The street-singer was resting in the beautiful boudoir of the young countess, Irene de Salves. The poor child lay under lace covers, and Irene's tenderness and attachment had banished her melancholy.
After the terrible scene in the Fougereuse mansion, the young countess, with the help of Arthur, brought Louison to a carriage, and, to Madame Ursula's horror, she gave the young girl her own room and bed. For Fanfaro's sister nothing could be good enough, and the young countess made Louison as comfortable as possible.
After the young girl had rested a few hours, she felt much stronger, but with this feeling the recollection of what she had gone through returned, and in a trembling voice she asked Irene:
"Who saved me?"
"Don't you know?" asked the countess, blushing. "It was Fanfaro."
"Fanfaro? Who is that?"
Irene looked at her in astonishment. Was it possible that Louison did not know her own brother, or had the excitement of the last days crazed her mind?
"Won't you tell me who Fanfaro is?" asked Louison, urgently.
"Don't you really know your own brother?" asked Irene in surprise.
"My brother?"
Louison laid her hand on her head and became thoughtful.
"I had a brother once," she said, pensively; "he was a few years older than I, and did everything to please me, but it is long ago since I saw Jacques—many, many years."
"Jacques and Fanfaro are identical," replied Irene, softly.
She had been told this by her cousin Arthur, who took a great interest in the brother and sister.
"Fanfaro," repeated Louison, pensively. "Ah! now I know who this man is. He belongs to a company of acrobats who give performances in the Place du Chateau d'Eau. They have all such peculiar names. One of them is named Firejaws—"
"Perfectly right; he is Fanfaro's foster-father, and Fanfaro is your brother."
"Who told you so?"
"He, himself; he begged me to care for his sister."
"But why does he not come? I long to see him."
Irene, too, longed to see Fanfaro.
"Let me speak a little about him," said Louison, vivaciously; "perhaps Fanfaro is identical with Jacques; he must be twenty years of age."
"That may be so."
"And then he must be very handsome. Jacques was a very pretty boy."
"That is correct, too," replied Irene, blushing.
"Has he black eyes and dark, curly hair?"
"I think so," stammered Irene, who knew all these details, yet did not wish to confess it.
"You think so," repeated Louison; "you haven't looked carefully at him?"
"I—I—" stammered the countess, in confusion; "what do you look at me for?"
A smile flitted across Louison's lips, but she kept silent, and Irene thanked God, as Madame Ursula now came in and softly said:
"Irene, a word."
"What is the matter?" asked the countess, hastily.
"There is a man outside who would like to speak to you."
"His name?"
"Bobichel—"
"Bobichel? Ah! bring him in the next room directly!"
Madame Ursula nodded and disappeared, while Irene turned to Louison and said in explanation:
"Excuse me a moment; I will not leave you long alone."
She went to the next room, where Bobichel was already awaiting her. He did not look as jolly as usual, and, twirling his cap between his fingers in an embarrassed way, he began:
"Mademoiselle, excuse me for disturbing you, but—"
"You come from him—from Fanfaro?" said Irene, blushing.
"Unfortunately no," replied Bobichel, sorrowfully; "I was not allowed to see him."
"Who sent you here?"
"His foster-father—Girdel."
"Why does he not come personally?"
"I do not know. I have something to give you."
"What is it?"
"Here it is," said Bobichel, pulling a small package out of his pocket and handing it to Irene.
The young countess hastily unfolded the package. It contained two letters, one of which was addressed to "Mademoiselle Irene," while the other bore, in clear, firm letters, her full name, "Countess Irene de Salves."
Without accounting for her feelings, Irene feverishly broke the last letter. Did she suspect from whom it came?
"Countess, you are brave and noble!" wrote Fanfaro, "and therefore I dare to ask you to take care of my sister, whom I barely rescued from death. The hour is near at hand in which my sentence will be pronounced. You have never doubted me, and I thank you from the bottom of my heart! I have fought for the rights of humanity, and I hope at some future time to be enrolled among those to whom right is preferable to material things. One thing, however, I know now: a powerful enemy pursues me with his hatred, and if the sentence should turn out differently from what this enemy expects, he will find the means to make me harmless. I therefore say farewell to you—if forever, who can say? Irene, do not despair, eternal heavenly justice stands above human passions. But if I should succumb, I will die peacefully, knowing that my mother and my sister will not be deserted."
"Countess, you are brave and noble!" wrote Fanfaro, "and therefore I dare to ask you to take care of my sister, whom I barely rescued from death. The hour is near at hand in which my sentence will be pronounced. You have never doubted me, and I thank you from the bottom of my heart! I have fought for the rights of humanity, and I hope at some future time to be enrolled among those to whom right is preferable to material things. One thing, however, I know now: a powerful enemy pursues me with his hatred, and if the sentence should turn out differently from what this enemy expects, he will find the means to make me harmless. I therefore say farewell to you—if forever, who can say? Irene, do not despair, eternal heavenly justice stands above human passions. But if I should succumb, I will die peacefully, knowing that my mother and my sister will not be deserted."
The letter bore no signature. Irene read again and again the words of her beloved, and hot tears fell on the paper.
Bobichel, deeply affected, observed the young girl, and to console her he said:
"Who knows, he might not be found guilty anyhow?"
"Whom are you talking of? Who will be found guilty?" came from a frightened voice behind Irene, and as the latter hastily turned round, she saw Louison, who, enveloped in a soft shawl and pale as a spectre, stood in the doorway.
"Louison, how did you get here?" cried Irene, beside herself. "O God! I am neglecting you. Quick, go to your room again, you shall know all to-morrow."
"Sister," whispered Louison, softly, "why do you wish to conceal something from me which I already know? Tell me what has happened to Fanfaro? I know danger threatens him, and two can bear the heaviest burden easier than one."
"Yes, you are right," replied Irene, embracing Louison, and, gently leading her to her room, she sat down beside her and hastily told her what she knew about the conspiracy and the part Fanfaro took in it. Bobichel put in a word here and there, and when Irene had finished he said with a smile:
"Mademoiselle, in your eagerness to read one of the letters you forgot to open the other."
