the chouans-第62节

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lle　de　Verneuil　forgot　hers。　There　is　in　truth　a　religious　sentiment　in　the　multiplicity　of　cares　taken　for　one　beloved　who　is　not　there　to　see　them　and　reward　them；　but　who　will　reward　them　later　with　the　approving　smile　these　tender　preparations　（always　so　fully　understood）　obtain。　Women；　as　they　make　them；　love　in　advance；　and　there　are　few　indeed　who　would　not　say　to　themselves；　as　Mademoiselle　de　Verneuil　now　thought：　〃To…night　I　shall　be　happy！〃　That　soft　hope　lies　in　every　fold　of　silk　or　muslin；　insensibly；　the　harmony　the　woman　makes　about　her　gives　an　atmosphere　of　love　in　which　she　breathes；　to　her　these　things　are　beings；　witnesses；　she　has　made　them　the　sharers　of　her　coming　joy。　Every　movement；　every　thought　brings　that　joy　within　her　grasp。　But　presently　she　expects　no　longer；　she　hopes　no　more；　she　questions　silence；　the　slightest　sound　is　to　her　an　omen；　doubt　hooks　its　claws　once　more　into　her　heart；　she　burns；　she　trembles；　she　is　grasped　by　a　thought　which　holds　her　like　a　physical　force；　she　alternates　from　triumph　to　agony；　and　without　the　hope　of　coming　happiness　she　could　not　endure　the　torture。　A　score　of　times　did　Mademoiselle　de　Verneuil　raise　the　window…curtain；　hoping　to　see　the　smoke　rising　above　the　rocks；　but　the　fog　only　took　a　grayer　tone；　which　her　excited　imagination　turned　into　a　warning。　At　last　she　let　fall　the　curtain；　impatiently　resolving　not　to　raise　it　again。　She　looked　gloomily　around　the　charming　room　to　which　she　had　given　a　soul　and　a　voice；　asking　herself　if　it　were　done　in　vain；　and　this　thought　brought　her　back　to　her　preparations。

〃Francine；〃　she　said；　drawing　her　into　a　little　dressing…room　which　adjoined　her　chamber　and　was　lighted　through　a　small　round　window　opening　on　a　dark　corner　of　the　fortifications　where　they　joined　the　rock　terrace　of　the　Promenade；　〃put　everything　in　order。　As　for　the　salon；　you　can　leave　that　as　it　is；〃　she　added；　with　a　smile　which　women　reserve　for　their　nearest　friends；　the　delicate　sentiment　of　which　men　seldom　understand。

〃Ah！　how　sweet　you　are！〃　exclaimed　the　little　maid。

〃A　lover　is　our　beautyfoolish　women　that　we　are！〃　she　replied　gaily。

Francine　left　her　lying　on　the　ottoman　and　went　away　convinced　that；　whether　her　mistress　were　loved　or　not；　she　would　never　betray　Montauran。

*****

〃Are　you　sure　of　what　you　are　telling　me；　old　woman？〃　Hulot　was　saying　to　Barbette；　who　had　sought　him　out　as　soon　as　she　had　reached　Fougeres。

〃Have　you　got　eyes？　Look　at　the　rocks　of　Saint…Sulpice；　there；　my　good　man；　to　the　right　of　Saint…Leonard。〃

Corentin；　who　was　with　Hulot；　looked　towards　the　summit　in　the　direction　pointed　out　by　Barbette；　and；　as　the　fog　was　beginning　to　lift；　he　could　see　with　some　distinctness　the　column　of　white　smoke　the　woman　told　of。

〃But　when　is　he　coming；　old　woman？to…night；　or　this　evening？〃

〃My　good　man；〃　said　Barbette；　〃I　don't　know。〃

〃Why　do　you　betray　your　own　side？〃　said　Hulot；　quickly；　having　drawn　her　out　of　hearing　of　Corentin。

