It was barely light the next morning, when I was startled by hearing
some one in my sleeping chamber, and to my still greater surprise
perceived a woman.
The haughtiness and reserve with which the Countess de Soissons had
thought fit to treat me had restrained all communication between us
during my residence in her dwelling, to the mere observance of a few
ceremonious forms, and therefore it seemed strange that she should
either visit me herself at such an hour, or even send any of her
attendants. The person who, not seeing I was awake, approached quickly
towards me, was no other, however, than the pretty little embroidery
girl who had brought me the billet from Jean Baptiste the day before.
"Monsieur de l'Orme! Monsieur de l'Orme!" cried she, in a low but
anxious voice, "for God's sake, rise! The exempts are here to take you
to the Bastille. I will run round and open that door. Come through it
as quick as you can, and you can escape yet. My brother and Jean
Baptiste will keep them as long as possible."
The door to which she pointed was one that communicated with a
different part of the house, and had been locked externally ever since
I had tenanted those apartments. She now ran round to open it, taking
care, as I heard, to fasten all the doors of my suite of rooms as she
went, so that I remained locked in on all sides. I lost no time,
however, in my toilet, and was just dressed when she opened the door
on the other side, while, at the same time, I could distinguish the
noise of persons wrenching open the door of the farther ante-room.
Three more locks still stood between me and my pursuers; but without
pausing on that account, I followed my pretty guide through several
chambers and passages, till, descending a staircase, we entered the
garden, and gliding behind a tall yew hedge which masked the garden
wall, we made our way straight to the tower of Catherine de Medicis.
"They will search here, certainly," said I, pausing, when I saw she
intended to lead me into the tower. "As soon as they find I have
quitted my apartments, they will naturally examine this place of
retreat."
"Hush!" cried she, "you do not know all its contrivances,
monseigneur." Opening the door, she permitted me to enter, and
following, locked it on the inside. We now climbed the spiral
staircase, up to the very highest part of the tower, and emerged on
the stone platform at the top. Exactly opposite to the mouth of the
staircase which we had ascended, she pointed out to me one of the
large flag-stones with which the observatory was paved, saying, "You
are a strong man--you can lift that."
I knelt down, and getting my fingers underneath the edge, easily
raised it up, when I beheld another staircase precisely similar to
that which we had ascended, and which, passing round and round the
tower, exactly followed all the spires of the other, thus forming a
double staircase through the whole building. My pretty companion now
tried whether she could herself move the stone; and finding that she
could do so with ease, as it was scarcely thicker than a slate, she
followed me down, and drew it in the manner of a trap-door over us.
The whole reminded me so much of my flight with the unhappy Viceroy of
Catalonia, that I hurried my steps as much as possible, with the
remembrance vivid before my mind's eye, of the dreadful scene with
which that flight was terminated.
"We are safe now, monseigneur," said my fair guide, with a _naïvete_
which some men might have mistaken for coquetry: "by your leave, we
will not go so fast, for I lose my breath."
"If we are safe then, my pretty preserver," replied I, taking a jewel
from my finger, which I had bought a few days before for a different
purpose, "I have time to thank you for your activity in saving me, and
to beg your acceptance of this ring as a remembrance."
"I will not take it myself, my lord," replied she; "but, with your
leave, I will give it to Jean Baptiste, who has a great regard for
you, and who sent me to show you the way, as I know all the secret
places of the hotel, and neither my brother nor he are acquainted with
them."
"And I suppose that Jean Baptiste, then, is to be looked on in the
light of your lover, fair lady?" demanded I.
"He is a friend of my brother, the Countess's page," replied the girl;
and then added, after a moment, "and, perhaps, a lover too. I do not
see why I should deny it. He slept here last night with my brother, to
be out of the way of some evil that was going on, and they two lying
in the gatehouse, first discovered that they were exempts who knocked
at the gate so early, and what they wanted."