"That's so!" exclaimed Irene blushing, and unfolding Girdel's letter she read the following words, written in an original orthographical style:
"We must reskue Fanfaro and this is only posibel in one way. You have great inflooence; try to make the thing which Popichel will give you all right, but notuntil after the trial, which will take place in two days. I trust in you.Girdel."
"We must reskue Fanfaro and this is only posibel in one way. You have great inflooence; try to make the thing which Popichel will give you all right, but notuntil after the trial, which will take place in two days. I trust in you.
Girdel."
"What answer shall I bring master!" asked the clown after Irene had read the letter.
"That I will do as he says," replied Irene. "Where is the thing Girdel intrusted to you?"
"Here," said Bobichel, handing the young lady a pin with a pretty large head; and as Irene, amazed, looked inquiringly at him, he quickly tore off the head and showed her a small hollow in which a note lay.
"You see, mademoiselle," he laughingly said, "prestidigitation is sometimes of use. And now good-by. I will tell master that he struck the right person."
He disappeared, and the two young girls looked after him filled with new hope.
From the time that the old Countess of Salves had informed the Marquise of Fougereuse that under existing circumstances a marriage between her daughter and the Vicomte de Talizac was out of the question, violent scenes had taken place in the Fougereuse mansion.
Financial ruin could now hardly be averted, and, far from accusing her son of being the cause of this shipwreck of her plans, Madeleine placed the blame entirely on her husband. It was already whispered in court circles that the newly appointed captain in the Life Guards and Knight of St. Louis would lose his position, and though the other young noblemen were no better than the vicomte, they had the advantage that this was not universally known.
The marquis and Madeleine had just been having a quarrel, and the marquis, pale and exhausted, lay backin his chair, when Count Fernando de Velletri was announced. The marquis bathed his face and forehead in cold water, and ordered the Italian to be sent up. He attached great importance to this visit, for Simon had told him that Velletri was a member of the Society of Jesus, and a man of great influence.
Velletri entered and his appearance was so different from what it ordinarily was that the marquis looked at him in amazement. He wore a long black coat, a black cravat, and a round hat of the same color. These things marked Velletri at once as a member of an ecclesiastical society. The dark cropped hair lay thick at the temples, and his eyes were cast down. The Italian was inch by inch a typical Jesuit, and his sharp look made the marquis tremble. He knew Loyola's pupils and their "energy."
Velletri bowed slightly to the marquis, and then said in a cold voice:
"Marquis, I begged for an interview with you which I desire principally for your own good. Are we undisturbed here?"
"Entirely so," replied the marquis, coldly.
The Italian sat down in a chair which the marquis had shoved toward him, and began in a business tone:
"Marquis, it is probably not unknown to you that the conduct of your son, the Vicomte de Talizac, compromises his own position and that of his family. I—"
"But, count," interrupted the marquis vivaciously, "you were the chum of my son, and you even encouraged his dissipations."
Velletri laughed maliciously.
"The Vicomte of Talizac," he said, weighing eachword, "is no child any more, and not influenced either in a bad or good way by any of his companions. If I have apparently taken part in his dissipations, it was in the first place to prevent something worse and to shield the honor of the Fougereuse, which was often at stake."
"You, count—but I really do not understand," stammered the marquis.
"It seems to me," interrupted the Italian, sharply, "that we are swerving from the real object of our interview. Let me speak, marquis. A powerful society, with which I have the honor of being associated, has had its eye on you for a long time. Your influence, your opinions and your family connections are such that the society hopes to have in you a useful auxiliary, and I have therefore received the order to make arrangements with you. The society—"
"You are no doubt speaking of the Society of Jesus?" interrupted the marquis.
Velletri bowed and continued:
"Thanks to the assistance of the pious fathers, his majesty has foregone his original intention of stripping the Vicomte de Talizac of all his honors—"
The marquis made a gesture of astonishment, and Velletri went on:
"The society is even ready to give you the means to put your shattered fortune on a firm basis again."
"And the conditions?" stammered Fougereuse hoarsely.
"I will tell them to you directly; they are not very difficult to fulfil."
"And should I refuse them?"
"Do you really intend to refuse them?" asked the Jesuit, softly.
Fougereuse bit his lips; he had already said too much. The Jesuit was a worthy pupil of his master, and the marquis felt that should he oppose him he would be the loser.
"What does the society ask of me?" he said, after a pause.
"Two things—an important service and a guarantee."
"And what does it offer?"
"The position of his majesty the king's prime minister."
The marquis sprang up as if electrified.
"I have misunderstood you," he said.
"Not at all; it is a question of the premiership."
Cold drops of perspiration stood on the marquis's forehead; he knew the society had the power to keep its promises. Prime minister! Never in his dreams had he even thought so high. The position guaranteed to him riches, influence and power.
"You spoke of an important service and a guarantee," he said, breathing heavily; "please explain yourself more clearly."
"I will first speak of the service," replied Velletri, calmly; "it is of such a nature that the one intrusted with it can be thankful, for he will be able to do a great deal of good to His Holiness the Pope and the Catholic world."
Fougereuse closed his eyes—this outlook was dazzling.
Fernando de Velletri continued with:
"Marquis, you are no doubt aware that the Jesuits have been expelled from France under the law of 1764. About two years ago, in January, 1822, his majesty the king allowed them to stay temporarily in his kingdom.The good prince did not dare at that time to do more for us. The time has now come to put an end to the oppression under which the Jesuits have so long suffered. What we desire is the solemn restoration of all their rights to the fathers. They should hold up their heads under their true names and enjoy anew all their former privileges. To secure this end we must have a law—not a royal edict, a sound constitutional law—which must be passed by the Chamber of Peers. It is a bold undertaking, and we do not deceive ourselves with regard to the difficulties to be encountered, and the man who does it must be quick and energetic, but the reward is a magnificent one. The man we shall elevate to the prime ministership will be in possession of great power. Marquis, do you think you have the necessary strength to be this man?"
