Part 36 (1/2)
”Who was this Frenchman?”
”The Duke of Orleans, Louis Philippe de Bourbon, monsieur the abbe.”
There was an expressive movement among the courtiers.
”Was Louis Philippe instrumental in sending him to France?”
”He was. He procured s.h.i.+pping for the pretender.”
”When the pretender reached Paris, what did he do?”
”He attempted robbery, and was taken in the act and thrown into Ste.
Pelagie. I saw him arrested.”
”What were you doing in Paris?”
”I was following and watching this dangerous pretender, monsieur the abbe.”
”Did you leave America when he did?”
”The evening before, monsieur. And we outsailed him.”
”Did you leave Paris when he did?”
”Three days later, monsieur. But we pa.s.sed him while he rested.”
”Why do you call such an insignificant person a dangerous pretender?”
”He is not insignificant, monsieur: as you will say, when you hear what he did in Paris.”
”He was thrown into the prison of Ste. Pelagie, you told me.”
”But he escaped, by choking a sacristan so that the poor man will long bear the marks on his throat. And the first thing I knew he was high in favor with the Marquis du Plessy, and Bonaparte spoke to him; and the police laughed at complaints lodged against him.”
”Who lodged complaints against him?”
”I did, monsieur.”
”But he was too powerful for you to touch?”
”He was well protected, monsieur the abbe. He flaunted. While the poor prince and myself suffered inconvenience and fared hard--”
”The poor prince, you say?”
”We never had a fitting allowance, monsieur,” Bellenger declared aggressively. ”Yet with little or no means I tried to bring this pretender to justice and defend his Majesty's throne.”
”Pensioners are not often so outspoken in their dissatisfaction,”
remarked the priest.