CHAPTER XV
"SHE IS LIKE OUR LITTLE MADEMOISELLE"
It was the first of March and there was a hint of spring about in spiteof the bleakness of the streets and the chilliness of the air, a faintsuggestion of warm winds coming, of new budding snowdrops and woodviolets. Humphrey Trail was homesick. He wanted to see the first film ofgreen over his Yorkshire moors, to hear the call of mating birds, andfeel the busy, stealthy stir of wild things in the bracken and acrossthe downs.
During the few weeks of winter that Rosanne had been with her, littleVivi had been content to stay inside; but now that the ice was meltingand the robins were singing in the Bois, Vivi wanted to be out in theParis that she knew, even in the midst of its terror. There was nothingfor her to fear. Humphrey knew that he had no right to keep her aprisoner, and as they walked toward the West Barricade, he felt heavy atheart. They had left Rosanne locked up in the little room with Minuit tokeep her company. There was nothing new for him to work upon, no hint ofLisle's whereabouts. Always the soldiers stood guarding the house ofLisle's Great-aunt Hortense, the Marquise du Ganne.
Vivi chatted happily, holding his big hand confidently.
"Very soon now I'll be selling licorice water near the gates. Peoplewill be very thirsty soon, and many can not afford the wine. I shallmake a little trade every day."
It was early afternoon, and the sun shone bravely. Groups of mensauntered about, talking loudly, and soldiers of the Republic stood onguard close to the gates. Children, black with soot and raggedly clad,ran about, happy to get a breath of air after hours of work in a near-byforge, where they helped their mothers make waste for the guns. Theydanced about in the sunlight, twisting in and out in the dance that heldall the mobs of Paris in its sway. As they danced, they sang in theirhigh, weak voices:
"Dansons la Carmagnole, Vive le son du canon!"
Vivi knew some of these children. She ran up to them and soon wasdancing with them, glad of the fresh air and the sun and to be out inthe open again. Humphrey Trail spoke to one of the soldiers who wasstanding near the gates.
"A good day for the people, this. Long live the Republic!" he said.
The soldier gave a loud laugh. Vivi] "You might be one ofthe five hundred from Provence by the way you speak. Sapristi! I swear Ican not understand but a quarter of their jabber. Look out there, youyoung brat, you're always bumping that basket around." The soldier saidthis last to a boy, who, running and carrying his basket at the sametime, flopped over on the ground, his head falling against the side ofthe basket and his whole face convulsed with laughter. It was Raoul, andas he was so often about the gate he knew all the soldiers and he wasnot in the least afraid of this one.
"What a funny man! Oh, dear! Oh, dear! I had a bet with Guy Soufflotthat I would run into him and knock him over, just for the fun of seeinghim tumble about like a rubber ball. What a funny man!" Raoul laughed upat Humphrey Trail as he spoke.
"Is th' so, my young lad, is th' so? I'll teach tha better manners witha good stout stick, an' tha do not stay tha chatter!" exclaimed HumphreyTrail, justly indignant at Raoul's impudence. In his excitement he spokein English entirely, so the boy, who did not understand a word of whathe said, only laughed the harder.
"Oh, the funny fat man, and his funny way of speaking. Come here andlisten to him!" he called to the Soufflot boy, who came running up tohim. Raoul had arisen to his feet, putting his hand over his face as herocked with laughter.
Humphrey made a dive at him and, catching him firmly by the arm, shookhim until every tooth in his head rattled like a castanet.
"I'll teach tha to know respect for tha elders," Humphrey cried. At thatmoment some one spoke close beside him and, turning, he saw so strange aperson that involuntarily he took his hands from Raoul's shoulders andstared. The newcomer, a tall man, stood bare-headed in the sunshine, hisred hair falling about his grave, beautiful face. It was Dian!
"Whatever the lad has done he is sorry for it, and he meant no harm. Ican answer for him, I know him," said Dian. As he spoke he turned hisclear eyes full upon Raoul, who looked sheepish and embarrassed.
"He's such a funny man," he said half apologetically, reaching down andpicking up his vegetable basket, a smile still lurking about his mouth.
"You have taunted him about his looks in a public place, and he does notknow enough of your own tongue to answer you in kind," Dian saidquietly. Then he turned and looked Humphrey Trail full in the face, andit seemed as though at once, without any need of word or explanation,the two were friends. Dian's smile was good to see as he held out hishand and took Humphrey Trail's broad one.
