The Conspirators, Page 2

  THE CONSPIRATORS;OR, THE CHEVALIER D'HARMENTAL.

  CHAPTER I.

  CAPTAIN ROQUEFINETTE.

  On the 22d of March, in the year of our Lord 1718, a young cavalier ofhigh bearing, about twenty-six or twenty-eight years of age, mounted ona pure-bred Spanish charger, was waiting, toward eight o'clock in themorning, at that end of the Pont Neuf which abuts on the Quai del'Ecole.

  He was so upright and firm in his saddle, that one might have imaginedhim to be placed there as a sentinel by the Lieutenant-General ofPolice, Messire Voyer d'Argenson. After waiting about half an hour,during which time he impatiently examined the clock of the Samaritaine,his glance, wandering till then, appeared to rest with satisfaction onan individual who, coming from the Place Dauphine, turned to the right,and advanced toward him.

  The man who thus attracted the attention of the young chevalier was apowerfully-built fellow of five feet ten, wearing, instead of a peruke,a forest of his own black hair, slightly grizzled, dressed in a mannerhalf-bourgeois, half-military, ornamented with a shoulder-knot which hadonce been crimson, but from exposure to sun and rain had become a dirtyorange. He was armed with a long sword slung in a belt, and which bumpedceaselessly against the calves of his legs. Finally, he wore a hat oncefurnished with a plume and lace, and which--in remembrance, no doubt, ofits past splendor--its owner had stuck so much over his left ear, thatit seemed as if only a miracle of equilibrium could keep it in itsplace. There was altogether in the countenance and in the carriage andbearing of the man (who seemed from forty to forty-five years of age,and who advanced swaggering and keeping the middle of the road, curlinghis mustache with one hand, and with the other signing to the carriagesto give place), such a character of insolent carelessness, that thecavalier who watched him smiled involuntarily, as he murmured tohimself, "I believe this is my man."

  In consequence of this probability, he walked straight up to thenew-comer, with the evident intention of speaking to him. The latter,though he evidently did not know the cavalier, seeing that he was goingto address him, placed himself in the third position, and waited, onehand on his sword and the other on his mustache, to hear what the personwho was coming up had to say to him. Indeed, as the man with the orangeribbon had foreseen, the young cavalier stopped his horse by him, andtouching his hat--"Sir," said he, "I think I may conclude, from yourappearance and manner, that you are a gentleman; am I mistaken?"

  "No, palsam-bleu!" replied he to whom this strange question wasaddressed, touching his hat in his turn. "I am delighted that myappearance speaks so well for me, for, however little you would thinkthat you were giving me my proper title, you may call me captain."

  "I am enchanted that you are a soldier; it is an additional security tome that you are incapable of leaving a brave man in distress."

  "Welcome, provided always the brave man has no need of my purse, for Iconfess, freely, that I have just left my last crown in a cabaret on thePort de la Tonnelle."

  "Nobody wants your purse, captain; on the contrary, I beg you to believethat mine is at your disposal."

  "To whom have I the honor to speak?" asked the captain, visibly touchedby this reply, "and in what can I oblige you?"

  "I am the Baron Rene de Valef," replied the cavalier.

  "I think," interrupted the captain, "that I knew, in the Flemish wars, afamily of that name."

  "It was mine, since we are from Liege." The two speakers exchanged bows.

  "You must know then," continued the Baron de Valef, "that the ChevalierRaoul d'Harmental, one of my most intimate friends, last night, in mycompany, picked up a quarrel, which will finish this morning by ameeting. Our adversaries were three, and we but two. I went this morningto the houses of the Marquis de Gace and Comte de Sourgis, butunfortunately neither the one nor the other had passed the night in hisbed; so, as the affair could not wait, as I must set out in two hoursfor Spain, and that we absolutely require a second, or rather a third, Iinstalled myself on the Pont Neuf with the intention of addressing thefirst gentleman who passed. You passed, and I addressed myself to you."

  "And you have done right, pardieu! rest satisfied, baron, I am your man.What hour is fixed for the meeting?"

  "Half-past nine this morning."

  "Where will it take place?"

  "At the Port Maillot."

  "Diable! there is no time to lose; but you are on horseback and I am onfoot; how shall we manage that?"

  "There is a way, captain."

  "What is it?"

  "It is that you should do me the honor of mounting behind me."

  "Willingly, baron."

  "I warn you, however," added the young cavalier, with a slight smile,"that my horse is rather spirited."

  "Oh, I know him!" said the captain, drawing back a step, and looking atthe beautiful animal with the eye of a connoisseur; "if I am notmistaken, he was bred between the mountains of Grenada and the SierraMorena. I rode such a one at Almanza, and I have often made him lie downlike a sheep when he wanted to carry me off at a gallop, only bypressing him with my knees."

  "You reassure me. To horse then, captain."----"Here I am, baron."

  And without using the stirrup, which the young cavalier left free forhim, with a single bound the captain sprang on to the croup.

