Joseph Balsamo (23 page)
” Why, faith, madame,” replied the postilion, endeavoring to discover the body amid the cloud of dust which the horses’ feet had raised, “I am almost afraid we have.”
” Poor creature poor boy ! Do not move a step further ;” and opening the door of the carriage herself, she sprung out.
The postilion had already alighted, and dragging Gilbert’s body from between the wheels, he expected to find it bruised and bloody. The lady assisted him with all her force.
” What an escape!” he cried, “not a scratch not a kick ! “
” But he has fainted,” said the lady.
” Only from fear. Let us place him against the bank ; and since madame is in haste, let us go on.”
” Impossible. I would not leave any creature in such a state.”
” Pooh ! it is nothing, madame ; he will soon recover. “
” No, no ; poor fellow ! he is some runaway lad from
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college, and has undertaken a journey beyond his strength. See how pale he is ; he might die. No, I will not leave him. Lift him into the carriage, on the front seat.”
The postilion obeyed ; the lady got in. Gilbert was laid lengthwise on a good cushion, his head supported by the well-stuffed side of the carriage.
” And now,” cried the lady, ” we have lost ten minutes a crown if you make up for them.”
The postilion cracked his whip above his head ; the horses knew what this threatened, and set off at a gallop.
CHAPTER XX.
GILBERT RECOVERS THE LOSS OF HIS CROWN.
WHEN” Gilbert returned to consciousness, heAvasinno small degree surprised to find himself placed as he was, with a young lady watching him anxiously.
This young lady was about five-and-twenty, with large gray eyes, a nose slightly retrousse, cheeks imbrowned by a southern sun, and a delicately formed, little mouth, which added to the naturally cheerful and laughing expression of her face something of circumspection and finesse. Her neck and arms, which were beautifully formed, were displayed to advantage by a closely fitting bodice of violet-colored velvet with golden buttons, while the skirt of her dress of gray silk was so enormously wide as to fill almost the entire carriage.
Gilbert continued for some time to gaze on this face, which looked on his smilingly and with much interest, and he could scarcely persuade himself that he was not in a dream.
” Well, my poor fellow,” said the lady, ” are you not better now ? “
” Where am I ? ” asked he, languidly.
” You are in safety now, my little fellow,” replied the lady, who spoke with a strong southern accent ; ” but just now you were in great danger of being crushed under the
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wheels of my carriage. What could have happened to you, to make you fall in that manner, just in the middle of the highway ?”
” I was overcome by weakness, madame, from having walked too much.”
” Then you have been some time on the road ?”
” Since yesterday, at four in the afternoon.”
” And how far have you walked ? “
” I think about eighteen leagues.”
” What, in .fourteen hours ? “
“Oh, Iran all the way.”
” Where are you going, then ?”
” To Versailles.”
” And you came from ? “
” From Taverney.”
” Taverney ? Where is that ? “
” It is a chateau, situated between Pierrefitte and Bar-le- Duc.”
” But you have scarcely had time to eat on the way ? “
” I not only had not time, but I had not the means.”
” How so ? “
” I lost my money on the way.”
” So that since yesterday you have eaten nothing ?”
” Only a few mouthfuls of bread, which I brought with me.”
” Poor fellow ! But why did you not beg something ?”
” Because I am proud, madame,” said he, smiling scornfully.
” Proud ! It is all very fine to be proud,but when one is dying of hunger “
” Better death than dishonor.”
The lady looked at the sententious speaker with something like admiration.
” But who are you, my friend,” said she, ” who speak in this style ? “
” I am an orphan.”
” What is your name ? “
” Gilbert.”
” Gilbert what ?”
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” Gilbert nothing.”
” Ha ! ” said the lady, still more surprised.
Gilbert saw that he had produced an effect, and felt as if he were another Rousseau.
” You are very young to wander about in this way,” continued the lady.
” I was left deserted and alone, in an old chateau, which the family had abandoned. I did as they had done I abandoned it in my-. turn.”
“Without any object in view ?”
