La Dame de Monsoreau (24 page)

" ' Gracious heaven ! How you frighten me ! '

" ' I do not wish to do so; I simply tell you how matters are, and nothing else.'

"' Then it is my turn to ask you the question you have just put to me. What do you intend doing, monsieur ?'

" f Alas/ retorted the count, with bitter irony, ( I am not gifted with a fine imagination. I found a way, but as that way did not please you, I give it up ; but do not ask me to form new plans.'

" ' But perhaps, after all, the danger is not as pressing as you suppose/ I urged.

" l That you can only learn from the future, madame/ said he, rising. ' In any case I can but add that Madame de Mon-soreau would be in less peril from the prince from the fact that as my new office brings me into the closest relations with the King, my wife and I would naturally be protected by the King.'

" A sigh was my only answer. Everything said by the count was full of reason and probability.

"M.-de Monsoreau waited a moment, as if to give me plenty of time to reply, but I had not strength enough. He was standing, ready to retire. A bitter smile flitted over his lips ; he bowed and passed out.

" I thought I heard him swearing as he was going downstairs.

" I summoned Gertrude.

" Gertrude usually stayed in the drawing-room or bedchamber when the count was present; she ran in.

" I was at the window, and had wrapped the curtains about me in such a way that, without being perceived, I could see whatever was going on in the street.

" The count left the house and soon disappeared.

" We remained there nearly an hour, watching eagerly ; but no one came by, and the night passed without anything unusual occurring.

" The next day Gertrude was accosted by a young man whom she recognized as the person who was with the prince the evening before. But she refused to respond to his flatteries or answer his questions.

" The young man got tired at last, and went away.

" This meeting alarmed me exceedingly ; it was but the beginning of an inquiry that would certainly not stop there. I was afraid M. de Monsoreau would not come in the evening, and that some attack might be made on me during the night. I sent for him ; he came immediately.

•

" I related everything and described the young man as well as I could from the data furnished by Gertrude.

" ' It was Aurilly,' said he ; ' what answer did Gertrude make him?'

" < She made none.'

" M. de Monsoreau reflected a moment. " ' She was wrong,' said he. « < Why ? '

" < She might have helped us to gain time.' « < Time ? '

" f To-day I am still dependent on the Due d'Anjou ; but in a fortnight, in twelve days, in a week, perhaps, the Due d' Anjou will be dependent on me. We must deceive him to gain time.'

" t Great heavens ! '

" < Undoubtedly hope will render him patient. A complete refusal would drive him to extremities.'

" < Monsieur, write to my father,' I cried. * My father will come here at once and throw himself at the feet of the King. The King will have pity on an old man.'

" < That will entirely depend on the disposition of the King at the time; it will depend on whether it is his policy at the moment to be the friend or the enemy of the Due d'Anjou. Besides, it would take a messenger six days to find your father, and it would take your father six days to come here. In twelve days the Due d'Anjou could make all the way he wants, if we do not stop him.'

" ' But how can we stop him ?'

" M. de Monsoreau did not answer. I understood his meaning and lowered my eyes.

" ' Monsieur,' said I, i give your orders to Gertrude and she will obey them.'

" An imperceptible smile passed over M. de Monsoreau's lips at this my first appeal to his protection. " He talked for some moments with Gertrude. "'Madame,' said he,

" M. de Monsoreau had almost the right to command; he was satisfied to request. I made him a sign to be seated.

" It was then I noticed the-count's perfect self-control ; that very moment, even, he got the better of the embarrassment that

resulted from our respective positions, and his conversation, which the harshness I have already spoken of affected powerfully, became novel and attractive. The count had thought much and had travelled extensively, and before two hours had passed, I understood clearly the influence this singular man had acquired over my father.' 7

Bussy heaved a sigh.

" At nightfall, evidently satisfied with the progress he had made, and without trying to advance farther, he rose and took his leave.

" Then Gertrude and I took our places at the window and watched. This time we distinctly saw two men examining the house. We went to the door several times. As we had put out all the lights, we could not be seen.

