CHAPTER XX: AN OLD SCORE
Hector was not present with the army during the last three campaigns ofthe war. He had joined Turenne in April, 1646, and shared in the generaldisappointment when the order was received that the army was not tocross the Rhine, because Bavaria had promised to remain neutral if itdid not do so.
"I cannot think," the marshal said to him a day or two after he receivedthe order--for he had always maintained the same pleasant relations withHector that had subsisted between them in Italy, and placed the mostentire confidence in the discretion of the young colonel--"how Mazarincan allow Bavaria to hoodwink him. Indeed, I cannot believe that he isreally deceived; he must know that that crafty old fox the duke is notto be relied upon in any way, and that he is merely trying to save time.'Tis hard indeed to see us powerless to move, now that the season forcampaigning is just opening, and when by advancing we could cut theBavarians off from Austria. As to besieging Luxembourg, it would be buta waste of time, for before we could open a trench we should hear thatthe duke has again declared against us, and we should have to hurry backwith all speed."
It was, indeed, but a fortnight later that the news came that theBavarians were on the move to join the Imperialists, and a fortnightlater it was known that the two armies had effected their junction.Turenne at once collected his troops from the towns and villages wherethey were placed, and marched to Mayence.
"I am going to send you to Paris, Campbell," he said on the eveningof their arrival there. "All is lost if the enemy, now united, throwthemselves upon the Swedes, and I have resolved to take upon myself theresponsibility of marching round through Holland and joining Wrangel.There is, of course, risk in such an expedition, and the cardinal mayobject very strongly to my undertaking such a movement, especially asit will leave the frontier of France virtually unguarded, but I have nofear that evil consequences will arise. The enemy will not hear ofmy march until ten days after I have started, and even then they willprobably suppose that we have gone to Flanders. By the time theyfind out what my intentions are, it will be too late for them to takeadvantage of my absence.
"Even then they would have to storm Philippsburg or some other strongplace before they could cross the Rhine, and before they could do thatWrangel and I would be at their heels. Moreover, as they would knowthat, instead of pursuing them, we might, after effecting a junction,make straight for Vienna, and that no army could be got together tooppose us, I consider that the movement is a perfectly safe one. Now,I am going to send you to Mazarin with my despatch telling him of myintention. I am choosing you for the purpose, because you will be ableto explain and enforce the reasons that I have given him. He has a highopinion of you, and will listen to you when perhaps he would not payany regard to Rosen or any other of these Weimar officers I might send.Remember that there is no occasion for extreme hurry," and he smiled."Of course it is necessary that you should travel with a certain amountof speed, but do not founder your horse. Every day is of value to me,and if I am once well on my way north Mazarin could hardly recall me.
"Say that you take five days to get to Paris, by that time I shouldbe north of Cologne, and a courier from Mazarin can hardly overtake meuntil I am in Holland, I should then feel justified in disregarding theorder, seeing that I should by pushing on effect a junction with theSwedes quite as quickly as I could return here. Of course it would betoo late for you to overtake me, and I shall give you a written orderto remain in Paris until I am again so near the Rhine that you can joinyour regiment. I consider that it will be an advantage to have you nearthe cardinal, as, knowing my intentions and methods as you do, you wouldbe able to so explain matters to him that he will understand the reasonsfor my various movements."
"Very well marshal, I am ready to start as soon as you hand me thedespatch."
"I will do that tomorrow morning, and you will then be able to tellMazarin that we were just setting out when you left us."
"As it will be some time before I shall rejoin my regiment, may I askyou to appoint Captain de Thiou as second colonel? He has now served assenior captain of the regiment for three years. He aided me heartily andcordially in organizing it. He has seconded me throughout in a mannerof which I cannot speak too highly, and distinguished himself greatlyat Freiburg, and on every occasion in which we have been in contact withthe enemy. I think it very desirable that there should be an officer ofrank superior to the others while I am away; and both for the sake ofthe regiment, and as a reward for the merit and conduct of Captain deThiou himself, I should be very glad were he promoted and should feelthat the regiment would in no way deteriorate during my absence."
"Certainly, Campbell, I will carry out your recommendation. He hasfairly earned his promotion, and as you say, it is better in yourabsence that the regiment should be led by an officer of rank above theothers, and not by a captain having but a very slight seniority to someof them. Doubtless you will be saying goodbye to the officers tonight.I authorize you to inform de Thiou that he will be placed in orderstomorrow morning as second colonel of the regiment."
"I did not think that we were likely to be back in Paris before nextwinter, master," Paolo said rather discontentedly when Hector told himthat they were to start early next morning.
"Nor did I, Paolo, and I should very much rather have remained with theregiment; but as the marshal is good enough to consider that my presencethere may be of advantage to him, I have of course nothing to sayagainst it."
There was great regret among the officers when they heard that theircolonel was not going to lead them, but all were pleased that de Thiou,who was a general favourite, had obtained promotion. That officer was atonce surprised and gratified at the news, for it was not often that menwithout strong family interest rose to the rank of colonel.
"I know that this is your doing," he said gratefully. "I never expectedto get above my present rank, and I am sure that I should never havedone so had it not been for you."
"You thoroughly deserve it, de Thiou, for it was by your support thatI was enabled, when I first joined, to introduce reforms, and get theofficers to take upon themselves more work and responsibilities, andthus make the regiment what it is. I hope I shall rejoin before the endof the campaign. This may be the last, for now that they have begun thepeace conference at Munster, something must surely come of it sooner orlater, for all parties must be thoroughly sick of this long and terriblewar, which has ruined Germany and impoverished France, and from whichneither party, after nigh thirty years of fighting, has gained anymaterial advantage. At any rate it will be a great satisfaction to meto know that the regiment is in your hands. I know that during the timethat I have been away this winter things have gone on satisfactorily;but it is clearly impossible for an officer to keep a regiment wellin hand when, as in your case, your appointment was only a day or twoearlier than that of some of the others. You are likely to have somestiff marching now, for only one other infantry regiment besides ourswill accompany the cavalry, the rest will remain here until they getan opportunity of rejoining. Of course I shall take Paolo and my fourmounted troopers back with me to Paris. I may probably send them on tola Villar, as it is not likely that I shall need them at court."
On the evening of the fifth day after leaving Mayence Hector arrived inParis, and alighted at the cardinal's hotel.
"So you are again a bearer of despatches, Monsieur Campbell," thecardinal said, as Hector entered his apartment. "They need be important,or the marshal would hardly have sent you with them."
"They are, as you will see, important, your eminence, but I am sentrather to explain further than the marshal could do in a letter hisreasons for the step that he has taken. As you have learned long beforethis, the Duke of Bavaria has proved false to his promises. He haseffected a junction with the Imperialist army, and the marshal has newsthat both are marching against the Swedes, who are in no strength toshow fight against so great a force."
