twenty years after(二十年后)-第34节

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books　away。　La　Ramee　carried　off　all　his　clothes；　in　order
to　be　certain　that　the　duke　would　not　stir。　However；　the
duke　contrived　to　hide　the　ball　under　his　bolster　and　as
soon　as　the　door　was　closed　he　tore　off　the　cover　of　the
ball　with　his　teeth　and　found　underneath　the　following
letter：

My　Lord；　　Your　friends　are　watching　over　you　and　the　hour
of　your　deliverance　is　at　hand。　Ask　day　after　to…morrow　to
have　a　pie　supplied　you　by　the　new　confectioner　opposite　the
castle；　and　who　is　no　other　than　Noirmont；　your　former
maitre　d'hotel。　Do　not　open　the　pie　till　you　are　alone。　I
hope　you　will　be　satisfied　with　its　contents。
〃Your　highness's　most　devoted　servant；
〃In　the　Bastile；　as　elsewhere；
〃Comte　de　Rochefort。

The　duke；　who　had　latterly　been　allowed　a　fire；　burned　the
letter；　but　kept　the　ball；　and　went　to　bed；　hiding　the　ball
under　his　bolster。　La　Ramee　entered；　he　smiled　kindly　on　the
prisoner；　for　he　was　an　excellent　man　and　had　taken　a　great
liking　for　the　captive　prince。　He　endeavored　to　cheer　him　up
in　his　solitude。
〃Ah；　my　friend！〃　cried　the　duke；　〃you　are　so　good；　if　I
could　but　do　as　you　do；　and　eat　pates　and　drink　Burgundy　at
the　house　of　Father　Marteau's　successor。〃
〃'Tis　true；　my　lord；〃　answered　La　Ramee；　〃that　his　pates　are
famous　and　his　wine　magnificent。〃
〃In　any　case；〃　said　the　duke；　〃his　cellar　and　kitchen　might
easily　excel　those　of　Monsieur　de　Chavigny。〃
〃Well；　my　lord；〃　said　La　Ramee；　falling　into　the　trap；　〃what
is　there　to　prevent　your　trying　them？　Besides；　I　have
promised　him　your　patronage。〃
〃You　are　right；〃　said　the　duke。　〃If　I　am　to　remain　here
permanently；　as　Monsieur　Mazarin　has　kindly　given　me　to
understand；　I　must　provide　myself　with　a　diversion　for　my
old　age；　I　must　turn　gourmand。〃
〃My　lord；〃　said　La　Ramee；　〃if　you　will　take　a　bit　of　good
advice；　don't　put　that　off　till　you　are　old。〃
〃Good！〃　said　the　Duc　de　Beaufort　to　himself；　〃every　man　in
order　that　he　may　lose　his　heart　and　soul；　must　receive　from
celestial　bounty　one　of　the　seven　capital　sins；　perhaps　two；
it　seems　that　Master　La　Ramee's　is　gluttony。　Let　us　then
take　advantage　of　it。〃　Then；　aloud：
〃Well；　my　dear　La　Ramee！　the　day　after　to…morrow　is　a
holiday。〃
〃Yes；　my　lord　　Pentecost。〃
〃Will　you　give　me　a　lesson　the　day　after　to…morrow？〃
〃In　what？〃
〃In　gastronomy？〃
〃Willingly；　my　lord。〃
〃But　tete…a…tete。　Send　the　guards　to　take　their　meal　in　the
canteen　of　Monsieur　de　Chavigny；　we'll　have　a　supper　here
under　your　direction。〃
〃Hum！〃　said　La　Ramee。
The　proposal　was　seductive；　but　La　Ramee　was　an　old　stager；
acquainted　with　all　the　traps　a　prisoner　was　likely　to　set。
Monsieur　de　Beaufort　had　said　that　he　had　forty　ways　of
getting　out　of　prison。　Did　this　proposed　breakfast　cover
some　stratagem？　He　reflected；　but　he　remembered　that　he
himself　would　have　charge　of　the　food　and　the　wine　and
therefore　that　no　powder　could　be　mixed　with　the　food；　no
drug　with　the　wine。　As　to　getting　him　drunk；　the　duke
couldn't　hope　to　do　that；　and　he　laughed　at　the　mere　thought
