Beadle's New York Dime Library, No. 193 — page 19: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

———— —w .—— — : i A Rh The Man in Red. i ti a onder. He goes by the name of Grupisch here, believe.” She smiled more complacently. ‘““T did not think you would admit it. You are a brave man, count, to acknowledge a de- feat so freely. ; , ‘“We will go there, if you please,” he said, coldly; and he took her across the room to where he saw the mysterious general standing by himself, his back against the wall. As they came near him, the princess said: “T am going to introduce you. I want you to be friends, you two. It is strange what an interest I take in you.” “T am flattered, madame, I wish I could divine the cause.” ’ ‘‘Some day you will. In the mean time—” She touched the strange general on the arm, and said gayly: - “Why so thoughtful, mon cher. Here is the Count of Friedland, whom I have been for an hour trying to convert from the error of his ways, and he wishes to know you.” _ The general raised his dark magnetic eyes to those of Gabriel, and said slowly: ‘‘ We know each other already. Well, count, you see 1 told you the truth. You have left an army behind you in Russia. You will leave another in Germany.” ‘“‘That remains to be seen,” replied Gabriel, roudly. ‘For my part am tired of one hing, which is this restraint under which I am with regard to you, general, Will you see me to-morrow at some quiet place? I wish to ter- minate our dispute that began at Fontaine- bleau.” The stranger bowed coldly. ‘“‘T will see you at sunset on the bridge,” he said. CHAPTER XXVIL. THE MUTINY. At sunset of the next day Gabriel, Count of Friedland, looking gloomy, and as if he cared nothing what became of himself, walked onto the bridge across the Danube, and stood leaning against one of the parapets as if waiting for some one. He had doffed his showy uniform and wore the simple black coat of a citizen, in which he had become merged into the crowds that thronged the streets of the city of Vienna. He stood there, tapping his boot with a light cane arrd watching the stream of passengers, till he saw the tall form of General Grupisch coming toward him, likewise in civilian dress. Then he stood up and saluted the other for- mally, a courtesy returned by the stranger with a curt nod as he passed him and indicated that he wished to walk on. They crossed the bridge, and when they were at the other side, Grupisch observed brusquely: ‘* Well, what is it? You wished to speak to me, monsieur.” ‘‘T did. 1 am tired of seeing you on the other side and being unable to fight you. I Bronce that we resume our dispute where we left off at Fontainebleau.” “When my foot was on your chest sword at your throat, you mean?” said general, sharply. “Precisely,” was the cool reply. ‘*T can die if need be; but I cannot live longer like this. You are able to foil me at every turn.” The stranger uttered a short laugh as they struck out into the country on the other side the Danube. “Tt is true, I foil you, is it not? What did the emperor say to you this morning?” - “That is my affair, Your question is not to the point.” ‘And needless besides. Shall 1 tell you the words he spoke.” , Gabriel looked at him steadily. “Tf you can, you must have obtained your knowledge by phe aghe? tom. ‘Nothing of the sort. was in the very room where you saw the emperor, I am bound to admit you stated your case well. To hear you one would think this Bonaparte. still the first man in Europe with every one for allies.” ‘¢ Where were you?” asked Gabriel, amazedly. ““There was not a screen in the room.” ‘‘T require no screen, monsieur, I was in the room, within six feet_of where you stood. [ be - tell you what the Kaiser said, if you doubt t ” my the * Tell me then.” ‘He told you that while he sympathized with the misfortunes of the Emperor Napoleon and loved bim as a gon-in-law, his duty to the empire was above that to his daughter, and that if the French were driven behind the Elbe, he would be compelled to join the coalition to pre- vent the invasion of his own territories by the Russian forces. That he would for the present remain neutral, but that your emperor could jook for no help from the soldiers who had fought him at Austerlitz, Wagram and @ bhun- dred other battles within twenty years,” Gabriel bowed his head. “You heard it all. If you were in the room ou must have been there by the consent of the Pinteter Josep.” ars ceutein your raasoning. I wes. a2. oOo eee ee Oe aaa rn eae ees <li CL LL LL LLL LLL LL LLL LLL LLL LLL LLL —SSSS— tenn It was understood that I should be, to insure fair play for my master, the Czar Alexander.” ‘* The office