"may the hope or fear of a world to come, bred of those primordial lies, trouble you not, therese, and above all give over endeavoring to forge restraints for us out of this stuff. feeble portions of a vile crude matter, upon our death, that is to say, upon the conjointure of the elements whereof we are composed with the elements composing the universal mass, annihilated forever, regardless of what our behavior has been, we will pass for an instant into nature's crucible thence to spring up again under other shapes, and that without there being any more prerogatives for him who madly smoked up virtue's effigy, than for the other who wallowed in the most disgraceful excesses, because there is nothing by which nature is offended and because all men, equally her womb's issue, during their term having acted not at all save in accordance with her impulsions, will all of them meet with after their existence, both the same end and the same fate."
i was once again about to reply to these appalling blasphemies when we heard the clatter of a horseman not far away.
"to arms !" shouted coeur-de-fer, more eager to put his systems into action than to consolidate their bases.
the men leapt into life... and an instant later a luckless traveler was led into the copse where we had our camp. questioned upon his motive for traveling alone and for being so early abroad, upon his age, his profession, the rider answered that his name was saint-florent, one of the most important merchants of lyon, that he was thirty-six years old, that he was on his way back from flanders where he had been concerned with affairs relative to his business, that he had not much hard money upon his person, but many securities. he added that his valet had left him the preceding day and that, to avoid the heat, he was journeying at night with the intention of reaching paris the next day, where he would secure a new domestic, and would conclude some of his transactions; that, moreover, he was following an unfamiliar road, and, apparently, he must have lost his way while dozing on his horse. and having said that, he asked for his life, in return offering all he possessed. his purse was examined, his money was counted, the prize could not have been better. saint-florent had near unto a half a million, payable upon demand at the capital, had also a few gems and about a hundred gold louis....
"friend," said coeur-de-fer, clapping his pistol to saint-florent's nose, "you understand, don't you, that after having robbed you, we cannot leave you alive."
"oh monsieur," i cried, casting myself at the villain's feet, "i beseech you not to present me the horrible spectacle, upon my reception into your band, of this poor man's death; allow him to live, do not refuse me this first request i ask of you."
and quickly resorting to a most unusual ruse, in order to justify the interest i appeared to take in the captive:
"the name monsieur has just given himself," i added with warmth, "causes me to believe we are nearly related. be not astonished, monsieur," i went on, now addressing the voyager, "be not at all surprised to find a kinsman in these circumstances; i will explain it all to you. in the light of this," i continued, once again imploring our chief, "in the light of this, monsieur, grant me the unlucky creature's life, i will show my gratitude for the favor by the completest devotion to ail that will be able to serve your interests."
"you know upon what conditions i can accord you what you ask, therese," coeur-de-fer answered; "you know what i demand from you..."
"ah, very well, monsieur, i will do everything," i cried, throwing myself between saint-florent and our leader, who was still about to kill him. "yes, i will do anything; spare him."
"let him live," said coeur-de-fer, "but he has got to join us, that last clause is crucial, i can do nothing if he refuses to comply with it, my comrades would be against me."
surprised, the merchant, understanding nothing of this. consanguinity i was establishing, but observing his life saved if he were to consent to the proposal, saw no cause for a moment's hesitation. he was provided with meat and drink, as the men did not wish to leave the place until daybreak.
"therese," coeur-de-fer said to me, "i remind you of your promise, but, since i am weary tonight, rest quietly beside dubois, i will summon you toward dawn and if you are not prompt to come, taking this knave's life will be my revenge for your deceit."
