The Chevalier d'Auriac

  CHAPTER XVII

  MAITRE PANTIN SELLS CABBAGES

  At last, just as my patience was worn to its last shred, I saw theglaze in the window begin to whiten, and almost immediately afterheard footsteps on the landing. This was enough for me, and, unable tobe still longer, I sprang out of bed and hastened to open the doormyself. It admitted Jacques, and a figure in whom I should never haverecognised the notary had I not known that it could be no other thanPantin. Jacques bore a tray loaded with refreshments, and Pantin helda lantern, for it was still dark, in one hand, and something thatlooked like the folds of a long cloak hung in the loop of his arm. Thenoise of their entrance awoke de Belin. With a muttered exclamation Idid not catch, he roused himself, and, the candles being lit, weproceeded to make a hasty toilet. As I drew on my boots I saw theywere yet wet and muddy, and was about to rate Jacques when Pantinanticipated, 'I told him to let them be so, monsieur,--you have a partto play; put this over your left eye.' And with these words he handedme a huge patch. Then, in place of my own hat, I found I had to wear afrayed cap of a dark sage-green velvet, with a scarecrow-looking whitefeather sticking from it. Lastly, Pantin flung over my shoulders along cloak of the same colour as the cap, and seemingly as old. Itfell almost down to my heels, and was fastened at the throat by a pairof leather straps in lieu of a clasp.

  'Faith!' exclaimed the Vicompte, as he stood a little to one side andsurveyed me, 'if you play up to your dress you are more likely toadorn, than raise the gallows Jacques spoke of.'

  But I cut short his gibing with an impatient command to Pantin tostart. The little man, however, demurred--

  'You must eat something first, monsieur--not a step will I budge tillyou have done that.'

  I forced myself to swallow a little, during which time our plans ofovernight were hastily run over; Palin, who had joined us, declared hewould go to the Princess Catherine, and seek her aid. We knew that wasuseless, but not desiring to thwart the old man let him have his will.It was decided, however, in case I had anything to communicate, that Ishould hasten to the Rue de Bourdonnais, and that in the meantime theVicompte would see the Master-General at once and try what could bedone. This being settled, and having ordered Jacques, who protestedloudly, to stay behind, Pantin and I started off on our search for theToison d'Or.

  As he closed the entrance door behind him carefully, and Jacquesturned the key, I looked up and down the Rue des Deux Mondes, butthere was not a soul stirring.

  ''Tis the cold hour, monsieur,' said Pantin, shivering as he drew theremnant of a cloak he wore closer over his shoulders, 'and we are safefrom all eyes,' and then I noticed for the first time that his feetwere bare, and that he carried a pair of old shoes in one hand and anempty basket in the other.

  'But you are not going like that, man!' I said; 'you will catch afever.'

  'We are going to the Faubourg St. Martin, monsieur, and there is nodanger of the plague now.'

  Though I could not but feel more than grateful for the way in whichthe good fellow was labouring for me, I said nothing, but followed himas he entered the mist that rose from the river and clung heavily toits banks.

  It was, as Pantin had said, the cold hour, and all Paris was asleep.Above us the sky still swarmed with stars, though a pale band of lightwas girdling the horizon. Here and there in the heaving mist on theriver we saw the feeble glimmer of a lanthorn that had survivedthrough the night and still served to mark the spot where a boat wasmoored. All around us the outlines of the city rose in a brownsilhouette; but the golden cross on the spire of Notre Dame hadalready caught the dawn and blazed like a beacon against the grey ofthe sky overhead.

  As the Pont au Change was the latest of the bridges to close, it wasthe earliest to open; but when we came there we had to cool our heelsfor half an hour or so before we could pass through; and by that timethe city was already beginning to awake. I could not repress a slightshudder as we passed the dreary walls of the Chatelet, just as theguard was being changed at the gate, and thought by how lucky a chanceI had escaped being a guest of M. de Breze.

