an historical mystery-第30节

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tone　of　a　man　who　is　struck　to　the　heart；　〃to　make　your　decision。〃

He　urged　his　horse　in　advance　so　that　the　d'Hauteserres　might　not
overhear　them。　His　brother's　horse　and　Laurence's　followed　him。　When
they　had　put　some　distance　between　themselves　and　the　rest　of　the
party　Laurence　attempted　to　speak；　but　tears　were　at　first　her　only
language。

〃I　will　enter　a　cloister；〃　she　said　at　last。

〃And　let　the　race　of　Cinq…Cygne　end？〃　said　the　younger　brother。
〃Instead　of　one　unhappy　man；　would　you　make　two？　No；　whichever　of　us
must　be　your　brother　only；　will　resign　himself　to　that　fate。　It　is　the
knowledge　that　we　are　no　longer　poor　that　has　brought　us　to　explain
ourselves；〃　he　added；　glancing　at　the　marquis。　〃If　I　am　the　one
preferred；　all　this　money　is　my　brother's。　If　I　am　rejected；　he　will
give　it　to　me　with　the　title　of　de　Simeuse；　for　he　must　then　take　the
name　and　title　of　Cinq…Cygne。　Whichever　way　it　ends；　the　loser　will
have　a　chance　of　recoverybut　if　he　feels　he　must　die　of　grief；　he
can　enter　the　army　and　die　in　battle；　not　to　sadden　the　happy
household。〃

〃We　are　true　knights　of　the　olden　time；　worthy　of　our　fathers；〃　cried
the　elder。　〃Speak；　Laurence；　decide　between　us。〃

〃We　cannot　continue　as　we　are；〃　said　the　younger。

〃Do　not　think；　Laurence；　that　self…denial　is　without　its　joys；〃　said
the　elder。

〃My　dear　loved　ones；〃　said　the　girl；　〃I　am　unable　to　decide。　I　love
you　both　as　though　you　were　one　beingas　your　mother　loved　you。　God
will　help　us。　I　cannot　choose。　Let　us　put　it　to　chancebut　I　make　one
condition。〃

〃What　is　it？〃

〃Whichever　one　of　you　becomes　my　brother　must　stay　with　me　until　I
suffer　him　to　leave　me。　I　wish　to　be　sole　judge　of　when　to　part。〃

〃Yes；　yes；〃　said　the　brothers；　without　explaining　to　themselves　her
meaning。

〃The　first　of　you　to　whom　Madame　d'Hauteserre　speaks　to…night　at　table
after　the　Benedicite；　shall　be　my　husband。　But　neither　of　you　must
practise　fraud　or　induce　her　to　answer　a　question。〃

〃We　will　play　fair；〃　said　the　younger；　smiling。

Each　kissed　her　hand。　The　certainty　of　some　decision　which　both　could
fancy　favorable　made　them　gay。

〃Either　way；　dear　Laurence；　you　create　a　Comte　de　Cinq…Cygne〃

〃I　believe；〃　thought　Michu；　riding　behind　them；　〃that　mademoiselle
will　not　long　be　unmarried。　How　gay　my　masters　are！　If　my　mistress
makes　her　choice　I　shall　not　leave；　I　must　stay　and　see　that　wedding。〃

Just　then　a　magpie　flew　suddenly　before　his　face。　Michu；　superstitious
like　all　primitive　beings；　fancied　he　heard　the　muffled　tones　of　a
death…knell。　The　day；　however；　began　brightly　enough　for　lovers；　who
rarely　see　magpies　when　together　in　the　woods。　Michu；　armed　with　his
plan；　verified　the　spots；　each　gentleman　had　brought　a　pickaxe；　and
the　money　was　soon　found。　The　part　of　the　forest　where　it　was　buried
was　quite　wild；　far　from　all　paths　or　habitations；　so　that　the
cavalcade　bearing　the　gold　returned　unseen。　This　proved　to　be　a　great
misfortune。　On　their　way　from　Cinq…Cygne　to　fetch　the　last　two　hundred
thousand　francs；　the　party；　emboldened　by　success；　took　a　more　direct
way　than　on　their　other　trips。　The　path　passed　an　opening　from　which
the　park　of　Gondreville　could　be　seen。

