Historical Romances: Under the Red Robe, Count Hannibal, A Gentleman of France

by Stanley John Weyman

  CHAPTER XXV.

  TERMS OF SURRENDER.

  I still had my hand on the trap when a touch on the shoulder caused meto turn, and in a moment apprised me of the imminence of a new peril;a peril of such a kind that, summoning all my resolution, I couldscarcely hope to cope with it. Henry was at my elbow. He had taken offhis mask, and a single glance at his countenance warned me that thathad happened of which I had already felt some fear. The glitter ofintense excitement shone in his eyes. His face, darkly-flushed and wetwith sweat, betrayed overmastering emotion, while his teeth, tightclenched in the effort to restrain the fit of trembling whichpossessed him, showed between his lips like those of a corpse. Thenovelty of the danger which menaced him, the absence of his gentlemen,and of all the familiar faces and surroundings without which he nevermoved, the hour, the mean house, and his isolation among strangers,had proved too much for nerves long weakened by his course of living,and for a courage, proved indeed in the field, but unequal to a suddenstress. Though he still strove to preserve his dignity, it wasalarmingly plain to my eyes that he was on the point of losing, if hehad not already lost, all self-command.

  'Open!' he muttered between his teeth, pointing impatiently to thetrap with the hand with which he had already touched me. 'Open, I say,sir!'

  I stared at him, startled and confounded. 'But your Majesty,' Iventured to stammer, 'forgets that I have not yet----'

  'Open, I say!' he repeated passionately. 'Do you hear me, sir? Idesire that this door be opened.' His lean hand shook as with thepalsy, so that the gems on it twinkled in the light and rattled as hespoke.

  I looked helplessly from him to the women and back again, seeing in aflash all the dangers which might follow from the discovery of hispresence there--dangers which I had not before formulated to myself,but which seemed in a moment to range themselves with the utmostclearness before my eyes. At the same time I saw what seemed to me tobe a way of escape; and emboldened by the one and the other, I kept myhand on the trap and strove to parley with him.

  'Nay, but, sire,' I said hurriedly, yet still with as much deferenceas I could command, 'I beg you to permit me first to repeat what Ihave seen. M. de Bruhl is without, and I counted six men whom Ibelieve to be his following. They are ruffians ripe for any crime; andI implore your Majesty rather to submit to a short imprisonment----'

  I paused struck dumb on that word, confounded by the passion whichlightened in the king's face. My ill-chosen expression had indeedapplied the spark to his wrath. Predisposed to suspicion by a hundredtreacheries, he forgot the perils outside in the one idea which on theinstant possessed his mind; that I would confine his person, and hadbrought him hither for no other purpose. He glared round him with eyesfull of rage and fear, and his trembling lips breathed rather thanspoke the word 'Imprison?'

  Unluckily, a trifling occurrence added at this moment to his disorder,and converted it into frenzy. Someone outside fell heavily against thedoor; this, causing madame to utter a low shriek, seemed to shatterthe last remnant of the king's self-control. Stamping his foot on thefloor, he cried to me with the utmost wildness to open the door--bywhich I had hitherto kept my place.

  But, wrongly or rightly, I was still determined to put off opening it;and I raised my hands with the intention of making a last appeal tohim. He misread the gesture, and retreating a step, with the greatestsuddenness whipped out his sword, and in a moment had the point at mybreast, and his wrist drawn back to thrust.

  It has always been my belief that he would not have dealt the blow,but that the mere touch of the hilt, awaking the courage which heundoubtedly possessed, and which did not desert him in his lastmoments, would have recalled him to himself. But the opportunity wasnot given him, for while the blade yet quivered, and I stoodmotionless, controlling myself by an effort, my knee half bent and myeyes on his, Mademoiselle de la Vire sprang forward at his back, andwith a loud scream clutched his elbow. The king, surprised, andignorant who held him, flung up his point wildly, and striking thelamp above his head with his blade, shattered it in an instant,bringing down the pottery with a crash and reducing the room todarkness; while the screams of the women, and the knowledge that wehad a madman among us, peopled the blackness with a hundred horrors.

