the collection of antiquities-第22节

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om　Brest。〃

In　a　moment　the　old　man　recovered　the　faculties　of　his　youthhis　agility　and　vigor。　He　packed　up　clothes　for　the　journey；　took　money；　brought　a　six…pound　loaf　to　the　little　room　beyond　the　office；　and　turned　the　key　on　his　child　by　adoption。

〃Not　a　sound　in　here；〃　he　said；　〃no　light　at　night；　and　stop　here　till　I　come　back；　or　you　will　go　to　the　hulks。　Do　you　understand；　M。　le　Comte？　Yes；　TO　THE　HULKS！　if　anybody　in　a　town　like　this　knows　that　you　are　here。〃

With　that　Chesnel　went　out；　first　telling　his　housekeeper　to　give　out　that　he　was　ill；　to　allow　no　one　to　come　into　the　house；　to　send　everybody　away；　and　to　postpone　business　of　every　kind　for　three　days。　He　wheedled　the　manager　of　the　coach…office；　made　up　a　tale　for　his　benefithe　had　the　makings　of　an　ingenious　novelist　in　himand　obtained　a　promise　that　if　there　should　be　a　place；　he　should　have　it；　passport　or　no　passport；　as　well　as　a　further　promise　to　keep　the　hurried　departure　a　secret。　Luckily；　the　coach　was　empty　when　it　arrived。

In　the　middle　of　the　following　night　Chesnel　was　set　down　in　Paris。　At　nine　o'clock　in　the　morning　he　waited　on　the　Kellers；　and　learned　that　the　fatal　draft　had　returned　to　du　Croisier　three　days　since；　but　while　obtaining　this　information；　he　in　no　way　committed　himself。　Before　he　went　away　he　inquired　whether　the　draft　could　be　recovered　if　the　amount　were　refunded。　Francois　Keller's　answer　was　to　the　effect　that　the　document　was　du　Croisier's　property；　and　that　it　was　entirely　in　his　power　to　keep　or　return　it。　Then；　in　desperation；　the　old　man　went　to　the　Duchess。

Mme。　de　Maufrigneuse　was　not　at　home　to　any　visitor　at　that　hour。　Chesnel；　feeling　that　every　moment　was　precious；　sat　down　in　the　hall；　wrote　a　few　lines；　and　succeeded　in　sending　them　to　the　lady　by　dint　of　wheedling；　fascinating；　bribing；　and　commanding　the　most　insolent　and　inaccessible　servants　in　the　world。　The　Duchess　was　still　in　bed；　but；　to　the　great　astonishment　of　her　household；　the　old　man　in　black　knee…breeches；　ribbed　stockings；　and　shoes　with　buckles　to　them；　was　shown　into　her　room。

〃What　is　it；　monsieur？〃　she　asked；　posing　in　her　disorder。　〃What　does　he　want　of　me；　ungrateful　that　he　is？〃

〃It　is　this；　Mme。　la　Duchesse；〃　the　good　man　exclaimed；　〃you　have　a　hundred　thousand　crowns　belonging　to　us。〃

〃Yes；〃　began　she。　〃What　does　it　signify？〃

〃The　money　was　gained　by　a　forgery；　for　which　we　are　going　to　the　hulks；　a　forgery　which　we　committed　for　love　of　you；〃　Chesnel　said　quickly。　〃How　is　it　that　you　did　not　guess　it；　so　clever　as　you　are？　Instead　of　scolding　the　boy；　you　ought　to　have　had　the　truth　out　of　him；　and　stopped　him　while　there　was　time；　and　saved　him。〃

At　the　first　words　the　Duchess　understood；　she　felt　ashamed　of　her　behavior　to　so　impassioned　a　lover；　and　afraid　besides　that　she　might　be　suspected　of　complicity。　In　her　wish　to　prove　that　she　had　not　touched　the　money　left　in　her　keeping；　she　lost　all　regard　for　appearances；　and　besides；　it　did　not　occur　to　her　that　the　notary　was　a　man。　She　flung　off　the　eider…down　quilt；　sprang　to　her　desk　（flitting　past　the　lawyer　like　an　angel　out　of　one　of　the　vignettes　which　illustrate　Lamartine's　books）；　held　out　the　notes；　and　went　back　in　confusion　to　bed。

