THE CEEVALIER DE MAISON ROUGH.

Mt Benger Mail, Volume V, Issue 261, 13 December 1884, Page 6

THE CEEVALIER DE MAISON ROUGH.

CHAPTER Till.— OONTtNTTET). He at "length succeeded, and upon th* iron of the spade, which he supported against the wall with his back, he at last cut, or rath?r wore away, the cord which confined bis wrists. The operation was tedious;, the ; on cut slowly. The perspiration streamed from his face: he heard a n 1 of some one approaching; with a tiemoadous effort the cord, rather worn, broke. This time it was a cry of joy he gave utterance to: now, at least, he was sure to die in defending himself. Maurice tore the bandage from his eyes. He was not deceived, but found himself in a kind of, nil greenhouse, but pavilion, used as a 'receptacle for the more delicate plants unable to outlive the winter in the open air. In a corner the gardening implements were stowed away, which had been the means of rendering him so important a se.'Hrice. Facing him was a window: he *■ lanced toward it. and saw it was grated, and a man armed with carbine placed sentinel before it. On the other side of the garden, about thirty pac»s distant, perhaps rather less, rose -a small turret, fellow to the one where Maur.ce remained prisoner. The blind was down, but through the blind a light was visible. He approached the. door and listened: another sentinel was placed before this door. These were the footsteps he had heard. But from the end of the corridor a confusion of voices resounded. The deliberation had evidently degenerated into disputation. Maurice could not hear distinctly what was said; some words, however, reached him, and amid these words-as if lor them

HE RETIRED BEHIND THE DOOR. only the '. ; .i?tance was short—he distinguished plainly. "Spy! Poniard! Death!" Maurice redoubled his attention; a door opened, an') he heard more distinctly. "Yes," said one voice, "it is assuredly a spy; he has discovered something, and is certainly sent to take us and our Secret unawares. In freeing him we run the risk of his denouncing us." "But hib word," said a voice. "His word—he will give it only to betray it. Is he a gentleman, that we 6hould trust his word ?" Maurice ground his teeth at the idea which some folks etill retained, that only a gentleman could keep his oath. "But he does not know us; how can he denouuee U3 ?" "No, he does not know us, certainly, nor our occupations; but he knows the address, and will return; this time he will be well accompanied." This argument appeared conclusive. "Then," said a voice, which several times already had struck Maurice as belonging to the chief, "it is then quite decided." "Yes, a hundred times, yes; I do not comprehend you with your magnanimity. Mon cher. if the Committee for the Public Safety caught us, you would see if they acted after this fashion." "You persist, then, in your decision, gentlemen?" "Without >bubt; and you are not, we hope, going to oppose it?'" "I bav- ; ':.'" voice, gentlemen. ? t. naa been ia of his liberation; you possess six, and they all vote for his dfco-th Let\;t then be death." Maurice i-V- tin blood freeze in his veins. \ "Of course, \'-' will howl and cry." said the voice: "bw have you removed Madame Dixnu r ? *\ "Madame PixmV."" murmured Maurice; "I begin upw to /omprehend Tarn in the house b! the*master tanner, who spoke to m* in tye Old Rue St. Jacques, and who went sAvay laughing because I was. unable to t'ell him the name of 'my friend. But ,•> w the devil can it be to his interest to assasinate me ?" Looking round about him, "Maurice perceived an iron stake with a handle of ash-tree w*od. "In any <<s a " said he, "before they assassinate m<s I will kill more than one of them." , And he sprung to secure this harmless instrument, which, in his hand, was to become a formidable weapon. He then retired behind the door, and so placed himself that be could see without being seeD. His heart beat so tumultuously that in the deep silence itp palpitations might be heard. Suddenly Maurice dered from head to foot. A voice had uaid : "If you act. according to my advice, you will break a window, and through the bars kili him with a ahot from a carbine." "Oh, no, no, not an explosion," said another voice.'"that might betray us. Besides, Dixmer there is your wife." "I have just looked at her through the blind; she suspects nothing—she is reading." "Dixmer, you shall decide for us. Do you advocate a shot from the carbine, or a stroke from the poniard?" "Avoid firearms as much as possible—th" poniard." "Then let it be the poniard. Allons!" "Allons !" repeated five or six voices together. Maurice was a child of the Revolution, with a heart of flint, and in mind, (like many others* at that epoch, an atheist. But at the word "Allons," pronounced behind the door, wtich alone separated him from death, be Remembered the sign of the cross, which Hs mother had taught him when an ir,!{tnt he repeated his prayers at her kn;-°. Steps approachefr. stopped; then the key turned in the lock, and the door slowly opened. During this fleeting moment Maurice had said to himself: "If I lose this opportunity to strike the first blowll aim a dead man. If 1 throw myself upon tin assassins, I take them unawares—gain first the garden, then the street, and am saved!" Immediately, with the spring of a lion, and uttering a savage cry, which savored more of menace than terror, he threw down the first two men, who, believing him bound and blindfolded, were quite unprepared for such an assault, scattered the others, took a tremendous leap over them, thanks to his iron muscles, saw at the end of the corridor a door leading into the garden wide open, rushed toward it, cleared at a bound six steps, and found h'mself in the garden, debating if it were "best to endeavor to run and gain the gate. This gate was secured by a lock and a couple of bolts. Maurice drew back the bolts, tried to open the bjjk, but it had no key. In the meantime his pursuers, who had reached the steps, perceived him. "There he is!" cried they; "fire upon him, Dixmer, fire! Kill him—kill him !" MaurJte uttered a groan; .he was enclosed in the garden; he measured the walls with his eye-they were 'ten feet in height. All this passed in a. moment. The assassins rushed forward in pursuit of him. Maurice was about thirty feet in advance, or nearly so. he look round about him with the air of a condemned man who seeks concealment as the means of saving himself from the reality. He perceived the turret'-th n blind—and behind the blind the light burning. He made but oue b .und—a bound of six feet—seized the bhuu. tor it down, passid through, tjp wiqduw, it, and

