an historical mystery-第13部分

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wept　with　rage　when　she　heard　he　was　safe。　Her　despair　overcame　her
usual　reticence；　and　she　vehemently　complained　that　God　had　deserted
the　sons　of　Saint…Louis。

〃I；〃　she　exclaimed；　〃I　could　have　succeeded！　Have　we　no　right；〃　she
added；　seeing　the　stupefaction　her　words　produced　on　the　faces　about
her；　and　addressing　the　abbe；　〃no　right　to　attack　the　usurper　by　every
means　in　our　power？〃

〃My　child；〃　replied　the　abbe；　〃the　Church　has　been　greatly　blamed　by
philosophers　for　declaring　in　former　times　that　the　same　weapons　might
be　employed　against　usurpers　which　the　usurpers　themselves　had
employed　to　succeed；　but　in　these　days　the　Church　owes　far　too　much　to
the　First　Consul　not　to　protect　him　against　that　maxim；which；　by　the
by；　was　due　to　the　Jesuits。〃

〃So　the　Church　abandons　us！〃　she　answered；　gloomily。

From　that　day　forth　whenever　the　four　old　people　talked　of　submitting
to　the　decrees　of　Providence；　Laurence　left　the　room。　Of　late；　the
abbe；　shrewder　than　Monsieur　d'Hauteserre；　instead　of　discussing
principles；　drew　pictures　of　the　material　advantages　of　the　consular
rule；　less　to　convert　the　countess　than　to　detect　in　her　eyes　some
expression　which　might　enlighten　him　as　to　her　projects。　Gothard's
frequent　disappearances；　the　long　rides　of　his　mistress；　and　her
evident　preoccupation；　which；　for　the　last　few　days；　had　appeared　in
her　face；　together　with　other　little　signs　not　to　be　hidden　in　the
silence　and　tranquillity　of　such　a　life；　had　roused　the　fears　of　these
submissive　royalists。　Still；　as　no　event　happened；　and　perfect　quiet
appeared　to　reign　in　the　political　atmosphere；　the　minds　of　the　little
household　were　soothed　into　peace；　and　the　countess's　long　rides　were
one　more　attributed　to　her　passion　for　hunting。

It　is　easy　to　imagine　the　deep　silence　which　reigned　at　nine　o'clock
in　the　evening　in　the　park；　courtyards；　and　gardens　of　Cinq…Cygne；
where　at　that　particular　moment　the　persons　we　have　described　were
harmoniously　grouped；　where　perfect　peace　pervaded　all　things；　where
comfort　and　abundance　were　again　enjoyed；　and　where　the　worthy　and
judicious　old　gentleman　was　still　hoping　to　convert　his　late　ward　to
his　system　of　obedience　to　the　ruling　powers　by　the　argument　of　what
we　may　call　the　continuity　of　prosperous　results。

These　royalists　continued　to　play　their　boston；　a　game　which　spread
ideas　of　independence　under　a　frivolous　form　over　the　whole　of　France；
for　it　was　first　invented　in　honor　of　the　American　insurgents；　its
very　terms　applying　to　the　struggle　which　Louis　XVI。　encouraged。　While
making　their　〃independences〃　and　〃poverties；〃　the　players　kept　an　eye
on　the　countess；　who　had　fallen　asleep；　overcome　by　fatigue；　with　a
singular　smile　on　her　lips；　her　last　waking　thought　having　been　of　the
terror　two　words　could　inspire　in　the　minds　of　the　peaceful　company　by
informing　the　d'Hauteserres　that　their　sons　had　passed　the　preceding
night　under　that　roof。　What　young　girl　of　twenty…three　would　not　have
been；　as　Laurence　was；　proud　to　play　the　part　of　Destiny？　and　who
would　not　have　felt；　as　she　did；　a　sense　of　compassion　for　those　whom
she　felt　to　be　so　far　below　her　in　loyalty？

〃She　sleeps；〃　said　the　abbe。　〃I　have　never　seen　her　so　wearied。〃

〃Durieu　tells　me　her　mare　is　almost　foundered；〃　remarked　Madame
d'Hauteserre。　〃Her　gun　has　not　been　fired；　the　breech　is　clean；　she
has　evidently　not　hunted。〃

〃Oh！　that's　neither　here　nor　there；〃　said　the　abbe。

〃Bah？〃　cried　Mademoiselle　Goujet；　〃when　I　was　twenty…three　and　saw　I
should　be　an　old　maid　all　my　life；　I　rushed　about　and　fatigued　myself
in　a　dozen　ways。　I　understand　how　the　countess　can　scour　the　country
for　hours　without　thinking　of　the　game。　It　is　nearly　twelve　years　now
since　she　has　seen　her　cousins；　and　you　know　she　loves　them。　Well；　if
I　were　she；　if　I　were　as　young　and　pretty；　I'd　make　a　straight　line
for　Germany！　Poor　darling；　perhaps　she　is　thinking　of　the　frontier；
and　that　may　be　the　reason　why　she　rides　so　far　towards　it。〃

〃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　bec