OFF FROM CORSICA.
We had no means of knowing how far advanced the night might be, but
we knew that our enemies intended to return early in the morning; we
saw that the moon was waning, and we naturally wished to get away
from the vicinity of the _chapelle mortuaire_ with all possible
expedition. Having been obliged to partially undress ourselves in
order to find materials for the rope, we began hastily resuming such
articles of attire as had been taken off; whilst thus engaged Kitty
said:
"It seems to me rather a chance that we don't run straight into the
arms of those two villains when we leave this place. I don't the
least know which way to go; for, except that we're in Corsica, I have
uncommonly little notion of where we are. Have you?"
"Well, only this much," I replied; "in coming here we travelled a
good deal more uphill than down, so I expect we must be in rather
high ground. And when our captors left us I heard them say they
were going to a cave in the mountains, so they will be coming here
from somewhere above. Therefore, I think, we must obviously guide
ourselves by the rule of going always downhill, if we want to reach a
safe district, and keep out of harm's way."
"Yes; there's sense in that," answered she. "Downhill shall be our
rule, as you say. But first of all, here's this enclosing wall to be
got out of. We shall have to find some way of climbing over it,
unless we can open the gate."
Luckily, however, the gate had only been swung to, and not fastened;
so we had no difficulty in passing through it. Outside there was a
roughly made road, much overgrown in consequence of long disuse, and
going in two opposite directions.
"Come along," said Kitty; "roads almost always lead _somewhere_,
and it is to be hoped this one is no exception; then we shall find
ourselves at some inhabited locality or other at last. The way to the
right goes downwards, I think."
Off we set to the right, therefore, at full speed, and ran ourselves
out of breath; then we walked till we had got enough fresh wind to
begin running again; then ran till we were blown again; and so on,
recommencing as before, and ever and anon listening anxiously for
any sounds of pursuit. For though it was not yet the time when the
robbers had announced they would return to us, yet our fears
suggested the possibility of their having changed their minds, and
gone back to the _chapelle_ sooner than they had intended. Presently
the moon set; and after that the unevenness of the track and the
darkness combined caused us to stumble, slip, and fall several times.
But we did not slacken pace on that account, and continued our
headlong flight, till at last we came to a road which was so much
broader and better than the one we had hitherto been following, that
we had little doubt of its being the route _nationale_.
We had now a comfortable sensation of being once more within reach of
protection; and shortly afterwards we were yet further cheered by a
sound behind us of wheels, horses' feet, and jingling bells, which
announced that some vehicle was approaching. We hailed it as soon as
it came up to us; but found, to our disgust, that our shouts produced
no effect; for no one paid the slightest attention to them, and
the thing lumbered heavily past in the darkness, giving a general
impression of length and bulk which made us guess it to be a
diligence, though we could not see it clearly. Having no fancy to be
thus ignored and left behind, we gave chase, and quickly overtook the
slowly-moving conveyance as it crawled up a hill. Being one of the
mail diligences it had a letter-box hanging at the back, just above a
broad low step, which it was easy to mount and descend from whilst
the vehicle was in motion; thus any one with letters to post could
jump up, consign them to the box, and get down again without causing
any stoppage, so that the diligence was a sort of moving post-office.
This step was most convenient to us at this moment. There was room
enough for us both to sit upon it, and we very soon established
ourselves in this muddy but not uncomfortable situation, rejoicing
greatly at the welcome rest and security which it afforded. None of
the people inside the diligence attempted to dislodge us, or took any
notice of us, so I imagine either that our proceeding must have been
too ordinary a one to attract attention, or else that they were all
fast asleep. On the horses trotted again when the top of the hill was
reached; the mud-splashes bespattered us freely, and we had to hold
tight for fear of being shaken off by some severer jolt than usual;
but we maintained our position till the carriage, after travelling
some distance, came to a standstill, and some one began to get down.
Then, fearing lest gratuitous conveyance might be objected to, we got
off and stood aside to reconnoitre before showing ourselves.
It appeared that the reason of the halt was our having reached an inn
at which some one in the diligence was going to alight. The house
door stood wide open, which indicated, I suppose, that accommodation
might be had within by any one who could manage to awake one of the
inhabitants; but otherwise there was no sign of readiness for guests;
the premises were totally unlighted; there was no guardian--human or
canine--to give notice of the arrival of either friend or foe, nor
was there any bell or other means of summons.
