The Mesmerist's Victim

by Alexandre Dumas

  CHAPTER XXXVII.

  THE GUILTY ONE.

  Driven by Fritz, the count's excellent team covered the ground swiftly.

  Philip was silent if not patient during the ride, for he felt that hewas not the superior power which could persuade or domineer over thiswonderful man.

  When they had passed the palace gates and were near the chapel, hestopped.

  "A last word, my lord," he said; "I do not know what question you wereto put to my sister; at least, spare her the incidents of the horriblescene passing during her unconsciousness. Spare the purity of the soulsince the reverse befell the virginity of the body."

  "Captain," replied Balsamo, "mark this well. I never came into thesegardens farther than the hedges you see yonder fronting the line ofbuildings where your sister is lodged. As for the scene which you fearthe effect of on her mind, the effect will be for yourself alone, and ona sleeping person; for I will at the present send your sister into themesmeric sleep."

  He made a halt folding his arms and turning towards the house whereAndrea dwelt, he stood quiet for a space, frowning, with an expressionof will strong on his face.

  "It is done--she is asleep," he said. "You doubt? To prove that I cancommand her at a distance, I order her to come and meet you at the footof the stairs where took place our last interview."

  "When I see that, I shall believe," said the officer.

  They went and stood in the grove and Balsamo held out his hand towardsthe chapel. A sound made them start in the next cluster of trees.

  "Look out, there is a man!" said Balsamo.

  "I see--it is Gilbert, one of the gardeners here, but he used to be aretainer of ours," said Philip.

  "Have you anything to fear from him?"

  "No, I should think not: but never mind, stay. If he is up already towork, others may be about."

  During this time, Gilbert fled frightened, for seeing Philip withBalsamo, he instinctively comprehended that he was lost.

  "My lord," said Philip, yielding to the charm the magnetiser exercisedon everybody, "if really your power is great enough to bring my sisterhither, manifest it by some sign, without having her out to a place sopublic as this where any passer may see and hear."

  "You spoke in time," was the other's answer, grasping his arm andpointing to Andrea's white figure, appearing at the corridor window asshe was obeying the supernatural mandate.

  He held his palm open towards her and she stopped short.

  Then, like a statue revolved on the pedestal, she wheeled round, andreturned into her room.

  Some instants afterwards the two gentlemen were in the same place.

  But rapid as had been their movement, time was given for a third personto glide into the house and hide in Nicole's room, for he understoodthat his life depended on this interview.

  It was Gilbert.

  Philip had taken his sister in his arms and placed her in a chair whilethe count shut the door. Then he took up a candle and passed it to andfro before her eyes, without the flame causing her lids to blink.

  "Are you convinced that she sleeps?"

  "That is plain but, good God! how strange is this sleep," said Philip.

  "I will question her; or since you fear I may put some inapt question toher, do so yourself."

  "But though I have spoken to her and touched her just now, she did notappear to hear me or heed me."

  "You were not in continuity with her: I will place you in contact."

  He joined the hands of brother and sister, and at once Andrea smiled andmurmured:

  "It is you, brother."

  "She knows you and will answer: question."

  "But if she did not remember awake, how can she when sleeping?"

  "A mystery of science."

  Sighing, he sat in an armchair in the corner.

  Philip was motionless, thinking how to begin, when as if responding tohis reflections, Andrea, with her face clouding like his own, said:

  "You are right, brother, it is a sad affliction to the family."

  Philip had not expected that she could translate his very mind and heshuddered.

  "Make her speak, sir," suggested Balsamo.

  "How?"

  "By willing that she shall do so."

  Philip looked at his sister while mentally formulating an inquiry andshe blushed.

  "Oh, Philip, how unkind of you to believe that Andrea would deceiveyou."

  "Then you love nobody?"

  "Not one."

  "But there was an accomplice, the guilty person who must be punished."

  "I do not understand you, brother."

  "You must press her," said Balsamo: "question her bluntly, without heedof her modesty, for when awakened she will recall nothing of this."

  "But can she answer such questions?"

  "Mark," said Balsamo: "Do you see?"

  She started at the sound of his voice and turned towards him.

  "Not so clearly as if you were speaking," she replied: "but still I dosee."

  "Then tell me what you see on the night of your fainting."

  "Why do you not commence by the night of the 31st of May, sir? Yoursuspicions start at that point, methinks? this is the time for all to bemade clear."

  "No, my lord," rejoined Philip: "it is useless: I now believe in yourword of honor. He who disposes of so wondrous a power would not act inan ignoble way. Sister," repeated he, "relate to me what happened on thenight when you swooned."

  "I do not remember."

  "I suppose as she was asleep---- "

  "Her spirit was awake," said Balsamo, and holding out his hand to theobstinate medium with a frown indicating a doubling of will and action,he said:

  "Remember--I will it!"

  "I see myself," said Andrea. "I hold in hand the glass prepared byNicole. Oh, goodness! the wretch! she has put some drug in the water andif I drink, I am lost. I am going to drink it at the moment the countcalls---- "

  "What count?"

  "There," and Andrea pointed to Balsamo. "I set down the glass and Ifall into the sleep. I go forth to meet him under my window in thelinden grove."

