Legend of Moulin Huet | Page 4

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 bay. Little they knew what power they were putting in the hands of one who would not scruple to use it to the utmost.
"So your father is still against me, Marguerite?"
"Yes, Charlie; and that dreadful Jacques is persecuting me as much as ever with his impertinent attentions. Only this evening he brought me some bobbins which I told him he might take