"Will you bear a message to Jean Baptiste?" said I. "Tell him that I
am not ungrateful for his kindness; and bid him tell his sister, that
nothing but that which has this day happened would have prevented me
from seeing her as I promised."
"His sister!" said the girl. "I did not know that he had a sister--but
hark! they are searching the tower."
As she spoke, I could plainly hear the sound of steps treading the
other staircase, and passing directly over our heads; and curious was
the sensation, to feel myself within arm's length of my pursuers,
without the possibility of their overtaking me.
"They have broken open the door," said my companion in a low tone. "We
had better make haste; for when they do not find you in the tower,
they may set guards in the streets round about."
We were by this time near the bottom of the stairs, and the light
which had hitherto shone in through various small apertures in the
masonry of the tower, now left us, as we descended apparently below
the level of the ground. My pretty little guide, however, seemed to
hold herself quite safe with me, though the situation was one which
might have been hazardous with many men, and led me on without seeming
to give a thought to anything but securing my safety, till we had
passed through a long passage, at the end of which she pushed open a
door, and at once ushered me into a small chamber, wherein an old
woman was in bed. Startled out of a sound sleep, the good dame sat up,
demanding who was there.
"'Tis I, aunt! 'tis I!" replied the girl; "where is my uncle's cloak?
Oh, here; wrap yourself in that, monseigneur, and take this old hat,
and no one will know you.--I will tell you all about it, aunt," she
added, in answer to a complete hurricane of questions, which the old
woman poured forth upon her--"I will tell you about it when the Count
is safe in the street."
"Is it the Count? Lord bless us!" cried the old woman, wiping her
eyes, and mistaking me for the Count de Soissons: "dear me! I thought
monseigneur was safe at Sedan."
My fair guide now beckoning me forward, I left the old lady to enjoy
her own wonderment; and leaving a piece of gold for the hat and cloak,
thrust the one over my brows, and cast the other round my shoulders,
and proceeded to a second chamber, where was an old man at work, who
looked up, but asked no questions, though probably he saw his own
cloak and hat on the person of a stranger.
Opposite to me stood an open door, evidently leading into a small
street; and taking leave of my conductress merely by a mute sign, I
passed out, and to my surprise found myself in the Rue du Four.
I had kept my own hat still under the mantle, which was, in truth,
somewhat too small to cover me entirely; the point of my sword, my
boots, and almost my knees, appearing from underneath, and betraying a
very different station in life from that which the cloak itself
bespoke. However, as thousands of intrigues of every kind are each day
adjourned by the first rays of the sun that shine upon Paris, and as
the parties to them must often be obliged to conceal themselves in
many a motley disguise, I calculated that mine would not attract much
attention dangerous to myself, if I could but escape from the
immediate vicinity of the Hôtel de Soissons. I therefore walked
straight down the Rue du Four, and passing before the new church of
St. Eustache, I gained the Rue Montmartre, and thence crossing the
Boulevards, was soon in the country. Pausing under an old elm, the
emblematic tree of my family, I cast off the cloak and hat I had
assumed, judging that I was now beyond the likelihood of pursuit, and
walked as fast as possible towards Bondy. I arrived there in about a
couple of hours, and found Achilles sauntering tranquilly before the
door, while Combalet swaggered within to the new-risen host, hostess,
and servants of the little inn, neither of my attendants expecting me
for many an hour to come.
My order to horse was soon obeyed, and before mid-day I was safe at
Meaux, where I gave but a temporary rest to my horses; and being
joined by Garcias and the rest of my suite, I set out again with all
speed towards Mouzon.
The necessity of borrowing another person's name was in those days so
frequent with every one, that on my announcing myself to my servants
as the young Baron de Chatillon, the nephew of the maréchal of that
name, I caused no astonishment, and they habituated themselves to the
new epithet with great facility.
Riding on before with Garcias, I now explained to him all that had
occurred, which I had not had time to do before. My first piece of
news, that Jean Baptiste Arnault was in existence, surprised him as
much as it had done myself.
