CHAPTER X
AN OLD FRIEND
I was not the man to neglect Sully's warning, and, besides, there wasan added reason for being careful of dark corners, as both Zamet andLafin knew me, and were unlikely to lose any opportunity of doing meharm that might come their way. I could do nothing but wait andexercise patience until the month was over, and it was a hard enoughtask. Beyond my daily visits to my ordinary, I went nowhere and saw noone. I occasionally, of course, met my landlord and his wife, but fewwords passed between us, and Jacques had become marvellously taciturn,so that I was alone as if I were in a desert in that vast city, wherethe roar of the day's traffic and the hum of voices seemed to vibratethrough, and possess the stillest hours of the night. Doubtless therewere men of my acquaintance in Paris, but I did not seek them, for thereasons already stated, and I lived as secluded a life as though I hadtaken the vows of a hermit.
In the meantime I was more than anxious that Jacques should execute myplan in regard to Marie. That I felt was a debt of honour to myself;but though I tried the threat of dismissal, he refused to go pointblank, and I was weak enough to allow him his way. It was one of themany instances in which my firmness of temper failed, but it is notpossible for a man always to keep his heart in a Milan corselet. Icould not make out Sully's reasons for his action. It seemed to methat he had got all my information out of me without pledging himselfto anything in return, and that he held me as safely as a cat does awounded mouse. To save my own skin by quitting Paris was a thought Ican honestly aver that never came to me. It could not, with theall-pervading presence of my love for Madame. It was for her sake Iwas here, and for her sake I would go cheerfully to the block if itneed be; but it would not be without a try to save her, and if theworst came to the worst I should let all France know the infamy of herKing. The hero-worship I had in my heart for him had given place to abitter hatred for the man who was using his power to drive a woman toruin, and inflict upon me the most bitter sorrow. All this may soundfoolish, but such was my frame of mind, and I was yet to know howgreat the man was whom I hated--but of that on another day. In themeantime there was no news from Bidache, and I was kept on the crosswith anxiety lest some danger had befallen my dear one there. Anet wasnot three hours' ride away, and at Anet was de Gomeron, unless indeedthe conspirators had scattered, as was not at all unlikely, after themanner in which they had been discovered. My doubts in regard toMadame's safety were set at rest about three weeks after my interviewwith Sully. One evening Pantin knocked at my door, and, on my biddinghim enter, came in with many apologies for disturbing me.
'But, chevalier,' he added, 'I have news that Monsieur will no doubtbe glad to hear.'
'Then let me have it, Maitre Pantin, for good news has been a strangerto me for long.'
'It is this. Our friend Palin arrives in Paris to-morrow or the dayafter.'
'And stays here?'
'No, for he comes in attendance on Madame de la Bidache, and willdoubtless live at the Rue Varenne.'
I half turned for a moment to the window to hide the expression of joyon my face I could not conceal otherwise. Were it daylight I mighthave been able to see the trees in the gardens of the Rue Varenne; butit was night, and the stars showed nothing beyond the white spectraloutline of the Tour de Nesle beyond the Malaquais.
'Indeed, I am glad to hear this,' I said as I looked round once more;'though Paris will be dull for Madame.'
'Not so, monsieur, for the King comes back tomorrow, and the gossipssay that before another fortnight is out there will be another_maitresse en titre_ at the Louvre. _Ciel!_ How many of them therehave been, from poor La Fosseuse to the D'Estrees.'
'Maitre Pantin, I forgot myself--will you help yourself to theFrontignac?'
'A hundred thanks, monsieur le chevalier. Is there any message forPalin? _Pouf!_ But I forget. What has a handsome young spark like yougot in common with an old greybeard? You will be at court in a week;and they will all be there--bright-eyed D'Entragues, Mary of Guise,Charlotte de Givry, and----'
'Maitre Pantin, these details of the court do not interest me. TellPalin I would see him as soon as he arrives. Ask him as a favour tocome here. He said you were discreet----'
'And I know that Monsieur le Chevalier is likewise.' With a quickmovement of the hand the short grey goatee that Pantin wore vanishedfrom his chin, and there was before me not the face of the notary, butthat of Annette. She laughed out at the amaze in my look, but quicklychanged her tone.
