The Knight of Malta Part 60

He saw the necessity for prudence, that his vengeance might be sure and complete.

The death of Erebus could not satisfy him; that death, however slow, however cruel it might be, would be only one day of torment,--that no longer sufficed him.

The violence of his rage could not dissociate the innocent result of the crime from the crime itself, or from those who committed it, but Pog had long ceased to think or act with regard to justice.

In his opinion, Erebus was justly devoted to his wrath. He felt, too, a sinister joy in learning that Pierre des Anbiez was the seducer of his wife. Now he knew where to direct his blows.

Everything seemed to favour his plans. He believed he had killed Raimond V., Baron des Anbiez, in the attack on La Ciotat. Reine, abducted by Erebus, was the niece of the commander. Thus destiny a.s.sisted him in his hatred and pursuit of this family. Such were the bitter and triumphant feelings which filled his heart when the two galleys and the chebec reached their place of anchorage off the isles of Ste. Marguerite.

They had scarcely anch.o.r.ed when Hadji came on board the _Red Galleon_, and found Pog absorbed in his reflections.

In a few words he informed him of the designs of Erebus, and of his vain attempts to seduce the crew of the chebec and fly to the Orient.

Pog turned pale with fright. Erebus might have escaped him but for the fidelity of Hadji and his sailors! His vengeance baffled!

He manifested toward the Bohemian such overwhelming grat.i.tude for his behaviour under the circ.u.mstances, that the latter stood gazing at him in bewilderment, so strangely did these grateful expressions contrast with the usual habit and bearing of Pog.

"Rea.s.sure yourself, Captain Pog," said Hadji, "you need not carry on your conscience such a weight of grat.i.tude; the sailors and I remained faithful to you because our interest demands it That obligation is superior to all others; but if you will believe me, Captain Pog, you will seize the first opportunity to put that young man ash.o.r.e. He is getting spoiled,--he is getting weak; a little while ago he was weeping at the feet of those two women. So I advise you to abandon him at the first opportunity. He can only be in our way now."

"Abandon Erebus!" cried Pog, with such pa.s.sionate energy that Hadji looked at him in amazement "Abandon Erebus! but you do not know--what am I saying,--how can you know? This instant,--this instant bring the boy to me. You answer to me for him with your life--with your life, do you understand? Or indeed--but no--I will go myself on board his chebec; that will be more sure."

At the same moment the pilot of the Red Galleon entered with an excited air. "Captain," said he, to Pog, "in examining the horizon with my telescope, I have just discovered a galley and a polacre. These two vessels may pa.s.s without discovering us. Eblis grant it, for the black galley is fatal to those she attacks."

"The black galley?" asked Pog.

"Who does not know the black galley of the Commander des Anbiez?"

said the pilot.

"Eh, no doubt!" cried the Bohemian. "They expected the commander every day at Maison-Forte, the castle of Raimond V. Pierre des Anbiez must have arrived after us, he must have seen the citizens' houses in flames, and known that his niece was carried off and his brother killed, and he is seeking us to avenge them."

"That galley is the galley of the commander Pierre des Anbiez?"

said Pog, stuttering, so profound was his astonishment "Pierre des Anbiez--the commander--here--he!"

It is impossible to picture the burst of savage joy with which Pog uttered these words.

After a short silence, during which he pa.s.sed his hand over his brow, as if to a.s.sure himself that what happened around him was real, he suddenly fell on his knees, clasped his hands, and said, with an air of the deepest piety:

"My G.o.d, my G.o.d! Forgive me. Long have I doubted thy justice; to-day it reveals itself to me in all its glorious majesty! Lord--Lord--forgive me. Grief has distracted me; now thine almighty power is manifest in my sight. The same day thou dost place father and son at the mercy of my vengeance, after twenty years of torture. My G.o.d! after twenty years.

Lord--Lord, upon my knees I thank thee; my entire life will not suffice to pray to thee, and to bless thee! The father and son in my power! My G.o.d, thou art sovereignly great! Thou art sovereignly just!"

The violent transports of fury to which Pog was subject had never terrified Hadji, but this prayer, delivered in a low, trembling, solemn voice, filled him with a vague disquietude.

This miserable creature, who hesitated before no evil, now trembled with fright.

