CHAPTER XIV -- PLANNING MASSACRE
In a short time Robert Picard returned with his two companions, andleaving the square, they all went along the quays to a quiet spot. "Wecannot be overheard here," Guy said, "and now, in the first place, let meknow how you have fared. I knew that you had got safely away, for I wasnear the gate of St. Denis when the Burgundians fought their way out, andI saw you follow."
"We had no difficulty," Robert Picard said. "We went into the wood, andthence I went across to St. Cloud and bought these garments that you seeus in, and we hid away our steel caps and harness in some bushes in theheart of the wood, where they are not likely to be found. Then after along talk with Tom we agreed that he had best go as a half-witted man witha basket of vegetables for sale, and I went into St. Cloud again, dressedas I now am, and found a little shop where they sold rags and oldgarments, and got his outfit for a couple of francs, and dear at that. Wethought in that way he would not have to say much, and that any confusionof speech would be set down to the fact that his brain was weak. Hearingthat the gates were open this afternoon, we came in just before they wereclosed for the night. We have got a room in a lane which honest folk wouldnot care to pass through even in daylight; 'tis a vile hole, but consortswell with our appearance."
"I will try and find you a better place to-morrow, Robert. I am going tosee the people with whom Maitre Leroux is in hiding. I hear that theyhave no sympathy with these butchers, and when I tell them that you arestout fellows and good fighters methinks they will find quarters for you;and you may be able to put on safer disguises than those you wear atpresent, except that of Tom's, which I think we cannot better. Besides, hecan lie there quietly, and need not, except when he chooses, sally out. Imyself am lodging at present among the butchers. I hear that Caboche andthe Legoix are furious at our having slipped through their fingers, andthey declare that, as we cannot have escaped from Paris, they will layhands on us very soon."
"I should like to lay hands on a few of them myself, Master Guy," Tom saidearnestly, "say out in that wood there with a quarter-staff, and to dealwith four of them at a time. They have burnt my bow, and I shall not geteven with them till I have cracked fully a dozen of their skulls."
"I shall be likely to be near you in the quarter where I hope to get youlodging, Tom, for I too am going to have a room there, though I shallgenerally live where I now am, as I can there obtain news of all that isgoing on, and might be able to warn our lady in time if they should getany news that may set them on her track. Heard you aught at St. Cloud ofany Orleanist gathering?"
"I heard a good deal of talk about it, but naught for certain; butmethinks that ere long they will be stirring again. The news that I haveheard of the insolence of the mob here to the Duke of Aquitaine, and ofthe seizure of their friends who were with him, is like to set them onfire, for they will see that all the promises made by Burgundy meantnothing, and that, with the aid of the Parisians, he is determined toexercise all authority in the state, and to hold Aquitaine as well as theking in his hands."
The next morning Guy went to the house of Maitre de Lepelletiere, andinquired for Philip Sampson. Maitre Leroux was in.
"I have spoken to my friend about you," he said, after they had talkedover the events of the last two days, "and he has arranged for a room foryou in a house three doors away; and I have no doubt that your four mencan be lodged there also, for 'tis a large house, and is let out, for themost part, as he told me, to journeymen carpenters. But since the troublesbegan there has been little building, and men who can find no work herehave moved away to seek for it in places less afflicted by these troubles.That is one of the reasons why the carpenters have not made a firmer standagainst the butchers. I will ask him to come up here. You already knowhim, as you have spoken with him several times when he was looking afterhis men putting up the new doors."
The master carpenter soon came in. "I will gladly get a lodging for yourmen," he said, when Guy had explained the matter to him. "We may come toblows with these market people, and four stout fellows are not to bedespised. There will be a meeting of the council of our guild thisafternoon, and on my recommendation they will give me the necessarydocuments, saying that the men--you can give me their names--have receivedpermission to work as carpenters in Paris. They can then put on dressessuitable for craftsmen, and the papers will suffice to satisfy anyone whomay inquire as to their business. I think that your tall archer may safelylay aside the disguise you say he has assumed, it might be likely to gethim into trouble; the change in the colour of the hair and the darkeningof his eyebrows should be quite sufficient disguise, and if he is alwayswhen abroad with one of his comrades, he has but to keep his mouth shut,and if questioned the man with him can say that he is dumb."
