Part 8 (1/2)
”Ah, monsieur, I feared to mention his name. He is a great n.o.ble, and he--he--but I cannot tell you.” And she stopped, with a little s.h.i.+ver.
”You need not, madame. He is Simon, Vidame d'Orrain.”
”Yes,” she said, and our talk stopped. My cheeks were burning at the thought of Simon's deed of shame, and I put this down to the long score I had against him. And so on we rode, until we pa.s.sed the skirts of the forest, though still keeping to its edge, and came to a stretch of moorland, beyond which was a series of small hills. We could now hear water running like a mill-race, and from the hills there glinted the lights of a large village.
”That is Richelieu, monsieur,” exclaimed mademoiselle, ”and the water that we hear is the Mable.”
”See there, monsieur!” Pierrebon suddenly cut in, as he arrested mademoiselle's horse, and pointed to his right, where on the edge of the forest we saw lights at the windows of a low-lying, irregular building half concealed amidst trees. ”See there!” continued Pierrebon; ”that is a house where at least we shall be able to sup and get a guide.”
”A guide,” I exclaimed, ”with Richelieu before us!”
”Listen to the Mable,” urged Pierrebon; ”is there a bridge? If not we must ford it; and they say the river is deep and dangerous; but perhaps mademoiselle knows the ford?”
”Indeed I do not.”
Considering all things, I came to the conclusion that Pierrebon was right, and that it would be wiser to seek the house. As we approached it, mademoiselle said:
”It may be the hunting-lodge of Le Jaquemart, belonging to the Sieur de Richelieu.”
”Well, we will know soon,” I said, and urged Pierrebon to quicken his pace. There was but a bare quarter mile of moorland, covered with yellow broom and purple thistle, to be pa.s.sed, and then we came up to the house. As we did so we perceived that it was surrounded by a high stone wall, and mademoiselle exclaimed positively:
”It is Le Jaquemart; but it is strange it is occupied, for the Sieur de Richelieu is in Italy.”
”_Bien_,” I thought to myself, ”the furrier's niece knows all about the Sieurs de Richelieu!” And then aloud: ”Perhaps he has returned with Montluc, mademoiselle; or it may be that friends of his hunt the forest.”
”M. de Parthenay is near Loudon.”
I made no answer, for at this moment we reined up before the gate, and glanced at the ma.s.sive, studded portal, and the old wall, with its soft crowning of ivy on the top, and grey-green, moss-covered sides, where the yellow wall-pepper and white serpyllum pushed between the crevices of the stonework. And as we looked we heard from within a peal of loud laughter, a woman's voice mingling with the deeper tones of that of a man. As the laughter ceased Pierrebon exclaimed:
”They are gay within, monsieur!” And then, on a sign from me, he knocked long and loudly.
”Enough, enough! You would waken the dead.”
”One more, monsieur!” And Pierrebon, who already smelt his supper, brought the bra.s.s lion's head of the knocker with such force against the studded door that it might have been heard a quarter mile away.
From within came a shrill whistle, and a voice called out, with a foreign accent: ”The gate, Piero! Who is it? Someone knocks.”
”And will knock again soon if you do not make haste,” grumbled Pierrebon; whilst I p.r.i.c.ked up my ears, and glanced at mademoiselle, and saw her drooping in her saddle. Now we heard a heavy, lurching step on the other side of the gate, a sliding panel covering a Judas Hole was drawn back, a man's face appeared dimly, and a voice asked in halting French:
”Who are you? What do you want?”
”Supper and a guide,” began Pierrebon; but dismounting I put him aside, and said:
”We are three travellers, one of whom is a lady. We have lost our way, and seek but a guide to the ford.”
As I spoke the man on the other side of the gate raised a dark lantern he had hitherto held low in his hand, and flashed it through the opening, whilst he peered at us.
”Only three?” he asked.
”And one a lady,” I answered; whilst Pierrebon let his tongue wag: ”Oh, the mole! To want a lantern in this moonlight!” And following his words came the voice from the house, asking again in Italian: