derues-第24章

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mination　being　quite　fruitless；　only　increased　his　perplexity。　　However；　he　never　relaxed　the　incredulous　severity　of　his　demeanour；　nor　the　imperative　and　threatening　tone　of　his　voice。

〃You　acknowledge　having　been　at　Lyons？〃　he　asked。

〃I　have　been　there。〃

〃At　the　beginning　of　this　examination　you　said　you　would　explain　the　reason　of　this　journey　later。〃

〃I　am　ready　to　do　so；　for　the　journey　is　connected　with　the　facts　I　have　just　narrated；　it　was　caused　by　them。〃

〃Explain　it。〃

〃I　again　ask　permission　to　relate　fully。　　I　did　not　hear　from　Versailles：　I　began　to　fear　Monsieur　de　Lamotte's　anxiety　would　bring　him　to　Paris。　　Bound　by　the　promise　I　had　made　to　his　wife　to　avert　all　suspicion　and　to　satisfy　any　doubts　he　might　conceive；　and；　must　I　add；　also　remembering　that　it　was　important　for　me　to　inform　him　of　our　new　arrangements；　and　of　this　payment　of　a　hundred　thousand　livres。〃

〃That　payment　is　assuredly　fictitious；〃　interrupted　Monsieur　de　Lamotte；　〃we　must　have　some　proof　of　it。〃

〃I　will　prove　it　presently；〃　answered　Derues。　　〃So　I　went　to　Buisson；　as　I　have　already　told　you。　　On　my　return　I　found　a　letter　from　Madame　de　Lamotte；　a　letter　with　a　Paris　stamp；　which　had　arrived　that　morning。　　I　was　surprised　that　she　should　write；　when　actually　in　Paris；　I　opened　the　letter；　and　was　still　more　surprised。　　I　have　not　the　letter　with　me；　but　I　recollect　the　sense　of　it　perfectly；　if　not　the　wording；　and　I　can　produce　it　if　necessary。　　Madame　de　Lamotte　was　at　Lyons　with　her　son　and　this　person　whose　name　I　do　not　know；　and　whom　I　do　not　care　to　mention　before　her　husband。　　She　had　confided　this　letter　to　a　person　who　was　coming　to　Paris；　and　who　was　to　bring　it　me；　but　this　individual；　whose　name　was　Marquis；　regretted　that　having　to　start　again　immediately；　he　was　obliged　to　entrust　it　to　the　post。　　This　is　the　sense　of　its　contents。　　Madame　de　Lamotte　wrote　that　she　found　herself　obliged　to　follow　this　nameless　person　to　Lyons；　and　she　begged　me　to　send　her　news　of　her　husband　and　of　the　state　of　his　affairs；　but　said　not　one　single　word　of　any　probable　return。　　I　became　very　uneasy　at　the　news　of　this　clandestine　departure。　　I　had　no　security　except　a　private　contract　annulling　our　first　agreement　on　the　payment　of　one　hundred　thousand　livres；　and　that　this　was　not　a　sufficient　and　regular　receipt　I　knew；　because　the　lawyer　had　already　refused　to　surrender　Monsieur　de　Lamotte's　power　of　attorney。　　I　thought　over　all　the　difficulties　which　this　flight；　which　would　have　to　be　kept　secret；　was　likely　to　produce；　and　I　started　for　Lyons　without　writing　or　giving　any　notice　of　my　intention。　　I　had　no　information；　I　did　not　even　know　whether　Madame　de　Lamotte　was　passing　by　another　name；　as　at　Versailles；　but　chance　decreed　that　I　met　her　the　very　day　of　my　arrival。　　She　was　alone；　and　complained　bitterly　of　her　fate；　saying　she　had　been　compelled　to　follow　this　individual　to　Lyons；　but　that　very　soon　she　would　be　free　and　would　return　to　Paris。　　But　I　was　struck　by　the　uncertainty　of　her　manner；　and　said　I　should　not　leave　her　without　obtaining　a　deed　in　proof　of　our　recent　arrangements。　　She　refused　at　first；　saying　it　was　unnecessary；　as　she　would　so　soon　return；　but　I　insisted　strongly。　　I　told　her　I　had　already　com　promised　myself　by　telling　Monsieur　de　Lamotte　that　she　was　at　Versailles；　endeavouring　to　procure　an　appointment　for　her　son；　that　since　she　had　been　compelled　to　come　to　Lyons；　the　same　person　might　take　her　elsewhere；　so　that　she　might　disappear　any　day；　might　leave　France　without　leaving　any　trace；　without　any　written　acknowledgment　of　her　own　dishonour；　and　that　when　all　these　falsehoods　were　discovered；　I　should　appear　in　the　light　of　an　accomplice。　　I　said　also　that；　as　she　had　unfortunately　lodged　in　my　house　in　Paris；　and　had　requested　me　to　remove　her　son　from　his　school；　explanations　would　be　required　from　me；　and　perhaps　I　should　be　accused　of　this　double　disappearance。　　Finally；　I　declared　that　if　she　did　not　give　me　some　proofs　of　her　existence；　willingly　or　unwillingly；　I　would　go　at　once　to　a　magistrate。　　My　firmness　made　her　reflect。　　'My　good　Monsieur　Derues；'　she　said；　'I　ask　your　forgiveness　for　all　the　trouble　I　have　caused　you。　　I　will　give　you　this　deed　to…morrow；　to…day　it　is　too　late；　but　come　to　this　same　place　to…morrow；　and　you　shall　see　me　again。'　　I　hesitated；　I　confess；　to　let　her　go。　　'Ah；'　she　said；　grasping　my　hands；　'do　not　suspect　me　of　intending　to　deceive　you！　　I　swear　that　I　will　meet　you　here　at　four　o'clock。　　It　is　enough　that　I　have　ruined　myself；　and　perhaps　my　son；　without　also　entangling　you　in　my　unhappy　fate。　　Yes；　you　are　right；　this　deed　is　important；　necessary　for　you；　and　you　shall　have　it。　　But　do　not　show　yourself　here；　if　you　were　seen；　I　might　not　be　able　to　do　what　I　ought　to　do。　To…morrow　you　shall　see　me　again；　I　swear　it。'　　She　then　left　me。　The　next　day；　the　12th；　of　March；　I　was　exact　at　the　rendezvous；　and　Madame　de　Lamotte　arrived　a　moment　later。　　She　gave　me　a　deed；　authorising　her　husband　to　receive　the　arrears　of　thirty　thousand　livres　remaining　from　the　purchase…money　of　Buisson…Souef。　　I　endeavoured　again　to　express　my　opinion　of　her　conduct；　she　listened　in　silence；　as　if　my　words　affected　her　deeply。　　We　were　walking　together；　when　she　told　me　she　had　some　business　in　a　house　we　were　passing；　and　asked　me　to　wait　for　her。　　I　waited　more　than　an　hour；　and　then　discovered　that　this　house；　like　many　others　in　Lyons；　had　an　exit　in　another　street；　and　I　understood　that　Madame　de　Lamotte　had　escaped　by　this　passage；　and　that　I　might　wait　in　vain。　Concluding　that　trying　to　follow　her　would　be　useless；　and　seeing　also　that　any　remonstrance　would　be　made　in　vain；　I　returned　to　Paris；　deciding　to　say　nothing　as　yet；　and　to　conceal　the　truth　as　long　as　possible。　　I　still　had　hopes；　and　I　did　not　count　on　being　so　soon　called　on　to　defend　myself：　I　thought　that　when　I　had　to　speak；　it　would　be　as　a　friend；　and　not　as　an　accused　person。　　This；　sir；　is　the　explanation　of　my　conduct；　and　I　regret　that　this　justification；　so　easy　for　myself；　should　be　so　cruelly　painful　for　another。　　You　have　seen　the　efforts　which　I　made　to　defer　it。〃

