ferragus-第11节

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your　old　life；　and　forget　Madame　Jules。〃

〃No；　no；〃　said　Auguste；　〃I　will　never　yield　to　Gratien　Bourignard。　I
will　have　him　bound　hand　and　foot；　and　Madame　Jules　also。〃

That　evening　the　Baron　Auguste　de　Maulincour；　recently　promoted　to
higher　rank　in　the　company　of　the　Body…Guard　of　the　king；　went　to　a
ball　given　by　Madame　la　Duchesse　de　Berry　at　the　Elysee…Bourbon。
There；　certainly；　no　danger　could　lurk　for　him；　and　yet；　before　he
left　the　palace；　he　had　an　affair　of　honor　on　his　hands；an　affair　it
was　impossible　to　settle　except　by　a　duel。

His　adversary；　the　Marquis　de　Ronquerolles；　considered　that　he　had
strong　reasons　to　complain　of　Monsieur　de　Maulincour；　who　had　given
some　ground　for　it　during　his　former　intimacy　with　Monsieur　de
Ronquerolles'　sister；　the　Comtesse　de　Serizy。　That　lady；　the　one　who
detested　German　sentimentality；　was　all　the　more　exacting　in　the
matter　of　prudery。　By　one　of　those　inexplicable　fatalities；　Auguste
now　uttered　a　harmless　jest　which　Madame　de　Serizy　took　amiss；　and　her
brother　resented　it。　The　discussion　took　place　in　the　corner　of　a
room；　in　a　low　voice。　In　good　society；　adversaries　never　raise　their
voices。　The　next　day　the　faubourg　Saint…Germain　and　the　Chateau　talked
over　the　affair。　Madame　de　Serizy　was　warmly　defended；　and　all　the
blame　was　laid　on　Maulincour。　August　personages　interfered。　Seconds　of
the　highest　distinction　were　imposed　on　Messieurs　de　Maulincour　and　de
Ronquerolles　and　every　precaution　was　taken　on　the　ground　that　no　one
should　be　killed。

When　Auguste　found　himself　face　to　face　with　his　antagonist；　a　man　of
pleasure；　to　whom　no　one　could　possibly　deny　sentiments　of　the　highest
honor；　he　felt　it　was　impossible　to　believe　him　the　instrument　of
Ferragus；　chief　of　the　Devorants；　and　yet　he　was　compelled；　as　it
were；　by　an　inexplicable　presentiment；　to　question　the　marquis。

〃Messieurs；〃　he　said　to　the　seconds；　〃I　certainly　do　not　refuse　to
meet　the　fire　of　Monsieur　de　Ronquerolles；　but　before　doing　so；　I　here
declare　that　I　was　to　blame；　and　I　offer　him　whatever　excuses　he　may
desire；　and　publicly　if　he　wishes　it；　because　when　the　matter　concerns
a　woman；　nothing；　I　think；　can　degrade　a　man　of　honor。　I　therefore
appeal　to　his　generosity　and　good　sense；　is　there　not　something　rather
silly　in　fighting　without　a　cause？〃

Monsieur　de　Ronquerolles　would　not　allow　of　this　way　of　ending　the
affair；　and　then　the　baron；　his　suspicions　revived；　walked　up　to　him。

〃Well；　then！　Monsieur　le　marquis；〃　he　said；　〃pledge　me；　in　presence　of
these　gentlemen；　your　word　as　a　gentleman　that　you　have　no　other
reason　for　vengeance　than　that　you　have　chosen　to　put　forward。〃

〃Monsieur；　that　is　a　question　you　have　no　right　to　ask。〃

So　saying；　Monsieur　de　Ronquerolles　took　his　place。　It　was　agreed；　in
advance；　that　the　adversaries　were　to　be　satisfied　with　one　exchange
of　shots。　Monsieur　de　Ronquerolles；　in　spite　of　the　great　distance
determined　by　the　seconds；　which　seemed　to　make　the　death　of　either
party　problematical；　if　not　impossible；　brought　down　the　baron。　The
ball　went　through　the　latter's　body　just　below　the　heart；　but
fortunately　without　doing　vital　injury。

〃You　aimed　too　well；　monsieur；〃　said　the　baron；　〃to　be　avenging　only　a
paltry　quarrel。〃

And　he　fainted。　Monsieur　de　Ronquerolles；　who　believed　him　to　be　a
dead　man；　smiled　sardonically　as　he　heard　those　words。

After　a　fortnight；　during　which　time　the　dowager　and　the　vidame　gave
him　those　cares　of　old　age　the　secret　of　which　is　in　the　hands　of　long
experience　only；　the　baron　began　to　return　to　life。　But　one　morning
his　grandmother　dealt　him　a　crushing　blow；　by　revealing　anxieties　to
which；　in　her　last　days；　she　was　now　subjected。　She　showed　him　a
letter　signed　F；　in　which　the　history　of　her　grandson's　secret
espionage　was　recounted　step　by　step。　The　letter　accused　Monsieur　de
Maulincour　of　actions　that　were　unworthy　of　a　man　of　honor。　He　had；　it
said；　placed　an　old　woman　at　the　stand　of　hackney…coaches　in　the　rue
de　Menars；　an　old　spy；　who　pretended　to　sell　water　from　her　cask　to
the　coachmen；　but　who　was　really　there　to　watch　the　actions　of　Madame
Jules　Desmarets。　He　had　spied　upon　the　daily　life　of　a　most
inoffensive　man；　in　order　to　detect　his　secrets；secrets　on　which
depended　the　lives　of　three　persons。　He　had　brought　upon　himself　a
relentless　struggle；　in　which；　although　he　had　escaped　with　life　three
times；　he　must　inevitably　succumb；　because　his　death　had　been　sworn
and　would　be　compassed　if　all　human　means　were　employed　upon　it。
Monsieur　de　Maulincour　could　no　longer　escape　his　fate　by　even
promising　to　respect　the　mysterious　life　of　these　three　persons；
because　it　was　impossible　to　believe　the　word　of　a　gentleman　who　had
fallen　to　the　level　of　a　police…spy；　and　for　what　reason？　Merely　to
trouble　the　respectable　life　of　an　innocent　woman　and　a　harmless　old
man。