"You are a stranger, I see from your speech, and, if I mistake not, youare English. You have come to our country at a sad time." Dian spokeslowly and Humphrey understood all that he said and answered warmly,though he still glowered over his shoulder at Raoul, who was walking offwith Guy Soufflot. He continued to grin as he moved on, but he did notcall out again. Humphrey and Dian were left together there, in thatmomentarily quiet corner of the West Barricade.
"I came to see a strange country last summer. I'd saved a bit o' gold,and I wanted a sight o' the world. Tha comes from the farmlands thaself,an' I mistake not." As Humphrey answered Dian he felt his temper coolrapidly. He looked at Dian's bronzed face and grave blue eyes, and hefelt a strong desire to confide in him, to tell him the whole story, ofhow he had remained in Paris to help Lisle, had rescued Rosanne, and wasnow in a vortex of worry as to what to do next. What he did say was: "Istayed because I thought I might help. There was a lad whom I thoughtneeded me; and so he did, but I wasn't about the while he needed me themost!" Something of poor Humphrey's discouragement sounded in his voice.
"There is a lad who needs me also," Dian answered in his rich, sweetvoice, his eyes shining with a deep gratitude. It was several days agothat he had found the note in the cake at the seed shopman's supper, andhe had known only thankfulness since. He had not gone into the bakeryshop, though he had been near it often. He thought it best not toattract attention to himself there, and he waited for the moment when heshould be able to get word to Lisle in some way. Dian was not so amazedor bewildered at the wonderful way in which the message of Lisle'swhereabouts had come to him as another might have been. He had known somany things in his life to happen in just that way, and he trustedalways.
Vivi came running up to them and took Humphrey's hand. She wore a raggedjacket over her drab dress, and her black, untidy hair flapped about herdark, eager little face. Dian smiled at her, and she smiled back at him,as all children did.
"She is like some one that I know well," he said to Humphrey Trail.
"Now that is rare strange, for some one else has said the same,"Humphrey answered as the three made their way slowly from the west gatetoward the city.
Vivi was excited. She had played and danced and eaten a good piece ofbread and garlic which one of the soldiers had given her. When Humphreysaid with his few, slowly-chosen French words that some one else hadsaid she was like a friend, she cried out unthinkingly:
"Yes, yes, the little lady said so. She called out when you carried herin that night, 'She's a little like Marie Josephine!'"
Dian stood still in the street, his hand on Humphrey's arm.
"Marie Josephine!" he repeated. "Marie Josephine! Are you speaking ofthe Little Mademoiselle? I am shepherd to the Little Mademoiselle."
"The Little Mademoiselle!" Humphrey stared and stared at Dian, and sodid Vivi. Rosanne had spoken of a shepherd.
"The Little Mademoiselle!" This time it was Vivi who exclaimed, gazingup at Dian with her great black eyes.
"Yes," he said gently. "You are like some one we call the LittleMademoiselle, some one who is a long way from here."
Humphrey Trail turned so pale that his face looked not unlike the firstglimpse of a full moon. Dian saw this and spoke to him with concern.
"There is something that has surprised you, and your
worry has upsetyou!"
"Aye, I am fair flashed! Maybe it's just the worry and the crowds." Hehesitated, and in that moment the angels must have been very near! Daredhe take this stranger to the alley? Was he in some way a part of it all?Could it be, by the wildest chance, that the Little Mademoiselle was----But no--Humphrey Trail caught Dian's arm and shook it. "As there is aGod above, tell me I can trust tha," he said, and the shepherd answeredhim at once:
"You can trust me. It was meant to be so."
They walked through the rue Saint Antoine in silence, Humphrey Trailholding fast to Vivi's hand on one side, Dian's long, slow stridekeeping pace with their short, quick ones. They turned into the dark,dank alley. Humphrey opened the door which sagged on its hinges. Theymounted the rickety stairs, waited while Humphrey unlocked the door, andthen went inside, Vivi running ahead.
Rosanne was standing by the fire which was smouldering sulkily in therusty grate. She turned at the sound of the unlocking of the door, andwas facing them when they entered. She saw Dian before the other two,because he so towered above them. For a moment she stood still as astatue. Then with a cry that was like a sob she ran across the room tohim.