"I would have vowed," said he, "that what I saw before me, when I
joined you on that morning in the park, was nothing but a heap of
earth, which would never move, nor breathe, nor think again. It is
very extraordinary! and now I think of it, Monsieur de l'Orme, I am
afraid that I did you some unnecessary harm in the opinion of the
Chevalier de Montenero. Do you remember that day, when we saved him
from the fury of Gil Moreno? Well, as I was hurrying him away to his
horse, I told him that his life itself depended on his speed; to which
he answered, 'I would give life itself to be assured whether Louis de
Bigorre did slay him or not;' alluding to something he had been
speaking of with you. I thought as you did, that this Jean Baptiste
was really dead; and therefore I replied at once, 'Slay him! to be
sure he did--and did right too.'"
"Good God! Garcias!" cried I. "He was speaking of another event--of
the priest at Saragossa, whose death I had no more hand in than you
had!"
I know not how it is, but often in life, one accidental mistake or
misunderstanding appears to bring on another to all eternity. There
seems occasionally to be something confounding and entangling in the
very essence of the circumstances in which we are placed, which
communicates itself to everything connected with them; and, with one
help or another, they go on through a long chain of errors from the
beginning to the end.
My vexation was evident enough to mortify Garcias deeply, without my
saying any more; and therefore, when he had told me that the
Chevalier, on receiving the news he gave him, had instantly sprung
into the saddle and ridden away in silence, I dropt a subject on which
I felt that I could not speak without irritation, and turned to the
coming events.
We continued our journey as rapidly as possible, and my _nom de
guerre_, I found, served me well at all the various places of our
halt, as I heard continually that troops were marching in all
directions towards the frontier, evidently menacing Sedan, together
with every particular that could be communicated to me respecting
their line of march, their numbers, and condition; for all of which
information I was indebted to my assumed name of Chatillon, the
Maréchal de Chatillon himself being appointed commander-in-chief of
the king's army, or rather, I might say, the minister's, for the
monarch was calmly waiting the event of the approaching contest at
Peronne, without showing that interest in favour of the cardinal which
he had hitherto evinced on all occasions.
We passed safe and uninterrupted across the whole country from Paris
till we came within a few leagues of the banks of the Meuse, where the
presence of the enemy's army rendered our movements more hazardous,
and consequently more circumspect. From time to time we met several
parties of stragglers hastening after the camp, with some of whom I
spoke for a moment or two; and finding that no suspicions were
entertained, and discipline somewhat relaxed, I ventured more boldly
to the Meuse, and presented myself for passage at the wooden bridge
above Mouzon, after ascertaining that it was but slightly guarded.
Notice had been given to all my followers, in case of the slightest
opposition to our passage, to draw their swords and force their way
across; and accordingly, on the cravatte on duty demanding a passport,
I said I would show it him, and drawing my sword, bade him give way.
He did his duty by instantly firing his carbine at me, which had
nearly brought my adventures to a termination; for the ball passed
through my hat; but spurring on our horses, we bore him back upon half
a dozen others, who came running forward to his aid, drove them over
the bridge at the sword's point, and, galloping on, gained the wood on
the other side of the river.
After this rencontre we made all speed through the least frequented
paths towards Marigny, and when we found ourselves within half a
league of the village, I sent forward Jacques Mocqueur and Achilles to
ascertain what had become of my recruits, whom I found I had posted
somewhat too near the enemy's position.
In about an hour they returned, bringing with them a single trooper,
who was without a casque of any kind, and wore a peasant's coat over
his more warlike habiliments. In addition to all this, he had
apparently taken as much care of his inward man as of his outward, for
he was considerably more than half drunk.
"Happy for this sweet youth," said Achilles, who, as may have been
observed, was fond of displaying his antique learning--"happy for
this sweet youth, that we are not amongst the Epizephrii, or he
would certainly have been hanged for drinking more wine than the
physicians recommended. But we have drawn from him, monseigneur, that
his companions, judging themselves somewhat too near the enemy,
have betaken themselves to the nearest branch of the forest of
Ardennes, hard by the village of Saule, where they are even now
celebrating their elaphobolia, or venison feasts, having left this
Bacchus-worshipper to tell us the way."
