CHAPTER XVII.
BLADE TO BLADE.
Several times in the course of this interview Norbert de Champdoce hadbeen on the point of bursting into a furious passion, but he restrainedhimself from a motive of self-pride; but now that his wife was nolonger present, he showed a savage intensity of purpose and a deadlyearnestness that was absolutely appalling. As he followed Croisenoisdown the great staircase, he kept repeating the words, "Quick! quick!we have lost too much time already;" for he saw that a mere trifle mightupset all his plans--such as a servant returning home before the others.When they reached the ground-floor, he led George into a by-room whichlooked like an armory, so filled was it with arms of all kinds andnations.
"Here," said he, with a bitter sneer, "we can find, I think, what wewant;" and placing the candle he carried on the mantelpiece, he leapedupon the cushioned seat that ran round the room, and took down fromthe wall several pairs of duelling swords, and, throwing them upon thefloor, exclaimed, "Choose your own weapon."
George was an anxious as Norbert to bring this painful scene to a close,for anything was preferable to this hideous state of suspense. The lastdespairing glance of the Duchess had pierced his heart like a daggerthrust, and when he saw Norbert thrust aside his trembling wife withsuch brutality, it was all he could do to refrain from striking himdown. He made no choice of weapons, but grasped the nearest, saying,--
"One will do as well as another."
"We cannot fight in this darkness," said Norbert, "but I have a means toremedy that. Come with me this way, so that we may avoid the observationof the porter."
They went into the stables, where he took up a large lantern, which helighted.
"This," said he, "will afford ample light for our work."
"Ah, but the neighbors will see it, too; and at this hour a light in thegarden is sure to attract attention," observed George.
"Don't be afraid; my grounds are not overlooked."
They entered the garden, and soon reached the spot to which the Duke hadalluded. Norbert hung the lantern on the bough of a tree, and it gavethe same amount of light as an ordinary street lamp.
"We will dig the grave in that corner," observed he; "and when it isfilled in, we can cover it with that heap of stones over there."
He threw off his great coat, and, handing a spade to Croisenois, tookanother himself, repeating firmly the words,--
"To work! To work!"
Croisenois would have toiled all night before he could have completedthe task, but the muscles of the Duke were hardened by his formerlaborious life, and in forty minutes all was ready.
"That will do," said Norbert, exchanging his spade for a sword. "Takeyour guard."
Croisenois, however, did not immediately obey. Impressible by nature, hefelt a cold shiver run through his frame; the dark night, the flickeringlantern, and all these preparations, made in so cold-blooded a manner,affected his nerves. The grave, with its yawning mouth, fascinated him.
"Well," said Norbert impatiently, "are you not ready?"
"I will speak," exclaimed De Croisenois, driven to desperation. "In afew minutes one of us will be lying dead on this spot. In the presenceof death a man's words are to be relied on. Listen to me. I swear toyou, on my honor and by all my hopes of future salvation, that theDuchess de Champdoce is entirely free from guilt."
"You have said that before; why repeat it again?"
"Because it is my duty; because I am thinking that, if I die, it willbe my insane passions that have caused the ruin of one of the best andpurest women in the world. I entreat you to believe that she has nothingto repent of. See, I am not ashamed to descend to entreaty. Let mydeath, if you kill me, be an expiation for everything. Be gentle withyour wife; and if you survive me, do not make her life one prolongedexistence of agony."
"Silence, or I shall look upon you as a dastard," returned Norbertfiercely.
"Miserable fool!" said De Croisenois. "On guard, then, and may heavendecide the issue!"
There was a sharp clash as their swords crossed, and the combat beganwith intense vigor.
The space upon which the rays of the lantern cast a glimmering anduncertain light was but a small one; and while one of the combatantswas in complete shade the other was in the light, and exposed to thrustswhich he could not see. This was fatal to Croisenois, and, as he tooka step forward, Norbert made a fierce lunge which pierced him to theheart.
The unfortunate man threw up his arms above his head; his sword escapingfrom his nerveless fingers and his knees bending under him, he fellheavily backwards without a word escaping from his lips. Thrice heendeavored to regain his feet, and thrice he failed in his attempts. Hestrove to speak, but he could only utter a few unintelligible words,for his life blood was suffocating him. A violent convulsion shook everylimb, then arose a long, deep-drawn sigh, and then silence--George deCroisenois was dead.
Yes, he was dead, and Norbert de Champdoce stood over him with a wildlook of terror in his eyes, and his hair bristling upon his head, asa shudder of horror convulsed his body. Then, for the first time, herealized the horror of seeing a man slain by his own hand; and yetwhat affected Norbert most was not that he had killed George deCroisenois--for he believed that justice was on his side and that hecould not have acted otherwise--but the perspiration stood in thickbeads upon his forehead, as he thought that he must raise up that stillwarm and quivering body, and place it in its unhallowed grave.
