from the memoirs of a minister of france-第5章

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　the　King's　service　no　wrongI　very　willingly　took　my　leave；　and；　calling　my　people；　started　homewards　on　foot。　　I　had　not　gone　twenty　paces；　however；　before　M。　de　Perrot；　whose　impatience　had　chained　him　to　the　spot；　crossed　the　street　and　joined　himself　to　me。　　〃My　dear　friend；〃　he　cried；　embracing　me　fervently；　〃is　all　well？〃

〃Yes；〃　I　said。

〃She　is　appeased？〃

〃Absolutely。〃

He　heaved　a　deep　sigh　of　relief；　and；　almost　crying　in　his　joy；　began　to　thank　me；　with　all　the　extravagance　of　phrase　and　gesture　to　which　men　of　his　mean　spirit　are　prone。　　Through　all　I　heard　him　silently；　and　with　secret　amusement；　knowing　that　the　end　was　not　yet。　　At　length　he　asked　me　what　explanation　I　had　given。

〃The　only　explanation　possible；〃　I　answered　bluntly。　　〃I　had　to　combat　Madame's　jealousy。　　I　did　it　in　the　only　way　in　which　it　could　be　done：　　by　stating　that　your　niece　loved　your　son；　and　by　imploring　her　good　word　on　their　behalf。〃

He　sprang　a　pace　from　me　with　a　cry　of　rage　and　astonishment。　〃You　did　that？〃　　he　screamed。

〃Softly；　softly；　M。　de　Perrot；〃　I　said；　in　a　voice　which　brought　him　somewhat　to　his　senses。　　〃Certainly　I　did。　　You　bade　me　say　whatever　was　necessary；　and　I　did　so。　　No　more。　　If　you　wish；　however；〃　I　added　grimly；　〃to　explain　to　Madame　that〃

But　with　a　wail　of　lamentation　he　rushed　from　me；　and　in　a　moment　was　lost　in　the　darkness；　leaving　me　to　smile　at　this　odd　termination　of　an　intrigue　that；　but　for　a　lad's　adroitness；　might　have　altered　the　fortunes　not　of　M。　de　Perrot　only　but　of　the　King　my　master　and　of　France。



II。　THE　TENNIS　BALLS。

A　few　weeks　before　the　death　of　the　Duchess　of　Beaufort；　on　Easter　Eve；　1599；　made　so　great　a　change　in　the　relations　of　all　at　Court　that　〃Sourdis　mourning〃　came　to　be　a　phrase　for　grief；　genuine　because　interested；　an　affair　that　might　have　had　a　serious　issue　began；　imperceptibly　at　the　time；　in　the　veriest　trifle。

One　day；　while　the　King　was　still　absent　from　Paris；　I　had　a　mind　to　play　tennis；　and　for　that　purpose　summoned　La　Trape；　who　had　the　charge　of　my　balls；　and　sometimes；　in　the　absence　of　better　company；　played　with　me。　　Of　late　the　balls　he　bought　had　given　me　small　satisfaction；　and　I　bade　him　bring　me　the　bag；　that　I　might　choose　the　best。　　He　did　so；　and　I　had　not　handled　half…a…　dozen　before　I　found　one；　and　later　three　others；　so　much　more　neatly　sewn　than　the　rest；　and　in　all　points　so　superior；　that　even　an　untrained　eye　could　not　fail　to　detect　the　difference。

〃Look；　man！〃　　I　said；　holding　out　one　of　these　for　his　inspection。　〃These　are　balls；　the　rest　are　rubbish。　　Cannot　you　see　the　difference？　　Where　did　you　buy　these？　　At　Constant's？〃

He　muttered；　〃No；　my　lord；〃　and　looked　confused。

This　roused　my　curiosity。　　〃Where；　then？〃　　I　said　sharply。

〃Of　a　man　who　was　at　the　gate　yesterday。〃

〃Oh！〃　　I　said。　　〃Selling　tennis　balls？〃

〃Yes；　my　lord。〃

〃Some　rogue　of　a　marker；〃　I　exclaimed；　〃from　whom　you　bought　filched　goods！　　Who　was　it；　man？〃

〃I　don't　know　his　name；〃　La　Trape　answered。　　〃He　was　a　Spaniard。〃

〃Well？〃

〃Who　wanted　to　have　an　audience　of　your　excellency。〃

〃Ho！〃　　I　said　drily。　　〃Now　I　understand。　　Bring　me　your　book。　Or；　tell　me；　what　have　you　charged　me　for　these　balls？〃

〃Two　francs；〃　he　muttered　reluctantly。

〃And　never　gave　a　sou；　I'll　swear！〃　　I　retorted。　　〃You　took　the　poor　devil's　balls；　and　left　him　at　the　gate！　　Ay；　it　is　rogues　like　you　get　me　a　bad　name！〃　　I　continued；　affecting　more　anger　than　I　feltfor；　in　truth；　I　was　rather　pleased　with　my　quickness　in　discovering　the　cheat。　　〃You　steal　and　I　bear　the　blame；　and　pay　to　boot！　　Off　with　you　and　find　the　fellow；　and　bring　him　to　me；　or　it　will　be　the　worse　for　you！〃

