twenty years after(二十年后)-第58章

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was　felt？　You　can　understand；　honored　and　dear　guardian；　how
precious　and　indispensable　to　me　is　the　remembrance　of　the
years　that　I　have　passed　with　you。　I　hope　that　you　will
sometimes；　too；　think　of　me；　and　if　at　certain　hours　you
should　miss　me；　if　you　should　feel　any　slight　regret　at　my
absence；　I　shall　be　overwhelmed　with　joy　at　the　thought　that
you　appreciate　my　affection　for　and　my　devotion　to　yourself；
and　that　I　have　been　able　to　prove　them　to　you　whilst　I　had
the　happiness　of　diving　with　you。〃

After　finishing　this　letter　Raoul　felt　more　composed；　he
looked　well　around　him　to　see　if　Olivain　and　the　host　might
not　be　watching　him；　whilst　he　impressed　a　kiss　upon　the
paper；　a　mute　and　touching　caress；　which　the　heart　of　Athos
might　well　divine　on　opening　the　letter。
During　this　time　Olivain　had　finished　his　bottle　and　eaten
his　pie；　the　horses　were　also　refreshed。　Raoul　motioned　to
the　host　to　approach；　threw　a　crown　upon　the　table；　mounted
his　horse；　and　posted　his　letter　at　Senlis。　The　rest　that
had　been　thus　afforded　to　men　and　horses　enabled　them　to
continue　their　journey　at　a　good　round　pace。　At　Verberie；
Raoul　desired　Olivain　to　make　some　inquiry　about　the　young
man　who　was　preceding　them；　he　had　been　observed　to　pass
only　three…quarters　of　an　hour　previously；　but　he　was　well
mounted；　as　the　tavern…keeper　had　already　said；　and　rode　at
a　rapid　pace。
〃Let　us　try　and　overtake　this　gentleman；〃　said　Raoul　to
Olivain；　〃like　ourselves　he　is　on　his　way　to　join　the　army
and　may　prove　agreeable　company。〃
It　was　about　four　o'clock　in　the　afternoon　when　Raoul
arrived　at　Compiegne；　there　he　dined　heartily　and　again
inquired　about　the　young　gentleman　who　was　in　advance　of
them。　He　had　stopped；　like　Raoul；　at　the　Hotel　of　the　Bell
and　Bottle；　the　best　at　Compiegne；　and　had　started　again　on
his　journey；　saying　that　he　should　sleep　at　Noyon。
〃Well；　let　us　sleep　at　Noyon；〃　said　Raoul。
〃Sir；〃　replied　Olivain；　respectfully；　〃allow　me　to　remark
that　we　have　already　much　fatigued　the　horses　this　morning。
I　think　it　would　be　well　to　sleep　here　and　to　start　again
very　early　to…morrow。　Eighteen　leagues　is　enough　for　the
first　stage。〃
〃The　Comte　de　la　Fere　wished　me　to　hasten　on；〃　replied
Raoul；　〃that　I　might　rejoin　the　prince　on　the　morning　of　the
fourth　day；　let　us　push　on；　then；　to　Noyon；　it　will　be　a
stage　similar　to　those　we　traveled　from　Blois　to　Paris。　We
shall　arrive　at　eight　o'clock。　The　horses　will　have　a　long
night's　rest；　and　at　five　o'clock　to…morrow　morning　we　can
be　again　on　the　road。〃
Olivain　dared　offer　no　opposition　to　this　determination　but
he　followed　his　master；　grumbling。
〃Go　on；　go　on；〃　said　he；　between　his　teeth；　〃expend　your
ardor　the　first　day；　to…morrow；　instead　of　journeying　twenty
leagues；　you　will　travel　ten；　the　day　after　to…morrow；　five；
and　in　three　days　you　will　be　in　bed。　There　you　must　rest；
young　people　are　such　braggarts。〃
It　was　easy　to　see　that　Olivain　had　not　been　taught　in　the
school　of　the　Planchets　and　the　Grimauds。　Raoul　really　felt
tired；　but　he　was　desirous　of　testing　his　strength；　and；
brought　up　in　the　principles　of　Athos　and　certain　of　having
heard　him　speak　a　thousand　times　of　stages　of　twenty…five
leagues；　he　did　not　wish　to　fall　far　short　of　his　model。
D'Artagnan；　that　man　of　iron；　who　seemed　to　be　made　of　nerve
and　muscle　only；　had　struck　him　with　admiration。　Therefore；
in　spite　of　Olivain's　remarks；　he　continued　to　urge　his
steed　more　and　more；　and　following　a　pleasant　little　path；
leading　to　a　ferry；　and　which　he　had　been　assured　shortened
the　journey　by　the　distance　of　one　league；　he　arrived　at　the
summit　of　a　hill　and　perceived　the　river　flowing　before　him。
A　little　troop　of　men　on　horseback　were　waiting　on　the　edge
of　the　stream；　ready　to　embark。　Raoul　did　not　doubt　this　was
the　gentleman　and　his　escort；　he　called　out　to　him；　but　they
were　too　distant　to　be　heard；　then；　in　spite　of　the
weariness　of　his　beast；　he　made　it　gallop　but　the　rising
ground　soon　deprived　him　of　all　sight　of　the　travelers；　and
