Chapter 17 2. Ambush

Natalie shuddered. "Ah! You were her fiancée before?" "Yes," Almer replied with a smile, "... I still am." "how could be?" "Jean was taken prisoner in August 1914, and two months later his name appeared on the list of dead prisoners issued by the Germans. His mother died after receiving the news. Not entirely convinced." "why?" "Because he told me when he was parting that he would come back. He said: Almer, as soon as I have a vacation, I will come back from this path that was blocked before and opened up by me later. I will come back from Come in through this little door, Almer, you are the first person I want to see. Here, he was talking about the little door hidden by the big cupboard. The path leads far into the ruins, and a fence It was cut off in the middle, and Jean's key was hidden under a boulder."

Natalie seemed very flustered.She asked again: "Because he promised to come back, do you think the news of his death is unreliable?" "Yes, miss." "You have so much confidence in him..." "I have full confidence. Everyone who knew him was the same. He was different in thought as well as in action. The farmers here say he was a 'miracle-worker'. I don't think so...but, He always surprises me." "How did it surprise you?" "I don't know. A friendly trick, a jest, a way of showing a special side of things, a gift for getting people to believe and being believed. Is that so, Geoffroy?"

"Our Jean is absolutely unparalleled in the world." The old butler said without hesitation. "After all, doesn't he have flaws?" Natalie said, her voice changing a little. Almer shook his head. "No faults? Oh! Of course there are! And there are many, aren't there, Geoffroy?" The old man showed a very happy and magnanimous attitude, and responded: "That's a rascal, miss, who loses his temper when he doesn't like it... loves to get angry... loves to fight. At the age of fifteen, he was already the most naughty boy in this area. The chief. He has his own little boat, and goes out from the sea along the coast, to the orchards and the poultry farms, and stealthily. If anyone disobeys him, he is merciless! How much fruit has been stolen! How many chickens have been stolen And Duck! A rascal, really! But a commander-in-chief!"

"Just like his predecessors," said Almer proudly. "Look at their portraits. They are all pirates, and they are all immortal figures." "Where's his mother?" Natalie asked, embarrassed by what they had said. "What did her mother say?" "Oh!" cried Mademoiselle de Aneris, "my venerable Madame Pruenec, she is in agony. She was really desperate several times, and she cried and groaned. She loves him too much, and a son knows how to comfort her. He said: Mom, you are right, your son is really bad. But listen to me. My behavior this week is really good. Like a robber. It must have taken me two weeks to atone for my crime. From then on, he was only seen going in and out of the doors of poor people, working for them, and delivering loads of dry wood in a cart. And, he It really made the old lady laugh from ear to ear! He pulled his mother to the portraits of the ancestors, and the people in the manor respected them very much. He was even more unwilling to be behind, and said loudly to the portraits: We Let's talk about these "butchers of the sea" (this is the local saying), and improvised a few crooked poems, and began to reprimand them one by one: "This Paul de Provanec, the chief justice of Pamper , conquered the country of Judah, stole chickens and dogs, lost his head and lost his official position.'”

Almer spoke so cheerfully that Nathalie was at a loss as to what to do, and one could guess that the girl would support Jean de Prouenec in whatever he did. "So," she said, "you're still waiting for his return?" "I come here every day," said Miss de Aniris. "As soon as I got to the door, my heart was pounding like it was the day before. My name was Geoffroy, and I asked him: He's coming, isn't he? He said: No. I asked again: Well, did he come?" Letter? He said: No. So I arranged the flowers to see if everything in the house was in order. Here is his paper, there is his pipe. Farther away is a picture of his mother. And, in this On the table is the book he was still reading to me when the village rang the alarm bell to inform the recruits to assemble. 'What does this leader have that the pirates admire so much?...'"

"That's right," Natalie murmured to herself, "that's exactly what he's thinking about." "No," said Almer, "it is the voice of the Ploanec family. But there is another quality, which is equally strong in him, which he learned from the venerable Madame Ploanec. From there, his mother's original name was Marie de Saint-Marie. Therefore, his character is both violent and gentle, cute and stubborn, rational and passionate, desperate to do good, and abhors evil. However, he Unwilling to be bound by any discipline, but only sentimental. So, sometimes Pruinec, sometimes Sainte-Marie, the influence of the two families in turn exerted on him, there is a double reflection on his face, madam, this It's his picture, and you can tell."

