the wandering jew, volume 10-第12章

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〃How　so？〃

〃I　know　what　I　know。〃

〃Very　well。　　Then　as　for　secrecy〃

〃You　have　securities；　my　lord。〃

〃Yesand　sufficient　ones。〃

〃The　interest　of　the　cause　I　serve；　my　lord；　would　alone　be　enough　to
secure　my　zeal　and　discretion。〃

〃True；　you　are　a　man　of　firm　and　ardent　convictions。〃

〃I　strive　to　be　so；　my　lord。〃

〃And；　after　all；　a　very　religious　man　in　your　way。　　It　is　very
praiseworthy；　in　these　irreligious　times；　to　have　any　views　at　all　on
such　mattersparticularly　when　those　views　will　just　enable　me　to　count
upon　your　aid。〃

〃You　may　count　upon　it；　my　lord；　for　the　same　reason　that　the　intrepid
hunter　prefers　a　jackal　to　ten　foxes；　a　tiger　to　ten　jackals；　a　lion　to
ten　tigers；　and　the　welmiss　to　ten　lions。〃

〃What　is　the　welmiss？〃

〃It　is　what　spirit　is　to　matter；　the　blade　to　the　scabbard；　the　perfume
to　the　flower；　the　head　to　the　body。〃

〃I　understand。　　There　never　was　a　more　just　comparison。　　You　are　a　man　of
sound　judgment。　　Always　recollect　what　you　have　just　told　me；　and　make
yourself　more　and　more　worthy　of　the　confidence　ofyour　idol。〃

〃Will　he　soon　be　in　a　state　to　hear　me；　my　lord？〃

〃In　two　or　three　days；　at　most。　　Yesterday　a　providential　crisis　saved
his　life；　and　he　is　endowed　with　so　energetic　a　will；　that　his　cure　will
be　very　rapid。〃

〃Shall　you　see　him　again　to…morrow；　my　lord？〃

〃Yes；　before　my　departure；　to　bid　him　farewell。〃

〃Then　tell　him　a　strange　circumstance；　of　which　I　have　not　been　able　to
inform　him；　but　which　happened　yesterday。〃

〃What　was　it？〃

〃I　had　gone　to　the　garden　of　the　dead。　　I　saw　funerals　everywhere；　and
lighted　torches；　in　the　midst　of　the　black　night；　shining　upon　tombs。
Bowanee　smiled　in　her　ebon　sky。　　As　I　thought　of　that　divinity　of
destruction；　I　beheld　with　joy　the　dead…cart　emptied　of　its　coffins。　　The
immense　pit　yawned　like　the　mouth　of　hell；　corpses　were　heaped　upon
corpses；　and　still　it　yawned　the　same。　　Suddenly；　by　the　light　of　a
torch；　I　saw　an　old　man　beside　me。　　He　wept。　　I　had　seen　him　before。　　He
is　a　Jewthe　keeper　of　the　house　in　the　Rue　Saint…Francoisyou　know
what　I　mean。〃　　Here　the　man　in　the　cloak　started。

〃Yes；　I　know；　but　what　is　the　matter？　why　do　you　stop　short？〃

〃Because　in　that　house　there　has　been　for　a　hundred　and　fifty　years　the
portrait　of　a　man　whom　I　once　met　in　the　centre　of　India；　on　the　banks　of
the　Ganges。〃　And　the　man　in　the　cloak　again　paused　and　shuddered。

〃A　singular　resemblance；　no　doubt。〃

〃Yes；　my　lord；　a　singular　resemblancenothing　more。〃

〃But　the　Jewthe　old　Jew？〃

〃I　am　coming　to　that；　my　lord。　　Still　weeping；　he　said　to　a　gravedigger；
‘Well！　and　the　coffin？'　　‘You　were　right；'　answered　the　man；　‘I　found　it
in　the　second　row　of　the　other　grave。　　It　had　the　figure　of　a　cross　on
it；　formed　by　seven　black　nails。　　But　how　could　you　know　the　place　and
the　mark？'　　'Alas！　it　is　no　matter；'　replied　the　old　Jew；　with　bitter
melancholy。　　‘You　see　that　I　was　but　too　well　informed　on　the　subject。
But　where　is　the　coffin？'　　‘Behind　the　great　tomb　of　black　marble；　I　have
hidden　it　there。　　So　make　haste；　for；　in　the　confusion；　nothing　will　be
noticed。　　You　have　paid　me　well；　and　I　wish　you　to　succeed　in　what　you
require。'〃

〃And　what　did　the　old　Jew　do　with　the　coffin　marked　with　the　seven　black
nails？〃

〃Two　men　accompanied　him；　my　lord；　bearing　a　covered　litter；　with
curtains　drawn　round　it。　　He　lighted　a　lantern；　and；　followed　by　these
two　men；　went　towards　the　place　pointed　out　by　the　gravedigger。　　A
stoppage；　occasioned　by　the　dead…carts；　made　me　lose　sight　of　the　old
Jew；　whom　I　was　following　amongst　the　tombs。　　Afterwards　I　was　unable　to
find　him。〃

〃It　is　indeed　a　strange　affair。　　What　could　this　old　Jew　want　with　the
coffin？〃

〃It　is　said；　my　lord；　that　they　use　dead　bodies　in　preparing　their　magic
charms。〃

〃Those　unbelievers　are　capable　of　anythingeven　of　holding　communication
with　the　Enemy　of　mankind。　　However；　we　will　look　after　this：　the
discovery　may　be　of　importance。〃

