EDME CHAMPION.

A STORY FOR THE YOUNG, FROM THE GERMAN OF BARTH.

TRANSLATED BY REV. G. A. WENZEL.

CHAPTER I.

a cold winter night in December,

01772, when the inhabitants of Chatel

Censoir, a village in Burgundy, had nearly all retired to rest, a loud knock was heard at the door of a remote hut, situated on the banks of the river Yonne.

"Who is there?" inquired a soft and gentle voice within.

"Open the door quickly! Make haste, make haste!" cried a person from without.

"Only push against it and walk in," replied the voice within; and immediately a woman in a peasant's garb, carrying apparently a heavy bundle beneath her cloak, rushed in. She seemed greatly disappointed when she found that the only occupant was a small boy, aged about eight years, who was seated near the empty fire-place, with nothing save a rushlight flickering upon its hearth.

66 Are you alone?" she asked.

"Yes," answered the boy with a mournful look; " 'my parents, together with six brothers and sisters, have all died, and there is no one left me but my oldest brother, Marcel."

"I have been informed that this hut was occupied by a ferryman."

"My father was a ferryman, and my brother follows the same occupation," replied the lad.

"Then call your brother, that he may ferry me across the river as quickly as possible, for, being pursued, I have not a moment to lose." Whilst saying this the woman cast an anxious glance towards the door.

face becoming uncovered, replied to her expression of alarm by saying: "Why lost, Petronilla, are the robbers here ?"

"Robbers!" said the youthful occupant of the hut laughingly, whilst looking in surprise at the boy; are there then robbers in these parts?"

66

"If there were none," replied the woman, "none would pursue us; and if we do not succeed in gaining the opposite bank of the river within an hour, they will rob me of this child. But where stays your brother all this time?"

"I know not," answered the boy; "but if you only wish to be ferried across the river, you need not wait for him. I have done the like for many a traveller. Edmè Champion understands the business,-so follow me."

"Make haste, then," said the woman, and having again concealed her charge under her cloak, she hastened out of the hut, followed by the boy, after he had first carefully locked the door. A short distance from the hut was a small bay, within which the ferry-boat lay at anchor. This the woman quickly entered. Edmè having unfastened it, jumped in after her, and giving his little vessel, which a sailor might have compared to a nutshell, a push, it glided smoothly over the surface of the stream, which was then faintly lighted up by the feeble rays of the crescent moon.

After having been carried out some distance into the stream, the woman's courage seemed to revive, and forgetting apparently that the individual whom she was addressing was but a child, she said: "Listen, young man; you are now saving the son of a great nobleman, and for this you shall not go unrewarded.”

"Are you then afraid of his being robbed of his fine clothes?" asked Edmè.

"I rather fear they will take him," re

"How? What can these robbers want with a boy like him, or me?"

"With a boy like yourself, of course nothing; but with one like him!—Child, you know not with whom you are speaking."

The tone and manner of the woman, who

presented a tall and commanding figure, reminded Edme of the stories which he had often heard the peasant women, of an evening, relate to the village children. He leaned upon his oar, and for some time gazed fixedly at her. Then his thoughts would recur to the beautiful child, whose garments were so richly embroidered, and whose beaver hat was adorned with feathers; when suddenly he changed his hitherto familiar manner, and said almost in affright, "So, then, madam, you are not what you appear to be?"

"A peasant woman ?" replied the stranger with a disdainful smile, "certainly not, my little friend."

"How is that possible in the middle of a river?" said Edme greatly agitated. "Conceal him! O conceal him !"

"Hold!" said Edme, whilst at the same time he pressed his hand to his forehead, as if engaged in devising some important scheme. "I am small and thin; let me exchange clothes with your child; his are large and will fit me; he shall put on mine and occupy my place. You will conceal me under your cloak, and let them take me; after which you will try to reach the opposite bank as best you can."

Whilst saying this, Edme commenced taking off his clothes, and the woman, who seconded his plan, did the same with her

the little ferryman.

"No questions!" replied she in a decided manner; "I wish to preserve my incog., as the prince says."