  Once past the Chatelet we pushed on briskly, and by the time we hadreached St. Jacques we were warm enough, despite the chillness of themorning. At a stall near the church, and hard by the Pont Notre Dame,Pantin purchased a quantity of vegetables, bidding me to keep a littleahead of him in future and guide him in this manner as far as I knew.Whilst he was filling his basket I turned up the Rue St. Martin,wondering what the notary's object could be in transforming himselfinto a street hawker. I went slowly, stopping every now and again tosee if Pantin was following, and observed that he kept on the side ofthe road opposite to me, and ever and again kept calling out his waresin a monotonous sing-song tone. Thus far and for a space further Iknew the road, and, observing that Pantin was able to keep me well inview, increased my pace until at last we came to the cross street nearwhich I had met the jealous Mangel and his wife. Up the cross street Iturned without hesitation, now almost facing the tall spire that hadbeen my landmark, and I began to think I would be able to trace my wayto the Toison d'Or without difficulty when I suddenly came to astandstill and faltered. For here there were half a dozen lanes thatran this way and that, and for the life of me I could not tell whichwas the one I had taken but a few hours before, so different did theylook now to what they had appeared by moonlight. As I halted in adoubting manner Pantin hurried up, and, there being one or two nearme, began to urge me to buy his cabbages. I made a pretence of puttinghim off, and then, the strangers having passed, I explained I had lostmy bearings. 'I see a wine shop open across the road, chevalier--go inand call for a flask and await me,' he answered rapidly.

  I nodded, and bidding him begone in a loud tone, swaggered acrossthe street, and entering the den--it could be called by no othername--shouted for a litre of Beaugency, and flung myself down on arough stool with a clatter of my sword and a great showing of thepistol butts that stuck out from my belt.

  The cabaret had just opened, but early as I was I was not the firstcustomer, for a man was sitting half-asleep and half-drunk on one ofthe foul-looking benches, and as I called for my wine, he rose up,muttering, 'Beaugency! He wants Beaugency--there is none here,' hewent on in a maudlin manner, turning to me. 'At the Toison d'Or----'

  I almost started at the words; but the landlord, whose face appearedfrom behind a cask at my shout, and whose countenance now showed theutmost anger at his old client's speech, suddenly seized him by theneck and hustled him from the room--'The drunken knave!' he said witha great oath, 'to say that I kept no Beaugency--here, captain,' and hehanded me a litre, with a much-stained glass, 'here is Beaugency thatcomes from More's own cellars,' and he looked knowingly at me.

  Not wishing to hold converse with the fellow, I filled the glass, andthen, flinging him a crown, bade him drink the rest of the bottle forgood luck. The scoundrel drank it there and then, and as soon as hehad done so returned to the charge.

  'It is good wine--eh, captain?'

  'It is,' I answered drily; but he was not to be denied.

  'Monsieur is out early, I see.'

  'Monsieur is out late, you mean,' I made answer, playing my part, andlonging for Pantin to return.

  'Ho! ho!' he roared; 'a good joke--captain, I do not know you, buttell me your name, and, curse me, if I do not drink your health inArbois the day you ride to Montfaucon.'

  'You will know my name soon enough,' I answered, humouring the fellow,'and I promise to send you the Arbois the day I ride there. I may tellyou that it was to the Toison d'Or I was recommended by my friends;but your Beaugency and your company are so good _compere_ that I shallmake this my house of call during my stay in the Faubourg St. Martin.'

  'Damn the Toison d'Or,' he exclaimed, 'and you are a good fellow. Letme warn you in turn that the Toison d'Or is no longer safe.'

  'What do you mean?' I asked, leaning forwards.

  'For you, and for me, monsieur.'

  'Ah--my luck is good as your wine,' and
at that moment I caught sightof Pantin. 'There is another crown to drink to our friendship, andmind you keep as good a flask for me against my return at noon--_aurevoir!_ I have a business at my lodging.'

