an historical mystery-第16节

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crumbling　away　of　the　earth　and　stones　and　gravel　had　ended　by　filling
up　the　ditch；　so　that　only　after　heavy　rains　was　the　causeway　thus
constructed　covered。　But　the　bank　was　still　so　steep　that　it　was
difficult　to　make　a　horse　descend　it；　and　even　more　difficult　to　get
him　up　upon　the　main　road。　Horses；　however；　seem　in　times　of　peril　to
share　their　masters'　thought。

While　the　young　countess　was　hesitating　to　follow　Marthe；　and　asking
explanations；　Michu；　from　his　vantage…ground　watched　the　closing　in　of
the　gendarmes　and　understood　their　plan。　He　grew　desperate　as　time
went　by　and　the　countess　did　not　come　to　him。　A　squad　of　gendarmes
were　marching　along　the　park　wall　and　stationing　themselves　as
sentinels；　each　man　being　near　enough　to　communicate　with　those　on
either　side　of　them；　by　voice　and　eye。　Michu；　lying　flat　on　his
stomach；　his　ear　to　earth；　gauged；　like　a　red　Indian；　by　the　strength
of　the　sounds　the　time　that　remained　to　him。

〃I　came　too　late！〃　he　said　to　himself。　〃Violette　shall　pay　dear　for
this！　what　a　time　it　took　to　make　him　drunk！　What　can　be　done？〃

He　heard　the　detachment　that　was　coming　through　the　forest　reach　the
iron　gates　and　turn　into　the　main　road；　where　before　long　it　would
meet　the　squad　coming　up　from　the　other　direction。

〃Still　five　or　six　minutes！〃　he　said。

At　that　instant　the　countess　appeared。　Michu　took　her　with　a　firm　hand
and　pushed　her　into　the　covered　way。

〃Keep　straight　before　you！　Lead　her　to　where　my　horse　is；〃　he　said　to
his　wife；　〃and　remember　that　gendarmes　have　ears。〃

Seeing　Catherine；　who　carried　the　hat　and　whip；　and　Gothard　leading
the　mare；　the　man；　keen…witted　in　presence　of　danger；　bethought
himself　of　playing　the　gendarmes　a　trick　as　useful　as　the　one　he　had
just　played　Violette。　Gothard　had　forced　the　mare　to　mount　the　bank。

〃Her　feet　muffled！　I　thank　thee；　boy；〃　exclaimed　the　bailiff。

Michu　let　the　mare　follow　her　mistress　and　took　the　hat；　gloves；　and
whip　from　Catherine。

〃You　have　sense；　boy；　you'll　understand　me；〃　he　said。　〃Force　your　own
horse　up　here；　jump　on　him；　and　draw　the　gendarmes　after　you　across
the　fields　towards　the　farm；　get　the　whole　squad　to　follow　youAnd
you；〃　he　added　to　Catherine；　〃there　are　other　gendarmes　coming　up　on
the　road　from　Cinq…Cygne　to　Gondreville；　run　in　the　opposite　direction
to　the　one　Gothard　takes；　and　draw　them　towards　the　forest。　Manage　so
that　we　shall　not　be　interfered　with　in　the　covered　way。〃

Catherine　and　the　boy；　who　were　destined　to　give　in　this　affair　such
remarkable　proofs　of　intelligence；　executed　the　manoeuvre　in　a　way　to
make　both　detachments　of　gendarmes　believe　that　they　held　the　game。
The　dim　light　of　the　moon　prevented　the　pursuers　from　distinguishing
the　figure；　clothing；　sex；　or　number　of　those　they　followed。　The
pursuit　was　based　on　the　maxim；　〃Always　arrest　those　who　are
escaping；〃the　folly　of　which　saying　was；　as　we　have　seen；
energetically　declared　by　Corentin　to　the　corporal　in　command。　Michu；
counting　on　this　instinct　of　the　gendarmes；　was　able　to　reach　the
forest　a　few　moments　after　the　countess；　whom　Marthe　had　guided　to　the
appointed　place。