'Maitre Palin said you were to be trusted utterly, monsieur, and yousee I have done so. Your message will be safely delivered, and Ipromise he will see you. But have you no other?'
'None,' I answered, a little bitterly.
'I have, however, and it is this,' and she placed in my hand a littlepacket. 'Monsieur may open that at his leisure,' and she turned as ifto go.
'One moment--I do not understand. What is the meaning of thismasquerade?'
'Only this, that my husband will appear to have been at the same timeat the Quartier du Marais as well as the Faubourg St. Germain. I wouldadd that Monsieur would be wise to keep indoors as he is doing. Wehave found out that the house is being watched. Good-night, monsieur,'and, with a nod of her wrinkled face, this strange woman vanished.
I appeared in truth to be the sport of mystery, and it seemed as ifone of those sudden gusts of anger to which I was subject was comingon me. I controlled myself with an effort, and with a turn of myfingers tore open the packet, and in it lay my lost knot of ribbon.For a moment the room swam round me, and I became as cold as ice. Thencame the revulsion, and with trembling fingers I raised the token tomy lips and kissed it a hundred times. There were no written wordswith it; there was nothing but this little worn bow! but it told awhole story to me. It had come down to me, that ribbon that Marescotsaid was hung too high for de Breuil of Auriac; and God alone knowshow I swore to guard it, and how my heart thanked him for his goodnessto me. For ten long minutes I was in fairyland, and then I saw myselfas I was, proscribed and poor, almost in the hands of powerfulenemies, striving to fight an almost hopeless cause with nothing on myside and everything against me. Even were it otherwise, the rock ofAuriac was too bare to link with the broad lands of Pelouse andBidache, and, love her as I did, I could never hang my sword in mywife's halls. It was impossible, utterly impossible. So I was tossednow one way, now another, until my mental agony was almostinsupportable.
The next day nothing would content me but that I must repair to theRue Varenne, and, if possible, get a glimpse of Madame as she arrived.I left instructions that Palin should be asked to wait for me if hecame during my absence; for my impatience was too great to admit of mystaying in for him. I was not, however, in so great a hurry as toentirely neglect the warnings I had received, and dressed myself assimply as possible, removing the plumes from my hat, and wearing astout buff coat under my long cloak. Thus altered I might be mistakenfor a Huguenot, but hardly anyone would look for a former cavalier ofthe League in the solemnly-dressed man who was strolling to the end ofthe Malaquais. There I took a boat and went by river the shortdistance that lay between me and the jetty at the Rue de Bac. At thejetty I disembarked, and went leisurely towards the Rue Varenne. As Iwas crossing the Rue Grenelle, hard by the Logis de Conde, ahalf-dozen gentlemen came trotting by and took up the road. I stoppedto let them pass, and saw to my surprise that amongst them were my oldcomrades in arms, de Cosse-Brissac, Tavannes, and de Gie. I was aboutto wave my hand in greeting, when I recognised amongst them thesinister face of Lafin riding on the far side of me. Quick as thoughtI pretended to have dropped something, and bent down as if to searchfor it. The pace they were going at prevented anyone of them, not evenexcepting Lafin, with his hawk's eye, from recognising me; but it didnot prevent Tavannes from turning in his saddle and flinging me apiece of silver with the gibe, 'Go on all fours for that, maitreHuguenot.' I kept my head low, and made a rush for the silver, whilstthey rode off laughing, a laugh in which I jo
ined myself, though withdifferent reasons. On reaching the Rue Varenne I had no difficulty infinding the house I sought; the arms on the entrance gate gave me thisinformation; and I saw that Madame had only just arrived, and had Ibeen but a half-hour earlier I might have seen and even spoken withher. I hung about for some minutes on the chance of getting a glimpseof her, with no success; then finding that my lounging backwards andforwards outside the gates was beginning to attract attention from thewindows of a house opposite, I took myself off, feeling a littlefoolish at what I had done.
I came back the way I went, and as I walked down the Malaquais metmaster Jacques taking an airing with two companions. In one of them Irecognised Vallon, my old friend de Belin's man; the other I did notknow, though he wore the _sang-de-b[oe]uf_ livery of the Compte deBelin. Having no particular interest in lackeys I paid him no furtherattention, though, could I but have seen into the future, it wouldhave been a good deed to have killed him where he stood.
