Beadle's New York Dime Library No. 206 — page 4: what you’re looking at

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

1 - * _ with heavy ae “Well, you see, lieutenant, if depends on many things.” “What things?’ ‘‘Well, I'll tell you. You remember Leipsic and Montmirael.” Delmont sighed. ‘‘ Yes; I wasin school then. How I wished they would let us out! But they would not.” ‘“Well, do you know how many men the emperor got together then?” ‘* Not accurately.” “Less than fifty thousand men. Less than the old army of Italy. That was because he was getting beaten. But the Old Guard which came out there 8,000 strong or less, marched in at Waterloo with near 20,000. Give them time, and they'll come in, but they’re all cowed now.” ‘““Tsee. But how shall we collect them?’ ‘*Kasy enough.” ** Well, but how?” ** Pass the word.” “To whom?” “ Hirst to one, then the others. I havea little nucleus already. The rest will come. It will he easy now, they disband the Old Guard. The fools! The best soldiers we have had for twenty years. The pick of the armies that conquered Europe. Ay. Ay. They can put their lilies and their fowls, but they can’t make us forget the tricolor and the eagle.” And the veteran shook his fist and growled out savage French curses, till Delmont suddenly asked him: ‘By the by, Martin, are you a sailor or a soldier now?” ‘‘Neither, lieutenant, and both. I was a sailor till 1807, when I joined the army and made all my campaigns with them,” “Then I can use you for either.” ** For anything, lieutenant, so it tend to the end we're after.’ ‘Very good then. Are you alone here?” ‘*Not quite, lieutenant. No one is alone in the Faubourg St. Antoine. There are three other families in the house, but we are all of the right color, except one.” ** And he?” ‘Ts a fool—a Jacobin—one of those that want back the republic. He’ll do no harm. He’d rather have the emperor than a Bourbon, with all his pig-heededness.” ‘‘Very well. How do you propose to go to Havre, then?” ‘*T don’t propose.” —— ** How?” ‘*] mean unless you order me.” ‘“‘ Yes, my officer. The marshal bid me strict- ly to obey any one who brought me the word to give up the legacy.” ““ Very well, Martin, then how are we going to tto Havre? I’ve no money till lsend to my ther in Grenoble.” Martin scratched his head. ‘*That’s unlucky. Neither have I.” ‘* But we must get there!” ‘‘That’s certain, lieutenant. the Guard always obey orders.” ‘* Ah, were you in the Guard?’ ‘‘ Yes, lieutenant. Invalided since Waterloo. This eye, curse it for getting knocked out, But we must go. Let me think.” He cogitated awhile and finally cried: “T have it.” ‘Well? What?” ‘‘We must get to Havre.” ** But how?” ‘‘ We are disbanded, lieutenant. . What is to hinder you from selling those fine epaulettes The veterans of and all that toggery, and coming out in plain clothes, while I sell all I’ve got?’ ‘That might be done.” “Tt will cost us to Havre, diligence, twenty francs. If we walk, it will be only five, but we shall be three or four days on the road.” Delmont sighed. ‘*Time is not important, Martin. We have to look forward to a long fight, perhaps of several years.” “Very well then, my officer,” said Martin, briskly. ‘‘The sooner we are on the road the sooner we shell begin it. Where shall I meet you to-morrow?” ——— ‘At the Luxembourg gardens, where fie fell | to-day, comrade.” aby there?’ asked Martin, shuddering tly. & To remind us of our mission, comrade. I am young and you are old, I need your advice many a time. You may find my knowledge also useful some time.” So they parted silently, The next day, at the very hour when Marshal Ney haa met his fate so bravely on the day be- fore, two men, fn the blue frocks of workmen, icks in, their hands, met by the grass plot where the execution had taken place; took one look at a dark spot in the pn where the flies were still busy, and then clasped each ‘Till life and death are one, we will go on and fulfill the marshal’s legacy. Then they turned and went away on the road to the mouth of the Seine, and Paris saw them no more. | ' Other’s hands, saying: CHAPTER III. BISSOT, YVART & CO. THE house of Bissot, Y vart ‘‘ et Cie.”—in other words, ** & Co."