The cardinal opened the despatch, and read it in silence.
"'Tis a grave step for the
marshal to have taken without orders," hesaid, frowning; "and do you mean to say that he has already started onthis expedition?"
"The troops had fallen into their ranks when I started, and by this timethey must be well on their way towards Holland. There was no time, sir,for the marshal to await a reply to the despatch. The matter was mosturgent, every day was of importance, for if the Swedes fell back, asthey might do, before the archduke, the latter would be able to overrunall northern Germany, to capture the towns of the Protestant princes,break up their confederation, and compel them to give in theirsubmission; for Turenne with his small force would be powerless tointerfere with their operations, even if by pressing after them with allspeed he arrived within striking distance."
"And think you that he will reach Wrangel in time?"
"He hopes so, sir. He sent off a messenger before starting, with ordersto buy fresh horses at all cost at each halting place, to carry the newsas quickly as possible to Wrangel that he was on his way to join him,and imploring him to intrench himself in some strong position until heshould come up.
"How long hence will that be?"
"The march will be pressed forward with all speed, your eminence, withsuch delays only as may be needed to keep the horses in such a statethat they may be ready for fighting as soon as they join the Swedes. Hehopes to be there in a month from the day of starting."
"And in the meantime," Mazarin said, "France is open to invasion.He says, indeed, that the Imperialists would hardly venture to marchhitherward, as thereby they in turn would leave it open to him and theSwedes to march into the heart of Austria."
"Assuredly that is so, sir. The archduke will hardly get news thatMarshal Turenne has moved until he has been some ten or twelve days onhis march, and even when he hears it he will not know in what directionhe has gone, but may think it likely that he either intends to seizeLuxembourg or to reinforce your army in Flanders. By the time theydiscover his true object he will be within a week's march of the Swedes,possibly less than that. It will be too late for them then to thinkof marching to the Rhine. If they consider themselves strong enough tofight the marshal and the Swedes together, they will do so at once; ifthey fear to give battle, still more would they fear to be attacked byhim when entering a country where they would have him in their rear,and be hemmed in between him and the Rhine, not to speak of the risk ofleaving Austria open to invasion, should he, instead of pursuing them,direct his march thither. If I might presume to judge, I should say thatthe expedition that the marshal has undertaken is at once worthy of hismilitary genius, and will at the same time do far more to ensure thesafety of the Rhine provinces than he could do were he to remain therewith his small army until the Imperialists, having chased the Swedes outof the country and reduced northern Germany, turned their whole forcesagainst him."
"I see, Monsieur Campbell," the cardinal said, turning the subject,"that you have been five days coming here from Mayence. It is a verydifferent rate of speed to that at which you traveled from Rocroi."
"It is so, your eminence; but on that occasion the Duc d'Enghien hadplaced relays of his best horses all along the road, so that we wereenabled to travel without making a halt."
"And moreover, my dear colonel," Mazarin said, "Turenne, far from urgingyou to haste, was desirous of getting so far before he received myanswer as to render it impossible for me to recall him."
"I cannot think that your eminence would do that. It is a grandenterprise, and almost without precedent in point both of daring and inthe great advantages to be gained from it."
"And Turenne thought that by sending you, you would be able to assisthim in persuading me to regard it favourably. Well, well, it iscertainly too late to recall him now. He has taken the responsibilityupon himself, and must stand or fall by the result. And now in thefirst place are you going to hurry back again or are you going to remainhere?"
"My regiment is one of those that he has taken with him, sir, and as Icould not hope to overtake him he has requested me to remain here untilI receive orders from him."
"We shall be gainers so far," the cardinal said cordially, "and I amsure that from your knowledge of the country and of Turenne's methodsyour advice upon military matters will be of great service to us. I mustnow go and report to the queen this sudden change in the situation, andif she disapproves of it I shall tell her that if she will but listento you, you will convert her to the view that this escapade of themarshal's is all for the best, and seems likely indeed to retrieve theposition that has been caused by the treachery of Bavaria."
During his stay in Paris Hector soon found that intrigue was morerampant than ever. The Duke of Beaufort and others who had beenimplicated in the plot on Mazarin's life had been pardoned and hadreturned to Paris, and as the lesson that had been given them had taughtthem prudence, they were now openly on good terms with the court. Theywere secretly, however, intriguing with the parliament of Paris, whichwas now bitterly opposed to Mazarin, had refused to register some ofhis decrees, and had even forced him to dismiss his superintendent offinance, an Italian named Emeri. The latter had imposed taxes at hiswill to satisfy his extravagance and avarice, had raised the octroiduty, made the sale of firewood a monopoly, and in various ways hadincurred the indignation and hatred of the Parisians.
Mazarin's own greed had been in no slight degree the cause of hisunpopularity; he who had come to France a penniless priest was now theowner of great estates. It was even said that much of the money thatshould have been devoted to the needs of the army had been privatelysent into Italy by him, and throughout the country it was felt to bescandalous that while the deepest distress was universal on account ofthe weight of taxation, these two Italians should be piling up wealthfor themselves. But, avaricious as he was, the cardinal was lavishin his expenditure among his friends and adherents; honours, titles,dignities, and estates were freely bestowed upon them, and he did nothesitate to pay any sum that would gain him the support of those whoseaid he deemed to be essential. Madame de Chevreuse was again at court,and was, as she had always been, the centre of the intrigues that weregoing on. One evening she made a sign for Hector to take a place by herside. She had taken a fancy to the young Scottish colonel on the eveningwhen he had been first introduced to her, and was always gracious to himnow.
"Monsieur le baron," she said in a low tone, "do you think that the airof Paris agrees with you as well as that of the army?"
He felt from the manner in which she spoke, that she meant more than shesaid.
"So far, madam, it has not disagreed with me," he said; "and even didit do so I should not be able to leave it, as I have orders to remainhere."
"By the way, monsieur," she said, changing the subject of conversation,"it is whispered that that party of pleasure to which you took theofficers of your regiment at St. Germain did not come off, at least noneof the landlords of the hotels there can recall any such gathering, andit is even said that your falling in with the carriage of the Duke ofOrleans was not altogether an accident. I only mention the reports; ofcourse, it was a matter of no moment whether your party dined at St.Germain or at Sevres. But sometimes misapprehensions of this kindlead to trouble, especially when they happen a few days before seriousevents. I like you, Colonel Campbell, and that is why I have mentionedthis; you understand me, I have no doubt;" and, turning to a gentlemanwho had at that moment approached her, she entered into a livelyconversation with him, and Hector rose, and with the words, "Thank you,madam," bowed, and moved away.
