The Son of Monte-Cristo The Son Of Monte Cristo Part 44

"I have received the royal promise, and to-day Talizac will have his commission, and also the order of Saint-Louis."

This was an immense joy to Fongereues, and from that moment the monarchist--the Marquis de Montferrand--felt that Talizac, a captain in the King's Guard, could do no evil.

"Forgive a mother's vanity," continued Magdalena. "I have sent out a large number of invitations for this evening, and as soon as the officer of His Majesty's household hands to my son the commission which he has won by his merits and the badge of the Legion of Honor, Monsieur de Fongereues will officially announce the marriage of his son to Mademoiselle Salves. I rely on your aid, Monsieur de Montferrand."

"Ah! Madame," cried the old Marquis, "you are excessively clever, and you are an angel!"

She smiled.

"Arthur will come with you, I am sure, so that no cloud shall remain in our sky."

"Certainly, Madame, my son will come. Captain of the Guards--Chevalier de Saint-Louis. Zounds! that is a good deal for one day!"

"To-night, then, I shall see you, Marquis!" said Magdalena, as she rose from her chair.

Montferrand raised her hands to his lips once more, and took his leave.

Instantly Fongereues turned to his wife.

"Is this true?" he asked.

She shrugged her shoulders disdainfully, and left the room in silence.

She went to her son's chamber.

"It is all settled," she said to him. "In a few hours you will have the twenty thousand francs you need to silence this scandal, and you will try to make yourself worthy of the favor of your king."

As soon as his mother left the room, Frederic sent to the house at Belleville, by a trusty messenger, the following note:

"I will be with you at four o'clock--shall bring the sum required. I desire that you shall leave me alone in the house with----you know."

CHAPTER x.x.xI.

TRIUMPH.

A triumph like this was, of course, to be celebrated by La Roulante and Robeccal after their own fashion. They sat opposite each other at a table covered with bottles. In the centre lay the bag of gold. As they talked they played with it, making it up in little piles and arranging it in figures.

"We will buy a little place in the country, now," said La Roulante, as she filled her gla.s.s.

"Why does the girl sleep like this?" asked Robeccal.

"Oh! it is a secret that I learned some time ago--to make little girls submissive."

There was a sudden sound, a long, shivering sigh from above stairs.

"Did you hear that?" asked Robeccal, in a startled tone.

"It is nothing!" answered La Roulante, superciliously. "It is only the girl waking up at last!"

"But she will scream, I am sure!"

"Let her, if she dare!" and the giantess clenched her enormous fist. "I would crush her to jelly if she did!"

"And then you would lose the twenty thousand francs!"

The woman nodded in a tipsy manner.

"That's so!" she answered. "I had best go and talk to the Princess, anyway."

Another long sigh.

"I am coming! I am coming!" grunted La Roulante, slowly feeling her way up the stairs that creaked under her weight. She drew the key from her pocket with considerable difficulty, and finally succeeded in opening the door.

The young girl lay in the same position, but she seemed oppressed by a nightmare, for big tears rolled down her cheeks and sighs rent her breast.

La Roulante went to the side of the bed.

"Well, my child," she said, endeavoring to soften her harsh voice, "how are you to-night? Do you want anything?"

Francine's eyelids fluttered, and then slowly opened. A look of terrible horror came on her face as she beheld this most repulsive creature.

"Where am I?" faintly e.j.a.c.u.l.a.t.ed the poor child.

"You are with good friends, who are anxious to make you happy."

Francine frowned. She was evidently trying to remember what had taken place.

La Roulante grew bolder. She seated herself on the foot of the bed.

"Virtue is a very good thing," she said, "but it neither feeds you nor clothes you. And it is rather a hard thing to starve and be cold when you are young, and then die in a hospital when you grow old. If a girl only realized this, she would never refuse what a nice young fellow offered!"

Francine started up with a burning face.

"What are you saying?" she cried. "But I do not wish to understand.

Where am I?" She wrung her hands. "I remember now! I was gagged and carried away. I am not an ignorant child--I know too well the wickedness of this world, and I understand all. A villain, whose name my lips shall never p.r.o.nounce, has placed me in this woman's house." Francine grasped La Roulante's arm. "Move aside," she said, "let me pa.s.s!"

La Roulante now stood in front of the door.

"Listen to me," said Francine. "I will forgive you if you let me go now.

If you refuse, I will call for aid, and I will denounce you to the police!"

"It is too late, little girl, too late! Your lover was here with you all night!"

Francine uttered a terrific shriek and rushed to the window. She threw it open, and leaning out, cried:

"Help! Help!"