A moment after, the voices sounded much nearer, and I caught a glance through the trees of the head and shoulders of an armed man standing with his back towards me, and apparently speaking vehemently to some other persons whom I could not see. Here I was tolerably well concealed by some low thick bushes, but the taller trees were unfortunately stripped of their leaves; and although at the distance of twenty yards farther forward there was another thick patch of brush-wood, from behind which I could have seen everything that took place, yet the trunks of the oaks in the intervening space stood bare and separate. I determined, however, to cross the space at all risks; and getting as far back as possible, I glided from tree to tree.
The whole eyes and ears of the party I had seen were otherwise occupied, and at length I found myself behind the bushes I had marked. I was now within twenty yards of the chapel of which Suzette had spoken, and from behind the brush-wood I could behold the whole party I sought assembled in the little open space before it. Placed under a high rocky bank, from which the chapel was partly excavated, stood Monsieur de Villardin and the Count de Laval, with their hands tied; and at the distance of a dozen paces appeared eight or nine musqueteers--with their arms grounded, indeed, but evidently arrayed there with no very good intentions towards the prisoners. Within a yard of Monsieur de Villardin lay upon the ground three or four of his servants tied hand and foot, and two of them apparently severely wounded; but a little to the left of these again, so as to be in front of the chapel--which was open, as such buildings usually are--appeared a group of still greater interest. Within the chapel itself stood a priest with an open book in his hand, and before him were placed Laura de Villardin, dressed in her morning costume, and Hubert, whom I had already seen in so many capacities, habited in the full and splendid dress of an officer of the guards of the Prince de Condé. Supporting Laura, who otherwise would have sunk to the ground, appeared Gaspard de Belleville; and another armed man behind him again, made up the whole party.
At the moment I turned to observe them, Hubert was speaking vehemently to Laura, so that his words were perfectly audible. "Will you, or will you not, madam?" he exclaimed. "Seek not to gain time--for it is all in vain. No one can rescue you. And the lives of all those you see depend upon your word!"
"Let him do his worst, my child!" cried Monsieur de Villardin; "let him do his worst. It is better for us all to die together than that you should become the wife of a villanous plunderer--though, indeed, no such forced marriage would be valid for an hour; and his first step would be from the altar to the gibbet."
"Your pardon, my lord," cried Hubert, with a smile of triumph, "I use no force--I use no compulsion towards the young lady herself; though to be sure, I point out the only means of saving your life. Do not therefore flatter yourself that were she to consent, and I were to set you free, the scaffold would become my bridal bed. No, no; I have taken my measures too well for that; and when I come to claim your daughter's portion, it shall not be till she has been long my wife, and the mother of my children; and then we shall see whether you will hang her husband or not. Madame," he added, in a sterner tone, "Madame, time wears--I beseech you to spare your father's life. If you refuse me, his blood be upon your head--your own hand draws the trigger that slays him--your own voice pronounces the word. Nor will you then escape me; for you shall be mine by force, if not by good will. Speak!--shall I order yon men to fire?"
"Oh no, no, no!" cried Laura, clasping her hands in agony; "you will not be so cruel!"
"Will you then consent instantly to become my wife?" he demanded: but Laura turned her weeping eyes to the priest, exclaiming, "Oh, good father, how can you lend yourself to such infamous things as these?"
"How can I help it, lady?" asked the priest: "I am as much under compulsion as you are."
"Another such word as that, old hypocrite," cried Gaspard de Belleville, "shall send the compulsion of a pistol ball through your brain. You came here for gold, not for compulsion, so prepare to do your office. Come, come, Hubert, you do but dally; give her her choice, and let her decide boldly. Bid the men present their firelocks, and then ask her the question. If she say 'Yes,' let them ground their arms--if she say 'No,' let it be the signal for them to fire; so her own voice will give the word."
"Ah, surely, surely!" cried Laura, clasping her fair hands, "surely you will not be so cruel!"