el dorado-第20节

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up　to　him；　glad　to　grasp　his　hand；　slightly　troubled　with　remorse；
no　doubt；　at　the　recollection　of　his　adventure　of　to…day。　　It
almost　seemed　to　him　that　from　beneath　his　half…closed　lids
Blakeney　had　shot　a　quick　inquiring　glance　upon　him。　　The　quick
flash　seemed　to　light　up　the　young　man's　soul　from　within；　and　to
reveal　it；　naked；　to　his　friend。

It　was　all　over　in　a　moment；　and　Armand　thought　that　mayhap　his
conscience　had　played　him　a　trick：　there　was　nothing　apparent　in
himof　this　he　was　surethat　could　possibly　divulge　his　secret
just　yet。

〃I　am　rather　late；　I　fear；〃　he　said。　　〃I　wandered　about　the
streets　in　the　late　afternoon　and　lost　my　way　in　the　dark。　I　hope
I　have　not　kept　you　all　waiting。〃

They　all　pulled　chairs　closely　round　the　fire；　except　Blakeney；
who　preferred　to　stand。　　He　waited　awhile　until　they　were　all
comfortably　settled；　and　all　ready　to　listen；　then：

〃It　is　about　the　Dauphin；〃　he　said　abruptly　without　further
preamble。

They　understood。　　All　of　them　had　guessed　it；　almost　before　the
summons　came　that　had　brought　them　to　Paris　two　days　ago。　　Sir
Andrew　Ffoulkes　had　left　his　young　wife　because　of　that；　and
Armand　had　demanded　it　as　a　right　to　join　hands　in　this　noble
work。　　Blakeney　had　not　left　France　for　over　three　months　now。
Backwards　and　forwards　between　Paris；　or　Nantes；　or　Orleans　to　the
coast；　where　his　friends　would　meet　him　to　receive　those
unfortunates　whom　one　man's　whole…hearted　devotion　had　rescued
from　death；　backwards　and　forwards　into　the　very　hearts　of　those
cities　wherein　an　army　of　sleuth…hounds　were　on　his　track；　and　the
guillotine　was　stretching　out　her　arms　to　catch　the　foolhardy
adventurer。

Now　it　was　about　the　Dauphin。　　They　all　waited；　breathless　and
eager；　the　fire　of　a　noble　enthusiasm　burning　in　their　hearts。
They　waited　in　silence；　their　eyes　fixed　on　the　leader；　lest　one
single　word　from　him　should　fail　to　reach　their　ears。

The　full　magnetism　of　the　man　was　apparent　now。　　As　he　held　these
four　men　at　this　moment；　he　could　have　held　a　crowd。　　The　man　of
the　worldthe　fastidious　dandyhad　shed　his　mask；　there　stood
the　leader；　calm；　serene　in　the　very　face　of　the　most　deadly
danger　that　had　ever　encompassed　any　man；　looking　that　danger
fully　in　the　face；　not　striving　to　belittle　it　or　to　exaggerate
it；　but　weighing　it　in　the　balance　with　what　there　was　to
accomplish：　the　rescue　of　a　martyred；　innocent　child　from　the
hands　of　fiends　who　were　destroying　his　very　soul　even　more
completely　than　his　body。

〃Everything；　I　think；　is　prepared；〃　resumed　Sir　Percy　after　a
slight　pause。　　〃The　Simons　have　been　summarily　dismissed；　I
learned　that　to…day。　　They　remove　from　the　Temple　on　Sunday　next；
the　nineteenth。　　Obviously　that　is　the　one　day　most　likely　to　help
us　in　our　operations。　　As　far　as　I　am　concerned；　I　cannot　make　any
hard…and…fast　plans。　　Chance　at　the　last　moment　will　have　to
dictate。　　But　from　every　one　of　you　I　must　have　co…operation；　and
it　can　only　be　by　your　following　my　directions　implicitly　that　we
can　even　remotely　hope　to　succeed。〃

