twenty years after(二十年后)-第91章

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black　cloaks　or　gray；　according　as　they　belonged　to　the
upper　or　lower　bourgeoisie。　They　were　standing　motionless；
while　single　men　passed　from　one　group　to　another。　All　these
cloaks；　gray　or　black；　were　raised　behind　by　the　point　of　a
sword；　or　before　by　the　barrel　of　an　arquebuse　or　a　musket。
On　reaching　the　Pont　Neuf　the　coadjutor　found　it　strictly
guarded　and　a　man　approached　him。
〃Who　are　you？〃　asked　the　man。　〃I　do　not　know　you　for　one　of
us。〃
〃Then　it　is　because　you　do　not　know　your　friends；　my　dear
Monsieur　Louvieres；〃　said　the　coadjutor；　raising　his　hat。
Louvieres　recognized　him　and　bowed。
Gondy　continued　his　way　and　went　as　far　as　the　Tour　de
Nesle。　There　he　saw　a　lengthy　chain　of　people　gliding　under
the　walls。　They　might　be　said　to　be　a　procession　of　ghosts；
for　they　were　all　wrapped　in　white　cloaks。　When　they　reached
a　certain　spot　these　men　appeared　to　be　annihilated；　one
after　the　other；　as　if　the　earth　had　opened　under　their
feet。　Gondy；　edged　into　a　corner；　saw　them　vanish　from　the
first　until　the　last　but　one。　The　last　raised　his　eyes；　to
ascertain；　doubtless；　that　neither　his　companions　nor
himself　had　been　watched；　and；　in　spite　of　the　darkness；　he
perceived　Gondy。　He　walked　straight　up　to　him　and　placed　a
pistol　to　his　throat。
〃Halloo！　Monsieur　de　Rochefort；〃　said　Gondy；　laughing；　〃are
you　a　boy　to　play　with　firearms？〃
Rochefort　recognized　the　voice。
〃Ah；　it　is　you；　my　lord！〃　said　he。
〃The　very　same。　What　people　are　you　leading　thus　into　the
bowels　of　the　earth？〃
〃My　fifty　recruits　from　the　Chevalier　d'Humieres；　who　are
destined　to　enter　the　light　cavalry　and　who　have　only
received　as　yet　for　their　equipment　their　white　cloaks。〃
〃And　where　are　you　going？〃
〃To　the　house　of　one　of　my　friends；　a　sculptor；　only　we
enter　by　the　trap　through　which　he　lets　down　his　marble。〃
〃Very　good；〃　said　Gondy；　shaking　Rochefort　by　the　hand；　who
descended　in　his　turn　and　closed　the　trap　after　him。
It　was　now　one　o'clock　in　the　morning　and　the　coadjutor
returned　home。　He　opened　a　window　and　leaned　out　to　listen。
A　strange；　incomprehensible；　unearthly　sound　seemed　to
pervade　the　whole　city；　one　felt　that　something　unusual　and
terrible　was　happening　in　all　the　streets；　now　dark　as
ocean's　most　unfathomable　caves。　From　time　to　time　a　dull
sound　was　heard；　like　that　of　a　rising　tempest　or　a　billow
of　the　sea；　but　nothing　clear；　nothing　distinct；　nothing
intelligible；　it　was　like　those　mysterious　subterraneous
noises　that　precede　an　earthquake。
The　work　of　revolt　continued　the　whole　night　thus。　The　next
morning；　on　awaking；　Paris　seemed　to　be　startled　at　her　own
appearance。　It　was　like　a　besieged　town。　Armed　men；
shouldering　muskets；　watched　over　the　barricades　with
menacing　looks；　words　of　command；　patrols；　arrests；
executions；　even；　were　encountered　at　every　step。　Those
bearing　plumed　hats　and　gold　swords　were　stopped　and　made　to
cry；　〃Long　live　Broussel！〃　〃Down　with　Mazarin！〃　and　whoever
refused　to　comply　with　this　ceremony　was　hooted　at；　spat
upon　and　even　beaten。　They　had　not　yet　begun　to　slay；　but　it
was　well　felt　that　the　inclination　to　do　so　was　not　wanting。
The　barricades　had　been　pushed　as　far　as　the　Palais　Royal。
From　the　Rue　de　Bons　Enfants　to　that　of　the　Ferronnerie；
from　the　Rue　Saint　Thomas…du…Louvre　to　the　Pont　Neuf；　from
the　Rue　Richelieu　to　the　Porte　Saint　Honore；　there　were　more
than　ten　thousand　armed　men；　those　who　were　at　the　front
hurled　defiance　at　the　impassive　sentinels　of　the　regiment
of　guards　posted　around　the　Palais　Royal；　the　gates　of　which
were　closed　behind　them；　a　precaution　which　made　their
situation　precarious。　Among　these　thousands　moved；　in　bands
numbering　from　one　hundred　to　two　hundred；　pale　and　haggard
men；　clothed　in　rags；　who　bore　a　sort　of　standard　on　which
was　inscribed　these　words：　〃Behold　the　misery　of　the
people！〃　Wherever　these　men　passed；　frenzied　cries　were
heard；　and　there　were　so　many　of　these　bands　that　the　cries
were　to　be　heard　in　all　directions。
The　astonishment　of　Mazarin　and　of　Anne　of　Austria　was　great
