the notch on the ax and on being found out-第59章

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wine？〃

〃Was　your　name；〃　I　asked；　quite　bewildered；　〃was　your　name；　pray；
then；　ever　Blueb？〃

〃Hush！　the　waiter　will　overhear　you。　　Methought　we　were　speaking　of
Blanche　de　Bechamel。　　I　loved　her；　young　man。　　My　pearls；　and
diamonds；　and　treasure；　my　wit；　my　wisdom；　my　passion；　I　flung　them
all　into　the　child's　lap。　　I　was　a　fool。　　Was　strong　Samson　not　as
weak　as　I？　　Was　Solomon　the　Wise　much　better　when　Balkis　wheedled
him？　　I　said　to　the　kingBut　enough　of　that；　I　spake　of　Blanche　de
Bechamel。

〃Curiosity　was　the　poor　child's　foible。　　I　could　see；　as　I　talked
to　her；　that　her　thoughts　were　elsewhere　（as　yours；　my　friend；　have
been　absent　once　or　twice　to…night）。　　To　know　the　secret　of　Masonry
was　the　wretched　child's　mad　desire。　　With　a　thousand　wiles；
smiles；　caresses；　she　strove　to　coax　it　from　mefrom　MEha！　ha！

〃I　had　an　apprenticethe　son　of　a　dear　friend；　who　died　by　my　side
at　Rossbach；　when　Soubise；　with　whose　army　I　happened　to　be；
suffered　a　dreadful　defeat　for　neglecting　my　advice。　　The　Young
Chevalier　Goby　de　Mouchy　was　glad　enough　to　serve　as　my　clerk；　and
help　in　some　chemical　experiments　in　which　I　was　engaged　with　my
friend　Dr。　Mesmer。　　Bathilde　saw　this　young　man。　　Since　women　were；
has　it　not　been　their　business　to　smile　and　deceive；　to　fondle　and
lure？　　Away！　　From　the　very　first　it　has　been　so！〃　　And　as　my
companion　spoke；　he　looked　as　wicked　as　the　serpent　that　coiled
round　the　tree；　and　hissed　a　poisoned　counsel　to　the　first　woman。

〃One　evening　I　went；　as　was　my　wont；　to　see　Blanche。　　She　was
radiant：　she　was　wild　with　spirits：　a　saucy　triumph　blazed　in　her
blue　eyes。　　She　talked；　she　rattled　in　her　childish　way。　　She
uttered；　in　the　course　of　her　rhapsody；　a　hintan　intimationso
terrible　that　the　truth　flashed　across　me　in　a　moment。　　Did　I　ask
her？　　She　would　lie　to　me。　　But　I　knew　how　to　make　falsehood
impossible。　　And　I　ordered　her　to　go　to　sleep。〃

At　this　moment　the　clock　（after　its　previous　convulsions）　sounded
TWELVE。　　And　as　the　new　Editor*　of　the　Cornhill　Magazineand　HE；　I
promise　you；　won't　stand　any　nonsensewill　only　allow　seven　pages；
I　am　obliged　to　leave　off　at　THE　VERY　MOST　INTERESTING　POINT　OF　THE
STORY。


*　Mr。　Thackeray　retired　from　the　Editorship　of　the　Cornhill
Magazine　in　March；　1862


III


〃Are　you　of　our　fraternity？　　I　see　you　are　not。　　The　secret　which
Mademoiselle　de　Bechamel　confided　to　me　in　her　mad　triumph　and　wild
hoyden　spiritsshe　was　but　a　child；　poor　thing；　poor　thing；　scarce
fifteen；but　I　love　them　younga　folly　not　unusual　with　the　old！〃
（Here　Mr。　Pinto　thrust　his　knuckles　into　his　hollow　eyes；　and；　I　am
sorry　to　say；　so　little　regardful　was　he　of　personal　cleanliness；
that　his　tears　made　streaks　of　white　over　his　guarled　dark　hands。）
〃Ah；　at　fifteen；　poor　child；　thy　fate　was　terrible！　　Go　to！　　It　is
not　good　to　love　me；　friend。　　They　prosper　not　who　do。　　I　divine
you。　　You　need　not　say　what　you　are　thinking〃

In　truth；　I　was　thinking；　if　girls　fall　in　love　with　this　sallow；
hook…nosed；　glass…eyed；　wooden…legged；　dirty；　hideous　old　man；　with
the　sham　teeth；　they　have　a　queer　taste。　　THAT　is　what　I　was
thinking。

〃Jack　Wilkes　said　the　handsomest　man　in　London　had　but　half　an
hour's　start　of　him。　　And；　without　vanity；　I　am　scarcely　uglier
than　Jack　Wilkes。　　We　were　members　of　the　same　club　at　Medenham
Abbey；　Jack　and　I；　and　had　many　a　merry　night　together。　　Well；　sir；
IMary　of　Scotland　knew　me　but　as　a　little　hunchbacked　music
master；　and　yet；　and　yet；　I　think　she　was　not　indifferent　to　her
David　Rizand　SHE　came　to　misfortune。　　They　all　dothey　all　do！〃

〃Sir；　you　are　wandering　from　your　point！〃　I　said；　with　some
severity。　　For；　really；　for　this　old　humbug　to　hint　that　he　had
been　the　baboon　who　frightened　the　club　at　Medenham；　that　he　had
been　in　the　Inquisition　at　Valladolidthat　under　the　name　of　D。
Riz；　as　he　called　it；　he　had　known　the　lovely　Queen　of　Scotswas　a
LITTLE　too　much。　　〃Sir；〃　then　I　said；　〃you　were　speaking　about　a
Miss　Bechamel。　　I　really　have　not　time　to　hear　all　of　your
biography。〃

