from the memoirs of a minister of france-第22章

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even　days　in　incessant　labour　upon　it。　　It　was　not；　therefore；　until　the　third　week　in　August：　　that　I　was　free　to　travel　to　Monceaux。

I　found　my　quarters　assigned　to　me　in　a　pavilion　called　the　Garden　House；　and；　arriving　at　supper　time；　sat　down　with　my　household　with　more　haste　and　less　ceremony　than　was　my　wont。　The　same　state　of　things　prevailed；　I　suppose；　in　the　kitchen；　for　we　had　not　been　seated　half　an　hour　when　a　great　hubbub　arose　in　the　house；　and　the　servants　rushing　in　cried　out　that　a　fire　had　broken　out　below；　and　that　the　house　was　in　danger　of　burning。

In　such　emergencies　I　take　it　to　be　the　duty　of　a　man　of　standing　to　bear　himself　with　as　much　dignity　as　is　consistent　with　vigour；　and　neither　to　allow　himself　to　be　carried　away　by　the　outcry　and　disorder　of　the　crowd；　nor　to　omit　any　direction　that　may　avail。　　On　this　occasion；　however；　my　first　thought　was　given　to　the　memorial　I　had　prepared　for　the　King；　which　I　remembered　had　been　taken　with　other　books　and　papers　to　a　room　over　the　kitchen。　　I　lost　not　a　moment；　therefore；　in　sending　Maignan　for　it；　nor　until　I　held　it　safely　in　my　hand　did　I　feel　myself　at　liberty　to　think　of　the　house。　　When　I　did；　I　found　that　the　alarm　exceeded　the　danger；　a　few　buckets　of　water　extinguished　a　beam　in　the　chimney　which　had　caught　fire；　and　in　a　few　moments　we　were　able　to　resume　the　meal　with　the　added　vivacity　which　such　an　event　gave　to　the　conversation。　　It　has　never　been　my　custom　to　encourage　too　great　freedom　at　my　table；　but　as　the　company　consisted；　with　a　single　exception；　of　my　household；　and　as　this　persona　Monsieur　de　Vilain；　a　young　gentleman；　the　cousin　of　one　of　my　wife's　maids…of…honourshowed　himself　possessed　of　modesty　as　well　as　wit；　I　thought　that　the　time　excused　a　little　relaxation。

This　was　the　cause　of　the　misfortune　which　followed；　and　bade　fair　to　place　me　in　a　position　of　as　great　difficulty　as　I　have　ever　known；　for；　having　in　my　good　humour　dismissed　the　servants；　I　continued　to　talk　for　an　hour　or　more　with　Vilain　and　some　of　my　gentlemen；　the　result　being　that　I　so　far　forgot　myself；　when　I　rose；　as　to　leave　the　report　where　I　had　laid　it　on　the　table。　In　the　passage　I　met　a　man　whom　the　King　had　sent　to　inquire　about　the　fire；　and　thus　reminded　of　the　papers　I　turned　back　to　the　room；　greatly　vexed　with　myself　for　negligence　which　in　a　subordinate　I　should　have　severely　rebuked；　but　never　doubting　that　I　should　find　the　packet　where　I　had　left　it。

To　my　chagrin　the　paper　was　gone。　　Still　I　could　not　believe　that　it　had　been　stolen；　and　supposing　that　Maignan　or　one　of　my　household　had　seen　it　and　taken　it　to　my　closet；　I　repaired　thither　in　haste。　　I　found　Maignan　already　there；　with　M。　Boisrueil；　one　of　my　gentlemen；　who　was　waiting　to　ask　a　favour；　but　they　knew　nothing　of　the　report；　and　though　I　sent　them　down　forthwith；　with　directions　to　make　strict　but　quiet　inquiry；　they　returned　at　the　end　of　half　an　hour　with　long　faces　and　no　news。

Then　I　grew　seriously　alarmed；　and　reflecting　on　the　many　important　secrets　which　the　memorial　contained；　whereof　a　disclosure　must　spoil　plans　so　long　and　sedulously　prepared；　I　found　myself　brought　on　a　sudden　face　to　face　with　disaster。　　I　could　not　imagine　how　the　King；　who　had　again　and　again　urged　on　me　the　utmost　precaution；　would　take　such　a　catastrophe；　nor　how　I　should　make　it　known　to　him。　　For　a　moment；　therefore；　while　I　listened　to　the　tale；　I　felt　the　hair　rise　on　my　head　and　a　shiver　descend　my　back；　nor　was　it　without　an　uncommon　effort　that　I　retained　my　coolness　and　composure。

Plainly　no　steps　in　such　a　position　could　be　too　stringent。　　I　sent　Maignan　with　an　order　to　close　all　the　doors　and　let　no　one　pass　out。　　Then　I　made　sure　that　none　of　the　servants　had　entered　the　room；　between　the　time　of　my　rising　and　return；　and　this　narrowed　the　tale　of　those　who　could　have　taken　the　packet　to　eleven；　that　being　the　number　of　persons　who　had　sat　down　with　me。　　But　having　followed　the　matter　so　far；　I　came　face　to　face　with　this　difficulty：　　that　all　the　eleven　were；　with　one　exception；　in　my　service　and　in　various　ways　pledged　to　my　interests；　so　that　I　could　not　conceive　even　the　possibility　of　a　betrayal　by　them　in　a　matter　so　important。