"That would be excellent," Guy said, "and I am greatly obliged to you.Doubtless, too, they will soon make acquaintance with some of the otherworkmen, and by mixing with these there will be less suspicion excitedthan if they always went about together."
"I will tell my foreman to present them to the men who work for me, andthey will soon get known in the quarter. Five or six of my men lodge inthe house where I took the room for you. It might be useful, too, were Ito give you a paper of apprenticeship, and if you were similarlyintroduced. In that case it might be convenient to exchange the small roomthat I have taken for you for a larger one; as an apprentice you wouldordinarily lodge with your master, and if you did not you would scarcehave a room to yourself, but were you to lodge with your four men it wouldseem natural enough."
"That would be a capital plan, Maitre Lepelletiere."
"You see, in that way, too," the carpenter went on, "you would only haveto place a plank on your shoulder and then go where you will withoutexciting the least attention. I will furnish you with a list of the houseswhere I have men at work, and this again would be an assistance to you. Itis my foreman who took the lodging for you; I am expecting him hereshortly for orders, and he shall go round with you. As you say that yourfellows are dressed at present in rough fashion it will be as well thatthey should provide themselves with their new disguises before they comehere, as, if they were seen in their present guise, it would prejudicethem with the others in the house, for craftsmen look down greatly uponthe rough element of the street."
"They shall do so," Guy said, "and I will come with them myself thisevening."
Guy presently went in with the foreman and arranged for a large attic witha dormer window, at the top of the house. At midday he met Robert Picardand told him the arrangements that had been made, supplying him with moneyfor the purchase of the four dresses. "As soon as it becomes dark," hesaid, "you had best go to some quiet spot and change them. Bring theclothes you now have on in a bundle, for they may yet prove useful, andmeet me at eight o'clock at the corner of the Rue des Fosses."
Guy then went to the Italian's and told Dame Margaret of the arrangementshe had made.
"Since you have managed it all so well, Guy, I am glad to hear that themen are all back in Paris. I before wished that they should make straightfor Villeroy, but since they are so safely bestowed it were best perhapsthat they should be within reach. Long Tom is the only one I shall feelanxious about, for of course he is less easy to disguise than the others."
"He has plenty of shrewdness, my lady, and will, I have no doubt, play hispart well. I know that I myself feel very glad that there are four truemen upon whom we can rely if any difficulty should arise."
"Some evening, mother," Agnes said, "when I have grown more accustomed tothis boy's dress I will go with Katarina to this house so that I can carrya message there, should she happen to be away when there is need forsending one."
Lady Margaret hesitated, but Guy said: "By your leave, my lady, I thinkthat the idea is a very good one, saving that I myself will escort the twoladies there as soon as Mistress Agnes feels confident enough to go."
"In that case I should have no objection, Guy. Under your charge I have nodoubt Agnes would be perfectly safe, but I could hardly bri
ng myself tolet her go out without escort in so wild a city as this is at present."
The Italian and his daughter presently joined them, and heard withsatisfaction where Guy and the four men had obtained a safe lodging.
"Still," he said, "I should advise you sometimes to sleep at your lodgingby the market-place. Simon is not the sort of companion you would choose.I have only seen him once, and I was then so disguised that he would notrecognize me again--for none of those with whom I have dealings know who Iam or where I live--but that once was sufficient to show me that thefellow might be trusted to serve me well as long as he was paid well,especially as he believed that I was an agent of the duke's; still, he isa rough and very unsavoury rascal, and had I been able to think at themoment of anywhere else where you could for the time safely shelter Ishould not have placed you with him."
"I do not mind," Guy said; "and at any rate with him I have opportunitiesof seeing what is going on, as, for example, when they insulted the Dukeof Aquitaine, and it is certainly well to be able to learn what theintentions of the fellows are. As an Englishman I care naught for oneparty or the other, but as one of gentle blood it fills me with anger anddisgust to see this rabble of butchers and skinners lording it over noblesand dragging knights and gentlemen away to prison; and if it were in mypower I would gladly upset their design, were it not that I know that, formy lady's sake, it were well to hold myself altogether aloof from meddlingin it."
