by William Sage
CHAPTER V
A BROKEN DOOR
"Open, in the name of the Republic."
No answer.
Crash! Crash! Blow followed blow upon the door of the old chateau.
"Again, citizens, once again! Brasseur! bring fagots, we'll fire the oldtrap. Forgons, take this sledge-hammer in your big hands. At it,man!--we'll soon have the lair of the aristocrats down about their ears.Defour, Haillons, and you others, take up that ash-tree and let itstrike in the same place as before."
Amid a pandemonium of shouts and curses the blows continued to rain uponthe iron-studded outer door of the chateau de Rochefort, and the tree,used as a battering-ram, poised upon the shoulders of a dozen men, wasdashed forward with a force that made the hinge-bolts start from theirsockets and the oaken panels fill the air with splinters.
The besieged had taken refuge in one of the large salons on the secondfloor. There were only four of them: an old man, a priest, and twowomen.
"They have nearly forced the outer door," cried old Matthieu Tournay,wiping the perspiration from his brow with trembling hand.
"But the inner one," exclaimed the priest, laying his hand on Matthieu'sarm. "How long will that keep them off?"
"They'll break through that easily. Nothing can save us now; we are alllost," replied the old man.
"May the Blessed Virgin preserve us from the monsters," murmured thepriest, looking towards the woman.
Edme de Rochefort stood near the window. The terrifying sounds whichechoed through the lower part of the building would have unnerved her,had not anger supplied a sustaining force, and brought a deep flush tosupplant the pallor on her cheeks. The spirit of her race was rousedwithin her. Had she been a man she would have charged alone, sword inhand, against the mob; but being only a woman she stood waiting theissue. Trembling slightly, she stood with her small hands clenched andwhite teeth firmly set. At her elbow was Agatha, her maid. She was palerthan her mistress, but it was not for herself she feared. Her devotionmade her fear more for Edme's safety than for her own.
As the shouts redoubled Edme saw the two old men turn, pallid andtrembling, towards her.
"They seek me only," she said resolutely. "Why should I endanger yourlives by remaining here? I will go to meet them!"
"You shall not go!" cried Agatha, placing herself in front of hermistress.
"It can only be a question of a few minutes at the longest. Let me go,Agatha."
"Listen," cried the priest, "they are in the house! They are coming upthe stairway now!"
"No," cried old Matthieu, "I can still hear them down there in thecourtyard."
Nevertheless a quick footstep was heard approaching from the corridor.The portieres at the further end of the room were thrown apart, and aman, wearing the uniform of the Republican army, entered the salon.
"Robert!" came in a glad cry from old Tournay's lips.
Tournay did not wait to exchange words with his father, but approachedEdme.
"I have ridden from Paris to prevent your arrest, mademoiselle; thankGod I have arrived in time. Only do as I direct and I shall be able tosave you."
"How are we to know that we can trust you?" she said, looking at himfixedly.
He caught his breath as if unprepared for such a question. "You _must_trust me, mademoiselle."
Edme laughed scornfully.
The color which rose to his cheek showed that her laugh cut even deeperthan her words.
"Mademoiselle," he began, "if you"--
She interrupted him passionately. "Are not those men below who seek todestroy my chateau your friends? They have been clamoring for admittancein the name of the Republic." And she looked significantly at thetricolored cockade in his hat.
"And because I am a Republican and wear the uniform of the nation doyou really think that I could have anything in common with thoseruffians? You do me great injustice; I am here with one object, toprotect this household."
Edme continued to look steadily at him.
"You say nothing, mademoiselle. You condemn me by your silence. I willprove to you how deeply you wrong me even if it take my life. I wouldgive that gladly only to prove it to you. But there is more than my lifeat stake. There is your safety--and the safety of these, your servants.My father--mademoiselle!"
Edme's look softened a little as she answered:--
"Although since you left our house we have only thought of you as anenemy, still I believe your father's son would be incapable oftreachery. As for saving us, listen to the mob below. One man ishelpless against so many."
