CHAPTER XXXVIII.
My surprise at beholding Suzette in a place where she knew thatnothing but abhorrence and contempt would attend her, made me pausefor a single instant; but she remarked the delay, and exclaimedloudly, "Why do you delay?--Quick! quick! if you are the man you usedto be--quick! and save them; or you may come too late."
"Save whom?" I demanded, still more astonished. "What do you mean,Suzette?--you look wild and haggard. What is it brings you here?"
"I am wild!" she answered; "I am haggard! and how can it beotherwise?--I that have not closed an eye these seven nights, watchingthe machinations of two base villains, who, to revenge themselves onyou and yours, would sacrifice me too; and leave me to die of griefand rage, so that they might enrich themselves with the spoils ofthose they hate! But I am babbling. If you love the Duke deVillardin--if--if, John Hall, you love Laura de Villardin--as I knowyou do--for you have been watched under those trees many a day whenyou knew not that any one saw you--if you would save her from theshame of wedding that low slave Gaspard de Belleville----"
"Good God!" I cried, "you told me that you were yourself his wife."
"I did!--I did!" she cried, "and so I am; but they have taken from methe proofs of my marriage--but mind not that! Hear me--his wife,indeed, she cannot be--but if you would save her from the shame ofmarrying him who has another wife still living--follow them, asrapidly as you can, to the forest--'tis but six miles. Take the roadto St. Aubin--then choose the third wood track to the right--you willcome to a stream--follow it till you reach the ruins of a water-mill.If you overtake them not before, you will find them at the littlechapel under the rocks at the back of the mill. But call your menquickly, and spur as if for life, and you will reach them long erethat, for the carriage was dragging but slowly through the sandyground. Have I directed you clearly?--can you find the place?"
"I know it already!" I replied; "I know it already."
"Quick, quick, then!" she cried; "seek your followers, mount andbegone!"
"I wait for none!" I answered. "You, Jerome, get every servantin the house on horseback--send one to Rennes for a troop of theguards--bring the rest up to the forest like lightning! Suzette, foryour soul's peace, lead them direct to the spot--you will find methere, living or dead--be quick, as you hope for salvation!"
"I _will_ be quick, as I hope for vengeance!" cried Suzette, the deepestpassion of her soul breaking forth. "Get you on first, then--you maystay them for a time! We will not be long after!--Speed! speed!"
No time did I lose; my gallant horse stood ready at the foot of thetrees not a quarter of a mile distant. The length of the way that hehad come had abated but little of his strength, and the short rest hehad found had, in some degree, refreshed him; so that when once I wasupon his back, he needed neither whip nor spur. My shortest way wasacross the river, and dashing quick to the brink, I drew the pistolsfrom the holsters to keep them from the water, and with a light touchof the heel made the horse plunge in. The stream, though deep, wasslow, and the beast stemmed it gallantly, strained up the oppositebank, and reaching the road, bore me on towards the forest. It was notime to spare his speed, and I urged him on at the full gallop,looking eagerly towards the dark masses of trees that lay at the edgeof the cultivated track before me, when suddenly the horse recoiledfrom some object lying on the road; and I found that though he hadborne me amidst hundreds of dead and dying, yet he had drawn back froma single body lying across the road. It was that of one of Monsieur deVillardin's servants, and the attitude in which he lay, as well as thequantity of blood which stained the ground around him, showed plainlythat the poor fellow was beyond all further care. Forcing the horse topass, I galloped on, and soon after entered the wood. Never did Iforget a road that once I had seen, and now, although the tidings ofSuzette had been vague and confused, I advanced direct towards thescene of my former adventures with the robbers and their good captain,Hubert.
The wood track which conducted to the small stream was easily found,and riding on as fast as I could go, I soon reached the river. Herethe first object that presented itself was the carriage of Monsieur deVillardin overturned in the deep sandy break of the banks that led toa little ford. The horses, however, had been taken off, and thecarriage was left alone, so that it was evident that the accident musthave happened some time before; but as I was now within a quarter of amile of the mill--though it was concealed from my sight by thewindings of the stream--I determined to dismount, and pursue the restof the way on foot, knowing that if my single hand could do anyservice to my poor Laura or her father, it would be by caution andsurprise. Again fastening my horse to a tree, and placing the pistolsin my girdle, I hastened forward till I caught a sight of the mill;but although I could distinguish a number of horses standing tiedtogether round the building, no human being was to be seen. Onward Iwent, however, well aware how much a desperate man may do againstmany, although he be singlehanded; and I soon heard voices, apparentlyat a short distance through the wood, to the right. I had never seenthe chapel of which Suzette had spoken; but taking the voices for myguide, I crept through the trees as quickly but as silently aspossible, trying to repress the eager haste of my heart, byremembering the absolute necessity of caution as well asdetermination.
