Less than three minutes later, there came to Chauvelin's expectant ears
the soft sound made by a woman's skirts against the stone floor. During
those three minutes, which had seemed an eternity to his impatience, he
had sat silently watching the slumber--affected or real--of his enemy.
Directly he heard the word: “Halt!” outside the door, he jumped to his
feet. The next moment Marguerite had entered the room.
Hardly had her foot crossed the threshold than Sir Percy rose, quietly
and without haste but evidently fully awake, and turning towards her,
made her a low obeisance.
She, poor woman, had of course caught sight of him at once. His presence
here, Chauvelin's demand for her reappearance, the soldiers in a small
compact group outside the door, all these were unmistakable proofs that
the awful cataclysm had at last occurred.
The Scarlet Pimpernel, Percy Blakeney, her husband, was in the hands of
the Terrorists of France, and though face to face with her now, with
an open window close to him, and an apparently helpless enemy under
his hand, he could not--owing to the fiendish measures taken by
Chauvelin--raise a finger to save himself and her.
Mercifully for her, nature--in the face of this appalling
tragedy--deprived her of the full measure of her senses. She could move
and speak and see, she could hear and in a measure understand what was
said, but she was really an automaton or a sleep-walker, moving and
speaking mechanically and without due comprehension.
Possibly, if she had then and there fully realized all that the future
meant, she would have gone mad with the horror of it all.
“Lady Blakeney,” began Chauvelin after he had quickly dismissed the
soldiers from the room, “when you and I parted from one another just
now, I had no idea that I should so soon have the pleasure of a personal
conversation with Sir Percy.... There is no occasion yet, believe me,
for sorrow or fear.... Another twenty-four hours at most, and you will
be on board the 'Day-Dream' outward bound for England. Sir Percy himself
might perhaps accompany you; he does not desire that you should journey
to Paris, and I may safely say, that in his mind, he has already
accepted certain little conditions which I have been forced to impose
upon him ere I sign the order for your absolute release.”
“Conditions?” she repeated vaguely and stupidly, looking in bewilderment
from one to the other.
“You are tired, m'dear,” said Sir Percy quietly, “will you not sit
down?”
He held the chair gallantly for her. She tried to read his face,
but could not catch even a flash from beneath the heavy lids which
obstinately veiled his eyes.
“Oh! it is a mere matter of exchanging signatures,” continued Chauvelin
in response to her inquiring glance and toying with the papers which
were scattered on the table. “Here you see is the order to allow Sir
Percy Blakeney and his wife, nee Marguerite St. Just, to quit the town
of Boulogne unmolested.”
He held a paper out towards Marguerite, inviting her to look at it. She
caught sight of an official-looking document, bearing the motto and
seal of the Republic of France, and of her own name and Percy's written
thereon in full.
“It is perfectly en regle, I assure you,” continued Chauvelin, “and only
awaits my signature.”
He now took up another paper which looked like a long closely-written
letter. Marguerite watched his every movement, for instinct told her
that the supreme moment had come. There was a look of almost superhuman
cruelty and malice in the little Frenchman's eyes as he fixed them on
the impassive figure of Sir Percy, the while with slightly trembling
hands he fingered that piece of paper and smoothed out its creases with
loving care.
“I am quite prepared to sign the order for your release, Lady Blakeney,”
he said, keeping his gaze still keenly fixed upon Sir Percy. “When it
is signed you will understand that our measures against the citizens of
Boulogne will no longer hold good, and that on the contrary, the general
amnesty and free pardon will come into force.”
“Yes, I understand that,” she replied.
“And all that will come to pass, Lady Blakeney, the moment Sir Percy
will write me in his own hand a letter, in accordance with the draft
which I have prepared, and sign it with his name.
“Shall I read it to you?” he asked.
“If you please.”
“You will see how simple it all is.... A mere matter of form.... I pray
you do not look upon it with terror, but only as the prelude to that
general amnesty and free pardon, which I feel sure will satisfy the
philanthropic heart of the noble Scarlet Pimpernel, since three score at
least of the inhabitants of Boulogne will owe their life and freedom to
him.”
“I am listening, Monsieur,” she said calmly.
