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diff --git a/41509-8.txt b/41509-8.txt deleted file mode 100644 index 7b55502..0000000 --- a/41509-8.txt +++ /dev/null @@ -1,9019 +0,0 @@ -The Project Gutenberg eBook, The Mystery of the Lost Dauphin, by Emilia -Pardo Bazán, Translated by Annabel Hord Seeger, Illustrated by Raphael Bodé - - -This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with -almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or -re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included -with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org - - - - - -Title: The Mystery of the Lost Dauphin - Louis XVII - - -Author: Emilia Pardo Bazán - - - -Release Date: November 29, 2012 [eBook #41509] - -Language: English - -Character set encoding: ISO-8859-1 - - -***START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE MYSTERY OF THE LOST DAUPHIN*** - - -E-text prepared by Andrea Ball & Marc D'Hooghe -(http://www.freeliterature.org) from page images generously made available -by the Google Books Library Project (http://books.google.com) - - - -Note: Project Gutenberg also has an HTML version of this - file which includes the original illustration. - See 41509-h.htm or 41509-h.zip: - (http://www.gutenberg.org/files/41509/41509-h/41509-h.htm) - or - (http://www.gutenberg.org/files/41509/41509-h.zip) - - - Images of the original pages are available through - the the Google Books Library Project. See - http://www.google.com/books?id=fAMtAAAAMAAJ - - - - - -THE MYSTERY OF THE LOST DAUPHIN - -(Louis XVII) - -by - -EMILIA PARDO BAZÁN - -Translated from the Spanish by Annabel Hord Seeger - -Frontispiece Illustration by Raphael Bodé - - - - - - - -Funk & Wagnalls Company -New York and London -1906 - - - - -[Illustration: "When the world salutes me King, I will admit I am your -brother."] - - - - -EMILIA PARDO BAZÁN - - -While Provençal literature blossomed in chivalric splendor along the -northern shore of the Mediterranean and rare pastoral music in madrigals -and roundelays rang through France and Italy, there sounded from the -sea-girt province of Galicia wonderful songs which rivalled the sweetest -strains of the troubadours, making kings to weep and warriors to smile, -thrilling, by their wit and pathos and lyrical beauty, the brilliant -courts of Castile and Leon. - -It is an ethnographical phenomenon that, in Great Britain, France and -Spain, the Celt has been pushed to the northwest. Galicia corresponds in -position to Brittany and her people are characterized by the powerful -imagination, infinite delicacy, concentration of feeling and devotion to -nature which are the salient attributes of Gaelic and Cymric genius. - -The Modern Literary Renaissance of Galicia, a superb outburst of -Gallegan exuberance, has a noble and eloquent exponent in Emilia Pardo -Bazán, gifted child of this poetic soil. - -Senora Pardo Bazán has been called the creator and protagonist of -Spanish Realism. It has been claimed that she bears to Spain such a -relation as Turgénieff to Russia and Zola to France. She herself says -somewhere that she is skeptical regarding the existence of Realistic, -Idealistic and Romantic writers, averring, in her trenchant style, that -authors constitute but two classes, _good_ and _poor_. "Certain critics -would affirm," she remarks, "that, as simple as the cleaving in twain of -an orange is the operation of separating writers into Realistic and -Idealistic camps." - -One biographer claims that our author sacrifices sex to art and that the -result warrants the sacrifice. I would insist that 'tis a lady's hand -wielding the mailed gauntlet and that reading Pardo Bazán helps one to -understand why Great Brahm is described as partaking of the feminine -principle. - -Castelar has remarked that: "In Belles Lettres we have the illustrious -Celt, Emilia Pardo Bazán, whom, living, we count among the immortals, -and whose works, though of yesterday, are already denominated Spanish -classics." Garcia, in his History of Spanish Literature, calls her the -Spanish de Staël. Rollo Ogden writes: "No masculine pen promises more -than that of Pardo Bazán. Her equipment is admirable; it is based on -exhaustive historical and philosophical studies, from which she passed -on to the novel. In this transition does she resemble George Eliot, -whom, however, she surpasses in many respects." - -G. Cunninghame Graham remarks: "We have not in England, no, nor in -Europe, so illustrious a woman in letters as Pardo Bazán." Goran -Bjorkman declares that "Among Spanish writers, Pardo Bazán most resemble -Turgénieff, excelling him, however, in the sane gayety of her -temperament." - -Senora Pardo Bazán is descended from a noble and illustrious family, in -whose genealogy Victor Hugo sought the characters of his Ruy Blas. An -only daughter, her childhood was passed amid her father's extensive -library. When scarcely sixteen she was married to the scholarly -gentleman, Don José Quiroga. Several subsequent years were occupied in -European travels and study, at the conclusion of which she consecrated -herself to the literary labors which have yielded so rich a harvest. To -enumerate these masterpieces of contemporaneous Spanish letters would be -superfluous. They have been translated into every European tongue. - -Dońa Emilia, as she is affectionately called by the Spanish people, -passes her winters in Madrid, her salon being the rendezvous of the -literary, political and diplomatic world. The author smacks not of the -bas bleu; she is a simple woman in the truest sense of the word, and a -regal grande dame as well. - -Annabel Hord Seeger. - - - - -A GREAT GRANDSON OF LOUIS XVI - - -Over one hundred and thirteen years ago, in Paris, at ten in the morning -of the twenty-first day of January, seventeen hundred and ninety-three, -Louis Seize bowed his head beneath the guillotine's blade, as the Abbé -Edgeworth called aloud, "Son of Saint Louis, ascend into heaven!" and as -the surging multitude sent up the wild shout, "Vive la République!" - -A few months ago, in Paris, at ten in the morning of the twenty-first -day of January, nineteen hundred and six, two automobiles drew up before -the parish church, Saint-Denis de la Chapelle, whose historic walls, -fifteen centuries since, enclosed during life the intrepid and holy -patroness of France, Genevičve de Nanterre; before whose shrine, five -centuries since, the glorious virgin Savior of the realm, Jeanne d'Arc, -passed an entire day in prayer; whose sacred aisles were ever the -avenues for the royal feet in ancient times, on the termination of the -coronation ceremony. - -From these automobiles alights a party headed by a slender grave-looking -young man of simple charming manners whose light grey eyes smile often. -He is accompanied by a graceful young matron leading by the hand a -handsome little fellow of some six years who wears a Louis Dix-Sept -coiffure and long auburn curls on his shoulders. - -An elderly lady of patrician countenance stands near me. I turn -inquiring eyes into hers. With the grace and courtesy of a salon dame, -she beckons me closer, whispering in my ear: - -"His Majesty Jean III, Her Majesty Marie Madelaine and His Royal -Highness the Dauphin, Henri-Charles-Louis." - -My companion reverently and profoundly inclines her body, as the -procession rushes past us. I do likewise, albeit with an unpleasant -consciousness of an absence of the grace which envelops this member of -the "Survivance" at my side. - -As we raise our heads, a man of distinguished appearance and of a -pronounced Bourbon type hurries past us, to join the advancing party. - -"'Tis Monsieur," observes the lady. "'Tis the Prince Charles-Louis. He -is the soul of the cause." - -We follow his elegant person past the kneeling congregation which fills -the central nave. The royal family approach the chancel until reaching -the group of crimson prie-Dieus and velvet cushions. The sanctuary is -crimson-draped; the white-haired venerable prelate is crimson-robed; the -altar blazes with the crimson tongues of wax tapers: for 'tis a _Messe -Rouge_ that is to be celebrated today, in honor of the royal victim of -one hundred and thirteen years ago. - -"Explain to me the genealogy," I say to my guide, when we have taken -seats. - -"The slender dark-haired gentleman and Monsieur are the great grandsons -of Louis Seize." - -"In what manner are they descended?" - -"Their father was Charles-Edmond Naundorff, fifth child of Charles -William Naundorff, the Prussian watch-maker, who claimed the French -crown during the reign of his uncle, known in history as Louis XVIII." - -"Tell me more of these gentlemen." - -"Jean III, whose entire name is Auguste-Jean-Charles-Emmanuel de -Bourbon, was born in Maestricht, Holland, in 1872. He and Monsieur were -adopted in early childhood by their father's sister, Amélie, the wife of -Monsieur Laprade of Poictiers--the beautiful, imperious Amélie whose -face was the reincarnation in feature and expression of the ill-fated -martyr queen, Marie Antoinette." - -"Was not that resemblance accepted as corroborating evidence of her -father's integrity?" - -"Madame," said my aristocratic companion, turning upon me wonderful -glowing eyes that seemed to reflect a throne transformed into a -scaffold, "Madame, the face of Amélie Naundorff convulsed the government -of the Restoration to such an extent that even the palsied limbs of the -man called Louis XVIII, grew rigid in terror. During one crucial moment -the usurper summoned the strength to stand upon his bandaged feet and -shatter with one blow the ascendancy of his nephew, Charles William -Naundorff." - -"What arm did he employ?" - -"That arm which the iniquitous ever use against the upright; the -rectitude and tenderness of a noble nature." - -"Explain." - -"Naundorff's despoilers turned upon him the only effectual weapon at -their disposal: they turned, rather they bade him turn upon himself, the -greatness and simplicity of his own heart." - -I cast my eyes upon the group before the altar, upon the dark grave man, -all simplicity, candor and earnestness; upon the gentle comely lady -beside him, and the little fellow in the Louis Dix-Sept coiffure.... -Just then Monsieur turned his superb head and the fine Bourbon features -irradiated the old charm which history and tradition have sought to -transmit, but which only the blood of Henri de Navarre can make glowing -with life. - -The lady placed her elegantly gloved hand upon my arm. - -"From their earliest years, the boys were cautioned not to reveal their -real name. Under the appellation of Lisbois they were successively -placed in several schools. Their identity was more than once discovered, -whereupon they were removed. On leaving college, they spent several -years in Brittany and Paris, completing their education. Jean III lived -on the estate of Monsieur Gabaudan from 1893 to 1898. Monsieur Gabaudan -manages an extensive wine business. Jean III, with the shrewd common -sense of his grandfather and with the mechanical instinct of his -great-grandfather, mastered the details of this business. Only one road -seemed to lie before him. He resolutely followed it. In 1900 he removed -to Paris. Under the name of De Lisbois, he was connected with a -petroleum house. During the last two years, he has, under his true -name, been the director of a drilling and sounding company in the -interest of which he has made several voyages to Algeria." - -"What are Monseigneur's ideas with regards to royal pretensions and -claims?" - -"Jean III has declared that he will never conspire to be placed upon a -throne. 'Circumstances,' says he, 'will decide my destiny.'" - -"Has he adherents among the nobility?" - -"His following is from all classes. The grandfathers of the present -nobility well knew that Jean de Bourbon's grandfather was the rightful -King of France." - -"What of men of letters?" - -"Many eloquent pens are consecrated to his cause. Eloquence, however, is -no requisite in the presentations of his claim. The Naundorffists demand -only to tell the plain truth." - -"What is the official organ of the party?" - -"La Légitimité, edited in Bordeaux, now in its twenty-third year." - -"I have never seen a copy." - -"C'est bien facile, Madame. You tell me you are leaving for New York. -The Salmagundi Club contains on file numbers of interesting books and -magazines having reference to Louis XVII. But, if you have the time -today, I will gladly accompany you to the official headquarters of the -party, namely, the office of Monsieur Daragon, the accomplished editor -of Le Revue Historique de la Question Louis XVII." - -Monsieur Daragon is a true Frenchman, amiable, courteous, charming. His -office is the rendezvous of notable personages pertaining to the cause -and his bookshelves are laden with volumes of Louis XVII literature. I -purchased the scholarly memoirs of Otto Freidrichs entitled -"Correspondance de Louis XVII" and Osmond's "Fleur de Lys," a most -interesting and convincing work. - - * * * * * - -In the February number of the Critic of New York, Mr. J. Sanford Saltus -asks: - -"The next King of France--who will he be? A question often put by the -adherents of the Due d'Orleans, Don Carlos, Victor Napoleon and Jean de -Bourbon. - -"Jean de Bourbon is the youngest of the 'Pretenders' and his claim is -based upon the assumption that his grandfather, Charles William -Naundorff was the Dauphin, the son of Louis XVI, who according to -popular rumor, died in prison June 8, 1795, and was buried at night in -an unmarked grave by the church yard of Sainte-Marguerite, in an obscure -Paris quarter. That the Dauphin did _not_ die in prison, but that, with -the assistance of friends, he escaped therefrom,--a sick child being -left in his stead,--is now the almost universally accepted belief of -historians. It is thought that his escape was known to Fouché and -Josephine Beaubarnais and that, beside the sick child, several other -children, whose names were respectively, Tardif Leminger, de Jarjages, -and Gornhaut, were used as blinds, while the real Louis XVII was being -helped out of the country by the Royalists." - -Mr. Saltus continues further on: - -"At Delft, Holland, August 10, 1845, ended the adventurous life of the -exile Charles William Naundorff. His grave, by official permission, bore -his true name. On June 8, 1904, the remains were exhumed and re-interred -in the new cemetery at Delft and once more, by official permission, the -same inscription appears. - -"King William II, King William III and Queen Wilhelmina have allowed -this inscription to remain unmolested. Why? On the coming of age of the -Naundorffs, the Dutch government gives them permission to assume their -real name." - -Annabel Hord Seeger. - - - - -Book I MARTIN, THE SEER - - - -The Lost Dauphin - - - - -Chapter I - -THE LOVERS - - -In a London quarter near the Thames, little frequented by day and almost -deserted by night, there is a house with a small garden facing an -extensive park from whose centre majestically rise groups of trees that -have stood for a century or more, those trees of the old English soil -which constant moisture nourishes and develops into colossal -proportions. The memories attaching to this modest structure would be -well worth exploitation by the historian, but Clio has chosen to avert -her face from this, the scene of the most dismal historical drama whose -narration was ever stifled into silence. - -The tragedy which for a while was bounded by the walls of that pygmy -house will forever remain in shadow, for such has been the decree of -Destiny,--rather, such has been the will of certain powerful men in high -places. - -On the evening when this narrative opens, the prolonged spring twilight -had lost every trace of the sunset afterglow when an aristocratic, -stalwart young man enveloped in a gray cloak which did not conceal the -symmetry of his form, approached the grating at the rear of the house -and knocked on the iron bars with his cane four times at regular -intervals. A moment later a white skirt gleamed amid the shrubbery and -the face of its young possessor shone back of the grating. A dainty hand -glided through the bars and the visitor clasped it ardently. -Affectionate greetings followed and anxious questionings, too, for these -plighted hearts could but claim Love's arrears after their long -separation. - -"Did you arrive today?" - -"I have but just come, not even taking time to change my clothes. The -letter which I sent preceded me but half an hour." - -"Do _they_ know you are here?" - -"No. They think I am hunting on my Picmort estate." - -A brief silence followed. The woman--the girl, rather, for she was -scarcely more than sixteen--contracted the arch of her perfect brow. - -"I do not understand the reason for the deception, René. Why should you -be ashamed of loving me?" - -He seemed at a loss for an answer and then with an effort, said: - -"Amélie, my own, I have taken this journey for the sole purpose of -giving you the reason. It is eight months since we were separated, and -during that time I have written you seldom because you warned me that -letters directed to your family either arrive unsealed or else fail to -arrive. Besides, Amélie, there is something I ought to say to you, but -I--give me both your adored hands, for only so can I speak. Courage, -courage, Amélie. Trust me; I shall be constant. Oh, my love," he -suddenly broke off, "do not ask me to speak, but believe that whatever I -should now attempt toward the realization of our union would fail -utterly--" - -"Would fail utterly," she repeated scornfully. "You, a man, speak such -words! What, then, did your vows signify?" - -Her beautiful face gleamed like a cameo against the darkness. - -"In God's name, Amélie, listen and be not so harsh. I came from France -to ask you to believe in me and not force me to speak. May I not be -silent for the present?" - -"No. I demand the truth, be that what it may." - -René's attitude revealed the struggle through which he was passing, and -when his words came, it was as if they were hammered out of him. - -"Amélie, since we were together at the mill of Adhemar, I have thought -only of you. I had been a madcap; I became serious and high-minded. I -had cared only for Parisian follies and wild hunts in the forests; these -I renounced, for they ceased to charm me. My mother had arranged for me -a brilliant marriage. You know of Germaine de Marigny whose lineage -includes crusader knights. Well, I broke the troth, regardless of -consequences. I asked you not whence you came nor whither you went. You -had said that your father was a mechanic in London and that your life -had been passed almost in indigence. When I thought of my rank and -estates, 'twas to reflect with pride that I should surround my wife with -every luxury. I knew that my mother would execrate and my uncle -disinherit me. Nevertheless, I was determined to overleap all barriers -and disregard almost everything that claimed my allegiance." - -"But having had time for reflection," Amélie remarked coldly, "you have -concluded that you had almost committed a signal folly. I admit that -you have decided wisely, and bid you now consider yourself free." - -She half turned from the grating, but he seized one of her hands, then -her soft white wrist and passionately kissed it. - -"No, no! You are unjust, Amélie. You force me now to say what I would -withhold. Listen. When my mother vehemently declared that a de Brezé -should never give his name to a woman of humble origin, I replied that -the most illustrious ladies of France could not outrival you, and that -beauty and goodness are entitled to the very highest social -distinction." - -"But your mother has at length convinced you that you uttered but the -enthusiastic hyperboles of a too ardent lover." - -She felt him tremble as he grasped her hands tightly and continued: - -"I know not what deity established the code of honor. We hold honor to -be even more sacredly binding than religion. A gentleman may sin a -hundred times daily, but not once does he violate the obligations -bequeathed him by his fathers. Life and happiness are worth much less -than honor, Amélie." - -"Well?" she asked, trying to speak calmly, but in vain. - -"O my Love," cried the man, "forgive me, forgive me, for I am about to -wound you cruelly. My mother, who had of late refrained from opposing my -attachment to you, called me to her yesterday and shut the door upon us. -Then she said: 'René, after vainly striving for months to change your -purpose, I withdrew my opposition, fearing that I was unduly imposing my -maternal authority. You were free, in possession of your patrimony and -twenty-seven years of age. So I resigned myself to the mésalliance and -began to interest myself in the antecedents of your idol. I wrote to -Spandau, the sometime residence of her people, with the result--" - -He could not continue, but Amélie haughtily commanded: - -"Go on!" - -Hurriedly, almost despairingly, he concluded: "With the result that I -have received the information, corroborated by these documents, that the -girl's father has served a twenty months' sentence at hard labor in -Alstadt, Silesia, having been convicted as a counterfeiter and -incendiary." - -"What more?" demanded the girl. - -"O Amélie, is not that enough?" - -"Enough, indeed," she answered, wrenching away her hands. "Farewell, -Monsieur Marquis de Brezé. We have exchanged our last words." And she -sped into the house before he could detain her. - - - - -Chapter II - -MEMORIES - - -The Marquis remained at the grating, hoping that Amélie would return. -When night closed in and she showed no signs of relenting, he wandered -aimlessly through the streets, walking slowly, abstractedly, his mind -absorbed with the beautiful imperious girl he so loved and between whom -and himself had been thrust the proofs of her father's felony. He became -oblivious of even the need of food, though he had eaten nothing since -reaching England and putting up at the Hotel Douglas, a fourth-class -tavern selected with the object of concealment from chance compatriots. - -His wanderings conducted him back to the Thames, from whose turbid -surface towered the masts of many vessels as they rocked at their -moorings, His eyes rested vacantly on the waters, spangled with -reflections of the stars overhead, as he recalled the history of his -passion for this unknown woman and his first meeting with her in the -home of Elois Adhemar, the miller on the de Brezé estate. - -René had been in the habit of stopping for a glass of beer or warm milk -at the mill, on returning from hunts on his fertile and extensive -domains, and sundry pretty gallantries did he whisper into the ear of -his host's winsome daughter, Genevičve--village beauty and rustic -coquette--with a deep bosom and gleaming teeth. - -When during the Revolution the de Brezé castle was fired, a torch was -simultaneously applied to the Adhemar mill, for these loyal servitors -were stanch legitimists. The Marquis de Brezé and the Count de Lestrier, -father and uncle respectively to René, were at the time in exile with -the royal family. Elois Adhemar had fled to Switzerland, serving as a -hand at the great mill of Berne, from which city he returned as an -expert miller to France while the revolutionary ferment was quieting -down. He repaired the mill and awaited the arrival of the de Brezé -family, which was to regain possession of its estates with the advent of -the Restoration. René was the head of the family, for his father had -died in foreign lands. His mother, the Duchess de Rousillon, rebuilt the -castle with increased magnificence, and it was during her occupation of -it with her son that the latter contracted the habit of visiting the -faithful Adhemar. - -One day he met at the miller's house a young girl whom the family -called Mademoiselle Amélie. She had come to renew her broken health in -the fresh country air. René, standing now by the river, recalled his -first vision of her, and fairylike memories flitted through his brain -like a swarm of golden butterflies. Was she more beautiful than -Genevičve? He could not answer, but he knew well that thoughts -associated with the personality of Genevičve were impossible in the -atmosphere of Amélie, for not only was she different from the miller's -daughter, but from all women he had known. Only on cameos, medallions, -rare miniatures and enamelled boxes had he beheld her patrician type of -beauty. Her eyes, tenderly imperious and her lips of regal sweetness -never failed to quicken in him an adoring mood. - -So great was his infatuation that he did not seek to ascertain her -origin, for she seemed to have descended from heaven. One circumstance, -however, forced itself on his attention, namely that while the miller's -daughter treated Amélie as a companion, Adhemar himself evinced toward -her a deference which closely approached reverence. - -"She is the daughter," he would say, "of persons who protected me during -my exile." - -How sweet had been those days! He recalled the walks during the summer -along the river bank fringed with lilies and reeds and shaded by the -languid foliage of willows, her arm intertwined in his, their feet -moving rhythmically together; and then the return home in the moonlight -with the perfume of honey-suckle and wild mint in their faces. In his -ravishment he failed to note the satirical remarks and jealous glances -of Genevičve. His eyes were for Amélie only who, pale at first like a -wilted rose, rapidly recovered health and animation. What most -captivated him was her air of distinction, her native dignity, her -manners of a _grande dame_, so unaccountable in a girl of obscure -origin. He said to himself that, compared with Amélie, the arrogant -Duchess de Rousillon, his mother, was a woman most ordinary, almost -vulgar. - -It was not long before the news spread throughout the district that the -Marquis de Brezé, the best match in the country, was to wed a young -foreign girl of low extraction who had, in charity, been given an asylum -at the mill. The Duchess de Rousillon was absent in Paris at the time, -for the purpose of securing from the government of the Restoration the -return of properties confiscated during the Reign of Terror. - -One morning as the young Marquis was tranquilly sleeping, dreaming, -perhaps, of his fair Dulcinea, his arm was roughly shaken and he opened -his eyes upon the angry countenance of his mother, who held toward him -an open letter. There was no signature, but René recognized the coarse -scrawls and crude expressions of Genevičve. It was addressed to the -Duchess and announced the intended marriage of her son to an adventuress -who had found refuge at the mill. - -"I suppose," said the lady disdainfully, "that this is only a -half-truth. Whether your gallantries relate to this girl or to some -other is a matter having no interest for me. What I demand to know is -this: Have you pledged your word?" - -René raised himself on his elbow and answered: "If Amélie consents, we -shall be married." - -The tempest following this announcement and the ensuing days of conflict -still lived vividly in the mind of the Marquis as the bitterest -experience of his life, especially that occasion when the Duchess -ordered her carriage for the purpose of interviewing Amélie. She took -this resolution after receiving from Court a letter which seemed to -throw her into a violent agitation. On reaching the mill, she demanded -to see Amélie, who appeared with a quiet air of unconcern. The Duchess -stared at her and seemed almost petrified, not mentioning her son. After -some incoherent phrases, she stammered that the object of her visit was -to look upon so beautiful a girl. On taking leave, she bowed -obsequiously, her customary aplomb having been transformed into -something very like the confusion of a raw peasant. The miller was -ordered to accompany her home and, on reaching the castle, they were -closeted together for over two hours. On leaving the apartment, Adhemar -staggered like one drunk with wine and the Duchess flung herself in rage -into a chair. That afternoon two journeys were begun; Adhemar -accompanied Amélie to Calais and the Duchess forced her son to go with -her to Paris. - -O those first days of separation! The Marquis shut the door upon the -friends who had been his life-long associates. He wished only to be in -London, reunited to Amélie, but, not knowing her address, to find her -would be impossible. At last a letter from her, forwarded by Adhemar, -gave him the needed information. He was about to set out when a slow -fever fastened upon him and kept him in bed for three months. He did not -tell Amélie of his condition, fearing to alarm her. His letters were -brief, but they breathed an unswerving devotion. When returning health -sent the impetuous blood of youth through his veins, he declared to his -mother an unalterable determination to persist in his love for the -stranger girl. Then it was that, like a bomb exploding at his feet, -these ominous words fell from the lips of the Duchess: - -"It would be insanity in the Marquis de Brezé to bestow his name on the -daughter of a mechanic by occupation, a vagabond without lineage, of -tainted blood, an adventurer who has roamed over Europe, supported in -his youth by a woman of middle age whom there is good reason to suppose -was his mistress. I knew well these particulars, dear son of mine, and -you may imagine how they harassed me, but I rebuked myself, saying that -dignity and morality might exist in the humblest rank. Still, as those -who are not blinded by love must ascertain facts, I investigated the -situation and obtained these corroborating documents. You will admit -that my course has not been one of capricious obstinacy. Listen. The -father of your idol, by name Naundorff, seems to be of Jewish -extraction. His past is sullied by grave felonies. Here is the -deposition of the burgomaster of Spandau and letters from other Prussian -authorities--a formal conviction, in fact. As an incendiary, he set fire -to the city theatre, as a counterfeiter, he manufactured sackfuls of -coins, which, when caught in the act, he flung into the river Spree. He -expiated his flagitious acts by serving in the penitentiary of Alstadt -the sentence imposed by a German court. Now you know the truth and if -you still desire to unite the Naundorff blazonry with the unblemished -arms of Brezé, glorious with crusader trophies, you are free to do so. I -cannot restrain you. If I could, I should. I have discharged my duty in -warning you. You cannot allege ignorance. And now, René, leave me. I -trust soon to know whether the heir of Rousillon lives or whether I must -mourn his passing." - -This was the speech which the young Marquis had, earlier in the evening, -abridged and modified before Amélie. And now, living over again the -scene at the trellis, he felt that she would not forgive him and, -nevertheless, that he could not live without her. Knightly honor, family -pride, the obligations of nobility--all were impotent in combating his -love for the fascinating, imperious girl. - - - - -Chapter III - -THE ASSAULT - - -Telling himself that he was reprehensively weak in failing to resist his -passion, René gazed out upon the river. He reflected that its dark -surface had closed over many human sorrows and perplexities which seemed -beyond alleviation. A chill crept over him, then a dizziness, as he -gazed into the glistening, alluring current of the Thames. - -In such situations, the slightest whisper is enough to break the spell. -The Marquis started on beholding two men emerge from a noisome alley, -conversing in French. When abroad, our native tongue always claims our -attention, especially when one using it happens to pronounce a familiar -name. These men twice spoke the name of Amélie's father, whereupon René -stealthily followed the pair. He could not distinguish the topic of -their conversation but was quite close enough to study the physical type -of each of the suspicious characters, one of whom was close-shaven, -coarse and short of stature, the other tall, full-bearded, alert and -enveloped in a huge overcoat which concealed half his face. They walked -slowly, peering at intervals in all directions. On perceiving René, they -nudged each other, for the Marquis's fine clothes were out of keeping -with the place, which was the thoroughfare of dissolute and disorderly -sailors. They ceased talking and, a few moments later, suddenly turned a -corner and disappeared in the labyrinth of malodorous, ill-lighted -alleys. René realized that they had eluded him, but his hunter's scent -and nimble legs put him again upon their trail. Why this espionage? He -could scarcely have answered had he been questioned. - -When he next perceived them, they were standing beneath the yellow -lantern of a tavern. He saw them enter the filthy place, order some -glasses of beer, which they gulped down like genuine Londoners and make -their exit. Guardedly he followed them into the wider and better-lighted -streets, through which rolled an occasional cab. Again they described a -capricious curve, descended towards the river and emerged upon the park -which faced the small house and garden--the scene of René's colloquy -with Amélie. On noting the coincidence, his heart beat fast and the -movement was quickened when he perceived that the wily couple were -ambuscading back of the great trees in the centre of the square. -Connecting the name he had twice heard spoken by the ruffians--for so he -classified them--with the place of their concealment, he conjectured -that an act was about to be perpetrated which would affect Amélie, an -act in which he must interpose, whether impelled by fate or chance. He -crept into the zone of shade cast by the dense foliage, his gray cloak -blending in color with the walls and making him almost invisible. - -The park remained deserted. The night grew darker each moment and the -silence was broken only by the solemn striking of the church clock or -the impatient step of a laborer returning homeward. Just as the hour of -nine struck, a man appeared from that side of the park opposite the spot -where René was watching. As he entered, walking leisurely, the two -concealed men stepped forth and with a preconcerted movement placed -themselves, the one on the stranger's right, the other on his left. René -had scarcely realized what had occurred when the assault began. A few -vigorous leaps brought him quickly to the assistance of the victim just -as the assailants were about to deliver their blows. He seized the -uplifted arm of the more threatening one, the tall man with the great -coat, whose intended cudgel-blow was thereby made harmless. - -The stranger, having no other weapon than a cane, rained blows upon the -enemy until he wrenched himself loose and fled. René then turned upon -the accomplice, seized him by the throat with both hands and gradually -tightened his hold until the man's face was purple from strangulation. -Then he released him, but, suddenly feeling a sharp sensation in his -shoulder, he renewed his grasp, maintaining the pressure until the -villain fell inert, dropping his weapon. The assaulted man quickly -seized the Marquis by the arm and dragged him toward the house, saying -in a voice full of emotion: - -"Come, let us hasten. If the police detect us, we are lost." - -He spoke in French with a German accent. - -"I cannot," said René staggering. "I am wounded and too weak to walk." - -Throwing his arms around René in order to sustain him, the stranger -conducted him to his home, rapping three times in a peculiar manner upon -the door, which was then opened by a woman of attractive form and -features and apparently about thirty-five years of age. She shrieked on -beholding the condition of the two men. - -"'Tis a wounded gentleman, Jeanne--wounded in defending me," said the -stranger in an authoritative voice. "Close the door securely and help me -to examine his wounds." - -The woman obeyed, leaving her lamp on a stand, and aided her husband in -placing René upon a lounge in the room next the entrance. Not till then -did she dare to whisper: - -"And you, Charles Louis; has any ill befallen you?" - -"Nothing but a slight scratch on the elbow. Quickly bring some water, -ether, balsam and court-plaster and linen. Call Amélie. She is -courageous." - -While Jeanne hastened to execute these commands, Charles Louis -unfastened René's outer garments, also his close-fitting jacket, -removing the lace-trimmed shirt soaked in blood and disclosing a wound -near the left shoulder-blade, the ruffian's dagger having been aimed for -a dangerous lung thrust. His weakness was due entirely to loss of blood, -which, continuing to flow, had left a dark, clotted stain on his white -skin. When Jeanne returned with the restoratives, René was smiling -tranquilly. A girl in white entered the apartment, holding a wax taper -and, upon recognizing René, pale, blood-stained and nude to the waist, -she uttered a cry of terror and dropped the light. - -"What is the matter, Amélie?" asked her father. "Do not be alarmed, my -daughter. Thank God that our unknown friend is no longer in danger. Come -nearer and hold the light still a moment. Now the bandage. Bring one of -my shirts, also my great-coat and a glass of cognac or a little coffee." - -"Do not trouble yourselves further. I am doing well," declared the -wounded man. "At the Hotel Douglas I have changes of clothing." - -René's eyes passionately sought those of Amélie, which, dilated with -terror, could not unfasten themselves from his face. - -The host insisted: "It is too late to go to the Hotel. The streets, as -we have seen, are dangerous. Accept, then, for a little while the -clothes of a humble artisan, Monsieur--?" - -"René de Giac, Marquis de Brezé." - -"Charles Louis Naundorff," said the host introducing himself. "And these -are my wife and daughter. Will you believe me when I say that I knew you -were a Frenchman when you sprang to my defense?" - -On hearing that René had protected her father, Amélie approached her -lover and gave him a look that was all radiance, an abandon of the soul, -an unconditional surrender. It lasted but a moment. Had it been -prolonged, it would have melted the heart of the man who, not long -before, meditated a leap into the Thames. - -"To be a Frenchman and to be a hero from choice are mutual corollaries. -You did not know me. Why, then, should you risk your life? Thus is my -debt; of gratitude to you increased," said Naundorff, smiling. - -Amélie had brought René a cup of coffee which, having the effect of a -cordial, made him talkative. - -"A half hour since, the bandits and I were concealed in the park; an -hour since, I started on their trail." - -"Is it possible?" - -"It is indeed. Listen and judge. I wandered aimlessly along the river -bank and soon overheard two men speaking French. They were -suspicious-looking characters and they spoke your name twice. On -perceiving that I followed, they fled. I caught up with them and again -followed cautiously. On reaching the park, they ambuscaded. The rest you -know." - -Naundorff gazed attentively at his guest who, having clothed himself in -the borrowed garments, was fast recovering his strength. He strove to -read René's face. At last he said: - -"Why, then, you knew me?" - -"Yes, Monsieur, I knew you by name, and now that I look at you closely, -I feel that I know your face also. You have one of those countenances -which always seem familiar and linger in the memory. I cannot say when -or where I have seen you, but I believe it has been not once but a -thousand times. When I opened my eyes and looked upon your face, it -seemed to me that long ago I had known you well." - -On first beholding his fiancée's father, de Brezé had experienced a -feeling that now returned with renewed force. Although love confiscates -all sentiments, in order to focus them on the adored one, René gazed -beyond Amélie as he spoke, having eyes only for Charles Louis. The -father's age seemed near forty, his head was of spacious front with -arched brow and blond hair, somewhat silvered and curling naturally. An -infantile dimple marked his chin, his breast-bone was high and a slight -obesity marred his form which still, however, preserved graceful -outlines; his hands were finely patrician; his expression was a mingling -of dignity, bitterness and deep distrust. Great sorrows must have been -the lot of this man, for his face seemed furrowed by torrents of tears. -His likeness to Amélie seemed to consist more in what is usually called -family resemblance than in physical similitude. The father and daughter -were of distinct types and yet it seemed impossible to disjoin them -mentally. More and more perplexed, René said to himself, "Where have I -seen this man? Where have I seen him and Amélie together?" - - - - -Chapter IV - -AMÉLIE - - -Naundorff, seated near the sofa where René rested, had become pensive. -René's eyes were fastened querulously upon him. The young man scarcely -knew what to say, yet his good breeding impelled him to end the enforced -visit. - -"I have almost recovered. I therefore beg of my kind host permission to -depart. I shall take a cab near by in Wellington street and so reach my -hotel in twenty minutes. Tomorrow, unless fever seizes me, I shall give -myself the pleasure of calling upon you to learn how you fare after our -rough experience. There remains now only to inquire whether you deem it -advisable to report this assault, Monsieur Naundorff, in order that the -scoundrels may receive their just deserts." - -This very natural query was disquieting to the host, and with contracted -lips, he objected: - -"Make report? No, no. I would suffer everything rather than appeal to -human justice. Leave human justice to her caverns, her lairs. I prefer -to deal with the malefactors who all but made off with us. At least," he -added excitedly in a hoarse voice, "at least they strike blows and -dispatch their victims. Oh, deliver me from prolonged martyrdom, from -shredding of flesh fibre by fibre Let the end come speedily and -then--rest. The justice of God is retributive, infallible." - -At this point Amélie arose and threw herself into her father's arms, -while Jeanne buried her face in her hands. René observed that the wife -was not really included in the demonstration and that Naundorff and -Amélie constituted a group of attuned souls. As she drew herself from -her father who kissed her fair forehead, she turned to René and said -serenely: - -"Monsieur Marquis de Brezé, we have complied to the extent of our power -with the obligations of hospitality and gratitude. We owe you an eternal -debt. On leaving, you shall carry with you my father's pistols, which he -imprudently refuses to carry himself, notwithstanding numerous evidences -of treachery. But before you leave, I wish to hear my father vindicate -himself." - -She made a significant gesture to Naundorff, who then said gently to his -wife: - -"Jeanne, my own, go and see if the children are sleeping. Don't let -them know what has happened to-night." - -Jeanne complied with a smile. Amélie then resumed the conversation with -her usual vivacity. - -"Without detracting from our gratitude, Marquis, permit me to say that -friendship must be based upon esteem. If you do not esteem my father -according to his deserts; if, on saving his life through a noble -impulse, you fail to profess for him a respect which is his due, we -shall perpetuate our gratitude but withhold our hospitality in the -future, unless some day you call upon us, to demand the life to which -your conduct tonight entitles you. This is my attitude, Monsieur, and my -father's also." - -"What do you mean, my daughter?" interposed Naundorff. - -"The Marquis understands me," replied the girl, lowering her eyes. "He -will admit that I speak with warrant." - -Naundorff, with unfeigned amazement gazed from one to the other. The -heightened color in both young faces revealed the truth. - -"Monsieur le Marquis, have you had previous acquaintance with my -daughter?" - -"I have had that honor, Monsieur Naundorff, at the house of Elois -Adhemar, miller on my patrimonial estate." - -"What has been the nature of the friendship which you have entertained -for the Marquis?" asked Naundorff of Amélie. "I do not need to urge you -to speak the truth." - -"Indeed you do not my father. René de Giac was my lover, pledged to be -my husband. He is," she observed, as though the detail were of extreme -importance, "a scion of the first nobility of France." - -"Compose yourself, my daughter," said Naundorff, for her voice had -suddenly quavered with emotion. "To love is law. Your father has loved -intensely. Your lover is worthy of you." - -"That is what remains to be proved," she replied haughtily. "That is -what Monsieur le Marquis will demonstrate without delay. We wait--" - -René was amazed at her intrepidity and he answered with some vehemence: - -"Mademoiselle wounds but does not offend. She will testify that I have -reverenced her honor, that it has been as sacred to me as that of a -beloved sister. And in vindication, I now improve the present occasion -to address my plea to her father. Monsieur Naundorff, the Marquis de -Brezé asks for the hand of your daughter." - -Astounded, then thrilled with happiness, Naundorff turned to his -daughter, who interrupting, calmly said: - -"Do not concede it, my father, until the Marquis retracts." - -René understood. His fealty indicated his line of procedure. Turning to -Naundorff, he said: - -"I retract, not because Amélie demands that I should but because my -conscience so dictates. In France I had been assured that you had been -imprisoned as an incendiary and counterfeiter and that you had served -your term in Silesia at hard labor. Two hours since, I said this to -Amélie. Since meeting you, I am convinced that the charge is false. -Forgive me and take my hand." - -A melancholy cloud settled upon Naundorffs face and a spasm of pain -convulsed his features. From his eyes darted a lustre like that of -congealed tears. Losing all control of himself, he shrieked: - -"Do not take my hand. What they told you in France is true. I have been -dragged before tribunals under the accusation of firing a theatre and -counterfeiting money. Yes, I have ground gypsum in the prison of -Alstadt. You have not been deceived, Monsieur le Marquis." - -Amélie, sobbing and on her knees, caressed her father passionately. René -vacillated for a moment and then intuition vanquished reason. - -"Your hand, Monsieur Naundorff," he said, extending his own. "If you -refuse, it is because you doubt me. I feel convinced that those -accusations are part of an iniquitous scheme. My heart so speaks and my -heart does not lie. The Marquis de Brezé, of immaculate honor, responds -for the honor of Naundorff." - -Not his hand but both of his arms did Naundorff extend to this new -friend whom he embraced impetuously. - -"Not only are you innocent of felony," said René, "but, moreover, a man -persecuted, calumniated, victimized. From today you have at your side an -unconditional friend. I will make your reputation to shine as the sun. -Trust yourself to me." - -Naundorff shook his head sadly. - -"'Tis not in you power to change my fate. Tired of long suffering, I -determined to leave everything to chance. Living obscurely, humbly, -poorly, I thought that, being forgotten, tranquillity was at last to be -permitted me. What evil had I done? Of what might I be accused? May I -not even enjoy the love of my family and the peace of the laborer's -hearth? No, they have decreed my assassination as they decreed my -dishonor. Today you have saved me, my friend, but you will not always be -near and if you dare to place yourself between me and my fate, alas for -you! A voice prophetic and awful pronounced to me, one day, these words -in the darkness of my dungeon: 'Your friends shall perish.'" - -Amélie fell into an armchair, sobbing. - -"Do not weep, rose of heaven," said Naundorff, leading her toward René. -"Divine providence permits at last that you shall be happy. My dream was -to see you the wife of a French nobleman. He whom you love is noble in -birth and noble in soul. Love one another. Charles Louis blesses you." - -"No," protested René. "We shall not marry until you are rehabilitated. -Amélie would not consent." Amélie extended her hand in approval. - -"Not until my father recovers his name and honor may we be happily -married, René." - -"Do as you will," murmured Naundorff. "I will not again buffet Fate, -knowing in advance that I shall fall a victim." - -He made a signal to the Marquis, who followed him into the basement of -the house. It was a species of work-shop, illumined by the dim light of -a lantern hanging from the smoky ceiling. On benches were scattered the -implements of a watch-maker--springs, pincers, bridges, wires, minute -tongs, unmounted watches, others in cases, machinery of various kinds -and firearms. Naundorff double-locked the door and then, removing one of -the tables, counted the bricks in the wall and, reaching the fifteenth -numbering from the floor, he pried it out. A secret compartment was now -revealed from which he took a yellow parchment and a small square box -with a gold key hanging from it. - -"René de Giac," said Naundorff solemnly, "I confide this treasure to -your unblemished honor. Herein is contained the last gleam of hope for -me and my children. To no one have I delivered this manuscript and -casket because my misfortunes have driven away all my friends, a result -to be expected from the prediction heard within my prison walls. There -have been moments in which I have thought to throw these proofs into the -fire, for they seemed valueless, but tonight's episode has put an end to -such an inclination. As I do not attain peace by living obscurely; as a -dagger continues to be suspended over my head; as my sorrows flood the -life of Amélie, my best-loved child--the only being who knows my -secret; since, contrary to my desire, I am compelled to defend my -rights, I resume the struggle. I shall secretly go to France and if you -consider that the testimonials enclosed in that box constitute a solid -basis for my claims before a French tribunal, or even before a human -tribunal, then I shall proceed to my demands. No longer will I remain -silent. But listen to my warning. From the very moment you possess the -box and parchment, do not consider yourself safe on earth. Tremble, keep -vigils, start in your sleep, trust no man. Treachery will bristle on all -sides and spies will track you, to despoil you of the treasure. You look -at me amazed and, perhaps, doubt my sanity, but reflect on the assault -of this night. You will not wonder at my warnings when you read the -manuscript. It is a plea addressed to a woman, to her whom I have most -loved on earth, excepting my mother and daughter--a woman upon whom may -God have pity! After you have read it, judge whether or no it should be -placed in her hands and, if it should, be you the bearer, that the woman -may not say she sinned through ignorance. - -"As for this casket containing the important documents," he added, -"conceal it in a crypt beneath French soil or in the bowels of the -earth. A time will come when we shall have need of it. Until then, let -not your right hand know where the left has hidden it." - -"I swear!" said de Brezé, "that no man shall track me." - -"Transform yourself, René. He who becomes my friend must adjust to his -face a mask, must envelop himself in mystery--for I am a mystery, an -abysmal mystery. Here