twenty years after(二十年后)-第34章

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every　day　the　cardinal　received　fresh　accounts　of　him　which
were　as　unpleasant　as　possible　to　the　minister。
After　having　failed　in　poetry；　Monsieur　de　Beaufort　tried
drawing。　He　drew　portraits；　with　a　piece　of　coal；　of　the
cardinal；　and　as　his　talents　did　not　enable　him　to　produce　a
very　good　likeness；　he　wrote　under　the　picture　that　there
might　be　little　doubt　regarding　the　original：　〃Portrait　of
the　Illustrious　Coxcomb；　Mazarin。〃　Monsieur　de　Chavigny；　the
governor　of　Vincennes；　waited　upon　the　duke　to　request　that
he　would　amuse　himself　in　some　other　way；　or　that　at　all
events；　if　he　drew　likenesses；　he　would　not　put　mottoes
underneath　them。　The　next　day　the　prisoner's　room　was　full
of　pictures　and　mottoes。　Monsieur　de　Beaufort；　in　common
with　many　other　prisoners；　was　bent　upon　doing　things　that
were　prohibited；　and　the　only　resource　the　governor　had　was；
one　day　when　the　duke　was　playing　at　tennis；　to　efface　all
these　drawings；　consisting　chiefly　of　profiles。　M。　de
Beaufort　did　not　venture　to　draw　the　cardinal's　fat　face。
The　duke　thanked　Monsieur　de　Chavigny　for　having；　as　he
said；　cleaned　his　drawing…paper　for　him；　he　then　divided　the
walls　of　his　room　into　compartments　and　dedicated　each　of
these　compartments　to　some　incident　in　Mazarin's　life。　In
one　was　depicted　the　〃Illustrious　Coxcomb〃　receiving　a
shower　of　blows　from　Cardinal　Bentivoglio；　whose　servant　he
had　been；　another；　the　〃Illustrious　Mazarin〃　acting　the　part
of　Ignatius　Loyola　in　a　tragedy　of　that　name；　a　third；　the
〃Illustrious　Mazarin〃　stealing　the　portfolio　of　prime
minister　from　Monsieur　de　Chavigny；　who　had　expected　to　have
it；　a　fourth；　the　〃Illustrious　Coxcomb　Mazarin〃　refusing　to
give　Laporte；　the　young　king's　valet；　clean　sheets；　and
saving　that　〃it　was　quite　enough　for　the　king　of　France　to
have　clean　sheets　every　three　months。〃
The　governor；　of　course；　thought　proper　to　threaten　his
prisoner　that　if　he　did　not　give　up　drawing　such　pictures　he
should　be　obliged　to　deprive　him　of　all　the　means　of　amusing
himself　in　that　manner。　To　this　Monsieur　de　Beaufort　replied
that　since　every　opportunity　of　distinguishing　himself　in
arms　was　taken　from　him；　he　wished　to　make　himself
celebrated　in　the　arts；　since　he　could　not　be　a　Bayard；　he
would　become　a　Raphael　or　a　Michael　Angelo。　Nevertheless；
one　day　when　Monsieur　de　Beaufort　was　walking　in　the　meadow
his　fire　was　put　out；　his　charcoal　all　removed；　taken　away；
and　thus　his　means　of　drawing　utterly　destroyed。
The　poor　duke　swore；　fell　into　a　rage；　yelled；　and　declared
that　they　wished　to　starve　him　to　death　as　they　had　starved
the　Marechal　Ornano　and　the　Grand　Prior　of　Vendome；　but　he
refused　to　promise　that　he　would　not　make　any　more　drawings
and　remained　without　any　fire　in　the　room　all　the　winter。
His　next　act　was　to　purchase　a　dog　from　one　of　his　keepers。
With　this　animal；　which　he　called　Pistache；　he　was　often
shut　up　for　hours　alone；　superintending；　as　every　one
supposed；　its　education。　At　last；　when　Pistache　was
sufficiently　well　trained；　Monsieur　de　Beaufort　invited　the
governor　and　officers　of　Vincennes　to　attend　a
representation　which　he　was　going　to　have　in　his　apartment
The　party　assembled；　the　room　was　lighted　with　waxlights；
and　the　prisoner；　with　a　bit　of　plaster　he　had　taken　out　of
the　wall　of　his　room；　had　traced　a　long　white　line；
representing　a　cord；　on　the　floor。　Pistache；　on　a　signal
from　his　master；　placed　himself　on　this　line；　raised　himself
on　his　hind　paws；　and　holding　in　his　front　paws　a　wand　with
which　clothes　used　to　be　beaten；　he　began　to　dance　upon　the
line　with　as　many　contortions　as　a　rope…dancer。　Having　been
several　times　up　and　down　it；　he　gave　the　wand　back　to　his
master　and　began　without　hesitation　to　perform　the　same
evolutions　over　again。
The　intelligent　creature　was　received　with　loud　applause。
The　first　part　of　the　entertainment　being　concluded　Pistache
was　desired　to　say　what　o'clock　it　was；　he　was　shown
Monsieur　de　Chavigny's　watch；　it　was　then　half…past　six；　the