"You are right," the Italian said gravely. "I myself am careful not tomeddle in any way with these affairs. I try to learn what is doing,because such knowledge is useful to me and gains me credit as well asmoney with those who consult me, and may possibly be the means of savingtheir lives if they do but take my warning. Thus, having learned what wasproposed to be done yesterday morning, I was able to warn a certain knightwho visited me the evening before that it might cost him his life were heto remain in Paris twelve hours. He was incredulous at first, for I wouldgive him no clue as to the nature of the danger; however, by a littletrick I succeeded in impressing him sufficiently for him to resolve toleave at daybreak. This he did; at least they searched for him in vain atthe Duke of Aquitaine's, and therefore I have no doubt that he took myadvice, engaged a boat, and made his escape by the river. It was hisfirst A to me, and I doubt not that henceforth he will be a valuableclient, and that he will bring many of his friends to me. If I mistakenot, I shall have more opportunities of doing such services and of soincreasing my reputation ere long."
For a time things went on quietly. Tom and his companions were on friendlyterms with the other men in the house, who all believed them to becarpenters who had come to Paris in search of employment. Long Tom wassupposed by them to be dumb, and never opened his lips save when alonewith his companions, and seldom left the house. The room was altogetherunfurnished, but furniture was regarded as by no means a necessity inthose days. Five bundles of rushes formed their beds, and Guy, as therewas little to learn in the markets, generally slept there. An earthenwarepan, in which burned a charcoal fire over which they did what cooking wasnecessary, a rough gridiron, and a cooking pot were the only purchasesthat it was necessary to make. Slices of bread formed their platters, andsaved them all trouble in the matter of washing up. Washing was roughlyperformed at a well in the court-yard of the house.
Things had now quieted down so much that a considerable number of greatnobles resorted to Paris, for the king had now a lucid interval. Amongthem were the Dukes of Berri, Burgundy, and Lorraine, with Duke Louis ofBavaria, the queen's brother, with the Counts de Nevers, De Charolais, DeSt. Pol, the Constable of France, and many other great lords and prelates.The queen was also with her husband.
"There will shortly be trouble again," the Italian said one day to Guy."Simon told my daughter yesterday evening that the butchers were onlybiding their time to get as many fish into their net as possible, and thatwhen they would draw it they would obtain a great haul. You have not beendown there for some time; it were best that you put on your butcher's garbagain and endeavour to find out what is intended."
"I was expecting you," Simon said, when that evening Guy entered his room."There will be a meeting at midnight in the butchers' hall, and I cannottake you in with me, but I will tell you what happens."
"That will do as well as if I went myself," Guy said, "though in truth Ishould like well to see one of these councils."
"No one is admitted save those known to be, like myself, thoroughlydevoted to the cause."
"That I can well understand, Simon; a traitor might mar all their plans."
"Some time I may take you," Simon said, "for doubtless I could smuggle youin; but to-night--" and he hesitated, "to-night it will be speciallyimportant, and they have to be more particular than usual as to who areadmitted."
Guy noticed the hesitation, and replied carelessly that one occasion wouldbe as good as another for him, and presently lay down in his corner. Hewondered to himself what the business could be that his companion wasevidently anxious that he should hear nothing of. He might wish that heshould alone have the merit of reporting it, or it might be something thatit was deemed the Duke of Burgundy himself, the butchers' friend and ally,would not approve of. At any rate he was determined, if possible, to findit all out; he therefore feigned sleep. At eleven o'clock Simon got up andwent down; Guy waited for two or three minutes and then rose and followed.As soon as he was out of the door he made direct for the hall of thebutchers' guild. He knew that Simon was not going straight there, as themeeting was not, he said, for an hour, and that he would be stopping todrink at some cabaret with his associates. The hall was but a shortdistance away.
When Guy approached it he saw that as yet it was not lighted up. On threesides it was surrounded by a garden with high trees; near the frontentrance some twenty men were gathered talking together. He, therefore,went round to the back; several trees grew near the wall, and the branchesof one of these extended over it. With considerable difficulty Guysucceeded in climbing it, and made his way along the branch and got uponthe top of the wall. This was about fourteen feet high, and, loweringhimself by his arms, he dropped into the garden and crossed to thebuilding. He took off his white hood and thrust it into his doublet. Thewindows were six feet from the ground, and were, as usual at this time,closed by wooden shutters on the inside. Putting his fingers on the sillhe raised himself up. There was plenty of room for him to stand, and,holding on by the iron bars, he took out his dagger and began to cut ahole in the shutter.
