twenty years after(二十年后)-第132章

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a　sign　to　him　to　follow　the　man　wherever　he　might　go；　if　he
came　out　again。　Then　going　around　the　house　I　placed　Grimaud
at　the　other　exit；　and　here　I　am。　Our　game　is　beaten　up。　Now
for　the　tally…ho。〃
Athos　threw　himself　into　D'Artagnan's　arms。
〃Friend；〃　he　said；　〃you　have　been　too　good　in　pardoning　me；
I　was　wrong；　a　hundred　times　wrong。　I　ought　to　have　known
you　better　by　this　time；　but　we　are　all　possessed　of　a
malignant　spirit；　which　bids　us　doubt。〃
〃Humph！〃　said　Porthos。　〃Don't　you　think　the　executioner
might　be　Master　Cromwell；　who；　to　make　sure　of　this　affair；
undertook　it　himself？〃
〃Ah！　just　so。　Cromwell　is　stout　and　short；　and　this　man　thin
and　lanky；　rather　tall　than　otherwise。〃
〃Some　condemned　soldier；　perhaps；〃　suggested　Athos；　〃whom
they　have　pardoned　at　the　price　of　regicide。〃
〃No；　no；〃　continued　D'Artagnan；　〃it　was　not　the　measured
step　of　a　foot　soldier；　nor　was　it　the　gait　of　a　horseman。
If　I　am　not　mistaken　we　have　to　do　with　a　gentleman。〃
〃A　gentleman！〃　exclaimed　Athos。　〃Impossible！　It　would　be　a
dishonor　to　all　the　nobility。〃
〃Fine　sport；　by　Jove！〃　cried　Porthos；　with　a　laugh　that
shook　the　windows。　〃Fine　sport！〃
〃Are　you　still　bent　on　departure；　Athos？〃　asked　D'Artagnan。
〃No；　I　remain；〃　replied　Athos；　with　a　threatening　gesture
that　promised　no　good　to　whomsoever　it　was　addressed。
〃Swords；　then！〃　cried　Aramis；　〃swords！　let　us　not　lose　a
moment。〃
The　four　friends　resumed　their　own　clothes；　girded　on　their
swords；　ordered　Musqueton　and　Blaisois　to　pay　the　bill　and
to　arrange　everything　for　immediate　departure；　and　wrapped
in　their　large　cloaks　left　in　search　of　their　game。
The　night　was　dark；　snow　was　falling；　the　streets　were
silent　and　deserted。　D'Artagnan　led　the　way　through　the
intricate　windings　and　narrow　alleys　of　the　city　and　ere
long　they　had　reached　the　house　in　question。　For　a　moment
D'Artagnan　thought　that　Parry's　brother　had　disappeared；　but
he　was　mistaken。　The　robust　Scotchman；　accustomed　to　the
snows　of　his　native　hills；　had　stretched　himself　against　a
post；　and　like　a　fallen　statue；　insensible　to　the　inclemency
of　the　weather；　had　allowed　the　snow　to　cover　him。　He　rose；
however；　as　they　approached。
〃Come；〃　said　Athos；　〃here's　another　good　servant。　Really；
honest　men　are　not　so　scarce　as　I　thought。〃
〃Don't　be　in　a　hurry　to　weave　crowns　for　our　Scotchman。　I
believe　the　fellow　is　here　on　his　own　account；　for　I　have
heard　that　these　gentlemen　born　beyond　the　Tweed　are　very
vindictive。　I　should　not　like　to　be　Groslow；　if　he　meets
him。〃
〃Well？〃　said　Athos；　to　the　man；　in　English。
〃No　one　has　come　out；〃　he　replied。
〃Then；　Porthos　and　Aramis；　will　you　remain　with　this　man