are my pistols--they are loaded. And now farewell, -for you must find a place of safety for these things which in my hands -incur grave danger. I shall see you again in Calais where Amélie and I -shall be one week from today, if all goes satisfactorily, at the Red -Fish Inn. Let us not meet again in London, for we are watched." - -"No divining rod shall indicate the cavity beneath French soil where I -conceal this treasure," said de Brezé. "Permit me now, on leaving, to -kiss my lady's hand." - -"Go seek her. She is yours." - -At eleven, René again crossed the solitary park. He approached the -square, curious to see if there still remained evidences of the -struggle. All was deserted, but a blade gleamed at the foot of a tree, -and he took it up in his hand. It was a short, wide knife such as -mariners use for cutting fish. As he stooped, the casket dropped from -his bosom and struck on the tree. Much alarmed, he replaced it inside -his jacket which he securely buttoned and, pressing his hand to the -treasure, he proceeded along Wellington street. - -On passing a corner to call a cab, he caught sight of two men, those of -the assault, shadowed in a great doorway and watching his movements. - -"There goes the throttler," said the thickset fellow, who still wheezed -from the pressure of René's fingers. - -"He carries a box," said the other. "It has a metallic sound and cannot -be empty. Shall we fall on him and seize it?" - -"Fool! he must be armed. If not, do you think I should let him pass?" - -"He goes toward Wellington." - -"Let's follow him now as he followed us. Let's find out who this young -aristocrat is that drops from the skies into other men's fights." - -And the two ruffians, creeping along in the shadow of the walls, tracked -de Brezé until he leaped into a cab, giving directions which they -overheard. The listeners did not need to incur the expense of another -cab. - -René had failed to heed the warning of Naundorff regarding -circumspection. Just from the arms of Amélie, he floated like one in a -trance; his thoughts were all of love. - - - - -Chapter V - -THE FIRST THREADS OF THE NET - - -The office of the Superintendent of Police, Baron Lecazes, was an -apartment severely sumptuous and furnished in the purest Imperialistic -style. The power of the great Napoleon, laid low forever after the -ephemeral sway of the Hundred Days, lived still in art. How could the -suite of Lecazes be furnished otherwise, when it had been the official -headquarters of Fouché, Napoleon's chief minister, the "Great Second" in -power and, perhaps, behind the throne's draperies, the "Great First." He -had occupied it during the stirring period in which the power of the -police department attained its zenith,--Fouché, the only man who in -reality knew the history of the epoch. - -Lecazes was said to have reaped the harvest of his predecessor's -ingenious policy--tangled labyrinths of tunnels, secret passages, back -stairways, hidden closets, dungeons wherein dangerous citizens kept -gloomy vigils while gagged and fettered, awaiting presentation before -the all-potent superintendent. There were chiffoniers and garde-robes -whose compartments held every variety of disguises. Smothered -voices, could they have become audible again, might have told of -torture-galleries consummately fitted up, containing indented wheels, -Austrian steel-blocks, English pricking-forks, Spanish weights and -cords, Prussian metal helmets and other devices no less terrifying. The -truth of these rumors cannot be vouched for but it is enough to say that -they were disseminated by the Carbonari, whose society was then -starting. It has also been said, perhaps rashly, that under the eye of -Fouché there existed a chemical laboratory in which a turbaned doctor -from the Orient, envoy from the Great Turk, concocted distillations of -herbs which induced stupor, insanity or death. However legendary some of -these statements may seem, however rash it may be to gainsay the erudite -historians who give credit only to what is found in the records, it is -well to recognize the fact that some of the most dramatic and highly -significant happenings are among those of which all trace has been -obliterated. - -The private office of Lecazes was reached from the outside by an -antechamber with apparently but one entry, that of the rear, leading to -the hall and before which hung a green silk portičre brocaded in -yellow palms. The walls of the office were covered with green silk laid -on in squares and retained in place by carved gilt-edged mahogany -strips. The floor was a mosaic of rare and variegated woods which in -their natural tints formed a Grecian fret encircling a serpent-locked -head of Medusa. There were swan-formed sofas and chairs and stools of -artistically wrought brass, depicting processions of nymphs with airy -coiffures, slender necks and beribboned sandals, or groups of cupids -bearing hymeneal torches. A splendid bronze railing surrounded the desk -on which stood an inkstand with the figure of Laocoön struggling in the -coils of serpents. The Laocoön and the Medusa, strongly suggestive of -martyrdom and despair, could not be more fittingly placed. Above the -baron's seat, a canopy overhung the portrait of the reigning king, Louis -XVIII. Lecazes was seated and although many papers lay before him, he -was not busy. His attitude was meditative, his head resting in the left -hand, while his right fingered a silver pen tipped with steel. It would -have been difficult to classify the quality of his meditation--to -determine whether it was artful or idle. His face was keenly intelligent -and in public it expressed an ingenious frankness, with an affability -too unremitting to be sincere, and a smile half abstracted and half -mellow, which, when in solitude was replaced by lines of astute and -tenacious determination. It was the expression of a man who travels -without deviation to his ends. - -As superintendent of the restored monarch, he was impelled to display -greater vigor than as the superintendent of the great Corsican. In the -latter capacity he was guided by a superior genius; in the former he -stood back of the throne to guard the government--including himself. - -"What would become of them without me?" Lecazes asked himself, on the -successful termination of a coup. "It is often necessary to act without -consulting. There are questions which must not be asked. I am the -contriver. I direct the play and they are the audience. Much cause for -congratulation is it if I can prevent them and their vengeful partisans -of the south from spoiling the plot." - -The baron's reflections were not those of one who seeks a path amid -thorns and thistles. They had, rather, to do with the balancing of -probabilities and the best way to carry out his purpose. Suddenly he -began to arrange the documents, some of which he tied together. After -extracting and reading a letter over and over, he placed that important -paper in his pocket-book. - -A project of much consequence agitated his mind, for his hand shook -nervously as he took up his pen, and deep furrows lined his brow. Two -clocks, standing upon artistic brackets at his right and left -respectively, joined their crystalline voices in musical precision. It -was two o'clock in the afternoon--time to stop reflecting and go to -acting. He struck the bell and inquired of the attendant, who -immediately appeared: - -"What person waits?" - -"Professor Beauličge is in the anteroom." - -"Show him in." - -A moment later there appeared a man who was a type of the -literary-scientific proletariat, such as may always be found in Parisian -bookstores, lingering before shelves containing antique works marked at -extravagant prices. A greasy looking hat, uncombed hair, coat collar -soiled with dandruff, tattered gloves pierced by dirty fingernails, a -faded portfolio (apparently full of manuscripts) beneath his arm; a -shaven face with a peaked nose and myopic eyes which seemed to peer -through a dusty web--such were the unpleasing features of Monsieur -Beauličge's exterior. - -The baron, scarcely looking up, motioned him to a seat. Active and -practical himself, he professed for litterateurs a disdain which he made -no effort to conceal. - -"How does the book come on?" he asked. - -"Monsieur le Baron," faltered the poor old fellow, "I make little -advance because, as you are well aware, I absolutely lack basis. I have -no corroborating documents for establishing the boy's demise. I am in -ignorance of what transpired during the latter part of his imprisonment -and my labor is most arduous since, thanks to the spirit of the age, -history seems to be taking on new methods and insisting on indisputable -evidences. When I received your summons, I jumped for joy, for I thought -you had important documents to entrust to me." - -"Monsieur Beauličge" replied Lecazes, in slightly repressed irony, "if -we possessed the papers that you wish, we should have no need of you. Le -diable! In that case I should transfer them to the columns of Le -Moniteur. What I expect of your genius and erudite pen is a -compilation--do you follow me?--a compilation of, well, of materials -conjectural and plausible, tender, affecting, poetic, descriptive of the -unhappy prince's life in prison. The theme is pregnant. You have a -virgin field and an ample horizon. You are not asked for a romance. -Beware! You must bring forth a historic revelation to serve as a beacon -for the future. 'Tis an enterprise which, above all, if believed to have -been spontaneously undertaken, will redound to your literary glory. A -seat in the Academy shall not be deemed too lofty an honor by way of -reward for your distinguished merit." - -The word "Academy" caused the savant to leap from his seat and grasp the -railing. Lecazes eyed him astutely. This man was not purchasable in -money. He had wisely held to him the bait of literary eminence. - -"A book of your writing, Monsieur Professeur, does not require much help -from documentary evidence, since your personal authority is sufficient. -It might, if you were one of those fools who invent narratives having -neither head nor tail, but the fact of your being a scholar and a -collector of historical manuscripts imparts the strength of credibility -to your productions. The test of your ability shall consist in imparting -stability to a monument without a pedestal. We have unfortunately lost -the pedestal." - -"I am told," said the professor, "that there exists in the Hospital for -Incurables a woman capable of throwing light on this chapter of -history. She is the widow of the shoemaker who tortured the wretched -little prince. I have decided to interview this woman." - -The baron's fist dealt the table a fearful blow. - -"With what instrument must I inject into your brain the idea that you -are to interview nobody except the person or persons to whom I direct -you? Is your book to be the recital of old women's garrulities or a -dignified exposition?" - -The savant drooped his head. The magic charm of membership in the -Academy constrained him into a meek submission. Nevertheless, he timidly -stammered: - -"If only I might possess the death certificate! Resting upon that -solitary document, the book would have a basis of adamant. It would -suffice to refute conclusively those vile impostors, the cobbler of -Rouen, the lackey of Versailles, and the mechanic of Prussia." - -Lecazes again assumed his habitual smile in order to restrain himself -from flinging the Laocoön inkstand at the savant's head,--the old -imbecile, seeking Jerusalem artichokes in the depths of the sea! Then he -amiably remonstrated: - -"Refrain, my dear Professor, from desiring such evidence, or--renounce -your seat in the Academy. You must convince yourself that the aforesaid -death certificate has not yet been unearthed, and that it is not yet -expedient to record the facsimile. But what does this matter to a sage -like yourself?" - -Gliding his hand into his pocket, the superintendent extracted a roll of -banknotes. - -"This insignificant sum is not intended as payment for your labor but -only as a reimbursement for expenses incidental to the mechanical part -of your task. In two weeks I shall expect the manuscript, may I not?" - -An authoritative gesture dismissed the Professor, who retired in an -absorbed mental condition, for already he had begun framing his -initiatory address on entering the Academy. Lecazes glanced, at the -clock. The hands indicated twenty-five minutes of three. - -"Volpetti has doubtless arrived," he said to himself and then rising, he -took up the package of papers which had recently been collected and -pressed a finger upon a hidden spring back of his chair, whereupon one -of the panels swung open, revealing a dark, narrow passageway, at the -farther end of which there was an iron shutter. Entering, he touched -this lightly with his knuckles and no sooner had it rolled upward than a -man's voice hoarsely whispered from the opened room: - -"I am here, Excellency." - -The chamber which the baron entered was furnished in mahogany, the walls -painted to match, and the floor was covered with a cheap carpet. It -lacked windows and was ventilated only by the stovepipe. A lantern was -suspended from the ceiling and he quickly turned it upon the individual -who had announced himself. - -"Lower the shutter," ordered the baron, and the man obeyed, closing the -chamber's only exit. - -"Now bring cup and salver." - -The man took from the cupboard a deep bronze cup with handles -representing two sirens of protruding bosom. Unstopping a bottle, he -emptied its contents into the cup and then, striking a flint, ignited a -taper which he applied to the liquid. He then placed the cup on the -stove. A blue flame arose, and in it the baron lighted, one by one, the -documents he had just been handling at his desk. He watched the burning -sheets as they turned to black crumpled shapes and then to shapeless -ashes upon the metal salver. The odor from the burning seals was wafted -to his face and a slight shiver came over him. He was enjoying his power -of obliterating history, cunningly causing past happenings to seem as -though they had not been. Feeling relieved at the destruction of the -papers, he said amiably to Volpetti: - -"When you are again here, 'twill be because _that_ has been -accomplished." - - - - -Chapter VI - -THE BAILIFF - - -The man to whom those significant words A were addressed, and whom the -baron called Volpetti, appeared to have just arrived after a long -journey. Much dust whitened his clothes, his shoes and his abundant dark -hair, which last was in a disorderly condition. He seemed somewhat over -thirty, of a southern type, having tanned skin and a heavy beard which -extended almost to his eyes. His answer was formal: - -"_That_ shall be accomplished tonight." - -"Are you certain?" - -"Infallibly so. The fool is in clever hands. I am just from London, -bringing two boxes of steel implements, scissors and knives, which have -served to corroborate my commercial character. Beyond the Channel I was -Albert Serra, a Catalan, making purchases in London to smuggle through -Gibraltar. Not the devil himself could have spotted me." - -"Come to the point," commanded the superintendent. "You are skillful in -disguises. I myself hardly recognize you in that beard and mop of hair." - -"I have taken these precautions, Excellency, because the Carbonari and -the police are on my scent. They are making shrewd guesses and 'twould -be very awkward for me to enter London in handcuffs, on the charge of -being party to an assault upon that puzzling personage. One must be on -the qui vive. I picked out two hardy fellows and gave them only such -information as was required for the performance of their parts. Besides, -the plan was as simple as sucking eggs. The personage lives in an -obscure quarter and opposite his house is a park which is always -deserted after nightfall. A Methodist church stands on one side of this -park and a college on another. In the centre is a group of big trees -which cast a deep shade; indeed, everything was arranged to suit us. The -personage takes an evening stroll after his day's work, for he has been -warned that failure to take the air will be bad for his eyes which he -uses hard all day, looking at the fine mechanism of the watches and -machines which he repairs. How have I found all this out? Therein lies -my genius, Excellency. I can answer every question concerning that -house. The personage, after wandering through certain streets, and -visiting his friends, the Prussian mechanic, Hartzenbaume, returns home -regularly at a given hour. He is very punctual in his habits and whoever -passes through the square at that time is almost sure to meet him." - -The superintendent shook his head. The faint creases upon his brow -deepened. - -"And if they are captured?" - -"If they are captured? but they will _not_ be captured. They know just -what to do. If they are arrested, 'twill be for assault with intent to -rob, something that occurs every day. And even though Albert Serra is -named as accomplice, what of that? The English police will look for a -Catalan smuggler--not for me. The fellows know only half the story and -you may be certain that the net is well laid. Has your Excellency -further orders for me?" - -"Await me here and arrange a new make-up. I shall return." - -The bailiff bowed and, at a signal, raised the iron shutter through -which the autocrat passed back to his private office. On reaching it, he -felt in his pocket for the letter which he had placed there not long -since, and said to the usher: - -"Has not her Grace, the Duchess de Rousillon, arrived?" - -"She has been waiting some time for your Excellency." - -"Ask her to be good enough to enter." - -The baron gallantly advanced to place a chair for the lady. She -approached boldly, trying to smile, but her pale face and the reddened -semi-circles beneath her blue eyes revealed acute suffering. The duchess -must have been beautiful in her prime and her style of dressing showed -that she had not given up her claim to attractiveness. Her skirt was of -taffeta silk ornamented with narrow lace ruffles. She wore an exquisite -dulleta of rare green velvet, bordered with white embroidery mingled -with gold and chenille, a large silk English bonnet of such shape as to -permit the escape on each side of clusters of curls still golden. A -parasol like that which had been last graced by the hand of the Duchess -de Barri, of white satin embroidered in violets, completed her outfit. -From her left wrist hung a reticule of pearls over satin with a jeweled -clasp. She made a court bow to Lecazes and seated herself in the -proffered chair with somewhat more than her usual aristocratic manner. - -"In what can I serve your Grace?" - -"If you but knew what has happened," she began in an agonized voice. To -his querulous look, she resumed: "You had appointed today for the -conference which we were to hold regarding the Montereux mines, which -form part of the ducal estate of Rousillon. The possession of this -property is disputed by the municipality of Montereux on the pretext of -prior occupation, and I desire to place my claim in your hands for -enforcement, even though it be a matter that does not concern you -officially. But if it were not for this engagement with you, I should -have come today to earnestly solicit an audience." - -The baron noted her agitation from the trembling of the rich jewels on -her bosom. - -"Compose yourself," he said almost affectionately, taking in his own one -of her gloved hands "Your trouble may not be as serious as you imagine." - -"You consider me capable of being afflicted over a trifle!" she -exclaimed. "Listen; my son has escaped to England." - -"To England!" ejaculated Lecazes, starting in his seat. - -"Ah! so you see my distraction is not over a small matter. Yes, to -London and slyly, too, for he told me that he was going hunting on -Picmort. But as I have eyes, I discovered that the clothes which he had -taken were hardly appropriate to the chase and that the guns and bags -which were left behind satirically grinned at each other. I then hurried -to our bankers and indifferently inquired whether René had ordered money -to be sent to him. On being told that a large credit had been placed for -him in London, I concluded that my presentiments were well founded." - -"When did the Marquis leave?" - -"Four days ago. He should reach London tonight." - -The baron was not in the habit of showing his feelings, and only a -slight contraction of the mouth could be detected as the effect of his -chagrin. - -"You know well," proceeded the lady, "that the girl is there. When I -revealed the truth to him and proved it by the documents which you -kindly procured for me--showing her father's criminal record--René -seemed overwhelmed with sadness. After some grieving over his ruined -hopes, he appeared to be cured of his absurd passion. But now I realize -that the chains are not broken." - -The superintendent brusquely inquired: - -"Why did you not notify me the moment that your son started on his -trip?" - -"I blundered," she mournfully admitted. "I did not realize that -precautions are unavailing when one contends with intrigants of low -breed. Why do you not have that monstrous impostor put in prison? He -should be deprived of his mischief-making power. I trust to you, Baron, -to dispel from his Majesty's mind any notion that I am implicated in -this conspiracy. Assure him of my loyalty, of my condemnation of René's -perversity. How iniquitous so to exploit a resemblance, a freak of -Nature! 'Tis truly an amazing likeness. On seeing the girl I was almost -petrified. She has the air, the face, the eyes, the mouth and even the -gait of the martyr-queen. Mountebanks of that stripe always attract -followers. Adhemar, for one, believes in him to the death. I shall -banish him from the mill for his treason! O Baron, rescue René! If my -son were to become a partisan of this impostor, I could not endure his -Majesty's displeasure. Were I treated coldly at court, I should die of -mortification. Reverence for my liege is my chief sentiment. My beloved -husband used often to say to me, 'Matilde, let your first care be to -please the king!'" - -"That is not the question at present," drily rejoined the -superintendent. "Your fidelity is evident to me. But what a mistake you -made in not keeping me better posted." - -"Do you fear, as do I, a clandestine marriage--one of those -entanglements--?" - -"Like that of his Highness, Duke Ferdinand, with the sentimental Amy -Brown?" interposed Lecazes. - -"Mon Dieu, no!" protested the duchess. "That was a vicious calumny." - -"Well, your Grace, I shall try to nullify your mistakes. Compose -yourself and depart. Pardon my abruptness. I require time to formulate -plans and to prevent further trouble. Trust to me. The Marquis de Brezé -will not rush headlong into marriage with a culprit's daughter. Such -acts are not perpetrated in real life, impromptu, as in Cimarosa's -operas. We shall find preventives for such an awkward faux pas." - -The lady rose, drawing across her eyes a perfumed lace handkerchief. - -"You are my protector," she said, clasping the baron's hand. To herself -she said, "Trickster! Newly manufactured noble! Renegade Bonapartist!" - -As soon as the duchess had departed, Lecazes clenched his fist and shook -it vigorously in her direction. Then again placing a finger on the -secret spring, he glided through the paneled door and passageway into -the room where he had burned the documents. He called, in a low voice, -to Volpetti. - -Some moments later, the bailiff appeared in immaculate dress of the -correct style, blue coat with gilded buttons, nankeen breeches, -riding-boots and in his hand a fancy whip with carnelian handle. He wore -a white muslin cravat which with his pale face made a pleasing contrast -with the dark brown whiskers. His head was fringed with chestnut -ringlets, amid which rose, on the left, the romantic tupé, the -Chateaubriand coiffure. And Volpetti did strikingly resemble the author -of the Genius of Christianity. - -"You certainly have an amazing facility in transforming yourself," said -the superintendent. "There now remains only a cloak for the road. Take -two passports and make use of that which is the more appropriate. Spare -no expense and reach London without losing a moment." - -"Will your Excellency be so good as to give me definite instructions? Am -I sent to spy upon my agents?" - -"Your business is to dog the steps of the Marquis de Brezé and to -discover his lodging, his acts, his thoughts and even the frequency of -his heart-beats. This young gentleman is enamored of Naundorff's -daughter and he reaches London this evening. He will doubtless, on -arriving, take the road leading to his mistress. He may be Naundorff's -ally, yes, he may be his rescuer this very night. We did not count on -his presence and, to say the least, it complicates matters. Volpetti, -there is no need to give you further instructions." - -The bailiff bowed and departed, while the superintendent unfastened his -coat, took out the letter which he had withheld from the flames, -leisurely unfolded it and again lost himself in its perusal as though he -were committing it to memory. - - - - -Chapter VII - -THE EPICUREAN - - -Were the superintendent's office compared with the monarch's sanctum, -the former would appear to be more ostentatious, but on deliberately -examining the latter, much that was admirable, indicating the cultured -tastes of the occupant, would be found. The windows opened toward the -royal gardens which spread before the eye, like a rich tapestry, its -beds of rare flowers and shrubbery, among which could be seen alabaster -statues of Grecian deities glistening in the sunlight. Within, the walls -were covered with paintings both modern and antique, and splendid -armorial trophies from the East. Among the paintings were a nude in -pearly tints by Titian, a Bacchante by Rubens, an Odalisque by -Delacroix, and a Jupiter and Ganymede by Prudhon. There were fancy -china-pieces of Saxon ware encased in glass, Grecian statuettes, bas -reliefs in which consummate skill triumphed over crudity of subject, -silver-plate ornately engraved, medallions, coins, pottery and jewels, -many of these rarities being the treasures of an antiquarian -connoisseur. - -Back of the armchair and desk, which were superb specimens of Louis -Quinze furniture, stood a book-case richly paneled and containing among -its choicest volumes, editions of Plantin and Manuce, bound in morocco -and Spanish-American calf. On the right, back of the screen, which -concealed it was a costly piano awaiting the touch of fingers that were -wont to interpret its enchanting secrets. - -Before the desk and at the feet of the armchair was spread--a present -from the Countess Cayla--a white bearskin, upon which lay a diminutive -dog with black mouth and silken hair, one of those cunning miniatures -which today are a fad in France, but at that time were rarely seen. - -It was near five o'clock when a side door opened and the king entered, -supported, almost carried, by two attendants. The dog leaped for joy and -covered the monarch's feet with caresses. Sighing deeply, his Majesty -dropped into an easy-chair near a window. He suffered from a life-long -malady, in spite of which an active spirit stirred within him. To look -upon him made one quickly see the force of Marquis de Semonville's -remark: "How could one expect his Majesty to forgive his brother for -walking?" - -Having settled himself in the easy-chair, his bandaged legs and swollen -feet propped with cushions, he took a pinch of snuff from a jeweled case -and said: "Summon Baron Lecazes." - -Awaiting the execution of his order, the king cast his eyes over the -enchanting view from the open window. The western sky was like molten -gold and, against this brilliant background the sombre trees took on the -look of bronze bas reliefs. The spraying fountains tossed up in dazzling -glee myriads of fantastic aquiform flower-petals, charming the eye and -cooling the atmosphere. A sweet, voluptuous peace pervaded the -apartment, the garden perfume mingling with that of unfolding -narcissuses and springtide hyacinths in jardinieres. It was with -unfeigned delight that the royal personage sated his esthetic nature -amidst these rich and varied offerings to the senses, and on such -occasions he was given to saying to himself, as though he might never -enjoy its like again: - -"'Tis an elysian hour. Let us lose none of its nectar." - -Always lurking behind this sentiment was the conviction: "Life is brief, -whatever the number of its days. A breathing, a striving, a sighing, -and then--who can tell? Eternal mystery." - -Giving himself up to the play of his imagination, the king seemed to -hear the onrushing and receding of the tides of human destiny through -the centuries, now holding high, then sweeping to their fall, the -splendors of earth's thrones and dynasties. Was he also to be soon -submerged in those merciless tides and dashed about like a straw? O, -before sinking into the deeps, how he wished to live and feel the -complete man!--to have health and a day--and laugh to scorn all the -fears of frail humanity. - -"Were I but strong!" he at times exclaimed in rage. "Might I but love, -suffer, weave into my life the thread of a romantic adventure. But this -despicable body!--this diseased and impotent flesh!--" - -His eyes wandered from the garden view to the objects of art around him. -He enjoyed in them the fruition of artistic beauty rescued from -voracious Time. They seemed to smile to him like the choicest friends. -In these and such as these he found more real contentment than in aught -else. - -"I am very like an Athenian, or a Roman contemporary of Horace," he -assured himself complacently. Correct lines and classic symmetry -transported him so much that the vision was at times inspired within him -of his own person restored to health, with rich and virile blood -coursing through his veins. - -Suddenly his face grew haggard and his head fell on the back of the -chair, a shadow obscuring his Bourbonic countenance, so like that of his -decapitated brother, though it lacked the placid benevolence of that -unfortunate monarch's face encircled in curls which terminated in a cue. -In the reigning Louis's face that benevolent look was replaced by an -expression of sordid indifference or of caustic irony. - -The king's collapse had been caused by the sight of a man standing in -the garden opposite the window, near the statue: "A wrestler preparing -for the Combat." The man's keen eye was fixed upon the monarch. He was -of a weazened type and might be of any age between eighty and ninety, -for there is a limit beyond which the passage of time is not apparent in -the human form. His head shone like burnished silver, his bristly -eye-brows surmounted prophetic eyes and his knotty hands, upon which his -chin was leaning, rested on a rough staff. His garb was that of the -provinces--where tradition and superstition held sway and druids still -sharpened the ax beneath the trees--loose gaskins, wooden shoes, woolen -scarf and embroidered jacket over a white vest. As a whole the attire -was picturesque and the passers-by turned to gaze attentively at the old -man, an ideal model for a painter wishing to personify the past. - -The king, attracted by the strange figure, prolonged his stare, then -suddenly turned his eyes upon the pompous usher and the Superintendent -of Police, who advanced making a profound salutation. - -After taking the seat designated by the monarch, Lecazes inquired -solicitously: - -"Does your Majesty improve in health?" - -"The vulture does not tire of preying upon me. Believe me, Baron, the -lives of all men make up equal totals. To reign, having disabled limbs, -or to break stone, having nimble ones--'tis a balance. No, I am in -error. To break stone, under such conditions, is preferable. After all, -the breakers of stone can make love and be merry, while an invalid like -me--Poor Zoe! poor Countess! 'Tis true that she and I adore genius and -beauty. Who can deprive us of those joys?" - -The baron's facial muscles assented. - -"What of the English doctor?" he asked. - -"Bah! the English doctor? Another instance of the Anglomania enslaving -us! Have you ever witnessed inanity so grotesque as this servile -imitation? And the claim that 'tis the English who have imparted to the -world the ideas of cleanliness and hygiene! The reign of the water, -indeed! Have we forgotten the ablutions of the Greeks and Romans, their -cult of health, their purifying hot baths? And the fad of eating meat -raw bloody! I tell you it was the eating of beefsteak that set my gout -rampant. The only commendable thing about the English is that they -kicked the Corsican off the throne. But what is the news, Monsieur -Superintendent?" - -"The news is good, your Majesty. We have succeeded in collecting the -rest of the dispersed documents pertaining to the creole. All of these -we have burned, in compliance with your Majesty's instructions. And a -wise precaution it was, for they contained much that should be -suppressed, such as letters from the Russian emperor and from Barras -relating to the impostor--noxious papers, all of them." - -"And what writing, except good poetry, is not noxious?" disdainfully -inquired the king. "A perpetual conflagration should exist for the -consuming of all private letters and documents. Continue the -destruction. My desire is well known to you, namely, that only purely -official documents remain after me. Spare not a page of confidences, -intrigues or anything calculated to embroil historians or encourage -romanticists. To ashes with the whole! While the verses of the great -poets, the Latins especially, exist, what matters it about other -writing? Here is a Petrarch in antique vignettes which I secured -yesterday. Crude, is it? Why, the devil, Excellency! There was no mock -modesty in those days." - -Lecazes smiled, remembering Talleyrand's epigram: "The King reads Horace -in public and yellow-backs when alone." - -"Your Majesty," said he, "ever discourses on the intellectual and the -artistic--" - -"Ever, ever," rejoined the flattered monarch. "It is this diversion -alone that buoys me up in supporting the weight of the crown, for 'tis -heavy, so heavy! Lecazes, I do not lie on roses. If 'twere not for -madrigals--eh? The prettiest madrigal ever written to my sister-in-law, -Marie Antoinette, was from my pen. Do you remember it? 'Twas of the -zephyr and love. Not even Voltaire surpassed it. I ought to have devoted -my life to the art of verse and not been obliged to desert the Muse in -order to treat with those devilish emigrants who return from exile as -they left, having learned nothing, forgotten nothing. The importunate -creatures wish to obliterate the Red Terror with the White. They would -return to '86, and the guillotine, hang, drown, seeking only a fierce -revenge. Such imbecility! One may take vengeance on an individual, but -never on a nation. Do you follow me, Lecazes? The fools! They would be -better royalists than the King himself." - -The Superintendent was pleased at this apt epigram, heard then for the -first time. - -"They must be restrained," he said. "Between them and the Carbonari the -throne totters." - -The King turned his face with a look half quizzical, half contemptuous. - -"Lecazes, you talk inanities. Do you think we are to last long enough -for that? Do you believe in a future for us? Better that I repeat with -my great-grandfather and Pompadour, 'After us, the deluge.' Had I -ambition--You well know how foreign 'tis to my nature--" - -Again Lecazes assumed the mellow expression, and again came to his mind -words of Talleyrand, uttered many years earlier before Revolutions were -dreamed of: "A king loves his crown." - -"Were I ambitious," resumed the monarch, "I should now be contented. But -ambition is puerile. I was not born for the throne but for art--highest -art! Beauty sways my soul. Poetic art rather than the prerogatives of -supreme rank should have filled my life. You, who are also an artist, -can understand how I am starved in my exalted station, not filled. -Happiness is found in the refined pleasures of the imagination rather -than in state-craft and pomp. What memory is my reign to perpetuate? I -have been despoiled of the nation's conquests. I have acquired the crown -by giving up thirty-six strong-holds and ten thousand cannon. Glory has -turned her face and fled from me. Is the fault my own?" - -The baron failed to reply and the King resumed: - -"I do not know--not even _you_ know--how great is my joy in discovering -an antique cameo, a rare edition or an Italo-Grecian vase to add to my -Iliad collection. But the exercise of power does not permit me to enjoy -such pleasures tranquilly. Perhaps some day I shall enjoy reigning, but -at the present time I long to seclude myself in the country, surrounded -by my art collections and a few witty, erudite friends--above all, -writers of verse. Those melodious youths adoring the moon from Our -Lady's tower would be most entertaining if they were more deferential to -the classics. I should indeed be happy in such a retreat. O how the -pastoral life, eclogues and idyls allure me! I was born for the society -of pagan philosophers beneath a Grecian sky and mine is a plain case of -the error of Destiny. Baron, commiserate me. I am most unfortunate." - -"Is Your Majesty greatly tormented by your ailments?" inquired Lecazes -with aptly simulated solicitude. - -"Greatly so. I suffer the pains of one condemned to torture. How I am -racked! As I said before, Baron, to break stone is preferable." - -Lowering his voice, he added: - -"You know that one of the calumnies floating here and there for my -discomfiture is that I am satirical and given to discharging arrows of -cynicism, quite indiscriminately, too. They say this because I am an -appreciator of Voltaire and his expose of the hypocrites of his day. I a -cynic!--an unbeliever! Would that they could know what depths of faith -and of tenderness are in my heart! It is not easy to be a pagan. Modern -life stultifies the attempt. Behold in me an instance--" - -The King suddenly ceased talking and motioned to the aged peasant -outside who had not averted his piercing gaze. - -"That man--" - -"Yes, Your Majesty, what of that man?" answered Lecazes, with a frown. -"That beggar? Does Your Majesty wish alms given him?" - -"No, Baron. How does it happen that you, from whom nothing is hidden, do -not know who that man is and what he wants?" - -The superintendent's shoulders shrugged indifferently. - -"Your Majesty, I _do_ know. That man has been watched from the moment he -set foot in Paris. It has been found that he is inoffensive and probably -idiotic. He prays much and aloud. In times past he was a partisan of the -good cause and he now prophecies strangely concerning Your Majesty. Such -visionaries are plentiful during this tumultuous time. Are we to heed -them all? He doubtless has some favor to ask." - -"No, Baron, your sagacity is not up to the mark in this case. That man -is not to be despised. I must see and hear him. Perhaps my fears are -groundless, but they are so persistent that only reality can dissipate -them. How persevering he is! Daily, almost hourly, he fixes his greenish -eyes upon the palace. I see him from whatever window I look. He -mesmerizes me. Call it caprice if you will, but I wish you to send for -this man. I _must_ see him. He has stood there for a fortnight. Perhaps -he is a poor unfortunate wishing to have a word with the king." - -"Does Your Majesty ask my advice in the matter or am I receiving a -command?" - -"A command." - -"Then I leave Your Majesty, in order to execute the command." - -"No, remain. I shall send for him myself. You are to listen to our -interview and give me your opinion. If he be really daft, 'twill amuse -us. He is sure to be interesting." - -"He will no doubt wish to be left alone with Your Majesty." - -"Perhaps so. Well, place yourself back of that screen. The dear Countess -de Cayla often listens from there to fatuities which greatly amuse her. -Do not reveal yourself, unless I call or foul play be attempted." - - - - -Chapter VIII - -THE SEER - - -A few minutes later, the door opened to admit the imposing figure of the -octogenarian, Martin. The king graciously motioned him to advance. He -approached diffidently, a pale ray from the setting sun shining upon his -face and lighting up a flaming mark across his breast. This was the red -flannel scapula of the Heart of Jesus stamped with the words: "I shall -reign." - -"Come forward, my friend. Ask what you wish. We have seen you so often -opposite the palace that we decided to attend to your request. Take a -seat and do not be timid." - -The monarch pointed to a tabouret, but the peasant did not heed the -invitation. Glancing around the apartment, he suddenly noticed the -voluptuous Pompeian lamp and then turned indignantly, almost -threateningly, upon the king who, somewhat disconcerted--though he -scarcely knew why--repeated: - -"Ask what you wish." - -"I ask for nothing," said the old man with emphasis. "I come not to -implore from the king either honors or riches. I am sent by God to speak -to your Royal Highness certain truths, to remind you of the past and to -reveal to you the future. I come not of myself. I am the obscurest -laborer in France, by name Martin. I live in a village of but twelve -cottages. I am a Christian. I believe in our holy religion and our holy -monarchy. When evil men rebelled against God and His earthly agent, my -sword remained sheathed because to shed blood is forbidden. But I placed -on my breast this Heart, that men might know that with my life I would -maintain my faith." - -"Good man, be seated," insisted the monarch. - -"I have too great a reverence for your person to remain otherwise than -standing. I should be kneeling, for so should I choose to honor the -uncle and heir of my king." - -"What do you mean? Am I not the king, himself?" And Louis XVIII smiled -indulgently. - -"Your Royal Highness well knows that I am of no importance," Martin -calmly replied. "My custom has been to hold my tongue, work my team and -pay my rent. My life has been passed in hard and constant labor, and I -have wronged no man. My arms are still strong and my head steady, so I -plow my own fields. But a month since I stopped working and left home -and family to expose myself to the raillery of the foolish and the -contempt of the powerful. The people jest at me in the streets and your -Royal Highness probably considers me demented." - -"My good fellow," said the king, "we always overlook much in the aged--" - -"Your Royal Highness, if I offend, it is because I know not the usages -of courts. Consign me to punishment if I deserve it, but let me first -deliver my message." - -"Say what you will, Martin. We listen." - -"'Tis not Martin who speaks. Of himself, Martin would not dare. My words -are from heaven." - -"From heaven!" mockingly echoed, in refined irony, the admirer of -Voltaire. "Perchance from God himself." - -"Praised ever be his name!" reverently exclaimed the peasant, upon whom -the sarcasm was lost. "Let me now begin. Be it known to your Royal -Highness that on the sixteenth of January while ploughing in my field, I -noted that the oxen were seized with fright. I marveled and asked myself -the reason of it. Turning, I beheld at my side a beautiful boy in -court-dress, with long curls falling upon his shoulders. A chill seized -me while I was wondering how he came there. The boy laid his hand upon -me, saying: 'Martin, go to him who sits upon the throne' and, without -further words, he vanished. All this occurred so rapidly that I regarded -the apparition as due to my advanced age. 'Bah!' said I to myself, ''tis -because of the fog. One sees all sorts of strange things in a fog.' Two -days later, in the twilight, while returning home, I saw the boy again -at the cross-roads. He said: 'Martin, go to him' and again he vanished. -I then fell kneeling. On the following day I saw him amid the willows, -near the edge of the river. Finally, on the twenty-first of January I -saw him on the border of the woods, leaning upon the trunk of an oak -which we call the witch's tree. He said many things that I could not -understand, some of which I have forgotten. Others are in my mind now -but just as though they were shut in a box. When I open the lid and -speak them, they will fly away like released birds and I shall no longer -remember them. But until I speak them, they are in here as though red -branded," and he motioned toward his forehead. - -The date _January twenty-first_ made the monarch shudder. - -"Describe the boy's appearance and do not be afraid to tell me all." - -"I do not fear," declared the peasant. "What could be done to me? Might -my life be taken? I am over eighty-five, a dry trunk awaiting the ax. An -open grave already yawns for me. The apparition, your Royal Highness, -was a beautiful creature and, excepting the dress, like the figure of -the archangel Raphael in the parish church. For this reason and in order -to set my conscience at rest, I consulted our priest, but he, not daring -to give advice, sent me to the bishop, by whom I was told that I related -only delusions. I then resolved to keep silent, but the spectre came -again, pale, terrible, saying, 'Martin! Martin!' 'Twas night and I in my -cot, but, in spite of the late hour, I seized my pouch and staff and, -begging my bread along the roadside, journeyed to Paris." - -"Go on, go on--The king awaits Martin's revelations." - -"Martin's revelations? Here is one, your Royal Highness: _The throne is -usurped_." - -"I do not follow your line of reason. Do you mean that there are two -kings?" inquired the Bourbon, laughing and remembering Lecazes back of -the screen. "Did not my brother die and his son also? Am I not, -therefore, the heir to the throne?" - -"Your Royal Highness, the apparition giving warning that you should say -these words to me, bade me reply: '_All the dead are not in their -tombs_.'" - -The effect of these words upon the king was like a blow from an -invisible power and he would have started from his chair had his -bandaged legs permitted. But disabled as he was, he half raised himself, -his hands cleaved the air and his pupils dilated while his face grew -crimson. - -"Does your Royal Highness require proofs of what I say?" exclaimed the -old man, his green eyes darting fire. "Well, then, listen. I will reveal -to you a secret thought which you have never imparted to man. Does your -Royal Highness remember the morning when you accompanied his late -Majesty to the chase and the fearful temptation which assailed you in -the woods of Saint Humbert? The king was a dozen steps ahead of you. -Your finger was already on the trigger. A branch impeded your arm--" - -The alarmed monarch held his throbbing head in his hands while the -merciless indictment grew more and more ominous. - -"From your earliest years you coveted the throne. The ill-fated king -was the obstacle and you sought to remove him. Unremitting were your -fratricidal schemes. You scrupled not to encourage the discontented and -to instigate the seditious. What obloquy to have made pacts with the -violators of the crown and compromises with the destroyers of churches! -Providence permitting, the monarchy would perish. It _shall_ perish! I -am chosen to announce its fall. Not through the sword of an enemy but by -its own hand shall it come to its end." - -The screen seemed to move and a rushing was audible, but the king -remained silent, terrified and incapable of speech or motion. - -"Your cousin, the Duke of Orleans, interposed between your Royal -Highness and your partisans. Another crime,--was it? You continued to -plot the destruction of your brother and the dishonor of the queen. Does -your Royal Highness remember who wrote those scurrilous verses and the -words dropped at the baptism of the king's daughter? What ferocious joy -the first Dauphin's death caused you! Who notified the Convention that -the royal family might be detained on the frontier--the mission of -Valory? To what end was Favras sacrificed? Who burned the documents? -Those ashes appeal! Blood, blood has been spilled! but only the first -blood. More is to follow!" - -As Martin paused, the only sound to be heard in the apartment was the -chattering of the king's teeth. The screen creaked repeatedly as though -to suggest and to warn, but the king remained speechless and the -implacable peasant resumed: - -"Your Royal Highness was not brave enough to head the Revolution which -you had incited. You fled, notwithstanding your offer to your august -brother to share his fate. While abroad, you disregarded his orders and -intrigued for the foreign invasion of your country and for the erection -of your brother's scaffold. Have you forgotten the king's letter to the -Prince of Condé? He disclaimed all responsibility for the invasion. 'Let -there be no war!' he entreated 'Behead me rather.' But there _was_ war -and his head fell besides. Oh the blood!--in pools, in puddles, in the -air, on the guillotine! a deluge of blood,--reeking, sickening, -revolting! Do you not see it now? Look! It trickles from the ceiling and -stains these walls!" - -With frenzied indignation the old man continued to gaze at a vision that -no other eyes beheld. His arm was thrust forward and his forefinger -almost touched the king's forehead. - -"The wretched queen, bleeding and headless, speaks through me. Listen -to her, shrieking 'Cain, Cain!'" - -The screen creaked as though animated by furious protests and the king -remonstrated with what strength he could muster, while the affrighted -dog barked timidly and hid himself in the bearskin under his master's -bandaged feet. - -"For a time the crime was sterile and the Corsican star lighted the -French sky. During that period the innocent boy lived concealed, -unknown. Your Royal Highness was the hope of many who were ignorant of -the boy's existence. I placed faith in you. We believed that the feet of -the Corsican colossus were of clay and must soon sink into the earth. -And they did sink. Your Royal Highness seized the crown. But why do you -even today contrive pitfalls for the orphaned heir and place arms in the -hands of the iniquitous?" - -The king, with folded and almost supplicating hands, seemed like a -criminal imploring clemency, while tremors shook his head and convulsive -breathing agitated his breast. Martin suddenly changed his attitude of -pitiless accuser and dropped on his knees, saying gently: - -"The archangel declares that it is not yet too late for repentance, but -that the time is brief and fleeting. Oh, your Highness, I adjure you to -refrain from being anointed. Let not the oil from the holy vials be -poured sacrilegiously upon your head. Dare not desecrate the sacred -altars by requiem masses for those who have not yet died! No crime is so -great as profanation. The tree is accursed, and it shall be uprooted!" - -In a prophetic frenzy, he continued: - -"It shall be swept away! It shall perish! Uprooted in Italy, uprooted in -Spain, uprooted shall it be in France and everywhere!