CHAPTER XXXIV.
Leaving the Count d'Aubin to pursue his schemes to their conclusion,we must now follow Bartholo home to the chateau of Guery. Few were thefriends which the page possessed amongst the servants of his mistress;but in that number was the old warder at the gate, who, warnedbeforehand of the dwarfs absence, hastened to give him admittancewithout noise on his return. Bartholo stabled his horse and rubbed himdown with his own small hands, and then, entering by a side-door,passed through the great hall, which was lighted by one of the largepaper globes of the time--not at all unlike a Chinese lantern--andpicking his steps through the midst of the straw mattresses uponwhich, as was then customary, several of the inferior servants weresleeping, he made his way towards a staircase leading to the roomwhich had been appropriated to himself during the illness of the Countd'Aubin, and he had now resumed. Opening the door, he entered,congratulating himself upon not having been seen, when suddenly he wasseized on either side, and held fast to prevent him from using hisdagger, while some one at the farther end of the chamber drew a screenfrom before a concealed lamp, and Bartholo found himself in the handsof the major-domo and two stout grooms, who, with little compassionand less ceremony, proceeded to bind him tightly hand and foot.
The dwarf asked not a question, and said not a word; and the old_ma?tre d'h?tel_, though loving him but little, refrained from anyexpression of triumph, merely directing the grooms to watch him welland not molest him, and then left him for the night. Early the nextmorning the cords were slackened upon his ankles, and he was broughtinto the presence of his mistress, whose quivering lip and flashingeye told how much her anger was roused against him.
"Bartholo, you have deceived me!" she said; "you have basely deceivedme!"
"Those who suspect without cause," answered the dwarf, doggedly, "willalways be deceived in the end, and will deserve it."
"And do you think me so weak a being," asked Beatrice, sternly, "as tobelieve that he who could practise the piece of knavery which youexecuted last night is innocent of foregone deceits? No, poor fool,no! and even were it not that--as is ever the case with favourites indisgrace--the whole household is pouring forth tales of thy formertreason now that it no longer avails me to know it, I should stillfeel as certain of your guilt as I am of living and breathing, andshould only daily look for the instances of your knavery. I seek not,man, to make you own either your former or your present baseness; allI seek to know is your motive. Tell me, were you bribed to divulge mysecrets and thwart my plans? Were you hired to betray the mistressthat trusted and befriended you?"
"No man does anything without the hope of recompense," replied thedwarf, "nor woman either."
"I should have thought," answered Beatrice, in a tone of bitter butsorrowful reproach, "that no recompense would have been sufficient tobribe you to sting the hand which cherished you when all the rest ofthe world either scorned or forgot you."
"You mistake me, noble lady," said the dwarf, "I see you mistake me.There are men and women both that sell their honour for gold; but I amnot of them. There are still more, both men and women, that pawn theirvirtue for less solid payment, ay, and sell even their souls forvanity; but still no bauble was my bribe. It was neither title givenby some profligate king, nor words of flattery spoken by some viciouslover. I had--I own it--a motive before my eyes, a recompense to lookforward to; but I choose not to speak it before these gaping fools.Should I ever again have your ear alone, to it I may tell the cause ofall that is strange in my behaviour--if aught be strange in theactions of man. But till then I am silent."
"Leave me!" said Beatrice, looking towards her attendants, "retire tothe ante-room--no farther!" Her commands were instantly obeyed; butstill there was many an ear eager for the sounds of what passedfarther; and those who dared, advanced close to the door, which wasnot entirely closed. The dwarf's voice was heard speaking quick andlong, but in tones so low, that the eavesdroppers were all at fault.At length, however, the voice of Beatrice exclaimed, "Madman! daredyou to entertain such a hope?"
"I entertained no hope," replied the dwarf, aloud--"I entertained nohope, but that I might never behold you in the arms of another!"
