CHAPTER XXXIX.
The day was just at its close as we issued forth from the forest, andtook our way towards the bridge which crossed the river. I followedthe procession on horseback amongst the last; and the whole scene,associated as it was with many deep interests and strange memories,was one of the most beautiful and extraordinary that ever my eyebeheld. It was a splendid autumn evening, with the sun pouring hissetting beams from the west, amidst scattered clouds tinged with everyglorious colour that the mind can conceive. The long line of litters,and carriages, and horsemen, and foot, was winding slowly down theslope, which led from the edge of the wood towards the stream; and farand wide beneath my eyes--with every undulation marked by its ownpeculiar shade, and every building or group of trees casting longpurple shadows as they cut off the rays of the declining sun--lay therich wide lands of Brittany; while round about me, dark and heavy withthe evening twilight, rose the broken masses of wood, with thethousands of wild banks and thorny dingles which skirted the verge ofthe forest. The peculiar rich light of the hour, too, spread over allthe scene; and, catching here and there upon the bright arms and gaydresses of the soldiers and the servants, marked the different pointsin the procession; while every now and then, even in the more distantprospect, it touched some glistening object, and made it start forth,like a diamond, from the dark lines of planting or the gray slopes ofthe lulls, not unlike one of those bright goals which youth fixes forits endeavours through life, as it stands upon the verge of manhood,and contemplates the distant future, while imagination flashesbrilliantly on the object of desire, and lends it a lustre not itsown. There was a fascination in the moment, and the scene, and thefeelings of my own heart, not to be resisted; and I reined in my horse,for a single instant, to gaze upon the prospect, and then followed on,thinking, that if the beauties of nature be a substantial blessing toman, how much does his appreciation of them depend upon the state ofhis own bosom. A few hours before, I might have ridden through Tempeat day-break, without noting that there was anything lovely before myeyes; and now, I could not have passed a quiet dell, or a bubblingbrook, without feeling that the whole world is beautiful.
I had lingered awhile behind the rest in order to hear the report of aparty which had been sent to examine the mill, at which I doubted notthat Hubert and his companions had established their chief rendezvous:but nothing was found there which could lead to any further discovery;and, as soon as the other horsemen overtook me, I rode on; and, easilypassing the rest of the cavalcade, acted as their harbinger at thePr?s Vall?e. I found Father Ferdinand in no small agitation; butbefore giving him any particulars of the events which had occurred, Idespatched messengers to Rennes for every sort of medical assistance,and then relieved more fully the good Father's anxiety concerningMonsieur de Villardin and Laura.
"Are you sure, are you sure, that he is not much hurt?" he askedeagerly, referring to Monsieur de Villardin.
"The wound certainly, at first, appeared a very serious one," Ireplied; "but by the speedy cessation of the hemorrhage, and the wantof that great weakness which I have generally seen follow verydangerous wounds, I trust there is nothing to be apprehended."
"God grant it!" replied the Priest, "God grant it!" and after gazingupon me for a moment or two, he added, "and what is to become of you,my son?"
I understood the meaning of his question fully, and replied, "As faras I have been enabled to judge, good Father, there exists no furthernecessity for absenting myself. The Count de Laval resigns all claim tothe hand of Mademoiselle de Villardin, and the Duke does not show anydesire to bid me return to Dumont. But--ere we are interrupted--I hearfrom good old Jerome, that you despatched a messenger to me some dayssince. He never reached me."
"No, no!" cried Father Ferdinand, hastily, "No, no.--It is a mistake.I despatched no messenger to you, my son. But, hark! I think I hearthe horses' feet," and he turned to the window to look out.
He was mistaken, however; and some minutes more elapsed before thecavalcade made its appearance. Our first care was, of course, ofMonsieur de Villardin; but though he spoke only a few words, in anunder voice, for fear of irritating the wound in his breast, andconsented immediately to go to bed, yet he walked up the stairs withso much strength, that our apprehensions on his account were nearlydone away.
