The Martins Of Cro' Martin Volume II Part 13

"I will be your guide, sir, if that be all," said Kate. "You may trust me. I promise no more than I can perform."

"She speaks truly," said Lady Dorothea. "Alas that we should see the day when we cannot reject the aid!"

"There is a matter I want to speak to you about," said Martin, drawing his father aside, and speaking in a low, confidential tone.

"Ma.s.singbred--Jack Ma.s.singbred--is now here, in my room. I know all about my mother's dislike to him, and _he_ knows it; indeed, he has as much as owned to me that he deserved it all. But what is to be done? We cannot leave him here."

"How came he to be here?" asked Martin.

"He accompanied me from the Club, where, in an altercation of some sort, he had just involved himself in a serious quarrel. He came here to be ready to start this morning for Versailles, where the meeting was to take place; but indeed he had no thought of accepting shelter under our roof; and when he found where he was, it was with the greatest difficulty I could persuade him to enter. None of us antic.i.p.ated such a serious turn of affairs as this; and now, of course, a meeting will be scarcely possible. What are we to do with him?"

"Ask him frankly to join us if we obtain the horses."

"But my mother?"

"I 'll speak to her,--but it were better you did it, Harry. These are not times to weigh scruples and balance difficulties. I don't myself think that Ma.s.singbred treated us fairly, but it is not now I 'd like to remember it. There, go; tell her what you have told me, and all will be well."

The Captain drew nigh Lady Dorothea, and, leaning over her chair, whispered to her for some minutes. At first, a slight gesture of impatience burst from her, but afterwards she seemed to hear him calmly and tranquilly.

"It would seem as though the humiliations of this night are never to have an end," said she, with a sigh. "But I'll bear my share of them."

"Remember," said the other, "that it was by no choice of _his_ he came here. His foot was on the threshold before he suspected it."

"Miss Henderson sent me, my Lady," said a servant, entering hastily, "to say that there is not a minute to be lost. They are expecting an attack on the barricade in the Rue de la Paix, and we ought to pa.s.s through at once."

"By whose orders?" began she, haughtily; then, checking herself suddenly, and in a voice weak and broken, added: "I am ready. Give me your arm, Harry, and do not leave me. Where is Mr. Martin?" asked she.

"He is waiting for your Ladyship at the foot of the stairs with another gentleman," said the servant.

"That must be Ma.s.singbred, for I told them to call him," said the Captain.

When Lady Dorothea, supported by the arm of her son, had reached the gate, she found Martin and Ma.s.singbred standing to receive them, surrounded by a numerous escort of servants, each loaded with some portion of the family baggage.

"A hasty summons, sir," said she, addressing Ma.s.singbred, and thus abruptly avoiding the awkwardness of a more ceremonious meeting. "A few hours back none of us antic.i.p.ated anything like this. Will it end seriously, think you?"

"There is every prospect of such, madam," said he, bowing respectfully to her salutation. "Every moment brings fresh tidings of defection among the troops, while the Marshal is paralyzed by contradictory orders."

"Is it always to be the fate of monarchy to be badly served in times of peril?" said she, bitterly.

"It is very difficult to awaken loyalty against one's convictions of right, madam. I mean," added he, as a gesture of impatience broke from her, "that these acts of the king, having no support from his real friends, are weak stimulants to evoke deeds of daring and courage."

"They are unworthy supporters of a Crown who only defend what they approve of. This is but Democracy at best, and smacks of the policy which has little to lose and everything to gain by times of trouble."

"And yet, madam, such cannot be the case here; at least, it is a.s.suredly not so in the instance of him who is now speaking with Miss Henderson."

And he pointed to a man who, holding the bridle of his horse on his arm, walked slowly at Kate's side in the street before the door.

"And who is he?" asked she, eagerly.

"The greatest banker in Paris, madam,--one of the richest capitalists of Europe,--ready to resign all his fortune in the struggle against a rule which he foresees intended to bring back the days of a worn-out, effete monarchy, rather than a system which shall invigorate the nation, and enrich it by the arts of commerce and trade."

"But his name--who is he?" asked she, more impatiently.

"Charles Lagrange, madam."

"I have heard the name before. I have seen it somewhere lately," said she, trying to remember where and how.

"You could scarcely have paid your respects at Neuilly, madam, without seeing him. He was, besides, the favored guest at Madame de Mirecourt's."

"You would not imply, sir, that the d.u.c.h.ess condescended to any sympathy with this party?"

"More than half the Court, madam, are against the Crown; I will not say, however, that they are, on that account, for the people."

"There! she is making a sign to us to follow her," said Martin, pointing towards Kate, who, still conversing with her companion, motioned to the others to come up.

"It is from that quarter we receive our orders," said Lady Dorothea, sneeringly, as she prepared to follow.

"What has she to do with it?" exclaimed the Captain. "To look at her, one would say she was deep in the whole business."

A second gesture, more urgent than before, now summoned the party to make haste.

Through the Place, crowded as it was by an armed and excited mult.i.tude, way was rapidly made for the little party who now issued from the door of the hotel. Kate Henderson walked in front, with Ma.s.singbred at her side talking eagerly, and by his gestures seeming as though endeavoring to extenuate or explain away something in his conduct; next came Lady Dorothea, supported between her husband and her son, and while walking slowly and with faltering steps, still carrying her head proudly erect, and gazing on the stern faces around her with looks of haughty contempt.

After them were a numerous retinue of servants, with such effects as they had got hurriedly together,--a terror-struck set, scarcely able to crawl along from fear.

As they drew nigh the barricade, some men proceeded to remove a heavy wagon which adjoined a house, and by the speed and activity of their movements, urged on as they were by the orders of one in command, it might be seen that the operation demanded prompt.i.tude.

"We are scarcely safe in this," cried the officer. "See! they are making signs to us from the windows,--the troops are coming. If you pa.s.s out now, you will be between two fires."

"There is yet time," said Kate, eagerly. "Our presence in the street, too, will delay them, and give you some minutes to prepare. And as for ourselves, we shall gain one of the side-streets easily enough."

"Tie your handkerchief to your cane, sir," said the officer to Ma.s.singbred.

"My flag is ready," said Jack, gayly; "I only hope they may respect it."

"Now--now!" cried Kate, with eagerness, and beckoning to Lady Dorothea to hasten, "the pa.s.sage is free, and not a second to be lost!"

"Are you not coming with us?" whispered Martin to her, as they pa.s.sed out.

"Yes; I'll follow. But," added she, in a lower tone, "were the choice given me, it is here I 'd take my stand."

She looked full at Ma.s.singbred as she spoke, and, bending down his head, he said, "Had it been your place, it were mine also!"

"Quick,--quick, my Lady," said Kate. "They must close up the pa.s.sage at once. They are expecting an attack." And so saying, she motioned rapidly to Martin to move on.

"The woman is a fiend," said Lady Dorothea; "see how her eyes sparkle, and mark the wild exultation of her features."

"Adieu, sir,--adieu!" said Kate, waving her hand to one who seemed the chief of the party. "All my wishes are with you. Were I a man, my hand should guarantee my heart."

"Come--come back!" cried the officer. "You are too late. There comes the head of the column."

"No, never--never!" exclamed Lady Dorothea, haughtily; "protection from such as these is worse than any death."