〃Go　home　now；〃　he　said　to　Marthe。　〃The　forest　is　watched　and　it　is
dangerous　to　remain　here。　We　need　all　our　freedom。〃

Michu　unfastened　his　horse　and　asked　the　countess　to　follow　him。

〃I　shall　not　go　a　step　further；〃　said　Laurence；　〃unless　you　give　me
some　proof　of　the　interest　you　seem　to　have　in　usfor；　after　all；　you
are　Michu。〃

〃Mademoiselle；〃　he　answered；　in　a　gentle　voice；　〃the　part　I　am　playing
can　be　explained　to　you　in　two　words。　I　am；　unknown　to　the　Marquis　de
Simeuse　and　his　brother；　the　guardian　of　their　property。　On　this
subject　I　received　the　last　instructions　of　their　late　father　and
their　dear　mother；　my　protectress。　I　have　played　the　part　of　a
virulent　Jacobin　to　serve　my　dear　young　masters。　Unhappily；　I　began
this　course　too　late；　I　could　not　save　their　parents。〃　Here；　Michu's
voice　broke　down。　〃Since　the　young　men　emigrated　I　have　sent　them
regularly　the　sums　they　needed　to　live　upon。〃

〃Through　the　house　of　Breintmayer　of　Strasburg？〃　asked　the　countess。

〃Yes；　mademoiselle；　the　correspondents　of　Monsieur　Girel　of　Troyes；　a
royalist　who；　like　me；　made　himself　for　good　reasons；　a　Jacobin。　The
paper　which　your　farmer　picked　up　one　evening　and　which　I　forced　him
to　surrender；　related　to　the　affair　and　would　have　compromised　your
cousins。　My　life　no　longer　belongs　to　me；　but　to　them；　you　understand。
I　could　not　buy　in　Gondreville。　In　my　position；　I　should　have　lost　my
head　had　the　authorities　known　I　had　the　money。　I　preferred　to　wait
and　buy　it　later。　But　that　scoundrel　of　a　Marion　was　the　slave　of
another　scoundrel；　Malin。　All　the　same；　Gondreville　shall　once　more
belong　to　its　rightful　masters。　That's　my　affair。　Four　hours　ago　I　had
Malin　sighted　by　my　gun；　ha！　he　was　almost　gone　then！　Were　he　dead；
the　property　would　be　sold　and　you　could　have　bought　it。　In　case　of　my
death　my　wife　would　have　brought　you　a　letter　which　would　have　given
you　the　means　of　buying　it。　But　I　overheard　that　villain　telling　his
accomplice　Grevinanother　scoundrel　like　himselfthat　the　Marquis
and　his　brother　were　conspiring　against　the　First　Consul；　that　they
were　here　in　the　neighborhood；　and　that　he　meant　to　give　them　up　and
get　rid　of　them　so　as　to　keep　Gondreville　in　peace。　I　myself　saw　the
police　spies；　I　laid　aside　my　gun；　and　I　have　lost　no　time　in　coming
here；　thinking　that　you　must　be　the　one　to　know　best　how　to　warn　the
young　men。　That's　the　whole　of　it。〃

〃You　are　worthy　to　be　a　noble；〃　said　Laurence；　offering　her　hand　to
Michu；　who　tried　to　kneel　and　kiss　it。　She　saw　his　motion　and
prevented　it；　saying：　〃Stand　up！〃　in　a　tone　of　voice　and　with　a　look
which　made　him　amends　for　all　the　scorn　of　the　last　twelve　years。

〃You　reward　me　as　though　I　had　done　all　that　remains　for　me　to　do；〃　he
said。　〃But　don't　you　hear　them；　those　huzzars　of　the　guillotine？　Let
us　go　elsewhere。〃

