an historical mystery-第6节

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


Laurence；　instead　of　wringing　her　hands；　loaded　the　guns　with
extraordinary　coolness；　and　passed　the　balls　and　powder　to　those　who
needed　them。　The　Comtesse　de　Cinq…Cygne　was　on　her　knees。

〃What　are　you　doing；　mother？〃　said　Laurence。

〃I　am　praying；〃　she　answered；　〃for　them　and　for　you。〃

Sublime　words；said　also　by　the　mother　of　Godoy；　prince　of　the　Peace；
in　Spain；　under　similar　circumstances。

In　a　moment　eleven　persons　were　killed　and　lying　on　the　ground　among　a
number　of　wounded。　Such　results　either　cool　or　excite　a　populace；
either　it　grows　savage　at　the　work　or　discontinues　it。　On　the　present
occasion　those　in　advance　recoiled；　but　the　crowd　behind　them　were
there　to　kill　and　rob；　and　when　they　saw　their　own　dead；　they　cried
out：　〃Murder！　Murder！　Revenge！〃　The　wiser　heads　went　in　search　of　the
representative　to　the　Convention；　Malin。　The　twins；　by　this　time　aware
of　the　disastrous　events　of　the　day；　suspected　Malin　of　desiring　the
ruin　of　their　family；　and　of　causing　the　arrest　of　their　parents；　and
the　suspicion　soon　became　a　certainty。　They　posted　themselves　beneath
the　porte…cochere；　gun　in　hand；　intending　to　kill　Malin　as　soon　as　he
made　his　appearance；　but　the　countess　lost　her　head；　she　imagined　her
house　in　ashes　and　her　daughter　assassinated；　and　she　blamed　the　young
men　for　their　heroic　defence　and　compelled　them　to　desist。　It　was
Laurence　who　opened　the　door　slightly　when　Malin　summoned　the
household　to　admit　him。　Seeing　her；　the　representative　relied　upon　the
awe　he　expected　to　inspire　in　a　mere　child；　and　he　entered　the　house。
To　his　first　words　of　inquiry　as　to　why　the　family　were　making　such　a
resistance；　the　girl　replied：　〃If　you　really　desire　to　give　liberty　to
France　how　is　it　that　you　do　not　protect　us　in　our　homes？　They　are
trying　to　tear　down　this　house；　monsieur；　to　murder　us；　and　you　say　we
have　no　right　to　oppose　force　to　force！〃

Malin　stood　rooted　to　the　ground。

〃You；　the　son　of　a　mason　employed　by　the　Grand　Marquis　to　build　his
castle！〃　exclaimed　Marie…Paul；　〃you　have　let　them　drag　our　father　to
prisonyou　have　believed　calumnies！〃

〃He　shall　be　released　at　once；〃　said　Malin；　who　thought　himself　lost
when　he　saw　each　youth　clutch　his　weapon　convulsively。

〃You　owe　your　life　to　that　promise；〃　said　Marie…Paul；　solemnly。　〃If　it
is　not　fulfilled　to…night　we　shall　find　you　again。〃

〃As　to　that　howling　populace；〃　said　Laurence；　〃If　you　do　not　send　them
away；　the　next　blood　will　be　yours。　Now；　Monsieur　Malin；　leave　this
house！〃