Though our horses were weary, we could of course grant them no rest
till they had carried us over the six leagues that still lay between
us and Saule, which, after many misdirections, we at last found--a
little village cradled in the giant arms of the Ardennes.
My heart somewhat misgave me, lest my respectable recruits should have
exercised any of their old plundering propensities upon the peasantry;
and the appearance and demeanour of the comrade they had left behind,
to acquaint us with their change of position, did not speak much in
favour of their regularity and discipline: but I did them injustice;
and on my arrival, though I found that they had laid many of the
antlered people of the forest low, and eke added many a magnificent
forest hog to their stores of provision, they had not at all molested
the populace of the country, who, remembering the ravages of
Mansfelt's free companions, looked upon my followers as very sober and
peaceable soldiers indeed.
When I arrived, they were in a large piece of open forest ground,
between the village and the actual wood. A great many old oaks had
been cut down there the year before, and their roots had sent out a
multitude of young shoots, amongst which the daring, hardy men I had
engaged, had gathered themselves together in picturesque groups,
roasting the venison for their evening meal, or elaphobolia, as
Achilles termed it. In the meanwhile the declining sun shone through
the long glades of the forest, sometimes catching bright upon their
corslets and morions, sometimes casting upon them a deep shadow from
any of the ancient trees that remained still standing; but,
altogether, giving one of the finest and most extraordinary pieces of
light and shade that ever I beheld. The noise of our horses' feet made
them instantly start up from their various employments; and,
recognising me for their commander, they hailed my arrival with a loud
shout.
They were all, as I soon found, old soldiers; and, well aware of the
infinite use of discipline even to themselves, they had employed the
time of my absence in choosing petty officers from amongst their own
body, and in renewing their old military habits and man[oe]uvres. The
system which they had employed was not, perhaps, entirely that which
my late military readings had taught me theoretically; but as I saw it
would cause me infinitely less trouble to adopt their plan than it
would give them to acquire mine, as well as be less liable to
mistakes, I applied myself to reviewing and man[oe]uvring them the
whole of the next day, while I sent Achilles and one of my servants to
Sedan, charged with my bills of exchange for paying my levies, and
with a letter to the Count de Soissons, informing him of my success.
I felt assured that all the news I conveyed to him would give the
Count no small pleasure, not only having fulfilled all his wishes in
Paris, but brought him a reinforcement of nearly three hundred mounted
troopers, all veterans in affairs of war from their ancient
profession, and acuminated in every point of stratagem from their more
recent pursuits.
In the evening Achilles returned, bringing me the money I required;
and a letter from the Prince, together with a reinforcement of twelve
troopers, whom the Count judged might prove serviceable to me in
disciplining my little force. The letter was as gratifying as ever
flowed from the pen of man; and the money, which I instantly
distributed amongst my followers, conjoined with the presence of the
men-at-arms the Count had sent me, contributed to establish my
authority with my recruits as firmly as I could wish; though I believe
that, before this came, they were beginning to grumble at the somewhat
childish reiteration with which I took pleasure in making my new troop
go through its evolutions. At the time, I found plentiful excuses in
my own mind for so doing; but I believe now that my feelings were
somewhat like those of a boy with a new plaything.
The next morning, according to the commands of the Count, I recrossed
the Meuse by a bridge of boats which the Duke de Bouillon had newly
caused to be constructed, and then marched my men upon a little hamlet
behind the village of Torcy; after which I left them under the command
of Garcias, as my adjutant; and accompanied by my servants, turned my
bridle towards Sedan, to communicate with the Prince, and receive his
farther commands.
