CHAPTER XIX.
[_Falfani again._]
When that audacious and intemperate English Colonel so far forgothimself as to assault my lord the Right Honourable the Earl ofBlackadder at Culoz Station in the open light of day before us all, Igreatly rejoiced; for, although horror-stricken at his ruffianlyconduct, I knew that he would get his deserts at last. The Frenchauthorities would certainly not tolerate brawling in the precincts ofthe railway station, and justice must promptly overtake the soleoffender. The blackguard Colonel, the cause and origin of thedisturbance, would, of course, be at once arrested and removed.
The fracas had naturally attracted general attention. One or twoporters ran up and endeavoured, with Tiler and myself, to rescue mylord from his cowardly assailant. A crowd quickly gathered around us,many passengers and a number of idlers, who drop from nowhere, as itmight be, all drawn to the spot by overmastering curiosity. Everybodytalked at the same time, asking questions, volunteering answers, somelaughing shamelessly at my lord's discomfiture, a few expressingindignation, and declaring that such a scandal should not bepermitted, and the guilty parties held strictly to account.
The gendarmes on duty--a couple of them are always at hand in a Frenchrailway station--soon appeared, and, taking in the situation at thefirst glance, imposed silence peremptorily.
"Let some one, one person only, speak and explain." The brigadier, orsergeant, addressed himself to me, no doubt seeing that I had assumeda prominent place in the forefront, and seemed a person of importance.
"Monsieur here," I said, pointing to the Colonel, who, in spite of allwe could do, still held my lord tight, "was the aggressor, as you cansee for yourselves. Oblige him, I pray you, to desist. He will do mylord some serious injury."
"Is one an English milord, _hein_? Who, then, is the other?"
"An abominable _vaurien_," I answered with great heat. "A rankvillain; one who outrages all decency, breaks every law, respects norank--"
"_Bus, bus_," cried the Colonel, in some language of his own, as heput me aside so roughly that I still feel the pain in my shoulder."That'll do, my fine fellow. Let me speak for myself, if you please.Pardon, M. le brigadier," he went on, saluting him politely. "Here ismy card. I am, as you will perceive, an officer of the English army,and I appeal to you as a comrade, for I see by your decorations, nodoubt richly deserved, that you are an _ancien militaire_. I appeal toyou for justice and protection."
"Protection, forsooth!" I broke in, contemptuously. "Such as the wolfand the tiger and the snake expect from their victim."
It made me sick to hear him currying favour with the gendarme, andstill worse that it was affecting the old trooper, who looked on allas _pekins_, mere civilians, far inferior to military men.
"Protection you shall have, _mon Colonel_, if you have a right to it,_bien entendu_," said the sergeant, civilly but cautiously.
"I ask it because these people have made a dead set at me. They havetried to hustle me and, I fear, to rob me, and I have been obliged toact in my own defence."
Before I could protest against this shameless misrepresentation of thefact, my lord interposed. He was now free, and, gradually recovering,was burning to avenge the insults put upon him.
"It is not true," he shouted. "It is an absolute lie. He knows it isnot true; he is perfectly well aware who I am, Lord Blackadder; andthat he has no sort of grievance against me nor any of my people. Hisattack upon me was altogether unprovoked and unjustifiable."
"Let the authorities judge between us," calmly said the Colonel. "Takeus before the station-master, or send for the Commissary from thetown. I haven't the slightest objection."
"Yes, yes, the _Commissaire de police_, the judge, the peace officer.Let us go before the highest authorities; nothing less than arrest,imprisonment, the heaviest penalties, will satisfy me," went on mylord.
"With all my heart," cried the Colonel. "We'll refer it to any one youplease. Lead on, _mon brave_, only you must take all or none. Iinsist upon that. It is my right; let us all go before theCommissary."
"There is no Commissary here in Culoz. You must travel toAix-les-Bains to find him. Fifteen miles from here."
