The Regent's Daughter. Dumas Alexandre
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Название: The Regent's Daughter

Автор: Dumas Alexandre

Издательство: Public Domain

Жанр: Зарубежная классика

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СКАЧАТЬ "if it be L'Eveille, there is no doubt."

      "The poor fellow has lamed his horse, which fell near Rambouillet."

      "Thirty louis for the horse; he may gain what he can of it."

      Tapin took the thirty louis.

      "You know the situation of the pavilion, do you not?"

      "Perfectly."

      "Where is it?"

      "One side looks on the second courtyard; the other on a deserted lane."

      "Place men in the courtyard and in the lane, disguised as stablemen, or how you please; let no one enter the pavilion but monseigneur and myself; the life of his royal highness is at stake."

      "Rest easy, monseigneur."

      "Do you know our Breton?"

      "I saw him dismount."

      "Do your men know him?"

      "They all saw him on the road."

      "Well, I recommend him to you."

      "Shall we arrest him?"

      "Certainly not; he must be allowed to go where he pleases, and act as he pleases, and he must have every opportunity to do so. If he were arrested now, he would tell nothing, and our plans would be disconcerted; no, no, these plans must hatch."

      "Hatch what, monseigneur?" said Tapin, who appeared to be on confidential terms with Dubois.

      "My archbishop's miter, M. Lecocq," said Dubois, "and now to your work; I go to mine."

      Both left the room and descended the staircase, but separated at the door; Lecocq went along the Rue de Paris; and Dubois, slipping along by the wall, went to peep through the hole in the shutter.

      CHAPTER VIII.

      THE UTILITY OF A SEAL

      Gaston had just supped; for at his age, whether a man be in despair or in love, nature asserts her rights. He was leaning on the table thoughtfully. The lamp threw a light over his face, and enabled Dubois to gratify his curiosity.

      He looked at him with an attention almost alarming: his quick eye darted – his lip curled with a smile, which gave one the idea of a demon smiling at the sight of one of those victims who seem to have vowed their own perdition.

      While looking, he murmured, "Young, handsome, black eyes, proud lips – he is a Breton, he is not corrupted, like the conspirators of Cellamare, by the soft glances of the ladies at court; – then the other spoke of carrying off, dethroning, but this one —diable, this one; and yet," continued he, after a pause, "I look in vain for traces of cunning on that open brow. I see no Machiavelism in the corners of that mouth, so full of loyalty and honor; yet no doubt all is arranged to surprise the regent on his visit to this Clisson demoiselle. Who will say again that Bretons have dull brains?

      "No," said Dubois, after another pause, "it cannot be so. It is impossible that this young man with his calm sad face should be ready in a quarter of an hour to kill a man, and that man the first prince of the blood. No, I cannot believe in such sang-froid; and yet the regent has kept this amourette secret even from me; he goes out to hunt at St. Germains, announces aloud that he shall sleep at the Palais Royal, then all at once gives counter orders, and drives to Rambouillet. At Rambouillet, the young girl waits, and is received by Madame Desroches; who can she be watching for, if not for the regent? and this young girl is the mistress of the chevalier – but is she? – Ah! we must learn. We must find out how far we can depend on Owen," and Dubois left his observatory and waited on the staircase – he was quite hidden in the shade, and he could see Gaston's door in the light.

      The door presently opened, and Owen appeared.

      He held a letter in his hands, and after hesitating a minute, he appeared to have taken his determination, and mounted the staircase.

      "Good," said Dubois, "he has tasted the forbidden fruit, and he is mine."

      Then, stopping Owen: "Give me the letter which you were bringing me, and wait here."

      "How did you know I had a letter?" asked Owen, bewildered.

      Dubois shrugged his shoulders, took the letter, and disappeared.

      In his room he examined the seal; the chevalier, who had no wax, had used that on the bottle, and had sealed it with the stone of a ring.

      Dubois held the letter above the candle, and the wax melted. He opened the letter and read:

      "Dear Helene – Your courage has doubled mine; manage so that I can enter the house, and you shall know my plans."

      "Oh!" said Dubois, "it seems she does not know them yet. Things are not as far advanced as I supposed."

      He resealed the letter with one of the numerous rings which he wore, and which resembled that of the chevalier, and calling Owen —

      "Here," said he, "is your master's letter; deliver it faithfully, bring me the answer, and you shall have ten louis."

      "Ah!" thought Owen, "has this man a mine of gold?" And he went off.

      Ten minutes after he returned with the reply.

      It was on scented and ornamented paper, sealed with the letter H.

      Dubois opened a box, took out a kind of paste in which he was about to take the impression of the seal, when he observed that from the manner in which it was folded, he could read it without opening. It was as follows:

      "The person who sent for me at Bretagne is coming to meet me here instead of waiting at Paris, so impatient is he, I am told, to see me. I think he will leave again to-night. Come to-morrow morning before nine. I will tell you all that has passed, and then we can arrange how to act."

      "This," said Dubois, still taking Helene for the chevalier's accomplice, "makes it clearer. If this is the way they bring up young ladies at Clisson, I congratulate them and monseigneur, who, from her age, concludes her to be simple and ingenuous. Here," said he to Owen, "here is the letter, and your ten louis."

      Owen took them.

      At this moment ten o'clock struck, and the rolling of a carriage was heard. Dubois went to the window, and saw it stop at the hotel door.

      In the carriage was a gentleman whom Dubois at once recognized as Lafare, captain of his royal highness's guards. "Well," said he, "he is more prudent than I thought; but where is he? Ah!"

      This exclamation was uttered at the sight of a man dressed in the same red livery which he himself concealed under his cloak, and who followed the carriage mounted on a superb Spanish jenet, which, however, he could not have ridden long, for while the carriage horses were covered with foam, this one was quite fresh.

      Lafare at once demanded a room and supper; meanwhile the man dismounted, threw the reins to a page, and went toward the pavilion.

      "Well," said Dubois, "all this is as clear as a mountain stream; but how is it that the face of the chevalier does not appear? is he too much occupied with his chicken to have heard the carriage? Let us see. As to you, monseigneur," continued Dubois, "be assured; I will not disturb your tete-à-tete. Enjoy at your pleasure this commencement of ingenuity, СКАЧАТЬ