la constantin-第9节

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aped　entirely　from　its　bonds；　and　she　felt　it　rise　on　her　head　as　the　figures　on　the　tapestry　moved　and　bent　towards　her。　　Falling　on　her　knees　and　closing　her　eyes；　she　began　to　invoke　the　aid　of　God　and　all　the　saints。　　But　she　soon　felt　herself　raised　by　strong　arms；　and　looking　round；　she　found　herself　in　the　presence　of　an　unknown　man；　who　seemed　to　have　issued　from　the　ground　or　the　walls；　and　who；　seizing　the　only　light　left　unextinguished　in　the　scuffle；　dragged　her　more　dead　than　alive　into　the　next　room。

This　man　was；　as　the　reader　will　have　already　guessed；　Maitre　Quennebert。　　As　soon　as　the　chevalier　and　the　duke　had　disappeared；　the　notary　had　run　towards　the　corner　where　the　widow　lay；　and　having　made　sure　that　she　was　really　unconscious；　and　unable　to　see　or　hear　anything；　so　that　it　would　be　quite　safe　to　tell　her　any　story　he　pleased　next　day；　he　returned　to　his　former　position；　and　applying　his　shoulder　to　the　partition；　easily　succeeded　in　freeing　the　ends　of　the　rotten　laths　from　the　nails　which　held　there；　and；　pushing　them　before　him；　made　an　aperture　large　enough　to　allow　of　his　passing　through　into　the　next　apartment。　　He　applied　himself　to　this　task　with　such　vigour；　and　became　so　absorbed　in　its　accomplishment；　that　he　entirely　forgot　the　bag　of　twelve　hundred　livres　which　the　widow　had　given　him。

〃Who　are　you？　　What　do　you　want　with　me？〃　cried　Mademoiselle　de　Guerchi；　struggling　to　free　herself。

〃Silence！〃　was　Quennebert's　answer。

〃Don't　kill　me；　for　pity's　sake！〃

〃Who　wants　to　kill　you？　　But　be　silent；　I　don't　want　your　shrieks　to　call　people　here。　　I　must　be　alone　with　you　for　a　few　moments。　　Once　more　I　tell　you　to　be　quiet；　unless　you　want　me　to　use　violence。　　If　you　do　what　I　tell　you；　no　harm　shall　happen　to　you。〃

〃But　who　are　you；　monsieur？〃

〃I　am　neither　a　burglar　nor　a　murderer；　that's　all　you　need　to　know；　the　rest　is　no　concern　of　yours。　　Have　you　writing　materials　at　hand？〃

〃Yes；　monsieur；　there　they　are；　on　that　table。〃

〃Very　well。　　Now　sit　down　at　the　table。〃

〃Why？〃

〃Sit　down；　and　answer　my　questions。〃

〃The　first　man　who　visited　you　this　evening　was　M。　Jeannin；　was　he　not？〃

〃Yes；　M。　Jeannin　de　Castille。〃

〃The　king's　treasurer？〃

〃Yes。〃

〃All　right。　　The　second　was　Commander　de　Jars；　and　the　young　man　he　brought　with　him　was　his　nephew；　the　Chevalier　de　Moranges。　　The　last　comer　was　a　duke；　am　I　not　right？〃

〃The　Duc　de　Vitry。〃

〃Now　write　from　my　dictation。〃

He　spoke　very　slowly；　and　Mademoiselle　de　Guerchi；　obeying　his　commands；　took　up　her　pen。

〃'To…day；'〃　dictated　Quennebert；〃'to…day；　this　twentieth　day　of　the　month　of　November；　in　the　year　of　the　Lord　1658；　I

