maitre cornelius-第5节

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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