Part 39 (1/2)

CHAPTER XXIII.

”_Jaffier_. O, Belvidera!

_Belvidera_. Why was I last night delivered to a villain?

_Jaffier_. Ha! a villain?

_Belvidera_. Yes, to a villain!”

OTWAY.

Agreeably to the arrangement of the previous night, Emily was on board of the ”Montezuma,” prepared to commence her journey to Bellevue. While De Guy conducted Emily to the ladies' cabin, Hatchie was getting her few articles of baggage on board, and the boat was fairly under weigh without the faithful mulatto's having had a sight of the new protector of Emily. The attorney congratulated himself on this circ.u.mstance; his mind had thus been released from the pressure of a most painful anxiety.

His plan was now accomplished.

But the meeting could not be much longer deferred. De Guy, however, now that they were free from the friends of Emily, no longer dreaded it.

The dinner hour arrived, and Hatchie was standing by the side of his mistress on the gallery, when De Guy approached and announced the fact.

His voice startled Hatchie. It was the same squeaking tone he had heard at Bellevue on the night of his escape. He turned to look upon the speaker, and was confounded to behold the very person who had plotted with Jaspar on that memorable night! With a presence of mind which never deserted him, he held his peace, resolved not to frighten his mistress by exposing the fact.

Hatchie stood lost in thought on the gallery long after De Guy had conducted his mistress to the dinner-table. The mulatto was in a quandary,--a worse quandary than the congressional hero of Kentucky has described in any of his thousand relations of hair-breadth escapes. His mistress was fairly committed to her new destiny, and how could he extricate her?

He resolved to do the only thing he possibly could do,--to watch unceasingly, to be ever ready to defend his mistress in case of necessity. The papers which De Guy had brought from Bellevue, and which he heard described by the doctor, did much to a.s.sure him that no evil was intended towards her; but the man who had been a villain once was, in his opinion, exceedingly apt to be so again.

Emily was ill at ease during the pa.s.sage; not that she felt unsafe, or dreaded treachery, but something seemed to whisper that evil _might_ be near her. An undefined sensation of doubt seemed to beset her path, and urge upon her the unpleasant necessity of extreme caution. She was conscious of being engaged in a good work. She had forgiven her great enemy, and was now on her way to smooth his dying pillow. There was something lofty and beautiful in the thought, and she derived much consolation from it.

De Guy rarely intruded himself upon her notice during the pa.s.sage. At meal-hours he was scrupulously polite and attentive, but he was as cold and formal as she could desire. She never ventured upon the promenade deck, unless her faithful Hatchie was near.

The mulatto, with all his watchfulness, was unable to discover any indications of treachery on the part of De Guy, though an apparently confidential conversation with the captain of the steamer, on the night before their arrival at New Orleans, had rather an unfavorable appearance.

It was late at night when the Montezuma arrived at New Orleans. The steamer quietly took her berth at the levee, so that few of the pa.s.sengers took any notice of their arrival, and contentedly turned over in their berths to wait the advent of the coming day.

Hatchie, who occupied a room near the boiler deck, had been awakened by the confusion of making fast the steamer. His watchful vigil over the safety of his mistress did not permit him to slumber while the possibility of danger existed. He had, therefore, risen; but scarcely had he completed his dress, when the door of his room was suddenly opened, and himself violently seized by two stout men. The attack had been so sudden, and the movements of the a.s.sailants so well directed, that resistance was hopeless. Before he fully realized the presence of his foes, his hands were pinioned behind him. In this condition, without knowing why or by whom he was a.s.sailed, he was hurried away to the calaboose.

At an early hour in the morning carriages and drays began to a.s.semble on the levee, and all the noise and bustle of landing pa.s.sengers, baggage and freight, commenced.

Emily Dumont, as soon as it was fairly light, rose from her couch, and made her preparations to leave the steamer. Fully equipped for her journey to Bellevue, she entered the cabin, where De Guy soon presented himself.

”Where is Hatchie?” was the first question she asked; for Hatchie had always been on the spot whenever and wherever she needed his services.

”I have taken the liberty to send him up to the St. Charles with your luggage. You will, of course, breakfast there,” said the attorney, blandly.

”Such was not my intention,” replied she, as a cold tremor--she knew not why--agitated her.

”I am sorry to have mistaken your purpose; the ride to Bellevue is a long one to take without any refreshment.”

”I mind it not; my haste is too great to admit of any delay.”

”I sent by your servant to order an early breakfast, and a carriage at seven o'clock.”

”Very well, I will conform to the arrangement you have made,” replied Emily, with a dissatisfied air.