Joseph Balsamo (7 page)
” Never mind ; I’ll run the risk.”
” Remember, I do not advise it.”
” Bah ! ” said the traveler, ” bear as he is, he won’t eat me.”
” No ; but he may shut the door in your face.”
” Then I’ll break it open ; so, if you refuse to be my guide “
” I don’t refuse, sir.”
“Show me the way, then.”
” Willingly, sir.”
The traveler leaped into the cabriolet and brought from it a little lantern. The young man hoped, as it was not lighted, that he should be obliged to open the carriage
JOSEPH BALSAMO. 47
and that then its interior would be disclosed. But the traveler did nothing of the kind ; he put the lantern into Gilbert’s hand.
” What shall I do with it, sir ? “
” It will light you on the way, whilst I lead the horses.”
” But it is not lighted.”
” I am going to light it.”
“Oh, you have a fire in the carriage ? “
‘ And in my pocket,” replied the traveler.
” But in this rain the tinder won’t kindle.”
” Open the lantern,” said the traveler, smiling.
Gilbert obeyed.
” Hold your hat over my hands.”
Gilbert obeyed, regarding with curiosity what followed, for he knew no other means of procuring a light than with a flint and tinder.
The traveler took from his pocket a very small silver case, drew from it a match, which, he rubbed in some sort of inflammable paste, and it kindled instantly, with a slight crackling.
Gilbert started ; the traveler smiled at his surprise, which was natural enough at that time, when phosphorus was only known to a few chemists, who kept the secret for their own advantage. The candle in the lantern being lighted by the match, he put up the little case. The young man followed his movements with greedy eyes ; it was evident he would have given a great deal for such a treasure.
” Now that we have light, lead on.”
” Follow, now, then, sir ; ” and Gilbert advanced, while his companion, taking the horse by the bit, dragged him after.
The weather was now not so bad ; the rain had ceased, and the thunder was only heard muttering at a distance. The traveler seemed to wish for more conversation.
” You know this baron, then, my good fellow ? “
” Certainly, sir ; since I have lived in his house from my infancy.”
” A relation?”
48 JOSEPH BALSAMO.
” No. sir.”
” Your guardian ? “
” No.”
” Your master ? “
The young man started, and colored with anger at the word master.
” I am not a servant, sir,” said he.
” Well, but you are surely something or other ?”
< I am the son of an old tenant of the baron ; my mother nursed Mademoiselle Andre.”
” I understand ; being the young lady’s foster-brother for I presume she is young you live at free quarters in the house.”
“She is sixteen, sir.”
Now, in the traveler’s last words there was something like two questions, but Gilbert avoided any reply to that which concerned himself. The traveler seemed to observe this, and gave his interrogations another turn.
” How did yon happen to be out during such weather ? “
“I was under a rock near the road.”
” What were you doing there ? “
” I was reading.”
” You were reading ? “
Yes.”
” What were you reading ? “
”
“The traveler looked at the young man with surprise.
” Did you get that book in the baron’s library ?”
” No, sir ; I bought it.”
“Where at Bar-le-Duc ?”
” No, sir ; from a pedler. They roam this way now and then, and bring us some tolerably good books.”
“Who told you *Le Contrat Social’ was a good book ? ‘
” I soon found that out, as I read it.”
” Have you read bad books, then, that you know the difference so well ?”
“Yes.”
JOSEPH BALSAMO. 49
” What do you call bad books ?”
” Why, ‘ Le Sofa,’ ‘ Tauzal ‘ and ‘ Xeadarne,’ and books of that description.”
” But where the deuce did you get such books ?”
” In the baron’s library.”
” And how does the baron get new novels in this den of his ? “
” They are sent to him from Paris.”
” So this poor baron spends his money on that sort of trash ? “
” No ; they are given him.”
” Given him ? By whom ? “
” By one of his friends, a great nobleman.”
” A great nobleman ? Do you know his name ?”
” The Duke de Richelieu,”
“What, the marshal ?”
“Yes, the marshal.”
” I take it for granted he does not leave such books in Mademoiselle Andre’s way ? “
“Indeed, sir, he leaves them in everybody’s way.”