The diligence having drawn up opposite to this primitive hotel,
one of the passengers got out with a bag in his hand, and the
_conducteur_ descended from his perch bearing a lantern. Then they
entered the house, and as they did so the lantern went out, and we
heard them go stumbling and groping their way in the dark upstairs to
the first floor. Here there was a fastened door, which prevented a
further advance, and a considerable amount of knocking, kicking, and
bawling ensued, till some inmate was at last aroused to come and see
what was wanted. Up to this moment the _conducteur_ had appeared to
consider himself as to some extent bound to look after the passenger
whom his vehicle had conveyed there; but the instant his ears had
assured him of the fact of there being a living person in the inn, he
evidently felt that _his_ duty in the matter was at an end, and all
responsibility for the traveller henceforth transferred to the
landlord. No sooner, therefore, were the first sounds audible of some
one stirring within than the _conducteur_ left his charge to take
care of himself and came clattering downstairs and out into the
road again, without troubling himself to wait for the inner door
to be opened, in order to find out whether the new-comer could be
accommodated, or whether, perhaps, the little hostelry might be
already full--in which case the visitor would have had no option
about passing the rest of the night in the street, unless he had
preferred going on again in the diligence.
"Not much like English ideas of travelling and arriving at a hotel,
is it?" whispered Kitty to me, with much truth.
As soon as the _conducteur_ returned to the road, we stepped up to
him, and Kitty asked if he would kindly tell us the name of this
place, and also what was the destination of the diligence, as we
were strangers who had got lost, and did not know where we were. He
looked at us with no little surprise, and answered that our present
situation was St. Marie Sicché, and that the diligence was on its way
to Ajaccio.
This was a welcome piece of information. St. Marie Sicché was, it
will be remembered, the village where we had slept on the first night
of our driving-tour; consequently we were not in an altogether
strange district, and knew that we were within three or four hours of
Ajaccio, where the best part of our luggage was left, and where we
were more at home than in any other part of the island. There could
be no doubt that the best thing for us to do was to get there and
make ourselves comfortable at the hotel as soon as possible; and
then, when the telegraph offices should be open in the morning, we
would find out where Mrs. Rollin was, and relieve her mind as to our
safety. The only obstacle was that we had no money to pay for our
conveyance to Ajaccio; for the _penitenciers_ had carried off
everything valuable that we possessed; and, therefore, unless we
could get credit, we must evidently be involved in a good deal of
bother and delay before we should be able to leave our present
situation, or do anything that we wanted to do.
In this difficulty Kitty appealed to the _conducteur_, telling him
that as we had been robbed, we were at that moment penniless; and
asking him whether he would take us in his diligence to Ajaccio, and
let us pay for our places after arriving there. She also told him the
name of the hotel where our baggage was left, and assured him that we
should have no difficulty in having our respectability guaranteed
there. The man hesitated, hummed and hawed, looked suspiciously at
us--muddy and untidy as we were--and did not seem much inclined to
believe her story. But after some trouble, she persuaded him to
consent to her request by promising to pay double the ordinary fare.
Having thus settled the matter satisfactorily with him, we anticipated
no further difficulty, and were about to enter the interior of the
vehicle--both _coupé_ and _banquette_ being full--when we were
unexpectedly opposed by one of the passengers already established
there. The conversation had roused him from his slumbers; and
when Kitty attempted to get in, he started forward and protested
energetically against our admission. It was a shame to take up any
one else, he said, when he and his fellows were already "_pressés
comme des anchois_"; they had been crowded to the very verge of
possibility by the person who had just alighted; it was absurd to
think of cramming us two individuals into the space that that one had
occupied; he objected--he would complain to the authorities--it was
disgraceful to treat travellers in that way. Another diligence was
due in about ten or twelve hours, and we ought to wait, and take our
chance of finding places in that.
The prospect of waiting at St. Marie Sicché for another ten or twelve
hours was by no means to our mind, and we were alarmed to see that
the _conducteur_ seemed inclined to listen to the irate passenger.
But Kitty showed herself equal to the emergency. Turning promptly
to the _conducteur_, she whispered to him that she hardly supposed
he was going to leave us for the benefit of any rival vehicle; and
that as it was important to her to get to Ajaccio at once, she
would give him treble the proper fare if he took us, instead of only
double, as previously agreed. He was evidently quite alive to the fact
that an extra high fare would give him the opportunity of pocketing a
nice little profit, by only paying the diligence company a single
fare and keeping the rest for himself; and her increased offer
put an end to his hesitation about introducing us into the already
full conveyance. Therefore he turned a deaf ear to the other man's
expostulations--thoroughly well-founded though they were--proceeded
to make room somehow or other, and finally stowed us away without
heeding the discontented sleepy grunts and growls of the victims whom
we had forced to compress themselves into an unnaturally small space.
