an historical mystery-第9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！


beautiful　flame　like　a　vivid　lightning　about　them。　And　it　was
lightning！　Each　thought　of　the　last　ten　years　of　misconception；　and
they　blamed　themselves　only。　Michu　stood　motionless；　his　elbow　on　his
gun；　his　chin　on　his　hand；　lost　in　deep　reverie。　Such　a　moment　in　a
man's　life　makes　him　willing　to　accept　the　saddest　moments　of　a
painful　past。

Marthe；　agitated　by　the　same　thoughts　as　those　of　her　husband；　was
also　troubled　in　heart　by　the　danger　of　the　Simeuse　brothers；　for　she
now　understood　all；　even　the　faces　of　the　two　Parisians；　though　she
still　could　not　explain　to　herself　her　husband's　gun。　She　darted
forward　like　a　doe；　and　soon　reached　the　road　to　the　chateau。　There
she　was　surprised　by　the　steps　of　a　man　following　behind　her；　she
turned；　with　a　cry；　and　her　husband's　large　hand　closed　her　mouth。

〃From　the　hill　up　there　I　saw　the　silver　lace　of　the　gendarmes'　hats。
Go　in　by　the　breach　in　the　moat　between　Mademoiselle's　tower　and　the
stables。　The　dogs　won't　bark　at　you。　Go　through　the　garden　and　call
the　countess　by　the　window；　order　them　to　saddle　her　horse；　and　ask
her　to　come　out　through　the　breach。　I'll　be　there；　after　discovering
what　the　Parisians　are　planning；　and　how　to　escape　them。〃

Danger；　which　seemed　to　be　rolling　like　an　avalanche　upon　them；　gave
wings　to　Marthe's　feet。



CHAPTER　IV

LAURENCE　DE　CINQ…CYGNE

The　old　Frank　name　of　the　Cinq…Cygnes　and　the　Chargeboeufs　was
Duineff。　Cinq…Cygne　became　that　of　the　younger　branch　of　the
Chargeboeufs　after　the　defence　of　a　castle　made；　during　their　father's
absence；　by　five　daughters　of　that　race；　all　remarkably　fair；　and　of
whom　no　one　expected　such　heroism。　One　of　the　first　Comtes　de
Champagne　wished；　by　bestowing　this　pretty　name；　to　perpetuate　the
memory　of　their　deed　as　long　as　the　family　existed。　Laurence；　the　last
of　her　race；　was；　contrary　to　Salic　law；　heiress　of　the　name；　the
arms；　and　the　manor。　She　was　therefore　Comtesse　de　Cinq…Cygne　in　her
own　right；　her　husband　would　have　to　take　both　her　name　and　her
blazon；　which　bore　for　device　the　glorious　answer　made　by　the　elder　of
the　five　sisters　when　summoned　to　surrender　the　castle；　〃We　die
singing。〃　Worthy　descendant　of　these　noble　heroines；　Laurence　was　fair
and　lily…white　as　though　nature　had　made　her　for　a　wager。　The　lines　of
her　blue　veins　could　be　seen　through　the　delicate　close　texture　of　her
skin。　Her　beautiful　golden　hair　harmonized　delightfully　with　eyes　of
the　deepest　blue。　Everything　about　her　belonged　to　the　type　of
delicacy。　Within　that　fragile　though　active　body；　and　in　defiance　as
it　were　of　its　pearly　whiteness；　lived　a　soul　like　that　of　a　man　of
noble　nature；　but　no　one；　not　even　a　close　observer；　would　have
suspected　it　from　the　gentle　countenance　and　rounded　features　which；
when　seen　in　profile；　bore　some　slight　resemblance　to　those　of　a　lamb。
This　extreme　gentleness；　though　noble；　had　something　of　the　stupidity
of　the　little　animal。　〃I　look　like　a　dreamy　sheep；〃　she　would　say；
smiling。　Laurence；　who　talked　little；　seemed　not　so　much　dreamy　as
dormant。　But；　did　any　important　circumstance　arise；　the　hidden　Judith
was　revealed；　sublime；　and　circumstances　had；　unfortunately；　not　been
wanting。

