the muse of the department-第19章

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that　this　significant　sign　would　be　obeyed。　In　the　street　two　horses
were　waiting；　we　each　mounted　one。　My　Spaniard　took　my　bridle；　held
his　own　between　his　teeth；　for　his　right　hand　held　the　bloodstained
bundle；　and　we　went　off　at　lightning　speed。

〃　'I　could　not　see　the　smallest　object　by　which　to　retrace　the　road　we
came　by。　At　dawn　I　found　myself　close　by　my　own　door；　and　the　Spaniard
fled　towards　the　Atocha　gate。'

〃　'And　you　saw　nothing　which　could　lead　you　to　suspect　who　the　woman
was　whom　you　had　attended？'　the　Colonel　asked　of　the　surgeon。

〃　'One　thing　only；'　he　replied。　'When　I　turned　the　unknown　lady　over；
I　happened　to　remark　a　mole　on　her　arm；　about　half…way　down；　as　big　as
a　lentil；　and　surrounded　with　brown　hairs。'At　this　instant　the　rash
speaker　turned　pale。　All　our　eyes；　that　had　been　fixed　on　his；
followed　his　glance；　and　we　saw　a　Spaniard；　whose　glittering　eyes
shone　through　a　clump　of　orange…trees。　On　finding　himself　the　object
of　our　attention；　the　man　vanished　with　the　swiftness　of　a　sylph。　A
young　captain　rushed　in　pursuit。

〃　'By　Heaven！'　cried　the　surgeon；　'that　basilisk　stare　has　chilled　me
through；　my　friends。　I　can　hear　bells　ringing　in　my　ears！　I　may　take
leave　of　you；　you　will　bury　me　here！'

〃　'What　a　fool　you　are！'　exclaimed　Colonel　Hulot。　'Falcon　is　on　the
track　of　the　Spaniard　who　was　listening；　and　he　will　call　him　to
account。'

〃　'Well；'　cried　one　and　another；　seeing　the　captain　return　quite　out
of　breath。

〃　'The　devil's　in　it；'　said　Falcon；　'the　man　went　through　a　wall；　I
believe！　As　I　do　not　suppose　that　he　is　a　wizard；　I　fancy　he　must
belong　to　the　house！　He　knows　every　corner　and　turning；　and　easily
escaped。'

〃　'I　am　done　for；'　said　the　surgeon；　in　a　gloomy　voice。

〃　'Come；　come；　keep　calm；　Bega；'　said　I　（his　name　was　Bega）；　'we　will
sit　on　watch　with　you　till　you　leave。　We　will　not　leave　you　this
evening。'

〃In　point　of　fact；　three　young　officers　who　had　been　losing　at　play
went　home　with　the　surgeon　to　his　lodgings；　and　one　of　us　offered　to
stay　with　him。

〃Within　two　days　Bega　had　obtained　his　recall　to　France；　he　made
arrangements　to　travel　with　a　lady　to　whom　Murat　had　given　a　strong
escort；　and　had　just　finished　dinner　with　a　party　of　friends；　when　his
servant　came　to　say　that　a　young　lady　wished　to　speak　to　him。　The
surgeon　and　the　three　officers　went　down　suspecting　mischief。　The
stranger　could　only　say；　'Be　on　your　guard'　when　she　dropped　down
dead。　It　was　the　waiting…woman；　who；　finding　she　had　been　poisoned；
had　hoped　to　arrive　in　time　to　warn　her　lover。

〃　'Devil　take　it！'　cried　Captain　Falcon；　'that　is　what　I　call　love！　No
woman　on　earth　but　a　Spaniard　can　run　about　with　a　dose　of　poison　in
her　inside！'

〃Bega　remained　strangely　pensive。　To　drown　the　dark　presentiments　that
haunted　him；　he　sat　down　to　table　again；　and　with　his　companions　drank
immoderately。　The　whole　party　went　early　to　bed；　half　drunk。

〃In　the　middle　of　the　night　the　hapless　Bega　was　aroused　by　the　sharp
rattle　of　the　curtain　rings　pulled　violently　along　the　rods。　He　sat　up
in　bed；　in　the　mechanical　trepidation　which　we　all　feel　on　waking　with
such　a　start。　He　saw　standing　before　him　a　Spaniard　wrapped　in　a
cloak；　who　fixed　on　him　the　same　burning　gaze　that　he　had　seen　through
the　bushes。

〃Bega　shouted　out；　'Help；　help；　come　at　once；　friends！'　But　the
Spaniard　answered　his　cry　of　distress　with　a　bitter　laugh。'Opium
grows　for　all！'　said　he。

〃Having　thus　pronounced　sentence　as　it　were；　the　stranger　pointed　to
the　three　other　men　sleeping　soundly；　took　from　under　his　cloak　the
arm　of　a　woman；　freshly　amputated；　and　held　it　out　to　Bega；　pointing
to　a　mole　like　that　he　had　so　rashly　described。　'Is　it　the　same？'　he
asked。　By　the　light　of　the　lantern　the　man　had　set　on　the　bed；　Bega
recognized　the　arm；　and　his　speechless　amazement　was　answer　enough。

〃Without　waiting　for　further　information；　the　lady's　husband　stabbed
him　to　the　heart。〃

〃You　must　tell　that　to　the　marines！〃　said　Lousteau。　〃It　needs　their
robust　faith　to　swallow　it！　Can　you　tell　me　which　told　the　tale；　the
dead　man　or　the　Spaniard？〃