〃What　is　that？〃　cried　Laurence；　pointing　to　a　column　of　blue　flame。

〃A　bonfire；　I　think；〃　replied　Michu。

Laurence；　who　knew　all　the　by…ways　of　the　forest；　left　the　rest　of　the
party　and　galloped　towards　the　pavilion；　Michu's　old　home。　Though　the
building　was　closed　and　deserted；　the　iron　gates　were　open；　and　traces
of　the　recent　passage　of　several　horses　struck　Laurence　instantly。　The
column　of　blue　smoke　was　rising　from　a　field　in　what　was　called　the
English　park；　where；　as　she　supposed；　they　were　burning　brush。

〃Ah！　so　you　are　concerned　in　it；　too；　are　you；　mademoiselle？〃　cried
Violette；　who　came　out　of　the　park　at　top　speed　on　his　pony；　and
pulled　up　to　meet　Laurence。　〃But；　of　course；　it　is　only　a　carnival
joke？　They　surely　won't　kill　him？〃

〃Who？〃

〃Your　cousins　wouldn't　put　him　to　death？〃

〃Death！　whose　death？〃

〃The　senator's。〃

〃You　are　crazy；　Violette！〃

〃Well；　what　are　you　doing　here；　then？〃　he　demanded。

At　the　idea　of　a　danger　which　was　threatening　her　cousins；　Laurence
turned　her　horse　and　galloped　back　to　them；　reaching　the　ground　as　the
last　sacks　were　filled。

〃Quick；　quick！〃　she　cried。　〃I　don't　know　what　is　going　on；　but　let　us
get　back　to　Cinq…Cygne。〃

While　the　happy　party　were　employed　in　recovering　the　fortune　saved　by
the　old　marquis；　and　guarded　for　so　many　years　by　Michu；　an
extraordinary　scene　was　taking　place　in　the　chateau　of　Gondreville。

About　two　o'clock　in　the　afternoon　Malin　and　his　friend　Grevin　were
playing　chess　before　the　fire　in　the　great　salon　on　the　ground…floor。
Madame　Grevin　and　Madame　Marion　were　sitting　on　a　sofa　and　talking
together　at　a　corner　of　the　fireplace。　All　the　servants　had　gone　to
see　the　masquerade；　which　had　long　been　announced　in　the
arrondissement。　The　family　of　the　bailiff　who　had　replaced　Michu　had
gone　too。　The　senator's　valet　and　Violette　were　the　only　persons
beside　the　family　at　the　chateau。　The　porter；　two　gardeners；　and　their
wives　were　on　the　place；　but　their　lodge　was　at　the　entrance　of　the
courtyards　at　the　farther　end　of　the　avenue　to　Arcis；　and　the　distance
from　there　to　the　chateau　is　beyond　the　sound　of　a　pistol…shot。
Violette　was　waiting　in　the　antechamber　until　the　senator　and　Grevin
could　see　him　on　business；　to　arrange　a　matter　relating　to　his　lease。
At　that　moment　five　men；　masked　and　gloved；　who　in　height；　manner；　and
bearing　strongly　resembled　the　Simeuse　and　d'Hauteserre　brothers　and
Michu；　rushed　into　the　antechamber；　seized　and　gagged　the　valet　and
Violette；　and　fastened　them　to　their　chairs　in　a　side　room。　In　spite
of　the　rapidity　with　which　this　was　done；　Violette　and　the　servant　had
time　to　utter　one　cry。　It　was　heard　in　the　salon。　The　two　ladies
thought　it　a　cry　of　fear。

〃Listen！〃　said　Madame　Grevin；　〃can　there　be　robbers？〃

〃No；　nonsense！〃　said　Grevin；　〃only　carnival　cries；　the　masqueraders
must　be　coming　to　pay　us　a　visit。〃

