France -- History -- Henry II, 1547-1559 -- Fiction; Montgomery, Gabriel, comte de, 1530-1574 -- Fiction
Half an hour later, with renewed tranquillity, he left behind him the
fair city of Calais, which it had been his good fortune to restore to
the kingdom of France.
He was on horseback, accompanied by the young page André, who had
overtaken him, and by four of his volunteers.
One of these last was Ambrosio, who was very glad to find an opportunity
of taking back to Paris with him certain English small wares, which he
expected to dispose of to advantage to the habitués of the court.
Another was Pilletrousse, who, in a conquered city, where he was one of
the masters and victors, was afraid that he might yield to temptation
and recur to his former habits.
Yvonnet was also among them: he had not been able to find in provincial
Calais a single tailor worthy his patronage; and his costume had been
too seriously injured by the hard usage it had experienced to be
presentable,--it could not be replaced suitably except at Paris.
Lactance was the last of the four; he had asked leave to accompany his
master so that he might receive his confessor's assurance that his
exploits had not exceeded his penances, and that his assets in the shape
of self-inflicted austerities would suffice to meet the liabilities he
had incurred by his feats of arms.
Pierre and Jean Peuquoy, with Babette, accompanied the five horsemen on
foot as far as what was called the Paris gate.
There they were compelled to part. Gabriel said a last farewell to his
kind friends, and gave them a warm clasp of his hand; while they, with
tears in their eyes, wished him all happiness and showered benedictions
upon him.
But the Peuquoys soon lost sight of the little band, who set off at a
trot, and disappeared at a turn in the road. The good burghers returned
with sad hearts to Martin-Guerre.
Gabriel felt grave and preoccupied, but not sorrowful.
He was hopeful!
Once before Gabriel had left Calais to seek at Paris the solution of the
mystery surrounding his destiny. But on that occasion circumstances wore
a much less favorable appearance. He was concerned about Martin-Guerre,
Babette, and the Peuquoys, and anxious, about Diane, whom he had left
behind, a prisoner in the hands of Lord Wentworth, who was in love with
her. Then, too, his vague presentiments of the future were but slightly
tinged with hope; for he had, after all, done nothing more than prolong
the resistance of a town, which was in the end obliged to surrender.
Surely, that was hardly an achievement great enough to deserve so great
a reward.
But to-day he left behind him no cause for gloomy thoughts. The two
wounded men, both so dear to him, his general and his squire, were both
saved, and Ambroise Paré guaranteed their recovery; Babette Peuquoy was
to marry a man whom she loved, and by whom she was beloved, her honor as
well as her future happiness being assured; Madame de Castro was free,
and treated like a queen in a French city, and no later than the next
day would follow him to Paris.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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