derues-第4节

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cy！〃

This　accusation　emanated　from　too　insignificant　a　quarter　to　have　any　effect　on　Derues'　reputation。　　However　resentful　he　may　have　been　at　the　time；　he　got　over　it　in　consequence　of　the　reiterated　marks　of　interest　shown　by　his　neighbours　and　all　the　quarter　on　account　of　his　supposed　ruin；　and　the　hawker's　attack　passed　out　of　his　mind；　or　probably　she　might　have　paid　for　her　boldness　with　her　life。

But　this　drunken　woman　had　none　the　less　uttered　a　prophetic　word；　it　was　the　grain　of　sand　on　which；　later；　he　was　to　be　shipwrecked。

〃All　passions；〃　says　La　Bruyere；〃all　passions　are　deceitful；　they　disguise　themselves　as　much　as　possible　from　the　public　eye；　they　hide　from　themselves。　　There　is　no　vice　which　has　not　a　counterfeit　resemblance　to　some　virtue；　and　which　does　not　profit　by　it。〃

The　whole　life　of　Derues　bears　testimony　to　the　truth　of　this　observation。　　An　avaricious　poisoner；　he　attracted　his　victims　by　the　pretence　of　fervent　and　devoted　piety；　and　drew　them　into　the　snare　where　he　silently　destroyed　them。　　His　terrible　celebrity　only　began　in　1777；　caused　by　the　double　murder　of　Madame　de　Lamotte　and　her　son；　and　his　name；　unlike　those　of　some　other　great　criminals；　does　not　at　first　recall　a　long　series　of　crimes；　but　when　one　examines　this　low；　crooked；　and　obscure　life；　one　finds　a　fresh　stain　at　every　step；　and　perhaps　no　one　has　ever　surpassed　him　in　dissimulation；　in　profound　hypocrisy；　in　indefatigable　depravity。　　Derues　was　executed　at　thirty…two；　and　his　whole　life　was　steeped　in　vice；　though　happily　so　short；　it　is　full　of　horror；　and　is　only　a　tissue　of　criminal　thoughts　and　deeds；　a　very　essence　of　evil。　　He　had　no　hesitation；　no　remorse；　no　repose；　no　relaxation；　he　seemed　compelled　to　lie；　to　steal；　to　poison！　　Occasionally　suspicion　is　aroused；　the　public　has　its　doubts；　and　vague　rumours　hover　round　him；　but　he　burrows　under　new　impostures；　and　punishment　passes　by。　　When　he　falls　into　the　hands　of　human　justice　his　reputation　protects　him；　and　for　a　few　days　more　the　legal　sword　is　turned　aside。　　Hypocrisy　is　so　completely　a　part　of　his　nature；　that　even　when　there　is　no　longer　any　hope；　when　he　is　irrevocably　sentenced；　and　he　knows　that　he　can　no　longer　deceive　anyone；　neither　mankind　nor　Him　whose　name　he　profanes　by　this　last　sacrilege；　he　yet　exclaims；　〃O　Christ！　　I　shall　suffer　even　as　Thou。〃　　It　is　only　by　the　light　of　his　funeral　pyre　that　the　dark　places　of　his　life　can　be　examined；　that　this　bloody　plot　is　unravelled；　and　that　other　victims；　forgotten　and　lost　in　the　shadows；　arise　like　spectres　at　the　foot　of　the　scaffold；　and　escort　the　assassin　to　his　doom。

Let　us　trace　rapidly　the　history　of　Derues'　early　years；　effaced　and　forgotten　in　the　notoriety　of　his　death。　　These　few　pages　are　not　written　for　the　glorification　of　crime；　and　if　in　our　own　days；　as　a　result　of　the　corruption　of　our　manners；　and　of　a　deplorable　confusion　of　all　notions　of　right　and　wrong；　it　has　been　sought　to　make　him　an　object；　of　public　interest；　we；　on　our　part；　only　wish　to　bring　him　into　notice；　and　place　him　momentarily　on　a　pedestal；　in　order　to　cast　him　still　lower；　that　his　fall　may　be　yet　greater。　What　has　been　permitted　by　God　may　be　related　by　man。　　Decaying　and　satiated　communities　need　not　be　treated　as　children；　they　require　neither　diplomatic　handling　nor　precaution；　and　it　may　be　good　that　they　should　see　and　touch　the　putrescent　sores　which　canker　them。　Why　fear　to　mention　that　which　everyone　knows？　　Why　dread　to　sound　the　abyss　which　can　be　measured　by　everyone？　　Why　fear　to　bring　into　the　light　of　day　unmasked　wickedness；　even　though　it　confronts　the　public　gaze　unblushingly？　　Extreme　turpitude　and　extreme　excellence　are　both　in　the　schemes　of　Providence；　and　the　poet　has　summed　up　eternal　morality　for　all　ages　and　nations　in　this　sublime　exclamation

　　　　　　　　　　〃Abstulit　hunc　tandem　Rufini　poem　tumultum。〃

Besides；　and　we　cannot　insist　too　earnestly　that　our　intention　must　not　be　mistaken；　if　we　had　wished　to　inspire　any　other　sentiment　than　that　of　horror；　we　should　have　chosen　a　more　imposing　personage　from　the　annals　of　crime。　　There　have　been　deeds　which　required　audacity；　a　sort　of　grandeur；　a　false　heroism；　there　have　been　criminals　who　held　in　check　all　the　regular　and　legitimate　forces　of　society；　and　whom　one　regarded　with　a　mixture　of　terror　and　pity。　　There　is　nothing　of　that　in　Derues；　not　even　a　trace　of　courage；　nothing　but　a　shameless　cupidity；　exercising　itself　at　first　in　the　theft　of　a　few　pence　filched　from　the　poor；　nothing　but　the　illicit　gains　and　rascalities　of　a　cheating　shopkeeper　and　vile　money…lender；　a　depraved　cowardice　which　dared　not　strike　openly；　but　slew　in　the　dark。　　It　is　the　story　of　an　unclean　reptile　which　drags　itself　underground；　leaving　everywhere　the　trail　of　its　poisonous　saliva。

