MARTIAL AND THE SLASHER.
Before we pursue our narrative, let us say a few words touching the
recently established connection between the Slasher and Martial. As soon as
Germain had left the prison, the Slasher, who easily proved that he had
robbed himself, confessed to the judge the reason of this singular deceit,
and was set at liberty after receiving a severe and just reproof from the
magistrate. Not having then recovered Fleur-de-Marie, and wishing to
recompense the Slasher (to whom he had already owed his life) for this new
act of devotion, Rudolph, to crown the happiness of his rude _protégée_,
had lodged him in the mansion of the Rue Plumet, promising him to take
him in his train when he returned to Germany. We have already said that
the Slasher felt for Rudolph the instinctive, faithful attachment of a
dog for his master. To live under the same roof with the prince; to see
him sometimes; to await with impatience a new opportunity of sacrificing
himself for his interests, were the limits of the ambition and happiness
of the Slasher, who preferred a thousand times this situation, to money
and the possession of the farm at Algiers which Rudolph had placed at
his disposal. But when the prince had discovered his daughter, all was
changed: notwithstanding his lively gratitude toward the man to whom he
owed his life, he could not resolve to take with him to Germany this
witness of Fleur-de-Marie's first shame. Determined in any other manner
to satisfy the wishes of the Slasher, he sent for him for the last time,
and told him that he expected a new service from his attachment. At
these words, the Slasher's face brightened, but it soon became clouded
when he learned that not; only must he not follow the prince to Germany,
but that it was necessary for him to leave the hotel that very day. It
is useless to speak of the brilliant compensations that Rudolph offered
to the Slasher: the money that was designed for him--the deed for the
farm in Algiers--anything more that he wished; all was at his disposal.
The Slasher, cut to the heart, refused all; and, for the first time in
his life, perhaps, this man shed tears. It had needed all the persuasion
of Rudolph to induce him to accept his previous gifts. The next day the
prince sent for La Louve and Martial; and, without informing them that
Fleur-de-Marie was his daughter, he asked them what he could do for
them; all their wishes should be accomplished. Perceiving their
hesitation, and remembering what Fleur-de-Marie had told him about the
slightly uncivilized tastes of La Louve and her husband, he offered them
either a considerable amount of money, or the half of this amount, and
lands in the vicinity of the farm which he had bought for the Slasher.
Both of them rugged, energetic, both endowed with good natural impulses,
sympathized the better with each other, since they each had reasons to
seek solitude--the one for her past life, the other for the crimes of
his family. He was not deceived; Martial and La Louve accepted his offer
with transport; then, having, through the intervention of Murphy, made
the acquaintance of the Slasher, they mutually congratulated each other
on the agreeable prospects before them in Algiers. Notwithstanding the
deep sadness into which he was plunged; or, rather, in consequence of
this sadness the Slasher, affected by the cordial advances of Martial
and his wife, responded to them with warmth. In a short time a sincere
friendship united the future colonists; persons of their temperament
form very sudden attachments. La Louve and Martial, being unable, in
spite of their kind attentions, to divert the melancholy of their new
friend discontinued their efforts, trusting that the voyage, and the
active employment of their future life, would change his thoughts; for,
once in Algiers they would be obliged to turn their attention to the
cultivation of the lands which had been bestowed upon them. These facts
established, it will be understood that, informed of the painful
interview that Martial was obliged to undergo in obedience to the last
wishes of his mother, the Slasher had wished to accompany his new friend
to the gate of Bicetre, where he awaited him in the coach which had
brought them, and which took them back to Paris, after Martial, deeply
agitated, had left the dungeon, where the terrible preparations for the
execution of mother and sister were being made. The physiognomy of the
Slasher was completely altered; the expression of boldness and of
happiness which ordinarily characterized his manly face was replaced
with sorrowful dejection: his voice, also had lost somewhat of its
roughness. Grief, until now a stranger to him, had broken, prostrated
his energetic nature. He looked at Martial with compassion.
"Cheer up," said the Slasher to him "you have done all that a brave fellow
could do--it is all over, think of your wife, of those children whom you
have prevented from following the bad example of their parents; and then,
besides, this evening we shall have quitted Paris, never to return; and you
will never again hear of that which afflicts you."
"It is a11 the same, do you see, Slasher. After all, it is my mother and my
sister."
"But what would you--this has happened; and it's no use crying over spilled
milk," said the Slasher, suppressing a sigh.
After a moment's silence, Martial said to him, cordially, "I, also, ought
to console you, my poor fellow--always this melancholy."
"Always, Martial."
"Well, my wife and I confidently hope that, once away from Paris, it will
be dissipated."
"Yes," said the Slasher, at the expiration of a few seconds, and hardly
restraining a shudder, "if I leave Paris--"
"But we set out this evening."
"That is to say, _you_--you go this evening."
"And you, then, have you changed your intention recently?"
"No."
"Well, what then?"
The Slasher again remained silent; then he replied, struggling to preserve
his calmness, "Hold, Martial; I know that you will laugh at me; but I wish
to tell you all, so that, if anything should happen to me, this at least
will prove that I was not deceived."
"What is it, then?"
"When M. Rudolph asked if it should be agreeable for us to go together to
Algiers, and to be neighbors there, I did not wish to deceive either you or
your wife. I told you what I had been."
"Let us speak no more about that. You have undergone your punishment--you
are as good as the best of us. But I can conceive that, like me, you would
prefer to live abroad, thanks to our generous protector, than to remain
here, where, no matter how honest, and how easy in our circumstances we may
be, we shall always be reproached, you for the crime which you have
expiated, and which you still regret, and I for the crimes of my parents,
for which I am not responsible. But, between us, the past is gone, and gone
forever. Be tranquilized; we rely upon you, as you may rely upon us."