when　it　was　announced　to　them　that　the　city；　which　the
previous　evening　they　had　left　entirely　tranquil；　had
awakened　to　such　feverish　commotion；　nor　would　either　the
one　or　the　other　believe　the　reports　that　were　brought　to
them；　declaring　they　would　rather　rely　on　the　evidence　of
their　own　eyes　and　ears。　Then　a　window　was　opened　and　when
they　saw　and　heard　they　were　convinced。
Mazarin　shrugged　his　shoulders　and　pretended　to　despise　the
populace；　but　he　turned　visibly　pale　and　ran　to　his　closet；
trembling　all　over；　locked　up　his　gold　and　jewels　in　his
caskets　and　put　his　finest　diamonds　on　his　fingers。　As　for
the　queen；　furious；　and　left　to　her　own　guidance；　she　went
for　the　Marechal　de　la　Meilleraie　and　desired　him　to　take　as
many　men　as　he　pleased　and　to　go　and　see　what　was　the
meaning　of　this　pleasantry。
The　marshal　was　ordinarily　very　adventurous　and　was　wont　to
hesitate　at　nothing；　and　he　had　that　lofty　contempt　for　the
populace　which　army　officers　usually　profess。　He　took　a
hundred　and　fifty　men　and　attempted　to　go　out　by　the　Pont　du
Louvre；　but　there　he　met　Rochefort　and　his　fifty　horsemen；
attended　by　more　than　five　hundred　men。　The　marshal　made　no
attempt　to　force　that　barrier　and　returned　up　the　quay。　But
at　Pont　Neuf　he　found　Louvieres　and　his　bourgeois。　This　time
the　marshal　charged；　but　he　was　welcomed　by　musket　shots；
while　stones　fell　like　hail　from　all　the　windows。　He　left
there　three　men。
He　beat　a　retreat　toward　the　market；　but　there　he　met
Planchet　with　his　halberdiers；　their　halberds　were　leveled
at　him　threateningly。　He　attempted　to　ride　over　those　gray
cloaks；　but　the　gray　cloaks　held　their　ground　and　the
marshal　retired　toward　the　Rue　Saint　Honore；　leaving　four　of
his　guards　dead　on　the　field　of　battle。
The　marshal　then　entered　the　Rue　Saint　Honore；　but　there　he
was　opposed　by　the　barricades　of　the　mendicant　of　Saint
Eustache。　They　were　guarded；　not　only　by　armed　men；　but　even
by　women　and　children。　Master　Friquet；　the　owner　of　a　pistol
and　of　a　sword　which　Louvieres　had　given　him；　had　organized
a　company　of　rogues　like　himself　and　was　making　a　tremendous
racket。
The　marshal　thought　this　barrier　not　so　well　fortified　as
the　others　and　determined　to　break　through　it。　He　dismounted
twenty　men　to　make　a　breach　in　the　barricade；　whilst　he　and
others；　remaining　on　their　horses；　were　to　protect　the
assailants。　The　twenty　men　marched　straight　toward　the
barrier；　but　from　behind　the　beams；　from　among　the
wagon…wheels　and　from　the　heights　of　the　rocks　a　terrible
fusillade　burst　forth　and　at　the　same　time　Planchet's
halberdiers　appeared　at　the　corner　of　the　Cemetery　of　the
Innocents；　and　Louvieres's　bourgeois　at　the　corner　of　the
Rue　de　la　Monnaie。
The　Marechal　de　la　Meilleraie　was　caught　between　two　fires；
but　he　was　brave　and　made　up　his　mind　to　die　where　he　was。
He　returned　blow　for　blow　and　cries　of　pain　began　to　be
heard　in　the　crowd。　The　guards；　more　skillful；　did　greater
execution；　but　the　bourgeois；　more　numerous；　overwhelmed
them　with　a　veritable　hurricane　of　iron。　Men　fell　around　him
as　they　had　fallen　at　Rocroy　or　at　Lerida。　Fontrailles；　his
aide…de…camp；　had　an　arm　broken；　his　horse　had　received　a
bullet　in　his　neck　and　he　had　difficulty　in　controlling　him；
maddened　by　pain。　In　short；　he　had　reached　that　supreme
moment　when　the　bravest　feel　a　shudder　in　their　veins；　when
suddenly；　in　the　direction　of　the　Rue　de　l'Arbre…Sec；　the
crowd　opened；　crying：　〃Long　live　the　coadjutor！〃　and　Gondy；
in　surplice　and　cloak；　appeared；　moving　tranquilly　in　the
midst　of　the　fusillade　and　bestowing　his　benedictions　to　the
right　and　left；　as　undisturbed　as　if　he　were　leading　a
procession　of　the　Fete　Dieu。
All　fell　to　their　knees。　The　marshal　recognized　him　and
hastened　to　meet　him。
〃Get　me　out　of　this；　in　Heaven's　name！〃　he　said；　〃or　I　shall
leave　my　carcass　here　and　those　of　all　my　men。〃
A　great　tumult　arose；　in　the　midst　of　which　even　the　noise
of　thunder　could　not　have　been　heard。　Gondy　raised　his　hand
and　demanded　silence。　All　were　still。
〃My　children；〃　he　said；　〃this　is　the　Marechal　de　la
Meilleraie；　as　to　whose　intentions　yo