The servants and soldiers who had been wounded, were disposed of invarious parts of the building; and I aided in carrying the unhappySuzette to a chamber on the ground floor, as she seemed to suffer sogreatly from the slightest motion that we feared to convey her to amore convenient apartment. As soon as we had laid her upon her couch,I was turning to give what assistance I could in the otherarrangements, but she beckoned me eagerly back, saying, in a low,husky voice, "I would speak with you, sir! I would speak with youalone!"
She was evidently dying, and of course her request was not to berefused. Desiring the servants, therefore, to attend to the safekeeping of Gaspard de Belleville, I bade them leave me, and, closingthe door, approached the bedside of the unhappy woman, whose momentsin this life were waxing few.
"Monsieur de Juvigny," she said, in a voice so faint and inarticulate,that it required great attention to catch the meaning of her words;"Monsieur de Juvigny--I would fain tell you something which may be ofservice both to you and to the Duke.--Do you remember, when I told youmy history once before, I said I had a third motive for bidding yourepeat it to Monsieur de Villardin?"
"Well--very well!" I replied; "but, my good Suzette, be as brief aspossible, for you are wasting your strength, and you may yet need allyou have left."
"You need not hear me, unless you please," she answered, peevishly,and then continued, in the same low and irregular voice, "Well, I wassaying, that I had a third motive--it was this, that I knew somethingthat no one else knew; and I knew it, because, after I was sentaway from Dumont, I lodged for some time in the house of oldMadame----"
I lost the name, and her voice became more and more indistinct, butstill she went on:--"She used to attend sick people, you know, atEstienne, and though she had been sworn to secrecy, yet----"
But her words became quite unintelligible, and perceiving that I didnot understand her, she paused, and gazed in my face with a painfulstare of anger and disappointment, as if my want of attention had beenthe cause of my not comprehending what she said. I saw that death wasapproaching fast, and I asked, in charity, "Would you wish to see yourhusband, Suzette?"
She made an effort to raise herself upon her arm, as she exclaimeddistinctly, "I hate him!" but immediately sunk back upon the pillow.In answer to another question, as to whether she would wish to see aminister of religion, she raised her hand, and bowed her head, intoken of acquiescence; and, rising, I proceeded to seek for FatherFerdinand.
I was told that he was in the chamber of Monsieur de Villardin, withLaura, and old Jerome Laborde; and, taking the liberty which hadalways been granted me of entering the Duke's apartments in the hoursof sickness, I proceeded immediately thither, in search of the goodconfessor.
Father Ferdinand was engaged in writing a paper for Monsieur deVillardin, who, as I entered, held up his finger to me to keep silencetill it was completed, which was not long in being done. The Duke thenread it over attentively, and turning slightly in his bed, affixed hissignature to it. The Count de Laval, who was also in the room, nextadvanced and took the pen; and I could see the eyes of Laura, who wassitting by her father's pillow, glance from him to me, beaming up asthey did so, with a look full of affection and hope. When the Counthad signed it, Laura also put her name, and Jerome and FatherFerdinand added their own, as witnesses.
"Monsieur de Juvigny," said Monsieur de Villardin, speaking in a lowvoice, which was evidently modulated from caution more than fromweakness, "what were you going to say?"
"I was merely about to tell Father Ferdinand," I replied, "that thatunhappy woman, Suzette, is below, dying, and that she requires the aidof the church, with speed."
Father Ferdinand instantly rose to seek her,
but Monsieur de Villardinmade a sign to him to pause for a moment, and, beckoning me closer tohim, he gave me the paper which he had just signed. "Although Ibelieve that I have been much nearer death than I am at present," hesaid, "yet as all wounds such as I have received are uncertain intheir consequences, I have thought fit, my dear boy, as far aspossible, to put your happiness, and that of my dear Laura, beyondfurther doubt. If I survive, I myself will join your hands; if not,that paper will remove all difficulty on the part of others. Nay, donot thank me, de Juvigny; Monsieur le Comte here has behaved mostnobly, and requires the gratitude of all; but I have only acted now asI should have acted long ago. Now, my dear sir," he added, speaking tothe confessor, "seek the poor creature who desires your presence.Perhaps when the surgeons arrive, I may wish you and de Juvigny to bewith me also; but, in the meantime, I would willingly pass half anhour alone. Nay, leave me, dear Laura, and look not sad. Things willgo well, I am sure."