On seeing me Vallon and Jacques both stopped, and I signalled to themto cross over the road to me, as I was anxious to hear news of Belin,who was an intimate friend. This they did, and on my inquiry Valloninformed me that Belin was at his hotel in the Rue de Bourdonnais, andthe good fellow urged me to come there at once, saying that his masterwould never forgive him were he not to insist on my coming. I wastruly glad to hear Belin was in Paris. He was a tried friend, whoseassistance I could rely on in any emergency; and, telling Vallon Iwould be at the Rue de Bourdonnais shortly, I went on to my lodging,followed by Jacques, leaving Vallon to go onwards with his companion.
On coming home I found, as might be expected, that there was no signof Palin, and, after waiting for him until the dinner hour, gave himup for the present and rode off to the Two Ecus; and when my dinner, avery simple one, was finished, took my way to the Rue de Bourdonnais,this time mounted on Couronne, with Jacques, well armed, on thesorrel.
The hotel of the Compte de Belin lay at the west end of the Rue deBourdonnais, close to the small house wherein lived Madame deMontpensier of dreadful memory; and on reaching it I found that itmore than justified the description Belin had given of it to me, oneday whilst we were idling in the trenches before Dourlens. It stoodsome way back from the road, and the entrance to the courtyard wasthrough a wonderfully worked iron gateway, a counterpart, though on asmaller scale, of the one at Anet. At each corner of the squarebuilding was a hanging turret, and from the look of the windows of oneof these I guessed that my friend had taken up his quarters there.
I was met by Vallon, who said he had informed his master of my coming;and, telling a servant to hold my horse, he ushered me in, talking ofa hundred things at once. I had not gone ten steps up the greatstairway when Belin himself appeared, running down to meet me. '_CroixDieu!_' he burst out as we embraced. 'I thought you were with thesaints, and that de Rone, you and a hundred others were free from allearthly troubles.'
'Not yet, de Belin. I trust that time will be far distant.'
'Amen! But you as good as buried yourself alive, at any rate.'
'How so?'
'Vallon tells me you have been a month in Paris, and you have neveronce been to the Rue de Bourdonnais until now. You might have known,man, that this house is as much yours as mine.'
'My dear friend, there were reasons.'
He put a hand on each of my shoulders, looked at me in the face withkind eyes, and then laughed out.
'Reasons! _Pardieu!_ I can hardly make you out. You have a face ahalf-toise in length, never a plume in your hat, and a general look ofthose hard-praying and, I will say, hard-fighting gentry who gave theKing his own again.'
'How loyal you have become.'
'We were all wrong--the lot of us--and I own my mistake; but you--youhave not turned Huguenot, have you?'
'Not yet,' I smiled; 'and is Madame de Belin in Paris?'
'_Diable!_ and he made a wry face. 'Come up to my den, and I'll tellyou everything. Vallon, you grinning ape, fetch a flask of our oldChambertin--I will show M. le Chevalier up myself.'
And linking me by the arm, he led me up the stairway, and along anoble corridor hung on each side with the richest tapestry, until wereached a carved door that opened into the rooms in the turret.
'Here we are,' Belin said, as we entered. 'I find that when Madame isaway these rooms are enough for me. _Tiens!_ How a woman's presencecan fill a house. Sit down there! And here comes Vallon. Set the winedown there, Vallon, and leave us.'
He poured out a full measure for me, then one for himself, andstretched himself out in an armchair, facing me. I always liked theman, with his gay cynicism--if I may use the phrase--his kind heartand his reckless life; and I knew enough to tell that if Madame laComptesse had been a little more forbearing she might have moulded herhusband as she willed.
'Belin,' I said,' I am so old a friend, I know you will forgive me forasking why, if you miss Madame's presence, you do not have her here?'
'Oh, she has got one of her fits, and has gone to grow pears at Belin.It was all through that fool Vallon.'
'Vallon!'