I arrived at Sedan about five of the clock. All within the town was
the bustle and confusion of military preparation. Trumpets were
sounding, arms were clanging in every direction: the breastplate, the
morion, and the spur, had taken the place, in the streets, of the
citizen's sober gown, and the man of law's stiff cap; and many an
accoutred war-horse did I encounter in my way to the citadel, more
than Sedan had ever known before. The servants that accompanied me,
including Achilles, Combalet, and his companion, were nine in number;
and I had taken good care before I left Paris, that they should be
sufficiently armed, to take an active part in the warlike doings then
in preparation. My train, therefore, as I rode through the streets,
excited some attention; and amongst a knot of gentlemen that turned to
look, near the citadel, I perceived, to my surprise, the Marquis de
St. Brie! It may well be supposed that the sight was not particularly
gratifying; and I was passing on, without taking any notice, hoping
that he would not recollect me, from the great change which the few
months that had passed had wrought in my appearance. My beard, which,
when I had last seen him, had been too short to be allowed to grow,
was now longer, and cut into the fashionable point of that day; my
mustachios were long and black; my form was broader, and more manly;
and my skin, which then was pale with recent illness, was now bronzed
almost to the colour of mahogany.
But he was not one of those men who easily forget; and, after looking
at me for a moment, during which the change somewhat confused him, he
became certain of my person; and spurring forward with a smiling
countenance, in which delight to meet with an old friend was most
happily and dexterously expressed, "My dear Count Louis!" cried he, "I
am delighted to see you. This is one of those unexpected pleasures
with which that fair jilt, Fortune, sometimes treats us, to make us
bear more patiently her less agreeable caprices."
I meditated knocking his brains out, but I forbore, on reflecting that
the consequences of any violent proceeding on my part might be highly
detrimental to the interest of the Prince. A moment's farther
consideration made me pursue the very opposite course to that which I
had first proposed; and smothering my feelings towards Monsieur de St.
Brie as far as I could, I replied, that the meeting was certainly most
unexpected; but that, as I found him there, of course I supposed I was
to look upon him as a friend and partisan of Monsieur le Comte's.
"Of course!" replied he. "I am his highness's humble friend and
devoted follower; though I have yet hardly the honour of his personal
acquaintance, being far better known to the noble Duke of Bouillon.
However, here I am, to fight side by side with you, my dear Count, as
I once proposed; and we will see which will contrive to get his throat
cut soonest in the Prince's service."
"It will certainly not be I," replied I, gravely; "for wherever the
battle takes place, however I may exert myself therein, I shall come
out of it as unscathed as I went in."
"Indeed! how so?" demanded the Marquis. "Do you wear a charmed coat of
mail, or have you been dipped in Styx?"
"Neither," replied I: "but it is my fate! In the calculation of my
nativity, it has been found, that whoever seeks to take my life, their
own shall be lost in the attempt. Two persons have made the essay--and
two have already fallen. We shall see who will be the third." What I
said was simply intended to touch the marquis upon a spot where I knew
he must be sensible; but the excessive paleness that came over his
countenance was far more than I expected to behold: it was more than I
could suppose the mere fear of having been discovered would excite in
a man of such principles. Could he be superstitious? I asked
myself--he, a free-thinker, a sceptic both by an erroneous application
of his reason, and by the natural propensity of a sensualist to reject
everything but what is material--could he be superstitious?
But so, in fact, it was, as I soon found more clearly by the multitude
of questions which he asked me concerning the person who had
calculated my nativity, and given the prediction I had mentioned;
citing, as he did so, the names of all the astrologers in Europe, from
Nostradamus up to Vanoni himself. After a moment, however, he seemed
to be conscious that he was exposing himself; and looking up with a
forced laugh, "Dreams! dreams!" said he, "my dear Count. How can the
stars affect us upon the earth? If I were to choose a way of fooling
myself with prophecies, a thousand times rather would I follow the art
of the ancient Tuscans, and draw my divination from the lightning,
which at all events comes near our mortal habitation."