A moment after, the voices sounded much nearer, and I caught a glancethrough the trees of the head and shoulders of an armed man standingwith his back towards me, and apparently speaking vehemently to someother persons whom I could not see. Here I was tolerably wellconcealed by some low thick bushes, but the taller trees wereunfortunately stripped of their leaves; and although at the distanceof twenty yards farther forward there was another thick patch ofbrush-wood, from behind which I could have seen everything that tookplace, yet the trunks of the oaks in the intervening space stood bareand separate. I determined, however, to cross the space at all risks;and getting as far back as possible, I glided from tree to tree.
The whole eyes and ears of the party I had seen were otherwiseoccupied, and at length I found myself behind the bushes I had marked.I was now within twenty yards of the chapel of which Suzette hadspoken, and from behind the brush-wood I could behold the whole partyI sought assembled in the little open space before it. Placed under ahigh rocky bank, from which the chapel was partly excavated, stoodMonsieur de Villardin and the Count de Laval, with their hands tied;and at the distance of a dozen paces appeared eight or ninemusqueteers--with their arms grounded, indeed, but evidently arrayedthere with no very good intentions towards the prisoners. Within ayard of Monsieur de Villardin lay upon the ground three or four of hisservants tied hand and foot, and two of them apparently severelywounded; but a little to the left of these again, so as to be in frontof the chapel--which was open, as such buildings usually are--appeareda group of still greater interest. Within the chapel itself stood apriest with an open book in his hand, and before him were placed Laurade Villardin, dressed in her morning costume, and Hubert, whom I hadalready seen in so many capacities, habited in the full and splendiddress of an officer of the guards of the Prince de Cond?. SupportingLaura, who otherwise would have sunk to the ground, appeared Gaspardde Belleville; and another armed man behind him again, made up thewhole party.
At the moment I turned to observe them, Hubert was speaking vehementlyto Laura, so that his words were perfectly audible. "Will you, or willyou not, madam?" he exclaimed. "Seek not to gain time--for it is allin vain. No one can rescue you. And the lives of all those you seedepend upon your word!"
"Let him do his worst, my child!" cried Monsieur de Villardin; "lethim do his worst. It is better for us all to die together than thatyou should become the wife of a villanous plunderer--though, indeed,no such forced marriage would be valid for an hour; and his first stepwould be from the altar to the gibbet."
"Your pardon, my lord," cried Hubert, with a smile of triumph, "I useno force--I use no compulsion towards the young lady herself; thoughto be sure, I point out the only means of saving your life. Do nottherefore flatter you
rself that were she to consent, and I were to setyou free, the scaffold would become my bridal bed. No, no; I havetaken my measures too well for that; and when I come to claim yourdaughter's portion, it shall not be till she has been long my wife,and the mother of my children; and then we shall see whether you willhang her husband or not. Madame," he added, in a sterner tone,"Madame, time wears--I beseech you to spare your father's life. If yourefuse me, his blood be upon your head--your own hand draws thetrigger that slays him--your own voice pronounces the word. Nor willyou then escape me; for you shall be mine by force, if not by goodwill. Speak!--shall I order yon men to fire?"
"Oh no, no, no!" cried Laura, clasping her hands in agony; "you willnot be so cruel!"
"Will you then consent instantly to become my wife?" he demanded: butLaura turned her weeping eyes to the priest, exclaiming, "Oh, goodfather, how can you lend yourself to such infamous things as these?"
"How can I help it, lady?" asked the priest: "I am as much undercompulsion as you are."
"Another such word as that, old hypocrite," cried Gaspard deBelleville, "shall send the compulsion of a pistol ball through yourbrain. You came here for gold, not for compulsion, so prepare to doyour office. Come, come, Hubert, you do but dally; give her herchoice, and let her decide boldly. Bid the men present theirfirelocks, and then ask her the question. If she say 'Yes,' let themground their arms--if she say 'No,' let it be the signal for them tofire; so her own voice will give the word."
"Ah, surely, surely!" cried Laura, clasping her fair hands, "surelyyou will not be so cruel!"
"You will soon see, madame," cried Hubert, turning towards his men."You will soon see."
"Be firm, Laura! be firm!" shouted Monsieur de Villardin; "on yourduty, on your honour, yield not a step!"