Fougereuse had arisen. Excited, flushed with enthusiasm, he looked at Velletri.
"Yes, I am the man!" he firmly exclaimed, "I will easily overcome every obstacle, conquer every opposition—"
"With our assistance," added the Jesuit. "We are already in possession of a respectable minority, and it will be easy for you, with the aid of promises and shrewd insinuations, to win over those who are on the fence. Marquis, the work intrusted to you is a sublime one—"
"I am yours body and soul," interrupted the marquis impatiently. "And to-day—"
"One moment," said the Jesuit, placing his hand lightly on the marquis's shoulder; "I also spoke about a guarantee."
"Really," cried Fougereuse sincerely, "I forgot all about that, but I should think my word of honor would be sufficient."
Velletri did not reply to his last observation, but coolly said:
"The man in whom the society places such entire confidence as to give him the weapons which must lead to victory must be bound to us by ties which cannot be torn asunder."
The marquis's face expressed naïve astonishment.
"The strongest chains," continued the Jesuit, "are, as is well known, the golden ones, and the guarantee we desire is based on this fact. Marquis, I am the secretary of the general of the order, and it is my mission to ask you whether you are ready to assist the society financially by founding new colonies such as the Montrouge and Saint-Acheul houses in Parma and Tuscany?"
"Certainly," stammered Fougereuse, "I am ready to help the Society of Jesus to the extent of my means, and should like to know beforehand how high the sum is that is required. My finances are at present exhausted and—"
"Have no fear," interrupted Velletri dryly; "the sum in question is not so immense that you need be frightened about it."
Fougereuse breathed more freely.
"To found the houses named only a very modest sum is necessary, not more than a million!"
"A million!" stammered the marquis, "a million!"
"The sum is very small in comparison to the office you buy with it, and only the particular friendship our order had for you caused it to give you the preference, to the exclusion of numerous applicants."
"But a million!" groaned Fougereuse, "the sum is impossible to secure! If I were to sell or pawn everything, I would not succeed in raising a quarter of this sum."
"Then you refuse?" asked Velletri.
"God forbid, only I do not know how I shall satisfy the demand of the society. A million is, under the circumstances, a terrible sum!"
"Marquis, the house of Fougereuse possesses a fortune which is fabulous in comparison to the demands of the society."
"If it were only so," groaned Fougereuse, "but unfortunately you are mistaken; I am ruined, totally ruined!"
"Impossible! The fortune your father left behind him was too immense to have been spent in a few years! No matter what your embarrassments previously were, the fortune must have been sufficient to cover them and enrich you enormously besides!" replied Velletri.
"Count, I was robbed of my legacy—dastardly robbed," whined Fougereuse.
The Italian rose up angrily.
"Marquis," said he, "I am not used to bargaining and haggling. I ask you for the last time, what is your decision? I offer you peace or war. Peace means for you power and influence, while war—"
"War?" repeated Fougereuse, confused. "I—do not understand you!"
"Then I will express myself more clearly. When the society reposes its confidence in a man like you and discloses its most secret plans, it always has a weapon in the background, to be used in case of necessity. A comrade sometimes becomes an opponent—"
"I—should I ever become an enemy of the fathers? Oh, you do not believe that yourself!"
"Our measures are such that it cannot be done very easily, anyhow," replied Velletri, with faint malice; "this is our ultimatum: Either you accept my proposition and hand over the sum named within five days, or one of our emissaries will place certain papers in the hands of the district-attorney!"
Fougereuse trembled with fear and his teeth chattered as he stammeringly said:
"I—do not—understand—you."
"Then listen. The papers are drafts whose signatures have been forged by the Vicomte de Talizac, and which are in our hands."
"Drafts? Forged drafts? Impossible—my son is not a criminal!" cried the marquis, desperately.
"Ask the vicomte," replied Velletri, coldly, and rising, he added: "Marquis, I give you time to consider. As soon as you have made up your mind, please be so kind as to let me know."
"One moment, count. Are your conditions unchangeable?"
"Perfectly so. Inside of the next five days the preliminary steps must be taken in the Chamber of Peers—"
"I will do them to-morrow," cried the marquis, hastily.
"But only in case you are able to give the necessary guarantee. Marquis, adieu!"
The Italian went away, and Fougereuse, entirely broken down, remained behind.
He was still sitting thinking deeply, when Simon, who had remained behind the curtain and overheard the interview, softly stepped forth, and said:
"Courage, marquis; there is no reason for despair. Write to the pious fathers that you will satisfy their demands within the required five days."
"But I do not understand—"
"And yet it is very clear. Fanfaro is in prison—"
"Even so—he will not be condemned to death."
"If the judges do not kill him, there are other means."
"Other means?"
"Yes, my lord; the legacy of the Fougereuse will fall into your hands, and then the cabinet position is sure."
"Simon, are you mad?"
"No, my lord. I will kill Fanfaro!"
Political trials are in all ages similar; and then, as now, the verdict is decided upon long before the proceedings have begun.
It was only after Fanfaro had been brought to the courtroom that he caught a glimpse of the man who had allowed himself to be used as a tool to set the assassination of the king in motion. A contemptuous smile played about the young man's lips when he saw it was Robeckal. The wretch looked like the personification of fear; his knees quaked together, his face was covered with cold perspiration, and his teeth chattered audibly.
Robeckal had been still half intoxicated when he undertook to carry out Simon's proposition to play the regicide. Not until now, when he found himself in the presence of his judges, had he comprehended that it might cost him his head, and his bold assurance gave way to cowardly despair.
Fanfaro answered the questions put to him briefly and clearly. He described Robeckal's actions during the time he had been a member of Girdel's troupe. He declared that the wretch had cut the chain in Sainte-Ame for the purpose of killing the athlete, and said everything in such a passionless way that the judges became convinced thathe was speaking the truth. As soon as the indictment had been read, the proceedings began. Robeckal whiningly declared that he bitterly regretted what he had done. He had been seduced by Fanfaro, and would give his right hand if he could blot out the recollection of the attempted assassination.
