Joseph Balsamo (80 page)

Carriages now continued to arrive in quick succession, and began to encroach more and more upon the place ; the horses resting their heads upon the shoulders of the

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rearmost spectators, who began to feel uneasy at the close vicinity of these dangerous neighbors. Presently the crowd, every moment increasing, collected behind the carriages, so that it was not possible for them to withdraw from their position, even had they been desirous to do so, imbedded as they were in this compact and tumultuous throng. Then might be seen inspired by that audacity peculiar to the Parisians when in an encroaching mood, and which has no parallel except the long-suffering of the same people when encroached upon French Guards, artisans, and lackeys, climbing upon the roofs of these carriages, like shipwrecked mariners upon a rocky shore.

The illumination of the boulevards threw from a distance its ruddy glare upon the heads of the thousands of spectators, amid whom the bayonet of a city official, flashing like lightning, appeared as rare as the ears of corn left standing in a field leveled by the reaper.

On either side of the new buildings, now the Hotel Crillon and the Garde Meuble of the Crown, the carriages of the invited guests between which no precaution had been taken to leave a passage had formed a triple rank, which extended on one side from the boulevard to the Tuileries, and on the other from the boulevard to the Rue des Champs-Elysees, turning like a serpent thrice doubled upon itself.

Along this triple row of carriages were seen, wandering like specters on the banks of the Styx, such of the invited as were prevented by the carriages of those earlier on the ground from reaching the principal entrance. Stunned by the noise, and unwilling, especially the ladies, who were dressed in satin from head to foot, to step upon the pavement, they were hustled to and fro by the waves of the populace, who jeered them for their delicacy, and, seeking a passage between the wheels of the carriages and the feet of the horses, crept onward as well as they could to the place of their destination a goal as fervently desired as a haven of refuge by mariners in a storm.

One of these carriages arrived about nine o’clock, that is to say, a very few minutes before the time fixed for the

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commencement of the fire-works, in expectation of mak-ing its way toward the governor’s door ; but the attempt, so warmly disputed for some time back, had at this mo-ment become extremely hazardous, if not impracticable. A fourth, row of carriages had begun to form, reinforcing the first three, and the mettled horses, tormented by the crowd, had become furious, lashing out right and left upon the slightest provocation, and already causing several accidents unnoticed amid the noise and bustle of the crowd.

Holding by the springs of this carriage, which was attempting to force its way through the concourse, walked a youth, pushing aside all comers who endeavored to avail themselves of this means of locomotion which he seemed to have confiscated for his exclusive use. “When the carriage stopped, the youth stepped aside, but without losing his hold of the protecting spring which he continued to grasp with one hand. He could thus overhear, through the open door, the animated conversation of the party in the vehicle.

A female head, attired in white and adorned with a few natural flowers, leaned forward out of the carriage door. Immediately a voice exclaimed :

” Come, Andre, provincial that you are, yon must not lean out in that manner, or, mordieu ! you run a great risk of being kissed by the first bumpkin that passes. Don’t you see that our carriage is swimming, as it were, in the middle of this mob, just as if it were in the middle of the river. We are in the water, my dear, and dirty water it is ; let us not soil ourselves by the contact.”

The young lady’s head was drawn back into the carriage.

” We cannot see anything from this, sir,” said she ; ” if our horses were to make a half turn, we could see from the door of the carriage, and be almost as well off as if we were at the governor’s window.”

” Turn about a little, coachman,” cried the baron.

” It is impossible, Monsieur le Baron ; I should be obliged to crush ten persons.”

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” Well, pardieti ! crush away.”

” Oh, sir ! ” exclaimed Andre.

” Oh, father ! ” cried Philip.

” Who is that baron that talks of crushing poor folk ? ” cried several threatening voices.

“Parblen ! it is I,” said Taverney, leaning out, and exhibiting as he did so a broad red ribbon crossed over his breast.

At that time people still paid some respect to broad ribbons even to red ones. There was some grumbling, but on a descending scale.

“Wait, father, I will alight,” said Philip, ” and see if there is any possibility of advancing.”

” Take care, brother, or you will be killed. Hark to the neighing of the horses, which are fighting with one another.”

