The Knight of Malta Part 22

"Take care."

"Ta, la, la, la, la," said the captain, singing between his teeth, and keeping time by rising on his toes and falling back on his heels.

"Once, twice, will you get on your knees and ask my pardon for your stupid jealousy?"

"I would rather, you can understand, strangle myself with my own hands."

"Luquin, you know that when I wish a thing, I wish it. If you refuse what I ask, I will be the one to say good-bye to you. And I will not come back, either, remember that."

"Go, go; perhaps you will meet the Bohemian on the way."

Stephanette did not answer a word, but turned around abruptly and walked away.

Luquin was very brave for a few moments, then his courage failed him, and at last, seeing that the young girl walked with a firm, resolute step, he followed her and called, in a supplicating voice:

"Stephanette!"

The young girl walked faster.

"Stephanette, Stephanette, do be reasonable, you know very well that I love you."

Stephanette continued to walk.

"A thousand devils! Is it possible for me to ask your pardon for my jealousy, when I have seen that--" Stephanette quickened her step.

"Stephanette, ah, well, come now, in truth you bewitch me. You make me do all that you wish." Stephanette slackened her step a little.

"To come to the point, no, a thousand times no, I am weaker than a child."

Stephanette began to run.

The captain of _The Holy Terror to the Moors_ was obliged to exercise his long, heron-like legs to catch up with her, as he said, with a stifled voice, "Ah, well, come now, diabolical creature that you are,--one must do as you wish,--here I am on my knees,--only stop a moment. Ah, well, yes, I was wrong. Are you satisfied? Is it possible to be so base?" murmured Luquin, in parenthesis; then he said, aloud: "Ah, well, yes, I was wrong to be jealous of--of--But at least stop, will you not? I cannot run after you on my knees. I was wrong, I tell you."

Stephanette slackened her gait a little, then stopped still, and said to Luquin, without turning her head:

"On your knees."

"Well, I am; I am on my knees. Fortunately for my dignity as a man, that corner of the wall hides me from the eyes of that old gossip of a majordomo," said Luquin to himself.

"Repeat after me."

"Yes, but do turn your head, Stephanette, so I can see you; that will give me courage."

"Repeat, repeat first; come, say, 'I was wrong to be jealous of that poor Bohemian.'"

"Humph! I was wrong to be jealous of--that--humph--of that scoundrel of a Bohemian."

"That is not it,--'of that poor Bohemian.'"

"Of that poor Bohemian," repeated Luquin, with a profound sigh.

"'It was a very innocent thing for Stephanette to give him a ribbon.'"

"It was--humph--it was a very innocent thing for Stephanette--humph!"

These words seemed to strangle the captain, who coughed violently,--"Humph, humph!"

"You have a very bad cold, my poor Luquin. Repeat now: 'It was a very innocent thing for Stephanette to give him a ribbon.'"

"To give him a ribbon."

"Very well; 'because I have her heart. And all this is only a young girl's folly, and I know well that she loves n.o.body but her Luquin,'"

said Stephanette, rapidly.

Then, without giving her betrothed time to rise and repeat these sweet words, Stephanette turned around quickly while he was still on his knees, and gave him a kiss on the forehead, and then disappeared through a pa.s.sage in the court before the worthy captain, as delighted as surprised, had been able to take a step.

CHAPTER XVI. THE OVERSEERS OF THE PORT

At the instigation of Master Isnard, still implacable, for reason of the inhospitable reception given to him by Raimond V., the consul, Talebard-Talebardon, on Sat.u.r.day evening despatched a clerk to Maison-Forte des Anbiez, for the purpose of informing the baron that he was to appear the next day, Sunday, before the overseers of the port.

Raimond V. made the trembling clerk sit down to the table and take supper with him, but every time the man of the law opened his mouth to ask the baron to appear before the tribunal, the old gentleman would cry out, "Laramee, pour out some wine for my guest!"

Then he had the clerk taken back to La Ciotat somewhat intoxicated.

Interpreting the conduct of the baron according to their own view, Master Isnard and the consul saw in his refusal to answer their summons the most outrageous contempt.

The next day, which was Sunday, after the ma.s.s, at which, notwithstanding his resolution the evening before, the baron did not appear, the consuls and the recorder went through the houses of the princ.i.p.al citizens, exciting public sentiment against Raimond V., who had so openly braved and insulted the privileges of Provencal communities.

Much artifice, much deceit, and a great deal of persistence on the part of Master Isnard were necessary to make the inhabitants of La Ciotat share his hostility against the lord of Maison-Forte, because the instinct of the mult.i.tude is always in sympathy with the rebellion of a lord against a lord more powerful than himself; but on account of recent disputes about fis.h.i.+ng privileges, the recorder succeeded in arousing the indignation of the mult.i.tude.

As we have said, it was Sunday morning; after ma.s.s the overseers of the port held their sessions in the large town hall, situated near the new harbour. It was a ma.s.sive, heavy building, constructed of brick, and had many small windows.

On each side rose the dwellings of the wealthiest citizens.

The site of the town hall was separated from the port by a narrow little street.

A noisy crowd of citizens, fishermen, sailors, artisans, and country people were pressing into the yard, and many had already seated themselves at the door of the town hall, so as to be present at the session of the overseers.

The citizens, instructed by the recorder, circulated in groups among the mult.i.tude, and spread the news that Raimond V. despised the rights of the people by refusing to appear before the overseers.

Master Talebard-Talebardon, one of the consuls, a large man, corpulent and florid, with a shrewd, sly look, wearing his felt hood and official robe, occupied with the recorder the centre of one of these animated groups of which we have spoken, and which was composed of men of all sorts and conditions.

"Yes, my friends," said the consul, "Raimond V. treats Christians as he treats the dogs he hunts with. The other day he threatened this respectable Master Isnard whom you see here with his whip after having exposed him to the fury of two of the fiercest bulls from Camargne; it was a miracle that this worthy officer of the admiralty of Toulon escaped the awful peril that threatened his life," said the consul, with an important air.

"A real miracle, for which I return thanks to Our Lady of la Garde,"