derues-第21节

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


shall　not　give　his　name　。　　。　　。　　but　I　loved　him　long　ago；　I　should　have　been　his　wife；　and　had　he　not　been　compelled　to　leave　France；　I　should　have　married　no　one　else。'〃

Monsieur　de　Lamotte　started；　and　grew　pale。

〃What　is　the　matter？〃　the　magistrate　inquired。

〃Oh！　this　dastardly　wretch　is　profiting　by　his　knowledge　of　secrets　which　a　long　intimacy　has　enabled　him　to　discover。　　Do　not　believe　him；　I　entreat　you；　do　not　believe　him！〃

Derues　resumed。　　〃Madame　de　Lamotte　continued　：　'I　saw　him　again　sixteen　years　ago；　always　in　hiding；　always　proscribed。　　To…day　he　reappears　under　a　name　which　is　not　his　own：　he　wishes　to　link　my　fate　with　his；　he　has　insisted　on　seeing　Edouard。　　But　I　shall　escape　him。　　I　have　invented　this　fiction　of　placing　my　son　among　the；　royal　pages　to　account　for　my　stay　here。　　Do　not　contradict　me；　but　help　me；　for　a　little　time　ago　I　met　one　of　Monsieur　de　Lamotte's　friends；　I　am　afraid　he　suspected　something。　　Say　you　have　seen　me　several　times；　as　you　have　come；　let　it　be　known　that　you　brought　Edouard　here。　　I　shall　return　to　Buisson　as　soon　as　possible；　but　will　you　go　first；　see　my　husband；　satisfy　him　if　he　is　anxious？　　I　am　in　your　hands；　my　honour；　my　reputation；　my　very　life；　are　at　your　mercy；　you　can　either　ruin　or　help　to　save　me。　　I　may　be　guilty；　but　I　am　not　corrupt。　　I　have　wept　for　my　sin　day　after　day；　and　I　have　already　cruelly　expiated　it。'〃

This　execrable　calumny　was　not　related　without　frequent　interruptions　on　the　part　of　Monsieur　de　Lamotte。　　He　was；　however；　obliged　to　own　to　himself　that　it　was　quite　true　that　Marie　Perier　had　really　been　promised　to　a　man　whom　an　unlucky　affair　had　driven　into　exile；　and　whom　he　had　supposed　to　be　dead。　　This　revelation；　coming　from　Derues；　who　had　the　strongest　interest　in　lying；　by　no　means　convinced　him　of　his　wife's　dishonour；　nor　destroyed　the　feelings　of　a　husband　and　father；　but　Derues　was　not　speaking　for　him　lone；　and　what　appeared　incredible　to　Monsieur　de　Lamotte　might　easily　seem　less　improbable　to　the　colder　and　less　interested　judgment　of　the　magistrate。

〃I　was　wrong；〃　Derues　continued；　〃in　allowing　myself　to　be　touched　by　her　tears；　wrong　in　believing　in　her　repentance；　more　wrong　still　in　going　to　Buisson　to　satisfy　her　husband。　　But　I　only　consented　on　conditions：　Madame　de　Lamotte　promised　me　to　return　shortly　to　Paris；　vowing　that　her　son　should　never　know　the　truth；　and　that　the　rest　of　her　life　should　be　devoted　to　atoning　for　her　sin　by　a　boundless　devotion。　　She　then　begged　me　to　leave　her；　and　told　me　she　would　write　to　me　at　Paris　to　fix　the　day　of　her　return。　　This　is　what　happened；　and　this　is　why　I　went　to　Buissan　and　gave　my　support　to　a　lying　fiction。　　With　one　word　I　might　have　destroyed　the　happiness　of　seventeen　years。　　I　did　not　wish　to　do　so。　　I　believed　in　the　remorse；　I　believe　in　it　still；　in　spite　of　all　appearances；　I　have　refused　to　speak　this　very　day；　and　made　every　effort　to　prolong　an　illusion　which　I　know　it　will　be　terrible　to　lose。〃

