el dorado-第61节

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


and　beckoning　Heron　to　sit　down；　he　did　likewise；　placing　himself
close　to　his　colleague。

From　where　the　two　men　now　sat　they　could　see　both　into　the
guard…room　opposite　them　and　into　the　recess　at　die　furthermost
end　of　the　cell。

〃First　of　all；〃　began　Chauvelin　after　a　while；　and　sinking　his
voice　to　a　whisper；　〃let　me　understand　you　thoroughly；　citizen
Heron。　Do　you　want　the　death　of　the　Englishman；　either　to…day　or
to…morrow；　either　in　this　prison　or　on　the　guillotine？　For　that
now　is　easy　of　accomplishment；　or　do　you　want；　above　all；　to　get
hold　of　little　Capet？〃

〃It　is　Capet　I　want；〃　growled　Heron　savagely　under　his　breath。
〃Capet！　　Capet！　My　own　neck　is　dependent　on　my　finding　Capet。
Curse　you；　have　I　not　told　you　that　clearly　enough？〃

〃You　have　told　it　me　very　clearly；　citizen　Heron；　but　I　wished　to
make　assurance　doubly　sure；　and　also　make　you　Understand　that　I；
too；　want　the　Englishman　to　betray　little　Capet　into　your　hands。
I　want　that　more　even　than　I　do　his　death。〃

〃Then　in　the　name　of　hell；　citizen；　give　me　your　advice。〃

〃My　advice　to　you；　citizen　Heron；　is　this：　Give　your　prisoner　now
just　a　sufficiency　of　food　to　revive　himhe　will　have　had　a　few
moments'　sleepand　when　he　has　eaten；　and；　mayhap；　drunk　a　glass
of　wine；　he　will；　no　doubt；　feel　a　recrudescence　of　strength；　then
give　him　pen　and　ink　and　paper。　　He　must；　as　he　says；　write　to　one
of　his　followers；　who；　in　his　turn；　I　suppose；　will　communicate
with　the　others；　bidding　them　to　be　prepared　to　deliver　up　little
Capet　to　us；　the　letter　must　make　it　clear　to　that　crowd　of
English　gentlemen　that　their　beloved　chief　is　giving　up　the
uncrowned　King　of　France　to　us　in　exchange　for　his　own　safety。　But
I　think　you　will　agree　with　me；　citizen　Heron；　that　it　would　not
be　over…prudent　on　our　part　to　allow　that　same　gallant　crowd　to　be
forewarned　too　soon　of　the　pro…posed　doings　of　their　chief。
Therefore；　I　think；　we'll　explain　to　the　prisoner　that　his
follower；　whom　he　will　first　apprise　of　his　intentions；　shall
start　with　us　to…morrow　on　our　expedition；　and　accompany　us　until
its　last　stage；　when；　if　it　is　found　necessary；　he　may　be　sent　on
ahead；　strongly　escorted　of　course；　and　with　personal　messages
from　the　gallant　Scarlet　Pimpernel　to　the　members　of　his　League。〃

〃What　will　be　the　good　of　that？〃　broke　in　Heron　viciously。　　〃Do
you　want　one　of　his　accursed　followers　to　be　ready　to　give　him　a
helping　hand　on　the　way　if　he　tries　to　slip　through　our　fingers？

〃Patience；　patience；　my　good　Heron！〃　rejoined　Chauvelin　with　a
placid　smile。　　〃Hear　me　out　to　the　end。　Time　is　precious。　　You
shall　offer　what　criticism　you　will　when　I　have　finished；　but　not
before。〃

〃Go　on；　then。　　I　listen。〃

〃I　am　not　only　proposing　that　one　member　of　the　Scarlet　Pimpernel
League　shall　accompany　us　to…morrow；〃　continued　Chauvelin；　〃but　I
would　also　force　the　prisoner's　wifeMarguerite　Blakeneyto
follow　in　our　train。〃