  The wretch overwhelmed me with thanks and stood at the door watchingme as I crossed over the street, with a warning glance to Pantin, andstrolled slowly onwards. A little further on I turned to my left,keeping well in the middle of the road to avoid the filth and refusethrown carelessly on each side, and as I turned I saw that my man hadgone in. I was certain of one thing, that the Toison d'Or was not faroff, and whilst I picked my way slowly along Pantin came up to me withhis sing-song whine.

  'Have you found it?' I asked in a low tone.

  'No,' he sang out.

  At this moment a figure rose up from the steps of a house where I hadnoticed it crouching, a few feet from me, and swung forwards.

  'Hola! 'Tis Monsieur le Capitaine! Has your excellency tasted theBeaugency--the dog-poison. I tell your excellency there is but onehouse in the Faubourg where they sell it--the Toison d'Or.'

  'Go and drink some there, then,' and I tossed him a piece of silver.

  He picked it up from the road where it had fallen like a dog snatchingat a bone, and then stood surveying the coin, which he held in theopen palm of his hand.

  '_You_ might,' he said; 'they would not serve me,' and then with adrunken familiarity he came close to my elbow. 'I'll show you theToison d'Or. It is there--the second turn to the left and thenstraight before you. As for me, I go back to taste Grigot'sBeaugency--his dog-poison,' he repeated with the spiteful insistenceof a man in his cups.

  'The fool in his folly speaketh wisdom!' Pantin muttered under hisbreath, and then the man, staggering from me, attempted to go backwhence he had been flung, but either the morning air was too strongfor him, or else he was taken with a seizure of some kind, for ere hehad gone ten paces he fell forwards on his face, and lay there in theslime of the street.

  At any other time I would have stopped to assist the man, but now Icould only look upon his condition as a direct interposition ofProvidence and I let him lay where he had fallen.

  'Come, Pantin,' I cried, 'we have found the spot.'

  Following the directions given by our guide we found he had notdeceived us, and in a few minutes I was standing at the entrance ofthe blind passage, at one end of which was the Toison d'Or.

  The wasps' nest was not yet awake, but as I stood for a momentdiscussing with Pantin what we should do next, a couple of men wellmuffled in cloaks passed down the lane on the opposite side, and itwas all I could do to preserve an expression of unconcern on my face,for in one of the two I recognised Lafin. He, too, stooped for amoment, as if to fasten a point that had come undone, and, whilstdoing so, fixed his eyes full on me. I met his gaze as one might lookat a perfect stranger, but seeing he continued it, put my hand to thehilt of my sword with a scowl. The doubt on his face cleared on theinstant to a look of relief, and I saw his thin lips curve into aslight smile of contempt as he rose and walked quietly after hiscompanion. That swaggering movement of my hand to my sword-hilt hadconvinced him that I was one of the swashbucklers of the Faubourg St.Martin, and as such unworthy even of the contempt of the heir of theVidame.

  'Who is it?' asked Pantin, who had been observing me closely.

  'Lafin.'

  'Are you sure, monsieur?'

  I nodded, and he went on, 'Then, monsieur, if I mistake not, M. leVicompte is right, and we hunt the boar as well as the wolf. I willgive word of this at the Arsenal before three hours are over.'

  We then went slowly towards the Toison d'Or in the same order on whichwe had come up the Rue St. Martin, my heart full of strange misgivingsat Lafin's presence in the street. The sun had already whitened thegables of the houses, but so narrow was the passage that it seemed asif it must always be in shadow. There were a few people stirring--oneor two street urchins, who flung gibes at Pantin, but gave me a wideberth; half a dozen women, in whose faces sin and want had set theirseals, and a man or two of the worst class. Beyond the high, dead wallwhich closed in the passage I could now see the tops of some trees,and judged from this that we were almost upon the walls of Paris, andin this, as it turned out, I was right. At last I came opposite theToison d'Or. The gate leading into the little court was shut, and sowas every window facing the street. The signboard was swinging sadlyover the closed door, and at the first glance it looked as if thehouse was deserted. For a moment the thought struck me to knock boldlyat the door, and when it was opened to force my way in and trust toluck for the rest, but I was cooled on the instant when I thought whatfailure meant. I would trust as little to chance as possible. I passedslowly on, and found that the Toison d'Or joined on to another, butmuch smaller, house which had its bound set to it by the wall thatcrossed the street. The sash of a window on the top story of thishouse was up, and as I came up to it the front door swung open and aman stood on the steps and looked me full in the face. As my glancepassed him, I saw that the door opened into a room that was usedapparently as a shop for all kinds of miscellaneous articles, and theman himself would have stood well for the picture of a thieves' fence,which, indeed, he was.

