by William Sage
CHAPTER XXI
CITIZENESS PRIVAT
"Agatha," said Mademoiselle de Rochefort, "I am going back to Paris."
Agatha turned and looked at her mistress in the greatest surprise.
"Do I understand you, mademoiselle, or am I dreaming? It is impossiblethat you could have said"--
"I am going back to Paris."
Edme repeated the words quietly, but there was a decision in her mannerwhich Agatha understood full well. She gave a gasp of consternation andsank into a chair, fixing her wide-open eyes upon Edme's face, while shewaited to hear more.
Edme was seated in her bedroom in the Castle of Hagenhof. It wasevening, and two candles, one upon the dressing-table, the other upon astand at Agatha's side, gave to the room a mild half-light. The curtainswere not yet drawn, and through the large casement the stars gleamedsoftly.
"During the five months we have lived in absolute quiet and securityhere at Hagenhof," Edme continued, looking out of the window at theforest of pine trees that stretched away from the castle like a sea ofink, "we have been completely shut off from the world outside, hearingalmost nothing of the events taking place there."
"That was your wish, was it not?" asked Agatha as Edme paused.
Mademoiselle de Rochefort did not make any direct reply, but continuedspeaking as if she was answering her own thoughts, rather thanconversing with her maid.
"There was a great battle fought. It was a full month afterward that Iheard of it and of the glory won by Colonel Tournay. The Republicanswere victorious. Had they been defeated, the restoration of the Monarchywould have been one step nearer. But the allies were defeated, theirfinest troops were sent flying back before the raw recruits. And I! DidI mourn the defeat of our allies as much as I rejoiced in ColonelTournay's triumph? _The hero of Landau!_ That is what he was called."
Then, turning toward Agatha, she exclaimed: "How do you think they haverewarded him in France? They have thrown this hero into prison. Theyhave kept him there for months. And I heard of it only to-night from theofficers who returned with Colonel von Waldenmeer yesterday. They spokeof affairs in France. They said that the Republic is approaching itsfinal doom. The leaders are now at discord. The terrible Danton has beensent to the guillotine. They said that the officers of the army arebeing suspected; mentioned Colonel Tournay's arrest, and then casuallypassed on to other topics. I heard no more. I could not listen afterthat, and came up here as soon as I could withdraw from the table.Agatha, I am going back to France."
"Why are you going?" asked Agatha gently, fearing to antagonize hermistress in her present mood.
Again Edme looked out of the window at the swaying tops of the mournfulpines. "I cannot stay here," she answered fiercely. "The melancholy ofthe place is killing me."
"Do not be a child, mademoiselle," said Agatha in the tone of authorityshe sometimes employed in reasoning with her beloved mistress. "If youare not happy here, we will leave. Perhaps we can go to Berlin, or toLondon. But never to France!"
"Twice has he risked his life for me," said Edme, again speaking toherself. "I owe so much to him, and have repaid him nothing."
"All that is true," persisted the cool-headed Agatha. "He aided youbecause he had the power; if you could serve him, it would be different.But you can do nothing. If you go to Paris, you will be arrested andguillotined. That is all. No, my dear mistress, you must not go."
"I shall go," answered Edme firmly. "If I am apprehended, so much theworse."
"You will only place yourself in peril," cried Agatha. "You must notgo!"
"When Colonel Tournay parted from me," said Edme impressively, "he sworethat we should some day meet again. He would keep his word if it werepossible. Fate has decreed that he shall not come to me; she decrees,instead, that I shall go to him."
"Mademoiselle," cried Agatha in a horrified tone, "what are you saying?Think of your rank, think of your family, your pride of birth!"
"My rank!" laughed Edme scornfully. "Did that avail me when I crossedthe river Loire? My pride of birth! Did that protect and bring me safelyout of France? A brave and loyal man was my sole protection. He is nowin the greatest danger. I am going to him."
There was a ring in her voice as she spoke that seemed to bid defianceto the long line of ancestry behind her.
"Now that you know that I am not to be swayed from my determination,will you go with me or remain here?"
"I shall go with you, mademoiselle."
"We must leave here clandestinely, Agatha. I little thought, when thekindly Grafin von Waldenmeer took me under her roof, I should leave itlike this."
"We shall have to travel through France in the disguise of peasants,mademoiselle," said Agatha.
"We have had some experience in that disguise, Agatha. You know how wellI shall be able to play my part."
From Hagenhof, starting at dead of night, the two women traveled toParis. It took them three weeks to make the journey that they had oncemade in five days. But they were obliged to travel slowly, as becametwo women of their class.
On the morning of the twentieth day they found themselves in the RueVaugirard in Paris, almost under the very shadow of the Luxembourg.Agatha stopped before the doorway of a small house in the window ofwhich a placard announced that lodgings were to let within.
"This is what we want, mademoiselle," said the girl. "I will knockhere."
A woman answered the summons. She was about forty years old, withstooping shoulders, and hands gnarled and twisted by hard work. Her skinwas dark, but an unhealthy pallor was upon her face, which, thin andworn, was lightened by a pair of brilliant eyes.
"Can we obtain lodging here, good citizeness?" inquired Agatha. Thewoman did not reply at once, being busy looking at them closely with herbright eyes.
