by Mayne Reid
CHAPTER TWENTY FOUR.
A RIVAL.
I cannot describe the effect produced upon me by this discovery. It waslike a shock of paralysis. It nailed me to the spot, and for somemoments I felt as rigid as a statue, and almost as senseless. Even hadthe words uttered by Gayarre been loud enough to reach me, I shouldscarce have heard them. My surprise for the moment had rendered medeaf.
The antagonism I had conceived towards the speaker, so long as Ibelieved it to be the brute Larkin, was of a gentle character comparedwith that which agitated me now. Larkin might be young and handsome; byScipio's account, the latter he certainly was _not_: but even so, I hadlittle fear of _his_ rivalry. I felt confident that I held the heart ofAurore, and I knew that the overseer had no power over _her person_. Hewas overseer of the field-hands, and other slaves of the plantation--their master, with full licence of tongue and lash; but with all that, Iknew that he had no authority over Aurore. For reasons I could notfathom, the treatment of the quadroon was, and had always been,different from the other slaves of the plantation. It was not thewhiteness of her skin--her beauty neither--that had gained her thisdistinction. These, it is true, often modify the hard lot of the femaleslave, sometimes detailing upon her a still more cruel fate; but in thecase of Aurore, there was some very different reason for the kindnessshown her, though _I_ could only _guess_ at it. She had been tenderlyreared alongside her young mistress, had received almost as good aneducation, and, in fact, was treated rather as a _sister_ than a_slave_. Except from Mademoiselle, she received no commands. The"nigger-driver" had nothing to do with her. I had therefore no dread ofany unlawful influence on his part.
Far different were my suspicions when I found the voice belonged toGayarre. _He_ had power not only over the slave, but the mistress aswell. Though suitor,--as I still believed him,--of Mademoiselle, hecould not be blind to the superior charms of Aurore. Hideous wretch asI thought him, he might for all be sensible to love. The plainest mayhave a passion for the fairest. The Beast loved Beauty.
The hour he had chosen for his visit, too! that was suspicious ofitself. Just as Mademoiselle had driven out! Had he been there beforeshe went out and been left by her in the house? Not likely. Scipioknow nothing of his being there, else he would have told me. The blackwas aware of my antipathy to Gayarre, and that I did not desire to meethim. He would certainly have told me.
"No doubt," thought I, "the visit is a stolen one--the lawyer has comethe back way from his own plantation, has watched till the carriagedrove off, and then skulked in for the very purpose of finding thequadroon alone!"
All this flashed upon my mind with the force of conviction, I no longerdoubted that his presence there was the result of design, and not a mereaccident. He was _after_ Aurore. My thoughts took this homely shape.
When the first shock of my surprise had passed away, my senses returned,fuller and more vigorous than ever. My nerves seemed freshly strung,and my ears new set. I placed them as close to the open window asprudence would allow, and listened. It was not _honourable_, I own, butin dealing with this wretch I seemed to lose all sense of honour. Bythe peculiar circumstances of that moment I was tempted from the strictpath, but it was the "eavesdropping" of a jealous lover, and I cry youmercy for the act.
I listened. With an effort I stifled the feverish throbbings of myheart, and listened.
And I heard every word that from that moment was said. The voices hadbecome louder, or rather the speakers had approached nearer. They werebut a few feet from the window! Gayarre was speaking.
"And does this young fellow dare to make love to your mistress?"
"Monsieur Dominique, how should I know? I am sure I never saw aught ofthe kind. He is very modest, and so Mademoiselle thinks him. I neverknew him to speak one word of love,--not he."
I fancied I heard a sigh.
"If he dare," rejoined Gayarre in a tone of bravado; "if he dare hint atsuch a thing to Mademoiselle--ay, or _even to you_, Aurore--I shall makethe place too hot for him. He shall visit here no more, the nakedadventurer! On that I am resolved."
"Oh, Monsieur Gayarre! I'm sure that would vex Mademoiselle very much.Remember! he saved her life. She is full of gratitude to him. Shecontinually talks of it, and it would grieve her if Monsieur Edouard wasto come no more. I am sure it would grieve her."
There was an earnestness, a half-entreaty, in the tone of the speakerthat sounded pleasant to my ears. It suggested the idea that _she, too,might be grieved_ if Monsieur Edouard were to come no more.
A like thought seemed to occur to Gayarre, upon whom, however, it made avery different sort of impression. There was irony mixed with anger inhis reply, which was half interrogative.
"Perhaps it would grieve _some one else_? Perhaps you? All, indeed!Is it so? You love him? _Sacr-r-r-r_!"
There was a hissing emphasis upon the concluding word, that expressedanger and pain,--the pain of bitter jealousy.
"Oh monsieur!" replied the quadroon, "how can you speak thus? _I_ love!I,--a poor slave! Alas! alas!"
Neither the tone nor substance of this speech exactly pleased me. Ifelt a hope, however, that it was but one of the little stratagems oflove: a species of deceit I could easily pardon. It seemed to produce apleasant effect on Gayarre, for all at once his voice changed to alighter and gayer tone.
