from the memoirs of a minister of france-第5节

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；　who　had　appeared　again　at　the　gate。　　The　stranger　proved　to　be　a　small；　slight　man；　pale　and　yet　brown；　with　quick…glancing　eyes。　　His　dress　was　decent；　but　very　poor；　with　more　than　one　rent　neatly　darned。　　He　made　me　a　profound　reverence；　and　stood　waiting；　with　his　cap　in　his　hand；　to　be　addressed；　but；　with　all　his　humility；　I　did　not　fail　to　detect　an　easiness　of　deportment　and　a　propriety　that　did　not　seem　absolutely　strange　since　he　was　a　Spaniard；　but　which　struck　me；　nevertheless；　as　requiring　some　explanation。　　I　asked　him；　civilly；　who　he　was。　　He　answered　that　his　name　was　Diego。

〃You　speak　French？〃

〃I　am　of　Guipuzcoa；　my　lord；〃　he　answered；　〃where　we　sometimes　speak　three　tongues。〃

〃That　is　true；〃　I　said。　　〃And　it　is　your　trade　to　make　tennis　balls？〃

〃No；　my　lord；　to　use　them；〃　he　answered　with　a　certain　dignity。

〃You　are　a　player；　then？〃

〃If　it　please　your　excellency。〃

〃Where　have　you　played？〃

〃At　Madrid；　where　I　was　the　keeper　of　the　Duke　of　Segovia's　court；　and　at　Toledo；　where　I　frequently　had　the　honour　of　playing　against　M。　de　Montserrat。〃

〃You　are　a　good　player？〃

〃If　your　excellency；〃　he　answered　impulsively；　〃will　give　me　an　opportunity〃

〃Softly；　softly；〃　I　said；　somewhat　taken　aback　by　his　earnestness。　　〃Granted　that　you　are　a　player；　you　seem　to　have　played　to　small　purpose。。　Why　are　you　here；　my　friend；　and　not　in　Madrid？〃

He　drew　up　his　sleeves；　and　showed　me　that　his　wrists　were　deeply　scarred。

I　shrugged　my　shoulders。　　〃You　have　been　in　the　hands　of　the　Holy　Brotherhood？〃　　I　said。

〃No；　my　lord；〃　he　answered　bitterly。　　〃Of　the　Holy　Inquisition。〃

〃You　are　a　Protestant？〃

He　bowed。

On　that　I　fell　to　considering　him　with　more　attention；　but　at　the　same　time　with　some　distrust；　reflecting　that　he　was　a　Spaniard；　and　recalling　the　numberless　plots　against　his　Majesty　of　which　that　nation　had　been　guilty。　　Still；　if　his　tale　were　true　he　deserved　support；　with　a　view　therefore　to　testing　this　I　questioned　him　farther；　and　learned　that　he　had　for　a　long　time　disguised　his　opinions；　until；　opening　them　in　an　easy　moment　to　a　fellow　servant；　he　found　himself　upon　the　first　occasion　of　quarrel　betrayed　to　the　Fathers。　　After　suffering　much；　and　giving　himself　up　for　lost　in　their　dungeons；　he　made　his　escape　in　a　manner　sufficiently　remarkable；　if　I　might　believe　his　story。　　In　the　prison　with　him　lay　a　Moor；　for　whose　exchange　against　a　Christian　taken　by　the　Sallee　pirates　an　order　came　down。　　It　arrived　in　the　evening；　the　Moor　was　to　be　removed　in　the　morning。　　An　hour　after　the　arrival　of　the　news；　however；　and　when　the　two　had　just　been　locked　up　for　the　night；　the　Moor；　overcome　with　excess　of　joy；　suddenly　expired。　　At　first　the　Spaniard　was　for　giving　the　alarm；　but；　being　an　ingenious　fellow；　in　a　few　minutes　he　summoned　all　his　wits　together　and　made　a　plan。　　Contriving　to　blacken　his　face　and　hands　with　charcoal　he　changed　clothes　with　the　corpse；　and　muffling　himself　up　after　the　fashion　of　the　Moors　in　a　cold　climate　he　succeeded　in　the　early　morning　in　passing　out　in　his　place。　　Those　who　had　charge　of　him　had　no　reason　to　expect　an　escape；　and　once　on　the　road　he　had　little　difficulty　in　getting　away；　and　eventually　reached　France　after　a　succession　of　narrow　chances。