〃Faith；　the　good　wine　gets　into　my　head。〃　　（I　should　think　so；　the
old　toper！　　Four　bottles　all　but　two　glasses。）　　〃To　return　to　poor
Blanche。　　As　I　sat　laughing；　joking　with　her；　she　let　slip　a　word；
a　little　word；　which　filled　me　with　dismay。　　Some　one　had　told　her
a　part　of　the　Secretthe　secret　which　has　been　divulged　scarce
thrice　in　three　thousand　yearsthe　Secret　of　the　Freemasons。　　Do
you　know　what　happens　to　those　uninitiate　who　learn　that　secret？　to
those　wretched　men；　the　initiate　who　reveal　it？〃

As　Pinto　spoke　to　me；　he　looked　through　and　through　me　with　his
horrible　piercing　glance；　so　that　I　sat　quite　uneasily　on　my　bench。
He　continued：　〃Did　I　question　her　awake？　　I　knew　she　would　lie　to
me。　　Poor　child！　　I　loved　her　no　less　because　I　did　not　believe　a
word　she　said。　　I　loved　her　blue　eye；　her　golden　hair；　her
delicious　voice；　that　was　true　in　song；　though　when　she　spoke；
false　as　Eblis！　　You　are　aware　that　I　possess　in　rather　a
remarkable　degree　what　we　have　agreed　to　call　the　mesmeric　power。
I　set　the　unhappy　girl　to　sleep。　　THEN　she　was　obliged　to　tell　me
all。　　It　was　as　I　had　surmised。　　Goby　de　Mouchy；　my　wretched；
besotted　miserable　secretary；　in　his　visits　to　the　chateau　of　the
Marquis　de　Bechamel；　who　was　one　of　our　society；　had　seen　Blanche。
I　suppose　it　was　because　she　had　been　warned　that　he　was　worthless；
and　poor；　artful　and　a　coward；　she　loved　him。　　She　wormed　out　of
the　besotted　wretch　the　secrets　of　our　Order。　　'Did　he　tell　you　the
NUMBER　ONE？'　I　asked。

〃She　said；　'Yes。'

〃'Did　he；'　I　further　inquired；　'tell　you　the'

〃'Oh；　don't　ask　me；　don't　ask　me！'　she　said；　writhing　on　the　sofa；
where　she　lay　in　the　presence　of　the　Marquis　de　Bechamel；　her　most
unhappy　father。　　Poor　Bechamel；　poor　Bechamel！　　How　pale　he　looked
as　I　spoke！　　'Did　he　tell　you；'　I　repeated　with　a　dreadful　calm；
'the　NUMBER　TWO？'　　She　said；　'Yes。'

〃The　poor　old　marquis　rose　up；　and　clasping　his　hands；　fell　on　his
knees　before　Count　Cagl　　Bah！　　I　went　by　a　different　name　then。
Vat's　in　a　name？　　Dat　vich　ye　call　a　Rosicrucian　by　any　other　name
vil　smell　as　sveet。　　'Monsieur；'　he　said；　'I　am　oldI　am　rich。　　I
have　five　hundred　thousand　livres　of　rentes　in　Picardy。　　I　have
half　as　much　in　Artois。　　I　have　two　hundred　and　eighty　thousand　on
the　Grand　Livre。　　I　am　promised　by　my　Sovereign　a　dukedom　and　his
orders　with　a　reversion　to　my　heir。　　I　am　a　Grandee　of　Spain　of　the
First　Class；　and　Duke　of　Volovento。　　Take　my　titles；　my　ready
money；　my　life；　my　honor；　everything　I　have　in　the　world；　but　don't
ask　the　THIRD　QUESTION。'

〃'Godfroid　de　Bouillon；　Comte　de　Bechamel；　Grandee　of　Spain　and
Prince　of　Volovento；　in　our　Assembly　what　was　the　oath　you　swore？'
The　old　man　writhed　as　he　remembered　its　terrific　purport。

〃Though　my　heart　was　racked　with　agony；　and　I　would　have　died；　aye；
cheerfully〃　（died；　indeed；　as　if　THAT　were　a　penalty！）　〃to　spare
yonder　lovely　child　a　pang；　I　said　to　her　calmly；　'Blanche　de
Bechamel；　did　Goby　de　Mouchy　tell　you　secret　NUMBER　THREE？'

〃She　whispered　a　oui　that　was　quite　faint；　faint　and　small。　　But
her　poor　father　fell　in　convulsions　at　her　feet。

〃She　died　suddenly　that　night。　　Did　I　not　tell　you　those　I　love
come　to　no　good？　　When　General　Bonaparte　crossed　the　Saint　Bernard；
he　saw　in　the　convent　an　old　monk　with　a　white　beard；　wandering
about　the　corridors；　cheerful　and　rather　stout；　but　madmad　as　a
March　hare。　　'General；'　I　said　to　him；　'did　you　ever　see　that　face
before？'　　He　had　not。　　He　had　not　mingled　much　with　the　higher
classes　of　our　society　before　the　Revolution。　　I　knew　the　poor　old
man　well　enough；　he　was　the　last　of　a　noble　race；　and　I　loved　his
child。〃

〃And　did　she　die　by？〃

〃Man！　did　I　say　so？　　Do　I　whisper　the　secrets　of　the　Vehmgericht？
I　say　she　died　that　night：　and　hehe；　the　heartless；　the　villain；
the　betrayer；you　saw　him　seated　in　yonder　curiosity　shop；　by
yonder　guillotine；　with　his　scoundrelly　head　in　his　lap。

〃You　saw　how　slight　that　instrument　was？　　It　was　one　of　the　first
which　Guillotin　made；　and　which　he　showed　to　private　friends　in　a
hangar　in　the　Rue　Picpus；　where　he　lived。