"sleep, monsieur, sleep well," i replied, "and believe that she whom you have filled with gratitude has no desire but to repay it."
however, such was far from my design, for if ever i believed deception permitted, it was certainly upon this occasion. our rascals, greatly overconfident, kept at their drinking and fell into slumber, leaving me entirely at liberty beside dubois who, drunk like the others, soon closed her eyes too.
then seizing my opportunity as soon as the bandits surrounding us were overcome with sleep:
"monsieur," i said to the young lyonnais, "the most atrocious catastrophe has thrown me against my will into the midst of these thieves, i detest both them and the fatal instant that brought me into their company. in truth, i have not the honor to be related to you; i employed the trick to save you and to escape, if you approve it, with you, from out of these scoundrels' clutches; the moment's propitious," i added, "let us be off; i notice your pocketbook, take it back, forget the money, it is in their pockets; we could not recover it without danger: come, monsieur, let us quit this place. you see what i am doing for you, i put myself into your keeping; take pity on me; above all, be not more cruel than these men; deign to respect my honor, i entrust it to you, it is my unique treasure, they have not ravished it away from me."
it would be difficult to render the declarations of gratitude i had from saint-florent. he knew not in what terms to express his thanks; but we had no time to talk; it was a question of flight. with a dextrous movement, i retrieve the pocketbook, return it to him, and treading softly we walk through the copse, leaving the horse for fear the sound of his hoofs might rouse the men; with all possible dispatch we reach the path which is to lead us out of the forest. we had the good luck to be out of it by daybreak, without having been followed by anyone; before ten o'clock we were in luzarches and there, free from all anxiety, we thought of nothing but resting ourselves .
there are moments in life when one finds that despite one's riches, which may be great, one nevertheless lacks what is needed to live; such was saint-florent's case: five hundred thousand francs might be awaiting him in paris, but he now had not a coin on his person; mindful of this, he paused before entering the inn....
"be easy, monsieur," i said upon perceiving his embarrassment, "the thieves have not left me without money, here are twenty louis, take them, please, use them, give what remains to the poor; nothing in the world could make me want to keep gold acquired by murder."
saint-florent, whose refinements of character i at the time did not exactly appreciate, was absolutely unwilling to accept what i tendered him; he asked me what my expectations were, said he would make himself bound to fulfill them, and that he desired nothing but the power to acquit himself of his indebtedness to me.
"it is to you i owe my life and fortune, therese," he added, kissing my hands, "i can do no better than to lay them both at your feet; receive them, i beseech you, and permit the god of marriage to tighten the knots of friendship."
i know not whether it was from intuition or chilliness of temper, but i was so far from believing that what i had done for the young man could motivate such sentiments as these he expressed for me, that i allowed him to read in my countenance the refusal i dared not articulate; he understood, insisted no further, and limited himself to asking what he could do for me.
"monsieur," said i, "if my behavior is really not without merit in your view, for my entire recompense i ask nothing more than to proceed to lyon with you and to have you find me a place in some correct household, where my modesty will have no more to suffer."
"you could do nothing better," said saint-florent, "and no one is in a better position than i to render this service; i have twenty relatives in the city," and the young trader then besought me to divulge my reasons for having left paris where i had mentioned to him i was born. i told my story with equal amounts of confidence and ingenuousness.
"oh, if it is but that," said the young man, "i will be of use to you before we reach lyon; fear not, therese, your troubles are over; the affair will be hushed; you will not be sought after and, certainly, less in the asylum where i wish to leave you than in any other. a member of my family dwells near bondy, a charming region not far from here; i am sure it will be a pleasure for her to have you with her; i will introduce you tomorrow."
in my turn filled with gratitude, i approve a project which seems so well suited to me; we repose at luzarches for the rest of the day and on the morrow, it is our plan, we will gain bondy, but six leagues distant.
"the weather is fine," saint-florent says to me, "trust me, therese; it will be most enjoyable to go afoot; we will reach my relative's estate, will tell of our adventure, and this manner of arriving, i should think, will make you appear in a still more interesting light."
having not the faintest suspicion of this monster's designs, and far from imagining that i was to be less safe with him than i had been when in the infamous company i had left, i agree to everything; we dine together; he not so much as murmurs when for the night i take a chamber separate from his, and after having waited until the warmest part of the day is past, certain of what he tells me, that four or five hours will suffice to bring us to his relative's, we leave luzarches and strike out on foot for bondy.
