from the memoirs of a minister of france-第28节

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nd　preceding　them　as　he　had　preceded　us。　　We　heard　them　approach；　breathing　heavily；　and　but　for　the　balustrade；　by　which　I　felt　sure　that　they　would　guide　themselves；　and　which　stood　some　feet　from　our　corner；　I　should　have　been　in　a　panic　lest　they　should　blunder　against　us。　　But　they　passed　safely；　and　a　moment　later　the　boy　opened　the　door　of　the　room　above。　　We　heard　them　go　in；　and　without　a　second's　hesitation　we　crept　up　after　them；　following　them　so　closely　that　the　door　was　scarcely　shut　before　we　were　at　it。　　We　heard；　therefore；　what　passed　from　the　first：　the　child's　request　that　they　would　close　the　shutter；　their　hasty　compliance；　and　the　silence；　strange　and　pregnant；　which　followed；　and　which　was　broken　at　last　by　a　solemn　voice。　　〃We　have　closed　one　shutter；〃　it　said；　〃but　the　shutter　of　God's　mercy　Is　never　closed。〃

〃Amen；〃　a　second　person　answered　in　a　tone　so　distant　and　muffled　that　it　needed　no　great　wit　to　guess　whence　it　came；　or　that　the　speaker　was　behind　the　curtains　of　the　alcove。　　〃Who　are　you？〃

〃The　cure　of　St。　Marceau；〃　the　first　speaker　replied。

〃And　whom　do　you　bring　to　me？〃

〃A　sinner。〃

〃What　has　he　done？〃

〃He　will　tell　you。〃

〃I　am　listening。〃

There　was　a　pause　on　this；　a　long　pause；　which　was　broken　at　length　by　a　third　speaker；　in　a　tone　half　sullen；　half　miserable。　〃I　have　robbed　my　master；〃　he　said。

〃Of　how　much？〃

〃Fifty　livres。〃

〃Why？〃

〃I　lost　it　at　play。〃

〃And　you　are　sorry。〃

〃I　must　be　sorry；〃　the　man　panted　with　sudden　fierceness；　〃or　hang！〃　　Hidden　though　he　was　from　us；　there　was　a　tremor　in　his　voice　that　told　a　tale　of　pallid　cheeks　and　shaking　knees；and　a　terror　fast　rising　to　madness。

〃He　makes　up　his　accounts　to…morrow？〃

〃Yes。〃

Someone　in　the　room　groaned；　it　should　have　been　the　culprit；　but　unless　I　was　mistaken　the　sound　came　through　the　curtains。　　A　long　pause　followed。　　Then；　〃And　if　I　help　you；〃　the　muffled　voice　resumed；　〃will　you　swear　to　lead　an　honest　life？〃

But　the　answer　may　be　guessed。　　I　need　not　repeat　the　assurances；　the　protestations　and　vows　of　repentance；　the　cries　and　tears　of　gratitude　which　ensue；　and　to　which　the　poor　wretch；　stripped　of　his　sullen　indifference；　completely　abandoned　himself。　　Suffice　it　that　we　presently　heard　the　clinking　of　coins；　a　word　or　two　of　solemn　advice　from　the　cure；　and　a　man's　painful　sobbing；　then　the　King　touched　my　arm；　and　we　crept　down　the　stairs。　　I　was　for　stopping　on　the　landing　where　we　had　hidden　ourselves　before；　but　Henry　drew　me　on　to　the　foot　of　the　stairs　and　into　the　street。

He　turned　towards　home；　and　for　some　time　did　not　speak。　　At　length　he　asked　me　what　I　thought　of　it。

〃In　what　way；　sire？〃

〃Do　you　not　think；〃　he　said　in　a　voice　of　much　emotion；　〃that　if　we　could　do　what　he　does；　and　save　a　man　instead　of　hanging　him；　it　would　be　better？〃

〃For　the　man；　sire；　doubtless；〃　I　answered　drily；　〃but　for　the　State　it　might　not　be　so　well。　　If　mercy　became　the　rule　and　justice　the　exceptionthere　would　be　fewer　bodies　at　Montfaucon　and　more　in　the　streets　at　daylight。　　I　feel　much　greater　doubt　on　another　point。〃

