Alexandre Dumas - The Last Cavalier - Being the Adventures of Count Sainte-Hermine in the Age of Napoleon

“After consulting all the Companions, my brother responded:

“‘My dear general,

“‘We received your good, courageous letter, thanks to your brave messenger. We have approximately one hundred fifty thousand francs in our coffers, and so we are able to do what you request. Our new associate, to whom I am giving the name Alcibiade on my own authority, will leave this evening with the first forty thousand francs. Each month you will receive from the same bank the forty thousand francs you need. In case of death or dispersion, the money will be buried in as many different places as we have multiples of forty thousand francs. Herewith is the list of those who will know where the money is hidden.

“‘Our brother Alcibiade arrived just in time to witness an execution, by the way. He has seen how we punish traitors.

“‘I thank you, my dear general, for your generous offer concerning my younger brother. But my intention is to keep him out of danger until the time comes for him to replace me. My father died on the guillotine, bequeathing his vengeance to my older brother. My older brother died before the firing squad, bequeathing his vengeance to me. I shall likely die, as you say, on the scaffold. But I shall die bequeathing my vengeance to my younger brother. And then it will be his turn to follow the same path we have taken, and he will contribute, as we have, to the triumph of our noble cause. Or he will die as we have died. That is the reason I am required to take it on myself to deprive him of your patronage, though I do ask you to keep him as a friend.

“‘As soon as possible, send us back our dear brother Alcibiade. For us it is a double pleasure to be able to send you our message with a messenger like him.

“‘Morgan’

“As my brother said, Coster de Saint-Victor did indeed witness the punishment. Lucien de Fargas was judged and executed before his eyes. Afterward, at midnight, two horsemen left the Seillon monastery by the same gate. One, Coster de Saint-Victor, was leaving for Brittany to meet Cadoudal, carrying forty thousand francs from Morgan. The other, the Comte de Ribier, with Lucien de Fargas’s body lying across his horse, was on his way to place the traitor’s corpse in the square by the Préfecture.”

Hector paused a moment, then said, “Pardon me, my story seemed so simple at first, only now it seems to have gotten so complicated it’s taking on the shape of a novel. I’m obliged to follow events as they progress, of course, but for fear of describing too many catastrophes I shall try to be as brief as possible.”

“Oh, on the contrary, don’t leave anything out, I beg you,” said Mademoiselle de Sourdis. “I find all the people you are talking about quite fascinating, especially Mademoiselle de Fargas.”

“Well, I was just about to get back to her. For three days after she had religiously attended to the burial of the body, identified as her brother, on the square in Bourg-en-Bresse, a young woman appeared at the Palais de Luxembourg and requested an audience with Citizen Director Barras. He was in a meeting. The valet, noticing that she was young and attractive, showed her into the pink boudoir, where Citizen Barras conducted his more amorous meetings. A quarter of an hour later, the same valet announced Citizen Director Barras.

“Barras entered triumphantly, placed his hat on a table, and walked toward the visitor, saying: ‘You wanted to see me, madame? Here I am!’

“The young woman, lifting her veil to reveal her astounding beauty, stood up as he approached. Barras stopped in amazement. Then he moved quickly forward and tried to take her hand as he gestured that she should sit back down.

“But she, keeping her hands in the folds of her long veil, said, ‘Please excuse me, but I must remain standing as befits a supplicant.’

“‘A supplicant!’ said Barras. ‘Oh, a woman like you does not beg; she gives orders, or at the very least she makes demands.’

“‘Well, that is what I’m also doing. In the name of the earth that gave us both life, in the name of my father, your father’s friend, in the name of outraged humanity, in the name of failed justice, I come to you to demand vengeance.’

“‘Vengeance?’

“‘Vengeance,’ Diana repeated.

“‘Vengeance is a harsh word,’ Barras said, ‘for one so lovely and young.’

“‘Monsieur, I am the daughter of the Comte de Fargas, assassinated by the Republicans in Avignon, and the sister of the Vicomte de Fargas, who has just been killed in Bourg-en-Bresse by the Companions of Jehu.’

“‘Are you sure, madame?’

“She showed him a dagger and a sheet of paper. ‘The dagger is well known in its design,’ she said, ‘even if the dagger explained nothing at all, and the paper will remove any doubts as to the murder and its cause.’

“Barras studied the weapon. ‘And this dagger.…’ he began.

“‘Was planted in my brother’s chest.’

“‘The dagger by itself proves nothing,’ said Barras. ‘It could have been stolen or counterfeited purposely simply to complicate the investigation.’

“‘Yes, but read this paper, written and signed in my brother’s hand.’

“Barras read Lucien’s last words, avouching his failure to keep his oath to the Companions of Jehu. ‘And this is truly your brother’s writing?’ Barras asked.

“‘Yes, it is.’

“‘What do these words mean: “I die the victim not of a cowardly assassin but of avenging justice?”’

“‘That means that when he fell into your agents’ hands and was tortured, my brother broke his oath by naming his accomplices. I’m the one,’ Diana added with a strange laugh, ‘who should have joined the Companions, not my brother.’

“‘How is it possible that a murder like that took place without my knowing anything about it?’

“‘It does not speak well for your police,’ Diana said with a smile.

“‘Well, since you seem to be so well informed, tell us the names of the people who killed your brother. Once we have caught them, their punishment will be swift.’

“‘If I knew their names,’ answered Diana, ‘I would not have to come see you. I’d have planted a knife in them myself.’

“‘Well,’ said Barras, ‘as you look for them, so shall we.’

“‘But should it be I who looks for them?’ Diana asked. ‘Is that my job? Am I the government or the police? Is it my responsibility to keep watch over people? My brother was arrested and put into prison, a prison belonging to the government, which now has to answer to me for my brother. The prison has betrayed its prisoner. So the government owes me an answer. Since you are the head of government, I ask you, I demand, “Give me back my brother!”’

“‘You loved your brother?’

“‘I adored him.’

“‘And you want to avenge him?’

“‘I would trade my life for the lives of his assassins.’

“‘What if I offered you a way, whatever it might be, to discover the murderer? Would you accept?’

“Diana hesitated a moment, then said boldly, ‘Whatever it is, I shall do what’s necessary.’

“‘Well, then,’ said Barras, ‘if you are willing to help us, we shall help you.’

“‘What must I do?’

“‘You are attractive; very attractive, indeed.’

“‘My beauty has nothing to do with it,’ said Diana without lowering her eyes.

“‘On the contrary,’ said Barras, ‘beauty has everything to do with it. In this grand struggle we call life, beauty comes to women not as some heaven-sent gift merely to please the eyes of a lover or husband, but as a potent weapon, a means of attack and defense.’

“‘Tell me more,’ Diana replied.

“‘The Companions of Jehu keep no secrets from Cadoudal. He is their true leader, for essentially they work for him. He knows their every name from top to bottom.’