"Here, Joachim, Annette!" cried the voice of Beatrice, and in a momentthe room where she sat was again crowded with her attendants. Theyfound her with the eloquent blood glowing in deep crimson through herclear fine skin, and dying her brow and temples and neck with a blushalmost painful to behold. "Take him hence!" she cried, pointing to thedwarf with a look of irrepressible disgust, which, as his eye markedit, turned him deadly pale. "Take him hence!--and yet stay," sheadded, addressing him--"I suppose it is vain to question you as towhat you told to him whom you went last night to visit."
A change had come over the appearance of the dwarf, which it weredifficult to describe. The paleness that had followed Beatrice's lastwords remained--even his lips were blanched; and though with his whiteupper teeth he bit the under lip unconsciously, no mark appearedafter, so bloodless was his whole countenance. He replied, however,with a voice of unnatural calmness, "It is not in vain, madam, to askme anything you seek to know. Life is over with me,--at least, life'shopes and fears; and I may as well tell you all, as conceal anything.The moment that what I have dared to do was discovered, that moment Iknew that the game was lost; and it is in vain now to play a few movesmore or less."
He then, as shortly as possible, repeated the substance of what hadpassed between D'Aubin and himself, in regard to Eugenie deMenancourt's abode, and the means of securing her person, and thatconcluded, calmly suffered himself to be led back to the room where hehad passed the night, and where he was now left alone.
In the meantime, Beatrice, with a hasty hand, wrote a few words onseveral sheets of paper, and ordering horses to be saddled instantly,gave the letters to the servants who were first prepared. "This to LaLoupe," she said, giving one, "for the captain of the arquebusiers;and bid him mark within the king's own hand to the command. This tothe chatelain of Armen?on. Tell him, if he cannot spare many, to send,if it be but twenty men, well armed end mounted. This to the LadyEugenie, with all speed! Away, away! This purse to him who does hiserrand soonest. Now, Joachim, now! you gather together all the menthat we have here, and all that are in the neighbouring town; arm themto the teeth, and make speed! Tell me when all is ready, and lose notime!--Away! for we must endeavour to be first on the spot, and carryoff that poor timid dove from her dovecot, ere the kite pounces uponher. If we are too late to save her from danger, we must do our bestto rescue her, whatever befall."
Beatrice's orders were as rapidly obeyed as given; but we must deviatea little from our general plan, and quitting the persons with whom wehave begun this chapter, turn once more to the efforts of the Countd'Aubin; efforts which were unfortunately but too successful. The sunhad not risen half an hour ere D'Aubin was again in the saddle; andthough his horse was somewhat stiff from having passed a night in theopen air, in the midst of storm and tempest, the Count urged him on atfull speed, and never drew a rein till he was within sight of his ownpaternal home.
There are feelings touched by the view of such a place, so interwovenwith all the texture of our being, that even the coarse hand of vice,or the more cunning touch of worldly-mindedness, can hardly tear themout; but it was not any such emotions that caused D'Aubin to stop andgaze round him as he approached the dwelling of his fathers. It wasthat, in a field close to the chateau, he beheld a man, dressed in thecostume of a German soldier, sauntering idly about, and talking tosome women who were weeding the ground. An undefined apprehension ofdanger made him pause; but the next moment he spurred his horsefuriously on, and rode into the court-yard. It was filled withreitters, who were sitting round in various attitudes, eating theirmorning meal in the early sunshine. The apparition of a singlehorseman, for the guide was some furlongs behind, did not seem todisturb in the slightest degree their German phlegm; and D'Aubin wassuffered to cast his rein over a hook, and push open the great door ofthe hall without one of the troopers ceasin
g from his pleasantoccupation, to ask the business of the intruder. The first object theCount beheld in the hall was one of his own servants; but the next,which rendered all question unnecessary, was a large breakfast-table,covered with loads of meat and flagons of wine, at which sat Albert ofWolfstrom, and one or two of the officers of his troop. The apparitionof D'Aubin was certainly unexpected, for the party of the Leaguebelieved him dead; but it required no lengthened explanations to makehim comprehend that his friend, the captain of the reitters, hadhastened with as many of his men as had escaped the bloody fight ofIvry to take possession of the lands and chateau of Aubin, in order topay himself some certain thousands of crowns, won by him at play, erethe next heir of the supposed dead count put in his claim, either bythe sword or otherwise.
