The Chevalier De Maison Rouge (34 page)

any one who doubts my word of honor conic and tell me

so. I shall know how to answer him."

The president shrugged his shoulders. Maurice, who

did not wish to be in arrears with any oue, did the same.

224 THE CHEVALIER DE MAISON ROUGE.

An air of gloomy silence pervaded the remainder of the

sitting. After the meeting was concluded, the president,

a stanch patriot, raised to the highest rank in the district by the votes of his fellow-citizens, approached Maurice,

and said :

" Come, Maurice, I want to speak to you.'*

Maurice followed the president, who conducted him

into a little cabinet contiguous to that where the sittings were held. On arriving there he regarded Maurice for a

moment in silence, then, placing his hand on his shoulder :

" Maurice," said he, " I knew and esteemed your father ; this makes me esteem and love you. Believe me, you incur great danger from want of faith the first falling off of a truly revolutionary spirit. Maurice, my friend, they

who lose their faith also lose their fidelity. You do not

believe in the enemies of the nation, therefore you pass

near without seeing them, and become the instrument in

their plots without being aware of it."

" What the devil ! " said Maurice. "I know, citizen, I am a man of feeling, and possess some share of patriotic

zeal, but my zeal does not render me a fanatic. There

are twenty pretended conspiracies, to which the public

assign the same name. I demand to face my accuser."

" You will not believe in the conspirator, Maurice," said the president ; " then, tell me, do you believe in the red carnations for which Heloise Tison was yesterday guillotined ? "

Maurice started.

"Do you believe in the subterranean passage under tho

Temple garden, communicating from the cellar of tho

CitoyoTiTie Pluineau to a certain house in La Rue de la

Corderie ?"

" No," said Maurice.

see.'"

" I am not on guard at the Tompln, and they would not

allow me to enter there."

' Any one may enter the Temple now."

"How is that?"

THE CHEVALIER DE MAISON ROUGE. 225

" Read the report, since you are so incredulous. I shall only proceed by official information."

" Well," said Maurice, reading the report, " this is to the point."

" Continue/'

" They have transported the queen to the conciergerie ! "

cried Maurice.

" Do you think that, from a dream, or what you call an imaginary idea, or an idle story, the Committee of Public

Safety would have adopted so grave a measure ? "

"This measure has been adopted, but will never be

executed, like many more T have seen, and all "

" Eead to the end," said t-ne president ; and he presented him with the last paper.

' ' The receipt of Richard, the jailer of the conciergerie/'

cried Maurice ; " she has been there these two hours."

This time Maurice remained deep in thought.

"The Commune, as you know," continued the presi-

dent, "acts with profound judgment. It is digging a

furrow long and straight in its course ; its measures are

not puerile, and it has put in execution the principle of

Cromwell : ' It is not necessary to strike the king except

upon the head/ Read this secret note from the minister

of the police/'

Maurice read :

" Seeing that we possess the certainty that the ci-devant Chevalier de Maison Rouge is in Paris that he has been

in several places that he has left traces of his appearance in various plots, happily frustrated, I request all chiefs of the different sections to redouble their vigilance "

"'' Well ? " said the president.

"' I must believe this," said Maurice ; and he continued :

' Description of the Chevalier de Maison Rouge. In

height, five feet three inches, fair hair, blue eyes, straight nose, chestnut-colored beard, dimpled chin, soft voice,

and hands like a female's."

226 THE CHEVALIER DE MAISON ROUGE.

At this description a strange light burst upon Maurice ;

he thought of the young man who commanded the troop

of Muscadins, and who, on the preceding evening, saved

the lives of himself and Louis, and so valiantly drew his

eword upon the Marseillais in their defense.

" Mordieu !" exclaimed Maurice, "it must be he; in that case, the denomination would not be false. I spoke

to him, but I cannot remember taking his hand."

* c Maurice," said the president, " what do you say to all this now, mon ami 9 "

" That I believe it/' said Maurice, musing sadly, who, for some time past, without understanding what evil influence saddened his life, had noticed everything darken-

ing around him.