while　we　go　around　to　Grimaud？〃
Grimaud　had　made　himself　a　kind　of　sentry　box　out　of　a
hollow　willow；　and　as　they　drew　near　he　put　his　head　out　and
gave　a　low　whistle。
〃Soho！〃　cried　Athos。
〃Yes；〃　said　Grimaud。
〃Well；　has　anybody　come　out？〃
〃No；　but　somebody　has　gone　in。〃
〃A　man　or　a　woman？〃
〃A　man。〃
〃Ah！　ah！〃　said　D'Artagnan；　〃there　are　two　of　them；　then！〃
〃I　wish　there　were　four；〃　said　Athos；　〃the　two　parties　would
then　be　equal。〃
〃Perhaps　there　are　four；〃　said　D'Artagnan。
〃What　do　you　mean？〃
〃Other　men　may　have　entered　before　them　and　waited　for
them。〃
〃We　can　find　out；〃　said　Grimaud。　At　the　same　time　he　pointed
to　a　window；　through　the　shutters　of　which　a　faint　light
streamed。
〃That　is　true；〃　said　D'Artagnan；　〃let　us　call　the　others。〃
They　returned　around　the　house　to　fetch　Porthos　and　Aramis。
〃Have　you　seen　anything？〃　they　asked。
〃No；　but　we　are　going　to；〃　replied　D'Artagnan；　pointing　to
Grimaud；　who　had　already　climbed　some　five　or　six　feet　from
the　ground。
All　four　came　up　together。　Grimaud　continued　to　climb　like　a
cat　and　succeeded　at　last　in　catching　hold　of　a　hook；　which
served　to　keep　one　of　the　shutters　back　when　opened。　Then
resting　his　foot　on　a　small　ledge　he　made　a　sign　to　show　all
was　right。
〃Well？〃　asked　D'Artagnan。
Grimaud　showed　his　closed　hand；　with　two　fingers　spread　out。
〃Speak；〃　said　Athos；　〃we　cannot　see　your　signs。　How　many　are
there？〃
〃Two。　One　opposite　to　me；　the　other　with　his　back　to　me。〃
〃Good。　And　the　man　opposite　to　you　is　
〃The　man　I　saw　go　in。〃
〃Do　you　know　him？〃
〃I　thought　I　recognized　him；　and　was　not　mistaken。　Short　and
stout。〃
〃Who　is　it？〃　they　all　asked　together　in　a　low　tone。
〃General　Oliver　Cromwell。〃
The　four　friends　looked　at　one　another。
〃And　the　other？〃　asked　Athos。
〃Thin　and　lanky。〃
〃The　executioner；〃　said　D'Artagnan　and　Aramis　at　the　same
time。
〃I　can　see　nothing　but　his　back；〃　resumed　Grimaud。　〃But
wait。　He　is　moving；　and　if　he　has　taken　off　his　mask　I　shall
be　able　to　see。　Ah　　〃
And　as　if　struck　in　the　heart　he　let　go　the　hook　and　dropped
with　a　groan。
〃Did　you　see　him？〃　they　all　asked。
Yes；〃　said　Grimaud；　with　his　hair　standing　on　end。
〃The　thin；　spare　man？〃
〃Yes。〃
〃The　executioner；　in　short？〃　asked　Aramis。
〃Yes。〃
〃And　who　is　it？〃　said　Porthos。
〃He　　he　　is　　〃　murmured　Grimaud；　pale　as　a　ghost　and
seizing　his　master's　hand。
〃Who？　He？〃　asked　Athos。
〃Mordaunt；〃　replied　Grimaud。
D'Artagnan；　Porthos　and　Aramis　uttered　a　cry　of　joy。
Athos　stepped　back　and　passed　his　hand　across　his　brow。
〃Fatality！〃　he　muttered。


68
Cromwell's　House。

It　was；　in　fact；　Mordaunt　whom　D'Artagnan　had　followed；
without　knowing　it。　On　entering　the　house　he　had　taken　off
his　mask　and　imitation　beard；　then；　mounting　a　staircase；
