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[Illustration: _Christine._]
VAYENNE
BY
PERCY BREBNER
_Author of "Princess Maritza"_
ILLUSTRATIONS BY E. FUHR
THE JOHN McBRIDE CO.
NEW YORK
COPYRIGHT, 1907--1908
BY
THE JOHN McBRIDE CO.
CONTENTS
I. THE TRAVELLER ARRIVES,
II. THE CROIX VERTE LOSES ITS GUEST,
III. THE DWARF OF ST. ETIENNE,
IV. THE ROAD TO PASSEY,
V. THE SCHOLAR,
VI. AT THE CLEARING IN THE FOREST,
VII. THE END OF A RACE FOR LIFE,
VIII. INTO DEATH'S JAWS AGAIN,
IX. COUNT FELIX,
X. THE SUPERSTITION OF COUNT FELIX,
XI. THE LAW OF THE LAND,
XII. HOW JEAN LOST HIS ENEMIES,
XIII. OBEDIENCE AND TRUST,
XIV. THE DUKE'S FOOL,
XV. THE COUNT LOSES HIS SWORD,
XVI. THE ORDERS FOR RELEASE,
XVII. THE DUKE OF MONTVILLIERS,
XVIII. THE PRICE OF SUCCESS,
XIX. A CHANGED MAN,
XX. FATHER BERTRAND JUSTIFIES HIMSELF,
XXI. THE OLD HAG,
XXII. THE DWARF'S APPEAL,
XXIII. THE GATES ARE SHUT,
XXIV. THE FORD BY LARNE,
XXV. THE CRYPT OF ST. ETIENNE,
XXVI. THE VENGEANCE OF THE MOB,
XXVII. ONLY THE FOOL,
XXVIII. THE SUBMISSION OF MADEMOISELLE DE LIANCOURT,
XXIX. THE DUKE'S MESSENGER,
XXX. THE CROWNING OF ROGER HERRICK,
XXXI. DUKE AND SUBJECTS,
ILLUSTRATIONS
Christine
"The Spy!" she said
He rushed upon Herrick wildly
She sank into a chair
His strong arms were about her
VAYENNE
CHAPTER I
THE TRAVELLER ARRIVES
A long, straight road, no hedge or ditch separating it from the fields
on either side, but at intervals of fifty yards or so trees in pairs;
tall, thin trees, but heavy-headed and with foliage spread out fussily
near the ground, all bent forward in one direction, and looking for
all the world like ancient dames with their petticoats held out of the
mud as they struggled wearily homeward against a strong wind. In its
season this road could be muddy, as many a traveller knew, the fierce
storms which raged across the low country making it almost impassable
for days together in winter-time. To-day the ancient diligence which
traversed it at an even, jog-trot pace only left a long cloud of dust
in its wake; and the driver, an old man who had driven along this road
at regular intervals for more years than he could count, who possibly
knew the exact number of trees which lined it, sat hunched upon his
seat and had nothing to do. Perhaps he slept, for the horses knew the
way well enough to have performed the journey without him. Earlier in
the day there had been half a dozen passengers, but of these only one
remained, and he had found the driver so taciturn, and his patois so
difficult to understand when he did speak, that he had given up all
attempt at conversation. He was weary of the long journey, and dozed
whenever the jolting of the somewhat crazy vehicle would allow him to
do so.
For two days he had waited in the little frontier town, for the
diligence only performed this journey twice in the week, and he had
been travelling since early morning. At the last moment, indeed, he
had hesitated whether he should take the journey at all. It was an
absurd fancy that had brought him to this Duchy of Montvilliers, a
wonder and speculation which had lain latent in him since childhood.
As a boy a few chance words, and an elderly woman's earnest looking
into his face, had stirred his imagination. Since then the work of
life had come to fire him with other ambitions, some partially
realized, perhaps, some found to be unworthy of pursuit; and then,
suddenly as it were, almost as though some compelling voice had spoken
to his inner consciousness, the old wonder and speculation had sprung
again into life, and at last he was nearing the end of a journey which
as a lad he had promised himself one day to take.
The sun was fast sinking westward when the jolting of the vehicle
again woke the traveller, and he saw that the aspect of the land had
changed. The monotonous pairs of trees had gone, and the diligence Was
ascending a stiff incline between two swelling downs, part of a long
line of hills which had risen mistily in the distance before them all
day. It was a long climb and the horses stopped at intervals to rest
without any suggestion from the driver; on their own initiative they
went on again, and finally paused on the summit before beginning the
long descent on the other side.
"Vayenne?" asked the traveller, suddenly leaning toward the driver and
pointing down into the valley. The man looked at him with sleepy eyes
and nodded. It seemed a foolish question to him. What place could it
be but Vayenne?
