the chouans-第61章

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　a　moment　I　thought　myself　pure；　for　I　had　never　loved。　But　last　night　your　passion　seemed　to　me　true；　and　a　voice　cried　to　me；　'Do　not　deceive　him。'　Monsieur　le　marquis；〃　she　said；　in　a　guttural　voice　which　haughtily　challenged　condemnation；　〃know　this；　I　am　a　dishonored　creature；　unworthy　of　you。　From　this　hour　I　accept　my　fate　as　a　lost　woman。　I　am　weary　of　playing　a　part；the　part　of　a　woman　to　whom　you　had　brought　back　the　sanctities　of　her　soul。　Virtue　is　a　burden　to　me。　I　should　despise　you　if　you　were　weak　enough　to　marry　me。　The　Comte　de　Bauvan　might　commit　that　folly；　but　youyou　must　be　worthy　of　your　future　and　leave　me　without　regret。　A　courtesan　is　too　exacting；　I　should　not　love　you　like　the　simple；　artless　girl　who　felt　for　a　moment　the　delightful　hope　of　being　your　companion；　of　making　you　happy；　of　doing　you　honor；　of　becoming　a　noble　wife。　But　I　gather　from　that　futile　hope　the　courage　to　return　to　a　life　of　vice　and　infamy；　that　I　may　put　an　eternal　barrier　between　us。　I　sacrifice　both　honor　and　fortune　to　you。　The　pride　I　take　in　that　sacrifice　will　support　me　in　my　wretchedness；　fate　may　dispose　of　me　as　it　will。　I　will　never　betray　you。　I　shall　return　to　Paris。　There　your　name　will　be　to　me　a　part　of　myself；　and　the　glory　you　win　will　console　my　grief。　As　for　you；　you　are　a　man；　and　you　will　forget　me。　Farewell。〃

She　darted　away　in　the　direction　of　the　gorges　of　Saint…Sulpice；　and　disappeared　before　the　marquis　could　rise　to　detain　her。　But　she　came　back　unseen；　hid　herself　in　a　cavity　of　the　rocks；　and　examined　the　young　man　with　a　curiosity　mingled　with　doubt。　Presently　she　saw　him　walking　like　a　man　overwhelmed；　without　seeming　to　know　where　he　went。

〃Can　he　be　weak？〃　she　thought；　when　he　had　disappeared；　and　she　felt　she　was　parted　from　him。　〃Will　he　understand　me？〃　She　quivered。　Then　she　turned　and　went　rapidly　towards　Fougeres；　as　though　she　feared　the　marquis　might　follow　her　into　the　town；　where　certain　death　awaited　him。

〃Francine；　what　did　he　say　to　you？〃　she　asked；　when　the　faithful　girl　rejoined　her。

〃Ah！　Marie；　how　I　pitied　him。　You　great　ladies　stab　a　man　with　your　tongues。〃

〃How　did　he　seem　when　he　came　up　to　you？〃

〃As　if　he　saw　me　not　at　all！　Oh；　Marie；　he　loves　you！〃

〃Yes；　he　loves　me；　or　he　does　not　love　methere　is　heaven　or　hell　for　me　in　that；〃　she　answered。　〃Between　the　two　extremes　there　is　no　spot　where　I　can　set　my　foot。〃

After　thus　carrying　out　her　resolution；　Marie　gave　way　to　grief；　and　her　face；　beautified　till　then　by　these　conflicting　sentiments；　changed　for　the　worse　so　rapidly　that　in　a　single　day；　during　which　she　floated　incessantly　between　hope　and　despair；　she　lost　the　glow　of　beauty；　and　the　freshness　which　has　its　source　in　the　absence　of　passion　or　the　ardor　of　joy。　Anxious　to　ascertain　the　result　of　her　mad　enterprise；　Hulot　and　Corentin　came　to　see　her　soon　after　her　return。　She　received　them　smiling。

〃Well；〃　she　said　to　the　commandant；　whose　care…worn　face　had　a　questioning　expression；　〃the　fox　is　coming　within　range　of　your　guns；　you　will　soon　have　a　glorious　triumph　over　him。〃

〃What　happened？〃　asked　Corentin；　carelessly；　giving　Mademoiselle　de　Verneuil　one　of　those　oblique　glances　with　which　diplomatists　of　his　class　spy　on　thought。

〃Ah！〃　she　said；　〃the　Gars　is　more　in　love　than　ever；　I　made　him　come　with　me　to　the　gates　of　Fougeres。〃

〃Your　power　seems　to　have　stopped　there；〃　remarked　Corentin；　〃the　fears　of　your　/ci…devant/　are　greater　than　the　love　you　inspire。〃

〃You　judge　him　by　yourself；〃　she　replied；　with　a　contemptuous　look。

〃Well；　then；〃　said　he；　unmoved；　〃why　did　you　not　bring　him　here　to　your　own　house？〃

〃Commandant；〃　she　said　to　Hulot；　with　a　coaxing　smile；　〃if　he　really　loves　me；　would　you　blame　me　for　saving　his　life　and　getting　him　to　leave　France？〃

The　old　soldier　came　quickly　up　to　her；　took　her　hand；　and　kissed　it　with　a　sort　of　enthusiasm。　Then　he　looked　at　her　fixedly　and　said　in　a　gloomy　tone：　〃You　forget　my　two　friends　and　my　sixty…three　men。〃

