el dorado-第63节

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〃'I　cannot　stand　my　present　position　any　longer。　Citizen　Heron；
and　also　M。　Chauvelin；　Yes；　Sir　Percy；　Chauvelin；　not　Chambertin
。。。　C；　H；　A；　U；　V；　E；　L；　I；　N。。。。　　That　is　quite　right'　have
made　this　prison　a　perfect　hell　for　me。'〃

Sir　Percy　looked　up　from　his　writing；　smiling。

〃You　wrong　yourself；　my　dear　M。　Chambertin！〃　he　said；　〃I　have
really　been　most　comfortable。〃

〃I　wish　to　place　the　matter　before　your　friends　in　as　indulgent　a
manner　as　I　can；〃　retorted　Chauvelin　dryly。

〃I　thank　you；　sir。　　Pray　proceed。〃

〃。。。　a　perfect　hell　for　me；'〃　resumed　the　other。　　〃Have　you　that？
。。。　'and　I　have　been　forced　to　give　way。　　To…morrow　we　start　from
here　at　dawn；　and　I　will　guide　citizen　Heron　to　the　place　where　he
can　find　the　Dauphin。　　But　the　authorities　demand　that　one　of　my
followers；　one　who　has　once　been　a　member　of　the　League　of　the
Scarlet　Pimpernel；　shall　accompany　me　on　this　expedition。　I
therefore　ask　you'or　'desire　you'　or　'beg　you'whichever　you
prefer；　Sir　Percy　。。。〃

〃'Ask　you'　will　do　quite　nicely。　　This　is　really　very　interesting；
you　know。〃

〃。。。　'to　be　prepared　to　join　the　expedition。　　We　start　at　dawn；
and　you　would　be　required　to　be　at　the　main　gate　of　the　house　of
Justice　at　six　o'clock　precisely。　　I　have　an　assurance　from　the
authorities　that　your　life　should　be　in…violate；　but　if　you　refuse
to　accompany　me；　the　guillotine　will　await　me　on　the　morrow。'〃

〃'The　guillotine　will　await　me　on　the　morrow。'　That　sounds　quite
cheerful；　does　it　not；　M。　Chambertin？〃　said　the　prisoner；　who　had
not　evinced　the　slightest　surprise　at　the　wording　of　the　letter
whilst　he　wrote　at　the　other's　dictation。　　〃Do　you　know；　I　quite
enjoyed　writing　this　letter；　it　so　reminded　me　of　happy　days　in
Boulogne。〃

Chauvelin　pressed　his　lips　together。　　Truly　now　he　felt　that　a
retort　from　him　would　have　been　undignified；　more　especially　as
just　at　this　moment　there　came　from　the　guard　room　the　sound　of
mn's　voices　talking　and　laughing；　the　occasional　clang　of　steel；
or　of　a　heavy　boot　against　the　tiled　floor；　the　rattling　of　dice；
or　a　sudden　burst　of　laughtersounds；　in　fact；　that　betokened　the
presence　of　a　number　of　soldiers　close　by。

Chauvelin　contented　himself　with　a　nod　in　the　direction　of　the
guard…room。

〃The　conditions　are　somewhat　different　now；〃　he　said　placidly；
〃from　those　that　reigned　in　Boulogne。　　But　will　you　not　sign　your
letter；　Sir　Percy？〃

〃With　pleasure；　sir；〃　responded　Blakeney；　as　with　an　elaborate
flourish　of　the　pen　he　appended　his　name　to　the　missive。

Chauvelin　was　watching　him　with　eyes　that　would　have　shamed　a　lynx
by　their　keenness。　　He　took　up　the　completed　letter；　read　it
through　very　carefully；　as　if　to　find　some　hidden　meaning　behind
the　very　words　which　he　himself　had　dictated；　he　studied　the
signature；　and　looked　vainly　for　a　mark　or　a　sign　that　might
convey　a　different　sense　to　that　which　he　had　intended。　　Finally；
finding　none；　he　folded　the　letter　up　with　his　own　hand；　and　at
once　slipped　it　in　the　pocket　of　his　coat。

