"A singular occurrence which I witnessed this morning," responded the young artisan, "strikingly reinforces your argument. One of my friends, a journeyman carpenter, and several others of our comrades, were gathered at break of day in the neighborhood of the Bastille, awaiting the signal for the attack. A man simply clad, and with an open countenance, accosted them: "Brothers," said he, "you go to-day to fight for your liberty. It is your duty. But to-day you will not go to your shops, and will earn nothing. If you have families, how will they live to-morrow? If you are bachelors, what will you live on yourselves? Allow then, one of your unknown friends to come to your aid as a brother. It is not an alms that I offer; I only a.s.sure you your leisure for this great day, by delivering you from your cares for the morrow.""
"That "unknown friend" was the banker Anacharsis Clootz, the treasurer of the Voyants, and rich enough in his own name to aid our brothers for a long time to come," explained Franz in an undertone to Victoria, without interrupting John, who continued:
"My comrades accepted the offer so delicately made, without much hesitation."
"Now, Monsieur Lebrenn, can you still shrink from accepting, as John does, my tenders of service?"
"No, Monsieur Gerolstein, neither I nor my son will hesitate any further in accepting your generous offer, should there arise any necessity of falling back upon it," replied the father of the house.
"John," said Victoria, suddenly, "it is growing late. Go at once to Monsieur Desmarais, who is liable at any moment to leave for Versailles.
Your plan must not be altered."
"True," answered the young man with a shudder. "The project is now doubly important. I must to it without delay."
"My friends, you know advocate Desmarais, deputy of the Third Estate in the States General?" asked Franz of Gerolstein. "He is reputed a good citizen and a friend of the revolution."
"We all believe that Monsieur Desmarais is not one of those suspicious and craven bourgeois who tremble at the revolution," John answered, as he made toward the door. Then he returned--"Till we meet again, Franz, I hope; meseems we are already old friends."
"Franz will await here the result of your visit, brother," said Victoria.
CHAPTER XIV.
THE BOURGEOIS UNMASKED.
Monsieur Desmarais, still affected by the cries uttered by Lehiron"s mob and unable to account for the apparently sudden revulsion of the sentiments entertained for him by the people, was earnestly conversing with his wife and her brother, Monsieur Hubert. The latter he had summoned to his side to consult on the weighty resolves he felt forced to take, both on the score of his daughter, and on the line of policy which he should adopt to ride the gathering political storm.
Monsieur Hubert, Desmarais"s brother-in-law and a rich banker of Paris, was a very honest man, in the accepted sense of honesty in the commercial jargon; that is to say, he scrupulously fulfilled his engagements, and never loaned his money at higher rates than the law allowed. At heart he was dry; his spirit was jealous and sinister. A man of inflexible opinions, he nursed an equal aversion for the clergy, the n.o.bility, and the proletariat. He regarded the Third Estate as called to reign under the nominal authority of a const.i.tutional head, an emperor or king, whom he called a "pig in clover," in imitation of the English; the intervention of the people in public affairs he considered the height of absurdity. Monsieur Hubert lived in the St. Thomas of the Louvre quarter, a quarter hostile to the revolution, where he had recently been promoted to the grade of commander of the battalion. This battalion, called the "Daughters of St. Thomas of the Louvre," was almost entirely composed of royalists. The banker was about fifty years of age; of slight build, one could see in his physiognomy, in his glance, that in him nervous force supplied the place of physical energy.
At this moment he was plunged in a deep silence. His sister and Monsieur Desmarais seemed to hang with an uneasy curiosity on the result of the financier"s reflections. The latter at length seemed to have reached the end of his cogitation, for he raised his head and said sardonically:
"In the light of your confidences, dear brother-in-law, I can only remind you that four months ago I told you you were wrong to let yourself be dragged into what you called the "cause of the people." My sincerity caused a sort of break between us, but at your first call, you see me back again. My previsions have been fulfilled. To-day the populace has been unchained, and I see you all struck with fright at the cries of death that have rung in your ears."
"My dear Hubert," replied Desmarais, restraining his impatience, but interrupting the financier, "please, do not let us concern ourselves with politics now. We begged you to come to our aid with your advice; you put to one side our disagreement; we thank you. So please you then, help us to recall to her senses our unworthy daughter, who is madly smitten with an ironsmith"s apprentice, our neighbor, whom you have several times met in our house."
"Very well then, my dear Desmarais; let us put aside politics for the moment. Nevertheless, since we are concerned with the unworthy love of my niece for that artisan, I must, indeed, recall to your mind that I have often reproached you for your intimacy with the young fellow.
