CHAPTER II
THE COMPACT
About two months after this occurrence, and near midnight, a young manwas hurrying along Pall Mall, with a look of the wildest despair, whenhis headlong course was suddenly arrested by a strong grasp, while afamiliar voice sounded in his ear.
"It is useless to meditate self-destruction, Auriol Darcy," cried theperson who had checked him. "If you find life a burden, I can make ittolerable to you."
Turning round at the appeal, Auriol beheld a tall man, wrapped in a longblack cloak, whose sinister features were well known to him.
"Leave me, Rougemont!" he cried fiercely. "I want no society--above all,not yours. You know very well that you have ruined me, and that nothingmore is to be got from me. Leave me, I say, or I may do you a mischief."
"Tut, tut, Auriol, I am your friend!" replied Rougemont. "I purpose torelieve your distress."
"Will you give me back the money you have won from me?" cried Auriol."Will you pay my inexorable creditors? Will you save me from a prison?"
"I will do all this, and more," replied Rougemont. "I will make you oneof the richest men in London."
"Spare your insulting jests, sir," cried Auriol. "I am in no mood tobear them."
"I am not jesting," rejoined Rougemont. "Come with me, and you shall beconvinced of my sincerity."
Auriol at length assented, and they turned into Saint James's Square,and paused before a magnificent house. Rougemont ascended the steps.Auriol, who had accompanied him almost mechanically, gazed at him withastonishment.
"Do you live here?" he inquired.
"Ask no questions," replied Rougemont, knocking at the door, which wasinstantly opened by a hall porter, while other servants in rich liveriesappeared at a distance. Rougemont addressed a few words in an undertoneto them, and they instantly bowed respectfully to Auriol, while theforemost of them led the way up a magnificent staircase.
All this was a mystery to the young man, but he followed his conductorwithout a word, and was presently ushered into a gorgeously-furnishedand brilliantly-illuminated apartment.
The servant then left them; and as soon as he was gone Auriol exclaimed,"Is it to mock me that you have brought me hither?"
"To mock you--no," replied Rougemont. "I have told you that I mean tomake you rich. But you look greatly exhausted. A glass of wine willrevive you."
And as he spoke, he stepped towards a small cabinet, and took from it acuriously-shaped bottle and a goblet.
"Taste this wine--it has been long in our family," he added, filling thecup.
"It is a strange, bewildering drink," cried Auriol, setting down theempty goblet, and passing his hand before his eyes.
"You have taken it upon an empty stomach--that is all," said Rougemont."You will be better anon."
"I feel as if I were going mad," cried Auriol. "It is some damnablepotion you have given me."
"Ha! ha!" laughed Rougemont. "It reminds you of the elixir you oncequaffed--eh?"
"A truce to this raillery!" cried Auriol angrily. "I have said I am inno mood to bear it."
"Pshaw! I mean no offence," rejoined the other, changing his manner."What think you of this house?"
"That it is magnificent," replied Auriol, gazing around. "I envy you itspossession."
"It shall be yours, if you please," replied Rougemont.
"Mine! you are mocking me again."
"Not in the least. You shall buy it from me, if you please."
"At what price?" asked Auriol bitterly.
"At a price you can easily pay," replied the other. "Come this way, andwe will conclude the bargain."
Proceeding towards the farther end of the room, they entered a smallexquisitely-furnished chamber, surrounded with sofas of the mostluxurious description. In the midst was a table, on which writingmaterials were placed.
"It were a fruitless boon to give you this house without the means ofliving in it," said Rougemont, carefully closing the door. "Thispocket-book will furnish you with them."
The Compact.]
"Notes to an immense amount!" cried Auriol, opening the pocket-book, andglancing at its contents.
"They are yours, together with the house," cried Rougemont, "if you willbut sign a compact with me."
"A compact!" cried Auriol, regarding him with a look of undefinableterror. "Who and what are you?"
