THE INTERVIEW.
In order to explain the confidence of the Gascon, we must say that,
having heard Mirette address him as master, he was fully persuaded that
Blue Beard was on her guard, and that Monmouth was securely hidden. In
spite of what the mulattress said, he was convinced, with reason, that
Father Griffen had informed Angela that her supposed husband would come
to see her. The situation was so grave that the priest, knowing all the
mysteries of Devil's Cliff, could not but have insisted on warning Blue
Beard of the fresh peril which menaced her.
If Mirette had stated that Father Griffen had not seen Blue Beard, it
was because it was in accord with her wishes that it should appear that
he had not communicated with the inhabitants of Devil's Cliff.
This explains at once what will seem contradictory in Croustillac's
conduct, and will answer the question "if he wished to take advantage of
the name he had assumed, to carry off Blue Beard, why had he warned
Father Griffen of his intention?"
Croustillac, having warned De Chemerant to be silent, advanced on
tiptoe, to the half-drawn _portiere_, and looked into the room, for the
peals of laughter still continued. He had scarcely cast a glance into
the room when he quickly turned toward De Chemerant; and with a
distorted face and outraged manner said, "See and listen, sir! this is
the reward of surprises. I had a presentiment when I sent Father Griffen
here. By heavens! prudent husbands should be preceded by an escort of
cymbals to announce their return!"
In spite of these ironical words, the features of Croustillac were
convulsed; his whole physiognomy expressed a singular mixture of sorrow,
anger and hatred.
Rapidly glancing into the room, De Chemerant, in spite of his assurance,
lowered his eyes, colored, and for some moments remained perfectly
overwhelmed with confusion.
Let one judge of the spectacle which caused the confusion of De
Chemerant, and the rage, not feigned but sincere, even cruel, of
Croustillac, who, as we have said, passionately loved Blue Beard,
devoted himself generously for her, and was not in the secret of the
prince's different disguises.
Monmouth, in the disguise of the mulatto filibuster, Whirlwind, was
negligently extended on a sofa; he was smoking a long pipe, the bowl of
which rested on a low stand.
Angela, kneeling beside the latter, quickened the flame of the pipe with
a long golden pin.
"Good! that is all right," said Monmouth, whom we will call Whirlwind,
during this scene. "My pipe is lighted, now for something to drink."
Angela placed on a table a large Bohemian glass and a crystal _carafe_,
and, going over to the divan, while the filibuster puffed several
mouthfuls of tobacco, poured out a brimming glass of Muscatel wine and
handed it to him with a charmingly graceful air.
The filibuster emptied it at a single draught, after which he kissed her
roughly, saying, "Wine is good, and the woman is pretty; to the devil
with the husband!"
Hearing these very significant words, De Chemerant wished to retire.
Croustillac took hold of him and said, in a low tone, "Remain, sir,
remain, I desire to surprise, to confound them, the miserable wretches!"
The face of Croustillac clouded more and more. The warning which he had
given in begging Father Griffen to go and prepare Blue Beard that he was
about to seek her, concealed a very praiseworthy and generous purpose,
which we will explain later.
The sight of the filibuster exciting the adventurer's jealousy into rage
quickly changed his good intentions. He could not understand the
audacity of this young woman. He could not be blind to the evidence of
these familiarities on the part of the mulatto whom he had not yet
seen. He remembered those, no less shocking, of the Caribbean and the
buccaneer. He believed himself to be the dupe of a frightfully depraved
creature; he believed that Monmouth, her husband, no longer existed or
no longer lived at Devil's Cliff; and if Angela had co-operated with
himself (Croustillac) in his strategy, it was in order to rid herself of
an awkward witness.
Furious at being thus deceived and played with, deeply wounded in a true
love, Croustillac resolved to avenge himself without pity, and, this
time, to really abuse the power his assumed name and the situation which
he assumed with such honorable motives had given him. He said to De
Chemerant, in a stifled voice, but with an expression of concentrated
wrath, which entered admirably into the spirit of his role, "Not a word,
sir; I wish to hear all, because I wish to punish both without mercy."
"But, your highness----"
An imperious gesture from Croustillac closed De Chemerant's mouth; both
of them gave an attentive ear to the conversation of Angela, and the
filibuster, who, we must say, knew perfectly that they were overheard.
"At last, my beautiful child," said Whirlwind, "you are free for a time
at least."
"If not forever," said Blue Beard, smiling.
"Forever? what do you mean, you little demon," returned the filibuster.
Angela arose and seated herself near the mulatto. While talking to him
she passed her hand through his hair with a cajoling coquetry which put
the unhappy Croustillac beside himself.
"Your highness, one word, and my men shall rid you of this scoundrel,"
said De Chemerant, in an undertone, in pity for the Gascon.
"I shall know well how to avenge myself," said the adventurer sullenly,
who no longer desired to prolong the scene; and so, turning to De
Chemerant, continued, "Sir, leave me alone with these two wretches."
"But, your highness, this man appears strong and robust."
"Be easy, I will give a good account of him."
"If you will listen to me, your highness, we will leave at once; you
will abandon to her remorse, a woman so unhappy as to thus forget her
duty."