Monsieur　de　Lamotte　had　heard　this　second　part　of　Derues'　recital　with　a　more　silent　indignation；　not　that　he　admitted　its　probability；　but　he　was　confounded　by　this　monstrous　imposture；　and；　as　it　were；　terror…stricken　by　such　profound　hypocrisy。　　His　mind　revolted　at　the　idea　of　his　wife　being　accused　of　adultery；　but　while　he　repelled　this　charge　with　decision；　he　saw　the　confirmation　of　his　secret　terrors　and　presentiments；　and　his　heart　sank　within　him　at　the　prospect　of　exploring　this　abyss　of　iniquity。　　He　was　pale；　gasping　for　breath；　as　though　he　himself　had　been　the　criminal；　while　scorching　tears　furrowed　his　cheeks。　　He　tried　to　speak；　but　his　voice　failed；　he　wanted　to　fling　back　at　Derues　the　names　of　traitor　and　assassin；　and　he　was　obliged　to　bear　in　silence　the　look　of　mingled　grief　and　pity　which　the　latter　bestowed　upon　him。

The　magistrate；　calmer；　and　master　of　his　emotions；　but　tolerably　bewildered　in　this　labyrinth　of　cleverly　connected　lies；　thought　it　desirable　to　ask　some　further　questions。

〃How；〃　said　he；　〃did　you　obtain　this　sum　of　a　hundred　thousand　livres　which　you　say　you　paid　over　to　Madame　de　Lamotte？〃

〃I　have　been　engaged　in　business　for　several　years；　and　have　acquired　some　fortune。〃

〃Nevertheless；　you　have　postponed　the　obligation　of　making　this　payment　several　times；　so　that　Monsieur　de　Lamotte　had　begun　to　feel　uneasiness　on　the　subject。　　This　was　the　chief　reason　of　his　wife's　coming　to　Paris。〃

〃One　sometimes　experiences　momentary　difficulties；　which　presently　disappear。〃

〃You　say　you　have　a　deed　given　you　at　Lyons　by　Madame　de　Lamotte；　which　you　were　to　give　to　her　husband？〃

〃It　is　here。〃

The　magistrate　examined　the　deed　carefully；　and　noted　the　name　of　the　lawyer　in　whose　office　it　had　been　drawn　up。

〃You　may　go；〃　he　said　at　last。

〃What！〃　exclaimed　Monsieur　de　Lamotte。

Derues　stopped；　but　the　magistrate　signed　to　him　to　go；　intimating；　however；　that　he　was　on　no　account　to　leave　Paris。

〃But；〃　said　Monsieur　de　Lamotte；　when　they　were