"Thanks be to God that Providence protected our king!" he concluded, bursting into tears, the presence of which were a surprise even to himself, while a murmur of sympathy ran through the courtroom. He certainly deserved a light punishment, poor fellow, and—
Now came Fanfaro's turn.
"You are a member of a secret society which bears the proud title of 'Heroes of Justice'?" asked the presiding judge.
"I am a Frenchman," replied Fanfaro, "and as such I joined with the men who desire to free their country."
"And to do this you attempted assassination?" asked the judge, sharply.
"I am not an assassin," replied the young man, coldly; "these men who negotiated with foreign powers to cut France in pieces for the sake of conquering a crown sunk in mud have more right to the title."
"Bravo!" came from the rear of the hall, and then a terrible tumult arose. With the help of the policemen, several dozen men were hustled out of the room, while the man who had uttered the cry was let alone. It was Girdel, who wore the dress of a lackey and consequently aroused no suspicion.
Irene de Salves was also one of the spectators. Her sparkling eyes were directed at Fanfaro, and whenever he spoke, a look of pride shone in them.
When quiet had been restored, the judge turned once more to Fanfaro. He asked him to tell everything he knew about the attempt, and shook his head when the young man declared on his honor that he was the victim of a conspiracy.
"My father," Fanfaro concluded, "fell in defence of his country, and it would be a bad way of honoring his memory were I to stain his name with the shame of regicide."
Fanfaro's defender was a very able lawyer, but he was stopped in the middle of his speech, and when he protested he was forced to leave the courtroom.
Fifteen minutes later the verdict was given. Robeckal was condemned to death by strangulation, and Fanfaro to the galleys for life.
But at the moment the sentence was pronounced a terrible thing occurred.
Fanfaro arose, opened his mouth as if he wished to speak, stretched out his arms, turned around in a circle, and then fell heavily to the floor!
Loud cries broke forth.
"He has committed suicide," some cried.
"He has been poisoned," came from others, and all rushed toward the unconscious man.
Irene de Salves had hurried toward Girdel, she wished to ask him a question; but when she finally reached the place where she had seen the athlete he had disappeared. All attempts at recovery remained fruitless, and Fanfaro was carried off. Robeckal, too, was almost dead from fright. The sentence came upon him like a stroke of lightning.
"At last," cried the Marquis of Fougereuse, when he heard of Fanfaro's sudden death, and in great good humor he went in search of his wife.
"Madeleine!" he exclaimed, "all our troubles are at an end now; he who stood between us and fortune is dead."
"Of whom are you speaking?"
"Of whom else but that common regicide."
"What, of that Fanfaro who lately had the audacity to come into our parlor and create that terrible scene?"
"Of him—he is dead."
"Heaven be praised. We shall now receive the legacy."
"Without a doubt. All that is now necessary is to get Girdel to speak, and that can be easily arranged. He has only to repeat before witnesses what he has told me already."
"I had hardly dared to hope any more that this dream would be realized," said Madeleine. "The cabinet position is now sure, and our son has a brilliant future before him. Where is Frederic staying? He has been gone already several hours."
The marquis paid no attention to Madeleine's last words.He was thinking about Simon and the great service the latter had done for him.
"Where can Simon be?" he uneasily remarked, "I have not seen him in two days."
"Bah! he will turn up, let us rather speak about our son. I—"
A knock was heard at the door.
"Come in," said the marquis expectantly; but instead of Simon, as he thought, a servant entered.
"My lord," he stammered, "the vicomte—"
"Ah, he is outside!" cried the marquise eagerly; "tell the vicomte we are awaiting him."
Saying which she advanced toward the door. The servant, however, prevented her from opening it, and placing his hand on the knob, he hesitatingly said:
"Madame—I—"
"What do you mean?" cried the marquise, angrily. "You announce the vicomte and lock the door instead of opening it?"
"My lord," said the servant, turning to the marquis.
The expression of the man's face was such that the nobleman felt his heart stand still with terror, and in a faint voice he stammered:
"Madeleine, let Baptiste speak."
"The—vicomte—is dead," stammered Baptiste.
A cry of despair came from the marquise's lips, while the unfortunate father looked at the messenger in a daze. He did not seem to know what was the matter.
But soon the terrible significance of the words was made clear to him. Heavy steps were heard in the corridor. They ceased at the door, and now—now four men entered the parlor and laid gently on the floor the burdenthey had been carrying. The burden was a bier, covered with a cloth, under which could be seen the outlines of a human form.
Neither the marquis nor Madeleine had the courage to raise the cover. In a daze they both stared at the bier and the pallbearers, and only when Gaston de Ferrette, Talizac's friend, stepped on the threshold of the door did life return to the unhappy parents.
"Gaston, what has happened?" cried the marquis in despair, as he imploringly held his hand toward the young man.
"He is dead," replied Gaston, in a hollow voice.
"Who is dead? For Heaven's sake speak!" moaned Madeleine.
"Your son, the Vicomte de Talizac, fell in a duel," said Gaston, earnestly.
Madeleine uttered a loud cry and sank unconscious to the floor. While Baptiste and the marquise's maid hurried to her assistance, Fougereuse gazed vacantly before him, and then raising his head, he passionately exclaimed:
"You lie—my son had no duel!"
"Would to God you were right, marquis," replied Gaston, sorrowfully; "unfortunately it is the truth. The vicomte and Arthur de Montferrand fought a duel, and the sword of the latter ran through Talizac's heart!"
The marquis still remained unconvinced, and carefully gliding toward the bier, he shoved the cloth aside with a trembling hand.
Yes, it was his son who lay on the bier. The pale face was stiff and cold. The eyes were glassy and on the breast was a deep red wound.
The marquis uttered a hoarse cry and his handnervously grasped the cloth. His eyes shone feverishly and he stammered forth disconnected sentences.