alighted in a chambor where a female eat reading. The female rose, terrified, calling for assistance. "Stand aside, Genevieve—stand aside !" cried the voice of Dixmer; "stand aside, that I may kill him." And Maurice saw the carbine leveled at. him. But scarcely had the woman looked at him. then she uttered a frightful cry. and instead of standing: aside, as desired l>v her husband, rushed between, him and the barrel of the gun. This movement concent rated all Maurice's attention to th" generous woman, whoee first impulse was to protect him from danger and death. In his turn, he uttered a cry of astonishment. It was the long sought for unknown. "You!" cried he; "you-" "Silence!" cried she. Then, turning toward the assassins, who. variously armed, approached the window : "Ah? you will not kill him *" cri^dshe. "He is a spy.' 1 said Dixmer. whose usually placid countenance had assumed an expression of stern resolution; "he is a«pv, and. therefore, must die." "A spy—he ?'•* said Genevieve; "he a, spy I Come here. Dixmer. I need only say one word to prove that you are strangely deceived." Dixmer and Genevieve approached the window, ancl in a low voice efop uttered a few words'. The master tanner raised his head quickly. "He !" said he. "He himself." said Genevieve. "You are certain-quite certain 9 " This time the young woman did reply, but smiling, hftld out her hand to Maurice. The features of Dixmer now assumed a singular expression of gentleness and indifference. He placed the butt end of his musket on the ground. "This is quite another thing." said he. Then, making a sign to his companions to follow, he stepped aside with them. and, after saying a few words, they disappeared. "Conceal that ring," said Genevieve; 'it is known by every one here." Manrice quickly drew the ring from his finger, and slipped it into his waistcoat, pocket. A moment afterward the door of the pavilion opened, aud Dixmer, unarmed, advanced toward Maurice. "Pardon me, citizen.'' said -he to him, "thart 1 had not knoAvn sooner the obligation I atn under to you. My wife, while retainiug a grateful remembrance of the service vou rendered her on the 10th of March, had forgotten your name. We were, therefore, completely in ignorance with whom we were concerned: indepen* dent of this, "believe me, we might not for a moment have entertained suspicion either of your honor or intentions. Again, I say. pardon me." Maurice waa bewildered: with the greatest difficulty he preserved hie equilibrium: he felt his head turn round, and was near falling. He supported himself against the mautel-piece. At length : "Why did you wieh to kill me ?" said he, I p ~

