THE GRATITUDE OF A NOBLEMAN
Fanfaro was hardly a hundred feet away from Sainte-Ame, when Girdel
opened his eyes and looked about him.
"What, my little Caillette is weeping!" he muttered, half-laughing.
"Child, you probably thought I was dead?"
"Oh, God be praised and thanked!" cried Caillette, springing up and
falling upon her father's neck.
Bobichel almost sprung to the ceiling, and Schwan, between laughing and
crying, exclaimed:
"What a fright you gave us, old boy. The poor fellow rode away in the
night to get a physician, and--"
"A physician? For me?" laughed Girdel. "Thank God, we are not so far
gone."
"But you were unconscious more than half an hour; we became frightened,
and Fanfaro rode to Vagney."
"He rode? On our old mare, perhaps? If he only returns," said Girdel,
anxiously. "The water must be dangerous about Vagney."
"He has a good horse; the Countess of Salves gave Fanfaro her
thoroughbred," said Bobichel.
"Ah! that is different. Now, children, let me alone. Cousin Schwan,
send me the two men whom I am to bring to Remiremont to-morrow; I must
speak to them."
Caillette, Bobichel, Schwan and Rolla went away. In the dark corridor a
figure passed by Rolla, and a hoarse voice said:
"Well?"
"All for nothing," growled Rolla; "he lives, and is as healthy as a fish
in the water."
"You don't say so," hissed Robeckal.
"It was your own fault," continued the virago. "A good stab in the right
place, and all is over; but you have no courage."
"Silence, woman!" growled Robeckal. "I have attended to that in another
way; he shall not trouble us long. Tell me, does he ever receive any
letters?"
"A great pile," said Rolla.
"And you cannot tell me their contents?"
"No; I never read them."
This discretion had good grounds. Rolla could not read, but she did not
wish to admit it to him. Whether Robeckal suspected how things were, we
do not know; anyhow, he did not pursue the subject any further, but
said:
"Schwan brought two men to Girdel a little while ago; come with me to
the upper story; we can listen at the door there and find out what they
say."
When Robeckal and Rolla, after listening nearly two hours, slipped
downstairs they had heard all that Girdel and the two gentlemen had
said. They knew Fanfaro had been deputed to take important papers to
Paris and give them to a certain person who had been designated; Girdel
had guaranteed that Fanfaro would fill the mission promptly.
When Robeckal returned to the inn, Simon rushed in pale and trembling.
He could hardly reply to the landlord's hurried questions; the words,
"In the water--the flood--dead--my poor master!" came from his trembling
lips, and immediately afterward he sank to the floor unconscious.
While Schwan was busy with him, the sound of a horse's hoofs was heard.
"Thank God, here comes Fanfaro!" exclaimed Bobichel and Caillette,
simultaneously, and they both rushed to the door.
Who can describe their astonishment when they saw the marquis, dripping
with water and half frozen, get down from the horse and enter the room?
"Where is Fanfaro?" asked Bobichel, anxiously.
"He will soon be here," replied the marquis; "the horse ran away with
me, and I could not hold him."
"Then the brave fellow is not injured?" asked Schwan, vivaciously.
"God forbid; quick, give me a glass of brandy and lead me to Girdel; I
must speak to him at once."
While the host went to get the brandy, Simon and the marquis exchanged
looks; the next minute Schwan returned and the nobleman drank a large
glass of brandy at a gulp.
"Ah, that warms," he said, smacking his lips, "and now let us look for
Girdel."
As soon as the marquis left the room, Robeckal drew near to the steward
and whispered:
"Follow me, I must speak to you."
They both went into the hall and held a conversation in low tones.
Suddenly a cry of joy reached their ears, and the next minute they saw
Bobichel, who, in his anxiety about Fanfaro, had hurried along the road,
enter the house with the young man.
"There he is," whispered Robeckal, "God knows how it is, but neither
fire nor water seems to have the slightest effect on him."
"We will get rid of him, never fear," said Simon, wickedly.
From the upper story loud cries were heard. Rolla danced with a brandy
bottle in her hand, and Girdel was asking himself how he ever could have
made such a low woman his wife.
A knock was now heard on his door; Girdel cried, "Come in," in powerful
tones, and a man, a stranger to him, crossed the threshold.
"Have I the honor of addressing Monsieur Girdel?" the stranger politely
asked.
"At your service; that is my name."
"I am the Marquis of Fougereuse, and would like to have an interview
with you."
"Take a seat, my lord marquis, and speak," said Girdel, looking
expectantly at his visitor.
"I will not delay you long, Monsieur Girdel," the marquis began; "I know
you have met with a misfortune--"
"Oh, it was not serious," said the athlete.
"Monsieur Girdel," continued the nobleman, "about one hour ago I was in
peril of my life, and one of your men rescued me at the risk of his."
"You don't say so? How did it happen?" cried Girdel.
"I was in danger of drowning in the Cure; a young man seized me from out
of the turbulent waters and carried me in his arms to a place of
safety."
"Ah, I understand, the young man of whom you spoke--"
"Was your son, Fanfaro!"
"I thought so," said the athlete; "if Fanfaro is alone only one second,
he generally finds time to save somebody. Where is the boy now?"
"He will be here soon. He asked me to get on the back of the horse with
him. I got up first, and hardly had the fiery steed felt some one on his
back than he flew away like an arrow. I was too feeble to check the
horse, and so my rescuer was forced to follow on foot."
"Fanfaro doesn't care for that; he walks miles at a time without getting
tired, and in less than fifteen minutes he will be here."