The　Conventionalist　did　leave　it；　and　he　harangued　the　crowd；　dwelling
on　the　sacred　rights　of　the　domestic　hearth；　the　habeas　corpus　and　the
English　〃home。〃　He　told　them　that　the　law　and　the　people　were
sovereigns；　that　the　law　/was/　the　people；　and　that　the　people　could
only　act　through　the　law；　and　that　power　was　vested　in　the　law。　The
particular　law　of　personal　necessity　made　him　eloquent；　and　he　managed
to　disperse　the　crowd。　But　he　never　forgot　the　contemptuous　expression
of　the　two　brothers；　nor　the　〃Leave　this　house！〃　of　Mademoiselle　de
Cinq…Cygne。　Therefore；　when　it　was　a　question　of　selling　the　estates
of　the　Comte　de　Cinq…Cygne；　Laurence's　brother；　as　national　property；
the　sale　was　rigorously　made。　The　agents　left　nothing　for　Laurence　but
the　chateau；　the　park　and　gardens；　and　one　farm　called　that　of　Cinq…
Cygne。　Malin　instructed　the　appraisers　that　Laurence　had　no　rights
beyond　her　legal　share；the　nation　taking　possession　of　all　that
belonged　to　her　brother；　who　had　emigrated　and；　above　all；　had　borne
arms　against　the　Republic。

The　evening　after　this　terrible　tumult；　Laurence　so　entreated　her
cousins　to　leave　the　country；　fearing　treachery　on　the　part　of　Malin；
or　some　trap　into　which　they　might　fall；　that　they　took　horse　that
night　and　gained　the　Prussian　outposts。　They　had　scarcely　reached　the
forest　of　Gondreville　before　the　hotel　Cinq…Cygne　was　surrounded；
Malin　came　himself　to　arrest　the　heirs　of　the　house　of　Simeuse。　He
dared　not　lay　hands　on　the　Comtesse　de　Cinq…Cygne；　who　was　in　bed　with
a　nervous　fever；　nor　on　Laurence；　a　child　of　twelve。　The　servants；
fearing　the　severity　of　the　Republic；　had　disappeared。　The　next　day
the　news　of　the　resistance　of　the　brothers　and　their　flight　to　Prussia
was　known　to　the　neighborhood。　A　crowd　of　three　thousand　persons
assembled　before　the　hotel　de　Cinq…Cygne；　which　was　demolished　with
incredible　rapidity。　Madame　de　Cinq…Cygne；　carried　to　the　hotel
Simeuse；　died　there　from　the　effects　of　the　fever　aggravated　by
terror。

Michu　did　not　appear　in　the　political　arena　until　after　these　events；
for　the　marquis　and　his　wife　remained　in　prison　over　five　months。
During　this　time　Malin　was　away　on　a　mission。　But　when　Monsieur　Marion
sold　Gondreville　to　the　Councillor　of　State；　Michu　understood　the
latter's　game；or　rather；　he　thought　he　did；　for　Malin　was；　like
Fouche；　one　of　those　personages　who　are　of　such　depth　in　all　their
different　aspects　that　they　are　impenetrable　when　they　play　a　part；
and　are　never　understood　until　long　after　their　drama　is　ended。

In　all　the　chief　circumstances　of　Malin's　life　he　had　never　failed　to
consult　his　faithful　friend　Grevin；　the　notary　of　Arcis；　whose
judgment　on　men　and　things　was；　at　a　distance；　clear…cut　and　precise。
This　faculty　is　the　wisdom　and　makes　the　strength　of　second…rate　men。
Now；　in　November；　1803；　a　combination　of　events　（already　related　in
the　〃Depute　d'Arcis〃）　made　matters　so　serious　for　the　Councillor　of
State　that　a　letter　might　have　compromised　the　two　friends。　Malin；　who
hoped　to　be　appointed　senator；　was　afraid　to　offer　his　explanations　in
Paris。　He　came　to　Gondreville；　giving　the　First　Consul　only　one　of　the
reasons　that　made　him　wish　to　be　there；　that　reason　gave　him　an
appearance　of　zeal　in　the　eyes　of　Bonaparte；　whereas　his　journey；　far
from　concerning　the　interests　of　the　State；　related　to　his　own
interests　only。　On　this　particular　day；　as　Michu　was　watching　the　park
and　expecting；　after　the　manner　of　a　red　Indian；　a　propitious　moment
for　his　vengeance；　the　astute　Malin；　accustomed　to　turn　all　events　to
his　own　profit；　was　leading　his　friend　Grevin　to　a　little　field　in　the
English　garden；　a　lonely　spot　in　the　park；　favorable　for　a　secret
conference。　There；　standing　in　the　centre　of　the　grass　plot　and
speaking　low；　the　friends　were　at　too　great　a　distance　to　be　overheard
if　any　one　were　lurking　near　enough　to　listen　to　them；　they　were　also
sure　of　time　to　change　the　conversation　if　others　unwarily　approached。

