CHAPTER III
MY PYRAMID OF CARDS COMES DOWN
I may say at once that in this chronicle it often befalls that I haveto describe the actions and deal with the motives of others. In doingthis I have given no rein to idle fancy, but have strictly followedwhat those who played a part in my life have told me.
To show that my authorities in this respect are beyond reproach I havebut to mention the names of my friends--Blaise Ste. Marie de Lorgnac,now, as all know, the Marechal Duc de Lorgnac; and Nicholas d'Ayen,Sieur de Besme, of the Quercy, who acted so strange a part in his dayunder the name of Le Brusquet. Each of these is prepared on his faith,as knight and gentleman, to support my words, either on foot or onhorseback, with sword or with lance, and in this respect I too am readyto cross a blade, or run a course; and so, God defend the Truth!
If further proof is needed I beg leave to refer to the confession ofthe Italian, Torquato Trotto, made at his expiation, which gives manyand curious details, especially of what happened in Le Jaquemart, andwhich is registered in the archives of the Parliament of Paris, whereall who list may see it. There is yet one other whom I could name, onewho is ever at my side, and who for good or for ill has taken me aspart of her life; but for the present the names I have cited aresufficient, and I shall say no more on the subject.
On returning to my apartment after leaving Vendome and Le Brusquet Ifound old Camus at the door awaiting me. He entered with me, saying:
"I watched it all from the window. Hey! but it was well done!"
I pretended to take no notice of this remark, and pressed somerefreshment upon him; but the old rascal refused, and sat with his kneebetween his hands, rocking himself backwards and forwards. He went onto make some roundabout inquiries as to who the persons were to whoseassistance I had gone, but I told him plainly that I did not desire todiscuss the subject.
Becoming nettled at this, he said: "Ho! ho! and so you do not trust me,Monsieur Broussel! Well, I tell you I know at any rate who it is thatlies dead out there, for I have been to see, and it will not take longfor me to find out the rest."
"Go and find out, then!" I said somewhat roughly, being annoyed in myturn.
At which he rose in a white heat. "That I will," he said; "and youwill find that the hand of Madame Diane, soft as it is, can griphard--hard, mind you, Monsieur Broussel!"
With this he flung out; and so we, who but an hour or two ago were infriendly converse, parted in anger, and with stormy words.
In a manner I was not sorry for this, for in my heart I always felt awarning against him, and there was something so ominous, so evil, inhis face as he left that I felt assured he would strike a felon blow atthe first opportunity.
The more I reflected on what had happened, and on Camus' threat inconnection with Diane de Poitiers, the more I began to see a crop ofdangers ahead of me. I began to think it well to retire to some othercity. In this I was influenced by the fact that, if there were troubleabout the dead man and I were involved in it, as after Camus' words Ifelt I should certainly be, it was hardly possible that I could escapebeing recognised.
The sentence against me, cruel and unjust as it was, stood still, and,once I was discovered, it would be put into force for certain.
Like a prudent general, I felt I must beat a retreat. The bulk of mymoney was in trustworthy hands in Antwerp, but in my oak chest were ahundred gold crowns of the sun--a great stand-by and help in the hourof trouble.
There was nothing for it but to go, and, summoning Pierrebon, I toldhim of my intention. We set to work to pack a valise at once. Thisbeing done, we waited for the small hours.
It was about four in the morning that I decided to move, and taking alast look at the place where I had lived so long in peace I went outinto the street, followed by Pierrebon bearing the valise. I had toleave everything behind except the barest necessities and my money, andto trust the well-being of my goods to Fortune. The jade was unkindenough to forget me in this matter, which put me to heavy loss.
It was, of course, impossible to leave Paris at this hour, as the gateswould be shut; but behind the Abbey of St. Germain de Pres was a littlehostel called the Chapeau Rouge, where I knew I could find shelteruntil I could procure a couple of horses and be off.
At four in the morning night-hawks are abed, and even the convicts hadceased working on the Gloriette. The moon had gone, and it was darknow--the darkness that precedes the dawn.
We met not a soul as we stumbled along, and coming out at length to theVallee de Misere we passed the Gloriette, and kept to our right alongthe river face, until almost opposite the Church of St. Germainl'Auxerrois. Here moored to the bank were a number of boats, theboatmen sleeping within them. Groping about in the darkness--suchnoises as we made being fortunately drowned by the continual lap, lapof the water against the sides of the boat, and their creaking andgroaning as they rubbed against each other--we at length found a smallempty boat tied to a large one. Favoured by darkness, we loosened theknot, and, taking to the oars, crossed the river without beingperceived by a soul.
Once on the opposite bank we made the boat fast to some piles of woodnear the water's edge, and leaving a piece of silver for the boatman,which I trust he found, we took the road to the Abbey of St. Germain.Near here we found a retreat in the scaffolding of a house that wasbeing repaired. There we stayed until it was light, and about six inthe morning arrived at the inn, as though we were early travellers whohad entered Paris on the opening of the Porte St. Germain. In thismanner, favoured by luck, and by the exercise of caution, I badefarewell to the Rue de Lavandieres, and gave Camus the slip, withoutleaving any trace behind me.