Gaston de Ferrette consoled the unhappy father, but his words made no impression, and as Madeleine had in the meantime been brought back to consciousness by her maid, Gaston thought it best to go away for the present.
He softly strode to the door, but had hardly reached it when the marquis sprang up, and, laying his hand heavily on the young man's shoulder, said:
"Do not leave this room. I must know how he died."
A wink from Gaston sent the servants away, and as soon as he was alone with the parents he began his story.
"The vicomte sent his seconds to Arthur de Montferrand," he said; "the motive for the duel was to be kept secret by both combatants, and I of course had nothing to say to this. The meeting was agreed upon for this morning and took place in the Bois de Boulogne. When the vicomte arrived on the spot, he was so terribly excited that the seconds thought it their duty to ask for a postponement of the affair. This proposition was agreed to by Monsieur de Montferrand, but the vicomte firmly opposed it. We tried in vain to change his determination. He became angry, accused his seconds of cowardice, and threatened to horsewhip them. Under such circumstances nothing could be done. The distance was measured off and the duel began. The vicomte was already lost after the first tourney. In his passion he ran upon his opponent's sword, the blade of which penetrated his heart, and death immediately followed."
Pale, with eyes wide open, the marquis and Madeleine listened to Gaston's story. The marquise clinched her fist and angrily exclaimed:
"My son has been murdered, and I will avenge him!"
The marquis remained silent, but his silence made a deeper impression on the young man than Madeleine's anger.
"Did my son leave any letter?" asked the marquise, suddenly.
"Yes, my lady. Before we rode to the Bois de Boulogne the vicomte gave me a sealed letter, which I was to give to his parents in case of his death."
The young man thereupon handed the marquise the letter. Madeleine tore the envelope with a trembling hand. There were only a few lines:
"You have brought me up badly. You are the cause of my death. I hate you!"
"You have brought me up badly. You are the cause of my death. I hate you!"
A terrible laugh, the laugh of madness, came from the marquise's breast, and, rushing upon her husband, she held the paper before his eyes.
"Read," she cried, "read these words, which our only child sends us from his grave. He hates us—ha, ha, ha!—hates—hates!"
The cup of sorrow caused the marquise to become unconscious again, and this time Gaston ordered the servants to take her away. Madeleine was carried to her bedroom, and Gaston, who saw the marquis kneeling at his son's bier, noiselessly went away.
Hardly had he left the room, when the door was slowly opened and a gray-haired man entered. He saw the grief-stricken father beside his son's corpse, and an expression of deep sympathy crossed his stony face. Softly walking behind the marquis, he laid his hand upon his shoulder. Fougereuse looked up and anexpression of dumb terror appeared on his features, while he tremblingly murmured: "Pierre Labarre!"
Yes, it was really Pierre Labarre who had accompanied Caillette and Louise to Paris, and had heard there that Fanfaro's trial had begun. As soon as he could he hurried to the court house and heard there what had happened. Several physicians stood about the so suddenly deceased young man, and they declared that death was brought about by the bursting of a vein.
Crushed and annihilated, Pierre Labarre hurried to the Fougereuse mansion, and the marquis trembled at sight of him, as if he were a spectre.
"Pierre Labarre," he cried in a hollow voice, "you come to gloat over my grief. Ah, you can triumph now. I know you are glad at my misfortune. Get out!" he suddenly exclaimed in angry tones, "get out, I have nothing to do with you!"
"But I have with you, marquis," replied Pierre calmly. "I have something to tell you, and you will listen to me!"
"Aha! have you finally become reasonable?" mockingly laughed the marquis. "Now you will no longer dare to prevent me from claiming my rights or dispute my legal title."
"No," replied Pierre, sorrowfully; "the real Vicomte de Talizac is dead, and from to-day on you are for me the Marquis of Fougereuse."
"I do not understand you," said the marquis, confused. "What has the death of my son got to do with my title?"
"I do not speak of the son who lies here a corpse, but of the other—"
"Which other?" asked the nobleman, more and more surprised.
"You will soon understand me—it is about Fanfaro—"
"Ah, I could have thought so; to his death I owe the fact that Pierre Labarre calls me the Marquis of Fougereuse, and that now that no one is living to whom he can give the hidden millions he must necessarily deliver them up to me!"
With a mixture of surprise and horror Pierre looked at the man, who could still think of money and money matters in the presence of his dead son.
"Why do you not speak?" continued the marquis, mockingly. "You are, no doubt, sorrowful at the death of Fanfaro, whom you imagine to be the legitimate heir of the Fougereuse? Yes, I cannot help you; gone is gone; and if it interests you, you can learn how Fanfaro came to his death. I killed him!"
"Impossible—do not say that!" cried Pierre Labarre in terror. "Say that it was a joke, my lord, or a misunderstanding. You did not kill him!"
"And why not?" asked the nobleman. "Yes, I got rid of him; I hired the murderer, who freed me of him! Ha! ha! ha! I knew who Fanfaro was—I recognized him immediately on account of his resemblance to my father and my brother, and as he stood in my way I got rid of him by means of poison! What are you staring at? I really believe you are getting childish in your old age!"
Pale as a ghost, Pierre leaned against the wall, and his hand was clasped over his eyes, as if he wished to shut the marquis out of his sight.
"Unhappy father," he murmured, in a broken voice;"would to God somebody took the duty off my hands of telling you what you have done."
"Spare your pity," said Fougereuse, proudly; "if anything can console me for the death of my son, it is the knowledge that my brother Jules's son, who was always a thorn in my side, is at last out of the way."
"For Heaven's sake be silent: this Fanfaro was not your brother's son!"
"So much the worse!"
"My lord, in the presence of this corpse which lies before us, I beseech you do not blaspheme, and listen to what I have to say. Do you recollect the village of Sachemont?"
"Sachemont?" repeated Fougereuse, pensively.