--The canker -spreads, rises from limbs to heart--The corroded flesh--Pray God for -mercy!" - -The king no longer listened. His head fell upon the back of his chair, -his face became purple and foam covered his lips as he lay a victim to -syncope, which at times overcame him. Martin turned and addressed the -screen. - -"Concealed fox, come to your master's aid." And slowly he walked toward -the door while the baron, in a panic ran to unfasten the monarch's -neckpiece and fan him with a music sheet. Louis XVIII opened his -terror-stricken eyes and stammered: - -"Let the man go in peace. See that no harm is done him." - - - - -Book II - - -THE CASKET - - - - -Chapter I - -THE MINIATURE - - -In the long colloquy which Amélie and her father held with their -unexpected guest, they planned a voyage to France which should be a -tentative effort to master the paths and places leading to their -proposed goal. As a matter of precaution, they arranged to have no -further meetings in London and to join one another in Dover on a day -which should be previously designated. - -Before leaving, the young Marquis said to his host: - -"If you wish to make a generous return for a trifling service--give me -this picture." - -His eyes were riveted upon a medallion displaying the face of a lady of -patrician beauty, which, with other miniatures, was set in a framing of -diminutive chrysolites, stones much used during the eighteenth century -and which imitate in a marvelous manner the brilliancy of diamonds. The -lady's hair rose in curls above a splendid forehead, enclosed her cheeks -and fell upon her shoulders. Roses and feathers surmounted the graceful -coiffure and white laces opened at the neck to reveal a perfect throat. - -"Which of the pictures?" - -"Amélie's," said René. - -Naundorff gravely removed the image and pressed it reverently to his -lips. Then he handed it to de Brezé, saying in a broken voice: - -"'Tis not Amélie, but my unhappy, my adored mother." - -As René, through delicacy, made a movement of refusal, the mechanic -said: - -"To only the Marquis de Brezé would I give this medallion. Farewell, -loved image, that has so often rested on my heart. I am almost glad to -part with you, for who knows how soon my house will for the hundredth -time be rifled and I deprived of the last evidences of my personality, -my dearest memories, my real life. I am more tranquil when other hands -than mine guard my treasures. Watch over them, René, and over all that I -have confided to your keeping. This face will bring Amélie to your eyes, -for the resemblance is so remarkable, in spite of the difference in -dress, that I do not wonder at your mistake." - -On reaching the Hotel Douglas, René's first act was to take the -miniature from his breast and cover it with kisses. Then, as he gazed -upon the face of the dame of 1780, he murmured: - -"How, in heaven's name, have I taken this face for Amélie! Why 'tis the -wretched queen, Marie Antoinette, whom it resembles amazingly." - -He became thoughtful, and then suddenly felt himself growing weak, -almost fainting. The loss of blood began to have effect and he hastened -to his bed. Even his curiosity ebbed away. He had not the strength to -turn the leaves of the manuscript. Instinct moved him to place it and -the casket beneath the mattress. - -Hardly had he stretched his limbs, when a fever overcame him. A -disturbed sleep, in which incoherent and fantastic ideas surged, -oppressed his brain. The extraordinary events of the previous night were -grotesquely reproduced. Amélie, in her white dress, broke through the -garden trellis and threw herself into his arms, imploring him to carry -her away from London; the Duchess de Rousillon, erect and haughty, -barred the passage to Naundorff's door; Naundorff, himself, lay upon the -pavement of the square, gashed and bloody; the streets were red torrents -rushing toward the Thames, and he, René, battled for his life in the -river of blood. - -With parched throat and tongue, he tossed through the night, to -welcome, at last, the dawn gleaming through his window curtains. He -vainly tried to raise himself and so lay helplessly until the entry of a -servant, whom he immediately dispatched for a doctor. The doctor -prescribed quiet and rest, forbidding his patient to leave his bed -during four days. On the fifth, with clearer head and diminished thirst, -René closed his eyes in a sweet sleep. - -During the morning a travelling coach drew up before the Hotel upon -whose front seat valises and handsome wallets bore a count's heraldric -blazonry. A valet de chambre, thickset and awkward, preceded an elegant -gentleman whose dress harmonized with the sumptuous equipage. His cloak -and gray felt hat eminently merited the adjective _fashionable_ which -was an English term then beginning to be applied in France to whatever -was distinguished by good taste. - -"Attend the gentleman! Bring in his baggage!" called out the host, whose -patrons consisted usually of impecunious Scotch lairds and shabby -Glasgow tradesmen, and rarely numbered such distinguished guests as the -invalid French marquis and this newly arrived nobleman so showy and -immaculate, bearing no marks of his recent journey. The irreproachable -traveler ordered a suite. The valet superintended the conveying of the -baggage, his purple face and red whiskers gleaming above the folds of an -ample cravat. As soon as the master and servant were alone in the -count's sleeping chamber, they drew close together and the valet -whispered: - -"We have caught the bird in his cage. What are we to do now?" - -"Find out all that has happened to the precious Marquis. Show some -brains in this business since you played the fool in the square." And, -as he concluded this speech, Volpetti removed his hat, arranged his -Chateaubriand tuft of hair, viewed himself in the mirror and extracted -from his pockets a variety of toilet appurtenances,--files, pincers, -scissors, etc., which doubtless pertained to the collection which -Alberto Serra was to pass through Gibraltar. - -The valet was absent about twenty minutes, during which he introduced -himself in the kitchen by the name of Brosseur and began a chat with the -cook. He was holding in one hand a steaming jug when his master called -out in an infuriated tone: - -"Well, rascal, how long am I to wait? Do you want your head broken?" - -Brosseur hurried to Volpetti's chamber, locked the door, set down the -jug and gleefully rubbed his hands together, saying: - -"Wonderful news! Just what I expected! I did not play such a great fool -after all. The Marquis has been ill in bed four days from his wounds and -has seen only his physician." - -"Are you telling the truth?" - -"The gospel truth." - -"Have letters come to him?" - -"Not one. I played the greenhorn, asking questions. I stumbled on a -steward whose tongue is a jewel." - -"Is the wound serious?" - -"I believe not. It has produced a fever. The knife missed the lung by -half a centimeter,--cursed be the devil! Why, we saw him leave -Naundorff's house afoot and take a cab for Wellington street." - -"Very well! Now, repeat to me in detail all that occurred after the -Marquis left the house." - -"After remaining within a long time, he came forth, lighted to the door -by a woman. Then he started off alone and, on reaching the centre of the -square, picked up the knife which we had there forgotten. In doing so, -he dropped an object which he carried beneath his arm. This he quickly -recovered. It looked rectangular in shape and had a metallic sound on -striking the trunk of the tree." - -"Did he have the box during the scuffle in the square?" - -"I swear he did not, for his movements were most free. No; he received -that box in Naundorff's house." - -On hearing these words, Volpetti could not restrain an exclamation of -joy, and passing his patrician hand over his Chateaubriand tuft, he -said, motioning toward the baggage and the bath: - -"Make arrangements for the changing of my clothes. I wish an embroidered -shirt, silk stockings, violet coat and grey breeches. And, using the -greatest caution, find out the number of the Marquis's chamber and -sketch me a plan of the hotel. Remember well the entrances and exits. -Secure for yourself, if possible, a room next that of the Marquis, and -'twould be most fortunate that it have a fireplace. Well, later, I shall -give you further instructions. Be diligent and discreet." - -The valet, with malignant flashing eyes, hastened away to carry out -these instructions. - - - - -Chapter II - -THE DAUPHIN'S SISTER - - -René, on feeling stronger, resolved to read the manuscript which -awakened his interest more and more deeply. The enigma of Naundorff's -obscure life, the cause of the attack in the square, Amélie's startling -resemblance to the medallion--all would be explained by that roll of -paper in the cylindrical case. - -He rose and breakfasted on tea and toast, after which, fortified and -resolute, he examined his pistols and placed them within reach. Then he -stretched himself upon a lounge near the table and broke the seal, which -represented a tuberose and sarcophagus,--a symbolic emblem causing him -to start. His eyes next fell upon the dedicatory words at the head of -the manuscript: TO HER. - -"Is this a love history?" he asked himself, recalling Naundorff's -beautiful countenance and indefinable charm. With feverish anxiety, he -turned the leaf and read: - -"This is the recital of my misfortunes which you alone can assuage. -Remember that you must at last stand before God." - -Then the text continued: - -Since my tireless enemies and malevolent fate are combined for the -purpose of forcing me to die beneath a spurious name and destitute of -the rights to which my birth entitles me; since you, yourself (in whom I -had faith because it seemed monstrous to doubt you), have discredited my -claim: I hold up to you a mirror reflecting the insistent memories of -which you are so great a part, that your remorse may hereafter be the -greater, if this appeal I make softens not your heart and if the -impositions of royalty outweigh the supplications of blood. - -A day shall come, Thérčse, when posterity, marveling at my abandoned -condition, will indignantly ask why the powers of Europe made no protest -at the iniquity practised upon me. But that posterity should consider -the fate of our parents,--yours and mine, Thérčse,--the fate of the -ignominious journey to the guillotine as well as the indifference before -that spectacle of those who should have burned their last cartridge in -defence of the victims! Ah, Thérčse! In vain do you seek to restore THE -PRINCIPLE,--to use the expression you of the Court employ--in vain do -you seek to restore THE PRINCIPLE which is the basis of our national -glory. Our country's weakness at the present time consists in the -repudiation of that PRINCIPLE. - -Perhaps I seem a dreamer or a lunatic, but, nevertheless, 'tis by the -light of my unparalleled misfortunes that I perceive the impending -cataclysm. The PRINCIPLE has suicided and the INSTITUTION has received -its death blow. What life remains to it will be puerile and despicable. -Trampled by its enemies, humiliated, scourged, manacled, crowned in -mockery, buffeted, its purple mantle in shreds, it shall at last be -crucified, not to await a glorious resurrection but to crumble to dust -in a fleur de lis cemetery. - -Fools are those who build above a raging torrent. Lay not the flattering -unction to your soul, Thérčse, that you have saved the dynasty by -sacrificing your brother. God is no Moloch to be propitiated by such -holocausts. Sterile has been your womb as a warning to you, and other -lessons, tremendous and desolating, have you yet to learn. As for me, my -descendants will toil and sweat over labors as arduous as my own, and so -shall the ages expiate. - -How dreadful is my fate, Thérčse! I live, I breathe, but _I_, as _I_, do -not exist; that _I_ has been buried in an empty coffin, in the angle of -two walls of a cemetery. At times I doubt my very senses and all that I -am about to relate to you seems the very fabric of a dream,--but then no -dream has ever been so long and fearful. 'Tis only my anguish that -convinces me of reality. I co-ordinate my memories and perceive that I -am _not_ a deluded fool. Once I described my misgivings to a physician -in Germany, saying that in believing myself to be another I feared at -times that I was demented. He said he had known similar cases and -advised me to summon all my mental strength and hold a powerful light to -the mirror of my consciousness. - -"Impostors have there been who were not liars," said the doctor fixing -upon me a penetrating look. "Those impostors have believed their -asseverations." Thérčse, I appeal to you to rescue me from this -appalling phenomenon. - -And as I am opening my heart to you,--the heart which throbs, not the -inert heart which was offered you with the assurance that it had been -taken from my dead body and which you refused to accept,--since I -conceal nothing from you, Thérčse, O listen! I implore you to convince -me that I am a wretched dupe of the Revolution, for perhaps 'twould be -best that I should be persuaded that my reason is diseased. Be pitiful, -Thérčse, even tho you refuse me love. - -And now, whether I rave or speak truth, I summon my life's memories even -from infancy. I stand in that incomparable summer palace in which we -lived before the bursting forth of the Revolution. I walk through the -magnificent salons adorned by rare artists, and amid those marvelous -gardens wherein the skill of Le Nôtre surpassed itself. But more vivid -still than the memories of these splendors is the image of the charming -villa of diminutive blue lakes and rustic kiosks and the verdant farm -where our mother in simple muslin (how beautiful she was, Thérčse!) -delighted to drink fresh milk, gather wild flowers and scatter grain to -the birds. How gay we were, you and I, participating in these innocent -amusements, in our straw hats and cool white dresses. One day an artist -painted us so, and, as I grew restive and troublesome during the -sitting, my mother said gently, "Charles Louis, I shall soon know -whether or not you love me." This sweet remonstrance quieted me. I so -loved my mother that the sound of her voice in singing always brought -tears to my eyes. - -But the roaring tempest broke,--the Revolution. Our father did not -realize the peril; he _could_ not believe that he was hated; he -expected daily a reconciliation with his people. But our mother's virile -spirit perceived from the first that not only the throne but the royal -heads as well were in danger. I was too young to understand causes but I -realized that the atmosphere was transformed into something strained and -dolorous. Accustomed as I was to all manner of attentions, to hear -laughing applause after my youthful sallies, to behold only approving -and smiling countenances, I suddenly realized that no one had the time -or the inclination to caress me and that grave anxiety seemed the reason -for my neglect. Rumors of contentions, abrupt alarms, hurried changing -of apartments, enforced awakenings in the early morning, terrorized -prayers dictated by our good aunt, our father's sister, who, joining our -hands, would bid us kneel and beg God for mercy--all this filled even my -child-mind with the consciousness of impending danger. One night a -furious multitude surrounded the palace. Some one snatched me from bed -and carried me away to concealment, and my mother, _our_ mother, -stripped herself of a lace gown and flung it around me, that I should be -somewhat protected. You were near, Thérčse, sobbing affrightedly and -waiting to be carried away to a place of security. - -Do you remember the morning on which the inebriated multitude forced us -to return to Paris? Our carriage was advancing slowly; the heat and dust -almost asphyxiated us; our throats were parched with thirst, but none of -us dared ask for a drop of water. Brawny fellows rode ahead of us, -howling and brandishing pikes surmounted by bleeding human heads. One of -these men, whose wide-open mouth in the midst of a long matted beard -resembled a cavern, came to the window. Terror-stricken, I buried my -face in our mother's bosom and so remained during the entire journey. - -After this journey,--how long after, I know not--we made that other -journey, ill-timed and inauspicious, which sealed our fate. And now -appeared my uncle's form, our father's brother, whom, of late, we had -scarcely seen, for since our misfortunes he had frequented the camps of -the disaffected and abetted our parents' calumniators. But on this -occasion he seemed solicitous for our deliverance and co-operated in our -arrangements for escape. Against our mother's judgment, had our father -confided the project to his brother, who advised that the iniquitous -Valory, a creature possessed body and soul by the Count of Provence, -should be entrusted with the details of the flight. - -A program was mapped out whose happy exit seemed assured. To what -purpose all the minute precautions? Why was I disguised as a girl and -told I should say my name was 'Amélie,' were I asked: Amélie, a name to -me eternal and which I have given to the daughter of my soul. Reflect, -Thérčse, upon that sinister journey, and decide who profited thereby. -There is a sentence in Hamlet running thus: The serpent that did sting -my father's life now wears his crown. - -I shall always believe that our mother suspected the hand that detained -us. Valory, who preceded us, was but the agent of those who with the -kiss of betrayal delivered us shackled. The ambush was prepared with -infernal adroitness. The detention occurred when we had almost reached -the frontier that greater obloquy might be heaped upon the royal family -than if it had been surprised near Paris. - -Valory rode mounted ahead of our carriage and took so little pains to -dissemble as to disappear near the last change of horses, causing our -mother mortal terror. She made her suspicions known to our father, who, -displeased and pained, rejected them. Our father's faith in his brother -was implicit. Our mother never succeeded in combating it, not even after -the farce accomplished by the notorious Drouet, who today enjoys the -favor and protection of the usurper. - -You, Thérčse, have accepted his protection, also. 'Tis we who make -history and not revolutions caused by currents of ideas. Believe, -rather, in human passions, in the ambitions of the mighty which carry in -their train the faith of a confiding and bewildered multitude. And -believe, also, in a Nemesis of expiation, though 'tis at times the -innocent who wash away the stains of the guilty. - -You remember the termination of that flight. On our return I was -exceedingly fatigued and ill at ease. My girl's dress added to my -discomfort and I was at last relieved of it by our faithful valet, who -put me to bed, on this first night in Paris after our capture. - -Several officers of the National Guard remained near my bed and -affectionately bade me sleep tranquilly. While I dozed, they smoked and -chatted and their voices soothed me; even the clanking of their spurs -was pleasant reassurance. I sank into a lethargy, of what length I know -not. Suddenly my eyes seemed opening on a startling spectacle. The Guard -surrounded me. They laughed and spoke words which I could not -understand. By degrees their human outlines became blurred and they were -covered with hair. Their hands grew into long grey paws terminating in -sharp nails, their faces projected into snouts, their eyes glowed as -live coals and their voices howled fearfully. Wolves! wolves! famishing, -frantic wolves. Their hot breathing was stifling as they leaned to -devour me-- - -I must have screamed, for I waked in my mother's arms, as she snatched -me from bed, covering my face with kisses. Those kisses are still on my -face, Thérčse, and I feel now the passionate embrace with which she -clasped me to her, and I see the terrible dread on her beautiful pale -face. - - - - -Chapter III - -THE EMPTY COFFIN - - -Thérčse, do you remember how we were taken to the Assembly, there to -pass the day within a grated tribunal and led thence to prison? How from -that prison we were afterwards transferred to another more gloomy still? -O the tower, the tower! The impressions of sorrow are deeper than those -of happiness. Tell me, Thérčse, my companion in that captivity, has -greater suffering ever been endured than in that tower? If those walls, -so soon after demolished, (for all traces of my history have been -obliterated), if those stones that once were walls had a voice, that -voice would be a sob. If they might writhe, they would wring out tears. -Even their name is a wail. There is no elegy so sad as the towers. - -The agonies of our family,--you know them as well as I, for they are -your own. But what you do _not_ know are mine,--a child torn from his -mother's arms as she was led to the guillotine. And though you seek to -drive them from your knowledge, you _shall_ hear them. - -Let me describe this prison to you, that you may realize 'tis your -brother who speaks. What detail could I forget of that damp tower -flanked by four smaller ones of arched roofs? The roof of the first was -sustained in the centre by a heavy pillar and its doors were of strong -boards fastened together by nails and guarded by heavy bolts; the -interior door was of cast iron; the walls were grey and black, in -imitation of a tomb; the white border was garnished with the tricolor on -which were traced the words: RIGHTS OF MAN. This was the only decoration -of the filthy apartment wherein vulgar and malevolent people constantly -watched us. - -On first entering the tower, I believed myself to be dreaming and that -soon I should be rescued from the nightmare, as my mother had snatched -me from the wolves. This conviction was doubtless due to the contrast -between my past and present condition. My childhood had glided by so -sweetly and placidly; my senses had been stimulated by such great beauty -and elegance; the epoch upon which my mother stamped her refinement was -so poetic and artistic; the gardens in which I had played were so -beautiful; my material wants anticipated with so much adulation, that I -had grown to comprehend only smiles and beauty. It was considered an -honor to touch me, to be near me. No wonder, then, that the transition -from palace to prison affected my nervous system to the extent of -causing the obsession to possess me that I was two persons in one. - -I might describe our incarceration to the minutest particular; I might -tell you the exact position of your bed and mine and the armchair of -white-painted wood in which our father dozed before dinner. Only listen -to me, Thérčse, and you will open your arms. - -You will remember that I was taken away from our father and mother after -their condemnation to death, and delivered to two creatures who scarcely -seemed to pertain to the human species,--a pair of brutes who had -doubtless received instructions to render me idiotic through vile -treatment. But I must tell the truth. My guardians were indeed cruel, -but not to the extent which is usually believed. The inhumanity of that -cobbler and his wife has been greatly exaggerated, possibly with the -object of establishing my supposed death. Were the account true which -has obtained currency, I should not have survived. No child could have -withstood an unremitting martyrdom of hunger, blows, nakedness, and -deprivation of sleep. These hardships, indeed, I endured, but with -intervals of respite. Husband and wife were not equally brutal; he was -crafty and cruel, she gross and stupid, but possessing a heart of some -tenderness. Unhappy woman! I caused her ruin among that of many others. -For maintaining that I was not dead, she was declared insane and placed -in confinement. In her clumsy manner, she had protected me and often -smuggled into my couch candy and cheap toys. - -On being taken from the custody of this couple, I was placed in the cell -in which our father's valet had been imprisoned. Here my condition was -worse than ever before. The windows, always closed, shut out light and -air. The doors opened only to those who, in silence, brought me food. -The furniture consisted of a table, a jug of water and the bed,--shelf, -rather,--on which I slept. Noxious odors slowly poisoned my blood. - -While I here languished, the Revolution continued to rage fiercely, -though the period of delirium had passed and a species of authority -obtained. You and I, the hapless remnants of an ill-starred dynasty, -seemed relegated to oblivion, but there were some who thought of us with -pity. The friends who had futilely sought to save our parents' lives -formed plans for rescuing me. She who was my most zealous champion and -spent much money in my behalf was the charming creole, native of the -island of Martinique, and wife of a Revolutionary general. Of this lady -a negress in her native land had predicted that she should be Empress -and experience glory and sorrow without limit. She was at heart a -legitimist. Anarchy prevailed in all departments of governments, -skeptics had succeeded fanatics and the public voice denounced the -Directory. The first indication which reached me of the termination of -this era of tigers and hyenas was the receiving of clean clothes, the -entry of fresh air through the windows which were opened at last, and -the replacing of my daily mess of lentils by decent food. - -My friends did not find it a simple task to accomplish my rescue. A new -wave of public ferocity seemed imminent. To bribe my custodians, -themselves under unceasing surveillance, was most difficult. The -Municipal Council had agents stationed at the entrance and exit of the -tower. Had it been a question of heroic sacrifice only, there would have -lacked not noble partisans of our House to dash themselves against even -invincible obstacles. - -Would that I had died within those walls, permeated with the atmosphere -of our immolated mother. I should have perished, as you have expressed -my supposed fate, 'like a blighted flower.' For my greater sorrow, -generous abnegation and political malevolence combined to remove me from -this living tomb. The account of my flight is an incoherent one. I -myself can scarcely co-ordinate its episodes, for I was too feeble to -comprehend them clearly. My true history will never be historically -known, for an oligarchy, such as once existed in Venice, suppressed what -suited its purpose. No corroborating documents exist to verify even my -fragmentary recital. - -The Revolution smouldered and the fall of the government was predicted. -Astute ambitions of various kinds combined to effect my freedom. -Unbridled lust for power grew rank. Our uncle, your present protector, -Thérčse, rallied around him, by employing my name as a summons, the -elements of the Restoration, meanwhile secretly paralyzing the efforts -directed toward my liberation. This he accomplished by procrastination -and discouragement. He was trusting to my prison life to attain the -desired consummation. But notwithstanding his efforts to double-bar my -cell, and even tho he would have thrown the weight of his body against -the door to insure its security, he was thwarted by a man who had -temporarily seized the reins of authority,--a voluptuary, destitute of -genuine energy--who realized that the possession of my person would -constitute an imposing arm. He planned to place me in concealment from -which to produce me when it should suit him to declare me among the -living. By this subtlety he might dominate even our uncle with whom he -maintained (as did other revolutionists who were deemed incorruptible) a -secret intercourse, avowedly with the end of establishing a moderate -Restoration,--which should concede what had been already acquired by the -Revolution. I, kept in hiding, would be a double-edged sword, a menace -to the arrogance of my uncle in his claim to the regency and a guarantee -to the loyal troops who were giving battle in the far East. Behold the -stratagem forced by the ingenious and base-born Barras. As instruments, -he selected the charming creole (wife of the adventurer who later -subjugated Europe) and two military men attached to the royal cause. - -Thus it happened that men, who in the midst of anarchy and -administrative chaos, held the reins of power, wove, by their audacity -and wit, the complicated plot of my rescue and made current the report -of my death. Tho it was impossible to remove me bodily from my cell, a -simple matter it proved to thrust me into the loft above my bed. A boy -who had been smuggled in a basket of clean clothes replaced me. This -substitute was a deaf-mute and so the imitation was perfect, for I had -during my imprisonment maintained a constant silence. - -I do not remember how the transition was effected. I had been given a -dose of drugged sweetened water. During my stupor I was placed in the -loft. As I awoke, the voices of my two deliverers implored me to remain -perfectly still. Shivering with cold and almost fainting from hunger, -never did I attempt approaching the door. Food was brought me with the -greatest irregularity, which I would devour and then huddle into a -corner. While I lay in this stifling hole, the rumor of my escape was -disseminated; spies were set on the frontier to watch for me by -governmental officers not in the plot. - -Meanwhile, Barras gleefully rubbed his hands and in order to further -mystify the public he doubled the guard about my prison, while I -groveled, shuddering, in my filthy covert. - -Barras realized that my mock death and burial would alone complete the -strategy; he visited the cell and gave instructions for the replacing of -the deaf-mute by a dying boy to be procured at a hospital. This hapless -child succumbed in my name and poets sang dirges over him, queens and -princesses robed themselves in crepe, priests held aloft thousands of -times the sacred host in sacrifice. That boy dead in rags and squalor, -Thérčse, is often in my mind as I reflect on the vanity of royalty. - -Physicians who had never beheld me testified to the Dauphin's demise, -after witnessing the death of my substitute,--the death which was the -signal for my release. When the autopsy was completed, a surgeon -extracted the boy's heart and sent it to you, the Dauphin's sister, -Thérčse. You rejected that heart. Why? - -And now I listen to the culminating horror! The body of that boy was -taken from the coffin at night and buried in the tower's garden, whence, -years later, the skeleton was exhumed, and that coffin was the sinister -vehicle which bore me from my prison. In that coffin I was taken along -the road leading to the cemetery. During the journey I was removed and -weights placed within. And these weights were found to be the contents -when subsequently an attempt was made to recover my body. The coffin was -buried with suspicious dispatch after the manner of deeds which fear the -light. The public voice clamored that an imposture had been practised, -whereupon the Government speedily dispatched a commission which -disinterred the coffin, fastened the lid on more securely and placed it -in another cemetery. This incident is so well known that I shall call it -history. - - - - -Chapter IV - -MARIE - - -I was placed in the home of a lady, who was the widow of a Swiss officer -who had been beheaded on the memorable tenth of August. In her country -place I was screened from curious eyes. Being overcome by a languid -illness, I remained indoors for eight months. My hostess dared not call -in a physician, for strange children awakened suspicion, inasmuch as the -lost Dauphin was being eagerly sought by spies. She fed me on milk and -arranged that I should have unlimited repose and fresh air. These simple -restoratives at length effected a cure. On leaving my bed, I was again -overpowered by the consciousness of a dual personality. I at times felt -convinced that I had always lived in that fair green villa and that my -insistent past was a delusion. My guardian spoke French brokenly, and -we, therefore, conversed in German, which had been my mother's native -tongue. I had therefore become habituated to its use. Later in life I -was obliged to employ it constantly. - -During my convalescence, and while walking one morning in the fields, I -was captured by the police and dragged back to prison. What prison? I -know not. With equal swiftness was I snatched thither by deputies of my -vigilant protectress, the gentle creole, and placed in the home of a -noble family who received me with respect, almost reverence. The head of -the family was the Marquis de Bray, a partisan of our House. There it -was that I formed the first friendship of my life, that with the Count -of Montmorin, a youth older than I and who, like myself, was in -concealment, being disguised as a hunter. Montmorin's life had been -miraculously saved during one of the ferocious tides that swept our -country, and that life he generously consecrated to me. Subterfuges, -manoeuvres, almost witch-craft did he employ for the deluding of my -persecutors, and to that end valued not his own security and happiness. - -Under the protection of de Bray and Montmorin, I lived tranquilly and -the spectre of political ambition seemed no longer to haunt me. But my -friends feared, owing to the waxing power of Napoleon, that France was -no appropriate refuge for me and we removed for a season to Venice, -thence to Trieste and finally to Rome, where I enjoyed the gentle -protection of Pope Pius VI. My former hostess and nurse, the Swiss lady, -had in the interval married a compatriot of her own, who was an expert -watch-maker. It chanced that they became our neighbors and so gave me -the opportunity to learn the craft of which my father was so fond. The -minute and prolix labor enchanted me and, following the advice of Jean -Jacques, I mastered it. - -A friend of the Pontiff offered me for residence a villa near Rome. How -beautiful were the lemon and fig groves! In the garden's centre was a -marble pillar surmounted by a nymph which had stood there since the -Roman Empire. Amid the fragrance of those flowers were passed the -dearest days of my youth. Marie, daughter of Bray and fiancée of -Montmorin, a gentle girl, five years my senior--a trifle it seemed to -me--accompanied me often with affectionate solicitude. - -Her white hands smoothed my golden curls, fastened my lace collar and -rested on my shoulder, during our rambles. Montmorin, on seeing us -together, would turn away and re-enter the house. My head, resting upon -Marie's breast, seemed again to repose in the sweet nest from which the -Revolution had torn me. Once when Marie flung a flower in my face, the -image of my mother rose so vividly to my eyes, as she appeared when -romping with us in the royal gardens, that my emotion overcame me and I -threw myself into the arms of Montmorin's fiancée. I kissed her lips and -asked: "Marie, what have they done to my mother?"--for since the -terrible day when I was separated from her, I had never spoken her name, -nor received intelligence of her fate. I pictured her still as a pale, -worn prisoner and my duty seemed to be to deliver her. This sudden -tempest of passion transformed me from boy to man. Marie wept softly in -my arms. - -"My mother,--where is she?" I insisted. - -"She is dead," said Marie gently. - -"O my mother!" I cried out, falling senseless to the ground. - -On regaining consciousness, I saw Marie at my pillow. - -"O die with me," I said. "Let us be with my mother." - -When I was strong enough to leave my bed, I noticed that Marie, under -numerous pretexts, absented herself from me. Our rambles ceased and she -was often with Montmorin. This at first enraptured her lover but he soon -discovered that she was preoccupied and sad, while I, jealous and -melancholy, walked alone in the woods. I wandered near the margins of -pestilential lakes, in the hope that, being overcome by malaria, Marie -would again sit by my bed. - -Montmorin's generous heart divined the cause of my sadness and of -Marie's enforced fidelity to him. He said: - -"Marie, our first duty is to make Augustus" (for so he called me) -"happy. I shall go to France in his interests." - -And he left us. Consider Montmorin's action, Thérčse, and realize to -what a generous and absurd height a loyal soul is raised by the -principle symbolized in royalty. Montmorin renounced his plighted wife -as later on he renounced his life in devotion to the PRINCIPLE. And -Marie, beholding in me not a hapless castaway but the incarnation of the -PRINCIPLE, erected like a second Lavalličre an altar whereon she -radiantly idealized me, after having vainly sought to idealize her -betrothed. - -On the day after Montmorin's departure, we walked through the fields -scarcely touching the ground. Reaching the border of the pestilential -lake, we seated ourselves near the verdant fringe of delicate flowers. -My head rested on her breast and our eyes promised what our lips could -not utter, for very happiness. - -On returning home, Marie complained of feeling cold. The next day she -lay shivering in bed. The malaria was having its effect. Her clear eyes -grew clouded and after some days her dear form became emaciated. -Montmorin was summoned, but she could scarcely greet him. The bells from -the Capuchin convent near by were pealing out into the air and we knelt -by her bed as she said: - -"Eugene, brother of my soul, forgive me." - -For answer, Montmorin took my hand in his. - -"Watch over him, Eugene." - -Montmorin, shedding hot streaming tears, promised. Together we watched -beside her until she died. - - - - -Chapter V - -A COURTEOUS MAN - - -So far had René read. The revelations were so startling that he could -but ask himself if he were the victim of a madman's delusion. - -"Am I reading a romance or a sincere autobiography? Before going -further, I should look at the documents within the box. I must not -espouse this man's cause while a shadow of doubt disturbs me. And -Amélie? If these pages speak the truth, who am I to look upon Amélie?" - -The daylight was fading and a servant appeared bearing a candelabrum -which he placed upon a stand, saying: - -"Monsieur, a French gentleman asks to be admitted to you." - -René placed the manuscript beneath the sofa pillow and said: - -"How did the French gentleman learn that I am here? What is his name?" - -The man handed him a card bearing these words: The Count de Keller. - -"Who may this be?" murmured René to himself. - -Then aloud: - -"Bid him enter." - -When alone, the Marquis concealed the manuscript in his traveling bag -which also contained the casket or box. He awaited the visitor, -remembering Naundorff's words: You have trusted men; in future beware of -them. You have been frank; in future be astute and reticent. - -Then an elegantly appareled gentleman entered in a coat of violet cloth -ornamented with gold buttons and a close-fitting pair of grey cashmere -breeches. The many folds in his white cravat made him hold his head high -indeed. On his finely shaped thigh dangled resplendently the chain and -ornaments of the Sullivan, the latest fad. His appearance was -prepossessing and he recalled vividly the famous Chateaubriand type. - -"I arrived here but this morning, Marquis de Brezé, and permit me to -confide to you that I find the hotel execrable," and the Count inclined -his body gracefully before René. "I cannot forgive my friend, Captain -MacGreagor for recommending such a hole to me. When my valet complained -of the service, he was told that another French gentleman in the hotel -was well satisfied with the accommodations. I asked your name and, as -it is one so well known, I hastened to comply with the pleasing duty of -compatriots when in foreign parts. I regret to learn that you have been -wounded." - -René, motioning his visitor to a seat, replied with reserve: - -"A thousand thanks. I am almost entirely restored. Monsieur, permit me -to observe that your title is unknown to me." - -"Not all of us may proudly trace descent from Crusader knights, like the -Marquis de Brezé. My father's brother, a resident of Munich, received -his title from the King of Bavaria, to whom he rendered a service," -obsequiously replied the Count de Keller. - -"What is this fool trying to say?" René asked himself, mentally, while -the other continued: - -"What detestable lodgings have fallen to your lot, Marquis." And his -keen eyes swept the chamber. "Why, they have given you no desk! not even -a bureau or closet; only that miserable bed and this sofa--Confound -their impertinence! Were you not ill--though you do not appear so--was -it an attack, Marquis?" - -"I scarcely know," replied René indifferently. "Some rogues sought to -relieve me of my pocket-book and I played the fool in attempting to -resist them. One of them scratched my shoulder; the police interfered -and prevented further injury." - -"London is a dangerous place, indeed!" ejaculated the Count. "One is at -the mercy of pickpockets. I have been here before and should have known -better than to be ensnared into putting up at the Hotel Douglas. But I -rejoice that my presence here has enabled me to pay my compliments to -your lordship. Do you contemplate changing your lodgings? If so, permit -me to recommend The Crown, to which I am about to remove. That hotel is -patronized by the aristocracy and we shall there be in our element." - -"I have no plans," replied René indifferently. "I am here in the -interest of my mother, the Duchess de Rousillon. It is possible I shall -soon return to France. I thank you for the information. I crave your -pardon for my seeming lack of courtesy in failing to return your visit, -but I am pressed for time." And he bowed his visitor out of the door and -again threw himself upon his couch. - -Volpetti--for it was he--returned to Brosseur whom he found inspecting -the fireplace, in which a bright coke fire was burning. The valet drew a -paper from his pocket on which was a diagram in pencil, saying: - -"This is the plan of the house. Here is No. 23, which is our bird's -cage. Your apartments are 13 and 15, so that four rooms intervene -between yours and his. I have engaged 21 for myself. I had hard work -getting it, for these people have a mighty reverence for the aristocracy -and were loathe to place me so near the Marquis. I therefore protested -that my master the Count would be furious at my being placed at a great -distance from him." - -"Has your chamber a fireplace?' asked Volpetti. - -"Do you think I should otherwise have taken it?" demanded Brosseur. - -"Well, I am just from the Marquis's chamber and there is no object there -beneath which he could conceal even a key. The box must be in either his -traveling bags or underneath his mattress. If once you enter the room, -'twill be a moment's work to find it. If the bags are unlocked, take out -the box; if locked, carry them off. And beware of blundering. I don't -want the English police to mix up into what is none of their business. -You must play the role of an ordinary thief who has stolen from even his -master. If you are caught, I will rescue you, but beware how you -implicate me. And now I leave under pretence of going to the Hotel -Crown, while you remain behind apparently to arrange the baggage, but in -reality to get the box. Use prudence and cunning. You will then come to -me. We have already arranged our place of meeting." - -Volpetti threw on an elegant grey traveling cloak which reached almost -to his feet, drew on gloves and carefully placed a hat upon his handsome -head. René, meanwhile, relieved of his unwelcome visitor, continued -reading the manuscript, as reproduced in the following chapter. - - - - -Chapter VI - -TORTURE - - -Marie's death brought me such sorrow that another great misfortune was -necessary to rouse me from my apathy and desolation. During Napoleon's -invasion of Italy our villa was sacked and fired. Montmorin and I -managed to escape, carrying with us a small quantity of money and -certain documents which we deposited in a place of security. We reached -Rome and passed on to Civita Vecchia, from which we embarked on a -merchant brig for England. We boarded the vessel during threatening -weather. Hardly had we put to sea when the waves and wind rose high, -sweeping the deck and breaking one of the masts. Then we were driven -pitilessly toward the French coast and seemed about to break upon the -reefs. Montmorin and I were dismayed at the prospect of landing in -France. The captain perceived our terror and observed that we must have -an ugly secret. We disembarked at Dieppe and were examined by the -Marine and Quarantine Commissions, to which the captain communicated his -suspicions regarding us. We were, nevertheless, dismissed, and hastened -to conceal ourselves in an obscure inn, with the intention of seizing -the first opportunity of leaving for Spain or England. But the police -followed us. I was alone when the officers entered. I hastily pressed -some money into a servant-maid's hand, bidding her stand at the street -corner and warn Montmorin of the danger on his return. I was conducted -to what was known as the Delegation and subjected to a series of -questions. Being inexperienced, I compromised myself. I was placed, -during the night, on a coasting barge. We landed at a little port whose -name I never learned, and entered a carriage there in waiting. We -started on a journey which lasted four days, at the end of which I was -placed in a Paris prison, where I remained six days. On the seventh a -young man of affable manners, whom I later learned went by the name of -Volpetti, entered my cell. He spoke German. I was almost too weak to -reply. - -"Friend," he said, "I know your history. You are playing a role which -providence has not assigned you. Your friends have inoculated you with -the virus of royal ambition. I come to offer you salvation from this -induced mania. Swear to me by the memory of your mother that you will -not seek to escape from the monastery to which I shall conduct you. In -return, you will be promised that not a hand shall be raised against -you. Buried beneath a religious name in Belgium or Italy, your life will -pass serenely." - -Thérčse, the blood that courses through your body and mine, the blood of -the Hapsburgs and Bourbons, rose imperious against the indignity of the -proposition. - -"I fling your offer in your teeth, Monsieur!" I cried. - -Volpetti looked disappointed. He disliked violent measures. In choicest -German and softest voice he sought to persuade me. My head turned to the -wall, I made no further answer. Then, slowly approaching the door, he -gave an order, whereupon two muscular brutes entered. Supposing they -were my murderers, I delivered my soul to God and spoke three names--my -mother's, Marie's and--O Thérčse, yours! - -The ruffians dragged me from my wretched bed, bound me with cords which -cut into my flesh and tied me in a rough chair. I thought they were -preparing to torture me and in terror I shrieked: - -"Unbind me! I consent." - -Volpetti approached, saying: - -"Do you wish to be released?" - -My pride flared up and I disdained to answer. - -Then they gagged me and passed over my face an instrument which seemed -to riddle the flesh with sharp needles. I tried to cry out and break the -cords, whereupon one of the fellows thrust his iron fingers, like -pincers, into my side. The violent pressure caused a swoon. When I -recovered consciousness, a great heat overpowered me, for my torturers -were moistening my face with a liquid which stung fiercely. I swooned -again from the intense pain. - -On awakening, I carried my hand to my eyes but failed to find them. I -touched, instead, two lumps of swollen, throbbing flesh. I lay on a -filthy bed, freed from the cords. Some one gave me a plate of broth -which I managed to swallow. I asked my jailor if it was dawn. - -"The noon sun shines brightly," he answered. - -"I am blind!" I wailed. At that moment the concept of Expiation broke -upon my mind,--the heinous sins which my suffering was effacing. - -"Bring me some warm water," I entreated. The man brought it and, after -applying it to my face, I fell asleep. - - - - -Chapter VII - -THE BLACK HOLE - - -I lived in darkness for two weeks. Then the inflammation began to -subside and a ray of light penetrated my eyes and heart and I wept in -gratitude for the joy of looking upon the filthy walls of my dungeon. I -started in horror upon beholding in one of the window panes the image of -my distorted and swollen face. I realized that an attempt had been made -to efface all vestige of lineage from my countenance. But with the -passing of time much of the disfigurement disappeared. - -One morning soldiers entered my cell and carried me into a close -carriage, which, after several hours of travel, stopped before that grim -fortress whose very name freezes the blood,--Vincennes. - -It had been decreed by my captors that I should here end my days. But -what of the creole, my protectress? She was living her days of -brilliancy. The Empire--such an Empire!--was being hatched amid the -folds of the Consulate. The creole was absorbed by one great fear,--the -fear of failing to furnish an heir to that adumbrating Empire. Thérčse, -let us smile together at the endurance of thrones. Why, a crown scarcely -seems worth the commission of a crime. It cannot even bring sleep to -eyes that stare widely during whole nights. - -Europe resounded with the blare of trumpets and clarions, the -reverberations of cannon and the clashing of swords, while skilful -needle-women embroidered a purple mantle for the creole's graceful -shoulders. - -On descending the carriage opposite the embattled tower, I was conducted -beneath an armored postern, through three gates, along a circuitous -route which lay between damp gray walls, down two stairways, reaching at -length an iron door through which I was pushed into a windowless -dungeon, known as The Black Hole and destined as a vestibule to my -grave. - -I dared not move, fearing to fall into a pit. The only sound I heard was -the loud beating of my heart. At last my jailer,--a man having but one -eye,--entered the cell. A lantern hung about his neck beneath a sullen -countenance. With his rough hand he thrust at me a plate of repulsive -food. The light of his lantern illumined the floor. Speedily glancing -around, I ascertained that it was free of pitfalls. My enclosure was a -damp, moldy, black tomb. In one corner was some straw and a tattered -blanket; in another a bench and jug. - -The next day my keeper brought me a loaf of hard bread and a jug of -water. I ate part of the bread and went to sleep. On awaking, I failed -to find the remainder. I shuddered. Who was with me? Who had stolen my -bread? I was wrought up to a state of frenzy which the entrance of my -jailer subdued. I asked him who had taken my bread. He did not answer. -Leaving more bread and water, he departed. I ate half my bread and went -to sleep. I awoke hungry and sought the remainder. It was gone. The next -day I put some bread underneath the straw and lay upon it pretending -sleep. A light pattering of feet and shrill attenuated noises seemed to -indicate a troop of tiny creatures in the darkness. A hairy coat swept -my cheek and O the sickening horror of it!