There　was　a　moment　of　silence。　　This　fable；　so　atrociously　ingenious；　was　simply　and　impressively　narrated；　and　with　an　air　of　candour　well　contrived　to　impose　on　the　magistrate；　or；　at　least；　to　suggest　grave　doubts　to　his　mind。　　Derues；　with　his　usual　cunning；　had　conformed　his　language　to　the　quality　of　his　listener。　　Any　tricks；　profession　of　piety；　quotations　from　sacred　books；　so　largely　indulged　in　when　he　wished　to　bamboozle　people　of　a　lower　class；　would　here　have　told　against　him。　　He　knew　when　to　abstain；　and　carried　the　art　of　deception　far　enough　to　be　able　to　lay　aside　the　appearance　of　hypocrisy。　　He　had　described　all　the　circumstances　without　affectation；　and　if　this　unexpected　accusation　was　wholly　unproved；　it　yet　rested　on　a　possible　fact；　and　did　not　appear　absolutely　incredible。　　The　magistrate　went　through　it　all　again；　and　made　him　repeat　every　detail；　without　being　able　to　make　him　contradict　himself　or　show　the　smallest　embarrassment。　　While　interrogating　Derues；　he　kept　his　eyes　fixed　upon　him；　and　this　double　examination　being　quite　fruitless；　only　increased　his　perplexity。　　However；　he　never　relaxed　the　incredulous　severity　of　his　demeanour；　nor　the　imperative　and　threatening　tone　of　his　voice。

〃You　acknowledge　having　been　at　Lyons？〃　he　asked。

〃I　have　been　there。〃

〃At　the　beginning　of　this　examination　you　said　you　would　explain　the　reason　of　this　journey　later。〃

〃I　am　ready　to　do　so；　for　the　journey　is　connected　with　the　facts　I　have　just　narrated；　it　was　caused　by　them。〃

〃Explain　it。〃

〃I　again　ask　permission　to　relate　fully。　　I　did　not　hear　from　Versailles：　I　began　to　fear　Monsieur　de　Lamotte's　anxiety　would　bring　him　to　Paris。　　Bound　by　the　promise　I　had　made　to　his　wife　to　avert　all　suspicion　and　to　satisfy　any　doubts　he　might　conceive；　and；　must　I　add；　also　remembering　that　it　was　important　for　me　to　inform　him　of　our　new　arrangements；　and　of　this　payment　of　a　hundred　thousand　livres。〃

〃That　payment　is　assuredly　fictitious；〃　interrupted　Monsieur　de　Lamotte；　〃we　must　have　some　proof　of　it。〃

