CHAPTER XX.
News at Last.
The incident at the Palais de Justice somewhat sobered the Parisians,and for several days the city presented quite an unusual appearance ofpeace. Once more the mob retired to its own quarters, and the noblesof the different parties renewed their private friendships.
By this time I had abandoned my search for Henri, and spent most of mytime with Raoul and Armand d'Arcy, or with John Humphreys.
One evening while chatting with the Englishman at the Palais Royal, LeTellier, the Under Minister, passed by.
"Are you not M. de Lalande?" he asked, turning and looking hard into myface.
Now, coming from him, this was a very stupid question, as, when Mazarinruled in Paris, Le Tellier had often seen me with the Cardinal.However, I shrugged my shoulders, and answered carelessly that he madeno mistake.
"I believe you are in the Queen's service?" he continued.
"It is an office without salary, then," I answered, thinking of mynearly empty purse, which was not likely to wear out through therubbing of coins against it.
"Tut, tut!" he exclaimed, "money is not plentiful at Court just now;nevertheless you will be amply rewarded. Come with me, I have a wordfor you," and he led me aside.
Wondering at his manner, but glad of a chance to do something, I waitedfor him to speak.
"You are aware," he began, "that, in two days from this, the King is tobe declared of age, and that he will proceed in state to the ParliamentHouse?"
"Certainly, monsieur, that is common talk; the citizens are verypleased."
"Those who are peacefully disposed!" he exclaimed; then, sinking hisvoice to a whisper, he added, "but there are some still eager formischief. It would be a pity if a tumult should arise during theKing's progress. The soldiers, fortunately, can be depended on, but inaddition, we require a band of gallant gentlemen to line the route.Can I rely on you for one?"
"Assuredly," I replied, "I shall be glad to assist."
"Then come to me at midnight to-morrow, and I will inform you where tostation yourself."
"Another adventure?" inquired Humphreys, when I returned to him.
"Pouf! A bagatelle, nothing more! Le Tellier is anxious that I shouldhave a good view of the procession. You will accompany the Queen, Isuppose?"
"The orders have not yet been issued. It is a good idea this ofdeclaring the King of age; though he is only a youngster."
"Fourteen," I said. "It is understood that his mother will continue torule as before."
"Just so. But in the King's name. Don't you see that it will cut theground from under the feet of her enemies? While they would plotagainst the Regent, they will not dare to raise arms against the King.I call it a very sensible proceeding. People will have to choose sidesnow, either with the King or with his foes. If Conde and De Retz donot submit, they will be rebels. They must either obey or defy theKing, and we shall have a plain issue."
"It will keep Mazarin out, though."
"Quite so. If I were you I should obtain a post under the young King."
This was sensible advice, but considering myself still in Mazarin'semploy, I decided to let the matter wait a while longer. Perhaps Imight even yet hear from Belloc.
On the morning of the eventful day I took my place, by Le Tellier'sorders, about a hundred yards from the gates of the Palais de Justice.Other cavaliers, well armed, were stationed at short intervals alongthe line of route, making little show, but ready at any moment topounce on any one endeavouring to stir up strife.
As it chanced, Le Tellier's precautions were not required. There was atremendous crowd, but the people were in the best of humour, and amusedthemselves by shouting "_Vive le Roi!_" with all their might. Theycheered for the Queen-Mother as well, and, listening to them, one wouldhave thought Paris the most loyal city under the sun.
"_Ma foi!_" exclaimed the cavalier on my right, "it is wonderful; buthow long will it last?"
"Till the show is over most likely. The citizens love a prettyspectacle, no matter who provides it."
Round after round of cheering announced the approach of the procession,which was on the most magnificent scale. After a body of trumpeterscame fifty guides clothed in the Royal livery, and then eight hundredgorgeously dressed nobles on horseback.
I felt a passing pang of envy at sight of the nobleman who led theLight Horse. His robe was of gold embroidery, and he carried his swordin a baldrick of pearls. In his hat waved a splendid plume offeathers, and the trappings of his white horse were of scarlet adornedwith pearls. The spectators could not contain themselves, but clappedtheir hands and cried "Bravo!" vigorously.