--the sharp teeth of a rat -pierced my fingers. With staring sightless eyes, I understood. Rats -raced over my body pushed beneath me in search for food, swept their -cold tails over my sore face and grunted contentedly while eating the -crumbs. I was often roused from the sleep of exhaustion by their shrill -disputes or their nibbling my ears and fingers. - - - - -Chapter VIII - -THE EXECUTION - - -It has been said that our family were the martyrs of the Revolution. Our -parents suffered but they had previously known happiness. But I? What -earthly fruit of good had passed my lips? What wrong had I, an innocent -boy, committed? As I daily sat in darkness awaiting my bread and water, -what a world was revealed to me, Thérčse! Retributive justice demanding -an eye for an eye stood in my dungeon. I was called upon to balance the -accounts of my delinquent ancestry. - -Man is a creature of habit. My senses daily grew more accustomed to the -pestilential cavern. I began to distinguish the objects in my dungeon. -Light seemed to gleam faintly through the joinings of the stones. My -pupils dilated like those of nocturnal birds. My hearing grew more acute -and recognized the jailer's footfall long before he reached my door. I -could dimly hear the call of the sentinels and the tramping of the -guard. - -One night in spring I distinguished voices in the ditch outside my cell -and the dull sound of spades. Some one said, "Make it deeper and wider -that it may hold the body." A platoon of soldiers halted and struck the -breeches of their guns upon the ground. They were arranging an -execution! - -Only the wall separated us as a voice which was harsh yet timid, almost -apologetic, pronounced a death sentence. The name of the condemned made -me start: Louis Antoine Henri de Bourbon, Conte. Our family blood was -about to spatter those walls erected by our ancestors. A sweet sonorous -voice penetrated the stones. The Count was asking an officer to be the -bearer of a death memento. - -"For the Princesse de Rohan," he said, placing in his hands a letter, a -ring and a lock of hair. - -"Hang a lantern around his neck," was the brutal order that interrupted -the prisoner. "No aim can be taken in this darkness." - -Then followed a cruel fateful moment; then the order; then the -rebounding of the balls from the outer wall of my dungeon; then the thud -of the falling body; then suppressed oaths and stern commands; then the -noise of spades. As the platoon of soldiers marched away, I said to -myself, "My cousin, the Duke d'Enghien has been keeping me company, and -now he lies very close." - -No clothes had been given me during my imprisonment and I was in -tatters. I shivered, wrapped in my filthy blanket. My hair hung on my -shoulders in long matted curls; my face--beardless on entering the -tower--was half covered with a tangled crop, my nails so long that they -tore off in great shreds unless I gnawed them close with my teeth. I -could not calculate the duration of my captivity. I seemed losing the -power of thought. I lived over and over my cousin's execution until it -seemed to have been my own. I assured myself that I was awakening after -death and I felt the bullet wounds in my head. I refused nourishment, -saying feebly that dead men required no food. On the third day of my -self-imposed starvation the hinges of my door creaked at an unaccustomed -hour and my jailer was communicative for the first time. - -"Get up and follow me," he said. - -I remained motionless, for was I not a corpse? The man raised me roughly -and placed an arm around my shoulders. Then I comprehended that I lived -and concluded that execution was about to take place. A great peace -followed this conviction. When we reached daylight, the air asphyxiated -me like a powerful gas and when my guide opened a door, saying, "Here!" -I fell on the floor in a swoon. - - - - -Chapter IX - -THE ESCAPE - - -I regained consciousness upon a real bed. Some people were near me. My -jailer, with a softened expression, was handing me a cup of soup. I -closed my eyes and realized that some one raised the sheet covering me -and searched over my almost nude body for a birthmark. A voice said, -"Thank God, it is he!" and human lips pressed my cadaverous hands. - -The tower's warden said affably as he took his leave: - -"Assure the Empress that he shall be well cared for." - -A man near me murmured "Courage, courage, your Majesty." - -My eyes opened and I clasped Montmorin in my arms. - -"Your Majesty,"--he began, and I interrupted: - -"Do not address me so, Eugene. Do not apply titles to a wretched -outcast. I wish to strip myself of the personality which has caused my -martyrdom." - -"Well, then, Charles," said Montmorin "I have sought you for four -years." - -"Four years!" I exclaimed. "Did I remain four years in the Black Hole?" - -"I had no clue," said my friend. "I believed you dead, and through -indifference concerning my own life, I enlisted in Napoleon's army. The -execution of the Due d'Enghien and the conspiracy of Cadouval (of which -I shall presently tell you) filled me with such indignation that I -resolved to present my resignation. Just then the Empress sent for me. -In a secret interview she informed me that you were in Vincennes dungeon -and commissioned me to rescue you. Her hand pushed aside the obstacles -between us." - -"Blessed be the creole!" I cried. - -"Not so fast, Charles. She seeks only her security. Her lord, who is -also the lord of Europe, seems to be considering the advisability of -relegating her to some corner of his Babylonic Empire, because of her -barrenness. She looks upon you as a fine card to play at the opportune -moment. Napoleon has forgotten your existence. He is too busy with his -conquests to even think of you. Here in prison, your name is No. 86. -Josephine pretends that you are the nephew of a Martinique woman with -whom she has a friendship. She does not desire your liberty because it -is preferable that you should be where she may at any time lay a hand -upon you. But I shall free you, though that must be postponed, as you -are now so weak." - -I was bathed and cleanly clad. Nourishing and abundant food was given me -daily and I was gently tended by Armande, the jailer's excellent -daughter. Montmorin cut off my long hair and tangled beard, and, on -viewing myself in the mirror, I realized that the cruel operation, whose -object had been to disfigure me, had been frustrated by the darkness of -the dungeon. I should, otherwise, have been marked as with the pits of -that dreadful malady, the smallpox, and been changed past all -recognition. - -I was born again. The pure blood of Austria and Lorraine had -successfully combated what appeared invincible obstacles. Montmorin, who -through motives of caution, visited me only twice during my -convalescence, was one day overjoyed on seeing my hard rounded flesh and -observed that it was time to discuss our flight. I was on the second -floor of one of the four towers which flank the historic castle. The -windows facing toward the fort were not very high from the ground. If -the grating were filed, 'twould be a simple matter to swing down to the -bridge spanning the ditch over which the soldiers walked in leaving the -fortress. This route of exit was chosen by the soldiers in order to -avoid the trouble of raising the portcullis, and it existed through the -culpable negligence of the chief; otherwise, I should never have been -able to have accomplished my escape. The only necessary precaution was -that of selecting an auspicious hour of the night in which to swing down -to the ditch, cross the narrow plank and join Montmorin in the woods -beyond, awaiting me with a pair of good horses. I had an English file -for the severing of my iron bars, also a rope and a dagger. All these I -kept upon my body during the day and in my bed at night. I anxiously -counted the hours that must pass before my escape and constantly -developed my muscles by gymnastic exercises. Each night I cut through -one bar of the grating. I feared that Armande, who was as kind to me as -her father was indifferent, might suspect my intention. I therefore -adopted toward her the most affectionate demeanor. I praised her beauty -and then I realized that she was indeed beautiful. The wine of youth -rose in me like a splendid springtide and when Armande trembled in my -arms I regretted that I must so soon leave her. - -Thérčse, I know that your austere virtue makes no capitulation to what -you would call the sentimental delinquencies of the heart. But to me a -woman's breast is more necessary than bread or water. That simple girl -loved me in the abandonment of her feminine pity, which is, my chaste -sister, the holiest passion of humanity. - -One day she responded to my caresses with the words: - -"I know you are preparing to escape. I will help you, and if a cannon -were to announce your flight, I should crawl into its mouth to retard -the explosion." - -When at last arrived the moment, preconcerted with Montmorin, she clung -to me affectionately until the whistle of our accomplice sounded across -the ditch. Then, securing the rope securely, she watched me descend, her -low sweet voice bidding me Godspeed. I ran in a frenzy to Montmorin. We -sprang into our saddles and sped away. - - - - -Chapter X - -PRUSSIA - - -René was here seized with a fit of coughing. - -He looked toward the windows; they were closed; at the fireplace; the -coke burned brightly. Putting down the manuscript, he soliloquized: - -"I ought to examine the documents in the box and find out whether -Naundorff is a martyr or a visionary." - -But the narrative fascinated him and he resumed: - -The aggregate terms of my prison life amount to seventeen years. - -I said to Montmorin, as we slackened our speed, in order to find a path -which led to an obscure hut wherein we were to pass the night: - -"O that I might live among men, daring to breathe! That I might no -longer be hunted down as a criminal. Let me cast away the fatal name and -obliterate the race forever. Montmorin, renounce political schemes and -help me only in this,--to forget the dungeons that have been my -dwelling places." - -My friend put his arms around me and said: "I promise." - -We slept soundly and started the next morning for Prussia, which we -safely entered, under passports held by Montmorin. We put up at a small -inn, exhausted from our rapid traveling. Just as we were dropping off to -sleep, an officer entered, roughly ordering us from bed. He brought -orders to arrest us as spies. He delivered us to a detachment of troops -pertaining to the division under the command of the Duke of Brunswick. - -When we had journeyed a short distance, we were surrounded by a body of -French, treble our number, and I viewed a battle, for the first time in -my life; by the irony of fate, I stood in ranks opposing my countrymen. -Montmorin and I were ordered to fight and we had no choice but that of -obeying. Our detachment was overpowered. The enemy cried, "No quarter!" -Montmorin's horse was better than mine. - -"Change with me!" he cried. I could not reply, for we all fell back -together. My noble friend placed himself before me and sought to ward -off the sabre-strokes. My horse fell pierced by a bullet and I could not -extricate myself. Montmorin stooped to disentangle my foot and a French -soldier with a tremendous blow cut his head in twain. Another sabre -descended on my neck and I lost consciousness. - -I awoke in a hospital, amid the fearful groans of the other wounded. -Thérčse, does not my narrative seem destitute of those shades of gay and -grave intermingled which constitute the charm of a personal history? Do -you not long for a comic foil to this interminable tragedy? I shall -abridge and hurry on. - -I was carried in a straw-loaded wagon to the fortress Wessel and there -placed with other prisoners destined to imprisonment in Toulon. I -protested unavailingly, declaring that I was a Frenchman. I marched with -bleeding feet into France. But falling on the ground in my inability to -continue, I was abandoned by the guard and should have died but for the -care of a peasant woman who carried me to a hospital. In a fellow -patient, I recognized a former companion in arms, by name Fritz. Later -on, we made our way back into Germany. To sustain life during our -journey, we became common thieves and stole fruit, bread, -chickens,--anything we could lay our hands on. Do you hear, Thérčse? -Your brother has been a common thief. Fritz remarked: "We do on a small -scale what kings do on a great one." One day, leaving me his coat as -hostage, he started off on a foraging expedition. He was captured by the -German league known as the Strickreiter. An old peasant with whom we had -become associated, advised that I should go to Saxony where the -Strickreiter were not powerful. He gave me what food and money he could -spare, and, carrying Fritz's coat, in which I found six hundred francs, -I resolved to join the Prussian army, it seeming my only choice. I -started for Berlin. On the journey a fellow traveller evinced great -cordiality, to the extent of lending me his passport, bearing the name -"William Naundorff." He declared he did not require it, being well -known. I looked at this new friend intently. I had seen his face -before. - - - - -Chapter XI - -NAUNDORFF - - -What was this new mystery? Why should this man give me his name, for I -was forced to retain it? When we reached Weimar, my benefactor -disappeared. The freedom I breathed inebriated me and I ceased -wondering. On reaching Berlin, I put up at an inn, where I was soon -visited by the police who asked how long I intended to remain in the -capital. I referred them to the passport which I had delivered to the -city's authorities and thus did I imbue myself forever with the -personality of my fellow passenger. On filing an application for -admission into the army, I was coldly informed that His Majesty did not -receive foreigners into the Prussian ranks. - -Discouraged and almost destitute, I bethought me of my knowledge of -watchmaking and so it came to pass that I established myself in this -humble business. Thérčse, this is the sign I displayed outside my door: -Schutzenstrasse, 52. I was well patronized and lived contentedly until -an officer called to see my license. He asked me many questions, -demanded to be shown my baptismal certificate and a testimonial of good -conduct from the last parish in which I had lived. Having no such -documents, I was in great perplexity. At this juncture, a woman who -called herself Naundorff's sister, advised me to apply to Monsieur Le -Coq, Superintendent of the Prussian Police and a Frenchman by birth. -Before proceeding, I must explain that this woman, whose devotion to me -was as genuine as it was unremitting, had some time previous come from -some mysterious quarter to live in my house. Her industry made my -slender income yield me some comfort. Following her advice, I wrote to -Le Coq, revealing to him my entire history. He came to visit me and -demanded to see the proofs of my identity. I showed him some of my -documents,--those which had been sewed by Montmorin in the collar of the -ragged coat which I had worn during my vagrancy. They included letters -belonging to our mother and our father's seal. Le Coq was amazed and -remarked that he could give me no advice until after consulting with the -King. On the following day, he came to say that I must relinquish the -documents. I was forced to obey, saving only a portion of the seal. -From that moment, I was dogged by the police and finally driven out of -Berlin. - -"You are in danger here," said Le Coq. "The magistracy has not forgotten -that no corroborating documents rendered your passport valid. Go to some -little town and be there known by the name of Naundorff." - -A guard was furnished for my protection. I was admonished to observe the -strictest reserve, for the eye of Napoleon was keen. Prussia dared not -incur his enmity. - -"When you are asked for your papers," said Le Coq, as I was departing, -"answer that they are with the Court." - -I went to Spandau in the search of peace, there to live in a coffin more -effectual than the one which had enclosed me as I left the Tower, that -is to say, the name "Naundorff." This spurious term was entered on the -village registers. There is not another instance in Prussian annals of -the right of citizenship being conferred upon a man in consequence of -the arbitrary adjustment of an official, in the absence of documentary -evidence. - -I put out my sign. The faithful woman--the so-called sister of -Naundorff--was with me still. However the arrangement had originated, -whether or not she acted as an instrument of my enemies, her devotion -was genuine. To silence malicious tongues, I called her sister. - -Europe was convulsed with war. "Is the Corsican's power to be broken?" I -would ask myself. And then a wild hope of recovering my name and rank -would take possession of me, in spite of the injunctions regarding -caution from Le Coq, who visited me about this period. Then came the -news of Napoleon's overthrow, followed by our uncle's ascending the -throne and of your marriage, Thérčse, to our cousin, the Duke of -Orleans. Thus did you become an accomplice in the usurpation. From many -sources you and our uncle had tidings of my misfortunes, and these -rumors were corroborated by documents found in the belongings of -Josephine, Barras, Pichegru and even Napoleon. I at the time wrote -letters to you both, letters which I know reached your hands. You, whose -lips so often speak the name of God, dare not deny that you read my -messages. - - - - -Chapter XII - -THE DAUPHIN'S WIFE - - -About this time my companion and reputed sister died. Poor woman! She -was no grande dame, not even a spotless matron. In her past there had -been hours of anguish, despair and shame. An unremitting train of -misfortunes had dried the sources of her tears. It was misfortune which -had united our lives and welded my youth to her maturity. Despised by -the world, she found an asylum in me, and I, in my isolation, found pity -and kindness only in her. And I solemnly declare that she was gold -hidden beneath mire, for she gave me the shelter and warmth of a human -heart, without which I cannot live. - -When she died in my arms, blessing me for my ministrations, I regretted -that I had written to you, for it seemed the most fitting consummation -of my life to pass the remainder of it as a Spandau watch-maker. In my -loneliness, I married a beautiful girl, daughter of a mechanic as -obscure as I. Having failed to receive an answer from you, I thought to -accomplish the extinction of a royal race by an alliance with this woman -of the people. A frenzy of vengeance and shame mastered me as I cemented -what I considered the pollution of your race and mine, by marrying this -pure, gentle girl. - -To-day I realize my sin in refusing to thank God for the finding in my -path of the sweet blossom of love. Jeanne's affection should have been -more grateful than Marie's for it came in consequence of the sublime law -that merges one life into another and contained no element of reverence -for royalty. But I trampled on the tender fragrance of her devotion -during the beginning of our married life, in the arrogance of what I -considered my fallen state in being her companion. For hours would I sit -in gloomy silence. I could not smother the puerile vanity of earthly -grandeur which even in the Black Hole inflated me. Between me and the -gentle girl rose the high wall of ancestry, that destroyer of happiness, -which seeks to make us unlike other men. I kept from her the gloomy -secret of my origin and she shrank from me, almost seeking to ask my -forgiveness for being my wife. - -When I knew the joy which you will never experience, Thérčse--that of -parenthood,--I called my daughter by the name which I had borne during -that ill-fated journey which cost our parents their crown and -life,--"Amélie." My mother seemed to live again in the child, and I -assured myself that the blood of Austria and Lorraine rose, asserting -its purity and protesting against admixture with a plebeian strain. - - - - -Chapter XIII - -THE INCENDIARY - - -Here René raised his head and realized that his chamber was full of -smoke. The atmosphere was growing dense, insufferable. The mirror over -the mantel broke into pieces with a sharp explosion and great tongues of -flame licked the sides of the chimney. A stout man with red whiskers put -his head in the door, shouting "Fire!" - -Thrusting the manuscript into his bosom, René ran out, amid the -bewildered servants and guests. Pails of water were brought from the -kitchen and uproar reigned. - -"Keep your wits!" he shouted. "Shut the windows and wet the blankets -from the beds." - -He turned to some one near and asked how the fire had started. The man -replied that Count Keller's valet was to blame. Brosseur standing in the -passage way seemed inconsolable. - -"I shall lose my place!" he almost sobbed. "My master will discharge me -for this carelessness." - -René was everywhere at once, encouraging, urging, advising. Brosseur, -meanwhile ran into the Marquis's room, returning with the bed blankets. -At last the fire was extinguished and the proprietor grasped René's -hand, thanking him for his services. The guests pressed near with -praises for his conduct. Even the cook brandished his colossal fists in -fury at the stupidity of the fellow who had caused the mischief. - -"I shall find him and break that heavy head of his!" he roared, darting -toward Brosseur's chamber. A moment later he returned in a rage, -exclaiming: "The rascal has escaped, leaving his baggage behind." - -René shuddered, scarcely knowing why. He ran to his room in search for -his wallet. It was broken open and the box gone. - -"The villain has robbed me," he muttered, as the plot became clear to -him. "I felt that I had seen his face before. Ah, Count Keller,--better -said, Count Scoundrel--I know now whence you came. Have I indeed undone -Amélie's father? Naundorff, watch-maker, I am henceforth your staunch -partisan! This piece of villainy confirms your claim." - -He placed his hand in his breast in search for the manuscript and -breathed more easily on feeling it. - - - - -Book III THE KNIGHTS OF LIBERTY - - - -Chapter I - -LYING IN WAIT - - -Opposite the Dover wharf was an inn bearing the sign: The Red Fish. The -frequenters of this inn were usually sailors, wharf-hands, etc.... -Sometimes passengers from a recently arrived vessel stayed over a short -while for the purpose of recovering from seasickness. At eleven in the -forenoon of a day following soon after that described at the close of -Book II, Kate, niece of the proprietor, displayed her rounded arms to -the admiring eyes of the guests seated in the dingy dining hall, as she -deposited on the tables bottles of beer and dishes of smoked salmon -stewed with potatoes. One of the young men was so absorbed in gazing -through a window out toward the wharf that he scarcely knew what he ate. -He seemed waiting for some one and in so doing attracted the attention -of two others seated in an obscure corner of the apartment, one of whom -was apparently of some thirty years of age, of contracted lips, keen -eyes and a nervous attitude. His general make-up was that of a man who -vibrates to the suggestions of an idea. He scarcely ate and his glass of -ale stood untasted. His companion had a very good appetite--a handsome -young man somewhat coarse in type, of splendid proportions, ruddy -cheeks, black whiskers, gleaming teeth and gay alert eyes full of -directness and candor. - -The two men conversed in low tones. The younger always interrupted the -talk on the approach of Kate, for the purpose of making sweet speeches -in her ear. - -"Indeed I recognize him," declared the elder. "I have seen him in Paris -and his title is Marquis de Brezé. His family is ultramonarchical and -its loyalty has been paid in gold, for its confiscated property has been -restored." - -"I wonder why he is here." - -"I cannot guess, Giacinto. Men in our position must always expect the -worst. Many Frenchmen, await their vessels in this inn, but the -Marquis's attitude arouses suspicion. He awaits some one. The fact that -he comes from _There_ should put us on our guard." - -"Bah!" exclaimed Giacinto, with a flash of his perfect teeth, "'tis some -piece of gallantry--a question of petticoats." - -"Or of politics. We must not lose sight of him, for holding on to the -end of a thread sometimes leads to a bobbin. This inn, in which _our_ -Volpetti is in the habit of stopping, is so suspicious a place that even -the air is infected. If the Marquis awaits a lady, luck to him! But if -not--" - -"I swear 'tis love," asserted Giacinto, failing to comprehend the -other's indifference to the romantic. - -"Well, now let us get to business. If our brother knights have correctly -informed us, Volpetti will reach the inn today. Are you sure you will -recognize him? You know the fox is clever in disguises." - -"Do you think he can escape me?" cried Giacinto, his face distorted with -a spasm of hatred. "Not even if he comes as the devil, his brother. Why -we are both Sicilians from Catania. I remember him when he walked -barefoot recruiting victims for the gambling houses. Later on he entered -the novitiate of a monastery. Then, I witnessed his initiation as -spy--under the direction--well in reality, in the employ of Queen -Caroline. O he is an adept, a born spy and happy only when exercising -his profession. He was Fouché's most dangerous agent and now performs -the same office to Lecazes. But to every man his hour! There are many -accounts pending between Volpetti and me! First, my brother Raphael's -long imprisonment; secondly, the ill treatment of Grazia, that -unfortunate girl; thirdly, the splendid Romeldi's death on the gibbet; -fourthly, the conspiracy of the 19th of August. Why has this mission -been assigned me? Because the Knights know well that Volpetti will not -escape me." - -"Contain yourself" said the other. "To accomplish your purpose, calmness -is essential." - -"Fear nothing," answered Giacinto, "I shall seem ice." - -"Does Volpetti know you by sight?" - -"As well as he does his own shirt, and his claws must have fastened into -me at Trieste, if the Knights had not protected me. Set a thief to catch -a thief. But here in England he and I are man to man." - -"Even in England spies are aided by other spies. Change your tactics, -Giacinto. The devil! Lecazes snaps his fingers at scruples. The League -must learn that the enemy is full of insidious perfidy. We no longer -fight on the open as in the times of Napoleon. But the duel between -Revolution and Reaction is raging none the less fiercely. The hour is -ripe for blows and are we, the Knights of Liberty, to content ourselves -with Platonic phrases? Are we not to wreak vengeance at last? We are so -numerous as scarcely to know one another and yet so little is -accomplished. 'Tis a competent leader that we need." - -"Platonism is dead," cried Giacinto. "Our business is to grapple with -the police. Volpetti's fate will soon be a warning to Lecazes and those -who are his masters. Every English Carbonaro will soon see that events -are at last shaping themselves--" - -"What do you know?" eagerly demanded the other. - -"I scent the critical moment approaching. I read men's thoughts upon -their foreheads. My friend, societies do much, but at times one man -arises who by a swift stroke accomplishes what societies are only -meditating." - -"You assume the air of a prophet." - -"Well, time will tell. Now to our work. Volpetti will soon arrive, -either alone or with a companion. He is to embark from Dover. When he -reaches this inn, you and I shall enter his room and dispatch him before -he has time to say 'Amen.' The Polipheme awaits us in the harbor. The -captain is our brother and confederate. I trust Volpetti will come -alone for so he will fall to me; but if he be accompanied, both of us -shall be implicated." - -"And why not both of us even if he come alone? Should one waste honor on -dogs?" - -Here Giacinto interrupted, saying: - -"Did I not tell you it was a love affair? Behold the lady!" - -The Marquis de Brezé had just hurried to meet two new comers, a man of -middle age and a young girl. Both wore shabby traveling garments and had -the appearance of Irish peasants. But in spite of her clothes, the -beautiful imperious face of the girl immediately excited admiration -while the man's grace and dignity revealed the aristocrat. - -Giacinto grasped his friend's hand, and the other whispered: - -"How remarkable!" - -"What?" asked Giacinto. - -"The resemblance." - -"What resemblance?" - -"Why the man and girl are reproductions of the guillotined king and -queen." - -"I have seen them only in pictures; but by the devil! they are indeed -before us." - -The Carbonari gazed at each other in amazement. - - - - -Chapter II - -THE TRAPPED FOX - - -Naundorff and Amélie followed de Brezé toward the stairway and, in so -doing, passed the two Carbonari, who, pretending absorption in their ale -and salmon, did not raise their eyes. - -René led his friends to the chambers he had engaged for them and when -the doors were closed, he threw himself upon his knees before the father -exclaiming: - -"Forgive me!" - -"What is it, René?" - -"I have been robbed of your papers." - -Naundorff turned pale and fell against the wall. But quickly recovering -himself, he said: - -"René, you have lost my name, but you first saved my life," and with -simple dignity he drew the Marquis to his breast while Amélie trembled -and dropped tears from her beautiful eyes. - -"And the manuscript?" - -"I have it with me." - -"How were you robbed of the box?" - -René explained. - -"That Count de Keller is my evil genius. He is none other than the -Volpetti who under the alias 'Naundorff' bestowed that name upon me in -Prussia. He represents the police who like a web envelop me. 'Twas the -police that directed the blows from which you rescued me in London. And -that police will now pursue you, René. I regret that we have undertaken -this voyage, for how are we to succeed in this difficult undertaking, -having lost my certificates of identity? Let us renounce the project and -return, I to exile and you to your country. I am not safe in England; -therefore I shall remove to Holland. In that land of liberty and -justice, I may find the happiness I seek, the simple happiness of family -life. René, I seem to hear again the words spoken to me in my dungeon: -_Your friends shall perish_." - -René looked at Amélie. Her tears were dry and her lofty countenance -expressed only resolution. His discouragement was swept away and he -turned to the father, saying: - -"I shall never give up the fight. And what of the knave who robbed me? -Is he to laugh in my face? Listen. Volpetti will soon be here. I also -have become a spy. I have tracked him by pouring out torrents of money." - -"Bravo, my René!" said Amélie, giving him her hand. - -"Girl," sighed Naundorff, "you have inherited the intrepidity of your -grandmother, Marie Antoinette and great-grandmother, Marie Thérčse, -combined; I, the stoicism and passivity of my father. While I am with -you, my blood rises and I believe in the impossible; my fears vanish, my -dual personality merges into one and I assure myself that I am not a -self-duped fool--God bless you!" - -"Father," she exclaimed, "you have not the right to surrender claims -which your children inherit. Do you think that the iniquitous regime on -the French throne will last indefinitely? Has not that wonderful -colossus, Napoleon, rolled on the ground from his pedestal? Another -usurper today rules our country. Is his hour never to come?" - -She was a picture of splendid anger and sublime indignation. - -"Amélie, you frighten me," said Naundorff. - -"Cast away your fears," she cried. "René will save us. Defenders will -spring out of the earth. Courage, my father; calmness, my husband," and -she gave a hand to each of the men. "We are a council of war. Let us -plan our course of action." - -Naundorff kissed her forehead, saying: "I follow you," fascinated by her -spirit. - -"Our two aims," she proceeded, "are to recover the papers and enter -France secretly." - -"Regarding the first," said René, "trust to me. The spy shall not return -to France enriched by his spoils." - -"Beware of the spilling of blood!" said Naundorff. "Our cause is else -lost." - -René and Amélie made no rejoinder. - -"Concerning the voyage to France," continued the Marquis, "we must first -dispose of Volpetti. Were he to precede us, our fate should be -imprisonment. In the meanwhile, Mr. and Miss O'Ranleigh," and he made -his companions a mock bow, "must not forget their role of musicians -journeying across the channel in search of employment. A happy -circumstance favors our project. A French merchant vessel, the -Polipheme, lies in the harbor. The captain is indebted to me for favors. -I met him on the wharf this morning and observed that I might have need -of him later. I can count upon his loyalty." - -"Father, the sky grows clear!" cried Amélie. - -"God grant it may!" said Naundorff. - -"See!" exclaimed René. "There is the Polipheme." - -He drew his companions toward the window, and as they looked out, his -face grew dark and he stammered: - -"There--he--comes!" - -Volpetti, alias the Count de Keller, in elegant traveling dress which -accentuated his aristocratic Chateaubriand air, approached the Red Fish, -followed by Brosseur. - -"They are coming here!" exclaimed René, and he dragged Amélie and -Naundorff into concealment, returning himself to continue his scrutiny. -"The devil turns him over to me at last." - - - - -Chapter III - -RENÉ WAITS - - -The Marquis's elation was equalled by that of the Carbonari below on -beholding the entry of Volpetti and his servant. - -"We have him," whispered Giacinto. - -"And his confederate, also," answered Louis Pierre, which was the name -of the other. - -"He seems quite a muscular fellow." - -"Leave him to me." - -Kate was selecting chambers for the newly arrived. Giacinto, continuing -the rude gallantry he had begun at the table, followed her from room to -room, whispering love speeches and pinching her round arms. Volpetti and -Brosseur were drinking Malaga below. - -"Leave me alone!" cried Kate, pretending anger. - -"Darling, don't be so hard on me." - -"But I have work to do. These rooms must be got ready, and I have not -been able to find them yet for the house is as full as an egg." - -"Let me walk with you until we find them, then." - -She could not resist this gallant offer, and together they promenaded -through corridors and apartments. At last she said: - -"Well, I must give No. 10 to the master and 39 to the valet. They are -not close together, but 'tis not my fault." - -"Who is in No. 8?" asked Giacinto, idly. - -"'Tis a double apartment, occupied by two Irish people who look like -beggars. But a French Monsieur here has his eye on the girl. He spent a -long time with them today." - -"Let them love each other. So do you and I." - -As the pair descended the stairway, Volpetti and his valet were coming -up to their chambers. Giacinto kept well in the shade and hastened to -join Louis Pierre beside whom a pleasant-faced man stood, dispatching a -glass of rum. - -This was the captain of the Polipheme. - -"Do you wish to leave tonight?" asked the captain. - -"Or at dawn," replied Louis Pierre. "Be prepared to draw in anchor and -have the sloop in readiness guarded by but one sailor." - -The captain hesitated. He drew his fingers through his hair as if about -to object. - -"Well--" he began. - -"Captain Soliviac, do you realize that you _cannot_ refuse?" - -"Refuse? Impossible! I was about to say that there are some people in -this inn wishing also to go to France. Do you object to their presence?" - -"Who are these people for whom you have so high a regard, Captain?" - -"Well one of them is the Marquis de Brezé." - -The Carbonari started. - -"What bond unites you to that sympathizer of the government?" - -"No political bond. My father was befriended by the elder Marquis and -the young man has been my protector. Important matters urge his return -to France." - -"Indeed! Well, the son of the Duchess de Rousillon is a strange -companion for you, Captain." - -"Pshaw!" answered Soliviac. "He does not meddle with politics. His time -is occupied in hunting and love making. He is doubtless hurrying to -France to be reunited with some fair friend; or more likely still, the -lady accompanies him now, for he said that two Irish travelers, an uncle -and niece, were with him." - -The Carbonari exchanged a look; then Giacinto said: - -"Well, tell the Marquis he and his party may come." - -"I have received another application for passage," said the captain, -"which I have refused." - -"From whom?" - -"From a gentleman bearing a marvelous resemblance to our countryman, the -Viscount Chateaubriand. He has a stout fellow with him who must be his -valet." - -The Carbonari flashed a look at one another. - -"How long since did he ask you?" - -"Not five minutes ago; I was jumping from my sloop. He wears a long -traveling cloak and a broad winged hat." - -"Well, run up to number 10," said Giacinto. "He is there. Call out -roughly, saying that two passengers have failed you at the eleventh hour -and that you may now carry him and his servant. Demand a high price and -simulate avarice. Be cautious. The man is a reader of faces." - -"Suppose he asks which is to be the first landing place?" - -"Say Dieppe, adding that he may be put off at Calais, Havre or Cherbourg -if he prefer and pay well for the privilege. Act as tho your object -were to exploit him." And Giacinto's face glowed with hatred. "And if -he asks the hour of departure, say midnight and that he must be at the -wharf by eleven, where the sloop will await him." - -"I shall do as you say. Is that all?" - -"I think not, indeed. Is your crew to be trusted?" - -"In what sense?" asked the astonished captain. - -"Will they keep mum about whatever takes place on board?" - -"My men are absolutely to be trusted." - -"Very well," said Louis Pierre, "I shall board the sloop at dusk and -remain upon her until the gentleman and his servant arrive. You must -have a sailor's dress ready for me, for I shall help run the sloop. You -must be there also, Captain." - -"Very well," said Soliviac. - -"Are you ready to go all lengths?" asked Giacinto. - -The captain's frank, genial countenance became clouded. Corsair as he -was and accustomed to bloody adventures, he hesitated before the -executive justice of the Knights of Liberty, for he knew their vengeance -to be terrible. But raising his head, he said: - -"All lengths." - -"Captain," said Giacinto, "the man we track is worse than a wolf. He -merits a thousand deaths and we shall give him only one. If you desert -us, we shall consider that you cease to be a Knight. Nevertheless, we -shall take the matter into our own hands and trust you not to betray -us." - -"Do you think I have joined the Knights to play the coward at the first -test? I unconditionally agree to your proposition. And now, what of the -other passengers?" - -"Arrange that they board before or after Volpetti." - -Soliviac bowed. - -Meanwhile, the Marquis's eye was applied to the keyhole of Volpetti's -chamber, and watched that gentleman arrange his belongings. His wallet -and toilet case lay near. René reflected that his treasure might be in -either. Soon he was undeceived for he heard Volpetti say to Brosseur: - -"Where is it?" - -"Around my neck," and the valet pointed to a cord just visible above his -collar. René could scarcely contain himself as a prospect of swift -vengeance seemed near and he clutched Amélie's hand as she stood back of -him, erect and self-possessed. - - - - -Chapter IV - -MINE AND COUNTERMINE - - -A more circumspect man than René would have retired from the keyhole -after ascertaining this information, but he was transported into -remaining. Just then Soliviac entered by the main door offering to take -the Count and his valet to France on the Polipheme. His intention was to -land at Dieppe, he remarked, unless Monsieur preferred some other port, -in which case-- - -He played his part well. Volpetti fell into the snare and requested to -be put off at Havre, offering a good sum for the privilege. - -"Providence has delivered this man into my hands," exclaimed René, -overjoyed. - -Volpetti agreed to be aboard by midnight, and on the departure of -Soliviac, continued his preparations for the journey. He instructed -Brosseur to have supper brought up to him, adding: - -"Keep your ears open to what is said in the kitchen." - -Soliviac was, meanwhile, being instructed by the Carbonari to take the -Marquis and his friends aboard at an early hour. The captain accordingly -sought René, informing him of what time he was expected. The Marquis -answered: - -"The Irish gentleman and lady will be at the ship by that hour, -Soliviac. But I am not certain of going. If I do, I shall get to your -vessel by means of a small skiff." - -The Carbonari frowned when Soliviac repeated these words to them. Louis -Pierre remarked: - -"Deeper springs than love move the Marquis." - -"I warned him," said Soliviac, "that he must be on time, else the -Polipheme would sail without him, and he answered that he did not -imagine that the vessel would leave before midnight." - -The Carbonari exchanged a keen glance, and Giacinto said: - -"Let him do as he is minded, but keep your eyes open. This is to be our -program: I remain ashore to track Volpetti and his servant. You, -Captain, and Louis Pierre will be aboard the sloop. If Brezé happens to -see us and asks to be taken aboard, he must be refused, on pretext of -lack of room. Now, each man to his business." - -A half hour later, René descended the stairway accompanied by Miss -O'Ranleigh, her face hidden by a large bonnet. Mr. O'Ranleigh followed, -his hat pulled well over his forehead, and his coat collar high over his -neck. But the keen eyes of Louis Pierre again perceived the resemblance -and he muttered: - -"Accursed race!--Race which has brought reproach and invasion to -France!--But who is this pair? And why does that young aristocrat pay -them court?" - -As the two Carbonari walked down the wharf later in the evening, Louis -Pierre said: - -"I am more strongly convinced that this is no love adventure. Be -cautious, Giacinto. You stay behind to strike the blow." - -Following them came the Marquis and the two Irish passengers. René bade -his friends farewell for a brief while, saying to the girl in a low -voice: - -"Fear nothing. I shall succeed." - -"I wonder if this is a countermine, a cord set to entangle our own net," -meditated Giacinto. - -He followed the Marquis to the inn, which reached, the latter ran -immediately to his own room. Giacinto concluded to await René's exit -before carrying out his own plan, namely to hide in the apartment next -to Volpetti's and which had been that of the Irish guests. Just as he -was about to realize this scheme, the Marquis stepped in before him. For -fifteen years he had awaited this moment of revenge. He had entered the -ranks of the Knights of Liberty, the nucleus of the Carbonari, for the -sole purpose of wreaking vengeance on his countryman. A formidable power -was back of him, transforming him from an ordinary homicide into the -avenger of a cause. And now he was being cheated out of his due by this -unforeseen complication. He stood in the passage a half hour waiting for -the Marquis to come forth. At last he went down to supper and Kate -hurried to wait upon him. She marveled at his abstraction and tried -coquettishly to rouse him. - -"Have you seen a black cat's shadow?" she asked, alluding to a local -superstition. - -Giacinto abstractedly caressed her coarse hand. - -"Tell me," he said, "does the French gentleman leave tonight? I mean the -one who first arrived." - -"What business is that of yours?" she asked, annoyed at her lover's -coldness. - -"Because," said the Sicilian in a passionate tone, "if he goes I must -leave you, my darling, for we sail together." - -"He leaves tonight and the other also, No. 10. But, if you prefer to -stay, other vessels will leave tomorrow." - -Giacinto gazed into her eyes with promise. Then, dashing off the -Chianti, he ran to his room, smiling at the credulity of servant maids. -He threw on his cloak, tied a sash around his waist, into which he -thrust a pair of pistols, grasped a thick stick, glided out of the hotel -and was soon lost in the mist. - - - - -Chapter V - -THE CREAKING BOOTS - - -The night grew darker, and the mist denser. At half past eleven, -Volpetti, followed by Brosseur, took the road leading to the wharf, the -latter carrying the traveling bags and other baggage. Volpetti had the -box of documents and Brosseur grumbled at the heaviness of his own load, -which prevented his keeping up with his master. Being scarcely able to -see him, he followed by listening to the creaking of his boots. But he -was obliged to walk so slowly that the creaking became fainter and -fainter, seeming finally to die out altogether. Suddenly, he heard boots -again and hurried on, succeeding at last in overtaking the owner of -them; just then this owner turned and, with no warning, dealt Brosseur a -blow on the head so effective that the valet rolled over into the mud, -emitting only a smothered bellow. René leaned over his victim, turning -on the light from his lantern. A stream of blood tricked down his face -and he seemed insensible. Thrusting his hand into Brosseur's breast and -pockets, he extracted a bunch of keys. With these he opened the wallets, -but no box did he find. Then, shaking the fellow, to convince himself -that he was still unconscious, René hurried after Volpetti. A moment -later Giacinto stumbled upon the wounded man. - -"The Marquis knows how to strike!" he exclaimed. "But he has yet to -learn how to remove his victims." And the Sicilian flung the baggage out -into the sea. Then, with the greatest difficulty, he pushed the half -living body of his enemy over the embankment into the water. - -"Santa Maria be praised! The danger is over," and, crossing himself, he -hurried on. - -When Volpetti heard, instead of Brosseur's heavy tread, light feet very -near him, he instinctively clasped the box to his breast and clutched -his dagger. Then he turned, calling out: - -"Brosseur! Rascal! Where are you?" - -For answer, a heavy blow descended on his head. Volpetti grasped his -pistol and turned, but his adversary flung his strong arms around him, -seized the pistol, which he pressed to the other's head, saying: - -"Give me the box or I shall blow your brains out." - -Volpetti struggled and tried to reach his dagger, but René twisted the -refractory arm until it snapped in the socket, making its owner roar -with pain. Louis Pierre had just leaped ashore, and, guided by the -commotion of the struggle, he ran to the group, which he expected to -consist of the two Italians. - -Just then Giacinto ran up, crying gleefully: - -"Aha! Do you recognize Giacinto Palli? Let us throw him into the sea." - -"Not here," said Louis Pierre, binding his hands and feet. "He might -save himself." - -"We can hang weights to him." - -"Where is the servant?" - -"The fat fellow? He is saying his prayers with the fish." - -"Are you two men the enemies of this spy?" asked René. - -"To the death," replied Giacinto, gagging his enemy with a pocket -handkerchief. - -"Mine also. He has robbed me like a dog. I must leave Dover tonight for -this deed." - -"Do you promise to maintain absolute secrecy concerning what occurs -aboard the Polipheme tonight?" - -"I give you a gentleman's word," replied René. - -The three men lifted the never so helpless, but still lucky, Volpetti -down the stairway aboard the sloop in waiting. - - - - -Chapter VI - -THE PARDON - - -Naundorff and Amélie, from the Polipheme's deck, watched the men -carrying Volpetti to the sloop. They trembled and clasped hands. The -vessel was anchored in deep water and the waves rocked her from side to -side. The night was cold and damp. Amélie shivered, chilled by the -spray. Just then the guard announced the arrival of the sloop and René's -voice triumphantly called across the waters: - -"Amélie! Amélie!" - -She ran to the vessel's side as the rope ladder was thrown down and saw -what seemed to be a dead body, borne by her lover and his companion. On -reaching deck, René rapturously kissed Amélie's hand and then -triumphantly handed Naundorff the box. - -"Drop anchor!" called out the captain, and the Polipheme rode away from -the English coast. Meanwhile Amélie, Naundorff, René, the captain, and -the two Carbonari gathered in the cabin. Punch was ordered, for they -were all soaking wet and had need of a stimulant. The liquor sparkled -with the tossing of the vessel and a sense of good fellowship diffused -itself among the ship's company, some of whom a few hours earlier were -unknown to one, another. With her customary resolution, Amélie took the -initiative: - -"Gentlemen, we must understand each other. My father and I are not Irish -travelers seeking employment in France. We are French outlaws, the -police on our trail, and a mighty party seeking to exterminate us. The -man lying bound on deck is a villain who robbed us of our certificates, -the documents entitling us to our inheritance. The Marquis de Brezé, my -affianced lover, has recovered these papers. Am I correct in inferring -that you have aided him?" - -"Mademoiselle," replied Giacinto, "the veriest coincidence has united -our projects. The Marquis has a strong arm but lacks caution. I cast his -first victim into the sea or we should not now be securely riding away -from Dover. O royal punch!" he cried, draining his glass. - -"The second victim," remarked Louis Pierre, "will also sleep in the -water, but we are first to extract his secrets. What think you, -Captain?" - -"'Tis the only solution, my friend," replied Soliviac gravely. - -"'Tis a lamentable necessity," added René. - -"Say, rather, a mild retaliation," insisted Giacinto. - -Amélie's glance was of an avenging archangel. - -Naundorff rose to his feet and towered above them all. His voice rose in -an appeal, a supplication: "No blood! No blood! Let us forgive!" - -"Forgive that unscrupulous creature?