the red inn-第7章

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The　whole　eighteenth　century　was　in　that　sudden　question。　He　remained

thoughtful。



〃Tell　me；〃　I　said　to　him；　〃how　you　answered。　What　did　they　ask　you？

Did　you　not　relate　the　simple　facts　as　you　told　them　to　me？〃



He　looked　at　me　fixedly　for　a　moment；　then；　after　that　awful　pause；　he

answered　with　feverish　excitement：



〃First　they　asked　me；　'Did　you　leave　the　inn　during　the　night？'　I

said；　'Yes。'　'How？'　I　answered；　'By　the　window。'　'Then　you　must　have

taken　great　precautions；　the　innkeeper　heard　no　noise。'　I　was

stupefied。　The　sailors　said　they　saw　me　walking；　first　to　Andernach；

then　to　the　forest。　I　made　many　trips；　they　said；　no　doubt　to　bury　the

gold　and　diamonds。　The　valise　had　not　been　found。　My　remorse　still

held　me　dumb。　When　I　wanted　to　speak；　a　pitiless　voice　cried　out　to

me；　'YOU　MEANT　TO　COMMIT　THAT　CRIME！'　All　was　against　me；　even　myself。

They　asked　me　about　my　comrade；　and　I　completely　exonerated　him。　Then

they　said　to　me：　'The　crime　must　lie　between　you；　your　comrade；　the

innkeeper；　and　his　wife。　This　morning　all　the　windows　and　doors　were

found　securely　fastened。'　At　those　words；〃　continued　the　poor　fellow；

〃I　had　neither　voice；　nor　strength；　nor　soul　to　answer。　More　sure　of

my　comrade　than　I　could　be　of　myself；　I　could　not　accuse　him。　I　saw

that　we　were　both　thought　equally　guilty　of　the　murder；　and　that　I　was

considered　the　most　clumsy。　I　tried　to　explain　the　crime　by

somnambulism；　and　so　protect　my　friend；　but　there　I　rambled　and

contradicted　myself。　No；　I　am　lost。　I　read　my　condemnation　in　the　eyes

of　my　judges。　They　smiled　incredulously。　All　is　over。　No　more

uncertainty。　To…morrow　I　shall　be　shot。　I　am　not　thinking　of　myself；〃

he　went　on　after　a　pause；　〃but　of　my　poor　mother。〃　Then　he　stopped；

looked　up　to　heaven；　and　shed　no　tears；　his　eyes　were　dry　and　strongly

convulsed。　〃Frederic〃



＇〃Ah！　true；〃　cried　Monsieur　Hermann；　with　an　air　of　triumph。　〃Yes；　the

other's　name　was　Frederic；　Frederic！　I　remember　now！〃



My　neighbor　touched　my　foot；　and　made　me　a　sign　to　look　at　Monsieur

Taillefer。　The　former　purveyor　had　negligently　dropped　his　hand　over

his　eyes；　but　between　the　interstices　of　his　fingers　we　thought　we

caught　a　darkling　flame　proceeding　from　them。



〃Hein？〃　she　said　in　my　ear；　〃what　if　his　name　were　Frederic？〃



I　answered　with　a　glance；　which　said　to　her：　〃Silence！〃



Hermann　continued：＇



〃Frederic！〃　cried　the　young　surgeon；　〃Frederic　basely　deserted　me。　He

must　have　been　afraid。　Perhaps　he　is　still　hidden　in　the　inn；　for　our

horses　were　both　in　the　courtyard　this　morning。　What　an

incomprehensible　mystery！〃　he　went　on；　after　a　moment's　silence。

〃Somnambulism！　somnambulism？　I　never　had　but　one　attack　in　my　life；

and　that　was　when　I　was　six　years　old。　Must　I　go　from　this　earth；〃　he

cried；　striking　the　ground　with　his　foot；　〃carrying　with　me　all　there

is　of　friendship　in　the　world？　Shall　I　die　a　double　death；　doubting　a

fraternal　love　begun　when　we　were　only　five　years　old；　and　continued

through　school　and　college？　Where　is　Frederic？〃



He　wept。　Can　it　be　that　we　cling　more　to　a　sentiment　than　to　life？



〃Let　us　go　in；〃　he　said；　〃I　prefer　to　be　in　my　cell。　I　do　not　wish　to

be　seen　weeping。　I　shall　go　courageously　to　death；　but　I　cannot　play

the　heroic　at　all　moments；　I　own　I　regret　my　beautiful　young　life。　All

last　night　I　could　not　sleep；　I　remembered　the　scenes　of　my　childhood；

I　fancied　I　was　running　in　the　fields。　Ah！　I　had　a　future；〃　he　said；

suddenly　interrupting　himself；　〃and　now；　twelve　men；　a　sub…lieutenant

shouting　'Carry…arms；　aim；　fire！'　a　roll　of　drums；　and　infamy！　that's

my　future　now。　Oh！　there　must　be　a　God；　or　it　would　all　be　too

senseless。〃



Then　he　took　me　in　his　arms　and　pressed　me　to　him　with　all　his

strength。



〃You　are　the　last　man；　the　last　friend　to　whom　I　can　show　my　soul。　You

will　be　set　at　liberty；　you　will　see　your　mother！　I　don't　know　whether