"I know you are a sceptic in all such matters," replied I; and riding
on, I left the Marquis to muse over the prediction as he thought fit,
reserving to myself the right of calling him to a personal account for
his former conduct towards me, when I should find a fitting
opportunity. His character was then a new one to me, and I could
hardly persuade myself that he did really believe in the dreams which
even my reason, all hag-ridden as it was by imagination, cast from it
the moment it had power to follow its direct course. But I have had
occasion to remark since, that those who reject the truth of religion
are generally as prone as devotees to the dreams of superstition.
I was immediately admitted into the citadel, and as I was dismounting
in the court, encountered Varicarville. "Welcome, welcome back!
Monsieur de l'Orme," said he. "We need all friends, now, to carry
through our enterprise; and Monsieur le Comte tells me, that you not
only bring us good news from Paris, but a considerable reinforcement.
You come from Torcy. What is the news there? Did you see the enemy?
When are we likely to prove our strength together?"
"I come to seek news myself," replied I. "No enemies have I seen, but
half a dozen soldiers, that we drove over the wooden bridge near
Mouzon. When does rumour say we shall have a battle?"
"The day after to-morrow, at farthest," replied Varicarville, "if
Lamboy with his Germans arrives in time. But hie to the Prince, De
l'Orme. He expects you, and is now waiting you in the saloon, hoping
some news from Torcy."
I proceeded to the Count's apartments accordingly, and finding no one
to announce me by the way, I entered the saloon at once. The Count de
Soissons was leaning in a large arm chair, with his head bent forward,
and one hand over his eyes, while Vanbroc, his Flemish lute-player,
was playing to him the prelude of a song. My entrance did not make the
Prince look up, and Vanbroc proceeded. After a few very sweet passages
preliminary to his voice, he sung, as nearly as I can remember, the
following, to a beautiful minor air:--
SONG.
I.
Give me repose and peace! Let others prove
The losing game of strife;
Or climb the hill, or plough the wave;
To find out fortune or a grave,
Stake happiness and life.
Oh, give me rest and peace,
And quietude and love!
II.
Give me repose and peace! The power, the sway,
The sceptre, crown, and throne,
Are thorny treasures, paying ill
The sacrifice of joy and will--
All man can call his own.
Oh, give me rest and peace,
To bless my humble day!
III.
Give me repose and peace! I covet not
The laurel or the wreath,
Wars to the brave, strifes to the strong,
Ambitions to the proud belong--
All hand in hand with death.
But be repose, and peace,
And life, and joy, my lot!
The musician ceased, but still the Prince kept his hand before his
eyes, and I could see the tears roll slowly from underneath it, and
chase one another down his cheek, so great had been the power of the
music upon him.
"No more, Vanbroc--no more!" said he, at length raising his eyes. "Ha!
De l'Orme. You should not have seen me thus: but I was ever more
easily vanquished by music than by the sword. But now to business:
leave us, Vanbroc."
The lute-player withdrew, and the Prince, instantly recovering from
the momentary weakness into which he had been betrayed, proceeded to
question me respecting the minor details of my negotiation in Paris.
With all that I had done he expressed himself infinitely contented,
and showed the confidence which my conduct had inspired him with, by
making me acquainted with every particular that had taken place at
Sedan during my absence, together with all his future plans, as far as
they were formed.
"To-morrow evening," said he, "or the next morning at farthest,
Lamboy, the Imperial General, will join us with five thousand veteran
Germans. As soon as he is prepared to pass the river, I also shall
cross by the bridge, and forming our junction on the other side, we
will together offer battle to the Maréchal de Chatillon, who has been
for some days at Remilly."
"I believe your highness is misinformed," replied I; "for hardly yet
five days ago I saw Monsieur de Chatillon in Paris:" and I proceeded
to inform the Count of the circumstances which made me so positive of
the fact.
