The League of the Scarlet Pimpernel - Baroness Orczy (best historical biographies .txt) 📗

socket. Madame threw her emaciated arms over her child, just like some poor hunted animal defending its young. I could almost hear the cry of terror which died down in her throat ere it reached her lips. But then, monsieur, to see the light of hope gradually illuminating her pale, wan face as the stranger took her hand and spoke to her⁠—oh! so gently and so kindly⁠—was a sight which filled my poor, half-broken heart with joy.

“The little invalid must be seen by a doctor at once,” he said, “after that only can we think of your ultimate safety.”

Mme. la Marquise, who herself was terribly weak and ill, burst out crying. “Would I not have taken him to a doctor ere now?” she murmured through her tears. “But there is no doctor in Lyons. Those who have not been arrested as traitors have fled from this stricken city. And my little Jose is dying for want of medical care.”

“Your pardon, madame,” he rejoined gently, “one of the ablest doctors in France is at present in Lyons⁠—”

“That infamous Laporte,” she broke in, horrified. “He would snatch my sick child from my arms and throw him to the guillotine.”

“He would save your boy from disease,” said the stranger earnestly, “his own professional pride or professional honour, whatever he might choose to call it, would compel him to do that. But the moment the doctor’s work was done, that of the executioner would commence.”

“You see, milor,” moaned Madame in pitiable agony, “that there is no hope for us.”

“Indeed there is,” he replied. “We must get M. le Vicomte well first⁠—after that we shall see.”

“But you are not proposing to bring that infamous Laporte to my child’s bedside!” she cried in horror.

“Would you have your child die here before your eyes,” retorted the stranger, “as he undoubtedly will this night?”

This sounded horribly cruel, and the tone in which it was said was commanding. There was no denying its truth. M. le Vicomte was dying. I could see that. For a moment or two madame remained quite still, with her great eyes, circled with pain and sorrow, fixed upon the stranger. He returned her gaze steadily and kindly, and gradually that frozen look of horror in her pale face gave place to one of deep puzzlement, and through her bloodless lips there came the words, faintly murmured: “Who are you?”

He gave no direct reply, but from his little finger he detached a ring and held it out for her to see. I saw it too, for I was standing close by Mme. la Marquise, and the flickering light of the tallow candle fell full upon the ring. It was of gold, and upon it there was an exquisitely modelled, five-petalled little flower in vivid red enamel.

Madame la Marquise looked at the ring, then once again up into his face. He nodded assent, and my heart seemed even then to stop its beating as I gazed upon his face. Had we not⁠—all of us⁠—heard of the gallant Scarlet Pimpernel? And did I not know⁠—far better than Mme. la Marquise herself⁠—the full extent of his gallantry and his self-sacrifice? The hue and cry was after him. Human bloodhounds were even now on his track, and he spoke calmly of walking out again in the streets of Lyons and of affronting that infamous Laporte, who would find glory in sending him to death. I think he guessed what was passing in my mind, for he put a finger up to his lip and pointed significantly to M. le Vicomte.

But it was beautiful to see how completely Mme. la Marquise now trusted him. At his bidding she even ate a little of the food and drank some wine⁠—and I was forced to do likewise. And even when anon he declared his intention of fetching Laporte immediately, she did not flinch. She kissed M. le Vicomte with passionate fervour, and then gave the stranger her solemn promise that the moment he returned she would take refuge in the next room and never move out of it until after Laporte had departed.

When he went I followed him to the top of the stairs. I was speechless with gratitude and also with fears for him. But he took my hand and said, with that same quaint, somewhat inane laugh which was so characteristic of him:

“Be of good cheer, old fellow! Those confounded murderers will not get me this time.”

III

Less than half an hour later, monsieur, citizen Laporte, one of the most skilful doctors in France and one of the most bloodthirsty tyrants this execrable Revolution has known, was sitting at the bedside of M. le Vicomte de Mortaine, using all the skill, all the knowledge he possessed in order to combat the dread disease of which the child was dying, ere he came to save him⁠—as he cynically remarked in my hearing⁠—for the guillotine.

I heard afterwards how it all came about.

Laporte, it seems, was in the habit of seeing patients in his own house every evening after he had settled all his business for the day. What a strange contradiction in the human heart, eh, monsieur? The tiger turned lamb for the space of one hour in every twenty-four⁠—the butcher turned healer. How well the English milor had gauged the strange personality of that redoubtable man! Professional pride⁠—interest in intricate cases⁠—call it what you will⁠—was the only redeeming feature in Laporte’s abominable character. Everything else in him, every thought, every action was ignoble, cruel and vengeful.

Milor that night mingled with the crowd who waited on the human hyena to be cured of their hurts. It was a motley crowd that filled the dreaded proconsul’s antechamber⁠—men, women and children⁠—all of them too much preoccupied with their own troubles to bestow more than a cursory glance on the stranger who, wrapped in a dark mantle, quietly awaited his turn. One or two muttered curses were flung at the aristo, one or two spat in his direction to express hatred and contempt, then the door