Such　was　the　man　whose　life　we　have　undertaken　to　narrate；　a　man　who　represents　a　complete　type　of　wickedness；　and　who　corresponds　to　the　most　hideous　sketch　ever　devised　by　poet　or　romance…writer：　Facts　without　importance　of　their　own；　which　would　be　childish　if　recorded　of　anyone　else；　obtain　a　sombre　reflection　from　other　facts　which　precede　them；　and　thenceforth　cannot　be　passed　over　in　silence。　　The　historian　is　obliged　to　collect　and　note　them；　as　showing　the　logical　development　of　this　degraded　being：　he　unites　them　in　sequence；　and　counts　the　successive　steps　of　the　ladder　mounted　by　the　criminal。

We　have　seen　the　early　exploit　of　this　assassin　by　instinct；　we　find　him；　twenty　years　later；　an　incendiary　and　a　fraudulent　bankrupt。　What　had　happened　in　the　interval？　　With　how　much　treachery　and　crime　had　he　filled　this　space　of　twenty　years？　　Let　us　return　to　his　infancy。

His　unconquerable　taste　for　theft　caused　him　to　be　expelled　by　the　relations　who　had　taken　charge　of　him。　　An　anecdote　is　told　which　shows　his　impudence　and　incurable　perversity。　　One　day　he　was　caught　taking　some　money；　and　was　soundly　whipped　by　his　cousins。　　When　this　was　over；　the　child；　instead　of　showing　any　sorrow　or　asking　forgiveness；　ran　away　with　a　sneer；　and　seeing　they　were　out　of　breath；　exclaimed

〃You　are　tired；　are　you？　　Well；　I　am　not！〃

Despairing　of　any　control　over　this　evil　disposition；　the　relations　refused　to　keep　him；　and　sent　him　to　Chartres；　where　two　other　cousins　agreed　to　have　him；　out　of　charity。　　They　were　simpleminded　women；　of　great　and　sincere　piety；　who　imagined　that　good　example　and　religious　teaching　might　have　a　happy　influence　on　their　young　relation。　　The　result　was　contrary　to　their　expectation：　the　sole　fruit　of　their　teaching　was　that　Derues　learnt　to　be　a　cheat　and　a　hypocrite；　and　to　assume　the　mask　of　respectability。

Here　also　repeated　thefts　insured　him　sound　corrections。　　Knowing　his　cousins'　extreme　economy；　not　to　say　avarice；　he　mocked　them　when　they　broke　a　lath　over　his　shoulders：　〃There　now；　I　am　so　glad；　that　will　cost　you　two　farthings！〃

His　benefactresses'　patience　becoming　exhausted；　he　left　their　house；　and　was　apprenticed　to　a　tinman　at　Chartres。　　His　master　died；　and　an　ironmonger　of　the　same　town　took　him　as　shop…boy；　and　from　this　he　passed　on　to　a　druggist　and　grocer。　　Until　now；　although　fifteen　years　old；　he　had　shown　no　preference　for　one　trade　more　than　another；　but　it　was　now　necessary　he　should　choose　some　profession；　and　his　share　in　the　family　property　amounted　to　the　modest　sum　of　three　thousand　five　hundred　livres。　　His　residence　with　this　last　master　revealed　a　decided　taste；　but　it　was　only　another　evil　instinct　developing　itself：　the　poisoner　had　scented　poison；　being　always　surrounded　with　drugs　which　were　health…giving　or　hurtful；　according　to　the　use　made　of　them。　　Derues　would　probably　have　settled　at　Chartres；　but　repeated　thefts　obliged　him　to　leave　the　town。　　The　profession　of　druggist　and　grocer　being　one　which　presented　most　chances　of　fortune；　and　being；　moreover；　adapted　to　his　tastes；　his　family　apprenticed　him　to　a　grocer　in　the　rue　Comtesse　d'Artois；　paying　a　specified　premium　for　him。

Derues　arrived　in　Paris　in　1760。　　It　was　a　new　horizon；　where　he　was　unknown；　no　suspicion　attached　to　him；　and　he　felt　much　at　his　ease。　Lost　in　the　noise　and　the　crowd　of　this　immense　receptacle　for　every　vice；　he　had　time　to　found　on　hypocrisy　his　reputation　as　an　honest　man。　　When　his　apprenticeship　expired；　his　master　proposed　to　place　him　with　his　sister…in…law；　who　kept　a　similar　establishment　in　the　rue　St。　Victor；　and　who　had　been　a　widow　for　several　years。　　He　recommended　Derues　as　a　young　man　whose　zeal　and　intelligence　might　be　useful　in　her　business；　being　ignorant　of　various　embezzlements　committed　by　his　late　apprentice；　who　was　always　clever　enough　to　cast　suspicion　on　others。　　But　the　negotiation　nearly　fell　through；　because；　one　day；　Derues　so　far　forgot　his　usual　prudence　and　dissimulation　as　to　allow　himself　to　make　the　observation　recorded　above　to　his　mistress。　　She；　horrified；　ordered　him　to　be　silent；　and　threatened　to　ask　her　husband　to　dismiss　him。　　It　required　a　double　amount　of　hypocrisy　to　remove　this　unfavourable　impression；　but　he　spared　no　pains　to　obtain　the　confidence　of　the　sister…in…law；　who　was　much　influenced　in　his　favour。　　Every　day　he　inquired　what　coul