As he was well aware that no party would permit of his holding longpossession of the lands, the mercenary leader had employed means toraise the sum he claimed, which now caused some sharp and angry wordsto pass between him and the count,--words which might not have endedbloodless had D'Aubin at the moment been prepared to expel the Germansfrom his dwelling: but his own retainers and domestics were dispersed;and not above two or three of his old attendants were to be foundwithin the walls of the chateau. The thought of his fine old treesfelled to supply the greedy craving of the mercenary, his crops andcattle swept away, his peasantry half ruined, did enrage him almost tostriking Wolfstrom where he stood; but in the midst of his anger heremembered that there was but one way to clear off this and manyanother similar claim upon him, and to emerge into greater splendourand power than ever; and in that dim and misty dream of splendour andpower he fancied that the voice of conscience, and remorse, anddisappointed love, would never be heard.
"Well, well, Wolfstrom," he added, abruptly breaking off the angryvituperation he was heaping upon the chief of the reitters, "you mighthave waited a little longer; you might have proceeded a little moremoderately; but now send out and order all to be stopped instantly,then lend me your full and active aid for this one day, and you shallreceive every farthing in gold before a week be over."
"Ay, indeed! how so?" demanded the other, somewhat doubtingly; forAlbert of Wolfstrom had nothing very confiding in his disposition. "Asto waiting, you know, sir count, that was out of the questionentirely, for we thought you dead; and as to proceeding moremoderately, you know I was obliged to make haste, for on the one handMayenne might call me to Paris in a day, at any time; and on theother, the Bearnois and your cousin might come down and turn me out;so that I was obliged to make good use of my time. But how can I serveyou?"
"How many men have you here?" demanded D'Aubin.
"Why, not many, on my life," answered Wolfstrom; "only a hundred andfifty. All the rest were killed or taken at that cursed Ivry. But whatdo you want us to do?"
"Listen!" said D'Aubin. "I last night learned, Wolfstrom, that by afoul scheme my promised bride was persuaded that I did not love her,and that it was thus she was induced to fly immediately after ourmarriage."
"But do you know, Monsieur d'Aubin," interrupted Wolfstrom, "that thegood folks in Paris vow, that marriage of yours was no marriage atall; that the priest was a mad Huguenot soldier, and that----"
"Never mind all that," replied D'Aubin, "I have here a priest in theneighbouring village who has done me some services already, and hewill bind me in half an hour to Eugenie de Menancourt by a knot thatcan never be untied, without asking any questions or listening to anyobjections. Only let me once have her safe within these walls!"
"Ay, but how is that to be done?" demanded Albert of Wolfstrom.
"That is what I was about to tell you," answered the count. "The sameperson who informed me of the means which had been used to estrangeher affection from me, informed me also of the place of her presentdwelling. It is within six leagues of this castle, and all that isnecessary in the present case is----"
"To carry her off by a _coup de main!_" cried Wolfstrom, clapping hishands at the sound of a project which combined, in a degree peculiarlyadapted to his palate, villany and adventure. "Bravo, sir count Ibravo! Let us about it immediately."
"Thanks, thanks, Wolfstrom, for your ready aid," replied D'Aubin. "Allthat we have to do is to mount fifty men, and to lose no time; thefirst, because the girl has some guards stationed round about her, andmore may be sent; the second, because the keenest eye in France isupon her and me, and she may be removed."
"Well, well, to it at once," cried Wolfstrom, moving towards the door;but ere he reached it he stopped, and, turning to the count said, in alow tone, "Of course you will give my men a day's pay."
"And you a thousand crowns to boot, if we succeed," answered theCount, who knew that there was nothing comparable to gold forquickening his comrade's energies.
"We had better take a hundred men at once," said Wolfstrom, when heheard that they were to be paid; "they are as soon mounted as fifty,and we are then more sure. Fifty can stay to guard the chateau."
