We left Louis de Montigni on horseback, in a field near Chartres,
ready to exchange the deadly shot with one well practised in the use
of every weapon; and though we have given some indications of his
fate, we must, nevertheless now return to tell how that morning
passed. The Duke of Nemours was, as the reader is well aware, one of
the most distinguished members of the League, an enemy of the King,
and armed against the life of the young nobleman, who now faced him.
The customs of the day, too, rendered the death of an opponent in such
a combat, honourable rather than discreditable to the survivor. But,
notwithstanding all this, De Montigni had, from the first, felt great
reluctance, even to attempt to take the life of his antagonist, and in
the terms of duel which he had fixed, he had limited the number of
shots, not with any view to his own personal safety; for he was one of
those who do not easily apply the thought of danger to their own
heart; but in order not to be compelled to injure the Duke.
As soon as Nemours saw that he had placed himself, and had wheeled his
horse, he raised his hat and bowed, and then replacing it on his head,
took the large pistol with which he was armed, in his right hand, his
reins in the left, and striking his spurs into the horse's flank,
galloped forward to meet his adversary. He had no hesitation on his
part, he had no remorse; but De Montigni was equally calm and cool,
for his mind was also made up as to what he should do; and keeping a
wary eye upon the Duke, he likewise rode on, though at a slower pace.
Nearer and more near they came to each other, with the muzzles of
their pistols raised, till--at the distance of about twenty
paces--Nemours levelled his weapon straight at his opponent's head.
The next moment De Montigni followed his example, but reserved his
fire.
The Duke, in truth, did not intend to discharge his pistol at so great
a distance; but just at that spot, there was a narrow cut in the
field, made for the purposes of irrigation; and, seeing that he must
leap it, and thereby shake his hand, Nemours pulled the trigger at
once. At that very moment, however, the horse, seeing the little
ditch, was rising to the leap, and the Duke's aim was consequently
unsteady.
It was more just than might have been expected, indeed, for the ball
grazed De Montigni's cheek, and passed through his hat, which was
somewhat cast back from his brow. His face was covered with blood in
an instant, and he felt himself wounded; but the injury was too slight
to move him in any degree, and, without checking his speed, he rode on
upon the Duke with his pistol, levelled, producing it must be
acknowledged, no very pleasant sensations in his antagonist's bosom.
When, within three yards, he slightly turned his hand to the right,
and fired.
The ball flew at a considerable distance from Nemours; and the two
horses, carried on by their speed, passed each other before they could
be reined up. As they went by, however, the Duke exclaimed, "Ah! that
is not fair, Monsieur de Montigni."
The young nobleman pulled in the bridle as soon as possible, and
returned, inquiring, "What is not fair, my lord?"
"Come, come," said Nemours, as they met, "own you did not fire at me."
"Nay, my lord," replied De Montigni with a slight smile, "You have no
right to blame me for my bungling. I fired my pistol; that is enough,
though I will own, I am glad to see you uninjured."
"Well, Monsieur de Montigni," rejoined the Duke, "all I know is, that
if my horse had not risen to the leap before there was any need, you
would now be lying on that grass; and I am very sure that I saw you
turn your pistol to the right, or I might have been lying there
instead. Confess the fact; is it not so?"
"You must excuse me, Sir," replied De Montigni gravely. "I fired to
the best of my judgment; but whatever be your feelings towards me, I
am well satisfied that France will not have to reproach me with the
death of one of her most gallant Princes, nor the King for having
deprived him of one who, I trust, will one day be one of his most
faithful subjects. But I must stop this blood, for it is staining all
my collar. Had your shot been but two inches to the right, there would
have been no need of surgeons."
"I am glad it was not," said Nemours frankly; and, both having
dismounted, De Montigni took some of the water from the little cut in
the meadow, and washed away the gore from his face.
"Stay, stay," cried the Duke, producing some lint. "I have always some
of this about me when I go to the field; and it will soon staunch the
blood."