The moment was now come--I could wait for aid no longer; and I trustedthat, previous to my own death, which seemed inevitable, I should beable to give the villains sufficient occupation to enable Jerome andthe rest to come up in time to save Laura and her father. Hubertturned towards his men; and I could see by the knitting of his brows,and the setting of his teeth, that his determination was taken. WhatLaura's final reply might be, of course I could not tell. I thoughtthat, sooner than see her father's blood spilt before her eyes, shewould say "Yes," at any risk. But I dared not trust to circumstances,and as the chief of the robbers was giving his orders to his men,and while Monsieur de Villardin was exhorting his daughter to dieherself and see them all die sooner than yield to the degradationproposed, I drew a pistol from my belt, and gliding from behindthe brushwood, was standing at Hubert's side ere any one noticedme but Laura herself.
An exclamation of surprise, not unmingled with joy, broke from herlips; and the villain, startled by the sound, turned full round uponme. I paused not--I uttered not a word--but levelling the pistol athis head, pulled the trigger. The sharp, ringing report satisfied methat nothing had gone wrong, and scarcely pausing to see the dead manfall, I threw away the discharged weapon, caught the other from mybelt, and, with one spring forward, seized Gaspard de Belleville bythe collar and put the pistol to his ear. Thinking that his deathwould be immediate, he crouched down in terror; but I had other views,and seeing all the musqueteers presenting their weapons towards me, Iexclaimed aloud, as if I had been giving the command to my own troop,"Ground your arms!"
The effect was electric. Every musquet was grounded at once, and atthe same moment the jingling sound of bridles and stirrups coming upat the full gallop struck my ear, and was certainly the gladdest soundI had heard for many a long day.
The robbers caught it too, and easily divining what it meant, I couldsee them waver with the uncertainty of surprise. The man, however, whostood behind Gaspard de Belleville, set the example of flight, andplunged into the brush-wood which had served me as a place ofconcealment. The others paused a moment, but the sounds of approachinghorsemen becoming louder and louder, determined them to fly, andpassing round on the other side of the chapel, they were for a momentlost to my sight. One of them, indeed, before he went, twice raisedhis musquet to his shoulder and took aim at me, as I stood graspingthe collar of Gaspard de Belleville; but each time he again withdrewhis piece, and then ran after the rest as fast as he could go. Anxiousto liberate Monsieur de Villardin and his servants, and yet not ableto effect it myself, I besought Laura, and commanded the priest, tountie their hands, and both immediately turned to do so.
Ere she had taken a step, Laura, overcome by a variety of mingledemotions which may well be conceived, fainted away, and fell acrossthe step of the chapel. The priest, however, ran forward and slippedthe knot from the hands of Monsieur de Villardin; but just as he haddone so, and while he was proceeding to execute the same good officein favour of the rest, the marauders, who had been met, in theirattempt to escape, by a party of the guards, were driven back into theopen space before the chapel, while a large body of Monsieur deVillardin's servants, guided by Suzette, came round by the path whichI had followed. The guards from Rennes appeared on the other side atnearly the same moment, and finding themselves hemmed in, the robbers,who were most of them old soldiers, stood to their arms, and showedtheir determination to sell their lives dearly. Facing about at thechapel, they received the guards, who pursued them closely, with asteady fire. A number of the horses went over, all became hurry andconfusion; and, fearful that the marauders would be driven back overmy poor Laura, I thrust Gaspard de Belleville into the hands of someof the servants, and ordering him to be tied tightly, hand and foot,rushed forward to extricate her.
The guards had, by this time, betaken themselves to their fire-arms,with very little discrimination between friends and enemies; shotswere flying in every direction: and, through the smoke which nowgathered quickly round us, I saw Suzette, who had guided the servants,fall at the feet of her dastardly husband. Monsieur de Villardin, assoon as he found himself at liberty, had snatched the sword of Hubertfrom its sheath, and, like myself, was rushing on towards the spotwhere Laura lay. But at that moment, the marauders gave the guardsanother volley; and while a ball grazed my cheek and struck off myhat, Monsieur de Villardin fell with his face to the ground. Wavingthe guards and servants up to close with our adversaries, I cut downone of the men who was again charging his musquet; the soldiers rushedon, and the little phalanx of marauders was broken, but not conquered,for each individual fought to the last with desperate courage.
It was with difficulty that I carried Laura out of the m?l?e,terrified every moment that some random shot might strike her as Ibore her in my arms. The Count de Laval was, by this time, unbound,and rushing up to the affray; but, as he was unarmed, I gave Lauraover to his care, though I could scarcely even now master myrepugnance to see him render her the slightest assistance. Whether heremembered me or not, I cannot tell, but he exclaimed, as he saw meturning back towards the strife that was going on, "Nay, nay, sir,you have had enough for one day; you take care of the lady; let mehave my share."