He　crossed　and　recrossed　the　room　once　or　twice　before　he　spoke
again；　pausing　now　and　again　in　his　walk　in　front　of　a　large　map
of　Paris　and　its　environs　that　hung　upon　the　wall；　his　tall　figure
erect；　his　hands　behind　his　back；　his　eyes　fixed　before　him　as　if
he　saw　right　through　the　walls　of　this　squalid　room；　and　across
the　darkness　that　overhung　the　city；　through　the　grim　bastions　of
the　mighty　building　far　away；　where　the　descendant　of　an　hundred
kings　lived　at　the　mercy　of　human　fiends　who　worked　for　his
abasement。

The　man's　face　now　was　that　of　a　seer　and　a　visionary；　the　firm
lines　were　set　and　rigid　as　those　of　an　image　carved　in　stonethe
statue　of　heart…whole　devotion；　with　the　self…imposed　task
beckoning　sternly　to　follow；　there　where　lurked　danger　and　death。

〃The　way；　I　think；　in　which　we　could　best　succeed　would　be　this；〃
he　resumed　after　a　while；　sitting　now　on　the　edge　of　the　table　and
directly　facing　his　four　friends。　　The　light　from　the　lamp　which
stood　upon　the　table　behind　him　fell　full　upon　those　four　glowing
faces　fixed　eagerly　upon　him；　but　he　himself　was　in　shadow；　a
massive　silhouette　broadly　cut　out　against　the　light…coloured　map
on　the　wall　beyond。

〃I　remain　here；　of　course；　until　Sunday；〃　he　said；　〃and　will
closely　watch　my　opportunity；　when　I　can　with　the　greatest　amount
of　safety　enter　the　Temple　building　and　take　possession　of　the
child。　　I　shall；　of　course　choose　the　moment　when　the　Simons　are
actually　on　the　move；　with　their　successors　probably　coming　in　at
about　the　same　time。　　God　alone　knows；〃　he　added　earnestly；　〃how　I
shall　contrive　to　get　possession　of　the　child；　at　the　moment　I　am
just　as　much　in　the　dark　about　that　as　you　are。〃

He　paused　a　moment；　and　suddenly　his　grave　face　seemed　flooded
with　sunshine；　a　kind　of　lazy　merriment　danced　in　his　eyes；
effacing　all　trace　of　solemnity　within　them。

〃La！〃　he　said　lightly；　〃on　one　point　I　am　not　at　all　in　the　dark；
and　that　is　that　His　Majesty　King　Louis　XVII　will　come　out　of　that
ugly　house　in　my　company　next　Sunday；　the　nineteenth　day　of
January　in　this　year　of　grace　seventeen　hundred　and　ninety…four；
and　this；　too；　do　I　knowthat　those　murderous　blackguards　shall
not　lay　hands　on　me　whilst　that　precious　burden　is　in　my　keeping。
So　I　pray　you；　my　good　Armand；　do　not　look　so　glum；〃　he　added　with
his　pleasant；　merry　laugh；　〃you'll　need　all　your　wits　about　you　to
help　us　in　our　undertaking。〃

〃What　do　you　wish　me　to　do；　Percy？〃　said　the　young　man　simply。

〃In　one　moment　I　will　tell　you。　　I　want　you　all　to　understand　the
situation　first。　　The　child　will　be　out　of　the　Temple　on　Sunday；
but　at　what　hour　I　know　not。　　The　later　it　will　be　the　better
would　it　suit　my　purpose；　for　I　cannot　get　him　out　of　Paris　before
evening　with　any　chance　of　safety。　　Here　we　must　risk　nothing；　the
child　is　far　better　off　as　he　is　now　than　he　would　be　if　he　were
dragged　back　after　an　abortive　attempt　at　rescue。　　But　at　this
hour　of　the　night；　between　nine　and　ten　o'clock；　I　can　arrange　to
get　him　out　of　Paris　by　the　Villette　gate；　and　that　is　where　I
want　you；　Ffoulkes；　and　you；　Tony；　to　be；　with　some　kind　of
covered　cart；　yourselves　in　any　disguise　your　ingenuity　will
suggest。　　Here　are　a　few　certificates　of　safety；　I　have　been
making　a　collection　of　them　for　some　time；　as　they　are　always
useful。〃

