fr:Mathias Sandorf - II,8
CHAPTER XI.A MEETING IN THE STRADONE.
death made a good deal of noise in town, but no
one suspected that Sarcany and Silas Toronthal were in
any way concerned in it.
It was on the morrow, the 6th of July, that the marriage
was to take place.
Neither Mme. Toronthal nor her daughter heard anything
about the death, precautions having been taken by
Toronthal and his destined son-in-law to keep it from
their ears.
It had been agreed that the wedding should be a very
quiet one. As an excuse it was given out that Sarcany's
family were in mourning, This was hardly in accordance
with Toronthal's usual love of show, but he thought it
better that no more fuss than necessary should be made. The newly married couple were to remain a few days at Ragusa, and then leave for Tripoli, where Sarcany, it was said, usually lived. There would therefore be no party in the Stradone, either for the reading of the settlements or after the religious services which were to immediately follow the civil ceremony.
During the day, while the last preparations were being
made at the Toronthals', two men strolled along the opposite
side of the Stradone.
One was Cape Matifou, the other Point Pescade.
The doctor had brought Matifou back with him to
Ragusa. His presence was no longer necessary at Cattaro, and the two friends, the “twins,” as Pescade said, were supremely happy at again seeing one another.
As soon as the doctor had reached Ragusa he had made
his first appearance in the Rue Marinella, then he had retired
to a quiet hotel in the suburb of Plocce, where he
waited until the wedding had taken place in furtherance
of his plans.
Next morning he had again visited Mme. Bathory and
helped to put Pierre in his coffin. He had then returned
to his hotel, having sent Pescade and Matifou to keep
watch on the Stradone.
And although Pescade was all eyes and ears, that did
not prevent him from talking.
“I think you are bigger, old Cape!” he said, reaching
up to pat his companion's chest.
“Yes, and in better condition!”
“So I felt when you embraced me.”
“But how is the play getting on we were talking
about?”
“Oh, the drama? Oh, it's going on, going on. But, yon see, the action is getting complicated.”
“Complicated?”
“Yes. It isn't a comedy; it's a drama, and there will
be a big fight before the curtain drops—”
Point Pescade stopped suddenly.
A carriage drove up rapidly to Toronthal's house. The
gate opened immediately, and, as it shut, Pescade recognized
Sarcany in the carriage.
“Yes—lots of fighting,” he continued, “and it looks
as though it was going to be a great success.”
“And the villain?” asked Matifou, who seemed to be
more particularly concerned with that personage.
“Well—the villain is triumphant at the present moment, as he always is in a well-built piece! But, patience! Wait for the end!”
“At Cattaro,” said Matifou, “I thought I was coming
on.”
“Coming on the scene?”
“Yes, Point Pescade, yes!”
And Matifou related what had passed at the bazaar at
Cattaro, and how his two arms had been requisitioned for
a kidnapping which did not take place.
“Good! That was too soon!” replied Point Pescade, who spoke for the sake of speaking, so to speak, keeping a keen lookout right and left of him. “You won't be wanted till the fourth or fifth act! Perhaps you may only have to appear in the last scene! But don't be uneasy! You will make a great success when you do begin! You can reckon on that!”
At this moment a distant murmur was heard in the
Stradone where the Rue Marinella ran in.
Point Pescade broke off the conversation abruptly and
hurried to the right of Toronthal's house.
A procession was coming along the road to enter the
Stradone on its way to the Church of the Franciscans, where the funeral service was to be held.
There were few followers at the funeral, and nothing to
attract much attention—merely a coffin carried under a
black pall.
The procession slowly advanced, when suddenly Point
Pescade, stifling an exclamation, seized Cape Matifou's
arm.
“What is the matter?”
“Nothing! It would take too long to tell you now!”
He had just recognized Mme. Bathory, who had resolved
to be present at her son's burial.