derues-第10节

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　seen　not　one　had　given　me　a　favourable　answer。　He　said　that　he　might　possibly　be　of　some　use　to　me；　and　the　very　next　day　told　'me　that　he　had　seen　a　capitalist；　but　could　do　nothing　without　more　precise　information。　　Then　I　thought　it　might　be　better　to　bring　him　here；　so　that　he　might　talk　matters　over　with　you。　　When　I　first　asked　him；　he　refused　altogether；　and　only　yielded　to　my　earnest　entreaties　and　Edouard's。　　This　is　the　history；　dear；　of　the　circumstances　under　which　I　made　Monsieur　Derues'　acquaintance。　　I　hope　you　do　not　think　I　have　acted　foolishly？〃

〃Very　well；〃　said　Monsieur　de　Lamotte；　〃　I　will　talk　to　him　to…morrow；　and　in　any　case　I　promise　you　I　will　be　civil　to　him。　　I　will　not　forget　that　he　has　been　useful　to　you。〃　　With　which　promise　the　conversation　came　to　a　close。

Skilled　in　assuming　any　kind　of　mask　and　in　playing　every　sort　of　part；　Derues　did　not　find　it　difficult　to　overcome　Monsieur　de　Lamotte's　prejudices；　and　in　order　to　obtain　the　goodwill　of　the　father　he　made　a　skilful　use　of　the　friendship　which　the；　son　had　formed　with　him。　　One　can　hardly　think　that　he　already　meditated　the　crime　which　he　carried　out　later；　one　prefers　to　believe　that　these　atrocious　plots　were　not　invented　so　long　beforehand。　　But　he　was　already　a　prey　to　the　idea；　and　nothing　henceforth　could　turn　him　from　it。　　By　what　route　he　should　arrive　at　the　distant　goal　which　his　greed　foresaw；　he　knew　not　as　yet；　but　he　had　said　to　himself；　〃One　day　this　property　shall　be　mine。〃　　It　was　the　death…warrant　of　those　who　owned　it。

We　have　no　details；　no　information　as　to　Derues'　first　visit　to　Buisson…Souef；　but　when　he　departed　he　had　obtained　the　complete　confidence　of　the　family；　and　a　regular　correspondence　was　carried　on　between　him　and　the　Lamottes。　　It　was　thus　that　he　was　able　to　exercise　his　talent　of　forgery；　and　succeeded　in　imitating　the　writing　of　this　unfortunate　lady　so　as　to　be　able　even　to　deceive　her　husband。　　Several　months　passed；　and　none　of　the　hopes　which　Derues　had　inspired　were　realised；　a　loan　was　always　on　the　point　of　being　arranged；　and　regularly　failed　because　of　some　unforeseen　circumstance。　　These　pretended　negotiations　were　managed　by　Derues　with　so　much　skill　and　cunning　that　instead　of　being　suspected；　he　was　pitied　for　having　so　much　useless　trouble。　　Meanwhile；　Monsieur　de　Lamotte's　money　difficulties　increased；　and　the　sale　of　Buisson…Souef　became　inevitable。　　Derues　offered　himself　as　a　purchaser；　and　actually　acquired　the　property　by　private　contract；　dated　December　aa；　1775。　　It　was　agreed　between　the　parties　that　the　purchase…money　of　one　hundred　and　thirty　thousand　livres　should　not　be　paid　until　1776；　in　order　to　allow　Derues　to　collect　the　various　sums　at　his　disposal。　　It　was　an　important　purchase；　which；　he　said；　he　only　made　on　account　of　his　interest　in　Monsieur　de　Lamotte；　and　his　wish　to　put　an　end　to　the　latter's　difficulties。

But　when　the　period　agreed　on　arrived；　towards　the　middle　of　1776；　Derues　found　it　impossible　to　pay。　　It　is　certain　that　he　never　meant　to　do　so；　and　a　special　peculiarity　of　this　dismal　story　is　the　avarice　of　the　man；　the　passion　for　money　which　overruled　all　his　actions；　and　occasionally　caused　him　to　neglect　necessary　prudence。　Enriched　by　three　bankruptcies；　by　continual　thefts；　by　usury；　the　gold　he　acquired　promptly　seemed　to　disappear。　　He　stuck　at　nothing　to　obtain　it；　and　once　in　his　grasp；　he　never　let　it　go　again。　Frequently　he　risked　the　loss　of　his　character　for　honest　dealing　rather　than　relinquish　a　fraction　of　his　wealth。　　According　to　many　credible　people；　it　was　generally　believed　by　his　contemporaries　that　this　monster　possessed　treasures　which　he　had　buried　in　the　ground；　the　hiding…place　of　which　no　one　knew；　not　even　his　wife。　　Perhaps　it　is　only　a　vague　and　unfounded　rumour；　which　should　be　rejected；　or　is　it；　perhaps；　a　truth　which　failed　to　reveal　itself　？　　It　would　be　strange　if　after　the　lapse　of　half　a　century　the　hiding…place　were　to　open　and　give　up　the　fruit　of　his　rapine。　　Who　knows　whether　some　of　this　treasure；　accidentally　discovered；　may　not　have　founded　fortunes　whose　origin　is　unknown；　even　to　their　possessors？

Although　it　was　of　the　utmost　importance　not　to　arouse　Monsieur　de　Lamotte's　suspicions　just　at　the　moment　when　he　ought　to　be　paying　him　so　large　a　sum；　Derues　was　actually　at　this　time　being　sued　by　his　creditors。　　But　in　those　days　ordinary　lawsuits　had　no　publicity；　they　struggled　and　died　between　the　magistrates　and　advocates　without　causing　any　sound。　　In　order　to　escape　the　arrest　and　detention　with　which　he　was　threatened；　he　took　refuge　at　Buisson…Souef　with　his　family；　and　remained　there　from　Whitsuntide　till　the　end　of　November。　After　being　treated　all　this　time　as　a　friend；　Derues　departed　for　Paris；　in　order；　he　said；　to　receive　an　inheritance　which　would　enable　him　to　pay　the　required　purchase…money。