At these words Edme opened his eyes still wider; he did not understand the word incog., and wondered what it might be she and the prince were so desirous of preserving; but since he dared not venture any further questions, he continued looking at her so intently, as if he thus expected to unravel the mystery. Suddenly he perceived a change coming over that commanding face; the woman began to tremble, pointed with her finger towards a distant point of the river, and whispered, "There! there! what is that?"

Edme looked towards the spot where she pointed, and replied, "That is the boat of Jean Carrouge."

"Who is in it ?"

"Jean Carrouge himself, and three other men whom I am unable to recognize."

"The boat is, however, a considerable distance in our rear, and heavily laden."

"That will not help us much, madam; for if they are so minded they can soon overtake us."

"Boy," said the woman in a hurried whisper, "this child is the son of a nobleman; several base fellows have entered into a conspiracy to abduct him, to revenge themselves on his father on account of some supposed injury. But this you do not understand. We must save the child."

was necessary to insure his safety. When they had finished exchanging garments, she put her ward in Edme's place, and Edmè under her cloak, whispering into his ear: "Come to Paris, and inquire for the Hotel de Lauzun in the Rue Tiquetonne; there you will meet with a welcome reception." She had scarcely finished saying this, when the boat of Jean Carrouge touched the side of that of Champion; one of the men immediately jumped in, and without noticing the lad at the oar, tore the cloak concealing Edmè, from the woman, and taking him, returned to the other boat. He then called out to her: "You can tell your master, that whenever he wishes to have his heir back again, he may inquire for him at the ironworks of Pont d'Arroux."

The boats now parted; the one hurrying back to the Chatel-Censoir, and the other, with the strange woman and the heir of Lauzun, soon gained the opposite shore, where, having procured a carriage, they soon proceeded on their journey.

The boat of Jean Carrouge was also not long in regaining the other shore. Edmè had not stirred from the moment he was taken, but remained perfectly quiet in the cloak which had been wrapped around him. The robbers, under the impression that he was either asleep or overcome with fright, talked without restraint of the success of their undertaking, and of the course they intended to pursue hereafter. In this manner Edme learned the cause of the woman's

great anxiety; and although resolute and courageous beyond his years, he could not but feel somewhat uneasy in view of the unhappy destiny that seemed to await him. He had, however, been blessed with a pious mother, who had early taught him in whom to put his trust; and the good seed already contained the germ of those noble traits of character for which he became afterwards so eminently distinguished. Instead, therefore, of yielding to childish fears, he lifted up his heart to God, and prayed that He would deliver him from the hands of these wicked

men.

From their conversation he gathered that the Duke of Lauzun, who had been absent from his country on duty for the King of France, had returned for the purpose of removing his only child, whom he had left in one of his castles in the neighborhood of Sens, to Paris. These abandoned men, who were hostile to the Duke, had secretly entered into a conspiracy to intercept the child on the way, and carry it to the forge of Pont d'Arroux, near Autun, where they had their principal hiding-place, and after having accomplished [this foul deed, extort from the Duke a large sum of money, as a ransom for his son. This conspiracy, however, through one of those remarkable interpositions of Providence, which men call accident, was happily discovered. These men, it appears, had met in the village graveyard, for the purpose of maturing their plan, and to avoid detection had concealed themselves behind some tombstones. However, it so happened that a woman had entered the same place, about the same time, and without attracting their notice had overheard part of their conversation. This woman was no other than the nurse of young Lauzun. Whilst engaged in walking in that delightful spot, and reading the inscriptions on the various monuments, she was startled by the sound of men's voices, when she stood still, listened, and thus became acquainted with their plan, which they intended to execute that very night. Allowing herself no time for reflection how the impending danger might best be averted, the strong and anxious woman snatched up the child in her arms, and ran with him across the fields, in the hope of

reaching Chatel-Censoir, and there cross the river without the knowledge of the robbers. We have already seen that she did not altogether succeed, and that the son of the Duke only escaped his pursuers through the presence of mind displayed by young Champion.

CHAPTER II.

