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

which he had now become the subject。



Cornelius travelled much in foreign lands after the death of his

persecutor; the Duke of Burgundy; and during his absence the king

caused his premises to be guarded by a detachment of his own Scottish

guard。 Such royal solicitude made the courtiers believe that the old

miser had bequeathed his property to Louis XI。 When at home; the

torconnier went out but little; but the lords of the court paid him

frequent visits。 He lent them money rather liberally; though

capricious in his manner of doing so。 On certain days he refused to

give them a penny; the next day he would offer them large

sums;always at high interest and on good security。 A good Catholic;

he went regularly to the services; always attending the earliest mass

at Saint…Martin; and as he had purchased there; as elsewhere; a chapel

in perpetuity; he was separated even in church from other Christians。

A popular proverb of that day; long remembered in Tours; was the

saying: 〃You passed in front of the Fleming; ill…luck will happen to

you。〃 Passing in front of the Fleming explained all sudden pains and

evils; involuntary sadness; ill…turns of fortune among the

Touraineans。 Even at court most persons attributed to Cornelius that

fatal influence which Italian; Spanish; and Asiatic superstition has

called the 〃evil eye。〃 Without the terrible power of Louis XI。; which

was stretched like a mantle over that house; the populace; on the

slightest opportunity; would have demolished La Malemaison; that 〃evil

house〃 in the rue du Murier。 And yet Cornelius had been the first to

plant mulberries in Tours; and the Touraineans at that time regarded

him as their good genius。 Who shall reckon on popular favor!



A few seigneurs having met Maitre Cornelius on his journeys out of

France were surprised at his friendliness and good…humor。 At Tours he

was gloomy and absorbed; yet always he returned there。 Some

inexplicable power brought him back to his dismal house in the rue du

Murier。 Like a snail; whose life is so firmly attached to its shell;

he admitted to the king that he was never at ease except under the

bolts and behind the vermiculated stones of his little bastille; yet

he knew very well that whenever Louis XI。 died; the place would be the

most dangerous spot on earth for him。



〃The devil is amusing himself at the expense of our crony; the

torconnier;〃 said Louis XI。 to his barber; a few days before the

festival of All…Saints。 〃He says he has been robbed again; but he

can't hang anybody this time unless he hangs himself。 The old vagabond

came and asked me if; by chance; I had carried off a string of rubies

he wanted to sell me。 'Pasques…Dieu! I don't steal what I can take;' I

said to him。〃



〃Was he frightened?〃 asked the barber。



〃Misers are afraid of only one thing;〃 replied the king。 〃My crony the

torconnier knows very well that I shall not plunder him unless for

good reason; otherwise I should be unjust; and I have never done

anything but what is just and necessary。〃



〃And yet that old brigand overcharges you;〃 said the barber。



〃You wish he did; don't you?〃 replied the king; with the malicious

look at his barber。



〃Ventre…Mahom; sire; the inheritance would be a fine one between you

and the devil!〃



〃There; there!〃 said the king; 〃don't put bad ideas into my head。 My

crony is a more faithful man than those whose fortunes I have made

perhaps because he owes me nothing。〃



For the last two years Maitre Cornelius had lived entirely alone with

his aged sister; who was thought a witch。 A tailor in the neighborhood

declared that he had often seen her at night; on the roof of the

house; waiting for the hour of the witches' sabbath。 This fact seemed

the more extraordinary because it was known to be the miser's custom

to lock up his sister at night in a bedroom with iron…barred windows。



As he grew older; Cornelius; constantly robbed; and always fearful of

being duped by men; came to hate mankind; with the one exception of

the king; whom he greatly respected。 He fell into extreme misanthropy;

but; like most misers; his passion for gold; the assimilation; as it

were; of that metal with his own substance; became closer and closer;

and age intensified it。 His sister herself excited his suspicions;

though she was perhaps more miserly; more rapacious than her brother

whom she actually surpassed in penurious inventions。 Their daily

existence had something mysterious and problematical about it。 The old

woman rarely took bread from the baker; she appeared so seldom in the

market; that the least credulous of the townspeople ended by

attributing to these strange beings the knowledge of some secret for

the maintenance of life。 Those who dabbled in alchemy declared that

Maitre Cornelius had the power of making gold。 Men of science averred

that he had found the Universal Panacea。 According to many of the

country…people to whom the townsfolk talked of him; Cornelius was a

chimerical being; and many of them came into the town to look at his

house out of mere curiosity。



The young seigneur whom we left in front of that house looked about

him; first at the hotel de Poitiers; the home of his mistress; and

then at the evil house。 The moonbeams were creeping round their

angles; and tinting with a mixture of light and shade the hollows and

reliefs of the carvings。 The caprices of this white light gave a

sinister expression to both edifices; it seemed as if Nature herself

encouraged the superstitions that hung about the miser's dwelling。 The

young man called to mind the many traditions which made Cornelius a

personage both curious and formidable。 Though quite decided through

the violence of his love to enter that house; and stay there long

enough to accomplish his design; he hesitated to take the final step;

all the while aware that he should certainly take it。 But where is the

man who; in a crisis of his life; does not willingly listen to

presentiments as he hangs above the precipice? A lover worthy of being

loved; the young man feared to die before he had been received for

love's sake by the countess。



This mental deliberation was so painfully interesting that he did not

feel the cold wind as it whistled round the corner of the building;

and chilled his legs。 On entering that house; he must lay aside his

name; as already he had laid aside the handsome garments of nobility。

In case of mishap; he could not claim the privileges of his rank nor

the protection of his friends without bringing hopeless ruin on the

Comtesse de Saint…Vallier。 If her husband suspected the nocturnal

visit of a lover; he was capable of roasting her alive in an iron

cage; or of killing her by degrees in the dungeons of a fortified

castle。 Looking down at the shabby clothing in which he had disguised

himself; the young nobleman felt ashamed。 His black leather belt; his

stout shoes; his ribbed socks; his linsey…woolsey breeches; and his

gray woollen doublet made him look like the clerk of some poverty…

stricken justice。 To a noble of the fifteenth century it was like

death itself to play the part of a beggarly burgher; and renounce the

privileges of his rank。 Butto climb the roof of the house where his

mistress wept; to descend the chimney; or creep along from gutter to

gutter to the window of her room; to risk his life to kneel beside her

on a silken cushion before a glowing fire; during the sleep of a

dangerous husband; whose snores would double their joy; to defy both

heaven and earth in snatching the boldest of all kisses; to say no

word that would not lead to death or at least to sanguinary combat if

overheard;all these voluptuous images and romantic dangers decided

the young man。 However slight might be the guerdon of his enterprise;

could he only kiss once more the hand of his lady; he still resolved

to venture all; impelled by the chivalrous and passionate spirit of

those days。 He never supposed for a moment that the countess would

refuse him the soft happiness of love in the midst of such mortal

danger。 The adventure was too perilous; too impossible not to be

attempted and carried out。



Suddenly all the bells in the town rang out the curfew;a custom

fallen elsewhere into desuetude; but still observed in the provinces;

where venerable habits are abolished slowly。 Though the lights were

not put out; the watchmen of each quarter stretched the chains across

the streets。 Many doors were locked; the steps of a few belated

burghers; attended by their servants; armed to the teeth and bearing

lanterns; echoed in the distance。 Soon the town; garroted as it were;

seemed to be asleep; and safe from robbers and evil…doers; except

through the roofs。 In those days the roofs of houses were much

frequented after dark。 The streets were so narrow in the provincial

towns; and even in Paris; that robbers could jump from t

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