Part 52 (1/2)
”Parbleu! yes, it's our friend; come, Murville, embrace your old acquaintances, your faithful companions in pleasure and adversity.”
Edouard heard voices which were familiar to him; he raised his eyes and saw Lampin before him; but he did not recognize the other brigand, whose voice had caught his attention. The latter took his hand and shook it violently; Edouard looked at him again, and sought upon the horribly mutilated face features which were not unknown to him.
”What,” said Lampin; ”don't you recognize Dufresne, our old friend?”
”Dufresne!” cried Edouard; ”is it possible?”
”Yes, Murville, it is himself,” said Dufresne, untying a number of bands which disfigured his face by representing scars, and taking off a plaster which concealed one eye and a part of his forehead, as well as a beard which covered his chin and his upper lip. ”I'm delighted that you don't recognize me, for that demonstrates my talent for disguising myself; and that's something, especially when one has a death sentence hanging over him. But you, my rascal, you seem to have limbered up a little since we met. The devil! this does you credit.”
”Comrades,” said Lampin, who had been prowling about the cabin, ”there's nothing of any good to us here; the shot we heard may bring people in this direction, whom we should not be pleased to meet. Take my advice and let us quit this hovel and go back into the woods; we can talk more safely there.”
Lampin's advice being adjudged prudent, the robbers left the cabin, taking with them Edouard, who had hardly recovered from his surprise and could not believe that he had found Dufresne again in the person of the chief of a band of outlaws.
After walking for some time through the thickest part of the forest, the robbers stopped in a clearing; they built a fire, produced provisions which they spread on the gra.s.s, and having prepared their weapons in case of surprise, they seated themselves about the flame, which alone lighted their meal.
”I don't know,” said Dufresne, gazing at Edouard with savage joy, ”what presentiment led me to hope that we should be united some day. In fact, I have always acted with that end in view; isn't that so, Lampin?”
Lampin was eating ravenously, and according to his custom, drinking even more ravenously; he contented himself with a glance at Edouard, accompanied by a laugh. Edouard observed his new companions, uncertain as yet if he ought to congratulate himself upon meeting them.
”How does it happen that I meet you with Lampin in this forest?” he asked Dufresne at last; ”what has led you to embrace such a dangerous life?”
”What's that? what other sort of life do you expect a man to embrace when he is outlawed from society, as we are? You're not going to play the innocent, are you, you who have just killed a poor wood-cutter, whose death was of no benefit to you?”
”I did nothing but defend myself; that man had fired at me and was threatening me again; I had to parry his blows.”
”The deuce, comrade, you have a pretty way of parrying!--But no matter, let us return to ourselves. You must know that I have been sentenced to death; luckily I didn't wait for my sentence before escaping from prison, thanks to these two faithful friends whom I had helped long ago.
We could not appear in the daylight; so we selected the woods and the highways to carry on our trade; a man must do something. A little while ago, we stopped a traveller who was riding through these woods, and I recognized Lampin, who asked nothing better than to join us. You must join us too, my dear Murville, for there is nothing else for you to do; you ought to be enchanted to have met us.”
”Yes, yes,” said Lampin, ”and I am sure that you no longer bear me a grudge for leaving you with the wagoner at midnight. What can you expect, my boy? I saw that the horse wasn't worth much; he would never have been able to gallop with two men on his back, and I gave myself the preference; that was natural enough.”
”What a miserable life!” said Edouard, glancing about; ”to live in the woods, in the darkness, to dread being arrested every minute, to risk one's life for a few gold pieces!”
”Deuce take it, my little man,” said Lampin; ”I agree that it was livelier when we danced with Veronique-la-Blonde, beating time on her flanks, and drinking madeira or champagne; but, you see, we all have our ups and our downs.”
”Muster up your courage, my dear Murville,” said Dufresne; ”we may be rich yet, and enjoy life under another sky. Meanwhile, I don't propose any longer to confine myself to living in the woods, and waiting for a poor traveller now and then; besides, four or five men are not enough to form a formidable band, equal to stopping well-loaded vehicles. But I have more extensive projects, and as I possess the talent of making myself unrecognizable, when necessary, I hope that when my comrades are thoroughly saturated with my lessons, we shall be able to try some bold stroke,--either breaking into some wealthy man's house, or a.s.suming t.i.tle and rank, according to circ.u.mstances.”
”Ah! he's a sly fox! he knows a lot! I would like right well to know the man who educated him!”
”I can satisfy you, my friends, by telling you the story of my youth; it will not take long and it will amuse you. Moreover, Murville will derive some profit from it; there are some things in it which concern him, and I have no need now of standing on ceremony with him.”
”Tell on, tell on,” said Lampin; ”meanwhile, we will drink; in fact, there's nothing better for us to do in this infernal wood, where we have drawn blank for two nights. Come, comrades, let us start up the fire and drink quietly.”
The robbers rekindled the fire, took a bottle each, and gathered about their leader; while Edouard, with his head resting in his hands, waited in gloomy silence for Dufresne to begin his story.
x.x.xIV
DUFRESNE'S STORY