el dorado-第37节

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softened　some　nerves　in　my　body。　　I　was　so　infinitely　sorry　for
the　poor　mite；　and　vaguely　wondered　if　I　had　not　saved　it　from　one
misery　only　to　plunge　it　in　another。　　There　was　such　a　fateful
look　on　that　wan　little　face；　as　if　destiny　had　already　writ　its
veto　there　against　happiness。　　It　came　on　me　then　how　futile　were
our　actions；　if　God　chooses　to　interpose　His　will　between　us　and
our　desires。〃

Almost　as　he　left　off　speaking　the　rain　ceased　to　patter　down
against　the　puddles　in　the　road。　　Overhead　the　clouds　flew　by　at
terrific　speed；　driven　along　by　the　blustering　wind。　　It　was　less
dark　now；　and　Sir　Andrew；　peering　through　the　gloom；　could　see　his
leader's　face。　　It　was　singularly　pale　and　hard；　and　the　deep…set
lazy　eyes　had　in　them　just　that　fateful　look　which　he　himself　had
spoken　of　just　now。

〃You　are　anxious　about　Armand；　Percy？〃　asked　Ffoulkes　softly。

〃Yes。　　He　should　have　trusted　me；　as　I　had　trusted　him。　　He　missed
me　at　the　Villette　gate　on　Friday；　and　without　a　thought　left
meleft　us　all　in　the　lurch；　he　threw　himself　into　the　lion's
jaws；　thinking　that　he　could　help　the　girl　he　loved。　　I　knew　that
I　could　save　her。　　She　is　in　comparative　safety　even　now。　　The　old
woman；　Madame　Belhomme；　had　been　freely　released　the　day　after　her
arrest；　but　Jeanne　Lange　is　still　in　the　house　in　the　Rue　de
Charonne。　　You　know　it；　Ffoulkes。　　I　got　her　there　early　this
morning。　　It　was　easy　for　me；　of　course：　　'Hola；　Dupont！　my　boots；
Dupont！'　　'One　moment；　citizen；　my　daughter'　　'Curse　thy
daughter；　bring　me　my　boots！'　and　Jeanne　Lange　walked　out　of　the
Temple　prison　her　hand　in　that　of　that　lout　Dupont。〃

〃But　Armand　does　not　know　that　she　is　in　the　Rue　de　Charonne？〃

〃No。　　I　have　not　seen　him　since　that　early　morning　on　Saturday
when　he　came　to　tell　me　that　she　had　been　arrested。　　Having　sworn
that　he　would　obey　me；　he　went　to　meet　you　and　Tony　at　La
Villette；　but　returned　to　Paris　a　few　hours　later；　and　drew　the
undivided　attention　of　all　the　committees　on　Jeanne　Lange　by　his
senseless；　foolish　inquiries。　　But　for　his　action　throughout　the
whole　of　yesterday　I　could　have　smuggled　Jeanne　out　of　Paris；　got
her　to　join　you　at　Villette；　or　Hastings　in　St。　Germain。　　But　the
barriers　were　being　closely　watched　for　her；　and　I　had　the　Dauphin
to　think　of。　　She　is　in　comparative　safety；　the　people　in　the　Rue
de　Charonne　are　friendly　for　the　moment；　but　for　how　long？　　Who
knows？　　I　must　look　after　her　of　course。　　And　Armand！　　Poor　old
Armand！　　The　lion's　jaws　have　snapped　over　him；　and　they　hold　him
tight。　　Chauvelin　and　his　gang　are　using　him　as　a　decoy　to　trap　me；
of　course。　　All　that　had　not　happened　if　Armand　had　trusted　me。〃

He　sighed　a　quick　sigh　of　impatience；　almost　of　regret。　Ffoulkes
was　the　one　man　who　could　guess　the　bitter　disappointment　that
this　had　meant。　　Percy　had　longed　to　be　back　in　England　soon；　back
to　Marguerite；　to　a　few　days　of　unalloyed　happiness　and　a　few　days
of　peace。