At　thirteen　years　of　age；　Laurence；　after　the　events　already　related；
was　an　orphan　living　in　a　house　opposite　to　the　empty　space　where　so
recently　had　stood　one　of　the　most　curious　specimens　in　France　of
sixteenth…century　architecture；　the　hotel　Cinq…Cygne。　Monsieur
d'Hauteserre；　her　relation；　now　her　guardian；　took　the　young　heiress
to　live　in　the　country　at　her　chateau　of　Cinq…Cygne。　That　brave
provincial　gentleman；　alarmed　at　the　death　of　his　brother；　the　Abbe
d'Hauteserre；　who　was　shot　in　the　open　square　as　he　was　about　to
escape　in　the　dress　of　a　peasant；　was　not　in　a　position　to　defend　the
interests　of　his　ward。　He　had　two　sons　in　the　army　of　the　princes；　and
every　day；　at　the　slightest　unusual　sound；　he　believed　that　the
municipals　of　Arcis　were　coming　to　arrest　him。　Laurence；　proud　of
having　sustained　a　siege　and　of　possessing　the　historic　whiteness　of
her　swan…like　ancestors；　despised　the　prudent　cowardice　of　the　old　man
who　bent　to　the　storm；　and　dreamed　only　of　distinguishing　herself。　So；
she　boldly　hung　the　portrait　of　Charlotte　Corday　on　the　walls　of　her
poor　salon　at　Cinq…Cygne；　and　crowned　it　with　oak…leaves。　She
corresponded　by　messenger　with　her　twin　cousins；　in　defiance　of　the
law；　which　punished　the　act；　when　discovered；　with　death。　The
messenger；　who　risked　his　life；　brought　back　the　answers。　Laurence
lived　only；　after　the　catastrophes　at　Troyes；　for　the　triumph　of　the
royal　cause。　After　soberly　judging　Monsieur　and　Madame　d'Hauteserre
（who　lived　with　her　at　the　chateau　de　Cinq…Cygne）；　and　recognizing
their　honest；　but　stolid　natures；　she　put　them　outside　the　lines　of
her　own　life。　She　had；　moreover；　too　good　a　mind　and　too　sound　a
judgment　to　complain　of　their　natures；　always　kind；　amiable；　and
affectionate　towards　them；　she　nevertheless　told　them　none　of　her
secrets。　Nothing　forms　a　character　so　much　as　the　practice　of　constant
concealment　in　the　bosom　of　a　family。

After　she　attained　her　majority　Laurence　allowed　Monsieur　d'Hauteserre
to　manage　her　affairs　as　in　the　past。　So　long　as　her　favorite　mare　was
well…groomed；　her　maid　Catherine　dressed　to　please　her；　and　Gothard
the　little　page　was　suitably　clothed；　she　cared　for　nothing　else。　Her
thoughts　were　aimed　too　high　to　come　down　to　occupations　and　interests
which　in　other　times　than　these　would　doubtless　have　pleased　her。
Dress　was　a　small　matter　to　her　mind；　moreover　her　cousins　were　not
there　to　see　her。　She　wore　a　dark…green　habit　when　she　rode；　and　a
gown　of　some　common　woollen　stuff　with　a　cape　trimmed　with　braid　when
she　walked；　in　the　house　she　was　always　seen　in　a　silk　wrapper。
Gothard；　the　little　groom；　a　brave　and　clever　lad　of　fifteen；　attended
her　wherever　she　went；　and　she　was　nearly　always　out　of　doors；　riding
or　hunting　over　the　farms　of　Gondreville；　without　objection　being　made
by　either　Michu　or　the　farmers。　She　rode　admirably　well；　and　her
cleverness　in　hunting　was　thought　miraculous。　In　the　country　she　was
never　called　anything　but　〃Mademoiselle〃　even　during　the　Revolution。