™—occupied a dingy old house on the quay at Havre, facing on the port, which, like most French ports, is formed by two long jetties running out into the sea from the mouth of a river. Before the house lay the outer basin of the harbor, into and outof which red-sailed luggers, fishing boats and chasse marees were constantly passing, in rigs that would look very singular to our eyes. The luegers, with their big, oblong sails, can sail very fast, but have a clumsy appearance withal, on account of the habit of tarring or painting the sails, while the chasse maree is much like our three-masted schooner, save that | it has a very short mizzen-mast. There were very few square-rigged ships in the outer basin, and the house of Bissot, & Co. had no concern with them, having made its fortune, during the long war, principally by smuggling to the English coast, with a suc- cess and persistency that showed it must have had friends at court somewhere, The paper blockades of England and the coun- ter embargoes of the Emperor Napoleon had made smuggling so enormously profitable dur- ing the long war that it was calculated any firm could afford to have three cargoes Ccap- tured by French or English cruisers, if a fourth could be run safely in, and the house of Bissot, Yvart & Co. had never lost a cargo. How this happened it was hard tosay. Every one in Havre winked when the fact was ad- verted to, and said: ‘*Oh, well, they have friends at court. They trade to Bordeaux, you know.” And it was a fact that the boats of Bissot, Yvart & Co. always cleared regularly for coast trade, and took cargoes of Lyonssilks avowedly to Bordeaux, while they as regulurly came back from Bordeaux with English prints and wool- ens, headed up in casks labeled ‘‘ St. Julien,” ‘*St. Estephe,” and so on. Yet it was never known that the house of Bissot, Yvart & Co. sold a pint of wine in Havre, nor had a single cask left their house af- ter once it came in, But the house of Yvart & Co., which had a warehouse next door, did a large business in English goods, said to bs derived from prizes condemned in court, and by some means both houses had acquired a standing in commerce which enabled the senior partners to live in Paris and speculate heavily in stucks. Such open and impudent smuggling had led to the supposition that the house must have ‘friends at court,” and this was the fact, the secret protectors in the case being several high officials of the empire, with whispers that the Empress Marie Louise was employed to coax the emperor to shut his eyes to what was going on. At all events, the collapse of the empire changed the character of Bissot, Yvart & Co.,’s trade, and they were now openly known as English traders, with a number of sharp vessels on hand, for sale cheap, their services being no longer required, inasmuch as they only held small cargoes and needed enormous profits to make them pay. It was at a time when M. Adolphe Bissot, senior partner, had just come down from Paris, and was looking over the firm’s books with an air of extreme content, as ke examined the cash account, that a clerk came to him and said: | “Two men are waiting to see monsieur, who say they have.an order from the late Duke of Elchingen.” Monsieur Bissot colored. ‘‘ Send thern up,” he said, hurriedly; ‘I wish to see them at once.” When the clerk had gone, the old man mut- tered anxiously: ‘Too bad if the children have found those documents. I must buy them at any price. Here I’ve carried the load for ten years, reaped the profit, and now to be called a traitor to the emperor—I could not stand it. I should have to sell out and change my name.” Monsieur Bissot was not the first nor the last to find out that money mav be gained at too cear a cost, if it involves discredit. He had made a fortune by trading with the enemies of France, and as long as France was triumphant no one minded it. But now, in the hour of her distress, France loved the memory of Napoleon as nothing else, and M. Bissot knew that if he were accused openly by the heirs of the deceased marshal of having aided the enemies of France, he would be sure of social ostracism at the hands of - ple who wished to be blind, but could not re- main