At　this　instant　a　clock　struck　twelve　in　the　distance。

〃Midnight！　already？〃

〃Yes；　my　lord。〃

〃I　must　be　gone。　　Good…byebut　for　the　last　time　swear　to　me　that；
should　matters　so　turn　out；　as　soon　as　you　receive　the　other　half　of　the
ivory　crucifix　I　have　just　given　you；　you　will　keep　your　promise。〃

〃I　have　sworn　it　by　Bowanee；　my　lord。〃

〃Don't　forget　that；　to　make　all　sure；　the　person　who　will　deliver　to　you
the　other　half　of　the　crucifix　is　to　saycome；　what　is　he　to　say？〃

〃He　is　to　say；　my　lord：　‘There　is　many　a　slip　'twixt　the　cup　and　the
lip。'〃

〃Very　well。　　Adieu！　secrecy　and　fidelity！〃

〃Secrecy　and　fidelity；　my　lord；〃　answered　the　man　in　the　cloak。

Some　seconds　after　the　hackney…coach　started；　carrying　with　it　Cardinal
Malipieri；　one　of　the　speakers　in　the　above　dialogue。　　The　other；　whom
the　reader　has　no　doubt　recognized　as　Faringhea；　returned　to　the　little
garden…door　of　the　house　occupied　by　Djalma。　　At　the　moment　he　was
putting　the　key　into　the　lock；　the　door　opened；　to　his　great
astonishment；　and　a　man　came　forth。　　Faringhea　rushed　upon　the　unknown；
seized　him　violently　by　the　collar；　and　exclaimed：　〃Who　are　you？　whence
came　you？〃

The　stranger　evidently　found　the　tone　of　this　question　anything　but
satisfactory；　for；　instead　of　answering；　he　struggled　to　disengage
himself　from　Faringhea's　hold；　and　cried　out；　in　a　loud　voice：　〃Help！
Peter！〃

Instantly　the　carriage；　which　had　been　standing　a　few　yards　off；　dashed
up　at　full　speed；　and　Peter；　the　tall　footman；　seizing　the　half…breed　by
the　shoulders；　flung　him　back　several　paces；　and　thus　made　a　seasonable
diversion　in　favor　of　the　unknown。

〃Now；　sir；〃　said　the　latter　to　Faringhea；　shaking　himself；　and　still
protected　by　the　gigantic　footman；　〃I　am　in　a　state　to　answer　your
questions；　though　you　certainly　have　a　very　rough　way　of　receiving　an　old
acquaintance。　　I　am　Dupont；　ex…bailiff　of　the　estate　of　Cardoville；　and
it　was　I　who　helped　to　fish　you　out　of　the　water；　when　the　ship　was
wrecked　in　which　you　had　embarked。〃

By　the　light　of　the　carriage…lamps；　indeed；　the　half…caste　recognized　the
good；　honest　face　of　Dupont；　formerly　bailiff；　and　now　house…steward；　to
Mdlle。　de　Cardoville。　　It　must　not　be　forgotten　that　Dupont　had　been　the
first　to　write　to　Mdlle。　de　Cardoville；　to　ask　her　to　interest　herself
for　Djalma；　who　was　then　detained　at　Cardoville　Castle　by　the　injuries　he
had　received　during　the　shipwreck。

〃But；　sir；　what　is　your　business　here？　　Why　do　you　introduce　yourself
clandestinely　into　this　house？〃　said　Faringhea；　in　an　abrupt　and
suspicious　tone。

〃I　willjust　observe　to　you　that　there　is　nothing　clandestine　in　the
matter。　　I　came　here　in　a　carriage；　with　servants　in　the　livery　of　my
excellent　mistress；　Mdlle。　de　Cardoville；　charged　by　her；　without　any
disguise　or　mystery；　to　deliver　a　letter　to　Prince　Djalma；　her　cousin；〃
replied　Dupont；　with　dignity。

On　these　words；　Faringhea　trembled　with　mute　rage；　as　he　answered：　〃And
why；　sir；　come　at　this　late　hour；　and　introduce　yourself　by　this　little
door？〃

〃I　came　at　this　hour；　my　dear　sir；　because　such　was　Mdlle。　de
Cardoville's　command；　and　I　entered　by　this　little　gate　because　there　is
every　reason　to　believe　that　if　I　had　gone　around　to　the　other　I　should
not　have　been　permitted　to　see　the　prince。〃

〃You　are　mistaken；　sir；〃　replied　the　half…caste。

〃It　is　possible：　but　as　we　knew　that　the　prince　usually　passed　a　good
portion　of　the　night　in　the　little　saloon；　which　communicates　with　the
greenhouse；　and　as　Mdlle。　de　Cardoville　had　kept　a　duplicate　key　of　this
door；　I　was　pretty　certain；　by　taking　this　course；　to　be　able　to　deliver
into　the　prince's　own　hands　the　letter　from　Mdlle。　de　Cardoville；　his
cousin；　which　I　have　now　had　the　honor　of　doing；　my　dear　sir；　and　I　have
been　deeply　touched　by　the　kindness　with　which　the　prince　deigned　to
receive　me　and　to　remember　our　last　interview。〃

〃And　who　kept　you　so　well　informed；　sir；　of　the　prince's　habits？〃　said
Faringhea；　unable　to　control　his　vexation。

〃If　I　have　been　well　informed　as　to　his　habits；　my　dear　sir；　I　have　had
no　such　correct　knowledge　of　yours；〃　answered　Dupont；　with　a　mocking　air；
〃for