SWINDLED
While Montferrand and Talizac were struggling, Robeckal slipped up to
the door and winked to Louison. She hurried out and implored Robeckal to
bring her out of this miserable house. This was just what the wretch had
been waiting for, and hardly five minutes later he was in a small street
with the betrayed girl. In this street a carriage stood. Robeckal seized
the unsuspecting girl by the waist, lifted her into the carriage, and
sprang in himself. The driver whipped up the horses and away they went
at a rapid gait.
"Where are you bringing me to?" cried Louison in terror, as she saw the
carriage take a wrong direction.
"Keep still, my little pigeon," laughed Robeckal, "I am bringing you to
a place where it will please you."
Louison for a moment was speechless; she soon recovered herself,
however, comprehended her position at a glance, hastily pulled down the
carriage window, and cried aloud for help.
"Silence, minx!" exclaimed Robeckal roughly, and pulling a cloth out of
his pocket he held it in front of Louison's face.
"Ah, now you are getting tame," he mockingly laughed, as the young
girl, moaning softly, fell back in the cushions. The carriage hurried
along and finally stopped in an obscure street of the Belleville
Quarter.
Robeckal sprang out, and taking the unconscious Louison in his arms, he
carried her up the stairs of a small house, and pulled the bell, while
the carriage rolled on.
"Ah, here you are; let me see the chicken!"
With these words Rolla received her comrade.
She put the lamp close to Louison's face, and then said:
"Your Talizac hasn't got bad taste; the little one is handsome."
"Is everything in order?" asked Robeckal, going up the stairs after the
"Cannon Queen."
"Certainly, look for yourself."
Robeckal entered an elegantly furnished room, and, placing Louison on a
sofa, he said in a commendatory tone:
"It's pretty fair."
"Don't you think so? Leave the rest to me; I have a grand idea."
"An idea?" repeated Robeckal, doubtingly.
"Yes, an idea that will bring us in a nice sum of money."
"Then I am satisfied. If the little one only does not cause us any
embarrassment."
"No fear of that. In the first place she should sleep."
The virago poured a few drops of a watery liquid in a spoon and
approached Louison. The latter had her lips parted, but her teeth were
tightly drawn together. Robeckal carefully put the blade of his knife
between them, and Rolla poured the liquid down Louison's throat.
"Now come downstairs with me," she said, turning to Robeckal, "and if
your vicomte comes you will praise me."
The worthy pair now left Louison, who was sleeping; and after Rolla had
tightly locked the door and put the key in her pocket, they both strode
to the basement. Here they entered a small, dirty room, and Rolla had
just filled two glasses with rum when a carriage stopped in front of the
door.
"Here they are," said Robeckal, hastily emptying his glass and going to
the street door, from whence came the sound of loud knocks.
Shortly afterward he returned in company with Talizac and Velletri. The
vicomte's face was flushed with the wine he had been drinking; spots of
blood were on his clothes, and his walk was uneven and unsteady.
Velletri, on the other hand, showed not a trace of excitement, and his
dress was neat and select.
"A glass of water!" commanded the vicomte, in a rough voice, turning to
Rolla.
The fat woman looked angrily at him, and while she brought the water she
muttered to herself:
"Wait now. You shall pay dearly for your coarseness."
Talizac drank, and then said:
"Is the little one here?"
"Yes."
"You haven't done anything to her, have you?"
"What do you take me for?" growled Rolla.
"Bring me some wash water," said the vicomte, without noticing Rolla's
sensitiveness, and turning to Velletri, he added: "Montferrand handled
me roughly; I look as if I had been torn from the gallows."
"As if you won't get there one of these days," growled Rolla; and,
lighting a candle, she said aloud, "If the gentlemen wish I will conduct
them to the 'Marquise.'"
"Go on; where is she?"
"In the upper story--she is sleeping."
"So much the better. I will lavish my affection on her, and see if she
is still as prudish."
Rolla preceded the vicomte up the stairs. As she went past she exchanged
a quick glance with Robeckal, and the latter growled to himself:
"There is something up with her; I will watch and help her should it be
necessary."
Rolla and Talizac were now in front of the door which led to Louison's
room. The vicomte looked inquiringly at his companion and said:
"Open it."
"One moment, we are not as far as that yet. Just look at the little one
first."
With these words Rolla opened a sliding window in the door and stepped
back, while the vicomte bent down and looked into the partly lighted
room.
Louison lay fast asleep on the sofa. The pretty head rested on the left
arm, while the right hung carelessly down, and the long eyelashes lay
tightly on the slightly flushed cheeks. The small, delicate mouth was
slightly compressed, and the mass of silky hair fell in natural curls
about the white forehead.
"Isn't she charming?" giggled Rolla.
Talizac was a libertine, a dissipated man, and yet when he saw the
sleeping girl, a feeling he could not account for overcame him. He
forgot where he was, that the miserable woman at his side had helped to
carry out his dastardly plans, and all his longing now was to throw
himself at Louison's feet, and say to her:
"I love you dearly!"
"Open," he hastily ordered.
Rolla let the window fall again and looked impertinently at him.
"My lord," she said, with a courtesy, "before I open this door you will
pay me twenty thousand francs."
"Woman, are you mad?"
"Bah! you would shout so! I said twenty thousand francs, and I mean it.
Here is my hand. Count in the money and I will get the key."
"Enough of this foolish talk," cried the vicomte, in a rage. "I paid
your comrade the sum he demanded, and that settles it."
"You are more stupid than I thought," laughed Rolla. "If you do not pay,
nothing will come of the affair."
"But this is a swindle," said the vicomte.
"Do not shout such language through the whole house," growled Rolla. "Do
you think it is a pleasure to abduct girls? Robeckal had enough trouble
with the little one and--"
What Rolla said further was drowned by the noise Talizac made as he
threw himself against the door. It did not move an inch though; and
before the vicomte could try again, Robeckal hurried up with a long
knife in his hand.
"What is the matter?" he angrily cried.
"Your friend the vicomte forgot his purse and thinks he can get the
girl on credit," mockingly replied Rolla.
The noise brought Velletri up too; but as soon as he saw Robeckal's long
knife, he turned about again. The vicomte too became pacified.
"I will give you all the money I have with me," he said, as he turned
the contents of his purse into Rolla's big hand. "Count and see how much
it is."
"Ten, twenty, eight hundred francs," counted the Cannon Queen; "we shall
keep the money on account, and when you bring the rest, you can get the
key."
"This is miserable," hissed Talizac, as he turned to go; "who will vouch
to me that you won't ask me again for the money?"
"Our honor, vicomte," replied Rolla, grinning. "We think as much of our
reputation as high-toned people."
"Scoundrels," muttered Talizac, as he went away with Velletri. "If we
could only do without them!"