English
AfewminutesafterthesceneofconfusionproducedinthesalonsofM.Danglarsbytheunexpectedappearanceofthebrigadeofsoldiers,andbythedisclosurewhichhadfollowed,themansionwasdesertedwithasmuchrapidityasifacaseofplagueorofcholeramorbushadbrokenoutamongtheguests.
Inafewminutes,throughallthedoors,downallthestaircases,byeveryexit,everyonehastenedtoretire,orrathertofly;foritwasasituationwheretheordinarycondolences,—whicheventhebestfriendsaresoeagertoofferingreatcatastrophes,—wereseentobeutterlyfutile.
Thereremainedinthebanker’shouseonlyDanglars,closetedinhisstudy,andmakinghisstatementtotheofficerofgendarmes;MadameDanglars,terrified,intheboudoirwithwhichweareacquainted;andEugenie,whowithhaughtyairanddisdainfulliphadretiredtoherroomwithherinseparablecompanion,MademoiselleLouised’Armilly.
Asforthenumerousservants(morenumerousthateveningthanusual,fortheirnumberwasaugmentedbycooksandbutlersfromtheCafedeParis),ventingontheiremployerstheirangeratwhattheytermedtheinsulttowhichtheyhadbeensubjected,theycollectedingroupsinthehall,inthekitchens,orintheirrooms,thinkingverylittleoftheirduty,whichwasthusnaturallyinterrupted.
Ofallthishousehold,onlytwopersonsdeserveournotice;theseareMademoiselleEugenieDanglarsandMademoiselleLouised’Armilly.
Thebetrothedhadretired,aswesaid,withhaughtyair,disdainfullip,andthedemeanorofanoutragedqueen,followedbyhercompanion,whowaspalerandmoredisturbedthanherself.
OnreachingherroomEugenielockedherdoor,whileLouisefellonachair.
“Ah,whatadreadfulthing,”saidtheyoungmusician;“whowouldhavesuspectedit?
M.AndreaCavalcantiamurderer—agalley–slaveescaped—aconvict!”
AnironicalsmilecurledthelipofEugenie.“IntruthIwasfated,”saidshe.
“IescapedtheMorcerfonlytofallintotheCavalcanti.”
“Oh,donotconfoundthetwo,Eugenie.”
“Holdyourtongue!Themenareallinfamous,andIamhappytobeablenowtodomorethandetestthem—Idespisethem.”
“Whatshallwedo?”askedLouise.
“Whatshallwedo?”
“Yes.”
“Why,thesamewehadintendeddoingthreedayssince—setoff.”
“What?—althoughyouarenotnowgoingtobemarried,youintendstill”—
“Listen,Louise.Ihatethislifeofthefashionableworld,alwaysordered,measured,ruled,likeourmusic–paper.
WhatIhavealwayswishedfor,desired,andcoveted,isthelifeofanartist,freeandindependent,relyingonlyonmyownresources,andaccountableonlytomyself.Remainhere?Whatfor?
—thattheymaytry,amonthhence,tomarrymeagain;andtowhom?
—M.Debray,perhaps,asitwasonceproposed.No,Louise,no!
Thisevening’sadventurewillserveformyexcuse.
Ididnotseekone,Ididnotaskforone.
Godsendsmethis,andIhailitjoyfully!”
“Howstrongandcourageousyouare!”saidthefair,frailgirltoherbrunettecompanion.
“Didyounotyetknowme?Come,Louise,letustalkofouraffairs.Thepost–chaise”—
“Washappilyboughtthreedayssince.”
“Haveyouhaditsentwherewearetogoforit?”
“Yes.”
“Ourpassport?”
“Hereitis.”
AndEugenie,withherusualprecision,openedaprintedpaper,andread,—
“M.Leond’Armilly,twentyyearsofage;profession,artist;hairblack,eyesblack;travellingwithhissister.”
“Capital!Howdidyougetthispassport?”
“WhenIwenttoaskM.deMonteCristoforletterstothedirectorsofthetheatresatRomeandNaples,Iexpressedmyfearsoftravellingasawoman;heperfectlyunderstoodthem,andundertooktoprocureformeaman’spassport,andtwodaysafterIreceivedthis,towhichIhaveaddedwithmyownhand,‘travellingwithhissister.’”
“Well,”saidEugeniecheerfully,“wehavethenonlytopackupourtrunks;weshallstarttheeveningofthesigningofthecontract,insteadoftheeveningofthewedding—thatisall.”
“Butconsiderthematterseriously,Eugenie!”
“Oh,Iamdonewithconsidering!Iamtiredofhearingonlyofmarketreports,oftheendofthemonth,oftheriseandfallofSpanishfunds,ofHaitianbonds.
