"And not you, surely. I would stake my life on your loyalty to a friend."
"Of course," she said simply.
"I knew it," he e.j.a.c.u.l.a.t.ed triumphantly, as if this discovery had indeed caused him joyful surprise. "Every fibre in my soul told me that I would not appeal to you in vain. You are clever, Lydie, you are rich, you are powerful. I feel as if I could turn to you as to a man.
Prince Charles Edward Stuart honoured me with his friendship: I am not presumptuous when I say that I stood in his heart second only to Lord Eglinton. . . . But because I hold a secondary place I dared not thrust my advice, my prayers, my help forward, whilst I firmly believed that his greater friend was at work on his behalf. But now I can bear the suspense no longer. The crisis has become over-acute. The Stuart prince is in deadly danger, not only from supineness but from treachery."
Clever Gaston! how subtle and how shrewd! she would never have to come to meet him on this ground, but he called to her. He came to fetch her, as it were, and led her along the road. He did not offer to guide her faltering footsteps, he simulated lameness, and asked for a.s.sistance instead of offering it.
So clever was this move that Lydie was thrown off her guard. At the word "treachery" she looked eagerly into his eyes.
"What makes you think . . . ?" she asked.
"Oh! I have scented it in the air for some days. The King himself wears an air of shamefacedness when the Stuart prince is mentioned.
Madame de Pompadour lately hath talked freely of the completion of her chateau in the Parc aux Cerfs, as if money were forthcoming from some unexpected source; then a letter came from England, which His Majesty keeps hidden in his pocket, whilst whispered conversations are carried on between the King and Madame, which cease abruptly if any one comes within earshot. Then to-day . . ."
"Yes? . . . to-day?" she asked eagerly.
"I hardly dare speak of it."
"Why?"
"I fear it might give you pain."
"I am used to pain," she said simply, "and I would wish to know."
"I was in the antechamber when His Majesty arrived for _le pet.i.t lever_ of M. le Controleur. I had had vague hopes of seeing you this morning, and lingered about the reception rooms somewhat listlessly, my thoughts dwelling on all the sad news which has lately come from Scotland. In the antechamber His Majesty was met by M. le Duc d"Aumont, your father."
He paused again as if loth to speak, but she said quite calmly:
"And you overheard something which the Duke, my father, said to the King, and which confirmed your suspicions. What was it?"
"It was His Majesty who spoke, obviously not aware that I was within earshot. He said quite airily: "Oh! if we cannot persuade milor we must act independently of him. The Stuart will be tired by now of living in crags and will not be so chary of entrusting his valuable person to a comfortable French ship." Then M. le Duc placed a hand on His Majesty"s arm warning him of my presence and nothing more was said."
"Then you think that the King of France is about to deliver Prince Charles Edward Stuart to his enemies?" she asked calmly.
"I am sure of it: and the thought is more than I can bear. And I am not alone in this, Lydie. The whole of France will cry out in shame at such perfidy. Heaven knows what will come of it ultimately, but surely, surely we cannot allow that unfortunate young prince whom we all loved and _feted_ to be thus handed over to the English authorities! That is why I have dared intrude on you to-day. Lydie,"
he added now in a pa.s.sionate appeal; "for the sake of that n.o.ble if misguided young prince, will you try and forget the terrible wrong which I in my madness and blindness once did you? Do not allow my sin to be expiated by him! . . . I crave your help for him on my knees.
. . . Hate me an you will! despise me and punish me, but do not deny me your help for him!"
His voice, though sunk now almost to a whisper, was vibrating with pa.s.sion. He half dropped on his knees, took the edge of her skirt between his fingers and raised it to his lips.
Clever, clever Gaston! he had indeed moved her. Her serenity had gone, and her cold impa.s.siveness. She sat up, erect, palpitating with excitement, her eyes glowing, her lips parted, all her senses awake and thrilling with this unexpected hope.
"In what manner do you wish for my help, Gaston?"
"I think the King and M. le Duc will do nothing for a day or two at any rate. I hoped I could forestall them, with your help, Lydie, if you will give it. I am not rich, but I have realized some of my fortune: my intention was to charter a seaworthy boat, equip her as well as my means allowed and start for Scotland immediately, and then if possible to induce the prince to cross over with me to Ireland, or, with great good luck I might even bring him back as far as Brittany.
But you see how helpless I was, for I dared not approach you, and I do not know where I can find the prince."
"And if I do not give you that help which you need?" she asked.