"You a _slave_, beautiful Aurore! No, in my eyes you are a _queen_,Aurore. Slave! It is your fault if you remain so. You know who hasthe power to make you free: ay, and the will too,--the will,--Aurore!"
"Please not to talk thus, Monsieur Dominique! I have said before Icannot listen to such speech. I repeat I cannot, and _will_ not!"
The firm tone was grateful to my ears.
"Nay, lovely Aurore!" replied Gayarre, entreatingly, "don't be angrywith me! I cannot help it. I cannot help thinking of your welfare.You _shall_ be free;--no longer the slave of a capricious mistress--"
"Monsieur Gayarre!" exclaimed the quadroon, interrupting him, "speak notso of Mademoiselle! You wrong her, Monsieur. She is not capricious.What if she heard--"
"_Peste_!" cried Gayarre, interrupting in his turn, and again assuminghis tone of bravado. "What care I if she did? Think you I trouble myhead about her? The world thinks so! ha! ha! ha! Let them!--the fools!ha! ha! One day they may find it different! ha! ha! They think myvisits here are on _her_ account! ha! ha! ha! No, Aurore,--lovelyAurore! it is not Mademoiselle I come to see, but _you_,--you, Aurore,--whom I _love_,--ay, love with all--"
"Monsieur Dominique! I repeat--"
"Dearest Aurore! say you will but love me; say but the word! Oh, speakit! you shall be no longer a slave,--you shall be free as your mistressis;--you shall have everything,--every pleasure,--dresses, jewels, atwill; my house shall be under your control,--you shall command in it,_as if you were my wife_."
"Enough, Monsieur! enough! Your insult--I hear no more!"
The voice was firm and indignant. Hurrah!
"Nay, dearest, loveliest Aurore! do not go yet,--hear me--"
"I hear no more, Sir,--Mademoiselle shall know--"
"A word, a word! one kiss, Aurore! on my knees, I beg--"
I heard the knocking of a pair of knees on the floor, followed by astruggling sound, and loud angry exclamations on the part of Aurore.
This I considered to be my cue, and three steps brought me within theroom, and within as many feet of the kneeling gallant. The wretch wasactually on his "marrow-bones," holding the girl by the wrist, andendeavouring to draw her towards him. She, on the contrary, wasexerting all her women's strength to get away; which, not being soinconsiderable, resulted in the ludicrous spectacle of the kneelingsuitor being dragged somewhat rapidly across the carpet!
His back was toward me as I entered, and the first intimation he had ofmy presence was a boisterous laugh, which for the life of me I could notrestrain. It lasted until long after he had released his captive, andgathered his limbs into an upright position; and, indee
d, so loud did itsound in my own ears, that I did not hear the threats of vengeance hewas muttering in return.
"What business have _you_ here, Sir?" was his first intelligiblequestion.
"I need not ask the same of you, Monsieur Dominique Gayarre. _Your_business I can tell well enough ha! ha! ha!"
"I ask you, Sir," he repeated, in a still angrier tone, "what's yourbusiness here?"
"I did not come here on _business_, Monsieur," said I, still keeping upthe tone of levity. "I did not come here on business, _any more thanyourself_."
The emphasis on the last words seemed to render him furious.
"The sooner you go the better, then," he shouted, with a bullying frown.
"For whom?" I inquired.
"For yourself, Sir," was the reply.
I had now also lost temper, though not altogether command of myself.
"Monsieur," said I, advancing and confronting him, "I have yet to learnthat the house of Mademoiselle Besancon is the property of MonsieurDominique Gayarre. If it were so, I would be less disposed to respectthe sanctity of its roof. You, Sir, have not respected it. You haveacted infamously towards this young girl--this young _lady_, for shemerits the title as much as the best blood in your land. I havewitnessed your dastardly conduct, and heard your insulting proposals--"
Here Gayarre started, but said nothing. I continued--
"You are not a gentleman, Sir; and therefore not worthy to stand beforemy pistol. The owner of this house is not at home. At present it is asmuch mine as yours; and I promise you, that if you are not out of it inten seconds you shall have my whip laid with severity upon yourshoulders."
I said all this in a tone sufficiently moderate, and in cool blood.Gayarre must have seen that I meant it, for I _did_ mean it.
"You shall pay dearly for this," he hissed out. "You shall find thatthis is not the country for a _spy_."
"Go, Sir!"
"And you, my fine pattern of quadroon virtue," he added, bending amalicious glance upon Aurore, "there may come a day when you'll be lessprudish: a day when you'll not find such a gallant protector."
"Another word, and--"
The uplifted whip would have fallen on his shoulders. He did not waitfor that, but gliding through the door, shuffled off over the verandah.
I stopped outside to make sure that he was gone. Advancing to the endof the platform I looked over the paling. The chattering of the birdstold me that some one was passing through the shrubbery.
I watched till I saw the gate open. I could just distinguish a headabove the palings moving along the road. I easily recognised it as thatof the disappointed seducer.
As I turned back, towards the drawing-room I forgot that such a creatureexisted!