Then he shut us all in, climbed back to his place, and the journey
was resumed.
The interior of a hot, crowded, stuffy diligence, packed closely with
garlic-eating Corsicans clad in strong-smelling garments, would not
generally be deemed a very inviting haven of repose. Yet it seemed so
to us just then; for we were tired enough to find rest anywhere
delicious, and were too full of joy at having escaped from serious
danger to grumble at such trifling annoyances as mere discomfort and
unpleasant odours.
A couple of hours' jolting brought us to Cauro, where the horses
were changed; thence we continued our course to Ajaccio, which was
reached soon after seven in the morning. Stiff and fatigued as we
were, we should have been glad of a _fiacre_ to take us from the
_diligence-bureau_ to the hotel; but no _fiacre_ was to be had at
that early hour, so we set off walking, accompanied (I need hardly
say) by an envoy sent by the _conducteur_ to find out whether
the account we had given of ourselves was a true one.
As we were going up the street I saw a couple of smart-looking
sailors coming towards us. The sight of them suddenly reminded me
that there was a chance of Lord Clement's being still at Ajaccio,
which possibility I had till then forgotten. If he were within reach,
would Kitty turn willingly to him as a protector and counsellor, I
wondered?
"Those two look like sailors from a yacht," said I; "if they should
happen to belong to _La Catalina_, I suppose you will send word by
them to Lord Clement that you have returned, won't you?"
"No! what would be the good of that?" she answered sharply, and not
at all as if she was in any hurry to meet her noble admirer again.
But second thoughts made her change her mind, for she added: "Well,
yes; perhaps it would be as well to let him know we're back, if he
_does_ happen to be still here. Both you and I are dead tired; and he
could go and see to telegraphing, and all that's got to be done,
while we rest. Besides that, in spite of the principles of equality
of these republicans, I strongly suspect that a person who is rich, a
man, and an earl, stands a better chance of being attended to by the
authorities than a mere commonplace woman. So, on the whole, I
daresay he would be useful just now to act as agent for me."
When we were close to the sailors we saw that they were part of the
crew of _La Catalina_, as her name was visible upon their hats
and jerseys.
"Is Lord Clement on board _La Catalina_?" asked Kitty.
The two tars stopped and stared in evident surprise at being accosted
in their own tongue in the streets of Ajaccio at that early hour in
the morning.
"Ay, ay," answered one of them.
"Just go back to the yacht at once then," returned Kitty, "and tell
him that Miss Mervyn has returned here, and has gone to the hotel
where she was staying before, and will be glad to see him there as
soon as possible."
The men, who did not in the least recognise us, stared more than ever
at hearing themselves ordered about in this fashion by one of two
strange women presenting the extraordinary appearance which Kitty and
I did at that moment. For it must be remembered that we had been
splashed with mud from head to foot as we sat on the step of the
diligence; that our clothes were torn, rumpled, and put on anyhow;
that our hair was horribly disheveled; and that we were altogether
as untidy-looking objects as could well be imagined.
Evidently the sailors did not know what to make of us, and were
undecided, for a moment, whether to do what they were told, or to be
impertinent. But Kitty bore the stamp of high birth and breeding
marked too plainly for it to be concealed by disreputable externals;
and she spoke with the calmly-commanding manner of a person who is
accustomed to be obeyed. The sailors were not insensible to this
influence, and could not help recognising her as a legitimate
authority, notwithstanding the peculiarity of her appearance. When,
therefore, she repeated what she had said before, and again told
them to be off at once, they looked at one another sheepishly,
touched their hats, and departed obediently in the direction of the
harbour. And that they executed their commission faithfully was
proved by the promptitude with which Lord Clement arrived at our
hotel and asked for Miss Mervyn.
Poor young man! thought I, as I watched him going upstairs to her
room. I do not suppose you will be very pleased at what you are going
to hear; for your Mrs. Grundy-loving nature is sure to abhor
eccentric adventures; and I do not expect you will enjoy that your
lady-love should be known to have been the heroine of such an unusual
experience as Kitty has just gone through! Judging by the annoyed and
disturbed expression on his countenance when the interview with her
was over, and he left the hotel, I imagine that my anticipations were
not far wrong, and that his sense of propriety and of the fitness of
things was greatly shocked at what had occurred to the young lady
whom he desired to marry. His annoyance, however, did not prevent him
from taking all trouble off her shoulders as far as possible; and he
made himself useful by telegraphing to various places till he had
discovered Mrs. Rollin; then informing her that we were safe at
Ajaccio; and also giving notice to the police of the nefarious
proceedings of César and Napoleon.
