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第45章

the house of the wolf(狼之家)-第45章

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answer。      I should bitterly have rued the day。            Providence was good to me。 

Such   men   and   such   women;   we   may   believe   have   ceased   to   exist   now。 

They flourished in those miserable days of war and divisions; and passed 

away with them like the foul night…birds of the battle… field。 

     To return to our journey。          In the morning sunshine one could not but 

be cheerful; and think good things possible。                 The worst trial I had came 

with   each   sunset。      For   thenwe   generally   rode   late   into   the   evening 

Louis sought my side to talk to me of his sweetheart。                  And how he would 

talk of her!      How many thousand messages he gave me for her!                          How 

often he recalled old days among the hills; with each laugh and jest and 

incident;   when      we   five   had   been   as   children!     Until   I   would   wonder 

passionately;   the   tears   running   down   my   face   in   the   darkness;   how   he 

couldhow   he   could   talk   of   her   in   that   quiet   voice   which   betrayed   no 

rebellion against fate; no cursing of Providence!                 How he could plan for 

her and think of her when she should be alone! 

     Now I understand   it。         He was   still labouring  under the shock of  his 

friends'   murder。      He   was   still   partially   stunned。    Death   seemed   natural 

and   familiar   to   him;   as   to   one   who   had   seen   his   allies   and   companions 

perish   without   warning   or   preparation。   Death  had   come   to   be   normal   to 



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him; life the exception; as I have known it seem to a child brought face to 

face with a corpse for the first time。 

     One afternoon a strange thing happened。               We could see the Auvergne 

hills at no great distance on our leftthe Puy de Dome above themand 

we   four   were   riding   together。     We   had   fallenan   unusual   thingto   the 

rear   of   the   party。 Our   road   at   the   moment   was   a   mere   track   running 

across   moorland;   sprinkled   here   and   there   with       gorse   and   brushwood。 

The main company had straggled on out of sight。                   There were but half a 

dozen riders to be seen an eighth of a league before us; a couple almost as 

far behind。 I looked every way with a sudden surging of the heart。                       For 

the    first  time   the   possibility   of   flight   occurred    to   me。    The     rough 

Auvergne hills   were   within   reach。        Supposing   we  could   get   a   lead of   a 

quarter of a league; we could hardly be caught before darkness came and 

covered us。      Why should we not put spurs to our horses and ride off? 

     〃Impossible!〃       said Pavannes quietly; when I spoke。 

     〃Why?〃       I asked with warmth。 

     〃Firstly;〃   he   replied;   〃because   I   have   given   my   word   to   go   with   the 

Vidame to Cahors。〃 

     My face flushed hotly。         But I cried; 〃What of that?          You were taken 

by treachery!       Your safe conduct was disregarded。              Why should you be 

scrupulous?       Your enemies are not。         This is folly?〃 

     〃I   think   not。  Nay;〃   Louis   answered;   shaking   his   head;   〃you   would 

not do it yourself in my place。〃 

     〃I think I should;〃 I stammered awkwardly。 

     〃No; you would not; lad;〃 he said smiling。              〃I know you too well。 But 

if I would do it; it is impossible。〃          He turned in the saddle and; shading 

his eyes with his hand from the level rays of the sun; looked back intently。 

〃It is as I thought;〃 he continued。 〃One of those men is riding grey Margot; 

which   Bure   said   yesterday   was   the   fastest   mare   in   the   troop。  And   the 

man   on   her   is   a   light   weight。 The   other   fellow   has   that   Norman   bay 

horse we were looking at this morning。              It is a trap laid by Bezers; Anne。 

If   we   turned   aside   a   dozen   yards;   those   two   would   be   after   us   like   the 



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wind。〃 

     〃Do you mean;〃 I cried; 〃that Bezers has drawn his men forward on 

purpose?〃 

     〃Precisely;   was   Louis's   answer。      〃That   is   the   fact。  Nothing   would 

please   him   better   than   to   take   my   honour   first;   and   my   life   afterwards。 

But; thank God; only the one is in his power。〃 

     And when I came to look at the horsemen; immediately before us; they 

confirmed Louis's view。           They were the best mounted of the party:                all 

men   of   light   weight   too。   One  or   other  of   them  was   constantly  looking 

back。     As night fell they closed in upon us with their usual care。                When 

Bure joined us there was a gleam of intelligence in his bold eyes; a flash of 

conscious      trickery。   He     knew    that  we   had   found    him    out;  and   cared 

nothing for it。 

     And the others cared nothing。           But the thought that if left to myself I 

should   have   fallen   into   the   Vidame's   cunning   trap   filled   me   with   new 

hatred towards him; such hatred and such fearfor there was humiliation 

mingled   with   themas   I   had   scarcely   felt   before。    I   brooded   over   this; 

barely noticing what passed in our company for hoursnay; not until the 

next   day   when;   towards   evening;   the   cry   arose   round   me   that   we   were 

within sight of Cahors。          Yes; there it lay below us; in its shallow basin; 

surrounded by gentle hills。         The domes of the cathedral; the towers of the 

Vallandre   Bridge;   the   bend   of   the   Lot;   where   its   stream   embraces   the 

townI knew them all。         Our long journey was over。 

     And   I   had   but   one   idea。 I   had   some   time   before   communicated   to 

Croisette the desperate design I had formedto fall upon Bezers and kill 

him in the midst of his men in the last resort。             Now the time had come if 

the   thing   was   ever   to   be   done: if   we   had   not   left   it   too   long   already。 

And I looked about me。            There was some confusion and jostling as we 

halted on the brow of the hill; while two men were despatched ahead to 

announce the governor's arrival; and Bure; with half a dozen spears; rode 

out as an advanced guard。 

     The road where we stood was narrow; a shallow cutting winding down 



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the declivity of the hills。        The horses were tired; It was a bad time and 

place for my design; and only the coming night was in my favour。                       But I 

was desperate。 

     Yet   before   I   moved   or   gave   a   signal   which   nothing   could   recall;   I 

scanned   the   landscape   eagerly;   scrutinizing   in   turn   the   small;   rich   plain 

below us; warmed by the last rays of the sun; the bare hills here glowing; 

there dark; the scattered wood…clumps and spinneys that filled the angles 

of   the   river;   even   the   dusky   line   of   helm…oaks   that   crowned   the   ridge 

beyondCaylus way。           So near our own country there might be help!                  If 

the   messenger   whom   we   had   despatched   to   the   Vicomte   before   leaving 

home   had   reached   him;   our   uncle   might   have   returned;   and   even   be   in 

Cahors to meet us。 

     But no party appeared in sight:           and I saw no place where an ambush 

could be lying。       I remembered that no tidings of our present plight or of 

what had happened coul

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