CHAPTER XX
LISLE SEEKS ADVENTURE
Light from the green lanthorn and from two candles on the shelfflickered on the tapestry in the hidden cellar, bringing out unexpectedgleams of rose and blue in its faded grey weaving. At one end of thelong, strange room was a heap of rugs and velvet draperies and someblankets and there was a big tiger skin on the rough stone floor.
A table covered with a crimson brocaded cloth stood near the chest. Dianhad found some boards in the upper cellar and had thrown them down thesecret slide. With these he had made the table and he was now making asort of bed. He was stooping over his work, his red locks falling abouthis shoulders, his chisel and wooden nails beside him on the floor.Lisle sat on the chest watching him, his hands clasped about his knees.It was five days since Dian had rescued him from the baker's shop. Atfirst he had not been able to take an interest in anything except thefacts that the shepherd had told him that first day, when they were safein the hidden cellar, that his mother was a prisoner in the house of hisGreat-aunt Hortense, that the old lady herself had died, and thatRosanne was safe with Humphrey Trail, who had rescued her the night thatLisle had been abducted.
Lisle had slept in a sort of stupor all the next day, rousing only totake the soup or milk which Dian fed him. He had muttered about a cakewith spun sugar, and a mouse. Toward evening he had become himselfagain, eager to hear all that Dian had to tell him, and plying theshepherd with questions. Les Vignes--was all going well there? MarieJosephine, was she happy? Had they endured the winter withoutdiscomfort? Dian had answered all as best he could. He had told ofNeville's arrival in disguise and of the expected arrival of a messengerfrom the comtesse who never came. He told of the long winter eveningsaround Mother Barbette's fire, and of how it had come to him, as hecrossed the meadow one night, that he should go to Paris. He did notdwell too much on the danger they all were in, but Lisle seemed to graspit.
"You see, I've known the danger all winter, Dian. I've known it wasthere since the Tuileries were taken. I've known it all along sincethen. We must not stay here in this hidden room. We must be up and out!"he had said impulsively.
That was the night after the rescue, and now the fifth day had come.Dian left him at intervals, bringing back food for them both. He shookhis head when Lisle spoke of wanting to accompany him.
"You shouldn't run all the danger yourself, Dian. You risked your lifefor me. Don't you see I'm strong now and ready to help? It's my place tohelp you, to save mother and get her and Rosanne out of Paris. That waswhat was so awful about being in the baker's shop, not doing anything,not being able to help," he said, but Dian only shook his head as herose from his work.
"It's lonely for you here and it's dark and gloomy, too, but you aresafe here and that is what counts the most. Never fear but your timewill come to help. You're helping now just by staying here. Your motherwill be saved and she and Mademoiselle de Soigne will get safe out ofParis," Dian answered.
"How do you know? How can you tell, Dian?" Lisle jumped up and came andstood in front of the shepherd, who looked up from his work.
"I can not tell you how I know, Little Master. I knew that I or the goodHumphrey would find you," and then Dian told again about discovering thenote in the cake at the spinner's supper. Lisle loved to hear the story.
"It was wonderful," he said slowly as Dian finished speaking and went onwith his work. Then Lisle hesitated. It was not easy for him to showemotion or sentiment of any kind. He put his hand on Dian's shoulder ashe bent over the boards with his saw. "There is no one like you, Dian,"he said.
The shepherd had waited for questions about the hidden cellar. It hadamazed him that Lisle had not seemed to be surprised about it, but hewas soon to know why. Lisle walked up and down for a time after he spoketo Dian. He rubbed his hand along the rough stone wall, lifted a cornerof the tapestry curtain, and said:
"It is very old, isn't it, Dian?"
"Very old, Little Master," Dian replied.
"Did my grandfather know about it?" was Lisle's next question.
"He knew and he told me," came the shepherd's answer.
"Why did he not tell me, too?" demanded Lisle, and as he spoke he cameback to the chest and sat down, looking eagerly across at Dian, hislight brows drawn together in the frown that with him generally meanttrouble.
Dian stood up, straightening his great height. Then he walked slowly upand down the room, his hands locked in front of him, thinking deeply.When at last he answered Lisle he spoke slowly. "It is hard to tell youwhy, and I do not really know myself, except that it was always theLittle Mademoiselle whom your grandfather thought the most about, and itwas to her that he told the secret of the cellar. It is no longer asecret, and the time has come when it may shelter you all."
