The False Chevalier Part 25

De Lotbiniere looked methodically at the seal, the handwriting, and the date of the postmark.

"Go," he said to the servant.

The incoming letter was from Louis de Lery, begging his uncle's advice in the affair of Lecour.

"The horror I have," wrote he, after relating the circ.u.mstances, "is not of death, for in that respect I shall not be found unworthy of our ancestors. It is solely the horror--the disgust--of being compelled to measure myself with a being so ill-a.s.sorted. I cannot limit myself in expressions at my comrades who force this upon me, nor of detestation and repugnance towards _the creature itself_.

What am I do? Your experience just now would be invaluable to me.

"LOUIS R. C. DE LeRY."

"_Peste_, what a fine mess for us all!" de Lotbiniere exclaimed. "The persistence of this fellow is incredible. They say de Bailleul supports him. I shall begin, then, by removing the support of de Bailleul. Louis must not fight this duel."

He picked out a sheet from his pile of gilt-edged note-paper, laid it down, selected a quill and tried it, then wrote de Bailleul a sharp letter, as follows--

"MON CHER DE BAILLEUL,--They tell me to my amazement that it is you who are the protector of the young Canadian Lecour, who is just now making such a noise as an adventurer. He has at least obtained a high commission in the Bodyguard by the use of your name. I have no doubt that you are aware that he is the son of Lecour of St.

Elphege, my former _cantineer_. Can it be true that, knowing his birth to be so base, you go so far as to permit him the use of your position in these intrigues? If that be so--for I hesitate to credit it--let me go farther and remark that a most serious consequence has just followed his indiscretion. He challenges my nephew, de Lery, for a date fixed and imminent. We consider you responsible for this situation. I consequently trust that you will find some way to suppress your brazen-faced _protege_.

"And I have the honour to be, sir, &c., "THE MIS. DE CHARTIER DE LOTBINIeRE."

"That will end him," remarked he, and reading it over, he folded, addressed and sealed it, and putting on his hat and gloves proceeded to the General Depot of the Post. There he took out his watch, noted the hour and minute, and handed in the letter.

The Chevalier was then in Versailles, so that Lotbiniere's note reached him quickly, and he replied--

"MY DEAR SIR,--Your note is a great shock to me. I have not slept nor lain down all night, on account of the matter of our young countryman, which is one of the most unfortunate in the world. He is as a son to me; and out of my feelings for him I beseech you to treat him considerately, for you cannot know how sensitive and fine-minded he is; the immediate ruin would kill him. Let us rather combine to withdraw him more gradually from his false position.

Cannot the quarrel between the young men be softened by gentle means? As for myself, I am ready to use my best influence with you in that direction."

The Marquis read the letter over twice.

"He is asking quarter," he ultimately p.r.o.nounced; "clemency is asked of the victor: well, I will be clement. Lecour shall first write a humble retraction of all his claims. This shall be left in my hands by him for thirty days, during which the pretender shall leave France. De Lery will then exhibit the retraction, with attestations both by myself and de Bailleul."

De Lotbiniere contemplated the cupids frescoed on the frieze urbanely.

He was victor.

A knock came, and the Marquis de Repentigny was ushered in.

"See," said he, "what is going all over Paris"; and he gave a newspaper pa.s.sage to de Lotbiniere to read.

The item ran--

"The duel between the two Bodyguards, Monsieur de Lery and the Chevalier de Repentigny, took place this morning at four o'clock in the woods of Bois du Lac. It is said that on account of some provincial quarrel, the former had insulted the latter by denying his gentility, of which, however, the Chevalier had made the amplest proofs on entering his regiment. During the duel, he displayed the firmest yet most amiable spirit, and having disarmed M. de Lery upon the _coup de tierce_, magnanimously refused to draw blood. The seconds then interfered and declared the honour of the combatants satisfied."

"Devil! _Peste!_ Species of pig!" de Lotbiniere cried, his rage finding too few words.

"I just now heard some more details from an officer of of the Lambesc Dragoons," Repentigny continued. "My namesake was perfectly silent; Louis, on the contrary, quite unlike his ordinary manner, made no attempt to control himself. He never ceased to exclaim, 'Clodfoot!

Impostor!' and to taunt the stranger at each stroke with his father's origin. Finally Louis was disarmed, whereupon, with the same silence, Lecour handed back his sword--'with great dignity' said the Dragoon, and Louis refused to receive it."

"'With great dignity!'" shouted de Lotbiniere--"You speak as though you had no feeling."

"On the contrary," replied Repentigny, "I am very sorry for every one concerned."

"Save your pity! I shall now bring up my heavy guns."

CHAPTER XXVII

JUDE AND THE GALLEY

The Council of the Galley-on-Land were gathered again in Gougeon's shop at two in the morning. All Paris was sleeping, and even the orgies of the Beggars' Ball had sunk to silence. There was animation among the Council, for in a corner, not at first visible, lay a subject of debate--a prisoner tightly bound with a rope. Each man held some piece of sharp iron, Wife Gougeon her pistol. The Admiral sat wrapped in his brown cloak.

"_I_ caught him!" shouted Hache hilariously; "I caught him myself."

"Who is he?" the Admiral asked.

"The sheep that followed me. They have followed me ever since the breaking of Bec and Caron. This one was the worst. He follows you along like a lizard under a wall; but I caught him, I caught him!"

A stifled struggle with its fastenings were heard from the bundle in the corner.

"Bring him over," order the Admiral.

Gougeon and Hache went over, lifted the bundle, and deposited it in the centre of the group, where the candle rays brought out amidst it the lines of a face. A woollen gag was across the mouth, the eyes were bloodshot and fear-distorted, but the features were unmistakable. They were those of Jude.

Jude, when deprived of the favour of the Princess, had offered his services to the police administration. He was set on the track of Hache, whom he successfully shadowed and was about to expose, together with the Gougeons and their den, when his victim caught him.

Gougeon took hold of the prisoner's hand roughly, and bound a new gag under the chin and tightly over the head; he then loosened the mouth gag and turned away, without any interest in the sequel, to pick at a driblet of grease running down the side of the candle.

The change in the gags allowed of speech between the teeth while preventing the prisoner's mouth from opening to cry out.

"Spy," said the Admiral severely. "You are in the service of the Lieutenant of Police?"

"Oh, no, sir, I pray you," Jude hissed. "I am no spy, a poor Abbe only; and in the name of the Church----"

"The Church is one of our enemies."

"But I am not in orders--a secular, a reader, a poor companion. Oh, let me go and I will do you no harm. I have some money--eighty-five florins--at my lodgings; let me but go and bring it."

"And betray us all!" screamed Wife Gougeon. "No, Monsieur Abbe. When you go from here it will not be to sing."

"Monsieur will doubtless sign an order for us to draw this sum," said the Admiral most suavely.

"Immediately on my release," gasped the Abbe.

"It is more just that we should have the money first."

"But I am dying of fear. I have no courage. Listen, listen, I pray of you good people. I shall give you all I have and fly from you for ever as far as I can."