el dorado-第41章
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and you； Hastings； have a care。 The destinies of France； mayhap；
will be lying asleep in your arms。〃
〃But you； Blakeney？〃 exclaimed the three men almost
simultaneously。
〃I am not going with you。 I entrust the child to you。 For God's
sake guard him well！ Ride with him to Mantes。 You should arrive
there at about ten o'clock。 One of you then go straight to No。9
Rue la Tour。 Ring the bell； an old man will answer it。 Say the
one word to him； 'Enfant'； he will reply； 'De roi！' Give him the
child； and may Heaven bless you all for the help you have given me
this night！〃
〃But you； Blakeney？〃 reiterated Tony with a note of deep anxiety
in his fresh young voice。
〃I am straight for Paris；〃 he said quietly。
〃Impossible！〃
〃Therefore feasible。〃
〃But why？ Percy； in the name of Heaven； do you realise what you
are doing？〃
〃Perfectly。〃
〃They'll not leave a stone unturned to find youthey know by now；
believe me； that your hand did this trick。〃
〃I know that。〃
〃And yet you mean to go back？〃
〃And yet I am going back。〃
〃Blakeney！〃
〃It's no use； Tony。 Armand is in Paris。 I saw him in the
corridor of the Temple prison in the company of Chauvelin。〃
〃Great God！〃 exclaimed Lord Hastings。
The others were silent。 What was the use of arguing？ One of
themselves was in danger。 Armand St。 Just； the brother of
Marguerite Blakeney！ Was it likely that Percy would leave him in
the lurch。
〃One of us will stay with you； of course？〃 asked Sir Andrew after
awhile。
〃Yes！ I want Hastings and Tony to take the child to Mantes； then
to make all possible haste for Calais； and there to keep in close
touch with the Day…Dream； the skipper will contrive to open
communication。 Tell him to remain in Calais waters。 I hope I may
have need of him soon。
〃And now to horse； both of you；〃 he added gaily。 〃Hastings； when
you are ready； I will hand up the child to you。 He will be quite
safe on the pillion with a strap round him and you。〃
Nothing more was said after that。 The orders were given； there
was nothing to do but to obey； and the uncrowned King of France
was not yet out of danger。 Hastings and Tony led two of the
horses out of the spinney； at the roadside they mounted； and then
the little lad for whose sake so much heroism； such selfless
devotion had been expended； was hoisted up； still half asleep； on
the pillion in front of my Lord Hastings。
〃Keep your arm round him；〃 admonished Blakeney； 〃your horse looks
quiet enough。 But put on speed as far as Mantes； and may Heaven
guard you both！〃
The two men pressed their heels to their horses' flanks； the
beasts snorted and pawed the ground anxious to start。 There were a
few whispered farewells； two loyal hands were stretched out at the
last； eager to grasp the leader's hand。
Then horses and riders disappeared in the utter darkness which
comes before the dawn。
Blakeney and Ffoulkes stood side by side in silence for as long as
the pawing of hoofs in the mud could reach their ears； then
Ffoulkes asked abruptly：
〃What do you want me to do； Blakeney？〃
〃Well； for the present； my dear fellow； I want you to take one of
the three horses we have left in the spinney； and put him into the
shafts of our old friend the coal…cart； then I am afraid that you
must go back the way we came。〃
〃Yes？〃
〃Continue to heave coal on the canal wharf by La Villette； it is
the best way to avoid attention。 After your day's work keep your
cart and horse in readiness against my arrival； at the same spot
where you were last night。 If after having waited for me like
this for three consecutive nights you neither see nor hear
anything from me； go back to England and tell Marguerite that in
giving my life for her brother I gave it for her！〃
〃Blakeney！〃
〃I spoke differently to what I usually do； is that it？〃 he
interposed； placing his firm hand on his friend's shoulder。 〃I am
degenerating； Ffoulkesthat's what it is。 Pay no heed to it。 I
suppose that carrying that sleeping child in my arms last night
softened some nerves in my body。 I was so infinitely sorry for
