CHAPTER VIII.
THE UTILITY OF A SEAL.
Gaston had just supped; for at his age, whether a man be in despair orin love, nature asserts her rights. He was leaning on the tablethoughtfully. The lamp threw a light over his face, and enabled Duboisto gratify his curiosity.
He looked at him with an attention almost alarming: his quick eyedarted--his lip curled with a smile, which gave one the idea of a demonsmiling at the sight of one of those victims who seem to have vowedtheir own perdition.
While looking, he murmured, "Young, handsome, black eyes, proud lips--heis a Breton, he is not corrupted, like the conspirators of Cellamare,by the soft glances of the ladies at court;--then the other spoke ofcarrying off, dethroning, but this one--_diable_, this one; and yet,"continued he, after a pause, "I look in vain for traces of cunning onthat open brow. I see no Machiavelism in the corners of that mouth, sofull of loyalty and honor; yet no doubt all is arranged to surprise theregent on his visit to this Clisson demoiselle. Who will say again thatBretons have dull brains?
"No," said Dubois, after another pause, "it cannot be so. It isimpossible that this young man with his calm sad face should be ready ina quarter of an hour to kill a man, and that man the first prince of theblood. No, I cannot believe in such sang-froid; and yet the regent haskept this amourette secret even from me; he goes out to hunt at St.Germains, announces aloud that he shall sleep at the Palais Royal, thenall at once gives counter orders, and drives to Rambouillet. AtRambouillet, the young girl waits, and is received by Madame Desroches;who can she be watching for, if not for the regent? and this young girlis the mistress of the chevalier--but is she?--Ah! we must learn. Wemust find out how far we can depend on Owen," and Dubois left hisobservatory and waited on the staircase--he was quite hidden in theshade, and he could see Gaston's door in the light.
The door presently opened, and Owen appeared.
He held a letter in his hands, and after hesitating a minute, heappeared to have taken his determination, and mounted the staircase.
"Good," said Dubois, "he has tasted the forbidden fruit, and he ismine."
Then, stopping Owen: "Give me the letter which you were bringing me, andwait here."
"How did you know I had a letter?" asked Owen, bewildered.
Dubois shrugged his shoulders, took the letter, and disappeared.
In his room he examined the seal; the chevalier, who had no wax, hadused that on the bottle, and had sealed it with the stone of a ring.
Dubois held the letter above the candle, and the wax melted. He openedthe letter and read:
"DEAR HELENE--Your courage has doubled mine; manage so that I can enter the house, and you shall know my plans."
"Oh!" said Dubois, "it seems she does not know them yet. Things are notas far advanced as I supposed."
He resealed the letter with one of the numerous rings which he wore, andwhich resembled that of the chevalier, and calling Owen--
"Here," said he, "is your master's letter; deliver it faithfully, bringme the answer, and you shall have ten louis."
"Ah!" thought Owen, "has this man a mine of gold?" And he went off.
Ten minutes after he returned with the reply.
It was on scented and ornamented paper, sealed with the letter H.
Dubois opened a box, took out a kind of paste in which he was about totake the impression of the seal, when he observed that from the mannerin which it was folded, he could read it without opening. It was asfollows:
"The person who sent for me at Bretagne is coming to meet me here instead of waiting at Paris, so impatient is he, I am told, to see me. I think he will leave again to-night. Come to-morrow morning before nine. I will tell you all that has passed, and then we can arrange how to act."
"This," said Dubois, still taking Helene for the chevalier's accomplice,"makes it clearer. If this is the way they bring up young ladies atClisson, I congratulate them and monseigneur, who, from her age,concludes her to be simple and ingenuous. Here," said he to Owen, "hereis the letter, and your ten louis."
Owen took them.
At this moment ten o'clock struck, and the rolling of a carriage washeard. Dubois went to the window, and saw it stop at the hotel door.
In the carriage was a gentleman whom Dubois at once recognized asLafare, captain of his royal highness's guards. "Well," said he, "he ismore prudent than I thought; but where is he? Ah!"
This exclamation was uttered at the sight of a man dressed in the samered livery which he himself concealed under his cloak, and who followedthe carriage mounted on a superb Spanish jenet, which, however, he couldnot have ridden long, for while the carriage horses were covered withfoam, this one was quite fresh.
Lafare at once demanded a room and supper; meanwhile the man dismounted,threw the reins to a page, and went toward the pavilion.
"Well," said Dubois, "all this is as clear as a mountain stream; but howis it that the face of the chevalier does not appear? is he too muchoccupied with his chicken to have heard the carriage? Let us see. As toyou, monseigneur," continued Dubois, "be assured; I will not disturbyour tete-a-tete. Enjoy at your pleasure this commencement of ingenuity,which promises such happy results. Ah! monseigneur, it is certain thatyou are short-sighted."
Dubois went down, and again took up his post at his observatory. As heapproached it, Gaston rose, after putting his note in his pocket-book.