To-day, a grave peril menaces you. Your regrets are tardy."
"My dear Hubert, we waste precious time in vain recriminations of the past. Unfortunately, what is done, is done. Let us speak, I pray you, of the present. My wife and I, in order to cut short this attachment of Charlotte for John Lebrenn, have decided to take our daughter with us to Versailles. What do you think of that resolution?"
"That it will not accomplish the object you seek. Versailles is too near to Paris. If your man is as persevering as enamored--not of Charlotte, but of her fortune, for, do not mistake, the fellow is after nothing but her dower--he will find a way to meet her. My advice would be to send Mademoiselle Charlotte, instantly, a hundred leagues from Paris, to throw this lover off the track. Send her, say, to Lyons, to our cousin Dusommier; my sister will accompany her and remain beside her until this puppy-love is forgotten. A month or two will do for that."
"Your advice, brother, seems wise. But I fear that Charlotte will not consent to the trip."
"Heavens, sister! Is paternal authority an empty word! A flightabout of seventeen years to dare disobey the orders of her parents? That is not probable, surely. Have some strength."
"But it is well to be prepared for everything. Let us suppose this case--she refuses to obey--"
"In that case, brother-in-law, w.i.l.l.y-nilly, bundle Mademoiselle Charlotte into the stage for Lyons--then, whip up, coachman!"
Just then Gertrude the servant entered and said: "Monsieur John Lebrenn desires to speak with monsieur on a very pressing matter. He is in the vestibule."
"What! The wretch still has the audacity to present himself here!" cried Hubert, purple with rage.
"He does not know that my daughter has revealed their engagement; and besides--a while ago--" stammered Desmarais, turning red with confusion, "I had to give him a cordial greeting."
"Yes, brother," said Madam Desmarais, coming to the aid of her husband, "a while ago, a column returning from the Bastille, commanded by John Lebrenn, halted before our house, shouting "Long live Citizen Desmarais!
Long live the friend of the people!""
"And so, I had to bow to necessity," acknowledged the lawyer. "I was forced to harangue the insurgents."
"Wonderful, brother-in-law, wonderful!" retorted Hubert, with a burst of cutting laughter. "The lesson and the punishment are complete!"
"My friend--if you receive this young man, be calm, I conjure you," said Madam Desmarais uneasily to the lawyer. "Refuse him politely."
"Death of my life! my poor sister, have you not a drop of blood in your veins?"
"Brother, I beg of you, do not speak so loud. John Lebrenn is even now, perhaps, in the dining room."
"Ah, heaven, if he is there--so much the better! And since no one here dares speak outright to one of the famous conquerors of the Bastille, I take it upon myself," cried Hubert still louder, his eyes glaring with anger, and starting for the door of the room.
But Madam Desmarais, alarmed and suppliant, seized the financier by the arm, exclaiming in a trembling voice, "Brother, I beg you! Oh, G.o.d, have pity on us!"
Hubert yielded to the prayers of his sister and stopped just as Desmarais, emerging from his revery, said to his wife with a sigh of relief, "Dear friend, I have hit upon quite a plausible way, in case Monsieur Lebrenn has the impudence to ask for our daughter"s hand, to reject his demand without giving him anything to be offended at. I shall refuse him without irritating him."
"Another cowardice that you are meditating," cried Hubert, exasperated.
"Let me receive your workingman!"
"I thank you, brother-in-law, for your offer. Please leave me alone. I shall know how to guard my dignity." Then, addressing Gertrude.
"Show Monsieur Lebrenn in."
"We shall leave you, my friend," said Madam Lebrenn to her husband.
"Come, brother, let us find Charlotte. I count on your influence to dissuade her from this match, and to bring her back to herself."
Hubert took the arm of his sister, and left the room; but not without saying to himself as he did so, "By heaven, I shall not lose the opportunity of speaking my mind to that workingman, if only for the honor of the family. I shall have my chance to talk."
As the wife and brother-in-law of lawyer Desmarais disappeared through one of the side-doors of the room, John Lebrenn was shown in by Gertrude through the princ.i.p.al entrance. Desmarais, at the sight of John, controlled and hid his anger under a mask of cordial hospitality. He took two steps to meet the young man, and clasped him affectionately by the hand:
"With what pleasure do I see you again, my dear friend! Your hurt, I hope, is not serious? We were quite alarmed about you."
"Thanks to G.o.d, my wound is slight; and I am truly touched by the interest you show in me."
"Nothing surprising, my dear John. Do you not know that I am your friend?"
"It is just to throw myself upon your friendship that I have come to see you."