance."
"It must be so, nevertheless, or not at all. I must take the regent toMadrid, and I alone, or he remains at the Palais Royal."
"And you think yourself worthy to take from the hands of Philipped'Orleans the sword which conquered at Lerida La Pucelle, and whichrested by the scepter of Louis XIV., on the velvet cushion with thegolden tassels?"
"I heard in Italy that Francis I., at the battle of Pavia, gave up histo a butcher."
And the captain pressed his hat on his head, and once more approachedthe door.
"Listen, captain," said D'Harmental, in his most conciliating tone; "atruce to arguments and quotations; let us split the difference. I willconduct the regent to Spain, and you shall accompany me."
"Yes, so that the poor captain may be lost in the dust which the dashingchevalier excites, and that the brilliant colonel may throw the oldbandit into the shade! Impossible, chevalier, impossible! I will havethe management of the affair, or I will have nothing to do with it."
"But this is treason!" cried D'Harmental.
"Treason, chevalier! And where have you seen, if you please, thatCaptain Roquefinette was a traitor? Where are the agreements which Ihave made and not kept? Where are the secrets which I have divulged? I,a traitor! Good heavens, chevalier, it was only the day before yesterdaythat I was offered gold to betray you, and I refused! No, no! Yesterdayyou came and asked me to aid you a second time. I told you that I wasready, but on new conditions. Well, I have just told you thoseconditions. Accept them or refuse them. Where do you see treason in allthis?"
"And if I was weak enough to accept these conditions, monsieur, do youimagine that the confidence which her royal highness the Duchesse deMaine reposes in the Chevalier d'Harmental can be transferred to CaptainRoquefinette?"
"And what has the Duchesse de Maine to remark upon in this? Youundertake a piece of business. There are material hindrances in the wayof your executing it yourself. You hand it over to me. That is all."
"That is to say," answered D'Harmental, shaking his head, "that you wishto be free to loose the regent, if the regent offers you, for leavinghim in France, twice as much as I offer you for taking him to Spain."
"Perhaps," replied Roquefinette.
"Hearken, captain." said D'Harmental, making a new effort to retain hissang-froid, and endeavoring to renew the negotiations, "I will give youtwenty thousand francs down."
"Trash," answered the captain.
"I will take you with me to Spain."
"Fiddlesticks."
"And I engage on my honor to obtain you a regiment."
Roquefinette began to hum a tune.
"Take care," said D'Harmental; "it is more dangerous for you now, at thepoint at which we have arrived, and with the terrible secrets which youknow, to refuse than to accept."
"And what will happen, then, if I refuse?" asked Roquefinette.
"It will happen, captain, that you will not leave this room."
"And who will prevent me?"
"I!" cried D'Harmental, bounding before the door, a pistol in each hand.
"You?" said Roquefinette, making a step toward the chevalier, and thencrossing his arms and regarding him fixedly.
"One step more, captain," said the chevalier, "and I give you my word Iwill blow your brains out."
"You blow my brains out--you! In the first place, it is necessary forthat, that you should not tremble like an old woman. Do you know whatyou will do? You will miss me; the noise will alarm the neighbors, whowill call the guard, and they will question me as to the reasons of yourshooting at me, and I shall be obliged to tell them."
"Yes, you are right, captain," cried the chevalier, uncocking hispistols, and replacing them in his belt, "and I shall be obliged to killyou more honorably than you deserve. Draw, monsieur, draw."
And D'Harmental, leaning his left foot against the door, drew his sword,and placed himself on guard. It was a court sword, a thin ribbon ofsteel, set in a gold handle. Roquefinette began to laugh.
"With what shall I defend myself, chevalier? Do you happen to have oneof your mistress's knitting needles here?"
"Defend yourself with your own sword, monsieur; long as it is, you seethat I am placed so that I cannot make a step to avoid it."
"What do you think of that, my dear?" said the captain, addressing hisblade.
"It thinks that you are a coward, captain," cried D'Harmental, "since itis necessary to strike you in the face to make you fight." And with amovement as quick as lightning, D'Harmental cut the captain across theface with his rapier, leaving on the cheek a long blue mark like themark of a whip.
Roquefinette gave a cry which might have been taken for the roaring of alion, and bounding back a step, threw himself on guard, his sword in hishand. Then began between these two men a duel, terrible, hidden, silent,for both were intent on their work, and each understood what sort of anadversary he had to contend with. By a reaction, very easy to beunderstood, it was now D'Harmental who was calm, and Roquefinette whowas excited. Every instant he menaced D'Harmental with his long sword,but the frail rapier followed it as iron follows the loadstone, twistingand spinning round it like a viper. At the end of about five minutes thechevalier had not made a single lunge, but he had parried all those ofhis adversary. At last, on a more rapid thrust than the others, he cametoo late to the parry, and felt the point of his adversary's sword athis breast. At the same time a red spot spread from his shirt to hislace frill. D'Harmental saw it, and with a spring engaged so near toRoquefinette that the hilts almost touched. The captain instantly sawthe disadvantage of his long sword in such a position. A thrust "sur lesarmes" and he was lost; he made a spring backward, his foot slipped onthe newly-waxed floor, and his sword-hand rose in spite of himself.Almost by instinct D'Harmental profited by it, lunged within, andpierced the captain's chest, where the blade disappeared to the hilt.D'Harmental recovered to parry in return, but the precaution wasneedless; the captain stood still an instant, opened his eyes wildly,the sword dropped from his grasp, and pressing his two hands to thewound, he fell at full length on the floor.
"Curse the rapier!" murmured he, and expired; the strip of steel hadpierced his heart.
Still D'Harmental remained on guard, with his eyes fixed on the captain,only lowering his sword as the dead man let his slip. Finally, he foundhimself face to face with a corpse, but this corpse had its eyes open,and continued to look at him. Leaning against the door, the chevalierremained an instant thunderstruck; his hair bristled, his foreheadbecame covered with perspiration, he did not dare to move, he did notdare to speak, his victory seemed to him a dream. Suddenly the mouth ofthe dying man set in a last convulsion--the partisan was dead, and hissecret had died with him.
How to recognize, in the midst of three hundred peasants, buying andselling horses, the twelve or fifteen pretended ones who were to carryoff the regent?
D'Harmental gave a low cry; he would have given ten years of his ownlife to add ten minutes to that of th
e captain. He took the body in hisarms, raised it, called it, and, seeing his reddened hands, let it fallinto a sea of blood, which, following the inclination of the boards downa channel in the floor, reached the door, and began to spread over thethreshold.
At that moment, the horse, which was tied to the shutter, neighedviolently.
D'Harmental made three steps toward the door, then he remembered thatRoquefinette might have some memorandum about him which might serve as aguide. In spite of his repugnance, he searched the pockets of thecorpse, one after another, but the only papers he found were two orthree old bills of restaurateurs, and a love-letter from La Normande.
Then, as he had nothing more to do in that room, he filled his pocketswith gold and notes, closed the door after him, descended the stairsrapidly, left at a gallop toward the Rue Gros Chenet, and disappearedround the angle nearest to the Boulevard.