"Ah," said Dubois, "I must have that pocket-book. I would pay high forit. He is going out, he buckles on his sword, he looks for his cloak;where is he going? Let us see: to wait for his royal highness's exit?No, no, that is not the face of a man who is going to kill another; Icould sooner believe he was about to spend the evening under the windowsof his sweetheart.
"Ah, if he had that idea it would be a means--"
It would be difficult to render the expression which passed over theface of Dubois at this moment.
"Yes, but if I were to get a sword-thrust in the enterprise, howmonseigneur would laugh; bah! there is no danger: our men are at theirpost, and besides, nothing venture, nothing gain."
Encouraged by this reflection, Dubois made the circuit of the hotel, inorder to appear at one end of the little lane as Gaston appeared at theother.
As he had expected, at the end of the lane he found Tapin, who hadplaced L'Eveille in the courtyard; in two words he explained hisproject. Tapin pointed out to Dubois one man leaning on the step of anouter door, a second was playing a kind of Jew's harp, and seemed anitinerant musician, and there was another, too well hidden to be seen.
Dubois, thus sure of support, returned into the lane.
He soon perceived a figure at the other end, and at once recognized thechevalier, who was too thoughtful even to notice that he was passing anyone.
Dubois wanted a quarrel, and he saw that he must take the initiative. Heturned and stopped before the chevalier, who was trying to discoverwhich were the windows of the room in which Helene was.
"My friend," said he roughly, "what are you doing at this hour beforethis house?"
Gaston was obliged to bring back his thoughts to the materialism oflife.
"Did you speak to me, monsieur?" said he.
"Yes," replied Dubois, "I asked what you were doing here."
"Pass on," said the chevalier; "I do not interfere with you; do notinterfere with me."
"That might be," said Dubois, "if your presence did not annoy me."
"This lane, narrow as it is, is wide enough for both, monsieur; walk onone side, and I will walk on the other."
"I wish to walk alone," said Dubois, "therefore, I beg you will choosesome other window; there are plenty at Rambouillet to choose from."
"And why should I not look at these windows if I choose?" asked Chanlay.
"Because they are those of my wife," replied Dubois.----"Of your wife!"
"Yes; of my wife, who has just arrived from Paris, and of whom I amjealous, I warn you."
"Diable," murmured Gaston; "he must
be the husband of the person to whomHelene has been given in charge;" and in order to conciliate a personwho might be useful to him--
"Monsieur," said he politely, "in that case I am willing to leave aplace where I was walking without any object in view."
"Oh," thought Dubois, "here is a polite conspirator; I must have aquarrel."
Gaston was going away.
"You are deceiving me, monsieur," said Dubois.
The chevalier turned as though he had been bitten by a serpent; however,prudent for the sake of Helene, and for the mission he had undertaken,he restrained himself.
"Is it," said he, "because I was polite that you disbelieve my word?"
"You spoke politely because you were afraid; but it is none the lesstrue that I saw you looking at that window."
"Afraid--I afraid!" cried Chanlay, facing him; "did you say that I wasafraid?"
"I did," replied Dubois.
"Do you, then, seek a quarrel?"
"It appears so. I see you come from Quimper--Corentin."
"Paques-Dieu!" said Gaston, drawing his sword, "draw!"
"And you, off with your coat," said Dubois, throwing off his cloak, andpreparing to do the same with his coat.
"Why so?" asked the chevalier.
"Because I do not know you, monsieur, and because those who walk atnight frequently have their coat prudently lined with a shirt of mail."
At these words the chevalier's cloak and coat were thrown aside; but, atthe moment when Gaston was about to rush on his adversary, the four menappeared and seized him.
"A duel, monsieur," cried they, "in spite of the king's prohibition!"and they dragged him toward the door.
"An assassination," murmured Gaston, not daring to cry out, for fear ofcompromising Helene; "cowards!"
"We are betrayed, monsieur," said Dubois, rolling up Gaston's cloak andcoat, and putting them under his arm; "we shall meet again to-morrow,no doubt."
And he ran toward the hotel, while they shut up Gaston in the lowerroom.
Dubois ran up the staircase and into his room, where he opened theprecious pocket-book. He found in one pocket a broken coin and a man'sname. This coin was evidently a sign of recognition, and the name wasprobably that of the man to whom Gaston was addressed, and who wascalled Captain la Jonquiere. The paper was oddly folded.
"La Jonquiere," said Dubois; "we have our eyes on _him_ already."
He looked over the rest of the pocket-book--there was nothing.
"It is little," said Dubois, "but it is enough."
He folded a paper like the other, took the name, and rang the bell.
Some one knocked; the door was fastened inside. "I forgot," said Dubois,opening it, and giving entrance to Monsieur Tapin.
"What have you done with him?"
"He is in the lower room, and watched."
"Take back his cloak and coat to the place where he threw them; makeyour excuses, and set him free. Take care that everything is in hispockets, so that he may suspect nothing. Bring me my coat and cloak."
Monsieur Tapin bowed low, and went to obey his orders.
Une fille du régent. English Page 9