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which　fancy　can　picture　better　than　words　can　paint。　But　at　this

particular　spot　a　deep　silence　reigned；　because　in　these　two　houses

lived　two　passions　which　never　rejoiced。　Beyond　them　stretched　the

silent　country。　Beneath　the　shadow　of　the　steeples　of　Saint…Martin；

these　two　mute　dwellings；　separated　from　the　others　in　the　same　street

and　standing　at　the　crooked　end　of　it；　seemed　afflicted　with　leprosy。

The　building　opposite　to　them；　the　home　of　the　criminals　of　the　State；

was　also　under　a　ban。　A　young　man　would　be　readily　impressed　by　this

sudden　contrast。　About　to　fling　himself　into　an　enterprise　that　was

horribly　hazardous；　it　is　no　wonder　that　the　daring　young　seigneur

stopped　short　before　the　house　of　the　silversmith；　and　called　to　mind

the　many　tales　furnished　by　the　life　of　Maitre　Cornelius；tales　which

caused　such　singular　horror　to　the　countess。　At　this　period　a　man　of

war；　and　even　a　lover；　trembled　at　the　mere　word　〃magic。〃　Few　indeed

were　the　minds　and　the　imaginations　which　disbelieved　in　occult　facts

and　tales　of　the　marvellous。　The　lover　of　the　Comtesse　de　Saint…

Vallier；　one　of　the　daughters　whom　Louis　XI。　had　in　Dauphine　by　Madame

de　Sassenage；　however　bold　he　might　be　in　other　respects；　was　likely

to　think　twice　before　he　finally　entered　the　house　of　a　so…called

sorcerer。



The　history　of　Maitre　Cornelius　Hoogworst　will　fully　explain　the

security　which　the　silversmith　inspired　in　the　Comte　de　Saint…Vallier；

the　terror　of　the　countess；　and　the　hesitation　that　now　took

possession　of　the　lover。　But；　in　order　to　make　the　readers　of　this

nineteenth　century　understand　how　such　commonplace　events　could　be

turned　into　anything　supernatural；　and　to　make　them　share　the　alarms

of　that　olden　time；　it　is　necessary　to　interrupt　the　course　of　this

narrative　and　cast　a　rapid　glance　on　the　preceding　life　and　adventures

of　Maitre　Cornelius。







CHAPTER　II



THE　TORCONNIER



Cornelius　Hoogworst；　one　of　the　richest　merchants　in　Ghent；　having

drawn　upon　himself　the　enmity　of　Charles；　Duke　of　Burgundy；　found

refuge　and　protection　at　the　court　of　Louis　XI。　The　king　was　conscious

of　the　advantages　he　could　gain　from　a　man　connected　with　all　the

principal　commercial　houses　of　Flanders；　Venice；　and　the　Levant；　he

naturalized；　ennobled；　and　flattered　Maitre　Cornelius；　all　of　which

was　rarely　done　by　Louis　XI。　The　monarch　pleased　the　Fleming　as　much

as　the　Fleming　pleased　the　monarch。　Wily；　distrustful；　and　miserly；

equally　politic；　equally　learned；　superior；　both　of　them；　to　their

epoch；　understanding　each　other　marvellously；　they　discarded　and

resumed　with　equal　facility；　the　one　his　conscience；　the　other　his

religion；　they　loved　the　same　Virgin；　one　by　conviction；　the　other　by

policy；　in　short；　if　we　may　believe　the　jealous　tales　of　Olivier　de

Daim　and　Tristan；　the　king　went　to　the　house　of　the　Fleming　for　those

diversions　with　which　King　Louis　XI。　diverted　himself。　History　has

taken　care　to　transmit　to　our　knowledge　the　licentious　tastes　of　a

monarch　who　was　not　averse　to　debauchery。　The　old　Fleming　found；　no

doubt；　both　pleasure　and　profit　in　lending　himself　to　the　capricious

pleasures　of　his　royal　client。



Cornelius　had　now　lived　nine　years　in　the　city　of　Tours。　During　those

years　extraordinary　events　had　happened　in　his　house；　which　had　made

him　the　object　of　general　execration。　On　his　first　arrival；　he　had

spent　considerable　sums　in　order　to　put　the　treasures　he　brought　with

him　in　safety。　The　strange　inventions　made　for　him　secretly　by　the

locksmiths　of　the　town；　the　curious　precautions　taken　in　bringing

those　locksmiths　to　his　house　in　a　way　to　compel　their　silence；　were

long　the　subject　of　countless　tales　which　enlivened　the　evening

gatherings　of　the　city。　These　singular　artifices　on　the　part　of　the

old　man　made　every　one　suppose　him　the　possessor　of　Oriental　riches。

Consequently　the　NARRATORS　of　that　regionthe　home　of　the　tale　in

Francebuilt　rooms　full　of　gold　and　precious　tones　in　the　Fleming's

house；　not　omitting　to　attribute　all　this　fabulous　wealth　to　compacts

with　Magic。



Maitre　Cornelius　had　brought　with　him　from　Ghent　two　Flemish　valets；

an　old　woman；　and　a　young　apprentice；　the　latter；　a　youth　with　a

gentle；　pleasing　face；　served　him　as　secretary；　cashier；　factotum；　and

courier。　During　the　first　year　of　his　settlement　in　Tours；　a　robbery

of　considerable　amount　took　place　in　his　house；　and　judicial　inquiry

