from the memoirs of a minister of france-第24节

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s　added　something　is　so　contagious　that　I　was　not　surprised　to　find　Colet　and　La　Font　sinking　under　it。　　Only　Parabere；　in　fact；　rose　quite　superior　to　the　notion；　laughed　at　their　fears；　and　drank　to　their　better　spirits；　and；　making　the　best　of　the　situation；　as　became　an　old　soldier；　presently　engaged　me　in　tales　of　the　war　fought　again　the　siege　of　Laon；　and　buried　men　whose　bodies　bad　lain　for　ten　years　under　the　oaks　at　Fontaine　Francoise。

Talk　of　this　kind；　which　we　still　maintained　after　we　had　despatched　our　supper；　was　sufficiently　engrossing　to　erase　Boisrueil's　fancies　entirely　from　my　mind。　　They　were　recalled　by　his　sudden　entrance；　with　Colet　at　his　elbow；　the　faces　of　both　full　of　importance。　　I　saw　that　they　had　something　to　say；　and　asked　what　it　was。

〃We　have　been　examining　the　back　gate；　M。　le　Marquis；〃　Colet　said。

〃Well；　man？〃

〃It　is　barricaded；　and　cannot　be　opened；〃　he　answered。

〃Well；〃　I　said　again；　〃there　is　nothing　wonderful　in　that。　Anyone　can　see　that　there　has　been　rough　work　here。　　The　front　gate　was　stormed；　I　suppose；　and　the　back　one　left　standing。〃

〃But　if　is　so　barricaded　that　it　is　not　possible　to　open　it；〃　he　objected。　　〃And　the　men　have　an　idea〃

〃Well？〃　　I　said；　seeing　that　he　hesitated。

〃That　this　is　a　one…eyed　house。〃

Parabere　laughed　loudly。　　〃Of　course　it　is！〃　　he　said。　　〃That　strolling　rogue　saw　the　gate　as　well　as　the　woman；　and　made　his　profit　of　them。〃

〃Pardon；　sir！〃　　Boisrueil　answered　bluntly；　〃That　is　just　what　he　did　not　do！〃

〃Well；〃　I　said；　silencing　him　by　a　gesture；　〃is　that　all？〃

〃No；〃　he　replied；　〃I　have　tasted　the　men's　wine。〃

〃And　it　is　drugged？〃

〃No；〃　he　said。　　〃On　the　contrary；　it　is　a　great　deal　too　good　for　the　priceor　the　house。　　And　you　ordered　a　litre　apiece。　　Some　have　had　two；　and　not　asked　twice　for　it！〃

〃Ho；　ho！〃　　I　said；　staring　at　him。　　〃Are　you　sure　of　that？〃

〃Quite！〃　　he　said。

I　was　genuinely　startled　at　last；　but　Parabere　still　made　light　of　it。　　〃What！〃　　he　said。　　〃Are　we　a　pack　of　nervous　women；　or　one　poor　traveller　in　a　solitary　inn；　that　we　see　shadows　and　shake　at　them？〃

〃The　inn　is　solitary　enough；〃　Boisrueil　grumbled。

〃But　we　are　twenty　swords！〃　　Parabere　retorted；　opening　his　eyes　wide。　　〃Why；　I　have　ridden　all　day　in　an　enemy's　country　with　less！〃

〃And　been　beaten　with　more　at　Craon。〃

〃But；　man　alive；　that　was　in　a　battle；　and　by　an　army！〃

〃Well；　and　there　may　be　a　battle　and　an　army　here；〃　Boisrueil　answered　sulkily；

I　was　inclined　to　laugh　at　this　as　extravagance；　but　seeing　that　La　Font　and　Colet　sided　with　Boisrueil；　I　remembered　that　the　latter　was　no　coward　though　a　great　gossip；　and　I　thought　better　of　it。　　Accordingly；　resolving　to　look　into　the　thing　myself；　I　bade　La　Font　fetch　a　couple　of　lanthorns；　and；　when　he　had　done　so；　went　out　with　him　and　Boisrueil　as　if　I　had　a　mind　to　go　round　the　horses　before　I　retired。　　Parabere　declined　to　accompany　me　on　the　ground　that　he　would　not　be　at　the　pains　of　it；　and　Colet　I　left　in　the　kitchen　to　keep　an　eye　on　the　man　and　woman。