  The baron had spoken truly; his horse was not accustomed to so heavy aload, therefore he attempted to get rid of it. Neither had the captainexaggerated, and the animal soon felt that he had found his master; sothat, after a few attempts, which had no other effect than to show tothe passers-by the address of the two cavaliers, he became obedient, andwent at a swinging trot down the Quai de l'Ecole, which at that time wasnothing but a wharf, crossed at the same pace the Quai du Louvre and theQuai des Tuileries, through the gate of the Conference, and leaving onthe left the road to Versailles, threaded the great avenue of theChamps-Elysees, which now leads to the triumphal Arc de l'Etoile.Arrived at the Pont d'Antin, the Baron de Valef slackened his horse'space a little, for he found that he had ample time to arrive at the PortMaillot at the hour fixed.

  The captain profited by this respite.

  "May I, without indiscretion, ask why we are going to fight? I wish, youunderstand, to know that, in order to regulate my conduct toward myadversary, and to know whether it is worth killing him."

  "That is only fair," answered the baron; "I will tell you everything asit passed. We were supping last night at La Fillon's. Of course you knowLa Fillon, captain?"

  HE ATTACKED THE CAPTAIN WITH SUCH FURY THAT THEIR SWORDSENGAGED AT THE HILT.--Page 244.]

  "Pardieu! it was I who started her in the world, in 1705, before myItalian campaign."

  "Well," replied the baron, laughing, "you may boast of a pupil who doesyou honor. Briefly, I supped there tete-a-tete with D'Harmental."

  "Without any one of the fair sex?"

  "Oh, mon Dieu, yes! I must tell you that D'Harmental is a kind ofTrappist, only going to La Fillon's for fear of the reputation of notgoing there; only loving one woman at a time, and in love for the momentwith the little D'Averne, the wife of the lieutenant of the guards."

  "Very good!"

  "We were there, chatting, when we heard a merry party enter the roomnext to ours. As our conversation did not concern anybody else, we keptsilence, and, without intending it, heard the conversation of ourneighbors. See what chance is. Our neighbors talked of the only thingwhich we ought not to have heard."

  "Of the chevalier's mistress, perhaps?"

  "Exactly. At the first words of their discourse which reached me, Irose, and tried to get Raoul away, but instead of following me, he puthis hand on my shoulder, and made me sit down again. 'Then Philippe ismaking love to the little D'Averne?' said one. 'Since the fete of theMarechal d'Estree, where she gave him a sword-belt with some verses, inwhich she compared him to Mars,' replied another voice. 'That is eightdays ago,' said a third. 'Yes,' replied the first. 'Oh! she made a kindof resistance, either that she really held by poor D'Harmental, or thatshe knew that the regent only likes t
hose who resist him. At last thismorning, in exchange for a basketful of flowers and jewels, she hasconsented to receive his highness.'"

  "Ah!" said the captain, "I begin to understand; the chevalier gotangry."

  "Exactly. Instead of laughing, as you or I would have done, andprofiting by this circumstance to get back his brevet of colonel, whichwas taken from him under pretext of economy, D'Harmental became so palethat I thought he was going to faint; then, approaching the partition,and striking with his fist, to insure silence, 'Gentlemen,' said he, 'Iam sorry to contradict you, but the one who said that Madame d'Avernehad granted a rendezvous to the regent, or to any other, has told alie.'

  "'It was I who said it, and who repeat it, and if it displeases you, myname is Lafare, captain of the guards.' 'And mine, Fargy,' said a secondvoice. 'And mine, Ravanne,' said the third. 'Very well, gentlemen,'replied D'Harmental, 'to-morrow, from nine to half-past, at the PortMaillot.' And he sat down again opposite me. They talked of somethingelse, and we finished our supper. That is the whole affair, captain, andyou now know as much as I."

  The captain gave vent to a kind of exclamation which seemed to say,"This is not very serious;" but in spite of this semi-disapprobation, heresolved none the less to support, to the best of his power, the causeof which he had so unexpectedly been made the champion, howeverdefective that cause might appear to him in principle; besides, even hadhe wished it, he had gone too far to draw back. They had now arrived atthe Port Maillot, and a young cavalier, who appeared to be waiting, andwho had from a distance perceived the baron and the captain, put hishorse to the gallop, and approached rapidly; this was the Chevalierd'Harmental.

  "My dear chevalier," said the Baron de Valef, grasping his hand, "permitme, in default of an old friend, to present to you a new one. NeitherSourgis nor Gace were at home. I met this gentleman on the Pont Neuf,and told him our embarrassment, and he offered himself to free us fromit, with the greatest good will."

  "I am doubly grateful to you then, my dear Valef," replied thechevalier, casting on the captain a look which betrayed a slightastonishment. "And to you, monsieur," continued he. "I must excusemyself for making your acquaintance by mixing you up thus with anunpleasant affair. But you will afford me one day or another anopportunity to return your kindness, and I hope and beg that, anopportunity arising, you would dispose of me as I have of you."

  "Well said, chevalier," replied the captain, leaping to the ground; "andin speaking thus you might lead me to the end of the world. The proverbis right: 'It is only mountains that don't meet.'"

  "Who is this original?" asked D'Harmental of Valef, while the captainstamped the calls with his right foot, to stretch his legs.