“Is Mademoiselle Aiidree of your opinion,” asked the traveler, with a sly smile, “that they are bad ?”
” She does not read them, sir,” replied Gilbert, drily.
The traveler was silent for a minute this character, a singular mixture of shame and boldness, of good and evil, interested him in spite of himself.
” And why did you read those books when you knew they were bad ? “
” Because I did not know when I began them.”
“But you soon found it out ?”
” Yes.”
” And nevertheless you went on ?”
“Yes.”
“But why ?”
” They taught me things I did not know before.”
” And ‘ Le Contrat Social ‘ ? “
” It teaches me things that I have guessed.”
“How so ? “
” Why, that men are brothers that societies in which
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50 JOSEPH BALSAMO.
they are serfs or slaves are ill constituted that one day we shall all be equal.”
” Oh, ho ! ” said the traveler. There was a short silence.
” So, my good fellow,” continued the traveler, in a low voice, “you wish to be instructed ?”
11 Yes, sir ; that is my most ardent wish.”
“And what do you wish to learn ? “
” Every tiling.”
” For what purpose ? “
” To raise myself in the world.”
” And how high would you rise ? “
Gilbert hesitated. No doubt he had his mind made up on that point; but it was evidently a secret, and he would not reveal it.
” As high as man can rise,” he replied.
” Well, have you studied anything ? “
” Nothing. How can I study, not being rich, and living at Taverney ? “
” Then you know nothing of mathematics’?”
” No.”
” Nor of natural philosophy ? “
” No.”
” Nor of chemisfci f ? “
” No ; I know oniy how to read and write ; but I shall know all those things.”
“When?”
” Some day or other.”
“But how ?”
” I don’t know yet.”
“Strange creature !” muttered the traveler.
” And then ” murmured Gilbert, speaking to himself.
” Well ! then ? “
” Nothing.”
They had now proceeded for about a quarter of an hour ; the rain had ceased, and the earth sent up those odoriferous exhalations which in spring follow a great storm.
Gilbert seemed reflecting all at once he said,
” Sir, do you know the cause of storms?”
” Certainly.”
JOSEPH BALSAMO. 5}
” You really do ? ” ‘ ” Yes.”
” You know the cause of the thunderbolt ?”
The traveler smiled. ” It is the meeting of two streams of the electric fluid one from the clouds, the other from the earth.”
Gilbert sighed. “I do not understand that,” said he.
Perhaps the traveler would have explained the matter more clearly, but just then a light appeared through the trees.
” Ah ! what is that ? ” asked the stranger.
” It is Taverney.”
” We have reached it, then ? “
” Yes ; this is the gate of the back entrance.”
” Open it.”
“And do you think the gate of Taverney, sir, can be opened with a push ? “
“Is it a fortified place, then ? Knock.”
Gilbert approached the gate, and timidly gave one knock.
” Pardieu ! they will never hear that. Knock loudly.”
Nothing, indeed, indicated that Gilbert’s knock had been heard all was silent.
” You must take the responsibility upon yourself, sir, then,” said Gilbert.
” Don’t be troubled about that.”
Gilbert hesitated no longer left the knocker, and pulled a string which made a bell sound so loud one might have heard it a mile off.
” Ma foi ! if your baron does not hear that,” said the traveler, ” he must be deaf.”
” Hark ! I hear Mahon barking.”
” Mahon ? That is no doubt a compliment from your barou to his friend, the Duke de Richelieu ? “
” I don’t know what you mean, sir.”
” Mahon was the last place taken by the marshal.”
“Oh, sir, I told you I know nothing,” and Gilbert sighed again.
52
JOSEPH BALSAMO.
These sighs revealed to the strauger some hidden ambition, some secret cause of pain.
A step was heard. ” Here is some one at last,” said the stranger.
” It is Master La Brie,” said Gilbert.
The gate opened, but La Brie, taken by surprise at see-ing the stranger and the carriage, when he expected no one but Gilbert, would have shut it again.
“Excuse me, my friend; but I have come here purposely, and you must not shut the door in my face.”