Shaking　off　the　moodiness　that　had　for　a　moment　overcome　him；　Henry　asked　with　vivacity　what　that　was。

〃Who　he　is；　and　what　is　his　motive？〃

〃Why？〃　　the　King　replied　in　some　surprisehe　was　ever　of　so　kind　a　nature　that　an　appeal　to　his　feelings　displaced　his　judgment。　〃What　should　he　be　but　what　he　seems？〃

〃Benevolence　itself？〃

〃Yes。〃

〃Well；　sire；　I　grant　that　he　may　be　M。　de　Joyeuse；　who　has　spent　his　life　in　passing　in　and　out　of　monasteries；　and　has　performed　so　many　tricks　of　the　kind　that　I　could　believe　anything　of　him。　But　if　it　be　not　he〃

〃It　was　not　his　voice；〃　Henry　said；　positively。

〃Then　there　is　something　here；〃　I　answered；　〃still　unexplained。　Consider　the　oddity　of　the　conception；　sire；　the　secrecy　of　the　performance；　the　hour；　the　mode；　all　the　surrounding　circumstances！　　I　can　imagine　a　man　currying　favour　with　the　basest　and　most　dangerous　class　by　such　means。　　I　can　imagine　a　conspiracy　recruited　by　such　means。　　I　can　imagine　this　shibboleth　of　the　shutter　grown　to　a　watchword　as　deadly　as　the　'TUEZ！'　of　'72。　　I　can　imagine　all　that；　but　I　cannot　imagine　a　man　acting　thus　out　of　pure　benevolence。〃

〃No？〃　　Henry　said；　thoughtfully。　　〃Well；　I　think　that　I　agree　with　you。〃　　and　far　from　being　displeased　with　my　warmth　（as　is　the　manner　of　some　sovereigns　when　their　best　friends　differ　from　them）；　he　came　over　to　my　opinion　so　completely　as　to　halt　and　express　his　intention　of　returning　and　probing　the　matter　to　the　bottom。　　Midnight　had　gone；　however；　it　would　take　some　little　time　to　retrace　our　steps；　and　with　some　difficulty　I　succeeded　in　dissuading　him；　promising　instead　to　make　inquiries　on　the　morrow；　and　having　learned　who　lived　in　the　house；　to　turn　the　whole　affair　into　a　report；　which　should　be　submitted　to　him。

This　amused　and　satisfied　him；　and；　expressing　himself　well　content　with　the　evening's　diversionthough　we　had　done　nothing　unworthy　either　of　a　King　or　a　Ministerhe　parted　from　me　at　the　Arsenal；　and　went　home　with　his　suite。

It　did　not　occur　to　me　at　the　time　that　I　had　promised　to　do　anything　difficult；　but　the　news　which　my　agents　brought　me　next　daythat　the　uppermost　floor　of　the　house　in　the　Rue　Pourpointerie　was　emptyput　another　face　upon　the　matter。　　The　landlord　declared　that　he　knew　nothing　of　the　tenant；　who　had　rented　the　rooms；　ready　furnished；　by　the　week；　and　as　I　had　not　seen　the　man's　face；　there　remained　only　two　sources　whence　I　could　get　the　information　I　neededthe　child；　and　the　cure　of　St。　Marceau。

I　did　not　know　where　to　look　for　the　former；　however；　and　I　had　to　depend　on　the　cure。　　But　here　I　carne　to　an　obstacle　I　might　easily　have　foreseen。　　I　found　him；　though　an　honest　man；　obdurate　in　upholding　his　priest's　privileges；　to　all　my　inquiries　he　replied　that　the　matter　touched　the　confessional；　and　was　within　his　vows；　and　that　he　neither　could；　nor　daredto　please　anyone；　or　for　any　cause；　however　plausibledivulge　the　slightest　detail　of　the　affair。　　I　had　him　summoned　to　the　arsenal；　and　questioned　him　myself；　and　closely；　but　of　all　armour　that　of　the　Roman　priesthood　is　the　most　difficult　to　penetrate；　and　I　quickly　gave　up　the　attempt。

