France -- History -- Revolution, 1789-1799 -- Fiction; Napoleon I, Emperor of the French, 1769-1821 -- Fiction
Good-by, Courtois. You are a worthy man. You gave my mother and
sister a little water to put with their wine, a little meat to eat with
their bread, a little hope to fill their hearts; you lent them your
daughter that they might not have to sweep their cell themselves. That
deserves a fortune. Unfortunately I am not rich; but here are fifty
louis I happen to have with me. Come, my lord.”
And the young man carried off Sir John before the jailer, recovered from
his surprise and found time either to thank Roland or refuse the fifty
louis; which, it must be said, would have been a remarkable proof of
disinterestedness in a jailer, especially when that jailer’s opinions
were opposed to those of the government he served.
Leaving the prison, Roland and Sir John found the Place des Lices
crowded with people who had heard of General Bonaparte’s return
to France, and were shouting “Vive Bonaparte!” at the top of their
lungs--some because they really admired the victor of Arcola, Rivoli,
and the Pyramids, others because they had been told, like Père Courtois,
that this same victor had vanquished only that Louis XVIII. might profit
by his victories.
Roland and Sir John, having now visited all that the town of Bourg
offered of interest, returned to the Château des Noires-Fontaines, which
they reached before long. Madame de Montrevel and Amélie had gone out.
Roland installed Sir John in an easy chair, asking him to wait a few
minutes for him. At the end of five minutes he returned with a sort of
pamphlet of gray paper, very badly printed, in his hand.
“My dear fellow,” said he, “you seemed to have some doubts about the
authenticity of that festival which I just mentioned, and which nearly
cost my mother and sister their lives, so I bring you the programme.
Read it, and while you are doing so I will go and see what they have
been doing with my dogs; for I presume that you would rather hold me
quit of our fishing expedition in favor of a hunt.”
He went out, leaving in Sir John’s hands a copy of the decree of the
municipality of the town of Bourg, instituting the funeral rites in
honor of Marat, on the anniversary of his death.
CHAPTER XIII. THE WILD-BOAR
Sir John was just finishing that interesting bit of history when Madame
de Montrevel and her daughter returned. Amélie, who did not know how
much had been said about her between Roland and Sir John, was astounded
by the expression with which that gentleman scrutinized her.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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