'Yes. Bassompierre, de Vitry, myself, and one or two others, hadarranged a little supper, with cards to follow, at More's. You don'tknow More's, but I'll take you there. Well, to continue: I had gonethrough about three weeks of my own fireside before this arrangementwas made, and longed to stretch my legs a little. To tell Sophie wouldonly cause a discussion. It is as much as I can do to get her to theLouvre accompanied by myself. So when the evening arrived I pleadedurgent business over my steward's accounts, and, giving orders that Iwas not to be disturbed under any circumstances, came here to mystudy, a duplicate key to the door of which Sophie keeps. I put Vallonin that chair there before the writing-table, after having made himthrow on my _robe-de-chambre_, and gave him instructions to wave hishand in token that he was not to be disturbed if Madame la Comptessecame in, and, after thoroughly drilling the rascal, vanished by theprivate stair--the entrance to that is just behind my wife's portraitthere.'
'And then?'
'Well, we had as pleasant an evening as might be expected. I won fivehundred pistoles and came home straight to my study, and on enteringit imagine my feelings on seeing Sophie there--and you can guess therest.'
'Poor devil,' I laughed, 'so your little plan failed utterly.'
'Vallon failed utterly. It appears that Sophie came up about ten, and,being waved off, went away. She returned, however, about an hour laterto find Monsieur Vallon, who had got tired of his position, asleepwith his mouth open in the chair in which you are sitting. She refusedto believe it was only a card party--though I said I would call theMarshal and de Vitry to witness--burst into tears, and in fine, myfriend, I had a bad quarter of an hour, and Sophie has gone off toBelin.'
'And the pistoles?' I asked slily.
He looked at me, and we both laughed.
'She took them,' he answered.
'Belin,' I said after a moment, 'will you ever change?'
'_Ventre St. Gris!_ As the King swears. Why should I? After all,Sophie will come round again. I really am very happy. I have manythings to be thankful for. I can always help a friend----'
'I know that,' I interrupted, 'and I want your help.'
'How much is it? Or is it a second?'
'Neither, thanks. Though in either case I would come to you withouthesitation. The fact is--' and I explained to him my difficulty inproviding for Marie, without, however, going into other matters, orgiving him any account of my troubles.
When I ended, Belin said. 'What you want, then, is a trustworthyfellow.'
'At least that is what Jacques wants. I can get on well enough.'
'_Morbleu!_ It is more than I could; but, as it happens, I have thevery thing for you. Pull that bell-rope behind you, will you? andoblige a lazy man.'
I did so, and in a minute or so Vallon appeared, wiping his mouthsuspiciously with the back of his hand.
'Vallon,' said de Belin, 'does Ravaillac continue to worksatisfactorily?'
'As
ever, monsieur le compte.'
'Well, I am going to lend him to the Chevalier, who has need of hisservices.'
'Monsieur.'
'Send him up here, and Bisson, too.'
Vallon bowed and vanished, as I said,
'I do not know how to thank you, Belin.'
'_Pouf!_ A mere bagatelle. I thought we were going to have a littleamusement in the gardens of the Tuileries. I know of a perfect spotfor a meeting--_ca_! _ca!_' and he lunged twice in quarte at animaginary adversary. As he came back from the second thrust, he said,'By the way, I must tell you--but here they are,' and Ravaillac camein, followed by Jacques, Vallon bringing up the rear.
As they entered I recognised in Ravaillac the man who was with Jacquesand Vallon on the Malaquais, and Belin, turning to Jacques, saidquietly: 'Bisson, I am going to lend Ravaillac here to your master, totake your place whilst you go away to Ezy. I pledge you my word thathe is a good sword.'
'True enough, monsieur le compte; we were amusing ourselves with apass or two below, and he touched me twice to my once, and, as yourlordship answers for him, I am content.'
'That is well, most excellent Bisson! Ravaillac, you understand? Hereis the Chevalier d'Auriac, your new master, who will remain such untilhe sends you back to me.'
Ravaillac bowed without reply. He was quite young, barely twenty, andvery tall and thin; yet there was great breadth of shoulder, and Inoticed that he had the framework of a powerful man: his appearancewas much beyond that of his class, but there was a sullen ferocity inhis pale face--the eyes were set too close together, and the mouth toolarge and straightly cut to please me. Nevertheless, I was practicallybound to accept Belin's recommendation, and after a few orders weregiven, the men were dismissed.
'What was I about to say before these men came in?' asked Belin.
'I'm afraid I cannot help.'
