The Chevalier De Maison Rouge (10 page)

they disappeared.

" Conceal that ring," murmured G-eneviere ; " it ia known by every one here."

Maurice quickly drew the ring from his finger, and

slipped it into his waistcoat pocket. A moment after-

ward the door of the pavilion opened, and Dixmer, un-

armed, advanced toward Maurice.

"Pardon me, citizen," said he to him, "that I had not known sooner the obligation I am under to you. My

wife, while retaining a grateful remembrance of the serv-

ice you rendered her on the 10th of March, had forgot-

ten your name. We were, therefore, completely in ig-

norance with whom we were concerned ; independent of

this, believe me, we might not for a moment have en-

tertained suspicion either of your honor or intentions.

Again, I say, pardon me."

Maurice was bewildered ; with the greatest difficulty

he preserved his equilibrium, he felt his head turn round,

and was near falling. He supported himself against the

mantelpiece. At length :

" Why did you wish to kill me ? " said he.

"That is the secret, citizen," said Dixmer ; "I confide it to your keeping. I am, as you already know, a

tanner, and principal in this concern. The greater part

of the acids I employ in the preparation of my skins are

prohibited goods. Now, the smugglers have received in-

telligence of an information laid before the counsel-gen-

eral. I feared you were an informer. My smugglers

were more alarmed than myself at your bonnet-rouge and

formidable appearance, and I do not conceal from you

that your death was resolved upon."

" Pardieu ! and well I know it," said Maurice ; "you tell me no news. I heard your consultation, and I have

teen your carbine."

"I have already apologized," said Dixmer, in a kindly tone. "You must understand that, thanks to the un-settled state of the times, myself and partner, Monsieur

Morand, are likely to realize an immense fortune. We

THE CHEVALIER DE MAISON ROUGE. 63

have the furnishing of the military bags, and finish from

fifteen hundred to two thousand each day. Owing to this

blessed state of things in which we live, the municipality

are much occupied, and have not time strictly to examine

our accounts, so that it must be confessed we fish a little in troubled waters, the more so, as I have told yon the

preparatory materials we procure by smuggling allow us

to gain two hundred per cent/'

" Didble ! " said Maurice,

dread lest a denunciation on my part should put an end

to it ; but now you know me, you fear me no longer.

Is it not so ? "

"Now," said Dixmer, "I only require your promise."

Then, placing his hand on his shoulder, and smiling, " As it is only between friends," said he, " may I inquire what brought you here, young man ? But remember, if you

wish to keep it secret, you are perfectly at liberty to do

80."

" I have told you, I believe," murmured Maurice.

"Yes, a woman," said the burgess; "I know there was something about a woman."

" J/0/J Dieu ! excuse me, citizen, I am aware some sort of explanation is due to you. "Well, then, I sought a female, who the other evening, disguised, told me she resided in

this quarter. I neither know her name, position, nor

place of abode. I only know I am madly in love with

her, that she is short "

Genevieve was tall.

" That she is fair, and of a lively temperament."

Genevieve was a brunette, with large, pensive eyes.

"A grisette, in short," continued Maurice; "so to please her, I assumed the popular dress."

" This explains it all," said Dixmer, with an affectation of belief, which, at least, did not contradict his sullen

look.

Genevieve colored, and feeling herself blush, turned

away.

"Poor Citizen Lindey," said Dixmer, "what a miser-64 THE CHEVALIER DE MAISON ROUGE.

able evening we have caused you to pass ; and you are

about the last I would wish to injure, so excellent a

patriot, a brother ; but, in short, I believed some ' dis-

infected ' usurped your name."

" Let us say nothing more on the subject," said Maurice, who knew it was time for him to withdraw ; " put me in the road, and let us forget that this has occurred altogether. "

" Pat you in your road ! " said Dixmer ; " you leave us not yet, not yet ; I give or, rather, my partner and myself give a supper to-night to those brave fellows who

wished so much to slaughter you a little white ago. I

reckon upon your supping with them, that you may see

they are not such devils as they appear to be."

"But," said Maurice, overjoyed at the thought of

being for a few hours near Genevieve, " I do not know, really, if I ought to accept "

" If you ought to accept ! " said Dixmer ; " I know you ought ; these are good and stanch patriots as yourself.

Besides, I shall not consider that you have forgiven me

unless we break bread together."

Genevieve uttered not a word. Maurice was in tor-

ment.

"The fact is," said Maurice, "I fear I may be a constraint upon you, citoyenne ; this dress my ungentle-

manly appearance "

Genevieve looked timidly toward him.

" I accept your invitation, citizen," said he, bowing.

"I will go and secure our companions," said Dixmer;

" in the meantime, warm yourself, mon cher."

He went out. Maurice and Genevieve remained alone.

"Ah, monsieur," said the young woman, in an accent to which she in vain tried to convey a tone of reproach,

" you have failed in your word, you have been exceed-

ingly indiscreet."

" Madame," cried Maurice, " shall I expose you ? Ah !

in that case, pardon me, I will retire, and never "

" Dieu! " said she, rising, "you are wounded in the breast ; your shirt is stained with blood."

THE CHEVALIER DE MAISON ROUGE. 65

Indeed, upon the fine white shirt of Maurice a shirt

forming a strange contrast to his coarser clothes a large

red spot of blood had spread itself, and had dried there.

" Do not be under any alarm, madame,"said the young man, ''one of the smugglers pricked me with his

poniard."

Genevieve turned pale, and, taking his hand :

"Forgive me," said she, "the wrong that has been done you ; you saved my life, and I have nearly caused

your death."

" Am I not sufficiently recompensed in finding you ?

You cannot for a moment imagine it was for another that

I sought. "

" Come with me," said Genevieve, interrupting him ;

" I will find you some clean linen. Our guests must not see you thus it would be too great a reproach to them."