〃Ah！　general；　see　my　boy's　footthat's　washed　in　the　blood　of　my　man；　whom　the　Chouans　have　killed　like　a　calf；　to　punish　him　for　the　few　words　you　got　out　of　me　the　other　day　when　I　was　working　in　the　fields。　Take　my　boy；　for　you've　deprived　him　of　his　father　and　his　mother；　make　a　Blue　of　him；　my　good　man；　teach　him　to　kill　Chouans。　Here；　there's　two　hundred　crowns；keep　them　for　him；　if　he　is　careful；　they'll　last　him　long；　for　it　took　his　father　twelve　years　to　lay　them　by。〃

Hulot　looked　with　amazement　at　the　pale　and　withered　woman；　whose　eyes　were　dry。

〃But　you；　mother；〃　he　said；　〃what　will　become　of　you？　you　had　better　keep　the　money。〃

〃I？〃　she　replied；　shaking　her　head　sadly。　〃I　don't　need　anything　in　this　world。　You　might　bolt　me　into　that　highest　tower　over　there〃　（pointing　to　the　battlements　of　the　castle）　〃and　the　Chouans　would　contrive　to　come　and　kill　me。〃

She　kissed　her　boy　with　an　awful　expression　of　grief；　looked　at　him；　wiped　away　her　tears；　looked　at　him　again；　and　disappeared。

〃Commandant；〃　said　Corentin；　〃this　is　an　occasion　when　two　heads　are　better　than　one。　We　know　all；　and　yet　we　know　nothing。　If　you　surrounded　Mademoiselle　de　Verneuil's　house　now；　you　will　only　warn　her。　Neither　you；　nor　I；　nor　your　Blues　and　your　battalions　are　strong　enough　to　get　the　better　of　that　girl　if　she　takes　it　into　her　head　to　save　the　/ci…devant/。　The　fellow　is　brave；　and　consequently　wily；　he　is　a　young　man　full　of　daring。　We　can　never　get　hold　of　him　as　he　enters　Fougeres。　Perhaps　he　is　here　already。　Domiciliary　visit？　Absurdity！　that's　no　good；　it　will　only　give　them　warning。〃

〃Well；〃　said　Hulot　impatiently；　〃I　shall　tell　the　sentry　on　the　Place　Saint…Leonard　to　keep　his　eye　on　the　house；　and　pass　word　along　the　other　sentinels；　if　a　young　man　enters　it；　as　soon　as　the　signal　reaches　me　I　shall　take　a　corporal　and　four　men　and〃

〃and；〃　said　Corentin；　interrupting　the　old　soldier；　〃if　the　young　man　is　not　the　marquis；　or　if　the　marquis　doesn't　go　in　by　the　front　door；　or　if　he　is　already　there；　ifififwhat　then？〃

Corentin　looked　at　the　commandant　with　so　insulting　an　air　of　superiority　that　the　old　soldier　shouted　out：　〃God's　thousand　thunders！　get　out　of　here；　citizen　of　hell！　What　have　I　got　to　do　with　your　intrigues？　If　that　cockchafer　buzzes　into　my　guard…room　I　shall　shoot　him；　if　I　hear　he　is　in　a　house　I　shall　surround　that　house　and　take　him　when　he　leaves　it　and　shoot　him；　but　may　the　devil　get　me　if　I　soil　my　uniform　with　any　of　your　tricks。〃

〃Commandant；　the　order　of　the　ministers　states　that　you　are　to　obey　Mademoiselle　de　Verneuil。〃

〃Let　her　come　and　give　them　to　me　herself　and　I'll　see　about　it。〃

〃Well；　citizen；〃　said　Corentin；　haughtily；　〃she　shall　come。　She　shall　tell　you　herself　the　hour　at　which　she　expects　the　/ci…devant/。　Possibly　she　won't　be　easy　till　you　do　post　the　sentinels　round　the　house。〃

〃The　devil　is　made　man；〃　thought　the　old　leader　as　he　watched　Corentin　hurrying　up　the　Queen's　Staircase　at　the　foot　of　which　this　scene　had　taken　place。　〃He　means　to　deliver　Montauran　bound　hand　and　foot；　with　no　chance　to　fight　for　his　life；　and　I　shall　be　harrassed　to　death　with　a　court…martial。　However；〃　he　added；　shrugging　his　shoulders；　〃the　Gars　certainly　is　an　enemy　of　the　Republic；　and　he　killed　my　poor　Gerard；　and　his　death　will　make　a　noble　the　lessthe　devil　take　him！〃

