I half put out my hand to touch his arm in a friendly way, but I saw that the jailer was watching, and I did not. Voban felt what I was about to do, and his face instantly softened, and his blood-shot eyes gave me a look of gratitude. Then he said:
“I will tell you what happen next I know the palace very well, and when I see the Intendant and M’sieu’ Doltaire and others leave the ballroom I knew that they go to the chamber which they call ‘la Chambre de la Joie,’ to play at cards. So I steal away out of the crowd into a passage which, as it seem, go nowhere, and come quick, all at once, to a bare wall. But I know the way. In one corner of the passage I press a spring, and a little panel open. I crawl through and close it behin’. Then I feel my way along the dark corner till I come to another panel. This I open, and I see light. You ask how I can do this? Well, I tell you. There is the valet of Bigot, he is my friend. You not guess who it is? No? It is a man whose crime in France I know. He was afraid when he saw me here, but I say to him, ‘No, I will not speak—never’; and he is all my friend just when I most need. Eh, voila, I see light, as I said, and I push aside heavy curtains ver’ little, and there is the Chamber of the Joy below. There they all are, the Intendant and the rest, sitting down to the tables. There was Capitaine Lancy, M’sieu’ Cadet, M’sieu’ Cournal, M’sieu’ le Chevalier de Levis, and M’sieu’ le Generale, le Marquis de Montcalm. I am astonish to see him there, the great General, in his grand coat of blue and gold and red, and laces tres beau at his throat, with a fine jewel. Ah, he is not ver’ high on his feet, but he has an eye all fire, and a laugh come quick to his lips, and he speak ver’ galant, but he never let them, Messieurs Cadet, Marin, Lancy, and the rest, be thick friends with him. They do not clap their hands on his shoulder comme le bon camarade—non!
“Well, they sit down to play, and soon there is much noise and laughing, and then sometimes a silence, and then again the noise, and you can see one snuff a candle with the points of two rapiers, or hear a sword jangle at a chair, or listen to some one sing ver’ soft a song as he hold a good hand of cards, or the ring of louis on the table, or the sound of glass as it break on the floor. And once a young gentleman—alas! he is so young—he get up from his chair, and cry out, ‘All is lost! I go to die!’ He raise a pistol to his head; but M’sieu’ Doltaire catch his hand, and say quite soft and gentle, ‘No, no, mon enfant, enough of making fun of us. Here is the hunder’ louis I borrow of you yesterday. Take your revenge.’ The lad sit down slow, looking ver’ strange at M’sieu’ Doltaire. And it is true: he took his revenge out of M’sieu’ Cadet, for he win—I saw it—three hunder’ louis. Then M’sieu’ Doltaire lean over to him and say, ‘M’sieu’, you will carry for me a message to the citadel for M’sieu’ Ramesay, the commandant.’ Ah, it was a sight to see M’sieu’ Cadet’s face, going this way and that. But it was no use: the young gentleman pocket his louis, and go away with a letter from M’sieu’ Doltaire. But M’sieu’ Doltaire, he laugh in the face of M’sieu’ Cadet, and say ver’ pleasant, ‘That is a servant of the King, m’sieu’, who live by his sword alone. Why should civilians be so greedy? Come, play, M’sieu’ Cadet. If M’sieu’ the General will play with me, we two will what we can do with you and his Excellency the Intendant.’
“They sit just beneath me, and I hear all what is said, I see all the looks of them, every card that is played. M’sieu’ the General have not play yet, but watch M’sieu’ Doltaire and the Intendant at the cards. With a smile he now sit down. Then M’sieu’ Doltaire, he say, ‘M’sieu’ Cadet, let us have no mistake—let us be commercial.’ He take out his watch. ‘I have two hours to spare; are you dispose to play for that time only? To the moment we will rise, and there shall be no question of satisfaction, no discontent anywhere—eh, shall it be so, if m’sieu’ the General can spare the time also?’ It is agree that the General play for one hour and go, and that M’sieu’ Doltaire and the Intendant play for the rest of the time.
“They begin, and I hide there and watch. The time go ver’ fast, and my breath catch in my throat to see how great the stakes they play for. I hear M’sieu’ Doltaire say at last, with a smile, taking out his watch, ‘M’sieu’ the General, your time is up, and you take with you twenty thousan’ francs.’