I　confess；　at　this；　the　perspiration　rose　upon　my　brow；　for　the　paper　was　gone。　　Still；　there　remained　one　stranger；　and　though　it　seemed　scarcely　less　difficult　to　suspect　him；　since　he　could　have　no　knowledge　of　the　importance　of　the　document；　and　could　not　have　anticipated　that　I　should　leave　it　in　his　power；　I　found　in　that　the　only　likely　solution。　　He　was　one　of　the　Vilains　of　Pareil　by　Monceaux；　his　father　living　on　the　edge　of　the　park；　little　more　than　a　thousand　yards　from　the　chateau；　and　I　knew　no　harm　of　him。　　Still；　I　knew　little；　and　for　that　reason　was　forward　to　believe　that　there；　rather　than　in　my　own　household；　lay　the　key　to　the　enigma。

My　suspicions　were　not　lessened　when　I　discovered　that　he　alone　of　the　party　at　table　had　left　the　house　before　the　doors　were　closed；　and　for　a　moment　I　was　inclined　to　have　him　followed　and　seized。　　But　I　could　scarcely　take　a　step　so　decisive　without　provoking　inquiry；　and　I　dared　not　at　this　stage　let　the　King　know　of　my　negligence。　　I　found　myself；　therefore；　brought　up　short；　in　a　state　of　exasperation　and　doubt　difficult　to　describe；　and　the　most　minute　search　within　the　house　and　the　closest　examination　of　all　concerned　failing　to　provide　the　slightest　clue；　I　had　no　alternative　but　to　pass　the　night　in　that　condition。

On　the　morrow　a　third　search　seeming　still　the　only　resource；　and　proving　as　futile　as　the　others；　I　ordered　La　Trape　and　two　or　three　in　whom　I　placed　the　greatest　confidence　to　watch　their　fellows；　and　report　anything　in　their　bearing　or　manner　that　seemed　to　be　out　of　the　ordinary　course；　while　I　myself　went　to　wait；　on　the　King；　and　parry　his　demand　for　the　memorial　as　well　as　I　could。　　This　it　was　necessary　to　do　without　provoking　curiosity；　and　as　the　lapse　of　each　minute　made　the　pursuit　of　the　paper　less　hopeful　and　its　recovery　a　thing　to　pray　for　rather　than　expect；　it　will　be　believed　that　I　soon　found　the　aspect　of　civility　which　I　was　obliged　to　wear　so　great　a　trial　of　my　patience；　that　I　made　an　excuse　and　retired　early　to　my　lodging。

Here　my　wife；　who　shared　my　anxiety；　met　me　with　a　face　full　of　meaning。　　I　cried　out　to　know　if　they　had　found　the　paper。

〃No；〃　she　answered；　〃but　if　you　will　come　into　your　closet　I　will　tell　you　what　I　have　learned。〃

I　went　in　with　her；　and　she　told　me　briefly　that　the　manner　of　Mademoiselle　de　Mars；　one　of　her　maids；　had　struck　her　as　suspicious。　　The　girl　had　begun　to　cry　while　reading　to　her；　and　when　questioned　had　been　able　to　give　no　explanation　of　her　trouble。

〃She　is　Vilain's　cousin？〃　　I　said。

〃Yes；　monsieur。〃

〃Bring　her　to　me；〃　I　said。　　〃Bring　her　to　me　without　the　delay　of　an　instant。〃

My　wife　hastened　to　comply；　and　whatever　had　been　the　girl's　state　earlier；　before　the　fright　of　this　hasty　summons　had　upset　her；　her　agitation　when　thus　confronted　with　me　gave　me；　before　a　word　was　spoken；　the　highest　hopes　that　I　had　here　the　key　to　the　mystery。　　I　judged　that　it　might　be　necessary　to　frighten　her　still　more；　and　I　started　by　taking　a　harsh　tone　with　her；　but　before　I　had　said　many　words　she　obviated　the　necessity　of　this　by　falling　at　my　wife's　feet　and　protesting　that　she　would　tell　all。

〃Then　speak　quickly；　wench！〃　　I　said。　　〃You　know　where　the　paper　is。〃

〃I　know　who　has　it！〃　　she　answered；　in　a　voice　choked　with　sobs。

〃Who？〃

〃My　cousin；　M。　de　Vilain。〃

〃Ha！　　and　has　taken　it　to　his　house？〃

But　she　seemed　for　a　moment　unable　to　answer　this；　her　distress　being　such　that　my　wife　had　to　fetch　a　vial　of　pungent　salts　to　restore　her　before　she　could　say　more。　　At　length　she　found　voice　to　tell　us　that　M。　de　Vilain　had　taken　the　paper；　and　was　this　evening　to　hand　it　to　an　agent　of　the　Spanish　ambassador。

〃But；　girl；〃　I　said　sternly；　〃how　do　you　know　this？〃

Then　she　confessed　that　the　cousin　was　also　the　lover；　and　had　before　employed　her　to　disclose　what　went　on　in　my　household；　and　anything　of　value　that　could　be　discovered　there。　　Doubtless　the　girl