'Of course not--oh, yes! I recollect. I was about to tell you how Igot Ravaillac's service. I lay you five crowns to a tester you wouldnever guess.'
'You have already told me with your wager. You must have won him.'
'Exactly. You've hit it, and it was in this way. About three monthsago I was returning to Paris attended but by Vallon, and with only asmall sum with me. At an inn at Neuilly I met an acquaintance, a Barond'Ayen, one of the last of the _mignons_, and a confirmed gambler.'
'I know him,' I said, my heart beginning to beat faster at the verythought of d'Ayen.
'Then it makes the story more interesting. We dined together, and thenhad a turn at the dice, with the result that d'Ayen won every ecu thatI had.
'"It would be a pity to stop now," he said, as I rose, declaringmyself broken. "Suppose we play for your horse, compte?'"
'"No, thanks," I replied; "luck is against me, and I have no mind tofoot it to my hotel. But I'll tell you what, I have rather taken afancy to your man, since I once saw him handle a rapier. I'll layVallon against him; what do you call him?"
'"Ravaillac. He is of Anjouleme, and has been a Flagellant. Will hesuit you?"
'"I shall have to find that out. Do you accept the stakes?"
'"_Mon ami_, I would play for my soul in this cursed inn."
'"Very well, then--throw."
'The upshot of it was that I won, and from that moment the blindgoddess smiled on me, and after another hour's play I left d'Ayen withnothing but the clothes he stood in. What he regretted most was theloss of his valise, in which lay some cosmetiques he valued beyondprice: he got them from Coiffier. I earned his undying friendship bygiving him back his valise, lent him his horse, which I had won, andcame off with fifty pistoles and a new man. Of course, you know thatd'Ayen has fallen on his feet?'
'I do not.'
'I'll tell you. Where the devil have you been burying yourself allthese months? You must know that the King is looking forward foranother Liancourt for a lady whom he destines for a very high place,and d'Ayen is to be the happy man. It is an honour he fullyappreciates, and he has been kind enough to ask me to stand as one ofhis sponsors at the wedding, which by the King's orders comes off in afortnight.'
'And you have promised?'
'Yes, it was a little amusement. They say, however, that Madame isfurious, and that her temper is worse than that of Mademoiselled'Entragues--who, by the way, literally flung herself at the King,without avail. Her time will come soon enough, no doubt--but, goodgracious, man! what is the matter? You are white as a sheet.'
'It is nothing, Belin--yes, it is more than I can bear. Belin, oldfriend, is there nothing that can save this lady?'
He looked at me and whistled low to himself. 'Sets the wind that way?I did not know you had even heard of the lily of Bidache. Are you hardhit, d'Auriac?' And he rose from his seat and put a kind hand on myshoulder.
I jumped up furiously. 'Belin, I tell you I will stop this infamy if Idie for it! I swear before God that I will kill that man, king thoughhe be, like a mad dog----'
'Be still,' he said. 'What bee has stung you? You and I, d'Auriac,come of houses too old to play the assassin. _Croix Dieu_, man! Willyou sully your shield with murder? There, drink that wine and sit downagain. That's right. You do not know what you say. I have foughtagainst the King, and I serve him now, and I tell you, d'Auriac, he isthe greatest of Frenchmen. And there is yet hope. Remember, afortnight is a fortnight.'
I ground my teeth in silent agony.
'Wait a moment,' he continued; 'a chamberlain of the court knows mostof its secrets, and I can tell you that it is not such plain sailingas you think for d'Ayen. The death of that unhappy Gabrielle hasaffected the King much. He is but now beginning to recover, and Biron,who was hurrying to his government of Burgundy, has been ordered toremain in close attendance on the King. Whether Biron knew of theKing's intentions or not, I do not know; but he has strongly urged thesuit of one of his gentlemen for the hand of Madame--it is that_croquemort_ de Gomeron, with all his faults a stout soldier. It issaid that the Marshal has even pressed de Gomeron's suit with Madame,and that rather than marry d'Ayen, and clinging to any chance forescape, she has agreed to fall in with his views. This I heard fromthe Vidame and the Chevalier de Lafin--good enough authority.'
'One alternative is as bad as the other.'
