an historical mystery-第3部分

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！


first　supposed。　The　all…powerful　Councillor　of　State　was　the　most
important　personage　in　Arcis。　He　had　obtained　for　one　of　his　political
friends　the　prefecture　of　Troyes；　and　for　a　farmer　at　Gondreville　the
exemption　of　his　son　from　the　draft；　in　fact；　he　had　done　services　to
many。　Consequently；　the　sale　met　with　no　opposition　in　the
neighborhood　where　Malin　then　reigned；　and　where　he　still　reigns
supreme。

The　Empire　was　just　dawning。　Those　who　in　these　days　read　the
histories　of　the　French　Revolution　can　form　no　conception　of　the　vast
spaces　which　public　thought　traversed　between　events　which　now　seem　to
have　been　so　near　together。　The　strong　need　of　peace　and　tranquillity
which　every　one　felt　after　the　violent　tumults　of　the　Revolution
brought　about　a　complete　forgetfulness　of　important　anterior　facts。
History　matured　rapidly　under　the　advance　of　new　and　eager　interests。
No　one；　therefore；　except　Michu；　looked　into　the　past　of　this　affair；
which　the　community　accepted　as　a　simple　matter。　Marion；　who　had
bought　Gondreville　for　six　hundred　thousand　francs　in　assignats；　sold
it　for　the　value　of　a　couple　of　million　in　coin；　but　the　only　payments
actually　made　by　Malin　were　for　the　costs　of　registration。　Grevin；　a
seminary　comrade　of　Malin；　assisted　the　transaction；　and　the
Councillor　rewarded　his　help　with　the　office　of　notary　at　Arcis。　When
the　news　of　the　sale　reached　the　pavilion；　brought　there　by　a　farmer
whose　farm；　at　Grouage；　was　situated　between　the　forest　and　the　park
on　the　left　of　the　noble　avenue；　Michu　turned　pale　and　left　the　house。
He　lay　in　wait　for　Marion；　and　finally　met　him　alone　in　one　of　the
shrubberies　of　the　park。

〃Is　monsieur　about　to　sell　Gondreville？〃　asked　the　bailiff。

〃Yes；　Michu；　yes。　You　will　have　a　man　of　powerful　influence　for　your
master。　He　is　the　friend　of　the　First　Consul；　and　very　intimate　with
all　the　ministers；　he　will　protect　you。〃

〃Then　you　were　holding　the　estate　for　him？〃

〃I　don't　say　that；〃　replied　Marion。　〃At　the　time　I　bought　it　I　was
looking　for　a　place　to　put　my　money；　and　I　invested　in　national
property　as　the　best　security。　But　it　doesn't　suit　me　to　keep　an
estate　once　belonging　to　a　family　in　which　my　father　was〃

〃a　servant；〃　said　Michu；　violently。　〃But　you　shall　not　sell　it！　I
want　it；　and　I　can　pay　for　it。〃

〃You？〃

〃Yes；　I；　seriously；　in　good　gold；eight　hundred　thousand　francs。〃

〃Eight　hundred　thousand　francs！〃　exclaimed　Marion。　〃Where　did　you　get
them？〃

〃That's　none　of　your　business；〃　replied　Michu；　then；　softening　his
tone；　he　added　in　a　low　voice：　〃My　father…in…law　saved　the　lives　of
many　persons。〃

〃You　are　too　late；　Michu；　the　sale　is　made。〃

〃You　must　put　it　off；　monsieur！〃　cried　the　bailiff；　seizing　his　master
by　the　hand　which　he　held　as　in　a　vice。　〃I　am　hated；　but　I　choose　to
be　rich　and　powerful；　and　I　must　have　Gondreville。　Listen　to　me；　I
don't　cling　to　life；　sell　me　that　place　or　I'll　blow　your　brains
out！〃

〃But　do　give　me　time　to　get　off　my　bargain　with　Malin；　he's
troublesome　to　deal　with。〃