〃Take　care；　M。　Chambertin；〃　said　Blakeney　lightly；　〃it　will　burn　a
hole　in　that　elegant　vest　of　yours。〃

〃It　will　have　no　time　to　do　that；　Sir　Percy；〃　retorted　Chauvelin
blandly；　〃an　you　will　furnish　me　with　citizen　St。　Just's　present
address；　I　will　myself　convey　the　letter　to　him　at　once。〃

〃At　this　hour　of　the　night？　　Poor　old　Armand；　he'll　be　abed。　　But
his　address；　sir；　is　No。　32；　Rue　de　la　Croix　Blanche；　on　the　first
floor；　the　door　on　your　right　as　you　mount　the　stairs；　you　know
the　room　well；　citizen　Chauvelin；　you　have　been　in　it　before。　　And
now；〃　he　added　with　a　loud　and　ostentatious　yawn；　〃shall　we　all　to
bed？　　We　start　at　dawn；　you　said；　and　I　am　so　dd　fatigued。〃

Frankly；　he　did　not　look　it　now。　　Chauvelin　himself；　despite　his
matured　plans；　despite　all　the　precautions　that　be　meant　to　take
for　the　success　of　this　gigantic　scheme；　felt　a　sudden　strange
sense　of　fear　creeping　into　his　bones。　　Half　an　hour　ago　he　had
seen　a　man　in　what　looked　like　the　last　stage　of　utter　physical
exhaustion；　a　hunched　up　figure；　listless　and　limp；　hands　that
twitched　nervously；　the　face　as　of　a　dying　man。　　Now　those　outward
symptoms　were　still　there　certainly；　the　face　by　the　light　of　the
lamp　still　looked　livid；　the　lips　bloodless；　the　hands　emaciated
and　waxen；　but　the　eyes！they　were　still　hollow；　with　heavy　lids
still　purple；　but　in　their　depths　there　was　a　curious；　mysterious
light；　a　look　that　seemed　to　see　something　that　was　hidden　to
natural　sight。

Citizen　Chauvelin　thought　that　Heron；　too；　must　be　conscious　of
this；　but　the　Committee's　agent　was　sprawling　on　a　chair；　sucking
a　short…stemmed　pipe；　and　gazing　with　entire　animal　satisfaction
on　the　prisoner。

〃The　most　perfect　piece　of　work　we　have　ever　accomplished；　you　and
I；　citizen　Chauvelin；〃　he　said　complacently。

〃You　think　that　everything　is　quite　satisfactory？〃　asked　the　other
with　anxious　stress　on　his　words。

〃Everything；　of　course。　　Now　you　see　to　the　letter。　　I　will　give
final　orders　for　to…morrow；　but　I　shall　sleep　in　the　guard…room。〃

〃And　I　on　that　inviting　bed；〃　interposed　the　prisoner　lightly；　as
he　rose　to　his　feet。　　〃Your　servant；　citizens！〃

He　bowed　his　head　slightly；　and　stood　by　the　table　whilst　the　two
men　prepared　to　go。　　Chauvelin　took　a　final　long　look　at　the　man
whom　he　firmly　believed　he　had　at　last　brought　down　to　abject
disgrace。

Blakeney　was　standing　erect；　watching　the　two　retreating　figures
one　slender　hand　was　on　the　table。　　Chauvelin　saw　that　it　was
leaning　rather　heavily；　as　if　for　support；　and　that　even　whilst　a
final　mocking　laugh　sped　him　and　his　colleague　on　their　way；　the
tall　figure　of　the　conquered　lion　swayed　like　a　stalwart　oak　that
is　forced　to　bend　to　the　mighty　fury　of　an　all…compelling　wind。

With　a　sigh　of　content　Chauvelin　took　his　colleague　by　the　arm；
and　together　the　two　men　walked　out　of　the　cell。



