The next morning everything passed off as Cauvignac had planned. The
nephew and godson were the first to arrive, both mounted on the same
horse; then came Fricotin and Chalumeau, one with his drum, the other
with his halberd. There was some little opposition to be overcome when
it was explained to them that they had the honor of being enrolled
in the service of the princes; but all opposition vanished before
the threats of Cauvignac, the promises of Ferguzon, and the logic of
Barrabas.
The horse of the nephew and godson was assigned to the duty of carrying
the baggage, and as Cauvignac's commission authorized him to raise a
company of infantry, the two raw recruits could say nothing.
They set out at once. Cauvignac's march resembled a triumph. The
ingenious freebooter had found a way to bring into the war the most
persistent advocates of peace. Some he induced to embrace the cause
of the king, others the cause of the princes. Some believed they were
enlisting in the service of the Parliament, others in that of the King
of England, who was talking of a descent upon Scotland to attempt the
conquest of his dominions. There was naturally, at first, some little
lack of uniformity in the colors, some discord in the sentiments of the
troops, whom Lieutenant Ferguzon, despite his persuasive powers, found
it difficult to reduce to the level of passive obedience. However, by
resorting constantly to secrecy and mystery, which were necessary, so
Cauvignac said, to the success of the operation, they were induced to
go forward, soldiers and officers alike, without knowing where they
were going, or what they were to do.
Four days after leaving Chantilly Cauvignac had collected twenty-five
men; a very pretty little nucleus of an army. Many rivers which make a
great noise when they flow into the sea, have a less imposing origin.
Cauvignac was in search of a convenient centre of operations. He
reached a little village between Châtellerault and Poitiers, which
seemed to suit his purposes. It was the village of Jaulnay. Cauvignac
recognized it as the place where he had delivered an order to Canolles
on a certain evening, and he established his headquarters there at the
inn, where he remembered that he had supped very comfortably on the
evening in question. As to that, he had no choice, for, as we have said
before, it was the only inn in the place.
Thus established, on the principal highway from Paris to Bordeaux,
Cauvignac had behind him the troops of Monsieur de La Rochefoucauld,
who was besieging Saumur, and before him those of the king, who were
concentrated in Guyenne. Holding out a hand to either, and abstaining
from hoisting any colors whatsoever until the proper time, he set about
collecting a hundred men, with whom at his back he might make the most
of his opportunities. Recruiting went merrily forward, and in a very
short time his task was well-nigh half done.
One day, having passed the whole morning in hunting men, he was
standing, as usual, on the watch, at the door of the inn, talking
with his lieutenant and sub-lieutenant, when he spied a young lady on
horseback at the end of the village street, followed by a squire, also
on horseback, and two mules laden with trunks.
The ease with which the fair Amazon handled her steed, and the stiff,
haughty bearing of the squire, awakened a slumbering memory in
Cauvignac's mind. He laid his hand upon Ferguzon's arm,--his lieutenant
was indisposed that day, and his manner was somewhat dejected,--and
said, pointing to the traveller:--
"There's the fiftieth soldier of the Cauvignac regiment, or I'm damned!"
"Who? that young lady?"
"Precisely."
"Nonsense! we already have a nephew who was to be an advocate, a godson
who was to be a priest, two attorney's clerks, two druggists, a doctor,
three bakers, two country bumpkins; that's enough of that kind of
soldiers, God knows! without adding a woman to them; for some day or
other we shall have to fight."
"Very true; but our cash only amounts to twenty-five thousand livres,"
(it appears that the cash as well as the troop had taken pattern by the
snowball) "and if we could reach a good round figure, thirty thousand
livres, say, it seems to me that it wouldn't be a bad scheme."
"Ah! if you look at it from that point of view, I am with you, and
haven't a word to say."
"Hush! you will see."
Cauvignac approached the young woman, who, having drawn rein in front
of one of the windows of the inn, was questioning the hostess, who
assured her that she could be accommodated with a room.
"Your servant, young gentleman," he said, with a cunning expression,
putting his hand to his hat in a free and easy way.
"Young gentleman, did you say?" said the lady, with a smile.
"Yes, viscount."
The lady blushed.
"I am at a loss to know what you mean, monsieur," she said.
"Oh! yes, you do, and the half-inch of blush on your cheeks proves it."
"You certainly are mistaken, monsieur."
"Nay, nay! on the contrary, I am perfectly sure of what I say."
"A truce to your jesting, monsieur."
"I am not jesting, monsieur, and if you wish for proofs, you shall have
them. I had the honor to meet you, it will soon be three weeks ago,
dressed according to your sex, on the banks of the Dordogne, on which
occasion you were attended by your faithful squire, Monsieur Pompée. Is
Monsieur Pompée still in your service?--Why, yes, there he is now, dear
Monsieur Pompée! Will you tell me that I don't know him either?"
The squire and the young woman looked at each other in speechless
amazement.
"Oh! yes, that astonishes you, my gallant viscount," Cauvignac
continued; "but dare to say that it was not you whom I met on the road
to Saint-Martin de Cubzac, a fourth of a league from the hostelry of
Master Biscarros."