Lisle was standing in front of him, his eyes flashing blue fire.
"He told Marie Josephine, that baby, told her instead of me who am headof my house, now that he has gone. What can you mean, Dian, when you saythat grandfather told Marie Josephine?"
Dian was reaching for his cloak which hung on a nail at one side of thesecret stairs as he answered quietly:
"The Comte Saint Frere thought that it was for the best. He said thatthe Little Mademoiselle was the one of you who thought the most, the onewho cared for everyone and everything." Dian turned and faced Lisle ashe went on, speaking tenderly. "It was not indeed that you were not hisdear beloved grandson. He had many hopes and dreams for you, only theLittle Mademoiselle dreamed, too. She was different."
As he spoke, Dian climbed the first step of the stairs. "I'll be gonebut a short time and we'll have a good talk about it all when I comeback," he said, and then he climbed up the stairs, opened the secretpanel, and, after sliding it back in place, went out through the cellarinto the soft spring dusk. He was sad at heart, for he knew that Lislewas wounded in his pride, and that he was angry. It would not makethings easier to have him so. He knew that it would be as well to leavehim alone for a time, and he felt that it was the hour for him to pay avisit to Vivi and Rosanne. More and more the conviction grew upon himthat Rosanne's situation was now becoming perilous, and that he mustsoon, at all costs, see that she was safely hidden in the secret cellar,until such time as he could effect an escape for the comtesse.
He had seen Humphrey and had told him of Lisle's escape and of his beingsafe in the hidden cellar. He knew that he had done well in tellingHumphrey of the cellar, and one of the things he had decided to do nextwas to show it to him and to tell him of the secret panel and how toopen it. Humphrey did not seem to realize his own danger, but Dian feltthat it was there. Humphrey was an alien enemy of the Republic. Hissafety so far had lain largely in the fact of his being so typically afarmer.
Surveillance was growing daily more strict. At any time both Humphreyand Rosanne might be discovered. Dian was thinking of all this as hewalked through the crowded, unruly city, amid the sound of hammers onanvils and the rumble of tumbrils carrying poor victims to theguillotine.
As he walked, his cloak thrown across his shoulders, his long evenstrides taking him over the ground in good time, he was thinking deeply,but he was in no way discouraged. He was right when he said to Lislethat he had deep faith in the safety of them all, but it was somethingthat he could not put into words, something deep within him which spoketo him of good, and which gave him confidence. He turned to it as simplyas a child, and it had never failed him. He had thought a great dealabout Vivi while he had been in the hidden cellar the last few days. Heknew that there was very much that he could do for her, poor littleignorant child, so kind of thought and action, so ready to do as theyasked her, keeping their secret for them. There was a life of sunshinefor Vivi, away from the dirty alley and the rough madness of Paris, ofthat Dian was sure, and for that he would work.
He walked to the west gate and stood in the dusk, exchanging greetingswith the soldiers on guard and with various vendors of hot soup, eausucre, and coffee. Then he went on toward the
Saint Antoine district,finding himself at last in the dingy alley where lived three people inwhom he was deeply interested and whom he loved.
Rosanne overwhelmed him with questions. Her joy in the thought ofLisle's safety made her almost like the happy girl who used to ride upand down the long driveway at Les Vignes.
"If only you could stay and tell us all about the hidden cellar!" shesaid as Dian came in bringing something almost like sunshine with him.
Humphrey Trail was as interested as Rosanne. His honest face glowed withpleasure when Dian said:
"The Little Master talked and talked of you, Humphrey. As soon as heknew about his mother and Mademoiselle he began to talk of you.'Humphrey Trail is my friend. He saved Rosanne and he gave me goodcounsel which I was too proud to take. Dian, I want to show that I amhis friend, too,' he said."
* * * * *
Dian took a piece of paper from his pocket and read what was written onit.
It was a copy of the note to Grigge which Raoul had taken through thegates. It read:
"When this reaches you, aid Champar to do all that may be needful forthe family at Les Vignes. Go with Champar in the coach to Calais, andgive this note which is inclosed to one Anastasius Grubb, who is skipperof a fishing smack called the _Sandlass_. He is thick set, and has ablack beard, and has a scar over his left eye. Deliver the note into hishands and into no other's. I trust you. I know that you will be guided.Consult Champar the coach driver in case of danger. Dian."
