I looked at him steadily; he was quite pale.
"Whom did you say, Victor?" I asked.
"Oh, monsieur, in truth I hardly know myself."
"What M. de Franchi wishes to speak to me?"
"Monsieur's friend. The gentleman who was here two or three times."
"You are mad, my good man. Do you not know that I had the misfortune to lose my friend five days ago?"
"Yes, sir; and that is the reason I am so upset. He rang, I was in the antechamber, and opened the door, but recoiled at his appearance. However, he entered, and asked if you were at home. I replied that you were, and then he said, 'Go and announce M. de Franchi, who wishes to speak with your master,' and so I came."
"You are stupid, Victor, the antechamber is not properly lighted. You were asleep, no doubt, and did not hear correctly. Go, and ask the gentleman his name."
"It would be useless, sir. I swear to you I am not deceived. I heard him, and saw him, distinctly."
"Then go and show him in."
Victor turned tremblingly to the door, opened it, and then standing still in the room, said
"Will monsieur be kind enough to come in?"
I immediately heard the footsteps of my visitor crossing the antechamber, and sure enough, at the door there appeared M. de Franchi.
I confess that I was terrified, and took a step backwards as he approached.
"I trust you will excuse my appearance so late," said my visitor; "I only arrived ten minutes ago, and you will understand that I could not wait till tomorrow without seeing you."
"Oh, my dear Lucien," I exclaimed, advancing quickly, and embracing him. "Then it is really you." And, in spite of myself, tears really came into my eyes.
"Yes," he said, "it is I."
I made a calculation of the time that had elapsed, and could scarcely imagine that he had received the letterit could hardly have reached Ajaccio yet.
"Good Heavens! then you do not know what has happened?" I exclaimed.
"I know all," was his reply.
"Victor," I said, turning towards my servant, who was still rather embarrassed, "leave us, and return in a quarter of an hour with some supper. You will have something to eat, and will sleep here of course."
"With great pleasure," he replied. "I have eaten nothing since we left Auxerre. Then, as to lodgings, as nobody knew me in the Rue de Helder, or rather," he added, with a sad smile, "as everybody recognized me there, they declined to let me in, so I left the whole house in a state of alarm."
"In fact, my dear Lucien, your resemblance to Louis is so very striking that even I myself was just now taken aback."
"How," exclaimed Victor, who had not yet ventured to leave us. "Is monsieur the brother"
"Yes," I replied, "go and get supper."
Victor went out, and we found ourselves alone.
I took Lucien by the hand, and leading him to an easy chair seated myself near him.
"I suppose (I began) you were on your way to Paris when the fatal news met you?"
"No, I was at Sullacaro!"
"Impossible! Why your brother's letter could not have reached you."
"You forget the ballad of Burger, my dear Alexanderthe dead travel fast!"
I shuddered! "I do not understand," I said.
"Have you forgotten what I told you about the apparitions familiar to our family?"
"Do you mean to say that you have seen your dead brother?" "Yes.""When?"
"On the night of the 16th inst."
"And he told you everything?""All!"
"That he was dead?"
"He told me that he had been killed. The dead never lie!"
"That he was dead?"
"He told me that he had been killed. The dead never lie!"
"And he said in what way?"
"In a duel."
"By whom?"
"By M. de Chateau Renaud."
"Oh no, Lucien, that cannot be," I exclaimed, "you have obtained your information in some other way."
"Do you think I am likely to joke at such a time?"
"I beg your pardon. But truly what you tell me is so strange, and everything that relates to you and your brother so out of ordinary nature, that"
"That you hesitate to believe it. Well, I can understand the feeling. But wait. My brother was hit here," he continued, as he opened his shirt and showed me the blue mark of the bullet on his flesh, "he was wounded above the sixth rib on the right sidedo you believe that?"
"As a matter of fact," I replied, "that is the very spot where he was hit."
"And the bullet went out here," continued Lucien, putting his finger just above his left hip.
"It is miraculous," I exclaimed.
"And now," he went on, "do you wish me to tell you the time he died?"
"Tell me!"
"At ten minutes past nine."
"That will do, Lucien;" I said, "but I lose myself in questions. Give me a connected narrative of the events. I should prefer it."
Chapter XIX
LUCIEN settled himself comfortably in his armchair and looking at me fixedly, resumed:
"It is very simple. The day my brother was killed I was riding very early, and went out to visit the shepherds, when soon after I had looked at my watch and replaced it in my pocket, I received a blow in the side, so violent that I fainted. When I recovered I found myself lying on the ground in the arms of the Orlandini, who was bathing my face with water. My horse was close by.
