twenty years after(二十年后)-第90章

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〃And　when　will　the　dance　begin？〃
〃The　invitations　are　given　for　this　evening；〃　said　the
coadjutor；　〃but　the　violins　will　not　begin　to　play　until
to…morrow　morning。〃
〃You　may　reckon　upon　me　and　upon　fifty　soldiers　which　the
Chevalier　d'Humieres　has　promised　me　whenever　I　need　them。〃
〃Upon　fifty　soldiers？〃
〃Yes；　he　is　making　recruits　and　he　will　lend　them　to　me；　if
any　are　missing　when　the　fete　is　over；　I　shall　replace
them。〃
〃Good；　my　dear　Rochefort；　but　that　is　not　all。　What　have　you
done　with　Monsieur　de　Beaufort？〃
〃He　is　in　Vendome；　where　he　will　wait　until　I　write　to　him
to　return　to　Paris。〃
〃Write　to　him；　now's　the　time。〃
〃You　are　sure　of　your　enterprise？〃
〃Yes；　but　he　must　make　haste；　for　hardly　will　the　people　of
Paris　have　revolted　before　we　shall　have　a　score　of　princes
begging　to　lead　them。　If　he　defers　he　will　find　the　place　of
honor　taken。〃
〃Shall　I　send　word　to　him　as　coming　from　you？〃
〃Yes　certainly。〃
〃Shall　I　tell　him　that　he　can　count　on　you？〃
〃To　the　end。〃
〃And　you　will　leave　the　command　to　him？〃
〃Of　the　war；　yes；　but　in　politics　　〃
〃You　must　know　it　is　not　his　element。〃
〃He　must　leave　me　to　negotiate　for　my　cardinal's　hat　in　my
own　fashion。〃
〃You　care　about　it；　then；　so　much？〃
〃Since　they　force　me　to　wear　a　hat　of　a　form　which　does　not
become　me；〃　said　Gondy；　〃I　wish　at　least　that　the　hat　should
be　red。〃
〃One　must　not　dispute　matters　of　taste　and　colors；〃　said
Rochefort；　laughing。　〃I　answer　for　his　consent。〃
〃How　soon　can　he　be　here？〃
〃In　five　days。〃
〃Let　him　come　and　he　will　find　a　change；　I　will　answer　for
it。〃
〃Therefore；　go　and　collect　your　fifty　men　and　hold　yourself
in　readiness。〃
〃For　what？〃
〃For　everything。〃
〃Is　there　any　signal　for　the　general　rally？〃
〃A　knot　of　straw　in　the　hat。〃
〃Very　good。　Adieu；　my　lord。〃
〃Adieu；　my　dear　Rochefort。〃
〃Ah；　Monsieur　Mazarin；　Monsieur　Mazarin；〃　said　Rochefort；
leading　off　his　curate；　who　had　not　found　an　opportunity　of
uttering　a　single　word　during　the　foregoing　dialogue；　〃you
will　see　whether　I　am　too　old　to　be　a　man　of　action。〃
It　was　half…past　nine　o'clock　and　the　coadjutor　required
half　an　hour　to　go　from　the　archbishop's　palace　to　the　tower
of　St。　Jacques　de　la　Boucherie。　He　remarked　that　a　light　was
burning　in　one　of　the　highest　windows　of　the　tower。　〃Good；〃
said　he；　〃our　syndic　is　at　his　post。〃
He　knocked　and　the　door　was　opened。　The　vicar　himself
awaited　him；　conducted　him　to　the　top　of　the　tower；　and　when
there　pointed　to　a　little　door；　placed　the　light　which　he
had　brought　with　him　in　a　corner　of　the　wall；　that　the
coadjutor　might　be　able　to　find　it　on　his　return；　and　went
down　again。　Although　the　key　was　in　the　door　the　coadjutor
knocked。
〃Come　in；〃　said　a　voice　which　he　recognized　as　that　of　the
mendicant；　whom　he　found　lying　on　a　kind　of　truckle　bed。　He
rose　on　the　entrance　of　the　coadjutor；　and　at　that　moment
ten　o'clock　struck。
〃Well；〃　said　Gondy；　〃have　you　kept　your　word　with　me？〃
〃Not　exactly；〃　replied　the　mendicant。
〃How　is　that？〃
〃You　asked　me　for　five　hundred　men；　did　you　not？　Well；　I
have　ten　thousand　for　you。〃
〃You　are　not　boasting？〃
〃Do　you　wish　for　a　proof？〃
〃Yes。〃
There　were　three　candles　alight；　each　of　which　burnt　before
a　window；　one　looking　upon　the　city；　the　other　upon　the
Palais　Royal；　and　a　third　upon　the　Rue　Saint　Denis。
The　man　went　silently　to　each　of　the　candles　and　blew　them
out　one　after　the　other。
〃What　are　you　doing？〃　asked　the　coadjutor。
〃I　have　given　the　signal。〃
〃For　what？〃
〃For　the　barricades。　When　you　leave　this　you　will　behold　my
men　at　work。　Only　take　care　you　do　not　break　your　legs　in
stumbling　over　some　chain　or　your　neck　by　falling　in　a
hole。〃
〃Good！　there　is　your　money；　the　same　sum　as　that　you　have
received　already。　Now　remember　that　you　are　a　general　and　do
not　go　and　drink。〃
〃For　twenty　years　I　have　tasted　nothing　but　water。〃
The　man　took　the　bag　from　the　hands　of　the　coadjutor；　who
heard　the　sound　of　his　fingers　counting　and　handling　the
gold　pieces。
〃Ah！　ah！〃　said　the　coadjutor；　〃you　are　avaricious；　my　good
fellow。〃
The　mendicant　sighed　and　threw　down　the　bag。
〃Must　I　always　be　the　same？〃　said　he；　〃and　shall　I　never
succeed　in　overcoming　the　old　leaven？　Oh；　misery；　oh；
vanity！〃
〃You　take　it；　however。〃
〃Yes；　but　I　make　hereby　a　vow　in　your　presence；　to　employ
all　that　remains　to　me　in　pious　works。〃
His　face　was　pale　and　drawn；　like　that　of　a　man　who　had　just
undergone　some　inward　struggle。
〃Singular　man！〃　muttered　Gondy；　taking　his　hat　to　go　away；
but　on　turning　around　he　saw　the　beggar　between　him　and　the
door。　His　first　idea　was　that　this　man　intended　to　do　him
some　harm；　but　on　the　contrary　he　saw　him　fall　on　his　knees
before　him　with　his　hands　clasped。
〃Your　blessing；　your　holiness；　before　you　go；　I　beseech
you！〃　he　cried。
〃Your　holiness！〃　said　Gondy；　〃my　friend；　you　take　me　for
some　one　else。〃
〃No；　your　holiness；　I　take　you　for　what　you　are；　that　is　to
say；　the　coadjutor；　I　recognized　you　at　the　first　glance。〃
Gondy　smiled。　〃And　you　want　my　blessing？〃　he　said。
〃Yes；　I　have　need　of　it。〃
The　mendicant　uttered　these　words　in　a　tone　of　such
humility；　such　earnest　repentance；　that　Gondy　placed　his
hand　upon　him　and　gave　him　his　benediction　with　all　the
unction　of　which　he　was　capable。
〃Now；〃　said　Gondy；　〃there　is　a　communion　between　us。　I　have
blessed　you　and　you　are　sacred　to　me。　Come；　have　you
committed　some　crime；　pursued　by　human　justice；　from　which　I
can　protect　you？〃
The　beggar　shook　his　head。　〃The　crime　which　I　have
committed；　my　lord；　has　no　call　upon　human　justice；　and　you
can　only　deliver　me　from　it　by　blessing　me　frequently；　as
you　have　just　done。〃
〃Come；　be　candid；〃　said　the　coadjutor；　〃you　have　not　all
your　life　followed　the　trade　which　you　do　now？〃
〃No；　my　lord。　I　have　pursued　it　for　six　years　only。〃
〃And　previously；　where　were　you？〃
〃In　the　Bastile。〃
〃And　before　you　went　to　the　Bastile？〃
〃I　will　tell　you；　my　lord；　on　the　day　when　you　are　willing
to　hear　my　confession。〃
〃Good！　At　whatsoever　hour　of　the　day　or　night　you　may
present　yourself；　remember　that　I　shall　be　ready　to　give　you
absolution。〃
〃Thank　you；　my　lord；〃　said　the　mendicant　in　a　hoarse　voice。
〃But　I　am　not　yet　ready　to　receive　it。〃
〃Very　well。　Adieu。〃
〃Adieu；　your　holiness；〃　said　the　mendicant；　opening　the　door
and　bending　low　before　the　prelate。