The wood was old, and after half an hour's hard work he succeeded inmaking a hole three inches long and an inch wide. By the time this wasfinished the hall had been lighted up with torches, and men were pouringin through the doors at the other end. Across the end next to him was aplatform on which was a table. For a time no one came up there, for themembers as they entered gathered in groups on the floor and talkedearnestly together. After a few minutes ten men came up on to theplatform; by this time the body of the hall was full, and the doors at theother end were closed. A man, whom Guy recognized as John de Troyes,stepped forward from the others on the platform and, standing in front ofthe table, addressed his comrades.
"My friends," he said, "it is time that we were at work again. Paris isbecoming infested by enemies of the people, and we must rid ourselves ofthem. The nobles are assembled for the purpose, as they say, of beingpresent at the marriage of Louis of Bavaria with the widow of Peter deNavarre, but we know well enough that this is but a pretext; they havecome to consult how best they can overthrow the power of our Duke ofBurgundy and suppress the liberty of this great city. The question is, arewe tamely to submit to this?"
A deep shout of "No!" ran through the multitude.
"You are right, we will not submit. Were we to do so we know that it wouldcost the lives of all those who have made themselves prominent in thedefence of the liberties of Paris; they might even go so far as tosuppress all our privileges and to dissolve our guilds. In this matter theDuke of Burgundy hesitates and is not inclined to
go with us to the full,but we Parisians must judge for ourselves what is necessary to be done.The duke has furnished us with a list of twelve names; these men are alldangerous and obnoxious to the safety of Paris. But there must be a longerlist, we must strike at our own enemies as well as at those of the duke,and the council has therefore prepared a list of sixty names, which I willread to you."
Then, taking out a roll of paper, he read a list of lords and gentlemen,and also, to Guy's indignation, the names of several ladies of rank.
"These people," he said when he had finished, "are all obnoxious, and mustbe cast into prison. They must be tried and condemned."
Even among the greater portion of those present the boldness of a proposalthat would array so many powerful families against them created a feelingof doubt and hesitation. The bolder spirits, however, burst into loudapplause, and in this the others speedily joined, none liking to appearmore lukewarm than the rest. Then up rose Caboche, a big, burly man with acoarse and brutal expression of face.
"I say we want no trials," he cried, striking one hand on the palm of theother. "As to the number, it is well enough as a beginning, but I would itwere six hundred instead of sixty. I would that at one blow we coulddestroy all the nobles, who live upon the people of France. It needs but agood example to be set in Paris for all the great towns in France tofollow it. Still, paltry as the number is, it will, as I said, do as abeginning. But there must be no mistake; if trials they must have, it mustbe by good men and true, who will know what is necessary and do it; andwho will not stand upon legal tricks, but will take as evidence the factthat is known to all, that those people are dangerous to Paris and are theenemies of the king and the Duke of Burgundy. Last time we went, wemarched with five thousand men; this time we must go with twenty thousand.They must see what force we have at our command, and that Paris is morepowerful than any lord or noble even of the highest rank, and that ouralliance must be courted and our orders obeyed. The Duke of Burgundy maypretend to frown, but at heart he will know that we are acting in hisinterest as well as our own; and even if we risk his displeasure, well,let us risk it. He needs us more than we need him. Do what he will, hecannot do without us. He knows well enough that the Orleanists will nevereither trust or forgive him, and he committed himself so far with us lasttime that, say what he will, none will believe that he is not with us now.For myself, I am glad that De Jacqueville and his knights will not thistime, as last, ride at our head; 'tis best to show them that Paris isindependent even of Burgundy, and that what we will we can do."
The hall rang with the loud acclamations, then John de Troyes got upagain.
"I agree, we all agree, with every word that our good friend has spoken,and can warrant me that the judges shall be men in whom we can absolutelytrust, and that those who enter the prisons will not leave them alive. Theday after to-morrow, Thursday, the 11th of May, we shall hold a greatassembly, of which we shall give notice to the king and the royal dukes,and shall make our proposals to the Duke of Aquitaine. Now, my friends,let each come forward with a list of the number of his friends who he willengage shall be present on Thursday."
