"Welcome!" said De Retz, as I entered, "most welcome! I am just about
to proceed on an expedition wherein your assistance may be necessary.
Will you accompany me?"
"Anywhere you please," I replied, "provided I be back by dusk."
"Long before that," answered De Retz. "I am going to take you to the
Bastille."
My surprise made the Abbé explain himself. "You must know," said he,
"that there is no actual impossibility of our gaining the Bastille
itself for Monsieur le Comte de Soissons, in case his first battle
should be so successful as to give fair promise for the ultimate
event.--You like frankness," he continued, suddenly interrupting what
he was saying, "and I perceive you are already beginning to look
surprised that I, who have hitherto shown no great confidence in your
discretion, should now let you into the most dangerous secrets of this
enterprise. I will frankly tell you why I do so--it is because I need
some one to assist me; and because I judge it more dangerous to risk a
secret with two, than to confide it all to one, even should he not be
very discreet. But I am also beginning to think more highly of your
discretion. It is so bad a plan to let our first impressions become
our lords, that I make a point of changing my opinion of a man as
often as I can find the least opportunity."
It was very difficult to know, on all occasions, whether Monsieur de
Retz's frankness was spontaneous or assumed. Whichever it was, it
always flowed with a view to policy; and I found that the best way in
dealing with him was at first but to give to whatever he advanced that
sort of negative credence, which left the mind free to act as
circumstances should afterwards confirm or shake its belief. In the
present case I merely thanked him for his improved opinion of me, and
begged him to proceed, which he did accordingly.
"The Bastille," he said, "serves Monsieur le Cardinal de Richelieu for
many purposes: but its great utility is, that it disposes of all his
enemies one way or another. Those he hates, or those he fears, find
there a grave or a prison, according to the degree of his charitable
sentiments towards them. There are, however, many persons whom he
fears too much to leave at liberty, yet not enough to condemn them to
the rack, the block, or the dungeon. These persons are shut up in one
prison or another through the kingdom; and on their first arrest are
treated with some severity, but gradually, as they become regular
tenants of the place, the measures against them are relaxed; and they
have, at length, as much liberty as they would have in their own house
with the door shut.
"There are at present four men within the walls of the Bastille, who,
having been there for years, are scarcely more watched than the
governor himself. The Duke de Vitry, the Count de Cramail, Marshal
Bassompierre, and the Marquis du Fargis. All these are known to me;
and Monsieur du Fargis is my uncle, so that I am very sure of the game
that I am playing. The interior discipline of the prison is at present
more than ever relaxed, under the present governor, Monsieur du
Tremblai; and his politeness towards his prisoners is such, that one
or other of the four gentlemen I have named have every day one of
their friends to dine with them, which affords them the greatest
consolation under their imprisonment. I have often thus visited the
prison; and about ten days ago, while dining with my uncle, I had an
opportunity of hinting to the Count de Cramail, who is the cleverest
man of the party, the designs of Monsieur le Comte; and, at the same
time, proposed to him a plan for rendering ourselves masters of the
Bastille. He has promised me an answer to-day, when I have engaged
myself to dine with Monsieur de Bassompierre; and the only difficulty
is to obtain an opportunity of speaking in private. You doubtless have
experienced how troublesome it is sometimes to win a secret moment,
even in a saloon; judge, therefore, whether it is easy in a prison.
You must lend your aid, and engage old Du Tremblai in conversation,
while I make the best use of the time you gain for me."
I now very well perceived that De Retz had in a manner been forced to
explain himself to me, as there was no other person in Paris
acquainted with the designs of the Count de Soissons. I therefore gave
him full credit for sincerity, and agreed to do my best to gain him
the opportunity desired. By the time this explanation was given, it
approached very near to one of the clock; and, not to commit such a
rudeness as to keep waiting for their dinner a party of prisoners,
whose principal earthly amusement must have been to eat, we set out
immediately on foot, it being required that we should give as little
_éclat_ to our visits to the Bastille as possible.
A sort of mixed government then existed within the walls of the
prison, being garrisoned with troops as a fortress, and also very well
supplied with gaolers and turnkeys, to fit it for its principal
capacity. Thus, though the gate was opened to us by an unarmed porter,
a sentinel, iron to the teeth, presented himself in the inner court,
and another at every ten steps. However, having, like the knights of
the old romances, vanquished all perils of the way, we at length
entered into the penetralia, and were ushered into the presence of the
governor.