It was easy to understand her meaning. Beaufort and the conspiratorswhose plan he had thwarted, and who had suffered imprisonment and exilethereby, had in some way discovered that it was to him that they owedtheir failure and disgrace. At the moment his explanation and that ofhis officers had deceived them, but doubtless someone whose connectionwith the plot was unsuspected had instituted inquiries, found that theparty he had spoken of had not taken place, and had at once come tothe conclusion that he had in some way discovered their intentions, hadreally ridden out with
his officers to furnish a guard to Mazarin, andhad afterwards acquainted him with what he had discovered. Doubtless,as Madame de Chevreuse had warned him, the air of Paris was at presentdangerously unwholesome for him. He had been the means of bringingdisgrace and punishment upon the Duc de Vendome and the Duke ofBeaufort, two of the most powerful nobles in France, and a host of theirfriends.
It was probable that they only recently assured themselves that it washe who had thwarted their plans; had it been otherwise he would scarcelyhave escaped their vengeance the last time that he was in Paris. Now,from what Madame de Chevreuse had said, he had no doubt whatever thatsome plot would be made against his life. He might thwart one suchattempt, but others would follow. He resolved to lay the matter beforethe cardinal and take his advice. Accordingly he waited until he wasleaving; several gentlemen of his suite accompanied him, and at theentrance to the Louvre the men of the cardinal's guard fell in on eitherside. When they reached Mazarin's hotel Hector moved up to him.
"Can I have a few words with you, your eminence?"
"Certainly, Colonel Campbell; I never retire to bed till long pastmidnight. It is something serious, I see," he said quickly as theyentered his apartment, where a number of candles were burning, and heobtained a full view of Hector's face. "Another plot?"
"Not against your eminence; it is a matter which concerns myself only.I have been warned tonight that my share in the last affair has beendiscovered, that inquiries have been made at St. Germain, and that thevarious innkeepers have declared that no party of officers dined therethat morning, and that it was therefore concluded that our presencebehind your carriage was not accidental. They no doubt guessed thatit was I who discovered the plot, in consequence of which so many werearrested and exiled. I have been distinctly warned that the air of Parisis unwholesome for me."
"Who warned you?" the cardinal said abruptly.
"It would not be fair of me to mention the name, but it is at any rateone who is of Beaufort's party."
"Ah!" the cardinal said sharply, "I noticed you sitting for a fewminutes by Madame de Chevreuse. Never mind, I will respect yourconfidence. I can well understand, after what you have said, that thereis great danger here, and it is a danger from which it is well nighimpossible to protect you, unless you take up your residence here andnever stir abroad. Nor do I know that you would be safer with the army;an assassin's knife can reach a man as easily in a camp as in a city,and with perhaps less risk of detection. Neither Beaufort nor Vendomeare men to forget or forgive an injury, and they have scores offellows who would for a few crowns murder anyone they indicated, and ofgentlemen of higher rank who, although not assassins, would willinglyengage you in a duel, especially those who suffered in the plot that youdiscovered. Frankly, what do you think yourself?"
"I might retire to la Villar, cardinal. I should be safe there in my owncastle."
"So long as you did not leave it; but a man with a musket in ambushbehind a hedge might cut your career short. It is probable enough thatyou are watched, and in that case I should doubt whether you would everget to la Villar, nor do I think that if you left for the Rhine youwould get halfway. Now you see, Monsieur Campbell, that your cause ismine, and that your safety touches me as if it were my own, for it wasin my service that you incurred the danger. I must think the matterover. In the meantime I beg of you to sleep here tonight. I will sendword to your servant that you will not return. I could of course senda guard with you to your hotel, but some of the servants there mayhave been bribed to murder you as you slept. I can look after myself; Iseldom leave the house except to go to the Louvre, and I never go eventhat short distance without a guard, but it is much more difficult toprotect you."
"I have my own bodyguard, your excellency--four stout Scotch soldiersand my lackey, Paolo, who is a good swordsman also; and as it does notseem to me that I should be safer elsewhere than here, I shall at anyrate stay for a time. I should imagine that the warning was a generalone. They have just found out that I had a hand in thwarting their plotagainst you, and I dare say used threats; but the threats of angry mencome very often to nothing; and at any rate, I do not choose that theyshould obtain the satisfaction of driving me from Paris against mywill."
The cardinal shook his head. "You see, monsieur, that Beaufort is a manwho hesitates at nothing. A scrupulous person would hardly endeavour toslay a cardinal, who is also the minister of France, in the streets ofParis in broad daylight. He is capable of burning down the Pome d'Or,and all within it, in order to obtain revenge on you. I feel very uneasyabout you. However, sleep may bring counsel, and we will talk it overagain in the morning."
"Have you thought of anything, Monsieur Campbell?" Mazarin asked whenthey met in the morning.
"I have not, sir, save to go on trusting to my own sword and myfollowers."
"I can think of nothing," the cardinal said, "save to send an order toTurenne for two companies of your regiment to march hither, where, ontheir arrival, you will receive orders to proceed with them to yourcastle of la Villar, and to use them in the king's service in repressingall troubles that may occur in Poitou. What say you to that?"
"I would not deprive her majesty of two hundred of her best soldiersto guard me from what may not be after all a very real danger. My ownconclusions, after thinking it over this morning, are that I will remainhere for a time, trusting to my friends and my own sword. If a seriousattempt is made on my life I could then consider whether it would bebest to withdraw myself, and if so, whither to go; but I will not runaway merely on a vague hint that my life is in danger. I have faceddeath in battle many times, and this danger can hardly be consideredas more serious. I imagine that in the first case some of theduke's followers will force me into a duel, before proceeding to tryassassination, and although doubtless he has some good blades among hisfriends, I do not think that I need to feel uneasy on that score. I wasalways practising with my sword as a boy. Since I have been in the armyI have spent a good deal of my time, when in winter quarters, in suchpractice with my own officers, and with any maitres d'armes in the townswhere I have been, and while in Italy had the opportunity of learningmuch, for there are fine fencers there."
"So be it, then," Mazarin said. "But if matters go to extremes, rememberthat I consider myself responsible for you. I believe that you saved mylife, and although there are many things that men say against me, nonehave ever charged me with ingratitude. If I can protect you in no otherway I shall have you arrested, sent to the frontier, that is to say, tothe sea frontier, and put on board ship and sent to England or Scotland,as you choose, with a chest containing a sum that will suffice topurchase any estate you may choose there.
"I am in earnest," he went on as Hector was about to answer. "It isfor my own sake as much as yours; when my friends are attacked I amattacked, and I am doubly bound in your case. It needs but a stroke ofmy pen to make you a duke and lord of half a province; and if I cannotdo that here, because you would still be within reach of your enemies, Ican, as far as the estates go, do it for you abroad. Do not fail to letme know each day if anything new takes place."