"We retired about eleven.

" The next day Gertrude, after leaving the house, found the same young man in the same place; he approached her and asked the same questions he had asked on the previous evening. She was less reserved than usual and exchanged a few words with him.

" On the following day, Gertrude was even still more communicative. She told him I was the widow of a counsellor, that I was without fortune, and lived very retired; he wished for further information, but was assured he must be satisfied with what he had obtained for the present.

" On the day after this, Aurilly seemed to have entertained some doubts as to the truth of the story he had heard. He spoke of Anjou, Beauge, even mentioned Meridor.

" Gertrude replied that all these names were utterly uii-Known to her.

" Then he confessed he belonged to the Due d'Anjou, and that the prince had seen me and fallen in love with me, and, after this confession, magnificent offers were made to her and to me; to her, if she should introduce the prince into the house ; to me, if I would receive him.

" M. de Monsoreau came every evening, and I at once told him what had occurred. He remained with us from eight in the evening until midnight; but it was evident that his anxiety was great.

" On Saturday evening he was paler and more agitated than usual. «

" ' Listen,' said he, ' you must promise to receive the prince on Tuesday or Wednesday.'

" < And why ? '

" i Because he is at this moment capable of anything ; he is now on good terms with the King, and, consequently, we can hope for nothing from the King.'

" { But between now and Wednesday something may happen to help us.'

" i Perhaps. I am in daily expectation of a certain event that must place the prince in my power. To bring it about, to hasten its advent, I spare neither toil nor trouble. I have to leave you to-morrow. I am obliged to go to Monsoreau.'

" t Is it necessary ?' I asked, at once frightened and pleased.

" ' Yes. I have an appointment there upon which it absolutely depends whether the event of which I have spoken shall come to pass or not.'

"« But if the situation remain the same, what are we to do then ?'

" < What can I do against a prince's power, madame, when I have no right to protect you ? We must submit to ill-fortune.'

" < Oh, father ! father !' I cried.

" The count fixed his eyes on me.

" ' Oh, monsieur ! what shall I do ? '

" ' Have you anything to reproach me with ?'

" f Nothing ; quite the contrary.'

"' Have I not been as devoted as a friend, as respectful as a brother ?'

" l You have behaved as a gentleman, in every respect.'

" < Did I not have your promise ? '

"'Yes.'

" ' Have I once reminded you of it ?'

« < No.'

" ' And yet, when the circumstances are such that you find yourself placed between an honorable position and a shameful one, you prefer to be the Due d'Anjou's mistress rather than be the Comte de Monsoreau's wife.'

" ' I have not said so, monsieur.'

" < Then decide.'

" ( I have decided.'

" f To be the Comtesse de Monsoreau ?'

" l Rather than the mistress of the Due d'Anjou.'

" ' Rather than the mistress of the Due d'Anjou. The alternative is flattering.'

" I was silent.

" ' No matter. Let Gertrude gain time until Tuesday — you understand ? and on Tuesday we '11 see what happens.'

" Gertrude went out as usual the next day, but did not meet Aurilly. When she returned, we began to feel uneasier at his absence than we should have been at his presence. Gertrude left the house a second time, not that there was any necessity for it, but solely in the hope of seeing him ; however, he did not appear. A third trip turned out as useless as the two others.

" I then sent Gertrude to M. de Monsoreau's lodgings ; he was gone, and no one knew where he was.

" We were alone and isolated ; we were conscious of our weakness, and, for the first time, I felt I had been unjust to the count."

" Oh, madame," cried Bussy, " do not be in any hurry to trust this man ; the^e is something throughout his entire conduct which we do not know, but which we will know."

" Night came on, and with it increasing terror; I was prepared for anything rather than fall alive into the Due d'Anjou's power. I had managed to get a poniard, and was determined to stab myself before the prince's eyes the very moment he or his people attempted to lay hands on me. We barricaded ourselves in our rooms, for, through some incredible neglect, the street door had no bolt on the inside. We concealed the lamp and took our post at our usual observatory.

