the chouans-第47章

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come　away　from　the　mass　and　go　to　dancing？　Are　you　aware　that　Messieurs　Hyde　de　Neuville　and　d'Andigne　had　a　conference；　five　days　ago；　with　the　First　Consul；　on　the　question　of　restoring　his　Majesty　Louis　XVIII。？　Ah；　monsieur；　the　princes　are　deceived　as　to　the　true　state　of　France。　The　devotions　which　uphold　them　are　solely　those　of　rank。　Abbe；　if　I　have　set　my　feet　in　blood；　at　least　I　will　not　go　into　it　to　my　middle　without　full　knowledge　of　what　I　do。　I　am　devoted　to　the　king；　but　not　to　four　hot…heads；　not　to　a　man　crippled　with　debt　like　Rifoel；　not　to　'chauffeurs；'　not　to〃

〃Say　frankly；　monsieur；　not　to　abbes　who　force　contributions　on　the　highway　to　carry　on　the　war；〃　retorted　the　Abbe　Gudin。

〃Why　should　I　not　say　it？〃　replied　the　marquis；　sharply；　〃and　I'll　say；　further；　that　the　great　and　heroic　days　of　La　Vendee　are　over。〃

〃Monsieur　le　marquis；　we　can　perform　miracles　without　you。〃

〃Yes；　like　that　of　Marie　Lambrequin；　whom　I　hear　you　have　brought　to　life；〃　said　the　marquis；　smiling。　〃Come；　come；　let　us　have　no　rancor；　abbe。　I　know　that　you　run　all　risks　and　would　shoot　a　Blue　as　readily　as　you　say　an　/oremus/。　God　willing；　I　hope　to　make　you　assist　with　a　mitre　on　your　head　at　the　king's　coronation。〃

This　last　remark　must　have　had　some　magic　power；　for　the　click　of　a　musket　was　heard　as　the　abbe　exclaimed；　〃I　have　fifty　cartridges　in　my　pocket；　monsieur　le　marquis；　and　my　life　is　the　king's。〃

〃He's　a　debtor　of　mine；〃　whispered　the　usurer　to　Marie。　〃I　don't　mean　the　five　or　six　hundred　crowns　he　has　borrowed；　but　a　debt　of　blood　which　I　hope　to　make　him　pay。　He　can　never　suffer　as　much　evil　as　I　wish　him；　the　damned　Jesuit！　He　swore　the　death　of　my　brother；　and　raised　the　country　against　him。　Why？　Because　the　poor　man　was　afraid　of　the　new　laws。〃　Then；　after　applying　his　ear　to　another　part　of　his　hiding…place；　he　added；　〃They　are　all　decamping；　those　brigands。　I　suppose　they　are　going　to　do　some　other　miracle　elsewhere。　I　only　hope　they　won't　bid　me　good…bye　as　they　did　the　last　time；　by　setting　fire　to　my　house。〃

After　the　lapse　of　about　half　an　hour；　during　which　time　the　usurer　and　Mademoiselle　de　Verneuil　looked　at　each　other　as　if　they　were　studying　a　picture；　the　coarse；　gruff　voice　of　Galope…Chopine　was　heard　saying；　in　a　muffled　tone：　〃There's　no　longer　any　danger；　Monsieur　d'Orgemont。　But　this　time；　you　must　allow　that　I　have　earned　my　thirty　crowns。〃

〃My　dear；〃　said　the　miser　to　Marie；　〃swear　to　shut　your　eyes。〃

Mademoiselle　de　Verneuil　placed　one　hand　over　her　eyelids；　but　for　greater　security　d'Orgemont　blew　out　the　lamp；　took　his　liberator　by　the　hand；　and　helped　her　to　make　seven　or　eight　steps　along　a　difficult　passage。　At　the　end　of　some　minutes　he　gently　removed　her　hand；　and　she　found　herself　in　the　very　room　the　Marquis　de　Montauran　had　just　quitted；　and　which　was；　in　fact；　the　miser's　own　bedroom。

〃My　dear　girl；〃　said　the　old　man；　〃you　can　safely　go　now。　Don't　look　about　you　that　way。　I　dare　say　you　have　no　money　with　you。　Here　are　ten　crowns；　they　are　a　little　shaved；　but　they'll　pass。　When　you　leave　the　garden　you　will　see　a　path　that　leads　straight　to　the　town；　or；　as　they　say　now；　the　district。　But　the　Chouans　will　be　at　Fougeres；　and　it　is　to　be　presumed　that　you　can't　get　back　there　at　once。　You　may　want　some　safe　place　to　hide　in。　Remember　what　I　say　to　you；　but　don't　make　use　of　it　unless　in　some　great　emergency。　You　will　see　on　the　road　which　leads　to　Nid…aux…Crocs　through　the　Val　de　Gibarry；　a　farm…　house　belonging　to　Cibototherwise　called　Galope…Chopine。　Go　in；　and　say　to　his　wife：　'Good…day；　Becaniere；'　and　Barbette　will　hide　you。　If　Galope…Chopine　discovers　you　he　will　either　take　you　for　the　ghost；　if　it　is　dark；　or　ten　crowns　will　master　him　if　it　is　light。　Adieu；　our　account　is　squared。　But　if　you　choose；〃　he　added；　waving　his　hand　about　him；　〃all　this　is　yours。〃

Mademoiselle　de　Verneuil　gave　the　strange　old　man　a　look　of　thanks；　and　succeeded　in　extracting　a　sigh　from　him；　expressing　a　variety　of　emotions。