Now　Armand's　actions　had　retarded　all　that；　they　were　a　deliberate
bar　to　the　future　as　it　had　been　mapped　out　by　a　man　who　foresaw
everything；　who　was　prepared　for　every　eventuality。

In　this　case；　too；　he　had　been　prepared；　but　not　for　the　want　of
trust　which　had　brought　on　disobedience　akin　to　disloyalty。　　That
absolutely　unforeseen　eventuality　had　changed　Blakeney's　usual
irresponsible　gaiety　into　a　consciousness　of　the　inevitable；　of
the　inexorable　decrees　of　Fate。

With　an　anxious　sigh；　Sir　Andrew　turned　away　from　his　chief　and
went　hack　to　the　spinney　to　select　for　his　own　purpose　one　of　the
three　horses　which　Hastings　and　Tony　had　unavoidably　left　behind。

〃And　you；　Blakeneyhow　will　you　go　back　to　that　awful　Paris？〃　he
said；　when　he　had　made　his　choice　and　was　once　more　back　beside
Percy。

〃I　don't　know　yet；〃　replied　Blakeney；　〃but　it　would　not　be　safe　to
ride。　　I'll　reach　one　of　the　gates　on　this　side　of　the　city　and
contrive　to　slip　in　somehow。　　I　have　a　certificate　of　safety　in　my
pocket　in　case　I　need　it。

〃We'll　leave　the　horses　here；〃　he　said　presently；　whilst　he　was
helping　Sir　Andrew　to　put　the　horse　in　the　shafts　of　the
coal…cart；　〃they　cannot　come　to　much　harm。　　Some　poor　devil　might
steal　them；　in　order　to　escape　from　those　vile　brutes　in　the　city。
If　so；　God　speed　him；　say　I。　　I'll　compensate　my　friend　the　farmer
of　St。　Germain　for　their　loss　at　an　early　opportunity。　　And　now；
good…bye；　my　dear　fellow！　　Some　time　to…night；　if　possible；　you
shall　hear　direct　news　of　meif　not；　then　to…morrow　or　the　day
after　that。　Good…bye；　and　Heaven　guard　you！〃

〃God　guard　you；　Blakeney！〃　said　Sir　Andrew　fervently。

He　jumped　into　the　cart　and　gathered　up　the　reins。　His　heart　was
heavy　as　lead；　and　a　strange　mist　had　gathered　in　his　eyes；
blurring　the　last　dim　vision　which　he　had　of　his　chief　standing
all　alone　in　the　gloom；　his　broad；　magnificent　figure　looking
almost　weirdly　erect　and　defiant；　his　head　thrown　back；　and　his
kind；　lazy　eyes　watching　the　final　departure　of　his　most　faithful
comrade　and　friend。



CHAPTER　XXII
OF　THAT　THERE　COULD　BE　NO　QUESTION

Blakeney　had　more　than　one　pied…a…terre　in　Paris；　and　never　stayed
longer　than　two　or　three　days　in　any　of　these。　It　was　not
difficult　for　a　single　man；　be　he　labourer　or　bourgeois；　to　obtain
a　night's　lodging；　even　in　these　most　troublous　times；　and　in　any
quarter　of　Paris；　provided　the　rentout　of　all　proportion　to　the
comfort　and　accommodation　givenwas　paid　ungrudgingly　and　in
advance。

Emigration　and；　above　all；　the　enormous　death…roll　of　the　past
eighteen　months；　had　emptied　the　apartment　houses　of　the　great
city；　and　those　who　had　rooms　to　let　were　only　too　glad　of　a
lodger；　always　providing　they　were　not　in　danger　of　being　worried
by　the　committees　of　their　section。