Insteadofthat,Louise—doyouunderstand?
—air,liberty,melodyofbirds,plainsofLombardy,Venetiancanals,Romanpalaces,theBayofNaples.Howmuchhavewe,Louise?”
Theyounggirltowhomthisquestionwasaddresseddrewfromaninlaidsecretaryasmallportfoliowithalock,inwhichshecountedtwenty–threebank–notes.
“Twenty–threethousandfrancs,”saidshe.
“Andasmuch,atleast,inpearls,diamonds,andjewels,”saidEugenie.“Wearerich.
Withforty–fivethousandfrancswecanlivelikeprincessesfortwoyears,andcomfortablyforfour;butbeforesixmonths—youwithyourmusic,andIwithmyvoice—weshalldoubleourcapital.
Come,youshalltakechargeofthemoney,Iofthejewel–box;sothatifoneofushadthemisfortunetolosehertreasure,theotherwouldstillhavehersleft.
Now,theportmanteau—letusmakehaste—theportmanteau!”
“Stop!”saidLouise,goingtolistenatMadameDanglars’door.
“Whatdoyoufear?”
“Thatwemaybediscovered.”
“Thedoorislocked.”
“Theymaytellustoopenit.”
“Theymayiftheylike,butwewillnot.”
“YouareaperfectAmazon,Eugenie!”Andthetwoyounggirlsbegantoheapintoatrunkallthethingstheythoughttheyshouldrequire.
“Therenow,”saidEugenie,“whileIchangemycostumedoyoulocktheportmanteau.”
Louisepressedwithallthestrengthofherlittlehandsonthetopoftheportmanteau.
“ButIcannot,”saidshe;“Iamnotstrongenough;doyoushutit.”
“Ah,youdowelltoask,”saidEugenie,laughing;“IforgotthatIwasHercules,andyouonlythepaleOmphale!”
Andtheyounggirl,kneelingonthetop,pressedthetwopartsoftheportmanteautogether,andMademoiselled’Armillypassedtheboltofthepadlockthrough.
Whenthiswasdone,Eugenieopenedadrawer,ofwhichshekeptthekey,andtookfromitawaddedvioletsilktravellingcloak.
“Here,”saidshe,“youseeIhavethoughtofeverything;withthiscloakyouwillnotbecold.”
“Butyou?”
“Oh,Iamnevercold,youknow!Besides,withthesemen’sclothes”—
“Willyoudresshere?”
“Certainly.”
“Shallyouhavetime?”
“Donotbeuneasy,youlittlecoward!Allourservantsarebusy,discussingthegrandaffair.
Besides,whatisthereastonishing,whenyouthinkofthegriefIoughttobein,thatIshutmyselfup?—tellme!”
“No,truly—youcomfortme.”
“Comeandhelpme.”
Fromthesamedrawershetookaman’scompletecostume,fromthebootstothecoat,andaprovisionoflinen,wheretherewasnothingsuperfluous,buteveryrequisite.
Then,withapromptitudewhichindicatedthatthiswasnotthefirsttimeshehadamusedherselfbyadoptingthegarboftheoppositesex,Eugeniedrewonthebootsandpantaloons,tiedhercravat,buttonedherwaistcoatuptothethroat,andputonacoatwhichadmirablyfittedherbeautifulfigure.
“Oh,thatisverygood—indeed,itisverygood!”
saidLouise,lookingatherwithadmiration;“butthatbeautifulblackhair,thosemagnificentbraids,whichmadealltheladiessighwithenvy,—willtheygounderaman’shatliketheoneIseedownthere?”
“Youshallsee,”saidEugenie.Andwithherlefthandseizingthethickmass,whichherlongfingerscouldscarcelygrasp,shetookinherrighthandapairoflongscissors,andsoonthesteelmetthroughtherichandsplendidhair,whichfellinaclusteratherfeetassheleanedbacktokeepitfromhercoat.
Thenshegraspedthefronthair,whichshealsocutoff,withoutexpressingtheleastregret;onthecontrary,hereyessparkledwithgreaterpleasurethanusualunderherebonyeyebrows.“Oh,themagnificenthair!”saidLouise,withregret.
“AndamInotahundredtimesbetterthus?”criedEugenie,smoothingthescatteredcurlsofherhair,whichhadnowquiteamasculineappearance;“anddoyounotthinkmehandsomerso?”
“Oh,youarebeautiful—alwaysbeautiful!”criedLouise.“Now,whereareyougoing?”
“ToBrussels,ifyoulike;itisthenearestfrontier.
WecangotoBrussels,Liege,Aix–la–Chapelle;thenuptheRhinetoStrasburg.