Hector felt that there was no more to say, and bowing, left thecardinal's presence and went out. Paolo and Macpherson were waitingoutside.
"The cardinal's messenger, who brought the news last night that youwould not return, master," the former said when he saw by Hector's lookof surprise that he had not expected to see him there, "said also thatI and one of your men had best be here at eight this morning and waituntil you came out."
"I did not know that he had sent such a message, Paolo, but I will whenwe get to the hotel tell you why he sent it."
The street was somewhat crowded, and Hector had gone but a shortdistance when he saw three gentlemen, who he knew to be intimates ofthe Duke of Beaufort, coming in the other direction. One of them wasMonsieur de Beauvais, who said in a loud tone to his companions just asHector was passing:
"That is the Scotchman whom the cardinal employs to do his dirtybusiness."
Hector fac
ed round at once. "At any rate, Monsieur de Beauvais, theScotchman in question is not employed by the cardinal as an assassin,which is an even more dishonourable post."
De Beauvais turned white with anger. "Behind the Luxembourg in an hour'stime, Monsieur de Villar."
"I shall be there," Hector said coldly. He paused a minute, after thethree gentlemen, with the customary salute, walked on. He did not liketo go to the Hotel Mazarin lest the cardinal should obtain news of whatwas going to take place, so he waited in the neighbourhood, knowing thatsome of Mazarin's personal friends would be sure to arrive about thishour. Presently he saw a colonel who, like himself, was spending thewinter in Paris, and who frequently attended the cardinal's levees.
"Colonel de Serres, as a fellow soldier I have a service to ask of you."
"I am entirely at your disposal, Monsieur Campbell."
"I have just had a quarrel forced upon me by Monsieur de Beauvais, andI have to meet him in fifty minutes' time at the back of the Luxembourg.As he was in company with two gentlemen, the Comte de Marplat andMonsieur de Vipont, I shall be glad if you would kindly act as mysecond, and if you can find another officer who would do so, I shall beglad of his services also."
"I shall be glad to support you, Monsieur Campbell, and can lay my handon another second at once, for here comes my friend and yours, MonsieurEmile de Chavigny, who will, like myself, be charmed to be concerned inany affair against the duke's friends."
De Chavigny, whom Hector had seen at the court on the previous dayfor the first time since they had parted in Italy, agreed at once toHector's request.
"De Beauvais has the reputation of being a good swordsman, Campbell,"he said as they walked together towards the Luxembourg, Paolo and hiscompanion having now returned to the inn at his master's order; "but Ishould say that he will want all his skill now. You were by far the bestswordsman among us when you left us suddenly in the south, and doubtlesssince then your skill will not have fallen off."
"No, I know a good deal more than I knew then, Chavigny. There were fewdays when we were in winter quarters that I had not an hour's work inthe fencing school with the officers of my regiment, and whenever Iheard that there was a professor of the art I have never failed tofrequent his salon and to learn his favourite strokes."
"That is all right, then. We need have no fear whatever as to theresult."
They reached the point fixed upon a minute or two before the clockstruck, and just as it chimed de Beauvais and his friends made theirappearance. The seconds exchanged a few words and selected a piece ofground for the encounter, the principals at once removed their doubletsand faced each other.
"This is a duel a la mort," de Beauvais said in a loud voice.
"For that I am quite prepared," Hector said quietly; "but you are likelyto find, Monsieur de Beauvais, that it is not so easy a thing tokill the colonel of one of her majesty's regiments as it is to stab achurchman in his carriage."
De Beauvais at once took up his position, and, without the parade ofcourtesy that usually preceded an encounter, fell furiously upon Hector.The latter did not give way a step. With a wrist of iron he put asidehalf a dozen thrusts, and then lunging, ran de Beauvais through thebody, his sword hilt striking against his adversary's chest.
De Beauvais' two seconds ran forward as their principal fell. "He isdead," one said as they knelt over him. Then rising he addressed Hector:"Monsieur le Colonel Campbell," he said, "I claim satisfaction at yourhands, for I take it that your words applied to me as well as to deBeauvais, though addressed only to him."
"You may take it so," Hector replied coldly, "for you were also at thathouse in the Rue St. Honore on that occasion you know of."
Hector's two seconds endeavoured to interpose, but he said: "Gentlemen,I must ask you to let the matter go on. This is no ordinary duel. Thesegentlemen, with whom I have no personal animosity, have picked a quarrelwith me at the request of one higher in rank than themselves, and aresimply his agents. I had no hesitation in killing the first of them, butas Monsieur de Vipont wishes an encounter with me in spite of what hehas seen I will give him one, but will content myself with a less severelesson than that I have given Monsieur de Beauvais. Now, sir, I am atyour service."
De Vipont, knowing now how dangerous an opponent he was meeting, foughtcautiously. Hector, however, was anxious to finish the matter beforethey were interrupted, and therefore took the offensive, and after twopasses ran his antagonist through the shoulder.
"Now, Monsieur le Comte, do you desire a turn?" he said carelessly.
The count was pale, but he answered steadily, "I claim it by the sameright as Monsieur de Vipont."
"Agreed," Hector said; and as soon as the count had removed his uppergarments they engaged.
The swords had scarcely clashed when the count's weapon was wrenchedfrom his hand and sent flying for a distance of twenty paces.
"That is enough," Colonel de Serres said, stepping forward; "you havedone what you thought to be your duty, Monsieur le Comte, but it needsvery different blades from those of yourself and your companions tostand before Colonel Campbell. He had you at his mercy, and had a rightto take your life if he chose; but as he refrained from doing thatwhen you had your sword in your hand, he certainly will not do so now.Messieurs, we wish you good morning."
"And you may mention," Hector added, "to this person of high rank,that I shall be happy to accommodate as many of the gentlemen of hisfollowing as choose to take the matter up."
"He will send no more to you, Campbell," Chavigny said as they movedoff, leaving the count, whose valet now ran up, to obtain a vehicle andcarry his dead and wounded comrades away.
"No, I fancy not; he will try other means now. The war has only begun.Men like Lei, Brillet, and the Campions are not the sort of men whowould act as bravos, even for the Duke of Beaufort, and I do not thinkthat he would even venture to propose it to them. It will be meanerinstruments that he will employ next time. However, I shall of coursego straight to the cardinal and acquaint him with what has happened.I doubt not but that he will lay the matter before the queen, and thenthat Beaufort will hear of it; but, passionate and revengeful as he is,I think that he will not be turned from his purpose, even if he knowsthat he may be forced to retire to his estates, or even leave thecountry till the matter blows over."
CHAPTER XXI: THE DUKE'S REVENGE
The cardinal listened gravely to Hector's account of the duel, and ofthe circumstances that gave rise to it.