With his own hands he aided to dress the wound which he had made; and
they were still thus employed, when a man, dressed in peaceful attire
as it was considered in that day--though his apparel consisted of a
stout buff coat, a slouched hat, wide crimson breeches, a pair of
enormous jack boots, a sword and dagger--rode up, mounted on a strong
grey charger. Over his shoulders, suspended by a leathern strap, hung
a trumpet ornamented with a banner of the arms of France; and drawing
in his rein at the distance of about twenty yards from the two
gentlemen, as he was passing on towards the high road, he exclaimed,
"Ha, ha, Messieurs, it is a pity, I think, that I was not here some
ten minutes earlier. I could have sounded the charge."
"We have done very well without you, my good friend," replied the
Duke; "but you seem a trumpet from Henry of Bourbon. What is your
errand?"
"That I shall tell to those whom I am sent to," answered the
trumpeter.
"Pray who may they be?" demanded Nemours.
"Monsieur de la Bourdasière, and his Highness, the Duke of Nemours,"
answered the trumpeter. "I shall find them both in Chartres, I
suppose?"
"You won't find his Highness of Nemours," said the Duke, laughing;
"unless you wait till I come, my friend. But go on, I will soon follow
you."
"If you are the Duke," replied the trumpeter, "I may as well give you
my letter here, and you can con it over and make up your mind by the
way, for I must get back with all speed."
Thus saying, he dismounted from his horse, and led it forward by the
bridle towards the Duke, drawing forth a letter, at the same time,
from a pouch under his left arm. Nemours took it, cut the silk between
the two seals with his dagger, and read the contents.
"This is strange, enough, De Montigni," he said. "This epistle is all
about you, except, indeed, a few words which your King has been
pleased to add, regarding the advantages which I might obtain by
returning, as he terms it, to my allegiance."
"What is his Majesty pleased to say concerning me?" asked De Montigni.
"I should scarcely think he knew that I was a prisoner."
"Oh, good faith," exclaimed Nemours. "You are a man of much greater
consequence than you imagine. Here, he offers in exchange for your
humble self, our good friend, the Marquis de Megnelai, requiring,
however, at the same time, the liberty of the fair lady we sent off
this morning for Marzay."
"I will beseech you, my lord," replied De Montigni gravely, "not to
speak upon that subject, for it is a matter that I cannot easily
forgive."
"On my life," cried Nemours, holding out his hand to him frankly, "I
am sorry for it, De Montigni; but if it were to be done over again, I
should be obliged to do it, for I had pledged my word; and that cannot
be broken. I had letters from your cousin Chazeul, the day before the
battle, and assured him in return, that if Mademoiselle d'Albret fell
into my hands, she should be restored to her guardian. Otherwise, I
would not have done it; and now believe me, I love you all the better,
for having fought with you. Thus, as before, you are at full liberty
to go whithersoever you will; and I leave it to you and the King to
settle, whether you will take the exchange of Megnelai, or pay ransom
as before agreed. I would prefer the former, as the Marquis must not
say that I have neglected any opportunity to set him free; but perhaps
the King may not think fit to agree, as the lady cannot be restored
according to his demand."
"I should prefer paying my own ransom," replied De Montigni. "The
King's goodness is very great; and I can only attribute it to the
services of my good uncle, the Commander; but still I would not take
advantage of it, if it can be avoided."
"That as you please," replied Nemours; "but the best thing for you now
to do, is to return with me to Chartres, and then accompany this good
trumpeter back to the Bearnois' head-quarters. We shall not have to
detain him long."
De Montigni paused thoughtfully for a moment; but, before he could
reply, the King's trumpeter interposed, saying, "I have nothing to
take me on to Chartres, Monsieur de Nemours. I was commanded, if I did
not find you in the place, to give the letter to Monsieur de la
Bourdasière, and tell him to open it; but I have no letter absolutely
for him; and if you have settled matters with Monsieur here, I do not
see why I should not turn my bridle, and ride back."