He　dived　into　the　wide　pocket　of　his　coat　and　drew　forth　a　number
of　cards；　greasy；　much…fingered　documents　of　the　usual　pattern
which　the　Committee　of　General　Security　delivered　to　the　free
citizens　of　the　new　republic；　and　without　which　　no　one　could
enter　or　leave　any　town　or　country　commune　without　being　detained
as　〃suspect。〃　　He　glanced　at　them　and　handed　them　over　to
Ffoulkes。

〃Choose　your　own　identity　for　the　occasion；　my　good　friend；〃　he
said　lightly；　〃and　you　too；　Tony。　　You　may　be　stonemasons　or
coal…carriers；　chimney…sweeps　or　farm…labourers；　I　care　not　which
so　long　as　you　look　sufficiently　grimy　and　wretched　to　be
unrecognisable；　and　so　long　as　you　can　procure　a　cart　without
arousing　suspicions；　and　can　wait　for　me　punctually　at　the
appointed　spot。〃

Ffoulkes　turned　over　the　cards；　and　with　a　laugh　handed　them　over
to　Lord　Tony。　　The　two　fastidious　gentlemen　discussed　for　awhile
the　respective　merits　of　a　chimney…sweep's　uniform　as　against　that
of　a　coal…carrier。

〃You　can　carry　more　grime　if　you　are　a　sweep；〃　suggested　Blakeney；
〃and　if　the　soot　gets　into　your　eyes　it　does　not　make　them　smart
like　coal　does。〃

〃But　soot　adheres　more　closely；〃　argued　Tony　solemnly；　〃and　I　know
that　we　shan't　get　a　bath　for　at　least　a　week　afterwards。〃

〃Certainly　you　won't；　you　sybarite！〃　asserted　Sir　Percy　with　a
laugh。

〃After　a　week　soot　might　become　permanent；〃　mused　Sir　Andrew；
wondering　what；　under　the　circumstance；　my　lady　would　say　to　him。

〃If　you　are　both　so　fastidious；〃　retorted　Blakeney；　shrugging　his
broad　shoulders；　〃I'll　turn　one　of　you　into　a　reddleman；　and　the
other　into　a　dyer。　　Then　one　of　you　will　be　bright　scarlet　to　the
end　of　his　days；　as　the　reddle　never　comes　off　the　skin　at　all；
and　the　other　will　have　to　soak　in　turpentine　before　the　dye　will
consent　to　move。。。。　　In　either　case　。。。　oh；　my　dear　Tony！　。。。　the
smell。。。。〃

He　laughed　like　a　schoolboy　in　anticipation　of　a　prank；　and　held
his　scented　handkerchief　to　his　nose。　　My　Lord　Hastings　chuckled
audibly；　and　Tony　punched　him　for　this　unseemly　display　of　mirth。

Armand　watched　the　little　scene　in　utter　amazement。　　He　had　been
in　England　over　a　year；　and　yet　he　could　not　understand　these
Englishmen。　　Surely　they　were　the　queerest；　most　inconsequent
people　in　the　world；　　Here　were　these　men；　who　were　engaged　at
this　very　moment　in　an　enterprise　which　for　cool…headed　courage
and　foolhardy　daring　had　probably　no　parallel　in　history。　　They
were　literally　taking　their　lives　in　their　hands；　in　all
probability　facing　certain　death；　and　yet　they　now　sat　chaffing
and　fighting　like　a　crowd　of　third…form　schoolboys；　talking　utter；
silly　nonsense；　and　making　foolish　jokes　that　would　have　shamed　a
Frenchman　in　his　teens。　　Vaguely　he　wondered　what