the countess of saint geran-第2章

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hung　over　the　courtyard；　being　as　high　above　it　as　the　window　was

from　the　street。　　The　marquis　had　only　to　jump　over　one　side　or　the

other：　he　hesitated　for　some　time；　and　just　as　he　was　deciding　to

leap　into　the　street；　at　the　risk　of　breaking　his　neck；　two　taps　were

struck　on　the　door。　　He　jumped　for　joy；　saying　to　himself　as　he

opened；　〃I　am　saved！〃　　A　kind　of　shadow　glided　into　the　room；　the

young　girl　trembled　from　head　to　foot；　and　could　not　say　a　word。　　The

marquis　reassured　her　with　all　sorts　of　caresses。



〃Ah；　sir；〃　said　she；　〃I　am　dead　if　we　are　surprised。〃



〃Yes；〃　said　the　marquis；　〃but　your　fortune　is　made　if　you　get　me　out

of　here。〃



〃God　is　my　witness　that　I　would　with　all　my　soul；　but　I　have　such　a

bad　piece　of　news〃



She　stopped；　suffocated　with　varying　emotions。　　The　poor　girl　had

come　barefooted；　for　fear　of　making　a　noise；　and　appeared　to　be

shivering。



〃What　is　the　matter？　　〃impatiently　asked　the　marquis。



〃Before　going　to　bed；〃　she　continued；　〃　M。　　the　provost　has　required

from　my　father　all　the　key；　of　the　house；　and　has　made　him　take　a

great　oath　that　there　are　no　more。　　My　father　has　given　him　all：

besides；　there　is　a　sentinel　at　every　door；　but　they　are　very　tired；

I　have　heard　them　muttering　and　grumbling；　and　I　have　given　them　more

wine　than　you　told　me。〃



〃They　will　sleep；〃　said　the　marquis；　nowise　discouraged；　〃and　they

have　already　shown　great　respect　to　my　rank　in　not　nailing　me　up　in

this　room。〃



〃There　is　a　small　kitchen　garden；〃　continued　the　girl；　〃on　the　side

of　the　fields；　fenced　in　only　by　a　loose　hurdle；　but〃



〃Where　is　my　horse？〃



〃No　doubt　in　the　shed　with　the　rest。〃



〃I　will　jump　into　the　yard。〃



〃You　will　be　killed。〃



〃So　much　the　better！〃



〃Ah　monsieur　marquis；　what　have；　you　done？〃　said　the　young　girl　with

grief。



〃Some　foolish　things！　nothing　worth　mentioning；　but　my　head　and　my

honour　are　at　stake。　　Let　us　lose　no　time；　I　have　made　up　my　mind。〃



〃Stay；〃　replied　the　girl；　grasping　his　arm；　〃at　the　left…hand　corner

of　the　yard　there　is　a　large　heap　of　straw；　the　gallery　hangs　just

over　it〃



〃Bravo！　　I　shall　make　less　noise；　and　do　myself　less　mischief。〃　　He

made　a　step　towards　the　door；　tie　girl；　hardly　knowing　what　she　was

doing；　tried　to　detain　him；　but　he　got　loose　from　her　and　opened　it。

The　moon　was　shining　brightly　into　the　yard；　he　heard　no　sound。　　He

proceeded　to　the　end　of　the　wooden　rail；　and　perceived　the　dungheap；

which　rose　to　a　good　height：　the　girl　made　the　sign　of　the　cross。

The　marquis　listened　once　again；　heard　nothing；　and　mounted　the　rail。

He　was　about　to　jump　down；　when　by　wonderful　luck　he　heard　murmurings

from　a　deep　voice。　　This　proceeded　from　one　of　two　horsemen；　who　were

recommencing　their　conversation　and　passing　between　them　a　pint　of

wine。　　The　marquis　crept　back　to　his　door；　holding　his　breath：　the

girl　was　awaiting　him　on　the　threshold。



〃I　told　you　it　was　not　yet　time；〃　said　she。



〃Have　you　never　a　knife；〃　said　the　marquis；　〃to　cut　those　rascals'