  Fearing above all for mademoiselle, I made my way as soon as I couldrecover my wits to the embers of the fire, and regardless of theking's sword, which I had a vague idea was darting about in thedarkness, I searched for and found a half-burnt stick, which I blewinto a blaze. With this, still keeping my back to the room, Icontrived to light a taper that I had noticed standing by the hearth;and then, and then only, I turned to see what I had to confront.

  Mademoiselle de la Vire stood in a corner, half-fierce,half-terrified, and wholly flushed. She had her hand wrapped up in a'kerchief already stained with blood; and from this I gathered thatthe king in his frenzy had wounded her slightly. Standing before hermistress, with her hair bristling, like a wild-cat's fur, and her armsakimbo, was Fanchette, her harsh face and square form instinct withfury and defiance. Madame de Bruhl and Simon cowered against the wallnot far from them; and in a chair, into which he had apparently justthrown himself, sat the king, huddled up and collapsed, the point ofhis sword trailing on the ground beside him, and his nerveless handscarce retaining force to grip the pommel.

  In a moment I made up my mind what to do, and going to him in silence,I laid my pistols, sword, and dagger on a stool by his side. Then Iknelt.

  'The door, sire,' I said, 'is there. It is for your Majesty to open itwhen you please. Here, too, sire, are my weapons. I am your prisoner,the Provost-Marshal is outside, and you can at a word deliver me tohim. Only one thing I beg, sire,' I continued earnestly, 'that yourMajesty will treat as a delusion the idea that I meditated for amoment disrespect or violence to your person.'

  He looked at me dully, his face pale, his eyes fish-like. 'Sanctus,man!' he muttered, 'why did you raise your hand?'

  'Only to implore your Majesty to pause a moment,' I answered, watchingthe intelligence return slowly to his face. 'If you will deign tolisten I can explain in half a dozen words, sire. M. de Bruhl's menare six or seven, the Provost has eight or nine; but the former arethe wilder blades, and if M. de Bruhl find your Majesty in my lodging,and infer his own defeat, he will be capable of any desperate stroke.Your person would hardly be safe in his company through the streets.And there is another consideration,' I went on, observing with joythat the king listened, and was gradually regaining his composure.'That is, the secrecy you desired to preserve, sire, until this mattershould be well advanced. M. de Rosny laid the strictest injunctions onme in that respect, fearing an _emeute_ in Blois should your Majesty'splans become known.'

  'You speak fairly,' the king answered with returning energy, though heavoided looking at the women. 'Bruhl is likely enough to raise one.But how am I to get out, sir?' he continued, querulously. 'I cannotremain here. I shall be missed, man! I am not a hedge-captain, neithersought nor wanted!'

  'If your Majesty would trust me?' I said slowly and with hesitation.

  'Trust you!' he retorted peevishly, holding up his hands and gazingintently at his nails, of the shape and whiteness of which he wasprouder than any woman. 'Have I not trusted you? If I had not trustedyou, should I have been here? But that you were a Huguenot--Godforgive me for saying it!--I would have seen you in hell before Iwould have come here with you!'

  I confess to having heard this testimony to the Religion with a pridewhich made me forget for a moment the immediate circumstances--theperil in which we stood, the gloomy room darkly lighted by a singlecandle, the scared faces in the background, even the king's huddledfigure, in which dejection and pride struggled for expression. For amoment only; then I hastened to reply, saying that I doubted not Icould still extricate his Majesty without discovery.

  'In Heaven's name do it, then!' he answered sharply. 'Do what youlike, man! Only get me back into the castle, and it shall not be aHuguenot will entice
me out again. I am over old for theseadventures!'

  A fresh attack on the door taking place as he said this induced me tolose no time in explaining my plan, which he was good enough toapprove, after again upbraiding me for bringing him into such adilemma. Fearing lest the door should give way prematurely,notwithstanding the bars I had provided for it, and goaded on byMadame de Bruhl's face, which evinced the utmost terror, I took thecandle and attended his Majesty into the inner room; where I placed mypistols beside him, but silently resumed my sword and dagger. I thenreturned for the women, and indicating by signs that they were toenter, held the door open for them.