This　discussion　gave　time　for　the　four　strangers　to　close　the　doors
towards　the　courtyards　and　to　lock　up　Violette　and　the　valet。　Madame
Grevin；　who　was　rather　obstinate；　insisted　on　knowing　what　the　noise
meant。　She　rose；　left　the　room；　and　came　face　to　face　with　the　five
masked　men；　who　treated　her　as　they　had　treated　the　farmer　and　the
valet。　Then　they　rushed　into　the　salon；　where　the　two　strongest　seized
and　gagged　Malin；　and　carried　him　off　into　the　park；　while　the　three
others　remained　behind　to　gag　Madame　Marion　and　Grevin　and　lash　them
to　their　armchairs。　The　whole　affair　did　not　take　more　than　half　an
hour。　The　three　unknown　men；　who　were　quickly　rejoined　by　the　two　who
had　carried　off　the　senator；　then　proceeded　to　ransack　the　chateau
from　cellar　to　garret。　They　opened　all　closets　and　doors；　and　sounded
the　walls；　until　five　o'clock　they　were　absolute　masters　of　the　place。
By　that　time　the　valet　had　managed　to　loosen　with　his　teeth　the　rope
that　bound　Violette。　Violette；　able　then　to　get　the　gag　from　his
mouth；　began　to　shout　for　help。　Hearing　the　shouts　the　five　men
withdrew　to　the　gardens；　where　they　mounted　horses　closely　resembling
those　at　Cinq…Cygne　and　rode　away；　but　not　so　rapidly　that　Violette
was　unable　to　catch　sight　of　them。　After　releasing　the　valet；　the　two
ladies；　and　the　notary；　Violette　mounted　his　pony　and　rode　after　help。
When　he　reached　the　pavilion　he　was　amazed　to　see　the　gates　open　and
Mademoiselle　de　Cinq…Cygne　apparently　on　the　watch。

Directly　after　the　young　countess　had　ridden　off；　Violette　was
overtaken　by　Grevin　and　the　forester　of　the　township　of　Gondreville；
who　had　taken　horses　from　the　stables　at　the　chateau。　The　porter's
wife　was　on　her　way　to　summon　the　gendarmerie　from　Arcis。　Violette　at
once　informed　Grevin　of　his　meeting　with　Laurence　and　the　sudden
flight　of　the　daring　girl；　whose　strong　and　decided　character　was
known　to　all　of　them。

〃She　was　keeping　watch；〃　said　Violette。

〃Is　it　possible　that　those　Cinq…Cygne　people　have　done　this　thing？〃
cried　Grevin。

〃Do　you　mean　to　say　you　didn't　recognize　that　stout　Michu？〃　exclaimed
Violette。　〃It　was　he　who　attacked　me；　I　knew　his　fist。　Besides；　they
rode　the　Cinq…Cygne　horses。〃

Noticing　the　hoof…marks　on　the　sand　of　the　/rond…point/　and　along　the
park　road　the　notary　stationed　the　forester　at　the　gateway　to　see　to
the　preservation　of　these　precious　traces　until　the　justice　of　peace
of　Arcis　（for　whom　he　now　sent　Violette）　could　take　note　of　them。　He
himself　returned　hastily　to　the　chateau；　where　the　lieutenant　and　sub…
lieutenant　of　the　Imperial　gendarmerie　at　Arcis　had　arrived；
accompanied　by　four　men　and　a　corporal。　The　lieutenant　was　the　same
man　whose　head　Francois　Michu　had　broken　two　years　earlier；　and　who
had　heard　from　Corentin　the　name　of　his　mischievous　assailant。　This
man；　whose　name　was　Giguet　（his　brother　was　in　the　army；　and　became
one　of　the　finest　colonels　of　artillery）；　was　an　extremely　able
officer　of　gendarmerie。　Later　he　commanded　the　squadron　of　the　Aube。
The　sub…lieutenant；　named　Welff；　had　formerly　driven　Co