The Best Works of Balzac. Оноре де Бальзак

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СКАЧАТЬ but the distant shouts and laughter of the Chouans, who were drinking in the gardens and dividing their booty. He turned the corner to the fatal wing before which his men had been shot, and from there he could distinguish, by the feeble light of a few stray lanterns, the different groups of the Chasseurs du Roi. Neither Pille-Miche, nor Marche-a-Terre, nor the girl were visible; but he felt himself gently pulled by the flap of his uniform, and, turning round, saw Francine on her knees.

      “Where is she?” he asked.

      “I don’t know; Pierre drove me back and told me not to stir from here.”

      “Which way did they go?”

      “That way,” she replied, pointing to the causeway.

      The captain and Francine then noticed in that direction a line of strong shadows thrown by the moonlight on the lake, and among them that of a female figure.

      “It is she!” cried Francine.

      Mademoiselle de Verneuil seemed to be standing, as if resigned, in the midst of other figures, whose gestures denoted a debate.

      “There are several,” said the captain. “Well, no matter, let us go to them.”

      “You will get yourself killed uselessly,” said Francine.

      “I have been killed once before to-day,” he said gaily.

      They both walked towards the gloomy gateway which led to the causeway; there Francine suddenly stopped short.

      “No,” she said, gently, “I’ll go no farther; Pierre told me not to meddle; I believe in him; if we go on we shall spoil all. Do as you please, officer, but leave me. If Pierre saw us together he would kill you.”

      Just then Pille-Miche appeared in the gateway and called to the postilion who was left in the stable. At the same moment he saw the captain and covered him with his musket, shouting out, “By Saint Anne of Auray! the rector was right enough in telling us the Blues had signed a compact with the devil. I’ll bring you to life, I will!”

      “Stop! my life is sacred,” cried Merle, seeing his danger. “There’s the glove of your Gars,” and he held it out.

      “Ghosts’ lives are not sacred,” replied the Chouan, “and I sha’n’t give you yours. Ave Maria!”

      He fired, and the ball passed through his victim’s head. The captain fell. When Francine reached him she heard him mutter the words, “I’d rather die with them than return without them.”

      The Chouan sprang upon the body to strip it, saying, “There’s one good thing about ghosts, they come to life in their clothes.” Then, recognizing the Gars’ glove, that sacred safeguard, in the captain’s hand, he stopped short, terrified. “I wish I wasn’t in the skin of my mother’s son!” he exclaimed, as he turned and disappeared with the rapidity of a bird.

      To understand this scene, so fatal to poor Merle, we must follow Mademoiselle de Verneuil after the marquis, in his fury and despair, had abandoned her to Pille-Miche. Francine had caught Marche-a-Terre by the arm and reminded him, with sobs, of the promise he had made her. Pille-Miche was already dragging away his victim like a heavy bundle. Marie, her head and hair hanging back, turned her eyes to the lake; but held as she was in a grasp of iron she was forced to follow the Chouan, who turned now and then to hasten her steps, and each time that he did so a jovial thought brought a hideous smile upon his face.

      “Isn’t she a morsel!” he cried, with a coarse laugh.

      Hearing the words, Francine recovered speech.

      “Pierre?”

      “Well, what?”

      “He’ll kill her.”

      “Not at once.”

      “Then she’ll kill herself, she will never submit; and if she dies I shall die too.”

      “Then you love her too much, and she shall die,” said Marche-a-Terre.

      “Pierre! if we are rich and happy we owe it all to her; but, whether or no, you promised me to save her.”

      “Well, I’ll try; but you must stay here, and don’t move.”

      Francine at once let go his arm, and waited in horrible suspense in the courtyard where Merle found her. Meantime Marche-a-Terre joined his comrade at the moment when the latter, after dragging his victim to the barn, was compelling her to get into the coach. Pille-Miche called to him to help in pulling out the vehicle.

      “What are you going to do with all that?” asked Marche-a-Terre.

      “The Grande Garce gave me the woman, and all that belongs to her is mine.”

      “The coach will put a sou or two in your pocket; but as for the woman, she’ll scratch your eyes out like a cat.”

      Pille-Miche burst into a roar of laughter.

      “Then I’ll tie her up and take her home,” he answered.

      “Very good; suppose we harness the horses,” said Marche-a-Terre.

      A few moments later Marche-a-Terre, who had left his comrade mounting guard over his prey, led the coach from the stable to the causeway, where Pille-Miche got into it beside Mademoiselle de Verneuil, not perceiving that she was on the point of making a spring into the lake.

      “I say, Pille-Miche!” cried Marche-a-Terre.

      “What!”

      “I’ll buy all your booty.”

      “Are you joking?” asked the other, catching his prisoner by the petticoat, as a butcher catches a calf that is trying to escape him.

      “Let me see her, and I’ll set a price.”

      The unfortunate creature was made to leave the coach and stand between the two Chouans, who each held a hand and looked at her as the Elders must have looked at Susannah.

      “Will you take thirty francs in good coin?” said Marche-a-Terre, with a groan.

      “Really?”

      “Done?” said Marche-a-Terre, holding out his hand.

      “Yes, done; I can get plenty of Breton girls for that, and choice morsels, too. But the coach; whose is that?” asked Pille-Miche, beginning to reflect upon his bargain.

      “Mine!” cried Marche-a-Terre, in a terrible tone of voice, which showed the sort of superiority his ferocious character gave him over his companions.

      “But suppose there’s money in the coach?”

      “Didn’t you say, ‘Done’?”

      “Yes, I said, ‘Done.’”

      “Very good; then go and fetch the postilion who is gagged in the stable over there.”

      “But if there’s money in the—”

      “Is СКАЧАТЬ