murat-第10章

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to　the　table　and　wrote　this　letter：

〃DEAR　CAROLINE　OF　MY　HEART；The　fatal　moment　has　come：　I　am　to
suffer　the　death　penalty。　　In　an　hour　you　will　be　a　widow；　our
children　will　be　fatherless：　remember　me；　never　forget　my　memory。　　I
die　innocent；　my　life　is　taken　from　me　unjustly。

〃Good…bye；　Achilles　good…bye；　Laetitia；　goodbye；　Lucien；　good…bye；
Louise。

〃Show　yourselves　worthy　of　me；　I　leave　you　in　a　world　and　in　a
kingdom　full　of　my　enemies。　　Show　yourselves　superior　to　adversity；
and　remember　never　to　think　yourselves　better　than　you　are；
remembering　what　you　have　been。

〃Farewell。　　I　bless　you　all。　　Never　curse　my　memory。　　Remember　that
the　worst　pang　of　my　agony　is　in　dying　far　from　my　children；　far　from
my　wife；　without　a　friend　to　close　my　eyes。　　Farewell；　my　own
Caroline。　　Farewell；　my　children。　　I　send　you　my　blessing；　my　most
tender　tears；　my　last　kisses。　　Farewell；　farewell。　　Never　forget　your
unhappy　father；

〃Pizzo；　Oct。　13；　1815

＇We　can　guarantee　the　authenticity　of　this　letter；　having　copied　it
ourselves　at　Pizzo；　from　the　Lavaliere　Alcala's　copy　of　the　original＇


Then　he　cut　off　a　lock　of　his　hair　and　put　it　in　his　letter。　　Just
then　General　Nunziante　came　in；　Murat　went　to　him　and　held　out　his
hand。

〃General；〃　he　said；　〃　you　are　a　father；　you　are　a　husband；　one　day
you　will　know　what　it　is　to　part　from　your　wife　and　sons。　　Swear　to
me　that　this　letter　shall　be　delivered。〃

〃On　my　epaulettes；〃　said　the　general；　wiping　his　eyes。　＇Madame　Murat
never　received　this　letter。＇

〃Come；　come；　courage；　general；〃　said　Murat；　〃we　are　soldiers；　we　know
how　to　face　death。　　One　favouryou　will　let　me　give　the　order　to
fire；　will　you　not？〃

The　general　signed　acquiescence：　just　then　the　registrar　came　in　with
the　king's　sentence　in　his　hand。

Murat　guessed　what　it　was。

〃Read；　sir；〃　he　said　coldly；　〃I　am　listening。〃

The　registrar　obeyed。　　Murat　was　right。

The　sentence　of　death　had　been　carried　with　only　one　dissentient
voice。

When　the　reading　was　finished；　the　king　turned　again　to　Nunziante。

〃General；〃　he　said；　〃believe　that　I　distinguish　in　my　mind　the
instrument　which　strikes　me　and　the　hand　that　wields　that　instrument。
I　should　never　have　thought　that　Ferdinand　would　have　had　me　shot
like　a　dog；　he　does　not　hesitate　apparently　before　such　infamy。　　Very
well。　　We　will　say　no　more　about　it。　　I　have　challenged　my　judges；
but　not　my　executioners。　　What　time　have　you　fixed　for　my　execution？〃

〃Will　you　fix　it　yourself；　sir？〃　said　the　general。

Murat　pulled　out　a　watch　on　which　there　was　a　portrait　of　his　wife；
by　chance　he　turned　up　the　portrait；　and　not　the　face　of　the　watch；
he　gazed　at　it　tenderly。

〃See；　general；〃　he　said；　showing　it　to　Nunziante；　〃it　is　a　portrait
of　the　queen。　　You　know　her；　is　it　not　like　her？〃

The　general　turned　away　his　head。　　Murat　sighed　and　put　away　the
watch。

〃Well；　sire；〃　said　the　registrar；　〃what　time　have　you　fixed？〃

〃Ah　yes；〃　said　Murat；　smiling；　〃I　forgot　why　I　took　out　my　watch　when
I　saw　Caroline's　portrait。〃

Then　he　looked　at　his　watch　again；　but　this　time　at　its　face。

〃Well；　it　shall　be　at　four　o'clock；　if　you　like；　it　is　past　three
o'clock。　　I　ask　for　fifty　minutes。　　Is　that　too　much；　sir？〃

The　registrar　bowed　and　went　out。　　The　general　was　about　to　follow
him。

〃Shall　I　never　see　you　again；　Nunziante？〃　said　Murat。

〃My　orders　are　to　be　present　at　your　death；　sire；　but　I　cannot　do
it。〃

〃Very　well；　general。　　I　will　dispense　with　your　presence　at　the　last
moment；　but　I　should　like　to　say　farewell　once　more　and　to　embrace
you。〃

〃I　will　be　near；　sire。〃

〃Thank　you。　　Now　leave　me　alone。〃

〃Sire；　there　are　two　priests　here。〃

Murat　made　an　impatient　movement。

〃Will　you　receive　them？〃　continued　the　general。

〃Yes；　bring　them　in。〃

The　general　went　out。　　A　moment　later；　two　priests　appeared　in　the
doorway。　　One　of　them　was　called　Francesco　Pellegrino；　uncle　of　the
man　who　had　caused　the　king's　death；　the　other　was　Don　Antonio
Masdea。