” The world is wide ; there is room for all.”
” And you lost your purse ? Was it well filled ? “
” There was only one crown in it,” said he, divided between the shame of confessing his poverty and the fear of naming a large sum, which might have excited the suspicion that it had not been fairly obtained.
“One crown for such a journey! Why, it would scarcely have been sufficient to purchase bread for two days ; and the distance ! good heavens ! from Bar-le-Duc to Paris is nearly sixty-five leagues ! “
” I never counted the leagues, madame ; I only said, I must get to Paris.”
” And, thereupon, you set out, my poor simpleton?”
“Oh, I have good legs.”
” Good as they are, they failed, you see. “
” Oh, it was not my legs it was hope which failed me.”
” Why, indeed, you looked before you fell as if in great despair.”
Gilbert smiled bitterly.
” What was passing in your mind ? You struck your forehead with your clinched hand, and tore out your hair by handfuls.” ‘
” Indeed, madame ? ” asked Gilbert, rather embarrassed.
” Oh, I am certain of it ; and it was that which, I think, prevented you hearing or seeing the carriage.”
Gilbert’s instinct told him that he might increase his consequence, and still more awaken the interest of the lady, by telling the whole truth.
” I was, indeed, in despair,” said he.
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” And about what? ” said the lady.
” Because I could not keep up with a carriage which I was following.”
” Indeed ‘ said the young lady, smiling ; ” this is quite a romance. Is there love in the case ? “
All Gilbert’s resolution could not prevent him from blushing.
” And what carriage was it, my little Koman ? “
” A carriage in the train of the dauphiness.”
” What do you tell me ? Is the dauphiness before us ?”
” She is, indeed.”
” I thought her scarcely yet at Nancy. Are no honors paid her on the way, that she advances so rapidly ? “
” Oh, yes, madame ; but her royal highness seems to have some reason for being in haste.”
” In haste. Who told you so ? “
” I guessed it.”
” On what grounds ?”
” Why, she said at first she would stay two or three hours at Taverney, and she only stayed three quarters of an hour.”
” Do you know if she received any letters from Paris ? “
‘ ‘ I saw a gentleman in a dress covered with embroidery, who had one in his hand as he entered ? “
” Did you hear his name mentioned ?”
” No ; I merely know that he is the governor of Strasbourg.”
” What ! the Count cle Stainville, brother-in-law to the Duke de Choiseul ? Horrible ! Faster, po.itilion, faster ! “
A vigorous lash was the reply, and Gilbert felt the speed of the carriage increase.
” But she must stop to breakfast ‘ said the lady, as if speaking to herself, “and then we shall pass her. Postilion, what is the next town ? “
“Vitry, madame.”
” How far are we from it ? “
” Three leagues.”
” Where shall we change horses ?”
“At Vauclere.”
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” Well, drive on, and if you see a train of carriages on the road before us, let me know.”
While the lady was exchanging these words with the postilion, Gilbert had again nearly fainted. When she once more turned toward him, he was pale, and his eyes were closed.
” Poor child ! ” said she, ” he is fainting again. It is my fault : I made him talk when he was dying of hunger, instead of giving him something to eat.”
She took from the pocket of the carriage a richly carved flask, with a little silver goblet hanging round its neck by a chain, and poured out some of the contents for Gilbert. On this occasion he did not require to be asked twice.
” Now,” said the lady, ” eat a biscuit ; in an hour or so you shall breakfast more solidly.”
” Thank you, madame,” said Gilbert, gladly taking the biscuit as he had done the wine.
” As you have now recovered a little strength,” said she, ” tell me, if you are disposed to make a confidante of me, what induced you to follow a carriage in the train of the dauphiness ? “
” Well, madame, you shall hear the truth. I was living with the Baron de Taverney when her royal highness came. She commanded him to follow her to Paris he obeyed. I was an orphan, and, consequently, nobody thought of me they left me there, without food and without money ; so I resolved, since everybody was going to Versailles, with the assistance of good horses and fine coaches, I, with the assistance of only my legs, would go to Versailles, and as soon as the horses. But fate was against me if I had not lost my money, I should have had something to eat last night, and if I had eaten last night, I should have overtaken them this morning.”
