maitre cornelius-第13节

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himself　would　not　sup　with　Cornelius。　Next；　he　told　the　miser　to　close

his　windows　with　the　utmost　care；　that　no　single　ray　of　light　should

escape　from　the　house；　and　then　he　departed　with　much　pomp　for　Plessis

along　the　embankment；　but　there　he　secretly　left　his　escort；　and

returned　by　a　door　in　the　ramparts　to　the　house　of　the　torconnier。　All

these　precautions　were　so　well　taken　that　the　people　of　Tours　really

thought　the　king　had　returned　to　Plessis；　and　would　sup　on　the　morrow

with　Cornelius。



Towards　eight　o'clock　that　evening；　as　the　king　was　supping　with　his

physician；　Cornelius；　and　the　captain　of　his　guard；　and　holding　much

jovial　converse；　forgetting　for　the　time　being　that　he　was　ill　and　in

danger　of　death；　the　deepest　silence　reigned　without；　and　all　passers；

even　the　wariest　robber；　would　have　believed　that　the　Malemaison　was

occupied　as　usual。



〃I　hope；〃　said　the　king；　laughing；　〃that　my　silversmith　shall　be

robbed　to…night；　so　that　my　curiosity　may　be　satisfied。　Therefore；

messieurs；　no　one　is　to　leave　his　chamber　to…morrow　morning　without　my

order；　under　pain　of　grievous　punishment。〃



Thereupon；　all　went　to　bed。　The　next　morning；　Louis　XI。　was　the　first

to　leave　his　apartment；　and　he　went　at　once　to　the　door　of　the　strong…

room。　He　was　not　a　little　astonished　to　see；　as　he　went　along；　the

marks　of　a　large　foot　along　the　stairways　and　corridors　of　the　house。

Carefully　avoiding　those　precious　footprints；　he　followed　them　to　the

door　of　the　treasure…room；　which　he　found　locked　without　a　sign　of

fracture　or　defacement。　Then　he　studied　the　direction　of　the　steps；

but　as　they　grew　gradually　fainter；　they　finally　left　not　the

slightest　trace；　and　it　was　impossible　for　him　to　discover　where　the

robber　had　fled。



〃Ho；　crony！〃　called　out　the　king；　〃you　have　been　finely　robbed　this

time。〃



At　these　words　the　old　Fleming　hurried　out　of　his　chamber；　visibly

terrified。　Louis　XI。　made　him　look　at　the　foot…prints　on　the　stairs

and　corridors；　and　while　examining　them　himself　for　the　second　time；

the　king　chanced　to　observe　the　miser's　slippers　and　recognized　the

type　of　sole　that　was　printed　in　flour　on　the　corridors。　He　said　not　a

word；　and　checked　his　laughter；　remembering　the　innocent　men　who　had

been　hanged　for　the　crime。　The　miser　now　hurried　to　his　treasure。　Once

in　the　room　the　king　ordered　him　to　make　a　new　mark　with　his　foot

beside　those　already　existing；　and　easily　convinced　him　that　the

robber　of　his　treasure　was　no　other　than　himself。



〃The　pearl　necklace　is　gone！〃　cried　Cornelius。　〃There　is　sorcery　in

this。　I　never　left　my　room。〃



〃We'll　know　all　about　it　now；〃　said　the　king；　the　evident　truthfulness

of　his　silversmith　making　him　still　more　thoughtful。



He　immediately　sent　for　the　men　he　had　stationed　on　the　watch　and

asked：



〃What　did　you　see　during　the　night？〃



〃Oh；　sire！〃　said　the　lieutenant；　〃an　amazing　sight！　Your　silversmith

crept　down　the　side　of　the　wall　like　a　cat；　so　lightly　that　he　seemed

to　be　a　shadow。〃



〃I！〃　exclaimed　Cornelius；　after　that　one　word；　he　remained　silent；　and

stood　stock…still　like　a　man　who　has　lost　the　use　of　his　limbs。



〃Go　away；　all　of　you；〃　said　the　king；　addressing　the　archers；　〃and

tell　Messieurs　Conyngham；　Coyctier；　Bridore；　and　also　Tristan；　to

leave　their　rooms　and　come　here　to　mine。You　have　incurred　the

penalty　of　death；〃　he　said　to　Cornelius；　who；　happily；　did　not　hear

him。　〃You　have　ten　murders　on　your　conscience！〃



Thereupon　Louis　XI。　gave　a　silent　laugh；　and　made　a　pause。　Presently；

remarking　the　strange　pallor　on　the　Fleming's　face；　he　added：



〃You　need　not　be　uneasy；　you　are　more　valuable　to　bleed　than　to　kill。

You　can　get　out　of　the　claws　of　MY　justice　by　payment　of　a　good　round

sum　to　my　treasury；　but　if　you　don't　build　at　least　one　chapel　in

honor　of　the　Virgin；　you　are　likely　to　find　things　hot　for　you

throughout　eternity。〃



〃Twelve　hundred　and　thirty；　and　eighty…seven　thousand　crowns；　make

thirteen　hundred　and　seventeen　thousand　crowns；〃　replied　Cornelius

mechanically；　absorbed　in　his　calculations。　〃Thirteen　hundred　and

seventeen　thousand　crowns　hidden　somewhere！〃



〃He　must　have　buried　them　in　some　hiding…place；〃　muttered　the　king；

beginning　to　think　the　sum　royally　magnificent。　〃That　was　the　magnet

that　invariably　brought　him　back　to　Tours。　He　felt　his　treasure。〃



Coyctier　entered　at　this　moment。　Noticing　the　attitude　of　Maitre

