el dorado-第52节

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〃To…morrow？〃　she　reiterated　in　a　vague；　absent　manner；　for　she　was
still　dazed　with　the　strange　incident　of　Armand's　appearance　and
his　flight。

〃Yes。　　You　would　like　to　see　Sir　Percy　again　to…morrow；　would　you
not？　　I　myself　would　gladly　pay　him　a　visit　from　time　to　time；　but
he　does　not　care　for　my　company。　　My　colleague；　citizen　Heron；　on
the　other　hand；　calls　on　him　four　times　in　every　twenty…four
hours；　he　does　so　a　few　moments　before　the　changing　of　the　guard；
and　stays　chatting　with　Sir　Percy　until　after　the　guard　is
changed；　when　he　inspects　the　men　and　satisfies　himself　that　no
traitor　has　crept　in　among　them。　　All　the　men　are　personally　known
to　him；　you　see。　　These　hours　are　at　five　in　the　morning　and　again
at　eleven；　and　then　again　at　five　and　eleven　in　the　evening。　　My
friend　Heron；　as　you　see；　is　zealous　and　assiduous；　and；　strangely
enough；　Sir　Percy　does　not　seem　to　view　his　visit　with　any
displeasure。　Now　at　any　other　hour　of　the　day；　Lady　Blakeney；　I
pray　you　command　me　and　I　will　arrange　that　citizen　Heron　grant
you　a　second　interview　with　the　prisoner。〃

Marguerite　had　only　listened　to　Chauvelin's　lengthy　speech　with
half　an　ear；　her　thoughts　still　dwelt　on　the　past　half…hour　with
its　bitter　joy　and　its　agonising　pain；　and　fighting　through　her
thoughts　of　Percy　there　was　the　recollection　of　Armand　which　so
disquieted　her。　　But　though　she　had　only　vaguely　listened　to　what
Chauvelin　was　saying；　she　caught　the　drift　of　it。

Madly　she　longed　to　accept　his　suggestion。　　The　very　thought　of
seeing　Percy　on　the　morrow　was　solace　to　her　aching　heart；　it
could　feed　on　hope　to…night　instead　of　on　its　own　bitter　pain。
But　even　during　this　brief　moment　of　hesitancy；　and　while　her
whole　being　cried　out　for　this　joy　that　her　enemy　was　holding　out
to　her；　even　then　in　the　gloom　ahead　of　her　she　seemed　to　see　a
vision　of　a　pale　face　raised　above　a　crowd　of　swaying　heads；　and
of　the　eyes　of　the　dreamer　searching　for　her　own；　whilst　the　last
sublime　cry　of　perfect　self…devotion　once　more　echoed　in　her　ear：

〃Remember！〃

The　promise　which　she　had　given　him；　that　would　she　fulfil。　　The
burden　which　he　had　laid　on　her　shoulders　she　would　try　to　bear　as
heroically　as　he　was　bearing　his　own。　　Aye；　even　at　the　cost　of
the　supreme　sorrow　of　never　resting　again　in　the　haven　of　his　arms。

But　in　spite　of　sorrow；　in　spite　of　anguish　so　terrible　that　she
could　not　imagine　Death　itself　to　have　a　more　cruel　sting；　she
wished　above　all　to　safeguard　that　final；　attenuated　thread　of
hope　which　was　wound　round　the　packet　that　lay　hidden　on　her　breast。

She　wanted；　above　all；　not　to　arouse　Chauvelin's　suspicions　by
markedly　refusing　to　visit　the　prisoner　againsuspicions　that
might　lead　to　her　being　searched　once　more　and　the　precious　packet
filched　from　her。　　Therefore　she　said　to　him　earnestly　now：

〃I　thank　you；　citizen；　for　your　solicitude　on　my　behalf；　but　you
will　understand；　I　think；　that　my　visit　to　the　prisoner　has　been
almost　more　than　I　could　bear。　　I　cannot　tell　you　at　this　moment
whether　to…morrow　I　should　be　in　a　fit　state　to　repeat　it。〃