At this point, Guy, seeing that the main business of the meeting had beendeclared, and that there now remained but to settle the details, got downfrom his post. With the aid of some ivy he climbed the wall and droppeddown beyond it, and made his way back to his lodging. When Simon returnedan hour later, Guy was apparently as fast asleep as before. When sleepingat the butchers' quarter he always rose at a very early hour, so that nonewho might have noticed him in his butcher's attire should see him go outin that of an apprentice, and he was obliged to walk about for some timebefore he could call at the count's. As soon as he thought that they wouldbe likely to be stirring he knocked at the door. The old woman opened it.
"Is your master up yet?" he asked.
She nodded, and without further question he made his way upstairs to theItalian's chamber.
"You are early, Master Aylmer," the latter said in surprise as he entered."Have you news of importance?"
"I have indeed, Count," and he at once related all that he had heardthrough the hole in the shutter.
"The insolence of these people surpasses all bounds," the count saidangrily as he walked up and down the room. "Were there any force in thetown that could resist them I would warn the Duke of Aquitaine what wasintended, but as it is, nothing would be gained by it. You can onlyremember the eight or ten names that you have given me?"
"That is all; they were names that I was familiar with, while the otherswere strange to me."
"Two or three of them I can at least save from the grasp of theserascals," he said, "but I will take them all down on my tablets. What needwas there for you," he went on after he had done this, "to run such riskas you did--for you would assuredly have been killed without mercy hadthey caught you spying upon them--when Simon, who you say was present,could have sent me full particulars of all that passed?"
Guy stated his reasons for fancying that upon this occasion Simon did notintend to send a full account.
"I thought so before I started," he said, "but I was well assured of itwhen I heard that, although Burgundy had given the names of twelve personswhom he desired to be arrested, he would go no further in the matter, andthat he had no knowledge of their further pretensions. It seems to me,Count, that, believing as he does that you are an agent of the duke's, hewas unwilling to say anything about this matter, as Burgundy might thwartthe intentions of the butchers. The man is heart and soul with them, andthough he is willing to sell you information that can do no harm to theirplans, he will say nothing that might enable Burgundy to thwart them."
"If I thought that Burgundy could, or would do so, I would inform him aswell as Aquitaine what is doing; but in the first place he has not thepower, and in the second he would not have the will. What are a few scoreof lives to him, and those mostly of men of the Orleanist faction, incomparison with the support of Paris? I am vexed, too, at this failure ofSimon, that is to say, if it be a failure. That we shall know by mid-day.My daughter will meet him in the Place de Greve at eleven, and we shallhear when she comes back how much he has told her. I am going afterbreakfast to my booth outside the walls, where you first saw me. I mustsend notes to the three gentlemen whom I know, begging them to see methere."
"Can I take them for you? I have nothing to do, and shall be glad ofanything to occupy me."
"I shall be obliged if you will; you are sure to find them in at thishour."
He sat down and wrote three short communications. The wording wasidentical, but the times fixed for the interview were an hour apart. Theyran as follows:
"_My Lord,--Consulting the stars last night I find that danger menacesyou. It may be averted if you quit Paris when you receive this, for itseems to me that it is here only that your safety is menaced. Should youwish to consult me before doing so, come, I pray you, to my booth in thefair at two, but come mounted. _"
Instead of a signature a cabalistic figure was drawn below it, and thenthe words were added:
_The bearer can be trusted._
The slips of parchment were then rolled up and sealed; no addresses wereput on.
"If they question you," he said, "say nothing, save that I told you thatthe matter contained in the letter was sure and certain, and that a greatrisk of life would assuredly be run unless my advice was taken. Deliverthem into the hands of those they concern, and trust them to no others,Master Aylmer. If you cannot obtain access to them, say to the varletsthat they are to inform their lords that one from the man in the Rue desEssarts desires urgently to see them, and that should be sufficient if themessage is given. If they refuse to take it, then I pray you wait outsidefor a while on the chance of the gentlemen issuing out. This, on which yousee I have made one dot, is for the Count de Rennes, who is at present atthe Hotel of St. Pol, being in the company of the Duke of Berri; this isfor Sir John Rembault, who is at the Louvre, where he is lodging with thegovernor, who is a relation of his; the third is for th
e Lord of Roubaix,who is also lodged at the Louvre."