There　was　no　moon；　rain　was　still　falling；　and　the　yard；　crowded　with　steaming；　shivering　horses；　was　dreary　enough　where　the　lanthorns　displayed　it；　but；　accustomed　to　such　a　sight；　I　made；　without　regarding　it；　for　the　gate；　which　a　moment's　examination　showed　to　be　barricaded；　as　they　had　described；　with　great　beams　and　stones。　　In　this　there　was　nothing　beyond　the　ordinary；　one　entrance　to　a　house　being　in　troublous　times　better　than　two；　but　Boisrueil；　bidding　me　kneel　and　look　lower；　I　found；　when　I　did　so；　that　the　soil　under　the　beamswhich　did　not　touch　the　ground　by　some　incheswas　wet；　and　I　began　to　understand。　　When　he　asked　me　at　what　hour　rain　had　begun　to　fall；　I　answered　two　in　the　afternoon；　and　drew　at　once　the　inference　at　which　he　aimed　that　the　beams　had　been　put　there；　and　the　gate　barricaded；　at　some　later　hour。

〃We　reached　here　at　six；〃　he　said；　〃it　was　done　some　time　between　two　and　six；　my　lord；　therefore　to…day。　　To…day；〃　he　repeated　in　a　low　voice；　〃and　by　a　dozen　men　at　least；　Fewer　could　not　move　those　beams。〃

〃And　the　object？〃

〃To　prevent　our　escape。〃

〃But　who　are　they？〃　　I　said；　looking　at　him。

〃The　woman　knows；〃　he　answered。　　〃We　must　ask　her；　my　lord。〃

I　assented；　and　we　went　back　into　the　house；　where　it　would　not　have　surprised　me　if　we　had　found　the　wretches　flown　and　the　nest　empty。　　But　Colet　had　done　his　work　too　well。　　They　were　both　there；　and；　in　a　moment；　at　a　signal　from　Boisrueil；　were　secured　and　pinioned。　　Parabere；　hearing　the　scuffle；　came　out　and　would　have　remonstrated；　but　I　silenced　him　with　a　sharp　word；　and；　despatching　La　Font　with　a　couple　of　discreet　men　to　keep　watch　in　the　court　that　we　might　not　be　surprised；　I　bade　one　of　the　servants　throw　some　fir…cones　on　the　fire。　　These；　blazing　up；　filled　the　squalid　room　in　a　moment　with　a　glare　of　light；　which　revealed　alike　the　livid　faces　of　the　two　prisoners　and　the　excited　looks　and　dark　countenances　of　my　escort。

I　bade　them　put　the　woman　forward　first；　and　addressed　her　sternly；　telling　her　that　I　knew　all；　and　that　she　would　do　well　to　confess；　inasmuch　as　if　she　made　a　clean　breast　of　the　matter；　I　would　grant　her　her　life；　and　if　she　did　not；　she　would　be　the　first　to　die；　since　I　would　hang　her　were　a　single　shot　fired　against　the　house。

The　promise　found　her　unmoved；　but　the　threat；　uttered　in　a　tone　which　showed　that　I　was　in　earnest；　proved　more　effectual。　　With　an　ugly　look；　under　which　my　men　shrank　as　if　her　eye　had　power　to　scorch　them；　the　hag　said　that　she　would　confess；　and；　with　impotent　rage；　admitted　the　truth　of　Boisrueil's　surmises。　　The　rearward　gate　had　been　barricaded　that　afternoon　by　the　Great　Band；　who　had　had　notice　of　our　coming；　and　intended　to　attack　us　at　midnight。　　I　asked　her　how　many　they　mustered。

〃A　hundred；〃　she　answered　sullenly。

〃Very　well；〃　I　said。　　〃And；　supposing　that　we　do　not　wait　for　them；　how　shall　we　escape？　　By　the　road　to　Gueret？〃

