from the memoirs of a minister of france-第32章

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e　at　the　Arsenal；　and　went　home　with　his　suite。

It　did　not　occur　to　me　at　the　time　that　I　had　promised　to　do　anything　difficult；　but　the　news　which　my　agents　brought　me　next　daythat　the　uppermost　floor　of　the　house　in　the　Rue　Pourpointerie　was　emptyput　another　face　upon　the　matter。　　The　landlord　declared　that　he　knew　nothing　of　the　tenant；　who　had　rented　the　rooms；　ready　furnished；　by　the　week；　and　as　I　had　not　seen　the　man's　face；　there　remained　only　two　sources　whence　I　could　get　the　information　I　neededthe　child；　and　the　cure　of　St。　Marceau。

I　did　not　know　where　to　look　for　the　former；　however；　and　I　had　to　depend　on　the　cure。　　But　here　I　carne　to　an　obstacle　I　might　easily　have　foreseen。　　I　found　him；　though　an　honest　man；　obdurate　in　upholding　his　priest's　privileges；　to　all　my　inquiries　he　replied　that　the　matter　touched　the　confessional；　and　was　within　his　vows；　and　that　he　neither　could；　nor　daredto　please　anyone；　or　for　any　cause；　however　plausibledivulge　the　slightest　detail　of　the　affair。　　I　had　him　summoned　to　the　arsenal；　and　questioned　him　myself；　and　closely；　but　of　all　armour　that　of　the　Roman　priesthood　is　the　most　difficult　to　penetrate；　and　I　quickly　gave　up　the　attempt。

Baffled　in　the　only　direction　in　which　I　could　hope　for　success；　I　had　to　confess　my　defeat　to　the　King；　whose　curiosity　was　only　piqued　the　more　by　the　rebuff。　　He　adjured　me　not　to　let　the　matter　drop；　and；　suggesting　a　number　of　persons　among　whom　I　might　possibly　find　the　unknown；　proposed　also　some　theories。　　Of　these；　one　that　the　benevolent　was　a　disguised　lady；　who　contrived　in　this　way　to　give　the　rein　at　once　to　gallantry　and　charity；　pleased　him　most；　while　I　favoured　that　which　had　first　occurred　to　me　on　the　night　of　our　sally；　and　held　the　unknown　to　be　a　clever　rascal；　who；　to　serve　his　ends；　political　or　criminal；　was　corrupting　the　commonalty；　and　drawing　people　into　his　power。

Things　remained　in　this　state　some　weeks；　and；　growing　no　wiser；　I　was　beginning　to　think　less　of　the　affairwhich；　of　itself；　and　apart　from　a　whimsical　interest　which　the　King　took　in　it；　was　unimportantwhen　one　day；　stopping　in　the　Quartier　du　Marais　to　view　the　works　at　the　new　Place　Royale；　I　saw　the　boy。　　He　was　in　charge　of　a　decent…looking　servant；　whose　hand　he　was　holding；　and　the　two　were　gazing　at　a　horse　that；　alarmed　by　the　heaps　of　stone　and　mortar；　was　rearing　and　trying　to　unseat　its　rider。　The　child　did　not　see　me；　and　I　bade　Maignan　follow　him　home；　and　learn　where　he　lived　and　who　he　was。

In　an　hour　my　equerry　returned　with　the　information　I　desired。　The　child　was　the　only　son　of　Fauchet；　one　of　the　Receivers…　General　of　the　Revenue；　a　man　who　kept　great　state　in　the　largest　of　the　old…fashioned　houses　in　the　Rue　de　Bethisy；　where　he；　had　lately　entertained　the　King。　　I　could　not　imagine　anyone　less　likely　to　be　concerned　in　treasonable　practices；　and；　certain　that　I　had　made　no　mistake　in　the　boy；　I　was　driven　for　a　while　to　believe　that　some　servant　had；　perverted　the　child　to　this　use。　　Presently；　however；　second　thoughts；　and　the　position　of　the　father；　taken；　perhaps；　with　suspicions　that　I　had　for　a　long　time　entertained　of　Fauchetin　common　with　most　of　his　kind　suggested　an　explanation；　hitherto　unconsidered。　　It　was　not　an　explanation　very　probable　at　first　sight；　nor　one　that　would　have　commended　itself　to　those　who　divide　all　men　by　hard　and　fast　rules　and　assort　them　like　sheep。　　But　I　had　seen　too　much　of　the　world　to　fall　into　this　mistake；　and　it　satisfied　me。　　I　began　by　weighing　it　carefully；　I　procured　evidence；　I　had　Fauchet　watched；　and；　at　length；　one　evening　in　August；　I　went　to　the　Louvre。

The　King　was　dicing　with　Fernandez；　the　Portuguese　banker；　but　I　ventured　to　interrupt　the　game　and　draw　him　aside。　　He　might　not　have　taken　this　well；　but　that　my　first　word　caught　his　attention。

〃Sire；〃　I　said；　〃the　shutter　is　open。〃

He　understood　in　a　moment。　　〃St。　Gris！〃　　He　exclaimed　with　animation。　　〃Where？　　At　the　same　house？〃

〃No；　sire；　in　the　Rue　Cloitre　Notre　Dame。〃

〃You　have　got　him；　then？〃

〃I　know　who　he　is；　and　why　he　is　doing　this。〃

〃Why？〃　　the　King　cried　eagerly。

〃Well；　I　was　going　to　ask　for　your　Majesty's　company　to　the　place；〃　I　answered　smiling。　　〃I　will　undertake　that　you　shall　be　amused　at　least　as　well　as　here；　and　at　a　cheaper　rate。〃