--that instrument of tyrants?" -exclaimed Louis Pierre. - -"He has betrayed and tortured the innocent," said Soliviac solemnly. - -"He brought my brother to the scaffold" cried Giacinto. - -"He sought the death of my father," said Amélie. - -Then, in chorus, they cried: - -"He must die!" - -Silence followed. The captain poured out another glass of punch. Amélie -and René drew apart from the group and engaged in a lover's colloquy. -The three Carbonari talked animatedly of the accomplishment of their -plans. When, later, Amélie turned her eyes in search of her father and -failed to find him, she concluded he had gone to rest or that he chose -to protest by his absence against the general sentiment regarding -Volpetti. - -Meanwhile, Naundorff was staggering along the vessel's deck, as she -tossed roughly, in the direction of the bound spy, who lay near a heap -of cordage where he had been deposited by his captors. His handsome face -was contracted with rage, which increased as he saw the watch-maker -approach. He believed that his last hour had arrived. Naundorff bent -over him, saying in a low voice: - -"I have come to set you free." - -Volpetti's eyes flashed amazement. - -"Listen!" said his liberator, cutting the cords with his pen knife. "I -forgive you that God may forgive me. Your life has been a series of -iniquities. You have made me suffer so greatly that I have almost -doubted the existence of God. When you are free, change your mode of -life. Here you will surely be killed. Cast yourself overboard, for you -may be rescued by some other vessel. Do not stir yet. Be very quiet." - -He had already freed Volpetti's hands. He now cut the cords binding his -legs and feet. The spy muttered: - -"Harebrained imbecile!" - -During this critical moment his past life rose before him. _He_ change? -Impossible! He was a spy by nature. When a school boy, he had spied -upon and delivered up his playfellows. While a novice in the monastery, -he had spied upon his brothers. Turned out of the monastery by the -Revolution, he had spied upon the revolutionists. His education and -inclinations fitted him for the life, and the present atmosphere was -auspicious, or 'twas the golden age of the secret police. The true -history of that epoch will never be written because certain knaves -carried it with them to the grave. When Volpetti entered the ranks of -the secret police, he displayed signal talent. According to a remark -made at the time by a prominent official, he was not only the eyes and -ears but also the arm of the government. The swift eye of Vidocq early -discerned the wonderful gifts of this king among spies: his art in -ingratiating himself into the good graces of his employers; his genius -at disguises and every species of simulation; his alertness in forming -intimacies with the familiars of those who were his predestined victims. -In short, he was a born spy and his machinations were labors of love. He -was furnished money, agents and whatever other auxiliaries he demanded. -His astuteness had discovered countless plots, effected the capture of a -multitude of conspirators, among these General Doyenne, who suicided in -prison, rather than submit to the ignominy of picket torture. - -No need to say that in the heart of Volpetti there was no room for -gratitude or remorse. He held goodness to be weakness, and forgiveness -imbecility. That Naundorff should forgive the many years of persecution -suffered at his hands, was to him incomprehensible. Why, the tracking of -Naundorff had been his specialty for half a lifetime, his supreme title -to glory. He viewed him now with Satanic disdain as he loosed his bonds. - -Volpetti's only gods were Destiny and Fatality. Since leaving London, -Fatality had seemed to be in the atmosphere. When earlier he was carried -on deck, bound and gagged, he had in a rage called himself a fool for -being trapped. But now Fatality seemed to be on the side of Naundorff -and Volpetti reflected: - -"This man has been overtaken a thousand times. He is a bright mark for -the arrows of Fate." - -Naundorff, meanwhile, repeated the regal formula of pardon; - -"_I forgive you that God, who is over you and me and all men, may extend -to me his mercy,--God who sees us and to whom your evil deeds are known -as well as the moment in which his hand will reduce you to naught_. I -forgive you because it is my destiny to forgive and to expiate, and I am -ready to fulfil it; but I warn you to tempt Providence no longer." - -Volpetti felt his limbs free and his blood resume its normal -circulation. He commenced to remove his clothes, Naundorff, meanwhile, -concealing him. Crawling to the edge of the vessel, he leaped into the -water and the deck guard sang out, "Man overboard!" - - - - -Chapter VII - -THE REVELATION - - -This cry always throws crew and passengers into wild excitement, all of -whom now appeared as if by magic on deck. The fog was beginning to break -but the water still dashed madly against the sides of the vessel. In the -general confusion no one asked how the accident had occurred, but the -mate beckoned the captain aside and whispered: - -"'Tis the prisoner who is overboard and that passenger," pointing toward -Naundorff, "unloosed him. I did not interfere because I did not realize -what he was about." - -Muttering a curse, Soliviac approached Naundorff. - -"What do you mean, Monsieur? In the devil's name, how have you dared to -set the prisoner free? Pernies, are you sure that this gentleman--Well, -however that be, bind him securely. Now, cock your guns, and if that -scoundrel swims near us, send him to the bottom with a bullet through -his head." - -The sailors leaned over the edge, seeking to distinguish the floating -body among the waves which rose more and more furiously. The wind, -increasing with the fury of the waves, swept away the clouds and the -surface of the sea gleamed almost white. One of the Breton sailors, a -kind of wild-cat fellow, with green eyes which saw by night, cried out -that a man was floating near the vessel, whereupon four bullets were -sent in that direction. Two youths, by name Yvon and Hoel, lowered a -canoe and were after the fugitive within ten minutes. - -Naundorff, guarded, almost a prisoner, calmly awaited results. René and -Amélie stood near him for the purpose of defending him, were it -necessary, but they could not conceal their terror and anger at the -spy's escape. - -"You have undone us, father," said Amélie. - -"We struggle vainly," said René. "If that man saves his life, may the -sea swallow the rest of us, for we should have a fate more terrible than -death. No country of earth could afford a refuge. To what end have I -recovered the documents? I, a de Brezé, a Giac, performing the office of -a common murderer!" - -Naundorff remained silent. Just then there rang out from the watchman a -cry: "Ship to the larboard." - -The encounter with another vessel is always an important occurrence at -sea. At that period the memory was fresh of combats with corsairs, -English, French, and Spanish. But the proximity of this ship was a -consideration of greater than ordinary gravity, for it signified the -probable salvation of the fugitive, whose body now gleamed on the -surface. - -Soliviac growled: - -"I wager that the rascal will be picked up." - -Then the ship hove in sight like a black bird, now skimming, now flying, -now keeling. She was a schooner somewhat larger than the Polipheme. She -could be perfectly discerned, for the night had become clear. The -floating man cried out and she slackened speed and flung out a cable. -The sailors were about to fire. Soliviac restrained them saying, that -they would surely miss their aim and alarm the other vessel. Impotent -and raging, the Knights of Liberty beheld the spy's salvation as his -nude body gleamed against the schooner's dark side. - -"He is saved!" they almost wailed. - -"He is receiving a welcome!" growled the sailors as they turned -menacingly upon Naundorff, Soliviac the most infuriated of the group. -Clutching the watch-maker by the collar, he roared: - -"Who are you to liberate prisoners aboard my vessel? Are you that -villain's accomplice? Well, by God, you shall suffer the fate reserved -for him." - -"He deserves it," cried Giacinto. "This man, a stranger to us has been -entrusted with our secret. This serves us right for letting others -meddle in our business." - -Amélie flung herself before her father and de Brezé stood beside her. -Soliviac motioned to certain sailors and they immediately overpowered -René, tho he struggled hard to free himself. - -Up to this time Naundorff had remained silent, but, fearing the -consequences to his friend, he advanced, saying: - -"Captain, release the Marquis. I shall explain my action. I beg to be -heard in the cabin, with only these gentlemen as witnesses," motioning -towards the Carbonari. The captain ordered René's release and the party -descended the stairway, Soliviac following Naundorff. On reaching the -cabin, Louis Pierre and Giacinto stood on each side of the captain, as -tho forming a court. - -"You are," said Soliviac, addressing Naundorff, "a culprit. On my -vessel, I administer justice and hold myself accountable only to God. -You have constituted yourself the accomplice of a man condemned to -death. As you have set him free, 'tis only justice that you should take -his place, for his freedom means the death of the rest of us. But before -passing sentence, I shall listen to your defence." - -"Permit me to say--" interposed René, but Soliviac interrupted with -firmness: - -"It is the prisoner who must answer." - -Naundorff raised his head and replied: "I neither explain my conduct nor -excuse myself, I liberated Volpetti because I had the right to do so." - -"The right!" exclaimed the astounded Carbonari, thinking they heard a -lunatic. - -"Yes, the right," insisted Naundorff. "The right to forgive belongs to -the most grievously offended and to none of you has that man brought -such evil as to me. Were I to describe what he has made me suffer, you -would comprehend the extent of human baseness. But there are no words in -which to describe that suffering. He buried me in a dungeon during the -best years of my youth; he took my name from me and almost my life; only -a few days since he directed the arms of assassins upon me. 'Tis I have -the right to forgive him,--I and none other. Be it known to you, Captain -Soliviac, that were forgiveness banished from the earth, it should find -asylum in my breast. My mission is to forgive; my duty, to prevent, even -at the loss of my life, the spilling of a drop of blood. I have -finished. Do with me as you will." - -The Carbonari exchanged looks; in spite of their resentment, Naundorff -awed them. At last, Soliviac, somewhat nonplussed exclaimed: - -"The devil, Monsieur! That speech is very fine, but there are times when -forgiveness of one man is condemnation to many others. That man's life -costs our death." - -"And mine also," said Naundorff, tears trickling down his face, "and -that of my children." - -"He raves!" exclaimed Giacinto. "Have we not listened sufficiently long -to the drivelings of a madman? I am sorry for this fine young lady, but -our business must be dispatched." - -Soliviac assented and then addressed Naundorff: - -"We shall believe your story, Monsieur, through an excess of credulity, -tho who will assure us that you are not a spy yourself, ingeniously -disguised? The case is this: that scoundrel owes you his liberty. How -are you to explain that?" - -Naundorff moved back, and, with deliberate, majestic dignity, removed -his hat, cast off his cloak and stepped into the full light of the -cabin's lamp. The three Carbonari, completely taken back, uttered a cry -of amazement and uncovered in deference to royalty. - - - - -Chapter VIII - -THE CAPTAIN - - -An hour later Naundorff sat surrounded by the three Carbonari, to whom -he had related his entire history. Pity and amazement were upon their -faces; Louis Pierre seemed stirred out of his taciturnity. On the table -lay the open box from which had been taken the documents corroborating -the recital. But these papers had scarcely been necessary, for the -Carbonari believed Naundorff blindly. - -"What a blow is tyranny to receive!" exclaimed Louis Pierre. "'Tis the -man who sits upon the throne today that invited foreign troops into our -country. Now shall we brand his forehead with the blister of usurpation -and fraud. When I longed to inflict upon the House a terrible -punishment, I little dreamed that God reserved one so complete, and that -I--_we_ should be the instruments." - -Then Giacinto spoke: - -"_We_, who are an invincible force, make the cause of Naundorff our own -cause. We shall be its defenders even against himself, if he should -again seek to overthrow it. What say you, Soliviac? I answer for it that -our brothers shall as one stand by him. Ah, we carry on the Polipheme a -revelation to our country. To the believing we carry faith; to the -incredulous proofs," and he motioned toward the documents. - -Amélie's clear voice interposed: - -"Gentlemen, formulate no plans, foster no hopes. Are you counting on -disembarking on French soil? That spy living and free, there is not a -safe spot in Europe." - -"Mademoiselle speaks the truth," assented Giacinto, who gazed fascinated -upon her imperious beauty and splendid poise. "Our danger is great." - -"Until now," she continued, "no one has suspected the existence of these -papers, which are of a nature to turn the tide of history. My father had -no intention of making use of them. He wished to owe his success to the -generosity of his sister, and he still trusts to that generosity. But -Volpetti knows our secret and he will set forces in motion to wrest this -last guarantee from us. He will not scruple as to means, even though our -lives be the price. Instead, therefore, of dreaming of splendid -victories and dashing revenges, let us think of a refuge. Captain -Soliviac, head the vessel toward Dunkirk, for any other spot of France -would be our sepulchre. Not even in Holland should we be safe." - -Naundorff buried his face in his hands. The reproach implied in Amélie's -words cut him deeply. Tho his heart approved his extravagant -magnanimity, he realized that in freeing Volpetti he shut in his own -face the doors of France and lost the opportunity of an interview with -the sister whom he was so anxious to convince. - -"Our fate is in God's hands, Amélie," he said with an imposing gesture, -"Volpetti is under superhuman control." - -"That superhuman control," observed Giacinto sarcastically, "sent a -vessel to rescue him. That vessel at this moment carries him to France. -Heart of the Madonna! we require genius now to escape with our lives. Am -I not right, brothers?" and he turned solemnly toward the other -Carbonari. - -"Gentlemen," said Amélie, "a secret merits a secret. Of what force do -you speak?" - -"Mademoiselle," replied the Italian, "we are not permitted to reveal the -key of our society. But this much may I say: We are the mines which, in -annihilating the present, shall become the basis of the future. Though -having the appearance of pygmies, we are loosening the foundations of -the columns which support giants. Our aim is to protect the weak." - -René listened with knitted brow and uneasy expression. - -Louis Pierre added: - -"We are vital reaction manifesting itself through convulsions. We are -creating by destroying. Our program is to undo the done." - -"The program of Satan," murmured Naundorff involuntarily. - -"No one can speak those words with so little reason as you, -Monseigneur," replied the other. "Did you not say just now that justice -is realized in violence? Did you not speak of expiation? and of the -iniquities of the past?" - -"Yes," answered Naundorff. "I am effacing the sins of a dynasty--its -abuses, cruelties and indifference to human suffering." - -"Father," said Amélie, "we are effacing also its frailties and -apostasies. Therefore, we must not temporize nor vacillate in critical -moments. O, can you not comprehend that justice would be on our side at -this moment if we might deal the usurpation a deadly blow?" "We are -ready to serve your cause," said Giacinto. "Naundorff and his daughter -may count upon our loyalty and we are those who walk by night through -the bowels of the earth. The soles of our shoes are cork that our -footsteps may not reach men's ears. Captain Soliviac," he concluded, -suddenly turning toward the seaman, "you are commanding aboard this -vessel. What route are we to take?" - -Soliviac's green Celtic eyes flashed. So far he had taken no part in the -discussion, but now resolution stamped itself upon his face and his -voice vibrated with authority, that authority of supreme moments when -the ship ran great danger. - -"We are to take the route which the other ship has taken; we are to -overtake her before she reaches France and capture her. She shall not -touch French soil while Camille Soliviac is Captain of the Polipheme." - -The others were silent, comprehending the danger. No war raged on the -seas; corsairs and pirates were restrained severely. - -"What other suggestion can you offer?" asked Soliviac. - -"None," replied Giacinto and Louis Pierre. - -"Such being the case--," and he turned to descend the stairway. - -"Captain," interrupted Louis Pierre, "the schooner is lighter and -swifter than our brig. She has an enormous advantage." - -"No," replied Soliviac. "She is going at ordinary speed and is -unconscious of our intention. Besides, she seems to be traveling -backward while we have increased speed since the lulling of the storm. -As soon as she is within reach of our cannon, we will salute and watch -the effect. Therefore, let us drink each other good luck in another -punch, after which Mademoiselle may retire to her state-room and pray -for us." - -"I to my state-room?" demanded Amélie, her eyes flashing. "How little -you know me, Captain." - -Naundorff clutched Soliviac by the sleeve, and, almost kneeling, -entreated: - -"Renounce force, for in that renunciation is the secret of life. It has -been written: I took your cause in my hands and your grievance have I -avenged. O forbear to spill blood, forbear to destroy life." - -The Captain, respectfully but with evident displeasure, moved away, -saying: - -"There is no alternative." - -"But what right have you, Captain, to attack that vessel for performing -a charitable deed?" - -"What right?" retorted the Breton. "Tell me first by what right the -innocent boy-king was tortured, imprisoned, buried? When that schooner -and its crew sleep on the floor of ocean, no man will arise to speak to -me about rights. Ho there! to business." And he ran down the stairs, -followed by René and the Carbonari. Amélie flung her arms around her -father's neck as he fell on his knees in prayer. The pale blue morning -light filtered through the cabin windows and gleamed over the water. - - - - -Chapter IX - -THE SCHOONER - - -The Polipheme with outstretched sails sped swiftly after the schooner. -Soliviac turned the telescope upon her, remarking to the mate: - -"She seems to be lying to." - -The mate took the instrument and looked also. - -"Not only lying to," he said, "but she is also drawing in sails." - -"What can that mean?" mused the captain. - -"It means good luck to us, for within another quarter of an hour she -will be within our reach. Then we may send her a salute. There is no -necessity of announcing our intentions to the high seas: therefore, -lower the French flag and hoist the Dutch, in case there be witnesses to -our fray." - -These orders were silently executed. The crew never commented upon the -captain's acts. Besides, having been habituated by their long campaigns -against England to piracy and lust for booty, they chafed at the -restrictions of a normally organized commerce and enthusiastically -welcomed the approaching struggle. The schooner's graceful form, -floating the English flag, was easily discernible. Her crew appeared -like ants, moving to and fro. - -"Captain," exclaimed the pilot, "do you not see them signal? They have -just fired off a sky rocket." - -"Let us give them a sample of _our_ rockets!" answered Soliviac. - -"Let us demand the spy," whispered Giacinto. - -"Are you crazy?" asked Louis Pierre. "What if the fellow leave them a -letter for the government? No. The vessel that has rescued Volpetti must -perish. Are you trembling? Have you contracted the scruples of the man -who is praying on his knees in the cabin? I also believe in divine -justice. I believe that 'tis we who accomplish it." - -"Captain," called out the mate, "do you see that thin column of smoke -rising from her right side?" - -Soliviac dropped the telescope, for his eyes served him better at that -distance than the instrument. He saw that the vessel was burning. - -"She is afire!" he called out. - -"Fire!" shouted the three Carbonari. - -"The divine justice of which Naundorff spoke," said René. - -"Nevertheless, inasmuch as a few buckets of water may extinguish that -justice, let us send a salute to the English flag, Captain," ironically -remarked Louis Pierre. - -Soliviac gave the order and four little cannon, with a simultaneous -precision which revealed practice, sent their load into the schooner's -side. - -"Load again!" shouted Soliviac. "At the masts and spars!" - -Aboard the schooner, the unexpected attack produced panic. The crew ran -back and forth in consternation and the smoke grew denser. - -"Louis Pierre!" called out Giacinto in ferocious joy, "I see Volpetti -aboard." - -The Polipheme's second discharge broke the mizzen mast, which, falling, -caught beneath it two of the sailors. The smoke rose in great columns -and 'twas impossible to see what further happened. - -"Where are we?" asked Soliviac of the pilot. - -"Opposite the isle of Jersey, but nearer the shore than they. Those who -count on swimming ashore have slim chance." - -"Keep an eye on the skiffs," called the captain. "Now they are trying to -save themselves." - -Red tongues of flame shot out amid the smoke. The captain commanded. - -"Another salute! Let water in to quench their fire." - -Again the cannons' load was poured into the schooner's side. She -attempted no defence, for all her energy was directed to fighting the -fire aboard. One of the Polipheme's balls went into her bow, and the -water roared through the aperture. - -"Now she goes to the bottom!" shouted Giacinto, wild with joy. - -Just then the crew lowered a skiff. The tiny craft dropped to the water -and floated like a shell, and several persons cast themselves therein. -Two seized the oars and, to the astonishment of the spectators, started -toward the Polipheme, whose sailors would gladly have fired upon them -had not Louis Pierre interposed. The skiff came within hailing distance. -Two men, a woman and a child of some five years were visible. - -"Save us!" they entreated wildly. "We have not harmed you!" - -Amélie shudderingly grasped the captain's arm. - -"Have mercy on them!" she said. - -"It cannot be," he answered. - -"At least the child," she insisted. - -"Hello there!" he called to a sailor. "Cast them a cable and hoist up -the boy." - -"And the others?" - -A look and gesture from Soliviac answered the I question. The skiff drew -nearer and some moments later the child, almost dead with fright, was -drawn up to the deck. Amélie gathered him in her arms and covered his -face with kisses. - -"Mamma! mamma!" wailed the little fellow in English. - -Notwithstanding her natural courage, Amélie took refuge in a heap of -cables and clasped the child tightly to her breast. She did not wish to -see or hear, but the shrieks of the skiff's inmates sounded on her ears -even tho she covered them close. - -She clasped the child tightly. Suddenly she I screamed aloud, for she -felt the vessel beneath her tremble amid a deafening explosion. The -child ceased sobbing through fright. The schooner's magazine had -exploded, casting her into the air. The detonation was followed by a -terrible silence while pieces of broken timber and mutilated bodies -floated on the surface of the water. - -Naundorff raised the almost inanimate form of his daughter from the -deck, and then exclaimed in broken tones that seemed to presage naught -but a hopeless future: - -"Blood has been spilled for our cause; God is against us!" - - - - -Book IV - - -PICMORT - - - -Chapter I - -THE CASTLE - - -At the foot of a mountain-chain which crosses Brittany, continues -through Normandy and terminates in Cherbourg, stands the castle of -Picmort. It pertains to the de Brezé patrimony, through the Guyornarch -fief, which was the avenue through which the illustrious family claimed -descent from the royal house of Brittany. Notwithstanding political -vicissitudes and the invasion of new ideas, the de Brezés continued to -exercise a veritable sovereignty in that corner of France. There lived -not in the valley a shepherd nor a long-haired peasant who failed to -acknowledge the dominion of the House de Brezé and render the tribute of -a reverence approaching divine honors. René during his hunting journeys -to Picmort received proofs of the extraordinary attachment which the -Bretons evinced to their master. - -One evening as the setting sun gilded the lichens on the rough Celtic -rocks, there traveled toward the thicket a woman and a man,--the latter -carrying a child in his arms. They journeyed laboriously, as tho greatly -fatigued, especially the woman, who with the greatest difficulty lifted -her small feet, clad in rude sabots, which were in keeping with her -peasant's dress and the white coif covering her blond hair. At last, -heaving a sigh, she sank upon the ground. The man came to her saying -warningly and gently: - -"Mademoiselle, it will soon be night and if we do not hurry, we shall -have to sleep here with the child. Can you not make an effort?" - -"The sabots have bruised my feet," she complained, her beautiful young -face full of pain. "But no matter, I shall start again." - -She tried to walk, but failed, saying: - -"O I cannot, I cannot! What will become of us?" - -Louis Pierre did not dare to insist further. He placed the sleeping -child on the ground and wiped his wet forehead with a nervous hand. -Suddenly, the barking of a dog came to them, followed by the appearance -of a great mastiff, springing through the thicket. The child awoke and -began to cry, and the woman,--girl, rather--half rose. Then the -approaching tread of a horse was heard and a splendid voice called to -the dog: - -"Here Silvano!" and the horseman sprang lightly to earth. Turning to the -travelers, he said: - -"A good and holy evening to you." - -He was a tall, young, finely proportioned peasant of beautiful beardless -face and abundant hair. - -"Are you the people we await at Picmort?" - -"We are," answered Louis Pierre. "Are you Jean Vilon?" - -"My name is Jean Vilon, servant of God and my master, the Marquis de -Brezé. My letter of instruction reads that there will arrive a woman, a -child and two men." - -"Our companion remained on the coast," replied Louis Pierre evasively. -"He will be here later." - -"He shall be welcome when he arrives," replied Jean Vilon with grave -courtesy. "In the meantime I shall carry out my master's orders. He -wishes that no one in the village know of your presence. Prepare then to -follow my instructions." - -"We shall obey you, Jean Vilon. I know you are a valued and trusted -servant of the Marquis." - -The Breton made no rejoinder to the praise. He stooped and raised the -tired girl to the saddle, caressed the child and seated him on his -shoulder. Then, taking the reins in his hands, he led the horse into -the thicket. Night was almost upon them and the darkness was rapidly -increasing. The horse, had he not been preceded by Silvano and led by -Vilon, would have many times stumbled upon the stumps of trees hidden -beneath the grass and leaves. The child clung confidingly to Vilon, -asking incessantly, "Are we almost there?" After a three hours' journey, -they halted in an open which led to a species of natural bower. Here -Vilon aided Amélie to descend. He placed the child on the earth, tied -the horse to a tree and took from his pocket a small lantern which he -lighted from a flint. Then turning its beams full upon Louis Pierre's -face, he asked in the cautious tone of a peasant-warrior: - -"The watch-word?" - -"Giac and Saint Ann," Amélie hastened to answer. - -"Correct," answered the young Breton. "Henceforth we are friends. My -master has written a letter of instructions, which he commands me to -burn after reading. Bear witness that I comply," and he took from his -belt a folded paper which he lighted with a flint. When it had crumbled -to ashes, he followed the mastiff for some distance. On reaching a great -stone, he halted, the removal of which disclosed an aperture which -resembled the opening of a wild beast's cave. He signaled the others to -follow, entering first himself, bearing the child in his arms. The -little fellow commenced to cry, whereupon Amélie drew near, whispering: - -"Baby Dick, do you want to live with me or away from me?" - -"With you, with you!" he cried. - -"Well then," and she smiled sweetly into Jean Vilon's face, "go with -this good man, and he will take you where you will always be with me." - -The peasant stared at her transported. Amélie took off her sabots and -followed him into the tunnel, Louis Pierre accompanying them. At first -they had almost to crawl, for the passage was so narrow, but soon they -were able to walk upright. After a while they reached a circular -apartment whose roof was sustained by granite pillars and whose floor -was strewn with dry herbs. Here Jean Vilon presented his charges with a -basket of provisions there awaiting them. Bread, wine, cheese and milk -constituted the refreshment, and their hunger made these seem delicious. -Their guide was silent during the meal, tho his eyes of changeful hue -were fixed from time to time on Amélie, in wonder and admiration. The -white Breton coif on her head intensified the girl's great beauty. - -When the frugal repast was over, Jean Vilon cast the lantern's light -upon the wall; a rusty grating appeared, which he unfastened with a -rusty key. Back of the grating they beheld another passageway, narrower -still, high, inclined upward, and winding to the right, after ascending -which they passed through several galleries, reaching at last an oaken -door barred with iron. Jean applied a key to this, and it swung upon its -hinges. They entered an octagonal salon, through which they passed on to -another apartment wherein began a stairway which seemed interminable. -Amélie, notwithstanding her exhaustion, resolutely moved on; but there -came a moment when she tottered, for the lack of fresh air almost -asphyxiated her. Jean hastened to support her and with the gentlest -reverence, completed the ascent, his arm around her shoulders. - -At the landing a current of fresh air revived her. They stood on the -floor of an empty cistern. Stars shone overhead. Amélie realized that -the arrangement was a military precaution for enabling the besieged to -escape. Jean explained that there existed a tunnel from the cistern to a -mine. They walked for a while along a subterranean passage. Suddenly -Jean seemed to pass through the wall. He had but leaned heavily against -it and thus disclosed a lane, so narrow that they had to push themselves -sidewise through it. At length they stood in a large yard, near the foot -of several tall gray towers overgrown with ivy. Amélie and Louis Pierre -looked back for a last sight of the passageway which had conducted them -thither. It had disappeared. No exit was visible and Jean smiled -demurely at their amazement. - -Then he placed a finger on his lips and, bidding Louis Pierre go ahead -with the lantern, he approached one of the towers and pushed against the -postern, which yielded. Then, with the air of a host, he preceded them -up a winding stairway, across an antechamber and into a sumptuously -furnished salon, brilliantly lighted with wax tapers in porcelain -candelabra of crystal pendants. The apartment was an example of highly -refined Louis Quinze taste; the caprice of a Marquise de Brezé, removed -by a wildly jealous husband from court and incarcerated in the gloomy -towers of Picmort. This most capricious Marquise had adorned her prison -walls with the refinements and exquisite fantasies of Versailles, until -death came at last to her amid flowers, satins and laces. The boudoir -remained ever after untenanted, with its mythological paintings, gilded -screens, voluptuous couches, blue celadon jars, silver, ivory and -enameled ornaments. Even the Marquise's lace handkerchief remained where -the dying lady's feverish hand had crushed it. - -"My master has written that this apartment is to be occupied by you, -Mademoiselle," said Jean. "It is called the Boudoir of the Marquise and -the windows are always closed. There is a belief among the peasants to -the effect that death should visit the castle if the windows be opened. -You had best, therefore, in order to avoid comment, remain during the -daytime in the rooms above. If you are seen from below, 'twill be -thought that you are a servant-maid or my sister from Saint Brieuc." - -"You are a prudent man, Jean Vilon," said Louis Pierre. - -"A prudent and faithful man," said Amélie, smiling sweetly upon the -Breton, as with the gentle dignity that so well became her, she seated -herself in an armchair. - -"And now, Jean," she said, "provide my fellow-traveler with a bed and -room. I see my own here. Have a little mattress brought for the boy, as -he does not wish to leave me," and she caressed Baby Dick's blond head -as she added an assurance that she would be very comfortable. - -As the two men retired, the light of dawn silvered the stern turrets of -Picmort. - - - - -Chapter II - - -BAD NEWS - - -On the following day, Amélie and Louis Pierre had a serious talk. - -"I do not consider," remarked the girl, "that René has reason to complain -of my compliance with his instructions. I have obeyed him blindly, and -that is not so easy a thing for me to do. But now I demand to know why, -instead of accompanying my father to Paris and of hearing our faithful -adherents acclaim him King, I am banished as tho I were a prisoner and -enjoined to remain in a peasant's dress behind closed windows. In order -to breathe fresh air, I must ascend the dizzy heights of a tower." - -Louis Pierre did not at once reply. He sat for a few moments in that -gloomy attitude which he so often assumed. - -"Mademoiselle," he said after a few moments, "courage!" - -"Speak the truth," demanded Amélie imperiously. "I am no weakling." - -And her face was so gloriously brave that the Knight of Liberty spoke -with more than his accustomed frankness. - -"Your father did not go immediately to Paris, for we are watched and -caution is necessary. Our original plan has been abandoned, namely, that -your father intercede with his sister and the Marquis reunite the -families attached to the cause. Were that program in progress, your -presence in Paris would be of inestimable value. The father and daughter -together would present a picture calculated to quiet all lingering -doubt. The impression you both produced upon Giacinto and me in the Red -Fish would be repeated upon all beholders. But as matters stand today, -your very faces would be your condemnation." - -Amélie fixed her brave eyes on the knight's dark face. - -"You mean," she said, "that Volpetti has been saved." - -"He has, that is to say some of the sailors reached the shore. How they -survived fire, explosion, cannon, bullets and shipwreck I cannot say--" - -Amélie buried her face in her hands, but the springs of her wonderful -iron will soon recovered their tension. - -"And how has this been discovered?" she asked. "I mean that some have -been saved?" - -"You know, that on reaching French soil, we arranged to travel -separately and by circuitous routes until we should reach some -neighboring port, from which each on a different day should take the -diligence. At Dinan, we spent our first night. - -"Yes," said Amélie. - -"At Dinan, Giacinto visited inns and taverns, conversed with sailors and -fishermen and from them learned the story he too well knew, the tragedy -in which he had played so prominent a part. He was told that two or -three sailors had floated ashore at Pleneuf, been given shelter by -fishermen and were now recovering." - -"If that be all," said the girl, with a look of relief, "why conjecture -the worst? Volpetti was not in the best condition for swimming." - -"God grant your wish." - -"When René left me after our landing, he assured me that an inviolable -asylum awaited me here and a faithful guardian in Jean Vilon. 'From -father to son have the Vilons served the de Brazes,' he said. The -present steward's father was executed for his adhesion to the throne and -altar. The castle contains places of concealment known only to Jean and -myself. If the attempt were made to seize you, 'twould be impossible -while breath remains in Jean's body. He thinks that you are an unhappy -girl, distantly related to me whom I have rescued from enforced entry -into a convent." - -"Louis Pierre, I know that you and Giacinto stand for ideas widely at -variance with those of which my father is a symbol; nevertheless, my -faith in you is absolute. You are now my guardian angel," and she -extended her hand to him. - -He did not dare touch, much less to kiss it. His face was transfigured, -beautified, as he solemnly said: - -"The daughter of France may trust the sons of the Revolution. She may -place faith in the enemy of the institutions which the Bourbon -symbolizes. No man more than I hates the dynasty which, in committing -treason against the country, became the cause of that country's woes, -the woes of a foreign invasion. Mortal, eternal, inextinguishable hatred -has Louis Pierre sworn against the House. This hate has guided his feet -and been the spring of his actions until a few days since. Now I give -the Bourbons a chance to prove that they have profited by adversity, -that they are capable of being animated by an impulse of justice, that -they repent them of their iniquities. I give the usurper a chance to -voluntarily abdicate the throne and acknowledge the union of royalty -with the strong, pure blood of the people. If this miracle be performed, -if the sister open her arms to the brother, Louis Pierre will retract -his malediction and forgive the House of Bourbon." - -These extravagant words caused Amélie's expression to become graver and -loftier. - -"Who doubts, Louis Pierre," she said in almost affectionate effusion, as -from a queen to a subject, "that my father will accomplish his mission? -The recital of his unparalleled suffering, his atrocious martyrdom, the -refuge he sought and obtained among the people, his children born of a -daughter of those people; all this will speak for him eloquently. -Humanity has suffered too greatly to remain unmoved before such woes. To -my father is reserved the sublime office of reconciling the people and -royalty." - -Her eyes and cheeks glowed and the Carbonaro ejaculated: - -"Blessed be the day when that light shines in France." - -"It will shine!" she cried. "Victory is almost ours. My father is secure -beneath René's protection. He possesses proofs which, were it necessary -to appeal to a tribunal, would win the cause instantly. O even tho -Volpetti be risen from hell, what harm could he do?" - -"What could he do?" repeated the Carbonaro. "He can do everything to -accomplish our ruin. Do not deceive yourself, Mademoiselle. If that man -lives, we are lost. He holds the strings of our enterprise, he knows the -entire history of the mechanic Naundorff. 'Tis he enveloped him in that -name as in a winding sheet. If Volpetti be living, woe to your father, -woe to you, woe to us all and to Soliviac, who has been of so great -service. 'Tis a question of life and death, and we are not sleeping upon -the danger, Mademoiselle," he concluded sombrely. - -"What do you mean?" she demanded almost sternly. - -"I mean that Giacinto is with Soliviac, and that they are exploring -every shoal, creek and cape, interviewing every fisherman. Their -destination is Pleneuf. Their project may have a startling effect," and -Louis Pierre's voice rang out almost stridently. - - - - -Chapter III - -GIACINTO'S RETURN - - -Amélie was forced to resign herself patiently to await the news. Life -tends to normalize itself, whatever the given conditions, and she wisely -accommodated herself to the inevitable. During the mornings she roamed -over the great castle, in company with Vilon and Baby Dick. They would -ascend towers and descend into subterranean passages, rearranging the -salons and adorning the altars. The only inmates of the lofty feudal -edifice, besides Vilon, Amélie, Louis Pierre and the child were two -maid-servants, one of whom was in charge of the kitchen. At dawn both -maids went into the fields for fruit and vegetables or to take the cows -to pasture, so that Amélie, free from importunate eyes, walked about -freely. They were curious to see the Marquis's relative, she who slept -in the Marquise's boudoir, but they made no impertinent inquiries -through fear of Jean Vilon, who alone waited upon the guest. During the -afternoon, Louis Pierre would come up from his room and play dominoes -or discuss the future with her. The Carbonaro had read many books. His -brain had received certain ideas as though they had been graven thereon -with a corrosive. He was visionary, mystical and a dreamer, and -pertained to the sect known as Theophilanthropists; he believed himself -destined by Providence to accomplish some high mission requiring great -valor and abnegation. His chief characteristic was a contempt for life, -and this secured him Amélie's esteem. - -With Jean Vilon, Amélie conversed less than with Louis Pierre and her -treatment always displayed an air of affectionate patronage. She was a -woman, very much of a woman, and fully conscious of her effect upon men. -She used no coquetry toward the fine peasant for in no particular did -her feminine artifices approach familiarity. The homage she loved to -receive was that of the soul, the adoration of chivalry; she longed for -the devotion which illustrious unhappy queens had inspired, such as Mary -Stuart, or Marie Antoinette. The attachment of Jean Vilon, each day more -apparent, was such as a youth of medieval ages paid the holy relics. He -divined and filled her every wish. On warm nights he escorted her -through the woods that she might breathe the fresh, pure air. They took -long walks which brought the roses back to her cheeks and the litheness -to her limbs. These clandestine rambles, which seemed at first so risky, -soon became a custom. - -But her chief delight was the child, the unfortunate waif, torn from the -arms of his drowning mother and cast into hers. When asked his name, he -would answer "Baby, baby!" - -"Only Baby?" Amélie would ask. - -One day the little fellow fixed his blue eyes, full of candor, on her -face, and added: - -"Baby Dick." - -"His name is Richard, then," said Amélie. "This is some information -gained," and with that much she had to content herself. The child had -either forgotten or did not know his family name. Of his father he -remembered nothing; of his mother he knew that she lived in a cottage -near the beach, amid many flowers and with a large dog, as large as -Silvano. Amélie began to think that he was a child born out of wedlock -and she felt for him a greater attachment than ever. From the first -moment of being with her, he had called her "Mamma." Her eyes would fill -with tears as she placed him at night in his little bed and clasped his -tiny hands in prayer. "He has no mother but me," she would say with -trembling lips. - -One afternoon Louis Pierre read aloud to her from Rousseau's Emile while -she held Baby Dick on her knees. Suddenly Jean Vilon appeared. - -"A man has just arrived," he said "bringing my master's watch-word. He -came by the road of Saint Brieuc. Shall I open to him?" - -Louis exchanged a lightning glance with Amélie. - -"Is he dark, handsome, with curly black hair and in sailor's clothes?" -she asked. - -"Yes, and he seems very tired." - -"Bring him through the subterranean passage, no matter how great is his -fatigue. The servants must not see a stranger enter." - -Jean Vilon withdrew, and it was night when, almost fainting with -exhaustion, and covered with dust, Giacinto appeared before them. Amélie -ordered Vilon to retire. There was no need to ask questions. The -Italian's face, with terrible eloquence, revealed the truth. -Nevertheless Louis Pierre inquired: - -"Bad news?" - -"The worst." - -"Volpetti is saved?" - -"Saved and on the road to Paris." - -Louis Pierre's voice uttered an inarticulate growl, but the girl -recovered sufficient courage to say: - -"Come, take heart! How did he save himself?" - -"He and three others swam ashore. The waves dashed them against the -rocks, wounding and bruising them seriously. One of the men died from -the effects; two others are lying on their backs in a fisherman's -hut, and the only other of the party--was ever misfortune equal to -this?--the only other,--he whose bruises amounted only to pinches -and who speedily recovered sufficient strength to write a number of -letters,--each of which is a dagger thrust in our sides--is that--cursed -dog,--that--fiend--Volpetti!" - -Giacinto clutched his fine black hair and tore a handful from his head. - -"Fate is against us," said Louis Pierre gloomily. "And Soliviac?" - -"Aboard the Polipheme, on the sea, coasting toward Cherbourg. He would -gladly sail away to Hamburg, out of danger's way, were he not a knight. -He stays because we may have need of him." - -"So you have accomplished nothing?" - -"Nothing. After Volpetti communicated with the prefect, a guard of -soldiers surrounded the hut in which he was recovering. 'Tis a wonder -that I was not captured for I have been chased like a wild beast. A -bullet pierced my cap and I have reached you by miracle." - -Louis Pierre interrupted: - -"You and I must leave for Paris at once. If one of us be killed, the -other may reach the city and warn Naundorff. We shall take separate -routes." - -"Very well, but we need horses and money." - -"Mademoiselle," said Louis Pierre, "you will be safe, here. Danger -cannot reach you with Vilon as a guard. Otherwise, I should not leave -you. You know the secret passages and are safe from all the spies and -European cabinets in existence. As for us, we are burning our last -cartridge in going to Paris. Volpetti has unlimited resources: -gendarmerie, regular troops, magistrates, spies and those fellows who go -by the name of 'Partisans of the Order.' What a tremendous mistake it -was to let Volpetti go. If we today considered our own safety, we should -immediately board the Polipheme and depart forever from the coasts of -France." - -Amélie rose and stretched a hand to each Carbonaro: - -"Defenders of a cause you espoused through generosity, friends, -brothers, you shall live always in my heart. If my father's act in -freeing Volpetti bring evil to you, O forgive him! I implore you on my -knees." And the beautiful girl was sinking to the floor, when the -Knights interposed and raised her. They pressed their lips upon her -white hands, as though she were a queen. They left without a word, for -their voices were full of tears. From a window, she watched them leave -and her brave spirit sank within her. - -After their departure, she seemed to fall into a lethargy. She missed -the long colloquies with Louis Pierre. Alone in the sumptuous apartments -whose dust-covered portraits of ladies and paladins seemed to look upon -her with cold disdain, she suffered the inevitable effect of isolation. -No letters reached her, for René trusted nothing to the mails. She -tortured herself with surmises; she seemed to see her father in the -hands of the police or in a dungeon; René the victim of some political -snare, and the Carbonari prisoners on an indictment of piracy. And she -told herself over and over that her father's absurd magnanimity had -caused all the trouble. - -Her only consolation was the companionship of Baby Dick, and the little -fellow was never separated from her. Hours and hours they would sit -together at the window which looked over the deep entrenchments, Amélie -sewing, but with frequent interruptions, for she could not refrain from -stroking Baby's soft curls or taking him on her knees. He, meanwhile, -asked questions incessantly and, when she failed to reply promptly, -covered her face with kisses. Silvano would lay his splendid head in her -lap and look into her face with his great intelligent eyes. - - - - -Chapter IV - -NIGHT - - -In the midst of her anxiety, a new trouble broke upon her,--the -transformation taking place in her guardian, Jean. Not that the Breton -permitted himself liberties; the deference he paid her was daily more -marked and his attitude--that of devoté before an image--was more -intensified; but the devoté had eyes and the eyes would light up on -beholding his mistress; he had hands and those hands would tremble in -placing food on the table. She felt that he loved her with a wild, deep -love which only his iron will controlled. - -She instinctively accentuated the difference in their ranks; she no -longer walked with him through the woods. Her fear of him increased -daily until she entered none of the castle's apartments, remaining -constantly in the boudoir or in Baby's little chamber which adjoined her -own. - -"This misfortune," she soliloquized, for as such she designated Vilon's -passion, "has its cause in my disguise. Had I appeared to him in my -proper character he would never have dared. My God, help me! At the -mercy of a man whose eyes dart lightning, and from whom I must conceal -my fears, I have need of all my self-possession. If I falter, this -splendid animal will grip me." - -One night she lay awake listening to Vilon's furtive footfalls in the -antechamber where, in his impassioned fidelity, he kept guard. Such -vigilance, far from tranquilizing the girl, filled her with ever -increasing terror. She tossed upon the gilded Pompadour bed, whose -woodwork was carved in capricious and elegant mythological designs. The -Marquise's pale shade seemed to be near. The child's tranquil breathing -came to her from his little low bed, back of the embroidered Chinese -screen. A tiny lamp, whose light was softened by a green glass globe, -projected unsteady rays, which magnified shadows and increased her -terror. She was fast becoming a victim to insomnia. Her lids closed but -the light shining through them wrought figures of fantastic dragons and -pale oblique-eyed damsels and mandarins with drooping mustaches who -first became animated and then disappeared. When these grotesque visions -vanished, there glowed on the silken background goddesses and nymphs of -Watteau pattern, who, descending from amid the bed carvings, danced -gayly on with clattering satin shoes and gleaming bosoms. Their laughs -rang shrill as they too vanished and there arose from the depths of the -tangled forest the tanned countenance and blond hair of Jean Vilon. He -seized one of the nymphs around the waist; the nymph was herself; she -struggled vainly; he clasped his rude hands around her delicate neck and -compressed it with gradually increasing force, almost extinguishing -life. In order to assure herself that all was delusion she opened wide -her eyes just as the brass enameled clock pealed forth midnight. - -In an effort to sleep, she turned on her side and drew the pillow over -her face, but she continued to hear inexplicable noises. People seemed -to be walking through the castle. Suddenly a wild hope filled her. -Perhaps her father, having triumphed, had summoned her to join him. -Perhaps René was the bearer of the good tidings. She raised herself on -her elbow. No longer was there any question. Footsteps sounded through -the vestibules, the antechambers, the salons; light gleamed under the -door. Suddenly the lock was noisily forced and a lady in traveling -costume, followed by two servants wearing the de Brezé livery, walked -swiftly toward the bed. - -Amélie became speechless with amazement. Seated upright, she stared at -the lady with wide eyes, who, in turn, fastened on the girl a hostile, -terrible look. The two recognized each other. Amélie beheld again the -arrogant faded beauty of the face so wonderfully like René's in feature -and so different in expression. And the lady gazed again awestruck upon -the facsimile of the countenance which in miniatures, pastels, -oil-paintings, engravings, lithographs, snuff boxes, etc., was the -object of compassionate adoration. The resemblance was at that moment so -striking that the Duchess de Rousillon remained motionless, dominated by -an involuntary reverence. Quickly recovering her sang froid, she said: - -"Leave the bed!" - -"Why are you here?" demanded Amélie. "Why have you forced an entrance -into my room at such an hour?" - -The girl's indignation momentarily disconcerted the lady, but very soon -she laughed disdainfully: - -"I might ask with what shadow of a right you have taken up quarters in -my castle?" - -"This castle, madam, appertains to René de Giac, Marquis de Brezé." - -"I am his mother. I come in his name and with full authority from him. -Rise at once if you have a sense of decency that we may talk in a -suitable manner." - -"René has given you no authority," protested the girl. - -"My authority will soon be manifest," replied the Duchess. - -"Jean Vilon! Jean Vilon!" called Amélie. - -"Jean Vilon will not come. He is my slave. Do not become hysterical. And -rise, I repeat. 