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

towns; and even in Paris; that robbers could jump from the roofs on

one side to those on the other。 This perilous occupation was long the

amusement of King Charles IX。 in his youth; if we may believe the

memoirs of his day。



Fearing to present himself too late to the old silversmith; the young

nobleman now went up to the door of the Malemaison intending to knock;

when; on looking at it; his attention was excited by a sort of vision;

which the writers of those days would have called 〃cornue;〃perhaps

with reference to horns and hoofs。 He rubbed his eyes to clear his

sight; and a thousand diverse sentiments passed through his mind at

the spectacle before him。 On each side of the door was a face framed

in a species of loophole。 At first he took these two faces for

grotesque masks carved in stone; so angular; distorted; projecting;

motionless; discolored were they; but the cold air and the moonlight

presently enabled him to distinguish the faint white mist which living

breath sent from two purplish noses; then he saw in each hollow face;

beneath the shadow of the eyebrows; two eyes of porcelain blue casting

clear fire; like those of a wolf crouching in the brushwood as it

hears the baying of the hounds。 The uneasy gleam of those eyes was

turned on him so fixedly that; after receiving it for fully a minute;

during which he examined the singular sight; he felt like a bird at

which a setter points; a feverish tumult rose in his soul; but he

quickly repressed it。 The two faces; strained and suspicious; were

doubtless those of Cornelius and his sister。



The young man feigned to be looking about him to see where he was; and

whether this were the house named on a card which he drew from his

pocket and pretended to read in the moonlight; then he walked straight

to the door and struck three blows upon it; which echoed within the

house as if it were the entrance to a cave。 A faint light crept

beneath the threshold; and an eye appeared at a small and very strong

iron grating。



〃Who is there?〃



〃A friend; sent by Oosterlinck; of Brussels。〃



〃What do you want?〃



〃To enter。〃



〃Your name?〃



〃Philippe Goulenoire。〃



〃Have you brought credentials?〃



〃Here they are。〃



〃Pass them through the box。〃



〃Where is it?〃



〃To your left。〃



Philippe Goulenoire put the letter through the slit of an iron box

above which was a loophole。



〃The devil!〃 thought he; 〃plainly the king comes here; as they say he

does; he couldn't take more precautions at Plessis。〃



He waited for more than a quarter of an hour in the street。 After that

lapse of time; he heard Cornelius saying to his sister; 〃Close the

traps of the door。〃



A clinking of chains resounded from within。 Philippe heard the bolts

run; the locks creak; and presently a small low door; iron…bound;

opened to the slightest distance through which a man could pass。 At

the risk of tearing off his clothing; Philippe squeezed himself rather

than walked into La Malemaison。 A toothless old woman with a hatchet

face; the eyebrows projecting like the handles of a cauldron; the nose

and chin so near together that a nut could scarcely pass between them;

a pallid; haggard creature; her hollow temples composed apparently

of only bones and nerves;guided the 〃soi…disant〃 foreigner silently

into a lower room; while Cornelius followed prudently behind him。



〃Sit there;〃 she said to Philippe; showing him a three…legged stool

placed at the corner of a carved stone fireplace; where there was no

fire。



On the other side of the chimney…piece was a walnut table with twisted

legs; on which was an egg in a plate and ten or a dozen little bread…

sops; hard and dry and cut with studied parsimony。 Two stools placed

beside the table; on one of which the old woman sat down; showed that

the miserly pair were eating their suppers。 Cornelius went to the door

and pushed two iron shutters into their place; closing; no doubt; the

loopholes through which they had been gazing into the street; then he

returned to his seat。 Philippe Goulenoire (so called) next beheld the

brother and sister dipping their sops into the egg in turn; and with

the utmost gravity and the same precision with which soldiers dip

their spoons in regular rotation into the mess…pot。 This performance

was done in silence。 But as he ate; Cornelius examined the false

apprentice with as much care and scrutiny as if he were weighing an

old coin。



Philippe; feeling that an icy mantle had descended on his shoulders;

