Chapter 29. Conclusion

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_ CHAPTER TWENTY NINE. CONCLUSION

As the supper was at a comparatively early hour, we retired to the drawing-room, where the young lady played and sang, with much spirit, several lively airs, which her brother selected. She then chose one for herself of a more plaintive character, which had, as she intended it should have, a strange effect upon me. I listened in raptures, for her voice was sweet and melodious.

"I am indeed glad that you understand French so well," she said. "When I heard that an Englishman was coming some day, I thought that we should have had to carry on a conversation by signs, and that would have been very stupid."

"I fear that I do not speak it very correctly, but I must try to improve myself," I remarked.

"You do make a few mistakes now and then, but I shall be delighted to instruct you, and to correct your errors, if you will allow me to do so."

That night, although somewhat tired from the exertions I had gone through in the morning, it was some time before I felt inclined to turn in; and when I did at length go to bed, I remained awake far longer than usual, thinking of the beautiful Sophie, her sweet voice still sounding in my ears.

I was awakened next morning by Larry, who accompanied one of the servants to my room.

"I did not see you last night, Mr Terence, and I couldn't tell what had become of your honour," he exclaimed. "Faith, I tried to tell the people of the house that I wanted to find you, but not a word of my best French did they understand."

I told Larry how well I had been treated, and that he need not have any apprehensions about me. The servant had brought a cup of coffee, which I found was the custom of the French to take in the morning, and he told me that breakfast would not be ready for an hour or more. As soon, therefore, as I had dressed I descended to the garden, which was of considerable extent, with lawns, fish-ponds, fountains, statues, and labyrinths. I had not gone far, when I saw a small figure tripping on lightly before me. I was tempted to hasten my steps. She turned--it was Sophie.

"I will show you the garden," she said, "and my favourite spots. You might lose yourself without my guidance, and perhaps you will accept it."

I of course had but one answer to give. We walked on in the fresh morning air. I thought her lovely in the evening, but she appeared still more so now, looking as fresh and bright as the gay flowers which adorned the parterres. I felt that I had entered into a new existence; it was no wonder, for we were both young, and she had lived a secluded life, she told me, since her father's death. We very naturally forgot all about breakfast, and when we arrived at the house Madame La Touche chided her for her thoughtlessness in allowing me to starve.

Such was the commencement of my stay. My friend insisted that I should go out with him to shoot, believing that such was the only amusement I was likely to care for; but the preserves were full of game, and we had to do little more than stand still and shoot the birds as they were put up by the dogs. We returned to dinner, and as La Touche gave me the choice, I preferred a stroll in the garden with him and his sister to a more extended excursion.

The following days were spent in the same delightful manner. Every hour I became more and more attached to Sophie. I could not but feel a desire that she should return my affection. I forgot my poverty, and that until I could obtain my promotion, I should have nothing on which to support a wife, as the Ballinahone property had been entailed on my brother. I ought, I knew, to have assumed an indifference to the young lady, and speedily taken my departure, and I was in consequence much to blame. Still La Touche should not have invited me to the chateau; but in throwing me into the society of so charming a being as his sister, he did no perhaps think of the consequences, or, if he did, fancied that I was possessed of wealth, or at least a competency.

We were living all the time a peaceful secluded life, for we never went beyond the walled grounds of the chateau, and few visitors came to the house. We heard occasionally, however, what was going forward both in Paris and other parts of the country. Matters were growing more and more serious. Risings had occurred in various places, and lives had been lost. An army of fishwives, and other women of the lowest orders, had marched to Versailles, and threatened the King and Marie Antoinette, if food was not given them.

We were one evening seated at supper when a servant rushed into the room, with terror depicted in his countenance.

"Oh, monsieur! oh, madame!" he exclaimed, "I have just received notice that a vast array of people are marching this way, threatening to destroy all the chateaux in the neighbourhood, and the Chateau La Touche in particular. They declare that you are an aristocrat."

