"What?"
"Why, that you ought, at least, to have brought him a pack of cards to pa.s.s away his time," replied Tortillard, with a cunning look; "that would divert him a little; now he has nothing to play at but not to be bitten by the rats; and he always wins at that game, and after awhile it becomes tiresome."
The Chouette laughed heartily at Tortillard"s wit, and said to the cripple:
"Love of a baby boy to his mammy! I do not know any chap who has more vice than this scamp. Go and get me a candle, that you may light me down to see _fourline_, and you can help me to open his door. You know that I can hardly push it by myself."
"Well, no, it is so very dark in the cellar," said Tortillard, shaking his head.
"What! What! You who are as wicked as devil to be a coward? I like to see that, indeed! Go directly, and tell your father that I shall be with him almost immediately; that I am with _fourline_; and that we are talking of putting up the banns for our marriage. He, he, he!" added the disgusting wretch, grinning. "So make haste, and you shall be bridesman, and, if you are a good boy, you shall have my garter."
Tortillard went, with a sulky air, to fetch a light. Whilst she was waiting for him, the Chouette, perfectly intoxicated with the success of her robbery, put her hand into her basket to feel the precious jewels it enclosed. It was for the purpose of temporarily concealing this treasure that she desired to descend into the Schoolmaster"s cellar, and not, according to her habit, to enjoy the torments of her new victim.
We will presently explain why, with Bras-Rouge"s connivance, the Chouette had immured the Schoolmaster in the very subterranean cave into which this miscreant had formerly precipitated Rodolph.
Tortillard, holding a light, now appeared at the door of the cabaret.
The Chouette followed him into the lower room, in which opened the trap with the folding-doors, with which we are already acquainted.
Bras-Rouge"s son, sheltering the light in the hollow of his hand, and preceding the old woman, slowly descended a stone staircase, which led to a sharp declivity, at the end of which was the thick door of the cellar which had so nearly proved Rodolph"s grave. When he reached the bottom of the staircase, Tortillard pretended to hesitate in following the Chouette.
"Well, now, you little vagabond, go on!" she said.
"Why, it is so dark; and you go so fast, Chouette! And, indeed, I"d rather go back again, and leave you the light."
"And then, foolish imp, how am I to open the cellar door by myself? Will you come on?"
"No, I am so frightened!"
"If I begin with you! Mind--"
"If you threaten me, I"ll go back again!" and Tortillard retreated several paces.
"Well, listen to me, now,--be a good boy," said the Chouette, repressing her anger, "and I"ll give you something."
"Well, what?" said Tortillard, coming up to her. "Speak to me so always, and I"ll do anything you wish me, Mother Chouette."
"Come, come, I"m in a hurry!"
"Yes; but promise me that I may have some fun with the Schoolmaster."
"Another time; I haven"t time to-day."
"Only a little bit,--just let me tease him for five minutes?"
"Another time; I tell you that I want to return up-stairs as quickly as possible."
"Why, then, do you want to open the door of his apartment?"
"That"s no affair of yours. Come, now, have done with this. Perhaps the Martials are come by this time, and I must have some talk with them. So be a good boy, and you sha"n"t be sorry for it. Come along."
"I must love you very much, Chouette, for you make me do just what you like," said Tortillard, slowly advancing.
The dim, wavering light of the candle, which but imperfectly lighted this gloomy way, reflected the black profile of this hideous brat on the slimy walls, which were full of crevices and reeking with damp. At the end of this pa.s.sage, through the half obscurity, might be seen the low and crumbling arch of the entrance to the cellar, the thick door strengthened with iron bars, and, standing out in the shade, the red shawl and white cap of the Chouette.
By the united exertions of the two, the door opened harshly on its rusty hinges; a puff of humid vapour escaped from this den, as dark as midnight. The light, placed on the ground, threw its faint beams on the first steps of the stone staircase, the bottom of which was completely lost in the darkness. A cry, or, rather, a savage roar, came from the depths of the cave.
"Ah, there"s _fourline_ wishing his mamma good-morning!" said the Chouette, with a sneer.
And she descended several steps, in order to conceal her basket in some hole.
"I"m hungry!" exclaimed the Schoolmaster, in a voice that shook with rage; "do you wish to kill me like a mad dog?"
"What"s the deary lovey hungry?" said the Chouette, with a laugh of mockery; "then smell its thumb."
There was a sound like that of a chain twisted violently; then a groan of mute, repressed pa.s.sion.
"Take care! Take care, or you"ll have a b.u.mp in your leg, as you had at Bouqueval farm, poor dear pa!" said Tortillard.
"He"s right, the boy is,--keep yourself quiet, _fourline_," continued the hag; "the ring and chain are solid, old No-Eyes, for they came from Father Micou"s, and he sells nothing but the best goods. It is your fault, too; why did you allow yourself to be bound whilst you were asleep? We only had then to put the ring and chain in this place, and bring you down here in the cool to preserve you, old darling."
"That"s a pity! He"ll grow mouldy," said Tortillard.
Again the clank of the chain was heard.
"He, he, _fourline_! Why, he"s dancing like a c.o.c.kchafer tied by the claw," said the beldame, "I think I see him!"
"c.o.c.kchafer, c.o.c.kchafer, fly away home! Fly, fly, fly! Your husband is the Schoolmaster!" sung Tortillard.
This increased the Chouette"s hilarity. Having deposited her basket in a hole formed by the lowering of the wall of the staircase, she stood erect, and said:
"You see, _fourline_--"
"He don"t see," said Tortillard.
"The brat"s right. Will you hear, _fourline_? There was no occasion, when we came away from the farm, to be such a b.o.o.by as to turn compa.s.sionate, and prevent me from marking Pegriotte"s face with my vitriol; and then, too, you talked of your conscience, which was getting troubled. I saw you were growing lily-livered, and meant to come the "honest dodge;" and so, some of these odd-come-shortlies, you would have turned "nose" (informer), and have "made a meal" of us, old No-Eyes; and then--"
"Then old No-Eyes will make a meal of you, for he is hungry, Chouette,"
said Tortillard, suddenly, and with all his strength pushing the old woman by her back.
The Chouette fell forward with a horrible imprecation. She might have been distinctly heard as she rolled from the top to the bottom of the staircase.
"b.u.mp, b.u.mp, b.u.mp, b.u.mp! There"s the Chouette for you--there she is! Why don"t you jump upon her, old buffer?" added Tortillard.
Then, seizing the basket from under the stone where he had seen the old woman place it, he scampered up the stairs, exclaiming, with a shout of savage joy:
"Here"s a pull worth more than that you had before,--eh, Chouette? This time you won"t bite me till the blood comes,--eh? Ah, you thought I bore no spite--much obliged--my cheek bleeds still!"
"Oh, I have her! I have her!" cried the Schoolmaster, from the depth of the cave.