  Mademoiselle, whose bandaged hand I could not regard without emotion,though the king's presence and the respect I owed him forbade me toutter so much as a word, advanced readily until she reached thedoorway abreast of me. There, however, looking back, and seeing Madamede Bruhl following her, she stopped short, and darting a haughtyglance at me, muttered, 'And--that lady? Are we to be shut uptogether, sir?'

  'Mademoiselle,' I answered quickly in the low tone she had usedherself, 'have I ever asked anything dishonourable of you?'

  She seemed by a slight movement of the head to answer in the negative.

  'Nor do I now,' I replied with earnestness. 'I entrust to your care alady who has risked great peril for us; and the rest I leave to you.'

  She looked me very keenly in the face for a second, and then, withoutanswering, she passed on, Madame and Fanchette following her in thatorder. I closed the door and turned to Simon; who by my direction hadblown the embers of the fire into a blaze so as to partially illuminethe room, in which only he and I now remained. The lad seemed afraidto meet my eye, and owing to the scene at which he had just assisted,or to the onslaught on the door, which grew each moment more furious,betrayed greater restlessness than I had lately observed in him. I didnot doubt his fidelity, however, or his devotion to mademoiselle; andthe orders I had to give him were simple enough.

  'This is what you have got to do,' I said, my hand already on thebars. 'The moment I am outside secure this door. After that, open tono one except Maignan. When he applies, let him in with caution, andbid him, as he loves M. de Rosny, take his men as soon as the coast isclear, and guard the King of France to the castle. Charge him to bebrave and wary, for his life will answer for the king's.'

  Twice I repeated this; then fearing lest the Provost-Marshal shouldmake good his word and apply a ram to the door, I opened the trap. Adozen angry voices hailed my appearance, and this with so muchviolence and impatience that it was some time before I could get ahearing; the knaves threatening me if I would not instantly open, andpersisting that I should do so without more words. Their leader atlength quieted them, but it was plain that his patience too was wornout. 'Do you surrender or do you not?' he said. 'I am not going tostay out of my bed all night for you!'

  'I warn you,' I answered, 'that the order you have there has beencancelled by the king!'

  'That is not my business,' he rejoined hardily.

  'No, but it will be when the king sends for you to-morrow morning, 'Iretorted; at which he looked somewhat moved. 'However, I willsurrender to you on two conditions,' I continued, keenly observing thecoarse faces of his following. 'First, that you let me keep my armsuntil we reach the gate-house, I giving you my parole to come with youquietly. That is number one.'

  'Well,' the Provost-Marshal said more civilly, 'I have no objection tothat.'

  'Secondly, that you do not allow your men to break into my lodgings. Iwill come out quietly, and so an end. Your order does not direct youto sack my goods.'

  ^Tut, tut!' he replied; 'I want you to come out. I do not want to goin.'

  'Then draw your men back to the stairs,' I said. 'And if you keepterms with me, I will uphold you to-morrow. For your orders willcertainly bring you into trouble. M. de Retz, who procured it thismorning, is away, you know. M. de Villequier may be gone to-morrow.But depend upon it, M. de Rambouillet will be here!'

  The remark was well timed and to the point. It startled the man asmuch as I had hoped it would. Without raising any objection he orderedhis men to fall back and guard the stairs; and I on my side began toundo the fastenings of the door.

  The matter was not to be so easily concluded, however; for Bruhl'srascals, in obedience, no doubt, to a sign given by their leader, whostood with Fresnoy on the upper flight of stairs, refused to withdraw;and even hustled the Provost-Marshal's men when the latter would haveobeyed the order. The officer, already heated by delay, replied bylaying about him with his staff, and in a twinkling there seemed to beevery prospect of a very pretty _melee_, the end of which it wasimpossible to foresee.

  Reflecting, however, that if Bruhl's men routed their opponents ourposition might be made worse rather than better, I did not act on myfirst impulse, which was to see the matter out where I was. Instead, Iseized the opportunity to let myself out, while Simon fastened thedoor behind me. The Provost-Marshal was engaged at the moment in awordy dispute with Fresnoy; whose villainous countenance, scarred bythe wound which I had given him at Chize, and flushed with passion,looked its worst by the light of the single torch which remained. Inone respect the villain had profited by his present patronage, for hewas decked out in a style of tawdry magnificence. But I have alwaysremarked this about dress, that while a shabby exterior does notentirely obscure a gentleman, the extreme of fashion is powerless togild a knave.