of　it。　Then　an　idea　came　to　him　which　harmonized　everything。
The　duke　had　followed　with　anxiety　La　Ramee's　unspoken
soliloquy；　reading　it　from　point　to　point　upon　his　face。　But
presently　the　exempt's　face　suddenly　brightened。
〃Well；〃　he　asked；　〃that　will　do；　will　it　not？〃
〃Yes；　my　lord；　on　one　condition。〃
〃What？〃
〃That　Grimaud　shall　wait　on　us　at　table。〃
Nothing　could　be　more　agreeable　to　the　duke；　however；　he　had
presence　of　mind　enough　to　exclaim：
〃To　the　devil　with　your　Grimaud！　He　will　spoil　the　feast。〃
〃I　will　direct　him　to　stand　behind　your　chair；　and　since　he
doesn't　speak；　your　highness　will　neither　see　nor　hear　him
and　with　a　little　effort　can　imagine　him　a　hundred　miles
away。〃
〃Do　you　know；　my　friend；　I　find　one　thing　very　evident　in
all　this；　you　distrust　me。〃
〃My　lord；　the　day　after　to…morrow　is　Pentecost。〃
〃Well；　what　is　Pentecost　to　me？　Are　you　afraid　that　the　Holy
Spirit　will　come　as　a　tongue　of　fire　to　open　the　doors　of　my
prison？〃
〃No；　my　lord；　but　I　have　already　told　you　what　that　damned
magician　predicted。〃
〃And　what　was　it？〃
〃That　the　day　of　Pentecost　would　not　pass　without　your
highness　being　out　of　Vincennes。〃
〃You　believe　in　sorcerers；　then；　you　fool？〃
〃I　…I　mind　them　no　more　than　that　　〃　and　he　snapped
his　fingers；　〃but　it　is　my　Lord　Giulio　who　cares　about　them；
as　an　Italian　he　is　superstitious。〃
The　duke　shrugged　his　shoulders。
〃Well；　then；〃　with　well　acted　good…humor；　〃I　allow　Grimaud；
but　no　one　else；　you　must　manage　it　all。　Order　whatever　you
like　for　supper　　the　only　thing　I　specify　is　one　of　those
pies；　and　tell　the　confectioner　that　I　will　promise　him　my
custom　if　he　excels　this　time　in　his　pies　　not　only　now；
but　when　I　leave　my　prison。〃
〃Then　you　think　you　will　some　day　leave　it？〃　said　La　Ramee。
〃The　devil！〃　replied　the　prince；　〃surely；　at　the　death　of
Mazarin。　I　am　fifteen　years　younger　than　he　is。　At
Vincennes；　'tis　true；　one　lives　faster　　〃
〃My　lord；〃　replied　La　Ramee；　〃my　lord　　〃
〃Or　dies　sooner；　for　it　comes　to　the　same　thing。〃
La　Ramee　was　going　out。　He　stopped；　however；　at　the　door　for
an　instant。
〃Whom　does　your　highness　wish　me　to　send　to　you？〃
〃Any　one；　except　Grimaud。〃
〃The　officer　of　the　guard；　then；　with　his　chessboard？〃
〃Yes。〃
Five　minutes　afterward　the　officer　entered　and　the　duke
seemed　to　be　immersed　in　the　sublime　combinations　of　chess。
A　strange　thing　is　the　mind；　and　it　is　wonderful　what
revolutions　may　be　wrought　in　it　by　a　sign；　a　word；　a　hope。
The　duke　had　been　five　years　in　prison；　and　now　to　him；
looking　back　upon　them；　those　five　years；　which　had　passed
so　slowly；　seemed　not　so　long　a　time　as　were　the　two　days；
the　forty…eight　hours；　which　still　parted　him　from　the　time
fixed　for　his　escape。　Besides；　there　was　one　thing　that
engaged　his　most　anxious　thought　　in　what　way　was　the
escape　to　be　effected？　They　had　told　him　to　hope　for　it；　but
had　not　told　him　what　was　to　be　hidden　in　the　mysterious
pate。　And　what　friends　awaited　him　without？　He　had　friends；
then；　after　five　years　in　prison？　If　that　were　so　he　was
indeed　a　highly　favored　prince。　He　forgot　that　besides　his
