LITMIR.BIZ

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insulting words, “her lovers,” enraged Gaston beyond control; he slapped Lazet violently in the face.

      Everyone in the cafe simultaneously uttered a cry of terror. Lazet’s violence of character, his herculean strength and undaunted courage, were well known. He sprang across the table between them, and seized Gaston by the throat. Then arose a scene of excitement and confusion. Clameran’s friend, attempting to assist him, was knocked down with billiard-cues, and kicked under a table.

      Equally strong and agile, Gaston and Lazet struggled for some minutes without either gaining an advantage.

      Lazet, as loyal as he was courageous, would not accept assistance from his friends. He continually called out:

      “Keep away; let me fight it out alone!”

      But the others were too excited to remain inactive spectators of the scene.

      “A quilt!” cried one of them, “a quilt to make the marquis jump!”

      Five or six young men now rushed upon Gaston, and separated him from Lazet. Some tried to throw him down, others to trip him up.

      He defended himself with the energy of despair, exhibiting in his furious struggles a strength of which he himself had not been conscious. He struck right and left as he showered fierce epithets upon his adversaries for being twelve against one.

      He was endeavoring to get around the billiard-table so as to be near the door, and had almost succeeded, when an exultant cry arose:

      “Here is the quilt! the quilt!” they cried.

      “Put him in the quilt, the pretty fairy’s lover!”

      Gaston heard these cries. He saw himself overcome, and suffering an ignoble outrage at the hands of these enraged men.

      By a dexterous movement he extricated himself from the grasp of the three who were holding him, and felled a fourth to the ground.

      His arms were free; but all his enemies returned to the charge.

      Then he seemed to lose his head, and, seizing a knife which lay on the table where the travelling agents had been dining, he plunged it into the breast of the first man who rushed upon him.

      This unfortunate man was Jules Lazet. He dropped to the ground.

      There was a second of silent stupor.

      Then four or five of the young men rushed forward to raise Lazet. The landlady ran about wringing her hands, and screaming with fright. Some of the assailants rushed into the street shouting, “Murder! Murder!”

      The others once more turned upon Gaston with cries of “Vengeance! kill him!”

      He saw that he was lost. His enemies had seized the first objects they could lay their hands upon, and he received several wounds. He jumped upon the billiard-table, and, making a rapid spring, dashed through the large glass window of the cafe. He was fearfully cut by the broken glass and splinters, but he was free.

      Gaston had escaped, but he was not yet saved. Astonished and disconcerted at his desperate feat, the crowd for a moment were stupefied; but, recovering their presence of mind, they started in pursuit of him.

      The weather was bad, the ground wet and muddy, and heavy black clouds were rolling westward; but the night was not dark.

      Gaston ran on from tree to tree, making frequent turnings, every moment on the point of being seized and surrounded, and asking himself what course he should take.

      Finally he determined, if possible, to regain Clameran.

      With incredible rapidity he darted diagonally across the fair-ground, in the direction of the levee which protected the valley of Tarascon from inundations.

      Unfortunately, upon reaching this levee, planted with magnificent trees which made it one of the most charming walks of Provence, Gaston forgot that the entrance was closed by a gate with three steps, such as are always placed before walks intended for foot-passengers, and rushed against it with such violence that he was thrown back and badly bruised.

      He quickly sprang up; but his pursuers were upon him.

      This time he could expect no mercy. The infuriated men at his heels yelled that fearful cry which in the evil days of lawless bloodshed had often echoed in that valley: “In the Rhone with him! In the Rhone with the marquis!”

      His reason had abandoned him; he no longer knew what he did. His forehead was cut, and the blood trickled from the wound into his eyes, and blinded him.

      He must escape, or die in the attempt.

      He had tightly clasped the bloody knife with which he had stabbed Lazet. He struck his nearest foe; the man fell to the ground with a heavy groan.

      A second blow gained him a moment’s respite, which gave him time to open the gate and rush along the levee.

      Two men were kneeling over their wounded companion, and five others resumed the pursuit.

      But Gaston flew fast, for the horror of his situation tripled his energy; excitement deadened the pain of his wounds; with elbows held tight to his sides, and holding his breath, he went along at such a speed that he soon distanced his pursuers; the noise of their feet became gradually more indistinct, and finally ceased.

      Gaston ran on for a mile, across fields and over hedges; fences and ditches were leaped without effort and when he knew he was safe from capture he sank down at the foot of a tree to rest.

      This terrible scene had taken place with inconceivable rapidity. Only forty minutes had elapsed since Gaston and his friend entered the cafe.

      But during this short time how much had happened! These forty minutes had given more cause for sorrow and remorse than the whole of his previous life put together.

      Entering this tavern with head erect and a happy heart, enjoying present existence, and looking forward to a yet better future, he left it ruined; for he was a murderer! Henceforth he would be under a ban—an outcast!

      He had killed a man, and still convulsively held the murderous instrument; he cast it from him with horror.

      He tried to account for the dreadful circumstances which had just taken place; as if it were of any importance to a man lying at the bottom of an abyss to know which stone had slipped, and precipitated him from the summit.

      Still, if he alone had been ruined! But Valentine was dragged down with him: she was disgraced yet more than himself; her reputation was gone. And it was his want of self-command which had cast to the winds this honor, confided to his keeping, and which he held far dearer than his own.

      But he could not remain here bewailing his misfortune. The police must soon be on his track. They would certainly go to the chateau of Clameran to seek him; and before leaving home, perhaps forever, he wished to say good-by to his father, and once more press Valentine to his heart.

      He started to walk, but with great pain, for the reaction had come, and his nerves and muscles, so violently strained, had now begun to relax; the intense heat caused by his struggling and fast running was replaced by a cold perspiration, aching limbs, and chattering teeth. His hip and shoulder pained him almost beyond endurance. The cut on his forehead had stopped bleeding, but the coagulated blood around his eyes blinded him.

      After a painful walk he reached his door at ten o’clock.

      The old valet who admitted him started back terrified.

      “Good heavens, monsieur! what is the matter?”

      “Silence!” said Gaston in the brief, compressed tone always inspired by imminent danger, “silence! where is my father?”

      “M. the marquis is in his room with M. Louis. He has had a sudden attack of the gout, and cannot put his foot to the ground; but you, monsieur——”

      Gaston did not stop to listen further. He hurried to his father’s

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