The Cornet of Horse: A Tale of Marlborough's Wars

by G. A. Henty

  Chapter 19: The Evasion.

  Upon the ride from Versailles to Paris Rupert told the marquis whathe had done and heard.

  "It is bad news, Rupert. I will ride back this afternoon, when Ihave lodged you in Paris, and see Adele. If she objects--as I knowshe will object to this marriage--I shall respectfully protest.That any good will come of the protest I have no thought, but myprotest may strengthen Adele's refusal, by showing that she has herfather's approval.

  "Adele will of course be treated coldly at first, then she willhave pressure put upon her, then be ordered to choose between aconvent and marriage. She will choose a convent. Now in someconvents she could live quietly and happily, in others she would bepersecuted. If she is sent to a convent chosen for her, it will beworse than a prison. Her life will be made a burden to her untilshe consents to obey the king's command. Therefore, my object willbe to secure her retreat to a convent where she will be welltreated and happy. But we will talk of this again."

  It was not until the following afternoon that the marquis returnedfrom Versailles.

  "I am off to the front again," he said. "I had an audience with hisMajesty this morning, and respectfully informed him of mydaughter's incurable repugnance to the Duc de Carolan, and of herdesire to remain single until at least she reached the age oftwenty. His Majesty was pleased to say that girls' whims werematters to which it behoved not to pay any attention. He said,however, that for the present he would allow it to remain inabeyance, and that he begged me to see Adele, and to urge upon herthe necessity for making up her mind to accept his Majesty'schoice. He also said that the news from the army was bad, that goodofficers were urgently required there, and that it would betherefore advisable for me to repair at once to the front and againtake the command of my regiment. He said that he wished me to takeyou with me as far as Lille, and that you should there take up yourresidence."

  "Of course I will accompany you, sir," Rupert said; "but I willwithdraw my parole as soon as you hand me over, and take my chanceof escaping."

  "Yes, I should do that, Rupert, indeed, as you gave your parole tome, you can give it back to me now, if you choose. I will run therisk of some little anger on the part of the king, if you quit meon your way to Lille and make the best of your way to thefrontier."

  "No, I thank you," Rupert said. "There can't be much difficulty inescaping from a town when one wants to do so; and it would do youan evil turn indeed to incense the king against you at the presenttime."

  The next morning, just as they were setting out, a lackey placed anote in Rupert's hands.

  "I hear you are sent off to Lille. I have a cousin there, and havewritten to recommend you to his care. I will keep my promise, andlet you know, if needs be, of what is happening to the young personwe spoke of--Diana."

  Rupert wrote a few words of earnest thanks, and imitating theexample set him, gave it unaddressed and unsigned to the lackey,with a handsome present to himself.

  On the way to Lille, the marquis told Rupert his plans for thewithdrawal of Adele from court, and her concealment, should Louisinsist on the marriage being pressed on.

  Arriving at Lille, Rupert was handed over to the governor, andhaving formally withdrawn his parole to make no effort to escape,he was assigned quarters in barracks, whence he was allowed to gointo the town during daylight; being obliged, however, to attend atroll call at midday. The fortifications of the town were so strongand well guarded that it was supposed that the chance of escape wassmall.

  The following day the Marquis de Pignerolles took an affectionateleave of Rupert, and went on to join the army; and an hour or twolater Captain Louis d'Etamps, the cousin of whom Diana had written,called upon him, and placed himself at his service. His cousin hadtold him of the supposed crime for which Rupert had been sent awayfrom court, and felt much sympathy with what she considered hishard treatment. Not only Louis d'Etamps, but the French officers ofthe garrison, showed great kindness and attention to the Englishprisoner, for the Duke of Marlborough had treated the Frenchofficers who fell into his hands at Ramilies with such kindness andcourtesy, that the French were glad to have an opportunity ofreciprocating the treatment when the chance fell in their way. Latein the autumn, the Marquis de Pignerolles was brought back to Lilleseriously wounded in one of the last skirmishes of the campaign.Rupert spent all the time he was allowed to be out of barracks athis friend's quarters. The wound was not considered dangerous, butit would keep the marquis a prisoner to his room for weeks.