'There is no satisfying some people. Why, man! don't you see it wouldbe the best thing in the world for you if it was settled in favour ofour friend from the Camargue.'
'That low-born scoundrel?'
'_Mon ami_, we don't know anything about that. Give the devil his due;he is a better man than d'Ayen. I know there is ill blood between you,and wonder that some has not been spilt before now.'
'There will be, by God! before this is ended!'
'_Tenez!_ Let but the King agree to de Gomeron's suit--and he is hardpressed, I tell you, for Sully even is on Biron's side in this matter,and after that----'
'What?'
'Henry's mind will have turned another way. There are many who wouldlike to play queen, and few like Mesdames de Guercheville andBidache.'
'But in any case, Belin, I lose the game.'
'You have become very clever in your retreat, my friend. You win yourgame if de Gomeron is accepted; and then----'
'And then, my wise adviser?'
'She need not marry the Camarguer. You can run him through under thelimes in the Tuileries, wed Madame, and grow cabbages at Auriac everafter. _Pouf!_ The matter is simple!'
Miserable as I was, I fairly laughed out at Belin's plot.Nevertheless, the hopefulness of the man, his cheery tone and happyspirit, had their effect upon me, and if it turned out that the Kingwas wavering, there was more than a straw of hope floating down-streamto me. My courage grew also when I put together Sully's words withBelin's news that Biron was detained by the side of the King. Itsurely meant that this was done to prevent the Marshal doing mischiefelsewhere. If so, I was nevertheless on the horns of a dilemma, for bytelling of the plot I would, if my story were believed, make mattershopeless, and advance d'Ayen's cause, to the misery of the woman Iloved.
On the o
ther hand, by keeping silent I was in an equally hardposition. My pledge to Sully prevented me from taking Belin fully intomy confidence, and, hardly knowing what I was doing, I poured myselfout another full goblet of the Chambertin, and drained it at adraught.
'Excellent,' said Belin. 'There is nothing like Burgundy to steady themind; in another moment you will be yourself again, and think as I doin this matter. Courage, man! Pick your heart up! A fortnight is adevil of a long time, and----'
'Monsieur le Baron d'Ayen,' and Vallon threw open the door, and at itsentrance stood the coldblooded instrument of the King. He looked olderand more shrivelled than ever, but the paint was bright upon hischeeks, his satin surcoat and puffed breeches were fresh from thetailor's, and his hat, which he carried in his left hand, was plumedwith three long crimson marabout feathers, held in a jewelled clasp.
'My dear de Belin,' he said, bowing low, 'I trust my visit is notinopportune? I had no idea you were engaged.'
'Never more welcome, baron. I think Monsieur le Chevalier is known toyou; sit down and help yourself to the Chambertin.'
D'Ayen bowed slightly to me, but I took no notice, and rose to depart.
'I will say good day, Belin, and many thanks for what you have done.'
'Do not retire on my account, monsieur le chevalier,' said d'Ayen inhis mocking voice. 'I come to give news to my friend here, which willdoubtless interest you. The fact is, his Majesty insists on mymarriage taking place as soon as possible, and has given instructionsfor the chapel in the Louvre to be prepared for the ceremony. Youstill hold good to your promise of being one of my sponsors, deBelin?'
'If the wedding comes off--certainly.'
'Ha! ha! If it comes off! I would ask you too, monsieur,' and heturned to me, 'but I know you have pressing business elsewhere.'
'Whatever my business may be, monsieur, there is one thing I mustattend to first, and I must request the pleasure of your company todiscuss it.'
'Ah!' he said, stroking the marabout feathers in his hat, 'thatdifference of opinion we had about the woods of Bidache, eh? I seefrom your face it is so. I had almost forgotten it.'
'Monsieur's memory is convenient.'
He bowed with a grin; 'I am old, but shall take care not to forgetthis time----'
'Come, gentlemen,' and Belin interposed, 'the day is too young tobegin to quarrel, and if this must come to a meeting allow yourseconds to arrange the time and place. One moment, baron,' and takingme by the arm he led me to the door. '_Malheureux!_' he whispered,'will you upset the kettle! See me to-morrow, and adieu!' He pressedmy hand and I went out, preceded by Vallon, who must have caughtBelin's words, but whose face was as impassive as stone.