"Leave her? No, my heavens! Willingly or otherwise, she shall follow
me--that will be my revenge."
"If your highness will permit me a remark: After a disclosure so
scandalous, the sight of the duchess can only be forever odious to you.
Let us go; forget such a guilty spouse; glory shall console you."
"Sir, I desire to speak to my wife," said Croustillac impatiently.
"But, your highness, this miserable----"
"Once more, am I a man without courage and without force, that such a
rascal should intimidate me? Some domestic scenes must be secret. Will
you await me in the next room? In a quarter of an hour I will be with
you."
Croustillac said these words with an intonation so imperious, and with
such an agonized manner, that De Chemerant bowed without persisting
further. He went into a room the door of which the chevalier had opened,
and which he immediately closed upon him.
Crossing the drawing room with quick steps, the adventurer entered
suddenly into the room where the mulatto and Blue Beard were.
"Madame," said the Gascon with sorrowful indignation, "your conduct is
abominable."
The mulatto, who was extended on the divan, arose quickly; he was about
to speak; Angela with a glance begged him to do nothing. As much as
Monmouth had generously desired to prevent the sacrifice of the
chevalier when he believed this sacrifice disinterested, he was as much
resolved not to make himself known when he believed the adventurer
capable of an unworthy betrayal.
"Sir," said Angela coldly, to the Gascon, "the French emissary may still
overhear us; let us go into another room."
She opened the door of Monmouth's own room, and entered, followed by the
filibuster and Croustillac. The door once closed, the adventurer cried:
"I repeat that you have shamefully abused my trust in you."
"I demand an explanation of your disloyal conduct," said Angela proudly.
"Explain yourself at once."
During this scene, Monmouth, gravely preoccupied, walked up and down the
room with his arms folded, his eyes fixed on the carpet.
"You desire that I explain myself, madame? Oh, that will not take long!
First know that, right or wrong, I love you," cried Croustillac, in a
burst of tenderness and anger.
"That is to say, that you have boasted to your fellow-travelers that you
would marry the rich widow of Devil's Cliff?"
"So be it, madame; on board the Unicorn my language was impertinent, my
pretensions absurd, madame; covetous, I admit. But when I spoke thus,
when I thought thus, I had not seen you."
"The sight of me, sir, has not inspired you with ideas much more
honorable," said Angela severely, still convinced that Croustillac
wished to cruelly abuse the position in which he found himself.
"Hear me, madame; I love you truly; that is to say, that I was capable
of anything to prove to you my love, absurd and stupid as it appears to
you. Yes, I loved you, because my heart told me I did well to love you;
because I felt myself better for loving you. You may laugh at this love;
I was sufficiently repaid by the happiness it gave me. When you have
said, 'Sir, I mock at you, I use you for a plaything, you are a poor
devil, I have bestowed charity upon you, and you should be content
therewith---- '"
"Sir!"
"When you have said all this, do not think that I was humiliated. No,
that hurt me, hurt me much, but I quickly forgot this injury, when I saw
that you understood that, poor as I am, I could be touched by something
else than money. Then you said to me some kind words, you called me your
friend--your friend! After this I would have thrown myself into the fire
for you, and that for the sole pleasure of throwing myself into it, for
I had nothing more to hope for from you; the time of my folly is past; I
see too clearly into my heart not to recognize that I was a kind of
mendicant buffoon; I can never have anything in common with a woman as
beautiful and as young as you. My only ambition--and this can offend no
one--would have been to devote myself to you. But how to have such
happiness? I, a vagabond, with nothing but my old sword, my old hat, and
my pink hose! Ah! well, by a chance which I at first blessed, Colonel
Rutler to-night mistook me for him they call your husband; this mistake
might be useful to you. Judge of my joy--I could save the man whom you
so passionately loved. I should have preferred to save something else,
but I had no time to choose. I risked all, including the everlasting
dagger of the colonel. I augmented, by every means possible, his double
mistake. You came to my assistance; that is, you buried me in the mud up
to the neck, by means of the bagatelles with which you loaded me. It is
all the same--I go with all my heart; I am satisfied to do so, and I
leave this house without hope of ever seeing you again, with the gallows
or prison in prospect, not to count the everlasting dagger of the
Dutchman. Ah, well, in spite of all, I repeat, I was content: I said to
myself, I know not what awaits me, rope or dungeon; but I am sure Blue
Beard will say, 'It is fortunate, very fortunate for us at least, that
this eccentric Gascon came here. Poor devil! what has happened to him?'
There! that was my ambition. But I did not ask even a regret, a
memory--a memory," said the Gascon, moved in spite of himself.
"Sir," said Angela, "as long as I believed you really generous, my
gratitude did not fail you."
These words increased the Gascon's wrath; he exclaimed, "Your gratitude,
madame! Zounds! it is beautiful. But to proceed. We started from this
place with the Belgian. In descending the hill we met the French
emissary. Rutler at once believed himself betrayed, and made a furious
lunge at me with his everlasting dagger. These are the fruits of
devotion. If the blade had not broken, I should have been killed.