〃Why　couldn't　we　have　stayed　in　a　room　in　the　chateau？〃　asked　Grevin。

〃Didn't　you　take　notice　of　those　two　men　whom　the　prefect　of　police
has　sent　here　to　me？〃

Though　Fouche　made　himself　in　the　matter　of　the　Pichegru；　Georges；
Moreau；　and　Polignac　conspiracy　the　soul　of　the　Consular　cabinet；　he
did　not　at　this　time　control　the　ministry　of　police；　but　was　merely　a
councillor　of　State　like　Malin。

〃Those　men；〃　continued　Malin；　〃are　Fouche's　two　arms。　One；　that　dandy
Corentin；　whose　face　is　like　a　glass　of　lemonade；　vinegar　on　his　lips
and　verjuice　in　his　eyes；　put　an　end　to　the　insurrection　at　the　West
in　the　year　VII。　in　less　than　fifteen　days。　The　other　is　a　disciple　of
Lenoir；　he　is　the　only　one　who　preserves　the　great　traditions　of　the
police。　I　had　asked　for　an　agent　of　no　great　account；　backed　by　some
official　personage；　and　they　send　me　those　past…masters　of　the
business！　Ah；　Grevin；　Fouche　wants　to　pry　into　my　game。　That's　why　I
left　those　fellows　dining　at　the　chateau；　they　may　look　into
everything　for　all　I　care；　they　won't　find　Louis　XVIII。　nor　any　sign
of　him。〃

〃But　see　here；　my　dear　fellow；　what　game　are　you　playing？〃　cried
Grevin。

〃Ha；　my　friend；　a　double　game　is　a　dangerous　one；　but　this；　taking
Fouche　into　account；　is　a　triple　one。　He　may　have　nosed　the　fact　that
I　am　in　the　secrets　of　the　house　of　Bourbon。〃

〃You？〃

〃I；〃　replied　Malin。

〃Have　you　forgotten　Favras？〃

The　words　made　an　impression　on　the　councillor。

〃Since　when？〃　asked　Grevin；　after　a　pause。

〃Since　the　Consulate　for　life。〃

〃I　hope　there's　no　proof　of　it？〃

〃Not　that！〃　said　Malin；　clicking　his　thumb…nail　against　his　teeth。

In　few　words　the　Councillor　of　State　gave　a　clear　and　succinct　account
of　the　critical　position　in　which　Bonaparte　was　about　to　hold　England；
by　threatening　her　with　invasion　from　the　camp　at　Boulogne；　he
explained　to　Grevin　the　bearings　of　that　project；　which　was　unobserved
by　France　and　Europe　but　suspected　by　Pitt；　also　the　critical　position
in　which　England　was　about　to　put　Bonaparte。　A　powerful　coalition；
Prussia；　Austria；　and　Russia；　paid　by　English　gold；　was　pledged　to
furnish　seven　hundred　thousand　men　under　arms。　At　the　same　time　a
formidable　conspiracy　was　throwing　a　network　over　the　whole　of　France；
including　among　its　members　montagnards；　chouans；　royalists；　and　their
princes。

〃Louis　XVIII。　held　that　as　long　as　there　were　three　Consuls　anarchy
was　certain；　and　that　he　could　at　some　opportune　moment　take　his
revenge　for　the　13th　Vendemiaire　and　the　18th　Fructidor；〃　said　Malin；
〃but　the　Consulate　for　life　has　unmasked　Bonaparte's　intentionshe
will　soon　be　emperor。　The　late　sub…lieutenant　m