el dorado-第50章

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she　asked　quietly；　〃that　so　aroused　Sir　Andrew's　indignation？〃

〃He　has　not　told　you？〃

〃Oh！　it　is　very　simple。　　Let　me　tell　you；　Lady　Blakeney；　exactly
how　matters　stand。　　Sir　Percy　Blakeneybefore　lucky　chance　at
last　delivered　him　into　our　handsthought　fit；　as　no　doubt　you
know；　to　meddle　with　our　most　important　prisoner　of　State。〃

〃A　child。　　I　know　it；　sirthe　son　of　a　murdered　father　whom　you
and　your　friends　were　slowly　doing　to　death。〃

〃That　is　as　it　may　be；　Lady　Blakeney；〃　rejoined　Chauvelin　calmly；
〃but　it　was　none　of　Sir　Percy　Blakeney's　business。　　This；　however；
he　chose　to　disregard。　　He　succeeded　in　carrying　little　Capet　from
the　Temple；　and　two　days　later　we　had　him　under　lock；　and　key。〃

〃Through　some　infamous　and　treacherous　trick；　sir；〃　she　retorted。

Chauvelin　made　no　immediate　reply；　his　pale；　inscrutable　eyes　were
fixed　upon　her　face；　and　the　smile　of　irony　round　his　mouth　appeared
more　strongly　marked　than　before。

〃That；　again；　is　as　it　may　be；〃　he　said　suavely；　〃but　anyhow　for
the　moment　we　have　the　upper　hand。　　Sir　Percy　is　in　the
Conciergerie；　guarded　day　and　night；　more　closely　than　Marie
Antoinette　even　was　guarded。〃

〃And　he　laughs　at　your　bolts　and　bars；　sir；〃　she　rejoined　proudly。
〃Remember　Calais；　remember　Boulogne。　　His　laugh　at　your　discomfiture；
then；　must　resound　in　your　ear　even　to…day。〃

〃Yes；　but　for　the　moment　laughter　is　on　our　side。　　Still　we　are
willing　to　forego　even　that　pleasure；　if　Sir　Percy　will　but　move　a
finger　towards　his　own　freedom。〃

〃Again　some　infamous　letter？〃　she　asked　with　bitter　contempt；
〃some　attempt　against　his　honour？〃

〃No；　no；　Lady　Blakeney；〃　he　interposed　with　perfect　blandness。
〃Matters　are　so　much　simpler　now；　you　see。　　We　hold　Sir　Percy　at
our　mercy。　　We　could　send　him　to　the　guillotine　to…morrow；　but　we
might　be　willingremember；　I　only　say　we　mightto　exercise　our
prerogative　of　mercy　if　Sir　Percy　Blakeney　will　on　his　side　accede
to　a　request　from　us。〃

〃And　that　request？〃

〃Is　a　very　natural　one。　　He　took　Capet　away　from　us；　and　it　is　but
credible　that　he　knows　at　the　present　moment　exactly　where　the
child　is。　　Let　him　instruct　his　followersand　I　mistake　not；　Lady
Blakeney；　there　are　several　of　them　not　very　far　from　Paris　just
nowlet　him；　I　say；　instruct　these　followers　of　his　to　return　the
person　of　young　Capet　to　us；　and　not　only　will　we　undertake　to
give　these　same　gentlemen　a　safe　conduct　back　to　England；　but　we
even　might　be　inclined　to　deal　somewhat　less　harshly　with　the
gallant　Scarlet　Pimpernel　himself。〃

She　laughed　a　harsh；　mirthless；　contemptuous　laugh。

〃I　don't　think　that　I　quite　understand；〃　she　said　after　a　moment
or　two；　whilst　he　waited　calmly　until　her　out…break　of　hysterical
mirth　had　subsided。　　〃You　want　my　husbandthe　Scarlet　Pimpernel；
citizento　deliver　the　little　King　of　France　to　you　after　he　has
risked　his　life　to　save　the　child　out　of　your　clutches？　　Is　that
what　you　are　trying　to　say？〃

〃It　is；〃　rejoined　Chauvelin　complacently；　〃just　what　we　have　been
saying　to　Sir　Percy　Blakeney　for　the　past　six　days；　madame。〃

〃Well！　then　you　have　had　your　answer；　have　you　not？〃

〃Yes；〃　he　replied　slowly；　〃but　the　answer　has　become　weaker　day　by
day。〃

〃Weaker？　　I　don't　understand。〃

〃Let　me　explain；　Lady　Blakeney；〃　said　Chauvelin；　now　with　measured
emphasis。　　He　put　both　elbows　on　the　table　and　leaned　well
forward；　peering　into　her　face；　lest　one　of　its　varied　expressions
escaped　him。　　〃Just　now　you　taunted　me　with　my　failure　in　Calais；
and　again　at　Boulogne；　with　a　proud　toss　of　the　head；　which　I　own
is　excessive　becoming；　you　threw　the　name　of　the　Scarlet　Pimpernel
in　my　face　like　a　challenge　which　I　no　longer　dare　to　accept。
'The　Scarlet　Pimpernel；'　you　would　say　to　me；　'stands　for　loyalty；
for　honour；　and　for　indomitable　courage。　　Think　you　he　would
sacrifice　his　honour　to　obtain　your　mercy？　　Remember　Boulogne　and
your　discomfiture！'　　All　of　which；　dear　lady；　is　perfectly
charming　and　womanly　and　enthusiastic；　and　I；　bowing　my　humble
head；　must　own　that　I　was　fooled　in　Calais　and　baffled　in
Boulogne。　　But　in　Boulogne　I　made　a　grave　mistake；　and　one　from
which　I　learned　a　lesson；　which　I　am　putting　into　practice　now。〃

