Legend of Moulin Huet | Page 4

of him and never look on me. Even to-night she
had not a civil word for me, though I stayed at home to make these
things for her and lost my place at market."
"And serve thee right. What business hast thou to encourage the girl in
her vanities? But thou said'st just now thou would'st like to have that
fellow out of this. So would I, and the whole lot of those lawless
soldiers. Can'st thou not think of some means to catch him"?
"Well, Father Pierre, I wouldn't like---
"Wouldn't like what!" shouted the old man, "perhaps thou art afraid of
the popinjay in his red coat--eh, thou chicken-hearted fellow? Thou art
not the man I took thee for. I wonder not at Marguerite speaking as she
does."
"Those are hard words and I like them not," replied Jacques sulkily. He
felt the hit contained in Pierre's words all the more as he was not quite
innocent of fear of the red coat. "I was going to say," he continued, "I
wouldn't like Marguerite to know I was watching for her soldier, as she
might warn him and put him on his guard. Ah! the hateful fellow, I
wish I had my hands at his throat now."
"Gently, gently, my good Jacques," replied the elder hypocrite, "such
language becomes not a follower of our Lord Protector Cromwell. But

let us understand one another. Charlie Heyward--(the name hath but an
ill savour to me)--must be put out of the way, and Marguerite, like her
sex, will doubtless forget that he ever existed, and marry thee. I wonder
where they meet? It must be somewhere near here, but I cannot find out.
Now that he knows he is unwelcome to me, he comes not in here."
"I will try and find out, Father Pierre, and then we must devise means
for putting him out of the way, as thou seem'st to desire it, and, mind,
my reward is Marguerite, whether she be willing or not."
"Yea, my son, and here is my hand on it."
After shaking hands over this black bargain, Jacques arose and said he
must go, and wishing old Pierre "Good night," he left the mill. Turning
round when he had gone a few steps from the door, he clenched his
hand and said, "Thou tempt'st me to commit murder, but I'll take care
that thou doest the deed thyself; bad as I am I could not take
Marguerite's hand in mine after such a foul deed."
It was now getting rather late, but as Jacques had no business of his
own on hand, but rather wished, like so many others to be about
business that was not his, instead of going home he thought he would
go up the cliffs by a path which swept round the side of the hill till it
came to fields that led to the Jerbourg fortress. On coming to a corner
where the path turned up the hill, he paused to look at the scene before
him, which was a lovely one: the moon was very brilliant, and the light
of it made a broad pathway across the bay--such a pathway as always
makes one wish to walk along in the calm to find a place of rest.
Perhaps the dark rocks which rose with a sort of sullen majesty straight
up from the water side, were more to Jacques' fancy than the moon path
on the water, for he was gazing intently across the hay at them, while
apparently the rest of the beautiful scene was lost on him. So intent was
his gaze at the rocks--on the summit of which was the Jerbourg
fortress--that he did not observe the presence of two persons who were
coming slowly towards him. Evidently they had not remarked him
either, which was not so much to be wondered at as they were no other
than Marguerite and Charlie!

Suddenly Jacques' attention was drawn to them by a merry laugh from
Marguerite. On looking round and seeing who were there he ground his
teeth in jealous rage and muttered to himself. "Ha! now I may discover
something," and going a few steps round the corner, he turned himself
into some bushes that overhung the path and bent down his head,
prepared to listen to the conversation of the pair coming along. Ah!
Marguerite; Ah, Charlie! how careful you would be did you know of
the presence of that dark-faced Jacques with his evil designs.
Unconsciously Jacques had placed himself in an excellent position to
hear and see all that was going on, as immediately beneath the bushes
in which he had hidden himself there was a large block of granite on
which the lovers sat down to await Hirzel, who was coming up from
the