" All was quiet until eleven ; at that hour five men issued forth from the Rue Saint-Antoine, appeared to deliberate for a time, and then hid in an angle of the Hotel des Tournelles.

" We began to tremble ; these men were probably there on our account.

" However, they kept perfectly still. Thus passed nearly a quarter of an hour.

" Then we saw two other men at the corner of the Rue Saint-Paul. Gertrude was enabled by the light of the moon, which, for a moment, emerged from the clouds, to recognize one of these two men as Aurilly.

" ' Alas ! mademoiselle, there are two of them,' murmured the poor girl.

" ' Yes,' I answered, shivering with terror, t and there are five others yonder ready to aid them.'

" ' But they will have to break open the door.' said Gertrude, 1 and at the noise the neighbors will run hither.'

" •' What reason have you for thinking the neighbors will help us ? What do they know about us ? Is it likely, then, they will expose themselves to danger for the sake of defending us ? Alas, Gertrude! our only real defender is the count.'

"' Then why do you persist in refusing to be his countess ?'

" I heaved a sigh.

CHAPTER XVI.

THE MARRIAGE — ( Continued) .

" DURING this time the two men at the corner of the Rue Saint-Paul had glided along the houses and were now under our windows.

" We opened the casement softly.

" ' Are you sure this is it ? ' asked a voice.

" { Yes, monseigneur, perfectly sure. It is the fifth house from the corner of the Rue Saint-Paul.'

" ' And do you think the key will fit ? '

" ( I took an impression of the lock.'

" I seized Gertrude's arm violently.

" ' And once inside ? '

" l Once inside, the thing is settled; the maid will let us in. Your Highness has a golden key in your pocket which is quite as good as this.'

" < Then open.'

" The next thing we heard was the key turning in the lock. But, all of a sudden, the men in ambush at the corner of the hotel came out from the wall and rushed on the prince and Aurilly, crying : < Death ! Death !'

" It was all a mystery to me ; but one thing I understood in a dim sort of way: it was that we were being succored in some unexpected, incredible manner. I fell on my knees and poured out my thanks to Heaven.

" However, as soon as the prince showed himself, as soon as he told who he was, every voice was hushed, every sword was sheathed, every aggressor took a step backward."

" Yes," said Bussy, " it was not at the prince they aimed, it was at me."

" In any case," answered Diane, " this attack led to the departure of the prince. We saw him going away by the Rue de Jouy, while the five gentlemen returned to their hiding-place at the corner of the Hotel des Tournelles.

" It was evident that, for this night at least, we were free from danger, for, clearly, these five gentlemen had no quarrel with me. But we were so restless and excited that we gave up all thought of going to bed; we remained at the window, on the watch for some unusual incident which we instinctively felt was at hand.

" We had not long to wait. A man appeared on horseback in the Rue Saint-Antoine, keeping the middle of the street. It was undoubtedly the person the five gentlemen were waylaying, for, as soon as they saw him, they shouted : f To arms ! To arms! ' and fell upon him.

" You know all about this gentleman," said Diane, " because this gentleman was yourself."

" On the contrary, madame," answered Bussy, who was hoping that the young woman would reveal some of the secrets of her heart during her narrative, " 011 the contrary, I know nothing except the fight, since, after it was over, I fainted."

" It is needless to tell you of the interest we took in this unequal struggle, so valiantly sustained," continued Diane, with a slight blush. " Every incident in the combat drew from us a shudder, a cry, a prayer. We witnessed your horse sink to the ground. We thought you were lost ; but our fears were useless ; the brave Bussy proved that he deserved his reputation. You fell on your feet and did not need to rise in order to strike your enemies. At length, surrounded and threatened on every side, you retreated like a lion, facing your foes, and rested against the door. Then the same thought occurred to Gertrude and me : it was to go down and let you in. She looked at me. ( Yes,' was my answer, and we both hurried to the staircase. But, as I have told you, we had barricaded ourselves in our room, and it took us some seconds to remove the furniture obstructing our passage, and, just as we came to the landing, we heard the street door closing.