when　he　had　again　attained　a　new　height；　the　ferryboat　had
left　the　shore　and　was　making　for　the　opposite　bank。　Raoul；
seeing　that　he　could　not　arrive　in　time　to　cross　the　ferry
with　the　travelers；　halted　to　wait　for　Olivain。　At　this
moment　a　shriek　was　heard　that　seemed　to　come　from　the
river。　Raoul　turned　toward　the　side　whence　the　cry　had
sounded；　and　shaded　his　eyes　from　the　glare　of　the　setting
sun　with　his　hand。
〃Olivain！〃　he　exclaimed；　〃what　do　I　see　below　there？〃
A　second　scream；　more　piercing　than　the　first；　now　sounded。
〃Oh；　sir！〃　cried　Olivain；　〃the　rope　which　holds　the
ferryboat　has　broken　and　the　boat　is　drifting。　But　what　do　I
see　in　the　water　　something　struggling？〃
〃Oh；　yes；〃　exclaimed　Raoul；　fixing　his　glance　on　one　point
in　the　stream；　splendidly　illumined　by　the　setting　sun；　〃a
horse；　a　rider！〃
〃They　are　sinking！〃　cried　Olivain　in　his　turn。
It　was　true；　and　Raoul　was　convinced　that　some　accident　had
happened　and　that　a　man　was　drowning；　he　gave　his　horse　its
head；　struck　his　spurs　into　its　sides；　and　the　animal；　urged
by　pain　and　feeling　that　he　had　space　open　before　him；
bounded　over　a　kind　of　paling　which　inclosed　the　landing
place；　and　fell　into　the　river；　scattering　to　a　distance
waves　of　white　froth。
〃Ah；　sir！〃　cried　Olivain；　〃what　are　you　doing？　Good　God！〃
Raoul　was　directing　his　horse　toward　the　unhappy　man　in
danger。　This　was；　in　fact；　a　custom　familiar　to　him。　Having
been　brought　up　on　the　banks　of　the　Loire；　he　might　have
been　said　to　have　been　cradled　on　its　waves；　a　hundred　times
he　had　crossed　it　on　horseback；　a　thousand　times　had　swum
across。　Athos；　foreseeing　the　period　when　he　should　make　a
soldier　of　the　viscount；　had　inured　him　to　all　kinds　of
arduous　undertakings。
〃Oh；　heavens！〃　continued　Olivain；　in　despair；　〃what　would
the　count　say　if　he　only　saw　you　now！〃
〃The　count　would　do　as　I　do；〃　replied　Raoul；　urging　his
horse　vigorously　forward。
〃But　I　　but　I；〃　cried　Olivain；　pale　and　disconsolate
rushing　about　on　the　shore；　〃how　shall　I　cross？〃
〃Leap；　coward！〃　cried　Raoul；　swimming　on；　then　addressing
the　traveler；　who　was　struggling　twenty　yards　in　front　of
him：　〃Courage；　sir！〃　said　he；　〃courage！　we　are　coming　to
your　aid。〃
Olivain　advanced；　retired；　then　made　his　horse　rear　
turned　it　and　then；　struck　to　the　core　by　shame；　leaped；　as
Raoul　had　done；　only　repeating：
〃I　am　a　dead　man！　we　are　lost！〃
In　the　meantime；　the　ferryboat　had　floated　away；　carried
down　by　the　stream；　and　the　shrieks　of　those　whom　it
contained　resounded　more　and　more。　A　man　with　gray　hair　had
thrown　himself　from　the　boat　into　the　river　and　was　swimming
vigorously　toward　the　person　who　was　drowning；　but　being
obliged　to　go　against　the　current　he　advanced　but　slowly。
Raoul　continued　his　way　and　was　visibly　gaining　ground；　but
the　horse　and　its　rider；　of　whom　he　did　not　lose　sight；　were
evidently　sinking。　The　nostrils　of　the　horse　were　no　longer
above　water；　and　the　rider；　who　had　lost　the　reins　in
struggling；　fell　with　his　head　back　and　his　arms　extended。
One　moment　longer　and　all　would　disappear。
〃Courage！〃　cried　Raoul；　〃courage！〃
〃Too　late！〃　murmured　the　young　man；　〃too　late！〃
The　water　closed　above　his　head　and　stifled　his　voice。
Raoul　sprang　from　his　horse；　to　which　he　left　the　charge　of
its　own　preservation；　and　in　three　or　four　strokes　was　at
the　gentleman's　side；　he　seized　the　horse　at　once　by　the
curb　and　raised　its　head　above　water；　the　animal　began　to
breathe　again　and；　as　if　he　comprehended　that　they　had　come
to　his　aid；　redoubled　his　efforts。　Raoul　at　the　same　time
seized　one　of　the　young　man's　hands　and　placed　it　on　the
mane；　which　it　grasped　with　the　tenacity　of　a　drowning　man。
Thus；　sure　that　the　rider　would　not　release　his　hold；　Raoul
now　only　directed　his　attention　to　the　horse；　which　he
guided　to　the　opposite　bank；　helping　it　to　cut　through　the
water　and　encouraging　it　with　words。
All　at　once　the　horse　stumbled　against　a　ridge　and　then
placed　its　foot　on　the　sand。
〃Saved！〃　exclaimed　the　man　with　gray　hair；　who　also　touched
bottom。
〃Saved！〃　mechanically　repeated　the　young　gentleman；
releasing　the　mane　and　sliding　from　the