the nabob-第101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！


ful　hatred　of　the　Hemerlinguesin　wandering　from　hall　to　hall；　from　ministry　to　ministry　through　the　immense　palace　of　the　Bardo；　which　gathered　within　one　enclosure；　bristling　with　culverins；　all　the　departments　of　the　State；　as　much　under　the　master's　eye　as　his　stables　and　harem。　On　his　arrival；　Paul　had　learned　that　the　Chamber　of　Justice　was　preparing　secretly　Jansoulet's　triala　derisive　trial；　lost　beforehand；　and　the　closed　offices　of　the　Nabob　on　the　Marine　Quay；　the　seals　on　his　strong　boxes；　his　ships　moored　to　the　Goulette；　a　guard　round　his　palace；　seemed　to　speak　of　a　sort　of　civil　death；　of　a　disputed　succession　of　which　the　spoils　would　not　long　remain　to　be　shared。

There　was　not　a　defender；　nor　a　friend；　in　this　voracious　crowd；　the　French　colony　itself　appeared　satisfied　with　the　fall　of　a　courtier　who　had　so　long　monopolized　the　roads　to　favour。　To　attempt　to　snatch　this　prey　from　the　Bey；　excepting　by　a　striking　triumph　at　the　Assembly；　was　not　to　be　thought　of。　All　that　de　Gery　could　hope　for　was　to　save　some　shreds　of　his　fortune；　and　this　only　if　he　hurried；　for　he　was　expecting　day　by　day　to　learn　of　his　friend's　complete　ruin。

He　set　himself　to　work；　therefore；　hurried　on　his　business　with　an　activity　which　nothing　could　discourage；　neither　Oriental　discursivenessthat　refined　fair…spoken　politeness；　under　which　is　hidden　ferocitynor　coolly　indifferent　smiles；　nor　averted　looks；　invoking　divine　fatalism　when　human　lies　fail。　The　self…possession　of　this　southerner；　in　whom　was　condensed；　as　it　were；　all　the　exuberance　of　his　compatriots；　served　him　as　well　as　his　perfect　knowledge　of　French　law；　of　which　the　Code　of　Tunis　is　only　a　disfigured　copy。

By　his　diplomacy　and　discretion；　in　spite　of　the　intrigues　of　Hemerlingue's　sonwho　was　very　influential　at　the　Bardohe　succeeded　in　withdrawing　from　confiscation　the　money　lent　by　the　Nabob　some　months　before；　and　to　snatch　ten　millions　out　of　fifteen　from　Mohammed's　rapacity。　The　very　morning　of　the　day　on　which　the　money　was　to　be　paid　over；　he　received　from　Paris　the　news　of　the　unseating　of　Jansoulet。　He　hurried　at　once　to　the　Palace　to　arrive　there　before　the　news；　and　on　his　return　with　the　ten　millions　in　bills　on　Marseilles　secure　in　his　pocket…book；　he　passed　young　Hemerlingue's　carriage；　with　his　three　mules　at　full　gallop。　The　thin　owl's　face　was　radiant。　De　Gery　understood　that　if　he　remained　many　hours　at　Tunis　his　bills　ran　the　risk　of　being　confiscated；　so　took　his　place　at　once　on　an　Italian　packet　which　was　sailing　next　morning　for　Genoa；　passed　the　night　on　board；　and　was　only　easy　in　his　mind　when　he　saw　far　behind　him　white　Tunis　with　her　gulf　and　the　rocks　of　Cape　Carthage　spread　out　before　her。　On　entering　Genoa；　the　steamer　while　making　for　the　quay　passed　near　a　great　yacht　with　the　Tunisian　flag　flying。　De　Gery　felt　greatly　excited；　and　for　a　moment　believed　that　she　had　come　in　pursuit　of　him；　and　that　on　landing　he　might　be　seized　by　the　Italian　police　like　a　common　thief。　But　the　yacht　was　swinging　peacefully　at　anchor；　her　sailors　cleaning　the　deck　or　repainting　the　red　siren　of　her　figurehead；　as　if　they　were　expecting　someone　of　importance。　Paul　had　not　the　curiosity　to　ask　who　this　personage　was。　He　crossed　the　marble　city；　and　returned　by　the　coast　railway　from　Genoa　to　Marseillesthat　marvellous　route　where　one　passes　suddenly　from　the　blackness　of　the　tunnels　to　the　dazzling　light　of　the　blue　sea。