What would those who trusted him say if they knew that he had sent thisimportant note to the miserable boy who lived in a hovel at the gates ofLes Vignes? Dian, in his wisdom, knew that he had done well. He hadspent many a night in Pigeon Valley, when his eyes were blurred withweariness, teaching Grigge to read and write. He had kept up the boy'scourage when he had been in despair, and had given him a hold on life.He had strengthened his love for young and helpless animals. He trustedhim now to do this one great service.
"The little Vivi is late. It is best that I go and find her," Dian said,and as he spoke, he tore up the copy of the letter, and threw it intothe fire. Then he went out, leaving Humphrey and Rosanne to their simplesupper of bread and greens. Dian wanted a word alone with Vivi.
He went to the West Barricade and stood watching the carts go through.He knew several of the soldiers who stood about and he nodded to GeorgesFardou, who was on guard at the gate, and with whom he often had a word.He was about to turn away when two figures came flying through thegates, a girl and a boy! They stood still for a second, as though dazed.The next instant they threw themselves upon Dian.
Fardou gave a gruff laugh, exclaiming, "Look here, young Vivi. Therewill be no more of this going in and out of the gates. You and youryoung tramp of a friend can keep inside. You'd never have gotten throughto-day if I'd been on guard."
Dian never knew how he passed the next few minutes. His LittleMademoiselle, the wildest, dirtiest little vagabond imaginable, washugging him, whispering through soft sobs, "Dian, Dian, Dian." JeanBarbette, a dusty, smutty-nosed boy, if ever there was one, held tightto his hand, fairly jumping for joy. Dian felt his heart give a greatleap when he heard the guard call out "Vivi." He himself had thought atfirst that Marie Josephine was Vivi. There was safety in this, beyondwords to measure!
He took them each by the hand, saying over his shoulder to Fardou, "I'llsee that they stay where they belong!"
He walked with them quickly down a side street toward the alley.
* * * * *
Lisle had sat still on the chest for some time after Dian left him. Helooked at the quiet dusk of the old place, at the flicker of light fromthe green lanthorn, at the weird figures on the tapestry. He was angry,for his pride had been hurt, his sorest point. Grandfather had toldMarie Josephine about the cellar instead of him, had told a mere childwho could know little or nothing of what it meant.
He would show them that he was no child to be kept in hiding! Dian hadsaid that it was necessary that he stay in the cellar for the present,and had taken it for granted that he would do so, but he had not givenDian his word that he would stay. As he climbed up the secret stairs hewas glad that this was so. He had watched Dian open the panel and whenhe reached the top of the stairs he did as the shepherd had done, and tohis joy the panel slipped out easily. What would Marie Josephine say ifshe could see him now!
He slipped the panel back in place, and stood for a moment in the dimcellar, the musty scent of apples and onions all about him. He thoughtof the night when he had come down for wood, leaving Rosanne singing inthe salon, and of all that he had been through since then. He turnedback toward the secret panel, hesitated, then ran quickly up the darkstairway to the floor above.
He was in his own house! He was master of that house! It had belonged tohis forefathers and now it was his own, but as he went into the great,silent hall, he knew that he was not quite as he had been that night ofthe blizzard when he had toasted nuts with Rosanne. He had known gravedanger and he had met with kindness. He had a feeling of gratitude forthe bakery woman. He was sorry that all the pride and delight she had inher cakes had ended in the shattering of her shop. He felt an intenserelief and thankfulness that Rosanne was not in danger and he wanted toget her safely out of Paris. Above all, he wanted to set his motherfree. That was one of his plans, to go to Great-aunt Hortense's house insome disguise. He was full of plans and longing for action, but out ofall that he had learned these last weeks, he had not lost his pride. Hehad not been content to wait for Dian's own good time. He had chosen atime himself.
As he stood there in the dark hall, he thought he saw something move,and then decided that it was only the swaying of the velvet curtainleading into the salon. He put one foot on the stairs leading to thefloor above and then paused, listening. He heard footsteps; they camefrom the direction of the cellars. He was not mistaken. It must be Dianwho had come back through the cellar window.
The hot blood mounted to Lisle's face. Dian had found that he was goneand was coming to look for him. He turned and looked back, and at thatmoment saw the tall figure of the shepherd in the half light. He wasjust about to speak to him when some one crouching by the velvet curtainjumped forward, and pointed a gun at Dian's head.
Lisle ran out of the shadow and threw himself in front of the shepherd,both arms outstretched. The gun fell to the floor with a crash and itsowner began to sob. It was Henri!