was a fitting one,” retorted Gabriel bitterly. ‘‘ A renegade should be a spy and an eavesdropper.” The face of the other darkened and his eyes lowed as they walked on, but he said nothing or some time, till at last he seemed to have suc- ceeded in swallowing his passion. His voice was rather husky then; “You are trying to taunt me into killing you, Isee. Haveacare. I may do it, “T have told you alread am willing to die,” said Gabriel. ‘* I should not e sought this interview but for that.” ‘* But you are unarmed.” “You are not. You have a sword-cane in your hand now. Yonder is a wood that has cea of solitary nooks. Let us go in there, hen we will take up the dispute where we left it and I will force you to kill me or be killed,” Grupisch shook his head. ** You propose an assassination, I could not commence a duel under such auspices.” “You must. I will force you.” Again the stranger seemed to have some dif- mer) in controling his passion, ‘*‘You cannot force me to do anything. When I was in France in the midst of foes, you could not do it, how much less now, when you are surrounded by foes, I by friends, I will not fight you. Besides, you must be desperate to think of such a thing. Your chief will need we the soldiers he has to keep off his fall awhile onger. ‘He willkeep them off forever. I do not see what be bas ever done to you, besides, that should turn you into the enemy of France, You once served I believe.” “Did I serve? Yes. And what was my re- ward from this jealous upstart?” Gabriel noticed with surprise that the other seemed to be intensely irritated at the vailed in- sinuation conveyed in his own speech; ‘** You once served, I believe.” ** Yes, I once served and won a greater name than he had in those days. You want to know what he has done tome. Well, young man, you shall hear, and when you have heard, then if you persist in demanding this fight I will grati- fy you. Come here.” He took Gabriel by the arm and they hur- ried into the woods till they came toa rustic seat in a lonely glade where no one was in sight within several hundred vards. Then the stranger said to Gabriel: “Sit down there and listen.” The young man took his seat and awaited the other’s movements with some impatience and a great deal of curiosity. He thought that he was at last going to penetrate the mystery of this stranger, who came from no one knew where. Meantime the strange general paced up and down before him in a rapid neryous manner as if much excited. He seemed to be angry and et hesitating whether to speak or not. At last e en in front of Gabriel and began roughly: ““I don’t know why I should tell you all this story except that you—never mind that. have a reason for feeling an interest in you.” ‘What is it?’ demanded Gabriel. ‘* You have insinuated that andso has the French Princess Doktoroff who claims to be your sister. I do not want your interest. You are enemies to your country.” he rrr de] ground his teeth. “It is false. We are enemies only to him who has destroyed France, I have done more for it in my day than ever he did. We love France better than he, for we have saved the lives of thousands of French soldiers from the lances of the Cossacks.” ** Whom you led on?” interjected Gabriel. **Be itso. I led them against the usurper. But let that pass. You wish to know what in- terest I take in you. Young man, the same blood | runs in our veins. You are my kins- man, Gabriel looked searchingly at him. ‘* Your kinsman?” **T have said it.” “Then I am sorry for it, if it be true.” ** Because you have disgraced the family. Is your real name Lenoir? I never heard of a Le- noir that fought against France. My father was a noble, but he died on the field defending the republic,” ‘ “*My name is not Lenoir. What it is you will never know. You sa pout father died de- fending the Republic? a o, fought for the Republic. That was France. But when the ple tired of governing themselves there was ut one course for me to take.” ‘* And what was that?’ ‘‘To return to the line of St. Louis, not to take a foreigner to rule over them.” “That is a matter of opinion, general.” “Tt was. I held to the opinion experience had formed. France, under the king, was pow- erful and respected, acknowl by all the world. The republic, too, was acknowledged. The empire has never yet been acknowledged.” sc The vy onglard, ron mean,” — ae LLL “It matters not. I held to the opinion that the king’s right returned when the people failed to govern themselves. Do you know what was my reward for holding those cpinions?” Gabriel did not answer. ‘“*T will tell you, That man, by his myrmi- dons under Fouche, undertook to kill me and blast my name forever and ever, Now I will tell you the story; then judge.” CHAPTER XXVIII. THE EXILE’S STORY, THE singular stranger began his stcry in @ low, hurried voice, asif trying to keep down his excitement. ‘*'You do not know whol am, but Lknew you when you were a baby in arms, and I knew this man from Ccrsica when he first came to Brienne. I was a general before he was a cap- tain, and I beat the Prussians and Hollanders before he was ever heard of. I never lost a battle. You think I am boasting, but it is true. Well, time went on; the Revolution had degen- erated into the Reign of Terror. The rule of the people of France, the great people I served, had vanished. In its stead was the rule of the Paris mob. .Then I became disgusted. I left the service and retired to a foreign land to live till Frenchmen regained their manhood. Then he had his chance. When he took commend im Italy there was no republic, It was a Directory of five kings, who vied with each other in theft. Bonaparte was their tool and a fitting one. He made war like a brigand, and plundered Italy to enrich himself. Still I did not envy him. had known him at Brienne, a boy of boundless egotism, with little to back it. Had I taken service against him, as I was pressed to do, he would never have won Lombardy and Venice. Well, I watched and waited for France to re- sume her reason. I was content. He was a thief, perhaps, but he won victories. Time passed on. He went to Egypt, and while he was gone, the people were all tired of the Di- rectory, and wished.to get back their old sov- ereign, I came to France and found them ripe fora change of government. They had tired of anarchy. Then came the news that he hed. lost a grand fleet for us, and that the French army was shut up in the East. But he was not shutup. No. e deserted his men, left them to the mercies of the English and Turks, and. came home to do what? I ask you, young man, to do what?” ‘To save France,” replied Gabriel, promptly. ‘To ruin her, you mean, To overturn the representatives of the the swords of his fellow-bandits, and to make himself—that boy whose ears I used to cuff at Brienne—ta make himself the ruler of France. Well, I thought it was time to strike then, to find out if the people really wanted this upstart for a ruler. I came to Paris. I had a right to come there. £ had made no war against France. But I was forced to come in disguise. It was at the time of the Jacobin plot of the infernal machine. I had nothing to do with it, but for all that Fouche found me out. I was arrested and thrown into prison, And then what think you was my fate?” ‘**I donot know. Probably exiled to Cayenne,” replied Gabriel. ‘‘I was in the ranks at the time, and heard but little of the plot, but I un- derstood some were executed, others exiled, while one or two committed suicide in prison.” The general’s eyes flashed. “Suicide indeed! Murder you mean. Listen. I was confined in a dark dungeon, refused a lawyer, refused anything, refused even a copy of the charge against me. I asked for it again and again. I knew I had done nothing a ti even his upstart rule. I wasa Frenchman visit- ing Paris; that was all. One morning I heard. that they were trying Moreau, and that the people cheered him ashe went tocourt. Then F said to myself, ‘Moreau is Bonaparte’s rival. He will get rid of him. I am another. If I come into the streets they will cheer me. He will never forgive that. I scent danger.’ The next day at dawn I was assaulted in my dun- = by four men. I killed two with my hare ands, monsieur, my bare hands; but the others caught me from behind, and I was choked into perfect insensibility. They thought me dead and left me, chuckling, no doubt. en Icame to myself I was in a coffin, in the receiving vault of Pere la Chaise; with moldering bodies around me. Gabriel shuddered slightly. “Ugh! A battle-field is one thing, but a charnel house is ugly.” The stranger boil fimty at him. “Do you think so? you know what it is: to wake up in the darkness, to smell the bodies: all round you, and to be screwed down into a. box so close that you are smothering anew? To: feel alive and fully conscious to everything, and yet to be unable to stira finger? To have a tom of lead on your chest, your limbs bound in fet- ters of b while you cannot even groan, for somethin e a wad of cotton in your throat? Well, that was my position on that nightof tor- ture. My only occupation to lie and think, and think, and think, till it seemed as if I must go mad. I tell you, young man, it wes in that night I first learned what hate w's snd that I swore to mvrelf thatif I ever got out of that ople b CORNICE OOO KS Cc