  A few days after the marquis was brought in, Louis d'Etamps cameinto Rupert's room early in the morning.

  "I have a note for you from my fair cousin," he said. "It must besomething particular, for she has sent a special messenger with aletter to me, and on opening it I find only a line asking me togive you the enclosed instantly."

  Rupert opened the latter from Diana d'Etamps; it was as follows:

  "Adele has been ordered to marry the Duc de Carolan on the 15th.Unless she consents, she is on the 14th to be sent to the nunneryof Saint Marie, the strictest in France, where they will somehow orother wring consent from her before many weeks are over. They havedone so in scores of cases like hers. I promised to tell you, and Ihave done so. But I don't see that anything can be done. I hearMonsieur le Marquis is badly wounded, but even were he here, hecould do nothing. The king is resolute. The Duc de Carolan has justgiven 200,000 crowns towards the expenses of the war."

  "May I see?" Louis d'Etamps said, for the young men were now fastfriends.

  Rupert handed him the note.

  "What can you do, my poor boy?" he said.

  "I will go and see the marquis, and let you know afterwards,"Rupert said. "I shall do something, you may be sure."

  "If you do, you will want to escape from Lille. I will see aboutthe arrangements for that. There is no time to be lost. It is the10th today."

  Rupert's conversation with the Marquis de Pignerolles was long andinteresting. The marquis chafed at being confined to a sick bed andpermitting Rupert to run the risk, which was immense, of theattempt alone. However, as he could not move, and as Rupert wasdetermined to do something, the marquis entered into all the planshe had drawn up, and intended to follow when such an emergencyoccurred. He gave him a letter for Adele, and then they parted.

  At his room Rupert found Louis.

  "Quick," he said, "there is no time to lose. At ten o'clock aconvoy of wounded leave for Paris. The doctor in charge is a friendof mine and a capital fellow. I have just seen him. All isarranged. Come along to my quarters, they are on the line that theconvoy goes to the gate. Jump in bed, then I will bandage up yourhead with plaisters so that not more than space to see and breatheout of will be left. When the convoy arrives at the door, he willhave an empty litter ready, will bring up four men who will liftyou in, supposing you to be a wounded French officer, carry youdown, and off you go with the convoy, not a soul save the doctor,you, and I, the wiser. He has got a pass to leave the city withforty-eight sick and ten soldiers, and he has only to tell one ofthose marked to go that he is not well enough to be moved, and willgo with the next convoy. The messenger who brought the letter hasstarted again, and has taken with him a led horse of mine. He willbe at the hostelry of Henri the 4th, at the place where you willstop tonight. He will not know who you are, I have told him that afriend of mine will call for the horse, which I had promised tosend him.

  "When you halt for the night, the doctor will order you to becarried into his own room. You will find two or three suits ofclothes in the litter, a lackey's suit of our livery which may beuseful, a country gentleman's, and one of mine. When you are alonewith the doctor and all is safe, get up, put on the countrygentleman's suit, say goodbye to him and go straight to the stablesat the Henri the 4th. You are the Sire de Nadar. I have written anote here, telling you the horse will be there and you are to fetchit--here it is. The messenger will know my seal."

  "I am indeed obliged to you," Rupert said, "you have thought ofeverything; but how will the doctor explain my not be
ingforthcoming in the morning?"

  "Oh, he will arrange that easily enough. The soldiers will allsleep soundly enough after this march; besides, they will not, inall probability, be near his quarters, so he will only have to saythat he found you were too ill to continue the journey, and hadtherefore had you carried to a confrere of his. You must be underno fear, Rupert, of any evil consequences to anyone, for no onewill ever connect you with the convoy. You will be missed at rollcall, but that will go for nothing. When you are absent again atsix o'clock, you will be reported as missing. Then it will besupposed that you are hid in the city, and a sharp watch will beset at the gates; but after a few days it will be supposed that youhave either got over the walls, or that you have gone out disguisedas a peasant. A prisoner of war more or less makes but littledifference, and there will never be any fuss about it."