"They shall have them," Guy said as he placed them in his doublet, "if Ihave to stop till midnight to get speech with them; the matter of waitinga few hours is but a trifle in comparison with the life of a man. I wouldthat I could warn others."
The Italian shook his head. "It could not be done without great danger,"he said. "Were you to carry an anonymous letter to others you might beseized and questioned. The three to whom you now carry notes have allreason for knowing that my predictions are not to be despised, but theothers would not accept any warning from an unknown person. They mighttake it for a plot, and you might be interrogated and even put to tortureto discover who you are and whence you obtained this information. Thingsmust go on as they are; assuredly this is no time for meddling in otherpeople's affairs. We are only at the beginning of troubles yet, and knownot how great they may grow. Moreover, you have no right to run a risk forstrangers when your life may be of vital service to your mistress. Shouldyou succeed in handing these three letters to the gentlemen to whom theyare written by noon, I shall be glad if you will bring the news to me atmy booth, and I shall then be able to tell, you how much information thebutcher has sent of the proceedings last night."
Guy went first to the Louvre. As many people were going in and out, noquestion was asked him, and on reaching the entrance he inquired of somevarlets standing there for the lodgings of the Lord de Roubaix and SirJohn Rembault.
"I am in the service of the Lord de Roubaix; what would you with him?"
"I am charged with a message for him; I was told to deliver it only tohimself."
"From whom do you come? I cannot disturb him with such a message from Iknow not who."
"That is reasonable," Guy replied, "but if you tell him that I come fromthe man in the Rue des Essarts I warrant that he will see me. You don'tsuppose that I am joking with you," he went on as the varlet looked at himsuspiciously, "when I should likely be whipped for my pains. If you willgive the message to your lord I doubt not that he will give me audience."
"Follow me," the varlet said, and led the way upstairs and through severalcorridors, then he motioned to him to wait, and entered a room. Hereturned in a minute.
"My lord will see you," he said, and led the way into the room. "This isthe person, my lord," he said, and then retired.
The Lord of Roubaix was a tall man of some forty years of age. Guy boweddeeply and handed to him the roll of parchment. The count broke the sealand read it, and when he had finished looked fixedly at Guy.
"The writer tells me that you are to be trusted?"
"I hope so, my lord."
"Do you know the contents of this letter?"
"I know so much, my lord, that the writer told me to assure you that thematter was urgent, and that he could not be mistaken as to what waswritten in the letter."
The count stood irresolute for a minute or two; then he said:
"Tell him that I will act upon his advice. He has before now proved to methat his warnings are not to be neglected. You seem by your attire to bean apprentice, young sir, and yet your manner is one of higher degree."
"Disguises are convenient in times like these, my lord," Guy said.
"You are right, lad." He put his hand to his pouch, but Guy drew back witha smile.
"No, my lord, had you offered me gold before you remarked that I was butplaying a part, I should have taken it in order to keep up that part; asit is I can refuse it without your considering it strange that I should doso."
The count smiled. "Whoever you are, you are shrewd and bold, young sir. Ishall doubtless see you when I return to Paris."
Guy then left, and delivered the other two missives. In each case thosewho received them simply returned an answer that they would be at theplace at the hour named, and he then went beyond the walls, observing ashe passed out through the gates that a party of White Hoods had stationedthemselves there. However, they interfered with no one passing in or out.On reaching the booth he informed the count of the success of his visits.
"I doubt, however," he said, "whether either of the three gentlemen willbe here at the time appointed, for the White Hoods are watching at thegate."
"I think that they will not stop anyone to-day, Master Aylmer. They intendto make a great haul to-morrow, and would not wish to excite suspicion byseizing anyone to-day. Were it known that they had done so, many otherswho have reason to believe they are obnoxious to Burgundy or to theParisians, might conceal themselves or make their escape in variousdisguises. I hear that a request has been made that a deputation of thecitizens of Paris shall be received by the Duke of Aquitaine to-morrowmorning, and that the great lords may be present to hear the request andcomplaints of the city."