The Mesmerist's Victim

by Alexandre Dumas

  CHAPTER XXXVI.

  TWO SORROWS.

  Philip was ignorant of Balsamo's address but he remembered that of thelady who he said had harbored Andrea. The Marchioness of Savigny's maidsupplied him with the directions, and it was not without profoundemotion that he stood before the house in St. Claude Street, where heconjectured Andrea's repose and honor were entombed.

  He knocked at the door with a sure enough hand, and, as was the habit,the door was opened.

  Leading his horse, he entered the yard. But he had not taken four stepsbefore he was faced by Fritz.

  "I wish to speak to the master of the house, Count Fenix," said Philip,vexed at this simple obstacle and frowning as though the German were notfulfilling his duty.

  He fastened his horse to a hitching-ring in the wall and proceeded up tothe house.

  "My lord is not at home," answered Fritz.

  "I am a soldier and so understand the value of orders," said thecaptain: "your master cannot have foreseen my call which isexceptional."

  "The prohibition is for everybody," replied Fritz, blunderingly.

  "Oh, then, your master is in!"

  "Well, suppose he is?" challenged Fritz, who was beginning to losepatience.

  "Then I shall wait till I see him."

  "My lord is not at home," repeated the valet: "we have had a fire hereand the place is not fit to live in."

  "But you are living here!"

  "I am the care-taker. And any way," he continued, getting warm, "whetherthe count is or is not in, people do not force their way in; if you tryto break the rule, why--I will put you out," he added tranquilly.

  "You?" sneered the dragoon of the Dauphiness's Regiment, with kindlingeye.

  "I am the man," rejoined Fritz, with his national peculiarity of beingthe more cool while the more roused up.

  The gentleman had his sword out in a minute. But Fritz, without anyemotion at the sight of the steel, or calling--perhaps he was alone inthe house--plucked a short pike off a trophy of arms and attackingPhilip like a single-stick player rather than a fencer, shivered thecourt sword.

  The captain yelled with rage, and sprang to the panoply to get a weaponfor himself. But at this, a secret door opened, and the count appearedenframed in the dark doorway.

  "What is this noise, Fritz?" he asked.

  "Nothing, my lord," replied the German, but placing himself with thepike on guard so as to defend his master, who, standing on the stairs,was half above him.

  "Count Fenix," said Philip, "is it the habit in your country forvisitors to be received by the pikepoints of your varlets or only apeculiar custom of your noble house?"

  At a sign Fritz lowered his weapon and stood it up in a corner.

  "Who are you?" queried the count, seeing badly by the corridorlamplight.

  "I am Philip of Taverney," replied the officer, thinking the name wouldbe ample for the count's conscience.

  "Taverney? my lord, I was handsomely entertained by your father--bewelcome here," said the count.

  "This is better," uttered Philip.

  "Be good enough to follow me."

  Balsamo closed the secret door and walked before his guest to the parlorwhere he had outfaced the five masters of the Invisibles. It was lightedup as though visitors were expected, but that was only one of the habitsof this luxurious establishment.

  "Good evening, Captain Taverney," said Fenix in a voice so mild and lowthat it made him look at him.

  He started back. He was but the shadow of himself: a smile of mortalsorrow flitted on the pallid lips.

  "I must offer excuses for my servant," he said; "he was only obeyingorders and you must own that you were wrong to overbear them."

  "My lord, you must know that there are cases when circumstancesoverrule," returned Philip, "and this is one of them. To speak to you, Iwas bound to brave death."

  "Speak quickly," said Balsamo, "for I warn you that I listen out ofkindness and that I am soon tired."

  "I shall speak as I ought to do, and at what length I see fit, andwhether you please or not, I shall commence with a question."

  At this, a flash of lightning was disengaged from Balsamo's terriblefrowning brows.

  "Sir," said he, with a tone which he forced to be calm while haughty,"since I have had the honor to see you, I have met misfortune; my househas been partly burnt, and many valuable objects destroyed, veryvaluable, understand; the result is that I am grieved and a littleestranged by this grief. I beg you to be clear, therefore, or I mustimmediately take leave of you."