“As I have already had the honour of explaining, this little document
is in the form of a letter addressed personally to me and of course in
French,” he said finally, and then he looked down on the paper and began
to read:
Citizen Chauvelin--
In consideration of a further sum of one million francs and on the
understanding that this ridiculous charge brought against me of
conspiring against the Republic of France is immediately withdrawn, and
I am allowed to return to England unmolested, I am quite prepared to
acquaint you with the names and whereabouts of certain persons who under
the guise of the League of the Scarlet Pimpernel are even now conspiring
to free the woman Marie Antoinette and her son from prison and to place
the latter upon the throne of France. You are quite well aware that
under the pretence of being the leader of a gang of English adventurers,
who never did the Republic of France and her people any real harm, I
have actually been the means of unmasking many a royalist plot before
you, and of bringing many persistent conspirators to the guillotine. I
am surprised that you should cavil at the price I am asking this time
for the very important information with which I am able to furnish you,
whilst you have often paid me similar sums for work which was a
great deal less difficult to do. In order to serve your government
effectually, both in England and in France, I must have a sufficiency of
money, to enable me to live in a costly style befitting a gentleman of
my rank. Were I to alter my mode of life I could not continue to mix in
that same social milieu to which all my friends belong and wherein, as
you are well aware, most of the royalist plots are hatched.
Trusting therefore to receive a favourable reply to my just demands
within the next twenty-four hours, whereupon the names in question shall
be furnished you forthwith,
I have the honour to remain, Citizen,
Your humble and obedient servant,
When he had finished reading, Chauvelin quietly folded the paper up
again, and then only did he look at the man and the woman before him.
Marguerite sat very erect, her head thrown back, her face very pale
and her hands tightly clutched in her lap. She had not stirred whilst
Chauvelin read out the infamous document, with which he desired to brand
a brave man with the ineradicable stigma of dishonour and of shame.
After she heard the first words, she looked up swiftly and questioningly
at her husband, but he stood at some little distance from her, right
out of the flickering circle of yellowish light made by the burning
tallow-candle. He was as rigid as a statue, standing in his usual
attitude with legs apart and hands buried in his breeches pockets.
She could not see his face.
Whatever she may have felt with regard to the letter, as the meaning of
it gradually penetrated into her brain, she was, of course, convinced
of one thing, and that was that never for a moment would Percy dream
of purchasing his life or even hers at such a price. But she would have
liked some sign from him, some look by which she could be guided as to
her immediate conduct: as, however, he gave neither look nor sign, she
preferred to assume an attitude of silent contempt.
But even before Chauvelin had had time to look from one face to the
other, a prolonged and merry laugh echoed across the squalid room.
Sir Percy, with head thrown back, was laughing whole-heartedly.
“A magnificent epistle, sir,” he said gaily, “Lud love you, where
did you wield the pen so gracefully?... I vow that if I signed this
interesting document no one will believe I could have expressed myself
with perfect ease.. and in French too...”
“Nay, Sir Percy,” rejoined Chauvelin drily, “I have thought of all that,
and lest in the future there should be any doubt as to whether your own
hand had or had not penned the whole of this letter, I also make it a
condition that you write out every word of it yourself, and sign it here
in this very room, in the presence of Lady Blakeney, of myself, of
my colleagues and of at least half a dozen other persons whom I will
select.”
“It is indeed admirably thought out, Monsieur,” rejoined Sir Percy,
“and what is to become of the charming epistle, may I ask, after I
have written and signed it?... Pardon my curiosity.... I take a natural
interest in the matter... and truly your ingenuity passes belief...”
“Oh! the fate of this letter will be as simple as was the writing
thereof.... A copy of it will be published in our 'Gazette de Paris'
as a bait for enterprising English journalists.... They will not be
backward in getting hold of so much interesting matter.... Can you not
see the attractive headlines in 'The London Gazette,' Sir Percy? 'The
League of the Scarlet Pimpernel unmasked! A gigantic hoax! The origin
of the Blakeney millions!'... I believe that journalism in England has
reached a high standard of excellence... and even the 'Gazette de Paris'
is greatly read in certain towns of your charming country.... His Royal
Highness the Prince of Wales, and various other influential gentlemen
in London, will, on the other hand, be granted a private view of the
original through the kind offices of certain devoted friends whom we
possess in England.... I don't think that you need have any fear, Sir
Percy, that your caligraphy will sink into oblivion. It will be our
business to see that it obtains the full measure of publicity which it
deserves...”