“The General, he smile and wave his hand, as if sorry to take so much from M’sieu’ Cadet and the Intendant. M’sieu’ Cadet sit dark, and speak nothing at first, but at last he get up and turn on his heel and walk away, leaving what he lose on the table. M’sieu’ the General bow also, and go from the room. Then M’sieu’ Doltaire and the Intendant play. One by one the other players stop, and come and watch these. Something get into the two gentlemen, for both are pale, and the face of the Intendant all of spots, and his little round eyes like specks of red fire; but M’sieu’ Doltaire’s face, it is still, and his brows bend over, and now and then he make a little laughing out of his lips. All at once I hear him say, ‘Double the stakes, your Excellency!’ The Intendant look up sharp and say, ‘What! Two hunder’ thousan’ francs!’—as if M’sieu’ Doltaire could not pay such a like that. M’sieu’ Doltaire smile ver’ wicked, and answer, ‘Make it three hunder’ thousan’ francs, your Excellency.’ It is so still in the Chamber of the Joy that all you hear for a minute was the fat Monsieur Varin breathe like a hog, and the rattle of a spur as some one slide a foot on the floor.
“The Intendant look blank; then he nod his head for answer, and each write on a piece of paper. As they begin, M’sieu’ Doltaire take out his watch and lay it on the table, and the Intendant do the same, and they both look at the time. The watch of the Intendant is all jewels. ‘Will you not add the watches to the stake?’ say M’sieu’ Doltaire. The Intendant look, and shrug a shoulder, and shake his head for no, and M’sieu’ Doltaire smile in a sly way, so that the Intendant’s teeth show at his lips and his eyes almost close, he is so angry.
“Just this minute I hear a low noise behind me, and then some one give a little cry. I turn quick and Madame Cournal. She stretch her hand, and touch my lips, and motion me not to stir. I look down again, and I see that M’sieu’ Doltaire look up to the where I am, for he hear that sound, I think—I not know sure. But he say once more, ‘The watch, the watch, your Excellency! I have a fancy for yours!’ I feel madame breathe hard beside me, but I not like to look at her. I am not afraid of men, but a woman that way—ah, it make me shiver! She will betray me, I think. All at once I feel her hand at my belt, then at my pocket, to see if I have a weapon; for the thought come to her that I am there to kill Bigot. But I raise my hands and say, ‘No,’ ver’ quiet, and she nod her head all right.
“The Intendant wave his hand at M’sieu’ Doltaire to say he would not stake the watch, for I know it is one madame give him; and then they begin to play. No one stir. The cards go out flip, flip, on the table, and with a little soft scrape in the hands, and I hear Bigot’s hound much a bone. All at once M’sieu’ Doltaire throw down his cards, and say, ‘Mine, Bigot! Three hunder’ thousan’ francs, and the time is up!’ The other get from his chair, and say, ‘How would you have pay if you had lost, Doltaire?’ And m’sieu’ answer, ‘From the coffers of the King, like you, Bigot’ His tone is odd. I feel madame’s breath go hard. Bigot turn round and say to the others, ‘Will you take your way to the great hall, messieurs, and M’sieu’ Doltaire and I will follow. We have some private conf’rence.’ They all turn away, all but M’sieu’ Cournal, and leave the room, whispering. ‘I will join you soon, Cournal,’ say his Excellency. M’sieu’ Cournal not go, for he have been drinking, and something stubborn got into him. But the Intendant order him rough, and he go. I can hear madame gnash her teeth sof’ beside me.
“When the door close, the Intendant turn to M’sieu’ Doltaire and say, ‘What is the end for which you play?’ M’sieu’ Doltaire make a light motion of his hand, and answer, ‘For three hunder’ thousan’ francs.’ ‘And to pay, m’sieu’, how to pay if you have lost?’ M’sieu’ Doltaire lay his hand on his sword sof’. ‘From the King’s coffers, as I say; he owes me more than he has paid. But not like you, Bigot. I have earned, this way and that, all that I might ever get from the King’s coffers—even this three hunder’ thousan’ francs, ten times told. But you, Bigot—tush! why should we make bubbles of words?’ The Intendant get white in the face, but there are spots on it like on a late apple of an old tree. ‘You go too far, Doltaire,’ he say. ‘You have hint before my officers and my friends that I make free with the King’s coffers.’ M’sieu’ answer, ‘You should see no such hints, if your palms were not musty.’ ‘How know you,’ ask the Intendant, ‘that my hands are musty from the King’s coffers?’ M’sieu’ arrange his laces, and say light, ‘As easy from the must as I tell how time passes in your nights by the ticking of this trinket here.’ He raise his sword and touch the Intendant’s watch on the table.