WewillcrossSwitzerland,andgodownintoItalybytheSaint–Gothard.Willthatdo?”
“Yes.”
“Whatareyoulookingat?”
“Iamlookingatyou;indeedyouareadorablelikethat!Onewouldsayyouwerecarryingmeoff.”
“Andtheywouldberight,pardieu!”
“Oh,Ithinkyouswore,Eugenie.”Andthetwoyounggirls,whomeveryonemighthavethoughtplungedingrief,theoneonherownaccount,theotherfrominterestinherfriend,burstoutlaughing,astheyclearedawayeveryvisibletraceofthedisorderwhichhadnaturallyaccompaniedthepreparationsfortheirescape.
Then,havingblownoutthelights,thetwofugitives,lookingandlisteningeagerly,withoutstretchednecks,openedthedoorofadressing–roomwhichledbyasidestaircasedowntotheyard,—Eugeniegoingfirst,andholdingwithonearmtheportmanteau,whichbytheoppositehandleMademoiselled’Armillyscarcelyraisedwithbothhands.
Theyardwasempty;theclockwasstrikingtwelve.Theporterwasnotyetgonetobed.
Eugenieapproachedsoftly,andsawtheoldmansleepingsoundlyinanarm–chairinhislodge.
ShereturnedtoLouise,tookuptheportmanteau,whichshehadplacedforamomentontheground,andtheyreachedthearchwayundertheshadowofthewall.
EugenieconcealedLouiseinanangleofthegateway,sothatiftheporterchancedtoawakehemightseebutoneperson.
Thenplacingherselfinthefulllightofthelampwhichlittheyard,—”Gate!”
criedshe,withherfinestcontraltovoice,andrappingatthewindow.
TheportergotupasEugenieexpected,andevenadvancedsomestepstorecognizethepersonwhowasgoingout,butseeingayoungmanstrikinghisbootimpatientlywithhisriding–whip,heopeneditimmediately.
Louiseslidthroughthehalf–opengatelikeasnake,andboundedlightlyforward.
Eugenie,apparentlycalm,althoughinallprobabilityherheartbeatsomewhatfasterthanusual,wentoutinherturn.
Aporterwaspassingandtheygavehimtheportmanteau;thenthetwoyounggirls,havingtoldhimtotakeittoNo.36,RuedelaVictoire,walkedbehindthisman,whosepresencecomfortedLouise.
AsforEugenie,shewasasstrongasaJudithoraDelilah.Theyarrivedattheappointedspot.
Eugenieorderedtheportertoputdowntheportmanteau,gavehimsomepiecesofmoney,andhavingrappedattheshuttersenthimaway.
TheshutterwhereEugeniehadrappedwasthatofalittlelaundress,whohadbeenpreviouslywarned,andwasnotyetgonetobed.Sheopenedthedoor.
“Mademoiselle,”saidEugenie,“lettheportergetthepost–chaisefromthecoach–house,andfetchsomepost–horsesfromthehotel.Herearefivefrancsforhistrouble.”
“Indeed,”saidLouise,“Iadmireyou,andIcouldalmostsayrespectyou.”Thelaundresslookedoninastonishment,butasshehadbeenpromisedtwentylouis,shemadenoremark.
Inaquarterofanhourtheporterreturnedwithapost–boyandhorses,whichwereharnessed,andputinthepost–chaiseinaminute,whiletheporterfastenedtheportmanteauonwiththeassistanceofacordandstrap.
“Hereisthepassport,”saidthepostilion,“whichwayarewegoing,younggentleman?”
“ToFontainebleau,”repliedEugeniewithanalmostmasculinevoice.
“Whatdoyousay?”saidLouise.
“Iamgivingthemtheslip,”saidEugenie;“thiswomantowhomwehavegiventwentylouismaybetrayusforforty;wewillsoonalterourdirection.”
Andtheyounggirljumpedintothebritzska,whichwasadmirablyarrangedforsleepingin,withoutscarcelytouchingthestep.
“Youarealwaysright,”saidthemusicteacher,seatingherselfbythesideofherfriend.
Aquarterofanhourafterwardsthepostilion,havingbeenputintherightroad,passedwithacrackofhiswhipthroughthegatewayoftheBarriereSaint–Martin.
“Ah,”saidLouise,breathingfreely,“hereweareoutofParis.”
“Yes,mydear,theabductionisanaccomplishedfact,”repliedEugenie.“Yes,andwithoutviolence,”saidLouise.
“Ishallbringthatforwardasanextenuatingcircumstance,”repliedEugenie.
ThesewordswerelostinthenoisewhichthecarriagemadeinrollingoverthepavementofLaVillette.M.Danglarsnolongerhadadaughter.
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