After the Light Horse came the Hundred Swiss in their romantic costume,and then a crowd of gentlemen, followed by the marshals of France--onecarrying the King's sword, with the scabbard resting on his arm. Thena thundering roar broke out, and the people appeared beside themselveswith delight.
"Live the King!" they cried. "God bless him!" "God save his Majesty!"
I craned my neck as eagerly as any other sightseer, as our youthfulmonarch approached. He was truly a handsome boy, and managed his fieryhorse with the grace and skill of an accomplished rider.
"What a King he will be!" exclaimed one bystander. "He will bring backthe glory to our country. _Vive le Roi! Vive le Roi!_" and againthere was an outburst of cheering.
No one paid any attention to the princes and nobles following him; allthe cheers were for the King and the King alone.
I observed Raoul ride by, and presently John Humphreys appeared withthe guards who surrounded the Queen's carriage. Raoul was smiling,for, like a true Parisian, he enjoyed a pretty show, but the Englishmanstrode along as if he had a mind to be done with the business. Just ashe was on a level with me I received a great surprise. On the otherside of the road a little man had pushed himself right into the frontline of spectators, and was gazing anxiously up and down as ifexpecting to recognise some one.
"Why, surely," I said, half aloud, "that is my old acquaintance,Pillot!" and, looking a second time I became sure of it.
The dwarf seemed ill at ease, and altogether unlike his usual self.His face, too, was white and pinched, as if he had been suffering froma severe illness.
"_Parbleu!_" I muttered, "one would not think he had but just returnedfrom the country! Perhaps he missed the air of Paris! Anyhow, I amglad he is back, as now I shall learn the truth as to my cousin'sdeath. When the procession is gone by I will beckon to him to comeover."
At that moment Pillot caught sight of me; he became more nervous thanbefore, and to my astonishment instantly began edging back into thecrowd till he was lost to view. Now this curious behaviour set methinking. Why should Pillot endeavour to get out of my way? Was heafraid that I should hand him over to Conde? Certainly he had beenmixed up in the plot, but so had Pierre and Francois, and the princehad not thought it worth while to imprison either of them.
"There is some mystery about this which I must look into!" I muttered."Pillot is not the man to slink away without reason."
For the time, however, I could do nothing, but as soon as the Kingreturned to the Palais Royal I began an eager but unavailing search forthe dwarf. He had disappeared completely, and there was no trace ofhim anywhere.
In the evening Raoul and John Humphreys met at my rooms and I informedthem of my discovery. The Englishman thought little of it, sayingPillot was likely to keep out of my way, but Raoul, like myself,fancied he had some reason for his strange behaviour.
"The fellow isn't afraid for himself," he declared. "He knows Condewill not touch him, and besides, he is a plucky rascal. Depend on it,there is something beneath this business, and I should guess it has todo with Henri de Lalande."
"But my cousin is dead and buried!" I objected.
"Chut! You have no proof of it. He may be in hiding for what we know,and waiting his opportunity. According to all accounts, he will soonhave little to fear from Conde."
"The prince is
lost," exclaimed Humphreys. "Did you notice he stayedaway to-day? It is rumoured in the palace that the Queen is furious,and that there is to be no more giving quarter. Conde will be anoutlaw before long."
"And it is my belief," remarked Raoul, "that when Conde goes, Henriwill reappear. Still, if you wish, Albert, we will help you to findPillot."
"The worst of it is I have not the faintest idea where to look."
"We can try the house in the Rue de Roi."
"The walk will do us good," said Humphreys, "and I am off duty tillmidnight;" so, putting on our hats, we went into the street.
Paris was holding high holiday that evening. The buildings weredecorated with flags and streamers; bonfires cast a lurid light on theanimated scene; crowds of people went to and fro, laughing merrily andcheering the nobles and ladies who rode by in their gorgeous carriages.The spell of the morning was on them all; and though many realised thatthe troubles would soon break out more fiercely than ever, every oneseemed bent on making the most of the brief truce.
"You Parisians are a remarkable set!" exclaimed Humphreys as we walkedalong; "I believe you would dance on the edge of a mine."
"Till the explosion occurred!" laughed Raoul. "Did you notice thefolks in that carriage, Albert? One was your friend Lautrec; he stillfollows Conde's fortunes. Ah! there goes Marshal Turenne!"
