The Martins Of Cro' Martin Volume II Part 11

"Two o'clock," said Ma.s.singbred, looking at his watch; "and we are to be at Versailles by eight."

"Well, leave all the care of that to me," said Martin; "and do you throw yourself on the bed there, and take some rest. Without you prefer to sup first?"

"No, an hour's sleep is what I stand most in need of; and so I 'll say good-night."

Ma.s.singbred said this less that he wanted repose than a brief interval to be alone with his own thoughts. And now, as he closed his eyes to affect sleep, it was really to commune with his own heart, and reflect over what had just occurred.

Independently that he liked Czernavitz personally, he was sorry for a quarrel at such a moment. There was a great game about to be played, and a mere personal altercation seemed something small and contemptible in the face of such events. "What will be said of us," thought he, "but that we were a pair of hot-headed fools, thinking more of a miserable interchange of weak sarcasms than of the high destinies of a whole nation? And it was _my_ fault," added he to himself; "I had no right to reproach him with a calamity hard enough to bear, even without its being a reproach. What a strange thing is life, after all!" thought he; "everything of greatest moment that occurs in it the upshot of an accident,--my going to Ireland, my visit to the West, my election, my meeting with Kate Henderson, and now this duel." And, so ruminating, he dropped off into a sound sleep, undisturbed by sounds that might well have broken the heaviest slumber.

CHAPTER VIII. AN EVENING OF ONE OP THE "THREE DAYS"

On the evening which witnessed these events Lady Dorothea's "reception"

had been more than usually brilliant. Numbers had come to show of how little moment they deemed this "street disturbance," as they were pleased to call it; others, again, were curious to pick up in society the opinions formed on what was pa.s.sing, among whom were several high in the favor of the Court and the confidence of the Government. All, as they arrived, had some little anecdote or adventure to relate as to the difficulties which beset them on the way,--the distances which they were obliged to travel, the obstructions and pa.s.swords and explanations which met them at every turn. These were all narrated in the easy, jocular tone of pa.s.sing trifles, the very inconvenience of which suggested its share of amus.e.m.e.nt.

As the evening wore on, even these became less frequent; the streets were already thinning, and, except in some remote, unimportant parts of the capital, the troops were in possession of all the thoroughfares. Of course, the great topic of conversation was the bold stroke of policy then enacting,--a measure which all p.r.o.nounced wise and just, and eminently called for.

To have heard the sentiments then uttered, the disparaging opinions expressed of the middle and humbler cla.s.ses, the hopelessness of ever seeing them sufficiently impressed with their own inferiority, the adulation bestowed on the monarch and all around him, one might really have fancied himself back again at the Tuileries in the time of Louis the Fourteenth. All agreed in deeming the occasion an excellent one to give the people a salutary lesson; and it was really pleasant to see the warm interest taken by these high and distinguished persons in the fortunes of their less happy countrymen.

To Lady Dorothea's ears no theme could be more grateful; and she moved from group to group, delighted to mingle her congratulations with those around, and exchange her hopes and aspirations and wishes with theirs.

Kate Henderson, upon whom habitually devolved the chief part in these "receptions," was excited and flurried in manner; a more than ordinary effort to please being dashed, as it were, by some secret anxiety, and the expectation of some coming event. Had there been any one to watch her movements, he might have seen the eagerness with which she listened to each new account of the state of the capital, and how impatiently she drank in the last tidings from the streets; nor less marked was the expression of proud scorn upon her features, as she heard the insulting estimate of the populace, and the vainglorious confidence in the soldiery. But more than all these was her haughty indignation as she listened to the confused, mistaken opinions uttered on every side as to the policy of the Government and the benevolent intentions of the king.

Once, and only once, did she forget the prudent resolve she wished to impose upon herself; but temper and caution and reserve gave way, as she heard a very distinguished person amusing a circle around him by an unfair and unfaithful portraiture of the great leaders of '92. It was then, when stung by the odious epithet of _canaille_ applied to those for whose characters she entertained a deep devotion, that she forgot everything, and in a burst of indignant eloquence overwhelmed and refuted the speaker. This was the moment, too, in which she replied to Villemart by a word of terrible ferocity. Had the red cap of Liberty itself been suddenly hoisted in that brilliant a.s.semblage, the dread and terror which arose could scarcely have been greater.

"Where are we?" cried the Marquise de Longueville. "I thought we were in the Place de Vendome, and I find myself in the Faubourg St. Antoine!"

"Does my Lady know that her friend and confidante is a Girondist of the first water?" said an ex-Minister.

"Who could have suspected the spirit of Marat under the mask of Ninon de l'Enclos?" muttered Villemart.

"What is this I hear, dearest Kate?" cried the d.u.c.h.esse de Mirecourt, as she drew the young girl's arm within her own. "They tell me you have terrified every one,--that Madame de Soissons has gone home ill, and the old Chevalier de Gardonnes has sent for his confessor."

"I have been very rash, very foolish," said Kate, as a deadly pallor came over her; "but I could bear it no longer. Besides, what does it matter? They 'll hear worse, and bear it too, before three days are over."