“But, sir, I must tell the baron that an unexpected visitor “
” Never mind I shall run the risk of his looking a little cross at me, but he shall not turn me out, I can tell you, until I have got warmed, dried, and fed. They say you have good wine in this part of the country. Do you happen to know ? “
La Brie, instead of replying, was going to make further resistance, but it was in vain ; the traveler pushed in, and Gilbert closed the gate after him, the two horses and carriage being in the avenue.
La Brie, seeing himself vanquished, proceeded as quickly as his old limbs would permit, toward the house, to announce his own defeat, shouting with all his strength, ” Nicole Legay, Nicole Legay ! “
” Who is this Nicole ? ” asked the stranger, calmly making his way to the house.
” Nicole Legay, sir? “replied Gilbert, with symptoms of some inward emotion.
” Yes ; she whom Master La Brie is calling.”
” Mademoiselle Andre’s waiting-maid, sir.”
In the meantime, in answer to the calls of La Brie, a light appeared under the trees, borne by a beautiful young girl.
” What do you want, La Brie ? What is all this fuss ? ” asked she.
” Quick, Nicole,” cried the quivering voice of the old man, ” run and tell the baron a strange gentleman is come to ask shelter.”
JOSEPH BALSAMO. 53
Nicole did not wait to be told twice, but flew off toward the chateau so quickly that in a moment she was out of sight.
As to La Brie, having thus satisfied himself that the baron should not be taken by surprise, he stopped and took breath.
The message soon produced an effect. A sharp, commanding voice was heard from the house, repeating, with an accent by no means indicating a wish to be hospitable ” A strange gentleman ? Who is he ? People don’t come in that way without sending up their names ! “
” Is it the baron himself ? ” asked he who was the cause of all the disturbance.
” Oh, yes, sir,” replied the poor frightened old man, ” you hear what he says.”
“He asks my name, I think.”
” Yes. I forgot to ask it, sir.”
” Say the Baron Joseph Balsamo. Our titles being the same, he will, perhaps, not be so angry.”
La Brie, a little emboldened by the rank of the stranger, announced him as he requested.
“Well,” grumbled the voice from the house, “since he is there, he must come in. Here, sir this way this way.”
The stranger advanced quickly ; but just as he reached the foot of the stone steps leading up to the door, he turned to see whether Gilbert was there or not. Gilbert had disappeared.
CHAPTER V.
THE BAROX DE TAVERXEY.
ALTHOUGH in some degree forwarned by Gilbert of the poverty of the Baron de Taverney, the person who had caused himself to be announced as the Baron Joseph Balsamo could not help being surprised at the miserable appearance of the abode, called by Gilbert, with emphasis, a chateau.
54 JOSEPH BALSAMO.
The house was built in the form of an oblong square of me story in height, with a square tower at each corner. Its irregular appearance had, however, something pleasing and picturesque, seen by the pale light of the moon, shining out from between the huge masses of the clouds left by the storm. There were six windows in the low building, and two in each tower that is, one window in each of its stories. A broad flight of steps led up to the hall-door, but they were so broken and rugged that they seemed rather a sort of precipice than a staircase.
Such was the dwelling, on the threshold of which the stranger was received by the Baron de Taverney, in his dressing-gown, and holding a candlestick in his hand. The baron was an little old man of from sixty to sixty-five years of age, with a keen eye and a high, retreating forehead, lie wore an old wig, which from frequent accidents with the candles on the mantelpiece had lost all the curls which the rats, which frequented his wardrobe, had left it. He held in his hand a napkin of very dubious whiteness, which indicated that he had been disturbed when going to sit down to supper.
In his malicious countenance, which slightly resembled that of Voltaire, two expressions struggled for mastery politeness required a smile for his guest, but vexation returned it to a rather decided atrabilious sneer. And thus lighted as he was by the candle in his hand, the flickering of which disturbed his features, the Baron de Taverney could not well be called anything but a very ugly nobleman.
” Sir ‘ said he, ” may I know to what fortunate circumstance I owe the pleasure of seeing you ? “
“Simply, sir, to the storm, which frightened my horses and caused them very nearly to destroy my carriage ; one of my postilions was thrown from his horse, the other galloped off with his, and I know not what I should have done, had I not met a young man who conducted me to your chateau, assuring me that your hospitality was well known.”