XI
On the following morning I was at breakfast, when Alphonse said to me:"I made last night sir, pretense of following monsieur, and discoveredthat another man was doing the same thing. Circumstances permitted meto observe that he was stupid, but monsieur will perceive that eitherI am mistrusted by the police, or that the affair of madame is growingmore difficult and has so far baffled the detectives. The count musthave mentioned your name to them." There he paused and busied himselfwith the coffee-urn, and, for my part, I sat still, wondering whetherI had not better be more entirely frank with this unusual valet. Heknew enough to be very dangerous, and now stood at ease, evidentlyexpecting some comment on my part. I had asked Merton to breakfast,and a half-hour later he came in, apologizing and laughing.
"Well," he said, "I am late. I had Lieutenant West to see me, and, tomy grief, Aramis is out of it and has explained, and so on; butPorthos is inexorable. I said at last I was so tired of them all thatI should accept rapiers if the big man would give me time. The factis, we must first dispose of this other business. A wound, or whatnot, might cripple me. I am not a bad hand with the sword, and I takelessons twice a day. But now about the other affair. This duel is atrifle to it."
Alphonse had meanwhile gone, at a word from me, and I was free to openmy mind to Merton. He did not hesitate a moment. "Call him back," hesaid, "and let me talk to him."
Alphonse reappeared.
"I gave you three hundred francs," said Merton.
"Yes, monsieur."
"Where is it?"
"My mother has it."
"Very good. Are you for the emperor?"
The man's face changed. "M. le Capitaine knows that a man must live. Iwas of the police, but my father was shot in the coup d'etat. I am arepublican."
"If so," said Merton, "for what amount would you sell your republicanbody and soul?"
"As to my body, monsieur, that is for sale cheap."
"And souls are not dear in France," said Merton.
"Yes, monsieur; but the price varies."
"What would you say to--well, a thousand francs down and a thousand inthree months?"
"If monsieur would explain."
I did not dislike his caution, but I still had a residue of doubt asto the man who was serving two masters. Merton had none. He went on:
"We mean to be plain with you. We are caught in the net of a big anddangerous business."
"I had thought as much," said Alphonse. "Would M. le Capitaineexplain? No doubt there are circumstances--"
"Precisely. A woman has done what makes it necessary for us to recovera certain document despite the police and the government. Understandthat if we succeed you get two thousand francs and run meanwhile risksof a very serious nature."
"And my master?"
"Oh, he may lose his position. You and I and madame may be worse off."
"As to my position," I said, "leave me out of the question. We shallall take risks."
"Then I accept," said Alphonse. "Monsieur has been most kind to mymother, and circumstances have always attracted me--monsieur willunderstand. What am I to do?"
"You are to examine the outside of Madame Bellegarde's villa by dayand at night--to-night--and report to us to-morrow morning. I have ascheme for entering it and securing the document we want, but of thatwe will speak when we hear your report. I have already ridden aroundthe place. I am trusting you entirely."
"No, monsieur, not quite entirely," said Alphonse, smiling.
Merton understood this queer fellow as I did not, for, as I satwondering what he meant, my friend said quietly: "No we have not toldyou where the papers are concealed nor what they are. And you want toknow?"
A sudden panic seemed to fall on the valet. He winked rapidly, lookedto right and left, and then cried in a decisive way, with open handsupraised as if to push away something: "No, monsieur, no.Circumstances make it not to be desired."
From that moment I trusted the man. "Is that all, monsieur?" he said.
"No. I do not want you to act without knowing that we, all of us, areabout to undertake what is against the law and may bring death or, toyou at least, the galleys."
"I accept." He said it very quietly. "What other directions hasmonsieur, or am I merely to report about the house and the guards? Itis easy."
"Yes, that is all at present. The danger comes later. Let us hear atnine to-morrow morning."
His report at that time was clear and not very reassuring. There wereguards at or near the gateway. At night a patrol moved at times aroundthe outside. He saw a man enter the garden and remain within. He couldnot say whether there was another one in the house. It was likely.Madame Bellegarde had driven to the villa. She had been allowed toenter, and came out with a basket of flowers. As no one went in withher, it was pretty sure that they trusted some one within to watchher.
Merton said: "And now, Alphonse, have you any plan, any means by whichwe can enter that house at night and get away safe without violentmethods?"
"If there was no one within."
"But we do not know, and that we must risk."
"It would be necessary," said Alphonse, "to get the police away fromthe gate for a time, and, if I am not mistaken, their orders will becapture, dead or alive. They believe your papers are still hidden inthat house and that an effort may be made to secure them. You observe,monsieur, that all this care would never be taken in an ordinary case.If monsieur proposes to enter the house and take away certain papers,the guard may resist, and in that case--"
"In that case," laughed Merton, "circumstances--"
"Monsieur does not desire me to enter the house."
I said promptly that we did not. Alphonse seemed relieved, and Mertonwent on to state with care his own plan. Alphonse listened with thejoy of an expert, adding suggestions and twice making very goodcomments on our arrangements. It would be necessary he thought, towait for a stormy night, but already it was overclouded.
Alphonse went away to see his mother and to make his own preparationsfor the share assigned to him in an adventure to which I lookedforward with keen interest and with small satisfaction.
Not so Merton. When the valet left us, the captain said: "We areutterly in the hands of that man."
"Yes," I returned thoughtfully.
"If he knew," said Merton, "he might--"
"No. That he did not want to know what these papers are was anexpression of his own doubt concerning the extent to which he mighttrust himself. I think we must trust him."
"Yes," returned the captain. "Whether or not we have been wise to usehim, I rather doubted, but now I do not. The limitations of the moralcode of a man like Alphonse are strange enough. It is hard to guessbeforehand what he will do and what he will not. However, we are infor it. You have a revolver?"
"No."
"I will lend you mine."
I said I should be glad to borrow it, but I may say that I took care,before we set out, to see that the barrels were not loaded. I mightuse it to threaten, but was resolute not to fire on any one, even ifnot to do so involved failure of our purpose. I, too, had my morallimitations.
We lost a day, but on the following night there was such a storm assatisfied us to the full.
A Diplomatic Adventure Page 11