A Courier of Fortune

by Arthur W. Marchmont

The Governor was furiously angry, and as sternly resolved as ever to carry his purpose through; nothing should be suffered to come between him and it; but the last few hours had revealed certain obstacles to the importance of which even his selfish rage could not blind him.

He had had convincing proof that in threatening Gabrielle he would provoke far greater and more dangerous antagonism than any he had yet encountered at any time of his government.

The first sign of this had come from the Duchess herself. She had sent for him soon after Lucette had left the Castle, and after avowing her share in procuring Gerard’s escape, had met his storm of invective with a stubborn resistance culminating in a solemn declaration that if harm was done to a hair of Gabrielle’s head, she would have herself carried in her bed out into the streets of Morvaix and denounce him and his acts to the citizens, and if that did not avail she would take the matter, if it cost her her life, to the King of France himself.

He had laughed at her threats, but they had gone home, none the less, and had rendered him ill at ease.

More was to come, however. Babillon was right in saying the city was roused by the news that Gabrielle was a fugitive from the Castle troops. She was beloved in Morvaix by people of every class, rich and poor alike; and hundreds of them were ready to spend their lives in her defence.

Those who had not had personal experience of her innumerable acts of charity and kindness were bound to the House of Malincourt by ties of allegiance which had stood the test of many years of turbulence and crisis. In former troubles their attitude had been decided by that of the Maison, and when Malincourt had stood aloof in any quarrel, they had been neutral. And now every member of every family was stirred to the depths by the report of her danger.

The Governor’s agents in the city had brought him word of this, and the citizens themselves had been to the Castle to seek assurances of her safety from the Governor. Hot words had passed on both sides, but the Governor had found it discreet to appease them by giving the assurances of her safety and explaining that the object of the pursuit was merely a prisoner, a murderer, who had escaped from the Castle.

Hints had been given him, too, discreetly and almost timorously, by some of his officers that the concern on Gabrielle’s account was not confined to the city, but had also spread to such of the troops as were Morvaix men, and that reliance upon them in any attack upon her could not be fully placed.

Considerations of this disquieting character could not but produce an effect even upon the iron of his will, but he still saw a way to gain his end without open conflict with the forces supporting the Malincourt influence. He could coerce Gabrielle through her lover. If Gerard could be recaptured he would have once more the means of secretly compelling the consent which it might be dangerous to force from her by open violence. She would consent to be his wife to save Gerard.

And here it was that he found the position at Malincourt so disconcerting. He did not doubt that Gabrielle was in the Maison with Gerard and he had gone there anticipating no more opposition to his entry than the presence of a large body of troops could at once remove. But instead of that, he found the maison barred against him and held by a force which his soldier’s eye showed him was both powerful and ably disposed for purposes of defence.