We all, accordingly, left the room. Father Ferdinand betook himself tothe bedside of Suzette. The emotions in the bosom of Laura, bothpleasurable and painful, were too many and too mixed to admit ofwords, and she immediately retired to her chamber; while old Jeromeproceeded to bustle about in discharge of the various functions of hisoffice, so that the moment after we had left Monsieur de Villardin,the Count and myself were left alone. My feelings towards him at thatinstant would not be very easily defined even now, nor did I very wellknow how to demean myself towards him, so as to express my sense ofhis noble and feeling conduct, without abating my own dignity.
"Monsieur le Comte," I said, after some slight hesitation, "you haveacted nobly and generously towards me, and, therefore, I have toreturn you my thanks, which I do most sincerely, for pursuing a lineof conduct that, doubtless, was the best calculated to promote yourown happiness also, but which, most certainly, has ensured andrestored mine."
"You owe me no thanks, Monsieur de Juvigny," he replied. "Having hadfew opportunities of cultivating the pleasure of your acquaintance, Icannot be supposed to have been actuated by any feeling of personalinterest towards you. The fact is, that Mademoiselle de Villardin,some days ago, gave me to understand that her affections wereirrevocably bestowed upon another; and, however highly I might esteemthe honour of Monsieur de Villardin's alliance, of course I did notcovet the hand of a young lady, whose heart, I clearly saw, I couldnever hope to possess. Other circumstances combined, I acknowledge, tofix my determination; but once having resolved upon resigning allclaim to the honour intended for me, I saw no reason why I should notdo my best to make her happy, who had frankly informed me that shecould never make me so. Thus you see that you have no cause to thankme, though I do not deny that it gives me great pleasure to serve agentleman every way so deserving as yourself."
This was spoken in that calm, polite, ceremonious sort of tone, whichput all feeling out of the question, and which seemed perfectlyintended to stop everything like an expression of gratitude. Suchbeing the case, I, of course, said no more upon the subject, and theCount at once turned the conversation to the events which had latelyoccurred.
"It seems to me evident, Monsieur de Juvigny," he said, "from all Ihave been enabled to gather, that this attack upon our party has beenlong concerted, and that nothing has prevented its execution beforebut want of opportunity. I am curious, however, I acknowledge, toascertain how such a scheme could be long carried on without beingdivulged by some accident or other. These people, it is evident, musthave watched us for some time, and must also have been very thoroughlyacquainted with all that was passing here."
"I doubt not that they were, my lord," I replied; "but, in regard totheir schemes not having been discovered, you are, in some degree,mistaken; for the night previous to my departure from this place,about three weeks or a month ago, I myself observed two men examiningthe ch?teau, late at night, and heard a part of their conversation,which, though it certainly did not afford me any accurate information,at all events served to show me that some evil design was in progress.With these facts I made Monsieur de Villardin acquainted; but itappears that, confiding in the number of his attendants, he did nottake the necessary precautions."
"It seems," replied the Count, with a smile that I did notparticularly like--"It seems that you were more watchful over oursafety. Nay, do not look offended, Monsieur de Juvigny, I mean nothingthat should in the least hurt you, thinking it very natural that ayoung lover should hover round his mistress, although he might thinkthat she was lost to him for ever."
"At all events, Monsieur le Comte, your conclusion is, I can assureyou, wrong. The fact is, that I received information, some time ago,from Monsieur de Villardin himself, purporting that the marriage ofhis daughter was to take place yesterday, and that he himself, withall his family, were to set out immediately for Paris. Concluding thatthis was the case, I felt myself at liberty to return to scenes thatwere dear to me; and, on my arrival, was met by the woman who informedme of your situation, and directed me to the spot where you had beencarried. I am still, however, ignorant of all the events whichpreceded my finding you in the forest, and I would fain ask a detailof them, were it not trespassing too greatly on your time."
