maitre cornelius-第7节

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

a　noise　produced　by　the　steps　of　several　men　echoed　in　the　distance　on

the　other　side　of　the　moat　of　the　town。



〃It　is　the　Plessis　guard　on　their　rounds；〃　said　the　sister。



〃Give　me　the　key　of　the　apprentice's　room；〃　said　Cornelius。



The　old　woman　made　a　gesture　as　if　to　take　the　lamp。



〃Do　you　mean　to　leave　us　alone；　without　light？〃　cried　Cornelius；　in　a

meaning　tone　of　voice。　〃At　your　age　can't　you　see　in　the　dark？　It

isn't　difficult　to　find　a　key。〃



The　sister　understood　the　meaning　hidden　beneath　these　words　and　left

the　room。　Looking　at　this　singular　creature　as　she　walked　towards　the

door；　Philippe　Goulenoire　was　able　to　hide　from　Cornelius　the　glance

which　he　hastily　cast　about　the　room。　It　was　wainscoted　in　oak　to　the

chair…strip；　and　the　walls　above　were　hung　with　yellow　leather　stamped

with　black　arabesques；　but　what　struck　the　young　man　most　was　a　match…

lock　pistol　with　its　formidable　trigger。　This　new　and　terrible　weapon

lay　close　to　Cornelius。



〃How　do　you　expect　to　earn　your　living　with　me？〃　said　the　latter。



〃I　have　but　little　money；〃　replied　Philippe；　〃but　I　know　good　tricks

in　business。　If　you　will　pay　me　a　sou　on　every　mark　I　earn　for　you；

that　will　satisfy　me。〃



〃A　sou！　a　sou！〃　echoed　the　miser；　〃why；　that's　a　good　deal！〃



At　this　moment　the　old　sibyl　returned　with　the　key。



〃Come；〃　said　Cornelius　to　Philippe。



The　pair　went　out　beneath　the　portico　and　mounted　a　spiral　stone

staircase；　the　round　well　of　which　rose　through　a　high　turret；　beside

the　hall　in　which　they　had　been　sitting。　At　the　first　floor　up　the

young　man　paused。



〃No；　no；〃　said　Cornelius。　〃The　devil！　this　nook　is　the　place　where　the

king　takes　his　ease。〃



The　architect　had　constructed　the　room　given　to　the　apprentice　under

the　pointed　roof　of　the　tower　in　which　the　staircase　wound。　It　was　a

little　room；　all　of　stone；　cold　and　without　ornament　of　any　kind。　The

tower　stood　in　the　middle　of　the　facade　on　the　courtyard；　which；　like

the　courtyards　of　all　provincial　houses；　was　narrow　and　dark。　At　the

farther　end；　through　an　iron　railing；　could　be　seen　a　wretched　garden

in　which　nothing　grew　but　the　mulberries　which　Cornelius　had

introduced。　The　young　nobleman　took　note　of　all　this　through　the

loopholes　on　the　spiral　staircase；　the　moon　casting；　fortunately；　a

brilliant　light。　A　cot；　a　stool；　a　mismatched　pitcher　and　basin　formed

the　entire　furniture　of　the　room。　The　light　could　enter　only　through

square　openings；　placed　at　intervals　in　the　outside　wall　of　the　tower；

according；　no　doubt；　to　the　exterior　ornamentation。



〃Here　is　your　lodging；〃　said　Cornelius；　〃it　is　plain　and　solid　and

contains　all　that　is　needed　for　sleep。　Good　night！　Do　not　leave　this

room　as　THE　OTHERS　did。〃



After　giving　his　apprentice　a　last　look　full　of　many　meanings；

Cornelius　double…locked　the　door；　took　away　the　key　and　descended　the

staircase；　leaving　the　young　nobleman　as　much　befooled　as　a　bell…

founder　when　on　opening　his　mould　he　finds　nothing。　Alone；　without

light；　seated　on　a　stool；　in　a　little　garret　from　which　so　many　of　his

predecessors　had　gone　to　the　scaffold；　the　young　fellow　felt　like　a

wild　beast　caught　in　a　trap。　He　jumped　upon　the　stool　and　raised

himself　to　his　full　height　in　order　to　reach　one　of　the　little

openings　through　which　a　faint　light　shone。　Thence　he　saw　the　Loire；

the　beautiful　slopes　of　Saint…Cyr；　the　gloomy　marvels　of　Plessis；

where　lights　were　gleaming　in　the　deep　recesses　of　a　few　windows。　Far

in　the　distance　lay　the　beautiful　meadows　of　Touraine　and　the　silvery

stream　of　her　river。　Every　point　of　this　lovely　nature　had；　at　that

moment；　a　mysterious　grace；　the　windows；　the　waters；　the　roofs　of　the

houses　shone　like　diamonds　in　the　trembling　light　of　the　moon。　The

soul　of　the　young　seigneur　could　not　repress　a　sad　and　tender　emotion。



〃Suppose　it　is　my　last　farewell！〃　he　said　to　himself。



He　stood　there；　feeling　already　the　terrible　emotions　his　adventure

offered　him；　and　yielding　to　the　fears　of　a　prisoner　who；

nevertheless；　retains　some　glimmer　of　hope。　His　mistress　illumined

each　difficulty。　To　him　she　was　no　longer　a　woman；　but　a　supernatural

being　seen　through　the　incense　of　his　desires。　A　feeble　cry；　which　he

fancied　came　from　the　hotel　de　Poitiers；　restored　him　to　himself　and

to　a　sense　of　his　true　situation。　Throwing　himself　on　his　pallet　to