He paused a moment, then his manner suddenly changed: the sarcastic tone
died out of his voice, and there came back into his face that look of
hatred and cruelty which Blakeney's persiflage had always the power to
evoke.
“You may rest assured of one thing, Sir Percy,” he said with a harsh
laugh, “that enough mud will be thrown at that erstwhile glorious
Scarlet Pimpernel... some of it will be bound to stick...”
“Nay, Monsieur... er... Chaubertin,” quoth Blakeney lightly, “I have no
doubt that you and your colleagues are past masters in the graceful art
of mud-throwing.... But pardon me... er.... I was interrupting you....
Continue, Monsieur... continue, I pray. 'Pon my honour, the matter is
vastly diverting.”
“Nay, sir, after the publication of this diverting epistle, meseems your
honour will ceased to be a marketable commodity.”
“Undoubtedly, sir,” rejoined Sir Percy, apparently quite unruffled,
“pardon a slip of the tongue... we are so much the creatures of
habit.... As you were saying...?”
“I have but little more to say, sir.... But lest there should even now
be lurking in your mind a vague hope that, having written this letter,
you could easily in the future deny its authorship, let me tell you
this: my measures are well taken, there will be witnesses to your
writing of it.... You will sit here in this room, unfettered, uncoerced
in any way, and the money spoken of in the letter will be handed over to
you by my colleague, after a few suitable words spoken by him, and you
will take the money from him, Sir Percy... and the witnesses will
see you take it after having seen you write the letter... they will
understand that you are being PAID by the French government for giving
information anent royalist plots in this country and in England... they
will understand that your identity as the leader of that so-called band
is not only known to me and to my colleague, but that it also covers
your real character and profession as the paid spy of France.”
“Marvellous, I call it... demmed marvellous,” quoth Sir Percy blandly.
Chauvelin had paused, half-choked by his own emotion, his hatred and
prospective revenge. He passed his handkerchief over his forehead, which
was streaming with perspiration.
“Warm work, this sort of thing... eh... Monsieur... er...
Chaubertin?...” queried his imperturbable enemy.
Marguerite said nothing; the whole thing was too horrible for words,
but she kept her large eyes fixed upon her husband's face... waiting
for that look, that sign from him which would have eased the agonizing
anxiety in her heart, and which never came.
With a great effort now, Chauvelin pulled himself together and, though
his voice still trembled, he managed to speak with a certain amount of
calm:
“Probably, Sir Percy, you know,” he said, “that throughout the whole of
France we are inaugurating a series of national fetes, in honour of the
new religion which the people are about to adopt.... Demoiselle Desiree
Candeille, whom you know, will at these festivals impersonate the
Goddess of Reason, the only deity whom we admit now in France.... She
has been specially chosen for this honour, owing to the services which
she has rendered us recently... and as Boulogne happens to be the lucky
city in which we have succeeded in bringing the Scarlet Pimpernel to
justice, the national fete will begin within these city walls, with
Demoiselle Candeille as the thrice-honoured goddess.”
“And you will be very merry here in Boulogne, I dare swear...”
“Aye, merry, sir,” said Chauvelin with an involuntary and savage snarl,
as he placed a long claw-like finger upon the momentous paper before
him, “merry, for we here in Boulogne will see that which will fill the
heart of every patriot in France with gladness.... Nay! 'twas not the
death of the Scarlet Pimpernel we wanted... not the noble martyrdom of
England's chosen hero... but his humiliation and defeat... derision
and scorn... contumely and contempt. You asked me airily just now, Sir
Percy, how I proposed to accomplish this object... Well! you know it
now--by forcing you... aye, forcing--to write and sign a letter and
to take money from my hands which will brand you forever as a liar and
informer, and cover you with the thick and slimy mud of irreclaimable
infamy...”
“Lud! sir,” said Sir Percy pleasantly, “what a wonderful command you
have of our language.... I wish I could speak French half as well...”
Marguerite had risen like an automaton from her chair. She felt that she
could no longer sit still, she wanted to scream out at the top of her
voice, all the horror she felt for this dastardly plot, which surely
must have had its origin in the brain of devils. She could not
understand Percy. This was one of those awful moments, which she
had been destined to experience once or twice before, when the whole
personality of her husband seemed to become shadowy before her, to slip,
as it were, past her comprehension, leaving her indescribably lonely and
wretched, trusting yet terrified.