〃You　are　an　angel；　madame。〃　（She　was　to　be　an　angel　for　all　the　world；　it　seemed。）　〃But　this　will　not　be　the　end　of　it。　I　count　upon　your　influence　to　save　us。〃

〃To　save　you！　I　will　do　it　or　die！　Love　that　will　not　shrink　from　a　crime　must　be　love　indeed。　Is　there　a　woman　in　the　world　for　whom　such　a　thing　has　been　done？　Poor　boy！　Come；　do　not　lose　time；　dear　M。　Chesnel；　and　count　upon　me　as　upon　yourself。〃

〃Mme。　la　Duchesse！　Mme。　la　Duchesse！〃　It　was　all　that　he　could　say；　so　overcome　was　he。　He　cried；　he　could　have　danced；　but　he　was　afraid　of　losing　his　senses；　and　refrained。

〃Between　us；　we　will　save　him；〃　she　said；　as　he　left　the　room。

Chesnel　went　straight　to　Josephin。　Josephin　unlocked　the　young　Count's　desk　and　writing…table。　Very　luckily；　the　notary　found　letters　which　might　be　useful；　letters　from　du　Croisier　and　the　Kellers。　Then　he　took　a　place　in　a　diligence　which　was　just　about　to　start；　and　by　dint　of　fees　to　the　postilions；　the　lumbering　vehicle　went　as　quickly　as　the　coach。　His　two　fellow…passengers　on　the　journey　happened　to　be　in　as　great　a　hurry　as　himself；　and　readily　agreed　to　take　their　meals　in　the　carriage。　Thus　swept　over　the　road；　the　notary　reached　the　Rue　du　Bercail；　after　three　days　of　absence；　an　hour　before　midnight。　And　yet　he　was　too　late。　He　saw　the　gendarmes　at　the　gate；　crossed　the　threshold；　and　met　the　young　Count　in　the　courtyard。　Victurnien　had　been　arrested。　If　Chesnel　had　had　the　power；　he　would　beyond　a　doubt　have　killed　the　officers　and　men；　as　it　was；　he　could　only　fall　on　Victurnien's　neck。

〃If　I　cannot　hush　this　matter　up；　you　must　kill　yourself　before　the　indictment　is　made　out；〃　he　whispered。　But　Victurnien　had　sunk　into　such　stupor；　that　he　stared　back　uncomprehendingly。

〃Kill　myself？〃　he　repeated。

〃Yes。　If　your　courage　should　fail；　my　boy；　count　upon　me；〃　said　Chesnel；　squeezing　Victurnien's　hand。

In　spite　of　the　anguish　of　mind　and　tottering　limbs；　he　stood　firmly　planted；　to　watch　the　son　of　his　heart；　the　Comte　d'Esgrignon；　go　out　of　the　courtyard　between　two　gendarmes；　with　the　commissary；　the　justice　of　the　peace；　and　the　clerk　of　the　court；　and　not　until　the　figures　had　disappeared；　and　the　sound　of　footsteps　had　died　away　into　silence；　did　he　recover　his　firmness　and　presence　of　mind。

〃You　will　catch　cold；　sir；〃　Brigitte　remonstrated。

〃The　devil　take　you！〃　cried　her　exasperated　master。

Never　in　the　nine…and…twenty　years　that　Brigitte　had　been　in　his　service　had　she　heard　such　words　from　him！　Her　candle　fell　out　of　her　hands；　but　Chesnel　neither　heeded　his　housekeeper's　alarm　nor　heard　her　exclaim。　He　hurried　off　towards　the　Val…Noble。

〃He　is　out　of　his　mind；〃　said　she；　〃after　all；　it　is　no　wonder。　But　where　is　he　off　to？　I　cannot　possibly　go　after　him。　What　will　become　of　him？　Suppose　that　he　should　drown　himself？〃