As she spoke, she took a tissue-covered photograph from the bottom of Byron's collection, and as she handed it to Natalie, she added: "He always wore something like this... a blue jacket , two rows of gold buttons . . . and a sailor's cap." Natalie wasn't surprised at all.This is something she already knew.The photo of Jean de Prouenec is actually Alan Rock's photo, only fifteen years younger. The church bell rang.Geoffroy fetched his cloak and hat, and beckoned to Mademoiselle de Aneris that it was time to go. "Well, my dear lady, don't talk about our affairs any more. These things don't concern anyone else."

"Really," she said again, "but, if someone asks about him, can I not tell you? Miss, please continue to visit. After mass, I will pass here again, perhaps in the ruins of the manor See you again." She saluted and left, followed by Geoffroy and Maxime.Maxim wanted to go to church with her, and continued to ask some questions. "Natalie, I'll come back to you." Maxim shouted from the steps. "Come back with Mademoiselle de Aneris," she said. "We're in no hurry to go back anyway." Natalie was left alone, which was exactly what she had hoped for.She kept her eyes fixed on the picture.Allen Rock!It was him, tall, slender, strong, with a passionate face, an appearance full of perseverance, and a majestic demeanor.But there were no bitter lines of age to be seen, no resolute and fearless look in his eyes, no mystery that now enveloped him.

Moreover, the longer Natalie looked, the farther she moved away from Alan-Rock, who seemed to disappear into ever-increasing darkness, giving way to the young man Almer de Aneris spoke of. .Moreover, the image of the young man was so vivid that he was the only one in her eyes.There's nothing on his face that calls to mind Jericho and Aaron Rock.There is only one living Jean de Prouenec, gentleman of Breton, son of Marie de Saint-Marie, fiancé of the fair Almer, hero of the field.His life ends here.Pirate and murderer Jericho, adventurer Alan Rock, they haven't emerged from the noisy battle or the rough sea.She leaned over the photo, looking at this lovely young man with a friend's eyes, and the gloomy images in her memory were gradually replaced.

Looking at the little slot under the low door, which marked the opposite side of the house from the windows, she thought, "When he goes back to the place where he spent his childhood, and gets near the walls of the manor, he'll see the truth." I understand, he will remember every ruin, every tree, and when he enters through this small door, everything in the past will reappear before his eyes. Perhaps his fiancée will come here to greet him in person.” She kept going Repeatedly: "His fiancée... Almer de Aneris..." Feeling a little sad, she decided to take a walk around the estate in order to relax.Before going out, she put the photograph back under the book, but there was another photograph underneath, of Jean de Prouenec at the age of eleven, in a Eucharist dress, smiling. He looked very happy and lively, and there was nothing to suggest that such a terrible quality would appear in him in the future.