〃I'll　give　you　twenty…four　hours。　If　you　say　a　word　about　this　matter
I'll　chop　your　head　off　as　I　would　chop　a　turnip。〃

Marion　and　Malin　left　the　chateau　in　the　course　of　the　night。　Marion
was　frightened；　he　told　Malin　of　the　meeting　and　begged　him　to　keep　an
eye　on　the　bailiff。　It　was　impossible　for　Marion　to　avoid　delivering
the　property　to　the　man　who　had　been　the　real　purchaser；　and　Michu　did
not　seem　likely　to　admit　any　such　reason。　Moreover；　this　service　done
by　Marion　to　Malin　was　to　be；　and　in　fact　ended　by　being；　the　origin
of　the　former's　political　fortune；　and　also　that　of　his　brother。　In
1806　Malin　had　him　appointed　chief　justice　of　an　imperial　court；　and
after　the　creation　of　tax…collectors　his　brother　obtained　the　post　of
receiver…general　for　the　department　of　the　Aube。　The　State　Councillor
told　Marion　to　stay　in　Paris；　and　he　warned　the　minister　of　police；
who　gave　orders　that　Michu　should　be　secretly　watched。　Not　wishing　to
push　the　man　to　extremes；　Malin　kept　him　on　as　bailiff；　under　the　iron
rule　of　Grevin　the　notary　of　Arcis。

From　that　moment　Michu　became　more　absorbed　and　taciturn　than　ever；
and　obtained　the　reputation　of　a　man　who　was　capable　of　committing　a
crime。　Malin；　the　Councillor　of　State　（a　function　which　the　First
Consul　raised　to　the　level　of　a　ministry）；　and　a　maker　of　the　Code；
played　a　great　part　in　Paris；　where　he　bought　one　of　the　finest
mansions　in　the　Faubuorg　Saint…Germain　after　marrying　the　only
daughter　of　a　rich　contractor　named　Sibuelle。　He　never　came　to
Gondreville；　leaving　all　matters　concerning　the　property　to　the
management　of　Grevin；　the　Arcis　notary。　After　all；　what　had　he　to
fear？he；　a　former　representative　of　the　Aube；　and　president　of　a
club　of　Jacobins。　And　yet；　the　unfavorable　opinion　of　Michu　held　by
the　lower　classes　was　shared　by　the　bourgeoisie；　and　Marion；　Grevin；
and　Malin；　without　giving　any　reason　or　compromising　themselves　on　the
subject；　showed　that　they　regarded　him　as　an　extremely　dangerous　man。
The　authorities；　who　were　under　instructions　from　the　minister　of
police　to　watch　the　bailiff；　did　not　of　course　lessen　this　belief。　The
neighborhood　wondered　that　he　kept　his　place；　but　supposed　it　was　in
consequence　of　the　terror　he　inspired。　It　is　easy　now；　after　these
explanations；　to　understand　the　anxiety　and　sadness　expressed　in　the
face　of　Michu's　wife。