He hesitated and reasoned with himself for some time, going over allthe reasons that made dispatch so absolutely necessary--the risk ofdetection, and the honor of his name.
He stooped and prepared to raise it, but recoiled again before his handshad touched the body. His heart failed him, and once more he assumed anerect position. At last he nerved himself, grasped the body, and, withan immense exertion of strength, hurled it into the gaping grave. Itfell with a dull, heavy sound which seemed to Norbert like the roar ofan earthquake. The violent emotions which he had endured had endedby acting on his brain, and, snatching up the spade which his lateantagonist had used with so unpracticed a hand, shovelled the earth uponthe body, flattened down the ground, and finally covered it with strawand dead leaves.
"And this is the end of a man who wronged a Champdoce; yes, his life haspaid the penalty of his deed."
All at once, a few paces off, in the deep shadow of the trees, hethought that he detected the outline of a human head with a pair ofglittering eyes fixed upon him. The shock was so terrible that for aninstant he stopped and nearly fell, but he quickly recovered himself,and, snatching up his blood-stained sword, he dashed to the spot wherehe fancied he had seen this terrible witness of his deed.
At this rapid movement on the part of the Duke, a figure started up witha faint cry for mercy. It was a woman.
She fled with inconceivable swiftness towards the house, but he caughther just as she had gained the steps.
"Have mercy on me!" cried she. "Do not murder me!"
He dragged her back to where the lantern was hanging. She was a girlof about eighteen years of age, ugly, badly clothed, and dirty looking.Norbert looked earnestly at her, but could not say who she was, thoughhe was certain that he had seen her face somewhere.
"Who are you?" asked he.
She burst into a flood of tears, but made no other reply.
"Come," resumed he, in more soothing accents; "you shall not be hurt.Tell me who you are."
"Caroline Schimmel."
"Caroline?" repeated he.
"Yes. I have been in your service as scullery maid for the last threemonths."
"How is it that you did not go to the wedding with the rest of them?"
"It was not my fault. I was asked, and I did so long to go, but I wastoo shabby; I had no finery to put on. I am very poor now, for I haveonly fifteen francs a month, and none of the other maids would lend meanything to wear."
"How did you come into the garden?" asked Norbert.
"I was very miserable, and was sitting in the garden crying, when
Isuddenly saw a light down there. I thought it was theirs, and crept downthe back stairs."
"And what did you see?"
"I saw it all."
"All what?"
"When I got down here, you and the other were digging. I thought youwere looking for money! but ah, dear me! I was wrong. Then the otherbegan to say something, but I couldn't catch a word; then you fought.Oh, it was awful! I was so frightened, I could not take my eyes off you.Then the other fell down on his back."
"And then?"
"Then," she faltered, "you buried him, and then----"
"Could you recognize this--this other?"
"Yes, my lord duke, I did."
"Had you ever seen him before? Do you know who he was?"
"No."
"Listen to me, my girl. If you know how to hold your tongue, if you canforget all you have seen to-night, it will be the greatest piece of luckfor you in the world that you did not go to this wedding."
"I won't open my lips to a soul, my lord duke. Hear me swear, I won't.Oh, do believe me!"
"Very well; keep your oath, and your fortune is made. To-morrow I willgive you a fine, large sum of money, and you can go back to your villageand marry some honest fellow to whom you have taken a fancy."
"Are you not making game of me?"
"No; go to your room and go to bed, as if nothing had happened. Jeanwill tell you what to do to-morrow, and you must obey him as you wouldme."
"Oh, my lord! Oh, my lord duke!"
Unable to contain her delight, she mingled her laughter and her tears.
And Norbert knew that his name, his honor, and perhaps his life were inthe hands of a wretched girl like this. All the peace and happiness ofhis life were gone, and he felt like some unhappy prisoner who throughthe bars of his dungeon sees his jailer's children sporting with lightedmatches and a barrel of gunpowder. He was at her mercy, for well he knewthat it would resolve into this--that the smallest wish of this girlwould become an imperative command that he dared not disobey. Howeverabsurd might be her whims and caprices, she had but to express them, andhe dared not resist. What means could he adopt to free himself from thisodious state of servitude? He knew but of one--the dead tell no tales.There were four persons who were the sharer of Norbert's secret. First,the writer of the anonymous letter; then the Duchess; then CarolineSchimmel; and, finally, Jean, to whom he must confide all. With thesethoughts ringing through his brain, Norbert carefully effaced the lasttraces of the duel, and then bent his steps towards his wife's chamber.
He had expected to find her still unconscious on the spot where he hadleft her lying. Marie was seated in an armchair by the side of the fire;her face was terribly pale, and her eyes sparkling with the inward flamethat consumed her.
