Part 24 (1/2)

'And was he something by himself?' asked Una.

Pharaoh began to laugh, but stopped. 'The way _I_ look at it,' he said, 'Talleyrand was one of just three men in this world who are quite by themselves. Big Hand I put first, because I've seen him.'

'Ay,' said Puck. 'I'm sorry we lost him out of Old England. Who d'you put second?'

'Talleyrand: maybe because I've seen him too,' said Pharaoh.

'Who's third?' said Puck.

'Boney--even though I've seen him.'

'Whew!' said Puck. 'Every man has his own weights and measures, but that's queer reckoning.'

'Boney?' said Una. 'You don't mean you've ever met Napoleon Bonaparte?'

'There, I knew you wouldn't have patience with the rest of my tale after hearing that! But wait a minute. Talleyrand he come round to Hundred and Eighteen in a day or two to thank Toby for his kindness. I didn't mention the dice-playing, but I could see that Red Jacket's doings had made Talleyrand highly curious about Indians--though he would call him the Huron. Toby, as you may believe, was all holds full of knowledge concerning their manners and habits. He only needed a listener. The Brethren don't study Indians much till they join the church, but Toby knew 'em wild. So evening after evening Talleyrand crossed his sound leg over his game one and Toby poured forth. Having been adopted into the Senecas I, naturally, kept still, but Toby 'ud call on me to back up some of his remarks, and by that means, and a habit he had of drawing you on in talk, Talleyrand saw I knew something of his n.o.ble savages too. Then he tried a trick. Coming back from an _emigre_ party he turns into his little shop and puts it to me, laughing like, that I'd gone with the two chiefs on their visit to Big Hand. _I_ hadn't told. Red Jacket hadn't told, and Toby, of course, didn't know. 'Twas just Talleyrand's guess. ”Now,” he says, ”my English and Red Jacket's French was so bad that I am not sure I got the rights of what the President really said to the unsophisticated Huron. Do me the favour of telling it again.” I told him every word Red Jacket had told him and not one word more. I had my suspicions, having just come from an _emigre_ party where the Marquise was hating and praising him as usual.

'”Much obliged,” he said. ”But I couldn't gather from Red Jacket exactly what the President said to Monsieur Genet, or to his American gentlemen after Monsieur Genet had ridden away.”

'I saw Talleyrand was guessing again, for Red Jacket hadn't told him a word about the white man's pow-wow.'

'Why hadn't he?' Puck asked.

'Because Red Jacket was a chief. He told Talleyrand what the President had said to him and Cornplanter; but he didn't repeat the talk, between the white men, that Big Hand ordered him to leave behind.'

'Oh!' said Puck. 'I see. What did _you_ do?'

'First I was going to make some sort of tale round it, but Talleyrand was a chief too. So I said, ”As soon as I get Red Jacket's permission to tell that part of the tale, I'll be delighted to refresh your memory, abbe.” What else could I have done?

'”Is that all?” he says, laughing. ”Let me refresh your memory. In a month from now I can give you a hundred dollars for your account of the conversation.”

'”Make it five hundred, abbe,” I says.

'”Five, then,” says he.

'”That will suit me admirably,” I says. ”Red Jacket will be in town again by then, and the moment he gives me leave I'll claim the money.”

'He had a hard fight to be civil but he come out smiling.

'”Monsieur,” he says. ”I beg your pardon as sincerely as I envy the n.o.ble Huron your loyalty. Do me the honour to sit down while I explain.”

'There wasn't another chair, so I sat on the b.u.t.ton-box.

'He was a clever man. He had got hold of the gossip that the President meant to make a peace treaty with England at any cost. He had found out--from Genet, I reckon, who was with the President on the day the two chiefs met him. He'd heard that Genet had had a huff with the President and had ridden off leaving his business at loose ends. What he wanted--what he begged and bl.u.s.tered to know--was just the very words which the President had said to his gentlemen _after_ Genet had left, concerning the peace treaty with England. He put it to me that in helping him to those very words I'd be helping three great countries as well as mankind. The room was as bare as the palm of your hand, but I couldn't laugh.

'”I'm sorry,” I says, when he wiped his forehead. ”As soon as Red Jacket gives permission----”

'”You don't believe me, then?” he cuts in.

'”Not one little, little word, abbe,” I says; ”except that you mean to be on the winning side. Remember, I've been fiddling to all your old friends for months.”

'Well, then, his temper fled him and he called me names.