maitre cornelius-第6节

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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