CHAPTER XVI.
AT CLOSE QUARTERS.
Fear leapt into Mademoiselle's eyes, but she commanded herself. Shesigned to Madame Carlat to be silent, and they listened, gazing at oneanother, hoping against hope that the woman was mistaken. A longmoment they waited, and some were beginning to breathe again, when thestrident tones of Count Hannibal's voice rolled up the staircase, andput an end to doubt. Mademoiselle grasped the table and stoodsupporting herself by it. "What are we to do?" she muttered. "What arewe to do?" and she turned distractedly towards the women. The couragewhich had supported her in her lover's absence had abandoned her now."If he finds him here I am lost! I am lost!"
"He will not know me," Tignonville muttered. But he spoke uncertainly;and his gaze, shifting hither and thither, belied the boldness of hiswords.
Madame Carlat's eyes flew round the room; on her for once the burdenseemed to rest. Alas! the room had no second door, and the windowslooked on a courtyard guarded by Tavannes' people. And even now CountHannibal's step rang on the stair! his hand was almost on the latch.The woman wrung her hands; then, a thought striking her, she darted toa corner where Mademoiselle's robes hung on pegs against the wall.
"Here!" she cried, raising them. "Behind these! He may not be seenhere! Quick, monsieur, quick! Hide yourself!"
It was a forlorn hope--the suggestion of one who had not thought outthe position; and, whatever its promise, Mademoiselle's pride revoltedagainst it.
"No," she cried. "Not there!" while Tignonville, who knew that thestep was useless, since Count Hannibal must have learned that a monkhad entered, held his ground.
"You could not deny yourself!" he muttered hurriedly.
"And a priest with me?" she answered; and she shook her head.
There was no time for more, and even as Mademoiselle spoke CountHannibal's knuckles tapped the door. She cast a last look at herlover. He had turned his back on the window; the light no longer fellon his face. It was possible that he might pass unrecognised, ifTavannes' stay was brief; at any rate the risk must be run. In ahalf-stifled voice she bade her woman, Javette, open the door.
Count Hannibal bowed low as he entered; and he deceived the others.But he did not deceive her. He had not crossed the threshold beforeshe repented that she had not acted on Tignonville's suggestion, anddenied herself. For what could escape those hard keen eyes, whichswept the room, saw all, and seemed to see nothing--those eyes inwhich there dwelt even now a glint of cruel humour? He might deceiveothers, but she who panted within his grasp, as the wild birdpalpitates in the hand of the fowler, was not deceived! He saw, heknew! although, as he bowed, and smiling, stood upright, he lookedonly at her.
"I expected to be with you before this," he said courteously, "but Ihave been detained. First, Mademoiselle, by some of your friends, whowere reluctant to part with me; then by some of your enemies, who,finding me in no handsome case, took me for a Huguenot escaped fromthe river, and drove me to shifts to get clear of them. However, now Iam come, I have news."
"News?" she muttered with dry lips. It could hardly be good news.
"Yes, Mademoiselle, of M. de Tignonville," he answered. "I have littledoubt that I shall be able to produce him this evening, and so tosatisfy one of your scruples. And as I trust that this good father,"he went on, turning to the ecclesiastic, and speaking with the sneerfrom which he seldom refrained, Catholic as he was, when he mentioneda priest, "has by this time succeeded in removing the other, andpersuading you to accept his ministrations----"
"No!" she cried impulsively.
"No?" with a dubious smile, and a glance from one to the other. "Oh, Ihad hoped better things. But he still may? He still may. I am sure hemay. In which case, Mademoiselle, your modesty must pardon me if Iplead urgency, and fix the hour after supper this evening for thefulfilment of your promise."
She turned white to the lips. "After supper?" she gasped.
"Yes, Mademoiselle, this evening. Shall I say--at eight o'clock?"
In horror of the thing which menaced her, of the thing from which onlytwo hours separated her, she could find no words but those which shehad already used. The worst was upon her; worse than the worst couldnot befall her. "But he has not persuaded me!" she cried, clenchingher hands in passion. "He has not persuaded me!"
"Still he may, Mademoiselle."
"He will not!" she cried wildly. "He will not!"