" 1 am a great trouble to you, madame, I fear," said Maurice, sighing.

" Xot at all ; I only do my duty ; and," she added, " I do it witli much pleasure."

Genevieve then conducted Maurice to a large dressing-

room, arranged with an air of elegance he had not ex-

pected to find in the house of a master tanner. It is true, this master tanner appeared to be a millionaire. She then

opened the wardrobes.

" Help yourself," said she ; '- you are at home."

She withdrew.

When Maurice came out, he found Dixmer, who had

returned.

' Allu/ts, aUons ! " said he, " to table ; it only waits for you."

CHAPTER IX.

THE SUPPER.

WHEX Maurice entered with Dixmer and Genevie've

into the saUe-d-manger, situated in the body of the base-

ment, where they had first conducted him, the supper

was ready, but the room vacant. He saw all the guests

66 THE CHEVALIER DE MAISON ROUGE.

enter successively. They were six in number ; men of

agreeable exterior, for the most part young and fashion-

ably dressed ; two or three even wore the blouse and bon-

net-rouge.

Dixmer introduced Maurice, naming his titles and quali-

fications. Then, turning toward Maurice :

" You see," said he, " Citizen Lindey, all those who assist me in my trade. Thanks to the times in which we

live, thanks to the revolutionary principles which have

effaced all distinction, we all live upon the same looting

of sacred equality. Every day we assemble twice at the

same table, and I am happy you have been induced to

partake of our family repast. Allans! to table citizens,

to table ! "

" And Monsieur Morand," said Genevieve, timidly,

" do we not wait for him ? "

"Ah, true ! " said Dixmer. "This citizen, of whom I have already spoken, Citizen Lindey, is my partner. He

conducts, if I may so express myself, the moral part of

the establishment. He attends to the writing, keeps the

cash, superintends the factories, pays and receives money,

and, in short, works harder than any of us. The result

is, that he is sometimes rather late. I will go and tell

him we are waiting."

At this moment the door opened, and the Citizen

Morand entered. He was a short man, dark, with bushy

eyebrows, and wore green spectacles like a man whose

eyes are fatigued from excess of work concealing his

black eyes, but not so effectually their scintillating gleams.

At the first words he uttered, Maurice recognized that

mild yet commanding voice engaged in his behalf, when

endeavoring to save him from becoming a victim to that

terrible discussion. He was habited in a brown coat, with

large buttons, a white waistcoat ; and his fine cambric

shirt-frill was often during dinner smoothed by a hand

which Maurice, no doubt from its being that of a trades-

man, admired much for its beauty and delicacy of appear-

ance.

They all took their seats. Morand was placed on Gene-

THE CHEVALIER DE MAISON ROUGE. 67

nave's right hand, Maurice on her left. Dixmer sat op-

posite his wife. The rest of the guests seated themselves

promiscuously round an oblong table. The supper was

excellent. Dixmer had a capital appetite, and did the

honors of the table with much politeness. The workmen,

or those who pretended to be such, under this example,

became excellent companions. The Citizen Morand spoke

little, and eat still less ; drank scarcely anything, and

rarely smiled. Maurice, perhaps from the reminiscences

his voice awakened, felt for him immediately a lively

sympathy, only he was in doubt as to his age, and this

rather annoyed him, as sometimes he imagined him to be

a man of forty or fifty years, and at others quite young.

Dixmer, on placing himself at table, felt obliged to

offer some explanation to his guests for the admission of

a stranger into their little circle. He acquitted himself

like an artless man, one unaccustomed to deceit ; but the

guests, as it seemed, were not difficult on this point ;

for, notwithstanding the awkwardness displayed by this

manufacturer of hides in the introduction of e young

man, they all appeared perfectly satisfied.

Maurice regarded him with astonishment.

" Upon my honor," said he to himself, " I shall really soon think that I myself am deceived. Is this the same

man who, with flaming eyes and furious voice, pursued

me gun in hand, and absolutely wished to kill me three

quarters of an hour since ? At this moment one might

take him for a hero rather than an assassin. Mon Dieu!

how the love of hides transforms a man."

While making these observations, Maurice experienced

a strange feeling of joy and grief, and felt unable to

analyze his own emotions. He at length found himself

near his beautiful unknown, whom lie had so ardently

sought. As he had dreamed, she bore a charming name ;

he was intoxicated with the happiness of finding himself

at her side ; he drank in every word ; and at each sound

of her voice the most secret chord of his heart vibrated,

but he was deeply wounded by all he saw. Genevieve

Was exactly what he had pictured her ; the dream of a

68 THE CHEVALIER DE MAISON ROUGE.

stormy night reality had not destroyed. Here was an

elegant woman, of refined mind and superior education,

affording another instance of what had so frequently

occurred during the latter years preceding this present

celebrated year, '93. Here was a young woman of dis-

tinction compelled, from the utter ruin into which the

nobility had fallen, to ally herself to a commoner and a

trusty man. Dixmer appeared a brave man. He was in-

contestably rich, and his manners to Genevieve were those

of a man uniting every endeavor to render a woman

happy.

But could kindness, riches, or excellent intentions com-

pensate her for what she had sacrificed, or remove the

immense distance existing between husband and wife,

between a poetical, distinguished, charming girl and a

vulgar-looking tradesman ? With what could Genevieve

fill up this abyss ? Alas ! Maurice now guessed too well.

With love ! And he, therefore, returned to his first

opinion of the young woman, influenced by appearances

on the evening of their meeting, that she was returning

from some rendezvous d' amour.

The idea of Genevieve loving any one was torture to

Maurice. He sighed, and deeply regretted having exposed

himself to the temptation of imbibing a still larger dose