"Are you certain that this is true?" exclaimed La Touche, starting from his seat.

"If monsieur will come to the northern tower, he will hear the voices of the people in the distance," replied the servant.

"Do not be alarmed, my mother and sister," said La Touche. "The report may be exaggerated, but it is as well to be prepared. We will close all the lower doors and windows, and set the ruffians at defiance if they come. Will you accompany me, Finnahan, and as we go give me your advice as to the best way of defending the house?"

I would willingly have stopped to try and tranquillise the alarm of Madame La Touche and Sophie, but I could not refuse my friend's request. I set off with him, and we soon reached the tower. We looked out from a narrow window towards the north, but at first could see no one approaching, though on listening attentively we fancied that we could distinguish the murmur of voices far off.

Presently a bright light appeared on the left, rising, it seemed, out of the midst of a forest at some distance from the banks of the Seine. The light rapidly increased in size, and flames began to ascend, while clouds of smoke darkened the sky.

"Ah! that must come from the Chateau l'Estrange!" exclaimed La Touche. "The rabble have attacked the house, and set it on fire. Fortunately, none of the family are at home except the old domestics, and they, poor people, will too probably be sacrificed. The villains would like to treat my chateau in the same way, and will before long make the attempt."

"But we will defend it, and drive them back," I exclaimed. "Have you a sufficient supply of arms and ammunition for its defence? We must barricade all the doors and windows; and, unless they have cannon, they will not succeed in getting in, I trust."

"We have plenty of arms, and I obtained a supply of ammunition a short time since," said La Touche. "I doubt, however, the courage of some of my domestics; they would rather yield to the rabble than risk their lives in the defence of my property."

"Larry and I will try to make up, as far as we can, for their want of bravery," I said.

"Thank you, my friends; you will be a host in yourselves. Now let us see about preparing to give the insurgents a warm reception should they attack the chateau."

On descending from the tower, La Touche entered the supper room singing and laughing.

"There is not much to be afraid of, so you need not be anxious, _ma chere mere_; or you either, Sophie," he said in a cheerful tone of voice. "We are going to shut the doors and windows in case any of the rabble may try to creep in at them. You can retire to your rooms or stay here, as you think best. You will oblige me, however, by keeping the women quiet, or they may be running about and interfering with our proceedings."

"We will do more than keep them quiet," exclaimed Sophie; "we will make them useful by setting them an example; only tell us what you want us to do."

"The best thing you can do is to close all the shutters and windows looking to the front in the upper storey, and to place chests of drawers and bedding against them, so that if bullets are fired they will do no harm."

"That we will do, my son," said Madame La Touche, rising from her seat; and she hurried off, accompanied by Sophie.

La Touche at once summoned his _maitre d'hotel_ and the other servants.

"My friends," he said, "I have no intention of letting the insurgents destroy my chateau, as they have done those of other persons, and I will trust to you to defend it to the last."

A party of Englishmen would have cheered. They, however, merely said, "_Oui! oui! monsieur_; we are ready to do what you tell us."

Among the servants came Larry. I told him what we expected would happen, and what he was to do.

"Shure we'll be after driving the 'spalpeens' back again," he answered. "I was little thinking that we should have this sort of fun to amuse us when we came to France."

We lost no more time in talking, but immediately set to work to shut all the doors on the ground floor, and to nail pieces of timber and strong planks against them. The windows were closed with such materials as could be obtained. There were more forthcoming than I expected; and La Touche acknowledged that he had laid in a store some time before.

He then summoned the _maitre d'hotel_ and two other servants, and led the way--accompanied by Larry and me--down a steep flight of stone steps to a vault beneath the house. Opening the door of what was supposed to be a wine cellar, he showed us a stand of twenty muskets, with pistols and pikes, several casks of powder and cases of bullets. Larry, at once fastening a belt round his waist, and tucking a couple of muskets under each arm, hurried off, the servants following his example. La Touche and I each took as many more, and returned to the hall.

