"If you could bring La Tournoire unarmed--"
"I will do that," I said.
De Berquin looked at me steadily for some time. At last he shook his head and said:
"It is a fair bargain, as it now stands, but I see no way of your carrying out your part without putting me in danger of your betraying me. To find La Tournoire, you would have to leave us. Once out of our sight, you would be free to ignore the contract, laugh at me for being so easily gulled, and set La Tournoire and his men on me, which would entirely spoil my plans. Every minute I see more and more the necessity of killing you."
"But I shall find La Tournoire without going out of your sight," I said.
De Berquin again became thoughtful. Then he laughed.
"You mean that you would lead us up to his very den, where we should be at the mercy of his men," he said.
"I have already said that, with one exception, none of his men shall be within a league of where you are to meet him."
"I do not see how you are going to bring him so far from his men, if you do not go for him."
"Leave that to me. I shall take you to a place where he will present himself unarmed. Excepting the man who will be with him, not one of his company shall be within a league."
"Where is the place?" asked De Berquin, still smiling ironically.
"Not far from here. It is a place where you can get also wine and food."
"And how am I to know that this place is not a trap into which you wish to lead me?"
"You shall walk behind me with drawn sword and dagger. At the slightest suspicious movement or speech that I make, you can easily kill me."
"That is true. Yet I might lose my own life the next moment. Who knows but that you are merely seeking to sell your life as dearly as possible, or but that you are aiming to gain time in the hope of some unexpected occurrence?"
"Monsieur," said I, "we both know that men cannot read the heart. You cannot be sure whether or not I am lying. You indeed take the risk that I wish to lead you where you will have to pay for my life with your own, and that I am trying to gain time; but, at the same time, there is the chance that I intend to keep my word, that I intend to present the Sieur de la Tournoire unarmed, and a league away from all his men but one. Is not that chance worth the risk? Have you not gambled, monsieur?"
From the shrug of De Berquin"s shoulders, I knew that he had gambled, and also that my argument had moved him. But another doubt darkened his face.
"And if you do bring an unarmed person before me, how shall I know that it is La Tournoire?" said he.
"He shall tell you so himself."
"Excellent proof!"
"What man but La Tournoire would risk his life by declaring himself to be that proscribed gentleman?"
"One of his followers might do so, if he thought that he might so throw an enemy off La Tournoire"s track."
"Then the possibility of my deceiving you on that point is but an additional risk you run, in return for the chance of your bagging the real game. Besides, I give you my word of honor that I will truly perform all that I promise."
"The word of a lackey!" said De Berquin, derisively.
"Have you not yourself described me as an exceptional lackey?"
"Well, I love to take chances. And as you have given me your word, the word of an exceptional lackey, I give you my word, the word of a gentleman, that if you set La Tournoire unarmed before me, with but one of his men at hand, I will give you your life and freedom. But stay! At what time am I to have the pleasure of meeting him?"
"When we hear the stroke of eight from the tower of the church in Clochonne. The wind this evening is from that direction. It is agreed, then?"
"Agreed!" said De Berquin. "Jacques, give me your dagger. Now, Master Lackey, lead the way. Follow, you rascals, and be ready to knock down any person to whom I shall direct your attention."
And I turned and led the way to the road, followed closely by De Berquin, who held his sword in one hand and the dagger in the other. I heard the others fall in line, and tramp their way through the brush behind him.
Barbemouche must have been exceedingly surprised at his leader"s proceedings, for the conversation between De Berquin and myself had been conducted in a tone too low for their ears.
When we reached the road, De Berquin ordered a halt. He then commanded Barbemouche to walk at my left side, and Francois to walk at my right, De Berquin retained his place behind me, and the other two rascals followed him. In this order we proceeded towards the inn.
My object in leading my enemies to the inn was to set them drinking. As long as the possibility of taking La Tournoire was before De Berquin, there was little likelihood that he would seek to molest Mlle. de Varion.
