第26章

Kill me, if I lie. But let us start--quickly. O God! I hear them singing. They are coming this way. Ah, if you will not defend me, kill me at once!"She threw herself into my arms. Love and jealousy were gradually overpowering me. Indeed, I even thought seriously of killing her; and I kept my hand on my hunting-knife as long as I heard any noise or voices near the hall. They were exulting in their victory. I cursed Heaven for not giving it to our foes. I clasped Edmee to my breast, and we remained motionless in each other's arms, until a fresh report announced that the fight was beginning again. Then I pressed her passionately to my heart.

"You remind me," I said, "of a poor little dove which one day flew into my jacket to escape from a kite, and tried to hide itself in my bosom.""And you did not give it up to the kite, did you?" asked Edmee.

"No, by all the devils! not any more than I shall give you up, you, the prettiest of all the birds in the woods, to these vile night-birds that are threatening you.""But how shall we escape?" she cried, terror-stricken by the volleys they were firing.

"Easily," I said. "Follow me."

I seized a torch, and lifting a trap-door, I made her descend with me to the cellar. Thence we passed into a subterranean passage hollowed out of the rock. This, in bygone days had enabled the garrison, then more numerous, to venture upon an important move in case of an attack;some of the besieged would emerge into the open country on the side opposite the portcullis and fall on the rear of the besiegers, who were thus caught between two fires. But many years had passed since the garrison of Roche-Mauprat was large enough to be divided into two bodies; and besides, during the night it would have been folly to venture beyond the walls. We arrived, therefore, at the exit of the passage without meeting with any obstacle. But at the last moment Iwas seized with a fit of madness. I threw down my torch, and leaned against the door.

"You shall not go out from here," I said to the trembling Edmee, "without promising to be mine."We were in darkness; the noise of the fight no longer reached us.

Before any one could surprise us here we had ample time to escape.

Everything was in my favour. Edmee was now at the mercy of my caprice.

When she saw that the seductions of her beauty could no longer rouse me to ecstasy, she ceased to implore, and drew backward a few steps.

"Open the door," she said, "and go out first, or I will kill myself.

See, I have your hunting-knife. You left it by the side of the trap-door. To return to your uncles you will have to walk through my blood."Her resolute manner frightened me.

"Give me that knife," I said, "or, be the consequences what they may, I will take it from you by force.""Do you think I am afraid to die?" she said calmly. "If this knife had only been in my hand yonder in the chateau, I should not have humbled myself before you.""Confound it!" I cried, "you have deceived me. Your love is a sham.

Begone! I despise you. I will not follow such as you."At the same time I opened the door.

"I would not go without you," she cried; "and you--you would not have me go without dishonour. Which of us is the more generous?""You are mad," I said. "You have lied to me; and you do not know what to do to make a fool of me. However, you shall not go out from here without swearing that your marriage with the lieutenant-general or any other man shall not take place before you have been my mistress.""Your mistress!" she said. "Are you dreaming? Could you not at least soften the insult by saying your wife?""That is what any one of my uncles would say in my place; because they would care only about your dowry. But I--I yearn for nothing but your beauty. Swear, then, that you will be mine first; afterwards you shall be free, on my honour. And if my jealousy prove so fierce that it may not be borne, well, since a man may not go from his word, I will blow my brains out.""I swear," said Edmee, "to be no man's before being yours.""That is not it. Swear to be mine before being any other's.""It is the same thing," she answered. "Yes; I swear it.""On the gospel? On the name of Christ? By the salvation of your soul?

By the memory of your mother?"

"On the gospel; in the name of Christ; by the salvation of my soul; by the memory of my mother.""Good."

"One moment," she rejoined; "I want you to swear that my promise and its fulfilment shall remain a secret; that my father shall never know it, or any person who might tell him.""No one in the world shall hear it from me. Why should I want others to know, provided only that you keep your word?"She made me repeat the formula of an oath. Then we hurried forth into the open, holding each other's hands as a sign of mutual trust.

But now our flight became dangerous. Edmee feared the besiegers almost as much as the besieged. We were fortunate enough not to meet any.