derues-第22章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！



〃You　have　forgotten　our　friendship；　broken　all　bonds　between　us：　I　am　in　your　eyes　only　a　miserable　assassin？　　You　consider　my　silence　as　guilty；　you　will　ruin　me　if　I　do　not　speak？〃

〃It　is　true。〃

〃　There　is　still　time　for　reflection；　consider　what　you　are　doing；　I　will　forget　your　insults　and　your　anger。　　Your　trouble　is　great　enough　without　my　reproaches　being　added　to　it。　　But　you　desire　that　I　should　speak；　you　desire　it　absolutely？〃

〃I　do　desire　it。〃

〃Very　well；　then；　it　shall　be　as　you　wish。〃

Derues　surveyed　Monsieur　de　Lamotte　with　a　look　which　seemed　to　say；　〃I　pity　you。〃　He　then　added；　with　a　sigh

〃I　am　now　ready　to　answer。　　Your　Honour；　will　you　have　the　kindness　to　resume　my　examination？〃

Derues　had　succeeded　in　taking　up　an　advantageous　position。　　If　he　had　begun　narrating　the　extraordinary　romance　he　had　invented；　the　least　penetrating　eye　must　have　perceived　its　improbability；　and　one　would　have　felt　it　required　some　support　at　every　turn。　　But　since　he　had　resisted　being　forced　to　tell　it；　and　apparently　only　ceded　to　Monsieur　de　Lamotte's　violent　persistency；　the　situation　was　changed；　and　this　refusal　to　speak；　coming　from　a　man　who　thereby　compromised　his　personal　safety；　took　the　semblance　of　generosity；　and　was　likely　to　arouse　the　magistrate's　curiosity　and　prepare　his　mind　for　unusual　and　mysterious　revelations。　　This　was　exactly　what　Derues　wanted；　and　he　awaited　the　interrogation　with　calm　and　tranquillity。

〃Why　did　you　leave　Paris？〃　the　magistrate　demanded　a　second　time。

〃I　have　already　had　the　honour　to　inform　you　that　important　business　necessitated　my　absence。〃

〃But　you　refused　to　explain　the　nature　of　this　business。　　Do　you　still　persist　in　this　refusal？〃

〃For　the　moment；　yes。　　I　will　explain　it　later。〃

〃Where　have　you　been？　　Whence　do　you　return？〃

〃I　have　been　to　Lyons；　and　have　returned　thence。〃

〃What　took　you　there？

〃I　will　tell　you　later。〃

〃In　the　month　of　December　last；　Madame　de　Lamotte　and　her　son　came　to　Paris？

〃That　is　so。〃

〃They　both　lodged　in　your　house？〃

〃I　have　no　reason　to　deny　it。〃

〃But　neither　she　herself；　nor　Monsieur　de　Lamotte；　had　at　first　intended　that　she　should　accept　a　lodging　in　the　house　which　you　occupied。〃

〃That　is　quite　true。　　We　had　important　accounts　to　settle；　and　Madame　de　Lamotte　told　me　afterwards　that　she　feared　some　dispute　on　the　question　of　money　might　arise　between　usat　least；　that　is　the　reason　she　gave　me。　　She　was　mistaken；　as　the　event　proved；　since　I　always　intended　to　pay；　and　I　have　paid。　　But　she　may　have　had　another　reason　which　she　preferred　not　to　give。〃

〃It　was　the　distrust　of　this　man　which　she　felt；〃　exclaimed　Monsieur　de　Lamotte。　　Derues　answered　only　with　a　melancholy　smile。

〃Silence；　monsieur；〃　said　the　magistrate；　〃silence；　do　not　interrupt。〃　　Then　addressing　Derues

〃Another　motive？　　What　motive　do　you　suppose？〃

〃Possibly　she　preferred　to　be　more　free；　and　able　to　receive　any　visitor　she　wished。〃

〃What　do　you　mean？〃

〃It　is　only　supposition　on　my　part；　I　do　not　insist　upon　it。〃

〃But　the　supposition　appears　to　contain　a　hint　injurious　to　Madame　de　Lamotte's　reputation？〃

〃No；　oh　no！〃　replied　Derues；　after　a　moment's　silence。

This　sort　of　insinuation　appeared　strange　to　the　magistrate；　who　resolved　to　try　and　force　Derues　to　abandon　these　treacherous　reticences　behind　which　he　sheltered　himself。　　Again　recommending　silence　to　Monsieur　de　Lamotte；　he　continued　to　question　Derues；　not　perceiving　that　he　was　only　following　the　lead　skilfully　given　by　the　latter；　who　drew　him　gradually　on　by　withdrawing　himself；　and　that　all　the　time　thus　gained　was　an　advantage　to　the　accused。

〃Well；〃　said　the　magistrate；　〃whatever　Madame　de　Lamotte's　motives　may　have　been；　it　ended　in　her　coming　to　stay　with　you。　　How　did　you　persuade　her　to　take　this　step？〃

〃My　wife　accompanied　her　first　to　the　Hotel　de　France；　and　then　to　other　hotels。　　I　said　no　more　than　might　be　deemed　allowable　in　a　friend；　I　could　not　presume　to　persuade　her　against　her　will。　　When　I　returned　home；　I　was　surprised　to　find　her　there　with　her　son。　　She　could　not　find　a　disengaged　room　in　any　of　the　hotels　she　tried；　and　she　then　accepted　my　offer。〃