"Yes—Sachemont. On the 16th of May, 1804, you and another officer took lodgings in the cottage of a peasant in Sachemont. You were running away from France. You had taken part in Cadoudal's conspiracy, and barely escaped from the hands of the officers of the law. The peasant received you hospitably, and, in return, the wretches insulted their host's daughters. One of the officers, a German, was repulsed by the young girl he had impudently approached, but the other one, a Frenchman, took advantage of the other sister, and after committing the dastardly outrage, he ran away with his companion. Marquis, shall I name you the man who acted so meanly? It was the then Vicomte de Talizac!"
Fougereuse looked at the old servant in amazement. Where had Pierre Labarre found all this out?
"The nobleman left the cottage like a thief in the night, and left behind him despair and shame," continued Pierre; "and this despair increased when the unhappyvictim of the Vicomte de Talizac gave birth to a son, about the commencement of the year 1805—"
"Go on! What else?" asked Fougereuse, mockingly, as Pierre paused.
"The unhappy girl died, and the child, which had neither father nor mother, stood alone in the world," said the old man softly; "it would have died wretchedly if a brave and noble man had not made good the misfortune another caused. Jules de Fougereuse, the brother of the Vicomte de Talizac, married, under the name of Jules Fougeres, the sister of the dead woman, and both of them took care of the child. They brought the boy up as if he had been their own, and in the village of Leigoutte no one suspected that little Jacques was only an adopted child. In the year 1814 you induced the Cossacks to destroy Leigoutte. Jules Fougeres, your only brother, died the death of a hero, and if the wife and children of the victim did not get burned to death, as was intended, it was not the fault of the instigator of the bloody drama."
This time the nobleman did not reply mockingly; pale and trembling he gazed at Pierre Labarre, and cold drops of perspiration stood on his forehead.
"My information is at an end," said the old man now, as he advanced a step nearer to the nobleman. "Fanfaro and Jacques Fougeres are identical with the Vicomte de Talizac's son."
"It is a lie," hissed Fougereuse, "this Fanfaro was my brother's son; tell your fables to others."
Instead of answering, Pierre Labarre searched in his breast-pocket and handed the marquis a package of papers. With trembling hands Fougereuse opened theones on top and tried to read, but a veil was before his eyes and he tremblingly said:
"Read them, Pierre, I cannot see anything."
Pierre read the following aloud:
"I, Jules de Fougereuse, elder son of the marquis of the same name, swear that the child, Jacques Fougeres, which is supposed to be my own and bears the name of Fougeres, which I at present answer to, is not my son, but the son of my sister-in-law Therese Lemaire, and my brother, the Vicomte de Talizac."Jules Fougeres."
"I, Jules de Fougereuse, elder son of the marquis of the same name, swear that the child, Jacques Fougeres, which is supposed to be my own and bears the name of Fougeres, which I at present answer to, is not my son, but the son of my sister-in-law Therese Lemaire, and my brother, the Vicomte de Talizac.
"Jules Fougeres."
"Those words have been written by some unmitigated liar!" cried the marquis. "Pierre Labarre, say that it is not true, or else—I must have poisoned my own son!"
"Would to God I could say no," replied Pierre, shuddering, "but I cannot! Fanfaro was your son—his blood lies on your head!"
"No! no!" cried the marquis, pale as death; "his blood will not fall upon me, but upon the devil who led me to do the dastardly deed."
"His name?" asked Pierre.
"Is Simon—my steward! He advised me to poison Fanfaro, so that I could force you to give up the legacy. I acceded to his proposition, and he committed the deed."
Pierre looked contemptuously at the coward who did not hesitate to throw the responsibility of the terrible deed on his servant.
"I am going now," he said, coldly; "I have nothing more to do here."
"No, remain. Do not leave me alone with the dead—I am frightened!" whined the marquis.
"I must go. I want to look after your other dead son," replied Pierre.
"Ah, take me along! Let me see him, let me beg forgiveness of the corpse against which I have sinned so," implored the broken-down man.
Pierre thought for a while, and then said earnestly:
"Come then—you are right."
"Thanks, a thousand thanks! But tell me, Pierre, what will become of the fortune you have in safe keeping. It exists yet, I hope?"
Labarre trembled with contemptuous rage; the man before him was more mercenary and wicked than he thought could be possible. He buried both his sons almost at the same hour, but he still found time and opportunity to inquire about the legacy for which he had made so many sacrifices.
"Well," exclaimed Fougereuse impatiently, "tell me, where are the millions of my father?"
"In a safe place," replied Pierre dryly.
"God be praised! I could draw a million then this evening?"
"My God, marquis! do you need a million to confess your sins?"
"Later! Later! Now answer me, when can I get the million?"
"To-morrow; the documents and bonds are deposited with a lawyer here."
"So much the better."
The marquis hurried to his writing-table, wrote a few lines and rang.
"Here, this note must be brought at once to Count Fernando de Velletri," he said to Baptiste. "Wait for an answer and bring it at once to me; you will find me in the court-house."
While the servant was hurrying away, the marquis hastily put on a cloak, and left the house with Labarre.
In a House opposite the court-house, which stood at the corner of a street which has long since disappeared, were two men who were earnestly conversing.
"Doctor," said one of them, "you guarantee a success?"
"Have no fear; I have often made such experiments, and always with success. I haven't grown gray in the service of science for nothing. I know what I am speaking about."
"But the long time," said the other anxiously. "You know we can operate only at night, and forty hours are sometimes an eternity."
"Before I entered upon the plan I weighed everything carefully," said the physician earnestly, "otherwise I should not have taken the responsibility. Have confidence in me; what my knowledge and care can do will be done to bring everything to a good end."
The other man shook the physician's hand heartily.
"Thank you, faithful friend," he cordially said. "I wish I could stop the uneasy beating of my heart, but I suppose it is only natural that I am anxious."
"That's it exactly," replied the doctor; "and to quiet you I will stay here from now on until the decisive hour. Good-by, I must go. You know where I am to be found."
The doctor went, while the other man struck his face with his hands and softly murmured:
"God grant that he be right. I would rather die a thousand deaths than lose the dear boy in this way."
