"You have learned something?"

"Come out with me, I tell you. Do you think I am fool enough to talk under these walls?"

As they stepped out on the square they saw Fanfar, but Fanfar did not notice these two shadows. He entered the inn and Caillette threw herself into his arms, sobbing with joy.

"I am glad to see you," muttered Schwann, half ashamed of his own emotion.

In the silence that followed, the voice of La Roulante was heard singing while drowning her sorrows in a bottle of brandy.

CHAPTER XXI.

THE GRAt.i.tUDE OF A MARQUIS.

After the departure of the two strangers, who, it will be understood, now renounced their trip for Remisemont, Gudel remained very pensive. He said to himself that after all he had no right to imperil the future of Fanfar and to have made that promise for him. He began to feel very uneasy at the long absence of the young man. There was a knock at the door.

"Come in," called Iron Jaws.

His surprise was great when he beheld a stranger walk in.

"I am," said this stranger, "the Marquis de Fongereues, and I wish to talk with you."

"I am entirely at your service," answered Iron Jaws, bringing forward a chair.

"You are probably astonished, Monsieur Gudel," said the Marquis, "at my coming here at this time. I know of your accident, and I trust you will excuse my indiscretion when you hear my reasons."

Iron Jaws bowed.

"I was, a half hour since, in great danger, and one of your people saved my life. You will hear about that later on, I can not now delay to tell you."

"But who was this person?"

"His name was Fanfar."

"I might have known it!" shouted Gudel, "he is always doing such things.

But where is he? Is he hurt?"

"Not in the least. He a.s.sisted me upon his horse, and the animal was uncontrollable; he, however, brought me here in safety, but my preserver was obliged to walk back."

"He does not mind that, let me tell you. He will be here in ten minutes."

"And the more reason why I should make haste in what I have to say. My name tells you the position I hold at court--"

"I know very little of such matters."

"Then I will tell you that my name is well known, and that my credit is great. I am ready to serve your--son--"

"My son! Alas, sir, I wish Fanfar were my son, but, unfortunately, he is no relation of mine."

"But this young man has parents? I can serve them, undoubtedly."

"Fanfar has no parents."

The Marquis bit his lips. With difficulty he curbed his impatience; it showed in his voice and his eyes. Gudel suspected nothing.

"A poor orphan, then?" asked the Marquis, in the most honeyed tones, "entrusted to your care by a dying father?"

"No, sir, I found Fanfar."

"Pray tell me how and where? I am greatly interested in this young man."

"It is a simple story, sir. My father and I were mountebanks, and there are worse trades, let me a.s.sure you. I have served my time under the Republic, and was easy in my mind when there came the trouble of 1812. I with the rest was called out again. I had left my wife and my little girl at home in a village which the allies would have gobbled up at a mouthful, so I asked for a short leave and started off. I tumbled my family and their goods into my chariot, where were already packed the things I used in my profession. I must not omit to mention that Bobichel had kept up the business for me. We travelled along not very rapidly, for there was already fighting going on in France, and we were obliged to turn off the highway many times. One morning, pa.s.sing through a field, I heard the sound of a bugle. It was the French bugle call. It sounded a little queer, but I said to myself, 'Hullo! there are comrades near.' I ran round a hillock, and saw something that I shall never forget in my life."

"Go on!" cried the Marquis.

Gudel opened his eyes in amazement, but he could not well see the face of his companion, and was flattered by the evident curiosity of the Marquis.

"I saw soldiers, several of them, lying dead, butchered by the Cossacks.

I looked around to see who had sounded the bugle. You won't believe me when I tell you that it was a boy, certainly not over ten, who had discovered this bugle and blown it. I ran to him, but I don't know that he even saw me, for he fell back fainting at that very moment."

"And you picked him up?"

"Of course I did! And this was Fanfar."

"Did you make any search for his parents?"

"How could I! The Cossacks were at my heels, and there was fire and blood everywhere."

"But later on?"

"The child was sick for a long time, entirely out of his head, and when he began to recover we feared that his brain was hopelessly affected. It was not until eighteen months had elapsed that he was able to tell me he came from Leigoutte, among the Vosges mountains."

"Ah!" The Marquis drew his breath with pain. "Go on! go on!" he muttered in a hoa.r.s.e voice.

"He said his father's name was Simon, his mother's name Francoise, and a little sister was called Francinette, but he gave me no family name. I did my best and found that the father had been killed in an engagement among the mountains, the mother was burned in a fire set by the Cossacks, the sister had disappeared; my little Fanfar was all alone. I kept him, and did what I could for him. I taught him my profession. This is the whole story. On one side good, brave people, on the other cowards and a.s.sa.s.sins."

The Marquis was livid. There was now no doubt. It was Simon's son who had been thus thrown in his path. He asked one more question.

"But could you not learn the father's name?"

"No, the village was burned, almost all the inhabitants had perished, the Cossacks had done their work well. One of the peasants did tell me that he always thought this Master Simon--he taught a school--was a great lord in disguise, but there are always just such foolish stories, and you know in those days great lords were not often killed in defending France."

Fanfar entered somewhat abruptly.

"This is the lad, sir," said Gudel, drawing him to his side. "He is good, he is honest, he is strong!"