He　turned　on　the　heels　of　his　boots　and　went　off；　whistling　the　Marseillaise；　to　inspect　his　guard…rooms。

*****

Mademoiselle　de　Verneuil　was　absorbed　in　one　of　those　meditations　the　mysteries　of　which　are　buried　in　the　soul；　and　prove　by　their　thousand　contradictory　emotions；　to　the　woman　who　undergoes　them；　that　it　is　possible　to　have　a　stormy　and　passionate　existence　between　four　walls　without　even　moving　from　the　ottoman　on　which　her　very　life　is　burning　itself　away。　She　had　reached　the　final　scene　of　the　drama　she　had　come　to　enact；　and　her　mind　was　going　over　and　over　the　phases　of　love　and　anger　which　had　so　powerfully　stirred　her　during　the　ten　days　which　had　now　elapsed　since　her　first　meeting　with　the　marquis。　A　man's　step　suddenly　sounded　in　the　adjoining　room　and　she　trembled；　the　door　opened；　she　turned　quickly　and　saw　Corentin。

〃You　little　cheat！〃　said　the　police…agent；　〃when　will　you　stop　deceiving？　Ah；　Marie；　Marie；　you　are　playing　a　dangerous　game　by　not　taking　me　into　your　confidence。　Why　do　you　play　such　tricks　without　consulting　me？　If　the　marquis　escapes　his　fate〃

〃It　won't　be　your　fault；　will　it？〃　she　replied；　sarcastically。　〃Monsieur；〃　she　continued；　in　a　grave　voice；　〃by　what　right　do　you　come　into　my　house？〃

〃Your　house？〃　he　exclaimed。

〃You　remind　me；〃　she　answered；　coldly；　〃that　I　have　no　home。　Perhaps　you　chose　this　house　deliberately　for　the　purpose　of　committing　murder。　I　shall　leave　it。　I　would　live　in　a　desert　to　get　away　from〃

〃Spies；　say　the　word；〃　interrupted　Corentin。　〃But　this　house　is　neither　yours　nor　mine；　it　belongs　to　the　government；　and　as　for　leaving　it　you　will　do　nothing　of　the　kind；〃　he　added；　giving　her　a　diabolical　look。

Mademoiselle　de　Verneuil　rose　indignantly；　made　a　few　steps　to　leave　the　room；　but　stopped　short　suddenly　as　Corentin　raised　the　curtain　of　the　window　and　beckoned　her；　with　a　smile；　to　come　to　him。

〃Do　you　see　that　column　of　smoke？〃　he　asked；　with　the　calmness　he　always　kept　on　his　livid　face；　however　intense　his　feelings　might　be。

〃What　has　my　departure　to　do　with　that　burning　brush？〃　she　asked。

〃Why　does　your　voice　tremble？〃　he　said。　〃You　poor　thing！〃　he　added；　in　a　gentle　voice；　〃I　know　all。　The　marquis　is　coming　to　Fougeres　this　evening；　and　it　is　not　with　any　intention　of　delivering　him　to　us　that　you　have　arranged　this　boudoir　and　the　flowers　and　candles。〃

Mademoiselle　de　Verneuil　turned　pale；　for　she　saw　her　lover's　death　in　the　eyes　of　this　tiger　with　a　human　face；　and　her　love　for　him　rose　to　frenzy。　Each　hair　on　her　head　caused　her　an　acute　pain　she　could　not　endure；　and　she　fell　on　the　ottoman。　Corentin　stood　looking　at　her　for　a　moment　with　his　arms　folded；　half　pleased　at　inflicting　a　torture　which　avenged　him　for　the　contempt　and　the　sarcasms　this　woman　had　heaped　upon　his　head；　half　grieved　by　the　sufferings　of　a　creature　whose