"Oh! the whole business is very soon related," replied he."Mademoiselle de Villardin being so much better, and able to take theair, her father determined to accompany her in the carriage, while I,with four servants, escorted them on horseback. After passing thebridge at--I forget the name of the place--we went on for about a mileor a mile and a half towards the forest, intending to turn back ere wereached it, when suddenly, as we were passing between two hedges, wewere saluted by a volley of musquetry, which instantly brought threeof the servants to the ground, and wounded my horse so severely as tomake him fall with me. At the same time the carriage was surrounded,Monsieur de Villardin seized and tied before he could make anyresistance, and I, sharing the same fate, was placed beside him andMademoiselle in the carriage. The ruffian you shot, and his companion,as well as another personage of the same stamp, took their placesbeside us. Two of the servants who were wounded, as well as the restwho were made prisoners, were forced to sit on their horses and followthe rest; and we were soon carried off into the heart of the wood,leaving none but one of the poor fellows, who had been killed upon thespot, behind us. All this occupied a considerable time, and I was inhopes every moment that some one, attracted by the sound of musquetry,might come up and at least carry the news to the town. But in thiswild province one might as well be in a desert. No one appeared, andwe were dragged on into the wood, without the slightest power ofresistance. Luckily, however, the road was so bad and sandy, that wemade but slow progress; and, at length, as good fortune would have it,just as we were going to cross the stream, the carriage wasoverturned, and stuck immovable in the sand. You may easily imaginethat we afforded no great assistance to our conductors, and did notmake our movements any quicker than we were compelled to do. Thus atleast half-an-hour was consumed in endeavouring to move thecarriage, and in getting us out of it. We were then forced to walkforwards for a considerable distance to an old mill, which seemed atsome former period to have been destroyed by fire; and here, all ourhorses having been tied to the building, we were again marched forwardto the little chapel where you found us, and where we were received byanother of the band, who seemed to have a priest in his custody,though, I must confess, the worthy clerk did not appear to be underany very great restraint. I had remarked, as we went along, that oneof the leaders of our assailants had paid considerable attention toMademoiselle de Villardin, and had also learned, from some words thatMonsieur de Villardin let fall--though they took care, with pistols atour throats, to keep us from much conversation--that the otherpersonage, who seemed to take a lead amongst them, had formerly been apage in this family. I was thus the less surprised when, on reachingthe chapel, the former coolly proposed to Mademoiselle de Villardin tobecome his wife; and, as a sort of mild inducement, informed her that,unless she instantly consented, he would shoot her father, myself, andall the other prison
ers before her eyes. Of course, a considerablediscussion took place upon this point, which was cut short by yourpunishing the villain as he deserved; and with everything else thatoccurred, you are, perhaps, better acquainted than I am."
"The only matter that I do not know," I replied, "and which I hadforgotten till this moment, is the fate of the priest, whom I do notremember to have seen after the beginning of the affray."
"Oh! I marked him well," replied the Count. "He slipped away into thewood as fast as possible; and, as his clerical dress probably savedhim from interruption on the part either of the servants or thesoldiers, he was, no doubt, soon far enough from the scene ofconflict."
The arrival of the surgeons at this moment interrupted our furtherconversation; and, according to the desire which Monsieur de Villardinhad expressed, I proceeded to the chamber where I had left Suzette, inorder to call Father Ferdinand to accompany the medical men to theDuke's chamber. Knowing that the unhappy woman, even before I lefther, had been incapable of making confession, except by signs, I didnot hesitate to open the door, and I found the good priest stillstanding by her bedside, but no longer engaged in offering theconsolations of religion, which now could have fallen alone upon thedeaf ear of the dead.
"It is all over, my son," he said, as he saw me. "Have the surgeonsarrived?"