  "Oh, no," replied Philip, "you are not going to leave as easily as yousay. You may have had misfortunes, but one has befallen me, far greaterthan any of yours, I am sure."

  Balsamo smiled hopelessly as before.

  "The honor of my family is lost my lord, and you can restore it."

  "Indeed? you must be mad," and he put out his hand to ring a bell, andyet with so dull and feelingless a gesture that Philip did not stay it.

  "I am mad," said he in a broken voice. "But do you not understand thatthe question is of my sister, whom you held senseless in your arms onthe 31st of May, last, and whom you took to a house no doubt of illfame--my sister, of whom I demand the honor, sword in hand."

  "What a lot of beating the bush to come to a plain fact. You say Iinsulted--Who says I insulted your sister?"

  "She herself, my lord---- "

  "Verily, you give me a very sad idea of yourself and your sister. Youought to know that it is the vilest of speculations that some women makewith their fame. As you come to me, bursting in at my door, with yoursword flourished like the bully in the Italian comedies who quarrels forhis sister, it proves that she has great need of a husband or you ofmoney--for you hear that I make gold. You are mistaken on both points,sir: You will get no money, and your sister will remain unwed."

  "Then I will have all the blood in your veins," roared Philip.

  "No, I want it, to shed it on a more serious occasion. So take yourselfoff, or if you do not and make a noise, I shall call Fritz, who at asign from me, will snap you in twain like a reed. Begone!"

  As Philip tried to stop him ringing the bell, he opened an ebony box ona gilt console and took out a pair of pistols which he cocked.

  "Well, I would rather this--kill me," said the young man, "because youhave dishonored me."

  He spoke the words with so much truth, that Balsamo said as he bent mildeyes upon him:

  "Is it possible that you are acting in earnest? and that Mdlle. deTaverney alone conceived the idea and urged you forward? I am willing toadmit that I owe you satisfaction. I swear on my honor that my conducttowards your sister on that memorable night was irreproachable. Do youbelieve me? You must read in my eyes that I do not fear a duel? Do notbe deceived by my apparent weakness. It is a fact that I have scantblood in my face; but my muscles have lost none of their strength. See!"

  With one hand and no apparent effort, he raised off its pedestal amassive bronze vase.

  "Well, my lord, I grant that for the 31st of May; but you use asubterfuge: you have seen my sister since."

  Balsamo wavered but he said:

  "True: I have seen her." And his brow clouded with terrible memories.

  "But, granting that I have seen her, what does that prove against me?"

  "You did it to plunge her into that inexplicable sleep which she hasfelt three times at your approach and which you took advantage of tocommit a crime."

  "Again, who says this?"

  "My sister!"

  "How could she know, being asleep?"

  "Ah, you confess that she was put to sleep?"

  "More than that, I put her to sleep."

  "In what end--to dishonor her?"

  "In what end, alas!" said the mesmerist, letting his head fall on hisbreast. "To have her reveal a secret more precious than life. And duringthat night---- "

  "My sister is a mother!"

  "True," exclaimed Balsamo, "I remember I omitted to awaken her. Andsome villain profited by her slee
p on that dreadful night--dreadful forall of us."

  "You are mocking at me?"

  "No, I will convince you. Take me to your sister. I have committed anoversight, but I am pure of crime. I left the girl in a magneticslumber. In compensation of this fault, which it is just to pardon me, Iwill give up to you the malefactor's name."

  "Tell it, tell it!"

  "I know it not, but your sister does."

  "But she has refused to name him."

  "Refused you, but not me. Will you believe her if she accuses someone?"

  "Yes; for she is an angel of purity."

  Balsamo called his man and ordered the horses to be harnessed to hiscarriage.

  "You will tell me the guilty man's name," said Philip.

  "My friend," said the count, "your sword was broken in my house; let mereplace it with another." He took off the wall a magnificent rapier witha chiselled hilt which he placed in the officer's sheath.

  "And you?"

  "I have no need of a weapon," he continued, "my defense is at Trianonand my defender will be yourself when your sister shall have spoken."