"Well then, God speed you both," cried Nemours. "Offer my humble duty
to the King of Navarre; tell him, I will write myself in the course of
the day, but that, in the meantime, I only regret, my conscience will
not let me serve a monarch who has placed himself out of the pale of
the church; for a braver man, or a better general, does not live."
Thus saying, he put his foot in the stirrup, and sprang upon his
horse's back. Then turning to the young nobleman he continued, "Come,
shake hands, Monsieur de Montigni. We will part friends, though we met
enemies; and if you would take my advice, you would lose no time in
being under the walls of Marzay with a strong hand; for there is no
knowing what Maître Chazeul may do. He is playing a fine game with my
good kinsman Mayenne. We see it well enough; for, unless he had been
looking for his own advantage more than for the good of the League, he
would have been upon the field of Ivry, with all his forces, instead
of sending forty men under his bailli, which was but a mockery; and so
we should not object to see him humbled a little."
"I will take your advice, my lord," replied De Montigni; "but to say
truth, I am somewhat puzzled as to my movements. I have not been bred
up amongst all these scenes of strife, as you have, and know not how
or where to raise a body of men in a few hours, though I hear it is
done in France daily."
Nemours laughed. "Gold, gold! Monsieur de Montigni," he replied.
"Sides have been so frequently changed, and fortune, the fickle
goddess, has spun her wheel round so often, that half France knows not
what the other side is fighting for; and thus, I believe, there are at
least a hundred thousand men in this good country, who might be
enlisted by beat of drum for any cause under heaven, so that it bore
upon its banner the significant emblem of a crown piece. Every village
is full of them, and you have nothing to do, but to stuff your pockets
with testons, ride into the market place, and shout, 'Who will serve
De Montigni?' and you will have a score at least after your heels, in
half an hour, even if your first command should be, that they all turn
Turk!"
He spoke somewhat bitterly; but, though the young nobleman himself was
in no very gay mood, he could not help smiling at the picture--too
true a one--of the state of France.
"I will try what can be done," he replied; and, mounting his own
horse, he rode off with the trumpeter, in one direction, while Nemours
pursued his way back to Chartres.
At the gate of that city, a number of the gentlemen who had come
thither in attendance upon his own person, and several of the officers
of the garrison, were looking anxiously for his return; and, well
aware of the object for which he had gone forth, had horses ready
saddled to seek him in case he did not soon make his appearance.
"Well, my lord Duke, Well, Sir?" cried half a dozen voices as he rode
in amongst them, "you have killed him, I suppose?"
Nemours made no reply; but la Bourdasière, who was at their head,
pointed to the stains upon the Duke's hand and sleeve, and, with as
much quiet satisfaction as if they were talking of a boar-hunt,
exclaimed, "Ay, ay, he has had enough; that is clear. Your arm is all
over blood."
Nemours bent down his head to the governor, saying in a low voice, "He
is wounded, but not killed. However, the less we talk about it the
better, la Bourdasière; for he had my life in his hands, and did not
take it. If all that faction would but act as Henry of Navarre and
Louis de Montigni, we should soon have France turning heretic for
their sake. But, hark you; I have met with a trumpet from the King,
demanding this lad's exchange for De Megnelai. There are a few words
in the end of the letter, which make me suspect that Henry will not
march on at once to Paris, but that we may have him upon our hands
here, before many days be over. You must call in all your parties as
fast as possible, and send a messenger at once to Marzay after the
people who have gone with De Mottraye. Tell them to make no halt, but
to return immediately."
"I have got tidings of the same kind too," replied la Bourdasière,
"and I only waited your return to send; for I knew not if you had any
message for Monsieur de Chazeul."
"No," answered the Duke thoughtfully. "No: he is not to be depended
on; but dispatch your man as quickly as possible."
This whispered conversation, the blood upon Nemours' hand and sleeve,
and the fact of his having returned alone from the field, was quite
sufficient to give rise to the rumour of De Montigni's death, which
soon became current in Chartres. The truth was known indeed, before
nightfall; but long ere the report was corrected, the messenger was on
his way to Marzay, bearing the tidings as he had first heard them.