RUSHED BETWEEN HLM AND THE BARREL OF THE GUN. - i nat is tee secret, citizen." eaid Dixmer; "I confide it to jour keeping. T am, as you already know, a. tanner, and principal in this roncern. The grpot»r part of the acids 1 employ in the preparation of my skins are prohibited goods. Now, th a smugglers have recoit ed intelligence of an information laid before the counsel-general. 1 feared you were an informer. My smugglers wpre more alarmed than myself at your bon-net-rouge and formidable appearance, audLl do not conceal from you that your death was resolved upon." "Pardieu I and well I kno-w ft." said Maurice; "you tell nm no news. I heard your consultation, and T hare seen your carbine." "I have already apoloeizod," M pj JV mer, in a kindly tone. "You must understand that, thanks to the unsettled ■tate of the times, mveelf and uartner Monsieur Moraud, are likely to realize an immense fortune. We have the furnishine of the military bass and finish from fifteen hundred to two thousand a day. Owing to this blessed state of things in which we live, the municipality are much occupied, and bavo not tini p strictly to examine our accounts, so that it must be confessed we fish a little in troubled waters, the more so aft I have told gou the preparatory materials we procure by smuggling allow us to gain two hundred per cent." "Diable!" said Maurice, "that appears to me an honest living enough, and 1 can now understand your dread lest a. denunciation on my part should put an end to it; but now you know me, you fear me no longer. Is it not so?" "Now," said Dixmer, "I only require your promise." Then, placinu his hand on his ehoulder. and smiling, "As it is only between friends," said he, 'may 1 inquire what brought you here, young man ? But remember, if you wish to keep it a secret, you are at perfect l%b-» erty to do so." "I have told you, I believe," mun mured Maurice. "Yes, a woman." said the burgess: "I know there was something about a woman." v "Mbn Dieu ' excuse me. citizen, t am aware eome eort of explanation if due to you. Well, th2n. 1 eouyrht a female, who th» other evening, disguised, told me she" resided in this quarter. I neither know her name, position, nor place of abode, t only know I am madly iu lore with her, that she is short—" Genevieve was tall. "That she is fair, and of a lively temperament." Genevieve was a brunette, with large, pensive eyes. "A grisette. in short," continued Maurice; "so to please her, I assumed the popular dress." "This explains it all," said Dixmer. with an affectation of belief, which, at least, did not contradict his eullen look. Genevieve colored, and fe°ling herself blush, turned away. "Poor Citizen Lindey." said Dixmer, "what a miserable evening we have caused you to pass: and you are about the last I would wish to injure, so excellent a patriot, a brother, but. in abort, I believed eome disinfected' usurped your name." "Let us say nothing more on the subject," said Maurice, who knew it was time for him to withdraw, "put me in the road, and let us forget that this has occurred altogether," "Put you in the road !" said Dixmer, "you leave us not yet, not yeit; T igive—or rather my partner and myself give—a supper to-night to those hrav« fallows wh" wished so much to slaughter you a little while ago. T reckon upon your supping with thorn, that you may see th«»y are not such devils ar, they appear to be." "Rut." said Mauii<*p, overjoyed at the thought of beine for a few hours near Genevieve, "I do not know, really, if I ought to ajpept--" "If you ought to accept •" said Pixmer; "I know you ought: these ar a jrood staunch patriots as yourself. Besides. I shall n6*t consider that you have for given unless we break bread together.' 1 Genevieve uttered not a word. Maurice was in torment. "The fact i 6,- said Maurice, "1 fear I may be a constraint upon you, citoyenna; this dress—my ungentlemanly apgggjfgj Ipofed tinUddy toward him.

"I accept your invitation, citizen," eaill he. bowing. "1 will go an 1 eccu.e our companions." sari Dixmer; "in the meantime, worm yourself, mon cher." lie -wont out. Maurice and Genevieve remained alone. "Ah, mou?ieur." said th° young wo man, in on accent to which she in rain tried to convey a tone of reproach, "you hare failed in your word, you have been exceedingly indiscreet." "Madame," 6aid Maurice, "shall I expose yon ? Ah ! in that case, pardon me. I will retire, and never—" "Dieu J" eaid she. rising. :."you are wounded in the breast, your shirt is stained with blood." Indeed, upon the fine white shirt of Maurice—a shirt forming a strange contrast to his coarser clothes—a large red spot of blood had spread itself, ami had dried there. "Do not be under any alarm." saidUUni n young man, "one of the smugglers pricked me with his poniard." Genevieve turned pale, and. taking his ha nd : "Forgive me." said she, "the wrong that has been done you; you saved my life, and I have nearly caused yum* death." "Am I not sufficiently recompensed in finding you ? You can not for a moment imagine it was (or another that I sought." "Come with me," said Genevieve, interrupting him; "I will find you some clean linen. Our guests must not see you thus -it would be too great a reproach to them." "I am a great trouble to yon. ma* dame, 1 fear," said Maurice, sighing. "Not at all; I only do my duty; and.'* she abided, "T do it with much pleasure.'' Genevieve then conducted Maurice ton. large dressincr-room. arranged with an air of elegance he had not expected to find in the house of a. master tanner. Tt is true, this master tanner appeared to be a millionaire.. She' then opened the wardrobes. "Help yourself," said she; "you are at home." She withdrew. When Maurice came out, he found Dixmer. who had returned. "Allons, nllone!'' said he, "to table; it only waits for you."

