an historical mystery-第25节

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in　the　cave；　and　he　went　back　for　them　alone。　When　he　reached　the　edge
of　the　pond　he　heard　voices；　and　went　straight　to　the　entrance　of　the
cave　through　the　brushwood。

〃Have　you　come　for　your　silver？〃　said　Peyrade；　showing　his　big　red
nose　through　the　branches。

Without　knowing　why；　for　at　any　rate　his　young　masters　were　safe；
Michu　felt　a　sharp　agony　in　all　his　joints；　so　keen　was　the　sense　of
vague；　indefinable　coming　evil　which　took　possession　of　him；　but　he
went　forward　at　once；　and　found　Corentin　on　the　stairs　with　a　taper　in
his　hand。

〃We　are　not　very　harsh；〃　he　said　to　Michu；　〃we　might　have　seized　your
ci…devants　any　day　for　the　last　week；　but　we　knew　they　were　reinstated
You're　a　tough　fellow　to　deal　with；　and　you　gave　us　too　much　trouble
not　to　make　us　anxious　to　satisfy　our　curiosity　about　this　hiding…
place　of　yours。〃

〃I'd　give　something；〃　cried　Michu；　〃to　know　how　and　by　whom　we　have
been　sold。〃

〃If　that　puzzles　you；　old　fellow；〃　said　Peyrade；　laughing；　〃look　at
your　horses'　shoes；　and　you'll　see　that　you　betrayed　yourselves。〃

〃Well；　there　need　be　no　rancor！〃　said　Corentin；　whistling　for　the
captain　of　gendarmerie　and　their　horses。

〃So　that　rascally　Parisian　blacksmith　who　shoed　the　horses　in　the
English　fashion　and　left　Cinq…Cygne　only　the　other　day　was　their　spy！〃
thought　Michu。　〃They　must　have　followed　our　tracks　when　the　ground　was
damp。　Well；　we're　quits　now！〃

Michu　consoled　himself　by　thinking　that　the　discovery　was　of　no
consequence；　as　the　young　men　were　now　safe；　Frenchmen　once　more；　and
at　liberty。　Yet　his　first　presentiment　was　a　true　one。　The　police；
like　the　Jesuits；　have　the　one　virtue　of　never　abandoning　their
friends　or　their　enemies。

Old　d'Hauteserre　returned　from　Paris　and　was　more　than　surprised　not
to　be　the　first　to　bring　the　news。　Durieu　prepared　a　succulent　dinner；
the　servants　donned　their　best　clothes；　and　the　household　impatiently
awaited　the　exiles；　who　arrived　about　four　o'clock；　happy；and　yet
humiliated；　for　they　found　they　were　to　be　under　police　surveillance
for　two　years；　obliged　to　present　themselves　at　the　prefecture　every
month　and　ordered　to　remain　in　the　commune　of　Cinq…Cygne　during　the
said　two　years。　〃I'll　send　you　the　papers　for　signature；〃　the　prefect
said　to　them。　〃Then；　in　the　course　of　a　few　months；　you　can　ask　to　be
relieved　of　these　conditions；　which　are　imposed　on　all　of　Pichegru's
accomplices。　I　will　back　your　request。〃

These　restrictions；　fairly　deserved；　rather　dispirited　the　young　men；
but　Laurence　laughed　at　them。

〃The　Emperor　of　the　French；〃　she　said；　〃was　badly　brought　up；　he　has
not　yet　acquired　the　habit　of　bestowing　favors　graciously。〃

The　party　found　all　the　inhabitants　of　the　chateau　at　the　gates；　and　a
goodly　proportion　of　the　people　of　the　village　waiting　on　the　road　to
see　the　young　men；　whose　adventures　had　made　them　famous　throughout
the　department。　Madame　d'Hauteserre　held　her　sons　to　her　breast　for　a
long　time；　her　face　covered　with　tears；　she　was　unable　to　speak　and
remained　silent；　though　happy；　through　a　part　of　the　evening。　No
sooner　had　the　Simeuse　twins　dismounted　than　a　cry　of　surprise　arose
on　all　sides；　caused　by　their　amazing　resemblance；the　same　look；　the
same　voice；　the　same　actions。　They　both　had　the　same　movement　in
rising　from　their　saddles；　in　throwing　their　leg　over　the　crupper　of
their　horses　when　dismounting；　in　flinging　the　reins　upon　the　animal's
neck。　Their　dress；　precisely　the　same；　contributed　to　this　likeness。
They　wore　boots　/a　la/　Suwaroff；　made　to　fit　the　instep；　tight
trousers　of　white　leather；　green　hunting…jackets　with　metal　buttons；
black　cravats；　and　buckskin　gloves。　The　two　young　men；　just　thirty…one
years　of　age；　wereto　use　a　term　in　vogue　in　those　dayscharming
cavaliers；　of　medium　height　but　well　set　up；　brilliant　eyes　with　long
lashes；　floating　in　liquid　like　those　of　children；　black　hair；　noble
brows；　and　olive　skin。　Their　speech；　gentle　as　that　of　a　woman；　fell
graciously　from　their　fresh　red　lips；　their　manners；　more　elegant　and
polished　than　those　of　the　provincial　gentlemen；　showed　that　knowledge
of　men　and　things　had　given　them　that　supplementary　education　which
makes　its　possessor　a　man　of　the　world。

Not　lacking　money；　thanks　to　Michu；　during　their　emigration；　they　had
been　able　to　travel　and　be　received　at　foreign　courts。　Old
d'Hauteserre　and　the　abbe　thought　them　rather　haughty；　but　in　their
present　position　this　may　have　been　the　sign　of　nobility　of　character。
They　possessed　all　the　eminent　little　marks　of　a　careful　education；　to
which　they　added　a　wonderful　dexterity　in　bodily　exercises。　Their　only
dissimilarity　was　in　the　region　of　ideas。　The　youngest　charmed　others
by　his　gaiety；　the　eldest　by　his　melancholy；　but　the　contrast；　which
was　purely　spiritual；　was　not　at　first　observable。