"My honor has been vindicated; the Marquis de Croisenois is no more; Ihave slain your lover, madame."
Marie did not start; she had evidently prepared herself for this blow.Her face assumed a more proud and disdainful expression, and the lightin her dark eyes grew brighter and brighter.
"You are wrong," said she, "M. de Croisenois was not my lover."
"You need no longer take the pains to lie; I ask nothing now."
Marie's utter calmness jarred inexpressibly upon Norbert's exasperatedframe of mind. He would have given much to change this mood of hers,which he could not at all understand. But in vain did he say the mostcutting things, and coupled them with bitter taunts, for she had reacheda pitch of exaltation far above his sarcasms and abuse.
"I am not lying," answered she frigidly. "What should I gain by it? Whatmore have I to gain in this world? You desire to learn the truth; hereit is then: It was with my knowledge and permission that George was hereto-night. He came because I had asked him to do so, and I left the gatein the garden wall open, so as to facilitate his entrance. He had notbeen more than five minutes in the room, when you arrived, and he hadnever been there before. It would have been easy for me to have leftyou; but as I bear your name, I could not dishonor it. As you entered,he was entreating me to fly with him; both his life and his honor werein my hands. Ah, why did I pause for an instant? Had I consented, hewould still have been alive, and in some far distant country he andI might have learned that this world has something more to offer thanunhappiness and misery. Yes, as you will have it, you shall have all. Iloved him ere I knew that you even existed. I have only my own folly toblame, only my own unhappy weakness to deplore. Why did I not steadilyrefuse to become your wife? You say that you have slain George. Not so,for in my heart his memory will ever remain bright and ineffaceable."
"Beware!" said Norbert furiously, "beware if----"
"Ah, would you kill me too? Do not fear resistance; my life is a blankwithout him. He is dead; let death come to me; it would be a welcomevisitant. The only kindness that you could now bestow upon me wouldbe my death-blow. Strike then, and end it all! In death we should beunited, George and I; and as my limbs grew stiff and my breath passedaway, my whitening lips would murmur words of thanks."
Norbert listened to her, overwhelmed by the intensity of her passion,and marvelling that he had any power to feel after the terrible eventwhich had fallen upon his devoted head.
Could this be Marie, the soft and gentle woman, who spoke with suchpassionate vehemence and boldly braved his anger? How could he have somisunderstood her? He forgot all his anger in his admiration. She seemedto him to have undergone a complete change. There was an unearthly styleof beauty around her--her eyes blazed and shone with the lurid light ofa far-distant planet, while her wealth of raven hair fell in disorderedmasses on her shoulders. It was passion, real passion, that he beheldto-night, not that mere empty delusion which he had so long followedblindly. Marie was really capable of a deep-rooted feeling of adorationfor the man she loved, while with Diana de Mussidan, the woman with herfair hair and the steel-blue eyes, love was but the lust of conquest, orthe desire to jeer at a suitor's earnestness. Ah, what a revelation hadbeen made to him now! And what would he not have given to have wiped outthe past! He advanced towards her with outstretched arms.
"Marie!" said he, "Marie!"
"I forbid you to call me Marie!" shrieked she wildly.
He made no reply, but still advanced towards her, when, with a terriblecry, she recoiled from him.
"Blood!" she screamed, "ah, heavens! he has blood upon his hands!"
Norbert glanced downwards; upon the wristband of his shirt there was atell-tale crimson stain.
The Duchess raised her hand, and pointed towards the door.
"Leave me," said she, with an extraordinary assumption of energy, "leaveme; the secret of your crime is safe; I will not betray you or hand youover to justice. But remember that a murdered man stands between us, andthat I loathe and execrate you."
Rage and jealousy tortured Norbert's soul. Though George de Croisenoiswas no more, he was still his successful rival in Marie's love.
"You forget," said he in a voice hoarse with passion, "that you aremine, and that, as your husband, I can make your existence one longscene of agony and misery. Keep this fact in your memory. To-morrow, atsix o'clock, I shall be here."
The clock was striking two as he left the house and hastened to the spotwhere he had left his horse.
The soldier was still pacing backwards and forwards, leading the Duke'shorse.
"My faith!" said the man, as soon as he perceived Norbert, "you payprecious long visits. I had only leave to go to the theatre, and I shallget into trouble over this."
"Pshaw! I promised you twenty francs. Here are two louis."
The soldier pocketed the money with an air of delighted surprise, andNorbert sprang into the saddle.
An hour later he gave the appointed signal upon the window pane, behindwhich the trusty Jean was waiting.
"Take care that no one sees you as you take the horse to the stable,"said the Duke hastily, "and then come to me, for I want your assistanceand advice."