Monsieur du Tremblai, who died about six months afterwards, was too
good a man for his situation; his reception of us was as kind as if we
had been guests of his own; and the prisoners whom we went to see
appeared to form but a part of his own family. I was now introduced in
form to the friends of Monsieur de Retz: they were all old men; and
had, in truth, nothing remarkable in their appearance. Monsieur de
Vitry, celebrated in history as the man who, at the command of Louis
XIII., shot the Maréchal d'Ancre on the very steps of the Louvre, was
the only one whose countenance promised anything like vigour; but it
was not to him that De Retz had addressed himself in his present
negotiation, but to Monsieur de Cramail, whose face at all events did
not prepossess one in favour of his intellect.
We dined; and the governor, seeing me dressed in mourning, and as
gloomy in my deportment as my garments, luckily applied himself to
console me, with so much application, that Monsieur de Cramail had an
opportunity of speaking a few words to De Retz in private, even during
dinner, while Monsieur du Tremblai endeavoured to solace me with
_alose à la martinette_, and to drive out the demon sorrow with _pieds
de cochons à la St. Menéhoulde_.
During the meal, De Retz took occasion to vaunt my skill at all games
of cards, though, Heaven knows, he could not tell, when he did so,
whether I could distinguish basset from lansquenet; but taking this
for a hint, when the old governor asked me after dinner to make one of
three at ombre, I did not refuse; and, as soon as we were seated, the
Abbé, with Monsieur de Cramail, went out to walk upon the terrace,
while Messieurs De Vitry and Du Fargis remained to look on upon our
game.
Thinking to engage the governor to go on with me, I let him win a few
pieces, though he played execrably ill; but I thus fell into the
common mistake of being too shrewd for my own purpose. Had I judged
sanely of human nature, I should have won his money, and he would have
gone on to a certainty, to win it back. As it was, after gaining a few
crowns, he resigned the cards, and asked if I would join the gentlemen
on the terrace.
There was no way of detaining him; and, therefore, after making what
diversion I could, I followed to the spot where De Retz and Monsieur
de Cramail were enjoying an unobserved _tête-à-tête_. As we came up, I
saw that the latter had a paper in his hand, which he was evidently
about to give to De Retz. The moment, however, we appeared on the
terrace, he paused, and withdrew it. The paper, I knew, might be of
consequence; but how to take off the eyes of the governor was the
question. I praised the view, hoping he would turn to look in his
astonishment; for nothing was to be seen but the smoky chimneys of the
Fauxbourg St. Antoine. But the governor only replied, "Yes, very
fine," and walked on.
I now saw that I must hazard a bold stroke; and quietly insinuating
the point of my sword between the governor's legs, which was the more
easy, as he somewhat waddled in his walk, I slipped the buckle of my
belt, the sword fell, and the governor over it. I tumbled over him;
and while the paper was given, received, and concealed, I picked him
up, begged his pardon, and brushed the dust off his coat; after which
we passed a quarter of an hour in mutually bowing and making excuses.
De Retz then took leave; and, as soon as we were once more in the
street, I left him to peruse the paper he had received at leisure, and
hurried away to my lodging in the Rue des Prêtres St. Paul, to prepare
for the reception of my archer and his recruits. In going to the
Bastille with De Retz, I fancied that I saw a man suddenly turn round
and follow us; and, on my return, I evidently perceived that I was
watched. Whatever was the object, it did not at all suit me that any
one should spy my actions; and, therefore, after various hare-like
doublings, I turned down the Rue des Minims, got into the Place
Royale, and gliding under the dark side of the arcades, made my escape
by the other end, and gradually worked my way up to my lodging. My
good landlady was somewhat surprised to see me, but I found my
apartments prepared, and in order; and sending for a couple of flagons
of good Burgundy, I waited the arrival of my new attendants.
I found that punctuality was amongst their list of qualifications; for
no sooner did twilight fall than the archer made his appearance,
followed by two very respectable-looking personages, whom he
introduced to me severally as Combalet de Carignan, and Jacques
Mocqueur. The first was a tall, well-dressed gallant, ruffling gaily,
with feathers and ribands in profusion, a steady nonchalant daring
eye, and a leg and arm like a Hercules. The face of the second,
Jacques Mocqueur, was not unknown to me; and memory, hastily running
back through the past, found and brought before me in a minute the
figure of one of those worthy sergeants who had come to examine my
valise on my first arrival at Paris. He was the one who had shown some
valour, and had ventured a pass or two with me, after his companion
had been ejected by the window.
I instantly claimed acquaintance with him, which he as readily
admitted; saying, with a grin, that the circumstances under which we
had last met would, he hoped, be quite sufficient to establish his
character in my opinion, and show that he was well fitted for my
service. Whatever reply he expected, I answered in the affirmative;
and Combalet de Carignan, finding that his friend's acquaintance with
me turned out advantageously, would fain have proved himself an old
friend of mine also. Jacques Mocqueur, however, cut him short,
exclaiming, "No, no! you were not of the party; and you just as much
remember monseigneur's face as I do the high-priest of the Jews."