The　laws　framed　by　these　same　committees　now　demanded　that　all
keepers　of　lodging　or　apartment　houses　should　within　twenty…four
hours　give　notice　at　the　bureau　of　their　individual　sections　of
the　advent　of　new　lodgers；　together　with　a　description　of　the
personal　appearance　of　such　lodgers；　and　an　indication　of　their
presumed　civil　status　and　occupation。　　But　there　was　a　margin　of
twenty…four　hours；　which　could　on　pressure　be　extended　to
forty…eight；　and；　therefore；　any　one　could　obtain　shelter　for
forty…eight　hours；　and　have　no　questions　asked；　provided　he　or　she
was　willing　to　pay　the　exorbitant　sum　usually　asked　under　the
circumstances。

Thus　Blakeney　had　no　difficulty　in　securing　what　lodgings　he
wanted　when　he　once　more　found　himself　inside　Paris　at　somewhere
about　noon　of　that　same　Monday。

The　thought　of　Hastings　and　Tony　speeding　on　towards　Mantes　with
the　royal　child　safely　held　in　Hastings'　arms　had　kept　his　spirits
buoyant　and　caused　him　for　a　while　to　forget　the　terrible　peril　in
which　Armand　St。　Just's　thoughtless　egoism　had　placed　them　both。

Blakeney　was　a　man　of　abnormal　physique　and　iron　nerve；　else　he
could　never　have　endured　the　fatigues　of　the　past　twenty…four
hours；　from　the　moment　when　on　the　Sunday　afternoon　he　began　to
play　his　part　of　furniture…remover　at　the　Temple；　to　that　when　at
last　on　Monday　at　noon　he　succeeded　in　persuading　the　sergeant　at
the　Maillot　gate　that　he　was　an　honest　stonemason　residing　at
Neuilly；　who　was　come　to　Paris　in　search　of　work。

After　that　matters　became　more　simple。　　Terribly　foot…sore；　though
he　would　never　have　admitted　it；　hungry　and　weary；　he　turned　into
an　unpretentious　eating…house　and　ordered　some　dinner。　　The　place
when　he　entered　was　occupied　mostly　by　labourers　and　workmen；
dressed　very　much　as　he　was　himself；　and　quite　as　grimy　as　he　had
become　after　having　driven　about　for　hours　in　a　laundry…cart　and
in　a　coal…cart；　and　having　walked　twelve　kilometres；　some　of　which
he　had　covered　whilst　carrying　a　sleeping　child　in　his　arms。

Thus；　Sir　Percy　Blakeney；　Bart。；　the　friend　and　companion　of　the
Prince　of　Wales；　the　most　fastidious　fop　the　salons　of　London　and
Bath　had　ever　seen；　was　in　no　way　distinguishable　outwardly　from
the　tattered；　half…starved；　dirty；　and　out…at…elbows　products　of
this　fraternising　and　equalising　Republic。

He　was　so　hungry　that　the　ill…cooked；　badly…served　meal　tempted
him　to　eat；　and　he　ate　on　in　silence；　seemingly　more　interested　in
boiled　beef　than　in　the　conversation　that　went　on　around　him。　　But
he　would　not　have　been　the　keen　and　daring　adventurer　that　he　was
if　he　did　not　all　the　while　keep　his　ears　open　for　any　fragment　of
news　that　the　desultory　talk　of　his　fellow…diners　was　likely　to
yield　to　him。

Politics　were；　of　course；　discussed；　the　tyranny　of　the　sections；
the　slavery　that　this　free　Republic　had　brought　on　its　citizens。
The　names　of　the　chief　personages　of　the　day　were　all　mentioned　in
turns　Focquier…Tinville；　Santerre；　Danton；　Robespierre。　　Heron　and
his　sleuth…hounds　were　spoken　of　with　execrations　quickly
suppressed；　but　of　little　Capet　not　one　word。

Blakeney　could　not　help　but　infer　that　Chauvelin；　Heron　and　the
commissaries　in　charge　were　keeping　the　escape　of　the　child　a
secret　for　as　long　as　they　could。

He　could　hear　nothing　of　Armand's　fate；　of　course。　The　arrestif
arrest　there　had　beenwas　not　like　to　be　bruited　abroad　just　now。
B