She thought that long ere this he would have flung back every insult in
his opponent's teeth; she did not know what inducements Chauvelin had
held out in exchange for the infamous letter, what threats he had used.
That her own life and freedom were at stake, was, of course, evident,
but she cared nothing for life, and he should know that certainly she
would care still less if such a price had to be paid for it.
She longed to tell him all that was in her heart, longed to tell him how
little she valued her life, how highly she prized his honour! but how
could she, before this fiend who snarled and sneered in his anticipated
triumph, and surely, surely Percy knew!
And knowing all that, why did he not speak? Why did he not tear that
infamous paper from out that devil's hands and fling it in his face?
Yet, though her loving ear caught every intonation of her husband's
voice, she could not detect the slightest harshness in his airy laugh;
his tone was perfectly natural and he seemed to be, indeed, just as he
appeared--vastly amused.
Then she thought that perhaps he would wish her to go now, that he felt
desire to be alone with this man, who had outraged him in everything
that he held most holy and most dear, his honour and his wife... that
perhaps, knowing that his own temper was no longer under control, he did
not wish her to witness the rough and ready chastisement which he was
intending to mete out to this dastardly intriguer.
Yes! that was it no doubt! Herein she could not be mistaken; she knew
his fastidious notions of what was due and proper in the presence of a
woman, and that even at a moment like this, he would wish the manners of
London drawing-rooms to govern his every action.
Therefore she rose to go, and as she did so, once more tried to read the
expression in his face... to guess what was passing in his mind.
“Nay, Madam,” he said, whilst he bowed gracefully before her, “I fear me
this lengthy conversation hath somewhat fatigued you.... This merry jest
'twixt my engaging friend and myself should not have been prolonged so
far into the night.... Monsieur, I pray you, will you not give orders
that her ladyship be escorted back to her room?”
He was still standing outside the circle of light, and Marguerite
instinctively went up to him. For this one second she was oblivious
of Chauvelin's presence, she forgot her well-schooled pride, her
firm determination to be silent and to be brave: she could no longer
restrain the wild beatings of her heart, the agony of her soul, and
with sudden impulse she murmured in a voice broken with intense love and
subdued, passionate appeal:
“Percy!”
He drew back a step further into the gloom: this made her realize the
mistake she had made in allowing her husband's most bitter enemy to
get this brief glimpse into her soul. Chauvelin's thin lips curled with
satisfaction, the brief glimpse had been sufficient for him, the rapidly
whispered name, the broken accent had told him what he had not known
hitherto: namely, that between this man and woman there was a bond far
more powerful that that which usually existed between husband and wife,
and merely made up of chivalry on the one side and trustful reliance on
the other.
Marguerite having realized her mistake, ashamed of having betrayed
her feelings even for a moment, threw back her proud head and gave her
exultant foe a look of defiance and of scorn. He responded with one of
pity, not altogether unmixed with deference. There was something almost
unearthly and sublime in this beautiful woman's agonizing despair.
He lowered his head and made her a deep obeisance, lest she should see
the satisfaction and triumph which shone through his pity.
As usual Sir Percy remained quite imperturbable, and now it was he, who,
with characteristic impudence, touched the hand-bell on the table:
“Excuse this intrusion, Monsieur,” he said lightly, “her ladyship is
overfatigued and would be best in her room.”
Marguerite threw him a grateful look. After all she was only a woman
and was afraid of breaking down. In her mind there was no issue to the
present deadlock save in death. For this she was prepared and had but
one great hope that she could lie in her husband's arms just once again
before she died. Now, since she could not speak to him, scarcely dared
to look into the loved face, she was quite ready to go.
In answer to the bell, the soldier had entered.
“If Lady Blakeney desires to go...” said Chauvelin.
She nodded and Chauvelin gave the necessary orders: two soldiers stood
at attention ready to escort Marguerite back to her prison cell. As she
went towards the door she came to within a couple of steps from where
her husband was standing, bowing to her as she passed. She stretched
out an icy cold hand towards him, and he, in the most approved London
fashion, with the courtly grace of a perfect English gentleman, took
the little hand in his and stooping very low kissed the delicate
finger-tips.
Then only did she notice that the strong, nervy hand which held hers
trembled perceptibly, and that his lips--which for an instant rested on
her fingers--were burning hot.