  'A good morning, captain,' he said. 'Will you buy--or have you come tosell?' he asked, dropping his voice.

  As he spoke, Pantin came up and began to importune the man from a safedistance to purchase his wares, but beyond a curse had no furtherattention paid to him, and with a disappointed air he went slowly backtowards the Toison d'Or. It flashed upon me that something had fallenmy way. 'I have come to buy _compere_,' I answered, and, stepping intothe shop, began to examine a few cast-off doublets, and flung themaside, demanding one on which the gold lace was good. A woman joinedthe man at this time, and whilst they were rummaging amongst theirstores I hastily ran over in my mind the plan I had formed. If I couldget a lodging here I would be in a position to watch who came and wentfrom the house and strike my blow with deliberation and certainty. Soat last when the doublet was shown to me, though the price wasexorbitant I paid it without demur, and on the man asking if it shouldbe sent to my lodging, I pretended to hesitate for a moment, and thenexplaining that as I had just come to Paris, and was in search of alodging, I would take the doublet with me.

  'Monsieur must have scaled the city walls last night, then?' the mansaid with a sly look.

  'Exactly,' I answered.

  The woman, however, here cut in and explained that if it was a lodgingI needed they could accommodate me.

  'All the more if you buy as well as you do now, captain,' said theman.

  'I will sell you as cheap as you want besides,' I answered, 'but letme see the rooms.'

  'There is but one room, monsieur,' answered the woman, 'but it islarge and furnished,' and then she led me up the stairway. The roomwas certainly large beyond the ordinary, but I was disappointed beyondmeasure at finding that it was at the back of the house and wouldprevent me from watching who came in and out of the Toison d'Or. Iobjected to the situation, saying that I wanted a room overlooking thestreet.

  'There is none,' she answered shortly, 'but if monsieur desires tolook on the street he may do so from the window at the end of thispassage.'

  She pointed to a narrow passage that led from the door of the room toa small hanging turret, and from the arched windows of this I saw thatI could see all I wanted without being seen myself. The woman seemedto be of the same kidney as her husband, and drove a close bargain,and after much pretended haggling I closed with her terms, andarranged also for her to bring me my meals, explaining that for thenext week or so I would stay indoors as my health was not good.

  'I understand, monsieur,' she said, showing her teeth.

  'Then it is settled, and I will step down and bring up the doubletwhich I left in the shop.' With these words I counted out the rent andthe money for my board, coin by coin, into her hand, as if each pieceI disgorged was my last, and then stepping down, found, as I expected,Pantin at the door.

  The man was for ordering him aw
ay, but his wife insisted on making apurchase, in which I joined, and the fence going upstairs at thattime, we three were left together. It was all important to get rid ofthe woman for a moment or so, and Pantin, seeing this, sold his wholebasket load at a price so small that it raised even her astonishment.

  'I have sold it for luck,' he said, 'but if madame wishes, I will sellher daily at the same rate.'

  'Could you bring me fruit at the same price?' I asked.

  'Why not?' he answered.

  'Then bring me some to-morrow.'

  'Certainly, captain. Where shall I put these, madame?'

  But she bore them away herself, and this gave me the opportunity.

  'Pantin,' I said, 'I have taken a room here--you understand?'

  'And I,' he answered, 'have sold a cabbage to Babette. If you hearnothing more, meet me at dusk in the square behind St. Martin's.'

  There was no time to say more, for we heard the fence coming back.Pantin went off down the street, and I, after a word or two with theman, and an order to his wife regarding my meals, went slowly up to myroom.