The Knight of Malta Part 42

A Moor who had accompanied the young pirate at sea from his childhood, and who was warmly attached to him, was to introduce himself secretly into the castle of Anbiez.

This man was the Bohemian whom we have seen at Maison-Forte. He had accompanied Erebus at the time of the audacious journey of the three pirates in Provence. When they reached the port of Cette again, where they had left their chebec, they embarked and rejoined their galleys, which were anch.o.r.ed in the islands of Majorca, then open to all the pirates of the Mediterranean.

There, Erebus, Pog, Trimalcyon, and Hadji--such was the name of the Bohemian--contrived their plans.

The day of the adventure in the gorges of Ollioules Hadji had described the old gentleman whom Erebus had just saved, and the young girl, to his hosts in Ma.r.s.eilles, who gave him the name of Raimond V. and his young daughter, for the Baron des Anbiez was well known in Provence.

During his sojourn at Majorca, Erebus, who in his leisure occupied himself in the art of painting, made as a souvenir the miniature of which we have spoken, and a skilful goldsmith enamelled the little dove on some objects intended for Reine. Finally, Erebus added a portrait of himself, which was placed in the medallion ornamenting the guzla of the Bohemian.

These preparations completed, the Moor departed, taking with him, as a means of correspondence with the two pirates, two pigeons raised on board the chebec of Erebus, and habituated to seek and to recognise this vessel, which they regained with a jerk of the wing as soon as they perceived it, at a distance beyond the power of the eye of man.

At the end of fifteen days, the two galleys and the chebec began to cruise and beat about in view of the coasts of Provence.

As we have said, the month of December was Pog's gloomy month, the period in which his cruel instincts were exasperated to a ferocious monomania.

He had dared present himself under an a.s.sumed name to the Marshal of Vitry, only to examine at leisure the state of the coast and the fortifications of Ma.r.s.eilles, as he had the audacious design of surprising and ravaging the city, and burning the port. He counted on his understanding with some Moors established in Ma.r.s.eilles, to make himself master of the boom of the harbour.

However absurd or impossible it may appear, this attack, or rather this surprise, might have been successful. Pog did not despair of it If the arrangements that he had manipulated failed at his signal, he was sure at least of being able to lay waste a coast which was without defence, and the little city of La Ciotat, for reason of its proximity to Maison-Forte, must in this case share the fate of Ma.r.s.eilles.

In the tumult of the battle, Reine des Anbiez could easily be carried off.

We have seen that the manoeuvres of the Bohemian succeeded.

A long time hidden among the rocks which bordered upon Maison-Forte, he had several times seen Reine in the balcony of the window of her oratory, and had observed that this window often remained open. Thanks to his agility, the Bohemian had introduced himself there twice in the evening,--the first time with the crystal vase containing a Persian amaryllis, a bulbous plant which blooms in a few days; the second time with the miniature.

Certain of having established these mysterious antecedents sufficiently well to excite the curiosity of Reine, and thus force her to think of Erebus, Hadji, thinking he could present himself at Maison-Forte without awakening suspicion, was returning to the house of Raimond V., and on the way met the recorder Isnard and his retinue.

Fifteen days after his arrival at Maison-Forte, the chebec, at the setting of the sun, began to cruise at large. Hadji then sent one of the pigeons as the bearer of a letter, informing Erebus that he was loved, and Pog where he could attempt a landing, in case he should be compelled to renounce his intention of surprising Ma.r.s.eilles.

The watchman's eagle intercepted this correspondence by devouring the messenger. Unhappily, Hadji had another emissary. The next day, at sunset, the chebec appeared again, and a letter carried by the second pigeon announced to Erebus that he was loved, and to Pog that the most favourable moment for a descent upon La Ciotat was Christmas Day, a time when all the Provencals were occupied with their family feasts and merrymaking.

The tempest began to blow the very evening of the day on which Erebus received this intelligence. He rejoined the two galleys which were cruising off the coast of Hyeres; the weather becoming more and more violent, the three vessels put into Port Mage, on the island of Port-Cros. As we have said, they had been anch.o.r.ed there since the day before, impatiently waiting for the wind to change, as the celebration of Christmas would occur the day after the morrow. Before attempting anything at La Ciotat, Pog wished to a.s.sure himself that his enterprise on Ma.r.s.eilles was not possible.

Now that we are acquainted with the fatal ties which bound Erebus to Pog, we will follow the young adventurer on the galley of Trimalcyon.

He slowly ascended on board the _Sybarite_ and entered the apartment where dinner was being served.

CHAPTER XXVII. CONVERSATION

He wore the simple sailor costume which greatly enhanced his grace and beauty.

"Here comes our bashful lover, our modest wooer," said Trimalcyon, seeing him.

