from the memoirs of a minister of france-第8节

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I　directed　Maignan　to　fetch　one。　　〃And　do　you；〃　I　continued　to　the　other　servants；　〃take　him　into　a　room　somewhere。〃

They　obeyed；　reluctantly。　　As　they　carried　him　out；　the　King；　content　with　my　statement；　was　giving　his　hand　to　Mademoiselle　to　descend　the　stairs；　and　neither　he　nor　any；　save　the　two　men　in　my　confidence；　had　the　slightest　suspicion　that　aught　was　the　matter　beyond　a　natural　illness。　　But　I　shuddered　when　I　considered　how　narrow　had　been　the　King's　escape；　how　trifling　the　circumstance　which　had　led　to　suspicion；　how　fortuitous　the　inspiration　by　which　I　had　chanced　on　discovery。　　The　delay　of　a　single　day；　the　occurrence　of　the　slightest　mishap；　might　have　been　fatal　not　to　him　only　but　to　the　best　interests　of　France；　which　his　death　at　a　time　when　he　was　still　childless　must　have　plunged　into　the　most　melancholy　of　wars。

Of　the　wretched　Spaniard　I　need　say　little　more。　　Caught　in　his　own　snare；　he　was　no　sooner　withdrawn　from　the　court　than　he　fell　into　violent　convulsions；　which　held　him　until　midnight　when　he　died　with　symptoms　and　under　circumstances　so　nearly　resembling　those　which　had　attended　the　death　of　Madame　de　Beaufort　at　Easter；　that　I　have　several　times　dwelt　on　the　strange　coincidence；　and　striven　to　find　the　connecting　link。　　But　I　never　hit　on　it；　and　the　King's　death；　and　that　unexplained　tendency　to　imitate　great　crimes　under　which　the　vulgar　labour；　prevailed　with　me　to　keep　the　matter　secret。　　Nay；　as　I　believed　that　d'Evora　had　played　the　part　of　an　unconscious　tool；　and　as　a　hint　pressed　home　sufficed　to　procure　the　withdrawal　of　the　chaplain　whom　Maignan　had　named；　I　did　not　think　it　necessary　to　disclose　the　matter　even　to　the　King　my　master。



III。　　TWO　MAYORS　OF　BOTTITORT。

Believing　that　I　have　now　set　down　all　those　particulars　of　the　treaty　with　Epernon　and　the　consequent　pacification　of　Brittany　in　the　year　1598　which　it　will　be　of　advantage　to　the　public　to　know；　that　it　may　the　better　distinguish　in　the　future　those　who　have　selfishly　impoverished　the　State　from　those　who；　in　its　behalf；　have　incurred　obloquy　and　high　looks；　I　proceed　next　to　the　events　which　followed　the　King's　return　to　Paris。

But；　first；　and　by　way　of　sampling　the　diverting　episodes　that　will　occur　from　time　to　time　in　the　most　laborious　existence；　and　for　the　moment　reduce　the　minister　to　the　level　of　the　man；　I　am　tempted　to　narrate　an　adventure　that　befell　me　on　my　return；　between　Rennes　and　Vitre；　when　the　King　having　preceded　me　at　speed　under　the　pretext　of　urgency；　but　really　that　he　might　avoid　the　prolix　addresses　that　awaited　him　in　every　town；　I　found　myself　no　more　minded　to　suffer。　　Having　sacrificed　my　ease；　therefore；　in　two　of　the　more　important　places；　and　come　within　as　many　stages　of　Vitre；　I　determined　also　on　a　holiday。　Accordingly；　directing　my　baggage　and　the　numerous　escort　and　suite　that　attended　me　to　the　full　tale　of　four…score　horsesto　keep　the　high　road；　I　struck　myself　into　a　byway；　intending　to　seek　hospitality　for　the　night　at　a　house　of　M。　de　Laval's；　and　on　the　second　evening　to　render　myself　with　a　good　grace　to　the　eulogia　and　tedious　mercies　of　the　Vitre　townsfolk。