〃What　is　your　full　name？〃

〃Angelique…Louise　de　Guerchi。〃

〃Go　on！　　'I；　Angelique…Louise　de　Guerchi；　was　visited；　in　the　rooms　whichI　occupy；　in　the　mansion　of　the　Duchesse　d'Etampes；　corner　of　the　streets　Git…le…Coeur　and　du　Hurepoix；　about　half…past　seven　o'clock　in　the　evening；　in　the　first　place；　by　Messire　Jeannin　de　Castille；　King's　Treasurer；　in　the　second　place；　by　Commander　de　Jars；　who　was　accompanied　by　a　young　man；　his　nephew；　the　Chevalier　de　Moranges　；　in　the　third　place；　after　the　departure　of　Commander　de　Jars；　and　while　I　was　alone　with　the　Chevalier　de　Moranges；　by　the　Duc　de　Vitry；　who　drew　his　sword　upon　the　said　chevalier　and　forced　him　to　take　flight。'

〃Now　put　in　a　line　by　itself；　and　use　capitals

〃'DESCRIPTION　OF　THE　CHEVALIER　DE　MORANGES。〃

〃But　I　only　saw　him　for　an　instant；〃　said　Angelique；　〃and　I　can't　recall

〃Write；　and　don't　talk。　　I　can　recall　everything；　and　that　is　all　that　is　wanted。〃

〃'Height　about　five　feet。'　The　chevalier；〃　said　Quennebert；　interrupting　himself；　〃is　four　feet　eleven　inches　three　lines　and　a　half；　but　I　don't　need　absolute　exactness。〃　　Angelique　gazed　at　him　in　utter　stupefaction。

〃Do　you　know　him；　then？〃　she　asked。

〃I　saw　him　this　evening　for　the　first　time；　but　my　eye　is　very　accurate。

〃'Height　about　five　feet；　hair　black；　eyes　ditto；　nose　aquiline；　mouth　large；　lips　compressed；　forehead　high；　face　oval；　complexion　pale；　no　beard。'

〃　Now　another　line；　and　in　capitals

'SPECIAL　MARKS。'

〃'A　small　mole　on　the　neck　behind　the　right　ear；　a　smaller　mole　on　the　left　hand。'

〃Have　you　written　that？　　Now　sign　it　with　your　full　name。〃

〃What　use　are　you　going　to　make　of　this　paper？〃

〃I　should　have　told　you　before；　if　I　had　desired　you　to　know。　　Any　questions　are　quite　useless。　　I　don't　enjoin　secrecy　on　you；　however；〃　added　the　notary；　as　he　folded　the　paper　and　put　it　into　his　doublet　pocket。　　〃　You　are　quite　free　to　tell　anyone　you　like　that　you　have　written　the　description　of　the　Chevalier　de　Moranges　at　the　dictation　of　an　unknown　man；　who　got　into　your　room　you　don't　know　how；　by　the　chimney　or　through　the　ceiling　perhaps；　but　who　was　determined　to　leave　it　by　a　more　convenient　road。　　Is　there　not　a　secret　staircase？　　Show　me　where　it　is。　　I　don't　want　to　meet　anyone　on　my　way　out。〃

Angelique　pointed　out　a　door　to　him　hidden　by　a　damask　curtain；　and　Quennebert　saluting　her；　opened　it　and　disappeared；　leaving　Angelique　convinced　that　she　had　seen　the　devil　in　person。　　Not　until　the　next　day　did　the　sight　of　the　displaced　partition　explain　the　apparition；　but　even　then　so　great　was　her　fright；　so　deep　was　the　terror　which　the　recollection　of　the　mysterious　man　inspired；　that　despite　the　permission　to　tell　what　had　happened　she　mentioned　her　adventure　to　no　one；　and　did　not　even　complain　to　her　neighbour；　Madame　Rapally；　of　the　inquisitiveness　which　had　led　the　widow　to　spy　on　her　actions。





CHAPTER　VI

We　left　de　Jars　and　Jeannin；　roaring　with　laughter；　in　the　tavern　in　the　rue　Saint　Andre…des…Arts。

〃What！〃　said　the　treasurer；　〃do　you　really　think　that　Angelique　thought　I　was　in　earnest　in　my　offer？that　she　believes　in　all　good　faith　I　intend　to　marry　her？〃