was tempted to look about him; but; with the circumspection dictated

by all amorous enterprises; he was careful not to glance; even

furtively; at the walls; for he fully understood that if Cornelius

detected him; he would not allow so inquisitive a person to remain in

his house。 He contented himself; therefore; by looking first at the

egg and then at the old woman; occasionally contemplating his future

master。



Louis XI。's silversmith resembled that monarch。 He had even acquired

the same gestures; as often happens where persons dwell together in a

sort of intimacy。 The thick eyebrows of the Fleming almost covered his

eyes; but by raising them a little he could flash out a lucid;

penetrating; powerful glance; the glance of men habituated to silence;

and to whom the phenomenon of the concentration of inward forces has

become familiar。 His thin lips; vertically wrinkled; gave him an air

of indescribable craftiness。 The lower part of his face bore a vague

resemblance to the muzzle of a fox; but his lofty; projecting

forehead; with many lines; showed great and splendid qualities and a

nobility of soul; the springs of which had been lowered by experience

until the cruel teachings of life had driven it back into the farthest

recesses of this most singular human being。 He was certainly not an

ordinary miser; and his passion covered; no doubt; extreme enjoyments

and secret conceptions。



〃What is the present rate of Venetian sequins?〃 he said abruptly to

his future apprentice。



〃Three…quarters at Brussels; one in Ghent。〃



〃What is the freight on the Scheldt?〃



〃Three sous parisis。〃



〃Any news at Ghent?〃



〃The brother of Lieven d'Herde is ruined。〃



〃Ah!〃



After giving vent to that exclamation; the old man covered his knee

with the skirt of his dalmatian; a species of robe made of black

velvet; open in front; with large sleeves and no collar; the sumptuous

material being defaced and shiny。 These remains of a magnificent

costume; formerly worn by him as president of the tribunal of the

Parchons; functions which had won him the enmity of the Duke of

Burgundy; was now a mere rag。



Philippe was not cold; he perspired in his harness; dreading further

questions。 Until then the brief information obtained that morning from

a Jew whose life he had formerly saved; had sufficed him; thanks to

his good memory and the perfect knowledge the Jew possessed of the

manners and habits of Maitre Cornelius。 But the young man who; in the

first flush of his enterprise; had feared nothing was beginning to

perceive the difficulties it presented。 The solemn gravity of the

terrible Fleming reacted upon him。 He felt himself under lock and key;

and remembered how the grand provost Tristan and his rope were at the

orders of Maitre Cornelius。



〃Have you supped?〃 asked the silversmith; in a tone which signified;

〃You are not to sup。〃



The old maid trembled in spite of her brother's tone; she looked at

the new inmate as if to gauge the capacity of the stomach she might

have to fill; and said with a specious smile:



〃You have not stolen your name; your hair and moustache are as black

as the devil's tail。〃



〃I have supped;〃 he said。



〃Well then;〃 replied the miser; 〃you can come back and see me to…

morrow。 I have done without an apprentice for some years。 Besides; I

wish to sleep upon the matter。〃



〃Hey! by Saint…Bavon; monsieur; I am a Fleming; I don't know a soul in

this place; the chains are up in the streets; and I shall be put in

prison。 However;〃 he added; frightened at the eagerness he was showing

in his words; 〃if it is your good pleasure; of course I will go。〃



The oath seemed to affect the old man singularly。



〃Come; come; by Saint…Bavon indeed; you shall sleep here。〃



〃But〃 said his sister; alarmed。



〃Silence;〃 replied Cornelius。 〃In his letter Oosterlinck tells me he

will answer for this young man。 You know;〃 he whispered in his

sister's ear; 〃we have a hundred thousand francs belonging to

Oosterlinck? That's a hostage; hey!〃




〃And suppose he steals those Bavarian jewels? Tiens; he looks more

like a thief than a Fleming。〃



〃Hush!〃 exclaimed the old man; listening attentively to some sound。



Both misers listened。 A moment after the 〃Hush!〃 uttered by Cornelius;

a noise produced by the 

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