"He was there last night, however," replied the Count; "for one of our
scouts watched him pass the Meuse and advance some way to reconnoitre
Lamboy: his person was known, and there could be no doubt. At all
events, we shall fairly offer our enemy battle on the day after
to-morrow. Lamboy commands the infantry, Bouillon the cavalry, and
myself the reserve.--But what makes you look so grave on my saying
that Bouillon commands the cavalry?"
"My reason was frankly this, monseigneur," replied I; "Monsieur de
Bouillon has never shown any great regard for me; and I have farther
this day met a person on whose conduct towards me I have already
expressed myself to your highness without restraint--I mean the
Marquis de St. Brie." The Count started. "He boasts himself the friend
of Monsieur de Bouillon," continued I, "and you may easily imagine
what sort of harmony there can exist between him and me. The little
troop I have levied consisting entirely of cavalry, it will not of
course be very pleasant to me to fight side by side with a man who has
twice attempted my life; but however----"
"Stay, De l'Orme!" said the Count. "No likelihood exists of that
taking place which you anticipate. Your troop has been destined by
Bouillon and myself for a man[oe]uvre, which we are sure you will
execute well, and on which the fate of the battle may probably depend.
If we can gain the ground that we wish, the cavalry, under the command
of Bouillon, will remain in the hollow way till such time as the enemy
lose somewhat of their compact order; as soon as ever this is
ascertained, by a signal from the hill behind, where you may have
remarked an ancient pillar--the signal, remember, is the raising of a
red flag on the pillar--Bouillon advances and charges the cavalry of
the enemy; but some cooperating movement may be necessary to second
the efforts of the Duke, and, consequently, we have determined to post
a body of cavalry behind a little wood, to the left of our position.
You must have seen it. But you shall be furnished with a plan of the
country, like this on the table. Here, you see, is the great wood of
the Marfée. Here the little wood to the left, joined to the Marfée by
this low copse, which I shall take care to garnish for you with a body
of musketeers. Here the high summit, on which, if we have time to
reach it, we shall take up our position; and here the hollow way for
Bouillon's cavalry. Your body of troopers must be stationed just
behind the wood, from whence you have a full view of the pillar. The
moment you see the red flag, draw out and charge the right of the
enemy. You have before you a gentle slope, which is, in truth, the
only part of the ground fit for cavalry; and your being there will
have two great advantages;--that of seconding Bouillon; and, in case
of the enemy attempting to turn our left flank, that of making his
man[oe]uvre fall upon himself. It was for this reason that I ordered
your troop on to the hamlet behind Torcy, from whence, on the morning
of the battle, you can easily take up your position as we have
arranged. Do you fully understand?"
"Perfectly," replied I; "and the arrangement is of course most
gratifying to me. Not that any circumstances should have induced me to
pursue a private quarrel to the detriment of your Highness's service.
I have already met the Marquis de St. Brie and spoken to him, without
noticing his attempt upon my life."
"You did right, De l'Orme," replied the count, his brow knitting into
a sterner frown than I had ever seen him assume. "But if he has the
insolence to present himself before me, my conduct must be very
different. In addition to this attempt upon you, he is known to have
been the murderer of the Count de Bagnols, and strongly suspected of
having poisoned poor De Valençais. My own honour and dignity require
me to have no communion with such a man, let his rank and influence be
what it may. If I can meet with Bouillon, we will make such
arrangements as will spare me the mortification of publicly repelling
this bad man. Come with me; we will see if we can find him."
So saying, he took his hat, which lay upon the table, and passed into
the anteroom. Several of his attendants were now in waiting, and
rising, followed with me into the court, and thence into the great
square before the château.
It was a fine sunny evening in July, one of those that seem made for
loitering in the shade, with some pleasant companion, listening to
dreamy fanciful talk, and drinking the balmy breath of the summer air.