"Why, I have _done_ so many sweet youths lately," replied the other,
"and broken so many heads, that I grow a strange confounder of faces."
"Ay! if you had been with us that day," answered Jacques Mocqueur,
"you would have had your own head broken. Why, monseigneur made short
work with us. He pitched Captain Von Crack out of the window like an
empty oyster-shell, and pricked me a hole in my shoulder before either
of us knew on what ground we were standing;" and he made me a low bow,
to send his compliment home up to the hilt.
"To proceed to business," said I, after I had invited my companions to
taste the contents of the flagons, which they did with truly generous
rivalry. "Let me hear what wages you two gentlemen require for
entering into my service."
"That depends upon two things," replied Combalet de Carignan: "what
sort of service your lordship demands, and what power you have to
protect us in executing it. Simple brawling for you, cheating,
pimping, lying, swearing, thrashing or being thrashed, fighting on
your part, steel to steel, and any other thing in the way of reason,
we are ready to undertake: but murder, assassination, and highway
robbery, are out of our way of business. I have been employed in the
service of the state, am come of a good family, am well born and well
educated, and would rather starve than do anything mean or
dishonourable."
"Nothing of the kind shall be demanded of you," replied I; "and the
worst you shall risk in my service shall be hard blows."
"That is nothing," replied Jacques Mocqueur. "Combalet does not fear
even a little hanging; but he dreads having a hotter place in the
other world than his friends and companions. But for general service,
such as your lordship demands, we cannot have less than sixty crowns a
month each."
To this I made no opposition; and a written agreement was drawn out
between us in the following authentic form:--
"We, Combalet de Carignan, and Jacques dit Mocqueur, hereby take
service with Monsieur le Comte de l'Orme, promising to serve him
faithfully in all his commands, provided they be not such as may put
us in danger of the great carving-knife, the road to heaven, or the
round bedstead. We declare his enemies our enemies, and his friends
our friends; all for the consideration of sixty crowns per month, to
be paid to each of us by the said Count de l'Orme, together with his
aid and protection in all cases of danger and difficulty, as well as
food and maintenance in health, and surgical assistance, in case of
our becoming either sick or wounded in his service."
In addition to the above, I stipulated that my two new retainers were
to abandon all other business than mine; and though they might lie as
much as they pleased to any one else, that they should uniformly tell
me the truth.
At this last proposal, Jacques Mocqueur burst into a fit of laughter;
and Combalet de Carignan hesitated and stammered most desperately.
"You must know, monseigneur," said he, at length, "that my friend
Jacques and I have established a high character amongst our brethren,
by never promising anything without performing it. Now, everything
that we say we will do for your lordship, be sure that it shall be
done, even to our own detriment; but as to telling you the truth, I
can't undertake it. I never told the truth in my life, except in
regard to promises; and I own I should not know how to begin. It is my
infirmity, lying, and I cannot get over it. Jacques Mocqueur can tell
the truth. Oh, I have known him tell the truth very often; but really,
monseigneur, you must excuse _me_."
"Well, then, Monsieur Combalet," said I, "your friend Jacques shall
tell me the truth; and when you lie to me, he shall correct you; and I
will set it down to your infirmity."
"Agreed, monseigneur, agreed," replied the other; "I am quite willing
that you should know the truth. I do not lie to deceive. It proceeds
solely from an exuberant and poetical imagination. But allow me to
request one thing, which is, that you would call me De Carignan. I am
somewhat tenacious in regard to my family; for you must know that I am
descended from the illustrious house of Carignan of----"
"The infirmity! the infirmity!" exclaimed Jacques Mocqueur. "His
mother was a lady of pleasure in the Rue des Hurleurs, and his father
was a footman."
The bravo turned with a furious air upon his companion; but Jacques
Mocqueur only laughed, and assured me that what he said was true.
All preliminaries were now definitively settled; and giving the archer
another piece of gold, I hinted to him that he might leave me alone
with my new attendants. This was no sooner done, than I proceeded to
my more immediate object. "You think, doubtless, my men," said I,
"that I am about to employ you, as you have hitherto been employed, in
any of those little services which require men devoid of prejudice,
and not over-burdened with morality; but you are mistaken. In the
enterprise for which I destine you, you will stand side by side with
the best and noblest of the land. If we fail, we will all lay our
bones together; if we succeed, your reward is sure, and a nobler
career is open to you than that which you have hitherto followed."
My two recruits looked at each other in some surprise. "He means a
buccaneering!" said Combalet to his companion.
"Fie! no," replied Jacques Mocqueur, after a moment's thought. "He
means a conspiracy, because he talks about its being a nobler career.
