El Dorado: An Adventure of the Scarlet Pimpernel

  Marguerite's voice died away in the silence that still lay over thisdeserted part of the great city and in this squalid house where she andSir Andrew Ffoulkes had found shelter these last ten days. The agonyof mind which they had here endured, never doubting, but scarcely everhoping, had found its culmination at last in this final message, whichalmost seemed to come to them from the grave.

  It had been written ten days ago. A plan had then apparently formed inPercy's mind which he had set forth during the brief half-hour's respitewhich those fiends had once given him. Since then they had never givenhim ten consecutive minutes' peace; since then ten days had gone by howmuch power, how much vitality had gone by too on the leaden wings of allthose terrible hours spent in solitude and in misery?

  "We can but hope, Lady Blakeney," said Sir Andrew Ffoulkes after awhile, "that you will be allowed out of Paris; but from what Armandsays--"

  "And Percy does not actually send me away," she rejoined with a patheticlittle smile.

  "No. He cannot compel you, Lady Blakeney. You are not a member of theLeague."

  "Oh, yes, I am!" she retorted firmly; "and I have sworn obedience, justas all of you have done. I will go, just as he bids me, and you, SirAndrew, you will obey him too?"

  "My orders are to stand by you. That is an easy task."

  "You know where this place is?" she asked--"the Chateau d'Ourde?"

  "Oh, yes, we all know it! It is empty, and the park is a wreck; theowner fled from it at the very outbreak of the revolution; he left somekind of steward nominally in charge, a curious creature, half imbecile;the chateau and the chapel in the forest just outside the grounds haveoft served Blakeney and all of us as a place of refuge on our way to thecoast."

  "But the Dauphin is not there?" she said.

  "No. According to the first letter which you brought me from Blakeneyten days ago, and on which I acted, Tony, who has charge of the Dauphin,must have crossed into Holland with his little Majesty to-day."

  "I understand," she said simply. "But then--this letter to de Batz?"

  "Ah, there I am completely at sea! But I'll deliver it, and at once too,only I don't like to leave you. Will you let me get you out of Parisfirst? I think just before dawn it could be done. We can get the cartfrom Lucas, and if we could reach St. Germain before noon, I could comestraight back then and deliver the letter to de Batz. This, I feel, Iought to do myself; but at Achard's farm I would know that you were safefor a few hours."

  "I will do whatever you think right, Sir Andrew," she said simply;"my will is bound up with Percy's dying wish. God knows I would ratherfollow him now, step by step,--as hostage, as prisoner--any way so longas I can see him, but--"

  She rose and turned to go, almost impassive now in that great calm bornof despair.

  A stranger seeing her now had thought her indifferent. She was verypale, and deep circles round her eyes told of sleepless nights anddays of mental misery, but otherwise there was not the faintest outwardsymptom of that terrible anguish which was rending her heartstrings. Herlips did not quiver, and the source of her tears had been dried up tendays ago.

  "Ten minutes and I'll be ready, Sir Andrew," she said. "I have but fewbelongings. Will you the while see Lucas about the cart?"

  He did as she desired. Her calm in no way deceived him; he knew that shemust be suffering keenly, and would suffer more keenly still while shewould be trying to efface her own personal feelings all through thatcoming dreary journey to Calais.

  He went to see the landlord about the horse and cart, and a quarter ofan hour later Marguerite came downstairs ready to start. She found SirAndrew in close converse with an officer of the Garde de Paris, whilsttwo soldiers of the same regiment were standing at the horse's head.

  When she appeared in the doorway Sir Andrew came at once up to her.

  "It is just as I feared, Lady Blakeney," he said; "this man has beensent here to take charge of you. Of course, he knows nothing beyond thefact that his orders are to convey you at once to the guard-house of theRue Ste. Anne, where he is to hand you over to citizen Chauvelin of theCommittee of Public Safety."

  Sir Andrew could not fail to see the look of intense relief which, inthe midst of all her sorrow, seemed suddenly to have lighted up thewhole of Marguerite's wan face. The thought of wending her own way tosafety whilst Percy, mayhap, was fighting an uneven fight with deathhad been well-nigh intolerable; but she had been ready to obey withouta murmur. Now Fate and the enemy himself had decided otherwise. She feltas if a load had been lifted from her heart.

  "I will at once go and find de Batz," Sir Andrew contrived to whisperhurriedly. "As soon as Percy's letter is safely in his hands I will makemy way northwards and communicate with all the members of the League, onwhom the chief has so strictly enjoined to quit French soil immediately.We will proceed to Calais first and open up communication with theDay-Dream in the usual way. The others had best embark on board her, andthe skipper shall then make for the known spot of Le Portel, of whichPercy speaks in his letter. I myself will go by land to Le Portel, andthence, if I have no news of you or of the expedition, I will slowlywork southwards in the direction of the Chateau d'Ourde. That is allthat I can do. If you can contrive to let Percy or even Armand know mymovements, do so by all means. I know that I shall be doing right, for,in a way, I shall be watching over you and arranging for your safety, asBlakeney begged me to do. God bless you, Lady Blakeney, and God save theScarlet Pimpernel!"

  He stooped and kissed her hand, and she intimated to the officer thatshe was ready. He had a hackney coach waiting for her lower down thestreet. To it she walked with a firm step, and as she entered it shewaved a last farewell to Sir Andrew Ffoulkes.