His first care was to place his men two and two at each of the parts of the building likely to be attacked.

"These countrymen of mine fight better together than singly," he observed. "And now let us go round and examine our defences, to ascertain that no part is left insecure."

Some time was spent in making these various arrangements. Every now and then La Touche ran in to see his mother and sister, and to assure them that they need not be alarmed.

"I have no fears," said Sophie, on one of these occasions, when I accompanied him. "With the help of this brave Englishman and his follower, I am sure that you will drive back the insurgents."

"_Ma foi_! I hope so," said La Touche to me, as we left the room. "But they are the same sort of ruffians as those who destroyed the Bastile."

The news of that event had a short time before reached us.

"Now let us return to the watch-tower, and try to make out what the _canaille_ are about."

The mob, as far as we could observe, were not as yet approaching. They were probably dancing and singing round the burning chateau, the flames from which were ascending in all directions, its towers forming four pyramids of fire.

"They are waiting to see the result of their handiwork," said La Touche. "When the roof has fallen in and the towers come to the ground, they will be satisfied, and will probably make their way in this direction. Ah! what are those lights there?" he suddenly exclaimed.

I looked towards the spot he pointed at, when I saw advancing along the road a number of men bearing torches.

"They are coming, as I expected, fully believing that they will destroy this chateau as they have the Chateau l'Estrange," said La Touche. "Now, my friend, it is possible that they may succeed, notwithstanding all our preparations. I will therefore have a carriage prepared, and the horses put to, with two others for riding. I know, should I be unable to go, that you will protect my mother and sister, and endeavour to conduct them to a place of safety, either to the coast or to the house of a friend whom they will name to you."

"You may trust me indeed, although I hope for your sake that there will be no necessity for such a proceeding," I answered, my heart beating strangely at the thought of having Sophie and her mother committed to my charge. I resolved, of course, to protect them to the last, and I hoped that in my character as a foreigner I might be able to do this more effectually than La Touche himself. Madame should pass as my mother, and Sophie for my sister, and I hoped that we might thus pass through the fiercest mob, whose rage, being turned against the aristocrats, would not interfere with an Englishman, whom they would imagine was merely travelling through the country for the sake of seeing it, as many had been doing for some time past. We had very little longer time to wait, when some hundreds of persons appeared coming along the road directly for the chateau. We could see them from the tower, where we had remained. A large number were carrying torches. The entrance gate was locked and barred, and the chateau itself, all lights being concealed, must have appeared shrouded in darkness.

"Let them exhaust their strength in breaking down the gate," said La Touche.

Scarcely a moment after, the mob reached the gate, waving their torches, and shrieking and shouting out--

"Down with the aristocrats! Down with the tyrants! Down with those who pillage us, and live upon the product of our toil?"

"Let them shout themselves hoarse," remarked La Touche. "They will not find it a very easy matter to break down that stout old gate, or to climb over the wall."

On discovering the impediment in their way, their shouts and threats increased in fury. A number of them, rushing against the bar of the gate, endeavoured to force it from its hinges.

Not a word all this time was uttered by any of our garrison. The insurgents, finding that the gate would not yield, shouted for some one in the chateau to open it. No one replied. Again and again they shook it. At last we heard the sound of loud blows, as if it were being struck by a sledge hammer, while several figures appeared on the top of the wall, ladders having been procured to assist them up.

"Why do you come here, my friends?" demanded La Touche abruptly. "The gate is locked as a sign that I wished to be in private."

"It is the residence of an aristocrat, and all such we have resolved to level to the ground," shouted one of the mob.

"I warn you that you will pay dearly if you make the attempt," cried La Touche. "We are well-armed, and are resolved to defend the place."

"We are not to be stopped by threats. On, comrades, on!" exclaimed another voice among those who were clambering over the wall. "If one of our number falls, remember that every one of those inside the house will be destroyed."

"You have been warned,--the consequence will be on your own heads if you attack us," said La Touche.