reflect　on　his　course；　he　heard　a　slight　movement　which　echoed　faintly

from　the　spiral　staircase。　He　listened　attentively；　and　the　whispered

words；　〃He　has　gone　to　bed；〃　said　by　the　old　woman；　reached　his　ear。

By　an　accident　unknown　probably　to　the　architect；　the　slightest　noise

on　the　staircase　sounded　in　the　room　of　the　apprentices；　so　that

Philippe　did　not　lose　a　single　movement　of　the　miser　and　his　sister

who　were　watching　him。　He　undressed；　lay　down；　pretended　to　sleep；　and

employed　the　time　during　which　the　pair　remained　on　the　staircase；　in

seeking　means　to　get　from　his　prison　to　the　hotel　de　Poitiers。



About　ten　o'clock　Cornelius　and　his　sister；　convinced　that　their　new

inmate　was　sleeping；　retired　to　their　rooms。　The　young　man　studied

carefully　the　sounds　they　made　in　doing　so；　and　thought　he　could

recognize　the　position　of　their　apartments；　they　must；　he　believed；

occupy　the　whole　second　floor。　Like　all　the　houses　of　that　period；

this　floor　was　next　below　the　roof；　from　which　its　windows　projected；

adorned　with　spandrel　tops　that　were　richly　sculptured。　The　roof

itself　was　edged　with　a　sort　of　balustrade；　concealing　the　gutters　for

the　rain　water　which　gargoyles　in　the　form　of　crocodile's　heads

discharged　into　the　street。　The　young　seigneur；　after　studying　this

topography　as　carefully　as　a　cat；　believed　he　could　make　his　way　from

the　tower　to　the　roof；　and　thence　to　Madame　de　Vallier's　by　the

gutters　and　the　help　of　a　gargoyle。　But　he　did　not　count　on　the

narrowness　of　the　loopholes　of　the　tower；　it　was　impossible　to　pass

through　them。　He　then　resolved　to　get　out　upon　the　roof　of　the　house

through　the　window　of　the　staircase　on　the　second　floor。　To　accomplish

this　daring　project　he　must　leave　his　room；　and　Cornelius　had　carried

off　the　key。



By　way　of　precaution；　the　young　man　had　brought　with　him；　concealed

under　his　clothes；　one　of　those　poignards　formerly　used　to　give　the

〃coup　de　grace〃　in　a　duel　when　the　vanquished　adversary　begged　the

victor　to　despatch　him。　This　horrible　weapon　had　on　one　side　a　blade

sharpened　like　a　razor；　and　on　the　other　a　blade　that　was　toothed　like

a　saw；　but　toothed　in　the　reverse　direction　from　that　by　which　it

would　enter　the　body。　The　young　man　determined　to　use　this　latter

blade　to　saw　through　the　wood　around　the　lock。　Happily　for　him　the

staple　of　the　lock　was　put　on　to　the　outside　of　the　door　by　four　stout

screws。　By　the　help　of　his　dagger　he　managed；　not　without　great

difficulty；　to　unscrew　and　remove　it　altogether；　carefully　laying　it

aside　and　the　four　screws　with　it。　By　midnight　he　was　free；　and　he

went　down　the　stairs　without　his　shoes　to　reconnoitre　the　localities。



He　was　not　a　little　astonished　to　find　a　door　wide　open　which　led　down

a　corridor　to　several　chambers；　at　the　end　of　which　corridor　was　a

window　opening　on　a　depression　caused　by　the　junction　of　the　roofs　of

the　hotel　de　Poitiers　and　that　of　the　Malemaison　which　met　there。

Nothing　could　express　his　joy；　unless　it　be　the　vow　which　he　instantly

made　to　the　Blessed　Virgin　to　found　a　mass　in　her　honor　in　the

celebrated　parish　church　of　the　Escrignoles　at　Tours。　After　examining

the　tall　broad　chimneys　of　the　hotel　de　Poitiers　he　returned　upon　his

steps　to　fetch　his　dagger；　when　to　his　horror；　he　beheld　a　vivid　light

on　the　staircase　and　saw　Maitre　Cornelius　himself　in　his　dalmatian；

carrying　a　lamp；　his　eyes　open　to　their　fullest　extent　and　fixed　upon

the　corridor；　at　the　entrance　of　which　he　stood　like　a　spectre。



〃If　I　open　the　window　and　jump　upon　the　roofs；　he　will　hear　me；〃

thought　the　young　man。



The　terrible　old　miser　advanced；　like　the　hour　of　death　to　a　criminal。

In　this　extremity　Philippe；　instigated　by　love；　recovered　his　presence

of　mind；　he　slipped　into　a　doorway；　pressing　himself　back　into　the

angle　of　it；　and　awaited　the　old　man。　When　Cornelius；　holding　his　lamp

in　advance　of　him；　came　into　line　with　the　current　of　air　which　the

young　man　could　send　from　his　lungs；　the　lamp　was　blown　out。　Cornelius

muttered　vague　words　and　swore　a　Dutch　oath；　but　he　turned　and

retraced　his　steps。　The　young　man　then　rushed　to　his　room；　caught　up

his　dagger　and　returned　to　the　blessed　window；　opened　it　softly　and

jumped　upon　the　roof。



Once　at　liberty　under　the　open　sky；　he　felt　weak；　so　happy　was　he。

Perhaps　the　extreme　agitation　of　his　danger　of　the　boldness　of　the

enterprise　caused　his　emotion；　victory　is　often　as　perilous　as　battle。

He　leaned　against　th