la constantin-第12章

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t　your　return。　After　you　have　handed　over　the　patient　to　the　doctor；　you　will　procure　paper　and　write…now　pay　great　attentionthat　on　November　20th；　1658；　about　midnight；　you；　aided　by　an　unknown　man；　carried　to　this　house；　the　address　of　which　you　will　give；　a　young　man　whom　you　call　the　Chevalier　de　Moranges；　and　pass　off　as　your　nephew〃

〃As　he　really　is。〃

〃Very　well。〃

〃But　who　told　you？〃

〃Let　me　go　on：　who　had　been　wounded　in　a　fight　with　swords　on　the　same　night　behind　the　church　of　Saint…Andre…des…Arts　by　the　Duc　de　Vitry。〃

〃The　Duc　de　Vitry！How　do　you　know　that？〃

〃No　matter　how；　I　know　it　for　a　fact。　　Having　made　this　declaration；　you　will　add　that　the　said　Chevalier　de　Moranges　is　no　other　than　Josephine…Charlotte　Boullenois；　whom　you；　commander；　abducted　four　months　ago　from　the　convent　of　La　Raquette；　whom　you　have　made　your　mistress；　and　whom　you　conceal　disguised　as　a　man；　then　you　will　add　your　signature。　　Is　my　information　correct？〃

De　Jars　and　Jeannin　were　speechless　with　surprise　for　a　few　instants；　then　the　former　stammered

〃Will　you　tell　us　who　you　are？〃

〃The　devil　in　person；　if　you　like。　　Well；　will　you　do　as　I　order？　Supposing　that　I　am　awkward　enough　not　to　kill　you　at　two　paces；　do　you　want　me　to　ask　you　in　broad　daylight　and　aloud　what　I　now　ask　at　night　and　in　a　whisper？　　And　don't　think　to　put　me　off　with　a　false　declaration；　relying　on　my　not　being　able　to　read　it　by　the　light　of　the　moon；　don't　think　either　that　you　can　take　me　by　surprise　when　you　hand　it　me：　you　will　bring　it　to　me　with　your　swords　sheathed　as　now。　　If　this　condition　is　not　observed；　I　shall　fire；　and　the　noise　will　bring　a　crowd　about　us。　　To…morrow　I　shall　speak　differently　from　to…day：　I　shall　proclaim　the　truth　at　all　the　street　corners；　in　the　squares；　and　under　the　windows　of　the　Louvre。　　It　is　hard；　I　know；　for　men　of　spirit　to　yield　to　threats；　but　recollect　that　you　are　in　my　power　and　that　there　is　no　disgrace　in　paying　a　ransom　for　a　life　that　one　cannot　defend。　　What　do　you　say？〃

In　spite　of　his　natural　courage；　Jeannin；　who　found　himself　involved　in　an　affair　from　which　he　had　nothing　to　gain；　and　who　was　not　at　all　desirous　of　being　suspected　of　having　helped　in　an　abduction；　whispered　to　the　commander

〃Faith！　　I　think　our　wisest　course　is　to　consent。〃

De　Jars；　however；　before　replying；　wished　to　try　if　he　could　by　any　chance　throw　his　enemy　off　his　guard　for　an　instant；　so　as　to　take　him　unawares。　　His　hand　still　rested　on　the　hilt　of　his　sword；　motionless；　but　ready　to　draw。

〃There　is　someone　coming　over　yonder；〃　he　cried；〃do　you　hear？〃

〃You　can't　catch　me　in　that　way；〃　said　Quennebert。　　〃Even　were　there　anyone　coming；　I　should　not　look　round；　and　if　you　move　your　hand　all　is　over　with　you。〃

〃Well；〃　said　Jeannin；　〃I　surrender　at　discretionnot　on　my　own　account；　but　out　of　regard　for　my　friend　and　this　woman。　　However；　we　are　entitle　to　some　pledge　of　your　silence。　　This　statement　that　you　demand；　once　written；you　can　ruin　us　tomorrow　by　its　means。〃

〃I　don't　yet　know　what　use　I　shall　make　of　it；　gentlemen。　　Make　up　your　minds；　or　you　will　have　nothing　but　a　dead　body　to　placein　the　doctor's　hands。　　There　is　no　escape　for　you。〃

For　the　first　time　the　wounded　man　faintly　groaned。

〃I　must　save　her！〃　cried　de　Jars；〃I　yield。〃

〃And　I　swear　upon　my　honour　that　I　will　never　try　to　get　this　woman　out　of　your　hands；　and　that　I　will　never　interfere　with　your　conquest。　　Knock；　gentlemen；　and　remain　as　long　as　may　be　necessary。　I　am　patient。　　Pray　to　God；　if　you　will；　that　she　may　recover；　my　one　desire　is　that　she　may　die。〃

They　entered　the　house；　and　Quennebert；　wrapping　himself　once　more　in　his　mantle；　walked　up　and　down　before　it；　stopping　to　listen　from　time　to　time。　　In　about　two　hours　the　commander　and　the　treasurer　came　out　again；　and　handed　him　a　written　paper　in　the　manner　agreed　on。