Whoever　has　read　the　fine　romance　of　〃Rob　Roy〃　will　remember　that　rare
woman　for　whose　making　Walter　Scott's　imagination　abandoned　its
customary　coldness；Diana　Vernon。　The　recollection　will　serve　to　make
Laurence　understood　if；　to　the　noble　qualities　of　the　Scottish
huntress　you　add　the　restrained　exaltation　of　Charlotte　Corday；
surpassing；　however；　the　charming　vivacity　which　rendered　Diana　so
attractive。　The　young　countess　had　seen　her　mother　die；　the　Abbe
d'Hauteserre　shot　down；　the　Marquis　de　Simeuse　and　his　wife　executed；
her　only　brother　had　died　of　his　wounds；　her　two　cousins　serving　in
Conde's　army　might　be　killed　at　any　moment；　and；　finally；　the　fortunes
of　the　Simeuse　and　the　Cinq…Cygne　families　had　been　seized　and　wasted
by　the　Republic　without　being　of　any　benefit　to　the　nation。　Her　grave
demeanor；　now　lapsing　into　apparent　stolidity；　can　be　readily
understood。

Monsieur　d'Hauteserre　proved　an　upright　and　most　careful　guardian。
Under　his　administration　Cinq…Cygne　became　a　sort　of　farm。　The　good
man；　who　was　far　more　of　a　close　manager　than　a　knight　of　the　old
nobility；　had　turned　the　park　and　gardens　to　profit；　and　used　their
two　hundred　acres　of　grass　and　woodland　as　pasturage　for　horses　and
fuel　for　the　family。　Thanks　to　his　severe　economy　the　countess；　on
coming　of　age；　had　recovered　by　his　investments　in　the　State　funds　a
competent　fortune。　In　1798　she　possessed　about　twenty　thousand　francs
a　year　from　those　sources；　on　which；　in　fact；　some　dividends　were
still　due；　and　twelve　thousand　francs　a　year　from　the　rentals　at　Cinq…
Cygne；　which　had　lately　been　renewed　at　a　notable　increase。　Monsieur
and　Madame　d'Hauteserre　had　provided　for　their　old　age　by　the　purchase
of　an　annuity　of　three　thousand　francs　in　the　Tontines　Lafarge。　That
fragment　of　their　former　means　did　not　enable　them　to　live　elsewhere
than　at　Cinq…Cygne；　and　Laurence's　first　act　on　coming　to　her　majority
was　to　give　them　the　use　for　life　of　the　wing　of　the　chateau　which
they　occupied。

The　Hauteserres；　as　niggardly　for　their　ward　as　they　were　for
themselves；　laid　up　every　year　nearly　the　whole　of　their　annuity　for
the　benefit　of　their　sons；　and　kept　the　young　heiress　on　miserable
fare。　The　whole　cost　of　the　Cinq…Cygne　household　never　exceeded　five
thousand　francs　a　year。　But　Laurence；　who　condescended　to　no　details；
was　satisfied。　Her　guardian　and　his　wife；　unconsciously　ruled　by　the
imperceptible　influence　of　her　strong　character；　which　was　felt　even
in　little　things；　had　ended　by　admiring　her　whom　they　had　known　and
treated　as　a　child；a　sufficiently　rare　feeling。　But　in　her　manner；
her　deep　voice；　her　commanding　eye；　Laurence　held　that　inexplicable
power　which　rules　all　men；even　when　its　strength　is　mere　appearance。
To　vulgar　minds　real　depth　is　incomprehensible；　it　is　perhaps　for　that
reason　that　the　populace　is　so　prone　to　admire　what　it　cannot
understand。　Monsieur　and　Madame　d'Hauteserre；　impressed　by　the
habi