I　kept　with　me　only　La　Font　and　two　servants。　　The　day　was　fine；　and　the　air　brisk；　the　country　open；　affording　many　distant　prospects　which　the　sun　rendered　cheerful。　　We　rode　for　some　time；　therefore；　with　the　gaiety　of　schoolboys　released　from　their　tasks；　and　dining　at　noon　in　the　lee　of　one　of　the　great　boulders　that　there　dot　the　plain；　took　pleasure　in　applying　to　the　life　of　courts　every　evil　epithet　that　came　to　mind。　　For　a　little　time　afterwards　we　rode　as　cheerfully；　but　about　three　in　the　afternoon　the　sky　became　overcast；　and　almost　at　the　same　moment　we　discovered　that　we　had　strayed　from　the　track。　　The　country　in　that　district　resembles　the　more　western　parts　of　Brittany；　in　consisting　of　huge　tracts　of　bog　and　moorland　strewn　with　rocks　and　covered　with　gorse；　which　present　a　cheerful　aspect　in　sunshine；　but　are　savage　and　barren　to　a　degree　when　viewed　through　sheets　of　rain　or　under　a　sombre　sky。

The　position；　therefore；　was　not　without　its　discomforts。　　I　had　taken　care　to　choose　a　servant　who　was　familiar　with　the　country；　but　his　knowledge　seemed　now　at　fault。　　However；　under　his　direction　we　retraced　our　steps；　but　still　without　regaining　the　road；　and　as　a　small　rain　presently　began　to　fall　and　the　day　to　decline；　the　landscape　which　in　the　morning　had　flaunted　a　wild　and　rugged　beauty；　changed　to　a　brown　and　dreary　waste　set　here　and　there　with　ghost…like　stones。　　Once　astray　on　this；　we　found　our　path　beset　with　sloughs　and　morasses；　among　which　we　saw　every　prospect　of　passing　the　night；　when　La　Font　espied　at　a　little　distance　a　wind…swept　wood　that；　clothing　a　low　shoulder　of　the　moor；　promised　at　least　a　change　and　shelter。　　We　made　towards　it；　and　discovered　not　only　all　that　we　had　expected　to　see；　but　a　path　and　a　guide。

The　latter　was　as　much　surprised　to　see　us　as　we　to　see　her；　for　when　we　came　upon　her　she　was　sitting　on　the　bank　beside　the　path　weeping　bitterly。　　On　hearing　us；　however；　she　sprang　up　and　discovered　the　form　of　a　young　girl；　bare…foot　and　bareheaded；　wearing　only　a　short　ragged　frock　of　homespun。　　Nevertheless；　her　face　was　neither　stupid　nor　uncomely；　and　though；　at　the　first　alarm；　supposing　us　to　be　either　robbers　or　hobgoblinsof　which　last　the　people　of　that　country　are　peculiarly　fearfulshe　made　as　if　she　would　escape　across　the　moor；　she　stopped　as　soon　as　she　heard　my　voice。　　I　asked　her　gently　where　we　were。

At　first　she　did　not　understand；　but　the　servant　who　had　played　the　guide　so　ill；　speaking　to　her　in　the　PATOIS　of　the　country；　she　answered　that　we　were　near　St。　Brieuc；　a　hamlet　not　far　from　Bottitort；　and　considerably　off　our　road。　　Asked　how　far　it　was　to　Bottitort；　she　answeredbetween　two　and　three　leagues；　and　an　indifferent　road。

We　could　ride　the　distance　in　a　couple　of　hours；　and　there　remained　almost　as　much　daylight。　　But　the　horses　were　tired；　so；　resigning　myself　to　the　prospect　of　some　discomfort；　I　asked　her　if　there　was　an　inn　at　St。　Brieuc。