"I do not deny the meeting, monsieur."
"What did I say?"
"But that was the time when I was disguised."
"Nay, nay, you are disguised now. I quite understand that, as the
description of the Vicomte de Cambes has been given out all through
Guyenne, you deemed it more prudent, in order to avoid suspicion, to
adopt, for the moment, this costume, which, to do you justice, my fair
sir, is extremely becoming to you."
"Monsieur," said the viscountess, with an anxiety which she tried in
vain to conceal, "except that your conversation contains a word or two
of sense now and then, I should think you mad."
"I will not pay you the same compliment, for it seems to me a most
judicious thing to disguise one's self when one is conspiring."
The young woman gazed at Cauvignac with increasing uneasiness.
"Indeed, monsieur," she said, "it seems to me that I have seen you
somewhere; but I cannot remember where."
"The first time, as I have told you, was on the banks of the Dordogne."
"And the second?"
"The second was at Chantilly."
"On the day of the hunt?"
"Even so."
"In that case, monsieur, I have nothing to fear, for you are one of us."
"Why so?"
"Because you were at Chantilly."
"Permit me to observe that that is no reason."
"It seems to me to be."
"There were too many there to be sure that they were all friends."
"Beware, monsieur, or you will force me to form a strange opinion of
you."
"Oh! form whatever opinion you choose; I am not sensitive."
"But, when all is said, what do you desire?"
"To do the honors of the inn, if you have no objection."
"I am deeply grateful to you, monsieur, but I do not require your
services. I am expecting a friend."
"Very good; dismount, and while you are waiting, we will talk."
"What am I to do, madame?" interposed Pompée.
"Dismount, engage a room, and order supper," said Cauvignac.
"Monsieur," rejoined the viscountess, "if I mistake not, it is for me
to give orders to my servant."
"That depends upon circumstances, viscount. I command at Jaulnay, and
have fifty men at my beck and call. Pompée; do as I bid you."
Pompée lowered his crest and entered the inn.
"Do you presume to arrest me, monsieur?" demanded the young woman.
"Perhaps."
"What do you mean by perhaps?"
"It will depend upon the conversation we are about to have. Pray take
the trouble to dismount, viscount; so! that's right. Now accept my arm;
the inn people will take your horse to the stable."
"I obey, monsieur; for, as you say, you are the stronger. I have no
means of resisting, but I tell you now that the person I am expecting
will soon be here, and that he is an officer of the king."
"Very well, viscount; you will do me the honor to present me to him,
and I shall be charmed to make his acquaintance."
The viscountess realized that resistance was useless at present, and
she led the way into the inn, making a sign to her strange interlocutor
that he was at liberty to follow her if he chose.
Cauvignac escorted her to the door of the room bespoken by Pompée, and
was about to follow her in, when Ferguzon ran quickly up the stairs and
whispered to him:--
"Captain, a carriage with three horses, a young man, masked, inside,
and two servants at the doors."
"Good!" said Cauvignac; "it is probably the gentleman expected."
"Ah! do we expect a gentleman?"
"Yes, and I will go down to meet him. Do you remain in this corridor;
don't lose sight of the door; let everybody in, but see that nobody
goes out."
"Very well, captain."
A travelling-carriage had stopped at the door of the inn, escorted by
four men of Cauvignac's company, who joined it a quarter of a league
outside the town, and had not since parted company with it.
A young gentleman, dressed in blue velvet, and wrapped in a great
furred cloak, was lying rather than sitting inside the carriage. From
the time that the four men surrounded his vehicle he had plied them
with questions; but, finding that he could obtain no answer, despite
his persistence, he seemed to have resigned himself to wait, and simply
raised his head from time to time to see if somebody had not come up
from whom he could demand an explanation of the strange conduct of
these people in his regard.
It was impossible, however, to make a just estimate of the impression
produced upon the young traveller by this episode, as one of the
black satin masks, called _loups_, which were very much in vogue at
that time, hid half of his face. Those portions which could be seen,
however,--that is to say, the upper part of his forehead, and his mouth
and chin,--denoted youth, beauty, and intelligence. His teeth were
small and white, and a pair of bright eyes shone through the holes in
the mask.
Two tall footmen, pale and trembling, although each held a blunderbuss
across his knee, sat as if glued to their saddles at either door of
the carriage. The whole scene would have made an excellent picture
of brigands stopping travellers on the highway, except for the
bright daylight, the inn, the smiling features of Cauvignac, and the
imperturbability of the pretended thieves.
At sight of Cauvignac, who, as we have said, when notified by Ferguzon,
made his appearance at the door, the young man uttered a little shriek
of surprise, and hastily put his hand to his face, as if to make sure
that his mask was in place; finding that it was, he recovered his
tranquillity.
Swift as the movement was, it did not escape Cauvignac. He gazed at the
traveller with the eye of a man skilful in tracing resemblances even
upon the most disguised features, and the next moment started, in spite
of himself, apparently as much surprised as the young gentleman in
blue. He recovered himself, however, and said, removing his hat with a
grace that was peculiar to him:--
"Welcome, fair lady."