” Say rather, the roaring,” resumed the baron. ” Stay ! we will alight. Tell them to make way, Philip, and let us pass.”

“Ah, father !” said Philip, “you are quite a stranger to the Paris of the present day. Such lordly airs might Jiave passed current formerly, but nowadays they are but little heeded ; and you have no wish to compromise your dignity, I am sure.”

” Still, when these saucy fellows know who I am ‘*

” My dear father,” said Philip, smiling, ” were you the dauphin himself they would not stir an inch for you. At this moment, particularly, I should fear the consequences of such a step, for I see the fire-works are about to commence.”

” Then we shall see nothing ! ” said Andre, with vexation.

“It is your own fault, pardieu !” replied the baron; ” you were upward of two hours at your toilet.”

” Brother,” said Andre, ” could I not take your arm and place myself among the crowd ?”

” Yes, yes, my sweet lady,” exclaimed several voices, touched with her beauty ; ” yes, come along ; you are not very large, and we’ll make room for you.”

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” Should you like to come, Andre ? ” asked Philip.

” Oh, yes ! ” said Andre ; aud she sprung lightly from the carriage without touching the steps.

” Very well,” said the baron ; ” but I who care not a straw about fire-works, will stay where I am.”

” Yes, remain here,” said Philip ; ” we will not go far, my dear father.”

In fact, the mob, ever respectful when not irritated by any passion, ever paying homage to that sovereign goddess called beauty, opened to make way for Andre and her brother ; and a good-natured citizen, who, with hisfamily, occupied a stone bench, desired his wife and daughter to make room for Andre between them. Philip placed himself at his sister’s feet, who leaned with one hand upon his shoulder. Gilbert had followed them, and was stationed about four paces off, with his eyes riveted upon Andre.

“Are you comfortably placed, Andre ?” asked Philip.

” Excellently,” replied the young girl.

” See what it is to be handsome,” said the viscount, smiling.

” Yes, yes, handsome very handsome ! ” murmured Gilbert.

Andre heard these words ; but as they proceeded doubtless from the lips of one of the populace, she cared no more about them than an Indian god cares for the offering which a poor pariah lays at his feet.

CHAPTER LXV.

THE FIR E-W E K S.

ANDRE and her brother had scarcely settled themselves in their new position when the first rockets pierced the clouds, and a prodigious shout arose from the crowd, thenceforward alive only to the spectacle which was exhibiting in the center of the plaro.

The commencement of the fire-works, was magnificent,

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and in every respect worthy of the high reputation of Kuggieri. The decorations of the temple were progressively lighted np, and soon presented one sheet of flame. The air rang with plaudits ; but these plaudits were soon succeeded by frantic cheers, when the gaping mouths of the dolphins and the urns of the rivers began to spout forth streams of fire of different colors, which crossed and intermingled with each other.

Andre, transported with astonishment at this sight, which has not its equal in the world that of a population of seven hundred thousand souls, frantic with delight in front of a palace in flames did not even attempt to conceal her feelings.

At three paces from her, hidden by the Herculean shoulders of a porter who held his child aloft over his head, stood Gilbert gazing at Andre for her own sake, and afc the fire-works because he was looking at them. Gilbert’s view of Andre was in profile ; every rocket lighter 1 up that lovely face, and made him tremble with delight. It seemed to him that the whole crowd shared in his admiration of the heavenly creature whom he adored. Andre had never before seen Parib, or a crowd, or the splendors of a public rejoicing ; and her mind was stunned by the multiplicity of novel sensations which beset it at once.

On a sudden a bright light burst forth and darted in a diagonal line toward the river. It was a bomb; which exploded with a crash, scattering the various colored fires which Andre admired.

” Look, Philip, how beautiful that is ! ” said she,

” Good heavens ! ” exclaimed her brother, without making her any reply, ” how ill that last rocket was directed ! It must certainly have deviated from its course ; for, instead of describing a parabola, it went off almost horizontally.”

Philip had scarcely finished this expression of an uneasiness which began to be manifested in the agitation of the crowd, when a hurricane of flames burst from the bastion upon which were the bouquet and the spare fire-

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works. A crash equal to that of a hundred peals of thunder, crossing in all directions, bellowed through the place ; and, as if the fire had contained a discharge of grapeshot, it put to rout the nearest spectators, who for a moment felt the unexpected flame scorch their faces.