" Do not jest thus with popularity," said the president.

" In these days, Maurice, popularity is life. As for un-popularity, it is to be suspected of treason, and the

Citizen Maurice Lindey ought not even to be suspected

of being a traitor."

Maurice had nothing to reply to sentiments so much in

accordance with his own. He thanked his old friend and

quitted the section.

"All I" murmured he, "there is too much suspicion and skirmishing. Xow," drawing a deep breath, "now for peace, innocence, and joy now to Genevieve."

And Maurice took the road to the Old Rue St. Jacques.

When he reached the abode of the master tanner, Dixmer

and Morand were supporting Genevieve, who was suffering

from a violent attack of hysterics. Thus, instead of

entering unceremoniously, as he was accustomed to do, a

servant met him in the passage.

" Announce me," said lie, "and if Dixmer cannot conveniently receive me, I will retire."

The domestic entered the little pavilion, while Maurice

remained in the garden. It seemed to him that some-

thing strange was going on in the house, and the work-

men, instead of being occupied in their usual employ-

ment, were walking listlessly about the garden. At

length, Dixmer himself appeared.

THE CHEVALIER DE MAISON ROUGE. 227

Come in, dear Maurice," said he ; " come in, you

are not one of those against whom the door is closed."

"What is the matter ?" inquired the young man.

" Genevieve is ill," said Dixmer ; " indeed, more than ill she is delirious."

" Ah, mon Dieu!" cried the young man, overcome at again encountering trial and suffering. " What, then, is the matter with her ? "

" You are aware, mon cher," said Dixmer, " one never knows any th ing concerning the illness of women, especially their husbands."

Genevieve was lying down on a chaise-lounge ; near

her stood Morand, offering her some salts, which she

smelled occasionally.

" Well ? " said Dixmer.

"Always the same thing," replied Morand.

"Heloise! Heloise ! " murmured the young woman,

from between her closed teeth and white lips.

" Heloise ! " repeated Maurice, in much surprise.

" Mon Dieu! yes, " replied Dixmer, quickly ; " Genevieve most unfortunately saw the cart pass conveying the

unhappy girl to the scaffold. Since then she has had five

or six attacks of hysterics, and keeps on continually call-

ing upon Heloise. But the most astonishing thing of all

is that in her she recognized the girl who sold the carna-

tions, which you already know about," said Morand.

" Certainly I do know/' said Maurice, " when they barely failed of cutting my throat."

" Ah ! we have heard all that, dear Maurice, and be-

lieve me, we have not been slightly alarmed ; but Morand

was at the sitting, and saw you fully acquitted and liber-

ated."

" Silence ! " said Maurice ; " she again speaks."

"Oh, those empty, unintelligible words !" said Dixmer.

" Maurice," murmured Genevieve ; " they are going to kill Maurice. To him, chevalier to him!" A profound silence followed these words. '" Maison liouge,"

again murmured Geneviuve, " Maison. Rouge I' 3

228 THE CHEVALIER DE MAISON ROUGE.

Maurice felt a slight suspicion, but he could make out

nothing clearly, and was too much affected by the suffer-

ing of Genevieve to comment much upon her words.

" Have you called in a physician ? " demanded Maurice.

" Oh ! it will prove nothing/' said Dixmer ; "a slight delusion, that is all."

And he shook his wife so violently by the arm that she

revived, and uttering a shrill cry, opened her eyes, which

till now had remained closed.

" Ah, you are both here, and Maurice with you. Oh,

I am so glad to see you, mon ami ; if you knew what I

have" she corrected herself " what we have suffered for the last two days."

" Yes, we are all here," said Maurice ; " have no more terror on that account. But there is one name, above all

others, you must not accustom yourself to pronounce,

seeing that at this moment it does not bear a very high

repute."

" What name ?" quickly demanded Genevie've.

"The Chevalier de Maison Rouge."

" Have I named the Chevalier de Maison Rouge ?" inquired Genevieve, bewildered.