Hot tears ran over the man's brown cheeks, and his broad breast rose and fell, torn by convulsive sobs.
"Shame yourself, Firejaws!" he murmured, "if any one saw you now! Let us hope everything will be all right, and then—"
A loud knock at the door interrupted Girdel's self-conversation, and upon a hasty "Come in," Bobichel entered the room.
"Well, Bobi, how goes it?" asked the athlete.
"She is downstairs," said the clown, with a significant gesture.
Without asking another question, Girdel hurried out, while Bobichel looked observantly around the room, and soon found a well-filled bottle of wine and a glass; he filled the glass and emptied it with one swallow.
In the meantime Girdel had met Irene de Salves in the corridor of the house.
The young lady wore a black dress, and when she saw the athlete she ran to meet him and sobbingly cried:
"He's not dead, is he?"
"No, he is not dead," confirmed Girdel; and seeing Irene's pale face, he said, more to himself: "I knew how the news would work, and yet it could not be helped—as God pleases, it will all be right again."
"But where is he?" asked Irene anxiously.
"Countess," began the athlete, somewhat embarrassed, "at present he is a corpse on a bier and whoever sees him thinks he is dead; but to-morrow at this time he will be well and at liberty."
"Ah, if I could only believe it—"
"You can do so," cried Girdel, hastily; "if I had not thought you were more courageous than women in general, I would have kept silent; but I thought to myself you were in despair, and I therefore concluded to speak."
"A thousand thanks for your confidence, but tell me everything that has happened—I can hardly understand the whole thing."
"I believe you. If you were to accompany me to the cellar now you would see one of the chief actors in the drama. Downstairs in a cage lies a wild beast which we have captured. I just want to call Bobichel and give him a message, then I will accompany you downstairs."
A low whistle from the athlete brought the clown directly to him, and Girdel ordered him to slip into the court-house and watch what occurred there. He then accompanied Irene into the damp cellar. Lighting a pocket lantern and holding it aloft, he said:
"Follow me, countess; we will soon be there."
The countess followed her guide without hesitation; she had perfect confidence in Girdel, and after a short journey they both stood in front of a heavy iron door.
"Here we are," said the athlete, triumphantly; and taking an iron bar which stood in a corner in his hand, he cried in stentorian tones:
"Get up, scoundrel, let us look at you!"
Low moans answered the gruff command, and Irene uttered a cry of terror, for in the cell a human form moved.
"Step nearer, mademoiselle," said Girdel, putting on the manners of a circus proprietor; "the wild beast is pretty tame now—we have taken out its teeth and chained it."
"But I do not understand—" stammered Irene.
"Who this beast is? You shall know it at once; the magnificent personage is Simon, the factotum of the Marquis Fougereuse. In his leisure hours the miserable wretch occupies himself with poisoning experiments, and it would not be a loss to humanity if he should never see daylight again. Come, boy, play your tricks; the performance begins."
"Mercy," whispered Simon, for he was really the prisoner, "let me free."
"Really? Perhaps later on, but now you must obey. Quick, tell us what brought you here."
"I am hungry," growled Simon.
"Really? Well, if you answer my questions probably you shall have food and drink. Why did you want to poison Fanfaro?"
"I do not know," stammered the steward.
"How bad your memory is. What interest did your master, the Marquis of Fougereuse, have in Fanfaro's death?"
Simon was silent. Girdel nudged him gently in the ribs with the iron bar, and turning to Irene, said:
"Would you believe, mademoiselle, that this fellow was very talkative a few days ago when he tried to bribe Fanfaro's jailer. Growl away, it is true, anyway!You promised fabulous sums to the jailer if he would mix a small white powder in Fanfaro's food. Fortunately I have eyes and ears everywhere, so I immediately took my measures. With Bobichel's assistance I captured this monster here, and then I went to the bribed jailer and gave him, in the name of his employer, the white powder. He took it without any objection. That I had changed the powder in the meantime for another he was unaware of. If I only knew," he concluded with a frown, "what object this marquis has to injure Fanfaro. This beast won't talk, and—"
"Let me speak to him," said the countess, softly. And turning to the grating, she urged Simon to confess his master's motives and thereby free himself. At first Simon looked uneasily at the young girl; he made an attempt to speak, but reconsidered it and closed his lips.
"Let us leave him alone, mademoiselle," said Girdel; "solitude will do him good."
When Simon saw that Girdel and Irene were about to depart, he groaned loudly, but the athlete ordered him to keep still if he did not wish to be gagged, and this warning had the desired effect.
When Girdel and Irene reached the room, the latter sank, sobbing, upon a chair, and "the brave athlete" tried his best to console her.
"It will be all right," he assured her; "Fanfaro has swallowed a strong narcotic which makes him appear as if dead. To-morrow he will be buried; we shall dig him up again, and then bring him away as soon as possible."
At this moment Bobichel breathlessly rushed into theroom, and Irene uttered a cry of terror when she saw his pale face.
"What has happened?" she cried, filled with gloomy forebodings.
"O God—he is lost!" stammered the clown.
"Who is lost?"
"Fanfaro."
"Speak clearly," cried Girdel, beside himself.
"They have brought—Fanfaro—to the—Hotel Dieu," said Bobichel, sobbing.
"Well, that isn't such a misfortune," said the athlete, breathing more freely. "You need not have frightened us."
"But the worst is to come—they want to hold an autopsy over him to find out the cause of death."
"Merciful God! that must not be," cried Irene, wringing her hands. "We must run to the hospital and tell all."
"Who is the physician that is going to undertake the autopsy?" asked Girdel.
"Doctor Albaret, as I was informed."
"Then rely on me, countess," cried the athlete, rushing away; "either I rescue Fanfaro or else I die with him."