Folks always call their conspiracies noble, though lawyers call it
treason. However, monseigneur, if it is anything against our late lord
and master, his most devilish eminence of Richelieu, we are your men,
for we both owe him a deep grudge; and we make it a point of honour to
pay our debts. But who are we to fight for, and who against?"
"Hold, hold, my friend," replied I, "you are running forward somewhat
too fast. Remember that you are speaking to your lord, whom you have
bound yourself to serve; and you must obey his commands without
inquiring why or wherefore."
"Ay!" answered Combalet, "so long as they do not make us put our heads
under the great carving-knife; but when your lordship talks about
conspiracies----"
"Who talks about conspiracies, knave?" cried I, "finding that my horses
were showing signs of restiveness--who talks of conspiracies? You have
nothing to do but receive my commands; and when I propose anything to
you that brings you within the danger of the law, then make your
objection.--But to the point," proceeded I; "I am told, and indeed
know from the best authority, that all the persons exercising your
honourable profession, in any of its branches, form as it were a sort
of club or society, which is governed by its own laws to a certain
degree; and I am, moreover, informed that you have a certain place of
meeting, where the elders of your body assemble, called Swash Castle,
or Château Escroc, where you have a chief magistrate, named King of
the Huns. Is not this the fact?"
I had gained my information from various sources, but greatly from my
little attendant Achilles, who had an especial talent for finding out
things concealed. My knowledge of their secrets, however, had a great
effect upon my two attendants, who began to think, I believe, that
either as a professor or an amateur I had at some former time
exercised their honourable trade myself.
"There is no denying it, sir," replied Jacques Mocquer, at length; "we
are a regular corporation. So much I may say, for you know it already;
but ask me no farther, for we are bound by something tighter than an
oath, not to reveal the mysteries of our craft."
"I am going to ask you no questions," replied I, firmly; "but I am
going to command you to take me to your rendezvous, or Swash Castle,
and introduce me to your worthy prince, the King of the Huns."
My two respectable followers gazed in each other's eyes with so much
wonder and amazement, that I saw I had made a very unusual request;
but I was resolved to carry my point; and accordingly added, after
waiting a few moments for an answer, "Why don't you reply? Do not
waste your time in staring one at the other, for I am determined to
go, and nothing shall prevent me."
"Samson was a strong man, monseigneur," replied Jacques, shaking his
head, "but he could not drink out of an empty pitcher. Your lordship
would find it a difficult matter to accomplish your object by
yourself; and though here we stand, willing, according to our
agreement, to serve you to the best of our power, yet I do not believe
that we can do what you require."
"Mark me, Master Jacques Mocque," replied I, "my determination is
taken. I came to Paris for the express purpose of treating with your
King of the Huns, on matters of deep importance; and back I will not
go without having fulfilled my mission. If, therefore, you and your
companion can gain me admittance sinto your Château Escroc by to-morrow
night, ten pieces of gold each shall be your reward; if not, I must
find other means for my purpose; and take care that you put no trick
upon me; for be sure that I will find a time to break every bone in
your skin, if you do.--You know I am a man to keep my word."
"I do! I do! monseigneur," replied Jacques Mocqueur: "it cost me a
yard and a half of diachylon, the last bout I had with you; and I
would not wish to try it again. All I can say is, that we will do our
best to gain a royal ordonnance for your lordship's admittance; but if
you really have made up your mind to go, knowing anything of what you
undertake, you must have a stout heart of your own; that is all that I
can say. I have only farther to assure your lordship, that the more
information you can give us of your purpose, the more likely are we to
succeed."
"You may tell his majesty of the Huns," replied I, "that I come to him
as an ambassador from one prince to treat with another--that he may
find his own advantage in seeing me, for that I shall be contented to
cast ten golden pieces into his royal treasury, as an earnest of
future offerings, on my first visit; and that he need not be in the
least fear, as I come unattended, and quite willing to submit to any
precautions he may judge necessary."
After a little reflection, my two attendants did not seem to think my
enterprise quite so impracticable as they had at first imagined it.
They banded the _pros_ and _cons_, however, some time between them, in
a jargon which to me was very nearly unintelligible; and at last, once
more assuring me that they would do their best, they left me, after
having received a piece or two to stimulate their exertions. Before I
let them depart, I also took care to enforce the necessity of
despatch, and insisted upon it that a definitive answer should be
given me by dusk the day after. As soon as Messieurs Combalet de
Carignan and Jacques Mocqueur were gone, my own steps were turned
towards the Hôtel de Soissons; and revolving in my own mind the events
of the day, I walked on, like most young diplomatists, perfectly
self-satisfied with the first steps of my negotiation, even before it
showed the least probability of ultimate success.