The traveller's eyes shone with surprise through the holes in his mask.
"Where are you going in this guise, pray?" continued Cauvignac.
"Where am I going?" replied the traveller, taking no notice of
Cauvignac's salutation,--"where am I going? You ought to know better
than I, as it seems that I am not at liberty to continue my journey. I
am going where you take me."
"Permit me to remark," continued Cauvignac, with a greater show of
politeness than ever, "that that does not answer my question, fair
lady! Your arrest is only momentary. When we have talked together a
few moments upon certain matters in which we are mutually interested,
with our hearts and our faces laid bare, you may resume your journey
unmolested."
"Pardon me," rejoined the traveller, "but before going any farther, let
us rectify an error. You pretend to take me for a woman, although you
can see from my dress that I am a man."
"You know the Latin proverb: _Ne nimium crede colori_,--the wise man
doesn't judge by appearances. Now I make some pretensions to wisdom,
and the consequence is that, under this deceitful costume, I have
recognized--"
"What?" demanded the traveller, impatiently.
"Why, I have already told you,--a woman!"
"Well, if I am a woman, why do you stop me?"
"_Peste!_ Because, in times like these, women are more dangerous
than men; indeed, the war in which we are engaged might, properly
speaking, be called the war of women. The queen and Madame de Condé are
the two belligerent powers. They have taken for lieutenant-generals
Mademoiselle de Chevreuse, Madame de Montbazon, Madame de
Longueville--and yourself. Mademoiselle de Chevreuse is Monsieur le
Coadjuteur's general, Madame de Montbazon is Monsieur de Beaufort's,
Madame de Longueville Monsieur de La Rochefoucauld's, and you--you have
every appearance of being Monsieur le Duc d'Épernon's."
"You are mad, monsieur," said the young traveller, shrugging his
shoulders.
"I should not be inclined to believe you, fair lady, were it not for
the fact that a handsome youth paid me the same compliment a moment
since."
"Perhaps he was a woman whom you persisted in calling a man."
"Even so. I recognized my fine gentleman from having seen him on a
certain evening early in May, prowling around Master Biscarros' inn,
and I was not to be taken in by his petticoats and his wigs and his
little soft voice, any more than I am taken in by your gray felt, and
your fancy boots; and I said to him: 'My young friend, take what name
you choose, wear what costume you choose, assume what voice you choose,
you will be the Vicomte de Cambes none the less. '"
"The Vicomte de Cambes!" cried the traveller.
"Ah! the name seems to make an impression upon you. Do you happen to
know him?"
"A very young man, almost a child?"
"Seventeen or eighteen years old, at most."
"Very fair?"
"Very fair."
"Large blue eyes?"
"Very large, very blue."
"Is he here?"
"He is here."
"And you say that he is--"
"Disguised as a woman, the rascal,--as you are as a man, slyboots."
"Why is he here, pray?" cried the young man, vehemently, and with
evident distress, which increased perceptibly as Cauvignac assumed a
more serious tone, and became more sparing of his words.
"Why," he replied, enunciating every syllable with great distinctness,
"he claims to have an appointment with one of his friends."
"One of his friends?"
"Yes."
"A gentleman?"
"Probably."
"A baron?"
"Perhaps."
"And his name is--"
Cauvignac's brow contracted beneath a weighty thought which then first
presented itself to his mind, and caused a perceptible commotion in his
brain.
"Oho!" he muttered, "that would be a pretty kettle offish."
"And his name?" the traveller repeated.
"Wait a moment," said Cauvignac; "wait a moment--his name ends in
_olles._"
"Monsieur de Canolles!" cried the traveller, whose lips became deathly
pale, making a ghastly contrast with the black silk mask.
"That's the name! Monsieur de Canolles," said Cauvignac, following,
upon the visible portions of the young man's face and in the convulsive
movement of his whole body, the revolution which was taking place in
his mind. "Do you know Monsieur de Canolles, too? In God's name, do you
know everybody?"
"A truce to jesting," faltered the young man, who was trembling all
over, and seemed on the point of fainting.
"Where is this lady?"
"In that room yonder; look, the third window from this,--where the
yellow curtains are."
"I want to see her!" cried the traveller.
"Oho! have I made a mistake, and can it be that you are this Monsieur
de Canolles whom she expects? Or, rather, isn't this Monsieur de
Canolles, this gallant cavalier just trotting up, followed by a lackey
who looks to me like a consummate idiot?"
The young traveller jumped forward so precipitately to look through the
glass in the front of the carriage that he broke it with his head.
"'T is he! 'tis he!" he cried, utterly regardless of the fact that the
blood was flowing from a slight wound. "Oh! the villain! he is here to
meet her; I am undone!"
"Ah! didn't I say that you were a woman?"
"They meet here by appointment," the young man continued, wringing his
hands. "Oh! I will have my revenge!"
Cauvignac would have indulged in some further pleasantry; but the young
man made an imperious gesture with one hand, while with the other he
tore off his mask, and the pale, threatening face of Nanon was revealed
to Cauvignac's impassive gaze.