showed　that　the　crime　must　have　been　committed　by　one　of　its　inmates。

The　old　miser　had　his　two　valets　and　the　secretary　put　in　prison。　The

young　man　was　feeble　and　he　died　under　the　sufferings　of　the

〃question〃　protesting　his　innocence。　The　valets　confessed　the　crime　to

escape　torture；　but　when　the　judge　required　them　to　say　where　the

stolen　property　could　be　found；　they　kept　silence；　were　again　put　to

the　torture；　judged；　condemned；　and　hanged。　On　their　way　to　the

scaffold　they　declared　themselves　innocent；　according　to　the　custom

of　all　persons　about　to　be　executed。



The　city　of　Tours　talked　much　of　this　singular　affair；　but　the

criminals　were　Flemish；　and　the　interest　felt　in　their　unhappy　fate

soon　evaporated。　In　those　days　wars　and　seditions　furnished　endless

excitements；　and　the　drama　of　each　day　eclipsed　that　of　the　night

before。　More　grieved　by　the　loss　he　had　met　with　than　by　the　death　of

his　three　servants；　Maitre　Cornelius　lived　alone　in　his　house　with　the

old　Flemish　woman；　his　sister。　He　obtained　permission　from　the　king　to

use　state　couriers　for　his　private　affairs；　sold　his　mules　to　a

muleteer　of　the　neighborhood；　and　lived　from　that　moment　in　the

deepest　solitude；　seeing　no　one　but　the　king；　doing　his　business　by

means　of　Jews；　who；　shrewd　calculators；　served　him　well　in　order　to

gain　his　all…powerful　protection。



Some　time　after　this　affair；　the　king　himself　procured　for　his　old

〃torconnier〃　a　young　orphan　in　whom　he　took　an　interest。　Louis　XI。

called　Maitre　Cornelius　familiarly　by　that　obsolete　term；　which；　under

the　reign　of　Saint…Louis；　meant　a　usurer；　a　collector　of　imposts；　a

man　who　pressed　others　by　violent　means。　The　epithet；　〃tortionnaire；〃

which　remains　to　this　day　in　our　legal　phraseology；　explains　the　old

word　torconnier；　which　we　often　find　spelt　〃tortionneur。〃　The　poor

young　orphan　devoted　himself　carefully　to　the　affairs　of　the　old

Fleming；　pleased　him　much；　and　was　soon　high　in　his　good　graces。

During　a　winter's　night；　certain　diamonds　deposited　with　Maitre

Cornelius　by　the　King　of　England　as　security　for　a　sum　of　a　hundred

thousand　crowns　were　stolen；　and　suspicion；　of　course；　fell　on　the

orphan。　Louis　XI。　was　all　the　more　severe　because　he　had　answered　for

the　youth's　fidelity。　After　a　very　brief　and　summary　examination　by

the　grand　provost；　the　unfortunate　secretary　was　hanged。　After　that　no

one　dared　for　a　long　time　to　learn　the　arts　of　banking　and　exchange

from　Maitre　Cornelius。



In　course　of　time；　however；　two　young　men　of　the　town；　Touraineans；

men　of　honor；　and　eager　to　make　their　fortunes；took　service　with　the

silversmith。　Robberies　coincided　with　the　admission　of　the　two　young

men　into　the　house。　The　circumstances　of　these　crimes；　the　manner　in

which　they　were　perpetrated；　showed　plainly　that　the　robbers　had

secret　communication　with　its　inmates。　Become　by　this　time　more　than

ever　suspicious　and　vindictive；　the　old　Fleming　laid　the　matter　before

Louis　XI。；　who　placed　it　in　the　hands　of　his　grand　provost。　A　trial

was　promptly　had　and　promptly　ended。　The　inhabitants　of　Tours　blamed

Tristan　l'Hermite　secretly　for　unseemly　haste。　Guilty　or　not　guilty；

the　young　Touraineans　were　looked　upon　as　victims；　and　Cornelius　as　an

executioner。　The　two　families　thus　thrown　into　mourning　were　much

respected；　their　complaints　obtained　a　hearing；　and　little　by　little

it　came　to　be　believed　that　all　the　victims　whom　the　king's

silversmith　had　sent　to　the　scaffold　were　innocent。　Some　persons

declared　that　the　cruel　miser　imitated　the　king；　and　sought　to　put

terror　and　gibbets　between　himself　and　his　fellow…men；　others　said

that　he　had　never　been　robbed　at　all；that　these　melancholy

executions　were　the　result　of　cool　calculations；　and　that　their　real

object　was　to　relieve　him　of　all　fear　for　his　treasure。



The　first　effect　of　these　rumors　was　to　isolate　Maitre　Cornelius。　The

Touraineans　treated　him　like　a　leper；　called　him　the　〃tortionnaire；〃

and　named　his　house　Malemaison。　If　the　Fleming　had　found　strangers　to

the　town　bold　enough　to　enter　it；　the　inhabitants　would　have　warned

them　against　doing　so。　The　most　favorable　opinion　of　Maitre　Cornelius

was　that　of　persons　who　thought　him　merely　baneful。　Some　he　inspired

with　instinctive　terror；　others　he　impressed　with　the　deep　respect

that　most　men　feel　for　limitless　power　and　money；　while　to　a　few　he

certainly　possessed　the　attraction　of　mystery。　His　way　of　life；　his

countenance；　and　the　favor　of　the　king；　justified　all　the　t