"Some men would call me the devil!" replied Rougemont carelessly. "Butyou know me too well to suppose that I merit such a designation. I offeryou wealth. What more could you require?"
"But upon what terms?" demanded Auriol.
"The easiest imaginable," replied the other. "You shall judge foryourself."
And as he spoke, he opened a writing-desk upon the table, and took fromit a parchment.
"Sit down," he added, "and read this."
Auriol complied, and as he scanned the writing he became transfixed withfear and astonishment, while the pocket-book dropped from his grasp.
After a while he looked up at Rougemont, who was leaning over hisshoulder, and whose features were wrinkled with a derisive smile.
"Then you _are_ the Fiend?" he cried.
"If you will have it so--certainly," replied the other.
"You are Satan in the form of the man I once knew," cried Auriol."Avaunt! I will have no dealings with you."
"I thought you wiser than to indulge in such idle fears, Darcy,"rejoined the other. "Granting even your silly notion of me to becorrect, why need you be alarmed? You are immortal."
"True," rejoined Auriol thoughtfully; "but yet----"
"Pshaw!" rejoined the other, "sign, and have done with the matter."
"By this compact I am bound to deliver a victim--a femalevictim--whenever you shall require it," cried Auriol.
"Precisely," replied the other; "you can have no difficulty infulfilling that condition."
"But if I fail in doing so, I am doomed----"
"But you will _not_ fail," interrupted the other, lighting a taper andsealing the parchment. "Now sign it."
Auriol mechanically took the pen, and gazed fixedly on the document.
"I shall bring eternal destruction on myself if I sign it," he muttered.
"A stroke of the pen will rescue you from utter ruin," said Rougemont,leaning over his shoulder. "Riches and happiness are yours. You will nothave such another chance."
"Tempter!" cried Auriol, hastily attaching his signature to the paper.But he instantly started back aghast at the fiendish laugh that rang inhis ears.
"I repent--give it me back!" he cried, endeavouring to snatch theparchment, which Rougemont thrust into his bosom.
"It is too late!" cried the latter, in a triumphant tone. "You aremine--irredeemably mine."
"Ha!" exclaimed Auriol, sinking back on the couch.
"I leave you in possession of your house," pursued Rougemont; "but Ishall return in a week, when I shall require my first victim."
"Your first victim! oh, Heaven!" exclaimed Auriol.
"Ay, and my choice falls on Edith Talbot!" replied Rougemont.
"Edith Talbot!" exclaimed Auriol; "she your victim! Think you I wouldresign her I love better than life to you?"
"It is because she loves you that I have chosen her," rejoinedRougemont, with a bitter laugh. "And such will ever be the case withyou. Seek not to love again, for your passion will be fatal to theobject of it. When the week has elapsed, I shall require Edith at yourhands. Till then, farewell!"
"Stay!" cried Auriol. "I break the bargain with thee, fiend. I will havenone of it. I abjure thee."
And he rushed wildly after Rougemont, who had already gained the largerchamber; but, ere he could reach him, the mysterious individual hadpassed through the outer door, and when Auriol emerged upon the gallery,he was nowhere to be seen.
Several servants immediately answered the frantic shouts of the youngman, and informed him that Mr. Rougemont had quitted the house somemoments ago, telling them that their master was perfectly satisfied withthe arrangements he had made fo
r him.
"And we hope nothing has occurred to alter your opinion, sir?" said thehall porter.
"You are sure Mr. Rougemont is gone?" cried Auriol.
"Oh, quite sure, sir," cried the hall porter. "I helped him on with hiscloak myself. He said he should return this day week."
"If he comes I will not see him," cried Auriol sharply; "mind that. Denyme to him; and on no account whatever let him enter the house."
"Your orders shall be strictly obeyed," replied the porter, staring withsurprise.
"Now leave me," cried Auriol.
And as they quitted him, he added, in a tone and with a gesture of thedeepest despair, "All precautions are useless. I am indeed lost!"