Bobichel unfortunately had not said too much. The fact that Fanfaro had dropped dead so suddenly had caused great excitement in the scientific world, and Dr. Albaret, the king's private physician, was the first to propose the autopsy. His colleagues immediately consented, and Fanfaro was at once brought to the Hotel Dieu and placed upon the marble table in the anatomy room. The attendants busily rushed here and there, and while they brought in the necessary instruments—lances, needles, knives, saws and bandages,—numerous disciples of Esculapius stood about the dead man and admired his beautiful proportions and strong muscles.
"He could have lived to a hundred years," said the physician, as he beat Fanfaro's breast, and his colleagues agreed with him. Fanfaro lay like a marble statue upon the table; the dark locks covered the pale forehead, and a painful expression lay over the firmly closed lips. Did the poor fellow suspect that he would become a victim of science and be delivered over to the knife?
In the meantime the hall had become crowded, andwhen Dr. Albaret appeared a murmur of expectation ran through the ranks of the students and physicians.
Dr. Albaret, a sturdy old man, bowed to all sides, and hastily taking off his coat he took the dissecting knife in his hand and began to speak: "Gentlemen! a death so sudden as this in a person apparently in the best of health demands the attention of all physicians, and I hope that we will be able to discover the cause of this surprising phenomenon. There are different ways of beginning an autopsy such as this. The German professors, for instance, make a cut from the chin to the pit of the stomach, the Italians from the underlip to the breast-bone, while the French—"
"Dr. Albaret," cried a stentorian voice at this moment—"where is Dr. Albaret?"
The physician frowned, he did not like such interruptions, but when he saw that the man who was hurriedly pressing through the rows of listeners wore the livery of a royal lackey, his face became clear again.
"A message from his majesty the king," said the man breathlessly.
"A message from his majesty?" repeated the physician eagerly, as he grasped the note the messenger gave him.
Hurriedly running over the few lines, Albaret nodded, and quickly putting his coat on again, he said, in a tone of importance:
"Gentlemen, much to my regret I must leave you; an urgent matter requires my immediate attendance at the Tuileries, and I shall go there directly."
"But the autopsy?" remarked an elderly colleague.
"It isn't worth the trouble to postpone it," repliedAlbaret, indifferently; "let the poor fellow, who is stone-dead, be buried. Death undoubtedly was produced by the bursting of a blood vessel in the brain, and the excitement under which the deceased was laboring proves this very clearly. Adieu, gentlemen, next time we shall make up for what we have lost now."
He hurried out. In the corridor he was stopped by the superintendent of the hospital, who asked him to put his signature under the burial certificate. Albaret signed it standing, got into the carriage which was waiting at the door, and rode rapidly away, while the royal servant, who was no other than Girdel, ran in an opposite direction, and took off his livery in a little house where Bobichel was awaiting him.
"Bobi, just in time," he breathlessly cried, "five minutes more and Fanfaro would have been done for."
Girdel's further arrangements were made with the utmost prudence. Irene de Salves had given him unlimited credit, and the well-known proverb that a golden key opens all doors was conclusively proved in this particular case. The man whose duty it was to bury those who died in the Hotel Dieu had, for a good round sum, consented to allow Girdel to do his work, and so the athlete had nothing else to do than to clothe himself appropriately and hurry back to the hospital.
The superintendent had just ordered the hearse to be put in readiness, when the Marquis of Fougereuse was announced. On the upper corner of the visiting card was a peculiar mark, and hardly had he seen it than he hurried to meet the marquis.
The nobleman leaned on Pierre Labarre's arm, and returning the superintendent's greeting, he tried tospeak, but his voice was broken by sobs, and so he handed the official a folded paper and looked inquiringly at him.
Hardly had the official read the paper, than he respectfully observed that the marquis's wish should be complied with, and that he would give the necessary orders at once.
The note contained an order from the Minister of Justice to hand over to the Marquis of Fougereuse the body of Fanfaro; thus it will be seen that the marquis's present of a million to the Society of Jesus had already borne fruit, and Pierre Labarre felt his anger diminish when he saw for what purpose the marquis had demanded the money. He no longer thought of the cabinet position, he had bought the right with his million to have the son who had never stood near to him in life buried in the Fougereuse family vault.
"I should like—to see—the deceased," stammered the broken-down father.
The official bowed, and accompanied his guide up to the operating room where Fanfaro's body still lay.
The marquis sank on his knees beside the dead man, and murmured a silent prayer; how different was the son who had fallen in a duel to the brother whom the father had sacrificed for him.
"Marquis, shall I call the carriers?" asked Pierre, gently.
The nobleman nodded, and soon Fanfaro's body was laid upon a bier, which was carried to the Fougereuse mansion by four men. The marquis and Pierre followed the procession with uncovered heads. When they arrived at the Fougereuse mansion, Fanfaro was laid beside his brother, and the marquis then said:
"There is only one thing left for me—I must bury my sons and then die myself."
"But Madame la Marquise," said Pierre, anxiously.
"The marquise will have the same wish as I have to suffer for our sins," said the marquis, frowning; "and—"
At this moment Baptiste rushed into the room, and with a frightened look exclaimed:
"Madame la Marquise is nowhere to be seen, and her maid fears she has done herself an injury—she was talking so strangely."
Pierre and the marquis exchanged a silent look, and then the nobleman gently said:
"She did right. Of what further use was she in the world? Oh, I envy her!"
* * * * *
Girdel and Bobichel waited almost a full hour at the rear entrance of the Hotel Dieu. The athlete finally became impatient. He went inside of the house and asked if the body wasn't going to be put in the hearse.
"I really forgot all about it," cried the superintendent to whom Girdel had gone for information. "The body has been taken away long ago."
"Taken away?" repeated the athlete, astonished.
"Yes; the Marquis of Fougereuse claimed him and took him along. I believe he intends to bury him in his family vault."
"Almighty God! Is that true?" asked Girdel, horror-stricken.
"Yes, certainly; he brought carriers along, and that settled the matter."
"Where is the family vault of the Fougereuse?" asked Girdel.
"Oh, far from Paris; somewhere in Alsace, if I remember aright."
"God have mercy on me!" muttered Girdel to himself.
The official looked at him with amazement. What was the matter with the man?