"Then it is all true?" cried the d.u.c.h.ess, eagerly. "You told Villemart that when the Government spoke with grape-shot, the people replied with the guillotine!"

"Not exactly," said Kate, with a faint smile. "But are they all going?"

"Of course they are. You have frightened them almost to death; and I know you only meant it for jest,--one of those little half-cruel jests you were ever fond of. Come with me and say so,--come, dearest." And she drew her, as she spoke, into the crowded salon, now already a scene of excited leave-taking. The brilliant company, however, fell back as they came forward, and an expression of mingled dismay and compa.s.sion was turned towards the young d.u.c.h.ess, who with a kind of heroic courage drew Kate's arm closer within her own.

"I am come to make an explanation, messieurs et mesdames," said the d.u.c.h.ess, with her most captivating smile; "pray vouchsafe me a hearing.

My friend--my dearest, best friend here--has, in a moment of sportive pleasantry, suffered herself to jest--"

"It was a jest, then?" broke in Madame de Longueville, haughtily.

"Just as that is," replied Kate, lifting her hand and pointing in the direction whence came a terrible crash of artillery, followed by the rattle of musketry.

"Let us go,--let us away!" was now heard in affrighted accents on every side; and the splendid a.s.semblage, with less of ceremony than might be expected, began to depart. Lady Dorothea alone was ignorant of what had occurred, and witnessed this sudden leave-taking with amazement. "You are surely not afraid?" said she to one; "there is nothing serious in all this."

"She has told us the reverse, my Lady," was the reply. "We should be compromised to remain longer in her company."

"Adieu, my Lady. I wish we left you in safer companions.h.i.+p."

"Farewell, Madame, and pray be warned of your danger," whispered another.

"Your Ladys.h.i.+p may be called upon to acquit debts contracted by another, if Mademoiselle continues a member of your family," said Villemart, as he bowed his departure.

"Believe me, Madame, none of us include _you_ in the terrible sentiments we have listened to."

These, and a vast number of similar speeches attended the leave-taking of nearly each of her guests, till Lady Dorothea, confused, almost stunned by reiterated shocks, sat silently accepting these mysterious announcements, and almost imagining herself in all the bewilderment of a dream.

Twice she made an effort to ask some explanation, but failed; and it was only as the d.u.c.h.esse de Mirecourt drew nigh to say farewell, that in a faint, weak voice she said,--"Can you tell me what all are hinting at, or am I only confusing myself with the terrible scenes without?"

"I 'd have prevented it had I been near. I only heard it when too late, my Lady," said the d.u.c.h.ess, sorrowfully.

"Prevented what?--heard what?" cried Lady Dorothea.

"Besides, she has often said as much amongst ourselves; we only laughed, as indeed every one would do now, did not events present so formidable an aspect."

"Who is she you speak of? Tell me, I beseech you. What does this mean?"

"I am the culprit, my Lady," said Kate, approaching with all the quiet stateliness of her peculiar manner. "I have routed this gorgeous a.s.sembly, shocked your most distinguished guests, and horrified all whose sentiments breathe loyalty! I am sincerely sorry for my offence; and it is a grave one."

"_You--you_ have dared to do this?"

"Too true, madam," rejoined Kate.

"How and to whom have you had the insolence--"

She stopped, overcome by pa.s.sion; and Kate replied,--"To all who pleased to listen, my Lady, I have said what doubtless is not often uttered in such choice company, but what, if I mistake not greatly, their ears will grow familiar with erelong."

"Nay, nay," said the d.u.c.h.ess, in a tone of apology, "the matter is not so serious as all this. Every one now is terrified. This disturbance, the soldiery, the vast crowds that beset the streets, have all produced so much excitement that even a few words spoken at random are enough to cause fear. It is one of Kate's fancies to terrorize thus over weak minds. She has the cruel triumph of not knowing what fear is. In a word, it is a mere trifling event, sure to be forgotten in the midst of such scenes as we are pa.s.sing through."

This attempt at explanation, poured forth with rapid utterance, did not produce on Lady Dorothea the conviction it was intended to impose, and her Ladys.h.i.+p received the last adieus of the d.u.c.h.ess with a cold and stately formality; and then, as the door closed after her, turned to Kate Henderson, and said,--"I want _your_ explanation of all this. Let me have it."

"It is easily given, my Lady," said Kate, calmly. And then, in a voice that never trembled nor varied, she narrated briefly the scene which had just occurred, not extenuating in the slightest her own share in the transaction, or offering a single syllable of excuse.

"And you, being who and what you are, dared thus to outrage the best blood of France!" exclaimed Lady Dorothea, trembling all over with pa.s.sion.

"Perhaps, my Lady, if I sought for an apology, it would be in the fact of being who and what I am."

"And do you imagine that after conduct such as this, after exposing me to a partners.h.i.+p in the shame that attaches to yourself, that you are any longer to enjoy the shelter of my roof?"

"It never occurred to me to think of that, madam," said Kate, with an ill-repressed scorn.

"Then it is for _me_ to remind you of it," said her Ladys.h.i.+p, sternly.

"You shall, first of all, write me an humble apology for this vulgar tirade, this outrage upon my company, and then you shall leave the house. Sit down there, and write as I shall dictate to you."