Part 48 (2/2)
”Poor Jacques! I was sure of it.”
”And yet you kept your mouth shut, you idiot, and you left me consumed with anxiety--Poor woman! Perhaps she is with him!”
”Parbleu! there's no doubt of that!”
”Is he in prison in Paris?”
”Yes--wait--he is at the Conciergerie.”
”He must have spent and sold everything, and his creditors had him arrested!--Ah! if I were rich, brother, how happy I would be to be of some use to you! But fate has willed it otherwise.--No matter; I can at least prove to you that you still have a friend.--Sans-Souci, I am going to Paris.”
”So am I; morbleu! I will go with you; I don't propose to leave you.”
”Very well. We won't say anything to the peasants about my brother's imprisonment; those excellent people would be quite capable of insisting upon doing still more to a.s.sist us, and we must not accept it; they have done enough for us already.”
”You are always right. I agree with you; let us go and say good-bye to them; forward!”
Jacques and Sans-Souci embraced the peasants and told them that they were going to look for Adeline; then they started for Paris, where they arrived that afternoon.
”You know the way,” said Jacques to his comrade; ”take me to the prison.
I will ask to speak to the commander, the captain, the governor; in fact, to speak to everybody, if necessary; this honorable decoration will serve as my safe-conduct.”
”Look you, I don't know the prison any better than you do, but I'll take you to my old friend, who is the messenger to the prisoners; he will tell us how we must go to work to see your brother.”
”Very well, let us speak to your friend; I trust that we may find him.”
”Yes,” said Sans-Souci; ”I see him now, over yonder.”
They quickened their pace and accosted the messenger, who recognized his friend, and shook hands with him, asking him what brought him to Paris.
”Let us sit down on this stone bench and talk,” said Sans-Souci; ”this is my comrade, a fine fellow----”
”He has some scars and a bit of ribbon which say enough.--Can I help you in any way, messieurs?”
”Yes, we have come on important business--we want to see a prisoner. You know, that Edouard Murville, whom you mentioned to me the last time I saw you; well, my comrade is his brother.”
”You are his brother?” said the messenger, looking at Jacques with compa.s.sion. ”I am sorry for you.”
”I am not the one to be sorry for,” said Jacques; ”he is the one, since he is unfortunate; for he has not been guilty of any dishonorable act, I trust?”
”What have you come here for?” said the messenger, without answering Jacques's question.
”Morbleu! we have come to see my brother; his wife and child have been here already to console him.”
”No woman has been here to see him, I a.s.sure you; in fact, no woman has attempted to see him.”
”Is it possible?”
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