dog　raised　and　dropped　his　paw　six　times；　the　seventh　he　let
it　remain　upraised。　Nothing　could　be　better　done；　a　sun…dial
could　not　have　shown　the　hour　with　greater　precision。
Then　the　question　was　put　to　him　who　was　the　best　jailer　in
all　the　prisons　in　France。
The　dog　performed　three　evolutions　around　the　circle　and
laid　himself；　with　the　deepest　respect；　at　the　feet　of
Monsieur　de　Chavigny；　who　at　first　seemed　inclined　to　like
the　joke　and　laughed　long　and　loud；　but　a　frown　succeeded；
and　he　bit　his　lips　with　vexation。
Then　the　duke　put　to　Pistache　this　difficult　question；　who
was　the　greatest　thief　in　the　world？
Pistache　went　again　around　the　circle；　but　stopped　at　no
one；　and　at　last　went　to　the　door　and　began　to　scratch　and
bark。
〃See；　gentlemen；〃　said　M。　de　Beaufort；　〃this　wonderful
animal；　not　finding　here　what　I　ask　for；　seeks　it　out　of
doors；　you　shall；　however；　have　his　answer。　Pistache；　my
friend；　come　here。　Is　not　the　greatest　thief　in　the　world；
Monsieur　（the　king's　secretary）　Le　Camus；　who　came　to　Paris
with　twenty　francs　in　his　pocket　and　who　now　possesses　ten
millions？〃
The　dog　shook　his　head。
〃Then　is　it　not；〃　resumed　the　duke；　〃the　Superintendent
Emery；　who　gave　his　son；　when　he　was　married；　three　hundred
thousand　francs　and　a　house；　compared　to　which　the　Tuileries
are　a　heap　of　ruins　and　the　Louvre　a　paltry　building？〃
The　dog　again　shook　his　head　as　if　to　say　〃no。〃
〃Then；〃　said　the　prisoner；　〃let's　think　who　it　can　be。　Can
it　be；　can　it　possibly　be；　the　‘Illustrious　Coxcomb；　Mazarin
de　Piscina；'　hey？〃
Pistache　made　violent　signs　that　it　was；　by　raising　and
lowering　his　head　eight　or　ten　times　successively。
〃Gentlemen；　you　see；〃　said　the　duke　to　those　present；　who
dared　not　even　smile；　〃that　it　is　the　‘Illustrious　Coxcomb'
who　is　the　greatest　thief　in　the　world；　at　least；　according
to　Pistache。〃
〃Let　us　go　on　to　another　of　his　exercises。〃
〃Gentlemen！〃　　there　was　a　profound　silence　in　the　room
when　the　duke　again　addressed　them　　〃do　you　not　remember
that　the　Duc　de　Guise　taught　all　the　dogs　in　Paris　to　jump
for　Mademoiselle　de　Pons；　whom　he　styled　‘the　fairest　of　the
fair？'　Pistache　is　going　to　show　you　how　superior　he　is　to
all　other　dogs。　Monsieur　de　Chavigny；　be　so　good　as　to　lend
me　your　cane。〃
Monsieur　de　Chavigny　handed　his　cane　to　Monsieur　de
Beaufort。　Monsieur　de　Beaufort　placed　it　horizontally　at　the
height　of　one　foot。
〃Now；　Pistache；　my　good　dog；　jump　the　height　of　this　cane
for　Madame　de　Montbazon。〃
〃But；〃　interposed　Monsieur　de　Chavigny；　〃it　seems　to　me　that
Pistache　is　only　doing　what　other　dogs　have　done　when　they
jumped　for　Mademoiselle　de　Pons。〃
〃Stop；〃　said　the　duke；　〃Pistache；　jump　for　the　queen。〃　And
he　raised　his　cane　six　inches　higher。
The　dog　sprang；　and　in　spite　of　the　height　jumped　lightly
over　it。
〃And　now；〃　said　the　duke；　raising　it　still　six　inches
higher；　〃jump　for　the　king。〃
The　dog　obeyed　and　jumped　quickly　over　the　cane。
〃Now；　then；〃　said　the　duke；　and　as　he　spoke；　lowered　the
cane　almost　level　with　the　ground；　〃Pistache；　my　friend；
jump　for　the　‘Illustrious　Coxcomb；　Mazarin　de　Piscina。'〃
The　dog　turned　his　back　to　the　cane。
〃What；〃　asked　the　duke；　〃what　do　you　mean？〃　and　he　gave　him
the　cane　again；　first　making　a　semicircle　from　the　head　to
the　tail　of　Pistache。　〃Jump　then；　Monsieur　Pistache。〃
But　Pistache；　as　at　first；　turned　round　on　his　legs　and
stood　with　his　back　to　the　cane。
Monsieur　de　Beaufort　made　the　experiment　a　third　time；　but
by　this　time　Pistache's　patience　was　exhausted；　he　threw
himself　furiously　upon　the　cane；　wrested　it　from　the　hands
of　the　prince　and　broke　it　with　his　teeth。
Monsieur　de　Beaufort　took　the　pieces　out　of　his　mouth　and
presented　them　with　great　formality　to　Monsieur　de　Chavigny；
saying　that　for　that　evening　the　entertainment　was　ended；
but　in　three　months　it　should　be　repeated；　when　Pistache
would　have　learned　a　few　new　tricks。
Three　days　afterward　Pistache　was　found　dead　　poisoned。
Then　the　duke　said　openly　that　his　dog　had　been　killed　by　a
drug　with　which　they　meant　to　poison　him；　and　one　day　after
dinner　he　went　to　bed；　calling　out　that　he　had　pains　in　his
stomach　and　that　Mazarin