And　Brigitte　went　to　waken　the　head…clerk　and　send　him　to　look　along　the　river　bank；　the　river　had　a　gloomy　reputation　just　then；　for　there　had　lately　been　two　cases　of　suicideone　a　young　man　full　of　promise；　and　the　other　a　girl；　a　victim　of　seduction。　Chesnel　went　straight　to　the　Hotel　du　Croisier。　There　lay　his　only　hope。　The　law　requires　that　a　charge　of　forgery　must　be　brought　by　a　private　individual。　It　was　still　possible　to　withdraw　if　du　Croisier　chose　to　admit　that　there　had　been　a　misapprehension；　and　Chesnel　had　hopes；　even　then；　of　buying　the　man　over。

M。　and　Mme。　du　Croisier　had　much　more　company　than　usual　that　evening。　Only　a　few　persons　were　in　the　secret。　M。　du　Ronceret；　president　of　the　Tribunal；　M。　Sauvager；　deputy　Public　Prosecutor；　and　M。　du　Coudrai；　a　registrar　of　mortgages；　who　had　lost　his　post　by　voting　on　the　wrong　side；　were　the　only　persons　who　were　supposed　to　know　about　it；　but　Mesdames　du　Ronceret　and　du　Coudrai　had　told　the　news；　in　strict　confidence；　to　one　or　two　intimate　friends；　so　that　it　had　spread　half　over　the　semi…noble；　semi…bourgeois　assembly　at　M。　du　Croisier's。　Everybody　felt　the　gravity　of　the　situation；　but　no　one　ventured　to　speak　of　it　openly；　and；　moreover；　Mme。　du　Croisier's　attachment　to　the　upper　sphere　was　so　well　known；　that　people　scarcely　dared　to　mention　the　disaster　which　had　befallen　the　d'Esgrignons　or　to　ask　for　particulars。　The　persons　most　interested　were　waiting　till　good　Mme。　du　Croisier　retired；　for　that　lady　always　retreated　to　her　room　at　the　same　hour　to　perform　her　religious　exercises　as　far　as　possible　out　of　her　husband's　sight。

Du　Croisier's　adherents；　knowing　the　secret　and　the　plans　of　the　great　commercial　power；　looked　round　when　the　lady　of　the　house　disappeared；　but　there　were　still　several　persons　present　whose　opinions　or　interests　marked　them　out　as　untrustworthy；　so　they　continued　to　play。　About　half　past　eleven　all　had　gone　save　intimates：　M。　Sauvager；　M。　Camusot；　the　examining　magistrate；　and　his　wife；　M。　and　Mme。　du　Ronceret　and　their　son　Fabien；　M。　and　Mme。　du　Coudrai；　and　Joseph　Blondet；　the　eldest　of　an　old　judge；　ten　persons　in　all。

It　is　told　of　Talleyrand　that　one　fatal　day；　three　hours　after　midnight；　he　suddenly　interrupted　a　game　of　cards　in　the　Duchesse　de　Luynes'　house　by　laying　down　his　watch　on　the　table　and　asking　the　players　whether　the　Prince　de　Conde　had　any　child　but　the　Duc　d'Enghien。

〃Why　do　you　ask？〃　returned　Mme。　de　Luynes；　〃when　you　know　so　well　that　he　has　not。〃

〃Because　if　the　Prince　has　no　other　son；　the　House　of　Conde　is　now　at　an　end。〃

There　was　a　moment's　pause；　and　they　finished　the　game。President　du　Ronceret　now　did　something　very　similar。　Perhaps　he　had　heard　the　anecdote；　perhaps；　in　political　life；　little　minds　and　great　minds　are　apt　to　hit　upon　the　same　expression。　He　looked　at　his　watch；　and　interrupted　the　game　of　boston　with：

〃At　this　moment　M。　le　Comte　d'Esgrignon　is　arrested；　and　that　house　which　has　held　its　head　so　high　is　dishonored　forever。〃

〃Then；　have　you　got　hold　of　the　boy？〃　du　Coudrai　cried　gleefully。

Every　one　in　the　room；　with　the　exception　of　the　Presi