maitre cornelius-第14节

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the　extraordinary　situation　in　which　he　found　himself。



〃Louis　XI。　and　I；〃　he　said　in　conclusion；　〃have　just　been　lying　to

each　other　like　two　pedlers　of　coconuts。　You　understand；　my　girl；　that

if　he　follows　me；　he　will　get　the　secret　of　the　hiding…place。　The　king

alone　can　watch　my　wanderings　at　night。　I　don't　feel　sure　that　his

conscience；　near　as　he　is　to　death；　can　resist　thirteen　hundred

thousand　crowns。　We　MUST　be　beforehand　with　him；　we　must　find　the

hidden　treasure　and　send　it　to　Ghent；　and　you　alone〃



Cornelius　stopped　suddenly；　and　seemed　to　be　weighing　the　heart　of　the

sovereign　who　had　had　thoughts　of　parricide　at　twenty…two　years　of

age。　When　his　judgment　of　Louis　XI。　was　concluded；　he　rose　abruptly

like　a　man　in　haste　to　escape　a　pressing　danger。　At　this　instant；　his

sister；　too　feeble　or　too　strong　for　such　a　crisis；　fell　stark；　she

was　dead。　Maitre　Cornelius　seized　her；　and　shook　her　violently；　crying

out：



〃You　cannot　die　now。　There　is　time　enough　laterOh！　it　is　all　over。

The　old　hag　never　could　do　anything　at　the　right　time。〃



He　closed　her　eyes　and　laid　her　on　the　floor。　Then　the　good　and　noble

feelings　which　lay　at　the　bottom　of　his　soul　came　back　to　him；　and；

half　forgetting　his　hidden　treasure；　he　cried　out　mournfully：



〃Oh！　my　poor　companion；　have　I　lost　you？you　who　understood　me　so

well！　Oh！　you　were　my　real　treasure。　There　it　lies；　my　treasure！　With

you；　my　peace　of　mind；　my　affections；　all；　are　gone。　If　you　had　only

known　what　good　it　would　have　done　me　to　live　two　nights　longer；　you

would　have　lived；　solely　to　please　me；　my　poor　sister！　Ah；　Jeanne！

thirteen　hundred　thousand　crowns！　Won't　that　wake　you？No；　she　is

dead！〃



Thereupon；　he　sat　down；　and　said　no　more；　but　two　great　tears　issued

from　his　eyes　and　rolled　down　his　hollow　cheeks；　then；　with　strange

exclamations　of　grief；　he　locked　up　the　room　and　returned　to　the　king。

Louis　XI。　was　struck　with　the　expression　of　sorrow　on　the　moistened

features　of　his　old　friend。



〃What　is　the　matter？〃　he　asked。



〃Ah！　sire；　misfortunes　never　come　singly。　My　sister　is　dead。　She

precedes　me　there　below；〃　he　said；　pointing　to　the　floor　with　a

dreadful　gesture。



〃Enough！〃　cried　Louis　XI。；　who　did　not　like　to　hear　of　death。



〃I　make　you　my　heir。　I　care　for　nothing　now。　Here　are　my　keys。　Hang

me；　if　that's　your　good　pleasure。　Take　all；　ransack　the　house；　it　is

full　of　gold。　I　give　up　all　to　you〃



〃Come；　come；　crony；〃　replied　Louis　XI。；　who　was　partly　touched　by　the

sight　of　this　strange　suffering；　〃we　shall　find　your　treasure　some

fine　night；　and　the　sight　of　such　riches　will　give　you　heart　to　live。

I　will　come　back　in　the　course　of　this　week〃



〃As　you　please；　sire。〃



At　that　answer　the　king；　who　had　made　a　few　steps　toward　the　door　of

the　chamber；　turned　round　abruptly。　The　two　men　looked　at　each　other

with　an　expression　that　neither　pen　nor　pencil　can　reproduce。



〃Adieu；　my　crony；〃　said　Louis　XI。　at　last　in　a　curt　voice；　pushing　up

his　cap。



〃May　God　and　the　Virgin　keep　you　in　their　good　graces！〃　replied　the

silversmith　humbly；　conducting　the　king　to　the　door　of　the　house。



After　so　long　a　friendship；　the　two　men　found　a　barrier　raised　between

them　by　suspicion　and　gold；　though　they　had　always　been　like　one　man

on　the　two　points　of　gold　and　suspicion。　But　they　knew　each　other　so

well；　they　had　so　completely　the　habit；　one　may　say；　of　each　other；

that　the　king　could　divine；　from　the　tone　in　which　Cornelius　uttered

the　words；　〃As　you　please；　sire；〃　the　repugnance　that　his　visits　would

henceforth　cause　to　the　silversmith；　just　as　the　latter　recognized　a

declaration　of　war　in　the　〃Adieu；　my　crony；〃　of　the　king。



Thus　Louis　XI。　and　his　torconnier　parted　much　in　doubt　as　to　the

conduct　they　ought　in　future　to　hold　to　each　other。　The　monarch

possessed　the　secret　of　the　Fleming；　but　on　the　other　hand；　the　latter

could；　by　his　connections；　bring　about　one　of　the　finest　acquisitions

that　any　king　of　France　had　ever　made；　namely；　that　of　the　domains　of

the　house　of　Burgundy；　which　the　sovereigns　of　Europe　were　then

coveting。　The　marriage　of　the　celebrated　Marguerite　depended　on　the

people　of　Ghent　and　the　Flemings　who　surrounded　her。　The　gold　and　the

influence　of　Cornelius　could　powerfully　support　the　negotiations　now

begun　by　Desquerdes；　the　general　to　whom　Louis　XI。　had　given　the

command　of　the　army　encamped　on　the　frontiers　of　Belgium。　These　two