Cornelius；　he　watched　him　narrowly　while　the　king　related　the

adventure。



〃Sire；〃　replied　the　physician；　〃there　is　nothing　supernatural　in　that。

Your　silversmith　has　the　faculty　of　walking　in　his　sleep。　This　is　the

third　case　I　have　seen　of　that　singular　malady。　If　you　would　give

yourself　the　amusement　of　watching　him　at　such　times；　you　would　see

that　old　man　stepping　without　danger　at　the　very　edge　of　the　roof。　I

noticed　in　the　two　other　cases　I　have　already　observed；　a　curious

connection　between　the　actions　of　that　nocturnal　existence　and　the

interests　and　occupations　of　their　daily　life。〃



〃Ah！　Maitre　Coyctier；　you　are　a　wise　man。〃



〃I　am　your　physician；〃　replied　the　other；　insolently。



At　this　answer；　Louis　XI。　made　the　gesture　which　was　customary　with

him　when　a　good　idea　was　presented　to　his　mind；　he　shoved　up　his　cap

with　a　hasty　motion。



〃At　such　times；〃　continued　Coyctier；　〃persons　attend　to　their　business

while　asleep。　As　this　man　is　fond　of　hoarding；　he　has　simply　pursued

his　dearest　habit。　No　doubt　each　of　these　attacks　have　come　on　after　a

day　in　which　he　has　felt　some　fears　about　the　safety　of　his　treasure。〃



〃Pasques…Dieu！　and　such　treasure！〃　cried　the　king。



〃Where　is　it？〃　asked　Cornelius；　who；　by　a　singular　provision　of

nature；　heard　the　remarks　of　the　king　and　his　physician；　while

continuing　himself　almost　torpid　with　thought　and　the　shock　of　this

singular　misfortune。



〃Ha！〃　cried　Coyctier；　bursting　into　a　diabolical；　coarse　laugh；

〃somnambulists　never　remember　on　their　waking　what　they　have　done　when

asleep。〃



〃Leave　us；〃　said　the　king。



When　Louis　XI。　was　alone　with　his　silversmith；　he　looked　at　him　and

chuckled　coldly。



〃Messire　Hoogworst；〃　he　said；　with　a　nod；　〃all　treasures　buried　in

France　belong　to　the　king。〃



〃Yes；　sire；　all　is　yours；　you　are　the　absolute　master　of　our　lives　and

fortunes；　but；　up　to　this　moment；　you　have　only　taken　what　you　need。〃



〃Listen　to　me；　old　crony；　if　I　help　you　to　recover　this　treasure；　you

can　surely；　and　without　fear；　agree　to　divide　it　with　me。〃



〃No；　sire；　I　will　not　divide　it；　I　will　give　it　all　to　you；　at　my

death。　But　what　scheme　have　you　for　finding　it？〃



〃I　shall　watch　you　myself　when　you　are　taking　your　nocturnal　tramps。

You　might　fear　any　one　but　me。〃



〃Ah；　sire！〃　cried　Cornelius；　flinging　himself　at　the　king's　feet；　〃you

are　the　only　man　in　the　kingdom　whom　I　would　trust　for　such　a　service；

and　I　will　try　to　prove　my　gratitude　for　your　goodness；　by　doing　my

utmost　to　promote　the　marriage　of　the　Burgundian　heiress　with

Monseigneur。　She　will　bring　you　a　noble　treasure；　not　of　money；　but　of

lands；　which　will　round　out　the　glory　of　your　crown。〃



〃There；　there；　Dutchman；　you　are　trying　to　hoodwink　me；〃　said　the

king；　with　frowning　brows；　〃or　else　you　have　already　done　so。〃



〃Sire！　can　you　doubt　my　devotion？　you；　who　are　the　only　man　I　love！〃



〃All　that　is　talk；〃　returned　the　king；　looking　the　other　in　the　eyes。

〃You　need　not　have　waited　till　this　moment　to　do　me　that　service。　You

are　selling　me　your　influencePasques…Dieu！　to　me；　Louis　XI。！　Are　you

the　master；　and　am　I　your　servant？〃



〃Ah；　sire；〃　said　the　old　man；　〃I　was　waiting　to　surprise　you　agreeably

with　news　of　the　arrangements　I　had　made　for　you　in　Ghent；　I　was

awaiting　confirmation　from　Oosterlinck　through　that　apprentice。　What

has　become　of　that　young　man？〃



〃Enough！〃　said　the　king；　〃this　is　only　one　more　blunder　you　have

committed。　I　do　not　like　persons　to　meddle　in　my　affairs　without　my

knowledge。　Enough！　leave　me；　I　wish　to　reflect　upon　all　this。〃



Maitre　Cornelius　found　the　agility　of　youth　to　run　downstairs　to　the

lower　rooms　where　he　was　certain　to　find　his　sister。



〃Ah！　Jeanne；　my　dearest　soul；　a　hoard　is　hidden　in　this　house；　I　have

put　thirteen　hundred　thousand　crowns　and　all　the　jewels　somewhere。　I；

I；　I　am　the　robber！〃



Jeanne　Hoogworst　rose　from　her　stool　and　stood　erect　as　if　the　seat

she　quitted　were　of　red…hot　iron。　This　shock　was　so　violent　for　an　old

maid　accustomed　for　years　to　reduce　herself　by　voluntary　fasts；　that

she　trembled　in　every　limb；　and　horrible　pains　were　in　her　back。　She

turned　pale　by　degrees；　and　her　face；the　changes　in　which　were

difficult　to　decipher　among　its　wrinkles；became　distorted　while　her

brother　explained　to　her　the　malady　of　which　he　was　the　victim；　and

the　extraordinary　situation　in　which　he　found　himself。



〃Louis　XI。　and　I；〃　he　said　in　co