twenty years after(二十年后)-第31节

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that　the　Duc　de　Guise　taught　all　the　dogs　in　Paris　to　jump
for　Mademoiselle　de　Pons；　whom　he　styled　‘the　fairest　of　the
fair？'　Pistache　is　going　to　show　you　how　superior　he　is　to
all　other　dogs。　Monsieur　de　Chavigny；　be　so　good　as　to　lend
me　your　cane。〃
Monsieur　de　Chavigny　handed　his　cane　to　Monsieur　de
Beaufort。　Monsieur　de　Beaufort　placed　it　horizontally　at　the
height　of　one　foot。
〃Now；　Pistache；　my　good　dog；　jump　the　height　of　this　cane
for　Madame　de　Montbazon。〃
〃But；〃　interposed　Monsieur　de　Chavigny；　〃it　seems　to　me　that
Pistache　is　only　doing　what　other　dogs　have　done　when　they
jumped　for　Mademoiselle　de　Pons。〃
〃Stop；〃　said　the　duke；　〃Pistache；　jump　for　the　queen。〃　And
he　raised　his　cane　six　inches　higher。
The　dog　sprang；　and　in　spite　of　the　height　jumped　lightly
over　it。
〃And　now；〃　said　the　duke；　raising　it　still　six　inches
higher；　〃jump　for　the　king。〃
The　dog　obeyed　and　jumped　quickly　over　the　cane。
〃Now；　then；〃　said　the　duke；　and　as　he　spoke；　lowered　the
cane　almost　level　with　the　ground；　〃Pistache；　my　friend；
jump　for　the　‘Illustrious　Coxcomb；　Mazarin　de　Piscina。'〃
The　dog　turned　his　back　to　the　cane。
〃What；〃　asked　the　duke；　〃what　do　you　mean？〃　and　he　gave　him
the　cane　again；　first　making　a　semicircle　from　the　head　to
the　tail　of　Pistache。　〃Jump　then；　Monsieur　Pistache。〃
But　Pistache；　as　at　first；　turned　round　on　his　legs　and
stood　with　his　back　to　the　cane。
Monsieur　de　Beaufort　made　the　experiment　a　third　time；　but
by　this　time　Pistache's　patience　was　exhausted；　he　threw
himself　furiously　upon　the　cane；　wrested　it　from　the　hands
of　the　prince　and　broke　it　with　his　teeth。
Monsieur　de　Beaufort　took　the　pieces　out　of　his　mouth　and
presented　them　with　great　formality　to　Monsieur　de　Chavigny；
saying　that　for　that　evening　the　entertainment　was　ended；
but　in　three　months　it　should　be　repeated；　when　Pistache
would　have　learned　a　few　new　tricks。
Three　days　afterward　Pistache　was　found　dead　　poisoned。
Then　the　duke　said　openly　that　his　dog　had　been　killed　by　a
drug　with　which　they　meant　to　poison　him；　and　one　day　after
dinner　he　went　to　bed；　calling　out　that　he　had　pains　in　his
stomach　and　that　Mazarin　had　poisoned　him。
This　fresh　impertinence　reached　the　ears　of　the　cardinal　and
alarmed　him　greatly。　The　donjon　of　Vincennes　was　considered
very　unhealthy　and　Madame　de　Rambouillet　had　said　that　the
room　in　which　the　Marechal　Ornano　and　the　Grand　Prior　de
Vendome　had　died　was　worth　its　weight　in　arsenic　　a　bon
mot　which　had　great　success。　So　it　was　ordered　the　prisoner
was　henceforth　to　eat　nothing　that　had　not　previously　been
tasted；　and　La　Ramee　was　in　consequence　placed　near　him　as
taster。
Every　kind　of　revenge　was　practiced　upon　the　duke　by　the
governor　in　return　for　the　insults　of　the　innocent　Pistache。
De　Chavigny；　who；　according　to　report；　was　a　son　of
Richelieu's；　and　had　been　a　creature　of　the　late　cardinal's；
understood　tyranny。　He　took　from　the　duke　all　the　steel
knives　and　silver　forks　and　replaced　them　with　silver　knives
