from the memoirs of a minister of france-第25章

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mewhat　on　this；　and　more　on　the　effect　of　so　sudden　a　summons　to　my　presence。　　But　at　first　sight　it　seemed　that　I　did　so　without　cause。　　Instead　of　the　agitation　which　she　had　displayed　when　brought　before　me　to　confess；　she　now　showed　herself　quiet　and　even　sullen；　nor　did　the　gleam　of　passion；　which　I　thought　that　I　discerned　smouldering　in　her　dark　eyes；　seem　to　promise　either　weakness　or　repentance。　　However；　I　had　too　often　observed　the　power　of　the　unknown　over　a　guilty　conscience　to　despair　of　eliciting　the　truth。

〃I　want　to　ask　you　two　or　three　questions；〃　I　said　civilly。　〃First；　was　M。　de　Vilain　with　you　when　you　placed　the　paper　in　the　hollow　of　the　tree？　　Or　were　you　alone？〃

I　saw　her　eyelids　quiver　as　with　sudden　fear；　and　her　voice　shook　as　she　stammered；　〃When　I　placed　the　paper？〃

〃Yes；〃　I　said；　〃when　you　placed　the　paper。　　I　have　reason　to　know　that　you　did　it。　　I　wish　to　learn　whether　he　was　present；　or　you　did　it　merely　under　his　orders？〃

She　looked　at　me；　her　face　a　shade　paler；　and　I　do　not　doubt　that　her　mind　was　on　the　rack　to　divine　how　much　I　knew；　and　how　far　she　might　deny　and　how　far　confess。　　My　tone　seemed　to　encourage　frankness；　however；　and　in　a　moment　she　said；　〃I　placed　it　under　his　directions。〃

〃Yes；〃　I　said　drily；　my　last　doubt　resolved　by　the　admission；　〃but　that　being　so；　why　did　Vilain　go　to　the　spot？〃

She　grew　still　a　shade　paler；　but　in　a　moment　she　answered；　〃To　meet　the　agent。〃

〃Then　why　did　you　place　the　paper　in　the　tree？〃

She　saw　the　difficulty　in　which　she　had　placed　herself；　and　for　an　instant　she　stared　at　me　with　the　look　of　a　wild　animal　caught　in　a　trap。　　Then；　〃In　case　the　agent　was　late；〃　she　muttered。

〃But　since　Vilain　had　to　go　to　the　spot；　why　did　he　not　deposit　the　paper　in　the　tree　himself？　　Why　did　he　send　you　to　the　place　beforehand？　　Why　did〃　and　then　I　broke　off　and　cried　harshly；　〃Shall　I　tell　you　why？　　Shall　I　tell　you　why；　you　false　jade？〃

She　cowered　away　from　me　at　the　words；　and　stood　terror…stricken；　gazing　at　me　like　one　fascinated。　　But　she　did　not　answer；

〃Because；〃　I　cried；　〃your　story　is　a　tissue　of　lies！　　Because　it　was　you；　and　you　only；　who　stole　this　paper！　　BecauseDown　on　your　knees！　　down　on　your　knees！〃　　I　thundered；　〃and　confess！　Confess；　or　I　will　have　you　whipped　at　the　cart's　tail；　like　the　false　witness　you　are！〃

She　threw　herself　down　shrieking；　and　caught　my　wife　by　the　skirts；　and　in　a　breath　had　said　all　I　wanted；　and　more　than　enough　to　show　me　that　I　had　suspected　Vilain　without　cause；　and　both　played　the　simpleton　myself　and　harried　my　household　to　distraction。

So　far　good。　　I　could　arrange　matters　with　Vilain；　and　probably　avoid　publicity。　　But　what　was　now　to　be　done　with　her？

In　the　case　of　a　man　I　should　have　thought　no　punishment　too　severe；　and　the　utmost　rigour　of　the　law　too　tender　for　such　perfidy；　but　as　she　was　a　woman；　and　young；　and　under　my　wife's　protection；　I　hesitated。　　Finally；　the　Duchess　interceding；　I　leaned　to　the　side　of　that　mercy　which　the　girl　had　not　shown　to　her　lover；　and　thought　her　sufficiently　punished；　at　the　moment　by　the　presence　of　Mademoiselle　de　Figeac　whom　I　called　into　the　room　to　witness　her　humiliation；　and　in　the　future　by　dismissal　from　my　household。　　As　this　imported　banishment　to　her　father's　country…house；　where　her　mother；　a　shrewd　old　Bearnaise；　saved　pence　and　counted　lentils　into　the　soup；　and　saw　company　once　a　quarter；　I　had　perhaps　reason　to　be　content　with　her　chastisement。

For　the　rest　I　sent　for　M。　de　Vilain；　and　by　finding　him　employment　in　the　finances；　and　interceding　for　him　with　the　old　Vicomte　de　Figeac；　confirmed　him　in　the　attachment　he　had　begun　to　feel　for　me　before　this　unlucky　event；　nor　do　I　doubt　that　I　should　have　been　able　in　time　to　advance　him　to　a　post　worthy　of　the　talents　I　discerned　in　him。　　But；　alas；　the　deplorable　crime；　which　so　soon　deprived　me　at　one　blow　of　my　master　and　of　power；　put　an　end　to　this；　among　other　and　greater　schemes。



