Burton Egbert Stevenson

“ By the dim light I saw Richelieu holding Mlle. de Valois in his arms. She uttered a startled exclamation as I entered, and drew away from him.
“M. le Duc,” I cried, “we have not a moment to lose! There are forty guards at the door. We must go, and quickly.”
“Upon my soul it is de Brancas!” exclaimed Richelieu. “And where have you been all day, my friend?”
“Do not stop for questioning, I beg of you,” I panted. “Is there any other way out of this house?”
“I do not know. I will see,” and the princess ran to the door, where we heard her rapidly interrogating the old woman. ”

“ There was a note of braggartry in the voice which refreshed my memory.
“Ah, it is Cartouche,” I said. “I wish you good-evening, monsieur.”
“And who may you be?” he asked. “You have the best of me, monsieur?”
“Doubtless,” I laughed. “You meet so many people, and usually in the dark. But you may, perhaps, remember an encounter some nights back with a man who was lost in Paris, and who was saved from your rascals only by the timely arrival of the Duc de Richelieu.”
“By my soul, yes,” he answered. “I have cause to remember it, since I lost three sturdy rogues. Are you that man?” ”

“ There was need of haste, for once the regent should learn that Richelieu had been in the garden, he would lose no time in getting to the Bastille to find out the truth. So we put spurs to our horses and dashed on like the wind, raising a veritable cannonade of echoes. In ten minutes we were at the Hotel de Richelieu, and throwing our bridles to a lacquey, rushed up the stairs, tore off our masquerades, and drew on our old suits, and over them the suits of the two sentries.
“One moment,” I said, as Richelieu started out of the room; “we shall need money, monsieur. Have you any?” ”

“ He glanced about it keenly, went to the window and shook the bars, but found nothing suspicious.
“How does it happen,” he asked, “that the window here has only single bars, while those of the floors below have double ones?”
“Good God! what would you have, monsieur?” cried Maison-Rouge. “Suppose there were no bars at all, still to escape the prisoner has a drop of ninety feet into a court-yard full of sentries, with a wall forty feet high to pass before he is free. A man would need wings to escape from here, monsieur.”
“I am beginning to think so myself,” muttered the regent. ”

“ I could not choose but speak, whatever the cost might be.
“If love were the only thing; if there were not heights of honor before which love must bow,” I said, at last, and paused again. I could not go on. Let these two hearts settle the future for themselves. “M. le Duc,” I said, in a firmer voice, “it is not for me to give advice. I will do whatever you command.”
Again Richelieu walked the length of the room, his twitching face telling of the conflict raging in his breast. I went to the window and gazed out upon the night. Louise was sobbing. ”

“ Only the princess remained composed. I pray heaven that my heart may never again be torn as it was in that moment.
“M. le Duc,” she said, in the same calm tone she had used before, “listen to the voice of your friend and to my voice, which, I am sure, finds an answering chord in your heart. If love were the only thing I would go with you gladly, but honor must ever outweigh love in the hearts of all true gentlemen. [335] Tell me, Louis, I have not been deceived in you,—that you merit honor no less than love.”
Richelieu threw himself at her feet with a sob and caught her hand. ”

“ They are not disputing. They are not even gossiping. They are talking in undertones. They have an air of I know not what,—of plotting, of intrigue,—some of them even of fear.”
“You have come dangerously near the truth, my friend,” and Richelieu glanced about to see that no one heard. “They do intrigue, they are plotting, and some of them do fear.”
“But what are they plotting? Whom do they fear?” I questioned, determined to get to the bottom of this riddle if I could.
Again Richelieu glanced about him, and at that moment Polignac touched him on the arm.
“May I have a word with you, M. le Duc?” ”

“ I said, as I rejoined Richelieu.
“Good,” he answered; “and now what?”
“My plan is to put on the clothes of these men and take their guns. When the guard is changed we will descend, and will perhaps be permitted to go out without question. If any one tries to stop us, we must kill him. At least, we shall be armed.”
“Splendid!” cried Richelieu. “By my soul, de Brancas, you are a man after my own heart.”
“Let us see how long we have to wait,” I said, and loosened the gag in the mouth of our first prisoner. “Tell us, fellow,” I said to him, “how soon are the guards changed?” ”

“ I answered, for the insolent look of the man had set my blood on fire. “I desire no better than that I have already had.”
“Then by my faith you shall see more of it!” cried the regent, losing his calmness in an instant. “Here, lieutenant,” he called to an officer near the door, “bring in a squad of guards and arrest these men. I will see if we are to have roistering and murder at mid-day in the streets of Paris.”
“’Tis useless to resist,” said Richelieu to me in a low voice as I drew my sword. “He will not dare use much severity.” ”

“ I protested.
“The regent has ordered it, de Brancas,” answered Richelieu, quietly; “and do you know why he has ordered it? Simply to give me pain. Ah, well, I will show him that I can smile even when my heart is breaking.”
He fell silent for a time and then suddenly arose.
“Come,” he said, “we have no time to lose. It will be a brilliant assembly and we must pay some attention to our toilettes. You are to consider mine as your own, my friend. All I have would be too little to show my gratitude.” ”