〃I　will　prove　it　presently；〃　answered　Derues。　　〃So　I　went　to　Buisson；　as　I　have　already　told　you。　　On　my　return　I　found　a　letter　from　Madame　de　Lamotte；　a　letter　with　a　Paris　stamp；　which　had　arrived　that　morning。　　I　was　surprised　that　she　should　write；　when　actually　in　Paris；　I　opened　the　letter；　and　was　still　more　surprised。　　I　have　not　the　letter　with　me；　but　I　recollect　the　sense　of　it　perfectly；　if　not　the　wording；　and　I　can　produce　it　if　necessary。　　Madame　de　Lamotte　was　at　Lyons　with　her　son　and　this　person　whose　name　I　do　not　know；　and　whom　I　do　not　care　to　mention　before　her　husband。　　She　had　confided　this　letter　to　a　person　who　was　coming　to　Paris；　and　who　was　to　bring　it　me；　but　this　individual；　whose　name　was　Marquis；　regretted　that　having　to　start　again　immediately；　he　was　obliged　to　entrust　it　to　the　post。　　This　is　the　sense　of　its　contents。　　Madame　de　Lamotte　wrote　that　she　found　herself　obliged　to　follow　this　nameless　person　to　Lyons；　and　she　begged　me　to　send　her　news　of　her　husband　and　of　the　state　of　his　affairs；　but　said　not　one　single　word　of　any　probable　return。　　I　became　very　uneasy　at　the　news　of　this　clandestine　departure。　　I　had　no　security　except　a　private　contract　annulling　our　first　agreement　on　the　payment　of　one　hundred　thousand　livres；　and　that　this　was　not　a　sufficient　and　regular　receipt　I　knew；　because　the　lawyer　had　already　refused　to　surrender　Monsieur　de　Lamotte's　power　of　attorney。　　I　thought　over　all　the　difficulties　which　this　flight；　which　would　have　to　be　kept　secret；　was　likely　to　produce；　and　I　started　for　Lyons　without　writing　or　giving　any　notice　of　my　intention。　　I　had　no　information；　I　did　not　even　know　whether　Madame　de　Lamotte　was　passing　by　another　name；　as　at　Versailles；　but　chance　decreed　that　I　met　her　the　very　day　of　my　arrival。　　She　was　alone；　and　complained　bitterly　of　her　fate；　saying　she　had　been　compelled　to　follow　this　individual　to　Lyons；　but　that　very　soon　she　would　be　free　and　would　return　to　Paris。　　But　I　was　struck　by　the　uncertainty　of　her　manner；　and　said　I　should　not　leave　her　without　obtaining　a　deed　in　proof　of　our　recent　arrangements。　　She　refused　at　first；　saying　it　was　unnecessary；　as　she　would　so　soon　return；　but　I　insisted　strongly。　　I　told　her　I　had　already　com　promised　myself　by　telling　Monsieur　de　Lamotte　that　she　was　at　Versailles；　endeavouring　to　procure　an　appointment　for　her　son；　that　since　she　had　been　compelled　to　come　to　Lyons；　the　same　person　might　take　her　elsewhere；　so　that　she　might　disappear　any　day；　might　leave　France　without　leaving　any　trace；　without　any　written　acknowledgment　of　her　own　dishonour；　and　that　when　all　these　falsehoods　were　discovered；　I　should　appear　in　the　light　of　an　accomplice。　　I　said　also　that；　as　she　had　unfortunately　lodged　in　my　house　in　Paris；　and　had　requested　me　to　remove　her　son　from　his　school；　explanations　would　be　required　from　me；　and　perhaps　I　should　be　accused　of　this　double　disappearance。　　Finally；　I　declared　that　if　she　did　not　give　me　some　proofs　of　her　existence；　willingly　or　unwillingly；　I　would　go　at　once　to　a　magistrate。　　My　firmness　made　her　reflect。　　'My　good　Monsieur　Derues；'　she　said；　'I　ask　your　forgiveness　for　all　the　trouble　I　have　caused　you。　　I　will　give　you　this　deed　to…morrow；　to…day　it　is　too　late；　but　come　to　this　same　place　to…morrow；　and　you　shall　see　me　again。'　　I　hesitated；　I　confess；　to　let　her　go。　　'Ah；'　she　said；　grasping　my　hands；　'do　not　suspect　me　of　intending　to　deceive　you！　　I　swear　that　I　will　meet　you　here　at　four　o'clock。　　It　is　enough　that　I　have　ruined　myself；　and　perhaps　my　son；　without　also　entangling　you　in　my　unhappy　fate。　　Yes；　you　are　right；　this　deed　is　important；　necessary　for　you；　and　you　shall　have　it。　　But　do　not　show　yourself　here；　if　you　were　seen；　I　might　not　be　able　to　do　what　I　ought　to　do。　To…morrow　you　shall　see　me　again；　I　swear　it。'　　She　then　left　me。　The　next　day；　the　12th；　of　March；　I　was　exact　at　the　rendezvous；　and　Madame　de　Lamotte　arrived　a　moment　later。　　She　gave　me　a　deed；　authorising　her　husband　to　receive　the　arrears　of　thirty　thousand　livres　remaining　from　the　purchase…money　of　Buisson…Souef。　　I　endeavoured　again　to　express