Glad　to　escape　so　easily；　La　Trape　ran　to　the　gate；　but　he　failed　to　find　his　friend；　and　two　or　three　days　elapsed　before　I　thought　again　of　the　matter；　such　petty　rogueries　being　ingrained　in　a　great　man's　VALETAILLE；　and　being　no　more　to　be　removed　than　the　hairs　from　a　man's　arm。　　At　the　end　of　that　time　La　Trape　came　to　me；　bringing　the　Spaniard；　who　had　appeared　again　at　the　gate。　　The　stranger　proved　to　be　a　small；　slight　man；　pale　and　yet　brown；　with　quick…glancing　eyes。　　His　dress　was　decent；　but　very　poor；　with　more　than　one　rent　neatly　darned。　　He　made　me　a　profound　reverence；　and　stood　waiting；　with　his　cap　in　his　hand；　to　be　addressed；　but；　with　all　his　humility；　I　did　not　fail　to　detect　an　easiness　of　deportment　and　a　propriety　that　did　not　seem　absolutely　strange　since　he　was　a　Spaniard；　but　which　struck　me；　nevertheless；　as　requiring　some　explanation。　　I　asked　him；　civilly；　who　he　was。　　He　answered　that　his　name　was　Diego。

〃You　speak　French？〃

〃I　am　of　Guipuzcoa；　my　lord；〃　he　answered；　〃where　we　sometimes　speak　three　tongues。〃

〃That　is　true；〃　I　said。　　〃And　it　is　your　trade　to　make　tennis　balls？〃

〃No；　my　lord；　to　use　them；〃　he　answered　with　a　certain　dignity。

〃You　are　a　player；　then？〃

〃If　it　please　your　excellency。〃

〃Where　have　you　played？〃

〃At　Madrid；　where　I　was　the　keeper　of　the　Duke　of　Segovia's　court；　and　at　Toledo；　where　I　frequently　had　the　honour　of　playing　against　M。　de　Montserrat。〃

〃You　are　a　good　player？〃

〃If　your　excellency；〃　he　answered　impulsively；　〃will　give　me　an　opportunity〃

〃Softly；　softly；〃　I　said；　somewhat　taken　aback　by　his　earnestness。　　〃Granted　that　you　are　a　player；　you　seem　to　have　played　to　small　purpose。。　Why　are　you　here；　my　friend；　and　not　in　Madrid？〃

He　drew　up　his　sleeves；　and　showed　me　that　his　wrists　were　deeply　scarred。

I　shrugged　my　shoulders。　　〃You　have　been　in　the　hands　of　the　Holy　Brotherhood？〃　　I　said。

〃No；　my　lord；〃　he　answered　bitterly。　　〃Of　the　Holy　Inquisition。〃

〃You　are　a　Protestant？〃

He　bowed。

On　that　I　fell　to　considering　him　with　more　attention；　but　at　the　same　time　with　some　distrust；　reflecting　that　he　was　a　Spaniard；　and　recalling　the　numberless　plots　against　his　Majesty　of　which　that　nation　had　been　guilty。　　Still；　if　his　tale　were　true　he　deserved　support；　with　a　view　therefore　to　testing　this　I　questioned　him　farther；　and　learned　that　he　had　for　a　long　time　disguised　his　opinions；　until；　opening　them　in　an　easy　moment　to　a　fellow　servant；　he　found　himself　upon　the　first　occasion　of　quarrel　betrayed　to　the　Fathers。　　After　suffering　much；　and　giving　himself　up　for　lost　in　their　dungeons；　he　made　his　escape　in　a　manner　sufficiently　remarkable；　if　I　might　believe　his　story。　　In　the　prison　with　him　lay　a　Moor；　for　whose　exchange　against　a　Christian　taken　by　the　Sallee　pirates　an　order　came　down。　　It　arrived　in　the　evening；　the　Moor　was　to　be　removed　in　the　morning。　　An　hour　after　the　arrival　of　the　news；　however；　and　when　the　two　had　just　been　locked　up　for　the　night；　the　Moor；　overcome　with　excess　of　joy；　suddenly　expired。　　At　first　the　Spaniard　was　for　giving　the　alarm；　but；　being　an　ingenious　fellow；　in　a　few　minutes　he　summoned　all　his　wits　together　and　made　a　plan。　　Contriving　to　blacken　his　face　and　hands　with　charcoal　he　changed　clothes　with　the　corpse；　and　muffling　himself　up　after　the　fashion　of　the　Moors　in　a　cold　climate　he　succeeded　in　the　early　morning　in　passing　out　in　his　place。　　Those　who　had　charge　of　him　had　no　reason　to　expect　an　escape；　and　once　on　the　road　he　had　little　difficulty　in　getting　away；　and　eventually　reached　France　after　a　succession　of　narrow　chances。

All　this　the　man　told　me　so　simply　that　I　knew　not　which　to　admire　more；　the　daring　of　his　devicesince　for　a　white　man　to　pass　for　a　brown　is　beyond　the　common　scope　of　such　disguisesor　his　present　modesty　in　relating　it。　　However；　neither　of　these　things　seemed　to　my　mind　a　good　reason　for　disbelief。　　As　to　the　one；　I　considered　that　an　impostor　would　have　put　forward　something　more　simple；　and　as　to　the　other；　I　have　all　my　life　long　observed　that　those　who　have　had　strange　experiences　tell　them　in　a　very　ordinary　way。　　Besides；　I　had　fresh　in　my　mind　the　diverting　escape　of　the　Duke　of　Nemours　from　Lyons；　which　I　have　elsewhere　related。　　On　the　other　hand；　and　despite　all　these　things；　the　story　might　be　false；　so　with　a　view　to　testing　one　part　of　it；　at　least；　I　bade　him　come　and　play　with　me　that　afternoon。

〃My　lord；〃　he　said　bluntly；　〃I　had　rather　not。　　For　if