The　letter　itself　was　nothing　to　Auguste　in　comparison　to　the　tender
reproaches　of　his　grandmother。　To　lack　respect　to　a　woman！　to　spy　upon
her　actions　without　a　right　to　do　so！　Ought　a　man　ever　to　spy　upon　a
woman　whom　he　loved？in　short；　she　poured　out　a　torrent　of　those
excellent　reasons　which　prove　nothing；　and　they　put　the　young　baron；
for　the　first　time　in　his　life；　into　one　of　those　great　human　furies
in　which　are　born；　and　from　which　issue　the　most　vital　actions　of　a
man's　life。

〃Since　it　is　war　to　the　knife；〃　he　said　in　conclusion；　〃I　shall　kill
my　enemy　by　any　means　that　I　can　lay　hold　of。〃

The　vidame　went　immediately；　at　Auguste's　request；　to　the　chief　of　the
private　police　of　Paris；　and　without　bringing　Madame　Jules'　name　or
person　into　the　narrative；　although　they　were　really　the　gist　of　it；
he　made　the　official　aware　of　the　fears　of　the　family　of　Maulincour
about　this　mysterious　person　who　was　bold　enough　to　swear　the　death　of
an　officer　of　the　Guards；　in　defiance　of　the　law　and　the　police。　The
chief　pushed　up　his　green　spectacles　in　amazement；　blew　his　nose
several　times；　and　offered　snuff　to　the　vidame；　who；　to　save　his
dignity；　pretended　not　to　use　tobacco；　although　his　own　nose　was
discolored　with　it。　Then　the　chief　took　notes　and　promised；　Vidocq　and
his　spies　aiding；　to　send　in　a　report　within　a　few　days　to　the
Maulincour　family；　assuring　them　meantime　that　there　were　no　secrets
for　the　police　of　Paris。

A　few　days　after　this　the　police　official　called　to　see　the　vidame　at
the　Hotel　de　Maulincour；　where　he　found　the　young　baron　quite
recovered　from　his　last　wound。　He　gave　them　in　bureaucratic　style　his
thanks　for　the　indications　they　had　afforded　him；　and　told　them　that
Bourignard　was　a　convict；　condemned　to　twenty　years'　hard　labor；　who
had　miraculously　escaped　from　a　gang　which　was　being　transported　from
Bicetre　to　Toulon。　For　thirteen　years　the　police　had　been　endeavoring
to　recapture　him；　knowing　that　he　had　boldly　returned　to　Paris；　but　so
far　this　convict　had　escaped　the　most　active　search；　although　he　was
known　to　be　mixed　up　in　many　nefarious　deeds。　However；　the　man；　whose
life　was　full　of　very　curious　incidents；　would　certainly　be　captured
now　in　one　or　other　of　his　several　domiciles　and　delivered　up　to
justice。　The　bureaucrat　ended　his　report　by　saying　to　Monsieur　de
Maulincour　that　if　he　attached　enough　importance　to　the　matter　to　wish
to　witness　the　capture　of　Bourignard；　he　might　come　the　next　day　at
eight　in　the　morning　to　a　house　in　the　rue　Sainte…Foi；　of　which　he
gave　him　the　number。　Monsieur　de　Maulincour　excused　himself　from　going
personally　in　search　of　certainty；trusting；　with　the　sacred　respect
inspired　by　the　police　of　Paris；　in　the　capability　of　the　authorities。

Three　days　later；　hearing　nothing；　and　seeing　nothing　in　the
newspapers　about　the　projected　arrest；　which　was　certainly　of　enough
importance　to　have　furnished　an　article；　Monsieur　de　Maulincour　was
beginning　to　feel　anxieties　which　were　presently　allayed　by　the
following　letter：

　　Monsieur　le　Baron；I　have　the　honor　to　announce　to　you　that　you
　　need　have　no　further　uneasiness　touching　the　affair　in　question。
　　The　man　named　Gratien　Bourignard；　otherwise　called　Ferragus；　died
　　yesterday；　at　his　lodgings；　rue　Joquelet　No。　7。　The　suspicions　we
　　naturally　conceived　as　to　the　identity　of　the　dead　body　have　been
　　completely　set　at　rest　by　the　facts。　The　physician　of　the
　　Prefecture　of　police　was　despatched　by　us　to　assist　the　physician
　　of　the　arrondissement；　and　the　chief　of　the　detective　police　made
　　all　the　necessary　verifications　to　obtain　absolute　certainty。
　　Moreover；　the　character　of　the　persons　who　signed　the　certificate
　　of　death；　and　the　affidavits　of　those　who　took　care　of　the　said
　　Bourignard　in　his　last　illness；　among　others　that　of　the　worthy
　　vicar　of　the　church　of　the　Bonne…Nouvelle　（to　whom　he　made　his
　　last　confession；　for　he　died　a　Christian）；　do　not　permit　us　to
　　entertain　any　sort　of　doubt。

Accept；　Monsieur　le　baron；　etc。；　etc。


Monsieur　de　Maulincour；　the　dowager；　and　the　vidame　breathed　again
with　joy　unspeakable。　The　good　old　woman　kissed　her　grandson　leaving　a
tear　upon　his　cheek；　and　went　away　to　thank　God　in　prayer。　The　dear
soul；　who　was　making　a　novena　for　Auguste's　safety；　b