CHAPTER IX. THE SUPPER. When Maurice entered with Dixmer and Genevieve into the salla,-a-manger. situated in the body of the basemeut, where they had first conducted him, the supper -was ready, but the room vacant. He saw all the guests enter successively. They were fix in number; meu of agreeable exterior, for tb° mast part young and fashionably dressed; two or three even wore the Momc and bonnet-rouge. Dixmer introduced Maurice, uaraiughis titles and qualifications. Th°n, turuing toward Maurice :

"lou pee," said he. "Citizen Lindey, all those who assist me in my trade. Thanks to the times in which we live, thanks to the revolutionary principles which have effaced all distinction, we all live upon the same.footing of sacred equality. Every day we assemble at the same table and I am happy you have been induced to partake of our family repast. Allons! to table, citizens-to table." "And—Monsieur Morand," said Genevieve, timidly, "do we not wait for him? M "Ah, truP," eaid Dixmer. "This citizen, of whom l l have already spoken, Citiecii Lindey, is my partner. He conducts, if I may so express myself, the mural part of the establishment. He attends to the writing, keeps the cash, superintends the factories, pays and receives money, and, in short, wnrtt harder than any of u«. The result is that he is sometime** rather late. I will go and tell him >ve are waiting." At this moment the door opened, and the Citizen Moraud entered. H« was a. short man, dark, with bushy eyebrows, anl Wore green spectacles—like a man whose eyes are fatigued from excess of work—concealing his black eyes, but not e*o effectually their scintillating gleams. At the fftst words he ottered. Maurice recoguizei] -that mild yet > omnia ndiug voice engaged in his behalf, while endeavoring to sav<> him fronj becoming the. victim to that terrible discussion. He was habited in a brown coat, with large, buttons, a white waistcoat; and his line cambric shirt-frill was often during dinner smoothed by a band which Maurice, no doubt from its being that of a trades man, admired much for its beauty aud deliency of appearand. They all took their seats, Morand was placed on Genevieve's right hand, Maujicp on her left. Dixmer sat opposite his wife. The rest of the guests seated themselves promiscuously around, an oblong table. The supper was excellent. Dixmer had a capital appetite, and did the honors nf the table with much po!iten"ss. The workmen, or those who pretended to be such, under this exam* pie, became excellent companions. The Citizen Morand spoke little, and ate still less, drank scarcely anything, and rarely smiled. Maurice, perhaps from the. reminiscences his voice awakened, felt for him immediately a lively sympathy, only he was in doubt as to hie Age, and thi« rather annoyed him, a* sometimes he imagined him to he a roan of forty or fifty years, at others quite young. Dixmer, on placing himself at table, felt obliged to offer some explanation to his guests for the admission of a stranger into their little circle. He acquitted! himself like an artless man, on* unaccustomed tn deceit, but the guests, as it seemed, were not difficult on this point; for, notwithstanding the awkwardnejw displayed by this manufacturer of hidee in the introduction of the young man, they all appeared perfectly satisfied. Maurice regarded him with astouishm n ut.

"fpon my honor." said he to himself, "I shall really soon think tha.t I mysell am deceived. Is this the same man who, with flaming eyes and furious voice, pursued me with gun in hand, and absolutely wished to kill me three quarters nf an hour since ? At this moment one mighr take him for a hero rather than an assassin. Mon Dieu ! how. the love o! hides transforms a man."

While making these observations, Mau> rice experienced a strange feeling of [by and grief, and felt unable to analyze his own t-motjgns. He at length found him* self near his beautiful unknown, whom he had eo ardently sought. As he had dreamed,, she bore a charming name; he was intoxicated with the happiness of finding himself at her side, he drank in every word, and at each eound of her voice the most secret chord of hie heart' vibrated; but he was deeply wounded by all he saw. Genevieve was exactly what he had pictured her; the dreamy of a stormy night reality had not destroyed. Here was an elegant woman, of reiuned miud and superior education, affording another instance of what had eo frequently occurred during the latter years pre* ceding the present celebrated year '93. Here was a young woman of distinction compelled, from the utter ruin into -which the nobility had fallen, to ally berseK to a. commoner and a trusty man. Dixmer appeared a brave man. He waa iuiconteetably rich, ami hie manners to Genevieve were those of a man uniting every endeavor to make a woman happy. ~ But could kindness, riches or excellent intentions compensate her for what she b-id sacrificed, "r remove the immense distance existing between husband and wife, between a poetical, distinguished, charming girl and a vulgar-looking tradesman'.' With what could Geuee vieve fill up this abys6 ? Alas! Mauric* now guessed too well. With love ! And hp, therefore, turned to his first opinion nf the young woman, influenced by aptpparajices on the. evening of their meeting that she was returning from some rendezvous d'ainour. The idea of Genevieve ioviag any one was torture to Maurice. He sighed, and deeply regretted having exposed himself to the temptation of imbibing a still larger dose of that poison termed love. At other moments, while listening to the ductile voice, so soft and harmonious, ex» amining that pure and open countenancs, evincing no f*ar that he should read every secret of her soul, he arrived atjthe %9 SB OQKTOiWB.