an historical mystery-第15章

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〃You　are　rather　giddy；　Mademoiselle　Goujet；〃　said　the　abbe；　smiling。

〃Not　at　all；〃　she　replied。　〃I　see　you　all　uneasy　about　the　goings　on
of　a　young　girl；　and　I　am　explaining　them　to　you。〃

〃Her　cousins　will　submit　and　return　soon；　they　will　all　be　rich；　and
she　will　end　by　calming　down；〃　said　old　d'Hauteserre。

〃God　grant　it！〃　said　his　wife；　taking　out　a　gold　snuff…box　which　had
again　seen　the　light　under　the　Consulate。

〃There　is　something　stirring　in　the　neighborhood；〃　remarked　Monsieur
d'Hauteserre　to　the　abbe。　〃Malin　has　been　two　days　at　Gondreville。〃

〃Malin！〃　cried　Laurence；　roused　by　the　name；　though　her　sleep　was
sound。

〃Yes；〃　replied　the　abbe；　〃but　he　leaves　to…night；　everybody　is
conjecturing　the　motive　of　this　hasty　visit。〃

〃That　man；〃　said　Laurence；　〃is　the　evil　genius　of　our　two　houses。〃

The　countess　had　been　dreaming　of　her　cousins　and　the　young
Hauteserres；　she　saw　them　in　peril。　Her　beautiful　eyes　grew　fixed　and
glassy　as　her　mind　thus　warned　dwelled　on　the　dangers　they　were　about
to　incur　in　Paris。　She　rose　suddenly　and　went　to　her　bedroom　without
speaking。　Her　bedroom　was　the　best　in　the　house；　next　came　a　dressing…
room　and　an　oratory；　in　the　tower　which　faced　towards　the　forest。　Soon
after　she　had　left　the　salon　the　dogs　barked；　the　bell　of　the　small
gate　rang；　and　Durieu　rushed　into　the　salon　with　a　frightened　face。
〃Here　is　the　mayor！〃　he　said。　〃Something　is　the　matter。〃



CHAPTER　VI

A　DOMICILIARY　VISIT

The　mayor；　a　former　huntsman　of　the　house　of　Simeuse；　came
occasionally　to　the　chateau；　where　the　d'Hauteserres　showed　him　out　of
policy；　a　deference　to　which　he　attached　great　value。　His　name　was
Goulard；　he　had　married　a　rich　woman　of　Troyes；　whose　property；　which
was　in　the　commune　of　Cinq…Cygne；　he　had　further　increased　by　the
purchase　of　a　fine　abbey　and　its　lands；　in　which　he　invested　all　his
savings。　The　vast　abbey　of　Val…des…Preux；　standing　about　a　mile　from
the　chateau；　he　had　turned　into　a　dwelling　that　was　almost　as　splendid
as　Gondreville；　in　it　his　wife　and　he　were　now　living　like　rats　in　a
cathedral。　〃Ah！　Goulard；　you　have　been　greedy；〃　Mademoiselle　had　said
to　him　with　a　laugh　the　first　time　she　received　him　at　Cinq…Cygne。
Though　greatly　attached　to　the　Revolution　and　coldly　received　by　the
countess；　the　mayor　always　felt　himself　bound　by　ties　of　respect　to
the　Cinq…Cygne　and　Simeuse　families。　He　therefore　shut　his　eyes　to
what　went　on　at　the　chateau。　He　called　shutting　his　eyes　not　seeing
the　portraits　of　Louis　XVI。；　Marie　Antoinette；　and　the　royal　children；
and　those　of　Monsieur；　the　Comte　d'Artois；　Cazales　and　Charlotte
Corday；　which　filled　the　various　panels　of　the　salon；　not　resenting
either　the　wishes　freely　expressed　in　his　presence　for　the　ruin　of　the
Republic；　or　the　ridicule　flung　at　the　five　directors　and　all　the
other　governmental　combinations　of　that　time。　The　position　of　this
man；　who；　like　many　parvenus；　having　once　made　his　fortune；　reverted
to　his　early　faith　in　the　old　families；　and　sought　to　attach　himself
to　them；　was　now　being　made　use　of　by　the　two　members　of　the　Paris
police　whose　profession　had　been　so　quickly　guessed　by　Michu；　and　who；
before　going　to　Gondreville　had　reconnoitred　the　neighborhood。

