derues-第20章

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he　next　morning　for　the　coach　which　went　that　way；　but　continued　the　journey　on　foot　and　walked　all　night。　　It　was　a　long　and　difficult　road；　but　happiness　redoubled　my　strength。　　About　an　hour　after　sunrise　I　saw　distinctly　the　smoke　and　the　village　roofs；　and　I　hurried　on　to　surprise　my　family　a　little　sooner。　　I　never　felt　more　active；　more　light…hearted　and　gay；　everything　seemed　to　smile　before　and　around　me。　　Turning　a　corner　of　the　hedge；　I　met　a　peasant　whom　I　recognised。　　All　at　once　it　seemed　as　if　a　veil　spread　over　my　sight；　all　my　hopes　and　joy　suddenly　vanished；　a　funereal　idea　took　possession　of　me；　and　I　said；　taking　the　hand　of　the　man；　who　had　not　yet　spoken

〃'My　mother　is　dead；　I　am　convinced　my　mother　is　dead！'

〃He　hung　down　his　head　and　answered

〃'She　is　to　be　buried　this　morning！'

〃Now　whence　came　this　revelation？　　I　had　seen　no　one；　spoken　to　no　one；　a　moment　before　I　had　no　idea　of　it！〃

Derues　made　a　gesture　of　surprise。　　Monsieur　de　Lamotte　put　his　hand　to　his　eyes；　and　said　to　the　cure

〃Your　presentiments　were　true；　mine；　happily；　are　unfounded。　　But　listen；　and　tell　me　if　in　the　state　of　anxiety　which　oppressed　me　I　had　not　good　reason　for　alarm　and　for　fearing　some　fatal　misfortune。〃

His　eyes　again　sought　Derues。　　〃Towards　the　middle　of　last　night　I　at　length　fell　asleep；　but；　interrupted　every　moment；　this　sleep　was　more　a　fatigue　than　a　rest；　I　seemed　to　hear　confused　noises　all　round　me。　　I　saw　brilliant　lights　which　dazzled　me；　and　then　sank　back　into　silence　and　darkness。　　Sometimes　I　heard　someone　weeping　near　my　bed；　again　plaintive　voices　called　to　me　out　of　the　darkness。　I　stretched　out　my　arms；　but　nothing　met　them；　I　fought　with　phantoms；　at　length　a　cold　hand　grasped　mine　and　led　me　rapidly　forward。　　Under　a　dark　and　damp　vault　a　woman　lay　on　the　ground；　bleeding；　inanimateit　was　my　wife！　　At　the　same　moment；　a　groan　made　me　look　round；　and　I　beheld　a　man　striking　my　son　with　a　dagger。　I　cried　out　and　awoke；　bathed　in　cold　perspiration；　panting　under　this　terrible　vision。　　I　was　obliged　to　get　up；　walk　about；　and　speak　aloud；　in　order　to　convince　myself　it　was　only　a　dream。　　I　tried　to　go　to　sleep　again；　but　the　same　visions　still　pursued　me。　　I　saw　always　the　same　man　armed　with　two　daggers　streaming　with　blood；　I　heard　always　the　cries　of　his　two　victims。　　When　day　came；　I　felt　utterly　broken；　worn…out；　and　this　morning；　you；　my　father；　could　see　by　my　despondency　what　an　impression　this　awful　night　had　made　upon　me。〃

During　this　recital　Derues'　calmness　never　gave　way　for　a　single　moment；　and　the　most　skilful　physiognomist　could　only　have　discovered　an　expression　of　incredulous　curiosity　on　his　countenance。

〃Monsieur　le　cure's　story；〃　said　he；　〃impressed　me　much；　yours　only　brings　back　my　uncertainty。　　It　is　less　possible　than　ever　to　deliver　any　opinion　on　this　serious　question　of　dreams；　since　the　second　instance　contradicts　the　first。〃

〃It　is　true；〃　answered　the　cure；　〃no　possible　conclusion　can　be　drawn　from　two　facts　which　contradict　each　other；　and　the　best　thing　we　can　do　is　to　choose　a　less　dismal　subject　of　conversation。〃

〃Monsieur　Derues；〃　asked　Monsieur　de　Lamatte；　〃if　you　are　not　too　tired　with　your　journey；　shall　we　go　and　look　at　the　last　improvements　I　have　made？　　It　is　now　your　affair　to　decide　upon　them；　since　I　shall　shortly　be　only　your　guest　here。〃

〃Just　as　I　have　been　yours　for　long　enough；　and　I　trust　you　will　often　give　me　the　opportunity　of　exercising　hospitality　in　my　turn。　But　you　are　ill；　the　day　is　cold　and　damp；　if　you　do　not　care　to　go　out；　do　not　let　me　disturb　you。　　Had　you　not　better　stay　by　the　fire　with　Monsieur　le　cure？　　For　me；　Heaven　be　thanked！　　I　require　no　assistance。　　I　will　look　round　the　park；　and　come　back　presently　to　tell　you　what　I　think。　　Besides；　we　shall　have　plenty　of　time　to　talk　about　it。　　With　your　permission；　I　should　like　to　stay　two　or　three　days。〃