had　opened　a　door；　and　in　a　room　lighted　by　a　single　lamp
found　himself　face　to　face　with　a　man　seated　behind　a　desk。
This　man　was　Cromwell。
Cromwell　had　two　or　three　of　these　retreats　in　London；
unknown　except　to　the　most　intimate　of　his　friends。　Mordaunt
was　among　these。
〃It　is　you；　Mordaunt；〃　he　said。　〃You　are　late。〃
〃General；　I　wished　to　see　the　ceremony　to　the　end；　which
delayed　me。〃
〃Ah！　I　scarcely　thought　you　were　so　curious　as　that。〃
〃I　am　always　curious　to　see　the　downfall　of　your　honor's
enemies；　and　he　was　not　among　the　least　of　them。　But　you；
general；　were　you　not　at　Whitehall？〃
〃No；〃　said　Cromwell。
There　was　a　moment's　silence。
〃Have　you　had　any　account　of　it？〃
〃None。　I　have　been　here　since　the　morning。　I　only　know　that
there　was　a　conspiracy　to　rescue　the　king。〃
〃Ah；　you　knew　that？〃　said　Mordaunt。
〃It　matters　little。　Four　men；　disguised　as　workmen；　were　to
get　the　king　out　of　prison　and　take　him　to　Greenwich；　where
a　vessel　was　waiting。〃
〃And　knowing　all　that；　your　honor　remained　here；　far　from
the　city；　tranquil　and　inactive。〃
〃Tranquil；　yes；〃　replied　Cromwell。　〃But　who　told　you　I　was
inactive？〃
〃But　　if　the　plot　had　succeeded？〃
〃I　wished　it　to　do　so。〃
〃I　thought　your　excellence　considered　the　death　of　Charles
I。　as　a　misfortune　necessary　to　the　welfare　of　England。〃
〃Yes；　his　death；　but　it　would　have　been　more　seemly　not　upon
the　scaffold。〃
〃Why　so？〃　asked　Mordaunt。
Cromwell　smiled。　〃Because　it　could　have　been　said　that　I　had
had　him　condemned　for　the　sake　of　justice　and　had　let　him
escape　out　of　pity。〃
〃But　if　he　had　escaped？〃
〃Impossible；　my　precautions　were　taken。〃
〃And　does　your　honor　know　the　four　men　who　undertook　to
rescue　him？〃
〃The　four　Frenchmen；　of　whom　two　were　sent　by　the　queen　to
her　husband　and　two　by　Mazarin　to　me。〃
〃And　do　you　think　Mazarin　commissioned　them　to　act　as　they
have　done？〃
〃It　is　possible。　But　he　will　not　avow　it。〃
〃How　so？〃
〃Because　they　failed。〃
〃Your　honor　gave　me　two　of　these　Frenchmen　when　they　were
only　guilty　of　fighting　for　Charles　I。　Now　that　they　are
guilty　of　a　conspiracy　against　England　will　your　honor　give
me　all　four　of　them？〃
〃Take　them；〃　said　Cromwell。
Mordaunt　bowed　with　a　smile　of　triumphant　ferocity。
〃Did　the　people　shout　at　all？〃　Cromwell　asked。
〃Very　little；　except　‘Long　live　Cromwell！'〃
〃Where　were　you　placed？〃
Mordaunt　tried　for　a　moment　to　read　in　the　general's　face　if
this　was　simply　a　useless　question；　or　whether　he　knew
everything。　But　his　piercing　eyes　could　by　no　means
penetrate　the　sombre　depths　of　Cromwell's。
〃I　was　so　situated　as　to　hear　and　see　everything；〃　he
answered。
It　was　now　Cromwell's　turn　to　look　fixedly　at　Mordaunt；　and
Mordaunt　to　make　himself　impenetrable。
〃It　appears；〃　said　Cromwell；　〃that　this　improvised
executioner　d