In the first place, he could not take her from the vicinity while he himself remained there awaiting the coming of La Tournoire. Secondly, he would not court any violence during the time of waiting, lest he might thereby risk his chance of taking La Tournoire. But it was necessary that I should prevent his encountering Blaise or Hugo, for either one, on seeing me conducted by him as I was, might make some demonstration that would cause De Berquin to kill me immediately. I must contrive to keep my enemies from entering the inn, and yet to have them plied with drink.
Therefore, I said, as we marched:
"Monsieur, we are approaching a kind of inn where there are to be obtained the food and drink that I promised. But in the house are some who are devoted to the Sieur de la Tournoire. They are not any of his soldiers, nor such as are to be feared in a fight. But if they saw you and your men, with me as a prisoner, they would certainly convey word to La Tournoire or his band, and so it would be impossible for me to fulfil my agreement. It is true that you would then kill me, but you would lose La Tournoire, and have his followers soon on your heels. So it is best that we stop at some distance from the inn. You and I can steal up to a spot where I can quietly summon the hostess. She will do anything I ask.
She will, at my order, secretly bring food and wine to the place of waiting, and will not betray our presence to those in the inn."
"It seems a good idea," said De Berquin; "but if you attempt to make a fool of me--"
"You will, of course, instantly make a corpse of me, for you will be at my side, and will hear every word that I speak to the hostess."
"Very well," he replied.
Having at last reached a little clearing by the roadside quite near the inn, but hidden from it by trees, I gave the word to stop. De Berquin ordered his men to remain here, sheathed his sword, clutched me by the arm, and walked forward with me, his dagger held ready to be plunged into my heart at the slightest cause.
I led him to the back of the inn, and we stood near the door of the kitchen, listening.
The gypsy was still playing, and every now and then there came an exclamation of approval from Biaise. I peered through a corner of the window. The clutch of De Berquin on my arm tightened as I did so. I saw the gypsy man playing, Biaise and Hugo sitting with wine mugs before them, aid G.o.deau by the fire asleep, the gypsy girl with her head on the table, she also asleep, and Marianne removing platters from the table.
Jeannotte had doubtless gone up the ladder to her mistress.
Presently Marianne came out with some bones of a fowl, to throw them away.
"Marianne," I called, softly. "Not a word! Come here and listen."
With some astonishment she obeyed. De Berquin now held his drawn dagger under his cloak, and his clutch on my arm, though tight, might yet appear to her that of a friend.
"Marianne," said I, "it is very important that no one within--no one, remember--shall know that this gentleman is with me. I have a serious matter to talk over with him at the clearing yonder, where four of his people now wait. No one is to know of their presence any more than of his. Bring plenty of wine to us there with what food you can get without exciting the curiosity of those inside. Do you understand? But not a word, even to me now."
She nodded her head, and went back into the kitchen. I knew that I could rely on her. "Come, monsieur," I whispered to De Berquin, and we went silently back to the clearing.
The four rascals were seated on the ground, conversing in low tones. De Berquin and I sat down in the midst of the group. The fellows went on talking, regardless of the presence of their leader, who gave no heed to their babble, except occasionally by a gesture to caution Barbemouche to lessen his volume of voice.
"I never knew an enterprise to run smoothly which had anything to do with women," Barbemouche was saying. "Where men only are concerned, one knows exactly what to do, and makes no mistakes."
"You have a prejudice against the s.e.x," put in the foppish fellow.
"_Par dieu_! I ought not to have!" answered Barbemouche. "I owe them too much for the many favors I"ve had from them. But they are mystifying creatures. To mistake a maid for her mistress is nothing remarkable. For that matter, I"ve known women of the lower orders who had more airs than great ladies. I remember once, after having just made an easy conquest of a countess, and become ennuied with her, I turned my attention to the daughter of a pastry-cook in Paris. She dug deep holes in my face for merely trying to kiss her. She had velvet lips, that girl, but what claws!"
The gaunt rascal, whom they called Francois, heaved a pensive sigh, as if this reminiscence awakened touching memories in him.