He　paused　a　while　as　if　waiting　for　her　reply。　　His　pale；　keen
eyes　had　already　noted　that　with　every　phrase　he　uttered　the　lines
in　her　beautiful　face　became　more　hard　and　set。　　A　look　of　horror
was　gradually　spreading　over　it；　as　if　the　icy…cold　hand　of　death
had　passed　over　her　eyes　and　cheeks；　leaving　them　rigid　like　stone。

〃In　Boulogne；〃　resumed　Chauvelin　quietly；　satisfied　that　his　words
were　hitting　steadily　at　her　heart〃in　Boulogne　Sir　Percy　and　I
did　not　fight　an　equal　fight。　　Fresh　from　a　pleasant　sojourn　in
his　own　magnificent　home；　full　of　the　spirit　of　adventure　which
puts　the　essence　of　life　into　a　man's　veins；　Sir　Percy　Blakeney's
splendid　physique　was　pitted　against　my　feeble　powers。　　Of　course
I　lost　the　battle。　　I　made　the　mistake　of　trying　to　subdue　a　man
who　was　in　the　zenith　of　his　strength；　whereas　now〃

〃Yes；　citizen　Chauvelin；〃　she　said；　〃whereas　now〃

〃Sir　Percy　Blakeney　has　been　in　the　prison　of　the　Conciergerie　for
exactly　one　week；　Lady　Blakeney；〃　he　replied；　speaking　very
slowly；　and　letting　every　one　of　his　words　sink　individually　into
her　mind。　　〃Even　before　he　had　time　to　take　the　bearings　of　his
cell　or　to　plan　on　his　own　behalf　one　of　those　remarkable　escapes
for　which　he　is　so　justly　famous；　our　men　began　to　work　on　a
scheme　which　I　am　proud　to　say　originated　with　myself。　　A　week　has
gone　by　since　then；　Lady　Blakeney；　and　during　that　time　a　special
company　of　prison　guard；　acting　under　the　orders　of　the　Committee
of　General　Security　and　of　Public　Safety；　have　questioned　the
prisoner　unremittinglyunremittingly；　rememberday　and　night。
Two　by　two　these　men　take　it　in　turns　to　enter　the　prisoner's　cell
every　quarter　of　an　hourlately　it　has　had　to　be　more　oftenand
ask　him　the　one　question；　'Where　is　little　Capet？'　　Up　to　now　we
have　received　no　satisfactory　reply；　although　we　have　explained　to
Sir　Percy　that　many　of　his　followers　are　honouring　the
neighbourhood　of　Paris　with　their　visit；　and　that　all　we　ask　for
from　him　are　instructions　to　those　gallant　gentlemen　to　bring
young　Capet　back　to　us。　　It　is　all　very　simple；　unfortunately　the
prisoner　is　somewhat　obstinate。　　At　first；　even；　the　idea　seemed
to　amuse　him；　he　used　to　laugh　and　say　that　he　always　had　the
faculty　of　sleeping　with　his　eyes　open。　　But　our　soldiers　are
untiring　in　their　efforts；　and　the　want　of　sleep　as　well　as　of　a
sufficiency　of　food　and　of　fresh　air　is　certainly　beginning　to
tell　on　Sir　Percy　Blakeney's　magnificent　physique。　　I　don't　think
that　it　will　be　very　long　before　he　gives　way　to　our　gentle
persuasions；　and　in　any　case　now；　I　assure　you；　dear　lady；　that　we
need　not　fear　any　attempt　on　his　part　to　escape。　　I　doubt　if　he
could　walk　very　steadily　across　this　room〃

Marguerite　had　sat　quite　silent　and　apparently　impassive　all　the
while　that　Chauvelin　had　been　speaking；　even　now　she　scarcely
stirred。　　Her　face　expressed　absolutely　nothing　but　deep
puzzlement。　　There　was　a　frown　between　her　brows；　and　her　eyes；
which　were　always　of　such　liquid　blue；　now　looked　almost　black。
She　was　trying　to　visualise　that　which　Chauvelin　had　put　before
her：　a　man　harassed　day　and　night；　unceasingly；　unremittingly；
with　one　question　allowed　neither　respite　nor　sleephis　brain；
soul；　and　body　fagged　out　at　every　hour；　every　moment　of　the　day
and　night；　until　mind　and　body　and　soul　must　inevitably　give　way
under　anguish　ten　thousand　times　more　unendurable　than　any
physical　torment　invented　by　monsters　in　barbaric　times。

That　man　thus　harassed；　thus　fagged　out；　thus　martyrised　at　all
hours　of　the　day　and　night；　was　her　husband；　whom　she　loved　with
every　fibre　of　her　being；　with　every　throb　of　her　heart。

Torture？　　Oh；　no！　these　were　advanced　and　civilised　times　that
could　afford　to　look　with　horror　on　the　excesses　of　medieval　days。
This　was　a　revolution　that　made　for　progress；　and　challenged　the
opinion　of　the　world。　　The　cells　of　the　Temple　of　La　Force　or　the
Conciergerie　held　no　secret　inqu