I did so, and in a minute or so Vallon appeared, wiping his mouth suspiciously with the back of his hand.
"Vallon," said de Belin, "does Ravaillac continue to work satisfactorily?"
"As ever, monsieur le compte."
"Well, I am going to lend him to the Chevalier, who has need of his services."
"Monsieur."
"Send him up here, and Bisson, too."
Vallon bowed and vanished, as I said,
"I do not know how to thank you, Belin."
"_Pouf!_ A mere bagatelle. I thought we were going to have a little amus.e.m.e.nt in the gardens of the Tuileries. I know of a perfect spot for a meeting--_ca_! _ca!_" and he lunged twice in quarte at an imaginary adversary. As he came back from the second thrust, he said, "By the way, I must tell you--but here they are," and Ravaillac came in, followed by Jacques, Vallon bringing up the rear.
As they entered I recognised in Ravaillac the man who was with Jacques and Vallon on the Malaquais, and Belin, turning to Jacques, said quietly: "Bisson, I am going to lend Ravaillac here to your master, to take your place whilst you go away to Ezy. I pledge you my word that he is a good sword."
"True enough, monsieur le compte; we were amusing ourselves with a pa.s.s or two below, and he touched me twice to my once, and, as your lordship answers for him, I am content."
"That is well, most excellent Bisson! Ravaillac, you understand? Here is the Chevalier d"Auriac, your new master, who will remain such until he sends you back to me."
Ravaillac bowed without reply. He was quite young, barely twenty, and very tall and thin; yet there was great breadth of shoulder, and I noticed that he had the framework of a powerful man: his appearance was much beyond that of his cla.s.s, but there was a sullen ferocity in his pale face--the eyes were set too close together, and the mouth too large and straightly cut to please me. Nevertheless, I was practically bound to accept Belin"s recommendation, and after a few orders were given, the men were dismissed.
"What was I about to say before these men came in?" asked Belin.
"I"m afraid I cannot help."
"Of course not--oh, yes! I recollect. I was about to tell you how I got Ravaillac"s service. I lay you five crowns to a tester you would never guess."
"You have already told me with your wager. You must have won him."
"Exactly. You"ve hit it, and it was in this way. About three months ago I was returning to Paris attended but by Vallon, and with only a small sum with me. At an inn at Neuilly I met an acquaintance, a Baron d"Ayen, one of the last of the _mignons_, and a confirmed gambler."
"I know him," I said, my heart beginning to beat faster at the very thought of d"Ayen.
"Then it makes the story more interesting. We dined together, and then had a turn at the dice, with the result that d"Ayen won every ecu that I had.
""It would be a pity to stop now," he said, as I rose, declaring myself broken. "Suppose we play for your horse, compte?""
""No, thanks," I replied; "luck is against me, and I have no mind to foot it to my hotel. But I"ll tell you what, I have rather taken a fancy to your man, since I once saw him handle a rapier. I"ll lay Vallon against him; what do you call him?"
""Ravaillac. He is of Anjouleme, and has been a Flagellant. Will he suit you?"
""I shall have to find that out. Do you accept the stakes?"
""_Mon ami_, I would play for my soul in this cursed inn."
""Very well, then--throw."
"The upshot of it was that I won, and from that moment the blind G.o.ddess smiled on me, and after another hour"s play I left d"Ayen with nothing but the clothes he stood in. What he regretted most was the loss of his valise, in which lay some cosmetiques he valued beyond price: he got them from Coiffier. I earned his undying friendship by giving him back his valise, lent him his horse, which I had won, and came off with fifty pistoles and a new man. Of course, you know that d"Ayen has fallen on his feet?"
"I do not."
"I"ll tell you. Where the devil have you been burying yourself all these months? You must know that the King is looking forward for another Liancourt for a lady whom he destines for a very high place, and d"Ayen is to be the happy man. It is an honour he fully appreciates, and he has been kind enough to ask me to stand as one of his sponsors at the wedding, which by the King"s orders comes off in a fortnight."
"And you have promised?"
"Yes, it was a little amus.e.m.e.nt. They say, however, that Madame is furious, and that her temper is worse than that of Mademoiselle d"Entragues--who, by the way, literally flung herself at the King, without avail. Her time will come soon enough, no doubt--but, good gracious, man! what is the matter? You are white as a sheet."
"It is nothing, Belin--yes, it is more than I can bear. Belin, old friend, is there nothing that can save this lady?"
He looked at me and whistled low to himself. "Sets the wind that way?
I did not know you had even heard of the lily of Bidache. Are you hard hit, d"Auriac?" And he rose from his seat and put a kind hand on my shoulder.
I jumped up furiously. "Belin, I tell you I will stop this infamy if I die for it! I swear before G.o.d that I will kill that man, king though he be, like a mad dog----"
"Be still," he said. "What bee has stung you? You and I, d"Auriac, come of houses too old to play the a.s.sa.s.sin. _Croix Dieu_, man! Will you sully your shield with murder? There, drink that wine and sit down again. That"s right. You do not know what you say. I have fought against the King, and I serve him now, and I tell you, d"Auriac, he is the greatest of Frenchmen. And there is yet hope. Remember, a fortnight is a fortnight."
I ground my teeth in silent agony.
"Wait a moment," he continued; "a chamberlain of the court knows most of its secrets, and I can tell you that it is not such plain sailing as you think for d"Ayen. The death of that unhappy Gabrielle has affected the King much. He is but now beginning to recover, and Biron, who was hurrying to his government of Burgundy, has been ordered to remain in close attendance on the King. Whether Biron knew of the King"s intentions or not, I do not know; but he has strongly urged the suit of one of his gentlemen for the hand of Madame--it is that _croquemort_ de Gomeron, with all his faults a stout soldier. It is said that the Marshal has even pressed de Gomeron"s suit with Madame, and that rather than marry d"Ayen, and clinging to any chance for escape, she has agreed to fall in with his views. This I heard from the Vidame and the Chevalier de Lafin--good enough authority."
"One alternative is as bad as the other."
"There is no satisfying some people. Why, man! don"t you see it would be the best thing in the world for you if it was settled in favour of our friend from the Camargue."
"That low-born scoundrel?"
"_Mon ami_, we don"t know anything about that. Give the devil his due; he is a better man than d"Ayen. I know there is ill blood between you, and wonder that some has not been spilt before now."
"There will be, by G.o.d! before this is ended!"
"_Tenez!_ Let but the King agree to de Gomeron"s suit--and he is hard pressed, I tell you, for Sully even is on Biron"s side in this matter, and after that----"
"What?"
"Henry"s mind will have turned another way. There are many who would like to play queen, and few like Mesdames de Guercheville and Bidache."
"But in any case, Belin, I lose the game."
"You have become very clever in your retreat, my friend. You win your game if de Gomeron is accepted; and then----"
"And then, my wise adviser?"
"She need not marry the Camarguer. You can run him through under the limes in the Tuileries, wed Madame, and grow cabbages at Auriac ever after. _Pouf!_ The matter is simple!"
Miserable as I was, I fairly laughed out at Belin"s plot.