CHAPTER XII. THE BURGOMASTER.
Dagobert's anxiety increased every moment. Certain that his horse hadnot entered the shed of its own accord, he attributed the event whichhad taken place to the spite of the brute-tamer; but he sought in vainfor the motive of this wretch's animosity, and he reflected with dismay,that his cause, however just, would depend on the good or bad humor ofa judge dragged from his slumbers and who might be ready to condemn uponfallacious appearances.
Fully determined to conceal, as long as possible, from the orphans thefresh misfortunes, which had befallen them, he was proceeding to openthe door of their chamber, when he stumbled over Spoil-sport--for thedog had run back to his post, after vainly trying to prevent the Prophetfrom leading away Jovial. "Luckily the dog has returned; the poor littlethings have been well guarded," said the soldier, as he opened the door.To his great surprise, the room was in utter darkness.
"My children," cried he, "why are you without a light?" There was noanswer. In terror he groped his way to the bed, and took the hand of oneof the sisters; the hand was cold as ice.
"Rose, my children!" cried he. "Blanche! Give me some answer! youfrighten me." Still the same silence continued; the hand which he heldremained cold and powerless, and yielded passively to his touch.
Just then, the moon emerged from the black clouds that surrounded her,and threw sufficient light into the little room, and upon the bed,which faced the window, for the soldier to see that the two sistershad fainted. The bluish light of the moon added to the paleness of theorphans; they held each other in a half embrace, and Rose had buried herhead on Blanche's bosom.
"They must have fainted through fear," exclaimed Dagobert, running tofetch his gourd. "Poor things! after a day of so much excitement, it isnot surprising." And moistening the corner of a handkerchief with a fewdrops of brandy, the soldier knelt beside the bed, gently chafed thetemples of the two sisters, and held the linen, wet with the spirituousliquor, to their little pink nostrils.
Still on his knees, and bending his dark, anxious face over the orphans,he waited some moments before again resorting to the only restorative inhis power. A slight shiver of Rose gave him renewed hope; the young girlturned her head on the pillow with a sigh; then she started, andopened her eyes with an expression of astonishment and alarm; but, notimmediately recognizing Dagobert, she exclaimed: "Oh, sister!" and threwherself into the arms of Blanche.
The latter also was beginning to experience the effect of the soldier'scare. The exclamation of Rose completely roused her from her lethargy,and she clung to her sister, again sharing the fright without knowingits cause.
"They've come to--that's the chief point," said Dagobert, "now we shallsoon get rid of these foolish fears." Then softening his voice, headded: "Well, my children, courage? You are better. It is I who amhere--me, Dagobert!"
The orphans made a hasty movement, and, turning towards the soldiertheir sweet faces, which were still full of dismay and agitation, theyboth, by a graceful impulse, extended their arms to him and cried: "Itis you, Dagobert--then we are safe!"
"Yes, my children, it is I," said the veteran, taking their hands inhis, and pressing them joyfully. "So you have been much frightenedduring my absence?"
"Oh, frightened to death!"
"If you knew--oh, goodness! if you knew--"
"But the lamp is extinguished--why is that?"
"We did not do it."
"Come--recover yourselves, poor children, and tell me all about it. Ihave no good opinion of this inn; but, luckily, we shall soon leave it.It was an ill wind that blew me hither--though, to be sure, there was noother in the village. But what has happened?"
"You were hardly gone, when the window flew open violently, and the lampand table fell together with a loud crash."
"Then our courage failed--we screamed and clasped each other, for wethought we could hear some one moving in the room."
"And we were so frightened, that we fainted away."
Unfortunately, persuaded that it was the violence of the wind which hadalready broken the glass, and shaken the window, Dagobert attributedthis second accident to the same cause as the first, thinking that hehad not properly secured the fastening and that the orphans had beendeceived by a false alarm. "Well, well--it is over now," said he tothem: "Calm yourselves, and don't think of it any more."
"But why did you leave us so hastily, Dagobert?"
"Yes, now I remember--did we not hear a great noise, sister, and seeDagobert run to the staircase, crying: 'My horse! what are they doing tomy horse?'"
"It was then Jovial who neighed?"