"Well, why not? I'm quite ready," assented the Colonel, with analacrity I did not understand. I began to think he had some game ofhis own.
"So am I ready," cried his lordship. "I desire most strongly to haulthis hectoring bully before the law, and let his flagrant misconductbe dealt with in a most exemplary fashion."
I caught a curious shadow flitting across my comrade Tiler's face atthis speech. He evidently did not approve of my lord's attitude. Why?
I met his eye as soon as I could, and, in answer to my inquiringglance, he came over to me and whispered:
"Don't you see? He," jerking his finger toward the Colonel, "wants usto waste as much time as possible, while my lady slips through ourfingers and gets farther and farther on her road."
"Where is she?"
"Ah, where? No longer here, anyway."
The train by which we had come from Geneva was not now in the station.It had gone on, quite unobserved by any of us during the fracas, andit flashed upon me at once that the incident had been planned for thisvery purpose of occupying our attention while she stole off.
"But, one moment, Ludovic, that train was going to Macon and Paris. Mylady was travelling the other way--this way. You came with heryourself. Why should she run back again?"
"Ah! Why does a woman do anything, and particularly this one? Stillthere was a reason, a good one. She must have caught sight of my lord,and knew that she was caught."
"That's plausible enough, but I don't understand it. She started forItaly; what turned her back when you followed her, and why did shecome this way again?"
"She only came because I'd tracked her to Amberieu, and thought togive me the slip," said Tiler.
"May be. But it don't seem to fit. Anyway, we've got to find her oncemore. It ought not to be difficult. She's not the sort to hideherself easily, with all her belongings, the nurse and the baby andall the rest. But hold on, my lord is speaking."
"Find out, one of you," he said briefly, "when the next train goes toAix. I mean to push this through to the bitter end. You will becareful, sergeant, to bring your prisoner along with you."
"_Merci bien!_ I do not want you or any one else to teach me my duty,"replied the gendarme, very stiffly. It was clear that his sympathieswere all with the other side.
"A prisoner, am I?" cried the Colonel, gaily. "Not much. But I shallmake no difficulties. I am willing enough to go with you. When is itto be?"
"Nine fifty-one; due at Aix at 10.22," Tiler reported, and weproceeded to pass the time, some twenty minutes, each in his own way.Lord Blackadder paced the platform with feverish footsteps, his rageand disappointment still burning fiercely within him. The Colonelinvited the two gendarmes to the _buvette_, and l'Echelle followedhim. I was a little doubtful of that slippery gentleman; although Ihad bought him, as I thought, the night before, I never felt sure ofhim. He had joined our party, had travelled with us, and seemed on ourside in the recent scuffle, here he was putting himself at the beckand call of his own employer. My lord had paid him five hundredfrancs. Was the money thrown away, and his intention now to go back onhis bargain?
Meanwhile Tiler and I thought it our pressing duty to utilize thesefew moments in seeking news of our lady and her party. Had she beenseen? Oh, yes, many people, officials, and hangers-on about thestation had seen her. Too much seen indeed, for the stories told wereconfusing and conflicting. One _facteur_ assured us he had helped herinto the train going Amberieu way, but I thought his description veryvague, although Tiler swallowed the statement quite greedily. Anotherman told me quite a different story; he had seen her, and had not theslightest doubt of it, in the down train, that for Aix-les-Bains, theexpress via Chambery, Modane, and the Mont Cenis tunnel for Italy.This was the true version, I felt sure. Italy had been her originaldestination, and naturally she would continue her journey that way.
Then we heard the whistle of the approaching train, and we allcollected on the platform. L'Echelle, as he came from the direction ofthe _buvette_, was a little in the rear of the Colonel and thegendarmes. I caught a look on his face not easy to interpret. He wasgrinning all over it and pointing toward the Colonel with his finger,derisively. I was not inclined to trust him very greatly, but heevidently wished us to believe that he thought very little of theColonel, and that we might count upon his support against him.
The Passenger from Calais Page 19