At　Savona　the　train　stopped；　and　the　passengers　were　told　that　they　could　go　no　farther；　as　one　of　the　little　bridges　over　the　torrents　which　rush　from　the　mountains　to　the　sea　had　been　broken　during　the　night。　They　must　wait　for　the　engineer　and　the　break…down　gang；　already　summoned　by　telegraph；　wait　perhaps　a　half　day。　It　was　early　morning。　The　Italian　town　was　waking　in　one　of　those　veiled　dawns　which　forecast　great　heat　for　the　day。　While　the　dispersed　travellers　took　refuge　in　the　hotels；　installed　themselves　in　the　/cafes/；　and　others　visited　the　town；　de　Gery；　chafing　at　the　delay；　tried　to　think　of　some　means　of　saving　these　few　hours。　He　thought　of　poor　Jansoulet；　to　whom　the　money　he　was　bringing　might　save　honour　and　life；　of　his　dear　Aline；　her　whose　remembrance　had　not　quitted　him　a　single　day　of　his　journey；　no　more　than　the　portrait　which　she　had　given　him。　Then　he　was　inspired　to　hire　one　of　those　four…horse　/calesinos/　which　run　from　Genoa　to　Nice；　along　the　Italian　Cornichean　adorable　trip　which　foreigners；　lovers；　and　winners　at　Monaco　often　enjoy。　The　driver　guaranteed　that　he　would　be　at　Nice　early；　and　even　if　he　arrived　no　earlier　than　the　train；　his　impatient　spirit　felt　the　comfort　of　movement；　of　feeling　at　each　turn　of　the　wheel　the　distance　from　his　desire　decrease。

On　a　fine　morning　in　June；　when　one　is　young　and　in　love；　it　is　a　delicious　intoxication　to　tear　behind　four　horses　over　the　white　Corniche　road。　To　the　left；　a　hundred　feet　below；　the　sea　sparkling　with　foam；　from　the　rounded　rocks　of　the　shore　to　those　vapoury　distances　where　the　blue　of　the　waves　and　of　the　heavens　mingle；　red　or　white　sails　are　scattered　over　it　like　wings；　steamers　leaving　behind　them　their　trail　of　smoke；　and　on　the　sands；　fishermen　no　larger　than　birds；　in　their　anchored　boats　like　nests。　Then　the　road　descends；　follows　a　rapid　declivity　along　the　rocks　and　sharp　promontories。　The　fresh　wind　from　the　waves　shakes　the　little　harness　bells；　while　on　the　right；　on　the　side　of　the　mountain；　the　rows　of　pine…trees；　the　green　oaks　with　roots　capriciously　leaving　the　arid　soil；　and　olive…trees　growing　on　their　terraces；　up　to　a　wide　and　white　pebbly　ravine；　bordered　with　grass；　marking　the　passage　of　the　waters。　This　is　really　a　dried…up　water…course；　which　the　loaded　mules　ascend　with　firm　foot　among　the　shingle；　and　a　washer…woman　stoops　near　a　microscopic　pondthe　few　drops　that　remained　of　the　great　inundation　of　winter。　From　time　to　time　one　crosses　the　street　of　some　village；　or　little　town　rather；　grown　rusty　through　too　much　sun；　of　historic　age；　the　houses　closely　packed　and　joined　by　dark　arcadesa　network　of　vaulted　courts　which　clamber　the　hillside　with　glimpses　of　the　upper　daylight；　here　and　there　letting　one　see　crowds　of　children　with　aureoles　of　hair；　baskets　of　brilliant　fruit；　a　woman　coming　down　the　road；　her　water…pot　on　her　head　and　her　distaff　on　her　arm。　Then　at　a　corner　of　the　street；　the　blue　sparkle　of　the　waves　and　the　immensity　of　nature。

But　as　the　day　advanced；　the　sun　rising　in　the　heavens　spread　over　the　seanow　escaped　from　its　mists；　still　with　the　transparence　of　quartz　thousands　of　rays　striking　the　water　like　arrow…heads；　a　dazzling　sight　made　doubly　so　by　the　whiteness　of　the　rocks　and　of　the　soil；　by　a　veritable　African　sirocco　which　raised　the　dust　in　a　whirlwind　on　the　road。　They　were　coming　to　the　hottest　and　most　sheltered　places　of　the　Cornichea　true　exotic　temperature；　scattering　dates；　cactus；　and　aloes。　Seeing　these　thin　trunks；　this　fantastic　vegetation　in　the　white　hot　air；　feeling　the　blinding　dust　crackle　under　the　wheels　like　snow；　de　Gery；　his　eyes　half　closed；　dreaming　in　this　leaden　noon；　thought　he　was　once　more　on　that　fatiguing　road　from　Tunis　to　the　Bardo；　in　a　singular　medley　of　Levantine　carriages　with　brilliant　liveries；　of　long…necked　camels；　of　caparisoned　mules；　of　young　donkeys；　of　Arabs　in　rags；　of　half…naked　negroes；　of　officials　in　full…dress　with　their　guard　of　honour。　Should　he　find　there；　where　the　road　ran　through　the　gardens　of　palm…trees；　the　strange　and　colossal　architecture　of　the　Bey's　palace；　its　barred　windows　with　closed　lattices；　its　marble　gates；　its　balconies　in　carved　wood　painted　in　bright　colours？　It　was　not　the　Bardo；　but　the　lovely　country　of　Bordighera；　divided；　like　all　those　on　the　coast；　into　two　partsthe　sea　town　lying　on　the　shore；　and　the　upper　town；　joined　to　it　by　a　forest　of　motionless　palm…trees；　with　upright　stem　and　falling　crown　like　green　rockets；　springing　into　the　blue　with　their　thousand　feathers。

The　insupportable　heat；　the　overtired　horses；　forced　the　traveller　to　stop　for　a　couple　of　hours　at　one　of　those　great　hotels　which　line　the　road；　and　bring　every　November　into　this　little　town；　so　marvellously　sheltere