  Soon after dusk on the evening of the 13th of October, Adele dePignerolles was sitting alone in a large room in the house ofMadame de Soissons. A wood fire was blazing, and even in thatdoubtful light it might have been seen that the girl's eyes wereswollen with crying. She was not crying now, but was looking intothe fire with a set, determined look in her face.

  "I don't care," she said; "they may kill me at Saint Marie, but Iwill never say yes. Oh, if papa were but here."

  At that moment there was a knock at the door, and a bright-lookingwaiting maid entered.

  "A note, mademoiselle, from Mademoiselle d'Etamps--andmademoiselle," and she put her finger mysteriously to her lips, "itis a new lackey has brought it. I told him to come again in tenminutes for an answer; for I thought it better he should not comein to be looked at by Francois and Jules."

  "Why not, Margot?" Adele asked in great surprise.

  "Because, mademoiselle, he seemed to me--I may be wrong, youknow--but he seemed to me very, very like--"

  "Like whom, Margot? How mysterious you are."

  "Like the English officer," Margot said, with an arch nod.

  Adele leapt to her feet.

  "You must be mad, Margot. There, light a candle."

  But without waiting, Adele knelt down close to the fire, and brokeopen the letter.

  A flush, even ruddier than that given by the fire, mounted over herface.

  "It is him, Margot. He has come from my father. Now we are to dowhat I told you about. We are to go off tonight under his charge,to your mother's, my dear old nurse, and there I am to live withyou, and be as your cousin, till papa can get me out of thecountry."

  "And is the young officer to live there till the marquis comes?"Margot asked, slyly. "He might pass as another cousin, mademoiselle."

  "How foolish you are, Margot, and this is no time for folly. Butlisten. My father says, 'Rupert will be in the street round thecorner, with three horses, at eleven o'clock. You and Margot are tobe dressed in the boys' clothes that I bade you prepare. Take inbundles two of Margot's dresses. Do not be afraid to trust yourselfwith Rupert Holliday. Regard him as a brother; he has all myconfidence and trust.'"

  "We must remember that," Margot said.

  "Remember what, Margot?"

  "Only that you are to regard him as a brother, mademoiselle."

  "Margot, Margot, I am surprised at you, joking like a child when wehave a terrible business before us. But indeed I feel so happy atthe thought of escape from that terrible convent, that I could jokelike a child also."

  "You had better write a line for him, mademoiselle. It was fromchance that I happened to be in the hall when he rang; and we don'twant him to come in to be stared at by Francois while you write ananswer."

  Quickly Adele sat down at a table, and wrote:

  "At the hour and place named, expect us--Yours, trustfully, Adele."

  As the clock struck eleven two slight figures stole noiselessly outof the garden gate of Madame de Soissons' house at Versailles. Thetown was hushed in sleep, and not a sound was moving in the street.They carried bundles with them, and walked with rapid steps to asmall lane which led off the street by the side of the garden wall.It was quite dark, and they could see nothing, but a voice said:

  "Adele!"

  "Rupert!" one of the figures answered, in shy, trembling tones.

  "Please stay where you are," Rupert said. "It is lighter in thestreet."

  The horses were led forth noiselessly, for Rupert had fastenedcloths round their feet, to prevent the iron shoes sounding on theround pebbles which paved the streets.

  Not a word was said. There was a warm clasp of the hand, and Rupertlifted Adele into the saddle. Margot climbed into another, and thethree rode rapidly down the streets. Not a word was spoken untilthey were in the open country.

  "Thank God, you are safe thus far, Adele. The last time I helpedyou on to a horse was the day you went out to see my hawk kill aheron."

  "Oh, Rupert," the girl said, "it seems like a dream. But please donot let us talk yet about ourselves. Tell me about Papa. How ishe?"

  Rupert told her; and gradually as they talked the excitement andagitation passed off.

  "And where did you get the horses, Rupert?"

  "The one I am riding is Louis d'Etamps'," he said, "the others areyour father's. I brought orders from him to his steward in Paris,that two of his best horses were to be sent this morning to astable in Versailles, and left there, and that a person with anorder from him would call for them."

  "I cannot see you in the least. Are you dressed as Monsieurd'Etamps' lackey still?"

