The Son of Monte-Cristo

by Jules Lermina

  CHAPTER LXIII.

  CARMEN KEEPS HER WORD.

  "I will watch the enemy," Carmen had said to Goutran, when they parted.The enemy was the man who had taken advantage of her inexperience, andinduced her to call him father. Why had she not realized what she wasdoing sooner? She had, however, shown her womanly courage by theconfession she had made to Goutran, and now she found herself withoutshield or buckler in opposition to the man under whose roof she lived.She resolved to defend Goutran and all those he loved. Woe to whomsoevershould attack them.

  That same morning, Laisangy asked to be received by her. She was quiteready for another quarrel, but Laisangy was amiable and smiling, for hehad at that moment heard from Benedetto that his vengeance was nearbeing accomplished.

  Strangely enough this man Laisangy was in deadly terror of Monte-Cristo,and fully estimated the almost superhuman power of this wonderful man.But when Benedetto appeared before him and he found that there was onevillain greater than himself, he was encouraged and comforted. What joyit would be to torture, without danger to himself, the soul of him whomhe had so feared.

  Danglars had given himself, soul and body, to Benedetto, as in legends aman abandons himself to a demon. He smiled as he entered Carmen's room.

  "What do you want of me?" she said, coldly.

  "You have not forgotten that we give a grand reception this evening."

  "This evening! Surely you mistake--"

  "No. This is your own list of invitations that I hold in my hand."

  Carmen had forgotten entirely that these invitations had been sent out aweek before.

  Laisangy looked at her closely.

  "I fancied," he said, "that this entertainment had escaped your memory."

  "I certainly shall not appear!" answered Carmen.

  The banker bit his lips, this was precisely what he feared. He began toargue the matter gently. And she, in her turn, began to reflect. She sawon the list the name of Goutran, which she had written with a breakingheart. After all, had she the right to desert her post?

  "Very well," she said, "I will be present."

  Laisangy was astonished at his prompt success.

  "Yes," she repeated, "on condition that you do not once call me yourdaughter."

  "What shall I call you?" stammered Laisangy.

  "Whatever you choose, only take care that you do not disobey me!"

  In fact, the banker cared little upon this point. He had obtained whathe wanted. His fete would be made brilliant by Carmen's presence. He didnot retire, however, and the girl saw that he had something else tosay.

  "What more do you want?" she asked, impatiently.

  "My dear child," began Laisangy, with some pomposity, "you have,doubtless, ere this discovered that matters of finance are composed of athousand details more important than those of diplomacy."

  "I have certainly learned that swindling is a troublesome business," shesaid through her teeth, and with intense disdain.

  Laisangy pretended not to hear this.

  "To-night," he said, with perfect _sang froid_, "we leave theTuileries."

  He had counted on the effect of these words. Carmen shrugged hershoulders, which certainly was not respectful to the Emperor.

  "And I am greatly disturbed," continued the banker. "It may be necessaryfor me to leave for an hour. I shall pretend indisposition, which may beattributed to the heat, and while I am supposed to be recovering in myown room, I can go out and attend to my affairs."

  "You may be obliged to go out, then?"

  "Certainly; did you not understand?"

  "Why do you not tell me that you wish to go to the Bourse?"

  Laisangy was annoyed. He saw that Carmen was on the _qui vive_, andCarmen said to herself: "What does this mean? He is lying, and someinfernal machination is on foot. I must learn what it is."

  She replied more gently:

  "But I care little about these matters; the Bourse does not interestme. At what hour did you say you might be called away?"

  "About midnight."

  "Very good. Then you would like me, I suppose, to be very anxious aboutyou, and urge you to withdraw?"

  "Precisely!" answered the banker, much pleased. "Ah, Carmen, how wellyou understand me. Had you chosen, we two would have governed France!"

  "Not I!" answered Carmen, abruptly. "We are companions, not accomplices.I do not understand you, and I do not propose to aid you in yourinfamy."

  At this word Laisangy started, and thus confirmed the suspicions ofCarmen, who was watching him.

  He took her hand, and she withdrew it quickly. He had obtained what hedesired, and was now ready to depart.

  "What is he planning?" said Carmen to herself. "Is it really somefinancial operation, which, of course, I care nothing about, or isit----?"

  Goutran's name rose to her lips. All day she watched him, but sawnothing to justify her in her belief, and yet she knew that her woman'sinstinct had not played her false. Over and over again she was temptedto retract her promise, for the idea of this fete was intolerable toher. She thought of Goutran, and remembered that she might save him.

  The evening came, and Carmen's maid could hardly believe it was she whoreplied:

  "What dress, did you say? I don't care in the least!"

  Nevertheless, when Carmen appeared in the salons there was an audiblemurmur of admiration. In her white dress, with a few flowers in herbeautiful hair, Carmen had never been more beautiful. She moved slowlythrough the rooms, looking for Goutran, who was not there, as we know.

  Little did Carmen care for these men and women, who were the tools andslaves of the man of December. Laisangy was radiant, however. Carmenshivered whenever she looked at him. It seemed to her that he was in astate of unusual excitement.

  The orchestra was playing delightfully, and lacqueys were announcing thefirst names of the empire--counts, and barons, and princes. Suddenly anew name was heard:

  "Mohammed-Ben-Omar!"