CHAPTER　XXXIX
KILL　HIM！

Two　hours　after　midnight　Armand　St。　Just　was　wakened　from　sleep　by
a　peremptory　pull　at　his　hell。　　In　these　days　in　Paris　but　one
meaning　could　as　a　rule　be　attached　to　such　a　summons　at　this　hour
of　the　night；　and　Armand；　though　possessed　of　an　unconditional
certificate　of　safety；　sat　up　in　bed；　quite　convinced　that　for
some　reason　which　would　presently　be　explained　to　him　he　had　once
more　been　placed　on　the　list　of　the　〃suspect；〃　and　that　his　trial
and　condemnation　on　a　trumped…up　charge　would　follow　in　due　course。

Truth　to　tell；　he　felt　no　fear　at　the　prospect；　and　only　a　very
little　sorrow。　　The　sorrow　was　not　for　himself；　he　regretted
neither　life　nor　happiness。　　Life　had　become　hateful　to　him　since
happiness　had　fled　with　it　on　the　dark　wings　of　dishonour；　sorrow
such　as　he　felt　was　only　for　Jeanne！　　She　was　very　young；　and
would　weep　bitter　tears。　She　would　be　unhappy；　because　she　truly
loved　him；　and　because　this　would　be　the　first　cup　of　bitterness
which　life　was　holding　out　to　her。　　But　she　was　very　young；　and
sorrow　would　not　be　eternal。　　It　was　better　so。　　He；　Armand　St。
Just；　though　he　loved　her　with　an　intensity　of　passion　that　had
been　magnified　and　strengthened　by　his　own　overwhelming　shame；　had
never　really　brought　his　beloved　one　single　moment　of　unalloyed
happiness。

From　the　very　first　day　when　he　sat　beside　her　in　the　tiny　boudoir
of　the　Square　du　Roule；　and　the　heavy　foot　fall　of　Heron　and　his
bloodhounds　broke　in　on　their　first　kiss；　down　to　this　hour　which
he　believed　struck　his　own　death…knell；　his　love　for　her　had
brought　more　tears　to　her　dear　eyes　than　smiles　to　her　exquisite
mouth。

Her　he　had　loved　so　dearly；　that　for　her　sweet　sake　he　had
sacrificed　honour；　friendship　and　truth；　to　free　her；　as　he
believed；　from　the　hands　of　impious　brutes　he　had　done　a　deed　that
cried　Cain…like　for　vengeance　to　the　very　throne　of　God。　　For　her
he　had　sinned；　and　because　of　that　sin；　even　before　it　was
committed；　their　love　had　been　blighted；　and　happiness　had　never
been　theirs。

Now　it　was　all　over。　　He　would　pass　out　of　her　life；　up　the　steps
of　the　scaffold；　tasting　as　he　mounted　them　the　most　entire
happiness　that　he　had　known　since　that　awful　day　when　he　became　a
Judas。

The　peremptory　summons；　once　more　repeated；　roused　him　from　his
meditations。　　He　lit　a　candle；　and　without　troubling　to　slip　any
of　his　clothes　on；　he　crossed　the　narrow　ante…chamber；　and　opened
the　door　that　gave　on　the　landing。

〃In　the　name　of　the　people！〃

He　had　expected　to　hear　not　only　those　words；　but　also　the
grounding　of　arms　and　the　brief　command　to　halt。　He　had　expected
to　see　before　him　the　white　facings　of　the　uniform　of　the　Garde　de
Paris；　and　to　feel　himself　roughly　pushed　back　into　his　lodging
preparatory　to　the　search　being　made　of　all　his　effects　and　the
placing　of　irons　on　his　wrists。

Instead　of　this；　it　was　a　quiet；　dry　voice　that　said　without　undue
harshness：

〃In　the　name　of　the　people！〃

And　instead　of　the　uniforms；　the　bayonets　and　the　scarlet　caps
with　tricolour　cockades；　he　was　confronted　by　a　slight；　sable…clad
figure；　whose　face；　lit　by　the　flickering　light　of　the　tallow
candle；　looked　strangely　pale　and　earnest。

〃Citizen　Chauvelin！〃　gasped　Armand；　more　su