"I will go at once to the Louvre and appeal to her majesty," he said;"you know how warmly she spoke to you on the day when you saved my life.Still, I fear that the sternest reproof, or even an order to retire tohis estates, would not turn him from his purpose."
"I am sure of it, your eminence; still, as I have proved victor in thefirst battle in the campaign I will bide a second."
"Mind that you do not get stabbed in the back, colonel."
"I will beware of that, sir; whenever I walk the streets in future Paoloshall keep a pace behind me, and I warrant that he will protect me fromany attempt of that sort."
"At any rate remain here until I return from the Louvre."
In an hour Mazarin returned. "The duke has been beforehand with us," hesaid. "When I told the queen of what had happened, and why this quarrelhad been fastened upon you, she sent at once for the duke, and drew outan order, which I signed, for him to retire at once to his estates;but the royal messenger returned with the news that he had half an hourbefore ridden away to visit his father at Vendome. A courier will startat once with the order, but I doubt whether he will be found there. Itis probable that he has gone to one of his own estates, and it may besome time before we find out where he is. However, it is something thathe has gone."
On his return to the inn Hector told Paolo what had taken place.
"It is a pity that you did not kill them all, master."
"Not at all, Paolo; had I done so every one of their friends wouldhave been set against me. Both these men are of good famili
es, and willdoubtless report that I had their lives at my mercy and spared them, andafter that no gentleman of reputation would take the matter up. I shallhave to be very careful in future, but now that the duke has gone thereis not likely to be any further trouble just at present."
Paolo shook his head. "Nay, master, I think the danger all the greater.In the first place, we do not know that he has gone. I think it farmore likely that he is hiding in the house of one of his friends. Hehas pretended to leave because he was sure the cardinal would take thematter up, and in order that, if he is absent from Paris when any harmbefell you, it could not be brought home to him. I do not suppose thatnext time he will employ any of his own people. He is most popular amongthe mob of Paris, who call him the King of the Markets, and he will haveno difficulty in getting as many daggers as he wishes from the scum ofthe faubourgs. It would be difficult in the extreme to prove that he hadaught to do with it, for you may be sure that he would really go downinto the country with all speed the moment the deed was done.
"In future, master, you must not go out without having me close behindyou; as for the others, I would put them in ordinary citizen garb, andlet them follow some twenty yards behind, so as to be in readiness torun up at once. They could carry swords openly, and have their pistolshidden under their doublets."
"It might be as well, at any rate for the present. If, as you think,Beaufort is hidden in Paris, it is certain he will lose no time."
Paolo nodded. "I will get the men disguises at once. They had better bedifferent; Macpherson can be dressed as a soldier, Nicholl as a burgher,and Sandy Grahame and Hunter as rough mechanics. They, of course, couldnot carry swords, but might take heavy cudgels. They would not walktogether, or seem to have any knowledge of each other. Sandy might beten paces behind you, Nicholl twenty, and the others thirty, or wherethe street is wide they could keep abreast of you on the other side. Areyou going to the Louvre this evening?"
"Yes, the cardinal said that the queen wished that I should appearthere. I would much rather have stayed away, as doubtless the affairbehind the Luxembourg will be generally known by this evening, and Ishall feel my position a very unpleasant one, though I imagine that thequeen intends, by her countenance of me, to show that I have not falleninto disgrace for duelling."
Such was indeed the case. All eyes were turned upon Hector when heentered the royal saloon. Many of Mazarin's friends came up and shookhands with him warmly, while the adherents of Beaufort and Vendome stoodaloof from him with angry faces. Presently the door opened, and thequeen, closely followed by Mazarin and a train of ladies and gentlemen,entered.
As she passed Hector she stopped. "Monsieur le Baron de la Villar," shesaid in clear tones, which were heard all over the apartment, "much as Iobject to duelling, and determined as I am to enforce the edicts againstit, I feel that in the encounter this morning you were in no way toblame, and that it was forced upon you. It is scandalous that one whohas so bravely shed his blood and risked his life in defence of Franceshould be assailed in the capital, and for what reason? Because heproved faithful to the queen and her minister. You have punished thechief of the aggressors, and I shall know how to punish those who stoodbehind him;" and with a gracious bow in response to his deep reverenceshe moved on.
The little speech created a deep sensation among the courtiers. Thatthe queen herself should so publicly give her countenance to thisyoung Scottish gentleman, and should--for no one doubted to whom shealluded--even threaten one of the most powerful nobles in the land,showed how strongly she felt. No one, with the exception of half a dozenpersons, understood her allusion to the service that he had rendered toher and the cardinal, but all felt that it must be something altogetherexceptional. Many of the nobles who belonged neither to the party ofBeaufort nor the cardinal came up and congratulated him.
He received these signs of the impression that the queens' words hadconferred upon him quietly.
"I am very sorry for what has occurred," he said. "I have killed manyin battle, but this is the first time that I have killed anyone in aprivate quarrel. It was not one of my seeking, but I am none the lesssorry."
As he passed near Madame de Chevreuse, she made a gesture to him to cometo her. "You did not accept my warning," she said sadly. "Remember, astorm is not past because the first flash of lightning does not strike."
"I am well aware of that, madam; I thank you for your warning, but I ambound here by my duties as a tree is bound to the earth by its roots,and neither can move at will to escape a storm passing overhead."
"Should I hear of any fresh danger, Monsieur Campbell," she said in alow voice, "I will have you informed of it, but it is more probable thatI shall not know. Were it a state secret I should surely hear of it, butin a matter like this none save those concerned would be likely to knowof it until it was over. Be always on your guard night and day, youcannot tell when the bolt may fall;" and she motioned to him to pass onagain. As before, Hector accompanied the cardinal as far as his hotel,then he went towards his own lodgings, Paolo, with his hand on hisdagger, keeping a pace behind him, while the four troopers followed oneby one at a distance. The streets were almost deserted until, just asthey approached the inn, a number of rough men rushed out from sidealleys and doorways. Hector had just time to throw himself with his backto a house and draw his sword. Paolo's knife had levelled the first manwho approached, and then drawing his sword he took his place by the sideof his master. The ruffians stood round, each anxious to be the firstto strike, and yet fearful of meeting the sword that had, as they hadheard, mastered three gentlemen.
"Run in at him, fools!" a man in a cloak, with his hat pulled down overhis eyes, and keeping in the rear of the others, shouted.
Before his orders could be carried out there was a sudden movement, andfour men burst through them and joined Hector. The assailants hesitated.
But again the man behind shouted: "Cowards, there are but six of them,and you are five-and-twenty, are you such curs that you are afraid toattack when you are nigh five to one?"