As soon as Jean Carrouge's boat had touched the shore, one of the men picked the boy up, and handed him to the boatman, that he might lift him out. He, however, was not a little surprised, when all at once he heard himself called by name. "Who calls me?" said he, turning his head right and left, for although the voice seemed to proceed from the bundle he was holding in his arms, he could not comprehend how a child, whom he had never seen, should be familiar with his name.

"It is I," said the same voice. The skirt of the cloak was thrown to one side, and Edme's well-known countenance was displayed to the boatman.

"Ho! ho!" said he, "what are you doing here ?"

But before Edmè could reply, the men had come on shore and approached them. "So," said one of them, "are you awake

now ?"

"Do you know this ferryman ?" asked another, quite surprised to see the two on such familiar terms.

"Why what is all this? Of course we know each other," said Carrouge.

แ

with

And how did you become acquainted young Lauzun ?" asked the third. "I know nothing of young Lauzun," replied the ferryman.

Come, come, sir! we'll have no more prating," said the first, attempting at the same time to place the boy on a horse which he was holding.

"Let me go!" said the boy, struggling to release himself from the man's grasp.

"What, dare you to offer resistance ?" growled one of the others. "It will be far better for you, if you submit quietly, I assure you." And with this he assumed a threatening attitude towards Edmè; but Jean Carrouge interposed.

"Hold on a little!" said he. "With

young Lauzun you may do whatever you please; of him I have no knowledge, and with him I have no concern; but with this lad the case is altogether different; he is the son of one of my neighbors, and belongs to this village; and whoever lays violent hands on him has to do with me, and with all the inhabitants of this place."

"What!" exclaimed one of the men;. "this boy-"

"Is the orphan child of Pierre Champion, whose dwelling is hard by," interrupted the ferryman.

The sound of voices had induced Marcel to come out, who, vexed at his brother's absence, had remained in waiting for him. Edmè threw himself into the arms of his brother, who seemed not a little surprised at seeing him dressed out in such a splendid dress, and surrounded by strange men.

Only wait till we get home," said Edmė, "and I will tell you all." Then turning to the robbers, he exclaimed: "You see, sirs, that your wicked designs have been frustrated, and that the good God has made use of one of his weakest creatures to baffle the efforts of the strong. Young Lauzun is by this time in safety."

It may easily be imagined, that the robbers, seeing that their victim had escaped, felt a strong inclination to revenge themselves on Edmè, and would, doubtless, have done so, had he been alone; but as it was, they refrained from laying violent hands on him, for though there were three of them, villains are generally cowards. They contented themselves, on leaving, by muttering several oaths; but Edmè, his brother, and the ferryman, took no notice of them.

CHAPTER III.

THE little adventure above related appeared to impart new animation and elasticity to young Edmè. Ever since the death of his parents he had been unusually taciturn; but now he exhibited in all his conversation and movements a degree of sprightliness, which greatly surprised his brother Marcel. At night, however, he would sit in silence, and apparently lost in deep reflection. On one of these evenings his brother endeavored to arouse him from one

of these reveries by asking him, what he was thinking about.

"I was thinking," replied Edmè, "that I would like to be gone from this place."

"Be gone from this place ?-Be gone from me? What are you dreaming about, foolish child ?"

"Only listen to me, Marcel !" continued he. "Though I am but a child, I well remember how our dear father, after having labored for an entire day, succeeded only in earning a few sous for the support of his family. I have seen how our sainted mother wept and stinted herself of bread, that we might have the more. I have heard, how you, Marcel, used to say: 'I am not hungry,' because I complained of not having enough. I have seen father and mother, brothers and sisters, dying in penury, one by one, until none but you and myself were left. Now listen. The great lady whom I ferried across the river, told me to visit her in Paris. 'Come,' said she, 'to the Hotel de Lauzun, Rue Tiquetonne, and you shall meet with a most welcome reception.' I shall never forget her words, though I should live a hundred years. You see, Marcel, I saved her child, and she wishes to show her gratitude. Well, do not interrupt me," he continued, when he saw his brother was about to speak. "I will first tell you all my thoughts, then you may answer. I have rendered that lady a great service, and she intends to render me one in turn. For this reason I want to go to her house in Paris, and if she asks me what she can do for me, I will request only two favors of her; which will not be a great deal, will it, Marcel? First, I will ask her to send for you, for without you I could not be happy; and then I will ask her to let me learn a trade, for I do not want to be a ferryman. Then I will be right industrious, that I may get rich, and that you may live with me, and then we will be so happy, Marcel, so very happy. Only one thing I regret, that we cannot have our dear parents with us to share our happiness."