D'Aubin made no objection, and Wolfstrom proceeded to give his orders,which were rapidly obeyed by the well-trained veterans still under hiscommand. A fresh horse was provided for D'Aubin, and another for theguide, who, without his consent being asked, was ordered to lead theway, with a trooper on either side, to the spot which D'Aubindescribed. Two old but nimble jennets from the stable of the Countwere led in the rear; and thus the cavalcade issued from the gates ofthe chateau of Aubin, and took their way towards the dwelling of theunfortunate Eugenie de Menancourt. Scarcely had they proceeded aleague, however, when, from the edge of a gentle slope, they perceivedthree horsemen galloping quickly on a road in the plain below, as iftowards the castle they had just left.
The keen eyes of Wolfstrom instantly marked them; but, after gazing atthem for a moment, he said, "They are two of my reitters whom I sentyesterday to keep a watch on Armen?on; but they have a third man withthem, and must bring news. We must take care that our retreat is notcut off." Thus saying, he detached a trooper to intercept the horsemenby a cross road, and bring them to him, and then halted till theyarrived. Two proved, as had been supposed, ordinary reitters ofWolfstrom's band, but the third horseman was an armed servant; andD'Aubin instantly recognised one of the attendants of Beatrice ofFerrara. He was tied upon his horse, and the troopers brought him uppistol in hand. Their report was soon made; they had found himgalloping, they said, with such speed towards the castle of Armen?onthat they thought it right to stop him. He fled like the wind, andthey pursued; but at length he was overtaken, and they found upon hima letter, which, not being able to read themselves, they were now inthe act of conveying to their leader. The paper, as may be alreadyseen, was the letter of Beatrice of Ferrara to the chatelain ofArmen?on, and it served to show D'Aubin that his movements weresuspected, if not discovered. The servant, however, was now in suchbodily fear, that he at once informed the Count and his companion,that another messenger had been sent for troops to La Loupe.
"What force have they there, Wolfstrom?" demanded D'Aubin. "Do youknow?"
"Certainly not two hundred men!" replied the leader of the reitters.
"Then there is, first, the probability that the commander will notlisten to the request of this wild girl," said the Count; "next, hewill certainly not dare to detach more than fifty men, and we are herea hundred. Even if she send her own armed people, too, they cannotamount to more than thirty, so that we shall still have great odds.But let me see," he continued, as if a sudden thought struck him, andturning to the servant, he asked, "When did the messenger leave Gueryfor La Loupe?"
"At the same moment that I left for Armen?on," replied the man.
"Then," said D'Aubin, "we shall be there full four good hours before asoldier from La Loupe can be within a league. Let that fellow go,Wolfstrom. You, my good man, ride back with all speed to yourmistress, present the Count d'Aubin's humble duty to her, and tell herhe is her most devoted slave! Do you hear? There is a piece of goldfor you--away!"
The man seemed doubtful if his ears heard true; but at lengthconvinced, he
took the gold, cap in hand, and rode slowly away. In themeantime, D'Aubin and Wolfstrom again put the troop in motion; andriding briskly on, calculated once more between them the distance fromGuery to La Loupe, and from La Loupe to the spot whither their stepswere now directed. D'Aubin was found not to have judged amiss; foreven supposing the troops mounted and the captain willing, it appearedthat the reitters must arrive at least four hours before them. "Whenwe come up," said D'Aubin, as they concluded, "let your men surroundthe house, at such a distance as not to be seen; yourself and five orsix others come nearer, so as to be within call; and, afterascertaining that there is no force actually present to oppose us, Iwill go on and plead my cause myself. It were better to persuade hergently, and without frightening her, if possible; but if I find herstill obstinate, we must use a little gentle compulsion: for I amresolved," he added, with a smile of triumph, "that by the time thetroops from La Loupe reach her late refuge, Eugenie de Menancourtshall be in the chateau of Aubin; ay, and irretrievably the wife ofits lord!"