  "No, I am now a quiet country gentleman, riding down from Pariswith my two sons, who have been up with me to see their aunt wholives in the Rue du Tempe."

  "Talk French, please, Rupert. Margot will understand then; and sheis so brave and good, and shares my danger, so she ought to be asone of us."

  Adele's spirits rose as they got farther from Versailles, and theytalked and laughed cheerfully, but in low tones.

  Three miles from Versailles, as they rode past a crossroad, twomounted men dashed out suddenly.

  "Stand, in the king's name! Who are you?"

  "We are travellers," Rupert said, quietly, "and go where we will.Who are you?"

  "We are guards of the court, and we must know who you are before wesuffer you to pass. None ride at night near Versailles but with apass."

  "I am an exception then," Rupert said, "and I advise you not tointerfere with us;" and he urged his horse a few feet in advance ofhis companions.

  One of the horsemen seized his bridle, while another drew a pistol.

  Rupert's sword leaped from its scabbard and cut down the man whoheld the rein. The other fired, but Rupert threw himself forward onthe horse's neck and the bullet whizzed over his head. He rode atthe garde, and with a heavy blow with the pommel of the swordstruck him senseless from his horse.

  "Now," he said to Adele, "we can ride on again. You are notfrightened, I hope?"

  "Not so frightened as I was the first time you drew sword in mybehalf," the girl said; "but it is very dreadful. Are they killed,Rupert?"

  "Not a bit of it," Rupert said; "one has got a gash on the headwhich will cost him a crown in plaister, the other may have lostsome teeth. It would have been wise to have killed them, for theirtale in the morning is likely to be regarded as throwing some lightupon your disappearance; but I could not kill men who were onlydoing their duty. At any rate we have twelve hours' start, even ifthey take up the clue and pursue us on this line tomorrow.

  "It is about ten miles this side of Poitiers that your motherlives, is it not, Margot?"

  "Yes, Monsieur Rupert. How surprised she will be at my arrival withmy cousins."

  "Oh, we are both your cousins, are we, Margot?"

  "Mademoiselle Adele is to pass as my cousin, monsieur, and Isuppose you must be either another cousin, or else her brother."

  "Margot," Adele said, "you chatter too much."

  "Do I, mademoiselle? It is better than riding through the darknesswithout speaking. I was very glad when the cloths were off thehorses' feet, for we seemed like a party of ghosts."

&nb
sp; "How long shall we be getting there?" Adele asked, presently.

  "Six days, if we do it all with the same horses," Rupert said; "andI am afraid to hire horses and leave them on the way, as it wouldlook as if we were pressed for time. No, for today we are safe--butfor today only. Messengers will be sent in all directions withorders for our arrest. They will take fresh relays of horses; andreally our only hope is in disguise. I propose that we go the firststage without halting as far as our horses will carry us. I thinkwe can get to Orleans. There we will put them up, and take rooms.Then Margot must slip out in her own dress and buy two peasantgirls' attire, and I will pick up at some dealer in old clothes asuit which will enable me to pass as a wounded soldier making hisway home. Then we will strike off from the main road and follow thelanes and get on some other road. They will inquire all along theroad and will hear of a gentleman and two youths, and will for awhile have that in their minds. No one will particularly notice us,and we shall get into Tours safely enough.

  "We must never enter a house or town together, for they will be onthe lookout for three people, and neither a soldier with his headbound up, nor two peasant girls, will attract attention. At Tours Iwill get a farmer's dress, and will buy a horse and cart, and aload of hay, and will pick you up outside the town. You can get onthe hay, and can cover yourselves over if you see any horsemen inpursuit. After that it will be all easy work."

  "Why could you not get the cart at Orleans, Rupert?" Adele asked.

  "I might," he said; "but I think that the extra change would bebest, as they would then have no clue whatever to follow. They willtrace us to Orleans, and you may be sure that there will be a hothue and cry, and it may be that the fact of a horse and cart havingbeen sold would come out. They will not know whether we have madeeast, west, or south from there, so there will be a far less activesearch at Tours than there will at Orleans."