He　shrugged　his　shoulders。　　〃That　may　very　well　be；〃　he　said　with　a　grimace。　　〃That　rogue　Pimentel　has　stripped　me　of　two　thousand　crowns　since　supper。　　He　is　plucking　Bassompierre　now。

Remembering　that　only　that　morning　I　had　had　to　stop　some　necessary　works　through　lack　of　means；　I　could　scarcely　restrain　my　indignation。　　But　it　was　not　the　time　to　speak；　and　I　contented　myself　with　repeating　my　request。　　Ashamed　of　himself；　he　consented　with　a　good　grace；　and　bidding　me　go　to　his：　closet；　followed　a　few　minutes　later。　　He　found　me　cloaked　to　the　eyes；　and　with　a　soutane　and　priest's　hat；　on　my　arm。　　〃Are　those　for　me？〃　　he　said。

〃Yes；　sire。〃

〃Who　am　I；　then？〃

〃The　cure　of　St。　Germain。〃

He　made　a　wry　face。　　〃Come；　Grand　Master；〃　he　said；　〃he　died　yesterday。　　Is　not　the　jest　rather　grim？〃

〃In　a　good　cause；〃　I　said　equably。

He　flashed　a　roguish　look　at　me。　　〃Ah！〃　　he　said；　〃I　thought　that　that　was　a　wicked　rule　which　only　we　Romanists　avowed。　　But；　there；　don't　be　angry。　　I　am　ready。〃

Coquet；　the　Master　of　the　Household；　let　us　out　by　one　of　the　river　gates；　and　we　went　by　the　new　bridge　and　the　Pont　St。　Michel。　　By　the　way　I　taught　the　King　the　role　I　wished　him　to　play；　but　without　explaining　the　mystery；　the　opportune　appearance　of　one　of　my　agents　who　was　watching　the　end　of　the　street　bringing　Henry's　remonstrances　to　a　close。

〃It　is　still　open？〃　　I　said。

〃Yes；　your　excellency。〃

〃Then　come；　sire；〃　I　said；　〃I　see　the　boy　yonder。　　Let　us　ascend；　and　I　will　undertake　that　before　you　reach　the　street　again　you　shall　be　not　only　a　wiser　but　a　richer　sovereign。〃

〃St。　Gris！〃　　he　answered　with　alacrity。　　Why　did　you　not　say　that　before；　and　I　should　have　asked　no　questions。　　On；　on；　in　God's　name；　and　the　devil　take　Pimentel！〃

I　restrained　the　caustic　jest　that　rose　to　my　lips；　and　we　proceeded　in　silence　down　the　street。　　The　boy；　whom　I　had　espied　loitering　in　a　doorway　a　little　way　ahead；　as　if　the　great　bell　above　us　which　had　just　tolled　eleven　had　drawn　him　out；　peered　at　us　a　moment　askance；　and　then；　coming　forward；　accosted　us。　But　I　need　not　detail　the　particulars　of　a　conversation　which　was　almost　word　for　word　the　same　as　that　which　had　passed　in　the　Rue　de　la　Pourpointerie；　suffice　it　that　he　made　the　same　request　with　the　same　frank　audacity；　and　that；　granting　it；　we　were　in　a　moment　following　hint　up　a　similar　staircase。

〃This　way；　messieurs；　this　way！〃　　he　said；　as　he　had　on　that　other　night；　while　we　groped　our　way　upwards　in　the　dark。　　He　opened　a　door；　and　a　light　shone　out；　and　we　entered　a　room　that　seemed；　with　its　bare　walls　and　rafters；　its　scanty　stool　and　table　and　lamp；　the　very　counterpart　of　that　other　room。　　In　one　wall　appeared　the　dingy　curtains　of　an　alcove；　closely　drawn；　and　the　shutter　stood　open；　until；　at　the　child's　request；　expressed　in　the　same　words；　I　went　to　it　and　closed　it。

We　were　both　so　well　muffled　up　and　disguised；　and　the　light　of　the　lamp　shining　upwards　so　completely　distorted　the　features；　that　I　had　no　fear　of　recognition；　unless　the　King's　voice　betrayed　him。　　But　when　he　spoke；　breaking　the　oppressive　silence　of　the　room；　his　tone　was　as　strange　and　hollow　as　I　could　wish。

〃The　shutter　is　closed；〃　be　said；　〃but　the　shutter　of　God's　mercy　is　never　closed！〃

Still；　knowing　that　this　was　the　crucial　moment；　and　that　we　should　be　detected　now　if　at　all；　I　found　it；　an　age　before　the　voice　behind　the　curtains　answered　〃Amen！〃　　and　yet　another　age　before　the　hidden　speaker　continued　〃Who　are　you？〃

〃The　cure　of　St。　Germain；〃　Henry　responded。

The　man　behind　the　curtains　gasped；　and　they　were　for　a　moment　violently　agitated；　as　if　a　hand　seized　them　and　let　them　go　again。　　But　I　had　reckoned　that　the　unknown；　after　a　pause　of　horror；　would　suppose　that　he　had　heard　amiss　and　continue　his　usual　catechism。　　And　so　it　proved。　　In　a　voice　that