"You are unarmed, sir, you are unarmed," I replied, "and only riskingyour life for no purpose. Carry her behind the turn of the rock, andguard her there from danger, for God's sake!"
Without farther words, I hurried back as fast as possible, and forcingmy way in amongst the combatants, reached the spot where Monsieur deVillardin had fallen. I found him raising himself upon his arm, and,lifting him up, I gazed upon his face to judge whether the wound hehad received were dangerous. He recognised me instantly, and the firstwords he said were, "My gallant boy! my gallant boy! must I always oweyou everything!"
"Laura is safe," I replied; "let me carry you to her." And, raisinghim in my arms, I bore him round the turn of the road, where I foundthe Count and several of the unarmed servants endeavouring to recalLaura to herself. Placing Monsieur de Villardin on the bank, our wholecares were now directed towards him, as he was bleeding freely from awound in his right breast, and every now and then, with a slightcough, his mouth was filled with blood, so that I could not doubt thatthe shot had passed through his lungs. The external ble
eding we sooncontrived to stop; and beseeching him not to speak at all, I went backto the scene of conflict to ascertain whether it were yet concluded. Ifound that it was so, and that the guards were standing round the twoprisoners they had taken, conversing with all sorts of hurriedexclamations over the events which had just occurred.
"There are a number of wounded men here, gentlemen," I said, "who arein need of immediate assistance. Let us ascertain the state of thefield, and we will talk of all the rest afterwards."
"And pray, sir, who are you?" demanded the inferior officer whocommanded the party of guards; "you may be one of these maraudersalso, for aught I know."
"I am the Baron de Juvigny, sir," I replied, "Colonel of his mostChristian Majesty's ---- regiment of horse, and bearing the rank ofMajor-General in the service. You will therefore have the goodnessto draw up your men, and assist me in examining into the state ofthe wounded."
The young officer immediately obeyed; and we found that six of theguards, three of the servants, and nine of the marauders, were eitherdead or wounded. Only two prisoners, as I have said, were made besidesGaspard de Belleville, who, for his part, stood with his arms tiedbehind him, glaring sullenly upon the form of Suzette, who was lyingweltering in her blood, which not all the efforts of good old Jeromeseemed to have the slightest effect in stanching. Many a mutteredreproach, too, was her brutal husband pouring upon her head for havingbetrayed him and his companions; and, as I came up, she repliedfeebly, "It was your own fault. I could have put up with your cruelty.You might have turned plunderer or marauder without my opposing you;but when you sought to marry another woman, while I was still living,you did that which is not to be forgiven."
"Fool!" cried the brute, in reply, "I sought to marry no other woman.It was your brother!--He whom you have murdered, by bringing thatinfernal English fiend upon us--he it was who was to have married her.It was his fortune I sought to make, while I avenged myself at onceupon the man who has marred mine through life, who has met me andthwarted me at every turn, and upon the old dotard, who has lent hisaid to crush me, and to raise yon worm from the dunghill. It was yourown mad, wild folly that made you think that I wanted to marry her?"
"Then why did you take from me the proofs of our marriage?" saidSuzette. "Why did you leave me at St. Aubin, and not let me know whereyou were going?"
As such recriminations were not at all likely to do any service to thepoor wretch Suzette, I ordered Gaspard de Belleville to be removed toa distance from his wife, and his person to be searched in order todiscover, if possible, all the particulars of the unfortunate affairwhich had just taken place. I then turned to give directions forbringing up litters and other conveyances to carry away the wounded,with as little inconvenience to themselves as possible; but at thatmoment I was joined by the Count de Laval, who grasped my hand, withgreater signs of friendship than I could find it in my heart toreturn.
"Monsieur de Juvigny," he said, "you will be glad to hear thatMonsieur de Villardin seems better, and that the bleeding internallyas well as externally seems entirely to have ceased. Mademoiselle deVillardin also has recovered, and wishes to see you. Let me beg you toaccompany me."
"I follow you, sir," I replied: and, still holding my hand in his,with a smile upon his lip that I neither liked nor understood, he ledme back to the spot where I had left Laura and Monsieur de Villardin.The Duke was seated on the bank, pale, but apparently not so muchinjured as I had imagined. Laura, leaning beside him, held one of hishands in hers, and gazed anxiously on his face. She, too, was verypale; but, as I came forward, with the Count still holding my hand, abright blush spread itself over all her countenance.