and　wooden　forks；　pretending　that　as　he　had　been　informed
that　the　duke　was　to　pass　all　his　life　at　Vincennes；　he　was
afraid　of　his　prisoner　attempting　suicide。　A　fortnight
afterward　the　duke；　going　to　the　tennis　court；　found　two
rows　of　trees　about　the　size　of　his　little　finger　planted　by
the　roadside；　he　asked　what　they　were　for　and　was　told　that
they　were　to　shade　him　from　the　sun　on　some　future　day。　One
morning　the　gardener　went　to　him　and　told　him；　as　if　to
please　him；　that　he　was　going　to　plant　a　bed　of　asparagus
for　his　especial　use。　Now；　since；　as　every　one　knows；
asparagus　takes　four　years　in　coming　to　perfection；　this
civility　infuriated　Monsieur　de　Beaufort。
At　last　his　patience　was　exhausted。　He　assembled　his
keepers；　and　notwithstanding　his　well…known　difficulty　of
utterance；　addressed　them　as　follows：
〃Gentlemen！　will　you　permit　a　grandson　of　Henry　IV。　to　be
overwhelmed　with　insults　and　ignominy？
〃Odds　fish！　as　my　grandfather　used　to　say；　I　once　reigned　in
Paris！　do　you　know　that？　I　had　the　king　and　Monsieur　the
whole　of　one　day　in　my　care。　The　queen　at　that　time　liked　me
and　called　me　the　most　honest　man　in　the　kingdom。　Gentlemen
and　citizens；　set　me　free；　I　shall　go　to　the　Louvre　and
strangle　Mazarin。　You　shall　be　my　body…guard。　I　will　make
you　all　captains；　with　good　pensions！　Odds　fish！　On！　march
forward！〃
But　eloquent　as　he　might　be；　the　eloquence　of　the　grandson
of　Henry　IV。　did　not　touch　those　hearts　of　stone；　not　one
man　stirred；　so　Monsieur　de　Beaufort　was　obliged　to　be
satisfied　with　calling　them　all　kinds　of　rascals　underneath
the　sun。
Sometimes；　when　Monsieur　de　Chavigny　paid　him　a　visit；　the
duke　used　to　ask　him　what　he　should　think　if　he　saw　an　army
of　Parisians；　all　fully　armed；　appear　at　Vincennes　to
deliver　him　from　prison。
〃My　lord；〃　answered　De　Chavigny；　with　a　low　bow；　〃I　have　on
the　ramparts　twenty　pieces　of　artillery　and　in　my　casemates
thirty　thousand　guns。　I　should　bombard　the　troops　till　not
one　grain　of　gunpowder　was　unexploded。〃
〃Yes；　but　after　you　had　fired　off　your　thirty　thousand　guns
they　would　take　the　donjon；　the　donjon　being　taken；　I　should
be　obliged　to　let　them　hang　you　　at　which　I　should　be　most
unhappy；　certainly。〃
And　in　his　turn　the　duke　bowed　low　to　Monsieur　de　Chavigny。
〃For　myself；　on　the　other　hand；　my　lord；〃　returned　the
governor；　〃when　the　first　rebel　should　pass　the　threshold　of
my　postern　doors　I　should　be　obliged　to　kill　you　with　my　own
hand；　since　you　were　confided　peculiarly　to　my　care　and　as　I
am　obliged　to　give　you　up；　dead　or　alive。〃
And　once　more　he　bowed　low　before　his　highness。
These　bitter…sweet　pleasantries　lasted　ten　minutes；
sometimes　longer；　but　always　finished　thus：
Monsieur　de　Chavigny；　turning　toward　the　door；　used　to　call
out：　〃Halloo！　La　Ramee！〃
La　Ramee　came　into　the　room。
〃La　Ramee；　I　recommend　Monsieur　le　Duc　to　you；　particularly；
treat　him　as　a　man　of　his　rank　and　family　ought　to　be
treated；　that　is；　never　leave　him　alone　an　instant。〃
La　Ramee　became；　therefore；　the　duke's　dinner　guest　by
compulsion　　an　eternal　keeper；　the　shadow　of　his　person；