throats　with？〃



〃Wait；　I　entreat　you；　one　hour；　one　hour　only；〃　murmured　the　young

girl；　〃in　an　hour　they　will　all　be　asleep。〃



The　girl's　voice　was　so　sweet；　the　arms　which　she　stretched　towards

him　were　full　of　such　gentle　entreaty；　that　the　marquis　waited；　and

at　the　end　of　an　hour　it　was　the　young　girl's　turn　to　tell　him　to

start。



The　marquis　for　the　last　time　pressed　with　his　mouth　those　lips　but

lately　so　innocent；　then　he　half　opened　the　door；　and　heard　nothing

this　time　but　dogs　barking　far　away　in　an　otherwise　silent　country。

He　leaned　over　the　balustrade；　and　saw：　very　plainly　a　soldier　lying

prone　on　the　straw。



〃If　they　were　to　awake？〃　murmured　the　young　girl　in　accents　of

anguish。



〃They　will　not　take　me　alive；　be　assured；〃　said　the　marquis。



〃Adieu；　then；〃　replied　she；　sobbing；　〃may　Heaven　preserve　you！〃



He　bestrode　the　balustrade；　spread　himself　out　upon　it；　and　fell

heavily　on　the　dungheap。　　The　young　girl　saw　him　run　to　the　shed；

hastily　detach　a　horse；　pass　behind　the　stable　wall；　spur　his　horse

in　both　flanks；　tear　across　the　kitchen　garden；　drive　his　horse

against　the　hurdle；　knock　it　down；　clear　it；　and　reach　the　highroad

across　the　fields。



The　poor　girl　remained　at　the　end　of　the　gallery；　fixing　her　eyes　on

the　sleeping　sentry；　and　ready　to　disappear　at　the　slightest

movement。　　The　noise　made　by　spurs　on　the　pavement　and　by　the　horse

at　the　end　of　the　courtyard　had　half　awakened　him。　　He　rose；　and

suspecting　some　surprise；　ran　to　the　shed。　　His　horse　was　no　longer

there；　the　marquis；　in　his　haste　to　escape；　had　taken　the　first　which

came　to　hand；　and　this　was　the　soldier's。　　Then　the　soldier　gave　the

alarm；　his　comrades　woke　up。　　They　ran　to　the　prisoner's　room；　and

found　it　empty。　　The　provost　came　from　his　bed　in　a　dazed　condition。

The　prisoner　had　escaped。



Then　the　young　girl；　pretending　to　have　been　roused　by　the　noise；

hindered　the　preparations　by　mislaying　the　saddlery；　impeding　the

horsemen　instead　of　helping　them；　nevertheless；　after　a　quarter　of　an

hour；　all　the　party　were　galloping　along　the　road。　　The　provost　swore

like　a　pagan。　　The　best　horses　led　the　way；　and　the　sentinel；　who

rode　the　marquis's；　and　who　had　a　greater　interest　in　catching　the

prisoner；　far　outstripped　his　companions；　he　was　followed　by　the

sergeant；　equally　well　mounted；　and　as　the　broken　fence　showed　the

line　he　had　taken；　after　some　minutes　they　were　in　view　of　him；　but

at　a　great　distance。　　However；　the　marquis　was　losing　ground；　the

horse　he　had　taken　was　the　worst　in　the　troop；　and　he　had　pressed　it

as　hard　as　it　could　go。　　Turning　in　the　saddle；　he　saw　the　soldiers

half　a　musket…shot　off；　he　urged　his　horse　more　and　more；　tearing　his

sides　with　his　spurs；　but　shortly　the　beast；　completely　winded。

foundered；　the　marquis　rolled　with　it　in　the　dust；　but　when　rolling

over　he　caught　hold　of　the　holsters；　which　he　found　to　contain

pistols；　he　lay　flat　by　the　side　of　the　horse；　as　if　he　had　fainted；

with　a　pistol　at　full　cock　in　his　hand。　　The　sentinel；　mounted　on　a

valuable　horse；　and　more　than　two　hundred　yards　ahead　of　his

serafile；　came　up　to　him。　　In　a　moment　the　marquis；　jumping　up　before

he　had　tune　to　resist　him；　shot　him　through　the　head；　the　horseman

fell；　the　marquis　jumped　up　in　his　place　without　even　setting　foot　in

the　stirrup；　started　off　at　a　gallop；　and　went　away　like　the　wind；

leaving　fifty　yards　behind　him　the　non…commissioned　officer；

dumbfounded　with　what　had　just　passed　before　his　eyes。



The　main　body　of　the　escort　galloped　up；　thinking　that　he　was　taken；

and　the　provost　shouted　till　he　was　hoarse；　〃Do　not　kill　him！〃　But

they　found　only　the　sergeant；　trying　to　restore　life　to　his　man；

whose　skull　was　shattered；　and　who　lay　dead　on　the　spot。



As　for　the　marquis；　he　was　out　of　sight；　for；　fearing　a　fresh

pursuit；　he　had　plunged　into　the　cross　roads；　along　which　he　rode　a

good　hour　longer　at　full　gallop。　　When　he　felt　pretty　sure　of　having

shaken　the　police　off　his　track；　and　that　their　bad　horses　could　not

overtake　him；　he　determined　to　slacken　to　recruit　his　horse；　he　was

walking　him　along　a　hollow　lane；　when　he　saw　a　peasant　approaching；

he　asked　him　the　road　to　the　Bourbonnais；　and　flung　him　a　crown。　　The

man　took　the　crown　and　pointed　out　the　road；　but　he　seemed　hardly　to

know　what　he　was　saying；　and　stared　at　the　marquis　in　a　strange

manner。　　The　marquis　shouted　to　him　to　get　out　of　the　way；　but　the

peasant　remained　planted　on　the　roadside　without　stirring　an　inch。

The　marquis　advanced　with　threatening　looks；　and　asked　how　he　dared

to　stare　at　him　like　that。



〃The　reason　is；〃　said　the　peasant；　〃that　you　have〃；　and　he

pointed　to　his　shoulder　and　his　ruff。



The　marquis　glanced　at　his　dress；　and　saw　that　his　coat　was　dabbled

in　blood；　which；　added　to　the　disorder　of　his　clothes　and　the　dust

with　which　he