  "Ma foi! I do not know," said Valef, "but I do know that we should be ina great difficulty without him. Some poor officer of fortune, withoutdoubt, whom the peace has thrown abroad like so many others; but we willjudge him by-and-by, by his works."

  "Well!" said the captain, becoming animated with the exercise he wastaking, "where are our adversaries?"

  "When I came up to you," replied D'Harmental, "they had not arrived, butI perceived at the end of the avenue a kind of hired carriage, whichwill serve as an excuse if they are late; and indeed," added thechevalier, pulling out a beautiful watch set with diamonds, "they arenot behind time, for it is hardly half-past nine."

  "Let us go," said Valef, dismounting and throwing the reins toD'Harmental's valet, "for if they arrive at the rendezvous while westand gossiping here, it will appear as though we had kept themwaiting."

  "You are right," said D'Harmental; and, dismounting, he advanced towardthe entrance of the wood, followed by his two companions.----"Will younot take anything, gentlemen," said the landlord of the restaurant, whowas standing at his door, waiting for custom.

  "Yes, Maitre Durand," replied D'Harmental, who wished, in order thatthey might not be disturbed, to make it appear as if they had come froman ordinary walk, "breakfast for three. We are going to take a turn inthe avenue, and then we shall come back." And he let three louis fallinto the hands of the inn-keeper.

  The captain saw the shine of the three gold pieces one after another,and quickly reckoned up what might be had at the "Bois de Boulogne" forseventy-two francs; but as he knew whom he had to deal with, he judgedthat a little advice from him would not be useless; consequently, in histurn approaching the maitre d'hotel--

  "Listen, my friend," said he; "you know that I understand the price ofthings, and that no one can deceive me about the amount of a tavernbill. Let the wines be good and varied, and let the breakfast becopious, or I will break your head! Do you understand?"

  "Be easy, captain," answered Durand, "it is not a customer like you whomI would deceive."

  "All right; I have eaten nothing for twelve hours. Arrange accordingly."

  The hotel-keeper bowed, as knowing what that meant, and went back to hiskitchen, beginning to think that he had made a worse bargain than he hadhoped.

  As to the captain, after having made a last sign of recognition, halfamicable, half threatening, he quickened his pace, and rejoined thechevalier and the baron, who had stopped to wait for him.

  The chevalier was not wrong as to the situation of the hired carriage.At the turn of the first alley he saw his three adversaries getting outof it. They were, as we have already said, the Marquis de Lafare, theComte de Fargy, and the Chevalier de Ravanne.

  Our readers will now permit us to give them some short details of thesethree personages, who will often reappear in the course of this history.Lafare, the best known of the three, thanks to the poetry which he hasleft behind him, was a man of about thirty-six or thirty-eight years, ofa frank and open countenance, and of an inexhaustible gayety and goodhumor. Always ready to engage with all comers, at table, at play, or atarms, and that without malice or bitterness; much run after by the fairsex, and much beloved by the regent, who had named him his captain ofthe guards, and who, during the ten years in which he had admitted himinto his intimacy, had found him his rival sometimes, but his faithfulservant always. Thus the prince, who had the habit of giving nicknamesto all his boon companions, as well as to his mistresses, never calledhim any other than "bon enfant." Nevertheless, for some time thepopularity of Lafare, established as it was by agreeable antecedents,was fast lowering among the ladies of the court and the girls of theopera. There was a report current that he was going to be so ridiculousas to become a well-behaved man. It is true that some people, in orderto preserve his reputation for him, whispered that this apparentconversion had no other cause than the jealousy of Mademoiselle deConti, daughter of the duchess, and granddaughter of the great Conde,who it was said honored the regent's captain of the guards with aparticular affection. His alliance with the Duc de Richelieu, who on hisside was supposed to be the lover of Mademoiselle de Charolais, gaveconsistency to this report.

  The Comte de Fargy, generally called "Le Beau Fargy," thus substitutingthe title which he had received from nature for that which his fathershad left him was cited, as his name indicates, as the handsomest man ofhis time, which in that age of gallantry imposed obligations from whichhe had never recoiled, and from which he had always come with honor.Indeed, it was impossible to be a more perfect figure than he was. Atonce strong and graceful, supple and active, he seemed to unite all thedifferent perfections of a hero of romance of that time. Add to this acharming head, uniting the most opposite styles of beauty; that is tosay, black hair and blue eyes, strongly-marked features, and acomplexion like a woman. Unite with all these, wit, loyalty, thegreatest courage, and you will have an idea of the high considerationwhich Le Fargy must have enjoyed from the society of that mad period.

  As to the Chevalier de Ravanne, who has left us such strange memoirs ofhis early life, that, in spite of their authenticity, one is tempted tobelieve them apocryphal, he was still but a youth, rich and of noblebirth, who entered into life by a golden door, and ran into all itspleasures with the fiery imprudence and eagerness of his age. He carriedto excess, as so many do a
t eighteen, all the vices and all the virtuesof his day. It will be easily understood how proud he was to serve assecond to men like Lafare and Fargy in a meeting which was likely to"make a noise."