As our misfortune would have it, however, the first person we
encountered thus employed was the Marquis de St. Brie himself, who had
by this time dismounted; and, surrounded by a crowd of the most
distinguished persons at Sedan, was entertaining them with that easy
flowing conversation which no one knew so well how to display as
himself. I could tell by the countenances of the listeners, and the
smile that sat upon the lip of each, the very tone of what was
passing; and I could almost fancy I heard it all--the tart jest, the
pointed sneer, the amusing anecdote, the shrewd remark, the witty
turn, all softened and harmonized by the language, which made the
company of that infamous man so fascinating and so dangerous.
The Prince, who knew him by sight, was passing on to the other side of
the square, where the Duke of Bouillon was himself inspecting a body
of infantry; but the party of gentlemen instantly advanced towards us,
and one of them, coming a step forward, begged leave to make the
Marquis de St. Brie known to his Highness the Count de Soissons.
"Sir!" replied the Count, tossing back the plumes of his bonnet, as if
to let every one see that he did not make the least inclination to the
person thus presented to him; "thank God! I know the Marquis de St.
Brie thoroughly, and seek to know no more of him;" and thus speaking,
he turned his back upon the Marquis, and walked forward to the Duke of
Bouillon, to whom he explained in a few words his feelings in regard
to the other, without, however, at all implicating my name in the
business.
"Few people can look upon him with less respect than I do," said the
Duke of Bouillon in reply. "But he is a man of great wealth and
influence, and though he is here at present with only a few
servants--which I will own strikes me as singular--he promises me a
reinforcement of five hundred men in three days, which may be very
serviceable for the purpose of improving our victory the day after
to-morrow. Your highness must really allow me to explain away your
treatment of him, in some degree, for he is too influential a person
to be lost."
The Count would hardly hear of any qualificatory measure; but, after a
long discussion, he gave way in some degree. "Well, well," said he,
"say to him what you like, but do not let him come near me, for I
cannot receive him with civility."
"I will take care that he be kept away," replied the Duke. "The only
difficulty will be to make him remain with us at all."
We now returned to the citadel; and the rest of the evening passed in
all the bustle and activity of preparation. The service which I was to
execute was again and again pointed out to me, both by the Prince and
the Duke of Bouillon, the last of whom, probably to animate me to
still greater exertion, gave unlimited praise to all the arrangements
I had hitherto made, and expressed the utmost confidence in my
co-operation with himself in the battle that was likely to take place.
Looking on my troop as perfectly secure under the command of Garcias,
I remained at Sedan that night, spending the rest of my time, after I
had left the Princes, in fitting myself with the necessary defensive
armour which I had not been able to procure in Paris. This was not
done without some difficulty even at Sedan; for the armourers had
quite sufficient occupation with the multitude of warlike guests that
filled the city.
When this was accomplished, however, and I possessed my morion, back
and breast-pieces, taslets and gauntlets complete, I sat down to write
a letter to be delivered to my father in case of my death in the
ensuing battle, and gave full instructions concerning it to little
Achilles, whom I intended to leave at Sedan. After this, I paused for
a moment at the open window of my chamber, watching some thick clouds
that came rolling over the moon, and thinking of the strange, strong
effect of imagination, which I had there myself experienced, together
with the extraordinary coincidence of my mother's death being
announced to me so soon afterwards.
As I stood I heard a window below me open, and some voices speaking.
What they said at first was indistinct, from the noise of a tumbrel
rolling across the court; but that ceased, and I could plainly
distinguish the tone of the Marquis de St. Brie, saying, "I tell you,
I saw him myself, with the Marquis de Sourdis in the other army:
if it was not he, it was his spirit. He was paler, thinner, darker,
older--but there was every line--and yet surely it could not be."
"No, no, my lord!" replied another voice. "I saw him as dead as a
felled ox, and I gave him myself another slash across the head, to
make all sure, before I threw him into the water."
"I will trust my own hand next time, however," said the Marquis. "Not
that I doubt you, my good----"
As he spoke, I remembered that I was eaves-dropping; and though, if
ever there was an occasion where it might be justified, it was then, I
felt ashamed to do so, and retired to bed, bidding my servants,
however, lock the door of the anteroom before they slept.