"I can save you--but it depends upon yourself. No matter what I may sayor do, you must trust me implicitly."
"Oh! do as my son says, mademoiselle!" interposed old Matthieu, joininghis hands beseechingly. "For your sake, for all our sakes, listen to andbe guided by him."
"If you can really protect us in this dreadful hour I should be guiltyif I risked the lives of those who have faithfully remained at my side,by refusing your aid. I will follow your father's and your counsel,"said Edme quietly.
"Is the door of the salon barred?" asked Tournay of his father.
"With such slight fastenings as we have," answered the old man.
"See that it is fast," said Tournay. "It will give us a few minutes.Then listen to me."
There was a crash--louder than any that had yet been heard, and the mobpoured into the lower part of the chateau.
Here they paused for a moment to recover breath and wipe theperspiration from their brows. Then some of the party began again theirwork of destruction among the pieces of furniture, while others broughtup wine from the cellar to refresh themselves and their thirstycompanions.
Gardin, anxious only to make the arrest, stormed at this slight delay.
"Cannot you leave your wine until your work is done, citizens?" hecalled out impatiently. "The aristocrat is above stairs--follow me!"
Through the large hall of the chateau and up the broad staircase, on theheels of their leader, swarmed the mob, yelling and cursing.
Gardin and Forgons, like bloodhounds who scent their prey, made directfor the door of the great salon, where the little party awaited them.Gardin shook the door violently, then threw himself against it to forcean entrance.
"Here, citizen, we have already proven that two pair of shoulders arebetter than one at that game," laughed Forgons, adding his strength tothat of Gardin. Under their combined weight the door yielded with asuddenness that precipitated both men into the room,--Gardin on hishands and face while Forgons fell over him,--and the two rolledtogether in the middle of the floor. Amid a shout of rough laughter fromthe men in the rear the two leaders regained their feet.
The scowl on Gardin's face vanished in a look of astonishment when hefound himself face to face with a man in the uniform of a colonel of theFrench army.
Matthieu and the old priest had retreated to the corner of the room attheir entrance. Beside the chimney-piece stood Edme de Rochefort. Thesight of the frenzied mob, the knowledge that it was her arrest alonethey sought; the shrinking dread which the thought of their rude touchinspired, made her heart sink with sickening terror. Yet beyondtrembling slightly, she gave no sign of fear.
Gardin had expected to find a frightened girl, surrounded possibly by afew servants who remained faithful. The sight of Tournay's tall figure,his resolute face, above all his uniform, standing between him and theobject of his search, made him hesitate.
"There she is! That's the aristocrat!" exclaimed Forgons, as Gardinhesitated. "Let me get my hands upon her." He rushed forward, but beforehe could touch Edme, Tournay pushed him backward with a force that senthim reeling into the group of men behind.
"A thousand devils," cried Forgons, when he regained his equilibrium,"what is the meaning of this, citizen colonel? Are you defending thelittle aristocrat?"
"Keep back, will you, Forgons," interposed Gardin, fearing that hisdignity as leader would be usurped. "Leave me to manage this affair. Iam here," he said, addressing Colonel Tournay, "
to apprehend the personof an aristocrat, and shall brook no interference on the part of anyone."
"Let me look at your warrant," demanded Tournay, in a tone of authority.
"I am not obliged to show that to you," replied Gardin doggedly.
"Let me see it, I say!" was the determined rejoinder.
Gardin slowly drew a document from the breast of his coat and handed itover with a sullen "Well, there's no harm in your seeing it."
Tournay read it carefully. Then folding it up with great deliberation hereturned it.
"It seems quite regular."
"Regular," repeated Gardin, with a laugh,--"well, I like that. Of courseit's quite regular,--signed and stamped by the Committee of PublicSafety." Then with a show of mock politeness: "Now if the citizen colonelwill condescend to step aside I will conduct this young citizeness fromthe room."
"That order of arrest calls for a certain citizeness de Rochefort, doesit not?" asked Tournay, without moving.
"Certainly it does. The Citizeness Edme de Rochefort who stands there,right behind you."