"Have you any lodgings to let?" said Agatha once more.
"Perhaps," was the reply.
"Perhaps," repeated Edme somewhat impatiently. "Do you not know?"
"I am Citizeness Privat," the woman answered. "There are lodgings to letin this house, most assuredly, and I have charge of the renting of them;but I act for another, and he," with emphasis on the pronoun, "insiststhat I shall only take those who can furnish references. Can you do so?"
"Let us come inside and we will see what can be done," said Agatha,pushing forward. The woman stepped back, and Edme followed Agatha intothe house. Agatha closed the door before speaking.
"Citizeness Privat," she said, "we are two women from the country, whohave come to Paris for the first time. We know no one here, and can giveyou no references except money. Will that not satisfy you?" And Agathadrew a purse from her pocket.
"It will satisfy me, but not him who employs me. If I disobey him I maylose this place which is my only shelter." Edme caught a glimpse of aneat sitting-room through a half-open door. The cool and quiet of thehouse were doubly attractive after the noise and heat of the citystreets.
"We must stay here," she whispered to Agatha. The latter opened herpurse.
"We will pay you well," she said persuasively. The citizeness shook herhead mournfully, and put one hand upon the handle of the door.
"Stay one moment, I implore you!" exclaimed Edme impulsively. "Listen towhat I have to say."
The citizeness turned her strange eyes upon Edme. The latter started asshe beheld the expression on the pale face.
"Agatha! look!" Edme cried out in alarm, and the next instant theCitizeness Privat had fallen to the floor. Quickly Edme bent over her."She has fainted. How cold her hands are! Look at her face. It isghastly. It cannot be that she is dead, Agatha?" Edme continued in atone of awe.
Agatha took one hand and began to chafe it to restore the circulationwhile Edme rubbed the other. "She is breathing," said Agatha. "Perhapswith your assistance, mademoiselle, we can lift and carry her into oneof the rooms."
Between them the Citizeness Privat was carried gently into her room andplaced upon a bed. To their intense relief, the woman gave a sigh, andopened her eyes as she sank back on the
pillows.
"Are you in great suffering, poor creature?" asked Edme, compassionatelysurveying the pale features. Citizeness Privat signed that she was notin any pain, and after a few moments, during which her breath cameregularly, she said faintly:--
"I shall be better soon; I am used to these attacks of sudden giddiness.My greatest fear is that they may seize me some day while I am in thestreets. For that reason I dread to go out alone."
"Let us remove her clothing and put her in the bed where she will bemore comfortable," suggested Mademoiselle de Rochefort, and in spite ofthe feeble remonstrances of the sick woman they soon had her comfortablyinstalled between the sheets.
"You are very good," she murmured.
As Agatha removed the gown a card fell from the pocket to the floor.
"I shall be unable to attend to my task this evening," sighed the womanPrivat, as if the fluttering pasteboard recalled to mind some urgentduty. "I can ill afford to let the work go either. It helps so muchtowards my support, but to-day it will be impossible."
Edme picked up the card, and in doing so glanced at it casually, thenread it with a start:--
FRENCH REVOLUTIONARY TRIBUNAL.
Permit the Citizeness Jeanne Privat to enter the various rooms of the tribunal when engaged upon her routine duties.
The Citizeness Privat smiled faintly. "I see you wonder what I have todo with the tribunal," she said; "I merely go there in the afternoon atdark and clean up the rooms. There are many of them, and as I am theonly person employed to look after them, they get into a dreadful stateof disorder and dirt." Here the citizeness was taken with a fit ofcoughing.
Edme thrust the card mechanically into her pocket, and ran to fetch aglass of water.
"You are very good to me," said she faintly as soon as she could speak."I turned you away," a slight flush coming to her cheek. "Believe me, itwas not my heart that spoke when I told you that I could not let youhave the lodging; I was merely obeying the commands of the owner, whoallows me my bare rent for my services. He is very strict, but at therisk of incurring his displeasure, I shall refuse to let you go afterthis kindness."
"Do not fear; do not trouble about that," replied Mademoiselle deRochefort quietly, "but tell me more about your work in the tribunal. Isit that which has worn you so?"
"No, it is not so wearing, only I am far from strong, and sometimes Iget so fatigued. My brother, who is a turnkey in the conciergerie,obtained this employment for me, as it was thought I could do it; but Ifear I shall have to give it up."
Edme smoothed the counterpane. "Do not worry," she said gently, "but goto sleep now. We will remain here until you are better."
The citizeness smiled faintly, her lips moved as if in apology; then shefell into a quiet sleep.
Agatha turned to her mistress.
"Go into the next room, mademoiselle, and rest there. I will watch overthis sick woman."
"I cannot rest, dear Agatha; I have something else to do, but you muststay here until I return."
"Where are you going?"
"To the Luxembourg."
"Not now, mademoiselle; wait--I will accompany you."
"No, Agatha, I prefer to go alone; you must remain here until I comeback," commanded Edme.
Agatha knew it would be useless for her to remonstrate further, so sheresumed her place by the bedside, and with the greatest anxiety saw hermistress leave the house, and, passing by the window, disappear up thestreet.