The Bath Keepers Volume Ii Part 58

After hesitating a moment, Miretta cried at last:

"Ah! why should I have any pity on the man who killed him whom I loved?--No, it is my duty to unmask the infamous villain--to bring upon him the punishment he deserves!"

"Well, girl, will you answer or not? Whom did you recognize?"

"I recognized, in the man you are pursuing, Comte Leodgard de Marvejols!"

"The Comte de Marvejols!" exclaimed the officer, turning to his soldiers; "one of the greatest n.o.bles at court!--Nonsense! the girl is mad!"

"Yes, yes! she doesn't know what she says."

"The fright has disturbed her reason!"

"Ha! ha! that's a likely story! The famous Giovanni is the Comte de Marvejols!--Let us listen no longer to this girl, but continue our search. Let us follow the marks of blood; attention, you fellows! they may guide us to the place where we shall find our robber. And let us take away this cap and false beard, too."

The soldiers went their way. Thereupon Miretta cast a vague, wandering look about her, then hid her face in her hands and wept bitterly, crying:

"O Giovanni! Giovanni! you were very wicked, I know; but I forgave you; and I am sure that by my entreaties I could have persuaded you to abandon your career of crime! I would have brought you back to worthier sentiments. And by prayer and repentance, perhaps you might have obtained G.o.d's forgiveness!--But you have been murdered, before you had time to appease the Divine wrath!--Oh! I will avenge you; yes, I will avenge you!"

Somewhat tranquillized by the tears she had shed, Miretta returned to the Hotel de Santoval, which she reached just at daybreak. She did not try to sleep, for she knew that it would be useless; but she waited anxiously for the time when her mistress could receive her.

The marchioness rang at last, and Miretta answered the bell.

The instant that her eyes fell on the maid's face, Valentine, struck by her pallor and the sinister expression of her eyes, cried:

"Mon Dieu! what has happened to you, Miretta? I read some terrible disaster on your features! You have seen Giovanni--he is arrested--wounded, perhaps?--Pray answer; one would say that you were afraid to speak."

"In truth, madame, what I have to tell you is so horrible---- But you must know it, none the less--you must know, as he really is, the monster to whom you have given your love."

"What! what do you mean? My love!--I do not understand you, Miretta; I am talking of your Giovanni.--what has Leodgard in common with your love affairs?"

"You shall know, madame. Last night, I went out in the hope of at last meeting him whom I have sought in vain for more than three years!--Despite all that I had heard within a few days of new robberies committed by Giovanni, my heart, still depressed, did not throb with that soothing hope which one feels when one is destined to see one's love again!--Ah! there are presentiments that do not mislead us!--Well!

as I was standing at the end of Rue Saint-Paul, I heard cries, followed by shots; then a man pa.s.sed me, flying for his life. I recognized Giovanni's cap and cloak, and I ran after him, supposing him to be my lover; I called to him, I implored him to answer me, to listen to me; I could not obtain a single word. But the fugitive was wounded, he was losing blood; and as he entered Place Royale he slackened his pace, so that I was able at last to overtake him."

"Well! it was Giovanni----"

"For the first moment or two I still thought so, madame; but, surprised by his persistence in trying to continue his flight without answering me, I examined him closely; he was taller than Giovanni, his head was set differently on his shoulders; in short, my heart had already told me--no, it was not Giovanni! The man tried to escape; I clung to his cloak, and he sought in vain to release himself, to shake me off.--Ah! I was very strong then!--I succeeded in pulling off his false beard and his cap--the moon lighted us perfectly--and in the man who had a.s.sumed Giovanni's costume and headgear I recognized Comte Leodgard de Marvejols!"

"Leodgard! Leodgard!" cried Valentine, fastening her eyes upon the girl's, to satisfy herself that she had not gone mad. "Oh! Miretta! what are you saying? Why, you were mistaken--you were misled by an error of your eyesight, by some resemblance perhaps--but that Comte Leodgard should have a.s.sumed the disguise of Giovanni--consider, pray, that it is utterly impossible!--With what object would he do it?"

"Why--to do what Giovanni used to do, I presume."