〃A　woman？　Bah！　What　for？〃

〃I　will　tell　you　the　reason　of　this　presently。　In　her　case　I
should　not　let　the　prisoner　know　beforehand　that　she　too　will　form
a　part　of　our　expedition。　Let　this　come　as　a　pleasing　surprise　for
him。　　She　could　join　us　on　our　way　out　of　Paris。〃

〃How　will　you　get　hold　of　her？〃

〃Easily　enough。　I　know　where　to　find　her。　　I　traced　her　myself　a
few　days　ago　to　a　house　in　the　Rue　de　Charonne；　and　she　is　not
likely　to　have　gone　away　from　Paris　while　her　husband　was　at　the
Conciergerie。　But　this　is　a　digression；　let　me　proceed　more
consecutively。　The　letter；　as　I　have　said；　being　written　to…night
by　the　prisoner　to　one　of　his　followers；　I　will　myself　see　that　it
is　delivered　into　the　right　hands。　You；　citizen　Heron；　will　in　the
meanwhile　make　all　arrangements　for　the　journey。　We　ought　to　start
at　dawn；　and　we　ought　to　be　prepared；　especially　during　the　first
fifty　leagues　of　the　way；　against　organised　attack　in　case　the
Englishman　leads　us　into　an　ambush。〃

〃Yes。　He　might　even　do　that；　curse　him！〃　muttered　Heron。

〃He　might；　but　it　is　unlikely。　Still　it　is　best　to　be　prepared。
Take　a　strong　escort；　citizen；　say　twenty　or　thirty　men；　picked
and　trained　soldiers　who　would　make　short　work　of　civilians；
however　well…armed　they　might　be。　There　are　twenty
membersincluding　the　chiefin　that　Scarlet　Pimpernel　League；
and　I　do　not　quite　see　how　from　this　cell　the　prisoner　could
organise　an　ambuscade　against　us　at　a　given　time。　Anyhow；　that　is
a　matter　for　you　to　decide。　　I　have　still　to　place　before　you　a
scheme　which　is　a　measure　of　safety　for　ourselves　and　our　men
against　ambush　as　well　as　against　trickery；　and　which　I　feel　sure
you　will　pronounce　quite　adequate。〃

〃Let　me　hear　it；　then！〃

〃The　prisoner　will　have　to　travel　by　coach；　of　course。　You　can
travel　with　him；　if　you　like；　and　put　him　in　irons；　and　thus　avert
all　chances　of　his　escaping　on　the　road。　But〃and　here　Chauvelin
made　a　long　pause；　which　had　the　effect　of　holding　his　colleague's
attention　still　more　closely〃remember　that　we　shall　have　his
wife　and　one　of　his　friends　with　us。　　Before　we　finally　leave
Paris　tomorrow　we　will　explain　to　the　prisoner　that　at　the　first
attempt　to　escape　on　his　part；　at　the　slightest　suspicion　that　he
has　tricked　us　for　his　own　ends　or　is　leading　us　into　an　ambush
at　the　slightest　suspicion；　I　sayyou；　citizen　Heron；　will　order
his　friend　first；　and　then　Marguerite　Blakeney　herself；　to　be
summarily　shot　before　his　eyes。〃

Heron　gave　a　long；　low　whistle。　　Instinctively　he　threw　a　furtive；
backward　glance　at　the　prisoner；　then　he　raised　his　shifty　eyes　to
his　colleague。

There　was　unbounded　admiration　expressed　in　them。　One　blackguard
had　met　anothera　greater　one　than　himselfand　was　proud　to
acknowledge　him　as　his　master。

〃By　Lucifer；　citizen　Chauvelin；〃　he　said　at　last；　〃I　should　never
have　thought　of　such　a　thing　myself。〃

Chauvelin　put　up　his　hand　with　a　gesture　of　self…deprecation。

〃I　certainly　think　that　measure　ought　to　be　adequate；〃　he　said
with　a　gentle　air　of　assumed　modesty；　〃unless　you　would　prefer　to
arrest　the　woman　and　lodge　her　here；　keeping　her　here　as　an
hostage。〃