The Chapeau Rouge was an inn mostly frequented by students, and in myyounger days I knew it well, though, to be sure, more than a dozenyears had passed since I last entered it. It was surrounded by a largegarden, enclosed by a high wall, and I could have chosen no betterplace for my purpose, which was to lie close during the day, and, assoon as horses were procured, to depart at dusk, about the hour of theshutting of the gates.
As it happened, on this day there was scarce a soul at the inn, all theusual customers having been drawn away to witness the execution of aPortuguese named Gomez, who had been found guilty of sorcery,witchcraft, and other crimes, and was to suffer in expiation on thePlace Maubert.
This ill wind, however, blew fair for me, as it left me undisturbed;and sending Pierrebon to purchase or hire horses I awaited his return.
It was well on in the afternoon, and the sun being hot I was resting inthe shade of the garden wall, when from within a summer-house allcovered with roses, that stood near to me, I heard a lute stringtouched by a master-hand, and a man's voice, full and clear, began tosing "The Three Cavaliers." With a rush a hundred recollections of thepast came back to me, and I felt myself once more a heedless boy,sitting on that very same seat where the singer was now, and singingthe same song. I rose and went forward, and to my surprise saw it wasLe Brusquet, lute in hand, and by his side there sat a small brown ape,a collar of gold round his neck.
I listened till the last of the song, and was about to turn away; but,the ape running out of the summer-house at the time, the jester put hishead through the entrance, with a "Back! Pompon! back!" and caughtsight of me.
In a moment he was by my side, and, willy-nilly, forced me into thesummer-house.
"The very man I wanted," he said. "I came here to think of you. Ialways come here when in doubt or trouble--and here you are--droppedfrom the clouds." He poured out some wine for me, and when we haddrank a health together he asked me:
"_Eh bien_, monsieur, tell me how you came here; tell me all, for I ama friend."
It was impossible not to see this, and in a few words I told him. Helistened gravely the while, stroking his ape's head.
When I had done he spoke. "I too have something to tell you. There isan outcry about Madame Diane's Italian--the first time an outcry hasbeen made about any such scum. This morning there was a scene at the_p
etit couvert_. I was there. The short of it is that the King, mygossip, sided with his mistress as against Vendome. Words ran so highthat the Duke was ordered to leave Paris, which he did at once."
I looked at the ring on my finger, and Le Brusquet saw the look.
"I fear," he said, "that little talisman has lost its power for thepresent; but, to go on, I had other business in the morning which Icould not avoid. Towards eleven o'clock I hastened to the Rue desLavandieres to return your sword and to warn you. To my relief youwere not there. Your hermit's paradise is gone, and an angel, in theform of one of M. Morin's guards, is at the door. Instead of a flamingsword he carries an arquebus----"
"It is quick work," I cut in; "and they have seized everything, Isuppose?"
"Yes; everything. And your ostensible accuser and witness against youis one Camus, a glove-maker. He laid an information against you atsunrise. He was with Valentinois an hour later. Diane rises with thedawn, you know; and he is her glove-maker."
"So he has struck hard, and struck quickly."
"Yes; there is very little glove about his action. And more, Dianeseems bent upon avenging the death of her Italian. But, monsieur, whatis your next move?"
I explained my intention, and how I proposed to quit Paris; whereat heshook his head.
"It will not do," he said; "the gates are watched. So far you havebeaten them, but there you will fail, and here detection is certain."
"I must risk something."
"As little as possible." And after a pause: "What do you say to theLouvre?"
"The Louvre!--the lion's den!"
"The safest place on earth. See here, Monsieur Broussel. I owe you mylife; give me a chance to make some return. Can you trust me enough toput yourself in my hands? I will not fail you. It is not Le Brusquetthe King's jester, but Nicholas d'Ayen, Sieur de Besme, of the Quercy,who pledges his word."
We stared each other in the face, and my good genius came to my elbow.
"Yes," I said.
In short, it was arranged that I should meet him towards sunset at theentrance to the tennis court, east of the Louvre. There was somedifficulty about Pierrebon and the horses; but in this Le Brusquetagain came to my aid, and it was settled that Pierrebon should findshelter in a house in the Rue Tire Boudin, which belonged to MonsieurBlaise de Lorgnac, Seigneur of Malezieux, and lieutenant of the Queen'sguard, the same being a tried and true friend of my new-foundbenefactor.
Pierrebon at this moment returning, I hailed him. He had beenunsuccessful in his attempt to obtain horses such as we needed, buthoped to do so the next day; and shortly after Le Brusquet departed,taking Pierrebon with him, and my valise.
"Fast bind, safe find," he said as he pointed at Pierrebon; and then,calling to his ape, went off.
Towards the appointed time I found myself close to the parvis of St.Germain l'Auxerrois. For some reason or other there was a greatercrowd than usual, and I was compelled to halt for a moment. Just atthis moment a body of eight or ten horsemen came trotting rapidlytowards the Chatelet. Their leader all but rode over a child, andwould certainly have done so had I not made a long arm and pushed itaside. There was no doubt of it, the leading horseman was my brotherSimon, the Vidame d'Orrain, and I thanked my good star that, owing tothe dusk, the bustle, and the pace he was going at, he did notrecognise me. Something, however, struck him, for twice he turned backto look. I did not wait for a third glance, and, mixing with thecrowd, was lost to view.
At the gate of the tennis court I met Le Brusquet, and, passing througha wicket, we entered the precincts of the Louvre.