Then, with a hoarse yell the crowd rushed forward. One was struck downby a heavy cudgel, three fell on the pavement, and another one totteredback disabled, but others took their places, and for a time the littleband were hardly pressed. The four Scotchmen fought stoutly, butalthough fair swordsmen they gained no great advantage over theiropponents until they betook them to their pistols, when several of theirassailants fell, but not without inflicting wounds. Paolo also foughtwell, and brought three to the ground. Hector, however, took theoffensive, and before his swift blade, with its deadly thrust, thoseopposed to him fell back as one after another dropped dead.
"Down with him! down with him!" the voice shouted; "are ye men thus togive way before a single blade?"
"And are you a man," Hector shouted back, "to set on others to fightwhen you dare not fight yourself? Whoever you are, you are a coward!"
With a fierce oath the man pushed his way through those in front of himand drew his sword. He threw back his cloak to obtain the full use ofhis sword arm, and the rich gold braiding of his doublet confirmed theopinion Hector had already formed as to his identity.
"That is better, my lord duke; it is at least more honourable to fightin your own quarrels than to employ a band of assassins to do yourwork."
With a roar of fury Beaufort rushed upon him. He was a good swordsman,and personally brave, but his rage neutralized his skill, and afterparrying two or three of his lunges Hector repeated the thrust withwhich he had that morning disabled de Vipont, and ran his assailantthrough the shoulder. He fell back with a curse.
"Kill him! kill him!" he shouted. But at that moment there was a cry,"The watch! the watch!" Four of the fellows caught up the wounded manand carried him off, some of the others skirmishing with the watch tohinder their advance.
"To the inn!" Hector cried to his men, "leave the matter to the watch."
And sheathing their weapons they ran on to the door of the hotel andobtained entry there before the watch came up. As
soon as they hadpassed Hector said, "Come with me, Paolo, and see the cardinal; there isno fear of any renewal of the attack now.
"Do you know who it was I wounded, Paolo?" he asked as they hurriedalong.
"No, master, I was too busy myself to look round."
"It was Beaufort himself; I ran him through, low down in the shoulder."
Paolo uttered an exclamation of dismay.
"It cannot be helped now," Hector went on, "but there will be no livingin Paris or even in France after this!"
Mazarin had not retired to bed when they reached his hotel.
"What now, monsieur?" he asked.
"We have had our second battle, your eminence, and it has been a seriousone. We were attacked by five-and-twenty ruffians; we slew some ten ofthem. Then their leader, who had been keeping in the rear shouting tothem, seeing that his men were not likely to get the best of us, pushedthrough them and himself attacked me. I wounded him somewhat seriously,at least the thrust was just below the shoulder; and when I tell youthat it was Beaufort himself you will see that the matter is seriousindeed."
"It could not be worse," the cardinal said gravely; "you will have thewhole of the adherents of the house of Vendome banded against you, andeven your bravery could not long triumph over such odds. France is nolonger a place for you. Neither the queen's protection nor mine wouldavail you aught."
He took two or three turns up the room.
"In the first place, Monsieur Campbell, I will buy your fief back fromyou; there are plenty who would gladly purchase it, or I can bestow it,as it was bestowed upon you, upon someone who has served the crown well.I will send the price to the banker who already holds money of yoursin his keeping. I should advise you to mount tonight and ride for theseacoast. Tomorrow would be too late."
He opened a cabinet.
"Here are a thousand crowns for your present expenses. Which road willyou take? I should advise you not to go to Calais; that is the line onwhich, as soon as it is known that you have gone, they will pursue you,and even did they not overtake you on the way they might reach Calaisbefore you could obtain a ship for England, for at present there is butlittle trade between the countries, and that not openly."
"I will make for Nantes, your eminence; there I can be joined by friendsfrom my chateau."
A slight smile passed over the cardinal's face.
"'Tis no time for jesting," he said; "but in truth I had intended tofind a rich heiress for you. But when I heard that two ladies werestaying at the castle I laid the project aside; and 'tis as well that Idid so, for, were you married to a princess, your life would not be safein France. Farewell, Monsieur Campbell, I have not so many friends thatI can afford to lose so true and stout a one, especially one upon whommisfortunes have come through his good services to myself. I will senda messenger to the governor of Nantes with orders that he shall in everyway forward your wishes as to your departure, as it is with my consentand approval that you are sailing for England. Your devotion has broughtyou into the gravest peril, and now it forces you to relinquish yourprofession, in which you have so greatly distinguished yourself. Truly,my friendship for you is genuine, and it cuts me to the heart that,although I could uphold you against the most powerful nobles in openenmity, I can do naught to save you from assassination. I trust someday that I may see you again, but, should it not be so, remember thatI shall always feel myself your debtor; and should you have friends forwhom you may ask my protection be sure that I will for your sake do allin my power for them."
There was no doubting the real emotion with which Mazarin spoke.
"There is one thing that I forgot," the latter said; "here is a pass foryou to leave the gates at once. You had better go out by the north, sothat they may think that you have ridden to Calais, and then take a widedetour and ride for Nantes."
Hector returned to the hotel.
"We must mount at once," he said to the troopers; "my enemies havefailed twice, but they might not fail the third time, and by tomorrowmorning it is certain that the hotel will be watched. I have a pass toissue out through the gate at once."
While he had been away the troopers had bandaged each other's wounds,and had packed their valises, for they thought it probable after whathad happened that their master would be obliged to fly.
As the horses were being saddled and brought out Hector saw theinnkeeper and paid him his bill.
"Monsieur," he said, "I am going away on business of the cardinal's, andhe desires that none shall know that I have left; therefore I pray youkeep the matter secret as long as you can. It may be reasonably supposedthat after the fray in which we have just been engaged, we might wellkeep our beds for a day or two."
Going out in the courtyard, he gave a couple of crowns to the hostler.
"You are like to be asked tomorrow if we are still here," he said. "Givesuch answers as to lead them to believe that our horses are still in thestalls."
They mounted and rode rapidly through the streets to the northern gate,which was immediately, upon Hector's handing the guard the cardinal'spass, opened to them. To the surprise of the men, he turned off afterriding a few miles.
"Are you not going to make for Calais, master?"
"No, I am bound for Poitou. We will cross the Seine by the bridge ofboats at Nantes, ride down through Dreux and Le Mans. There we willseparate. I shall follow the Sarthe, strike the Loire at Angers, andthen go on to Nantes. You will cross the Loire at Tours, and then makefor la Villar. I shall take you, Macpherson and Hunter, with me. Paolowill ride with the other two, and will be the bearer of letters fromme."
Daylight was breaking when they crossed the bridge of boats. Hectorhalted a mile from the river, keeping Paolo with him, and telling theothers to pass at intervals of a quarter of an hour apart.
