Do you know what he came for?"
"No."
Barlasch jerked his head back and laughed.
"For you."
He turned and looked at her; but she had raised her clasped hands to
her forehead, as if to shield her eyes from the light of the candle,
and he could not see her face.
"Do you remember," said Barlasch, "that night when the patron was so
angry--on the mat--when Mademoiselle Mathilde had to make her
choice. It is your turn to-night. You have to make your choice.
Will you go?"
"Yes," answered Desiree, behind her fingers.
"'If Mademoiselle will come,' he said to me, 'bring her to this
place!' 'Yes, mon capitaine,' answered I. 'At any cost, Barlasch?'
'At any cost, mon capitaine.' And we are not men to break our
words. I will take you there--at any cost, mademoiselle. And he
will meet you there--at any cost."
And Barlasch expectorated emphatically into the fire, after the
manner of low-born men.
"What a pity," he added reflectively, "that he is only an
Englishman."
"When are we to go?" asked Desiree, still behind her barrier of
clasped fingers.
"To-morrow night, after midnight. We have arranged it all--the
Captain and I--at the outpost nearest to the river. He has
influence. He has rendered services to the Russians, and the
Russian commander will make a night attack on the outpost. In the
confusion we get through. We arranged it together. He pays me
well. It is a bargain, and I am to have my money.
Pages:
262
263
264
265
266
267
268
269
270
271
272
273
274
275
276
277
278
279
280
281
282
283
284
285
286