Читать книгу The Complete Works of Emile Zola - Emile Zola - Страница 112

IN WHICH MATHÉUS, AT LAST, GETS JOSEPH IN HIS ARMS

SAUVAIRE had lost sight of M. de Cazalis on entering the stronghold, and was furious at not being able to discover where he could have got to, after having had the trouble of watching him, for nearly an hour, under a doorway. The worthy man continued to ignore his rank of captain. He had one fixed idea, that of coming to the assistance of the brother of his friend Marius. He turned about on the square, anxious and embarrassed, when it all at once occurred to him that Philippe must be hidden in Fine’s old abode. He looked at the house and caught sight of the head of M. de Girousse.

“Eh! I say, you, up there!” he shouted to the old Count, “come down quick and open the door!”

M. de Girousse who was extremely anxious about Philippe, decided to go down, knowing that the two brothers had taken refuge in the house opposite, and hoping to be of some help to them, but when he was once below in the corridor, he found himself in the presence of the rioters, who had fastened the bolts, and would not allow him to go out.

He succeeded, however, with some trouble, in making them set the door ajar, and after pushing him out, they again closed it. Sauvaire and M. de Girousse found themselves face to face.

“Eh! the deuce!” exclaimed the ex-master-stevedore, “you should have left the door open. I am going to have you arrested.”

The nobleman examined the captain with curiosity.

“You are going to have me arrested,” he said; “Well! arrest me yourself, and kindly conduct me to the persons who are over there.”

He pointed to M. Martelly and Abbé Chastanier. Sauvaire accompanied him, and apologized, when he heard he had put his hand on a Count and wealthy landlord.

“It only required transportation,” said M. de Girousse laughing, “for my day to be complete!”

He then held a whispered conversation with the shipowner, and explained to him the position.

“We saw nothing of all that,” said M. Martelly, “they shut us up in that shop, in the company of an individual who looked like a regular villain. Do you say Philippe and Marius are hidden in that house there?”

“Yes, and I am very much afraid they have been arrested, but the worst of it is, that I have left Marius’ wife and Philippe’s child in that other house.”

This news completed making the shipowner quite sad. Abbé Chastanier, however, pointed out that Fine and Joseph were not running any very great danger: if the house were sacked, there would always be time to intervene, but they must think above all of the two brothers, and endeavour to assist them to escape. The misfortune was, that it seemed almost impossible to do anything to help them.

In the meanwhile the troops who had invaded the rioters’ stronghold were not inactive. A few shots were still being fired from windows, here and there, and this had to be put a stop to. So the order was given to take, by assault, all the houses that were closed, and on the roofs of which the insurgents were discharging their last cartridges. A few sappers were sent forward and these began hacking at the doors with their axes.

Sauvaire was in despair. He wished to lead the soldiers away from the dwelling where he supposed Philippe was hidden, but could see no way of doing so. He got his men together, posted them on the opposite side of the square, and set them searching other buildings. But unfortunately a shot was fired from the very house he wished to protect. A lieutenant was wounded, and all the soldiers rushed towards the door.

“The idiots!” murmured Sauvaire, “what need had they to wound that man! Now my young friend’s affair is settled.”

He approached, wishing at least to be one of the first to enter the place.

While these events were occurring, Mathéus and M. de Cazalis were engaged in animated conversation in a corner of the square. The spy, with his piercing eyes, had perceived his master in the midst of a crowd as soon as he got out of the shop. When he had taken him aside, he said, in a jeering tone:

“Well! don’t you congratulate me? I have been doing a tremendous lot of work.”

“I didn’t see you on the barricade,” answered the ex-deputy.

“Of course! those simpletons took the precaution of placing me beyond danger of the bullets, by shutting me up in a shop, and I feel very thankful to them for doing so. Come, victory is on our side.”

“Where did you take the child to?”

“Eh! you’re in too great a hurry. I’ll hand you the child presently. Look! he is there, in that house, where they are bursting open the door.”

Mathéus then explained to M. de Cazalis what he had done, and what there still remained to do. He was certain of success.

