CHAPTER II.
WHAT PASSED OUTSIDE THE PORTE ST. ANTOINE.
One of the groups was formed of a considerable number of citizens. Theysurrounded four or five of a martial appearance, whom the closing of thedoors annoyed very much, as it seemed, for they cried with all theirmight, "The door! the door!"
Robert Briquet advanced toward this group, and began to cry also, "Thedoor! the door!"
One of the cavaliers, charmed at this, turned toward him and said, "Isit not shameful, monsieur, that they should close the gates in open day,as though the Spaniards or the English were besieging Paris?"
Robert Briquet looked attentively at the speaker, who seemed to be aboutforty-five years of age, and the principal personage in the group. "Yes,monsieur," replied he, "you are right: but may I venture to ask what youthink their motive is for these precautions?"
"Pardieu! the fear they have lest some one should eat their Salcede."
"Diable!" said a voice, "a sad meal."
Robert Briquet turned toward the speaker, whose voice had a strongGascon accent, and saw a young man from twenty to twenty-five, restinghis hand on the crupper of the horse of the first speaker. His head wasbare; he had probably lost his hat in the melee.
"But as they say," replied Briquet, "that this Salcede belongs to M. deGuise--"
"Bah! they say that!"
"Then you do not believe it, monsieur?"
"Certainly not," replied the cavalier, "doubtless, if he had, the dukewould not have let him be taken, or at all events would not have allowedhim to have been carried from Brussels to Paris bound hand and foot,without even trying to rescue him."
"An attempt to rescue him," replied Briquet, "would have been verydangerous, because, whether it failed or succeeded, it would have beenan avowal, on the duke's part, that he had conspired against the Ducd'Anjou."
"M. de Guise would not, I am sure, have been restrained by suchconsiderations; therefore, as he has not defended Salcede, it is certainthat he is not one of his men."
"Excuse me, monsieur, if I insist, but it is not I who invent, for itappears that Salcede has confessed."
"Where? before the judges?"
"No, monsieur; at the torture."
"They asserted that he did, but they do not repeat what he said."
"Excuse me again, monsieur, but they do."
"And what did he say?" cried the cavalier impatiently. "As you seem sowell informed, what were his words?"
"I cannot certify that they were his words," replied Briquet, who seemedto take a pleasure in teazing the cavalier.
"Well, then, those they attribute to him."
"They assert that he has confessed that he conspired for M. de Guise."
"Against the king, of course?"
"No; against the Duc d'Anjou."
"If he confessed that--"
"Well?"
"Well, he is a poltroon!" said the cavalier, frowning.
"Ah! monsieur, the boot and the thumb-screw make a man confess manythings."
"Alas! that is true, monsieur."
"Bah!" interrupted the Gascon, "the boot and the thumb-screw, nonsense:if Salcede confessed that, he was a knave, and his patron another."
"You speak loudly, monsieur," said the cavalier.
"I speak as I please; so much the worse for those who dislike it."
"More calmly," said a voice at once soft and imperative, of whichBriquet vainly sought the owner.
The cavalier seemed to make an effort over himself, and then saidquietly to the Gascon, "Do you know him of whom you speak?"
"Salcede?"--"Yes."
"Not in the least."
"And the Duc de Guise?"
"Still less."
"Well, then, Salcede is a brave man."
"So much the better: he will die bravely."
"And know that, when the Duc de Guise wishes to conspire, he conspiresfor himself."
"What do I care?"
"What!"
"Mayneville! Mayneville!" murmured the same voice.
"Yes, mordieu! what do I care?" continued the Gascon, "I came to Parison business, and find the gates closed on account of thisexecution--that is all I care for."
At this moment there was a sound of trumpets. The Swiss had cleared themiddle of the road, along which a crier proceeded, dressed in a floweredtunic, and bearing on his breast a scutcheon on which was embroideredthe arms of Paris. He read from a paper in his hand the followingproclamation:
"This is to make known to our good people of Paris and its environs,that its gates will be closed for one hour, and that none can enterduring that time; and this by the will of the king and the mayor ofParis."
The crowd gave vent to their discontent in a long hoot, to which,however, the crier seemed indifferent. The officer commanded silence,and when it was obtained, the crier continued:
"All who are the bearers of a sign of recognition, or are summoned byletter or mandate, are exempt from this rule. Given at the hotel of theprovost of Paris, 26th of October, 1585."
Scarcely had the crier ceased to speak, when the crowd began to undulatelike a serpent behind the line of soldiers.