It lay in the gathering twilight like the city of a dream, indefinite,
unreal, mystical. The hills overshadowed it, keeping silent watch; and
spanned by a stone bridge, a river, dotted with green islands like
emeralds upon its bosom, swept around its southern and western sides,
holding it in its arms. Over all was the diaphanous haze of evening
and silence, save for the thin music of bell and chime from belfry or
clock tower, joyous little cadences which rose and fell at short
intervals. Indistinctly the eye could trace the direction of some of
the wider streets, and toward the northern side, dominating the city
from rising ground, five gaunt, weather-beaten towers, with massive
walls and battlements between, frowned over all below. There was
menace in this castle, power, and perchance cruelty. It spoke of
despotic government, of might as right, of stern repression, of feudal
laws and the crushing of all liberty; and yet close to it, the
crowning glory of a glorious church, a great spire pierced upward
through the haze, telling of other things and a time to come.
They were complex thoughts which filled the mind of the traveller as
the diligence swung rapidly down toward the town. To him, indeed,
Vayenne was a dream city, an unknown city; yet somehow it had always
seemed a part of himself. In an indefinite way he had always known
that some day he would come to it, would have a part in its life, be
of it; and now, as every moment brought him nearer to it, he forgot
that he was a casual traveller merely, that only a few hours ago he
had hesitated whether he should come at all. He was obliged to come.
He was only fulfilling his destiny.
Lights began to blink in the houses as they crossed the old stone
bridge and passed under a massive gateway on the city side of it.
Lights swung at street corners as the lumbering vehicle passed over
the cobblestones with much rattle and noise upward toward the castle.
Even the driver roused a little from his lethargy, and cracked his
whip. They had proceeded some distance when he suddenly drew to the
side of the street, and the horses came to a standstill. They were
evidently used to such pauses; for in these narrow thoroughfares
traffic was difficult, and the diligence made no pretence of keeping
time. There was the sound of horses' hoofs behind, and in a few
moments a woman, followed by half a dozen horsemen, rode by. She
checked her pace as she passed, and turned to look at the traveller,
while the driver slowly raised his whip in salute. The light from a
lamp swinging from a bracket on the wall fell upon her, and the
traveller saw that she was young, two or three and twenty, her figure
slight and supple. Her dark gray habit may have made her look smaller
than she really was, and the mare, which she sat like an accomplished
horsewoman, was a big and powerful animal, almost too much, it seemed,
for those little gloved hands which held the reins to manage. Yet
there was strength in those little hands. There was a suggestion of
strength about her altogether, strength of will and purpose. It shone
out of a pair of dark gray eyes set under gracefully curved brows and
veiled with long lashes. The firm little mouth showed it, and there
was just enough suspicion of squareness about the chin to emphasize
it. She had nut-brown hair, a curl of which fell upon her forehead
from underneath a gray astrakhan cap, and the little head was poised
proudly on her shoulders. No ordinary woman this, not one to be
easily swayed by love or any other passion, a woman to rule rather
than be ruled.
"Who is that?" asked the traveller, leaning toward the driver as the
cavalcade passed on.
"A beautiful woman," was the slow answer.
"But her name?"
The driver cracked his whip and the diligence began to rattle over the
cobbles again.
"Some day she may be Duchess," he said, as though he was following his
own train of thought rather than answering his companion's question.
There was no time to tempt him into being more explicit, for the
horses turned a corner sharply, and with a shake of their harness
stopped before a long, low building, on which the traveller could just
decipher the words, Hotel de la Croix Verte. It was an old house,
redolent of the past, the lights within shining but faintly through
the small windows. Its upper story projected over the narrow footway,
and its lower walls bulged outward, as though they had grown tired of
the load they had had to bear so long. Its age seemed to have infected
its inhabitants, too, for some moments elapsed before the door opened,
and a man came out leisurely to receive the parcels which the
diligence had brought. That it had brought a traveller also did not
excite him, nor was he in any hurry to welcome him. Perhaps the
traveller was half dreaming, for he almost started when the man turned
and spoke to him.
"Yes; it's a long journey," he answered, "and I am ready to do justice
to the best you have."
He followed the landlord along a narrow passage and up a twisting
staircase.
"The best room," said the landlord as he opened a door and lit a
candle. "There's no one else staying in the house. Strangers do not
come much to Vayenne."
"No?" said the traveller interrogatively.
"No," returned the landlord. "It's not an easy journey, and, besides,
what can strangers want in Vayenne? By your accent you'll be----"
"Well, to what extent does my accent betray me?" asked the traveller,
with a smile.
"English or German," was the answer.
"Englishman," said the traveller--"Roger Herrick by name, a casual
visitor who may be interested enough to stay in Vayenne some time."
The landlord nodded, as though he were not surprised at anything an
Englishman might do, and went out promising an excellent dinner
forthwith.
"So I am in Vayenne at last!" Herrick exclaimed as he glanced around
the old room, pleased with its panelled walls and low, beamed ceiling.
"In Vayenne! I hardly thought when the time came that the fact would
impress me so much."
He went to the window, opened it, and looked out. Like shadows in the
darkness he could dimly discern the towers of the castle above the
roofs opposite, and the slender spire with its top lost in the night.