'Twill be a pleasanter method than having my servants -pull you out of bed." - -"In order that I should rise, madam, these servants must retire. I am -not accustomed to dressing in the presence of men." - -The Duchess was constrained into making a signal. The liveried -attendants placed the wax tapers on the mantel and left the apartment -and Amélie deftly and modestly made a hasty toilet. Then she turned to -the Duchess, saying: - -"Will you now be good enough to explain your conduct?" - -The Duchess advanced upon her in fury. - -"I dare say," she hissed, "that you can guess I have come to break the -cords by which you hold my son,--you and that imposter, your father. The -scales have at last dropped from René's eyes; he is disillusioned and -repentant. He revealed to me your hiding place. In his name I come." - -"You lie, madam. May my soul be banished forever from God if René knows -you are here. Did he know it, he would stand before me now and shield me -from you." - -"Impertinent, intriguing adventuress! I tear away your mask. Believe -what you choose regarding my son, but prepare to obey my orders." - -"And I remind you that I am your son's betrothed wife." - -"That pretence is the most amusing proof of your ingenuity. The wife of -my son! So great an honor, Mademoiselle Naundorff, would overwhelm our -family. The de Brezé contract an alliance with the daughter of the -convict Prussian watch-maker!--Let us talk rationally; you are the -sweetheart of a good man who loves you devotedly. My steward, Jean -Vilon, is ready to marry you at this moment." - -"What!" shrieked Amélie. "What do you say of Jean Vilon?" - -"That he is to be your excellent husband. The dear fellow is wild with -joy in knowing that I have brought the chaplain in my chaise to bless -the couple. You have made him lose his head about you. Ah, do not play -the innocent. You have understood each other very well for some time. I -shall stand sponsor and bestow a dot upon you. As for Jean? I shall give -him the Plouret farm. In short you shall be consoled for not being the -Marquise de Brezé. The wife of an honest man is a more suitable position -for your station--" - -"Is this a nightmare?" cried Amélie. Then with supreme disdain, she -added, "Not even René, himself, could obtain from me what you propose. -My life is in your hands, the life of the woman whom your son loves. But -my will you cannot conquer. Drag me to the altar I will say no with my -last breath." - -The Duchess seemed taken aback at the emphasis with which the refusal -was spoken. She revealed her true character, that of a pompous -impertinent woman, performing awkwardly an assigned role. With an angry -gesture, she passed into the adjoining apartment, and held for ten -minutes or more a whispered conference with others. She' returned -accompanied by her two attendants, one of whom looked at Amélie in a -peculiar manner. Both approached the bed whereon Baby was lying and -lifted him up. The frightened child commenced to cry and Amélie ran to -him, but they snatched him from her arms and disappeared. - -"If you love the child so greatly," observed the Duchess, "you may have -the happiness of his company by consenting to marry Jean Vilon. He is -pretty badly spoilt, owing to the manner in which you have brought him -up. Jean is willing to adopt him. Is he really your own? Well, we shall -soon be able to judge of that." - -The Duchess retired and the doors were barred and bolted after her. -Amélie realized that she was indeed a prisoner. - - - - -Chapter V - -THE CHILD - - -Imprisonment could not subdue her. She would have died rather than -yield. Her father's fate, her lover's fate and the fate of dear little -Dick, weighed each moment more heavily on her heart. The Duchess's visit -to Picmort signified much; it indicated that the police had discovered -their plans. - -"If my father," she thought during the long sleepless hours, "had been -received by his sister, if his rights had been recognized, the Duchess -would not have dared to outrage me with this proposition. Can René be -imprisoned? He must be living, or his mother would not seek to marry me -to Jean Vilon. In this plot, I see the hand of Volpetti. I wonder if the -spy was not one of the servants. I think I recognized him. O they would -be rid of me, and, not daring to kill me, they think to marry me basely. -For so could the Duchess free her son and they have one more pretext for -disclaiming my father's pretensions--But Baby Dick? What is to become -of him?" - -Terror stricken she walked the floor. She began to comprehend how great -was the love which bound her to the frail being to whom she had been -playing the role of mother. She reproached herself cruelly for having -contributed to orphan the little fellow. His beauty, his grief at being -separated from her, his caresses, his cunning little ways, all these -surged to her mind and seemed to obliterate her other griefs. - -"What does this mean? I know not my father's whereabouts; René is likely -in grave danger; but my thoughts are absorbed with this child who is -joined to me by no tie, whom chance placed in my arms and violence -removed." - -Morning dawned and she had not closed her eyes. The birth of day brought -calmness as it does to all human souls. She had no longer need of -concealment, so, running to the windows, she flung them wide open, -heedless of the warning that death would ensue, which Vilon had given -her when she arrived in the Castle. The light streamed into the -Marquise's boudoir. The capricious antiquated draperies became -illuminated like a stage setting, contrasting with the desolate -magnificence of the exterior and the sombre massiveness of the towers -which the sun began to brighten. Amélie looked out through those windows -for the first time. - -"What will they do to Baby?" she asked herself. "What can they do? -Nothing more than separate him from me I suppose. But he has become so -dear to me--Still that shall not break my will. _I_ the wife of Jean -Vilon?--What is the meaning of this? How has he dared lend himself to -the scheme? Why has he let the Duchess in? O his passion explains it -all. How repellent!--Better death a thousand times." - -She gazed vacantly upon the faded silken hangings, the sumptuous -furniture and elegant old laces; she caught her image in the mirrors of -magnificent frames wherein the Marquise had so often beheld her pallid -wasted features. Suddenly, she started, listening affrightedly to Baby -Dick's cry in the next room. - -"Mamma 'Mélie! Mamma 'Mélie!" he called. "Come! Give me breakfast. It is -very late." - -With passion of which she had not deemed herself capable, she ran to the -door and shook it violently, crying: - -"My little heart, I can't come to you. Wait. Be very patient." - -"My pretty mamma, I am alone. That bad lady shut me in. O break the -door, mamma." - -"I can't Baby," she answered, pushing with all her strength against the -panels. And giving way to her grief, she dropped into a chair and -sobbed. For the first time, despair seized her. Woman's tenderest -attribute--the maternal instinct--vanquished her strong heart, even tho -her attachment was for another woman's child. Perhaps, on that very -account, 'twas more highly idealized. - -Baby Dick continued to call to her in his sweet, pleading tones and she -hid her face in the satin cushions, in a longing to drown his voice. But -though she heard his wails more faintly, they seemed on that account -more plaintive. She jumped into bed, drew the clothes over her head and -sobbed in time to his moaning. - -"O if I might break down that door and clasp his little body in my arms, -I should fling away every ambitious project, even happiness with René. -My love and pity outweigh every other consideration." - -At eight o'clock breakfast was brought her by the two men who had come -with the Duchess during the night. She asked several questions, to which -no answer whatever was given. The morning seemed interminable. At noon -the same attendants brought a lunch which, like the others, passed in -silence. Amélie could not eat more than a morsel of bread, for the -child's cries were incessant. She refrained from talking to him, for -doing so seemed to increase his suffering; but at length she could -contain herself no longer, and tapping on the panels, she called -affectionately: - -"Baby! Baby! This is your Mamma 'Mélie." - -"I am hungry, mamma!" he cried. - -"Hungry, darling?" she exclaimed, a frightful suspicion crossing her -mind. "Have they given you nothing to eat? Have you had no broth? Even -tho you are not in my arms, eat everything they give you, Baby; I am -close by. It is just as though I were with you." - -"But Mamma 'Mélie, they give me nothing, no broth, no milk. O give me -something, mamma!" - -A chill of horror ran through her veins. O were they capable of such -cruelty? It must be that they had forgotten to take food to little Dick. -Who would deliberately starve a child? But to think that he had been a -whole day unfed! She wrung her hands and threw herself against the -walls. With difficulty she repressed herself from screaming aloud. She -shook the door with all her strength, though she well knew that that -strength was impotent. Her temples seemed bursting. She felt on the -verge of dementia. She recalled her father's imprisonment and the -numerous historical crimes related. But O to starve a child! This too -was possible. Depravity is boundless when it possesses a human heart. - -When evening at last came and the same speechless attendant brought her -supper, she darted a withering look at him, saying: - -"Order food taken to the child at once! If you are not tigers, have pity -on him. Starve me if you will. What has he to do with this miserable -plot?" - -The man made no answer, whatever. He fixed his eyes upon her and she -knew that he was Volpetti indeed. - -The night was terrible. During the first part Baby sobbed incessantly, -tho his voice grew fainter and fainter. At last it died out altogether. -She grew frantic and running to the windows, called aloud: - -"Jean Vilon! Jean Vilon! Wretch! Is it thus you obey your master?" - -Then, as silence followed: - -"René! René!" - -Then: - -"Silvano! Silvano!" - -But no answer came. Picmort, the grim giant, was silent. Again she ran -to the door separating her from Dick. He was speaking to her but in a -voice so faint that it was scarcely more than a murmur. - -"He will die! he will die!" she wailed. "No child can resist such -treatment. God have mercy on us both. What have I done to bring such -suffering on this baby?--But I might save him; yes, if I renounce René -forever. No, no! Rather perish the entire world. These fiends would -defeat me through my sense of pity. Well, they shall not. I shall be -stone. What is this child to me? Have I not once saved his -life?--Perhaps my father was right. We have spilt blood--O no, no! My -father you were weak and that weakness is my undoing--And now my pity -for this child is making me also a weakling." - -She broke into bitter weeping. Dick was calling: - -"Mamma! Mamma!" - -She crept to the door and whispered: - -"My heaven, be patient. Very soon you shall have food and be with me." - -With an air of a somnambulist did Amélie comb out her long blond hair -and arrange it in its accustomed style. Then she performed her entire -toilet, laughing stridently from time to time. Sometimes tears would -trickle fast down her beautiful face, so pale and worn with its great -anxiety. When at noon the silent attendant brought the meal, she said -to him: - -"Tell the Duchess de Rousillon that I shall comply with her wishes, -provided she has the door opened immediately which separates me from the -child." - - - - -Chapter VI - -THE MARRIAGE - - -An hour later, Baby sat in Amélie's lap. She had given him milk and soup -and he was covering her face with kisses,--this child whom she loved -more than ever since renouncing for him what was dearer to her than -life. Suddenly the doors were thrown wide open and the Duchess entered -accompanied by the two liveried attendants, bearing handsome clothes, -jewels and laces. Amélie did not raise her eyes. Two girls, the -maid-servants who had been so curious to see her, approached eagerly and -began to deck the bride. They fastened a velvet petticoat beneath an -embroidered silk jacket and pinned the veil and flowers in her beautiful -hair. Soon she was transformed into a lovely Breton bride. Then the -Duchess summoned Jean Vilon, who, in gala costume, a spray of wild -flowers on his breast tied with many colored ribbons, made a brilliant -handsome picture. He was pale, ecstatic, scarcely sensible of what was -in preparation. Things had happened in so bewildering a manner that he -could not co-ordinate his thoughts; he remembered that the Duchess had -unexpectedly arrived and imposed her authority as René's mother to force -entrance into the castle; then she had ordered him in her son's name to -prepare to marry the girl above, who was under the family's special -protection, adding that her misfortunes were the consequence of being -abandoned by a man who had betrayed her. Jean, tho wild with joy, -hesitated and the Duchess added that Amélie came from his class and was -unconnected with the de Brezé family. - -"Be a good husband to her, Jean, and you will lack nothing. Be a good -father to the child, and I will give you the Plouret farm." - -O what did the farm matter to him! He trembled in a rapture of love. The -husband of Amélie! He enveloped her now in a glance that was a wave of -flame and then, intimidated by the prize he longed to grasp, he turned -interrogating eyes upon the Duchess. - -At length they went into the chapel. Two tenants of the de Brezés served -as witnesses. The altar was adorned with gorgeous pots, holding paper -flowers, and the chaplain stood ready to perform the ceremony. The two -serving-maids pressed near the bride, according to the custom of Breton -girls, in eagerness to touch her so as to hasten their own marriage. -Amélie seemed more a statue than an animate body. She recalled René's -words: "In Picmort are the tombs of my ancestors, the ashes of my -fathers; in Picmort I was baptized; in Picmort we shall receive heaven's -blessing on our union." Since living in the castle she had often -pictured their marriage in that chapel. She gazed on the long row of -sepulchral arches to right and left and on the tombs with slabs -supporting the prone forms of Crusader-paladins, hands crossed on -breast; on the superb crucifix surmounting the altar; on the colored -oblong windows. This was the chapel in which she was to have been united -to René de Giac, but there stood now at her side a peasant, a rustic, a -servant of the House of Brezé. - -"But I must keep my word," she told herself. "I have promised this for -the child's life." - -When she realized that no miracle was forthcoming to liberate her, she -was near screaming: - -"Help! help! Violence is being enacted. I do not wish to marry." - -But she knew that such appeal would be futile. She would be called -hysterical and the child's martyrdom recommenced. Her story was so -extraordinary, her claims so pretentious, that the witnesses would think -she raved. Raising her eyes to the face of the crucified, she seemed to -hear these words: - -"Suffer now, for the hour of your expiation has arrived." - -The chaplain put the questions to which the groom replied in a -passionate tremor; Amélie's well-nigh inarticulate assent made her the -wife of Jean Vilon. Almost swooning, she left the chapel. As the bridal -pair reached the salon, the Duchess approached with an affectionate -greeting and holding a diamond brooch which she sought to place in the -girl's bosom. Amélie drew back, as from the sting of a venomous reptile, -refusing the Judas kiss which the lady would have sounded upon her -cheek. But the Duchess continued to smile in insolent triumph. At last -did an insuperable obstacle exist between her son and this impertinent -girl. This union to a peasant made the pretentions of Naundorff seem -more extravagant than ever. The liveried attendants smiled also in joy -at the diabolical victory. Then the Duchess addressed this speech to the -groom: - -"Jean, you are a faithful servant and it has made me happy to divine -your wishes and give you the wife you desired. She is suitable to you, -being of your class. Her father is a watch-maker and her mother a -seamstress. May God give you long life. The castle of Picmort remains in -your custody, it being the property of my son, the powerful Marquis de -Brezé, whom I on this occasion represent. The farm of Plouret is yours -and thither may you retire when you are minded to do so." - -Amélie heard the words and thought she must be dreaming; such duplicity -bewildered her. Indignant protests rose to her lips but her helplessness -and disdain smothered the words. Casting upon the Duchess a look of -regal scorn, she left the salon and re-entered the Marquise's boudoir. - -Very soon after, the Duchess with her two liveried attendants and the -chaplain was driven away from the castle. Jean Vilon carried the lady's -belongings to the chaise and bowed in profound respect and gratitude as -she departed. Amélie, having locked herself in, wept bitterly, the child -clasped to her breast. Was all this true, great God? Was she indeed the -wife of Jean Vilon? Absurd! Heaven would yet guide her out of this -dilemma. O rather than submit, she would fling herself from that window -into the pit below. - -Baby covered her with kisses and childish coaxings which seemed in a -measure to console her for what she had endured on his account, and he -was dearer to her than ever. No real mother, she reflected, could love -more deeply than she this child. Evening fell upon the grim castle and -shadows darkened the Marquise's boudoir. Amélie, folding Baby's hands -bade him pray, after which she placed him in bed. She barricaded the -doors by drawing pieces of furniture against them and prepared to pass -the night in vigil. - -Suddenly a slight noise filled her with terror. It came from the -mythologically wrought panels adorning the walls. It sounded like the -gnawing of a mouse. The gnawing grew louder, the panel moved, revealing -a door whose edges were the gilded framing, and Jean Vilon in his bridal -clothes, the nuptial flowers in his breast, stood before her. He was a -handsome man, the finest "gars" in that part of Brittany. Happiness made -his dark face beautiful. She repelled her husband with a look of scorn -which made him stand motionless. - -"How dare you enter, Jean?" she demanded advancing upon him with a -threatening look. "How dare you enter without my permission? Did you -not see that I had locked myself in? You come like a thief through a -secret entrance which only you know. Wretch! Leave me this instant and -never return. Do you hear? _Never!_" - -Jean advanced in his turn, stammering: - -"Mademoiselle, what do you mean? Are we not husband and wife? I have -known the secret of that door since I was a boy, but I have never used -it. You were safe under my protection. But now! By God and Saint -Anne!--the priest has joined us!--" - -Amélie, taking courage at his moderation, said still more scornfully: - -"You say we are joined together? Idiot! Do you consider that service -valid? Are you pretending innocence? Are you a fool or a knave? Are you -the Duchess's creature or her victim? Do you not know how they have -wrested from me my consent? Has no one told you that I married you to -save the child's life?" - -Jean stared at her in speechless amazement, and Amélie perceiving his -ignorance, breathed more freely. - -"Mademoiselle," he said at last, "I am neither a murderer nor a -hypocrite." - -"Then why have you married me, wretch?" His eyes changed hue, resembling -the sea water which beats against the Coast of Brittany emitting at -night phosphoric light. - -"Because I love you, because I love you!" he cried, coming close to her, -so close that she felt his breath. "Because my mistress told me that you -were not as I had been told, a relative of the family. She said you were -a peasant like myself, who had suffered misfortune and been abandoned by -a scoundrel. Even knowing this," he concluded affectionately, "I loved -you and was wild with happiness when she offered to marry us." - -"Vile calumniator!" hissed Amélie with flaming cheeks. - -"My mistress also said that your father had rendered a service to her -husband, the late Marquis, during the exile, giving that as the motive -for your having been received in the castle. 'I wish now to further -befriend the girl,' said she, 'by giving her a good husband. Are you -ready to marry her? I will give her a dot of 75,000 francs,' But -Mademoiselle, I agreed not because of the dot or the farm,--God confound -me if I lie--but because I love you. Since you came, I have not slept a -single night. If I closed my eyes I dreamed of you. I was like one -bewitched." And he knelt at her feet, sobbing like a little child. - -She was moved to pity and said: - -"Jean, I see that you are a victim of the serpent also. Listen to the -truth. I have married you because I was forced to, brutally forced. They -were starving,--_starving_ to death--do you hear?--that little child, -who is no child of mine.' Our marriage is a sacrilege in the eyes of -God. By considering yourself my husband, you damn your own soul. Jean, -beware of what you do!" - -He rose and folded his arms across his breast. - -"What you say may be true, Mademoiselle, and it hurts me to believe my -mistress guilty of such conduct. But be the cause what it may, we are -married. I am your husband; you are my wife; no power in heaven or earth -can separate us. Whether the child is yours or not, matters little to -me. Your life before I knew you concerns me not; I ask no questions. -From today you are mine. Today you have been born anew, purer than water -that falls from the clouds. I should defend you and the child to the -death--I love you so much. You shall never again suffer, for now you -belong to me. O if my mistress had not come to marry us, I should have -killed you. You are holy to me, but my love is terrible. At last you are -mine! O happiness!" - -The Breton flung his arms around her. - - - - -Chapter VII - -DEATH - - -Amélie sprang back, preparing for the struggle which the strength of the -bridegroom would have rendered futile. The enameled clock rang out the -hour of seven. The mythologically wrought panel opened again and a man -entered. - -Jean loosed his hold and stood petrified. The man advanced and asked in -a terrible voice: - -"What does this mean? What is going on in my house?" - -"René!" cried Amélie, running to her lover who clasped her in his arms, -regardless of the fire in Jean's eyes. - -"Jean Vilon," said the master, "render an account of yourself. What has -taken place in this castle? Unfaithful servant, how have you guarded -this trust?" - -Vilon trembled and knelt before René. - -"Your lordship," he stammered, "your mother--the orders she brought -me--from you." - -"Orders? Were they not to refuse entrance to anyone not giving the -watch-word? Did my mother speak it, imbecile? Do I call you imbecile? I -mean scoundrel. How have you treated this woman,--this woman who should -be as holy to you as the Virgin?" - -"Your lordship, it was the Duchess, the wife of my late master whose -ashes rest in the chapel"--incoherently articulated Vilon. "Should I -refuse her?--close the door in her face?" - -"Certainly, beast!" cried René, losing all control of himself. "You owe -obedience to me and to me only, though you die for it." - -He clenched his fists and advanced upon Vilon, who, making no -resistance, prepared to receive the blow. But Amélie, with the -generosity of her upright character, interposed. - -"René, do not debase yourself. Jean Vilon is in no wise to blame. He has -believed your mother, thinking he honored you. When you sent him -instructions, you could not foresee this possibility. Fate brought her. -Jean is upright and faithful." - -Her persuasive voice brought calmness to René, but a monstrous doubt -seemed to find lodgment in his mind. - -"Very well; now let us come to the point. What has happened here? Under -what pretext has my mother come with pretended messages from me? She -surely has not foregone three days of frivolous court life for the -pleasure of viewing country scenery. When I (for I have transformed -myself into a professional spy) learned in Paris that she had taken the -road to Brittany, I hastened after her, feeling sure that she was coming -to Picmort. I met her just now on the road, unperceived by her party. I -have entered the castle with my secret key and chosen this method of -surprising you,--the same employed by the jealous Marquis who imprisoned -his wife in this salon. Now, tell me what has happened. Come! the -truth!" - -Amélie remained silent, for not until that moment had she realized the -extremity of the case, the nature of the confession she must make to her -lover. Her customary valor forsook her. - -"René," she faltered, "do not reproach me; forgive me, rather. Why have -you delayed so long in coming? Why have you left me here defenceless? -Why have you abandoned me?" - -"Defenceless? Abandoned? And that fellow? Has he not protected you? He -has orders to die for you. Tell me quickly what has been done. Answer, -each of you. What does this mean?" - -Amélie covered her face with her hands and turning to the wall, burst -into bitter weeping. René seized Vilon by the collar, shaking him -violently and saying: - -"Traitor, what have you done? Answer or I will choke you." - -The Breton freed himself with so lithe a movement that the superiority -of his physical strength was evident. Folding his arms on his breast, he -said quietly: - -"The Duchess arrived in a post chaise accompanied by the chaplain and -two attendants. I opened wide the gate through which the lords of -Picmort have always entered. I kissed her hand in respect. She spent -three days here, giving orders and being obeyed. On the third, she -decreed that I should marry this young lady--" - -René leaped in rage. - -"And--you married--her?" he shrieked. - -"Yes." - -"When--when?" - -"Today, at four o'clock in the Picmort chapel." - -"Devil!" roared René. "And you, Amélie, have you consented?" - -"Yes," she wailed. - -"This is superb!" and he laughed in fury. "Explain yourself, that I may -then kill you. Did you fall in love with this fellow?" - -"René!" she implored, sinking to his feet, "Have pity on me. I consented -because your mother was starving to death before my eyes that little -child we saved from the ship. O René, never call her mother again." - -"Is that what she did?" stammered the Marquis, clasping his hands. - -"Yes," she replied. "René, my father was right; the crimes of the mighty -are expiated by the innocent. How can one hear a little child cry for -bread and not save him? Yes, I have taken vows at the altar. I am the -wife of your steward." - -"Why did you marry her?" demanded René, turning furiously on Vilon. - -"Because your mother said you wished it." - -"Did you know of the child's starvation?" - -"By the cross, I did not." - -"And you dared to love her?" - -"From the moment I saw her," he cried with impetuous sincerity. - -"Aha! I find the motive. Obedience to the devil! So you loved her?" - -"Your lordship, that was not the motive. I could never have dreamed of -marriage had it not been for the Duchess--" - -"Dog, only _I_ am your master. Only _I_--" - -"True, but here we are not accustomed to distinguish between the orders -of your lordship and his mother. Parents represent God on earth." - -"Jean is innocent. Another in his place would have acted likewise. Be -just, René," said Amélie. - -The steward looked on her in deep gratitude. - -"René, your mother is the only culprit,--she and that fatality which -dogs all who aid our cause. We carry misfortune with us. We should have -told Jean our secret to begin with; we should have treated him as a -friend, not as a menial. Then our enemies could not have deceived him. -But how could we suspect that your mother had a suspicion of my presence -here? René, a vicious womb has borne you--the womb of a hyena." - -"Amélie," he groaned, "I do not attempt to defend my mother's conduct. -She has acted like a fiend. But she is mentally incapable of planning -the villainy. She was the instrument of the police. O Amélie, 'tis our -parents who accomplish our ruin. Your father sets Volpetti free and my -mother delivers you to another man. O I rave! You are mine, mine! No -other man exists." - -He clasped her hands and she gazed passionately up into his face, -forgetful of Vilon, who frowningly beheld his honor as bridegroom -affronted. At length René remembered the importunate presence, and -sternly said: - -"Begone!" - -"You bid me go!" said the Breton, roused at length. "If I go my wife -comes with me." - -"Your wife!" laughed René scornfully. "This woman is not your wife, -fool." - -"The priest has joined us," insisted the peasant. - -"Through a fraud,--a crime." - -"That matters not. She has said 'Yes' at the altar. We are husband and -wife before God." - -René turned threateningly upon him and Vilon lowered his head. The idea -of resistance never entered his brain, but neither could he entertain -the idea of resigning Amélie. In body and soul he belonged to his -master, the Marquis de Brezé; in body and soul she belonged to him, Jean -Vilon. - -Amélie placed herself beside her husband. - -"Jean is right," she said. "He is indeed, my master. Happiness has died -and love also. Like you, I sought at first to break this bond--but I -cannot,--we cannot. I expiate." - -Tears flowed fast over her cheeks. Wild passion shot from Vilon's eyes. -He longed to kneel before her and clasp her in his arms. He dug his -nails into the palms to restrain himself. He hoarsely asked: - -"Is this the woman your lordship has loved?" - -"She was my promised wife. You have undone me by one act, Jean Vilon," -answered René in a voice of deep sadness. - -Jean's mouth contracted. He suffered terribly, but he did not yield. He -kept assuring himself that Amélie was his, his treasure. Only death -could separate them. - -René clutched the Breton's wrist and pressed it till the bones almost -cracked. - -"I repeat, Jean, you are the undoing of my life. But you shall not save -your soul, if you persist, for a dreadful crime would follow. You refuse -to give her up? Well, let me tell you who the woman is that you continue -to call your wife. She is sacred, poor fool, and as inaccessible to you -as the saints. Listen, dust of the earth. _She is of the race of -kings_--do you hear?--you must never forget this fact--_of our kings_!" - -Terror and wonder contorted the peasant's face. He transfixed Amélie -with a look of superstitious, reverence. The revelation exceeded his -power of comprehension. - -"The blood of the king martyred by the revolutionists is in her -body,--the king for whom your father bore arms and fought hand to hand -so often,--the king for whom he lay concealed in the woods and for -whom,--do you remember, Jean?--he was shot, his body lying unburied -during seven days. If your father should now awake he would behold his -son attempting to profane the daughter of that king! This is the crime -to which you have lent yourself." - -"Is this true?" asked Jean, turning upon Amélie a face contorted with -fear and pain. - -"Yes, Jean," she answered, her voice full of compassion. "I swear by my -soul it is true." - -"And the honor of Brezé confirms the oath," added René. "Retain the -fruit of your iniquity. I leave you your wife. You no longer have a -master. I shall go away forever." - -"No," entreated Jean. "Rather I, rather I." - -He crossed himself and grasped the amulets which hung around his neck. -Then, swiftly approaching Amélie, he kissed her on the forehead. His -lips burned and she shrieked in horror. He walked rapidly out of the -boudoir. His heavy feet sounded for a moment in the antechamber, then on -the stairway, the narrow winding stairway leading to the tower's highest -story. René and Amélie listened. Suddenly divining his intention, they -ran after him. The tiny room was dark when they reached it, the window -was curtained by a heavy obstruction which they realized was Jean. They -darted to clutch him, but he rolled out before their eyes. Deeply -affected, they looked down and beheld at the base of the tower the -lifeless body of the grief-crazed Breton, with face upturned to the sky -and glassy eyes gleaming amid the heavy blond hair. Silvano, the -faithful mastiff, sat beside him, howling despairingly. - - - - -Book V - - -THE SISTER - - - - -Chapter I - -PORTENTS - - -The apartments of the royal palace which we now enter are those farthest -removed from the stir and distractions of the court. The perennial -austerity of their august occupant seems to have imparted to them a -religious gloom. Owners bestow themselves upon their belongings. The -human soul leaves back of itself its peculiar track, either luminous or -sombre. - -The first impression made upon one entering the salons is of absolute -silence. Noise would seem there a trespasser, a deep breath an -infringing of etiquette. Servants and courtiers smother their voices and -footfalls, suppress smiles and even dim the brightness of their eyes on -addressing the Duchess,--the sad Duchess, who daily resembles more and -more those rigid supplicating forms which guard sepulchres. After -passing through a succession of reception rooms, screened from the -sunlight by heavy draperies, and of appointments so symmetrically and -solemnly arranged that it seems impossible they should ever be moved -from their places, we come to the Duchess's boudoir. Passing the -dormitory and visitors' room, we lift a tapestry portičre and enter the -small apartment which is her oratory. - -A richly wrought silver lamp is the only ornament, wherein float two -burning wicks in perfumed oil. By the pale rays is discernible against a -black velvet screen, a large marble figure of the Christ. He is -represented at the moment of expiring, just when his head falls on his -shoulder and he cries: "It is finished!" At the foot of the altar kneels -a woman in fervent prayer. She rests on a crimson prie-Dieu and her eyes -are raised to the Christ. The light falls full on her face and we see it -is the Duchess. - -Beautiful had that face been in youth, but suffering has obliterated all -trace of beauty. The hair once pale yellow,--the family color,--and so -abundant that it was whispered she wore a wig, has now an ashen, almost -a cobwebby look; the skin is yellow and marked with wrinkles; the dry -eyes are inflamed with tears that do not flow. The lips are drawn -tight,--the lips that neither laugh nor kiss. The clasped hands are -emaciated and of waxen whiteness. Bitter thoughts seem to hover around -the pale forehead,--cruel doubt and insistent remorse. An expression of -appalling incertitude, the terror of faith stripped of celestial -consolation are there. Incoherent, rebellious words come from the lips. - -At last, heaving a deep sigh, she arose, unclasped her hands and passed -the right one over her forehead as though in an effort to banish her -thoughts. Approaching the lamp, she unfastened two buttons of her waist -and took from her bosom a roll of paper,--a letter. She glanced around, -as if to assure herself that she was alone, and then began to read: - -"My sister, well beloved: I live, I live; the hand of your brother -directs these words; disregarding court etiquette, I assure you of my -love--" - -Here two timid raps sounded on the door and a gentle voice called: "Your -Grace!" - -The lady hastily replaced the paper and buttoned her bodice with an -unsteady hand. By a strong effort of the will, she assumed the -impenetrable mask she put on habitually and opened the door, with a look -of cold surprise on her face. The attendant apologized profusely for the -interruption. - -"His--his--Royal Highness wishes urgently to speak with you. He has -ordered me to--" - -Without moving a muscle of her face, the Duchess bowed in assent and, -with the gait of an automaton, passed on to meet her husband, who -awaited her in the visitors' room, a small apartment, containing a desk, -some books of devotion and a few classics. - -On her entry, the Duke saluted gravely as tho at an official ceremony. -She seated herself, but he continued standing. He was tall and of -patrician and martial bearing. She addressed him a mute interrogatory. -The absence of cordiality between them was at once apparent. - -"Thérčse, I come to trouble you and this I regret infinitely. But 'tis -indispensable. I come to talk of state matters, that is of matters -closely related to the state. Some time ago we banished this topic from -our conversation, Thérčse, because--we happen to differ in our views. -You find me somewhat--what phrase shall I use?--well, liberal. I find -you obstinate,--opposed to making concessions and blind to the -exigencies of the times. I am inclined to adopt the opinion of the King -and Ferdinand; you, like our good father--but Thérčse, think as we -individually may, we both desire the same accomplishment. At bottom -there is harmony between us. I could not bear to believe otherwise." - -"At bottom there is indeed harmony," she answered. "Neither could I -bear to believe otherwise. We are united, as is the entire family, in -the faith that the Restoration is genuine--a victory over the dragon of -the Revolution. You employ hidden weapons; I am less astute; I fight -unarmed, or, as better said, I do not fight. I resist the foe, arms -folded on my breast, and I should not retreat. I should face him to the -last tho he advanced upon me with an overpowering host." - -"The Corsican did not err when he said you were the only man of the -family." - -"Do not repeat that absurd speech. Each prince of the House is a man, a -paladin, worthy of the race. Neither you nor your brother Ferdinand, -notwithstanding his delinquencies respecting women, has given the lie to -the proud blood which flows through your veins. I am a weak woman, whose -only refuge, in hours of trial, is religion--the religion which has -taught me to suffer resignedly, but never to yield. Much have I -suffered; much am I yet to suffer." - -A trembling convulsed her bosom and passed over her entire body, -rustling the violet silk gown which she wore in half mourning. The Duke -suppressed his annoyance. His wife's gloomy disposition had, from the -first days of their marriage de convenance been a killjoy--that -marriage, consummated for political reasons and in compliance with the -dying request of her parents. Somewhat of warmth, somewhat of human -tenderness would have mingled those two souls, had not constraint been -characteristic of both. - -"Thérčse," he replied, "in every life there is a cup of bitterness. Each -thinks that his chalice contains the most gall. Each knows but his own -sorrow. God has tried us indeed, but have courage! I come with another -sorrow to your heart already bleeding. Your strength must sustain you." - -"Of what do you speak?" she asked, endeavoring to seem calm. - -"Of the impostors, who have, in succession, exploited favorable -circumstances in personating the unhappy prince who perished in -captivity." - -A deathlike pallor spread over her face. - -"This is the reason you have come?" she murmured. - -"Yes, this is the reason. The iniquitous farce grows of sufficient -consequence to threaten the throne." - -"Be explicit," she said, recovering command of herself. - -"I am come for that purpose," he replied. "The king has entrusted me -with messages for you. He is fearful lest these spurious pretensions -leave an ill effect upon you." - -The Duchess drew a handkerchief across her eyes. Her husband and cousin -continued: - -"The fate of the young prince has brought sorrow to many. It has also -been the cause of numerous schemes, and served as basis for ambitious -delirium. An Austrian drummer declares before a council of war that he -is your brother; another, whose brain has become addled from a bullet -wound, is so insistent in his claims that it has been found necessary to -incarcerate him in Bicetre; a servant in this asylum disputes with him -the honor, by name Fontolive; a hunch-back assistant to a notary follows -suit and he will likely end his career in Bicetre; there is a Dufresne -who displays on his right calf a fleur de lis. There are others too -numerous to mention, including one who dresses like a woman. To -enumerate them all would be to number the sands of the seashore. I shall -speak only of the most audacious among them, of those who have succeeded -in investing their ridiculous pretensions with the semblance of truth, -namely a certain Fruchard, a man of brains and resolution; Hervagault, -the son of a tailor who plays his cards well indeed; Maturino Bruneau -of Vezins, a most popular impostor; Baron Richemont, the most dangerous -of them all, for he is a man of education, a profound student of -history, and of irreproachable morals. Several gentlemen, formerly -staunch royalists, have placed themselves in his ranks--" - -The Duchess listened with attention, fixing upon her husband her -inquisitorial eyes which cut like a keen knife. The Duke hesitated and -she asked coldly: - -"And what more? Is the list of farceurs ended?" - -"No," he replied, making a visible effort to compose himself. - -"There is another, Thérčse--He is seconded--O 'tis incredible!--by such -men as René de Giac, whom we considered so devoted to the throne. His -mother is inconsolable and no longer permits him to visit her. Besides -René, there are La Rochefoucauld, Madame de Rambeau, who was the -Dauphin's guardian during infancy, the family Saint Hilaire, the Marquis -Feuillade, the Marquis de Broglio Solari--a legion, indeed." - -"But you do not tell me this impostor's name," she asked in a bitter -voice. "Whence comes he?" - -"His name is William Naundorff and he comes from England, though he has -been brought up in Prussia." - -The Duchess seemed about to swoon. Her head dropped upon the chair back -and swayed from side to side. The Duke hastened to revive her by holding -to her nose a flask of English smelling salts. - - - - -Chapter II - -THE QUESTION - - -More through an effort of her strong will than because of the -efficaciousness of the smelling salts, the Duchess sat upright and fixed -upon the Duke her keen eyes. - -"Why," she asked, "does the King desire that; I should be so minutely -informed? Why not settle the matter in those departments wherein the -governmental thunderbolts are forged, since it is a question pertaining -to statecraft? Can I not be left in peace, I the desolate survivor of -the shipwreck?--I who ask only for solitude in which to pray." - -"It is natural that we should consult you when THE PRINCIPLE is -involved. Moreover, we depend upon your firmness and energy. You can -offer us valuable suggestions, for no one has so imposing a conception -of the royal dignity." - -"That is because no one else has endured so much for the royal cause. I -am the unhappiest woman on earth--" and her tears fell. "I wrote so -upon the walls of my prison and it is still the truth." - -"Thérčse, what memories! What a tragedy!" - -"In that prison," she exclaimed, "in that horrible prison, while we -underwent the Via Crucis of outrages, there arose like a beautiful star, -illuminating even the prisons and scaffolds,--there arose the PRINCIPLE. -Only the PRINCIPLE is of moment; individuals are as nothing. What matter -our sufferings or the blood that was spilled, or all the heads that fell -if the principle remain the centre of life? But one head fell which -incarnated the PRINCIPLE and it has cried for vengeance to God." - -A fire glowed in her faded eyes, her heart beat so rapidly that the -paper beneath the dress rustled. The Duke drew closer but made no effort -to touch even her hands. No sweet transport had united these souls. - -"I rejoice to see you thus, Thérčse," he murmured. "What has made the -King fear your attitude on this question?" - -"As the King has not suffered, he has no comprehension of the PRINCIPLE. -I pray much for the King. He is a weakling." - -"Not so today, Thérčse," the Duke interposed. "His Majesty's tastes -differ, perhaps, from yours, from ours; but when he beholds the ship of -state in danger, then does he recover his spirit, rather then does he -seem to, for in reality he never loses it. Because of his artistic and -philosophical pre-occupations and of his adherence to certain -doctrines--which, to be frank, are not to my liking,--because of these, -he regards at times indifferently what he eventually realizes to be of -supreme importance. There are times when his imagination dominates him, -but he has too great a mind to permit such impressions to be more than -transitory. Do you remember the recent episode of the visionary Martin? -Well, for a while the King was greatly troubled. He believed his end to -be near." - -"It is," she observed with no trace of emotion. "His infirmities -increase rapidly." - -"All the more reason," he rejoined, "that we should live cautiously. His -Majesty's ill health may cause complications." - -"And how does that fear affect your attitude with regard to--imposters?" - -"Very closely. Old Martin insisted that one of the imposters was in -reality your brother. May God preserve us from beholding the King a -victim to that illusion. All imposters shall be rebuffed if we stand our -ground. Their multitude and diverse origins destroy whatever advantage -any one of them may have gained. Tho human credulity is infinite, it -seems to me impossible that they should make a lasting impression on the -public or cause any of the European Cabinets to lose confidence in the -government. This last consideration is of the greatest importance. -Europe is at enmity with France, but the Holy Alliance has sustained us, -teas steadied the tottering throne, because we are the principle. -Insidious rumors regarding your brother are being carried to the ears of -European sovereigns. It is insistently claimed that he lives. The -intervention of some foreign cabinet is imminent, which would carry in -train disastrous results. Can we contemplate another invasion of France? -How avoid it if the stigma of usurpers be attached to us?" - -The Duchess's eyes were riveted on the carpet. - -"Let us thank God," continued the Duke, "that amid the cohort of -adventurers, charlatans and self-deluded fools which is recruited from -all quarters, there is not one whose ability and certificates -differentiate him sufficiently from the others to claim the attention of -Europe. Should such a one arise and triumph over us, the Revolution -which we have crushed would break forth with redoubled fury. Thérčse, -to outward appearance, we lie on a bed of roses; in reality, a volcano -rumbles beneath our feet. We have to act with the greatest -circumspection. We are watched, we are hounded. We, the men and women of -the House Regnant of France, must be wise as the serpent and gentle as -the dove; we must even make compromises. That is why I spoke (in my -proclamation of Saint Jean de Lumičre) of crushing tyranny and breaking -chains. That is why I have through the columns of the Meridien prescribed -limits to the zeal of our partizans, who demand blood in the celebration -of our triumph. The King, therefore, would warn you that a false step, -an impulse of generosity from your noble heart might--" - -"Do I constitute so great a peril?" she sardonically asked. - -"An immense peril,--that of your generous nature, your excessive,--no, I -should not say excessive,--conscientiousness; but, Thérčse, it is so -easy to be misled by our rectitude. Will you believe that my brother -Ferdinand, in whom our hopes of succession lie, (here the Duchess -winced)--for although his children have been girls, a boy may be born to -him,--I repeat that Ferdinand inclines favorably toward the -impostors--that is to say, not all of them, but one in particular." - -She revealed her displeasure. Nothing so much irritated her as allusion -to her sterility. - -"Ferdinand," she began aimlessly. - -"Yes, Ferdinand, following the generous impulses of his heart--or--for -some reason--which--Well, Ferdinand cannot think and act as we -do--because he has lived--has been the slave of his passions. Indeed, -his life resembles, in certain respects that of the impostor whom he -supports. He also lived for a period obscurely and in London, forming -there ties with a woman of the people. You remember Amy Brown and the -children she bore him. When one's antecedents have not been of a licit -character, one is predisposed to make extraordinary excuses for others. -You and I are not of that kind, Thérčse. We may proudly hold up our -heads. Ferdinand has decided to believe that your brother lives, and, in -consequence, places faith in whatever impostor raises his head, saying -that one among them is Charles Louis." - -The Duchess trembled, notwithstanding her attempted impassivity. - -"My father," resumed the Duke, "alarmed at his attitude, has -remonstrated with him but to no purpose other than that of prevailing -upon him to cease making public display of his opinions. He therefore -no longer proclaims them from the house-top. You, Thérčse, employing the -influence with which your virtues invest you, must caution Ferdinand and -his wife, Caroline, against indiscretions. Insist that the members of -the royal family must act in harmony. What would be the consequence of -the slightest admission?" And, as she remained silent, he added, "You do -not answer." - -"Yes, yes, I am about to answer. For three nights I have not slept and -for three days I have prayed continually. O, if among those who assume -my brother's name, there be one who presents proofs,--do you -hear?--irrefutable proofs, to such a one we have no right to apply the -epithet impostor. If he bear incontestable documentary evidence, should -we longer doubt? You know well that Charles Louis's death certificate -has never been found. The copy which exists is not authentic." - -Lowering her voice still more, even though aware that they could not be -overheard, she continued: - -"You know also that I went incognito to the Hospital of Incurables and -interviewed the cobbler's wife. Notwithstanding my disguise, the -unfortunate woman knew me and said: 'I am not insane. They have placed -me here to silence me. The boy lives.'" - -The Duke paced feverishly up and down. - -"There are a thousand testimonials and asseverations by conscientious -persons who have recognized this claimant. He says things which only my -brother can say. And as the time has come to speak the whole truth, I -shall tell you that he has written to me. His letter has rested here -three days; it burns like a live coal. It burns my fingers and my -heart." - -She pulled the paper from her bosom and placed it before him. - -"I had thought myself incapable of tears. I had wept so much that it -seemed impossible to weep always. But this letter has unsealed my tear -ducts. This man knows only what my brother would know. He entreats an -interview. He wishes me to decide his claim. He asks that my heart be -judge, though he offers to bring documentary proofs which any court -would sustain. Why do we refuse to hear him?" - -The Duke's perturbation increased. - -"Thérčse," he said at length, "your affection for your dead brother is -so well known that these pretenders seek to exploit that affection. -Beware! An imprudent act may blight the dynasty and France; be the ruin -of us all. It rests with you to avert this impending disaster." - -"With me? Why with me?" - -"Yes, with you," he said almost harshly. "Why did you refuse the -embalmed heart sent you by the physician who performed the autopsy on -the dead boy in the tower? It was a mistake,--a terrible mistake. The -public got wind of it--" - -"You say I should have received that offering?