"A fine general!" remarked Humphreys. "Why doesn't the Queen give himthe command of the army? He would make short work of Conde."
"Wait till the prince draws the sword," said Raoul, "and we shall see.Have you forgotten that at present we are all friends?"
The Englishman declared it was scarcely worth remembering, as, in a dayor two, we were just as likely to be enemies, and I thought there was aconsiderable amount of truth in his remark.
We wandered along slowly, chatting together, but scanning the faces ofthe passers-by and keeping a sharp look-out for Pillot. There was,however, no sign of him, and I had just suggested going straight to theinn, when Raoul, suddenly taking a man by the arm, exclaimed,"Francois? How lucky! Why, you are just the fellow we want!" andturning round I saw that he was addressing the amiable spy of the RueCrillon.
Francois gazed at us with a beaming smile. He was not a bad-heartedfellow, and bore no malice in spite of all that had passed.
"Where are your friends?" asked Raoul. "You should not be alone onsuch a night as this. Where have you left Pillot?"
"Pillot?" echoed Francois wonderingly. "I have not seen him for weeks;he is in the country somewhere."
"Oh, now, Francois, you are making fun of us! We know that our friendPillot is in Paris."
"Monsieur is wiser than I, then!" replied Francois. "They say, down inour quarter, that he went to bury his master and has not returned. Iassure monsieur that not one of his old friends has set eyes on him fora long time past."
The man spoke so straightforwardly that even Raoul believed he wastelling the truth, though it seemed strange, if Pillot were really backagain, that none of his acquaintances should be aware of it. Why hadhe kept himself hidden all this time?
"We want to find him," said Raoul after a pause, "but not to do him anyinjury. Suppose he has returned to Paris--if he ever went away--whereis he most likely to be? I assure you, Francois, that he has nothingto fear from us."
"I cannot tell, monsieur. I think you must have made a mistake. If hewere inside the walls I should have seen him. He has not been back toany of his usual haunts."
Evidently there was no information to be obtained from Francois, soRaoul gave him some money and let him go.
"Perhaps the fellow was right in saying you had made a mistake,"remarked Humphreys, but this I would not admit. Not only had I seenPillot, but he had recognised me.
"Let us try at La Boule d'Or," Raoul suggested, "and, if that isuseless, we will not bother any further. After all, it really is ofsmall consequence one way or the other."
The famous inn was crowded as usual, but Raoul conducted us to aprivate room, where, in a few minutes, we were joined by the landlord.He remembered me immediately, and began to speak of the trick I hadplayed on the dwarf.
"We have come to meet Pillot," interrupted Raoul playing a bold game;"tell him we are here."
"But, monsieur, it is impossible! He is not in my house. He has beenhere only once since monsieur tied him up. It would not be a safeplace for him. Besides, I have heard that he is no longer in Paris.Monsieur can search the place himself if he wishes. At the present,the inn is empty of guests. Two friends of the prince have beenstaying here, but they departed yesterday."
"And all your rooms are free?"
"That is so. Monsieur is at liberty to search the house."
"Come," said Raoul to us, "we are not likely to discover anything, butwe shall feel more satisfied perhaps."
Taking a candle the landlord led the way, and we tramped after him,searching every room. Raoul knew the house thoroughly, so that nothingescaped us, and we were bound to admit that Pillot was not in the inn.Leaving us outside, Raoul entered the public rooms, but he couldneither find the dwarf nor gain any information of him, and at last wedeparted, my comrades feeling more than half inclined to believe thatmy eyes had deceived me.
However, as Raoul said, I should gain little even by finding Pillot.If my cousin still lived--which I sincerely hoped--he could not be inmuch danger from Conde. Beneath all the gaiety and merriment of thatnight, it was easy to observe the shadow of coming trouble, and,indeed, before many days had passed Paris was again in a state ofturmoil.
Conde was almost openly in rebellion: the country trembled on the brinkof civil war; of authority there was none save in the strong hand;every man did that which seemed right in his own eyes. Bands of armedruffians paraded the streets, robbing and murdering as they pleased;the soldiers quarrelled among themselves; the nobles fought in thepublic places, unsheathing their swords even in the Parliament House.Thoroughly wearied of this meaningless strife, I longed for a strongman, such as our present most gracious King has proved, who should whipthese snarling dogs back to their kennels.
