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the house of the wolf(狼之家)-第36节

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     For     surely   in   all   his  reckless     life  Bezers     had    never    been    so 

emphatically        the   man    for   the   situationhad      never    shown     to   such 

advantage as at this moment when he stood confronting the sea of faces; 

the sneer on his lip; a smile in his eyes; and looked down unblenching; a 

figure   of   scorn;   on   the   men   who   were   literally   agape   for   his   life。 The 

calm   defiance   of   his   steadfast   look   fascinated   even   me。       Wonder   and 

admiration for the time took the place of dislike。              I could scarcely believe 

that there was not some atom of good in this man so fearless。                       And no 

face but one no face I think in the world; but onecould have drawn my 

eyes   from  him。      But   that   one   face   was   beside him。     I   clutched   Marie's 

arm; and pointed to the bareheaded figure at Bezers' right hand。 

     It   was   Louis   himself:    our   Louis   de   Pavannes;   But   he   was   changed 

indeed   from   the   gay   cavalier   I   remembered;   and   whom   I   had   last   seen 

riding down the street at Caylus; smiling back at us; and waving his adieux 

to his mistress!       Beside the Vidame he had the air of being slight; even 

short。     The   face   which   I   had   known   so   bright   and   winning;   was   now 

white and set。       His fair; curling hairscarce darker than Croisette'shung 

dank; bedabbled with blood which flowed from a wound in his head。                         His 

sword was gone; his dress was torn and disordered and covered with dust。 



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His lips moved。        But he held up his head; he bore himself bravely with it 

all; so bravely; that I choked; and my heart seemed bursting as I looked at 

him standing there forlorn and now unarmed。                 I knew that Kit seeing him 

thus would gladly have died with him; and I thanked God she did not see 

him。     Yet    there  was    a  quietness    in  his  fortitude   which    made     a  great 

difference between his air and that of Bezers。              He lacked; as became one 

looking unarmed on certain death; the sneer and smile of the giant beside 

him。 

     What was   the Vidame   about   to do?          I   shuddered   as   I   asked   myself。 

Not surrender him; not fling him bodily to the people?                   No not that:       I 

felt sure he would let no others share his vengeance that his pride would 

not suffer that。     And even while I wondered the doubt was solved。                  I saw 

Bezers   raise   his   hand   in   a   peculiar   fashion。 Simultaneously   a   cry   rang 

sharply out   above the  tumult;  and down   in   headlong   charge   towards the 

farther steps came the band of horsemen; who had got clear of the crowd 

on that side。 They were but ten or twelve; but under his eye they charged; 

as if they had been a thousand。           The rabble shrank from the collision; and 

fled    aside。   Quick     as  thought    the   riders  swerved;     and   changing     their 

course; galloped through the looser part of the throng; and in a trice drew 

rein side by side with us; a laugh and a jeer on their reckless lips。 

     It was neatly done:        and while it was being done the Vidame and his 

knot   of   men;   with   those   who   had   been   searching   the   building;   hurried 

down   the   gallery   towards   us;   their   rear   cleared   for   the   moment   by   the 

troopers' feint。     The dismounted men came bundling down the steps; their 

eyes aglow with the war…fire; and got horses as they could。                  Among them 

I   lost   sight   of   Louis;   but   perceived   him   presently;   pale   and   bewildered; 

mounted      behind   a   trooper。    A   man    sprang   up    before   each    of   us  too; 

greeting our appearance merely by a grunt of surprise。                For it was no time 

to   ask   or   answer。   The     mob    was   recovering     itself;   and  each   moment 

brought it reinforcements; while its fury was augmented by the trick   we 

had played it; and the prospect of our escape。 

     We   were   under   forty;   all   told;   and   some   men   were   riding   double。 



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Bezers' eye glanced hastily over his array; and lit on us three。 He turned 

and gave some order to his lieutenant。               The fellow spurred his horse; a 

splendid grey; as powerful as his master's; alongside of Croisette; threw his 

arm round the lad; and dragged him dexterously on to his own crupper。                       I 

did   not   understand   the   action;   but   I   saw   Croisette   settle   himself   behind 

Blaise   Bure   for   he it   wasand   supposed   no harm  was   intended。          The 

next moment we had surged forward; and were swaying to and fro in the 

midst of the crowd。 

     What ensued I cannot tell。           The outlook; so far as I was concerned; 

was limited to wildly plunging horseswe were in the centre of the band 

and riders swaying in the saddlewith a glimpse here and there of a fringe 

of white scowling faces and tossing arms。                Once; a lane opening; I saw 

the   Vidame's   charger   he   was   in   the   vanstumble   and   fall   among   the 

crowd   and   heard   a   great   shout   go   up。   But   Bezers   by   a   mighty   effort 

lifted it to its legs again。     And once too; a minute later; those riding on my 

right; swerved outwards; and I saw something I never afterwards forgot。 

     It was the body  of the   Coadjutor;  lying   face upwards; the   eyes   open 

and the teeth bared in a last spasm。           Prostrate on it lay a woman; a young 

woman; with hair like red gold falling about her neck; and skin like milk。 

I did not know whether she was alive or dead; but I noticed that one arm 

stuck   out   stiffly   and   the   crowd   flying   before   the   sudden   impact   of   the 

horses must have passed over her; even if she had escaped the iron hoofs 

which   followed。       Still   in   the   fleeting   glance   I   had   of   her   as   my   horse 

bounded aside; I saw no wound or disfigurement。                  Her one arm was cast 

about   the   priest's   breast;   her   face   was   hidden   on   it。 But   for   all   that;   I 

knew herknew her; shuddering for the woman whose badges I was even 

now wearing; whose gift I bore at my side; and I remembered the priest's 

vaunt of a few hours before; made in her presence; 〃There is no man in 

Paris shall thwart me to…night!〃 

     It had been a vain boast indeed!          No hand in all that host of thousands 

was more feeble than his now:             for good or ill!      No brain more dull; no 

voice   less   heeded。     A   righteous   retribution   indeed   had   overtaken   him。 



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He had died by the sword he had drawn died; a priest; by violence!                    The 

cross    he   had   renounced     had   crushed     him。   And     all  his  schemes     and 

thoughts; and no doubt they had been many;   had perished with   him。                      It 

had come to this; only this; the sum of the whole matter; that there was one 

wicked man the less in Parisone lump of breathless clay the more。 

     For   herthe   woman   on   his   breastwhat   man   can   judge   a   woman; 

knowing her?        And not knowing her; how much less?                 For the present I 

put her out of my mind; feeling for the moment faint and cold。 

     We were clear of the crowd; and clattering unmolested down a paved 

street before I fully recovered from the shock which this sight had caused 

me。     Wonder whither we were going took its place。                  To Bezers' house? 

My   heart   sank   at   the   prospect   if   that   were   so。 Before   I   thought   of   an 

alternative; a gateway flanked by huge round towers appeared before us; 

and we pulled up suddenly; a confused jostling mass in the narrow way; 

while   some   words   passed   between   the   Vidame   and   the   Captain   of   the 

Guard。      A pause of   several   minutes   followed;   and   then   the   gates   rolled 

slowly   open;   and   two   by   two   we   passed   under   the   arch。     Those   gates 

might have belonged to a fortress or a prison; a dungeon or a palace; for 

all I knew。 

     They led; however; to none of these; but to an open space; dirty and 

littered   with   rubbish;   marked   by   a   hundred   ruts   and   tracks;   and   fringed 

with disorderly cabins and make…shift booths。                 And beyond thisoh; ye 

gods!     the joy of it

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