  Seeing me on a sudden at the Provost's elbow, he recoiled with achange of countenance so ludicrous that that officer was himselfstartled, and only held his ground on my saluting him civilly anddeclaring myself his prisoner. I added a warning that he should lookto the torch which remained; seeing that if it failed we were bothlike to have our throats cut in the confusion.

  He took the hint promptly, and calling the link-man to his sideprepared to descend, bidding Fresnoy and his men, who remained clumpedat the head of the stairs, make way for us without ado. They seemedmuch inclined, however, to dispute our passage, and replying to hisinvectives with rough taunts, displayed so hostile a demeanour thatthe Provost, between regard for his own importance and respect forBruhl, appeared for a moment at a loss what to do; and seemed ratherrelieved than annoyed when I begged leave to say a word to M. deBruhl.

  'If you can bring his men to reason,' he replied testily, 'speak yourfill to him!'

  Stepping to the foot of the upper flight, on which Bruhl retained hisposition, I saluted him formally. He returned my greeting with asurly, watchful look only, and drawing his cloak more tightly roundhim affected to gaze down at me with disdain; which ill concealed,however, both the triumph he felt and the hopes of vengeance heentertained. I was especially anxious to learn whether he had trackedhis wife hither, or was merely here in pursuance of his generalschemes against me, and to this end I asked him with as much irony asI could compass to what I was to attribute his presence. 'I am afraidI cannot stay to offer you hospitality,' I continued; 'but for thatyou have only your friend M. Villequier to thank!'

  'I am greatly obliged to you,' he answered with a devilish smile, 'butdo not let that affect you. When you are gone I propose to helpmyself, my friend, to whatever takes my taste.'

  'Do you?' I retorted coolly--not that I was unaffected by the threatand the villainous hint which underlay the words, but that, fullyexpecting them, I was ready with my answer. 'We will see about that.'And therewith I raised my fingers to my lips, and, whistling shrilly,cried 'Maignan! Maignan!' in a clear voice.

  I had no need to cry the name a third time, for before theProvost-Marshal could do more than start at this unexpected action,the landing above us rang under a heavy tread, and the man I called,descending the stairs swiftly, appeared on a sudden within arm'slength of M. de Bruhl; who, turning with an oath, saw him, andinvoluntarily recoiled. At all times Maignan's hardy and confidentbearing was of a kind to impress the strong; but on this occasionthere was an added dash of recklessness in his manner which was notwithout its effect on the spectators. As he stood there smiling
darklyover Bruhl's head, while his hand toyed carelessly with his dagger,and the torch shone ruddily on his burly figure, he was so clearly anantagonist in a thousand that, had I sought through Blois, I might nothave found his fellow for strength and _sang-froid_. He let his blackeyes rove from one to the other, but took heed of me only, saluting mewith effusion and a touch of the Gascon which was in place here, ifever.

  I knew how M. de Rosny dealt with him, and followed the pattern as faras I could. 'Maignan!' I said curtly, 'I have taken a lodging forto-night elsewhere. When I am gone you will call out your men andwatch this door. If anyone tries to force an entrance you will do yourduty.'

  'You may consider it done,' he replied.

  'Even if the person be M. de Bruhl here,' I continued.

  'Precisely.'

  'You will remain on guard,' I went on, 'until to-morrow morning if M.de Bruhl remains here; but whenever he leaves you will take yourorders from the persons inside, and follow them implicitly.'

  'Your Excellency's mind may be easy,' he answered, handling hisdagger.

  Dismissing him with a nod, I turned with a smile to M. de Bruhl, andsaw that between rage at this unexpected check and chagrin at theinsult put upon him, his discomfiture was as complete as I could wish.As for Fresnoy, if he had seriously intended to dispute our passage,he was no longer in the mood for the attempt. Yet I did not let hismaster off without one more prick. 'That being settled, M. de Bruhl,'I said pleasantly, 'I may bid you good evening. You will doubtlesshonour me at Chaverny tomorrow. But we will first let Maignan lookunder the bridge!'