These questions renewed the anguish of the soldier; he feared to answerthem, and said, with a confused air: "Yes--Jovial neighed--but it wasnothing. By the by, we must have a light here. Do you know where I putmy flint and steel last evening? Well, I have lost my senses; it is herein my pocket. Luckily, too, we have a candle, which I am going to light;I want to look in my knapsack for some papers I require."
Dagobert struck a few sparks, obtained a light, and saw that the windowwas indeed open, the table thrown down, and the lamp lying by the sideof the knapsack. He shut the window, set the little table on its feetagain, placed the knapsack upon it, and began to unbuckle this last inorder to take out his portfolio, which had been deposited along with hiscross and purse, in a kind of pocket between the outside and the lining.The straps had been readjusted with so much care, that there was noappearance of the knapsack having been disturbed; but when the soldierplunged his hand into the pocket above-mentioned, he found it empty.Struck with consternation, he grew pale, and retreated a step, crying:"How is this?--Nothing!"
"What is the matter?" said Blanche. He made her no answer. Motionless,he leaned against the table, with his hand still buried in the pocket.Then, yielding to a vague hope--for so cruel a reality did not appearpossible--he hastily emptied the contents of the knapsack on thetable--his poor half-worn clothes--his old uniform-coat of thehorse-grenadiers of the Imperial Guard, a sacred relic for thesoldiers--but, turn and return them as he would, he found neither hispurse, nor the portfolio that contained his papers, the letters ofGeneral Simon, and his cross.
In vain, with that serious childishness which always accompanies ahopeless search, he took the knapsack by the two ends, and shook itvigorously; nothing came out. The orphans looked on with uneasiness, notunderstanding his silence or his movements, for his back was turnedto them. Blanche ventured to say to him in a timid voice: "What ailsyou--you don't answer us.--What is it you are looking for in yourknapsack?"
Still mute, Dagobert searched his own person, turned out all hispockets--nothing!--For the first time in his life, perhaps, his twochildren, as he called them, had spoken to him without receiving areply. Blanche and Rose felt the big tears start into their eyes;thinking that the soldier was angry, they darst not again address him.
"No, no! it is impossible--no!" said the veteran, pressing his hand tohis forehead, and seeking in his memory where he might have put thoseprecious objects, the loss of which he could not yet bring himself tobelieve. A sudden beam of joy flashed from his eyes. He ran to a chair,and took from it the portmanteau of the orphans; it contained a littlelinen, two black dresses, and a small box of white wood, in which werea silk handkerchief that had belonged to their mother, two locks of herhair, and a black ribbon she had worn round her neck. The little shepossessed had been seized by the Russian government, in pursuance ofthe confiscation. Dagobert searched and researched every article--peepedinto all the corners of the portmanteau--still nothing!
This time, completely worn out, leaning against the table, the strong,energetic man felt himself giving way. His face was burning, yet bathedin a cold sweat; his knees trembled under him. It is a common saying,that drowning men will catch at straws; and so it is with thedespair that still clings to some shred of hope. Catching at a lastchance--absurd, insane, impossible--he turned abruptly towards theorphans, and said to them, without considering the alteration inhis voice and features: "I did
not give them to you--to keep forme?--speak?"
Instead of answering, Rose and Blanche, terrified at his paleness andthe expression of his countenance, uttered a cry. "Good heavens! what isthe matter with you?" murmured Rose.
"Have you got them--yes, or no?" cried in a voice of thunder theunfortunate, distracted man. "If you have not--I'll take the first knifeI meet with, and stick it into my body!"
"Alas! You are so good: pardon us if we have done anything to afflictyou! You love us so much, you would not do us any harm." The orphansbegan to weep, as they stretched forth their hands in supplicationtowards the soldier.
He looked at them with haggard eye, without even seeing them; till, asthe delusion passed away, the reality presented itself to his mind withall its terrible consequences. Then he clasped his hands together, fellon his knees before the bed of the orphans, leaned his forehead uponit, and amid his convulsive sobs--for the man of iron sobbed like achild--these broken words were audible: "Forgive me--forgive!--I do notknow how it can be!--Oh! what a misfortune!--what a misfortune!--Forgiveme!"