you　are　rich　or　poor；　but　no　matter！　you　are　all　the　world　to　me。　They

won't　fight　always；　'ceux…ci。'　Well；　when　there's　peace；　will　you　go

to　Beauvais？　If　my　mother　has　survived　the　fatal　news　of　my　death；　you

will　find　her　there。　Say　to　her　the　comforting　words；　'He　was

innocent！'　She　will　believe　you。　I　am　going　to　write　to　her；　but　you

must　take　her　my　last　look；　you　must　tell　her　that　you　were　the　last

man　whose　hand　I　pressed。　Oh；　she'll　love　you；　the　poor　woman！　you；　my

last　friend。　Here；〃　he　said；　after　a　moment's　silence；　during　which　he

was　overcome　by　the　weight　of　his　recollections；　〃all；　officers　and

soldiers；　are　unknown　to　me；　I　am　an　object　of　horror　to　them。　If　it

were　not　for　you　my　innocence　would　be　a　secret　between　God　and

myself。〃



I　swore　to　sacredly　fulfil　his　last　wishes。　My　words；　the　emotion　I

showed　touched　him。　Soon　after　that　the　soldiers　came　to　take　him

again　before　the　council　of　war。　He　was　condemned　to　death。　I　am

ignorant　of　the　formalities　that　followed　or　accompanied　this

judgment；　nor　do　I　know　whether　the　young　surgeon　defended　his　life　or

not；　but　he　expected　to　be　executed　on　the　following　day；　and　he　spent

the　night　in　writing　to　his　mother。



〃We　shall　both　be　free　to…day；〃　he　said；　smiling；　when　I　went　to　see

him　the　next　morning。　〃I　am　told　that　the　general　has　signed　your

pardon。〃



I　was　silent；　and　looked　at　him　closely　so　as　to　carve　his　features；

as　it　were；　on　my　memory。　Presently　an　expression　of　disgust　crossed

his　face。



〃I　have　been　very　cowardly；〃　he　said。　〃During　all　last　night　I　begged

for　mercy　of　these　walls；〃　and　he　pointed　to　the　sides　of　his　dungeon。

〃Yes；　yes；　I　howled　with　despair；　I　rebelled；　I　suffered　the　most

awful　moral　agonyI　was　alone！　Now　I　think　of　what　others　will　say　of

me。　Courage　is　a　garment　to　put　on。　I　desire　to　go　decently　to　death；

therefore〃







A　DOUBLE　RETRIBUTION



〃Oh；　stop！　stop！〃　cried　the　young　lady　who　had　asked　for　this　history；

interrupting　the　narrator　suddenly。　〃Say　no　more；　let　me　remain　in

uncertainty　and　believe　that　he　was　saved。　If　I　hear　now　that　he　was

shot　I　shall　not　sleep　all　night。　To…morrow　you　shall　tell　me　the

rest。〃



We　rose　from　table。　My　neighbor　in　accepting　Monsieur　Hermann's　arm；

said　to　him



〃I　suppose　he　was　shot；　was　he　not？〃



〃Yes。　I　was　present　at　the　execution。〃



〃Oh！　monsieur；〃　she　said；　〃how　could　you〃



〃He　desired　it；　madame。　There　was　something　really　dreadful　in

following　the　funeral　of　a　living　man；　a　man　my　heart　cared　for；　an

innocent　man！　The　poor　young　fellow　never　ceased　to　look　at　me。　He

seemed　to　live　only　in　me。　He　wanted；　he　said；　that　I　should　carry　to

his　mother　his　last　sigh。〃



〃And　did　you？〃



〃At　the　peace　of　Amiens　I　went　to　France；　for　the　purpose　of　taking　to

the　mother　those　blessed　words；　'He　was　innocent。'　I　religiously

undertook　that　pilgrimage。　But　Madame　Magnan　had　died　of　consumption。

It　was　not　without　deep　emotion　that　I　burned　the　letter　of　which　I

was　the　bearer。　You　will　perhaps　smile　at　my　German　imagination；　but　I

see　a　drama　of　sad　sublimity　in　the　eternal　secrecy　which　engulfed

those　parting　words　cast　between　two　graves；　unknown　to　all　creation；

like　the　cry　uttered　in　a　desert　by　some　lonely　traveller　whom　a　lion

seizes。〃



〃And　if；〃　I　said；　interrupting　him；　〃you　were　brought　face　to　face

with　a　man　now　in　this　room；　and　were　told；　'This　is　the　murderer！'

would　not　that　be　another　drama？　And　what　would　you　do？〃



Monsieur　Hermann　looked　for　his　hat　and　went　away。



〃You　are　behaving　like　a　young　man；　and　very　heedlessly；〃　said　my

neighbor。　〃Look　at　Taillefer！there；　seated　on　that　sofa　at　the

corner　of　the　fireplace。　Mademoiselle　Fanny　is　offering　him　a　cup　of

coffee。　He　smiles。　Would　a　murderer　to　whom　that　tale　must　have　been

torture；　present　so　calm　a　face？　Isn't　his　whole　air　patriarchal？〃



〃Yes；　but　go　and　ask　him　if　he　went　to　the　war　in　Germany；〃　I　said。



〃Why　not？〃



And　with　that　audacity　which　is　s