In　the　first　place；　Marthe　had　been　piously　brought　up　by　her　mother。
Both；　being　good　Catholics；　had　suffered　much　from　the　opinions　and
behavior　of　the　tanner。　Marthe　could　never　think　without　a　blush　of
having　marched　through　the　street　of　Troyes　in　the　garb　of　a　goddess。
Her　father　had　forced　her　to　marry　Michu；　whose　bad　reputation　was
then　increasing；　and　she　feared　him　too　much　to　be　able　to　judge　him。
Nevertheless；　she　knew　that　he　loved　her；　and　at　the　bottom　of　her
heart　lay　the　truest　affection　for　this　awe…inspiring　man；　she　had
never　known　him　to　do　anything　that　was　not　just；　never　did　he　say　a
brutal　word；　to　her　at　least；　in　fact；　he　endeavored　to　forestall　her
every　wish。　The　poor　pariah；　believing　himself　disagreeable　to　his
wife；　spent　most　of　his　time　out　of　doors。　Marthe　and　Michu；
distrustful　of　each　other；　lived　in　what　is　called　in　these　days　an
〃armed　peace。〃　Marthe；　who　saw　no　one；　suffered　keenly　from　the
ostracism　which　for　the　last　seven　years　had　surrounded　her　as　the
daughter　of　a　revolutionary　butcher；　and　the　wife　of　a　so…called
traitor。　More　than　once　she　had　overheard　the　laborers　of　the
adjoining　farm　（held　by　a　man　named　Beauvisage；　greatly　attached　to
the　Simeuse　family）　say　as　they　passed　the　pavilion；　〃That's　where
Judas　lives！〃　The　singular　resemblance　between　the　bailiff's　head　and
that　of　the　thirteenth　apostle；　which　his　conduct　appeared　to　carry
out；　won　him　that　odious　nickname　throughout　the　neighborhood。　It　was
this　distress　of　mind；　added　to　vague　but　constant　fears　for　the
future；　which　gave　Marthe　her　thoughtful　and　subdued　air。　Nothing
saddens　so　deeply　as　unmerited　degradation　from　which　there　seems　no
escape。　A　painter　could　have　made　a　fine　picture　of　this　family　of
pariahs　in　the　bosom　of　their　pretty　nook　in　Champagne；　where　the
landscape　is　generally　sad。

〃Francois！〃　called　the　bailiff；　to　hasten　his　son。

Francois　Michu；　a　child　of　ten；　played　in　the　park　and　forest；　and
levied　his　little　tithes　like　a　master；　he　ate　the　fruits；　he　chased
the　game；　he　at　least　had　neither　cares　nor　troubles。　Of　all　the
family；　Francois　alone　was　happy　in　a　home　thus　isolated　from　the
neighborhood　by　its　position　between　the　park　and　the　forest；　and　by
the　still　greater　moral　solitude　of　universal　repulsion。

〃Pick　up　these　things；〃　said　his　father；　pointing　to　the　parapet；　〃and
put　them　away。　Look　at　me！　You　love　your　father　and　your　mother；　don't
you？〃　The　child　flung　himself　on　his　father　as　if　to　kiss　him；　but
Michu　made　a　movement　to　shift　the　gun　and　pushed　him　back。　〃Very
good。　You　have　sometimes　chattered　about　things　that　are　done　here；〃
continued　the　father；　fixing　his　eyes；　dangerous　as　those　of　a　wild…
cat；　on　the　boy。　〃Now　remember　this；　if　you　tell　the　least　little
thing　that　happens　here　to　Gaucher；　or　to　the　Grouage　and　Bellache
people；　or　even　to　Marianne　who　loves　us；　you　will　kill　your　father。
Never　tattle　again；　and　I　will　forgive　what　you　said　yesterday。〃　The
child　began　to　cry。　〃Don't　cry；　but　when　any　one　questions　you；　say；
as　the　peasants　do；　'I　don't　know。'　There　are　persons　roaming　about
whom　I　distrust。　Run　along！　As　for　you　two；〃　he　added；　turning　to　the
women；　〃you　have　heard　what　I　said。　Keep　a　close　mouth；　both　of　you。〃

〃Husband；　what　are　you　going　to　do？〃

Michu；　who　was　carefully　measuring　a　charge　of　powder；　poured　it　into
the　barrel　of　his　gun；　rested　the　weapon　against　the　parapet　and　said
to　Marthe：

〃No　one　knows　I　own　that　gun。　Stand　in　front　of　it。〃

Couraut；　who　had　sprung　to　his　feet；　was　barking　furiously。

〃Good；　intelligent　fellow！〃　cried　Michu。　〃I　am　certain　there　are　spies
about〃

Man　and　beast　feel　a　spy。　Couraut　and　Michu；　who　seemed　to　have　one
and　the　same　soul；　lived　together　as　the　Arab　and　his　h