〃You　may　take　my　word　for　it。　　If　it　were　not　so；　do　you　imagine　she　would　have　been　in　such　desperation？　　Would　she　have　fainted　at　my　threat　to　tell　you　that　I　had　claims　on　her　as　well　as　you？　　To　get　married！　　Why；　that　is　the　goal　of　all　such　creatures；　and　there　is　not　one　of　them　who　can　understand　why　a　man　of　honour　should　blush　to　give　her　his　name。　　If　you　had　only　seen　her　terror；　her　tears！　They　would　have　either　broken　your　heart　or　killed　you　with　laughter。〃

〃Well；〃　said　Jeannin；　〃it　is　getting　late。　　Are　we　going　to　wait　for　the　chevalier？〃

〃Let　us　call；　for　him。〃

〃Very　well。　　Perhaps　he　has　made　up　his　mind　to　stay。　　If　so；　we　shall　make　a　horrible　scene；　cry　treachery　and　perjury；　and　trounce　your　nephew　well。　　Let's　settle　our　score　and　be　off。〃

They　left　the　wine…shop；　both　rather　the　worse　for　the　wine　they　had　so　largely　indulged　in。　　They　felt　the　need　of　the　cool　night　air；　so　instead　of　going　down　the　rue　Pavee　they　resolved　to　follow　the　rue　Saint…Andre…des…Arts　as　far　as　the　Pont　Saint…Michel；　so　as　to　reach　the　mansion　by　a　longer　route。

At　the　very　moment　the　commander　got　up　to　leave　the　tavern　the　chevalier　had　run　out　of　the　mansion　at　the　top　of　his　speed。　　It　was　not　that　he　had　entirely　lost　his　courage；　for　had　he　found　it　impossible　to　avoid　his　assailant　it　is　probable　that　he　would　have　regained　the　audacity　which　had　led　him　to　draw　his　sword。　　But　he　was　a　novice　in　the　use　of　arms；　had　not　reached　full　physical　development；　and　felt　that　the　chances　were　so　much　against　him　that　he　would　only　have　faced　the　encounter　if　there　were　no　possible　way　of　escape。　　On　leaving　the　house　he　had　turned　quickly　into　the　rue　Git…le…Coeur；　but　on　hearing　the　door　close　behind　his　pursuer　he　disappeared　down　the　narrow　and　crooked　rue　de　l'Hirondelle；　hoping　to　throw　the　Duc　de　Vitry　off　the　scent。　　The　duke；　however；　though　for　a　moment　in　doubt；　was　guided　by　the　sound　of　the　flying　footsteps。　　The　chevalier；　still　trying　to　send　him　off　on　a　false　trail；　turned　to　the　right；　and　so　regained　the　upper　end　of　the　rue　Saint…Andre；　and　ran　along　it　as　far　as　the　church；　the　site　of　which　is　occupied　by　the　square　of　the　same　name　to…day。　　Here　he　thought　he　would　be　safe；　for；　as　the　church　was　being　restored　and　enlarged；　heaps　of　stone　stood　all　round　the　old　pile。　　He　glided　in　among　these；　and　twice　heard　Vitry　searching　quite　close　to　him；　and　each　time　stood　on　guard　expecting　an　onslaught。　　This　marching　and　counter…marching　lasted　for　some　minutes；　the　chevalier　began　to　hope　he　had　escaped　the　danger；　and　eagerly　waited　for　the　moment　when　the　moon　which　had　broken　through　the　clouds　should　again　withdraw　behind　them；　in　order　to　steal　into　some　of　the　adjacent　streets　under　cover　of　the　darkness。　　Suddenly　a　shadow　rose　before　him　and　a　threatening　voice　cried

〃　Have　I　caught　you　at　last；　you　coward？〃

The　danger　in　which　the　chevalier　stood　awoke　in　him　a　flickering　energy；　a　feverish　courage；　and　he　crossed　blades　with　his　assailant。　A　strange　combat　ensued；　of　which　the　result　was　quite　uncertain；　depending　entirely　on　chance；　for　no　science　was　of　any　avail　on　a　ground　so　rough　that　the　combatants　stumbled　at　every　step；　or　struck　against　immovable　masses；　which　were　one　moment　clearly　lit　up；　and　the　next　in　shadow。　　Steel　clashed　on　steel；　the　feet　of　the　adv