so if the facts were published. So Monsieur Bissot was exceedingly polite, and rubbed bis hands with great courtesy, though his visitors seemed to be only two com- mon workmen in blouses. “ Well, gentlemen,” he began, “and what can I have the pleasure to do for you to-day?” The men looked at each other, and the younger of the two said: « Birst, we wish to be alone, safe from listeners.” One Eye, the Cannoneer. | what is it? vart | ee Bissot bowed nervously. ‘Certainly. A wise measure.” He led the way to the rear of the shop, down a staircase into a cellar, and thence through a very small door into another cellar, observing: ‘Be kind enough to stoop, and look out for cobwebs. The passage has not been used fora long time.” Jean Martin, who followed next behind him, pinched Delmont’s arm. ‘*T know the place,” he whispered. here ten years ago.” The old merchant Jed them on in the dark till he came to a small shaft that let down a ray of light into the cavern, when he said: ‘*No one can bear us or see us. Now, then, You come from—” ‘‘The Prince of Moskwa,” said Albert. ‘*Ay, yes. Marshal Ney, Duke of—” ‘‘ Elechingen,” put in Martin. ‘I like that name best. I saw the battle.” ‘“‘Well, then, what do you want?’ asked the old man, nervously. ‘‘The duke was a good friend of mine, but we had no business rela- tions—” ** Stop!” It was Martin who growled this. ‘*I know better. I’ve been here before, Bis- sot. You’ve forgotten Jean Martin, that sailed the Dame du Secours. I know the old cellar well enough.” The old gentleman looked worried. ‘* What do you want?’ he faltered, ‘“‘to male money off my fears? You know that offenses against the empire are no crime now. You cannot burt me—” ‘é Stop!” This time it was Albert who spoke. Bissot started and looked at him. “ Well, what do you want, then?” ‘* We have an order here from Marshal Ney. We are not seeking your secrets. The ordcr calls for the lugger Creole or the chasse maree Dame du Secours, with a set of diving aprs- ratus and five and twenty thousand frances in money, to be charged against any claims the marshal’s estate has on your house. That’s all. Do you accept the order?’ Old Bissot looked relieved. ‘*Ts that all?” ** Certainly.” ‘*'You shall have it—but—” “But what?’ “The claim—” “Well?” ‘*Have you nothing to give me—no papers— no—”? ‘* No what?” ‘*No agreement to give me?” ‘* None.” The old man looked still more worried, and finally turned to Martin. ‘* And you?” ‘Well, what of me?” ‘‘Have you nothing?” “Of what sort?’ ‘To give to me if I honor the order.” “Oh yes—that is, the lieutenant has,” “The lieutenant?” ‘‘Yes, my comrade here, Lieutenant Albert: Delmont. He will give you the order,” ‘But is there nothing else?” The old merchant was very earnest and anx- ious in his inquiry. Jean Martin laughed slightly. “There may be; but not now. Papers are easily burned, and I don’t read very rapidly. Perhaps the children of Monsieur le Marechal have something you need, If so, I would ad- vise you to see them. Poor creatures!” But old Bissot seemed to be only half satisfied, for he said: | ‘But you witnessed one—” ‘“‘T did—ten years ago—here.” ‘ Where is that paper?” Martin smiled seornfully. , * Do you think I’m a fool? I did not need it to-day.’ ; The old merchant wiped his forehead again and finally said: ‘Tt might be worth your while—” ‘‘What to do?’ asked Jean, as the other ga sit and looked hard at him. ‘ o—”? ‘“T was “IT know what you mean—to sell it?” ** No—to find it,” “Very likely; but you remember that it does not belong to me, but to the marsbal’s children, who are young still.” Old Bissot sneered openly. ‘‘T understand. You are bargaining. Well, how much?” “For what?” “ For the ériginal agreement.” Jean Martin mat out laughing and turned to Delmont, ‘“ What think you, lieutenant? Here is a man trving to make me sell the bread of the marshal’s children Do you know what paper he wan ts?” ‘“No,” said Albert, hatte { ‘‘ Well, it is the. origina aprectnents made in 1805, whereby, in consideration of the protec- tion of the marshal at court, with immunity where we are | from custom house detective work, this house agreed to pay the marshal the sum of a hundred JOO e€om <5) (E (E(0)