"Mademoiselle de Villardin," said the Count, "here is your youngfriend come in person to show you that he is unhurt; and let usaltogether offer him our thanks for the important service that he hasrendered us----" He paused a single instant, and then added,"Monsieur de Villardin, believing it to be impossible that any younglady can have been brought up from infancy with so worthy a gentleman,without having felt for him affections that ought not to bedisappointed, and being myself the last man to take advantage ofaccidental circumstances to seek my own happiness at the expense ofothers, allow me to propose that all engagements between you and meshould be considered as henceforth null and void; and, if you willfollow my counsel, you will join these two hands for ever with yourblessing:" and, as he spoke, he placed that of Laura in mine.
Monsieur de Villardin did not venture to reply; but, while Laura, witha burning cheek and glittering eyes, gazed earnestly upon his face, helaid his hand upon ours, as they were clasped together, with a gentlepressure which was quite confirmation enough. Laura spoke not, and myheart was too full to permit the use of words. The silence becameembarrassing to all parties; and the very intense happiness thatthrilled through my heart showed me, for the first time in life, thatjoy can reach such a height as to be, in some degree, even painful.
We were relieved by the approach of the young officer who hadcommanded the guards, and who now came to report that, as soon as thelitters arrived, everything was prepared for our return to the Pr?sVall?e. He would have the honour of escorting us thither, he said;and, in the meantime, he gave into my hands the only paper which hadbeen found upon Gaspard de Belleville. It proved to be a writtenagreement between that scoundrel and a person calling himself HubertHubert, by which the worthy captain stipulated that, when, by themeans and with the assistance of Gaspard de Belleville, he should haveobtained possession of the person of Mademoiselle de Villardin, andmarried her, he would make over to the said Gaspard one-half ofwhatever portion or dowry he might force Monsieur de Villardin, at anyafter period, to bestow upon his daughter. It was also expresslystipulated, that Hubert was to carry his bride to the Colonies, forthe space of one year; and that he was likewise to provide a passagefor Gaspard de Belleville and his wife; with various other articles ofthe same kind, all showing that the villains had calculated uponMonsieur de Villardin's making up his mind, at the end of a certainperiod, to recognise the marriage, however informal in law, and toreceive the daring villain who had accomplished it, as hisson-in-law.
A number of letters and papers, however, which were found upon thebody of Hubert, clearly proved that the scheme had not been laid byhim, but had been suggested by Gaspard de Belleville; and it was veryevident, from every circumstance connected with the whole affair, thatthe desire of vengeance, both upon myself and upon Monsieur deVillardin, had taken fully as much part as rapacity in the wholedesign. That Gaspard de Belleville and his ruffian brother-in-lawhad been lingering about in the neighbourhood of the Pr?s Vall?e formany weeks was clear, both from the circumstances which I had observedon the night before my departure for Dumont, and from the fact ofSuzette having informed me that I and Laura had been watched for manya day, in our morning meetings at the grave of Monsieur de Mesnil; andthus it was, in all probability, that Gaspard de Belleville hadlearned the means by which he could most bitterly wring my heart, aswell as that of Monsieur de Villardin. The villains had been caught intheir own scheme, it is true; but a sad number of innocent persons hadsuffered as well as themselves.
To me, on the contrary,--as soon as I began to entertain hopes thatthe wound of Monsieur de Villardin would not prove of a seriousnature,--the whole seemed to promise unequalled joy: and, as I satupon the bank beside Laura, speaking, every now and then, a few wordsof hope and affection to her; and conversing more frequently with theCount, who now took upon himself the arrangements of all ourafter-proceedings, I fondly fancied that every difficulty was overcome,that every danger was averted, and that the whole current of my dayswas thenceforth to flow on in peace and happiness.
Whoever entertains such a dream will have to drink the bitter cup ofdisappointment; but still the vision, though it last but for an hour,is the brightest thing that imagination, amongst all its pageants, canconjure up. In this state passed nearly an hour and a half: but, atthe end of that time, the tidings having been spread by Jerome's firstmessenger to Rennes, and the r
umour having found its way--by all thethousand invisible channels which convey reports about the world--tohalf a dozen different places in the neighbourhood of the forest,litters, and carts, and horsemen, and pedestrians, began to arrive;and, placing our wounded in various conveyances, we commenced ourmarch in long and slow procession once more towards the Pr?s Vall?e.
The Little Ball O' Fire; or, the Life and Adventures of John Marston Hall Page 38