〃Ah；　wife；〃　whispered　Michu　in　Marthe's　ear；　〃how　could　one　help
devoting　one's　self　to　those　young　fellows？〃

Marthe；　who　admired　them　as　a　wife　and　mother；　nodded　her　head
prettily　and　pressed　her　husband's　hand。　The　servants　were　allowed　to
kiss　their　new　masters。

During　their　seven　months'　seclusion　in　the　forest　（which　the　young
men　had　brought　upon　themselves）　they　had　several　times　committed　the
imprudence　of　taking　walks　about　their　hiding…place；　carefully　guarded
by　Michu；　his　son；　and　Gothard。　During　these　walks；　taken　usually　on
starlit　nights；　Laurence；　reuniting　the　thread　of　their　past　and
present　lives；　felt　the　utter　impossibility　of　choosing　between　the
brothers。　A　pure　and　equal　love　for　each　divided　her　heart。　She
fancied　indeed　that　she　had　two　hearts。　On　their　side；　the　brothers
dared　not　speak　to　themselves　of　their　impending　rivalry。　Perhaps　all
three　were　trusting　to　time　and　accident。　The　condition　of　her　mind　on
this　subject　acted　no　doubt　upon　Laurence　as　they　entered　the　house；
for　she　hesitated　a　moment；　and　then　took　an　arm　of　each　as　she
entered　the　salon　followed　by　Monsieur　and　Madame　d'Hauteserre；　who
were　occupied　with　their　sons。　Just　then　a　cheer　burst　from　the
servants；　〃Long　live　the　Cinq…Cygne　and　the　Simeuse　families！〃
Laurence　turned　round；　still　between　the　brothers；　and　made　a　charming
gesture　of　acknowledgement

When　these　nine　persons　came　to　actually　observe　each　other；for　in
all　meetings；　even　in　the　bosom　of　families；　there　comes　a　moment　when
friends　observe　those　from　whom　they　have　been　long　parted；the　first
glance　which　Adrien　d'Hauteserre　cast　upon　Laurence　seemed　to　his
mother　and　to　the　abbe　to　betray　love。　Adrien；　the　youngest　of　the
d'Hauteserres；　had　a　sweet　and　tender　soul；　his　heart　had　remained
adolescent　in　spite　of　the　catastrophes　which　had　nerved　the　man。　Like
many　young　heroes；　kept　virgin　in　spirit　by　perpetual　peril；　he　was
daunted　by　the　timidities　of　youth。　In　this　he　was　very　different　from
his　brother；　a　man　of　rough　manners；　a　great　hunter；　an　intrepid
soldier；　full　of　resolution；　but　coarse　in　fibre　and　without　activity
of　mind　or　delicacy　in　matters　of　the　heart。　One　was　all　soul；　the
other　all　action；　and　yet　they　both　possessed　in　the　same　degree　that
sense　of　honor　which　is　the　vital　essence　of　a　gentleman。　Dark；　short；
slim　and　wiry；　Adrien　d'Hauteserre　gave　an　impression　of　strength；
whereas　Robert；　who　was　tall；　pale　and　fair；　seemed　weakly。　Adrien；
nervous　in　temperament；　was　stronger　in　soul；　while　his　brother　though
lymphatic；　was　fonder　of　bodily　exercise。　Families　often　present　these
singularities　of　contrast；　the　causes　of　which　it　might　be　interesting
to　examine；　but　they　are　mentioned　here　merely　to　explain　how　it　was
that　Adrien　was　not　likely　to　find　a　rival　in　his　brother。　Robert's
affection　for　Laurence　was　that　of　a　relation；　the　respect　of　a　noble
for　a　girl　of　his　own　caste。　In　matters　of　sentiment　the　elder
d'Hauteserre　belonged　to　the　class　of　men　who　consider　woman　as　an
appendage　to　man；　limiting　her　sphere　to　the　physical　duties　of
maternity；　demanding　perfection　in　that　respect；　but　regarding　her
mentally　as　of　no　account。　To　such　men　the　admittance　of　woman　as　an
actual　sharer　in　society；　in　the　body　politic；　in　the　family；　meant
the　subversion　of　the　social　system。　In　these　days　we　are　so　far
removed　from　this　theory　of　primitive　people　that　almost　all　women；
even　those　who　do　not　desire　the　fatal　emancipation　offered　by　the　new
sects；　will　be　shocked　in　merely　hearing　of　it；　but　it　must　be　owned
that　Robert　d'Hauteserre　had　the　misfortune　to　think　in　that　way。
Robert　was　a　man　of　the　middle…ages；　Adrien　a　man　of　to…day。　These
differences　instead　of　hindering　their　affection　had　drawn　its　bonds
the　closer。　On　the　first　evening　after　the　return　of　the　young　men
these　shades　of　character　were　caught　and　understood　by　the　abbe；
Mademoiselle　Goujet；　and　Madame　d'Hauteserre；　who；　while　playing　their
boston；　were　secretly　foreseeing　the　difficulties　of　the　future。

At　twenty…three　years　of　age；　having　passed　through　the　many
reflections　of　a　long　solitude　and　the　anguish　of　a　defeated
enterprise；　Laurence　had　become　a　woman；　and　felt　within　her　an
absorbing　desire　for　affection。　She　now　put　forth　all　her　graces　of
her　mind　and　was　charming；　she　revealed　the　hidden　b