In fact, something formidable was required thus to bow Pog in the dust, and wrest from him this cry of grat.i.tude and submission.

After having uttered this prayer, Pog rose and walked a long time in great agitation without saying a word. He forgot the presence of Hadji and the pilot A half-hour pa.s.sed thus, the Bohemian staring at Pog all the while with an eager, sinister curiosity.

He was waiting to see what strange and fatal result would follow this chaos of ideas.

Pog, as was ordinarily the case when he yielded to such violence of emotion, felt quite weak; he became as pale as a ghost, he sank down, and, but for the timely aid of Hadji and the pilot, would have fallen backwards.

The Bohemian bore him to his bed, drew a smelling-bottle from his girdle, held it to his nostrils, and soon Pog-Reis recovered from his swoon.

"I remember all now," said he, looking around him anxiously. "I remember all. You see I am weak,--but, Hadji, what do you wish? the time of miracles has returned. Oh, this mark of the almighty power of the Most High imposes obligations on me; now I am strong; now I will not compromise the ends of Heaven's justice by antic.i.p.ating it No, no, I await its voice. It shall be obeyed, and a terrible example shall be given to the world. You must send Erebus to me, Hadji."

These words, and the calmness of Pog's countenance and accent, were additional cause for the astonishment of Hadji.

"It shall be done as you wish, captain. I am going to send the young man to you, or, for greater surety, conduct him to you myself."

"That is not all, Hadji. You love pillage as much as Trimalcyon-Reis, but you also love combat for the sake of combat, and danger for danger's sake."

"And I did not have my part either in the pillage or the danger last night, captain! I held the hook, but the fish was not for me."

"Listen, Hadji, you can have presently your part in a brilliant combat, or remain spectator. You must go out with the chebec to join the black galley of the Commander des Anbiez. The speed of your vessel is superior to that of all the galleys. You will hoist the black flag and allure the commander into this road."

"I understand, captain."

"You understand me, Hadji! The culverin of Mai-son-Forte has done such damage to our water-line and other parts of the ship that it will be several days before she is repaired sufficiently to put to sea, but we could in a few hours put her in a state to sustain a battle at anchor, and few such battles have been as you will see, Hadji, if you lead the black galley into this bay! If you wish to preserve the chebec which belongs to me, do not enter the bay, Hadji, for as soon as the black galley once sees the _Red Galleon_, she will hardly think of pursuing you. Then you can set sail to the south. I give you the chebec and slaves, Hadji."

"It is not for the sake of possessing the chebec that I will do as you wish me to do," replied Hadji, with sullen pride. "Who could have prevented my profiting from the offers of Erebus? Who now could prevent my saying I consent to what you wish, and then setting sail to the south, instead of going out to sea after the black galley? I will lead the commander's ship here to you, and I will take part in the battle, because it pleases me, because, notwithstanding your calm appearance, a terrible tempest has gathered in your soul, which I wish to see burst forth. I am of an inquisitive turn of mind, captain."

"Ah, by the wrath of Heaven, whose instrument I am, you will see a beautiful storm let loose, if you return!"

"And I shall return, captain."

"Above all, say nothing to Trimalcyon of my plan; that fat brute, once under fire, will do his duty in spite of himself."

"Make yourself easy, captain, before an hour the black galley will be in pursuit of me around this point."

"And then--and then," said Pog, talking to himself with a solemn, inspired air,--"then this bay, now so peaceful, will behold one of the greatest tragedies,--a tragedy whose very memory will terrify humanity for generations."

"I am going, and I shall return with Erebus, captain," said Hadji.

He disappeared.

Pog knelt down and prayed.

CHAPTER x.x.xVII. THE INTERVIEW

While the Bohemian was on board the Red Galleon Erebus, now virtually considered a prisoner, shared the cabin of the chebec with Reine and Stephanette.

Notwithstanding her anger, notwithstanding her fright, notwithstanding her keen anxiety concerning the fate of her father, Mlle. des Anbiez could not remain insensible to the despair of Erebus.

He reproached himself so bitterly for her abduction, and had done so much to obtain from the Bohemian both her liberty and that of Stephanette, that she could not stifle every emotion of pity that rose in her heart.