〃What　do　you　want　here？〃　asked　Murat。

〃We　come　to　ask　you　if　you　are　dying　a　Christian？〃

〃I　am　dying　as　a　soldier。　　Leave　me。〃

Don　Francesco　Pellegrino　retired。　　No　doubt　he　felt　ill　at　ease
before　Joachim。　　But　Antonio　Masdea　remained　at　the　door。

〃Did　you　not　hear　me？〃　asked　the　king。

〃Yes；　indeed；〃　answered　the　old　man；　〃but　permit　me；　sire；　to　hope
that　it　was　not　your　last　word　to　me。　　It　is　not；　the　first　time　that
I　see　you　or　beg　something　of　you。　　I　have　already　had　occasion　to
ask　a　favour　of　you。〃

〃What　was　that？〃

〃When　your　Majesty　came　to　Pizzo　in　1810；　I　asked　you　for　25；000
francs　to　enable　us　to　finish　our　church。　　Your　Majesty　sent　me
40；000　francs。〃

〃I　must　have　foreseen　that　I　should　be　buried　there；〃　said　Murat；
smiling。

〃Ah；　sire；　I　should　like　to　think　that　you　did　not　refuse　my　second
boon　any　more　than　my　first。　　Sire；　I　entreat　you　on　my　knees。〃

The　old　man　fell　at　Murat's　feet。

〃Die　as　a　Christian！〃

〃That　would　give　you　pleasure；　then；　would　it？〃　said　the　king。

〃Sire；　I　would　give　the　few　short　days　remaining　to　me　if　God　would
grant　that　His　Holy　Spirit　should　fall　upon　you　in　your　last　hour。〃

〃Well；〃　said　Murat；　〃hear　my　confession。　　I　accuse　myself　of　having
been　disobedient　to　my　parents　as　a　child。　　Since　I　reached　manhood　I
have　done　nothing　to　reproach　myself　with。〃

〃Sire；　will　you　give　me　an　attestation　that　you　die　in　the　Christian
faith？〃

〃Certainly；〃　said　Murat。

And　he　took　a　pen　and　wrote：　〃I；　Joachim　Murat；　die　a　Christian；
believing　in　the　Holy　Catholic　Church；　Apostolic　and　Roman。〃

He　signed　it。

〃Now；　father；〃　continued　the　king；　〃if　you　have　a　third　favour　to　ask
of　me；　make　haste；　for　in　half　an　hour　it　will　be　too　late。〃

Indeed；　the　castle　clock　was　striking　half…past　three。　　The　priest
signed　that　he　had　finished。

〃Then　leave　me　alone；〃　said　Murat；　and　the　old　man　went　out。

Murat　paced　his　room　for　a　few　moments；　then　he　sat　down　on　his　bed
and　let　his　head　fall　into　his　hands。　　Doubtless；　during　the　quarter
of　an　hour　he　remained　thus　absorbed　in　his　thoughts；　he　saw　his
whole　life　pass　before　him；　from　the　inn　where　he　had　started　to　the
palace　he　had　reached；　no　doubt　his　adventurous　career　unrolled
itself　before　him　like　some　golden　dream；　some　brilliant　fiction；
some　tale　from　the　Arabian　Nights。

His　life　gleamed　athwart　the　storm　like　a　rainbow；　and　like　a
rainbow's；　its　two　extremities　were　lost　in　cloudsthe　clouds　of
birth　and　death。　　At　last　he　roused　himself　from　this　inward
contemplation；　and　lifted　a　pale　but　tranquil　face。　　Then　he　went　to
the　glass　and　arranged　his　hair。　　His　strange　characteristics　never
left　him。　　The　affianced　of　Death；　he　was　adorning　himself　to　meet
his　bride。

Four　o'clock　struck。

Murat　went　to　the　door　himself　and　opened　it。

General　Nunziante　was　waiting　for　him。

〃Thank　you；　general；〃　said　Murat。　　〃You　have　kept　your　word。　　Kiss
me；　and　go　at　once；　if　you　like。〃

The　general　threw　himself　into　the　king's　arms；　weeping；　and　utterly
unable　to　speak。

〃Courage；〃　said　Murat。　　〃　You　see　I　am　calm。〃　　It　was　this　very
calmness　which　broke　the　general's　heart。　　He　dashed　out　of　the
corridor；　and　left　the　castle；　running　like　a　madman。

Then　the　king　walked　out　into　the　courtyard。

Everything　was　ready　for　the　execution。

Nine　men　and　a　corporal　were　ranged　before　the　door　of　the　council
chamber。　　Opposite　them　was　a　wall　twelve　feet　high。　　Three　feet　away
from　the　wall　was　a　stone　block：　Murat　mounted　it；　thus　raising
himself　about　a　foot　above　the　soldiers　who　were　to　execute　him。
Then　he　took　out　his　watch；＇Madame　Murat　recovered　this　watch　at　the
price　of　200　Louis＇　kissed　his　wife's　portrait；　and　fixing　his　eyes
on　it；　gave　the　order　to　fire。　　At　the　word　of　command　five　out　of
the　nine　men　fired：　Murat　remained　standing。　　The　soldiers　had　been
ashamed　to　fire　on　their　king；　and　had　aimed　over　his　head。　　That
moment　perhaps　displayed　most　gloriously　the　lionlike　courage　which
was　Murat's　special　attribute。　　His　face　never　changed；　he　did　not
move　a　muscle；　only　gazing　at　the　soldiers　with　an　expression　of
mingled　bitterness　and　gratitude；