  And a magnificent personage, wearing the Legion of Honor on his whitebournous, entered the room. Every one turned to look at him. He was amagnificent looking Arab. With a gravity that was truly oriental, andwith his face half concealed in the folds of his mantle, his brown handsfolded on his breast, Mohammed-Ben-Omar advanced.

  Laisangy went forward to meet him. In fact, he could hardly believe inhis good fortune. Mohammed-Ben-Omar belonged to that class of Algerianswho, listening to the counsel of French financiers, always cherished theproject of making Algeria into a veritable El Dorado, and had now cometo France to lend the support of his name and authority to some one ofthe speculations built on the sands of the desert, of which theTuileries people were so fond.

  Laisangy, learning of his arrival in Paris, had hastened to send him aninvitation, but had hardly hoped to see him. He was, therefore, morethan usually civil.

  Ben-Omar replied to his courtesies only by carrying his hand to hisheart and then to his forehead, in the recognized Mussulman manner. Hedid not speak one word of French, and yet, when Carmen passed, he said"Beautiful!" with a guttural intonation.

  "My daughter, sir!" answered the banker, with pride.

  "Beautiful! beautiful!" repeated the Mohammedan.

  Laisangy signed to Omar to accompany him to the group where Carmen wastalking. There he went through the ceremony of introduction. Then,leaning toward her, Omar said, under his breath:

  "I come from Goutran. Allah il Allah!" he added, aloud.

  Carmen started. Never was she so astonished. The name of Goutran fromthese lips was like lightning from a clear sky. She looked at the Arab'sbronze face and his huge moustache.

  "Take His Excellency's arm," said Laisangy, "and show him the galleryand statuary."

  Carmen hesitated, but Omar at once threw his bournous aside and offeredthe young lady his arm.

  Laisangy whispered in Carmen's ear:

  "Do not delay too long. I have received the signal and must do what wasagreed upon between us."

  Carmen paid little heed to these
words, but moved through the crowd onOmar's arm, slowly and thoughtfully. Omar was very solemn, but under hismoustache he whispered:

  "I come from Monsieur Goutran."

  "Who are you?" she asked, raising her fan to hide her lips as she spoke.

  Whenever the crowd came too near he raised his arm, and with a grandsweep of bournous, hand and arm, he said:

  "Allah il Allah! Rassoul il Allah!"

  Everybody drew back much impressed, for the incomprehensible has alwaysgreat power.

  At last, Omar and Carmen were alone in a small salon.

  "Will you tell me who you are?" asked Carmen once again.

  "I am Coucon--devoted to Monsieur Goutran and to Esperance, the son ofMonte-Cristo."

  "And you disguised yourself to see me?"

  "Yes, for I had a note to bring from Monsieur Goutran."

  "Give it to me!" Carmen cried.

  When at last Coucon succeeded in finding it among the folds of hisbournous, she snatched it from him.

  This is what she read:

  "Carmen, my friend and my ally, you have promised your assistance. Gladly do I claim it. My friends are in great peril. Jane Zeld has vanished in the most mysterious manner, as has Esperance. There must be in the Hotel de Monte-Cristo some secret issue which our enemies do not know. The infamous L---- must possess this secret. Do your best to discover it. You see that I place my reliance on you, for I love you.

  "GOUTRAN."

  Carmen uttered a joyous exclamation. Goutran loved her! Coucon turnedtoward her.

  "Well," he asked, "what am I to tell him?"

  "Return to Monsieur Goutran and tell him that if it costs me my life Iwill discover what he wishes to know. And remember that you must openthe door of the hotel to me at whatever time I may come. Of course, youand Monsieur Goutran will be there all night. Now, go!"

  At this moment a terrified looking servant entered the room.

  "Mademoiselle," he said, "your father has just been taken ill."

  Omar respectfully saluted the young girl, and was lost in the crowd. Noone noticed him, for there was much excitement over the illness of thegreat financier. Carmen followed the lacquey with rather too slow a stepfor the occasion. She was intensely irritated at this new comedy, andshe was tempted to cry out to the crowd:

  "He lies! He has always lied!"

  Laisangy was lying back in his chair. There was no physician in theroom, and yet the people about him talked knowingly of bleeding him.Fortunately for him, Carmen arrived.

  "I know what it is," she said; "he has had similar attacks before. Hewill be better after a little rest."

  And Carmen gave orders that the banker should be carried to his chamber.Then excusing herself to her guests, she followed.

  Laisangy, who was becoming greatly bored by the part he was playing,supposed that Carmen would dismiss the servants and remain with himherself; but she had quite other plans. She bade the men undress theirmaster and put him in his bed. Laisangy was ready to swear at her, but,of course, he was too ill to dispute. If he suddenly revived and made arow, then the story would get about of the ridiculous comedy he hadplayed. His patience was not long tried, however. Carmen only wanted togain a little time, in which she might hope to discover the contents ofa letter which she saw the banker receive and put in his pocket early inthe evening. She found the letter and retired into the next room to readit.

  "Vengeance is assured. Fanfar and Goutran are prisoners in the house ofMonte-Cristo. As to the girl, she is at the house at Courberrie, whereEsperance will arrive too late."

  Hardly had Carmen grasped the sense of these words than she ran to herroom, and wrapping herself in her long black cloak, left the hotel bythe private door.