The Chevalier De Maison Rouge (47 page)

"Well, it is done."

"What is done?"

" As we agreed, I have had some conversation with

Father Richard about the situation. I complained of

swimming in the head, dimness of eyesight in short, of

general ill-health, and a continual pain altogether."

" What then ? "

" Father Richard culled his wife, and she rubbed my

temples with vinegar, and that revived me. Then, as we

had arranged between us, I said that want of air produced

the swimming in the head, that I made blood too fast, and

that the duty at the conciergerie, which contains at the

present moment four hundred prisoners, was killing me."

" What did they say to that ?"

" Richard's wife pitied me, and he took me to the

door."

"It was not enough to take yon to the door."

" lint wait. Tlu-n his wife, who is a good soul, re-

proached him with having no heart, seeing that I was the

father of a family."

314: THE CHEVALIER DE MAISON ROUGE.

" What did he say to that ?"

" He said that she was right ; but that the very firat condition annexed to the situation of turnkey was to remain within the prison to which he was attached ; that the Republic did not jest, but would, without ceremony, cut the

throats of those who grew dizzy in the exercise of their

duty."

" Didble! " said the patriot.

" And he was not far from wrong either ; for since the Austrian has been there, it is a perfect hell of surveillance.

Confound her ! " The patriot here gave his plate to the dog to lick, who was directly bitten by the cat.

" Go on," said he, without turning round.

" At last, monsieur, I began to groan, and to say that I felt very ill ; asked concerning the infirmary, and said

I was certain my children would die of hunger if this

pain was not removed."

"And Father Richard?"

"The Father Richard replied that turnkeys had no

business with children."

" But yon had his wife on your side, I suppose ? "

" Fortunately. She made a great to-do with her hus-

band, reproached him with possessing a bad and hard

heart, and Richard finished by saying to me :

" ' Well, Citizen Gracchus, speak to some one of your

friends who will give you some security for his attendance, present him to me, and I promise to accept him as your

substitute.' Upon which I left him, saying :

" ' Very good, Father Richard, I will directly seek

one.'*

"And you have found one, my brave fellow."

At this moment the mistress of the establishment

entered, bringing the Citizen Gracchus his soup and chop.

This did not suit either the patriot or Gracchus, who had

still some communication to make.

" Citoyenne," said the turnkey, "I have received a slight remuneration from Father Richard to-day, which

will permit me to treat myseff to some better fare. So

bring me some pork, a drinking-horn, and a bottle of

THE CHEVALIER DE MAISON ROUGE. 315

Burgundy wine ; send your servant to fetch the one from

the pork butcher's, and bring me the other yourself fresh

from the cellar."

The hostess immediately left to execute his orders.

" Well," said the patriot, " you are an intelligent lad."

" So far intelligent that I do not hide from myself what, notwithstanding all your fine promises, will be the end of

us both. Do you suspect what it may be ? "

"Yes, perfectly."

" We stake both our necks."

" Do not be uneasy about mine."

" It is not yours, monsieur, I must confess, that causes me the greatest uneasiness."

"It is your own ? "

"Yes."

" But what if I estimate it at double its worth ? "

" Ah, monsieur, there is nothing more precious than

one's neck ! "

" Xot yours."

" Why not mine ?"

"At this moment, at least."

" What do you mean by that ?"

" I mean to say your neck is not worth an old coin,

seeing that if I, for example, were an agent of the Com-

mittee of Public Safety, you would be guillotined to-

morrow."

The turnkey suddenly turned round so brusquely that

the dog barked at him. . He was pale as death.

" Xeither turn round nor turn pale," said the patriot,

" but, on the contrary, finish your soup quietly. I am not an agent, friend. Let me once enter the conciergerie, install me in your situation, give me the keys and

to-morrow I will count out to you fifty thousand livres in

gold.''

" Is this true, at least ? "

r< Well, you have excellent security. My head/'

The turnkey considered for some seconds.

' Come,' ? said the patriot, who could not see him in

the las=, "do not indulge in meditations of evil. If you 316 THE CHEVALIER DE MAISON ROUGE.

denounce me, as you will only have done your duty, you

will not receive a sou from the Republic ; if you serve me, and, on the contrary, are deficient in this same duty, as

it is unjnst in this world to do anything for nothing, I

will give you fifty thousand livres."

" I understand perfectly," said the turnkey. "I have all the inclination to do what you require, but I fear the

results "

" The results ! And what have you to fear ? I will

not denounce you ; on the contrary."

" No doubt."

" The day after I am duly installed, take a turn through the conciergerie, and I will count you twenty-five rouleaux each containing two thousand francs. These you can

easily dispose of in your two pockets. With the money

I will give you a card to leave France. You go, and

wherever you are you will be not only rich, but independ-

ent."

"Well, it is settled, monsieur; let what will happen.

I am a poor devil who never meddled in politics. France

has always got on very well without me, and will not perish through any fault of mine ; if you do a wicked action, so

much the worse for you."

" At all events," said the patriot, " I think I shall never do worse than they are doing at this moment."

" Monsieur, permit me to decline passing an opinion

upon the politics of the Xational Convention."

" You are a pattern of philosophy and carelessness.

When, however, will you present me to Father Ilichard ?"

"Tliis evening, if you please."

" Yes, certainly ; but who urn I ? "

"My cousin Murdoch."

" Murdoch let it be, then ; the name pleases me. What

trade ? "

" A breeches-maker."

" Either breeches-maker or tanner. I have that at my

fingers' ends."

11 Are you a tanner ? "

"I could be one."

THE CHEVALIER DE MAISON ROUGE. 317

"True."

" At what time will you present me ? "

"In half an hour if you like/'

"At nine o'clock, then."