〃A　poor　place　for　your　honours；〃　she　answered；　staring　at　us　in　innocent　wonder；　the　forgotten　tears　not　dry　on　her　cheeks。

〃Never　mind；　take　us　to　it；〃　I　answered。

She　turned　at　the　word　and　tripped　on　before　us。　　I　bade　the　servant　ask　her；　as　we　went；　why　she　had　been　crying；　and　learned　through　him　that　she　had　been　to　her　uncle's　two　leagues　away　to　borrow　money　for　her　mother；　that　the　uncle　would　not　lend　it；　and　that　now　they　would　be　turned　out　of　their　house；　that　her　father　was　lately　dead；　and　that　her　mother　kept　the　inn；　and　owed　the　money　for　meal　and　cider。

〃At　least；　she　says　that　she　does　not　owe　it；〃　the　man　corrected　himself；　〃for　her　father　paid　as　usual　at　Corpus　Christi；　but　after　his　death　M。　Grabot　said　that　he　had　not　paid；　and〃

〃M。　Grabot？〃　　I　said。　　〃Who　is　he？〃

〃The　Mayor　of　Bottitort。〃

〃The　creditor？〃

〃Yes。〃

〃And　how　much　is　owing？〃　　I　asked。

〃Nothing；　she　says。〃

〃But　how　much　does　he　say？〃

〃Twenty　crowns。〃

Doubtless　some　will　view　my　conduct　on　this　occasion　with　surprise；　and　wonder　why　I　troubled　myself　with　inquiries　so　minute　upon　a　matter　so　mean。　　But　these　do　not　consider　that　ministers　are　the　King's　eyes；　and　that　in　a　State　no　class　is　so　unimportant　that　it　can　be　safely　overlooked。　　Moreover；　as　the　settlement　of　the　finances　was　one　of　the　objects　of　my　stay　in　those　partsand　I　seldom　had　the　opportunity　of　checking　the　statements　made　to　me　by　the　farmers　and　lessees　of　the　taxes；　the　receivers；　gatherers；　and；　in　a　word；　all　the　corrupt　class　that　imparts　such　views　of　a　province　as　suit　its　interestsI　was　glad　to　learn　anything　that　threw　light　on　the　real　condition　of　the　country：　　the　more；　as　I　had　to　receive　at　Vitre　a　deputation　of　the　notables　and　officials　of　the　district。

Accordingly；　I　continued　to　put　questions　to　her　until；　crossing　a　ridge；　we　came　at　last　within　sight　of　the　inn；　a　lonely　house　of　stone；　standing　in　the　hollow　of　the　moor　and　sheltered　on　one　side　by　a　few　gnarled　trees　that　took　off　in　a　degree　from　the　bleakness　of　its　aspect。　　The　house　was　of　one　story　only；　with　a　window　on　either　side　of　the　door；　and　no　other　appeared　in　sight；　but　a　little　smoke　rising　from　the　chimney　seemed　to　promise　a　better　reception　than　the　desolate　landscape　and　the　girl's　scanty　dress　had　led　us　to　expect。

As　we　drew　nearer；　however；　a　thing　happened　so　remarkable　as　to　draw　our　attention　in　a　moment　from　all　these　points；　and　bring　us；　gaping；　to　a　standstill。　　The　shutters　of　the　two　windows　were　suddenly　closed　before　our　eyes　with　a　clap　that　came　sharply　on　the　wind。　　Then；　in　a　twinkling；　one　window　flew　open　again　and　a　man；　seemingly　naked；　bounded　from　it；　fled　with　inconceivable　rapidity　across　the　front　of　the　house　and　vanished　through　the　other　window；　which　opened　to　receive　him。　　He　had　scarcely　gained　that　shelter　before　a　coal…black　figure　followed　him；　leaping　out　of　the　one　window　and　in　at　the　other　with　the　same　astonishing　swiftnessa　swiftness　which　was　so　great　that　before　any　of　us　could　utter　more　than　an　exclamation；　the　two　figures　appeared