"Oh! Miretta, what you say is shocking! Why, it is utterly devoid of sense, and I blush to think that I have listened to you!"

"I suspected that madame would not choose to believe me; but before long, I trust, the truth will be made known, and madame will be forced to recognize that I am not the dupe of a mere illusion!"

"What! what do you mean? Can it be that you have already had the audacity to spread this hateful falsehood?"

"I have told no falsehood, madame! But when that man, when Comte Leodgard--who recognized me perfectly--had disappeared--and I did not think to look after him, I was so overwhelmed--some soldiers arrived, looking for the robber, whom they believed to be Giovanni; but I undeceived them; I told them who the man was whom they were pursuing and whom they had wounded."

"You accused Leodgard?"

"Once more, madame; I told the truth."

"You are mad, Miretta; for if you reflect an instant, you will understand that you must be mistaken. To make such charges against a man whom I love---- Oh! it is abominable! I ought to drive you from my presence!"

"The soldiers said as you do, madame, that I was mad; but what does it matter to me now what anyone thinks of my words? I know, myself, that I spoke the truth! You bid me reflect, madame! Ah! if I could still doubt what I saw last night, by recalling my memories of the past I should find additional proofs of what I a.s.sert.--In heaven's name, madame, allow me to speak; you will still have the right to dismiss me afterward.--I do not know whether you remember a murder that was committed about three years and a half ago--a handsome young man was found in the Fosses-Jaunes, near the Pont-aux-Choux;--the story was told us by that little solicitor's clerk, Bahuchet."

"Yes, I remember very well."

"From that time, madame, I ceased to see Giovanni; it was he, I cannot doubt, who was murdered, and robbed of his weapons and of the costume he wore at night.--Oh! I remember so well now--the description of that young man corresponded exactly with that of Giovanni."

"a.s.sume that it be true--what connection has Leodgard----"

"I beg pardon, madame, but in the servants' quarters the servants of your visitors talk with your own people; and as madame deigned sometimes to talk to me of Comte Leodgard, I paid more attention when others spoke of him; and about that time I often heard it said: 'Oh! Comte Leodgard is an excellent master now! it is not as it used to be when he had not the means to pay his esquire; he must have discovered a gold mine lately, for he has paid all his debts, he has hired a beautiful house in Rue de Bretonvilliers, and he gives superb parties there; in short, it seems that he flings money about with both hands, and he's an excellent master!'--That is what I heard said more than once, madame, about the time when I ceased to see my poor Giovanni!"

Valentine had turned pale, and her brow was covered with a dark cloud; she rose, however, and paced the floor excitedly, muttering from time to time:

"No! no! not if I should hear it a hundred times! Mere conjectures--antechamber gossip, servants' t.i.ttle-tattle--what does it all prove? To dare to say that he, Leodgard--so n.o.ble and so handsome!--Oh! it is frightful! it is an outrage!"

Then, seized with a sudden idea, she asked abruptly:

"This man who was pursued last night, and whom you claim to have recognized--he was wounded, you say?"

"Yes, madame, and severely wounded, for he lost much blood."

"Where was he wounded?"

"In the shoulder, so far as I could judge--for he put his hand there several times. I think that I divine madame's thought; if it is her wish, I will go to inquire----"

"No, I do not wish you to go out; I will go myself to inquire.--You hear me, Miretta? I forbid you to leave the house before my return."

"I will obey you, madame."

Valentine hastily donned an ample cloak, and a great veil which almost concealed her features; then she betook herself at headlong speed, taking care to avoid the most frequented streets, to Rue de Bretonvilliers, inquired for Leodgard's hotel, and knocked at the gate.

"Is Monsieur le Comte de Marvejols within?"

"No, madame," replied the concierge, who was so impressed by the beauty and the n.o.ble air of the lady who questioned him, that he accompanied his reply with a low reverence.

"What! has monsieur le comte gone out so early?" asked Valentine, with a searching glance into the courtyard.

"I have not seen monsieur le comte since last evening, madame; when he goes out, I do not always know it!"

"In that case, how can you be certain that he is not within?"

"Because, madame, there has already been someone here to speak with monseigneur this morning."