--that heart which never -beat in my brother's breast? You dare reproach me with that refusal? -Answer me this: why has the King refused up to this day to be anointed? -Why has the Pope forbidden us to celebrate Charles Louis's funeral -rites? Have you forgotten the singular proceeding of suspending the -mortuary ceremony after the church has been draped in black and the -clergy vested? Have you forgotten the Nuncio's announcement: 'The Church -offers up requiem masses only for the dead?'" - -The Duke was dumb. - -"Listen," she continued. "Last night as I lay awake the voice of my -mother came to me softly and full of tears. She said only: 'Marie -Thérčse! Marie Thérčse!'" - -Losing control of herself, the Duchess sobbed aloud, her face in her -hands. - -"We must restore the stolen crown, descend from the usurper's throne. -Ferdinand is right. Why fight an unworthy battle? There are proofs -before which we must recede. You say I am the only man of the family. -'Tis that I am the only member of the family who looks the situation in -the face. Tell the King that there is but one way of demonstrating his -courage; to deliver up his ill gotten goods and make restitution." - -The Duke unable to find his voice, mutely rose. Saluting his wife with -the same reverential air he had employed on entering, he passed out of -the door. - - - - -Chapter III - -REASONS OF STATE - - -The interior of the King's cabinet contrasted strikingly with the -apartment we have just left. Here we find a veritable museum arranged by -an intelligent hand which has collected something of the most beautiful -in each esthetic epoch. - -The Monarch stretched upon his invalid's couch, surrounded by cushions, -his limbs bandaged, converses with his Minister of Police. A fire glows -on the hearth, notwithstanding the warmth of the apartment, all the -windows and doors being closed. 'Tis the loving heart of the young -Countess Cayla that has designed the arrangement of furniture, etc., -with the effect of securing the greatest comfort. - -Disease makes noticeable ravages in the royal countenance, which, though -still expressing a keen intellectual and reflective penetration, even a -repressed enthusiasm, begins to become bloated by an insidious edema. -The eyes, back of their swollen lids, betray blood decomposition. When -the King changes his position, a medicinal odor floats through the -elegant apartment, notwithstanding the profusion of rare flowers in -alabaster Pompeian vases,--prodigies of antique art,--flowers, brought -by the Countess to her invalid friend. - -The King economized his conversational forces, replying only when -necessity compelled: his words were always affluent and opportune. He -listened attentively to the Minister, who was saying: - -"Greater danger has never threatened the monarchy. I have long foreseen -the evil. 'Tis of many years' standing. My predecessors--I must do them -justice--took every precaution to obviate the result. Le Coq in Berlin -endeavored to prevent what today seems imminent." - -Lecazes took a pinch of snuff, and resumed: - -"Your Majesty cannot doubt my zeal and activity. My devotion to the -cause has been demonstrated. I have never vacillated in critical -moments, never weakly yielded to circumstances. But in spite of my -efforts and circumspection, a catastrophe stares us in the face." - -The King listened attentively and the Minister went on. - -"I have endeavored to spare your Majesty the annoyance of listening to -these alarms. I come now to appeal for your help, for only you may avert -the danger. - -"One of my deputies, the most resourceful of all, my right hand, indeed, -by name Volpetti, who for a time was in the service of Caroline, Queen -of Sicily;--this Volpetti has for years tracked that--that dangerous -creature. So far he has subjected him to living in a position in which -mischief was impossible of accomplishment. He has been incapacitated for -the attaining of any real advantage--This Volpetti was bequeathed me by -Fouché. He was employed in the surveillance of the individual in -question when I became Minister. During Napoleon's ascendancy, Volpetti -kept this individual well concealed in a Vincennes dungeon; but the -Empress Josephine, with the end of employing him as a weapon in view of -the contingent divorce, adopted the policy of befriending and, finally -of liberating him. After leaving Vincennes, our individual turns up in -Prussia. As he had no civil status, he could give no trouble. He was -nobody. At that time, Volpetti conceived a brilliant idea, that of -playing the friend. He lent him a passport bearing a fictitious name and -authorizing him to reside in Spandau. The individual has never been able -to shuffle off his name. O there is no prison so secure as a name." - -"Nevertheless," interposed the King, "when one possesses documents -proving one's identity--" - -"I am coming to that," said the Minister, waving his hand in order to -dispel apprehension. - -"The preservation of those documents, thro all these years of -vicissitudes is the knot which I cannot unravel. Whence come they? I -conjecture they procede from Barras (with his mania for collections), -and that he gave them to Josephine. She in turn placed them with -Montmorin, who planned his escape and who was subsequently killed in a -skirmish. Those papers constituted an infernal magazine which threatened -to explode at any moment. Volpetti rested not in his search for them, -but they were skilfully concealed. As a last resort, he insinuated into -the life of the individual a woman, excellent hearted and who was -persuaded that she rendered a veritable service by advising him to -deliver the papers to Le Coq." - -"And did he?" inquired the King in graceful irony. "I wager that the -woman attained her ends." - -"Yes, your Majesty, he delivered certain papers, but the most important -ones he kept--the devil knows where. He preserves them to this day in a -casket." - -"Next to woman, the gravest perils to man are documents," murmured the -King in persistent irony. - -"Realizing the impossibility of recovering the papers from Le Coq, the -individual subsided. He is of a pacific temperament, tending to inaction -and retirement. He married and devoted himself to his trade of -watch-making--" - -"'Tis a family proclivity," observed the King. - -"I was saying he is devoted to watch-making and the care of his several -children, among whom there is a daughter, who as a contrast to her -father's impassivity, is action and energy incarnate. It was his ill -fortune to be indicted as an incendiary and counterfeiter and to serve -sentence at hard labor in Silesia--" - -"Did this ill fortune come to him in consequence of the cautious policy -of my astute friend and Minister, Lecazes? Let us have no figures of -rhetoric here." - -"Your Majesty, when matters arrange themselves in favorable -combinations, a wise man loses no time in hesitation. The sentence -passed was so favorable to our cause, was so strong a card to reserve, -should the individual carry his claims before a tribunal. Think of it! -Counterfeiter, incendiary!--sufficient, I should think, to deter members -of the nobility from advocating his cause, should they be inclined to do -so. Should we complain if hams be rained into our mouths? Shall we -bewail the great number of impostors and dupes who have appeared from -all quarters, finally occasioning so much skepticism among the people -that one more or less makes no difference to them?" - -Again the King smiled. - -"Come," said he, delighting to pierce the diplomatic artifices of his -minister, "I agree that we have no reason to complain; above all when it -appears that among the horde of spurious Dauphins there is one bearing -marks not unknown to us. Let us talk as men who have learned to vanquish -their conscience; surely we shall not display such bad taste as to -become pedantic moralists." - -Lecazes smiled in his turn. - -"I do not think," continued the royal invalid in whimsical banter, "that -you class me among the abettors of my nephew; Ferdinand's ardent wish is -to embrace his recovered cousin. Lecazes, prepare to hand in your -resignation on the day of my death." - -"Happily for us, your Majesty is much stronger than you yourself -believe. Long life and long reign have you in prospect." - -Having delivered himself of this flattery, he resumed: - -"It is stated in the court records that the chief cause of the -individual's condemnation was the indignation produced by his absurd -pretensions. He was not proved guilty. He stated that he had been born a -prince and this lost him the respect of the court. My complaint of the -proceedings is that the sentence was for so brief a term. To imprison a -man for a season is only to make him more set in his convictions. When -liberated he is more dangerous than ever. If your Majesty were to ask my -opinion of this man, I should say he was less knave than visionary. -Owing to the stupidity of the Prussian police, it has been impossible to -discover a trace of his ancestry or place of birth. He claims that this -failure to produce confuting evidence proves his claim, and he speaks -logically there." - -"He does indeed." - -"Well, our--maniac left prison more than ever determined to sustain his -pretensions. To the children that were successively born to him he gave -such names as Amélie (in memory of the flight); Marie Antoinette, -Charles, Edward. This may seem inoffensive, but 'tis far from being so. -Persistency in this fixed idea has continued to envelop him more and -more in a tattered purple mantle. His sceptre is a reed in truth, but it -gives him, nevertheless, the appearance of a persecuted martyr. Your -Majesty will agree that our individual is not to be placed in the same -category as the multitude whom, after disproving, we have endeavored to -construct into a parapet serving as a blockade to effectually shut out -possible pretenders bearing credentials having the appearance of -genuiness." - -"I agree with you that this is a grave matter." - -"That aureole of martyrdom elicits faith and devotion. For example, when -the individual on leaving prison established himself in Crossen, with -not a sou in his purse, he found there a magistrate who gave him a large -sum of money and became a champion of his cause. His enthusiasm became -so pronounced that the prince of Coralath's secretary was obliged to -observe to the fellow that Prussia contained dungeons for the reception -of those who meddle in what does not concern them. The remark having no -effect, the magistrate soon received in heaven the reward for his -devotion to the cause." - -"Did he die?" inquired the King. - -"He did, your Majesty, from a sudden illness. We have reason to believe -that he and no other was the guardian of the cursed documents, those -explosives. When dying, he spoke incoherently of the prince's papers." - -"Why was the opportunity not improved?" - -"Unfortunately I was not on hand. The police got wind of the death and -confiscated what papers they could lay their hands on, but those desired -were evidently well concealed. The German police have leaden feet and -heads of straw. Was it not childish to search for evidences in the house -of the suspected man? A fool indeed would he have been to hide them -there. Not less than ten times has the impostor's house been raided, -under pretext of fire or burglary or what not, but to no purpose. They -have not been near him. But lately since his residence in England he has -kept them, for in England we have not so free a field--" - -"He has lived in England?" - -"Yes, your Majesty, he moved there from Prussia, realizing that a -country whose cabinet was not on friendly terms with ours and in which -respect for the home is carried to great lengths, was a more appropriate -habitat for him than Prussia. In England our individual, ceasing to -write letters to influential personages of Europe and failing to -receive the desired recognition, devoted himself to watch-making and -chemistry. He is said to have invented a new explosive." - -"Why then has he been molested? When a man lives inoffensively--" - -"Your Majesty, he was not disturbed, tho we continued to watch him. Our -suspicions were aroused when we learned that he had sent his eldest -daughter to France. This girl is an able strategist, a second edition of -La Mothe. She caught in her net no less a nobleman than the Marquis de -Brezé." - -"Eve enters the garden," piquantly observed the King. - -"Matters became complicated indeed. The girl sought nothing less than -the undermining of the throne. I tried to sever the cords by making the -Duchess of Rousillon--" - -"That inflated hen? Competent agent indeed!" - -"I commissioned her to reveal the antecedents of the girl's father to -the infatuated Marquis. But Love was blind as usual, and the Marquis -slipped through our hands and arrived in England just in time to save -his prospective father-in-law's life." - -"His life? Who threatened his life?" - -"Oh, pickpockets! one of those nocturnal encounters so common in London -streets. That is an unimportant detail in our narrative. We are -reaching the heart of the matter. The girl had captured the Marquis with -the aim of establishing in the very camp of French aristocracy a -following for her father. The precious documents were confided to René -and a journey to France arranged, the three to meet in Dover." - -"And how have you ascertained these particulars, Baron?" - -"Should I be doing my duty, did I not gather every particular? My -business is to know all things regarding this infernal plot. Volpetti no -sooner learned where the confederates were to meet than he arranged to -put up at the same inn. He possessed himself of the papers by the -cleverest strategy--" - -The King, unmindful of his disabled limbs, half jumped from the couch. - -"Then we are saved!" he cried. "For Volpetti surely destroyed them at -once." - -"Your Majesty, I never trust my agents implicitly. I spy upon my spies. -Fruits of research I require to be always delivered into my hands. -Otherwise, they might report to me that damning testimony has been -destroyed, and meanwhile retain the deadly weapon, to turn it at any -moment against me. No, they have express orders to destroy nothing." - -"You were saying that Volpetti obtained possession of the papers." - -"Yes; now the imbroglio becomes more complicated. A new power intervenes -in the individual's behalf. Can your Majesty guess whom I mean?" - -"The Carbonari." - -"Precisely; the Carbonari,--the association which plants mines under our -feet, and which carries on the Revolution beneath the earth. They have -written on their statutes: 'The Bourbons have been brought back by -foreigners; the Carbonari will restore to France freedom of choice.' -Your Majesty, this society has members in every department of -government; they are numerous in the army; they exist even in the Royal -Council. They make it impossible for us to obliterate devotion to -Napoleon; they constitute an incessant protest against the established -régime." - -"How the devil did the Carbonari become the champions of this -pretender?" - -"A countermine, your Majesty. It happened that in Dover at the same inn -were two members of the order having unsettled scores from old Italian -days against Jacome Volpetti." - -"My friend, the spy who was set upon the individual should have had no -unsettled scores pending with members of the Carbonari." - -Lecazes winced, tho he was well aware that the words had for their sole -object giving annoyance to him. He continued: - -"Well, the Carbonari succeeded in murdering the police agent who -accompanied our spy. They then despoiled Volpetti of the papers, after -which they carried him, tied and gagged, aboard a French vessel, whose -captain was also a member of the association. He would have been -murdered also, had he not succeeded in freeing himself and leaping into -the sea, from which he was rescued by an English schooner. The French -vessel gave chase and so riddled the other by cannon balls, that, unable -to defend herself, and being moreover the victim of a fire which--" - -"Bravo, Lecazes, redoubtable romancer!" exclaimed the King mockingly. - -"Your Majesty, I relate history, beside which romancing is a tame art. -Weil, to resume: in spite of piracy and conflagration, Volpetti reached -the coast near Pleneuf. At the same time, unaware of their enemy's -salvation, the two Carbonari, de Brezé, Naundorff and his daughter -disembarked also on French soil." - -"How do you explain the coalition of the Carbonari and the pretender?" - -"Your Majesty is well aware that, provided they work against the present -administration, the association has carte blanche to make such -combinations as are considered best. In that branch of the Carbonari -known as Knights of Liberty, each member is free to follow his own -judgment, to take risks and accept consequences. The Knights of Liberty -constitute the germinating centre of crime. Notwithstanding the dispatch -with which Volpetti issued warnings that the party be denied entry into -Paris, he was outwitted. They arrived. The individual is _here_, beneath -the powerful shelter of the association. The documents are doubtless -well guarded. All efforts to obtain them by violence would be in vain. I -have not the slightest clue to their place of concealment." - -"Is de Brezé with the pretender?" - -"Yes, and one of the Carbonari, an Italian." - -"Where is the girl?" - -"She has been placed for security in the Castle of Picmort. She was -guarded by one of the Carbonari, but this man has started on one of -those journeys which are characteristic of the society." - -"Do you not consider it possible that the girl carries the documents?" - -"I do not think so. In the first place, de Brezé through chivalry,--and -he is a Paladin--would never give her a charge of grave peril; besides, -the place for those papers is Paris." - -"Then peace and happiness to the maiden in her Picmort refuge!" sighed -the King. - -"The Duchess informs me that the steward of the castle may prove a -formidable rival to the Marquis in the affections of the fascinating -intriguante." - -"My blessing on the sylvan pair! An eclogue, indeed! A peasant lover!" -remarked the King with a Voltairian laugh, after which he hummed: - - "In the lap of Phillis - Damon streweth flowers - Wet with dews of morning." - -Lecazes, not heeding the poetical interruption, continued: - -"With regard to the documents, your Majesty, a subject which seems to -bore you, I affirm that they are in Paris, because, among other reasons, -the individual would have need of them in order to convince Madame the -Duchess, whom it is his intention of addressing--" - -"Also Ferdinand, I suppose--" - -"Ferdinand is already convinced. Is your Majesty, perchance, ignorant -that he recognizes the pretender? But his action is of no moment -compared to that of Madame, the Dauphin's prison companion. Madame -should be warned." - -"What plan do you propose, Lecazes? As for me, I confess myself -incompetent to forge methods of outwitting a woman." - -"Listen, then. If we might arrange that Madame shall receive the -individual--" - -"What!" exclaimed the King. - -"If she will grant him this secret interview and exact that he deliver -to her the documents, in order that she may become convinced of his -identity--" - -The King applauded, cordially, sonorously, as tho he were a spectator at -a theatrical representation,--the only character, he used to say, that -suited him. He rendered homage to his Minister's genius. - -"Enough!" he exclaimed. "I comprehend." - -"Your Majesty divines the rest?" - -"I divine, my friend, but--" - -Lecazes radiantly took a pinch of aromatic snuff, and asked: - -"But what?" - -"But who is to tie the bell on the cat's neck? Who is to persuade my -niece--" - -"Her husband may convince her." - -"Her husband? Lecazes, you and I are not children. My good nephew Louis -is unacquainted with the art of influencing his wife. He treats her with -such profound respect that--well, they fail utterly to understand each -other. Whence comes this awkwardness in the second generation in dealing -with women? Louis is my reproach, though I must admit that Ferdinand -does me honor. Besides, Lecazes, you know well that I have instructed -Louis to advise his wife to act as tho no such impostor exists." - -Steps sounded in the adjoining apartment. - -"Silence!" said the King. "Tis Ferdinand or Louis." - -A moment later, the elegant martial figure of the Duke appeared in the -door. - -"You arrive opportunely, nephew," said Louis XVIII, as the Duke -respectfully kissed his hand. "Be seated and give us news. What says -Marie Thérčse?" - -"Sire, I do not bring you pleasant news. Madame is strangely exalted. -She has received a letter from that--man, which she carries over her -heart." - -"Repress your jealousy," replied the King in banter. - -"I experience only sadness," replied the Duke with sincerity, "She -suffers greatly and I suffer with her. She has not slept for three -nights nor eaten for three days. She passes hours in prayer--" - -"That is your fault!" - -"Mine, sire?" exclaimed the Duke. - -"Emphatically so, my little Louis. When a woman, such as is your wife, a -woman who would die rather than even look at another man,--when she -becomes fad, 'tis that her husband is indifferent. Listen; the time has -come when I must speak the truth: you have behaved like a simpleton. You -have never won her heart. You have treated her with a veneration such as -the devote evinces toward the marble statues of saints." - -"Sire, you know well that I am more in my element at the head of a -regiment than with women. I do not understand them." - -"The devil! This cursed generation seems to have been born blasé, -destitute even of a sense of beauty. The reason that I love your brother -Ferdinand is that he is the living reproduction of our ancestor, Henry -of Navarre. The 'ultras' are scandalized at his romance with the English -girl. Well, we must beautify our life with illusion or we should become -stone. I have kept my heart in its place always, even though I have -been a wretched invalid. Not that I have given myself up to material -joys. We become divine through that exaltation evoked by the presence of -woman. The Countess is the intermediary between soul and faith,--faith -in the beautiful. You know that here there is no possibility of descent -into matter--An old man in ruined health!" - -The Duke frowned, struggling between respect for his uncle and -repugnance towards his theories. - -"In short, Louis, my aching limbs are already in the grave. I have done -ail in my power to protect the institutions in my charge. I have -subjugated my convictions, my reason, my skepticism, in order to be true -to the trust confided to me. With my right hand I have restrained the -Revolution; with my left the excesses of an imbecile and sanguinary -Reaction. Lecazes has aided me and aids me. But Louis, my heir, if you -falter, I shall contend no longer, even tho the monarchy perish. In vain -will you have combatted at the pass of Ivon, at Ravenheim and -afterwards, beside the unfortunate Eugene. Bah! The hardest battles are -these of state, my son." - -The Duke was moved. When the King discarded his habitual raillery, he -evinced genuine majesty. Almost subjugated, he knelt at his uncle's -feet, saying: - -"What can I do for the monarchy, for God? I am willing to give my life, -if necessary." - -"Much less than that is required," replied the King, affectionately. -"All that I ask is that you act the part of an affectionate husband, -which you are; that you treat your wife tenderly, passionately--" - -"To what end, Sire?" - -"Lecazes will inform you, for I am greatly fatigued. I must be careful -of my forces, as tomorrow will be Wednesday and the Countess Cayla will -be here to make some hours heaven to me." - - - - -Chapter IV - -CONJUGAL LOVE - - -That evening at the customary hour for lighting the lamps in the various -apartments of the royal palace, the ladies in waiting to Madame the -Duchess were surprised to see her accompanied by her husband on leaving -the table. As the august pair entered the Duchess's apartments, the -attendants discreetly withdrew and the lady motioned the Duke to a seat; -but he, with unaccustomed gallantry, hastened to place himself beside -her on the sofa and with the precipitation characteristic of a limited -experience in conjugal affectionate demonstration, seized both her hands -and effusively began: - -"Thérčse, do you remember what anniversary it is tomorrow? The tenth of -June, our marriage day?" - -"Indeed?" she replied. "How slowly time passes." - -"To me it seems as tho we had been married yesterday. 'Twas in the -little chapel of Mittau. Listen, Thérčse: I fear at times that I have -not made you happy. Am I mistaken? You treat me so distantly." - -"I have been--happy," she stammered. "You know that it is not in my -nature to be violently so." - -"The time of mourning has passed," he said, kissing her slender -patrician hands. "Look back no longer. Those who have suffered as much -as we have a right to happiness." - -Her face flushed as his warmth increased. - -"To live and rejoice!" she sighed. "That is not my destiny, nor yours, -Louis. We have greater trials in store. I feel their approach. I told -you this morning that we have not sufficiently expiated." - -"My Thérčse, you who are so good a Christian should not impugn the -justice of God. Have you not suffered sufficiently to appease Him? Have -you not even the right to breathe? Do you experience no emotion now that -your husband is at your side? Were the reasons of state which prescribed -our marriage not in accord with your sentiment? Would you choose me -again if you were free? Can you not love?" - -She blushed to hear these extraordinary words. His transformation was -wonderful and seemed to be changing her, the austere Duchess, into a -girl of twenty. - -"Louis," she answered with noble simplicity, "since the death of my -parents, I have loved only you. I fear at times that God will punish -this excessive devotion to a creature." - -"Cousin, wife," he ardently exclaimed, "'tis God's will that we love -each other. You know well that tho at times I seem absorbed and cold, I -am never even in thought unfaithful. Have you any complaint, any -accusation?" - -"I have believed," she replied, "that you did not love me. But I have -never doubted you. That would have been unendurable." - -He clasped her to his breast. - -"Since you are so well convinced of my love," he whispered, "you will -grant a request, you will permit me to influence that upright -conscience, that noble heart." - -She drew herself away instinctively, but he clasped her more closely, -and she remained a happy prisoner. - -"My wife," he pursued, "you are under the domination of a great sorrow. -This morning you were almost hysterical. I suffered in seeing you so -troubled. Now, we must be absolutely frank with one another. I fear for -your reason if you continue to torment yourself about an ambitious fool. -Listen to me and listen tranquilly. Your clear intelligence has become -temporarily clouded. Your mind will soon recover its lucidity. You are -now of the opinion that the man is being victimized, whereas he is -nothing more than a keen-witted impostor, bolder and armed with more -formidable documents than his predecessors." - -"Do you really believe that the writer of this letter is an impostor?" - -"Well: not precisely an impostor, Thérčse,--a dupe, rather, believing -himself to be the prince. 'Tis a frequent phenomenon. Our reason is -subject to such fluctuations that one is capable of confusing even his -own individuality with that of another. You doubtless remember the case -of the Spanish pie-vender who believed himself King Sebastian; or -Pougatchef of Russia who under the name of Demetrius claimed the -throne." - -"What of the documents mentioned in the letter which he maintains would -confirm his claim before any French tribunal?" - -"Little by little. To begin with, we are not certain that they exist. -Have you seen them? Doubt, then, of their existence, until you have them -in your hands for examination. Let us suppose that the documents are -genuine, does it therefore follow that the possessor is the prince? So -great has been the confusion caused by the Revolution, unscrupulous -persons have acquired such unrestricted power, our family secrets have -been so profanely exploited, that 'twould be no wonder indeed that the -papers should be in the hands of the veriest adventurer." - -She remained silent, but the voice she loved so well opened an ever -widening breach in her faith. - -"Reflect," he continued, "how the Revolution has scattered important -papers. Great frauds have stood upon stolen or spurious documents. But -in this instance 'tis evident that the entire plot has for its object -the exploitation of your credulity and tender memories. In order to -prove whether his claim be true or false, subject your correspondent to -a test." - -"Louis," she said, clasping her hands, "on listening to you, my reason -vacillates. My God, what shall I do?" - -"Bid the man come to you." - -"Did you not this morning express disapproval of my receiving him?" - -"I have changed my mind. You must grant him a secret interview. You must -discover the nature of those documents. Require him to bring them to -you. You surely do not intend to take his word for it that they exist. -Get possession of his proofs and then we shall be able to judge.--Now, -let me tell you something of this man's past life. You know nothing of -his history, tho he is proposing to throw himself into your arms. He -belongs to the lowest class of Prussian people. His father was a -mechanic, son of a kettle-mender. Until very recently he has been a -watch-maker. He has been convicted of two grave crimes,--counterfeiting -and arson. He has served a sentence at hard labor in a Silesia prison. -What say you, Thérčse, to the seating upon the throne of Saint Louis a -felon whose wrists and ankles have borne infamous manacles?" - -She looked affrightedly at her husband. - -"You are horrified? Well, you have heard but the beginning. This man was -the victim of misery owing, in all probability, to his vices. He was -rescued by a woman. This woman, many years his senior, was for a long -period his--Thérčse I dare not explain the relation to you. I respect -you too highly to pronounce the revolting words. But what do you say to -the artifice of calling this woman his sister? Can you longer believe it -probable that his body holds the royal blood?" - -The blow was well aimed. The color mounted to the Duchess's face and she -assumed an indignant attitude. The Duke caressed her consolingly: - -"After that unsavory episode, he contracted matrimony. His wife is a -woman of the lowest origin, vulgar, insignificant. But, in compensation, -he has an ambitious daughter, a veritable phenomenon indeed. 'Tis not an -ordinary spectacle, that of a girl of eighteen or nineteen occupying -herself with vaulting schemes--" - -"Perhaps not with vaulting schemes," rejoined the Duchess meditatively. -"Nevertheless at eighteen there exists a clear comprehension of duty and -expediency--" - -"O Thérčse, _you_, you were early matured through suffering." - -"And perhaps this young girl also." - -The Duke was silent. He regretted the turn their conversation had taken. -He sought not to awaken pity, so he suddenly faced his battery in -another direction. - -"Your would-be brother, the Prussian mechanic, seeks to found a new -religion. He is therefore a heretic, which is reason sufficient for -excommunication and deprivation of the Church's sacraments." - -These words produced an extraordinary effect upon the Duchess. She was a -fervent Catholic devotee, intensified by the Revolution. Her cheeks -burned and her eyes shot anger. - -"Not only does he profess heresy," resumed the Duke, "but he proclaims -and propagates his doctrines. He has written a book entitled 'The -Heavenly Doctrine.' It contains an arraignment of the Church and -interprets arbitrarily the Holy Scriptures. 'Tis clear that his motive -in attacking Catholicity is retaliation, the Pope having refused to -indorse his absurd pretensions. His marriage was according to Protestant -rites. It is claimed that he reckons as a saint that old Martin who -pretends revelations from the archangel Raphael." - -"The King has received that old man," remarked the Duchess. "It is said -that he spoke dreadful prophecies. The hand of God weighs heavily upon -us!" - -"Thérčse, it is unworthy a strong intelligence to attach importance to -such nonsense. The old idiot would today be in a mad-house but for the -indulgence of the King." - -"Well," said she, making a great effort, "am I to grant this interview, -then?" - -"Certainly, that your mind may be at rest. Light drives away phantoms. -The King desires you to receive the man. Make it a condition that he -bring the documents. Arrange that the conference be secret, for 'tis -necessary to proceed with the greatest caution. Our enemies are -vigilant. Thérčse, I hold forth both arms to sustain the tottering -throne, but shall be powerless unless you help me. Have I in you an -ally? You and I must not work at cross purposes." - -He clasped his wife in his arms, uttering endearing words which seemed a -promise of new days, full of happiness, and of a perfect union. The -Duchess listened rapturously to the husband whom the state and church -had given her. Her smothered youth rose in a strong tide. She realized -that the grief which had really oppressed her through so many years was -the glacial attitude which she and the Duke had maintained towards; each -other. Closing her eyes, she leaned upon his; breast. He folded her in -his arms and led her into the adjoining apartment, her dormitory, -through which they passed into the oratory. They walked to the crimson -prie-Dieu and knelt together upon; the velvet cushion. Holding her hand -tightly, he solemnly said: - -"Before God, who hears us, Thérčse,--sole woman that exists on earth for -me,--and He knows I speak the truth,--promise me that you will save the -royal House of France from perishing, that you will not permit the -impious to rejoice nor the enemies of the cause to triumph, that you -will prevent the sacred oil from being poured upon the head of this -counterfeiter, this incendiary, this heretic. If he be an impostor, -'twould be sacrilegious; if he be not an impostor (to state an -impossible case) his accession to the throne would let loose again -license and unbridled passions which would precipitate a second -Revolution. Promise, Thérčse. Swear!" - -She raised her eyes to the crucifix. The thorn-crowned face against the -dark background seemed, in a sublime melancholy, to murmur: "Father -forgive them--" The oath died on her lips. - -"Swear, Thérčse, my love, my wife!" repeated the Duke. - -Tears coursed down her face as she groaned: "I swear, my God, I swear," -and sank in a nervous paroxysm into her husband's arms. He had -triumphed. Sustaining her, he led the Duchess from the oratory. - - - - -Chapter V - -THE SISTER - - -In the sitting-room of a small inn whose sign reads "Hotel d'Orleans" -sat the five persons whom the Polipheme brought to France. Amélie, no -longer a fresh radiant girl, and in deep mourning for her husband, Jean -Vilon, sits beside René who whispers: - -"When shall I see you light-hearted, Amélie? I am jealous of the dead. -He robs me of you." - -"What else may I do than wear black? He was a great heart. Do not wonder -at my grief, René." - -Naundorff's face was almost transfigured. He looked twenty years -younger. He seemed to have lost consciousness of his past sufferings. -Joy obliterated sorrow and his lips were wreathed in smiles. - -"My friends," he was saying, "I reproach myself for having doubted of -human justice. Early or late, the human heart turns to good as the body -to earth. This is the happiest moment of my unhappy life. I am about to -receive a great consolation and greatly did I require it, for on -reaching Paris, my old wounds were re-opened. To return here after so -many years and with such a record fastened to my name! I have visited my -parents' prison. Yes, I have had the courage to do so. I am a man of -memories. The tower has already been demolished. What haste to -obliterate my past! In the remainder of the building a convent has been -established, to which I have been refused admittance. I was brave enough -to walk on the bloody ground whereon my mother--" - -Amélie rose and threw her arms around her father's neck. - -"Why do I dwell on this theme?" he asked, resuming his radiant -expression. "Has not my destiny changed aspect? In spite of what we have -suffered on the voyage, in spite of what you, my loved Amélie, have -suffered, I say: 'Blessed be the hour in which I left London! Blessed -the inspiration whereby I saved that wretch! These things have been -registered to my credit. Blessed the faith I had in the one person who -can save me and whose heart throbs at the sound of my name!'" - -He fervently crossed his hands in an attitude of prayer. - -"It is my duty to announce to you the secret of my happiness. You have -cast your lives into my cause and braved even death. But danger has at -last ceased; and the sun has chased away the clouds. I am happy, happy. -O how strange that word sounds on my lips!" - -Louis Pierre fixed on Naundorff a penetrating look and said: - -"Monseigneur, we are waiting to know in what that happiness consists--" - -"Listen, listen. This morning at about eleven o'clock a most affable -gentleman brought me a message in answer to a letter I had written,--can -you guess to whom?" - -Then with his heart in his voice, he added: - -"My sister, my sister!" - -There was a moment of silence. Then Amélie asked almost sharply: - -"Are we to infer that Madame does not Know how to write?" - -"My dear child, what more can she do than send me word she will receive -me--" - -"Receive _us_?" asked the girl. - -"No, myself only. Amélie, consider that you are a stranger to her, -whereas I am the companion of her childhood, the boy who wept and -suffered with her during captivity. She consents to see me. Do you -think this little? I asked only that much, for I know that once -together, she will run to embrace me. O that embrace!" - -"Does she summon you to the Palace?" - -"No--not to the palace--" - -"Aha! the meeting is to be clandestine!" - -"My God!" groaned Naundorff. "How you poison the first happiness I have -tasted! Can you not read the state of my soul? Ambition! 'Tis an -illusive folly. I long only for those arms to be opened to me in which -as a little child I slept. What are a crown and sceptre worth? Such -baubles do not allure me. I wish above all things to recover my name and -to feel my sister's kisses. Those kisses will banish the spectre back of -my forehead. Am I mad? Have I dreamed my past life? _She_, _she_ will -tell me the truth." - -"But father," remonstrated Amélie, "why do you permit such doubts to -overpower you? Do you not possess proofs? Have you not cited many -corroborating circumstances? Have you not been recognized by your -father's faithful servitors? By Madame Rambaud who rocked you in your -cradle? Did you not remind her that the blue velvet dress you were to -wear to Versailles was tight in the sleeves and that it was in -consequence removed? Did she not exclaim on hearing you: 'This is my -prince and my king?" - -"Well, Amélie, in spite of these testimonials, I, myself falter in -faith. My past seems too extraordinary to fit within the bounds of the -possible. Perhaps I _am_ a visionary, one of the many in the ranks of -spurious Dauphins who have emerged from every corner of France. 'Tis -true that I possess genuine documentary proof; of that I am certain. But -these papers may have been placed in my hands for an end -incomprehensible to me. Montmorin, himself, that hero of loyalty, may -have been duped. This is the terrible suspicion which seizes me always -at the moment when I most require confidence and courage." - -Amélie sent René a look almost of anguish. Naundorff continued: - -"_She_ is the only cure for this unbearable incertitude. _She_ is all -that remains of my past. Her voice calling me 'Brother' will sweep the -cobwebs from my brain and restore my faith forever." - -"Are we to understand, Monseigneur," asked René, "that you may not enter -the Palace? Is Madame to visit you here?" - -"No; we have agreed to meet in Versailles park, the place where as -children we so often played together. My sister is accustomed to visit -Versailles occasionally that she may be undisturbed in her religious -devotions and perform works of charity among the poor. Ah! my sister is -an angel. In the midst of the brilliant court life, she is an angel. -They have sought to harden her and weaken her clear judgment, but such -effort has been futile. Yes, 'tis Versailles where we shall meet in six -days, next Thursday. I am to be just without the garden. We are to meet -in the grove of Apollo, from which the public is excluded; she visits -the park only on festival days. All these details have been -explained.--I know so well that our first act will be to cast ourselves -into each other's arms and mingle our tears. We have not yet mourned our -mother together!" - -Louis Pierre contracted his thin lips in a bitter smile and caustically -remarked: - -"So this is to be all, Monseigneur? Only a fraternal embrace?" - -"No, indeed. She wishes to see the documents. I shall therefore take -them to her and also the manuscript--" - -If a bomb had exploded in their midst, not more consternation could have -been evinced. They exclaimed in chorus: - -"The papers!" - -"Never!" protested Amélie. - -"'Tis an infernal trap!" exclaimed Louis Pierre. - -"Bandits! The snare is well laid," added Giacinto. - -"Monseigneur!" implored de Brezé. "Those papers are of inestimable value -to us; they should be exhibited only before a court of justice. Our -enemies seek to obtain possession of these papers, and, if they succeed, -our cause is lost. The watch-maker Naundorff will be without proofs of -his identity." - -Naundorff became tremulous with anger. - -"Dare not impute such infamy to my sister or I shall attribute villainy -to yourselves. In this matter, I accept suggestions from no one. 'Tis an -affair between God and myself. This is not a question for man to settle, -for what value have the misleading judgments of earth? _I_ alone decide. -_I_ am the State! _I_ am the King. These papers pertain to myself only, -even as my life is my exclusive property. If my sister, on seeing me, -shall waive material proofs, how happy I shall be! But if she doubt or -repulse me, what a joy, what a Satanic joy 'twill be to fling these -testimonials in her face and say, 'Farewell forever. Our mother curses -you!'" - -He broke into a mocking laugh, such a laugh as terminates in nervous -hysteria, while the others with saddened faces remained silent. Then he -rose to leave, saying to de Brezé: - -"René, I trust to you to bring me the papers Thursday morning. If you do -not accede to this request, you will force me to violence." - -As he passed out, Amélie said entreatingly to her lover: - -"Save him in spite of himself. Keep them in their place of concealment, -for there they are secure." - -"Most secure," replied de Brezé. "They are with a friend, Gontran de -Lome. He thinks them a compromising love correspondence of mine. Who -would suspect that amiable Lovelace? Nevertheless, in spite of his -dissipations, he is a man of honor and discretion. I guarantee the -security of the papers while they remain with Gontran. But should your -father demand them, Amélie, I cannot refuse. He is the arbiter of his -fate and of our own as well." - -The Carbonari meanwhile conversed in low tones. After a while Louis -Pierre advanced saying: - -"There lives in Versailles a sister of mine, who terminated her vagrant -peddling existence by the establishment of a little shop. Giacinto and I -have formulated a plan which we shall explain to you. We cannot fold -our arms in the moment of danger." - -"Noble friends!" said Amélie, extending her hands to the two men. - -"No, Mademoiselle; you are entitled to our lives. You were made in -heaven and the mourning you wear for that unfortunate peasant testifies -to the greatness of your soul. I would let myself be torn to pieces for -you. Our danger is grave. From the moment the papers are delivered to -our enemies, our necks will be in danger. Louis Pierre and I are -endeavoring to counteract the blunder which--pardon me,--was committed -in consequence of your father's generosity. I take an oath that 'tis the -man whom I have vowed to kill that has woven the net which has caught -your father. Has not your father suffered enough to destroy the -impression that all men are to be trusted?" - -"My opinion," said Louis Pierre, "is that the hands that have woven the -snare are whiter and more patrician than the spy's, however much he love -and care for them. An iniquitous plot has been hatched at the Duchess's -shoulders, for the securing of the papers. If we find it impossible to -prevent the catastrophe, why vengeance remains," he concluded, his face -taking on a tragic grandeur. - - - - -Chapter VI - -LOUIS PIERRE'S SISTER - - -Those to whom the gardens and parks of Versailles are not familiar can -form no idea of the manner in which aristocratic dignity imparts -elegance to rural, sites. The impression is not that of sweet melancholy -so often produced by country scenes but rather of a lofty magnificence, -which weighs upon the soul and becomes even a solemn ennui, which -proceeds from the very regularity and grandeur of the royal domain, -wherein one still involuntarily looks for powder-headed dames and -cavaliers in embroidered waist-coats. - -On Sundays it was permitted the public to enjoy the park, which during -the week was deserted save for the gardeners and guard, who, wearing -bandoliers and holding rifles, watched over the safety of whatever -members of the royal family happened to be in the Palace. - -Nazario Patin, sergeant of the guard, was quite taken aback on receiving -orders to retire the soldiers on Thursday from the avenue leading to -the Great lawn, from the Latona pond, the Columnata wood and the Apollo -grove. A second order, no less explicit, followed to the effect that he -was to hold these guards in waiting in the assembly hall, in case they -should be needed. - -On Wednesday evening the Duchess arrived at the Palace. Patin -soliloquized: - -"She wishes to promenade tomorrow and look on no human countenance, so -greatly is she given to prayer and meditation. But that the guard should -be retired! Hum! I can't understand." - -On Thursday four men wearing the simple uniform of the ordinary guard, -bearing rifles and in their belts hunting knives, arrived in the -deserted park from the Ville d'Avray road and approached one of the -little gates opening towards les Trianones which Marie Antoinette, -discarding pompous ceremonial, used to frequent. Cautiously they opened -the gate, using a key carried by him who seemed the leader. They held a -conference in low tones, as tho fearful of disturbing the birds in the -trees. The leader's southern type revived recollections of the Catalan -smuggler, Albert Serra, a gentleman whom we met in the apartments of -Baron Lecazes, just returned from London and professing to have -successfully lightered a ship of a cargo of cutlery. This was -Volpetti's disguise when he wished to represent a man of the lower -classes. - -"Beware!" he was saying to the others. "Listen well and execute even -better. A false step will be fatal to our object. You, Lestrade, are to -guide him into the garden. He comes by the route we have taken and will -travel on foot from this side Le Chesnay. As for you, Sec and La Grive, -remain without, near the gate. I only shall remain inside the park. When -he leaves the garden, I shall follow him; and if I signal you by raising -my arm, throw yourselves upon him, gagging and binding him. Whatever you -find upon his person is to be taken to my superior, the Minister of -Police. No matter what happens save the booty. Your lives, my life, are -worth nothing in comparison. Whoever carries the prize to the Minister -will be a lucky man, I pledge my word." - -Making motions of assent, the party dispersed. A deep quiet spread over -the park, along whose paths the Duchess was even now walking. Her dress -of violet silk embroidered in passementerie, betokened mourning. She -held her hand on her heart to still its beating. At about the same time, -Patin, sergeant of the guard, his services not being required, turned -his steps in the direction of a lady friend, a certain laundress, in -whose kitchen, so gossip had it, there was never lack of savory dishes -and pleasant chitchat for the handsome sergeant. On ascending the -stairway, he met a girl whose face seemed glorified by the splendor -light of yellow hair, arranged in curls, according to the style of the -period. As he drew back to make room for her, he muttered to himself: - -"The picture of the beheaded Queen!" - -Some moments later he was asking the laundress, as she stood at her -table ironing a dainty garment: - -"Who is that young girl in mourning that has just left your neighbor's -apartment?" - -"I do not know. I have never spoken with her but I scent a mystery. -There is a cat in a bag, several cats, rather. You know my neighbor -well." - -"I should say I did. I have known her and her brother Louis Pierre -Louvel a lifetime. Such a sullen silent fellow! I wonder where he is -now. No one seems to have heard of him since the banishment of his -beloved Emperor." - -"Why he is here, my boy. He has been here for three days. He brought -with him to his sister's house that young girl and a handsome young man. -They came stealthily and they have all kept as quiet as mice. I have not -seen even Louis Pierre's sister. She must however go out at night to -buy provisions. But through a window I have seen the f aces of Louis -Pierre and the handsome gentleman." - -"Has he been casting eyes at you?" jealously inquired Patin, whereupon -his mistress boxed his ears, and so diverted his thoughts from this -trend of suspicion regarding the new comers. - -"I could swear that these people are conspiring," remarked the -laundress. - -"You are dreaming, my dear. I have but just met the girl on the stairs. -Why should you become suspicious because a brother visits his sister?" - -"That a brother should visit a sister causes me no surprise, but there -are queer kinds of brothers and queer ways of paying visits. Will you -believe that the sister denied to me yesterday that her brother was with -her?" - -"Rosa, that is indeed strange," remarked the sergeant pensively. - -"I do not like Louis Pierre. He is capable of anything." - -"Well, my little Rosa, stop your gossip. I don't suppose danger is being -plotted. Neither the King nor Princes are in the castle; as for the -Duchess, she is a saint whom no one would harm. What amazes me is the -resemblance of the girl to the dead Queen." - -"She is a live bird, I'll warrant," answered the woman. - -While this dialogue was in progress, the blond girl in black rapidly -crossed several streets and reached a deserted square shaded by elm -trees. She was almost immediately joined by a man with whom she walked -for some distance, entering at last the beginning of a park by a path -which skirted the wall. The man consulted from time to time a paper plan -which he carried in his hands. He stopped suddenly and examined a breach -in the wall. - -"Louis Pierre was right," he said. - -He vaulted the fence and held forth his arms for the girl, who, crawling -along the ruins, came within his reach. Taking her by the waist, he held -her for a moment against his breast and spoke passionate words of love. - -"Amélie!" he whispered, "when will you become mine for all time? I adore -you more than ever." - -"René, I long for it as much as you. But O the saddest of presentiments -weighs upon me. My father's mind seems giving way beneath the weight of -his sorrows. His reason is clouded and confused. If his sister does not -open her arms today, alas for him, alas for us! And she will not; this -interview is part of an infernal plot--" - -"Amélie, you express my fears also. But none of your father's friends -are sleeping on their oars. Louis Pierre knows every inch of ground on -this place. We are here to defend the cause, he, Giacinto and I. 