In Search of a Son

  CHAPTER IX.

  THE TOWER OF HEURTEBIZE.

  Next morning at six o'clock Paul Solange opened the door of the chateauand stepped out on to the lawn. He held a sketch-book in his hand. Hedirected his steps along a narrow pathway, shaded by young elms, towardsone of the gates of the park. At a turning in the alley he found himselfface to face with Monsieur Roger, who was walking slowly andthoughtfully. Paul stopped, and in his surprise could not helpsaying,--

  "Monsieur Roger, already up?"

  Monsieur answered, smiling,--

  "But you also, Master Paul, you are, like me, already up. Are youdispleased to meet me?"

  "Oh, no, sir," Paul hastened to say, blushing a little. "Why should I bedispleased at meeting you?"

  "Then, may I ask you where you are going so early in the morning?"

  "Over there," said Paul, stretching his hand towards a high wooded hill:"over there to Heurtebize."

  "And what are you going to do over there?"

  Paul answered by showing his sketch-book.

  "Ah, you are going to draw?"

  "Yes, sir; I am going to draw, to take a sketch of the tower; that oldtower which you see on the right side of the hill."

  "Well, Master Paul, will you be so kind," asked Monsieur Roger, "as toallow me to go with you and explore this old tower?"

  Paul, on hearing this proposal, which he could not refuse, made aninvoluntary movement of dismay, exactly similar to that he had made thenight before.

  "Oh, fear nothing," said Monsieur Roger, good-naturedly. "I will notbore you either with physical science nor chemistry. I hope you willaccept me, therefore, as your companion on the way, without anyapprehensions of that kind of annoyance."

  "Then, let us go, sir," answered Paul, a little ashamed to have had histhoughts so easily guessed.

  They took a short cut across the fields, passing wide expanses ofblossoming clover; they crossed a road, they skirted fields of wheat andof potatoes. At last they arrived upon the wooded hill of Heurtebize, atthe foot of the old tower, which still proudly raised its head above thevalleys.

  "What a lovely landscape!" said Monsieur Roger, when he had got hisbreath.

  "The view is beautiful," said Paul, softly; "but it is nothing like theview you get up above there."

  "Up above?" said Monsieur Roger, without understanding.

  "Yes, from the summit of the tower."

  "You have climbed up the tower?"

  "Several times."

  "But it is falling into ruins, this poor tower; it has only one fault,that of having existed for two or three hundred years."

  "It is indeed very old," answered Paul; "it is the last vestige of theold chateau of Sainte-Gemme, which, it is said, was built in thesixteenth century, or possibly even a century or two earlier; nobody isquite certain as to the date; at all events, the former proprietorsseveral years ago determined to preserve it, and they even commencedsome repairs upon it. The interior stairway has been put in part intosufficiently good condition to enable you to use it, if you at the sametime call a little bit of gymnastics to your aid, as you will have todo at a few places. And I have used it in this way very often; butplease now be good enough to----"

  Paul stopped, hesitating.

  "Good enough to what? Tell me."

  Then Paul Solange added,--

  "To say nothing of this to Madame Dalize. That would make her uneasy."

  "Not only will I say nothing, my dear young friend, but I will join youin the ascent,--for I have the greatest desire to do what you are goingto do, and to ascend the tower with you."

  Paul looked at Monsieur Roger, and said, quickly,--

  "But, sir, there is danger."

  "Bah! as there is none for you, why should there be danger for me?"

  Somewhat embarrassed, Paul replied,--

  "I am young, sir; more active than you, perhaps, and----"

  "If that is your only reason, my friend, do not disturb yourself. Let ustry the ascent."

  "On one condition, sir."

  "What is that?"

  "That I go up first."

  "Yes, my dear friend, I consent. You shall go first," said MonsieurRoger, who would have himself suggested this if the idea had not come toPaul.

  Both of them, Monsieur Roger and Paul, had at this moment the same ideaof self-sacrifice. Paul said to himself, "If any accident happens, itwill happen to me, and not to Monsieur Roger." And Monsieur Roger, sureof his own strength, thought, "If Paul should happen to fall, verylikely I may be able to catch him and save him."

  Luckily, the ascent, though somewhat difficult, was accomplishedvictoriously, and Monsieur Roger was enabled to recognize that themodified admiration which Paul Solange felt for the landscape, as seenfrom below, was entirely justified.

  Paul asked,--

  "How high is this tower? A hundred feet?"

  "Less than that, I think," answered Monsieur Roger. "Still, it will beeasy to find out exactly in a moment."

  "In a moment?" asked Paul.

  "Yes, in a moment."

  "Without descending?"

  "No; we will remain where we are."

  Paul made a gesture which clearly indicated, "I would like to see that."

  Monsieur Roger understood.

  "There is no lack of pieces of stone in this tower; take one," said heto Paul.

  Paul obeyed.

  "You will let this stone fall to the earth at the very moment that Itell you to do so."

  Monsieur Roger drew out his watch and looked carefully at thesecond-hand.

  "Now, let go," he said.

  Paul opened his hand; the stone fell. It could be heard striking thesoil at the foot of the tower. Monsieur Roger, who during the fall ofthe stone had had his eyes fixed upon his watch, said,--

  "The tower is not very high." Then he added, after a moment ofreflection, "The tower is sixty-two and a half feet in height."

  Paul looked at Monsieur Roger, thinking that he was laughing at him.Monsieur Roger lifted his eyes to Paul; he looked quite serious. ThenPaul said, softly,--

  "The tower is sixty feet high?"

  "Sixty-two and a half feet,--for the odd two and a half feet must not beforgotten in our computation."

  Paul was silent. Then, seeing that Monsieur Roger was ready to smile,and mistaking the cause of this smile, he said,--

  "You are joking, are you not? You cannot know that the tower is reallysixty feet high?"

  "Sixty-two feet and six inches," repeated Monsieur Roger again. "That isexact. Do you want to have it proved to you?"

  "Oh, yes, sir," said Paul Solange, with real curiosity.

  "Very well. Go back to the chateau, and bring me a ball of twine and ayard-measure."

  "I run," said Paul.

  "Take care!" cried Monsieur Roger, seeing how quickly Paul was hurryingdown the tower.

  When Paul had safely reached the ground, Monsieur Roger said to himself,with an air of satisfaction,--

  "Come, come! we will make something out of that boy yet!"