"Without doubt you have," said Dixmer ; " but understand, Maurice, there is nothing surprising in that,

sinee it is said he was an accomplice of the girl Tison, and that it was lie who coneoeted the whole plan of escape

so happily frustrated yesterday."

" I do not say there is anything surprising," said Maurice ; " I only say it is better to keep it concealed."

"Who ?" demanded Dixmer.

"The Chevalier de Maison Rouge, parMcu ! The

Commune seeks for him, and the bloodhounds have a

fine scent."

" Provided that, before they arrest him," said Morand,

" he has not accomplished some new enterprise that may succeed better than the last."

" At all events," said Maurice, "it will not be in. favor Df the quern."

"Why not ? " demanded Morand.

THE CHEVALIER DE MAISON ROUGE. 229

" Because she is henceforth shielded from his bold at-

tempts."

"Where is she, then ?" inquired Dixmer.

" At the conciergerie," replied Maurice ; " she was taken there this evening." Dixmer, Genevieve, and Morand uttered a cry which Maurice mistook for one of sur-

prise. "Thus, you see," continued he, "adieu to the chevalier's plans for the queen. The conciergerie is

more secure than the Temple."

Morand and Dixmer exchanged looks, unperceived by

Maurice.

" Ah, mon Dieu ! " said Maurice, "Madame Dixmer has turned faint again."

" Genevieve ! " said Dixmer, " you must go to bed, my child ; you suffer."

Maurice took the hint. He respectfully kissed Gene-

vie ve's hand and quitted the house. Morand left with him,

and accompanied him as far as the Old Eue St. Jacques,

where he parted with him to exchange some words with

a man, a superior sort of domestic, who held a horse

ready saddled and bridled. Maurice was so much oc-

cupied with his own thoughts, that he did not even in-

quire the man's name ; indeed, he and Morand had not

exchanged a word since they quitted the house together.

He took the road to the Rue de Fosses St. Victor, and

gained the quay.

" It is strange," said he, walking on. "Is my mind weakened, or are these events assuming importance ?

But everything appears to me as if viewed through a

magnify ing-glass."

And, to recover his equanimity, Maurice presented his

face to the breeze, and, leaning against the parapet of

the bridge, was soon lost in thought.

230 THE CHEVALIER DB MAISON ROUGE.

CHAPTEE XXIX.

THE PATROL.

As he lost himself in these reflections, and, leaning

against the parapet of the bridge, enjoyed a melancholy

pleasure in gazing on the dark, still water, he heard the

measured tread of a little troop, like that of a patrol.

Maurice turned round ; it was a company of the National

Guard, arrived by the other extremity ; and in the

obscurity he fancied he recognized Louis. It was he,

indeed. The instant he saw his friend Maurice, he ran

toward him with open arms.

"Found at last!" cried Louis. " Mor b leu! it is not without some trouble that we have rejoined you.

" ' But since I find a friend so fond,

My fate assumes an aspect new.'

This time you will not complain, I hope, for I have given

you Racine instead of Louis."

"But what do you do here as patrol?' inquired

Maurice, anxiously.

"lam chief of the expedition, mon ami ; the business

is to establish our blemished reputation upon its original

footing." Then, turning toward his company : " Carry arms ! Present arms ! Shoulder arms ! There, ines

enfunts, it is not yet sufficiently dark, so you can talk

over your little affairs, while we follow your example."

Then, returning to Maurice : " I have heard great news at the section to-day," continued Louis.

"What ?"

" First, that you and I are beginning to be suspected."

"I know it. What next ? "

"Secondly, that the whole conspiracy of the carnations was conducted by the Chevalier de Maison Rouge."

THE CHEVALIER DE MAISON ROUGE. 231

"I know that also."

" But this you do not know : that the conspiracy of the carnations and that of the subterranean passage are one

and the same."

"Again, I know it."

" Thou, let us pass ou to the third piece of news.

This, I am certain, you cannot know. We go this night