〃I　greatly　fear　that　it　will　be　a　certificate　of　death；〃　said　de　Jars。

〃Heaven　grant　it；　commander！　　Adieu；　messieurs。〃

He　then　withdrew；　walking　backwards；　keeping　the　two　friends　covered　with　his　pistols　until　he　had　placed　a　sufficient　distance　between　himself　and　them　to　be　out　of　danger　of　an　attack。

The　two　gentlemen　on　their　part　walked　rapidly　away；　looking　round　from　time　to　time；　and　keeping　their　ears　open。　　They　were　very　much　mortified　at　having　been　forced　to　let　a　mere　boor　dictate　to　them；　and　anxious；　especially　de　Jars；　as　to　the　result　of　the　wound。




CHAPTER　VII

On　the　day　following　this　extraordinary　series　of　adventures；　explanations　between　those　who　were　mixed　up　in　them；　whether　as　actors　or　spectators；　were　the　order　of　the　day。　　It　was　not　till　Maitre　Quennebert　reached　the　house　of　the　friend　who　had　offered　to　put　him　up　for　the　night　that　it　first　dawned　on　him；　that　the　interest　which　the　Chevalier　de　Moranges　had　awakened　in　his　mind　had　made　him　utterly　forget　the　bag　containing　the　twelve　hundred　livres　which　he　owed　to　the　generosity　of　the　widow。　　This　money　being　necessary　to　him；　he　went　back　to　her　early　next　morning。　　He　found　her　hardly　recovered　from　her　terrible　fright。　　Her　swoon　had　lasted　far　beyond　the　time　when　the　notary　had　left　the　house；　and　as　Angelique；　not　daring　to　enter　the　bewitched　room；　had　taken　refuge　in　the　most　distant　corner　of　her　apartments；　the　feeble　call　of　the　widow　was　heard　by　no　one。　　Receiving　no　answer；　Madame　Rapally　groped　her　way　into　the　next　room；　and　finding　that　empty；　buried　herself　beneath　the　bedclothes；　and　passed　the　rest　of　the　night　dreaming　of　drawn　swords；　duels；　and　murders。　　As　soon　as　it　was　light　she　ventured　into　the　mysterious　room　once　more；　without　calling　her　servants；　and　found　the　bag　of　crowns　lying　open　on　the　floor；　with　the　coins　scattered　all　around；　the　partition　broken；　and　the　tapestry　hanging　from　it　in　shreds。　　The　widow　was　near　fainting　again：　she　imagined　at　first　she　saw　stains　of　blood　everywhere；　but　a　closer　inspection　having　somewhat　reassured　her；　she　began　to　pick　up　the　coins　that　had　rolled　　to　right　and　left；　and　was　agreeably　surprised　to　　find　the　tale　complete。　　But　how　and　why　had　Maitre　Quennebert　abandoned　them？　　What　had　become　of　him？　　She　had　got　lost　in　the　most　absurd　　suppositions　and　conjectures　when　the　notary　appeared。　　Discovering　from　the　first　words　she　uttered　that　she　was　in　complete　ignorance　of　all　that　had　taken　place；　he　explained　to　her　that　when　the　interview　between　the　chevalier　and　Mademoiselle　de　Guerchi　had　just　at　the　most　interesting　moment　been　so　unceremoniously　interrupted　by　the　arrival　of　the　duke；　he　had　become　so　absorbed　in　　watching　them　that　he　had　not　noticed　that　the　partition　was　bending　before　the　pressure　of　his　body；　and　that　just　as　the　duke　drew　his　sword　it　suddenly　gave　way；　and　he；　Quennebert；　being　thus　left　without　support；　tumbled　head　foremost　into　the　next　room；　among　a　perfect　chaos　of　overturned　furniture　and　lamps；　that　almost　before　he　could　rise　he　was　forced　to　draw　in　self…defence；　and　had　to　make　his　escape；　defending　himself　against　both　the　duke　and　the　chevalier；　that　they　had　pursued　him　so　hotly；　that　when　he　found　himself　free　he　was　too　far　from　the　house　and　the　hour　was　too　advanced　to　admit　of　his　returning；　Quennebert　added　innumerable　protestations　of　friendship；　devotion；　and　gratitude；　and；　furnished　with　his　twelve　hundred　crowns；　went　away；　leaving　the　widow　reassured　as　to　his　safety；　but　still　shaken　from　her　fright。

While　the　notary　was　thus　soothing　the　widow；　Angelique　was　exhausting　all　the　expedients　her　trade　had　taught　her　in　the　attempt　to　remove　the　duke's　suspicions。　　She　asserted　she　was　the　victim　of　an　unforeseen　attack　which　nothing　in　her　conduct　had　ever　authorised。　　The　young　Chevalier　de　Moranges　had；　gained　admittance；　she　declared；　under　the　pretext　that　he　brought　her　news　from　the　duke；　the　one　man　who　occupied　her　thoughts；　the　sole　object　of　her　love。　　The　chevalier　had　seen　her　lover；　he　said；　a　few　days　before；　and　by　cleverly　appealing　to　things　back；　he　had　led　her　to　fear　that　the　duke　had　grown　tired　of　her；　and　that　a　new　conquest　was　the　cause　of　his　absence。　　She　had　not　believed　these　insinuations；　although　his　long　silence　wo