"I would still charter the vessel and start for Scotland," he replied quietly. "I cannot stay here, in inactivity whilst I feel that infamous treachery is being planned against a man with whom I have often broken bread. If you will not tell me where I can find Charles Edward Stuart, I will still equip a vessel and try and find him somehow. If I fail, I will not return, but at any rate I shall then not be a party or a witness to the everlasting shame of France!"
"Your expedition would require great pluck and endurance."
"I have both, and boundless enthusiasm to boot. Two or three friends will accompany me, and my intention was to start for Brest or Le Havre to-night. But if you will consent to help me, Lydie . . ."
"Nay!" she interrupted eagerly. "I"ll not help you. "Tis you who shall help me!"
"Lydie!"
"The plan which you have formed I too had thought on it: the treachery of the King of France, my G.o.d! I knew it too. But my plans are more mature than yours, less n.o.ble and self-sacrificing, for, as you say, I have power and influence; yet with all that power I could not serve Prince Charles Edward as I would wish to do, because though I have pluck and endurance I am not a man."
"And you want me to help you? Thank G.o.d! thank G.o.d for that! Tell me what to do."
"To start for Le Havre--not Brest."
"Yes!"
"This afternoon . . . reaching Le Havre before dawn."
"Yes."
"There to seek out _Le Monarque_. She lies in the harbour, and her commander is Captain Barre."
"Yes! yes!"
"You will hand him over a packet, which I will give you anon, and then return here as swiftly as you went."
"Is that all?" he asked in obvious disappointment, "and I who had hoped that you would ask me to give my life for you!"
"The faithful and speedy performance of this errand, Gaston, is worth the most sublime self-sacrifice, if this be purposeless. The packet will contain full instructions for Captain Barre how and where to find Prince Charles Edward. _Le Monarque_ is ready equipped for the expedition, but . . ." she paused a moment as if half ashamed of the admission, "I had no one whom I could entrust with the message."
Gaston de Stainville was too keen a diplomatist to venture on this delicate ground. He had never once mentioned her husband"s name, fearing to scare her, or to sting her pride. He knew her to be far too loyal to allow condemnation of her lord by the lips of another man; all he said now was a conventional:
"I am ready!"
Then she rose and held out her hand to him. He bowed with great deference, and kissed the tips of her fingers. His face expressed nothing but the respectful desire to be of service, and not one thought of treachery disturbed Lydie"s serenity. Historians have, we know, blamed her very severely for this unconditional yielding of another"s secret into the keeping of a man who had already deceived her once; but it was the combination of circ.u.mstances which caused her to act thus, and Gaston"s masterly move in asking for her help had completely subjugated her. She would have yielded to no other emotion, but that of compa.s.sion for him, and the desire to render him a.s.sistance in a cause which she herself had so deeply at heart. She had no love for Gaston and no amount of the usual protestations would have wrung a confidence from her. But he had so turned the tables that it appeared that he was confiding in her; and her pride, which had been so deeply humiliated that self-same morning, responded to his appeal. If she had had the least doubt or fear in her mind, she would not have given up her secret, but as he stood so coldly and impa.s.sively before her, without a trace of pa.s.sion in his voice or look, she had absolutely no misgivings.
"I can be in the saddle at four o"clock," he said in the same unemotional tones, "when and how can I receive the packet from you?"
"Will you wait for me here?" she replied. "The packet is quite ready, and the walls of the palace have eyes and ears."
Thus they parted. She full of confidence and hope, not in any way attempting to disguise before him the joy and grat.i.tude which she felt, he the more calm of the two, fearing to betray his sense of triumph, still trembling lest her present mood should change.
Her graceful figure quickly disappeared among the trees. He gave a sigh of intense satisfaction. His Majesty would be pleased, and Madame de Pompadour would be more than kind. Never for a moment did the least feeling of remorse trouble his complacent mind; the dominant thought in him was one of absolute triumph and pride at having succeeded in hoodwinking the keenest statesman in France. He sat down on the garden seat whereon had been fought that close duel between himself and the woman whom he had once already so heartlessly betrayed. He thought over every stage of the past scene and smiled somewhat grimly. He felt quite sure that he individually would never have trusted for the second time a woman who had once deceived him. But Lydie had no such misgivings; as she now sped through the park, she no longer saw its artificiality, its stunted rose trees and the stultified plantations.
The air was invigorating to breathe, the fragrance of the flowers was sweet, the birds" twitter was delicious to the ear. There were good and beautiful things in this world, but the best of all was the loyalty of a friend.