Here the boy ceased speaking, saddened by these painful recollections. Marcel regarded with a smile the bright picture which the imagination of his little brother had

painted. And though he was only eighteen years of age, and had never travelled far beyond his native village, he nevertheless knew from experience, that the rich are often forgetful of the good they have received, and those whom fortune has favored are not very apt to sympathize with individuals in a condition in which they have never been placed. Unwilling, however, to dampen the ardor of the boy, he merely said: "Edmè, our parents, together with all who are near and dear to us, lie buried here; would not you like to stay with them?"

"Their bodies lie indeed buried here," replied Edmè, "but their souls are, as I sincerely trust, in heaven, and I shall be as near to these, in Paris, as in Chatel-Censoir."

"And are you then really bent on leaving me?" said Marcel, taking him at the same time affectionately by the hand, "leave this hut, in which you were born, and our little boat, which affords to us the means of subsistence ?"

"O, as for the boat, I shall not be sorry for that; only think of the Hotel de Lauzun, Marcel, whither I have been invited, and of the rich lady, who expects me there!"

"Yes," added his brother, "and who by this time has, perhaps, altogether ceased thinking of you."

"Can we then forget those who have been kind to us? Had it not been for me, Marcel, her child would now be in the hands of the robbers."

"Then you must reflect that you are only eight years old, and that I promised our sainted mother, on her dying bed, that I would never leave you out of my sight; I can, therefore, not permit you to go to Paris alone."

"Well, if I am only eight years old, I am, nevertheless, on that account not a blockhead. I am able to read, write, and cipher, and if I had not some little understanding, the people in the village would not continually call on me to assist them in their perplexities. Here it is continually, 'Edmè, come here and read me this letter!' 'Edmè, come and help me write an answer!' There is none but Edmè; Edmè here, there, and everywhere. Moreover, it is not as if I were going to a strange place, where nobody

knows me. I go to see that noble lady, who has invited me to her house, and who, I feel certain, is expecting me. Now, Marcel, you surely can have nothing more to object?” "I can say nothing further, Edmè," replied the brother, " than that here our life is indeed very toilsome and wretched, and that you are probably in the right, when you seek to gain a livelihood somewhere else. It is possible, you may meet with a welcome reception at the Hotel de Lauzun; if not, you have only to return to the hut of your father, where you may ever be sure of a hearty welcome, and where you can dwell in safety. Now, let us retire for the night, and to-morrow we will visit the graves of our parents, and there commend ourselves to the gracious guidance of our Heavenly Father."

On the following morning, Marcel accompanied his brother to the village churchyard, where reposed the mortal remains of their parents, who had been united in life and suffering. Edmè sank upon his knees beside their graves and wept bitterly; but his sorrow did not change his resolution. The remembrance of their poverty rather contributed to strengthen it still more. After this the brothers paid a visit to the old village schoolmaster, who not only approved of Edme's resolution, but presented him with a pair of shoes, and a five franc piece. Edme took an affectionate leave of all his friends and neighbors, with all of whom he had been a special favorite, and prepared for his departure, which was to take place early on the following morning. The vil lage roadster had kindly promised him a seat in his wagon all the way to Paris. The kind-hearted man did more, for he did not suffer the little orphan boy to spend his five franc piece, but shared his meals with him, and after they had arrived in Paris, did not leave him till he had procured a guide, who was to show him the Hotel de Lauzun, in Tiquetonne Street.

CHAPTER IV.

AFTER having dismissed his guide, Edmè, with a beating heart, knocked loudly at the gate of the Hotel, where he expected no. thing but joy and happiness. The gate instantly swung back, and he entered the large