” Very well. You showed courage, and I like that ; but you forgot that at Versailles people cannot live on courage alone.”
” I shall go to Paris.”
” But iii that respect Paris resembles Versailles exceedingly.”
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e ‘ If courage will not support me, labor will.”
” A good answer, my little fellow ; but what sort of labor ? Your hands do not seem those of a workman or porter ‘
“I shall study.”
” I think you seem to know a great deal already.”
‘ ‘ Yes ; for I know that I kriow .nothing ‘ replied Gilbert, remembering the aphorism of Socrates.
” And may I ask, my young friend, what branch of study you would choose ? “
“I think, madame, that the best is that which teaches man to be most useful to his fellows. Besides, man is so frail a being, that he should learn the cause of his weakness, in order that he may know his strength. I should like to know some day why my stomach prevented my legs from carrying me any further this morning, and if it was not that weakness of my stomach which summoned up the phantoms which distressed my brain.”
“Keally, you would make an excellent physician, and you speak already most learnedly on the science of medicine. In ten years you shall have me for a patient.”
” I shall try to deserve that honor, madame.”
They had now reached the place where they were to change horses. The young lady asked for information respecting the dauphiness, and found that she had passed through that place a quarter of an hour before ; .she intended to stop at Vitry to change horses and to breakfast.
A fresh postilion took the place of the former one. The lady allowed him to leave the village at the usual speed ; but when they had got a little beyond the last house :
” Postilion,” said she, ” will you undertake to come up with the carriages of the dauphiness ? “
” Certainly, madame.”
” Before they reach Vitry ? “
” Diable ! they are going full trot.” ‘Yes ; but if you were to go at a gallop ?”
Ihe postilion looked at her.
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” Treble pay,” said she.
” If you had said so at first,” replied he, “we shonld have been a quarter of a league further by this time.”
“Well, here is a crown on account make up for lost time.”
The postilion’s arm was stretched back, the lady’s forward, and their hands met. The horses received a sharp lash, and the carriage started off like the wind.
During the change of horses, Gilbert had alighted and washed his face and hands at a fountain, had smoothed down his hair, which was very thick, and had altogether improved his appearance very much.
” In truth,” said the lady to herself, ” he is handsome enough for a physician ; ” and she smiled.
Having finished her dialogue with the postilion, she turned once more to Gilbert, whose paradoxes and sententious humor amused her exceedingly. From time to time she interrupted herself in a burst of laughter, which his philosophizing caused her, to lean out of the carriage and look anxiously before her, They had gone about a league in this way, when she uttered a cry of joy she had caught a sight of the last wagons of the dauphiuess’s train as they were slowly ascending a steep hill, and now there appeared in advance of them about twenty carriages, from which many of the travelers had got out and were walking beside them. Gilbert slipped out his head also, desirous to catch a glimpse of Mademoiselle de Taverney in the midst of the crowd of pygmies, and thought he discovered Nicole by her high cap.
“And now, madame,” said the postilion, ” what must we do?”
” We must get before them.”
.” Get before them ? But you know we cannot pass the carriage of the dauphiness.”
“Why not?”
” Because it is expressly forbidden. Peste ! Pass the king’s horses ! I should be sent to the galleys ! “
” Now, listen, my good fellow ; manage it as you please, but I must positively get before those carriages.”
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” I thought you belonged to the train of her royal highness ? ” said Gilbert, inquiringly.
” It is very proper to wish for information,” replied she ; ” but we should not ask indiscreet questions.”
” I beg your pardon, madame,” said he, reddening.
” Well, postilion, what are we to do ? “
“Why, faith, this keep behind till Ave reach Yitry, and then if her highness stops, obtain her permission to go on before her.”
” Aye ; but then it would be asked who I was I should have to tell. No, no, that will not do. We must find out some other way.”