” The bouquet already ! the bouquet already ! ” cried the more distant of the crowd. ” Not yet ! it is too early “

” Already ? ” repeated Andre. ” Ah, yes ; it-is too early ! “

” No ‘ said Philip ; ” no, it is not the bouquet, it is an accident, which in a moment will agitate this prodigious crowd, now so calm, like the ocean in a storm. Come, Andre, let us return to our carriage come along ! “

‘ Oh ! let me stay a little longer, Philip, it is so beautiful !

” Andre, we have not a moment to lose ; follow me. It is the misfortune which I feared. Some stray rocket has set fire to the bastion. Hark ! they are crushing one another yonder. Don’t yon hear their cries ? Those are not cries of joy, but shrieks of distress. Quick ! quick ! to the carriage ! Gentlemen, gentlemen, allow us to pass ! “

And Philip, throwing his arm round his sister’s waist, drew her toward the place where he had left his father, who, uneasy on his side, and dreading, from the noise which he heard, a danger of the nature of which he could form no conception, although he was thoroughly convinced of its existence, put his head out of the carriage door, and looked about for his children. It was already too late, and the prediction of Philip was verified. The bouquet, composed of fifteen thousand fuses, exploded, scattering about in all directions, and pursuing the spectators like those fiery darts which are flung at the bulls in the arena to provoke them to fight.

The people, at first astonished, then terrified, recoiled from the force of mere instinct with resistless impetus, communicating the same movement to the myriad of spectators in the rear, who, breathless and suffocated,

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pressed backward in their turn on those behind them. The scaffolding took fire ; children shrieked ; squalling women, almost stifled, raised them in their arms ; and the police, thinking to silence the screamers and to restore order by violence, struck right and left at random. All these combined causes made the waving sea of people which Philip spoke of fall like a water-spout on that corner of the place where he was ; and instead of rejoining the baron’s carriage, as he calculated upon doing, the youth was carried away by the mighty and irresistible current, of which no description could convey any idea ; for individual strength, increased tenfold by terror and anxiety, was again augmented a hundred-fold by the junction of the general strength.

At the moment when Philip drew Andre away, Gilbert had resigned himself to the stream which carried them along ; but he had not gone above twenty paces, before a band of fugitives, turning to the left in the Eue de la Madeleine, surrounded Gilbert and swept him away, foaming with rage on finding himself separated from Andre.

Andre, clinging fast to Philip’s arm, was inclosed in a group which was striving to get out of the way of a carriage dragged along by a pair of furious horses. Philip saw it approaching swiftly and threateningly, the horses’ eyes flashed fire, and they snorted foam from their nostrils. He made superhuman efforts to avoid it, but all in vain. He saw the crowd open behind him : he perceived the foaming heads of the two ungovernable animals ; he saw them rear, like the two marble horses which guard the entrance to the Tuilleries, and, like the slave who is striving to subdue them, letting go Andre’s arm, and pushing her as far as he could out of the way of danger, he sprung up to seize the rein of the horse that was next to him. The animal reared a second time ; Andre saw her brother sink back, fall, and disappear from her sight. She shrieked, extended her arms, was hustled to and fro in the crowd, and in a moment found herself alone, tottering, borne along like a feather by the wind, and just as incapable of resisting the force that was hurrying her away.

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The stunning cries, far more terrible than those of the battle-field ; the neighing of horse ; the frightful noise of wheels, grinding now the pavement, now the bodies of the slain ; the lurid flames of the scaffolds which were on fire ; the minister gleaming of swords drawn by some of the infuriated soldiers ; and over all this insanguined chaos, the bronze statue, tinged by the ruddy reflections, and seeming to preside over the carnage were more than was needed to disturb Andre’s reason and paralyze her strength. Besides, the power of a Titan would have been impotent in such a struggle a struggle for life and limb of one against all. Andre uttered a piercing shriek ; a soldier, opening himself a passage through the crowd, wag striking the people with his sword; and the weapon flashed over her head. She clasped her hands, like a shipwrecked mariner when the last wave is passing over him, and exclaiming : ” Oh, my God ! ” sunk to the ground. Whoever fell in that scene might give himself up for lost.