〃Ah；　commandant；〃　she　cried；　with　all　the　naivete　of　passion；　〃he　was　not　accountable　for　that；　he　was　deceived　by　a　bad　woman；　Charette's　mistress；　who　would；　I　do　believe；　drink　the　blood　of　the　Blues。〃

〃Come；　Marie；〃　said　Corentin；　〃don't　tease　the　commandant；　he　does　not　understand　such　jokes。〃

〃Hold　your　tongue；〃　she　answered；　〃and　remember　that　the　day　when　you　displease　me　too　much　will　have　no　morrow　for　you。〃

〃I　see；　mademoiselle；〃　said　Hulot；　without　bitterness；　〃that　I　must　prepare　for　a　fight。〃

〃You　are　not　strong　enough；　my　dear　colonel。　I　saw　more　than　six　thousand　men　at　Saint…James；regular　troops；　artillery；　and　English　officers。　But　they　cannot　do　much　unless　/he/　leads　them？　I　agree　with　Fouche；　his　presence　is　the　head　and　front　of　everything。〃

〃Are　we　to　get　his　head？that's　the　point；〃　said　Corentin；　impatiently。

〃I　don't　know；〃　she　answered；　carelessly。

〃English　officers！〃　cried　Hulot；　angrily；　〃that's　all　that　was　wanting　to　make　a　regular　brigand　of　him。　Ha！　ha！　I'll　give　him　English；　I　will！〃

〃It　seems　to　me；　citizen…diplomat；〃　said　Hulot　to　Corentin；　after　the　two　had　taken　leave　and　were　at　some　distance　from　the　house；　〃that　you　allow　that　girl　to　send　you　to　the　right…about　when　she　pleases。〃

〃It　is　quite　natural　for　you；　commandant；〃　replied　Corentin；　with　a　thoughtful　air；　〃to　see　nothing　but　fighting　in　what　she　said　to　us。　You　soldiers　never　seem　to　know　there　are　various　ways　of　making　war。　To　use　the　passions　of　men　and　women　like　wires　to　be　pulled　for　the　benefit　of　the　State；　to　keep　the　running…gear　of　the　great　machine　we　call　government　in　good　order；　and　fasten　to　it　the　desires　of　human　nature；　like　baited　traps　which　it　is　fun　to　watch；I　call　/that/　creating　a　world；　like　God；　and　putting　ourselves　at　the　centre　of　it！〃

〃You　will　please　allow　me　to　prefer　my　calling　to　yours；〃　said　the　soldier；　curtly。　〃You　can　do　as　you　like　with　your　running…gear；　I　recognize　no　authority　but　that　of　the　minister　of　war。　I　have　my　orders；　I　shall　take　the　field　with　veterans　who　don't　skulk；　and　face　an　enemy　you　want　to　catch　behind。〃

〃Oh；　you　can　fight　if　you　want　to；〃　replied　Corentin。　〃From　what　that　girl　has　dropped；　close…mouthed　as　you　think　she　is；　I　can　tell　you　that　you'll　have　to　skirmish　about；　and　I　myself　will　give　you　the　pleasure　of　an　interview　with　the　Gars　before　long。〃

〃How　so？〃　asked　Hulot；　moving　back　a　step　to　get　a　better　view　of　this　strange　individual。

〃Mademoiselle　de　Verneuil　is　in　love　with　him；〃　replied　Corentin；　in　a　thick　voice；　〃and　perhaps　he　loves　her。　A　marquis；　a　knight　of　Saint…　Louis；　young；　brilliant；　perhaps　rich；what　a　list　of　temptations！　She　would　be　foolish　indeed　not　to　look　after　her　own　interests　and　try　to　marry　him　rather　than　betray　him。　The　girl　is　attempting　to　fool　us。　But　I　saw　hesitation　in　her　eyes。　They　probably　have　a　rendezvous；　perhaps　they've　met　already。　Well；　to…morrow　I　shall　have　him　by　the　forelock。　Yesterday　he　was　nothing　more　than　the　enemy　of　the　Republic；　to…day　he　is　mine；　and　I　tell　you　this；　every　man　who　has　been　so　rash　as　to　come　between　that　girl　and　me　has　died　upon　the　scaffold。〃

So　saying；　Corentin　dropped　into　a　reverie　which　hindered　him　from　observing　the　disgust　on　the　face　of　the　honest　soldier　as　he　discovered　the　depths　of　this　intrigue；　and　the　mechanism　of　the　means　employed　by　Fouche。　Hulot　resolved　on　the　spot　to　thwart　Corentin　in　every　way　that　did　not　conflict　essentially　with　the　success　of　the　government；　and　to　give　the　Gars　a　fair　chance　of　dying　honorably；　sword　in　hand；　before　he　could　fall　a　prey　to　the　executioner；　for　whom　this　agent　of　the　detective　police　acknowledged　himself　the　purveyor。

〃If　the　First　Consul　would　listen　to　me；〃　thought　Hulot；　as　he　turned　his　back　on　Corentin；　〃he　would　leave　those　foxes　to　fight　aristocrats；　and　send　his　solders　on　other　business。〃

Corentin　looked　coldly　after　the　old　soldier；　whose　face　had　brightened　at　the　resolve；　and　his　eyes　gleamed　with　a　sardonic　expression；　which　showed　the　mental　superiority　of　this　subaltern　Machiavelli。

〃Give　an　ell　of　blue　cloth　to　those　fellows；　and　hang　a　bit　of　iron　at　their　waists；〃　he　said　to　himself；　〃and　t