47
The　Riot。

It　was　about　eleven　o'clock　at　night。　Gondy　had　not　walked　a
hundred　steps　ere　he　perceived　the　strange　change　which　had
been　made　in　the　streets　of　Paris。
The　whole　city　seemed　peopled　with　fantastic　beings；　silent
shadows　were　seen　unpaving　the　streets　and　others　dragging
and　upsetting　great　wagons；　whilst　others　again　dug　ditches
large　enough　to　ingulf　whole　regiments　of　horsemen。　These
active　beings　flitted　here　and　there　like　so　many　demons
completing　some　unknown　labor；　these　were　the　beggars　of　the
Court　of　Miracles　　the　agents　of　the　giver　of　holy　water
in　the　Square　of　Saint　Eustache；　preparing　barricades　for
the　morrow。
Gondy　gazed　on　these　deeds　of　darkness；　on　these　nocturnal
laborers；　with　a　kind　of　fear；　he　asked　himself；　if；　after
having　called　forth　these　foul　creatures　from　their　dens；　he
should　have　the　power　of　making　them　retire　again。　He　felt
almost　inclined　to　cross　himself　when　one　of　these　beings
happened　to　approach　him。　He　reached　the　Rue　Saint　Honore
and　went　up　it　toward　the　Rue　de　la　Ferronnerie；　there　the
aspect　changed；　here　it　was　the　tradesmen　who　were　running
from　shop　to　shop；　their　doors　seemed　closed　like　their
shutters；　but　they　were　only　pushed　to　in　such　a　manner　as
to　open　and　allow　the　men；　who　seemed　fearful　of　showing
what　they　carried；　to　enter；　closing　immediately。　These　men
were　shopkeepers；　who　had　arms　to　lend　to　those　who　had
none。
One　individual　went　from　door　to　door；　bending　under　the
weight　of　swords；　guns；　muskets　and　every　kind　of　weapon；
which　he　deposited　as　fast　as　he　could。　By　the　light　of　a
lantern　the　coadjutor　recognized　Planchet。
The　coadjutor　proceeded　onward　to　the　quay　by　way　of　the　Rue
de　la　Monnaie；　there　he　found　groups　of　bourgeois　clad　in
black　cloaks　or　gray；　according　as　they　belonged　to　the
upper　or　lower　bourgeoisie。　They　were　standing