"You will go first, Macpherson. You will ride south for an hour, andthen wait till the rest of us join you. It is like enough that assoon as they find out that we have left they will send men off in alldirections to find out which way we followed, though doubtless the chiefpursuit will be directed towards Calais. I am afraid that it will notbe very long before they find we have left the hotel, for the landlord,however well he may wish us, will not dare mislead any person ofconsequence that Beaufort may send."
They had, however, a much longer start than Hector expected, for earlythe next morning ten of the cardinal's guards appeared at the hotel. Theofficer in command of them told the innkeeper that, in consequenceof the tumult before his doors, in which, as he heard, some of thoselodging there had been concerned, he had orders to post his men roundthe house, and to allow no one to enter or leave under any pretencewhatever until the cardinal himself had examined into the affair. Theseorders were delivered in a loud voice before the servants of the inn,but the officer privately assured the innkeeper afterwards that he wouldbe well paid for his loss of custom, and that it was probable that theguard would be removed in a day or two. Thus Beaufort's emissaries werenot able to obtain news of what was passing within, and did nothinguntil past noon, when it occurred to them that the cardinal had takenthis strange step of closing the inn in order to prevent its being knownthat Hector and his followers had left Paris.
Men were at once sent off to the different gates of the city, and one ofthese returning with the news that the north gate had been opened at oneo'clock in the morning and that six men bearing a pass from the cardinalhad ridden out, a party of twenty horsemen started out in pursuit, whileothers were ordered to ride by all the different routes to Poitou,in case, as was likely enough, Hector had ridden to his castle. Thefugitive, however, and his followers were all well mounted, and hadfourteen hours' start. They separated at Le Mans. Hector here wrote along letter to the Baronne de Blenfoix, and a shorter one to MacIntosh.The latter he told only that his fief had again reverted to the crown,and gave instructions that the steward should be ordered to return, fromthe moneys he had in hand, three months' rent to every tenant, to handthe balance to MacIntosh himself, and to hold possession of the chateauand estat
e until he received orders from the cardinal himself.
MacIntosh was then, with Paolo, two troopers, and his own two sergeants,to escort the baroness and her daughter to Nantes, if she decided togo there. All arrangements were to be completed within twelve hoursof Paolo's arrival there. To the baroness he related briefly what hadpassed.
"Therefore, as you see," he said, "there is no course open for me butto fly for England or Ireland, where I intend to settle. I trust, madam,that you and your daughter will accompany me. Putting aside my respectand, I may say, my affection for yourself, you will have understood fromwhat I said to you when last at la Villar, that I hope some day to makeyour daughter Norah my wife, if I should be so fortunate as to obtainher affections. How this may be I cannot say, but at any rate I trustthat you will return to England, and as I have ample funds you may beassured that my first care will be to provide for your future."
On arriving at Nantes Hector at once rode to the governor, and presentedthe cardinal's letter to him.
"You may be assured, Colonel Campbell, that I shall carry out hiseminence's instructions," he said, after perusing the cardinal'sletter. "I will send an officer down to the port with you to aid youin obtaining passage, should there be a ship leaving for England, or totake up a ship for your service."
"I would rather the latter," Hector said. "I may have ladies with me,and so should wish to have plenty of accommodation."
"I am also instructed," the governor said, "to close the gate, in caseany party, followers of the Dukes of Vendome or Beaufort, or of anyfamilies connected with them, arrive before you leave, and to grant themno admittance until a messenger from the mouth of the river informs methat you are fairly out at sea."
"I am indeed obliged to his eminence for that order, sir; he did notmention to me that he was giving it, but it will certainly save me frommuch anxiety."
As Hector was not disposed to haggle about terms, he had no difficultyin hiring a vessel to carry them across the Channel. Twenty-four hoursafter his arrival the party from the chateau rode in, and but half anhour later fifty horsemen wearing the cognizance of Vendome gallopedup to the gate. They were headed by four or five gentlemen, one of whomdemanded angrily why the gates were shut.
"They are closed by order of the governor," the officer in chargereplied.
"Tell the governor that the Count d'Erlon, with a party of gentlemen,retainers of the Duke of Vendome, are here, and demand instantadmittance."
Twenty minutes later the governor himself arrived at the gate. "I amsorry, gentlemen," he said, "that I am compelled to keep the gatesclosed. I have an order from Cardinal Mazarin to that effect, and that,coming from the first minister of France, I dare not disregard even ifthe duke himself were with you. It would cost me my place, andpossibly gain me a cell in the Bastille; and, grieved as I am to refuseadmittance to such honourable gentlemen, still I must do so."
"And for how long is this monstrous edict to remain in force?" theleader of the party asked.
"That I am unable to say precisely, but I believe that I can open themtomorrow morning."
"You see, we were right, count," another of the horsemen said. "Thedescription of the man who rode along here with two attendants tallieswith that of this Scot, and doubtless this order was brought by himfrom Mazarin to enable him to get either by water away abroad or to hischateau of la Villar."
"Well, gentlemen, at any rate we have done our best, and though we musthave slain the fellow if we had overtaken him, I cannot say that Iam altogether grieved that he has escaped. His name is well known toeveryone. He did brave service to France under Turenne and Conde. Welearned from the messenger who brought the letter from Beaufort that hekilled de Beauvais in fair fight, wounded de Vipont, and disarmed theComte de Marplat, that at night he and five of his followers, thoughattacked by some thirty ruffians from the faubourgs under Beauforthimself, killed twelve of them outright, and that he himself seriouslywounded the duke. Well, there is nothing for us but to ride back to thevillage we last passed through and wait there until tomorrow."
So saying, he mounted his horse and galloped off with his party.
"Who could have thought when we parted last, Colonel Campbell, that weshould meet again under such greatly changed circumstances!" Madame deBlenfoix exclaimed as Hector met the party as they alighted before theprincipal inn of Nantes.
"It is a change, indeed," he replied; "so great that I myself can hardlyrealize it, and am not sure whether I am sorry or the reverse at whathas taken place."
"I am very glad to hear you say so, as I feared that it would be aterrible blow to you to give up the army."
"I have hardly had time to think of it," he said, "I have had so muchelse to occupy my thoughts. Now, I pray you, enter the inn for a fewminutes; I have warned them to get a meal ready to be served at theshortest notice, for I am anxious that no time shall be lost; everythingis ready for our embarkation."
"Had we not best go aboard at once?" she said. "Your enemies mightarrive at any moment by what Paolo tells us."
"The matter is not so pressing as I thought, madam, for the cardinalsent orders to the governor that he is not to open the gates to anyarmed party of friends of Beaufort or Vendome until I am fairly at sea."
He went with the ladies to a private room he had secured.
"I must leave you for a few minutes," he said, "while I have a talk withMacIntosh and the others."