By this time a considerable number of persons had got into the yard by clambering over the wall, but the stout iron gate had hitherto resisted all attempts to force it open.

"We might kill or wound all the fellows in front of the house," said La Touche to me, "but I am unwilling to shed the blood of my countrymen if it can be avoided; I will give them another chance. You are in our power, friends," he shouted out; "if we fire, not one of you will escape. Go back to where you came from, and your lives will be spared."

Derisive shouts were the only answers given to what La Touche had said. More people were all the time clambering over the wall, while continued blows on the gate showed that the mob had not given up the idea of forcing an entrance. Presently there was a loud crash, the gate was thrown open, and in rushed a number of savage-looking fellows, all armed with some weapon or other, many of them carrying torches, which they waved wildly above their heads, shouting all the time, "Down with the aristocrats! Revenge! revenge for the wrongs they have done us!"

"They are in earnest, of that there can be no doubt," said La Touche. "We must drive them back before they become more daring. It is useless to hold further parley with them;" and he gave orders to our small garrison to open fire.

Loud shrieks and cries rent the air, several people were seen to fall, but this only increased the rage of the rest, who, running up to the front door with axes and other weapons, began hacking away at it, probably expecting quickly to force it open.

More and more people followed, until the whole yard was full of men surging here and there, some firing, others waving their torches, apparently to distract our attention, while the more determined assailed the doors and windows.

"Are there no troops likely to come to our assistance?" I asked, seeing that matters were growing serious.

"No; we must defend ourselves, and I fear that if these ruffians persevere, they will succeed at last," whispered La Touche to me. "We must endeavour to save my mother and sister, for the mob, if they once get in, will sacrifice them as well as the rest of us. I am resolved to stop and defend my house to the last, but I must provide for their safety by committing them to your charge. The carriage is in readiness, and there are two faithful servants to whom I have given orders how to act. Go, I beseech you, at once, and request my mother and Sophie to enter the carriage and set out without a moment's delay. Two saddle-horses are in readiness for you and your servant. You will go as their escort. Tell them I will retreat in time to follow them. Take the road towards Paris, and wait for me. Should any one attempt to interfere with you, say that you are an English officer, and that the ladies are under your charge. I do not apprehend that you will be molested; go, therefore, lose no time."

He wrung my hand as if he would take no denial. I of course, although unwilling to leave him, was ready to carry out his wishes. I hastened to the room where I had left Madame La Touche and Sophie, and explained to them what La Touche wished them to do.

"But will he follow us?" asked Madame La Touche in an agitated tone.

"He has promised to do so, madame," I answered; "but let us not delay, lest the mob should get round to the other side of the house and cut off our retreat."

Madame La Touche hesitated no longer, but allowed me to lead her and her daughter down to the yard at the back of the house, where we found the horses already put to, and I handed the ladies into the carriage. The coachman mounted the box; another servant was holding the two riding horses; and I was preparing to mount, when Larry, sent by La Touche, came springing down the steps and was in his saddle in a moment. The French servant mounted behind the carriage; and the coach drove off down an avenue which led along the banks of a stream running through the pleasure-grounds. I was in hopes that La Touche would have followed at once, for I saw that there was very little probability of his being able successfully to defend the house against the savage mob who had resolved to destroy it. I could hear the wild shrieks and shouts and cries of the assailants, the rattle of musketry, and the loud thundering against the doors and windows; but, anxious as I felt about my friend, my duty was to push on with my charges, and with all possible speed to convey them out of danger. The coachman was equally desirous to preserve his mistress, and lashed on his horses at their utmost speed. Fortunately he knew the road, which was an unusually good one.