  So the journey was carried out, and without any serious adventure;although with a great many slight alarms, and some narrow escapesof detection, which cannot be here detailed. The party arrived atthe spot where the lane leading to the little farm occupied byMargot's mother left the main road. Here they parted, the girlstaking their bundles, and starting to trudge the last few miles onfoot.

  Margot discreetly went on a little ahead, to give her mistress theopportunity of speaking to Rupert alone, but she need not have doneso, for all that Rupert said was:

  "I have been in the light of your brother this time, Adele, as yourfather gave you into my charge. If I ever come again, dear, it willbe different."

  "You are very good, Rupert. Goodbye;" and with a wave of the handshe ran after Margot; while Rupert, mounting the cart, drove oninto Poitiers.

  Here he sold his load of hay to a stable keeper, drove a mile ortwo out of the town, entered a wood, and then took the horse out ofthe cart, and leaving the latter in a spot where, according to allappearances, it was not likely to be seen for months, drove thehorse still further into the wood, and, placing a pistol to itshead, shot it dead. Then he renewed his disguise as a soldier, butthis time dispensed with the greater part of his bandages, and setout on his return, in high spirits at having so successfullyperformed his journey.

  He pursued his journey as far back as Blois without the slightestinterruption, but here his tramp came to a sudden termination.Secure in the excellence of his French, Rupert had attempted nodisguise as to his face beyond such as was given by a strip ofplaister, running from the upper lip to the temple. He strode gailyalong, sometimes walking alone, sometimes joining some otherwayfarer, telling every one that he was from Bordeaux, where he hadbeen to see his parents, and get cured of a sabre cut.

  As he passed through the town of Blois, Rupert suddenly came upon agroup of horsemen. Saluting as he passed--for in those days inFrance no one of inferior rank passed one of the upper classeswithout uncovering--he went steadily on.

  "That is a proper looking fellow," one of the party said, lookingafter him.

  "By our Lady," exclaimed another, "I believe I have seen that headand shoulders before. Yes, I feel sure.

  "Gentlemen, we have made a prize. Unless I am greatly mistaken,this is the villainous Englishman who it is believed aided thatmalapert young lady to escape."

  In another moment Rupert was surrounded. His hat was knocked off;and the Duc de Carolan, for it was he, exclaimed in delight:

  "I thought that I could not be mistaken. It is himself."

  Rupert attempted no resistance, for alone and on foot it would havebeen hopeless.

  The governor of the royal castle of Blois was one of the party, andRupert found himself in another ten minutes standing, with guardson each side of him, before a table in the governor's room, withthe governor and the Duc de Carolan sitting as judges before him.

  "I have nothing to say," Rupert said, quietly. "I escaped fromLille because I had been, as I deemed it, unworthily treated inParis. I had withdrawn my parole, and was therefore free to escapeif I could. I did escape, but finding the frontier swarmed withFrench troops, I thought it safer to make for central France, wherea wayfarer would not be looked upon as suspiciously as in thenorth. Here I am. I decline to answer any further questions.

  "As to the lady of whom you question me, I rejoice to find, by thedrift of your questions, that she has withdrawn herself from thepersecution which she suffered, and has escaped being forced intomarriage with a man she once described in my hearing as an ape inthe costume of the day."

  "And that is all you will say, prisoner?" the governor asked, whilethe Duc de Carolan gave an exclamation of fury.

  "That is all, sir; and I would urge, that as an English officer Iam entitled to fair and honourable treatment; for although I mighthave been shot in the act of trying to escape from prison, it isthe rule that an escaping prisoner caught afterwards, as I am,should have fair treatment, although his imprisonment should bestricter and more secure than before.

  "As to the other matter, there cannot be, I am assured, even atittle of evidence to connect me with the event you mention. As faras I hear from you, I escaped on the 10th from Lille, which date isindeed accurate. Three days later Mademoiselle de Pignerolles leftVersailles. The connection between the two events does not appearin any way clear to me."

  "It may or it may not be," the governor said. "However, my duty isclear, to keep you here in safe ward until I receive his Majesty'sorders."

  Four days later the royal order came. Rupert was to be taken to thedreaded fortress prison of Loches, a place from which not one in ahundred of those who entered in ever came from alive.