All　this　the　man　told　me　so　simply　that　I　knew　not　which　to　admire　more；　the　daring　of　his　devicesince　for　a　white　man　to　pass　for　a　brown　is　beyond　the　common　scope　of　such　disguisesor　his　present　modesty　in　relating　it。　　However；　neither　of　these　things　seemed　to　my　mind　a　good　reason　for　disbelief。　　As　to　the　one；　I　considered　that　an　impostor　would　have　put　forward　something　more　simple；　and　as　to　the　other；　I　have　all　my　life　long　observed　that　those　who　have　had　strange　experiences　tell　them　in　a　very　ordinary　way。　　Besides；　I　had　fresh　in　my　mind　the　diverting　escape　of　the　Duke　of　Nemours　from　Lyons；　which　I　have　elsewhere　related。　　On　the　other　hand；　and　despite　all　these　things；　the　story　might　be　false；　so　with　a　view　to　testing　one　part　of　it；　at　least；　I　bade　him　come　and　play　with　me　that　afternoon。

〃My　lord；〃　he　said　bluntly；　〃I　had　rather　not。　　For　if　I　defeat　your　excellency；　I　may　defeat　also　your　good　intentions。　　And　if　I　permit　you　to　win；　I　shall　seem　to　be　an　impostor。〃

Somewhat　surprised　by　his　forethought；　I　reassured　him　on　this　point；　and　his　game；　which　proved　to　be　one　of　remarkable　strength　and　finesse；　and　fairly　on　an　equality；　as　it　seemed　to　me；　with　that　of　the　best　French　players；　persuaded　me　that　at　any　rate　the　first　part　of　his　tale　was　true。　　Accordingly　I　made　him　a　present；　and；　in　addition；　bade　Maignan　pay　him　a　small　allowance　for　a　while。　　For　this　he　showed　his　gratitude　by　attaching　himself　to　my　household；　and　as　it　was　the　fashion　at　that　time　to　keep　tennis　masters　of　this　class；　I　found　it　occasionally　amusing　to　pit　him　against　other　well…known　players。　In　the　course　of　a　few　weeks　he　gained　me　great　credit；　and　though　I　am　not　so　foolish　as　to　attach　importance　to　such　trifles；　but；　on　the　contrary；　think　an　old　soldier　who　stood　fast　at　Coutras；　or　even　a　clerk　who　has　served　the　King　honestlyif　such　a　prodigy　there　bemore　deserving　than　these　professors；　still　I　do　not　err　on　the　other　side；　but　count　him　a　fool　who；　because　he　has　solid　cause　to　value　himself；　disdains　the　ECLAT　which　the　attachment　of　such　persons　gives　him　in　the　public　eye。

The　man　went　by　the　name　of　Diego　the　Spaniard；　and　his　story；　which　gradually　became　known；　together　with　the　excellence　of　his　play；　made　him　so　much　the　fashion　that　more　than　one　tried　to　detach　him　from　my　service。　　The　King　heard　of　him；　and　would　have　played　with　him；　but　the　sudden　death　of　Madame　de　Beaufort；　which　occurred　soon　afterwards；　threw　the　Court　into　mourning；　and　for　a　while；　in　pursuing　the　negotiations　for　the　King's　divorce；　and　in　conducting　a　correspondence　of　the　most　delicate　character　with　the　Queen；　I　lost　sight　of　my　playerinsomuch；　that　I　scarcely　knew　whether　he　still　formed　part　of　my　suite　or　not。