We were soon outside the grounds belonging to the chateau. Proceeding along a road which ran parallel with the river, we soon got beyond the sounds of the strife; but on looking round I saw a bright light suddenly appear in the direction of the chateau. It increased in size. Another and another appeared; and I could distinguish the flames bursting out from several windows. Could the mob so soon have broken into the chateau, and set it on fire? I feared the worst, and that my gallant friend and his servants had been overwhelmed, and too probably massacred. I felt thankful, however, that Madame La Touche and Sophie had escaped in time. Had they remained a few minutes longer, they might have been too late. Had I been alone, I should have been unable to restrain myself from galloping back to ascertain what had occurred; but to protect them was now my great object. I kept as close as possible to the carriage, not knowing what might at any moment occur. I was afraid that they might look out of the window and see the flames; but they were too much overcome with grief and terror to do that, and sat back in the carriage, clasped in each other's arms. When the road would allow, I rode up and spoke a few words to try and comfort them, although it was no easy matter to do that.

"When will Henri come?" exclaimed Madame La Touche. "He ought to have overtaken us by this time."

"You forget, madame, we have been travelling at a rapid rate," I observed. "He promised to retreat in time, should he find it necessary to abandon the chateau. He will probably overtake us when we stop for the night. There is no fear that the mob will follow him to any distance."

The coachman said he knew of an inn about six leagues on the Paris road, where madame and Sophie might rest securely, as the mob could not get so far that night. It was where Monsieur La Touche had ordered him to remain. I bade him therefore go on as his master told him, although he proceeded at a slower rate than at first, for fear of knocking up his horses.

I was very thankful when the little inn was reached. It was kept by a buxom dame, who received Madame La Touche and Sophie politely, and offered the best accommodation her house would afford. I handed the ladies from the carriage. Madame entered the house at once, but Sophie lingered for a moment.

"Oh, tell me, Monsieur Finnahan, has Henri come yet? I dread lest he should have done anything rash, and lost his life. It would break mamma's heart if he were to be killed; and she will not rest, I am convinced, until she knows he is safe. I cannot ask you to go back to look for him, but will you send your servant to gain intelligence, and bring it to us?"

"I would go back myself, but my duty is to remain and guard you," I said. "What do you wish?--tell me."

"We shall be perfectly safe here, and I desire for my mother's sake to know what has happened to Henri," she answered.

I thought that Sophie was right, and my own anxiety made me desire to ride back.

I accordingly mounted my horse, leading Larry's. I left my faithful retainer with instructions that in the event of the mob approaching, he was to drive off with the ladies. I galloped on at full speed, anxious without loss of time to reach the chateau. If La Touche had escaped, he would probably require my assistance. I had no expectation of finding he had beaten back the insurgents; indeed, I was not free from the fearful apprehension that he and his people had been surprised by them, and massacred before they could make good their retreat; still, as the insurgents, when I left the chateau, appeared to have no intention of making their way round to the back of the building, I hoped that he would have contrived to escape in time. That they would have murdered him if caught I had not the shadow of a doubt.

I had marked the road as I came along, and had no fear as to finding my way. The moon, too, had risen, which enabled me to do this with less difficulty. As I galloped on, I looked carefully about on either side, for I knew that the clatter of my horses' hoofs would attract the attention of any one coming along the road. But I met no one along the whole length of my ride. At last I could distinguish the tall towers with the flames bursting out from their summits, and I knew that the chateau was doomed to destruction. Suddenly both horses started, and I heard a voice say--

"Who goes there?"

It was La Touche. He was wounded badly, and unable to proceed farther. Had I not gone to look for him, he would most probably have perished.

"The chateau will be burned to the ground," he observed. "But I care not for that, now that I know, thanks to you, Finnahan, that my mother and Sophie have escaped."

Having bound up his wounds, I assisted him to mount the spare horse, and we set out for the inn where I had left Madame La Touche and her daughter.

We met with many adventures and hair-breadth escapes before I ultimately succeeded in escorting them on board the _Saucy Bet_, and seeing them safely landed in England I shortly afterwards obtained my promotion. And though I have much more to narrate which my readers may like to hear, I was now lieutenant, and my adventures as a midshipman therefore come to a conclusion at this period of my life.

[THE END]
William H. G. Kingston's Book: Paddy Finn

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