〃You　will　of　course　return　me　my　ten　crowns；　and　please　remark　that　I　ask　no　interest。　You　can　pay　them　to　my　credit　with　Maitre　Patrat；　the　notary　at　Fougeres；　who　would　draw　our　marriage　contract　if　you　consented　to　be　mine。　Adieu。〃

〃Adieu；〃　she　said；　smiling　and　waving　her　hand。

〃If　you　ever　want　money；〃　he　called　after　her；　〃I'll　lend　it　to　you　at　five　per　cent；　yes；　only　fivedid　I　say　five？why；　she's　gone！　That　girl　looks　to　me　like　a　good　one；　nevertheless；　I'll　change　the　secret　opening　of　my　chimney。〃

Then　he　took　a　twelve…pound　loaf　and　a　ham；　and　returned　to　his　hiding…place。

*****

As　Mademoiselle　de　Verneuil　walked　through　the　country　she　seemed　to　breathe　a　new　life。　The　freshness　of　the　night　revived　her　after　the　fiery　experience　of　the　last　few　hours。　She　tried　to　follow　the　path　explained　to　her　by　d'Orgemont；　but　the　darkness　became　so　dense　after　the　moon　had　gone　down　that　she　was　forced　to　walk　hap…hazard；　blindly。　Presently　the　fear　of　falling　down　some　precipice　seized　her　and　saved　her　life；　for　she　stopped　suddenly；　fancying　the　ground　would　disappear　before　her　if　she　made　another　step。　A　cool　breeze　lifting　her　hair；　the　murmur　of　the　river；　and　her　instinct　all　combined　to　warn　her　that　she　was　probably　on　the　verge　of　the　Saint…　Sulpice　rocks。　She　slipped　her　arm　around　a　tree　and　waited　for　dawn　with　keen　anxiety；　for　she　heard　a　noise　of　arms　and　horses　and　human　voices；　she　was　grateful　to　the　darkness　which　saved　her　from　the　Chouans；　who　were　evidently；　as　the　miser　had　said；　surrounding　Fougeres。

Like　fires　lit　at　night　as　signals　of　liberty；　a　few　gleams；　faintly　crimsoned；　began　to　show　upon　the　summits；　while　the　bases　of　the　mountains　still　retained　the　bluish　tints　which　contrasted　with　the　rosy　clouds　that　were　floating　in　the　valley。　Soon　a　ruby　disk　rose　slowly　on　the　horizon　and　the　skies　greeted　it；　the　varied　landscape；　the　bell…tower　of　Saint…Leonard；　the　rocks；　the　meadows　buried　in　shadow；　all　insensibly　reappeared；　and　the　trees　on　the　summits　were　defined　against　the　skies　in　the　rising　glow。　The　sun　freed　itself　with　a　graceful　spring　from　the　ribbons　of　flame　and　ochre　and　sapphire。　Its　vivid　light　took　level　lines　from　hill　to　hill　and　flowed　into　the　vales。　The　dusk　dispersed；　day　mastered　Nature。　A　sharp　breeze　crisped　the　air；　the　birds　sang；　life　wakened　everywhere。　But　the　girl　had　hardly　time　to　cast　her　eyes　over　the　whole　of　this　wondrous　landscape　before；　by　a　phenomenon　not　infrequent　in　these　cool　regions；　the　mists　spread　themselves　in　sheets；　filled　the　valleys；　and　rose　to　the　tops　of　the　mountains；　burying　the　great　valley　beneath　a　mantle　of　snow。　Mademoiselle　de　Verneuil　fancied　for　a　moment　she　saw　a　/mer　de　glace/；　like　those　of　the　Alps。　Then　the　vaporous　atmosphere　rolled　like　the　waves　of　ocean；　lifted　impenetrable　billows　which　softly　swayed；　undulated；　and　were　violently　whirled；　catching　from　the　sun's　rays　a　vivid　rosy　tint；　and　showing　here　and　there　in　their　depths　the　transparencies　of　a　lake　of　molten　silver。　Suddenly　the　north　wind　swept　this　phantasmagoric　scene　and　scattered　the　mists　which　laid　a　dew　full　of　oxygen　on　the　meadows。

Mademoiselle　de　Verneuil　was　now　able　to　distinguish　a　dark　mass　of　men　on　the　rocks　of　Fougeres。　Seven　or　eight　hundred　Chouans　were　running　like　ants　through　the　suburb　of　Saint…Sulpice。　The　sleeping　town　would　certainly　have　been　overpowered　in　spite　of　its　fortifications　and　its　old　gray　towers；　if　Hulot　had　not　been　alert。　A　battery；　concealed　on　a　height　at　the　farther　end　of　the　basin　formed　by　the　ramparts；　replied　to　the　first　fire　of　the　Chouans　by　taking　them　diagonally　on　the　road　to　the　castle。　The　balls　swept　the　road。　Then　a　company　of　Blues　made　a　sortie　from　the　Saint…Sulpice　gate；　profited　by　the　surprise　of　the　royalists　to　form　in　line　upon　the　high…road；　and　poured　a　murderous　fire　upon　them。　The　Chouans　made　no　attempt　to　resist；　seeing　that　the　ramparts　of　the　castle　were　covered　with　soldiers；　and　that　the　guns　of　the　fortress　sufficiently　protected　the　Republican　advance。

Meantime；　however；　other　Chouans；　masters　of　the　little　valley　of　the　Nancon；　had　swarmed　up　the　rocks　and　reached　the