VII。　THE　GOVERNOR　OF　GUERET。

Without　attaching　to　dreams　greater　importance　than　a　prudent　man　will　always　be　willing　to　assign　to　the　unknown　and　unintelligible；　I　have　been　in　the　habit　of　reflecting　on　them；　and　have　observed　with　some　curiosity　that　in　these　later　years　of　my　life；　during　which　France　has　enjoyed　peace　and　comparative　prosperity；　my　dreams　have　most　often　reproduced　the　stormy　rides　and　bivouacs　of　my　youth；　with　all　the　rough　and　bloody　accompaniments　which　our　day　knows　only　by　repute。　　Considering　these　visions；　and　comparing　my　sleeping　apathy　with　my　daylight　reflections；　I　have　been　led　to　wonder　at　the　power　of　habit；　which　alone　makes　it　possible　for　a　man　who　has　seen　a　dozen　stricken　fields；　and　viewed；　scarcely　with　emotion；　the　slaughter　of　a　hundred　prisoners；　to　turn　pale　at　the　sight　of　a　coach　accident；　and　walk　a　mile　rather　than　see　a　rogue　hang。

I　am　impelled　to　this　train　of　thought　by　an　adventure　that　befell　me　in　the　summer　of　this　year　1605；　and　which；　as　it　seemed　to　me　in　the　happening　to　be　rather　an　evil　dream　of　old　times　than　a　waking　episode　of　these；　may　afford　the　reader　some　diversion；　besides　relieving　the　necessary　tedium　of　the　thousand　particulars　of　finance　that　render　the　five　farms　a　study　of　the　utmost　intricacy。

My　appointment　to　represent　the　King　at　the　Assembly　of　Chatelherault　had　carried　me　in　the　month　of　July　into　Poitou。　Being　there；　and　desirous　of　learning　for　myself　whether　the　arrest　of　Auvergne　had　pacified　his　country　to　the　extent　described　by　the　King's　agents；　I　determined　to　take　advantage　of　a　vacation　of　the　assembly　and　venture　as　far　in　that　direction　as　Gueret；　though　Henry；　fearing　lest　the　malcontents　should　make　an　attempt　on　my　person　in　revenge　for　the　death　of　Biron；　had　strictly　charged　me　not　to　approach　within　twenty　leagues　of　the　Limousin。

I　had　with　me　for　escort　at　Chatelherault　a　hundred　horse；　but；　these　seeming　to　be　either　too　many　or　too　few　for　the　purpose；　I　took　with　me　only　ten　picked　men　with　Colet　their　captain；　five　servants　heavily　armed；　and　of　my　gentlemen　Boisrueil　and　La　Font。　　Parabere；　to　whom　I　opened　my　mind；　consented　to　be　my　companion。　　I　gave　out　that　I　was　going　to　spend　three　days　at　Preuilly；　to　examine　an　estate　there　which　I　thought　of　buying；　that　I　might　have　a　residence　in　my　government；　and；　having　amused　the　curious　with　this　statement；　I　got　away　at　daybreak；　and　by　an　hour　before　noon　was　at　Touron；　where　I　stayed　for　dinner。　　That　night　we　lay　at　a　village；　and　the　next　day　dined　at　St。　Marcel。　　The　second　afternoon　we　reached　Crozant。

Here　I　began　to　observe　those　signs　of　neglect　and　disorder　which；　at　the　close　of　the　war；　had　been　common　in　all　parts　of　France；　but　in　the　more　favoured　districts　had　been　erased　by　a　decade　of　peace。　　Briars　and　thorns　choked　the　roads；　which　ran　through　morasses；　between　fields　which　the　husbandman　had　resigned　to　tares　and　undergrowth。　　Ruined　hamlets　were　common；　and　everywhere　wolves　and　foxes　and　all　kinds　of　game　abounded。　But　that　which　roused　my　ire　to　the　hottest　was　the　state　of　the　bridges；　which　in　this　country；　where　the　fords　are　in　winter　impassable；　had　been　allowed　to　fall　into　utter　decay。　　On　all　sides　I　found　the　peasants　oppressed；　disheartened；　and　primed　with　tales　of　the　King's　severity；　which　those　who　had　just　cause　to　dread　him　had　instilled　into　them。　　Bands　of　robbers　committed　daily　excesses；　and；　in　a　word；　no　one　thing　was　wanting　to　give　the　lie　to　the　rose…coloured　reports　with　which　Bareilles；　the　Governor　of　Gueret；　had　amused　the　Council。

I　confess　that；　at　sight　and　thought　of　these　thingsof　this　country　so　devoured；　the　King's　authority　so　contemned；　all　evils　laid　at　his　door；　all　his　profits　divertedmy　anger　burned　within　me；　and　I　said　more　to　Parabere　than　was　perhaps　prudent；　telling　him；　in　particular；　what　I　designed　against　Bareilles；　of　whose　double…dealing　I　needed　no　further　proof；　by　what　means　I　proposed　to　lull　his　suspicions　for　the　moment；　since　we　must　lie　at　Gueret；　and　how　I　would　afterwards；　on　the　first　occasion；　have　him　seized　and　punished。

I　forgot；　while　I　avowed　these　things；　that　one　weakness　of　Parabere's　character　which