"What is the meaning of this?" cried all.
"Oh! it is to keep us out of Paris," said the cavalier, who had beenspeaking in a low voice to his companions. "These guards, this crier,these bars, and these trumpets are all for us; we ought to be proud ofthem."
"Room!" cried the officer in command; "make room for those who have theright to pass!"
"Cap de Bious! I know who will pass, whoever is kept out!" said theGascon, leaping into the cleared space. He walked straight up to theofficer who had spoken, and who looked at him for some moments insilence, and then said:
"You have lost your hat, it appears, monsieur?"
"Yes, monsieur."
"Is it in the crowd?"
"No. I had just received a letter from my sweetheart, and was readingit, cap de Bious! near the river, about a mile from here, when a gust ofwind carried away both my letter and my hat. I ran after the letter,although the button of my hat was a single diamond; I caught my letter,but my hat was carried by the wind into the middle of the river. It willmake the fortune of the poor devil who finds it."--"So that you havenone?"
"Oh, there are plenty in Paris, cap de Bious! I will buy a moremagnificent one, and put in it a still larger diamond."
The officer shrugged his shoulders slightly, and said, "Have you acard?"
"Certainly I have one--or rather two."
"One is enough, if it be the right one."
"But it cannot be wrong--oh, no, cap de Bious! Is it to M. de Loignacthat I have the honor of speaking?"
"It is possible," said the officer coldly, and evidently not muchcharmed at the recognition.
"M. de Loignac, my compatriot?"
"I do not say no."
"My cousin!"
"Good! Your card?"
"Here it is;" and the Gascon drew out the half of a card, carefully cut.
"Follow me," said De Loignac, without looking at it, "and yourcompanions, if you have any. We will verify the admissions."
The Gascon obeyed, and five other gentlemen followed him. The first wasadorned with a magnificent cuirass, so marvelous in its work that itseemed as if it had come out of the hands of Benvenuto Cellini. However,as the make of this cuirass was somewhat old-fashioned, its magnificenceattracted more laughter than admiration; and it is true that no otherpart of the costume of the individual in question corresponded with thismagnificence. The second, who was lame, was followed by a gray-headedlackey, who looked like the precursor of Sancho Panza, as his master didof Don Quixote. The third carried a child of ten months old in his arms,and was followed by a woman, who kept a tight grasp of his leathernbelt, while two other children, one four and the other five years old,held by her dress.
The fourth was attached to an enormous sword, and the fifth, who closedthe troop, was a handsome young man, mounted on a black horse. He lookedlike a king by the side of the others
. Forced to regulate his pace bythose who preceded him, he was advancing slowly, when he felt a suddenpull at the scabbard of his sword; he turned round, and saw that it hadbeen done by a slight and graceful young man with black hair andsparkling eyes.
"What do you desire, monsieur?" said the cavalier.
"A favor, monsieur."
"Speak; but quickly, I pray you, for I am waited for."
"I desire to enter into the city, monsieur; an imperious necessitydemands my presence there. You, on your part, are alone, and want a pageto do justice to your appearance."
"Well?"
"Take me in, and I will be your page."
"Thank you; but I do not wish to be served by any one."
"Not even by me," said the young man, with such a strange glance, thatthe cavalier felt the icy reserve in which he had tried to close hisheart melting away.
"I meant to say that I could be served by no one," said he.
"Yes, I know you are not rich, M. Ernanton de Carmainges," said theyoung page. The cavalier started, but the lad went on, "therefore I donot speak of wages; it is you, on the contrary, who, if you grant what Iask, shall be paid a hundred-fold for the service you will render me;let me enter with you, then, I beg, remembering that he who now begs,has often commanded." Then, turning to the group of which we havealready spoken, the lad said, "I shall pass; that is the most importantthing; but you, Mayneville, try to do so also if possible."
"It is not everything that you should pass," replied Mayneville; "it isnecessary that he should see you."
"Make yourself easy; once I am through, he shall see me."
"Do not forget the sign agreed upon."
"Two fingers on the mouth, is it not?"
"Yes; success attend you."
"Well, monsieur page," said the man on the black horse, "are you ready?"
"Here I am," replied he, jumping lightly on the horse, behind thecavalier, who immediately joined his friends who were occupied inexhibiting their cards and proving their right to enter.
"Ventre de Biche!" said Robert Briquet; "what an arrival of Gascons!"
Les Quarante-cinq. English Page 3