〃I　shall　be　pleased　if　you　will　do　so。〃

Derues　went　out；　sufficiently　uneasy　in　his　mind；　both　on　account　of　his　reception　of　Monsieur　de　Lamotte's　fears　and　of　the　manner　in　which　the　latter　had　watched　him　during　the　conversation。　　He　walked　quickly　up　and　down　the　park

〃I　have　been　foolish；　perhaps；　I　have　lost　twelve　or　fifteen　days；　and　delayed　stupidly　from　fear　of　not　foreseeing　everything。　　But　then；　how　was　I　to　imagine　that　this　simple；　easily　deceived　man　would　all　at　once　become　suspicious？　　What　a　strange　dream！　　If　I　had　not　been　on　my　guard；　I　might　have　been　disconcerted。　　Come；　come；　I　must　try　to　disperse　these　ideas　and　give　him　something　else　to　think　about。〃

He　stopped；　and　after　a　few　minutes　consideration　turned　back　towards　the　house。

As　soon　as　he　had　left　the　room；　Monsieur　de　Lamotte　had　bent　over　towards　the　cure；　and　had　said

〃He　did　not　show　any　emotion；　didhe？〃

〃None　whatever。〃

〃He　did　not　start　when　I　spoke　of　the　man　armed　with　those　two　daggers？〃

〃No。　　But　put　aside　these　ideas；　you　must　see　they　are　mistaken。〃

〃I　did　not　tell　everything；　my　father：　this　murderer　whom　I　saw　in　my　dreamwas　Derues　himself！　　I　know　as　well　as　you　that　it　must　be　a　delusion；　I　saw　as　well　as　you　did　that　he　remained　quite　calm；　but；　in　spite　of　myself；　this　terrible　dream　haunts　me　。　　。　　。　　。There；　do　not　listen　to　me；　do　not　let　me　talk　about　it；　it　only　makes　me　blush　for　myself。〃

Whilst　Derues　remained　at　Buisson…Souef；　Monsieur　de　Lamotte　received　several　letters　from　his　wife；　some　from　Paris；　some　from　Versailles。　She　remarked　that　her　son　and　herself　were　perfectly　well。。。。　　The　writing　was　so　well　imitated　that　no　one　could　doubt　their　genuineness。　　However；　Monsieur　de　Lamotte's　suspicions　continually　increased　and　he　ended　by　making　the　cure　share　his　fears。　　He　also　refused　to　go　with　Derues　to　Paris；　in　spite　of　the　latter's　entreaties。　　Derues；　alarmed　at　the　coldness　shown　him；　left　Buisson…Souef；　saying　that　he　intended　to　take　possession　about　the　middle　of　spring。

Monsieur　de　Lamotte　was；　in　spite　of　himself；　still　detained　by　ill…health。　　But　a　new　and　inexplicable　circumstance　made　him　resolve　to　go　to　Paris　and　endeavour　to　clear　up　the　mystery　which　appeared　to　surround　his　wife　and　son。　　He　received　an　unsigned　letter　in　unknown　handwriting；　and　in　which　Madame　de　Lamotte's　reputation　was　attacked　with　a　kind　of　would…be　reticence；　which　hinted　that　she　was　an　unfaithful　wife　and　that　in　this　lay　the　cause　of　her　long　absence。　　Her　husband　did　not　believe　this　anonymous　denunciation；　but　the　fate　of　the　two　beings　dearest　to　him　seemed　shrouded　in　so　much　obscurity　that　he　could　delay　no　longer；　and　started　for　Paris。

His　resolution　not　to　accompany　Derues　had　saved　his　life。　　The　latter　could　not　carry　out　his　culminating　crime　at　Buisson…Souef；　it　was　only　in　Paris　that　his　victims　would　disappear　without　his　being　called　to　account。　　Obliged　to　leave　hold　of　his　prey；　he　endeavoured　to　bewilder　him　in　a　labyrinth　where　all　trace　of　truth　might　be　lost。　　Already；　as　he　had　arranged　beforehand；　he　had　called　calumny　to　his　help；　and　prepared　the　audacious　lie　which　was　to　vindicate　himself　should　an　accusation　fall　upon　his　head。　　He　had　hoped　that　Monsieur　de　Lamotte　would　fall　defenceless　into　his　hands；　but　now　a　careful　examination　of　his　position；　showing　the　impossibility　of　avoiding　an　explanation　had　become　inevitable；　made　him　change　all　his　plans；　and　compelled　him　to　devise　an　infernal　plot；　so　skilfully　laid　that　it　bid　fair　to　defeat　all　human　sagacity。

Monsieur　de　Lamotte　arrived　in　Paris　early　in　March。　　Chance　decided　that　he　should　lodge　in　the　rue　de　la　Mortellerie；　in　a　house　not　far　from　the　one　where　his　wife's　body　lay　buried。　　He　went　to　see　Derues；　hoping　to　surprise　him；　and　determined　to　make　him　speak；　but　found　he　was　not　at　home。　　Madame　Derues；　whether　acting　with　the　discretion　of　an　accomplice　or　really　ignorant　of　her　husband's　proceedings；　could　not　say　where　he　was　likely　to　be　found。　　She　said　that　he　told　her　nothing　about　his　actions；　and　that　Monsieur　de　Lamotte　must　have　observed　during　their　stay　at　Buisson　（which　was　true）　that　she　never　questioned　him；　but　obeyed　his　wishes　in　everything；　and　that　he　had　now　gone　away　without　saying　wher