" When shall I have the money ? "

tf To-morrow."

"You must be enormously rich."

" I am in easy circumstances."

"A ci-devant is it not so ?"

" What does it matter ? "

" To possess money and give it away to run the risk of being guillotined ; surely the ci-deuants must be great-blockheads."

" What would you have ? The sans-culottes have too

much sense to leave any for others."

" Hush ! here is my wine."

" This evening, in front of the conciergerie."

"Yes."

The patriot paid his bill and went out. At the door

was heard the stentorian voice :

' Come, citoyenne, quick! the ribs of pork and the

drinking-horn, my cousin Gracchus is dying of hunger."

' Murdoch is a good fellow," said the turnkey, tasting the wine poured out for him by the cabaretiere, and regarding her tenderly.

CHAPTER XLI.

THE REGISTRAR Ol' THE MINISTER OF WAR.

THE patriot left but he had not gone far. Through

the curtained window lie kept watch over the turnkey to

discover if he entered into conversation with any of the

agents of the Republican police, one of the best that ever

existed, since one half of the society closely watched the

other, less from the great glory of government than for

the still greater security of their heads. But nothing oc-

curred to excite the patriot's fears. At a few minutes

318 THE CHEVALIER DE MAISON ROUGE.

before nine the turnkey rose, pinched the chin of the

hostess, and went out. The patriot rejoined him at the

quay of the conciergerie, and they entered the prison to-

gether. On the same evening the affair was concluded,

and Father Richard accepted Murdoch as a substitute for

Gracchus. Two hours before this arrangement took place,

another scene had been enacted in a different part of the

prison, which, although apparently of no interest, was

possessed of vital importance to the principal personages

of this history. The registrar of the conciergerie, fatigued with his day's labor, was folding up his papers, and preparing to leave, when a man, conducted by the Citoyenne

Richard, presented himself in his office.

"Citizen Registrar/' said she, "here is your fellow-registrar of the minister of war, who comes on the part of

the citizen minister to hasten some military matters."

" Ah, citizen," said the registrar, " you are too late ; I have just put away all my papers."

" Dear brother, pardon me," said the newcomer ; " but we are really so overwhelmed with business that even running does not make up for lost moments, and our lost

moments only are those occupied by others in eating and

sleeping."

"That alters the case, my dear fellow ; so make haste, for, as you observe, it is near supper-time, and I am very

hungry. Have you your documents ? "

" Here they are," said the registrar of the minister of war, exhibiting a portfolio of papers, which his brother,

busy as he was, scrutinized with the strictest atten-

tion.

" Oh, they are all right," said Richard's wife, "and my husband has already thoroughly inspected them."

" Never mind, never mind," said the registrar, continuing his examination. The registrar remained like a man

patiently awaiting the accomplishment of all due formali-

ties. " Perfectly correct," said the registrar of the couciergerie, " and you can now commence as soon as you

please. TT.ive you many entries to make ? "

" A hundred. That will occupy you for several days.

THE CHEVALIER DE MAISON ROUGE. 319

Therefore, dear brother, I wish to form a small establish-

ment near you ; that is to say, if you will permit me."

" How am I to understand you ? " said the registrar of the conciergerie.

" I will explain it to you fully if you will join us at supper this evening. You say you are hungry ? "

" I do not deny it."

" Well, you shall see my wife, who is a good house-

keeper, and you know me, and will acknowledge me for

a good companion."

"Mafoi! yes; you strike me as such, and my dear

brother ; yet, notwithstanding "

" Oh ! come without ceremony, and partake of some

oysters that I will purchase as I pass La Place du Chatelet, a poulet of our own roasting, and a few dishes which

Madame Durant excels in."

" You tempt me, my brother," said the registrar of the conciergerie, astonished at the bill of fare, to which he

was totally unaccustomed as a registrar paid by the Revo-

lutionary Tribunal at the rate of ten livres, in assignats, equal to two francs at the utmost.

" Then you will accept my invitation ? "

"Yes, willingly."

" In that case, to work to-morrow ; till this evening

we part."

"Now we must part."

' You will come early ? "

" In an instant, only I must first inform the gendarmes who guard the Austrian."

" Why must you tell them ?"

" So that when they know that I am absent, and that

there is no one at the wicket, they may become suspicious

of every noise."

" Ah ! that is a very wise precaution, faith ! "

" You understand now ? "

"Perfectly."

"Go then,"

The registrar of the conciergerie proceeded hastily to

the wicket, which was opened by one of the gendarmes.

320 THE CHEVALIER DE MAISON ROUGE.

" Who is there?"

"I, the registrar, yon know. I am going out. Bon

soir, Citizen Gracchus."

"Bon soir, Citizen Registrar;" and the wicket was shut.

The registrar of the minister of war had paid the greatest

attention to this scene, and while the door of the queen's

prison remained opened, his looks rapidly penetrated to

the first compartment, where, seeing the other gendarme,

Duchesne, seated at table, he felt perfectly assured the

queen had only two guards, and when the registrar of the

conciergerie turned round, his face had resumed its ex-

pression of perfect stolid indifference. As they went out

of the conciergerie two men entered. They were the

Citizen Gracchus and his cousin Murdoch. The cousin

Murdoch and the registrar of the minister of war, each by

a simultaneous movement arising from the same feeling,

appeared to shrink, the one at the sight of the hairy bon-

net, the other from the broad-brimmed hat pulled down

over the eyes.

" Who are these men ? " asked the registrar of the minister of war.

"I only know one of thorn it is a turnkey, named

Gracchus."

" All ! " said the other, with affected indifference, "do the turnkeys then go out of the conciergerie ?"