Nothing is simpler; when one sacrifices oneself for others, it is hardly
with the expectation of being crowned with roses, or caressed by nymphs
of the woods. Well, the dagger broke; one of the men throttled Rutler;
I found myself face to face with the French emissary. I did not lose my
head. It was a matter touching you and the unhappy exile whom you loved
passionately. I would rather it had been your father or your uncle, but
I had no choice. Beside, the idea of being useful to two young and
interesting people threw my egotism into the background. The greater the
complications the more my pride incited me to save you. I redoubled my
audacity and coolness. The great but honest falsehoods I have uttered
for you should absolve me from those which I have spoken for an unworthy
cause. The good God took up the cause; I was inspired to the greatest
falsehoods you can imagine; they were swallowed up as eagerly by the
French envoy as if it had been manna from on high. I played my role with
all my might. Monsieur De Chemerant told me in two words the object of
his mission; an insurrection favored by the King of France was on foot
in England; if the Duke of Monmouth were to put himself at the head of
the affair its success was assured."
Monmouth made a movement and stealthily exchanged glances with Angela.
The Gascon continued: "When I was on the way to an English prison with
the Belgian and his everlasting dagger I did not breathe a word. I was
well protected from any wish to return here. But when De Chemerant
confided to me a thing of possible advantage to the prince, I had no
right to refuse it for him. I therefore accepted in his name all manner
of viceroyalties. But, if he really desired to take part in this
uprising, how was I to let him know? Monsieur De Chemerant desired to
set sail at once. By what means could I return here with the envoy of
France without exposing the duke, who was ignorant of my last adventure
and believed me still to be the Belgian's prisoner, thinking, doubtless,
that he was secure here? An idea seized me. I said to De Chemerant,
'Things have changed their aspect; I desire to take my wife with me.
Come, let us return to Devil's Cliff.' Faith, it was the only way in
which I could manage an interview with you, madame--of warning the
prince of this proposal. If he accepted it, I would throw off the
prince; if he refused, I would refuse as before, and he would be saved."
"How, sir!" cried Angela. "Such was your generous intention? You
would----"
"Oh, wait, madame, wait; do not think me either more stupid or more
generous than I am," said the Gascon bitterly. "I begged Father Griffen
to come and prepare you, madame, that I desired to take you with me.
Chemerant heard me; I could say no more to the priest, but this
sufficed. One of two things would result: either you would understand
the situation or you would believe me guilty of infamous intentions; in
either case, you would be on your guard, and the prince saved; for it
was my fixed idea----"
"So, sir," cried Angela, looking at him with mingled surprise and
gratitude, "you did not really intend to abuse----"
The Gascon interrupted her shortly. "No, madame, no. I had then no such
wicked intentions, though certain particulars of your life appear to me
inexplicable. I believed you sincerely attached to an unhappy prince,
and at any cost I would have saved the duke."
"Ah! sir, how I have misjudged you? You are the most generous of men,"
cried Angela.
The adventurer burst into a sardonic laugh, which stupefied the young
woman; then he continued with a somber air:
"Thank God, my eyes have been opened. I see now that generosity would be
stupid, devotion foolish. I shall profit by this lesson. Polypheme de
Croustillac rarely revenges himself, but when he does, he revenges
himself well; above all, when the vengeance is as charming as that which
awaits him."
"You would be revenged, sir," said Angela, "and on whom?"
"On whom, madame? You have the audacity to ask me that?"
"Why, certainly, what have I done; why this hatred?"
The adventurer stamped his foot so violently that the mulatto made a
step toward him; but Croustillac curbed himself and said to Angela
shortly, and with ironical bitterness, "Listen to me, madame. It seems
to me, that without being possessed of colossal pride, I deserved
something, when for you I threw myself into the midst of the most
dangerous situations. It seems to me, madame," continued the Gascon, who
could not contain his indignation, which increased in measure as he
spoke, "It seems to me that it was not at the moment when, at the risk
of my life, I was doing all I could to save the husband whom you love so
passionately, as they say, that it was not at such a time that you
should forget all modesty----"
"Sir!"
"Yes, madame, forget all modesty, all shame, by throwing yourself into
the arms of this miserable mulatto, and go to the depth of lighting his
pipe. Truly, I was very stupid," continued the Gascon with an increase
of rage. "In my devotion to you I risked my skin for the husband of
madame! while madame, outrageously mocking her husband and me, abandoned
herself to orgies with a lot of scamps. I am beside myself! My mother's
son does not merit having been born in my country and having played all
manner of pranks, as they say, in the capital of the world, if he cannot
find something, in his turn, to laugh at in this adventure. In a word,
madame," he said, sullenly, "you can believe me to entertain the
wickedest intention in the world, and you will not overstep the reality,
for I am now as much your enemy as I was your friend. As for the rest, I
am well pleased; nothing is more wearying than fine sentiments. I should
have resumed my shepherd songs and my morning sonnets. I shall take good
care not to do so. I prefer the fashion in which I love you now, rather
than heretofore," said Croustillac, throwing a glittering look at
Angela.