“ WHERE HONOR WINS
I pressed more closely into my corner and held my breath in suspense, fearing lest even the beating of my heart would betray my presence. The new-comer paused for a moment to set down the lantern, and in that moment the voice of Richelieu penetrated to the closet.
“You are surprised to see me, Charlotte?” he was saying. “Did you think for an instant that I would permit you to be delivered to this fate which has been prepared for you?”
“Oh, M. le Duc!” cried the voice of the princess, broken by sobs, “I do but save you from one danger to find you braving another. ”

“ I cried. “Everything that I have done, every hope that I have cherished, was blown into thin air this morning.”
“There is one thing which even the bravest men assault in vain,” and the regent’s manner had a certain majesty which became him well. “That is the state. They may break themselves against it as they will, they may think that they have victory within their grasp, but in the end the state stands firm, unshaken. It cannot stop to examine every heart, M. de Brancas. It must move steadily forward towards the goal it has in view. ”

“ I remembered that Hérault was lieutenant of police.
“He is right,” I said, dropping my point. “Let us adjourn to the street, monsieur. There, at least, we shall injure no one but ourselves.”
We had already commenced the combat, and I admit that I took my chance in lowering my guard, but I was not prepared for the act of cowardice which followed. For before I could recover myself I felt rather than saw my antagonist thrust at me, and I involuntarily closed my eyes as I waited to feel his sword in my flesh. ”

“ I felt Louise trembling against me. Richelieu was breathing deeply.
“Yes, a trap,” cried the regent; “and if I mistake not, the mice are already in it. Are there not mice in your conserve closet, mademoiselle? I fancied I heard a noise there.”
Richelieu, unable to control himself longer, threw open the door with a crash and sprang into the room.
“As you see, M. le Regent,” he cried, hoarse with rage, “the mice are here. But I warn you that they have sharp teeth and know how to use them.” ”

“ It was Richelieu’s voice which aroused me from my thoughts.
“I see the people interest you, de Brancas,” he said, “and well they may, for it is seldom indeed that one room contains so many worth attention. That gentleman whom the duchess has just sent on an errand to Mlle. de Launay is Lagrange Chancel, whose philippics have driven so many thorns into the side of the regent. For myself, I confess I deem the sword a better weapon of warfare than the pen, but each has its uses. ”

“ Do you really believe we shall succeed?”
“M. le Duc,” I said, earnestly, “success will depend largely upon yourself. I agree to bring you into the presence of Mlle. de Valois. If you can persuade her to flee with you, well and good, we succeed; but if you cannot do this, we must retire defeated. Come, I drink to your success.”
“And I to yours,” he answered. “Forgive me, de Brancas, for again thinking only of myself. I hope with all my heart that you will be successful.” ”

“ I knew no one in it, so, unconsciously catching the spirit of the place, I hurried on past the Palais Royal, at which I cast a lingering glance, wondering if it would ever be my good fortune to join the throng of gayly dressed courtiers and enter boldly with them. Turning down the Rue St. Louis, I soon gained the Tuileries. The entrance to that portion of the palace, the Pavilion Marsan, occupied by Madame du Maine was almost deserted, but a lacquey who was lounging in the vestibule took in my name, and, returning in a moment, informed me that I was to enter. ”

“ Madame du Maine is still at Dijon, and the other conspirators are also still in prison, but the regent is not vindictive, and I believe will soon release them. To the Bretons he was not so merciful, and more than one went to the gibbet. But the kingdom is at peace, and we hear no more of plots against it.
I close my eyes, and see again the lovely face of Charlotte d’Orleans as I saw it last and as I love best to remember it, and I pray that it may yet be my good fortune to be of service to her. Stranger things have happened, and, who knows, perhaps some day the chance will come. ”

“ We were both more moved than we cared to show, for the memory of that boyish exploit was sweet to both of us, and a little silence followed. It was Richelieu who broke it.
“There are many things afoot in Paris,” he said, in a graver tone, and looking at me keenly. “But [41] before I go further tell me, are you for the regent or against him?”
“I am neither for nor against the regent,” I answered, promptly. “I am for the king.”
“A wise answer,” and Richelieu smiled. “One that commits you to nothing. But come, you may be frank with me. What do you think of the Duke of Orleans?” ”

“ I was stumbling on over the uneven pavement, when suddenly half a dozen shadows detached themselves from the wall in front of me, and at the same instant I heard hastening footsteps in my rear. Before I could draw my sword, or even, in fact, appreciate my danger, a dozen men threw themselves upon me. A gag was thrust into my mouth, a scarf bound over my eyes, my hands and feet were tied, and in a moment I was helpless. ”

“ In a week we shall have control of Paris, and the doors will be opened for him.”
“But if the conspiracy fails, madame?”
“In that case, monsieur,” said the duchess, haughtily, “we shall none of us be in better case than is M. de Richelieu at this moment. But who talks of failure? We shall not fail. We cannot fail,” and I thought as I looked at her that with a few more leaders such as she failure would indeed be impossible. But one woman against all France was heavy odds.
“Believe me, M. de Brancas,” she continued, in a gentler tone, “I can at this time do nothing for our friend. ”

“ The duke was playing with him, parrying almost carelessly his savage thrusts, and advancing his own point nearer and nearer to his heart. The onlookers waited with bated breath for the thrust which they knew would be fatal.
“You shall see, gentlemen,” cried Richelieu, gayly, for his self-possession had returned the instant he felt his adversary’s sword against his own, “the proper way to deal with cowards. This fellow has presumed to be seen in the company of gentlemen, and I am glad that it was reserved for my sword to punish him. ”