One evening I sat at my window looking into the street below. Theinhabitants of the Rue des Catonnes were having fine doings. From oneend to the other they swarmed--a heaving mass of excited humanity. Itwas plain that a crisis had arrived. Paris was in rebellion, butagainst whom or what not one in a thousand knew or cared. For themoment the people were masters, and they made the most of theiropportunity.
I watched their antics in amazement. Costly furniture, handsomebrocades, rich tapestry and gorgeous hangings littered the street.Grimy, unwashed ruffians swaggered about in clothes costly with lace,and plumed hats, some even carrying swords. They were in the merriesthumour imaginable, but I knew well that a chance word might changetheir mirth into madness.
"They have plundered some nobleman's house," I muttered. "I wonder whothe victim is?"
I was still sitting at the window when the tramp of horses' feetsounded in the distance, and presently D'Artagnan appeared at the endof the street with a body of cavalry. For a minute or two it seemed asif the rioters would oppose his progress, but, having no leader, andperhaps being in no mood for a fight, they began to slink away by onesand twos into the houses. A few lingered half defiantly, but obtainingno support from their fellows, they also disappeared, and not a blowwas struck as the soldiers rode through the street.
"Bravo!" I exclaimed, "the mischief may be stamped out yet. I wonderif the other quarters are quiet," and, buckling on my sword, I crossedthe room just as a man in dishevelled dress rushed panting up thestairs.
I gazed at my unexpected visitor in amazement and rubbed my eyes. Werethey playing me false? No! It was Pillot sure enough, and he wasgasping for breath. Why had he come to me?
"Just in time, monsieur," he stammered as he leaned against the wall torecover.
"What is it?" I exclaimed. "What do you want? Quick, I am in a hurry."
"Wait, monsieur. Listen; you must! I r
an all the way to the RueCrillon, but you were not there."
"The Rue Crillon?" I interrupted, thinking of Madame Coutance andMarie. "Is anything the matter there? Are the ladies in danger?"
"No, no," he answered impatiently. "No one will harm them. They areas safe as at Aunay. It is of your cousin. He calls for you,monsieur; he is dying--and alone! Come with me, monsieur, quick! Imust return at once; he may be dead!"
"A truce to this mummery," I said sternly. "What new trick is this?Do you imagine I am to be trapped a second time? My cousin is dead andburied; the Abbe himself told me."
Pillot gazed at me in blank despair. His face was white, his lipstwitched nervously, his words came with a sob.
"It is false, monsieur, false. I deceived the Abbe as I deceived allfor my master's sake. I spread about the story of his death; I trickedDe Retz because he could not be trusted. To save his own life he wouldhave thrown your cousin to the wolves. It is each for himself,nowadays, monsieur. I wormed out their plots: they could not deceivePillot. De Retz is a clever schemer, but the biggest rogues makemistakes. He believed my tale, and so did Conde. Only one man besidesmyself and M. de Lalande knew the truth, and I was obliged to trusthim. As to your cousin I have guarded him against all comers; I havenursed him day and night; I have tricked the soldiers, but now the endis come. Prince and priest are welcome to the secret now."
"But what do you wish me to do?" I asked suspiciously.
"To soothe your cousin's last moments, monsieur; to close his eyes indeath. He calls for you always."
If Pillot was playing a part, he was indeed a superb actor. Yet stillI hesitated, so intense was the distrust with which in these days eachregarded his neighbour.
"Do you doubt me, monsieur?" he asked. "Do I plead for the dying invain? This is no trick. Why should I deceive you? We have been onopposite sides, but we have played the game fairly. I have even goneout of my way to serve you. It was I who sent the note warning youagainst our own trap."
"And saved my life after I had blundered into it!"
The dwarf watched my face as if his own life depended on my decision.
"Pillot," I said at length, "I will trust you. But, if you deceive me,so surely as you stand there I will run you through with my sword."
"Monsieur is welcome in any case," he answered, "if only he will comeat once."