the brotherhood of consolation-第25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！


herself　up　that　she　might　take　care　of　Madame　de　la　Chanterie；　and
wait　upon　her。　Our　dear　vicar　was　the　priest　at　Mortagne　who　gave　the
last　sacraments　to　the　Baronne　des　Tours…Minieres；　he　had　the　courage
to　go　with　her　to　the　scaffold；　and　to　him　she　gave　her　farewell　kiss。
That　courageous；　noble　priest　had　also　accompanied　the　Chevalier　du
Vissard。　Our　dear　Abbe　de　Veze　has　therefore　known　all　the　secrets　of
those　days。〃

〃I　see　why　his　hair　is　so　white；〃　said　Godefroid。

〃Alas！　yes；〃　said　Alain。　〃He　received　from　Amedee　du　Vissard　a
miniature　of　Madame　des　Tours…Minieres；　the　only　portrait　of　her　that
exists；　therefore；　the　abbe　became　almost　sacred　in　Madame　de　la
Chanterie's　eyes　when　she　re…entered　social　existence。〃

〃When　did　that　happen？〃　asked　Godefroid。

〃Why；　at　the　restoration　of　Louis　XVIII。；　in　1814。　The　Marquis　du
Vissard；　eldest　brother　of　the　Chevalier；　was　created　peer　of　France
and　loaded　with　honors　by　the　king。　The　brother　of　Monsieur　d'Herbomez
was　made　a　count　and　receiver…general。　The　poor　banker　Pannier　died　of
grief　at　the　galleys。　Boislaurier　died　without　children；　a　lieutenant…
general　and　governor　of　a　royal　chateau。　Messieurs　de　Champignelles；
de　Beauseant；　the　Duc　de　Verneuil；　and　the　Keeper　of　the　Seals
presented　Madame　de　la　Chanterie　to　the　king。　'You　have　suffered
greatly　for　me；　madame　la　baronne；　you　have　every　right　to　my　favor
and　gratitude；'　he　said　to　her。　'Sire；'　she　replied；　'your　Majesty　has
so　many　sorrows　to　console　that　I　do　not　wish　that　mine；　which　is
inconsolable；　should　be　a　burden　upon　you。　To　live　forgotten；　to　mourn
my　daughter；　and　do　some　good；　that　is　my　life。　If　anything　could
soften　my　grief；　it　is　the　kindness　of　my　king；　it　is　the　pleasure　of
seeing　that　Providence　has　not　allowed　our　long　devotion　to　be
useless。'〃

〃And　what　did　Louis　XVIII。　do？〃　asked　Godefroid。

〃He　restored　two　hundred　thousand　francs　in　money　to　Madame　de　la
Chanterie；　for　the　estate　of　Saint…Savin　had　been　sold　to　pay　the
costs　of　the　trial。　In　the　decree　of　pardon　issued　for　Madame　la
baronne　and　her　servant　the　king　expressed　regret　for　the　suffering
borne　in　his　cause；　adding　that　'the　zeal　of　his　servants　had　gone　too
far　in　its　methods　of　execution。'　Butand　this　is　a　horrible　thing；
it　will　serve　to　show　you　a　curious　trait　in　the　character　of　that
monarchhe　employed　Bryond　in　his　detective　police　throughout　his
reign。〃