The chimes made little bursts of ecstatic music like the voices and
laughter of spirits in the air. Somewhere there was the low rumble of
a cart over the cobbles, but the street below him was empty. The
diligence had gone; no pedestrian was on the narrow footway. It almost
seemed as though he were deserted, left here for all time; that,
however anxious he might be to leave Vayenne, he would not be able to
do so. The city of his dreams had him fast, and already the first of
her surprises was preparing for him. Could he have looked but for an
instant into the near future, he might possibly have gone to dinner
with less appetite than he did.
The long, low room had its windows toward the street, and was broken
up by partitions. A waiter pointed to one of these separate retreats
as Herrick entered, and he saw that his table was laid there. On the
other side of the partition four men were sitting, a bottle of wine
and glasses on the table between them. Herrick casually noticed that
one was in uniform and that another wore the cassock of a priest, but
took no further interest in them, and he had come into the room so
quietly that they did not look up at his entrance, and were perhaps
unconscious that any one was dining on the other side of the
partition.
The landlord had been true to his word, and had provided an excellent
dinner. It was good wine, too, that was set upon the table, and
Herrick began to discover how hungry he really was. For a long time
his attention was confined to the business in hand, and then he
suddenly became conscious of the conversation on the other side of the
partition. It seemed to have taken a more serious turn, the voices
were dropped a little, and it was this fact, no doubt, which made
Herrick listen unconsciously.
"Such men as he is die hard," said one man. "The old Duke may hold
death at arm's length for years yet."
"Not so, my son. I know something of his disease, and naught but a
miracle can help him. A few weeks perhaps, and then----"
It was evidently the priest who spoke. His voice was soft and
persuasive, and Herrick thought that some suggestive gesture,
explaining what must ensue, had probably finished the sentence.
There was silence for a few moments, and then the ring of a glass as
it was placed on the table.
"When the reins fall from a strong hand there is always trouble," said
another man.
"And opportunity, don't forget that," said the priest. "You have your
ambitions; have we not talked of them before this? They are within a
few short weeks of realization, if you will be guided by me."
"Ay, or I am within measurable distance of losing my head, if things
go awry," was the answer. "There are always two sides to such a scheme
as this."
"I hadn't thought to find a coward in Gaspard Lemasle," said the
priest.
There was a sudden movement and quick shuffle of feet, then a laugh,
the laugh of a strong man, deep-chested and resonant.
"Bah! I forgot. One cannot fight with a cassock. See here, Father
Bertrand, granted I have ambitions, where it not better to stand by
the stronger side? Count Felix is strong, even as his uncle. The old
Duke looks upon him as his successor. Strong hands are ready to catch
the reins as they fall. In the face of such a man will Vayenne shout
for a pale-faced scholar it has little knowledge of, think you?"
"And what reward is Gaspard Lemasle to win from Count Felix?" asked
the priest. "Is Gaspard Lemasle's support necessary to him? Rewards
come only to those who struggle for them. For you they lie in the
hands of that pale scholar at Passey. There will be many to shout for
him, and, with a determined leader to fight for him, I can see
enthusiastic crowds in the streets of Vayenne."
"Father Bertrand speaks nothing but the truth," said another man, and
it seemed certain that only Lemasle's consent was wanting to complete
a scheme which had long occupied the priest's attention.
"Maybe," Lemasle returned, "I care not overmuch which way it goes."
"And you have forgotten Mademoiselle de Liancourt," said the priest.
"A second time your cassock protects you, father," laughed the other.
"It were a sin, indeed, to forget her. Pass the bottle, and let us
have brimming glasses to drink her health. Christine de Liancourt, the
most beautiful woman in Montvilliers."
"In the world," corrected the priest quietly. "She is heart and soul
for this pale scholar, and she has mentioned Gaspard Lemasle to me."
"By the faith, you shall tell me what she said," the other cried,
striking the table until the glasses rattled.
"Nay, nay, it was for no ears but mine; yet, mark you, she knows a
brave man when she sees him, and----"
The priest stopped suddenly. The silent street had suddenly awoke.
There were hurrying feet and men shouting to each other as they ran,
then the sound of a gun which boomed in deep vibration and died slowly
away in the distance.
With inarticulate and fragmentary exclamations the four men sprang up
and hurried to the door. Herrick followed them more leisurely.
"The Duke is dead!" a man cried to them as they stood in the doorway,
and as he ran he shouted the news to others who had been brought from
their houses by the sound of the gun. "The Duke is dead!"
"Dead!" said the priest slowly, crossing himself, more by habit than
intention it seemed, for other thoughts than of death were reflected
in his face. He looked at his companions one after the other, deep
meaning in his look, and last of all his eyes rested on Roger
Herrick, standing a little in the rear, his face lit up by the light
of a lamp hanging in the passage. For a moment the priest did not
appear to realize that Herrick was a stranger, and then his eyes
opened wider and remained fixed upon him.
"A sudden death," said Herrick. "I heard you say just now that he
might live for weeks."
Father Bertrand glanced back into the room they had left, to the place
where he and his companions had been sitting.
"Very sudden," he answered, and then after a pause he added, "Very
strange."