twenty years after(二十年后)-第139章

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crime　was　not　a　great　one。
〃Have　you　the　wick？〃　asked　the　one　who　carried　the　lantern。
〃Here　it　is；〃　answered　the　other。
At　the　voice　of　this　last　speaker；　Grimaud　started　and　felt
a　shudder　creeping　through　his　very　marrow。　He　rose　gently；
so　that　his　head　was　just　above　the　round　of　the　barrel；　and
under　the　large　hat　he　recognized　the　pale　face　of　Mordaunt。
〃How　long　will　this　fuse　burn？〃　asked　this　person。
〃About　five　minutes；〃　replied　the　captain。
That　voice　also　was　known　to　Grimaud。　He　looked　from　one　to
the　other　and　after　Mordaunt　he　recognized　Groslow。
〃Then　tell　the　men　to　be　in　readiness　　don't　tell　them　why
now。　When　the　clock　strikes　a　quarter　after　midnight　collect
your　men。　Get　down　into　the　longboat。〃
〃That　is；　when　I　have　lighted　the　match？〃
〃I　will　undertake　that。　I　wish　to　be　sure　of　my　revenge。　Are
the　oars　in　the　boat？〃
〃Everything　is　ready。〃
〃'Tis　well。〃
Mordaunt　knelt　down　and　fastened　one　end　of　the　train　to　the
spigot；　in　order　that　he　might　have　nothing　to　do　but　to　set
it　on　fire　at　the　opposite　end　with　the　match。
He　then　arose。
〃You　hear　me　　at　a　quarter　past　midnight　　in　fact；　in
twenty　minutes。〃
〃I　understand　all　perfectly；　sir；〃　replied　Groslow；　〃but
allow　me　to　say　there　is　great　danger　in　what　you　undertake；
would　it　not　be　better　to　intrust　one　of　the　men　to　set　fire
to　the　train？〃
〃My　dear　Groslow；〃　answered　Mordaunt；　〃you　know　the　French
proverb；　‘Nothing　one　does　not　do　one's　self　is　ever　well
done。'　I　shall　abide　by　that　rule。〃
Grimaud　had　heard　all　this；　if　he　had　not　understood　it。　But
what　he　saw　made　good　what　he　lacked　in　perfect
comprehension　of　the　language。　He　had　seen　the　two　mortal
enemies　of　the　musketeers；　had　seen　Mordaunt　adjust　the
fuse；　he　had　heard　the　proverb；　which　Mordaunt　had　given　in
French。　Then　he　felt　and　felt　again　the　contents　of　the
tankard　he　held　in　his　hand；　and；　instead　of　the　lively
liquor　expected　by　Blaisois　and　Musqueton；　he　found　beneath
his　fingers　the　grains　of　some　coarse　powder。
Mordaunt　went　away　with　the　captain。　At　the　door　he　stopped
to　listen。
〃Do　you　hear　how　they　sleep？〃　he　asked。
In　fact；　Porthos　could　be　heard　snoring　through　the
partition。
〃'Tis　God　who　gives　them　into　our　hands；〃　answered　Groslow。
〃This　time　the　devil　himself　shall　not　save　them；〃　rejoined
Mordaunt。
And　they　went　out　together。