Our loss had thrown Mrs. Rollin into a state of anxiety, nervousness,
and discomposure, which none of the French novels she had with her
had sufficed to calm. She had gone on hourly exciting herself more
and more against Corsica and all its people, until she had worked
herself into an unreasoning aversion to it and them. Consequently,
when she rejoined us at Ajaccio, which she did on the evening of the
day that we had returned there, the one fixed idea in her mind was,
that she would never know a moment's ease or happiness as long as
she remained in the island, and that we must get away from it
immediately.
On hearing our adventures she declared that what had happened was
fearful, ghastly, and shocking, but yet no more than was to be
expected in an out-of-the-way, uncivilised, poverty-stricken country
where nobody went, where the inhabitants lived without milk and
butter, and where every one was a savage or thief, or both. She very
deeply regretted having let herself be overpersuaded to come to this
Corsica; but, at all events, no power on earth should induce her to
stay in such a vile, odious, unsafe, abominable place any longer.
Besides, though the two _penitenciers_ would probably never be
captured, yet still, supposing by any accident that they _were_
caught, and Kitty was within reach, then the girl would be wanted to
give evidence against them, and that was another reason for taking
flight at once. Else there would be the risk of Kitty's having to
appear in a police-court, take oaths, be cross-examined and badgered
by vulgar lawyers, and all that sort of thing, which was quite unfit
for a lady to undergo. And what depths the vulgarity of lawyers in a
republican country might reach, she, Mrs. Rollin, was afraid to
think! Of course she by no means expected that the robbers _would_ be
taken; but as there was a possibility of such a thing, it was her
duty to provide for it.
When she stopped to take breath, Kitty inquired why she was so
certain that the culprits would not be recaptured, and that set her
off again. She had seen, she said, enough of Corsicans by this time
to convince her that they were all rogues alike, and all in collusion
with one another. In hopes of keeping us staying on and on, and
spending money amongst them, they might perhaps talk big, and declare
that the offenders would soon be under lock and key; but meanwhile
they would be let to escape quietly; or, if caught, good care would
be taken that they should not be convicted. But _she_ wasn't going to
be so silly as to be made a fool of by these Corsicans, and to play
into their hands by remaining there longer. No, thank you! She had
discovered that there would be a steamer to Marseilles on the
following day, and by that steamer she intended to go. And besides
everything else, there was yet another reason, she averred, why she
must now begin to make her way homewards. She found, from letters she
had just received, that matters of business made it necessary for
her to return to England sooner than she had expected. She must
positively have a week's shopping in Paris on the way back, and she
would not have time for this unless she started at once. Therefore it
was, in every respect, out of the question that we should prolong our
visit to this detestable island.
Her mind was made up too firmly to be shaken, and on the next day we
quitted Ajaccio in _La Catalina_--Lord Clement having again placed
that vessel at my two ladies' disposal. I am afraid, however, that
this act of civility did not bring him the satisfaction that he
probably expected. For Kitty, instead of making herself agreeable
during the voyage, professed to be headachy, and remained alone in a
cabin; and as soon as Marseilles was reached, she and her aunt said
goodbye to him, and set off for Paris by the next _rapide_. Very
possibly he would have liked to accompany them there. But then
yachting was his ostensible occupation at the present time; and if he
deserted his yacht to go to Paris, people would be sure to talk,
shrug shoulders, and say that there certainly was something on
between him and Kitty. Though all this would not matter supposing it
to be followed promptly by the announcement that they were engaged,
yet, under other circumstances, it would in his eyes be highly
undesirable; therefore he stuck to _La Catalina_.
As for me, I was a good deal disappointed, for I had been looking
forward with vindictive pleasure to the chance of bearing witness
against Messrs. César and Napoleon, and I grudged the hasty departure
from Corsica which deprived me of this chance. A few days later I saw
in a newspaper that they had been caught, and relegated to their
former quarters in prison at Chiavari. That was some comfort, no
doubt; but nothing like as satisfactory as it would have been to have
contributed, in my own person, to bring about their punishment.