"Well, old friend," he said as he went out to where the little partyof Scotchmen were standing in a group, "what are your plans and wishes?'Tis a pity now that I persuaded you to leave Paris and go down tola Villar, but I did it for the best. I thought of you much as I rodehither."
"Do not trouble about me, colonel, I am by no means sorry at the change.I was getting tired of the cabaret, and should soon have given it upeven had you not come to offer me the wardenship of your chateau. I havechatted matters over with my two friends, and we have not yet agreedwhether to return to Scotland or to remain in France. At any rate weshall go to Paris first; my money is there all in good keeping, togetherwith the two years' payment for the cabaret. Are you thinking of goingto Scotland yourself, colonel?"
"Certainly not to Scotland, I have no friends there, and from all thatI have heard the people are so hard and bigoted, so full of theirreligious differences, that I should feel sorely out of place with them.
"Well, MacIntosh, as soon as I am settled in England I will have aletter conveyed to you in some way at the address of The ScottishSoldier. Wherever I am, there will be a home always open to you, andglad indeed I shall be to have you near me. My four troopers are goingto accompany me. I have talked the matter over with them, and havepromised that I will find a house with a small farm for them on anyestate I may purchase, where they can do such an amount of work aspleases them, or that they can remain in my service on the presentconditions. You can make the same offer in my name to your two comrades.After all, things are not so settled across the water that I candispense with old friends on whom I can rely. Paolo, of course, goeswith me, and will be my right hand."
"I will think it all over, Hector, and maybe one of these days I andthe other two may knock at your door. It is hard if seven old fellowsoldiers could not end their days happily and quietly together."
As soon as the meal had been eaten Hector went to say goodbye to thegovernor, and heard how Vendome's men had been refused entrance. Afterthanking him for the courtesy that he had shown him, he returned to theinn. As the party would require horses on landing, and there was plentyof room on board the vessel that he had engaged, Hector shipped thethree horses that Conde had given him, and four others for the use ofhis men, and after a hearty farewell to MacIntosh on his part and thatof the ladies, they went on board, and a few minutes later the sailswere set and the vessel started down the river. The wind was favourable,and they made a fast voyage down to the sea. Before they reached themouth of the river, however, Hector had ascertained to his satisfactionthat Norah O'More returned the feeling that he felt for her.
"I have loved you," she said, "from the moment when you came to us asour saviour from death on the summit of the turret; and though as timewent on I did not venture to think that you, who had so fair a futurebefore you, would ever think of the girl who with her mother you had sonobly entertained and treated, I should never have loved any other manto the end of my life."
The voyage was without incident, and five days after leaving Nantes theyarrived at Plymouth. Here Hector hired a house, and when the ladies werecomfortably settled he left them in charge of Paolo and two of the men,and rode to London accompanied by the others. Here he called upon thebanker whose address Mazarin had given him, and on sending in his namewas shown into the room in which private business was transacted.
"You have certain moneys of mine in your hands, Mr. Wilson?"
"I have had fifty thousand crowns for the past three years and have putthem out on good security, so that the sum stands at present in my booksat sixty-four thousand crowns. Three days ago I received from CardinalMazarin bills to the amount of one hundred and fifty thousand crowns,being, he said, due to you for the surrender of the fief of laVillar, and for other services rendered to him. The cardinal is a goodpaymaster," he added with a slight smile at seeing Hector's surpriseat the news, "but it was plain from his letter to me that he consideredthat the value of your services was greatly in excess of the sum, largeas it is, that he sent, especially as they had brought great misfortunesupon you, and had forced you to abandon France, and give up yourprofession, in which, he said, your prospects of gaining the highestrank were of the brightest. Now, sir, if there are any services that Ican render you I am at your disposal. You will naturally wish to investyour money in some way, and, though I say it myself, I know of no onewho could lay it out to better advantage."
"You may help me assuredly," Hector said, "for I am an entire strangerin England. I wish to purchase an estate, but have no idea how to setabout it, while, doubtless, you are acquainted with many such domains atpresent for sale. I may say that I will on no account purchase an estatewhich has been confiscated by parliament on account of its owner beingloyal to the crown. Charles II may, and I believe will, return and mountthe throne, and these estates will then beyond doubt be restored totheir former owners, therefore I will have nought to do with suchproperty."
"You could not choose a better time for laying out your money in land,"the banker said. "Great numbers of the nobles and gentlemen of Englandhave been killed or are in exile; many, again, who still hold their landare well nigh ruined by the moneys they spent in the king's service, andwould gladly sell now could they obtain anything like a fair value fortheir estates. I know of a score at least of such properties which areso deeply mortgaged that the owners can scarce afford to live in theirown homes, and would gladly take a sum that would suffice to pay off themortgage and give them the wherewithal to live upon, either abroad orin Virginia, to which colony many loyal gentlemen have already goneto settle. If you will call tomorrow I will give you a list of suchestates, with their size, the amount of their revenues, and the price atwhich their owners would, I know, be glad to sell, for I and some of myfriends have been approached by them with that view."
Hector spent the next three weeks in visiting eight of the estates thatseemed suitable and were all situated in counties near London. Finallyhe settled upon one in Berkshire, which was of considerable size andwith a stately house in a fair position. This he purchased, and then,returning to Plymouth, his marriage with Norah was celebrated there, andhe, with his wife and Madame de Blenfoix and his five followers, rodedown into Berkshire and took possession of the estate, with which allwere delighted. The troopers, instead of accepting the house he offeredthem, preferred to remain in his service, and Paolo was installed asmajordomo of the household. Six months later MacIntosh and his twocomrades came over.
The former declined Hector's offer to take up his abode at the house.
"No, colonel, I have an abundance for myself and my two comrades, andwould rather be near you, where we can live in our own fashion, and givetrouble to no one."
"Well, if you will not come here, MacIntosh, there is a house a quarterof a mile away which will, I think, suit you well. It is not a largeplace, but is a comfortable one, and has been used as the house of thesteward of the estate. As I shall be my own steward it is vacant, andwill, I think, suit you well. It is furnished, so that you and yourcomrades can move in when you like, though the longer you stay with usthe better we shall be pleased."
A fortnight later MacIntosh and his comrades moved in, and there,when not occupied with their duties, one or other of the troopers wasgenerally to be found. Hector often dropped in, and one day laughinglysaid that the house ought to be renamed The Scottish Soldier.
Until the Restoration Hector kept aloof from London, but when Charles IImounted the throne of his fathers he went up, and was presented at courtby one of the many English gentlemen whom he had known in France, wherethey had sought refuge with the queen when the royal cause was lostin England. He did not, however, repeat the visit very often. He wasperfectly happy in his country life, and never once regretted the chainof events that had forced him to give up his life of adventure andexcitement and to settle down peacefully in England.
THE END
Thank you for reading books on BookFrom.Net Share this book with friends