CHAPTER XXI.
TWO WOMEN.
Out of compliment, and to show my gratitude, I attended M. deRambouillet home to his lodging, and found him as much pleased withhimself, and consequently with me, as I was with him. For the time,indeed, I came near to loving him; and, certainly, he was a man ofhigh and patriotic feeling, and of skill and conduct to match. But helacked that touch of nature and that power of sympathising with otherswhich gave to such men as M. de Rosny and the king, my master, theirpeculiar charm; though after what I have related of him in the lastchapter it does not lie in my mouth to speak ill of him. And, indeed,he was a good man.
When I at last reached my lodging, I found a surprise awaiting me inthe shape of a note which had just arrived no one knew how. If themanner of its delivery was mysterious, however, its contents werebrief and sufficiently explicit; for it ran thus: '_Sir, by meeting methree hours after noon in the square before the House of the LittleSisters you will do a service at once to yourself and to theundersigned, Marie de Bruhl_.'
That was all, written in a feminine character, yet it was enough toperplex me. Simon, who had manifested the liveliest joy at my escape,would have had me treat it as I had treated the invitation to theParvis of the Cathedral; ignore it altogether I mean. But I was of adifferent mind, and this for three reasons, among others: that therequest was straightforward, the time early, and the placesufficiently public to be an unlikely theatre for violence, thoughwell fitted for an interview to which the world at large was notinvited. Then, too, the square lay little more than a bowshot from mylodging, though on the farther side of the Rue St. Denys.
Besides, I could conceive many grounds which Madame de Bruhl mighthave for seeing me; of which some touched me nearly. I disregardedSimon's warnings, therefore, and repaired at the time appointed to theplace--a clean, paved square a little off the Rue St. Denys, andentered from the latter by a narrow passage. It was a spot pleasantlyconvenient for meditation, but overlooked on one side by the House ofthe Little Sisters; in which, as I guessed afterwards, madame musthave awaited me, for the square when I entered it was empty, yet in amoment, though no one came in from the street, she stood beside me.She wore a mask and long cloak. The beautiful hair and perfectcomplexion, which had filled me with so much admiration at our firstmeeting in her house, were hidden, but I saw enough of her figure andcarriage to be sure that it was Madame de Bruhl and no other.
She began by addressing me in a tone of bitterness, for which I wasnot altogether unprepared.
'Well, sir,' she exclaimed, her voice trembling with anger, 'you aresatisfied, I hope, with your work?'
I expected this and had my answer ready. 'I am not aware, madame,' Isaid, 'that I have cause to reproach myself. But, however that may be,I trust you have summoned me for some better purpose than to chide mefor another's fault; though it was my voice which brought it tolight.'
'Why did you shame me publicly?' she retorted, thrusting herhandkerchief to her lips and withdrawing it again with a passionategesture.
'Madame,' I answered patiently--I was full of pity for her, 'considerfor a moment the wrong your husband did me, and how small andinadequate was the thing I did to him in return.'
'To him!' she ejaculated so fiercely that I started. 'It was to me--tome you did it! What had I done that you should expose me to theridicule of those who know no pity, and the anger of one as merciless?What had I done, sir?'
I shook my head sorrowfully. 'So far, madame,' I answered, 'I allow Iowe you reparation, and I will make it should it ever be in my power.Nay, I will say more,' I continued, for the tone in which she spokehad wrung my heart. 'In one point I strained the case against yourhusband. To the best of my belief he abducted the lady who was in mycharge, not for the love of her, but for political reasons, and as theagent of another.'
She gasped. 'What?' she cried. 'Say that again!'
As I complied she tore off her mask and gazed into my face withstraining eyes and parted lips. I saw then how much she was changed,even in these few days--how pale and worn were her cheeks, how darkthe circles round her eyes. 'Will you swear to it?' she said at last,speaking with uncontrollable eagerness, while she laid a hand whichshook with excitement on my arm. 'Will you swear to it, sir?'
'It is true,' I answered steadfastly. I might have added that afterthe event her husband had so treated mademoiselle as to lead her tofear the worst. But I refrained, feeling that it was no part of myduty to come between husband and wife.
She clasped her hands, and for a moment looked passionately upwards,as though she were giving thanks to Heaven; while the flush of healthand loveliness which I had so much admired returned, and illumined herface in a wonderful manner. She seemed, in truth and for the moment,transformed. Her blue eyes filled with tears, her lips moved; nor haveI ever seen anything bear so near a resemblance to those pictures ofthe Virgin Mary which Romans worship as madame did then.
The change, however, was as evanescent as it was admirable. In aninstant she seemed to collapse. She struck her hands to her face andmoaned, and I saw tears, which she vainly strove to restrain, droppingthrough her fingers. 'Too late!' she murmured, in a tone of anguishwhich wrung my heart. 'Alas, you robbed me of one man, you give meback another. I know him now for what he is. If he did not love herthen, he does now. It is too late!'
