Cotillion

The Chevalier’s hands dropped. He sat staring at Freddy, as though thunderstruck. ‘Do it?’ he repeated. ‘You would say—un enlèvement?’

Freddy sighed. ‘No, I wouldn’t. Keep telling you I don’t speak French.’

‘Pardon! A—a flight—a—I do not know the word!’

‘Daresay you mean an elopement,’ said Freddy helpfully. ‘That’s it: carry her off to France before her mother finds her.’

The Chevalier’s eyes flashed. ‘Ah, you believe me to be altogether base!’ he exclaimed.

‘Well, you’re out there, because I don’t. Seems to me you’re altogether bacon-brained!’

‘But—It would be an infamy! I tell you, I have for that angel a respect, an adoration beyond your comprehension! To steal her in that manner—I, a gamester, an adventurer!—is a villainy too great!’

‘Shouldn’t call it a villainy myself,’ said Freddy. ‘It ain’t the thing, of course: not saying it is. Mind, if you didn’t mean to marry her, it wouldn’t do at all!’

‘If it were possible, I would marry her at this instant!’ the Chevalier said impetuously.

‘Well, it ain’t possible. Marry her when you get to France.’

The Chevalier began to pace about the room. ‘I would take her to my mother. She is not such a one as Madame Broughty, rest assured!’

‘Very good notion,’ approved Freddy.

‘My father—ah, if at first he was a little angry with me, would he not relent when his eyes alighted upon my angel?’

‘Bound to,’ agreed Freddy.

The Chevalier faced him. ‘Tell me, then, you who are of a family of the most distinguished, the most correct, should I do this thing?’

‘Dash it, just what I have been telling you!’ said Freddy. ‘What’s more, there’s no time to be lost.’

A doubt shook the Chevalier. ‘Can it be that she would trust me? So young, so innocent!’

‘Why shouldn’t she? What I mean is, no reason at all, if she’s an innocent. Ought to know that!’

The Chevalier drew a deep breath, and flung open his arms. ‘La tête me tourne! But one little half-hour past, behold me, plongé dans le désespoir! Then you come to me, comme ange tutélaire, and you transport me to Paradise!’

‘Very happy to be of service,’ murmured Freddy, rising, and setting down his empty glass.

The Chevalier gave a shaken laugh. ‘Ah, I am without words! Je n’en suis plus!’

‘Are you, though?’ said Freddy hopefully. ‘Good thing: no time to waste in speechifying! Fact is, never one to talk much: not clever, y’know!’

‘You—!’ uttered the Chevalier, in throbbing accents. ‘You will permit me at least to thank you!’

Freddy’s eyes started from his head with horror, for it seemed, for one hideous moment, as though the Chevalier had every intention of embracing him. However, the excitable Frenchman contented himself with seizing both his hands, and exclaiming in a voice of profound emotion: ‘My benefactor!’

‘No, no, assure you, nothing of that sort!’ said Freddy. ‘At least—puts me in mind of something! Don’t know how you may be fixed for the ready! Happen to have a large sum about me: thought I might be needing it, but it turned out I didn’t. Beg you won’t hesitate to tell me if it ain’t quite convenient to you to lay down your blunt just at present!’

‘Ah, you are the soul of generosity!’ the Chevalier said, pressing his hands fervently. ‘But no! I too have about me a large sum of money!’ An imp of mischief leaped into his eyes. ‘Shall I tell you? Yes, for could I withhold from you any secret? Your cousin did me the so-great honour to invite me to his logement, having, as he told me, an envie to pit his skill at piquet against mine. Eh bien! he has some skill, that one, but I was perhaps a little enraged—pour raison à moi connue!—and I did not choose that he should win. C’est du genre comique, n’est-ce pas?’

‘Fuzzed the cards, did you?’ said Freddy. ‘Hope you haven’t knocked him into horse nails! However, no concern of mine. Daresay he’ll make a recover: never known him to be rolled up yet! Thing is, ought to hire a chaise! Won’t want to travel by the Mail. Got a notion it don’t leave the General Post Office till after nightfall. Dashed uncomfortable business, travelling by night! Besides, ought to leave town immediately.’

‘Soyez tranquil! I go to hire a post-chaise on the instant! One night we must be in Dover, for the packet, you must know, leaves at a little after eight in the morning. Have no fears! My angel shall be as a queen, and I her slave!’

Since Fr

eddy was grappling with thoughts of his own, this chivalrous utterance drew from him only an abstracted nod. The Chevalier, at last releasing his hands, began to stride about the room, formulating his plans for flight. Freddy interrupted him without ceremony. ‘Tell you what!’ he said. ‘Bring her to you! Won’t do for her to set out from m’sister’s house. Better not be seen here either. You know the Golden Cross? Very tolerable house, at Charing Cross. Meet you there, in an hour’s time. Not likely to see anyone we know, which we should, sure as check, if you set out from the Bear, in Piccadilly. Going back to Berkeley Square now: don’t want to waste any more time! Got important business to settle on my own account.’