friends　of　his　own　sex；　a　woman；　strange　to　say；　had
remembered　him。　It　is　true　that　she　had　not；　perhaps；　been
scupulously　faithful　to　him；　but　she　had　remembered　him；
that　was　something。
So　the　duke　had　more　than　enough　to　think　about；　accordingly
he　fared　at　chess　as　he　had　fared　at　tennis；　he　made　blunder
upon　blunder　and　the　officer　with　whom　he　played　found　him
easy　game。
But　his　successive　defeats　did　service　to　the　duke　in　one
way　　they　killed　time　for　him　till　eight　o'clock　in　the
evening；　then　would　come　night；　and　with　night；　sleep。　So；
at　least；　the　duke　believed；　but　sleep　is　a　capricious
fairy；　and　it　is　precisely　when　one　invokes　her　presence
that　she　is　most　likely　to　keep　him　waiting。　The　duke　waited
until　midnight；　turning　on　his　mattress　like　St。　Laurence　on
his　gridiron。　Finally　he　slept。
But　at　daybreak　he　awoke。　Wild　dreams　had　disturbed　his
repose。　He　dreamed　that　he　was　endowed　with　wings　　he
wished　to　fly　away。　For　a　time　these　wings　supported　him；
but　when　he　reached　a　certain　height　this　new　aid　failed
him。　His　wings　were　broken　and　he　seemed　to　sink　into　a
bottomless　abyss；　whence　he　awoke；　bathed　in　perspiration
and　nearly　as　much　overcome　as　if　he　had　really　fallen。　He
fell　asleep　again　and　another　vision　appeared。　He　was　in　a
subterranean　passage　by　which　he　was　to　leave　Vincennes。
Grimaud　was　walking　before　him　with　a　lantern。　By　degrees
the　passage　narrowed；　yet　the　duke　continued　his　course。　At
last　it　became　so　narrow　that　the　fugitive　tried　in　vain　to
proceed。　The　sides　of　the　walls　seem　to　close　in；　even　to
press　against　him。　He　made　fruitless　efforts　to　go　on；　it
was　impossible。　Nevertheless；　he　still　saw　Grimaud　with　his
lantern　in　front；　advancing。　He　wished　to　call　out　to　him
but　could　not　utter　a　word。　Then　at　the　other　extremity　he
heard　the　footsteps　of　those　who　were　pursuing　him。　These
steps　came　on；　came　fast。　He　was　discovered；　all　hope　of
flight　was　gone。　Still　the　walls　seemed　to　be　closing　on
him；　they　appeared　to　be　in　concert　with　his　enemies。　At
last　he　heard　the　voice　of　La　Ramee。　La　Ramee　took　his　hand
and　laughed　aloud。　He　was　captured　again；　and　conducted　to
the　low　and　vaulted　chamber；　in　which　Ornano；　Puylaurens；
and　his　uncle　had　died。　Their　three　graves　were　there；
rising　above　the　ground；　and　a　fourth　was　also　there；
yawning　for　its　ghastly　tenant。
The　duke　was　obliged　to　make　as　many　efforts　to　awake　as　he
had　done　to　go　to　sleep；　and　La　Ramee　found　him　so　pale　and
fatigued　that　he　inquired　whether　he　was　ill。
〃In　fact；〃　said　one　of　the　guards　who　had　remained　in　the
chamber　and　had　been　kept　awake　by　a　toothache；　brought　on
by　the　dampness　of　the　atmosphere；　〃my　lord　has　had　a　very
restless　night　and　two　or　three　times；　while　dreaming；　he
called　for　help。〃
〃What　is　the　matter　with　your　highness？〃　asked　La　Ramee。
〃'Tis　your　fault；　you　simpleton；〃　answered　the　duke。　〃With
your　idle　nonsense　yesterday　about　escaping；　you　worried　me
so　that　I　dreamed　that　I　was　trying　to　escape　and　broke　my
neck　in　doing　so。〃
La　Ramee　laughed。
〃Come；〃　he