"You will not find her here," replied Tournay.
"None of your jests with me, citizen colonel; why, as I said before,she's standing behind you. I should know her for an aristocrat by theproud look on her face if I had not seen her a hundred times here in LaThierry."
"This is not Citizeness de Rochefort."
"That's a lie," replied Gardin bluntly, "and in any case she is thewoman I am going to arrest."
"That woman is Citizeness Tournay, my wife. You cannot arrest her onthat warrant, Citizen Gardin."
As the colonel spoke these words, which he did slowly and deliberately,Mademoiselle de Rochefort drew a quick, short breath.
"It is a trick," cried Gardin savagely; "you are trying to save her by asubterfuge."
Tournay repeated coolly, "She is my wife, and I am Robert Tournay,colonel in the Army of the Moselle. Again I advise you not to try toarrest her without a warrant."
"And I say again it is a lying trick," cried Gardin, beside himself withrage. "You cannot save your aristocratic sweetheart this way, citizencolonel. The Republic demands her arrest and I mean to take her."
"Citizen Ambrose," said Tournay, turning to the priest, "is not thiswoman my wife?"
"Most certainly," said the old priest, coming forward with dignity;"this lady is Madame Robert Tournay."
"Madame!" cried Gardin, repeating the word in a rage. "There are noladies in France now, and all priests are liars. This is a trick, andyou, citizen colonel, shall answer for it. Out of my way!" He graspedTournay by the lapel of his coat, and twisting his fingers into thecloth endeavored to force the colonel to one side. There was a sharpstruggle, then Tournay threw him off with such violence as to send himstaggering across the room. His head struck the sharp edge of a mahoganycabinet as he reeled backward, and he rolled senseless to the floor.
With a shout of rage at the assault upon their leader the mob rushedforward to close about Tournay. But he was too quick for them; themuzzles of a pair of pistols met them as they advanced, one coveringForgons, who was in front, the other leveled at the men behind him.
The mob cowered and fell back a little. Clubs, hammers, and knives weretheir only weapons, which they still brandished threateningly. IfTournay had shown the least sign of flinching he would have fallen thenext moment, beaten and crushed to death. He advanced a step forward.Before the threatening muzzles of the steadily-aimed pistols, the menrecoiled still further, and were quiet for a moment. Tournay seized theopportunity to speak.
"This fellow," he cried in a loud voice, pointing to Gardin, "has daredto lay hands upon an officer of the Republican army. In doing so he hasinsulted the nation and deserves death. Is there any man here who wouldrepeat this insult?"
The mob, taken by surprise, looked at their fallen leader and then atthe two shining pistol-barrels that confronted them, and remainedirresolute. Tournay thought he heard Edme catch her breath quickly whenthe answer from the mob drowned everything.
"No, no! There are none here who would insult the nation!"
"Citizens, I am of the people, like yourselves. I am also a soldier ofFrance. I have fought its battles, I wear its colors. See!" he went on,taking off his hat and pointing to the tricolor cockade--"here is thetricolor. If you do not respect that, you insult the Republic. Is thereany one here who would dare to insult the Republic?"
"No, no!" came in quick response. "Long live the Republic!"
"But all who wear the tricolor are not our friends," muttered Forgonsuneasily.
"Citizens," continued Tournay, affecting not to hear, "Gardin has nowarrant to arrest this woman, who is not an aristocrat, since she hasbecome my wife, the Citizeness Tournay. As for Gardin, he has insultedthe Republic. He has forfeited the right to lead you. In the name of theRepublic I appoint you, Forgons, the secretary of this section. To-nightI return to Paris and will see that the confirmation of your appointmentis sent you at once. Now, citizens, take up this fellow," he said,pointing to Gardin. "He shows signs of returning consciousness. A littlecold water pumped over his head will bring him back to life. Come,follow me, I will be your leader for the present."
The mob took up the body and bore it off, cheering loudly for theRepublic. Forgons went with them slowly, shaking his head, with apuzzled expression on his face.