"Do you take me for an idiot with your sermon against dancing?"continued Montauran."Wouldn't you yourself dance a reed if it would restore your order under its new name of Fathers of the Faith? Don't you know that Bretons come away from the mass and go to dancing? Are you aware that Messieurs Hyde de Neuville and d'Andigne had a conference, five days ago, with the First Consul, on the question of restoring his Majesty Louis XVIII.? Ah, monsieur, the princes are deceived as to the true state of France.The devotions which uphold them are solely those of rank.Abbe, if I have set my feet in blood, at least I will not go into it to my middle without full knowledge of what I do.I am devoted to the king, but not to four hot-heads, not to a man crippled with debt like Rifoel, not to 'chauffeurs,' not to--""Say frankly, monsieur, not to abbes who force contributions on the highway to carry on the war," retorted the Abbe Gudin.
"Why should I not say it?" replied the marquis, sharply; "and I'll say, further, that the great and heroic days of La Vendee are over.""Monsieur le marquis, we can perform miracles without you.""Yes, like that of Marie Lambrequin, whom I hear you have brought to life," said the marquis, smiling."Come, come, let us have no rancor, abbe.I know that you run all risks and would shoot a Blue as readily as you say an /oremus/.God willing, I hope to make you assist with a mitre on your head at the king's coronation."This last remark must have had some magic power, for the click of a musket was heard as the abbe exclaimed, "I have fifty cartridges in my pocket, monsieur le marquis, and my life is the king's.""He's a debtor of mine," whispered the usurer to Marie."I don't mean the five or six hundred crowns he has borrowed, but a debt of blood which I hope to make him pay.He can never suffer as much evil as Iwish him, the damned Jesuit! He swore the death of my brother, and raised the country against him.Why? Because the poor man was afraid of the new laws." Then, after applying his ear to another part of his hiding-place, he added, "They are all decamping, those brigands.Isuppose they are going to do some other miracle elsewhere.I only hope they won't bid me good-bye as they did the last time, by setting fire to my house."After the lapse of about half an hour, during which time the usurer and Mademoiselle de Verneuil looked at each other as if they were studying a picture, the coarse, gruff voice of Galope-Chopine was heard saying, in a muffled tone: "There's no longer any danger, Monsieur d'Orgemont.But this time, you must allow that I have earned my thirty crowns.""My dear," said the miser to Marie, "swear to shut your eyes."Mademoiselle de Verneuil placed one hand over her eyelids; but for greater security d'Orgemont blew out the lamp, took his liberator by the hand, and helped her to make seven or eight steps along a difficult passage.At the end of some minutes he gently removed her hand, and she found herself in the very room the Marquis de Montauran had just quitted, and which was, in fact, the miser's own bedroom.
"My dear girl," said the old man, "you can safely go now.Don't look about you that way.I dare say you have no money with you.Here are ten crowns; they are a little shaved, but they'll pass.When you leave the garden you will see a path that leads straight to the town, or, as they say now, the district.But the Chouans will be at Fougeres, and it is to be presumed that you can't get back there at once.You may want some safe place to hide in.Remember what I say to you, but don't make use of it unless in some great emergency.You will see on the road which leads to Nid-aux-Crocs through the Val de Gibarry, a farm-house belonging to Cibot--otherwise called Galope-Chopine.Go in, and say to his wife: 'Good-day, Becaniere,' and Barbette will hide you.If Galope-Chopine discovers you he will either take you for the ghost, if it is dark, or ten crowns will master him if it is light.Adieu, our account is squared.But if you choose," he added, waving his hand about him, "all this is yours."Mademoiselle de Verneuil gave the strange old man a look of thanks, and succeeded in extracting a sigh from him, expressing a variety of emotions.
"You will of course return me my ten crowns; and please remark that Iask no interest.You can pay them to my credit with Maitre Patrat, the notary at Fougeres, who would draw our marriage contract if you consented to be mine.Adieu.""Adieu," she said, smiling and waving her hand.
"If you ever want money," he called after her, "I'll lend it to you at five per cent; yes, only five--did I say five?--why, she's gone! That girl looks to me like a good one; nevertheless, I'll change the secret opening of my chimney."Then he took a twelve-pound loaf and a ham, and returned to his hiding-place.
*****
As Mademoiselle de Verneuil walked through the country she seemed to breathe a new life.The freshness of the night revived her after the fiery experience of the last few hours.She tried to follow the path explained to her by d'Orgemont, but the darkness became so dense after the moon had gone down that she was forced to walk hap-hazard, blindly.Presently the fear of falling down some precipice seized her and saved her life, for she stopped suddenly, fancying the ground would disappear before her if she made another step.A cool breeze lifting her hair, the murmur of the river, and her instinct all combined to warn her that she was probably on the verge of the Saint-Sulpice rocks.She slipped her arm around a tree and waited for dawn with keen anxiety, for she heard a noise of arms and horses and human voices; she was grateful to the darkness which saved her from the Chouans, who were evidently, as the miser had said, surrounding Fougeres.