As a reply, the young sailor, appreciative of this pleasantry, threw off his mantle, embroidered in jet-black silk, gave a kiss to Swan-skin, caressed Orangine's chin, and, taking up a silver goblet from the table, extended it to Trimalcyon as he exclaimed:

"To the health of Reine des Anbiez, the future favourite of my harem!"

Pog threw a piercing glance on Erebus, and said, in a measured, hollow voice:

"These words come from his lips, his heart will give the lie to his language."

"You are mistaken, Captain Pog; only land your demons on the beach of La Ciotat, and you will see if the brightness of the flames which will broil the French in their hole will prevent my following Hadji to the castle of that old Provencal."

"And once in that castle, what will you do, my boy?" said Trimalcyon, with a mocking air. "Will you ask if the beautiful girl has not a skein of silk to wind, or if she will permit you to hold her mirror while she combs her hair?"

"Be quiet, Full-Bottle, I will employ my time well. I will sing for her the song of the emir, a song worthy of Beni-Amer, which that fox, Hadji, made her listen to so well."

"And if the old Provencal finds your voice disagreeable, he will give you a leather strap, as if you were a badly taught child, my boy,"

said Trimalcyon.

"I will reply to the old gentleman by seizing his daughter in my arms, and singing to him those verses of Hadji:

"'Till sixteen years old, the daughter belongs to her father.

"At sixteen years old, the daughter belongs to the lover.'"

"And if the good man insists, you will give him, for your last word, your kangiar to end the conversation?" "That comes of course, Empty-Cup. Who carries off the daughter, kills the father," added Erebus, with an ironical smile.

Trimalcyon wagged his head, and said to Pog, who seemed more and more absorbed in his gloomy thoughts: "The young peac.o.c.k is laughing at us, he is jesting, he will do some shepherd-swain nonsense with that girl." "Has the French spy returned from the islands?" asked Pog of Erebus.

"Not yet, Captain Pog," replied the young sailor; "he departed with his stick and his wallet, disguised as a beggar. He will be here, without doubt, in an hour. I waited for him in vain. Seeing that he did not arrive, I came in my long-boat; the barge which landed him on the sh.o.r.e will bring him back here. But shall we attack La Ciotat or Ma.r.s.eilles, Captain Pog?"

"Ma.r.s.eilles, unless the report of the spy makes me change my opinion," said Pog.

"And on our return, shall we not stop a moment at La Ciotat?" asked Erebus. "Hadji is expecting us."

"And your beautiful maiden also, my boy. Ah! ah! you are more impatient to see her beautiful eyes than the gaping mouths of the cannon of the castle," said Trimalcyon, "and you are right, I do not reproach you for it."

"By the cross of Malta, which I abhor!" cried Erebus, with impatience, "I would rather never see that lovely girl in the cabin of my chebec than not to sound my war-cry at the attack of Ma.r.s.eilles.

Captain Pog knows that in all our combats with the French or with the galleys of religion, my arm, although young, has dealt some heavy blows."

"Be quiet! whether we attack Ma.r.s.eilles or not, you will be able to approach La Ciotat with your chebec and carry off your maiden. I will not allow you to lose this new chance of d.a.m.ning your soul, my dear child," said Pog, with a sinister laugh.

"My soul? You have always told me, Captain Pog, that I had no soul,"

replied the unhappy Erebus, with a bantering indifference.

"You do not see, my boy, that Captain Pog is jesting," said Trimalcyon, "as far as the soul is concerned; but as for your beauty, by Sardanapalus! we will carry her off; the pains of Hadji and your mysterious gallantries shall not be lost, although, in my opinion, you were wrong to make yourself as romantic as an ancient Moor of Grenada, just to please this Omphale. A few more abductions, my dear child, and you will realise that it is far better to break a wild filly with violence than to tame her by dint of sweetness and petting. But your young palate requires milk and honey yet awhile. Later you will come to the spices."

"You flatter me, Trimalcyon, by comparing me to a Moor of Grenada,"

said Erebus, with bitterness. "They were n.o.ble and chivalrous, and not real robbers like us." "Robbers? Do you hear him, Captain Pog? He is yet not more than half out of his sh.e.l.l, and he comes talking of robbers! And who in the devil told you we were robbers? That is the way they impose upon youth, the way they deceive it and corrupt it. Why, speak to him, I pray you, Captain Pog! Robbers! Give me something to drink, Swan-skin, to help me swallow that word! Zounds! Robbers!"

Erebus seemed very little impressed by the grotesque anger of Trimalcyon.

Captain Pog raised his head slowly and said to the young man, with bitter irony:

"Well, well, my dear child, you are right to blush for our profession.