My　attention　was　presently　recalled　to　him；　however；　in　a　rather　remarkable　manner。　　One　morning　Don　Antonio　d'Evora；　Secretary　to　the　Spanish　Embassy；　and　a　brother　of　that　d'Evora　who　commanded　the　Spanish　Foot　at　Paris　in　'94；　called　on　me　at　the　Arsenal；　to　which　I　had　just　removed；　and　desired　to　see　me。　　I　bade　them　admit　him；　but　as　my　secretaries　were　at　the　time　at　work　with　me；　I　left　them　and　received　him　in　the　gardensupposing　that　he　wished　to　speak　to　me；　about　the　affair　of　Saluces；　and　preferring；　like　the　King　my　master；　to　talk　of　matters　of　State　in　the　open　air。

However；　I　was　mistaken。　　Don　Antonio　said　nothing　about　Savoy；　but　after　the　usual　preliminaries；　which　a　Spaniard　never　omits；　plunged　into　a　long　harangue　upon　the　comity　which；　now　that　peace　reigned；　should　exist　between　the　two　nations。　　For　some　time　I　waited　patiently　to　learn　what　he　would　be　at；　but　he　seemed　to　be　lost　in　his　own　eloquence；　and　at　last　I　took　him　up。

〃All　this　is　very　well；　M。　d'Evora；〃　I　said。　　〃I　quite　agree　with　you　that　the　times　are　changed；　that　amity　is　not　the　same　thing　as　war；　and　that　a　grain　of　sand　in　the　eye　is　unpleasant；〃　for　he　had　said　all　of　these　things。　　〃But　I　fail；　being　a　plain　man　and　no　diplomatist；　to　see　what　you　want　me　to　do。〃

〃It　is　the　smallest　matter；〃　he　said；　waving　his　hand　gracefully。

〃And　yet；〃　I　retorted；　〃you　seem　to　find　a　difficulty　in　coming　at　it。〃

〃As　you　do　at　the　grain　of　sand　in　the　eye；〃　he　answered　wittily。　〃After　all；　however；　in　what　you　say；　M。　de　Rosny；　there　is　some　truth。　　I　feel　that　I　am；　on　delicate　ground；　but　I　am　sure　that　you　will　pardon　me。　　You　have　in　your　suite　a　certain　Diego。〃

〃It　may　be　so；〃　I　said；　masking　my　surprise；　and　affecting　indifference。

〃A　tennis…player。〃

I　shrugged　my　shoulders。　　〃The　man　is　known；〃　I　said。

〃A　Protestant？〃

〃It　is　not　impossible。〃

〃And　a　subject　of　the　King；　my　master。　　A　man；〃　Don　Antonio　continued；　with　increasing　stiffness；　〃in　fine；　M。　de　Rosny；　who；　after　committing　various　offences；　murdered　his　comrade　in　prison；　and；　escaping　in　his　clothes；　took　refuge　in　this　country。〃

I　shrugged　my　shoulders　again。

〃I　have　no　knowledge　of　that；〃　I　said　coldly。

〃No；　or　I　am　sure　that　you　would　not　harbour　the　fellow；〃　the　secretary　answered。　　〃Now　that　you　do　know　it；　however；　I　take　it　for　granted　that　you　will　dismiss　him？　　If　you　held　any　but　the　great　place　you　do　hold；　M。　de　Rosny；　it　would　be　different；　but　all　the　world　see　who　follow　you；　and　this　man's　presence　stains　you；　and　is　an　offence　to　my　master。〃

〃Softly；　softly；　M。　d'Evora；〃　I　said；　with　a　little　warmth。　　〃You　go　too　fast。　　Let　me　tell　you　first；　that；　for　my　honour；　I　take　care　of　it　myself；　and；　secondly；　for　your　master；　I　do　not　allow　even　my　own　to　meddle　with　my　household。〃

〃But；　my　lord；〃　he　said　pompously；　〃the　King　of　Spain〃

〃Is　the　King　of　Spain；〃　I　answered；　cutting　him　short　without　much　ceremony。　　〃But　in　the　Arsenal　of　Paris；　which；　for　the　present；　is　my　house；　I　am　king。　　And　I　brook　no　usurpers；　M。　d'Evora。〃

He　assented　to　that　with　a　constrained　smile。

〃Then　I　can　say　no　more；〃　he　answered。　　〃I　have　warned　you　that　th