He　took　the　mare's　bridle；　and　led　her　a　little　distance。

〃Think　only　of　sitting　firm；〃　he　said；　〃and　of　saving　your　head　from
the　branches　of　the　trees　which　might　strike　you　in　the　face。〃

Then　he　mounted　his　own　horse　and　guided　the　young　girl　for　half　an
hour　at　full　gallop；　making　turns　and　half　turns；　and　striking　into
wood…paths；　so　as　to　confuse　their　traces；　until　they　reached　a　spot
where　he　pulled　up。

〃I　don't　know　where　I　am；〃　said　the　countess　looking　about　her；〃I；
who　know　the　forest　as　well　as　you　do。〃

〃We　are　in　the　heart　of　it；〃　he　replied。　〃Two　gendarmes　are　after　us；
but　we　are　quite　safe。〃

The　picturesque　spot　to　which　the　bailiff　had　guided　Laurence　was
destined　to　be　so　fatal　to　the　principal　personages　of　this　drama；　and
to　Michu　himself；　that　it　becomes　our　duty；　as　an　historian；　to
describe　it。　The　scene　became；　as　we　shall　see　hereafter；　one　of　noted
interest　in　the　judiciary　annals　of　the　Empire。

The　forest　of　Nodesme　belonged　to　the　monastery　of　Notre…Dame。　That
monastery；　seized；　sacked；　and　demolished；　had　disappeared　entirely；
monks　and　property。　The　forest；　an　object　of　much　cupidity；　was　taken
into　the　domain　of　the　Comtes　de　Champagne；　who　mortgaged　it　later　and
allowed　it　to　be　sold。　In　the　course　of　six　centuries　nature　covered
its　ruins　with　her　rich　and　vigorous　green　mantle；　and　effaced　them　so
thoroughly　that　the　existence　of　one　of　the　finest　convents　was　no
longer　even　indicated　except　by　a　slight　eminence　shaded　by　noble
trees　and　circled　by　thick；　impenetrable　shrubbery；　which；　since　1794；
Michu　had　taken　great　pains　to　make　still　more　impenetrable　by
planting　the　thorny　acacia　in　all　the　slight　openings　between　the
bushes。　A　pond　was　at　the　foot　of　the　eminence　and　showed　the
existence　of　a　hidden　stream　which　no　doubt　determined　in　former　days
the　site　of　the　monastery。　The　late　owner　of　the　title　to　the　forest
of　Nodesme　was　the　first　to　recognize　the　etymology　of　the　name；　which
dated　back　for　eight　centuries；　and　to　discover　that　at　one　time　a
monastery　had　existed　in　the　heart　of　the　forest。　When　the　first
rumblings　of　the　thunder　of　the　Revolution　were　heard；　the　Marquis　de
Simeuse；　who　had　been　forced　to　look　into　his　title　by　a　lawsuit　and
so　learned　the　above　facts　as　it　were　by　chance；　began；　with　a　secret
intention　not　difficult　to　conceive；　to　search　for　some　remains　of　the
former　monastery。　The　keeper；　Michu；　to　whom　the　forest　was　well
known；　helped　his　master　in　the　search；　and　it　was　his　sagacity　as　a
forester　which　led　to　the　discovery　of　the　site。　Observing　the　trend
of　the　five　chief　roads　of　the　forest；　some　of　which　were　now　effaced；
he　saw　that　they　all　ended　either　at　the　little　eminence　or　by　the
pond　at　the　foot　of　it；　to　which　points　travellers　from　Troyes；　from
the　valley　of　Arcis　and　that　of　Cinq…Cygne；　and　from　Bar…sur…Aube
doubtless　came。　The　marquis　wished　to　excavate　the　hillock　but　he
dared　not　employ　the　people　of　the　neighborhood。　Pressed　by
circumstances；　he　abandoned　the　intention；　leaving　in　Michu's　mind　a
strong　conviction　that　the　eminence　had　either　the　treasure　or　the
foundations　of　the　former　abbey。　He　continued；　all　alone；　this
archaeolog