〃What　date　was　this？〃

〃Monday；　the　16th　of　last　December。〃

〃And　when　did　she　leave　your　house？〃

〃On　the　1st　of　February。〃

〃The　porter　cannot　remember　having　seen　her　go　out　on　that　day。〃

〃That　is　possible。　　Madame　de　Lamotte　went　and　came　as　her　affairs　required。　　She　was　known；　and　no　more　attention　would　be　paid　to　her　than　to　any　other　inmate。〃

〃The　porter　also　says　that　for　several　days　before　this　date　she　was　ill；　and　obliged　to　keep　her　room？〃

〃Yes；　it　was　a　slight　indisposition；　which　had　no　results；　so　slight　that　it　seemed　unnecessary　to　call　in　a　doctor。　　Madame　de　Lamotte　appeared　preoccupied　and　anxious。　　I　think　her　mental　attitude　influenced　her　health。〃

〃Did　you　escort　her　to　Versailles？〃

〃No；　I　went　there　to　see　her　later。〃

〃What　proof　can　you　give　of　her　having　actually　stayed　there？〃

〃None　whatever；　unless　it　be　a　letter　which　I　received　from　her。〃

〃You　told　Monsieur　de；　Lamotte　that　she　was　exerting　herself　to　procure　her　son's　admission　either　as　a　king's　page　or　into　the　riding　school。　　Now；　no　one　at　Versailles　has　seen　this　lady；　or　even　heard　of　her。〃

〃I　only　repeated　what　she　told　me。〃

〃Where　was　she　staying？〃

〃I　do　not　know。〃

〃What！　　she　wrote　to　you；　you　went　to　see　her；　and　yet　you　do　not　know　where　she　was　lodging？〃

〃That　is　so。〃

〃But　it　is　impossible。〃

〃There　are　many　things　which　would　appear　impossible　if　I　were　to　relate　them；　but　which　are　true；　nevertheless。〃

〃Explain　yourself。〃

〃I　only　received　one　letter　from　Madame　de　Lamotte；　in　which　she　spoke　of　her　plans　for　Edouard；　requesting　me　to　send　her　her　son　on　a　day　she　fixed；　and　I　told　Edouard　of　her　projects。　　Not　being　able　to　go　to　the　school　to　see　him；　I　wrote；　asking　if　he　would　like　to　give　up　his　studies　and　become　a　royal　page。　　When　I　was　last　at　Buisson…Souef；　I　showed　his　answer　to　Monsieur　de　Lamotte；　it　is　here。〃

And　he　handed　over　a　letter　to　the　magistrate；　who　read　it；　and　passing　it　on　to　Monsieur　de　Lamotte；　inquired

〃Did　you　then；　and　do　you　now；　recognise　your　son's　handwriting？〃

〃Perfectly；　monsieur。〃

〃You　took　Edouard　to　Versailles？〃

〃I　did。〃

〃On　what　day？〃

〃February　11th；　Shrove　Tuesday。　　It　is　the　only　time　I　have　been　to　Versailles。　　The　contrary　might　be　supposed；　for　I　have　allowed　it　to　be　understood　that　I　have　often　seen　Madame　de　Lamotte　since　she　left　my　house；　and　was　acquainted　with　all　her　actions；　and　that　the　former　confidence　and　friendship　still　existed　between　us。　　In　allowing　this；　I　have　acted　a　lie；　and　transgressed　the　habitual　sincerity　of　my　whole　life。〃

This　assertion　produced　a　bad　impression　on　the　magistrate。　　Derues　perceived　it；　and　to　avert　evil　consequences；　hastened　to　add

〃My　conduct　can　only　be　appreciated　when　it　is　known　in　entirety。　　I　misunderstood　the　meaning　of　Madame　de　Lamotte's　letter。　　She　asked　me　to　send　her　her　son；　I　thought　to　oblige　her　by　accompanying　him；　and　not　leaving　him　to　go　alone。　　So　we　travelled　together；　and　arrived　at　Versailles　about　midday。　　As　I　got　down　from　the　coach　I　saw　Madame　de　Lamotte　at　the　palace　gate；　and　observed；　to　my　astonishment；　that　my　presence　displeased　her。　　She　was　not　alone。〃

He　stopped；　although　he　had　evidently　reached　the　most　interesting　point　of　his　story。

〃Go　on；〃　said　the　magistrate；　〃why　do　you　stop　now？〃

〃Because　what　I　have　to　say　is　so　painfulnot　to　me；　who　have　to　justify　myself；　but　for　others；　that　I　hesitate。〃

〃Go　on。〃

〃Will　you　then　interrogate　me；　please？〃

〃Well；　what　happened　in　this　interview？〃

Derues　appeared　to　collect　himself　for　a　moment；　and　then　said　with　the　air　of　a　man　who　has　decide　on　speaking　out　at　last

〃Madame　de　Lamotte　was　not　alone；　she　was　attended　by　a　gentleman　whom　I　did　not　know；　whom　I　never　saw　either　at　Buisson…Souef　or　in　Paris；　and　whom　I　have　never　seen　again　since。　　I　will　ask　you　to　allow　me　to　recount　everything；　even　to　the　smallest　details。　　This　man's　face　struck　me　at　once；　on　account　of　a　sing