The　worthy　described　as　the　depositary　of　the　best　traditions　of　the
old　police；　and　Corentin　phoenix　of　spies；　were　in　fact　employed　on　a
secret　mission。　Malin　was　not　mistaken　in　attributing　a　double　purpose
to　those　stars　of　tragic　farces。　But；　before　seeing　them　at　work；　it
is　advisable　to　show　the　head　of　which　they　were　the　arms。　When
Bonaparte　became　First　Consul　he　found　Fouche　at　the　head　of　the
police。　The　Revolution　had　frankly　and　with　good　reason　made　the
management　of　the　police　into　a　special　ministry。　But　after　his　return
from　Marengo；　Bonaparte　created　the　prefecture　of　police；　placed
Dubois　in　charge　of　it；　and　called　Fouche　to　the　Council　of　State；
naming　as　his　successor　in　the　ministry　a　conventional　named　Cochon；
since　known　as　Comte　de　Lapparent。　Fouche；　who　considered　the　ministry
of　police　as　by　far　the　most　important　in　a　government　of　broad　ideas
and　fixed　policy；　saw　disgrace　or　at　any　rate　distrust　in　the　change。
After　Napoleon　became　aware　of　the　immense　superiority　of　this　great
statesman；　as　evidenced　in　the　affair　of　the　infernal　machine　and　in
the　conspiracy　with　which　we　are　now　concerned；　he　returned　him　to　the
ministry　of　police。　Later　still；　becoming　alarmed　at　the　powers　Fouche
displayed　during　his　absence　at　the　time　of　the　affair　at　Walcheren；
the　Emperor　gave　that　ministry　to　the　Duc　de　Rovigo；　and　sent　Fouche
（Duc　d'Otrante）　as　governor　to　the　Illyrian　provinces；an　appointment
which　was　in　fact　an　exile。

The　singular　genius　of　this　man；　Fouche；　which　had　the　power　of
inspiring　Napoleon　with　a　sort　of　fear；　did　not　reveal　itself　all　at
once。　This　obscure　conventional；　one　of　the　most　extraordinary　men　of
our　time；　and　the　most　misjudged；　was　moulded；　as　it　were；　by　the
whirlwind　of　events。　He　raised　himself　under　the　Directory　to　the
height　from　which　men　of　genius　could　see　the　future　and　judge　the
past；　and　then；　like　certain　commonplace　actors　who　suddenly　become
admirable　through　the　light　of　some　vivid　perception；　he　gave　proofs
of　his　dexterity　during　the　rapid　revolution　of　the　18th　Brumaire。
This　man　with　the　pallid　face；　educated　to　monastic　dissimulation；
possessing　the　secrets　of　the　/montagnards/　to　whom　he　belonged；　and
those　of　the　royalists　to　whom　he　ended　by　belonging；　had　slowly　and
silently　studied　the　men；　the　events；　and　the　interests　on　the
political　stage；　he　penetrated　Napoleon's　secrets；　he　gave　him　useful
counsel　and　precious　information。　Satisfied　with　having　proven　his
capacity　and　his　usefulness；　Fouche　was　careful　not　to　disclose
himself　completely。　He　wished　to　remain　at　the　head　of　affairs；　but
the　Emperor's　restless　uneasiness　about　him　cost　him　his　place。

The　ingratitude　or　rather　the　distrust　shown　by　Napoleon　after　the
affair　at　Walcheren；　gives　the　key…note　to　the　character　of　a　man　who；
unfortunately　for　himself；　was　not　a　great　/seigneur/；　and　whose
conduct　was　modelled　on　that　of　Talleyrand。　At　that　time　neither　his
former　colleagues　nor　his　present　ones　had　suspected　the　amplitude　of
his　genius；　which　was　purely　ministerial；　essentially　governmental；
just　in　its　forecasts　and　incredibly　sagacious。　To…day；　every
impartial　historian　perceives　that　Napoleon's　inordinate　self…love　was
among　the　chief　causes　of　his　fall；　a　punishment　which　cruelly
expiated　his　wrong…doing。　In　the　mind　of　that　distrustful　sovereign
lurked　a　constant　jealousy　for　his　own　rising　power；　which　influenced
all　his　actions；　and　caused　his　secret　hatred　for　men　of　talent；　the
precious　legacy　of　the　Revolution；　with　whom　he　might　have　made
himself　a　cabinet　capable　of　being　a　true　repository　for　his　thoughts。
Talleyrand　and　Fouche　were　not　the　only　ones　who　gave　him　umbrage。　The
misfortune　of　usurpers　is　that　those　who　have　given　them　a　crown　are
as　much　their　enemies　as　those　from　whom　they　snatch　it。　Napoleon's
sovereignty　was　never　convincingly　felt　by　those　who　were　once　his
superiors　or　his　equals；　nor　by　those　who　still　held　to　the　doctrine
of　rights；　none　of　them　regarded　their　oath　of　allegiance　to　him　as
binding。

Malin；　an　inferior　man；　incapable　of　comprehending　Fouche's　hidden
genius；　or　of　distrusting　his　own　perceptions；　burned　himself；　like　a
moth　in　a　candle；　by　asking　him　confidentially　to　send　agents　to
Gondreville；　where；　he　said；　he　hoped　to　obtain　certain　clues　to　the
conspiracy。　Fouche；　without　alarming　his　friend　by　any　questions；
asked　himself　why　Malin　was　going　to　Gondreville；　and　why　he　did　not
immediately　and　without　loss　of　time；　give　the　information　he　already
possessed。　The　ex…Oratorian；　fed　from　his　youth　up　on　trickery；　and
well　aware　of　the　double　part　played　by　a　good　many　of　the
conventionals；　said　to　himself：　〃From　whom　is　Malin　likely　to　obtain
information　when　we　ourselves　know　little　or　nothing？〃　Fouche
concluded　therefore　that　there　was　some　either　latent　or　prospective
collusion；　and　took　care　to　say　nothing　about　it　to　the　First　Consul。