"'Well,' said Orlandini, 'what has happened?'
"'I know no more about it than you do. Did you not hear a gun fired?'
"'No.'
"'It appears to me that I have received a ball in the side,' and I put my hand upon the place where I felt pain.
"'In the first place,' replied he 'there has been no shot fired, and besides, there is no mark of a bullet on your clothes.'
"'Then,' I replied, 'it must be my brother who is killed.'
"'Ah, indeed,' he replied, 'that is a different thing.' I opened my coat and I found a mark, only at first it was quite red and not blue as I showed you just now.
"For an instant I was tempted to return to Sullacaro, feeling so upset both mentally and bodily, but I thought of my mother, who did not expect me before supper time, and I should be obliged to give her a reason for my return, and I had no reason to give.
"On the other hand, I did not wish to announce my brother's death to her until I was absolutely certain of it. So I continued my way, and returned home about six o'clock in the evening.
"My poor mother received me as usual. She evidently had no suspicion that anything was wrong.
"Immediately after supper, I went upstairs, and as I passed through the corridor the wind blew my candle out.
"I was going downstairs to get a light when, passing my brother's room, I noticed a gleam within.
"I thought that Griffo had been there and left a lamp burning.
"I pushed open the door; I saw a taper burning near my brother's bed, and on the bed my brother lay extended, naked and bleeding.
"I remained for an instant, I confess, motionless with terror, then I approached.
"I touched the body, he was already dead.
"He had received a ball through the body, which had struck in the same place where I had felt the blow, and some drops of blood were still falling from the wound.
"It was evident to me that my brother had been shot.
"I fell on my knees, and leaning my head against the bed, I prayed fervently.
"When I opened my eyes again the room was in total darkness, the taper had been extinguished, the vision had disappeared.
"I felt all over the bed, it was empty.
"Now I believe I am as brave as most people, but when I tottered out of that room I declare to you my hair was standing on end and the perspiration pouring from my forehead.
"I went downstairs for another candle. My mother noticed me, and uttered a cry of surprise.
"'What is the matter with you,' she said, 'and why are you so pale?'
"'There is nothing the matter,' I replied, as I returned upstairs.
"This time the candle was not extinguished. I looked into my brother's room; it was empty.
"The taper had completely disappeared, nor was there any trace of the body on the bed.
"On the ground was my first candle, which I now relighted.
"Notwithstanding this absence of proof, I had seen enough to be convinced that at ten minutes past nine that morning my brother had been killed. I went to bed in a very agitated frame of mind.
"As you may imagine, I did not sleep very well, but at length fatigue conquered my agitation and I got a little rest.
"Then all the circumstances came before me in the form of a dream. I saw the scene as it had passed. I saw the man who had killed him. I heard his name. He is called M. de Chateau Renaud."
"Alas! that is all too true," I replied; "but what have you come to Paris for?"
"I have come to kill the man who has killed my brother."
"To kill him?"
"Oh, you may rest assured, not in the Corsican fashion from behind a wall or through a hedge, but in the French manner, with white gloves on, a frilled shirt, and white cuffs."
"And does Madame de Franchi know you have come to Paris with this intention?"
"She does."
"And she has let you come?"
"She kissed me, and said, 'Go.' My mother is a true Corsican."
"And so you came."
"Here I am."
"But your brother would not wish to be avenged were he alive."
"Well, then," replied Lucien, smiling bitterly, "he must have changed his mind since he died."
At this moment the valet entered, carrying the supper tray.
Lucien ate like a man without a care in the world.
After supper I showed him to his room. He thanked me, shook me by the hand, and wished me goodnight.
Next morning he came into my room as soon as the servant told him I was up.
"Will you accompany me to Vincennes?" he said. "If you are engaged I will go alone."
"Alone!" I replied. "How will you be able to find the spot?"
"Oh, I shall easily recognize it. Do you not remember that I saw it in my dream?"
I was curious to know how far he was correct in this. "Very well," I said, "I will go with you."
"Get ready, then, while I write to Giordano. You will let Victor take the note for me, will you not?"
"He is at your disposal."
"Thank you."
Ten minutes afterwards the letter was despatched. I then sent for a cabriolet and we drove to Vincennes.
When we reached the crosspaths Lucien said, "We are not far off now, I think."
"No; twenty paces further on we shall be at the spot where we entered the forest."
"Here we are," said the young man, as he stopped the carriage.
It was, indeed, the very spot!
Lucien entered the wood without the least hesitation, and as if he had known the place for years. He walked straight to the dell, and when there turned to the eastward, and then advancing he stopped at the place where his brother had fallen: stooping down he perceived the grass wore the red tinge of blood.