the poor mite； and vaguely wondered if I had not saved it from one
misery only to plunge it in another。 There was such a fateful
look on that wan little face； as if destiny had already writ its
veto there against happiness。 It came on me then how futile were
our actions； if God chooses to interpose His will between us and
our desires。〃
Almost as he left off speaking the rain ceased to patter down
against the puddles in the road。 Overhead the clouds flew by at
terrific speed； driven along by the blustering wind。 It was less
dark now； and Sir Andrew； peering through the gloom； could see his
leader's face。 It was singularly pale and hard； and the deep…set
lazy eyes had in them just that fateful look which he himself had
spoken of just now。
〃You are anxious about Armand； Percy？〃 asked Ffoulkes softly。
〃Yes。 He should have trusted me； as I had trusted him。 He missed
me at the Villette gate on Friday； and without a thought left
meleft us all in the lurch； he threw himself into the lion's
jaws； thinking that he could help the girl he loved。 I knew that
I could save her。 She is in comparative safety even now。 The old
woman； Madame Belhomme； had been freely released the day after her
arrest； but Jeanne Lange is still in the house in the Rue de
Charonne。 You know it； Ffoulkes。 I got her there early this
morning。 It was easy for me； of course： 'Hola； Dupont！ my boots；
Dupont！' 'One moment； citizen； my daughter' 'Curse thy
daughter； bring me my boots！' and Jeanne Lange walked out of the
Temple prison her hand in that of that lout Dupont。〃
〃But Armand does not know that she is in the Rue de Charonne？〃
〃No。 I have not seen him since that early morning on Saturday
when he came to tell me that she had been arrested。 Having sworn
that he would obey me； he went to meet you and Tony at La
Villette； but returned to Paris a few hours later； and drew the
undivided attention of all the committees on Jeanne Lange by his
senseless； foolish inquiries。 But for his action throughout the
whole of yesterday I could have smuggled Jeanne out of Paris； got
her to join you at Villette； or Hastings in St。 Germain。 But the
barriers were being closely watched for her； and I had the Dauphin
to think of。 She is in comparative safety； the people in the Rue
de Charonne are friendly for the moment； but for how long？ Who
knows？ I must look after her of course。 And Armand！ Poor old
Armand！ The lion's jaws have snapped over him； and they hold him
tight。 Chauvelin and his gang are using him as a decoy to trap me；
of course。 All that had not happened if Armand had trusted me。〃
He sighed a quick sigh of impatience； almost of regret。 Ffoulkes
was the one man who could guess the bitter disappointment that
this had meant。 Percy had longed to be back in England soon； back
to Marguerite； to a few days of unalloyed happiness and a few days
of peace。
Now Armand's actions had retarded all that； they were a deliberate
bar to the future as it had been mapped out by a man who foresaw
everything； who was prepared for every eventuality。
In this case； too； he had been prepared； but not for the want of
trust which had brought on disobedience akin to disloyalty。 That
absolutely unforeseen eventuality had changed Blakeney's usual
irresponsible gaiety into a consciousness of the inevitable； of
the inexorable decrees of Fate。
With an anxious sigh； Sir Andrew turned away from his chief and
went hack to the spinney to select for his own purpose one of the
three horses which Hastings and Tony had unavoidably left behind。
〃And you； Blakeneyhow will you go back to that awful Paris？〃 he
said； when he had made his choice and was once more back beside
Percy。
〃I don't know yet；〃 replied Blakeney； 〃but it would not be safe to
ride。 I'll reach one of the gates on this side of the city and
contrive to slip in somehow。 I have a certificate of safety in my
pocket in case I need it。
〃We'll leave the horses here；〃 he said presently； whilst he was
helping Sir Andrew to put the horse in the shafts of the
coal…cart； 〃they cannot c