〃Fifty　lie　in　ambush　on　it。〃

〃By　the　road　by　which　we　came？〃

〃The　other　fifty　lie　there。〃

〃Across　the　river？〃

〃There　is　no　ford。〃

〃Then　in　the　village？　　If　we　seize　some　other　building？〃

〃The　village　is　watched；　and　this　house；〃　she　answered；　with　a　sparkle　of　joy　in　her　eye。

At　that　the　position　began　to　assume　so　serious　an　aspect　that　I　turned　to　Parabere　to　take　his　advice。　　We　numbered　twenty　in　all；　and　were　well　armed；　but　five　to　one　are　large　odds；　and　we　had　little　ammunition；　while；　for　all　we　knew；　the　house　might　be　fired　with　ease　from　the　outside。　　The　roads　north　and　south　being　occupied；　and　the　river　enclosing　us　on　the　west；　there　remained　only　one　direction　in　which　escape　seemed　possible；　but；　as　we　knew　nothing　of　the　country；　and　the　brigands　everything；　the　desperate　idea　of　plunging　into　it　blindly；　at　night；　and　with　pursuers　at　our　heels；　was　dismissed　as　soon　as　formed。

Parabere　interrupted　these　calculations　by　drawing　me　aside　into　the　room　in　which　we　had　supped；　where；　after　rallying　me　on　the　whimsical　notion　of　the　Grand　Master　of　the　Ordnance　and　Governor　of　the　Bastile　being　besieged　in　a　paltry　inn；　he　confessed　that　he　had　been　wrong；　and　that　the　adventure　was　likely　to　prove　serious。　　〃Ten　to　one　this　is　the　very　band　that　Bareilles　is　pursuing；〃　he　said。

〃Very　likely；〃　I　answered　bluntly；　〃but　the　question　is　how　are　we　to　evade　them。　　Are　we　to　fight　or　fly？〃

〃Well；　for　lighting；〃　he　replied　coolly；　〃the　front　gate　lies　in　the　road；　there　are　no　shutters　to　half　the　windows；　the　door　is　crazy；　and　there　is　a　thatched　pent…house　against　one　wall。〃

〃And　no　help…nearer　than　Gueret。〃

〃Three　leagues；〃　he　assented。　　〃And　from　that　we　are　cut　off。　Fifty　men　in　the　gorge　might　hold　it　against　five　hundred。　Better　man　the　courtyard　here　than　that；　tether　the　horses　in　the　gateway；　and　fight　it　out。〃　　〃Perhaps　so；〃　I　said；　and　we　looked　at　one　another；　hearing　through　the　open　door　the　men　muttering　and　whispering　in　the　kitchen；　and　above　their　voices　the　dull　murmur　of　the　stream；　which　seemed　of　a　piece　with　the　bleak　night　outside；　the　ruined　hamlet；　and　the　danger　that　lurked　round　us。　　Bitterly　repenting　the　hardihood　that　had　led　me　to　expose　myself　to　such　risks　in　breach　of　the　King's　commandment；　I　found　it　difficult　to　direct　my　mind　to　the　immediate　question。　So　many　reflections　connected　with　my　mission　at　Chatelherault　and　other　affairs　of　state　would　intrude　that　I　seemed　to　be　occupied　rather　with　the　results　of　my　death　at　this　juncture；　and　particularly　the　injury　which　it　must　inflict　on　the　King's　service；　than　with　the　question　how　I　could　escape。

However；　Parabere　soon　recalled　me　to　the　point。　　〃It　is　now　ten　o'clock；〃　he　said　in　a　placid　tone；　〃we　have　two　hours。〃

〃Yes；〃　I　answered；　then；　as　if　my　mind　had　all　the　time　been　running　in　an　under…current　to　the　desired　goal；　I　continued；　〃And　we　must　make　the　most　of　them。　　We　must　remove　the　barricade；　in　the　dark　and　quietly；　from　the　rear　to　the　front　gate。　　Do　you　see？　　Then　the　moment　they　sound　the　attack　in　front　we　must　slip　out　at　the　back；　make　a　dash　for　the　road；　and　through　the　gorge　to　Gueret。〃

〃Good；〃　Parabere　assented；　with　the　utmos