72
End　of　the　Port　Wine　Mystery。

Grimaud　waited　till　he　heard　the　bolt　grind　in　the　lock　and
when　he　was　satisfied　that　he　was　alone　he　slowly　rose　from
his　recumbent　posture。
〃Ah！〃　he　said；　wiping　with　his　sleeve　large　drops　of　sweat
from　his　forehead；　〃how　lucky　it　was　that　Musqueton　was
thirsty！〃
He　made　haste　to　pass　out　by　the　opening；　still　thinking
himself　in　a　dream；　but　the　sight　of　the　gunpowder　in　the
tankard　proved　to　him　that　his　dream　was　a　fatal　nightmare。
It　may　be　imagined　that　D'Artagnan　listened　to　these　details
with　increasing　interest；　before　Grimaud　had　finished　he
rose　without　noise　and　putting　his　mouth　to　Aramis's　ear；
and　at　the　same　time　touching　him　on　the　shoulder　to　prevent
a　sudden　movement：
〃Chevalier；〃　he　said；　〃get　up　and　don't　make　the　least
noise。〃
Aramis　awoke。　D'Artagnan；　pressing　his　hand；　repeated　his
call。　Aramis　obeyed。
〃Athos　is　near　you；〃　said　D'Artagnan；　〃warn　him　as　I　have
warned　you。〃
Aramis　easily　aroused　Athos；　whose　sleep　was　light；　like
that　of　all　persons　of　a　finely　organized　constitution。　But
there　was　more　difficulty　in　arousing　Porthos。　He　was
beginning　to　ask　full　explanation　of　that　breaking　in　on　his
sleep；　which　was　very　annoying　to　him；　when　D'Artagnan；
instead　of　explaining；　closed　his　mouth　with　his　hand。
Then　our　Gascon；　extending　his　arms；　drew　to　him　the　heads
of　his　three　friends　till　they　almost　touched　one　another。
〃Friends；〃　he　said；　〃we　must　leave　this　craft　at　once　or　we
are　dead　men。〃
〃Bah！〃　said　Athos；　〃are　you　still　afraid？〃
〃Do　you　know　who　is　captain　of　this　vessel？〃
〃No。〃
〃Captain　Groslow。〃
The　shudder　of　the　three　musketeers　showed　to　D'Artagnan
that　his　words　began　to　make　some　impression　on　them。
〃Groslow！〃　said　Aramis；　〃the　devil！
〃Who　is　this　Groslow？〃　asked　Porthos。　〃I　don't　remember
him。〃
〃Groslow　is　the　man　who　broke　Parry's　head　and　is　now
getting　ready　to　break　ours。〃
〃Oh！　oh！〃
〃And　do　you　know　who　is　his　lieutenant？〃
〃His　lieutenant？　There　is　none；〃　said　Athos。　〃They　don't
have　lieutenants　in　a　felucca　manned　by　a　crew　of　four。〃
〃Yes；　but　Monsieur　Groslow　is　not　a　captain　of　the　ordinary
kind；　he　has　a　lieutenant；　and　that　lieutenant　is　Monsieur
Mordaunt。〃
This　time　the　musketeers　did　more　than　shudder　　they
almost　cried　out。　Those　invincible　men　were　subject　to　a
mysterious　and　fatal　influence　which　that　name　had　over
them；　the　mere　sound　of　it　filled　them　with　terror。
〃What　shall　we　do？〃　said　Athos。
〃We　must　seize　the　felucca；〃　said　Aramis。
〃And　kill　him；〃　said　Porthos。
〃The　felucca　is　mined；〃　said　D'Artagnan。　〃Those　casks　which
I　took　for　casks　of　port　wine　are　filled　with　powder。　When
Mordaunt　finds　himself　discovered　he　will　destroy　all；
friends　and　foes；　and　on　my　word　he　would　be　bad　company　in
going　either　to　Heaven　or　to　hell。〃
〃You　have　some　plan；　then？〃　asked　Athos。
〃Yes。〃
〃What　is　it？〃
〃Have　you　confidence　in　me？〃
〃Give　your　orders；〃　said　the　three　musketeers。
〃Wry　well；　come　this　way。〃
D'Artagnan　went　toward　a　very　small；　low　window；　just　large
enough　to　let　a　man　through。　He　turned　it　gently　on　its
hinges。
〃There；〃　he　said；　〃is　our　road。〃
〃The　deuce！　it　is　a　very　cold　one；　my　dear　friend；〃　said
Aramis。
〃Stay　here；　if　you　like；　but　I　warn　you　'twill　be　rather　too
warm　presently。〃
〃But　we　cannot　swim　to　the　shore。〃
〃The　longboat　is　yonder；　lashed　to　the　felucca。　We　will　take
possession　of　it　and　cut　the　cable。　Come；　my　friends。〃
〃A　moment's　delay；〃　said　Athos；　〃our　servants？〃
〃Here　we　are！〃　they　cried。
Meantime　the　three　friends　were　standing　motionless　before
the　awful　sight　which　D'Artagnan；　in　raising　the　shutters；
had　disclosed　to　them　through　the　narrow　opening　of　the
window。
Those　who　have　once　beheld　such　a　spectacle　know　that　there
is　nothing　more　solemn；　more　striking；　than　the　raging　sea；
rolling；　with　its　deafening　roar；　its　dark　billows　beneath
the　pale　light　of　a　wintry　moon。
〃Gracious　Heaven；　we　are　hesitating！〃　cried　D'Artagnan；　〃if
we　hesitate　what　will　the　servants　do？〃
〃I　do　not　hesitate；　you　know；〃　said　Grimaud。
〃Sir；〃　interposed　Blaisois；　〃I　warn　you　that　I　can　only　swim
in　rivers。〃
〃And　I　not　at　all；〃　said　Musqueton。
But　D'Artagnan　had　now　slipped　through　the　window。
〃You　have　decided；　friend？〃　said　Athos。
〃Yes；〃　the　Gascon　answered；　〃Athos！　you；　who　are　a　perfect
being；　bid　spirit　triumph　over　body。　Do　you；　Aramis；　order
the　servants。　Porthos；　kill　every　one　who　stands　in　your
way。〃
And　after　pressing　the　hand　of　Athos；　D'Artagnan　chose　a
moment　when　the　ship　rolled　backward；　so　that　he　had　only　to
plunge　into　the　water；　which　was　already　up　to　his　waist。
Athos　followed　him　before　the　felucca　rose　again　on　the
waves；　the　cable　which　tied　the　boat　to　the　vessel　was　then
seen　plainly　rising　out　of　the　sea。
D'Artagnan　swam　to　it　and　held　it；　suspending　himself　by
this　rope；　his　head　alone　out　of　water。
In　one　second　Athos　joined　him。
Then　they　saw；　as　the　felucca　turned；　two　other　heads
peeping；　those　of　Aramis　and　Grimaud。
〃I　am　uneasy　about　Blaisois；〃　said　Athos；　〃he　can；　he　says；
only　swim　in　rivers。〃
〃When　people　can　swim　at　all　they　can　swim　anywhere。　To　the
boat！　to　the　boat！〃
〃But　Porthos；　I　do　not　see　him。〃
〃Porthos　is　coming　　he　swims　like　Leviathan。〃
In　fact；　Porthos　did　not　appear；　for　a　scene；　half　tragedy
and　half　comedy；　had　been　performed　by　him　with　Musqueton
and　Blaisois；　who；　frightened　by　the　noise　of　the　sea；　by
the　whistling　of　the　wind；　by　the　sight　of　that　dark　water
yawning　like　a　gulf　beneath　them；　shrank　back　instead　of
going　forward。
〃Come；　come！〃　said　Porthos；　〃jump　in。〃
〃But；　monsieur；〃　said　Musqueton；　〃I　can't　swim；　let　me　stay
here。〃
〃And　me；　too；　monsieur；〃　said　Blaisois。
〃I　assure　you；　I　shall　be　very　much　in　the　way　in　that
little　boat；〃　said　Musqueton。
〃And　I　know　I　shall　drown　before　reaching　it；〃　continued
Blaisois。
〃C