〃Oh；　kings！　kings！〃　cried　Godefroid；　〃and　is　the　wretch　still　living？〃

〃No；　the　wretch；　as　you　justly　call　him；　who　concealed　his　real　name
under　that　of　Contenson；　died　about　the　close　of　the　year　1829　or　the
beginning　of　1830。　In　trying　to　arrest　a　criminal　who　escaped　over　a
roof；　he　fell　into　the　street。　Louis　XVIII。　shared　Napoleon's　ideas　as
to　spies　and　police。　Madame　de　la　Chanterie　is　a　saint；　she　prays
constantly　for　the　soul　of　that　man　and　has　two　masses　said　yearly　for
him。　As　I　have　already　told　you；　Madame　de　la　Chanterie　knew　nothing
of　the　dangers　her　daughter　was　incurring　until　the　day　when　the　money
was　carried　to　Alencon；　nevertheless　she　was　unable　to　establish　her
innocence；　although　defended　by　one　of　the　greatest　lawyers　of　that
time。　The　president；　du　Ronceret；　and　the　vice…president；　Blondet；　of
the　court　of　Alencon　did　their　best　to　save　our　poor　lady。　But　the
influence　of　the　councillor　of　the　Imperial　Court　who　presided　at　her
trial　before　the　Criminal　and　Special　Court；　the　famous　Mergi；　and
that　of　Bourlac　the　attorney…general　was　such　over　the　other　judges
that　they　obtained　her　condemnation。　Both　Bourlac　and　Mergi　showed
extraordinary　bitterness　against　mother　and　daughter；　they　called　the
Baronne　des　Tours…Minieres　'the　woman　Bryond；'　and　Madame　'the　woman
Lechantre。'　The　names　of　accused　persons　in　those　days　were　all
brought　to　one　republican　level；　and　were　sometimes　unrecognizable。
The　trial　had　several　very　extraordinary　features；　which　I　cannot　now
recall；　one　piece　of　audacity　remains　in　my　memory　which　will　serve　to
show　you　what　sort　of　men　those　Chouans　were。　The　crowd　which
assembled　to　hear　the　trial　was　immense；　it　even　filled　the　corridors
and　the　square　before　the　court…house。　One　morning；　after　the　opening
of　the　court…room　and　before　the　arrival　of　the　judges；　Pille…Miche；　a
famous　Chouan；　sprang　over　the　balustrade　into　the　middle　of　the
crowd；　elbowing　right　and　left；　'charging　like　a　wild　boar；'　as　Bordin
told　me；　through　the　frightened　people。　The　guards　and　the　gendarmes
dashed　after　him　and　caught　him　just　as　he　reached　the　square；　after
that　the　guards　were　doubled。　A　picket　of　gendarmerie　was　stationed　in
the　square；　for　they　feared　there　were　Chouans　on　the　ground　ready　to
rescue　the　prisoners。　As　it　was；　three　persons　were　crushed　to　death
on　this　occasion。　It　was　afterwards　discovered　that　Contenson　（neither
my　friend　Bordin　nor　I　could　ever　bring　ourselves　to　call　him　the
Baron　des　Tours…Minieres；　nor　Bryond　which　is　the　name　of　an　old
family）；it　was；　I　say；　discovered　that　this　wretch　Contenson　had
obtained　sixty　thousand　francs　of　the　stolen　money　from　the
Chaussards；　he　gave　ten　thousand　to　the　younger　Chaussard；　whom　he
took　with　him　into　the　detective　police　and　innoculated　with　his
vices；　his　other　accomplices　got　nothing　from　him。　Madame　de　la
Chanterie　invested　the　money　restored　to　her　by　the　king　in　the　public
Funds；　and　bought　this　house　to　please　her　uncle；　Monsieur　de
Boisfrelon；　who　gave　her　the　money　for　the　purpose；　and　died　in　the
rooms　you　now　occupy。　This　tranquil　neighborhood　is　near　the
archbishop's　palace；　where　our　dear　abbe　has　duties　with　the　cardinal。
That　was　one　of　the　chief　reasons　why　Madame　agreed　to　her　uncle's
wish。　Here；　in　this　cloistral　life；　the　fearful　misfortunes　which
overwhelmed　her　for　twenty…six　years　have　been　brought　to　a　close。　Now
you　can　understand　the　majesty；　the　grandeur　of　this　victimaugust；　I
venture　to　call　her。〃

〃Yes；〃　said　Godefroid；　〃the　imprint　of　all　the　blows　she　has　received
remains　and　gives　her　something；　I　can　scarcely　describe　it；　that　is
grand　and　majestic。〃