〃No；　no！〃　said　Heron　with　a　gruff　laugh；　〃that　idea　does　not
appeal　to　me　nearly　so　much　as　the　other。　　I　should　not　feel　so
secure　on　the　way。。。。　　I　should　always　be　thinking　that　that
cursed　woman　had　been　allowed　to　escape。。。。　　No！　no！　I　would
rather　keep　her　under　my　own　eyejust　as　you　suggest；　citizen
Chauvelin　。。。　and　under　the　prisoner's；　too；〃　he　added　with　a
coarse　jest。　　〃If　he　did　not　actually　see　her；　he　might　be　more
ready　to　try　and　save　himself　at　her　expense。　　But；　of　course；　he
could　not　see　her　shot　before　his　eyes。　　It　is　a　perfect　plan；
citizen；　arid　does　you　infinite　credit；　and　if　the　Englishman
tricked　us；〃　he　concluded　with　a　fierce　and　savage　oath；　〃and　we
did　not　find　Capet　at　the　end　of　the　journey；　I　would　gladly
strangle　his　wife　and　his　friend　with　my　own　hands。〃

〃A　satisfaction　which　I　would　not　begrudge　you；　citizen；〃　said
Chauvelin　dryly。　　〃Perhaps　you　are　right　。。。　the　woman　had　best　be
kept　under　your　own　eye　。。。　the　prisoner　will　never　risk　her
safety　on　that；　I　would　stake　my　life。　　We'll　deliver　our　final
'eitheror'　the　moment　that　she　has　joined　our　party；　and　before
we　start　further　on　our　way。　　Now；　citizen　Heron；　you　have　heard
my　advice；　are　you　prepared　to　follow　it？〃

〃To　the　last　letter；〃　replied　the　other。

And　their　two　hands　met　in　a　grasp　of　mutual　understandingtwo
hands　already　indelibly　stained　with　much　innocent　blood；　more
deeply　stained　now　with　seventeen　past　days　of　inhumanity　and
miserable　treachery　to　come。



CHAPTER　XXXVIII
CAPITULATION

What　occurred　within　the　inner　cell　of　the　Conciergerie　prison
within　the　next　half…hour　of　that　16th　day　of　Pluviose　in　the　year
II　of　the　Republic　is；　perhaps；　too　well　known　to　history　to　need
or　bear　overfull　repetition。

Chroniclers　intimate　with　the　inner　history　of　those　infamous　days
have　told　us　how　the　chief　agent　of　the　Committee　of　General
Security　gave　orders　one　hour　after　midnight　that　hot　soup；　white
bread　and　wine　be　served　to　the　prisoner；　who　for　close　on
fourteen　days　previously　had　been　kept　on　short　rations　of　black
bread　and　water；　the　sergeant　in　charge　of　the　guard…room　watch
for　the　night　also　received　strict　orders　that　that　same　prisoner
was　on　no　account　to　be　disturbed　until　the　hour　of　six　in　the
morning；　when　he　was　to　be　served　with　anything　in　the　way　of
breakfast　that　he　might　fancy。

All　this　we　know；　and　also　that　citizen　Heron；　having　given　all
necessary　orders　for　the　morning's　expedition；　returned　to　the
Conciergerie；　and　found　his　colleague　Chauvelin　waiting　for　him　in
the　guard…room。

〃Well？〃　he　asked　with　febrile　impatience〃　the　prisoner？

〃He　seems　better　and　stronger；〃　replied　Chauvelin。　〃Not　too　well；
I　hope？〃

〃No；　no；　only　just　well　enough。〃

〃You　have　seen　himsince　his　supper？〃

〃Only　from　the　doorway。　　It　seems　he　ate　and　drank　hardly　at　all；
and　the　sergeant　had　some　difficulty　in　keeping　him　awake　until
you　tame。〃

〃Well；　now　for　the　letter；〃　concluded　Heron　with　the　same　marked
feverishness　of　manner　which　sat　so　curiously　on　his　uncouth
personality。　　〃Pen；　in