She seemed so much overcome that I assisted her to reach a bench whichstood against the wall a few paces away; nor, I confess, was itwithout difficulty and much self-reproach that I limited myself tothose prudent offices only which her state and my duty required. Toconsole her on the subject of her husband was impossible; to ignorehim, and so to console her, a task which neither my discretion nor mysense of honour, though sorely tried, permitted me to undertake.
She presently recovered and, putting on her mask again, said hurriedlythat she had still a word to say to me. 'You have treated mehonestly,' she continued, 'and, though I have no cause to do anythingbut hate you, I say in return, look to yourself! You escaped lastnight--I know all, for it was my velvet knot--which I had madethinking to send it to you to procure this meeting--that he used as alure. But he is not yet at the end of his resources. Look to yourself,therefore.'
I thought of the appointment I had made with him for the morrow, but Iconfined myself to thanking her, merely saying, as I bowed over thehand she resigned to me in token of farewell, 'Madame, I am grateful.I am obliged to you both for your warning and your forgiveness.'
Bending her head coldly she drew away her hand. At that moment, as Ilifted my eyes, I saw something which for an instant rooted me to thespot with astonishment. In the entrance of the passage which led tothe Rue St. Denys two people were standing, watching us. The one wasSimon Fleix, and the other, a masked woman, a trifle below the middleheight, and clad in a riding-coat, was Mademoiselle de la Vire!
I knew her in a moment. But the relief I experienced on seeing hersafe and in Blois was not unmixed with annoyance that Simon Fleixshould have been so imprudent as to parade her unnecessarily in thestreet. I felt something of confusion also on my own account; for Icould not tell how long she and her escort had been watching me. Andthese two feelings were augmented when, after turning to pay a finalsalute to Madame de Bruhl, I looked again towards the passage anddiscovered that mademoiselle and her squire were gone.
Impatient as I was, I would not seem to leave madame rudely or withoutfeeling, after the consideration she had shown me in her own sorrow;and accordingly I waited uncovered until she disappeared within the'Little Sisters.' Then I started eagerly towards my lodging, thinkingI might yet overtake mademoiselle before she entered. I was destinedto meet, however, with another though very pertinent hindrance. As Ipassed from the Rue St. Denys into the quiet of my street I heard avoice calling my name, and, looking back, saw M. de Rambouillet'sequerry, a man deep in his confidence, running after me. He brought amessage from his master, which he begged me to consider of the firstimportance.
'Th
e Marquis would not trust it to writing, sir,' he continued,drawing me aside into a corner where we were conveniently retired,'but he made me learn it by heart. "Tell M. de Marsac," said he, "thatthat which he was left in Blois to do must be done quickly, or not atall. There is something afoot in the other camp, I am not sure what.But now is the time to knock in the nail. I know his zeal, and Idepend upon him."
An hour before I should have listened to this message with seriousdoubts and misgivings. Now, acquainted with mademoiselle's arrival, Ireturned M. de Rambouillet an answer in the same strain, and partingcivilly from Bertram, who was a man I much esteemed, I hastened on tomy lodgings, exulting in the thought that the hour and the woman werecome at last, and that before the dawn of another day I might hope,all being well, to accomplish with honour to myself and advantage toothers the commission which M. de Rosny had entrusted to me.
I must not deny that, mingled with this, was some excitement at theprospect of seeing mademoiselle again. I strove to conjure up beforeme as I mounted the stairs the exact expression of her face as I hadlast seen it bending from the window at Rosny; to the end that I mighthave some guide for my future conduct, and might be less likely tofall into the snare of a young girl's coquetry. But I could come now,as then, to no satisfactory or safe conclusion, and only felt anew thevexation I had experienced on losing the velvet knot, which she hadgiven me on that occasion.
I knocked at the door of the rooms which I had reserved for her, andwhich were on the floor below my own; but I got no answer. Supposingthat Simon had taken her upstairs, I mounted quickly, not doubting Ishould find her there. Judge of my surprise and dismay when I foundthat room also empty, save for the lackey, whom M. de Rambouillet hadlent me!
'Where are they?' I asked the man, speaking sharply, and standing withmy hand on the door.
'The lady and her woman, sir?' he answered, coming forward.
'Yes, yes!' I cried impatiently, a sudden fear at my heart.
'She went out immediately after her arrival with Simon Fleix, sir, andhas not yet returned,' he answered.
The words were scarcely out of his mouth before I heard severalpersons enter the passage below and begin to ascend the stairs. I didnot doubt that mademoiselle and the lad had come home another way andbeen somehow detained; and I turned with a sigh of relief to receivethem. But when the persons whose steps I had heard appeared, theyproved to be only M. de Rosny's equerry, stout, burly, and bright-eyedas ever, and two armed servants.
Historical Romances: Under the Red Robe, Count Hannibal, A Gentleman of France Page 73