I replied that they had, and he immediately followed me to the saloonwhere I had left them, whence we again proceeded to the chamber ofMonsieur de Villardin. We found him perfectly composed, and willing tosubmit to anything that the medical men might think proper. But, afterexamining the wound, questioning their patient, and consulting longamongst themselves, the surgeons judged it not expedient even toattempt the extraction of the ball; but applied themselves, as far aspossible, to prevent any fever ensuing from the wound, and determinedto leave Nature herself to do what she could to relieve their patient,before they endeavoured to assist her by the resources of art. Whenthey had done everything that they thought fit, they left one of theirnumber in the chamber of the Duke, to watch every turn in his case;and then, accompanied by the confessor and myself, proceeded to visitthe servants and soldiers who had been wounded. As we went, FatherFerdinand, I remarked, anxiously questioned the principal surgeon uponthe state of Monsieur de Villardin, and as to whether there existedeven a chance of immediate danger. The surgeon replied, that he sawnone whatever. The hemorrhage, he said, having spontaneously ceased,showed that no great blood vessel had been injured, and that all thatwas now to be feared was subsequent inflammation taking place amongstsome of the most delicate organs of the human frame. Satisfied withthis assurance, Father Ferdinand only requested that immediateinformation might be given to him, on the first appearance of anydangerous symptom, reminding the surgeon that, as Monsieur deVillardin's confessor, he had very important duties to performtowards him, as soon as it was ascertained that he was in perilouscircumstances. "I need not tell you, sir," he added, "that, with aman of Monsieur de Villardin's nerve, the knowledge that he is indanger would in no degree tend to impede his recovery."
The surgeon promised to give him timely notice; and, on visiting theother wounded persons, we found that only one was beyond hope, whileall the rest bade fair for a speedy recovery. It may as well bementioned here, that they all did recover but one, who--as well as theservant I had seen lying on the road, and another who had been killedin our conflict with the robbers--was buried a few days after,together with Suzette, in the chapel of the ch?teau.
The party of the guards from Rennes, who had arrived so promptly toour aid, remained at the Pr?s Vall?e all night; and, as it was latebefore all the events which I have mentioned had taken place, I sentup old Jerome Laborde to Laura's apartment to know whether she thoughtfit to come down to the supper table. She declined, however, as I hadexpected; and, as Father Ferdinand also retired to his own chamber,indisposed by all the scenes which he had just gone through to partakein anything like mirth or festivity, I was obliged to do the honoursof Monsieur de Villardin's table to the Count de Laval and thecommander of the guards from Rennes, though I would much rather havebeen permitted, in silence and solitude, to think over all the eventsthat had occurred, and to offer up my thanks to Heaven for the changefrom the deepest misery to a state of happiness, which my bitterrepinings, under a temporary affliction, had, I confess, but littledeserved. The young officer, with all the thoughtless gaiety of hisage and his profession, drank deep and sat long, and might indeed,have continued his carousings to a much later hour, if the Count, who,for a time, had been amused with his liveliness, at length gettingtired, had not risen unceremoniously, and wished him good night. Theyoung officer looked at me with a wistful glance, to see whether therewas any chance of prolonging his potations with me; but my glass,which had long been vacant, gave him a sufficient reply, and, drinkingone deep draught to our good repose, he once more visited his troop,and then betook himself to rest.
As all was won becoming quiet in the ch?teau, and, one after another,its different inhabitants were dropping off to their beds, I soughtout my old friend Lise, and charged her with a message to hermistress, expressing a hope that I might have an interview with herthe next day. Lise gave me, with a smile, the certain assurance of myrequest being complied with,--especially, she said, as she herselfintended to go to Rennes, and her mistress would want some companionwho knew how to take care of her. She was going on in the same strain,with a good deal of harmless conceit borne lightly forth to hertongue, on the full current of joy,--the floodgates of which had beenopened in her heart by all the news she had received from hermistress--but some persons passing to their beds interrupted ourconversation, and I proceeded once more to the apartments of Monsieurde Villardin. By means of his ante-chamber and dressing-room, I wasenabled to enter without disturbing him; and, sitting quietly down bythe surgeon, I remained the greater part of the night, anxious to seehow it passed with his patient. At first he was somewhat restless,but towards morning he fell into a tranquil sleep; and, auguringbetter from all I now saw, than I had before fully permitted myself tohope, I left his apartments at about three o'clock, and retired torest.