〃Monsieur；〃　replied　the　Receiver…General；　〃I　nursed　poor　Bega；　who
died　five　days　after　in　dreadful　suffering。That　is　not　the　end。

〃At　the　time　of　the　expedition　sent　out　to　restore　Ferdinand　VII。　I
was　appointed　to　a　place　in　Spain；　but；　happily　for　me；　I　got　no
further　than　Tours　when　I　was　promised　the　post　of　Receiver　here　at
Sancerre。　On　the　eve　of　setting　out　I　was　at　a　ball　at　Madame　de
Listomere's；　where　we　were　to　meet　several　Spaniards　of　high　rank。　On
rising　from　the　card…table；　I　saw　a　Spanish　grandee；　an　/afrancesado/
in　exile；　who　had　been　about　a　fortnight　in　Touraine。　He　had　arrived
very　late　at　this　ballhis　first　appearance　in　societyaccompanied
by　his　wife；　whose　right　arm　was　perfectly　motionless。　Everybody　made
way　in　silence　for　this　couple；　whom　we　all　watched　with　some
excitement。　Imagine　a　picture　by　Murillo　come　to　life。　Under　black　and
hollow　brows　the　man's　eyes　were　like　a　fixed　blaze；　his　face　looked
dried　up；　his　bald　skull　was　red；　and　his　frame　was　a　terror　to
behold；　he　was　so　emaciated。　His　wifeno；　you　cannot　imagine　her。　Her
figure　had　the　supple　swing　for　which　the　Spaniards　created　the　word
/meneho/；　though　pale；　she　was　still　beautiful；　her　complexion　was
dazzlingly　faira　rare　thing　in　a　Spaniard；　and　her　gaze；　full　of　the
Spanish　sun；　fell　on　you　like　a　stream　of　melted　lead。

〃　'Madame；'　said　I　to　her；　towards　the　end　of　the　evening；　'what
occurrence　led　to　the　loss　of　your　arm？'

〃　'I　lost　it　in　the　war　of　independence；'　said　she。〃

〃Spain　is　a　strange　country；〃　said　Madame　de　la　Baudraye。　〃It　still
shows　traces　of　Arab　manners。〃

〃Oh！〃　said　the　journalist；　laughing；　〃the　mania　for　cutting　off　arms
is　an　old　one　there。　It　turns　up　every　now　and　then　like　some　of　our
newspaper　hoaxes；　for　the　subject　has　given　plots　for　plays　on　the
Spanish　stage　so　early　as　1570〃

〃Then　do　you　think　me　capable　of　inventing　such　a　story？〃　said
Monsieur　Gravier；　nettled　by　Lousteau's　impertinent　tone。

〃Quite　incapable　of　such　a　thing；〃　said　the　journalist　with　grave
irony。

〃Pooh！〃　said　Bianchon；　〃the　inventions　of　romances　and　play…writers
are　quite　as　often　transferred　from　their　books　and　pieces　into　real
life；　as　the　events　of　real　life　are　made　use　of　on　the　stage　or
adapted　to　a　tale。　I　have　seen　the　comedy　of　/Tartufe/　played　out
with　the　exception　of　the　close；　Orgon's　eyes　could　not　be　opened　to
the　truth。〃

〃And　the　tragi…comedy　of　/Adolphe/　by　Benjamin　Constant　is　constantly
enacted；〃　cried　Lousteau。

〃And　do　you　suppose；〃　asked　Madame　de　la　Baudraye；　〃that　such
adventures　as　Monsieur　Gravier　has　related　could　ever　occur　now；　and
in　France？〃

〃Dear　me！〃　cried　Clagny；　〃of　the　ten　or　twelve　startling　crimes　that
are　annually　committed　in　France；　quite　half　are　mixed　up　with
circumstances　at　least　as　extraordinary　as　these；　and　often　outdoing
them　in　romantic　details。　Indeed；　is　not　this　proved　by　the　reports　in
the　/Gazette　des　Tribunaux/the　Police　newsin　my　opinion；　one　of
the　worst　abuses　of　the　Press？　This　newspaper；　which　was　started　only
in　1826　or　'27；　was　not　in　existence　when　I　began　my　professional
career；　and　the　facts　of　the　crime　I　am　about　to　speak　of　were　not
known　beyond　the　limits　of　the　department　where　it　was　committed。

〃In　the　quarter　of　Saint…Pierre…des…Corps　at　Tours　a　woman　whose
husband　had　disappeared　at　the　time　when　the　army　of　the　Loire　was
disbanded；　and　who　had　mourned　him　deeply；　was　conspicuous　for　her
excess　of　devotion。　When　the　mission　priests　went　through　all　the
provinces　to　restore　the　crosses　that　had　been　destroyed　and　to　efface
the　traces　of　revolutionary　impiety；　this　widow　was　one　of　their　most
zealous　proselytes；　she　carried　a　cross　and　nailed　to　it　a　silver
heart　pierced　by　an　arrow；　and；　for　a　long　time　after；　she　went　every
evening　to　pray　at　the　foot　of　the　cross　which　was　erected　behind　the
Cathedral　apse。

〃At　last；　overwhelmed　by　remorse；　she　confessed　to　a　horrible　crime。
She　had　killed　her　husband；　as　Fualdes　was　murdered；　by　bleeding　him；
she　had　salted　the　body　and　packe