'Twould -have been better had you not come." - -"Perhaps so, René, but I wanted so much to be near you. Do not heed my -seeming coldness of the last few days. How could I fail in mourning for -that innocent, noble man,--victim of low intrigues and his own loyalty? -He typifies the people, the people sacrificed to the classes." - -"I have been jealous of your devotion, your gratitude. I have longed to -be the dead. Had I died, what should you have done?" - -"Died with you, René." - -He stooped and kissed her eyes, holding her close in his arms. - - - - -Chapter VII - -THE INTERVIEW - - -On reaching the appointed place, the Duchess fell upon a garden seat, -seemingly very tired. Taking a lace handkerchief from the reticule which -hung at her wrist, she wiped the perspiration from her forehead. She -consulted the watch at her belt and found it lacked ten minutes of the -time set. She sighed, resigning herself to wait. - -At last she heard the approach of footsteps; some moments later a man -with uncovered head stood before her. Marie Thérčse de Bourbon uttered -no cry. She was stricken dumb. After so many years, she beheld standing -before her against the crimson background of the sky, which looked like -a nimbus of blood, the Past, the terrible, tragic Past. It surged again -to overwhelm her, that Past, the sorrows of which seemed to have been -calmed by time; the terrors of the prison; the flaring up of frail hopes -destined to be dashed to earth; the incertitude of the fate of loved -ones; ardent prayers to heaven to work miracles; entreaties; outrages; -infinite despair: all these rose again out of that terrible Past and -stood before her. - -She could not speak; she could scarcely see; but she felt hot tears -through her silk skirt and trembling arms clasp her knees while a -heart-rending voice cried: - -"Marie Thérčse! Marie Thérčse!" - -"Rise," she said at last, almost inaudibly. "Be seated." - -He staggered to the stone bench beside her. She averted her head in -order to avoid seeing his grief-stricken face. A silence followed which -the lady at last broke: - -"You perceive, Sir, that I have complied with your request. What do you -wish?" - -"To remind you that I am your brother, the brother whom your mother -bore." - -"My brother--died," she faltered. - -"He lives and speaks to you. Dare you look upon me and deny it? I carry -on my face the marks of royal baptism and of prison torture." - -"My God!" she groaned. - -"Why do you not acknowledge me?" he cried with waxing indignation. "I -believed that on receiving me you would take me to your heart. I thought -you felt the great thirst that devours me. I thought that you and I -should mourn our mother in each other's arms. Why did you receive me, if -you had already decided to treat me as an impostor? Are you about to -turn me out of your palace gates along with the dogs and beggars? After -all that I have suffered?" - -Making a terrible effort, she said: - -"You have spoken of proofs, irrefutable proofs." - -"Miserable woman, until today I thought that the wall which separates us -should be demolished on our meeting. But I see it is of iron. Listen, -then. You ask me for the documents. Well, those documents shall be -presented at a French tribunal, and you with the others shall be brushed -off the usurped throne. You refuse to acknowledge me; well, when the -world salutes me King, you will admit I am your brother. Europe will -proclaim what no court can deny. Until then, farewell." - -She trembled and softly spoke his name: - -"Charles Louis!" - -Her voice seemed to come from an immense distance. He cried out almost -in delirium: - -"Thérčse, Thérčse, my adored sister!" - -He caught the Duchess in his arms almost strangling her. He wept and -laughed together for at last his overmastering desire was filled. He -felt a wild longing to dance. Scarcely realizing the craftiness of her -thoughts, she assured herself with feminine complacency that she should -now do with him as she chose. - -"You know me at last,--do you, Thérčse? You no longer repulse me? O how -happy I am! Only thro you do I believe in myself, for tho I told you -with so much assurance just now that I was your brother, I doubted my -own words. Are you surprised that much suffering seems to have clouded -my brain? On leaving prison, you found friends and shelter and affection -and at last a throne; you returned to our father's palace amid -acclamations and festivities. How can you divine my suffering? See, I -have written them that you may read." - -He took from his pocket an oblong case of yellow calf. - -"I intended that the Marquis de Brezé, whom I regard as my son should -bring you this. But perhaps 'tis better that you receive it from me. -When you read my via crucis, you will not marvel that my past life seems -to me a dream, a forgery of a madman's delirium. Only you can relieve me -of this intolerable fear and restore me to faith in myself. You have -called me Charles Louis, my name in infancy and early childhood. Those -who now call me Louis do not know this. Ah, Thérčse, God bless you!" - -Again he embraced her and together they recalled incidents of the past. - -"Do you remember," he asked, "how in prison a wall separated us and we -were never permitted to speak together? Well, I used to place my ear to -the wall and listen for your footsteps." - -"Charles Louis," she said with a great effort, "if love of your sister -has caused you to seek me, prove that love by granting a request." - -"Ask my life if you will." - -"What I ask may be more difficult to give. I am going to beg -you,--listen!--to renounce what you have so long desired. Be very calm. -The Revolution submerged the throne, the altar and whatever our family -represented and supported. Providence has replaced us on the throne; the -great days of the monarchy have returned; the churches have been -re-opened; our country has been reconciled to its monarchs and its -God,--the God who has placed the crown upon our uncle's head rather than -upon yours. God has perhaps selected you as the victim, innocent tho you -be. He has required your sacrifice and he continues to require it. To -what do you aspire today? Are you thinking of placing arms in the hands -of our father's executioners? Have you come, Charles Louis, to win the -applause of hell?" - -He could not answer for gazing upon her. - -"Your duty is to retire to peace and quietude. Whatever be your rights, -your duty is to stifle your pretensions. I assure you this is true." - -"And my children, Thérčse? My sons? I have the sons which have been -denied to both you and Ferdinand. No one but me can present an heir. My -seed has fallen upon blessed ground in being mingled with the people." - -The Duchess experienced great anger, as she always did at any allusion -to her sterility, and she retorted harshly: - -"The heir whom you present is from a woman of low extraction, the fruit -of a union unsanctioned by the Catholic Church. And you dare aspire to -the throne? Remember the Corsican! He also sought to improvise a -dynasty. All that survives of that farce is the daughter of a real -emperor and the son of the adventurer, sheltered by that emperor's -throne. If you believed yourself a king, why did you marry a plebeian? -Why did you not restrain your passions? And you complain of your fate? -As for your heart, you have followed its impulses. I married my cousin -because the state required the union--Ferdinand separated from his -loved Amy Brown and abandoned his children, one of them a son, in order -to marry Caroline. Are you willing to do likewise? I know well you are -not. Believe me, believe me, Charles Louis, life is not what we would -wish but as God ordains it to be. Your fate has been to live far from -the throne--Resign yourself to the decree. Do not violate the most holy -PRINCIPLE, the PRINCIPLE for which our father died. He adjures you from -the tomb to accept your lot." - -Her eloquence subjugated him, for she spoke from her heart's conviction. - -"God was God, yet he lived and died a man," she continued. "Live then -and die a man, my brother. Will you?--a man of the people." - -In a transport of abnegation, he kissed her cheeks and said: - -"I will." - -In confirmation of his promise, he drew the casket of documents from his -breast and held them toward her. - -"Here they are," he said. "Here are the papers which sustain my claims. -They are of such a nature, especially the testimony of the unhappy -Pichegru, Charette, Hoche and Josephine that I could demand the throne -by presenting them in a court. I despoil myself of my personality, of -my strength. I become again Naundorff, the obscure mechanic, the -impostor, the convict, the outlaw! Take the papers, Marie Thérčse, I -give them to you. The sacrifice is accomplished. Have you more to ask of -me? And now, sister, holy love of my life, all that remains to me of my -mother,--call me once more Charles Louis--let me rest my forehead on -your breast." - -She was scarcely able to control herself. He attracted and repelled her -by turns. She was about to extend her hand for the papers when, by the -light of the setting sun, intense and red, he so greatly resembled her -father that she dared not accomplish her purpose. With involuntary -reverence, she said: - -"No, Charles Louis, the papers are yours. Keep them. Promise me, only, -that you will not misuse them. I shall be satisfied with your word. I -ask this of you because I must. Accept your fate, as I accept mine. -Accept it as you would a cross. O Charles Louis, the Past is -irrevocable, your Past and mine, and who knows which of us has suffered -the more greatly? Farewell, farewell, my brother. Do not forget your -oath." - -"I shall remember it, my sister. God bless you! I have received all that -I expected from you. I count this day happy. I shall remove with my -family to Holland. May my children never suffer the pangs of poverty! I -trust that no further assaults will be made upon my life. And now, for -one moment--" - -He laid his head upon the lady's shoulder and wept. - - - - -Chapter VIII - -THE AMBUSH - - -As Naundorff left the garden, a man, hidden amid the shrubbery advanced -cautiously and reached the little gate holding there a short -conversation with one of the spies, La Grive. - -"He carries a casket which must be captured. I reiterate my previous -instructions. That casket must be seized. Where are Sec and Lestrade?" - -"Within two steps. Shall I call them?" - -"Keep very quiet. Remember to make no use of firearms. If he make no -resistance, do not harm him. Run. Find the others. He is almost here." - -"Very well." - -The two spies, disguised as guards, separated. Volpetti waited back of -the gate and on Naundorff's arrival, he solicitously held it open. -Naundorff did not look toward the other, but even had he, the black hair -and beard of Albert Serra would have misled him completely. He was -surrounded by the party of spies, who were in turn surrounded by de -Brezé and the Carbonari. The latter were concealed by the foliage, from -a height dominating the path. Like the spies, they had planned to use -firearms only in case of an extremity. - -Naundorff passed through the gate, deep in thought. His sister's voice -was in his ears; he felt again her caresses. His mind was at peace and -the incertitude regarding his individuality set at rest. Had she not -called him brother? Now he was tranquil, free from tormenting doubts. -Despoiled of his rights, perhaps, but impostor or maniac never! He -thought of Amélie, dreading to tell her the result of the interview. -Suddenly a hand was placed over his mouth, his arms were pinned to his -sides and he could neither cry nor defend himself. Volpetti searched him -and possessed himself of the case of papers with a triumphant laugh. -There was no need to employ force; nevertheless, through an excess of -precaution the spies gagged their victim and tied his hands. - -All this was accomplished with the utmost celerity. Naundorff had been -reduced to immobility when de Brezé and the two Carbonari ran up. Using -cudgels, they stunned Lestrade and disabled La Grive. De Brezé then -devoted himself to Sec, and Giacinto turned, infuriated, on Volpetti. -This king of spies held the papers, determined to keep them at the cost -of his life, and was for this reason unable to handle his hunting knife -with his accustomed dexterity. The Sicilian dealt him a vigorous blow on -the collar bone which caused him to drop the case of papers. Lights -danced in his eyes and he felt as tho about to swoon. With a great -effort he recovered his senses sufficiently to aim a blow at Giacinto's -neck, as the Sicilian stooped to grasp the case. The wound would have -been fatal had not Giacinto evaded it by a rapid movement which -resembled the spring of a tiger. All the evil which his family had -suffered from Volpetti flashed thro lis mind and outweighed Naundorffs -interests; he forgot the papers for his own grievances, especially his -brother's body hanging from the gibbet. Clinching his white teeth, he -dashed upon the enemy, knocked the knife out of his hand and jerked the -false beard from his face. Volpetti lacked neither courage nor coolness, -but he was a constructive intelligence rather than a physical force. -Giacinto was much the younger and just now impelled by a homicidal -vertigo. Volpetti sought to rise, but Giacinto pushed his head back and -knelt with one knee upon his breast. In an access of savage joy, he cut -through his neck, accompanying the action with dreadful oaths and -invocations to the Madonna. - -While the Sicilian satiated his thirst for vengeance, one of the other -spies, La Grive, regained his footing and fought desperately with Louis -Pierre, whom he quickly so battered with fist blows that the Knight of -Liberty lay prone upon the grass. La Grive next turned his attention -upon Giacinto and Volpetti. The latter lay dead in a pool of blood. The -case of papers was near. He remembered the leader's injunction: 'The -casket must be saved, at all costs.' Seizing his opportunity, while -Giacinto feasted his eyes upon his dead enemy, he grasped the papers and -ran off, soon being lost among the trees. So vanished the last proofs of -Naundorff's identity. - -The defeat was complete. It was the culmination of the lengthy drama -initiated in prison and developed in London, Dover, Picmort and Paris. -While La Grive possessed himself of the papers René was engaged in -combat with the brutal and athletic Sec. At length he dispossessed him -of his hunting knife and threw him senseless, as he thought, to the -ground. Then he ran swiftly to Naundorff and cut his cords. Sec watched -his opportunity. Gliding noiselessly toward his vanquisher, he aimed a -bullet which made René spin around and fall lifeless to the ground. It -had pierced his heart. - -Meanwhile, the Duchess, motionless on her garden seat, was powerless to -summon the courage to return to the castle. Scarcely could she restrain -herself from running after Naundorff, calling, "Brother, brother!" The -sun no longer reddened the sky. The evening was chill. Suddenly a shot -rang out. She shuddered but remained paralyzed, in the throes of -conflicting emotions. The branches rustled and swift footsteps hurried -along the path. Was this an apparition? A young girl in black, her face -framed in a glory of golden hair, her hands raised menacingly and -dropping blood! It was the image of her mother, her eyes gleaming, her -mouth livid and mutely pronouncing maledictions and her forefinger held -prophetically and accusingly in the Duchess's face. - -Marie Thérčse de Bourbon fell upon the ground, writhing and groaning: -"Mother, mother!" - - - - -Chapter IX - -GIACINTO'S FATE - - -Soliviac nimbly leaped to the wharf from a skiff and held out his hands -to Louis Pierre and Giacinto. He uncovered respectfully to Naundorff and -Amélie and caressed Baby Dick's head, as the little fellow clung to his -adoptive mother's hand. - -Amélie, in deep mourning, was the shadow of her former self. Wasted -away, almost blue in her pallor, her sunken eyes surrounded by red -circles, and of an agonized expression, she was indeed the picture of -the unhappy queen; not the queen in faces and crowned with roses, but -the queen of the prison and the guillotine. Like unto Marie Antoinette, -sorrow only augmented her grace and dignity. When she held her hand to -Soliviac to be kissed, no court might show so regal a movement. - -Naundorff opened his arms to Soliviac, both shedding tears. - -"When do we start?" the former asked, as though longing to be off. - -"At once, if Monseigneur wishes." - -"Do not call me 'Monseigneur.' That is over, Captain. I am only -Naundorff, the mechanic, the chemist. You are taking me from a land -where I have known only sorrow to a country of peace and liberty. In -Holland my good wife and little children await me. There shall I forget -my insensate dreams, the cause of my ills. Because of my refusal to -accept the decrees of fate, I have been punished in whom I most love, -this daughter. A widow twice, never having been a wife, her life is -blighted forever. The prison walls did not lie in speaking to me the -terrible words: 'Your friends shall perish.'" - -Amélie laid her hand on her father's shoulder. Her eyes were dry. She -seemed to forgive him all that she had suffered. - -"My friends," added Naundorff, turning to the Carbonari, "let us give -the lie to the prison prophecy. Since I am given respite and my -persecutors seem to be satiated from having rifled me of my -certificates; since they ignore my interview with the woman--whom I have -forgiven (may my mother in heaven forgive her also)--; friends, return -to a quiet life and cease to combat, cease to conspire, cease to avenge! -A clear light illumines my mind and heart. I see what I would impart to -you. Listen: Resist not evil; rather return good for evil. He who -uproots the hedge will be bitten by the serpent, say the words of -eternal wisdom. Forgive that you may be forgiven." - -Louis Pierre turned his face away that Naundorff might not see the keen -light in his eyes. - -"Farewell, farewell!" repeated the outlaw. "I am a simple man, -henceforth. My only title is that of Man. I go to earn my bread by the -sweat of my brow. I go to die obscurely. Embrace me again." - -The two Carbonari folded their arms around him, Giacinto shedding tears. -Naundorff said gently: - -"Thanks, thanks! Peace descend upon you both. Cease to struggle, claim -not your dues. And you, Giacinto, do penance. Your hands are stained -with blood." - -The Sicilian involuntarily looked upon those members. Just then they -were seized by Amélie, who whispered in his ear: - -"O Giacinto, do not reproach yourself! 'Twas simple justice. Listen. She -who prepared the ambuscade shall herself leave France in banishment, or -else there is no God." - -Some moments later the sloop glided out of port. Erect and majestic, -like unto a dethroned queen, Amélie waved an adieu to the Knights of -Liberty. - -Giacinto and Louis Pierre stood motionless on the wharf which now began -to be covered with fishermen, sailors and venders. Their eyes were -riveted upon the sloop as she reached the schooner Polipheme. They could -still distinguish the black form of Amélie and her father's grave -outlines. The Polipheme weighed anchor, spread sails and gracefully -cleaved the waves red with the morning sun. - -The gay voices of the crowd ashore awaiting the arrival of the fishing -smacks constituted so brilliant a tout ensemble that Giacinto, -notwithstanding the sad parting from his friends, felt new life rushing -through his veins and joy tugging at his heart strings. He looked at -Louis Pierre. That face wore an expression recalling vengeance and the -scaffold. Shuddering, the Sicilian returned to reality. - -"They are gone, Louis Pierre," said he, in order to break the silence. -"They are gone,--those royal personages whom history will fail to -enumerate." - -"Giacinto, you should have gone to Holland with them. I advise you as a -friend, for in Versailles you have a mistress whom you have filched from -a guard,--a dangerous experiment. O, I know all about it; she lives on -our floor. Do you think the bird worth the risking of your neck? Yes, -it was best for our friends to go. The police pretend to have forgotten -us. 'Tis a trap. They will not forget to square accounts with the man -who sent Volpetti to his brother Satan.--You are a child, Giacinto, and -may be led to any pasture by a petticoat string--" - -"Bah!" interrupted the other. "Were it not for petticoats, what savor -would remain to life? My dear little laundress has set me quite crazy -with love and the sergeant is dying with jealousy. Will you believe that -here also I have discovered a jewel of a woman?--the daughter of a -tinker. And I am either a fool or this night--" - -"So you remain? You are indeed a fool, Giacinto. I shall work out my -ends, henceforth, without your aid. Tho I be sought, I shall not be -found; even tho I be found, I shall not be caught, and even tho I be -caught, I shall not be retained. In this enigma I speak the truth." - -Giacinto's superstitious nature was aroused. - -"Why do you say these words, friend?" he asked. - -"Because no man is overcome until he has performed his assigned task," -serenely replied the Knight of Liberty. "Was the Other One overcome -before he had subjugated Europe? Today he is chained to Saint Helena, -but he first demonstrated the might of the Revolution. Before he could -demonstrate the might of Despotism, he was overpowered, for this the -Fates would not permit." - -"We are not the Other One." - -"Each man is the Other One. Each man may change the world if he acts of -himself." - -"Bah!" retorted Giacinto. "We are pawns on a chess-board. Poor devils, -we but play our part. What matters it to me that it be primary or -secondary? I have sent to hell the devil who killed my brother. For the -rest, a fig!--I feel his warm blood on my hands now!" - -His nostrils dilated at the ghastly memory, his lips smacked with savage -joy, his handsome face glowed with exultation. - -"Yes," answered Louis Pierre in a solemn voice. "Your work is -accomplished. Fear, Giacinto, for you are now a hollow shell. Remember -how the dastardly Volpetti was given life only to accomplish his -mission. Volpetti was delivered to you when he had secured the documents -for Lecazes. But my work is as yet unfulfilled. For that reason I am -secure. My history is as yet unwritten." - -"And it shall remain unwritten, my friend. What have two poor devils -such as you and I to do with history, especially since we no longer -accompany royalty?" - -"I am a man," retorted Louis Pierre Louvel. "Have you measured the power -of a man? Giacinto, the birth of an individual is of transcendent -importance. Remember Him who was born in Judea. Consider the -significance of a male child to the House of France! This rotten dynasty -which the Cossack has forced us to again endure may yet sprout forth -fresh and green, and all because of a child's birth." - -By this time the two Carbonari had reached their lodgings. They ascended -to their humble apartments. Louis Pierre took up his knapsack and, -according to the French custom, kissed his companion on the cheek. - -"Are we not to breakfast together?" asked Giacinto. - -"By breakfast time, I shall be far away from this place. You should be -also," replied Louis Pierre. - -"What would the tinker's daughter think of her sweetheart? She has this -morning peeped from her window five times. She has thrown me a flower -and waved her hand--" - -The fatalist remonstrated no further. Carrying his light equipage, he -descended the rickety stairs. Naundorff had paid the bills. He might, -therefore, depart, without seeking the host. His rickety form took the -direction of the woods and was soon lost to view. - -An hour later Giacinto sat before a succulent repast of stewed fish. A -girl held to his lips a glass of foamy beer. Just then steps and the -clanking of muskets sounded on the stairway. The officer heading the -soldiers laid a hand on the Sicilian's shoulder, saying: - -"Manacle his hands." - - - - -Chapter X - -A DESCENDANT OF HENRI OF NAVARRE - - -In a human existence there may be a culminating moment,--a moment in -which ambitions are realized and reality adapts itself to the dreamed-of -ideal. The maneuvers of a subterranean state-craft during that epoch of -incessant conspiracy had raised Lecazes to the pinnacle of glory. The -Police was in its apogee, holding triumphantly in its hands the warp -whose reverse side was espionage, provocation, indictment, torture, and -whose obverse consisted of brilliant court ceremonials, stormy -discussions in Councils and diplomatic strife in the royal coterie, -wherein conservative and reactionary parties contended bitterly. -Dominating the maneuvers from his cabinet, the genial Minister -reigned,--the arbiter of the nation. He was the real master. He held the -reins and guided the King with well dissembled strategy, as well as the -other members of the royal family and the courtiers and officials,--all -of whom complacently obeyed him, in their solicitude for the -maintenance of the legitimate government. - -Nevertheless, to use his own expression, "his life flowed between two -walls of paper." He was accustomed to say that Paper was his worst -enemy, adding, "You may rid yourself of a man but not of a piece of -written paper." Excepting those retained as future shields, he tore all -such sheets into bits, and compromising documents he burned. - -It was the month of February. Lecazes sat in the same closet in which he -had received the Duchess de Rousillon. A cloud was upon his face and an -expression at once stealthy and rapacious, such as characterizes the -countenances of all selfishly ambitious men, when alone. The cause of -his preoccupation was a letter just received. It was anonymous and -contained only these brief clauses: - -"Naundorff is despoiled, de Brezé murdered, Giacinto executed. They -shall be avenged. Guard the trunk; as for the limbs they are -despicable." - -Such communications seldom troubled the Minister, accustomed as he was -to the language of charlatans. He usually destroyed the epistles, -smiling a Machiavellian smile. But this letter troubled him, for it was -not the first of the series; others had periodically preceded it, -giving no clue to the writer and seeming to have for object a warning to -the intended victim. - -"There is not a thread of the net which I may not snap at will," he -soliloquized. "They are not indeed thinking of avenging de Brezé or -Naundorff--nor even that insignificant Carbonaro whom I have had to -execute. I did not do so as retaliation for Volpetti's death. However -much I miss him, I can not replace him. He was my hands and feet. But -pshaw! in state-craft we waive vengeance and travel direct to our -ends,--the Carbonari to the demolishing of the throne, I to the -sustaining of it. To sustain it I have wrought miracles. Had I not -obtained the papers which have cost me Volpetti, alas for the dynasty! -The happy exit must console me for the loss of my best man." - -Re-reading the anonymous sheet, his attention was arrested by the phrase -"Guard the trunk." - -"Who is the trunk?" he asked himself. "I should overestimate even my own -importance to suppose they mean me. Can it be the King? Poor decayed -trunk, soon to fall beneath the great woodman's ax! Can it be his -brother? Impossible!--that hollow reactionary, incorrigible trunk. He is -the Carbonari's best ally. I know not what will be the outcome of the -King's succumbing to gout. Can it be the Duke Louis? Sterile trunk! No, -if any one in particular is signified, 'tis Ferdinand,--the destined -perpetuator of the race. Let us see! Lecazes, imagine yourself a -conspirator. Whom would you attack? Why Ferdinand! Ferdinand the -debonnaire, the well-loved, the generator of heirs. May this writing be -the effusion of some fool? Or is it a conspirator's dash of romantic -honor in warning the intended victim? However that be, I must warn the -Prince. He is as unsuspicious and gay and heroic as his ancestor, Henry -of Navarre. Flatterers assure him that he is that great monarch's -prototype. He and his wife go about so freely and to every kind of -diversion. During one of these sky-larkings--Ah! kings may not live as -other men. Naundorff little realizes the good turn I did him and his -family by barring his approach to the throne, nor she either, the -audacious little intriguante. She has ample opportunity now to devote -her energies to the weaving of Flemish laces." - -These thoughts still occupied him when he that afternoon entered the -royal cabinet. Before the monarch stood a table whose draperies were -arranged to conceal the swollen feet, for the gout grew daily worse. -Nevertheless, in frequent carriage rides and an incessant sortie of fine -classic raillery from his patrician lips, Louis XVIII demonstrated an -increased activity. - -When Lecazes entered, the valetudinarian smiled piquantly, as one might -in slipping manacles on the wrists of an astute diplomat. Handing the -Minister a threatening letter, he vehemently asked: - -"What does this mean, Baron? I am asked for an audience. I am told that -some one possesses knowledge of impending evil to the royal family. I am -warned that the refusing of this interview will be the cause of disaster -to those dearest to me. It follows that some one is better informed than -I concerning our interests. Is not this a humiliating position for a -King?" - -As Lecazes was about to answer, there entered unannounced a man in the -prime of life. He had a prepossessing nonchalant impetuous manner. This -was Prince Ferdinand, second son of the King's brother Charles, sole -hope of the race's continuation. He was not handsome but he possessed in -a high manner the simple frankness and graceful address characteristic -of certain members of the Bourbon family, which was so captivating as to -create around them, even in times of popular discontent, an atmosphere -of loyalty. Ferdinand was short of stature and irregular in feature, but -his bright glance and irradiating vitality acted always as a great -jubilant wave enveloping all near him. A generous and cordial nature, -rising spontaneously to heroism, was revealed in his face, mingled with -a noble energy. - -"Sire," he said, kissing his uncle's hand, "I pray you to pardon my -intrusion. I have an urgent communication which must not be delayed a -moment." - -Lecazes made a discreet movement of withdrawal. - -"No, no, Baron," interposed Ferdinand. "I pray you to remain. I expected -to find you here. I know, besides, that His Majesty has no secrets from -you. Indeed, I suppose you are better informed concerning this tangle -than I, for your fingers it is that have woven the mesh." - -"To what does your Royal Highness allude?" asked Lecazes guardedly. - -"To letters which I constantly receive," replied Ferdinand sharply. -"Letters which have kept me awake more than one night." - -"Love letters?" ironically inquired Lecazes. "Your Royal Highness -inspires innumerable passions. 'Tis no marvel that these letters rain -upon you. What I find amusing is your simplicity in taking them -seriously." - -The Prince's frank countenance darkened. His brow contracted and his -lips curled disdainfully as he replied: - -"Baron, I am not accustomed to discuss such questions with -others,--least of all with the police! The matter concerns,--bah! why -should I relate this to you?--the matter concerns a member of our family -who has been rifled of personal documents and forced into exile, in -order to avoid even more barbarous treatment." - -"Will Your Royal Highness be good enough to mention the name -of--this--member of the royal House?" - -"You know his name better than I, since 'twas you who prepared the -villainous ambuscade and the other iniquities which I shall not -enumerate." - -"Who is Your Royal Highness's informant?" asked Lecazes, turning livid. - -"One who knows whereof he speaks," replied the Prince producing a packet -of letters. - -"But Ferdinand, my son, why do you credit such calumniators?" interposed -the King. - -"Sire, these are not calumnies. If you consider them such, why not turn -upon them the light of day? To me they have ample confirmation in the -face of Monsieur the Superintendent of Police, or in your own, Sire, or -in that of Madame my cousin and sister-in-law. I have seen her swoon on -hearing the name of the man whose personal history contains the tragic -episodes enacted last summer in Versailles park. The life of that true -knight and gentleman, my dear friend, René de Giac, there paid the -penalty for his loyalty--he, the son of one of the most valiant of -Condé's officers--" - -"Ferdinand," stammered the King, his face growing paler and paler, "your -words are audacious and unwarranted. From any other than you, I should -pronounce them the ravings of a madman. What inference is to be drawn -from your asseverations? None other than that we are a usurper, that the -Restoration was a robbery and that as restitution, we must deliver up -the throne, after having played the role of thief, and retire into -private life amid the jeers of the spectators. What would follow then, -think you? Nothing less than an armed intervention of Europe to restore -order in France a second time and clear the bandit caves of their -booty." - -"We are not speaking of an impostor," insisted Ferdinand bravely. - -"Dare you call us usurper, then?" shrieked the King. - -The smile on Lecazes's lips was a discharge of gall and the gleam in his -eyes was Satanic. - -"For my part, Sire," retorted the nephew, "I believe you to be such. I -refuse--O more than the glory of thrones and crowns do I cherish honor -and the religion of Knighthood. I may or may not have a right to the -tide Royal Highness, but beyond question I am a soldier, and -notwithstanding certain gallantries, a Christian. I do not proclaim my -virtue as does my brother Louis, but neither do I ravish another man of -his rights. I will not longer live this life. I have tried to make light -of these letters. Does Your Majesty know why? Because in all of them -breathes a threat, and no man shall think me coward. If God gives me -life and France wars,'twill be demonstrated whether or not I am such. My -coming to you now has for object that of declaring to your Majesty that -if this matter be not adjudicated according to law and justice and in a -manner befitting our family dignity, I shall be forced to the -alternative of going to Holland and offering my services to my cousin, -as a partial reparation for the iniquity practised upon him." - -"And I should not be surprised at your extravagance, my dear nephew," -replied the King, irate and sarcastic. "Your action would be in keeping -with the conduct of a man who never considers the consequences of his -acts, a man who married a London woman of base extraction,--the plebeian -Amy Brown, a man who disregards court etiquette so far as to imitate the -Corsican in his policy of acquiring popularity with the army, a man -whose language in public is such as to undermine the established regime. -You would be more satisfactory nephew, were you to fulfill your office, -of furnishing France with a male heir of whom we stand in so great -need." - -Ferdinand, far from evincing annoyance at the burst of wrath, answered -serenely: - -"Sire, I scarcely think you hold me accountable for failing to -counteract the decrees of Providence regarding the birth of an heir. As -for the matter which brings me here, I declare that my regard for Your -Majesty cannot prevent my speaking my mind. I have considered that it -was due you to make you a party to the knowledge of the iniquity, that -you might have the opportunity of seconding my resolution. But if our -strength is to have its foundation in infamy, a sad future has the -House! I ask for but my commission in the army or to be a soldier in the -ranks. Your Majesty accuses me of imitating the Corsican. I reply that -the only glory I seek is the glory of arms and of a fearless heart." - -"Is this all you would say, nephew?" asked the King, white with rage. - -"Your Majesty is offended? Your Majesty dismisses me?" - -"His Majesty's strength is unequal to such shocks," interposed Lecazes. - -"My Lord Baron," said the Prince, "you are right. I retire. Henceforth, -Ferdinand de Bourbon has no guide but his conscience." - -Saluting the monarch gravely and the Minister with mock respect, he -departed. - -Lecazes followed him with a smile. As his footsteps died away, the Baron -shrugged his shoulders. - -"What do you think of this Lecazes?" inquired the King. - -"That we must let the Prince continue the road he has chosen. Place no -obstacles in his way--and do not trouble your mind about him.--Many -important historical events have just such origins as this.--I shall not -meddle in the affairs of His Royal Highness." - -In the minister's mind there was formed the picture of a young vigorous -tree felled at a blow. - - - - -Chapter XI - -FERDINAND'S FATE - - -Two days later a tumultuous carnival animated Paris. Crowds jostled each -other in the streets and gazed upon the procession of the Bull crowned -with flowers and the triumphal car freighted with maidens in gala -clothes and singing their applause. One of these maidens, a Versailles -laundress, was a shining mark, by reason of the brilliancy of her -complexion and the gleaming of her hair. On passing the Gate of -Saint-Denis, seeing a small man of puny frame and bilious skin she -called merrily out to him: - -"Hello, Louis Pierre, old owl, de profundis face, don't you want to sup -tonight with some happy people at the Inn Mariscale?" - -The masks and students near laughed to split their throats, and the -interrogated man hastened to conceal himself amid the crowd. He took -refuge in his lodgings and devoured his dinner with an almost savage -hunger, a strange action, for he was usually abstemious. Then he went -out again and mingled with the crowd. He leaned against the glass -windows of the royal theatre and watched the brilliant concourse within. -A great festival was in progress. The program announced the "Carnival of -Venice" and "The Marriage of Camacho." Carriages rolled, torches -gleamed, the crowd surged. The Court was arriving. Louis Pierre felt his -head swim. "Now, now!" a voice seemed mockingly to whisper. But in spite -of the mandate, he remained inert. Action refused to travel from brain -to hands. - -"What ails me?" he asked himself. "Is it fear? Is it that I should not? -Am I about to perpetrate an act of justice or a crime? Have not my -warnings remained unheeded? I could do no more than I have done, unless, -indeed, I should deliver myself into their hands--" - -While thus he vacillated, Prince Ferdinand and his wife the Princess -Caroline descended from their carriage and entered the theatre. - -"Another opportunity lost! Vacillations, scruples, absurd perplexities, -culpable weaknesses! Have not these people given entrance to the -Cossacks and oppressed and rifled the innocent Naundorff? De Brezé's -blood cries for vengeance. This besotted city steeped in a Carnival -orgie! What is the Association doing? The Knights seem to sleep on -their arms. But Brutus keeps vigil--. Notwithstanding my numerous -letters, they have set no watch on me. 'Tis that Destiny protects me. I -was born to put my project into execution.--Let us wait, and then--the -ax to the trunk." - -He walked away objectless through the royal gardens, stumbling at every -moment upon groups who sang bacchanalian refrains and prurient couplets -from Beranger. Women, with painted faces wearing flowers and greens, -flung cynical jests in his face. A drunkard insulted him. He heeded -nothing, thirsting only for the fresh night air, which in his feverish -condition he inhaled voraciously. Incoherent words rumbling through his -brain seemed to urge him to the deed. - -"I must obey, I must obey!" he kept saying. "Then I shall find rest. -Indecision and torture will be over." - -He computed the moments with burning anxiety. - -"It must be tonight. When again shall I have the opportunity? Tomorrow I -must return to Versailles." - -He walked stealthily back and forth, between the garden and the theatre. -The night advanced and the streets were growing deserted; the taverns -were being emptied of their occupants; the great clock sounded two, then -the half hour; the royal carriages drew up. The Carbonaro glided along -the solitary street of Louvois and made his way amid a group of lackeys. -His insignificant stature enabled him to remain there unmolested. He was -supposed to be some hackney coachman or an assistant placed there for -the purpose of guarding horses. Louis Pierre stood motionless close to -the wall. - -He had not long to wait. Prince Ferdinand descended the steps, -accompanying his wife, who was leaving early, being fatigued from a ball -which she had attended the previous night. The Prince intended remaining -longer,--perchance to hover around some fair face. But, in order to -forestall any jealous pangs, he whispered to her gallantly and -affectionately, according to his winning nature: - -"I shall be with you very soon." - -The suspicious, ardent Italian wife and the impulsive, gallant husband -were a happy devoted pair. Caroline had warned him, as they left the -box, not to remain late. - -"Don't wait for the sun to chase you home," she had said, half -playfully, half seriously. "I must go now, myself, in order to--be -careful of--our secret--the heir we are to give to France." - -He reassured her tenderly, solicitously, pressing her arm to his side. -On reaching the carriage, he spoke the words we have already reproduced -and which are recorded in history as the last words of Ferdinand: "I -shall be with you very soon." - -She stepped lightly into the carriage and turned her head at the window -to have a last look at her husband as he started towards the theatre. He -was walking along the pavement of Rameau street, beneath the gay -buntings. Louis Pierre stood among the lackeys and sentinels. When -later, in the solitude of the dungeon, he lived again the tragic moments -of his deed,--he could not understand how he accomplished with such -admirable dexterity that which a half hour earlier seemed so difficult -of execution. An invisible hand seemed to have guided him and sent his -own hand unflinchingly to its task. That powerful man, surrounded by -courtiers, friends and sentinels, who, drawn up on each side, presented -arms; that man whose splendid physique was revealed through his elegant -dress and who with one hand could have hurled to earth the puny creature -inflicting death:--that man, Louis Pierre assured himself, had been -delivered helpless and unsuspicious into his hands by Fate. He was no -longer overpowered by the consciousness of his insignificance; no longer -did he regard himself a despicable atom; within him was a species of -lucid inebriation, a glorious wave of pride and confidence. His moment -shone. The obscure plebeian had written his page of history. - -"Before that moment, my life had amounted to naught. My latent self -suddenly sprang into being. To be satisfied with killing a spy! What -puerility! So little sufficed the inferior nature of Giacinto." - -Thus communed Pierre Louis, as the imperious face of Amélie, her mouth -drawn in bitter disdain, with a terrible frown as of an avenging -archangel, came to his mind's eye. She stood for the feminine suggestion -there is in all tragedy. Great souls are lonely. They so love their -ideals that they cannot compromise nor forgive. It seemed to him that -the splendid eyes of Naundorff's daughter had fearlessly and -unhesitatingly shown him the way to the Prince. As a somnambulist moves, -he had accomplished the deed. With his small dagger, he had dealt a -marvelously dexterous blow, rapid and to the spot. Ferdinand felt no -wound, not even the coldness of the blade; he thought some one chanced -to strike against him; suddenly he realized he was about to fall. None -of the others suspected the truth. Meanwhile the assailant disappeared. -On reaching the corner of Richelieu street, Louis Pierre nonchalantly -slackened his speed and started toward the dark arcades, today in ruins, -opposite the stupendous edifice of the library. He was safe from -pursuit. None of those near whom he had stood before the theatre knew -him. He told himself that his life had trembled on the edge of a blade. - -Just then he passed an inn wherein coffee was being served. Fate -ordained that a waiter carrying a tray upon which the fragrant beverage -steamed should step out of the door and stumble against him, an accident -occasioning the breaking of the dishes. The waiter turned infuriated -upon the causer of the damage, and, chasing him into the darkness of an -alley, caught him by the collar and shook him soundly. The Carbonaro was -such a weakling! He seemed to hear an interior voice saying: - -"You have wrought. Now 'tis this man's turn." - -When Ferdinand reached the vestibule, he involuntarily put his hand to -his side, over the unsuspected wound. He felt the projecting hilt of the -dagger. The entire blade was buried in his body. He cried out in pain as -the fine triangular weapon was extracted. The Princess Caroline hurried -back from her carriage and threw her arms around him and those bare -round arms were bathed in blood. Then followed tender heart-rending -adieux. The dying Prince poured out his soul during his last hours even -as his body delivered up its life. He spoke of glory, of patriotism, of -Christian faith, of love, of past faults; but more insistently than -ought else, did he plead for the assassin's pardon. As the King bent -over him, his lips, livid with the approach of death, implored: - -"Forgive him, forgive him! We are all sinners, having need of -forgiveness. Sire and uncle, say yes!" - -As the King maintained silence, he groaned: - -"O my God, do you deny me this dying consolation?" - -In his agony, as fever consumed his ebbing life, this descendant of -Henry of Navarre, so like that glorious ancestor, even in the manner of -his death, murmured: - -"Forgive him, forgive him!" - -Lecazes, meanwhile, amazed at the swiftness with which the trunk had -fallen, approached Louis Pierre, who was a prisoner in one of the lower -apartments, and whispered, as he drew him aside: - -"Did you do this for money? Have you accomplices" - -The Carbonaro cast upon the Minister a look of scorn, saying: - -"Do men do these things for money? I am the avenger of my country and of -Naundorff and his daughter. The race perishes. There will be no heir." - -"Fool," replied the Minister, gloating over that somber soul's -discomfiture, "the Princess is promised an heir." - -Louis Pierre turned pale as the futility of the crime overwhelmed him. - -"No matter," said he. "I did the deed and I would repeat it a thousand -times." - -Again he assumed the stoical air and supreme command of self which -characterized him in such a high degree both during his trial and upon -the scaffold. - -The whispered dialogue between Lecazes and the assassin was remarked by -the other occupants in the apartment and became the basis of the charge -of complicity brought against the Baron, and was the cause of his -removal and fall. It was said of him that: - -"He slipped in the puddle of blood and fell." - - -FINIS. - - - CONTENTS - - EMILIA PARDO BAZÁN - - A GREAT GRANDSON OF LOUIS XVI - - Book I MARTIN, THE SEER - Chapter I--THE LOVERS - Chapter II--MEMORIES - Chapter III--THE EMPTY COFFIN - Chapter IV--AMÉLIE - Chapter V--THE FIRST THREADS OF THE NET - Chapter VI--THE BAILIFF - Chapter VII--THE EPICUREAN - Chapter VIII--THE SEER - - Book II--THE CASKET - Chapter I--THE MINIATURE - Chapter II--THE DAUPHIN'S SISTER - Chapter III--THE EMPTY COFFIN - Chapter IV--MARIE - Chapter V--A COURTEOUS MAN - Chapter VI--TORTURE - Chapter VII--THE BLACK HOLE - Chapter VIII--THE EXECUTION - Chapter IX--THE ESCAPE - Chapter X--PRUSSIA - Chapter XI--NAUNDORFF - Chapter XII--THE DAUPHIN'S WIFE - Chapter XIII--THE INCENDIARY - - Book III THE KNIGHTS OF LIBERTY - Chapter I--LYING IN WAIT - Chapter II--THE TRAPPED FOX - Chapter III--RENÉ WAITS - Chapter IV--MINE AND COUNTERMINE - Chapter V--THE CREAKING BOOTS - Chapter VI--THE PARDON - Chapter VII--THE REVELATION - Chapter VIII--THE CAPTAIN - Chapter IX--THE SCHOONER - - Book IV PICMORT - Chapter I--THE CASTLE - Chapter II--BAD NEWS - Chapter III--GIACINTO'S RETURN - Chapter IV--NIGHT - Chapter V--THE CHILD - Chapter VI--THE MARRIAGE - Chapter VII--DEATH - - Book V THE SISTER - Chapter I--PORTENTS - Chapter II--THE QUESTION - Chapter III--REASONS OF STATE - Chapter IV--CONJUGAL LOVE - Chapter V--THE SISTER - Chapter VI--LOUIS PIERRE'S SISTER - Chapter VII--THE INTERVIEW - Chapter VIII--THE AMBUSH - Chapter IX--GIACINTO'S FATE - Chapter X--A DESCENDANT OF HENRI OF NAVARRE - Chapter XI--FERDINAND'S FATE - - - -***END OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE MYSTERY OF THE LOST DAUPHIN*** - - -******* This file should be named 41509-8.txt or 41509-8.zip ******* - - -This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: -http://www.gutenberg.org/dirs/4/1/5/0/41509 - - - -Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions -will be renamed. - -Creating the works from public domain print editions means that no -one owns a United States copyright in these works, so the Foundation -(and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United States without -permission and without paying copyright royalties. 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