Baffled　in　the　only　direction　in　which　I　could　hope　for　success；　I　had　to　confess　my　defeat　to　the　King；　whose　curiosity　was　only　piqued　the　more　by　the　rebuff。　　He　adjured　me　not　to　let　the　matter　drop；　and；　suggesting　a　number　of　persons　among　whom　I　might　possibly　find　the　unknown；　proposed　also　some　theories。　　Of　these；　one　that　the　benevolent　was　a　disguised　lady；　who　contrived　in　this　way　to　give　the　rein　at　once　to　gallantry　and　charity；　pleased　him　most；　while　I　favoured　that　which　had　first　occurred　to　me　on　the　night　of　our　sally；　and　held　the　unknown　to　be　a　clever　rascal；　who；　to　serve　his　ends；　political　or　criminal；　was　corrupting　the　commonalty；　and　drawing　people　into　his　power。

Things　remained　in　this　state　some　weeks；　and；　growing　no　wiser；　I　was　beginning　to　think　less　of　the　affairwhich；　of　itself；　and　apart　from　a　whimsical　interest　which　the　King　took　in　it；　was　unimportantwhen　one　day；　stopping　in　the　Quartier　du　Marais　to　view　the　works　at　the　new　Place　Royale；　I　saw　the　boy。　　He　was　in　charge　of　a　decent…looking　servant；　whose　hand　he　was　holding；　and　the　two　were　gazing　at　a　horse　that；　alarmed　by　the　heaps　of　stone　and　mortar；　was　rearing　and　trying　to　unseat　its　rider。　The　child　did　not　see　me；　and　I　bade　Maignan　follow　him　home；　and　learn　where　he　lived　and　who　he　was。

In　an　hour　my　equerry　returned　with　the　information　I　desired。　The　child　was　the　only　son　of　Fauchet；　one　of　the　Receivers…　General　of　the　Revenue；　a　man　who　kept　great　state　in　the　largest　of　the　old…fashioned　houses　in　the　Rue　de　Bethisy；　where　he；　had　lately　entertained　the　King。　　I　could　not　imagine　anyone　less　likely　to　be　concerned　in　treasonable　practices；　and；　certain　that　I　had　made　no　mistake　in　the　boy；　I　was　driven　for　a　while　to　believe　that　some　servant　had；　perverted　the　child　to　this　use。　　Presently；　however；　second　thoughts；　and　the　position　of　the　father；　taken；　perhaps；　with　suspicions　that　I　had　for　a　long　time　entertained　of　Fauchetin　common　with　most　of　his　kind　suggested　an　explanation；　hitherto　unconsidered。　　It　was　not　an　explanation　very　probable　at　first　sight；　nor　one　that　would　have　commended　itself　to　those　who　divide　all　men　by　hard　and　fast　rules　and　assort　them　like　sheep。　　But　I　had　seen　too　much　of　the　world　to　fall　into　this　mistake；　and　it　satisfied　me。　　I　began　by　weighing　it　carefully；　I　procured　evidence；　I　had　Fauchet　watched；　and；　at　length；　one　evening　in　August；　I　went　to　the　Louvre。

The　King　was　dicing　with　Fernandez；　the　Portuguese　banker；　but　I　ventured　to　interrupt　the　game　and　draw　him　aside。　　He　might　not　have　taken　this　well；　but　that　my　first　word　caught　his　attention。

〃Sire；〃　I　said；　〃the　shutter　is　open。〃

He　understood　in　a　moment。　　〃St。　Gris！〃　　He　exclaimed　with　animation。　　〃Where？　　At　the　same　house？〃

〃No；　sire；　in　the　Rue　Cloitre　Notre　Dame。〃

〃You　have　got　him；　then？〃

〃I　know　who　he　is；　and　why　he　is　doing　this。〃

〃Why？〃　　the　King　cried　eagerly。

〃