〃As　you　please；〃　he　replied　urbanely。　　〃But　I　pray　you　to　remember
one　thing；　and　that　is〃

He　paused　a　moment　while　his　restless　eyes　wandered　rapidly　over
her　face；　trying；　as　it　were；　to　get　at　the　soul　of　this　woman；　at
her　innermost　thoughts；　which　he　felt　were　hidden　from　him。

〃Yes；　citizen；〃　she　said　quietly；　〃what　is　it　that　I　am　to　remember？〃

〃That　it　rests　with　you；　Lady　Blakeney；　to　put　an　end　to　the
present　situation。〃

〃How？〃

〃Surely　you　can　persuade　Sir　Percy's　friends　not　to　leave　their
chief　in　durance　vile。　　They　themselves　could　put　an　end　to　his
troubles　to…morrow。〃

〃By　giving　up　the　Dauphin　to　you；　you　mean？〃　she　retorted　coldly。

〃Precisely。〃

〃And　you　hopedyou　still　hope　that　by　placing　before　me　the
picture　of　your　own　fiendish　cruelty　against　my　husband　you　will
induce　me　to　act　the　part　of　a　traitor　towards　him　and　a　coward
before　his　followers？〃

〃Oh！〃　he　said　deprecatingly；　〃the　cruelty　now　is　no　longer　mine。
Sir　Percy's　release　is　in　your　hands；　Lady　Blakeneyin　that　of
his　followers。　　I　should　only　be　too　willing　to　end　the　present
intolerable　situation。　　You　and　your　friends　are　applying　the　last
turn　of　the　thumbscrew；　not　I〃

She　smothered　the　cry　of　horror　that　had　risen　to　her　lips。　　The
man's　cold…blooded　sophistry　was　threatening　to　make　a　breach　in
her　armour　of　self…control。

She　would　no　longer　trust　herself　to　speak；　but　made　a　quick
movement　towards　the　door。

He　shrugged　his　shoulders　as　if　the　matter　were　now　entirely　out
of　his　control。　　Then　he　opened　the　door　for　her　to　pass　out；　and
as　her　skirts　brushed　against　him　he　bowed　with　studied　deference；
murmuring　a　cordial　〃Good…night！〃

〃And　remember；　Lady　Blakeney；〃　he　added　politely；　〃that　should　you
at　any　time　desire　to　communicate　with　me　at　my　rooms；　19；　Rue
Dupuy；　I　hold　myself　entirely　at　your　service。

Then　as　her　tall；　graceful　figure　disappeared　in　the　outside　gloom
he　passed　his　thin　hand　over　his　mouth　as　if　to　wipe　away　the　last
lingering　signs　of　triumphant　irony：

〃The　second　visit　will　work　wonders；　I　think；　my　fine　lady；〃　he
murmured　under　his　breath。



CHAPTER　XXXI
AN　INTERLUDE

It　was　close　on　midnight　now；　and　still　they　sat　opposite　one
another；　he　the　friend　and　she　the　wife；　talking　over　that　brief
half…hour　that　had　meant　an　eternity　to　her；

Marguerite　had　tried　to　tell　Sir　Andrew　everything；　bitter　as　it
was　to　put　into　actual　words　the　pathos　and　misery　which　she　had
witnessed；　yet　she　would　hide　nothing　from　the　devoted　comrade
whom　she　knew　Percy　would　trust　absolutely。　　To　him　she　repeated
every　word　that　Percy　had　uttered；　described　every　inflection　of
his　voice；　those　enigmatical　phrases　which　she　had　not　understood；
and　together　they　cheated　one　another　into　the　belief　that　hope
lingered　somewhere　hidden　in　those　words。