  "The count never was in the same room with you, sister?"

  "Never."

  "You see, sir?" said Balsamo.

  "You say you went to meet the count?"

  "Oh, I obey him when he calls."

  "What did he want?"

  Andrea turned towards the third person, questioningly.

  "Tell it, for I am not listening," said Balsamo, burying his face in hishands to prevent the voice coming to him.

  "He wanted news," said Andrea in a diminishing voice, not to torture thecount's heart, "of a person who fled from his house and whois--now--dead."

  "Faintly as she breathed the last word, Balsamo heard it, or guessed itwas spoken, for he uttered a gloomy sob.

  "Proceed," said he as a long silence fell: "your brother wants to knowall and he must know it. After the man obtained the information hesought, what did he do?"

  "He went away, leaving me in the garden, where I fell as he departed asthough the sustaining force had vanished with him. I was still in thesleep, a leaden one. A man came out of the bushes, took me in his armsand carried me up into my rooms where he placed me on the sofa. Oh," shesaid with scorn and disgust, "it is that little Gilbert again."

  "Gilbert?"

  "He stands to listen--he goes into the other room but returnsfrightened. He enters Nicole's closet--Horror!"

  "What?"

  "Another man comes in, and I cannot defend myself--not even scream, forI am locked in sleep."

  "Who is this man?"

  "Brother," she answered in the deepest distress, "it is the King!"

  Philip shuddered.

  "Just as I thought," muttered Balsamo.

  "He approaches me," continued the medium, "he speaks, he takes me in hisarms, he kisses me. Oh, brother!"

  Tears rolled down the young captain's cheeks while he grasped the swordhandle which Balsamo had given him.

 
"Go on," said the count in a more imperative tone than before.

  "What a blessing! he is perplexed, he stops, he looks at me interror--he flees--Andrea is saved!"

  "Saved," repeated Philip, who was breathlessly listening to her everyword.

  "Stay! I had forgotten the other, who lurks in the closet, with thebared knife in his hand--pale as death."

  "Gilbert?"

  "Gilbert follows the King," continued Andrea: "he shuts the door behindhim, he puts his foot on the candle dropped on the carpet; he advancestowards me--Oh!"

  Rising on her brother's arm, her muscles stiffened as though about tosnap.

  "The villain!" she got out at last, and fell without strength. "It washe!" Then rising so as to reach her brother's ear, she hissed into itwhile her eyes glittered: "You will kill him, Philip?"

  "Oh, yes," said the young man.

  As he leaped up he overturned a stand of china and the porcelain wasshivered to pieces.

  The crash was blended with the bang of a door, over which rang Andrea'sshriek.

  "We were overheard," said Philip.

  "It is he," said Andrea.

  "Gilbert everywhere? Yes, I will kill him," and he darted into theanteroom while Andrea fell on the sofa.

  But Balsamo ran after him and caught him by the arm.

  "Take care, sir," he said: "the secret will become public; it will comeout and the echo in royal residences is noisy."

  "To think it is Gilbert and that he was close to us, listening," saidPhilip: "I might have killed the wretch--woe to him!"

  "Yes: but silence: you will find him yet. But you must think of yoursister. You see how fatigued she is with all this emotion."

  "Yes: I understand what she must suffer by my own feelings; themisfortune is so great and so difficult to repair. I shall die of theshame."

  "No, you will live for her sake. She has need of you, love her, pity herand preserve her! But you have no more want of me?" he asked after apause.

  "No: overlook my suspicions and my insults: although the evil happenedthrough you."

  "I do not excuse myself: but remember what your sister said: that shewould have drunk the sleeping draft but for my calling her away. In thatcase the guilt would have fallen on the King. Would you have consideredthe fate worse?"

  "No, the same crime: I see that we were doomed. Awaken my poor sister,my lord."

  "Not for her to see me and perhaps guess what occurred. Better to do itwhen at a distance, as I sent her to sleep."

  "One word still, count, as you are a man of honor---- "

  "You need not recommend secrecy to me, being what you say: and becausehaving no farther points of community with mankind, I shall forget itand its secrets; but rely on me, knight, if I can in any way be useful.But no, I can be of use to nobody for I am worth nothing on this earth.Farewell, sir, farewell!"

  Bowing, he glanced at Andrea, whose head dropped forward with all thetokens of pain and lassitude.

  "O Science," he sighed, "how many victims for a valueless result!"

  As he disappeared, Andrea reanimated: she raised her heavy head asthough it were made of lead and looking with astounded eyes at herbrother, she muttered:

  "Oh, Philip, what has passed?"

  "Nothing," he answered, repressing a sob.

  "Nothing? and yet I dreamed--I thought that Dr. Louis said---- "

  "Nothing: you are pure as the daylight: but all accuses you and looksblack against you. A terrible secret is imposed on us both. I am goingto see Dr. Louis who will tell the Dauphiness that you are home-sick,and we must get you down to Taverney to save you. Father will not gowith us, and I will prepare him. Courage--heaven is the goal for all.Make out that you ought never to have left home--that is what made youill. Be strong, for our honor--the honor of both of us--depends onthis."

  He embraced his sister, picked up the sword which had fallen, sheathedit with a trembling hand and darted down the stairs.