“However,” he added, “we must act promptly. They imprisoned with me, I was unable to understand why, two friends of the Cayols. Look! they’re still standing on the threshold of our common gaol. I am afraid their presence will be to our disadvantage.”

M. de Cazalis looked, and recognised M. Martelly and Abbé Chastanier. He did not see M. de Girousse, who was turning his back to him.

“Bah!” he murmured, “they’re not troubling about us. To work, Mathéus! I’ll double the promised reward if you succeed.”

The sappers had just given the first strokes of the axe, which were producing dull thuds on the door.

“And do you know where that villain Philippe has got to?” inquired M. de Cazalis.

“I hope he’s been arrested,” answered Mathéus, “in any case he will be caught if he has taken refuge in the house. Have no anxiety, his affair is settled, he’ll get at least ten years’ transportation.”

“I’d sooner finish with him here. I had him at the end of my gun. Aren’t you afraid that if he be in the house, he will interfere with your plans?”

“Bah! he’s hidden at the bottom of some cupboard. Look out! the door is giving way. Don’t meddle with anything, watch me act, if it amuses you, and as soon as I have the child, follow me quickly. We’ll settle our account later on.”

Mathéus left his master in the centre of the square and mixed with the soldiers. The axes of the sappers had cut through the woodwork of the door, and although the hinges and lock still held good, it was on the point of being broken down. Sauvaire had followed this performance with anxiety. He had counted on gathering his own men together, and entering the house first. Just as the door began to give way, he felt a hand on his arm, and turning round, recognised his old manager Cadet, Fine’s brother. The young man dragged him quickly aside, and in a choking voice asked:

“What has happened? Have you seen my sister?”

But before the ex-master-stevedore could answer, he continued:

“I and my men have been confined to the office since this morning. The authorities, being aware of my opinions, placed a picket of National Guards at my door, and I have only just been able to escape. I ran to my brother-in-law’s lodging, on the Cours Bonaparte, and found the house empty. Goodness, gracious! what has happened? Speak, quick!”

“Good Heavens!” murmured Sauvaire, “a misfortune never comes singly. The whole family must be in this house.”

“Do you think my sister is there?”

“Eh! I don’t know. What I do know is that I saw Philippe, on the barricade fighting like a maniac. Ah! my poor Cadet. I’m very much afraid all this will end very badly. But I forgot: your enemy is prowling about the square.’’

“What enemy?”

“M. de Cazalis. He’s disguised as a National Guard.’’

Cadet shuddered. All at once he perceived the door had been broken in.

“Let’s run there quick!” he exclaimed.

As soon as the entrance was clear, a swarm of soldiers rushed forward, but three or four shots were fired from the staircase and the besiegers withdrew in disorder. For a few moments no one dared penetrate within the passage. The insurgents had spent their last cartridges, and after this show of defence, had bounded up on to the roof to try and escape. After the first moment of panic, the soldiers made up their minds to advance cautiously to the foot of the staircase; then, seeing they met with no resistance, they invaded the house and searched in every corner.

Sauvaire and Cadet had committed the imprudence of retiring a short distance away, for the purpose of talking, and when they endeavoured to approach the door again, they found themselves behind a regular crowd, which prevented them advancing. Notwithstanding all their efforts they had to beat time a long while, and when they at last entered, they were only able to get up the staircase very slowly, on account of its being so full of soldiers and National Guards.

As they reached the third floor they were jostled by a man who was running away and knocking up against everyone. This individual, whom the besiegers took for a terrified lodger, had a child in his arms. He passed so rapidly, half hiding his charge beneath his frock coat, that Cadet did not get a good view of him; the young man, however, turned round, as if feeling a presentiment that something was wrong, but the man had then already descended five or six stairs. Fine’s brother, pushed on by Sauvaire, who had seen nothing, continued to ascend, and soon found himself at the entrance to the little lodging.

This door was wide open, and in the middle of the first room, Fine lay unconscious on the ground. Joseph had disappeared.