"Then it is the right time for me to ask you a few questions which I do
not wish him to hear. You are probably aware what my position at court
is?"
"Candidly, no; the atmosphere of the court has never agreed with me."
"Then let me tell you that my position is a very influential one, and
consequently it would be easy for me to do something for you and
your--son."
The marquis pronounced the word "son" in a peculiar way, but Girdel
shook his head.
"I wish Fanfaro was my son," he sighed; "I know of no better luck."
"If the young man is not your son," said the marquis, "then he would
need my assistance the more. His parents are, perhaps, poor people, and
my fortune--"
"Fanfaro has no parents any more, my lord marquis."
"Poor young man!" said the nobleman, pityingly; "but what am I saying?"
he interrupted himself with well-played anger. "Fanfaro has no doubt
found a second father in you; I would like to wager that you were a
friend of his parents, and have bestowed your friendship upon the son."
"You are mistaken, my lord; I found Fanfaro on the road."
"Impossible! What singular things one hears! Where did you find the
boy?"
"Ah! that is an old story, but if it interests you I will relate it to
you: One cold winter day, I rode with my wagon--in which was, besides my
stock, my family and some members of my troupe--over a snow-covered
plain in the Vosges, when I suddenly heard loud trumpet tones. At first
I did not pay any attention to them. It was in the year 1814, and such
things were not uncommon then. However, the tones were repeated, and I
hurried in the direction from whence they proceeded. I shall never
forget the sight which met me. A boy about ten years of age lay
unconscious over a dead trumpeter, and his small hands were nervously
clutched about the trumpet. It was plain that he had blown the notes I
had heard and then fallen to the ground in a faint. I took the poor
little fellow in my arms; all around lay the bodies of many French
soldiers, and the terrors of the neighborhood had no doubt been too much
for the little rogue. We covered him in the wagon with warm cloaks, and
because the poor fellow had blown such fanfares upon the trumpet, we had
called him Fanfaro."
"Didn't he have any name?" asked the marquis, nervously.
"That, my dear sir, wasn't so easy to find out. Hardly had we taken the
boy to us than he got the brain-fever, and for weeks lay on the brink of
the grave. When he at length recovered, he had lost his memory entirely,
and only after months did he regain it. At last he could remember the
name of the village where he had formerly lived--"
"What was the name of this village?" interrupted the marquis, hurriedly.
"Leigoutte, my lord."
The nobleman had almost uttered a cry, but he restrained himself in
time, and Girdel did not notice his guest's terrible excitement.
"His name, too, and those of his parents and sister, we found out after
a time," continued Girdel; "his father's name was Jules, his mother's
Louise, his sister's Louison, and his own Jacques. On the strength of
his information I went to Leigoutte, but found out very little. The
village had been set on fire by the Cossacks and destroyed. Of the
inhabitants only a few women and children had been rescued, and the only
positive thing I heard was that Jacques's mother had been burned to
death in a neighboring farmhouse. The men of Leigoutte had made a stand
against the Cossacks, but had been fairly blown into the air by them. I
returned home dissatisfied. Fanfaro remained with us; he learned our
tricks, and we love him very much. Where he managed to procure the
knowledge he has is a riddle to me; he never went to a regular school,
and yet he knows a great deal. He is a genius, my lord marquis, and a
treasure for our troupe."
Cold drops of perspiration stood on the nobleman's forehead. No, there
was no longer any doubt: Fanfaro was his brother's son!
"Have you never been able to find out his family name?" he asked, after
a pause.
"No; the Cossacks set fire to the City Hall at Weissenbach and all the
records there were destroyed. An old shepherd said he had once been told
that Jules was the scion of an old noble family. Anything positive on
this point, I could not find out--I--"
At this point the door was hastily opened and Fanfaro entered. He rushed
upon Girdel and enthusiastically cried:
"Thank God, Papa Girdel, that you are well again."
"You rascal, you," laughed Girdel, looking proudly at the young man.
"You have found time again to rescue some one."
"Monsieur Fanfaro," said the marquis now, "permit me once more to thank
you for what you have done for me. I can never repay you."
"Don't mention it, sir," replied Fanfaro, modestly, "I have only done my
duty."
"Well I hope if you should ever need me you will let me know. The
Marquis of Fougereuse is grateful."
When the marquis went downstairs shortly afterward, he found Simon
awaiting him.
"Simon," he said, hurriedly, "do you know who Fanfaro is?"
"No, my lord."
"He is the son of my brother, Jules de Fougereuse."
"Really?" exclaimed Simon, joyfully, "that would be splendid."
"Listen to my plan; the young man must die, but under such circumstances
as to have his identity proved, so that Pierre Labarre can be forced to
break his silence. You understand me, Simon?"
"Perfectly so, my lord; and I can tell you now that I already know the
means and way to do the job. A little while ago a man, whom I can trust,
informed me that Fanfaro is going to play a part in the conspiracy
against the government which I have already spoken to you about."
"So much the better; but can he be captured in such a way that there
will be no outlet for him?"
"I hope so."
"Who gave you this information?" asked the marquis, after Simon had told
him all that Robeckal had overheard.
"A man called Robeckal; he is a member of Girdel's troupe."
"Good."
The marquis took out a note-book, wrote a few lines, and then said:
"Here, take this note, Simon, and accompany Robeckal at once to
Remiremont. There you will go to the Count of Vernac, the police
superintendent, and give him the note. The count is a faithful supporter
of the monarchy, and will no doubt accede to my request to send some
policemen here this very night to arrest Girdel and Fanfaro. The rest I
shall see to."
"My lord, I congratulate you," said Simon, respectfully.