but　La　Ramee　　gay；　frank；　convivial；　fond　of　play；　a　great
hand　at　tennis；　had　one　defect　in　the　duke's　eyes　　his
incorruptibility。
Now；　although　La　Ramee　appreciated；　as　of　a　certain　value；
the　honor　of　being　shut　up　with　a　prisoner　of　so　great
importance；　still　the　pleasure　of　living　in　intimacy　with
the　grandson　of　Henry　IV。　hardly　compensated　for　the　loss　of
that　which　he　had　experienced　in　going　from　time　to　time　to
visit　his　family。
One　may　be　a　jailer　or　a　keeper　and　at　the　same　time　a　good
father　and　husband。　La　Ramee　adored　his　wife　and　children；
whom　now　he　could　only　catch　a　glimpse　of　from　the　top　of
the　wall；　when　in　order　to　please　him　they　used　to　walk　on
the　opposite　side　of　the　moat。　'Twas　too　brief　an　enjoyment；
and　La　Ramee　felt　that　the　gayety　of　heart　he　had　regarded
as　the　cause　of　health　（of　which　it　was　perhaps　rather　the
result）　would　not　long　survive　such　a　mode　of　life。
He　accepted；　therefore；　with　delight；　an　offer　made　to　him
by　his　friend　the　steward　of　the　Duc　de　Grammont；　to　give
him　a　substitute；　he　also　spoke　of　it　to　Monsieur　de
Chavigny；　who　promised　that　he　would　not　oppose　it　in　any
way　　that　is；　if　he　approved　of　the　person　proposed。
We　consider　it　useless　to　draw　a　physical　or　moral　portrait
of　Grimaud；　if；　as　we　hope；　our　readers　have　not　wholly
forgotten　the　first　part　of　this　work；　they　must　have
preserved　a　clear　idea　of　that　estimable　individual；　who　is
wholly　unchanged；　except　that　he　is　twenty　years　older；　an
advance　in　life　that　has　made　him　only　more　silent；
although；　since　the　change　that　had　been　working　in　himself；
Athos　had　given　Grimaud　permission　to　speak。
But　Grimaud　had　for　twelve　or　fifteen　years　preserved
habitual　silence；　and　a　habit　of　fifteen　or　twenty　years'
duration　becomes　second　nature。

18
Grimaud　begins　his　Functions。

Grimaud　thereupon　presented　himself　with　his　smooth　exterior
at　the　donjon　of　Vincennes。　Now　Monsieur　de　Chavigny　piqued
himself　on　his　infallible　penetration；　for　that　which　almost
proved　that　he　was　the　son　of　Richelieu　was　his　everlasting
pretension；　he　examined　attentively　the　countenance　of　the
applicant　for　place　and　fancied　that　the　contracted
eyebrows；　thin　lips；　hooked　nose；　and　prominent　cheek…bones
of　Grimaud　were　favorable　signs。　He　addressed　about　twelve
words　to　him；　Grimaud　answered　in　four。
〃Here's　a　promising　fellow　and　it　is　I　who　have　found　out
his　merits；〃　said　Monsieur　de　Chavigny。　〃Go；〃　he　added；　〃and
make　yourself　agreeable　to　Monsieur　la　Ramee；　and　tell　him
that　you　suit　me　in　all　respects。〃
Grimaud　had　every　quality　that　could　attract　a　man　on　duty
who　wishes　to　have　a　deputy。　So；　after　a　thousand　questions
which　met　with　only　a　word　in　reply；　La　Ramee；　fascinated　by
this　sobriety　in　speech；　rubbed　his　hands　and　engaged
Grimaud。
〃My　orders？〃　asked　Grimaud。
〃They　are　these；　never　to　leave　the　prisoner　alone；　to　keep
away　from　him　every　pointed　or　cutting　instrument；　and　to
prevent　his　conversing　any　length　of　time　with　the　keepers。〃
〃Those　are　all？〃　asked　Grimaud。
〃All　now；〃　replied　La　Ramee。
〃Good；〃　answere