As she walked towards the platform, she seemed to hear some unusual sounds from the rubble of the manor, light footsteps, and the rustling of branches. She listened for a minute or two, her heart was a little hairy, and she pricked up her ears to pay attention to the slightest movement outside. She recalled what Geoffroy had said about the footprints of strangers found near the gate.What are these footprints all about?Who are the enemies? The voice became clearer and clearer, and she quietly walked to one of the windows, bent down to have a look, and couldn't help crying out in a low voice: "Oh! My God, how is this possible!" She looked out carefully, but did not let others see herself.She thought it was Boniface at first, and it was.He came to the clearing near the tower.After a while, two people whispered under the window.After a while, she heard footsteps sneaking up the steps. So she hid in the window hole, covered by the frayed tapestries in front of her, and she could see who was coming through the thin gauze. They appeared on the platform in no time.She recognized Falville, followed by Boniface.Both were dressed as peasants, more like woodcutters to be precise. "She's not there," said Boniface, glancing in briefly, without thinking of searching the two window openings. "I expected it," said Forville. "Maxim went with Aneris and Geoffroy. I don't believe that Nathalie will be here this morning." "Anyway, what are the two fellows here for? Can anyone bring them to the manor? Hi! If she's giving us trouble today, she deserves it." Nathalie shuddered, nearly stepped through the open window, slipped out and jumped upstairs to the ground.However, she thought that she was not in a hurry to escape at this time, there was always a chance if she wanted to. She then continued to listen to them.Boniface sneered and said, "Forwell, don't be nervous. It's just the two of us here. As soon as Rudovic arrives, arrange for him to stand guard here." "Good idea," agreed Falville. "We have at least two hours, which is more than enough. However, the condition is that no one gets in the way between us and Alan Rock." Boniface sneered again: "You still call him Alan Rock, I think it's funny. Since I called him Jericho to his face that night, he should know who he is. You know too Yes, for I have told you his history from beginning to end." He rubbed his hands together. "Ah! Forville, you have a good eye. You stayed at the door of the hotel that night and recognized the two singers of the Villa Mirador, Boniface and Monsieur Rudovic. We have a good understanding." Makes sense. But we have to have three because they are three: Alan Rock, Jericho and Provanec!" "That's right," said Fauville in a low voice, "but all three could have been killed with a single shot, Boniface, and we're always on the same page, aren't we?" Boniface didn't answer, he was listening. "Shh!" he ordered. "what?" "Someone whistled." "Ok?" "Ludovic." "He arrived early." "Yes, his bicycle is stored at the station. If he and Jericho take the same train, Rudovic can arrive a quarter of an hour earlier." At this moment, there was a second whistle, and Boniface responded with the same whistle.Almost at the same time, Rudovic came running in, panting. "Here he comes!" he said. The two people inside visibly tensed up. "Ah! Are you sure?" "Absolutely." "Well, come on, come on," said Boniface. "There's nothing to say," Rudovic replied. "You sent me to Paris to keep an eye on that man for a few days. I got to know his driver, and through him I knew that Jericho was going on a trip last night. I followed him all the way to the Gare Montparnasse to see him. Boarded the train for Brittany. So I sent you a telegram, which I think you received this morning, because you were waiting for my message, and then I got on the train too. Arrived in Ploine After the Ke station, he took a short cut to the gap in the wall." "So he's going to come in here?" Forville said, pointing to a small door. "That's right." "About twenty minutes?" "He walks very fast, count it ten minutes..." "Damn it!" Boniface cursed under his breath. "The thought of seeing him soon makes me dizzy... What are you doing there, Falville?" Falville, who was taking a gun from the wall, asked: "Have you brought me any cartridges, Rudovic?" "Bring a box, it was agreed." Falville tore off the wrapping, opened the magazine, loaded two rounds into the gun, raised the gun over his shoulder, and took aim at the little door. "Okay," he said, with a twinkle in his eye. "Alan Rock's done. Now, we're on our spots." They chose the platform as an ambush point, and lowered the valance hanging over the door.They still have the advantage of being commanding and controlling the steps in case Alan Rock comes in through the main entrance. They waited, the atmosphere heavy.With cold hands and hot forehead, Natalie had no thoughts of running away, but, on the other hand, she had no plans either.Her legs were weak.She just watched and listened desperately. Boniface said, in a loud voice she could hear clearly: "You're not going to shoot right away, are you?" "Why didn't you shoot right away?" "Isn't this stupid. Because he can't escape no matter what, let's observe carefully to see what he is doing here and whether he is looking for something." "It makes sense!" "And reasonable. I believe there is a vault hidden somewhere." "absurd!" "No, no. Otherwise, what's he doing here?" "Because he regained his lost memory...because he saw his past, the pirate Jericho, before Jericho was Jean de Provanec. He came to the manor where he lived before the war to find Jean de De Prouenec." "Anyway!" insisted Boniface. "We must know what he came for." Falwell relented. "That's all. Anyway, as you say, he won't escape us. But I'll give you five minutes. I want it to end quickly." They were silent for a long while.Then Boniface asked in a low voice: "You hate him very much, don't you?" "Yes," Falville replied. "He's ruining my reputation. He's holding on to me. I can't breathe until this bullet goes out." "So do I," said Boniface, "but I've killed him once, and I thought I'd leave that to you today." Then, through gritted teeth, he said, "It's a hard bone, you know... Be careful. He's a scheming man... Rudovic?" "What's the matter, boss?" "Is your gun ready?" "I see!" A voice seemed to come from the depths of the tower, and they stopped speaking, and the silence was full of anxiety and solemnity. Natalie saw the gun raised and lowered several times against the door.Falwell is warming up. She couldn't hold on anymore, if she wasn't afraid that any action would expose herself, she would have passed out.However, she gritted her teeth and finally did not fall down. The sound became louder and louder, first the sound of feet stepping on pebbles, the sound of the key, and then the sound of the key looking for the keyhole and the rusty lock preventing it from being inserted. After a lot of hard work, finally got the result.The key turned and creaked. Then, the door slammed open. Alan Rock...