master…foxes　were；　therefore；　like　two　duellists；　whose　arms　are

paralyzed　by　chance。



So；　whether　it　were　that　from　that　day　the　king's　health　failed　and

went　from　bad　to　worse；　or　that　Cornelius　did　assist　in　bringing　into

France　Marguerite　of　Burgundywho　arrived　at　Ambroise　in　July；　1438；

to　marry　the　Dauphin　to　whom　she　was　betrothed　in　the　chapel　of　the

castlecertain　it　is　that　the　king　took　no　steps　in　the　matter　of　the

hidden　treasure；　he　levied　no　tribute　from　his　silversmith；　and　the

pair　remained　in　the　cautious　condition　of　an　armed　friendship。

Happily　for　Cornelius　a　rumor　was　spread　about　Tours　that　his　sister

was　the　actual　robber；　and　that　she　had　been　secretly　put　to　death　by

Tristan。　Otherwise；　if　the　true　history　had　been　known；　the　whole　town

would　have　risen　as　one　man　to　destroy　the　Malemaison　before　the　king

could　have　taken　measures　to　protect　it。



But；　although　these　historical　conjectures　have　some　foundation　so　far

as　the　inaction　of　Louis　XI。　is　concerned；　it　is　not　so　as　regards

Cornelius　Hoogworst。　There　was　no　inaction　there。　The　silversmith

spent　the　first　days　which　succeeded　that　fatal　night　in　ceaseless

occupation。　Like　carnivorous　animals　confined　in　cages；　he　went　and

came；　smelling　for　gold　in　every　corner　of　his　house；　he　studied　the

cracks　and　crevices；　he　sounded　the　walls；　he　besought　the　trees　of

the　garden；　the　foundations　of　the　house；　the　roofs　of　the　turrets；

the　earth　and　the　heavens；　to　give　him　back　his　treasure。　Often　he

stood　motionless　for　hours；　casting　his　eyes　on　all　sides；　plunging

them　into　the　void。　Striving　for　the　miracles　of　ecstasy　and　the

powers　of　sorcery；　he　tried　to　see　his　riches　through　space　and

obstacles。　He　was　constantly　absorbed　in　one　overwhelming　thought；

consumed　with　a　single　desire　that　burned　his　entrails；　gnawed　more

cruelly　still　by　the　ever…increasing　agony　of　the　duel　he　was　fighting

with　himself　since　his　passion　for　gold　had　turned　to　his　own　injury；

a　species　of　uncompleted　suicide　which　kept　him　at　once　in　the

miseries　of　life　and　in　those　of　death。



Never　was　a　Vice　more　punished　by　itself。　A　miser；　locked　by　accident

into　the　subterranean　strong…room　that　contains　his　treasures；　has；

like　Sardanapalus；　the　happiness　of　dying　in　the　midst　of　his　wealth。

But　Cornelius；　the　robber　and　the　robbed；　knowing　the　secret　of

neither　the　one　nor　the　other；　possessed　and　did　not　possess　his

treasure；a　novel；　fantastic；　but　continually　terrible　torture。

Sometimes；　becoming　forgetful；　he　would　leave　the　little　gratings　of

his　door　wide　open；　and　then　the　passers　in　the　street　could　see　that

already　wizened　man；　planted　on　his　two　legs　in　the　midst　of　his

untilled　garden；　absolutely　motionless；　and　casting　on　those　who

watched　him　a　fixed　gaze；　the　insupportable　light　of　which　froze　them

with　terror。　If；　by　chance；　he　walked　through　the　streets　of　Tours；　he

seemed　like　a　stranger　in　them；　he　knew　not　where　he　was；　nor　whether

the　sun　or　the　moon　were　shining。　Often　he　would　ask　his　way　of　those

who　passed　him；　believing　that　he　was　still　in　Ghent；　and　seeming　to

be　in　search　of　something　lost。



The　most　perennial　and　the　best　materialized　of　human　ideas；　the　idea

by　which　man　reproduces　himself　by　creating　outside　of　himself　the

fictitious　being　called　Property；　that　mental　demon；　drove　its　steel

claws　perpetually　into　his　heart。　Then；　in　the　midst　of　this　torture；

Fear　arose；　with　all　its　accompanying　sentiments。　Two　men　had　his

secret；　the　secret　he　did　not　know　himself。　Louis　XI。　or　Coyctier

could　post　men　to　watch　him　during　his　sleep　and　discover　the　unknown

gulf　into　which　he　had　cast　his　riches；those　riches　he　had　watered

with　the　blood　of　so　many　innocent　men。　And　then；　beside　his　fear；

arose　Remorse。



In　order　to　prevent　during　his　lifetime　the　abduction　of　his　hidden

treasure；　he　took　the　most　cruel　precautions　against　sleep；　besides

which；　his　commercial　relations　put　him　in　the　way　of　obtaining

powerful　anti…narcotics。　His　struggles　to　keep　awake　were　awfulalone

with　night；　silence；　Remorse；　and　Fear；　with　all　the　thoughts　that

man；　instinctively　perhaps；　has　best　embodiedobedient　thus　to　a

moral　truth　as　yet　devoid　of　actual　proof。



At　last　this　man　so　powerful；　this　heart　so　hardened　by　political　and

commercial　life；　this　genius；　obscure　in　history；　succumbed　to　the

horrors　of　the　torture　he　had　himself　created。　Maddened　by　certain

thoughts　more　agonizing　than　those　he　had　as　yet