〃I　am　not　going　to　despair；　Lady　Blakeney；〃　said　Sir　Andrew
firmly；　〃and；　moreover；　we　are　not　going　to　disobey。　　I　would
stake　my　life　that　even　now　Blakeney　has　some　scheme　in　his　mind
which　is　embodied　in　the　various　letters　which　he　has　given　you；
and　whichHeaven　help　us　in　that　case！we　might　thwart　by
disobedience。　　Tomorrow　in　the　late　afternoon　I　will　escort　you　to
the　Rue　de　Charonne。　　It　is　a　house　that　we　all　know　well；　and
which　Armand；　of　course；　knows　too。　　I　had　already　inquired　there
two　days　ago　to　ascertain　whether　by　chance　St。　Just　was　not　in
hiding　there；　but　Lucas；　the　landlord　and　old…clothes　dealer；　knew
nothing　about　him。〃

Marguerite　told　him　about　her　swift　vision　of　Armand　in　the　dark
corridor　of　the　house　of　Justice。

〃Can　you　understand　it；　Sir　Andrew？〃　she　asked；　fixing　her　deep；
luminous　eyes　inquiringly　upon　him。

〃No；　I　cannot；〃　he　said；　after　an　almost　imperceptible　moment　of
hesitancy；　〃but　we　shall　see　him　to…morrow。　I　have　no　doubt　that
Mademoiselle　Lange　will　know　where　to　find　him；　and　now　that　we
know　where　she　is；　all　our　anxiety　about　him；　at　any　rate；　should
soon　be　at　an　end。〃

He　rose　and　made　some　allusion　to　the　lateness　of　the　hour。
Somehow　it　seemed　to　her　that　her　devoted　friend　was　trying　to
hide　his　innermost　thoughts　from　her。　　She　watched　him　with　an
anxious；　intent　gaze。

〃Can　you　understand　it　all；　Sir　Andrew？〃　she　reiterated　with　a
pathetic　note　of　appeal。

〃No；　no！〃　he　said　firmly。　　〃On　my　soul；　Lady　Blakeney；　I　know　no
more　of　Armand　than　you　do　yourself。　　But　I　am　sure　that　Percy　is
right。　　The　boy　frets　because　remorse　must　have　assailed　him　by
now。　　Had　he　but　obeyed　implicitly　that　day；　as　we　all　did〃

But　he　could　not　frame　the　whole　terrible　proposition　in　words。
Bitterly　as　he　himself　felt　on　the　subject　of　Armand；　he　would
not　add　yet　another　burden　to　this　devoted　woman's　heavy　load
of　misery。

〃It　was　Fate；　Lady　Blakeney；〃　he　said　after　a　while。　〃Fate！　a
damnable　fate　which　did　it　all。　　Great　God！　to　think　of　Blakeney
in　the　hands　of　those　brutes　seems　so　horrible　that　at　times　I
feel　as　if　the　whole　thing　were　a　nightmare；　and　that　the　next
moment　we　shall　both　wake　hearing　his　merry　voice　echoing　through
this　room。〃

He　tried　to　cheer　her　with　words　of　hope　that　he　knew　were　but
chimeras。　A　heavy　weight　of　despondency　lay　on　his　heart。　　The
letter　from　his　chief　was　hidden　against　his　breast；　he　would
study　it　anon　in　the　privacy　of　his　own　apartment　so　as　to　commit
every　word　to　memory　that　related　to　the　measures　for　the　ultimate
safety　of　the　child…King。　　After　that　it　would　have　to　be
destroyed；　lest　it　fell　into　inimical　hands。

Soon　he　bade　Marguerite　good…night。　　She　was　tired　out；　body　and
soul；　and　heher　faithful　friendvaguely　wondered　how　long　she
would　be　able　to　withstand　the　strain　of　so　much　sorrow；　such
unspeakable　misery。

When　at　last　she　was　alone　Marguerite　made　brave　efforts　to
compose　her　nerves　so　as　to　obtain　a　certain　modicum　of　sleep　this
night。　　But；　strive　how　she　might；　sleep　would　not　come。　　How
could　it；　when　before　her　wearied　brain　there　rose　constantly　that
awful　vision　of　Percy　in　the　long；　narrow　cell；　with　weary　head
bent　over　his　arm；　and　those　friends　shout