At this outbreak of grief, the cause of which they understood not, butwhich in such a man was heart-rending, the two sisters wound their armsabout his old gray head, and exclaimed amid their tears: "Look at us!Only tell us what is the matter with you?--Is it our fault?"
At this instant, the noise of footsteps resounded from the stairs,mingled with the barking of Spoil-sport, who had remained outside thedoor. The nearer the steps approached, the more furious became thebarking; it was no doubt accompanied with hostile demonstrations, forthe host was heard to cry out in an angry tone: "Hollo! you there! Calloff your dog, or speak to him. It is Mr. Burgomaster who is coming up."
"Dagobert--do you hear?--it is the burgomaster," said Rose.
"They are coming upstairs--a number of people," resumed Blanche.
The word burgomaster recalled whatever had happened to the mind ofDagobert, and completed, so to express it, the picture of his terribleposition. His horse was dead, he had neither papers nor money, anda day, a single day's detention, might defeat the last hope of thesisters, and render useless this long and toilsome journey.
Men of strong minds, and the veteran was of the number, prefer greatperils, positions of danger accurately defined, to the vague anxietieswhich precede a settled misfortune. Guided by his good sense andadmirable devotion, Dagobert understood at once, that his only resourcewas now in the justice of the burgomaster, and that all his effortsshould tend to conciliate the favor of that magistrate. He thereforedried his eyes with the sheet, rose from the ground, erect, calm, andresolute, and said to the orphans: "Fear nothing, my children; it is ourdeliverer who is at hand."
"Will you call off your dog or no?" cried the host, still detained onthe stairs by Spoil-sport, who, as a vigilant sentinel, continued todispute the passage. "Is the animal mad, I say? Why don't you tie himup? Have you not caused trouble enough in my house? I tell you, that Mr.Burgomaster is waiting to examine you in your turn, for he has finishedwith Morok."
Dagobert drew his fingers through his gray locks and across hismoustache, clasped the collar of his top-coat, and brushed the sleeveswith his hand, in order to give himself the best appearance possible;for he felt that the fate of the orphans must depend on his interviewwith the magistrate. It was not without a violent beating of the heart,that he laid his hand upon the door-knob, saying to the young girls, whowere growing more and more frightened by such a succession of events:"Hide yourselves in your bed, my children; if any one must needs enter,it shall be the burgomaster alone."
Thereupon, opening the door, the soldier stepped out on the landingplace, and said: "Down, Spoil-sport!--Here!"
The dog obeyed, but with manifest repugnance. His master had to speaktwice, before he would abstain from all hostile movements towards thehost. This latter, with a lantern in one hand and his cap in the other,respectfully preceded the burgomaster, whose magisterial proportionswere lost in the half shadows of the staircase. Behind the judge, anda few steps lower, the inquisitive faces of the people belonging to theinn were dimly visible by the light of another lantern.
Dagobert, having turned the dog into the room, shut the door after him,and advanced two steps on the landing-place, which was sufficientlyspacious to hold several persons, and had in one corner a wooden benchwith a back to it. The burgomaster, as he ascended the last stair, wassurprised to see Dagobert close the door of the chamber, as though hewished to forbid his entrance. "Why do you shut that door?" asked he inan abrupt tone.
"First, because two girls, whom I have the charge of, are in bed inthat room; secondly, because your examination would alarm them," repliedDagobert. "Sit down upon this bench, Mr. Burgomaster, and examine mehere; it will not make any difference, I should think."
"And by what right," asked the judge, with a displeased air, "do youpretend to dictate to me the place of your examination?"
"Oh, I have no such pretension, Mr. Burgomaster!" said the soldierhastily, fearing above all things to prejudice the judge against him:"only, as the girls are in bed, and already much frightened, it would bea proof of your good heart to examine me where I am."
"Humph!" said the magistrate, with ill-humor; "a pretty state of things,truly!--It was much worth while to disturb me in the middle of thenight. But, come, so be it; I will examine you here." Then, turning tothe landlord, he added: "Put your lantern upon this bench, and leaveus."
The innkeeper obeyed, and went down, followed by his people, asdissatisfied as they were at being excluded from the examination. Theveteran was left alone with the magistrate.