"Between us, perhaps, the past will be forgotten; but, as I said to M.
Rudolph, Martial, there is a Providence above, and I have killed a man."
"It is a great misfortune; but at the time you did not know what you were
doing--you were not yourself; and, besides, you have saved the lives of
others, and that ought to count in your favor."
"Listen, Martial, I have now spoken to you of my unhappiness, because,
formerly, I often had a dream, in which I saw the sergeant, whom I killed;
for a long time I have not had this dream, and last night I dreamed it"
"It was chance."
"No, this forebodes that some misfortune will happen to me this day."
"You are unreasonable, my good comrade."
"I have a presentiment that I shall never quit Paris."
"Once more, you have not common sense. Your sorrow at the thought of
quitting our benefactor, the knowledge that you were to accompany me to
Bicetre, where so painful an interview awaited me; all this agitated you
last night; hence naturally, your dream returned to you."
The Slasher sadly shook his head.
"It has returned to me on the night before the departure of M. Rudolph, for
it is today that he goes."
"Today?"
"Yes; yesterday I sent a messenger to his hotel, not daring to go there
myself; he has forbidden it. They told him that the prince would set out
this morning, at eleven o'clock, by the Barrière Charenton. Thus, when we
shall have arrived in Paris, I will post myself there, to endeavor to see
him for this last time! the last!"
"He appears so good that I comprehend how well you must love him."
"Love him!" said the Slasher, with deep and passionate emotion; oh, yes! Do
you understand, Martial! to sleep on the ground--to eat black bread--to be
his dog; but to be where he is, I ask nothing more--that was too much--he
did not wish it."
"He has been so generous to you!"
"It is not that which makes me love him so much--it is because he said to
me that I had a heart and honor! yes, and at a time when I was as ferocious
as a wild beast, when I despised myself as the vilest of the vile, he made
me comprehend that there was still some good in me, since, my punishment
inflicted, I had repented, and after having suffered the utmost extremity
of want without being guilty of theft, I had industriously labored to gain
an honest livelihood: wishing to injure no one, although every one looked
upon me as a finished scoundrel, which was not very encouraging. It is
true, in most instances, all that is necessary to keep one in the right
path are words of encouragement and kindness. Is it not so, Martial? So
when M. Rudolph said these words to me, my heart beat high and proudly.
Since then I would go through fire to do a good action. Oh! that the
opportunity might offer! you would see--and to whom the thanks? the thanks
to M. Rudolph."
"Truly, since you are a thousand times better than you used to be, you
should not have such evil presentiments. Your dream signifies nothing."
"Well, we shall see. I do not purposely search for a misfortune; there can
be for me no greater one than that which has already happened; never to see
him more. M. Rudolph! I who thought never more to quit him. In my sphere, I
would have been at his service, body and soul, always ready. Well, perhaps
he is wrong. You know, Martial, that I am but an earth-worm in comparison
with him; well, sometimes it happens that the most insignificant can be
useful to the most powerful. If that should be the case, I would never
pardon him for depriving himself of my services."
"Who knows? one day, perhaps, he will recall you."
"Oh, no! he said to me, 'My good fellow, you must promise me that you will
never endeavor to see me again; by so doing, you will render me a service.'
You understand, Martial, I have promised; on the honor of a man, I will
keep my word; but it is hard."
"Once at our destination, you will forget, by degrees, your sorrow. We will
work, we will live retired and tranquil, like good farmers, except
occasionally trying our skill, as marksmen, on the Arabs. Ah! there La
Louve will help us."
"If it should come to blows, I am at home there, Martial," said the
Slasher, slightly animated. I am unmarried, and I have been a trooper."
"And I a poacher!"
"But you--you have a wife, and these two children whom you have adopted. As
for me, I have nothing but my hide, and since it can no longer serve as a
screen for M. Rudolph, I have no regard for it. So, if we should be obliged
to give them their change, it's my affair."
"Ah! we'll both have something to do with it."
"No; I alone--thunder! leave the Bedouins to me."
"Good; I would rather hear you speak thus than you did a short time since.
Come, Slasher, we will be true brothers, and you can converse with me of
your sorrow, if it endures, for I have my own. The recollection of this day
will last all my life. One cannot see his mother, his sister, as I have
seen mine, without forever bearing it in remembrance. Our situations are so
similar that it is good for us to be together. We will not fear to look
danger in the face; well, we will be half farmers, half soldiers. If we can
start any game, we will hunt. If you wish to live alone, you can do so, and
we will be near neighbors: if otherwise, we will all live together. We will
bring up the children like honest people, and you shall be, almost, their
uncle, while we will be brothers. How does it suit you?" said Martial,
offering his hand to the Slasher.
"It suits me well, my good Martial; and then, sorrow shall kill me or I
will kill it, as the saying is."
"It will not kill you--we shall grow old in our wilderness, and every night
we will say, brother, _thanks_ to M. Rudolph--that shall be our prayer
for him."
"Martial, you put balsam on my wound."
"Good; this foolish dream, you will think no more of it, I hope?"
"I will endeavor."
"Ah! well, you will call for us at four o'clock? the diligence starts at
five."
"It is agreed upon. But here we are in Paris; I will stop the coach, and go
on foot to the Barrière Charenton; I will await M. Rudolph, to see him
pass."
The carriage stopped, and the Slasher got out.
"Don't forget, at four o'clock, my good comrade," said Martial: "at four
o'clock!"
The Slasher had forgotten that it was the morning after Mid-Lent. So he was
much surprised at the spectacle, at the same time fantastic and hideous,
which was presented to his view when he walked through a part of the
exterior boulevard which he crossed on his way to the Barridre Charenton.