The room was going round with her. The precipice yawned at her feet;its naked terrors turned her brain. She had been pushed nearer, andnearer, and nearer; struggle as she might she was on the verge. A mistrose before her eyes, and though they thought she listened sheunderstood nothing of what was passing. When she came to herself afterthe lapse of a minute, Count Hannibal was speaking.
"Permit him another trial," he was saying in a tone of bland irony. "Ashort time longer, Mademoiselle! One more assault, father! The weaponsof the Church could not be better directed or to a more worthy object;and, successful, shall not fail of due recognition and an earthlyreward."
And while she listened, half fainting, with a humming in her ears, hewas gone. The door closed on him, and the three--Mademoiselle's womanhad withdrawn when she opened to him--looked at one another. The girlparted her lips to speak, but she only smiled piteously; and it was M.de Tignonville who broke the silence, in a tone which betrayed ratherrelief than any other feeling.
"Come, all is not lost yet," he said briskly. "If I can escape fromthe house----"
"He knows you," she answered.
"What?"
"He knows you," Mademoiselle repeated in a tone almost apathetic. "Iread it in his eyes. He knew you at once: and knew, too," she addedbitterly, "that he had here under his hand one of the two things herequired."
"Then why did he hide his knowledge?" the young man retorted sharply.
"Why?" she answered. "To induce me to waive the other condition in thehope of saving you. Oh!" she continued in a tone of bitter raillery,"he has the cunning of hell, of the priests! You are no match for him,monsieur. Nor I; nor any of us. And"--with a gesture of despair--"hewill be my master! He will break me to his will and to his hand! Ishall be his! His, body and soul, body and soul!" she continueddrearily, as she sank into a chair and, rocking herself to and fro,covered her face. "I shall be his! His till I die!"
The man's eyes burned, and the pulse in his temples beat wildly. "Butyou shall not," he exclaimed. "I may be no match for him in cunning,you say well. But I can kill him. And I will!" He paced up and down."I will!"
"You should have done it when he was here," she answered, half inscorn, half in earnest.
"It is not too late," he cried; and then he stopped, silenced by theopening door. It was Javette who entered.
They looked at her, and before she spoke were on their feet. Her face,white and eager, marking something besides fear, announced that shebrought news. She closed the door behind her, and in a moment it wastold.
"Monsieur can escape, if he is quick," she cried in a low tone; andthey saw that she trembled with excitement. "They are at supper. Buthe must be quick! He must be quick!"
"Is not the door guarded!"
"It is, but----"
"And he knows! Your mistress says that he knows that I am here."
For a moment Javette looked startled. "It is possible," she muttered."But he has gone out."
Madame Carlat clapped her hands. "I heard the door close," she said,"three minutes ago."
"And if monsieur can reach the room in which he supped last night, thewindow that was broken is only blocked"--she swallowed once or twicein her excitement--"with something he can move. And then monsieur isin the street, where his cowl will protect him."
"But Count Hannibal's men?" he asked eagerly.
"They are eating in the lodge by the door."
"Ha! And they cannot see the other room from there?"
Javette nodded. Her tale told, she seemed to be unable to add a word.Mademoiselle, who knew her for
a craven, wondered that she had foundcourage either to note what she had or to bring the news. But asProvidence had been so good to them as to put it into this woman'shead to act as she had, it behoved them to use the opportunity--thelast, the very last opportunity they might have.
She turned to Tignonville. "Oh, go!" she cried feverishly. "Go, I beg!Go now, monsieur! The greatest kindness you can do me is to placeyourself as quickly as possible beyond his reach." A faint colour, theflush of hope, had returned to her cheeks. Her eyes glittered.
"Right, Mademoiselle!" he cried, obedient for once. "I go! And do yoube of good courage." He held her hand an instant, then, moving to thedoor, he opened it and listened. They all pressed behind him to hear.A murmur of voices, low and distant, mounted the staircase and boreout the girl's tale; apart from this the house was silent. Tignonvillecast a last look at Mademoiselle, and, with a gesture of farewell,glided a-tiptoe to the stairs and began to descend, his face hidden inhis cowl. They watched him reach the angle of the staircase, theywatched him vanish beyond it; and still they listened, looking at oneanother when a board creaked or the voices below were hushed for amoment.
Historical Romances: Under the Red Robe, Count Hannibal, A Gentleman of France Page 31