〃Every　wound；　every　fresh　blow；　has　increased　her　patience；　her
resignation；〃　continued　Alain；　〃but　if　you　knew　her　as　we　know　her　you
would　see　how　keen　is　her　sensibility；　how　active　the　inexhaustible
tenderness　of　her　heart；　and　you　would　almost　stand　in　awe　of　the
tears　she　had　shed；　and　the　fervent　prayers　she　had　made　to　God。　Ah！
it　was　necessary　to　have　known；　as　she　did；　a　brief　period　of
happiness　to　bear　up　as　she　has　done　under　such　misfortunes。　Here　is　a
tender　heart；　a　gentle　soul　in　a　steel　body　hardened　by　privations；　by
toil；　by　austerities。〃

〃Her　life　explains　why　hermits　live　so　long；〃　said　Godefroid。

〃There　are　days　when　I　ask　myself　what　is　the　meaning　of　a　life　like
hers？　Can　it　be　that　God　reserves　such　trials；　such　cruel　tests；　for
those　of　his　creatures　who　are　to　sit　on　the　morrow　of　their　death　at
his　right　hand？〃　said　the　good　Alain；　quite　unconscious　that　he　was
artlessly　expressing　the　whole　doctrine　of　Swedenborg　on　the　angels。

〃And　you　tell　me；〃　said　Godefroid；　〃that　in　prison　Madame　de　la
Chanterie　was　put　with〃

〃Madame　was　sublime　in　her　prison；〃　said　Alain。　〃For　three　whole　years
she　realized　the　story　of　the　Vicar　of　Wakefield；　and　was　able　to
convert　many　of　the　worst　women　about　her。　During　her　imprisonment　she
observed　the　habits　and　customs　of　these　women；　and　was　seized　with
that　great　pity　for　the　sorrows　of　the　people　which　has　since　filled
her　soul　and　made　her　the　angel　of　Parisian　charity。　In　that　dreadful
Bicetre　of　Rouen；　she　conceived　the　plan　to　the　realization　of　which
we　are　now　devoted。　It　was；　she　has　often　told　us；　a　delightful　dream；
an　angelic　inspiration　in　the　midst　of　hell；　though　she　never　thought
she　should　realize　it。　When；　in　1819；　peace　and　quietude　seemed　really
to　return　to　Paris；　her　dream　came　back　to　her。　Madame　la　Duchesse
d'Angouleme；　afterwards　the　dauphine；　the　Duchesse　de　Berry；　the
archbishop；　later　the　chancellor；　and　several　pious　persons
contributed　liberally　the　first　necessary　sums。　These　funds　have　been
increased　by　the　addition　of　our　own　available　property；　from　which　we
take　only　enough　for　our　actual　needs。〃

Tears　came　into　Godefroid's　eyes。

〃We　are　the　ministers　of　a　Christian　idea；　we　belong　body　and　soul　to
its　work；　the　spirit　of　which；　the　founder　of　which；　is　the　Baronne　de
la　Chanterie；　whom　you　hear　us　so　respectfully　call　'Madame。'〃

〃Ah！　let　me　belong　to　you！〃　cried　Godefroid；　stretching　out　his　hands
to　the　kind　old　man。

〃Now　you　understand　why　there　are　some　subjects　of　conversation　which
are　never　mentioned　here；　nor　even　alluded　to。　You　can　now　see　the
obligations　of　delicacy　that　all　who　live　in　this　house　contract
towards　one　who　seems　to　us　a　saint。　You　comprehenddo　you　not？the
influence　of　a　woman　made　sacred　by　such　sorrows；　who　knows　so　many
things；　to　whom　anguish　has　said　its　utmost　word；　who　from　each
adversity　has　drawn　instruction；　in　whom　all　virtues　have　the　double
strength　of　cruel　trial　and　of　constant　practice；　whose　soul　is
spotless　and　without　reproach；　whose　motherhood　knew　only　grief；　whose
married　love　knew　only　bit