This　pretended　inheritance　was　that　of　one　of　his　wife's　relations；　Monsieur　Despeignes…Duplessis；　who　had　been　murdered　in　his　country　house；　near　Beauvais。　　It　has　been　strongly　suspected　that　Derues　was　guilty　of　this　crime。　　There　are；　however；　no　positive　proofs；　and　we　prefer　only　to　class　it　as　a　simple　possibility。

Derues　had　made　formal　promises　to　Monsieur　de　Lamotte；　and　it　was　no　longer　possible　for　him　to　elude　them。　　Either　the　payment　must　now　be　made；　or　the　contract　annulled。　　A　new　correspondence　began　between　the　creditors　and　the　debtor；　friendly　letters　were　exchanged；　full　of　protestations　on　one　side　and　confidence　on　the　other。　　But　all　Derues'　skill　could　only　obtain　a　delay　of　a　few　months。　　At　length　Monsieur　de　Lamotte；　unable　to　leave　Buisson…Souef　himself；　on　account　of　important　business　which　required　his　presence；　gave　his　wife　a　power　of　attorney；　consented　to　another　separation；　and　sent　her　to　Paris；　accompanied　by　Edouard；　and　as　if　to　hasten　their　misfortunes；　sent　notice　of　their　coming　to　the　expectant　murderer。

We　have　passed　quickly　over　the　interval　between　the　first　meeting　of　Monsieur　de　Lamotte　and　Derues；　and　the　moment　when　the　victims　fell　into　the　trap：　we　might　easily　have　invented　long　conversations；　and　episodes　which　would　have　brought　Derues'　profound　hypocrisy　into　greater　relief；　but　the　reader　now　knows　all　that　we　care　to　show　him。　　We　have　purposely　lingered　in　our　narration　in　the　endeavour　to　explain　the　perversities　of　this　mysterious　organisation；　we　have　over…loaded　it　with　all　the　facts　which　seem　to　throw　any　light　upon　this　sombre　character。　　But　now；　after　these　long　preparations；　the　drama　opens；　the　scenes　become　rapid　and　lifelike；　events；　long　impeded；　accumulate　and　pass　quickly　before　us；　the　action　is　connected　and　hastens　to　an　end。　　We　shall　see　Derues　like　an　unwearied　Proteus；　changing　names；　costumes；　language；　multiplying　himself　in　many　forms；　scattering　deceptions　and　lies　from　one　end　of　France　to　the　other；　and　finally；　after　so　many　efforts；　such　prodigies　of　calculation　and　activity；　end　by　wrecking　himself　against　a　corpse。

The　letter　written　at　Buisson…Souef　arrived　at　Paris　the　morning　of　the　14th　of　December。　　In　the　course　of　the　day　an　unknown　man　presented　himself　at　the　hotel　where　Madame　de　Lamotte　and　her　son　had　stayed　before；　and　inquired　what　rooms　were　vacant。　　There　were　four；　and　he　engaged　them　for　a　certain　Dumoulin；　who　had　arrived　that　morning　from　Bordeaux；　and　who　had　passed　through　Paris　in　order　to　meet；　at　some　little　distance；　relations　who　would　return　with　him。　　A　part　of　the　rent　was　paid　in　advance；　and　it　was　expressly　stipulated　that　until　his　return　the　rooms　should　not　be　let　to　anyone；　as　the　aforesaid　Dumoulin　might　return　with　his　family　and　require　them　at　any　moment。　　The　same　person　went　to　other　hotels　in　the　neighbourhood　and　engaged　vacant　rooms；　sometimes　for　a　stranger　he　expected；　sometimes　for　friends　whom　he　could　not　accommodate　himself。

At　about　three　o'clock；　the　Place　de　Greve　was　full　of　people；　thousands　of　heads　crowded　the　windows　of　the　surrounding　houses。　　A　parricide　was　to　pay　the　penalty　of　his　crimea　crime　committed　under　atrocious　circumstances；　with　an　unheard…of　refinement　of　barbarity。　　The　punishment　corresponded　to　the　crime：　the　wretched　man　was　broken　on　the　wheel。　　The　most　complete　and　terrible　silence　prevailed　in　the　multitude　eager　for　ghastly　emotions。　　Three　times　already　had　been　heard　the　heavy　thud　of　the　instrument　which　broke　the　victim's　limbs；　and　a　loud　cry　escaped　the　sufferer　which　made　all　who　heard　it　shudder　with　horror；　One　man　only；　who；　in　spite　of　all　his　efforts；　could　not　get　through　the　crowd　and　cross　the　square；　remained　unmoved；　and　looking　contemptuously　towards　the　criminal；　muttered；　〃Idiot！　he　was　unable　to　deceive　anyone！〃

A　few　moments　later　the　flames　began　to　rise　from　the　funeral　pile；　the　crowd　began　to　move；　and　the　than　was　able　to　make　his　way　through　and　reach　one　of　the　streets　leading　out　of　the　square。

The　sky　was　overcast；　and　the　grey　daylight　hardly　penetrated　the　narrow　lane；　hideous　and　gloomy　as　the　name　it　bore；　and　which；　only　a　few　years　ago；　still　wound　like　a　long　serpent　through　the　mire　of　this　quarter。　　Just　then　it　was　deserted；　owing　to　the　attraction　of　the　ex