twenty years after(二十年后)-第66章

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prince　was；　therefore；　contrary　to　his　custom；　gloomy　and
anxious；　when　an　officer　entered　and　announced　to　Marshal　de
Grammont　that　some　one　wished　to　see　him。
The　Duc　de　Grammont　received　permission　from　the　prince　by　a
glance　and　went　out。　The　prince　followed　him　with　his　eyes
and　continued　looking　at　the　door；　no　one　ventured　to　speak；
for　fear　of　disturbing　him。
Suddenly　a　dull　and　heavy　noise　was　heard。　The　prince　leaped
to　his　feet；　extending　his　hand　in　the　direction　whence　came
the　sound；　there　was　no　mistaking　it　　it　was　the　noise　of
cannon。　Every　one　stood　up。
At　that　moment　the　door　opened。
〃Monseigneur；〃　said　Marshal　de　Grammont；　with　a　radiant
face；　〃will　your　highness　permit　my　son；　Count　de　Guiche；
and　his　traveling　companion；　Viscount　de　Bragelonne；　to　come
in　and　give　news　of　the　enemy；　whom　they　have　found　while　we
were　looking　for　him？〃
〃What！〃　eagerly　replied　the　prince；　〃will　I　permit？　I　not
only　permit；　I　desire；　let　them　come　in。〃
The　marshal　introduced　the　two　young　men　and　placed　them
face　to　face　with　the　prince。
〃Speak；　gentlemen；〃　said　the　prince；　saluting　them；　〃first
speak；　we　shall　have　time　afterward　for　the　usual
compliments。　The　most　urgent　thing　now　is　to　learn　where　the
enemy　is　and　what　he　is　doing。〃
It　fell　naturally　to　the　Count　de　Guiche　to　make　reply；　not
only　was　he　the　elder；　but　he　had　been　presented　to　the
prince　by　his　father。　Besides；　he　had　long　known　the　prince；
whilst　Raoul　now　saw　him　for　the　first　time。　He　therefore
narrated　to　the　prince　what　they　had　seen　from　the　inn　at
Mazingarbe。
Meanwhile　Raoul　closely　observed　the　young　general；　already
made　so　famous　by　the　battles　of　Rocroy；　Fribourg；　and
Nordlingen。
Louis　de　Bourbon；　Prince　de　Conde；　who；　since　the　death　of
his　father；　Henri　de　Bourbon；　was　called；　in　accordance　with
the　custom　of　that　period；　Monsieur　le　Prince；　was　a　young
man；　not　more　than　twenty…six　or　twenty…seven　years　old；
with　the　eye　of　an　eagle　　agl'　occhi　grifani；　as　Dante
says　　aquiline　nose；　long；　waving　hair；　of　medium　height；
well　formed；　possessed　of　all　the　qualities　essential　to　the
successful　soldier　　that　is　to　say；　the　rapid　glance；
quick　decision；　fabulous　courage。　At　the　same　time　he　was　a
man　of　elegant　manners　and　strong　mind；　so　that　in　addition
to　the　revolution　he　had　made　in　war；　by　his　new
contributions　to　its　methods；　he　had　also　made　a　revolution
at　Paris；　among　the　young　noblemen　of　the　court；　whose
natural　chief　he　was　and　who；　in　distinction　from　the　social
leaders　of　the　ancient　court；　modeled　after　Bassompierre；
Bellegarde　and　the　Duke　d'Angouleme；　were　called　the
petits…maitres。
At　the　first　words　of　the　Count　de　Guiche；　the　prince；
having　in　mind　the　direction　whence　came　the　sound　of
cannon；　had　understood　everything。　The　enemy　was　marching
upon　Lens；　with　the　intention；　doubtless；　of　securing
possession　of　that　town　and　separating　from　France　the　army
of　France。　But　in　what　force　was　the　enemy？　Was　it　a　corps
sent　out　to　make　a　diversion？　Was　it　an　entire　army？　To　this
question　De　Guiche　could　not　respond。
Now；　as　these　questions　involved　matters　of　gravest
consequence；　it　was　these　to　which　the　prince　had　especially
desired　an　answer；　exact；　precise；　positive。
Raoul　conquered　the　very　natural　feeling　of　timidity　he
experienced　and　approaching　the　prince：
〃My　lord；〃　he　said；　〃will　you　permit　me　to　hazard　a　few
words　on　that　subject；　which　will　perhaps　relieve　you　of
your　uncertainty？〃
The　prince　turned　and　seemed　to　cover　the　young　man　with　a
single　glance；　he　smiled　on　perceiving　that　he　was　a　child
hardly　fifteen　years　old。
〃Certainly；　monsieur；　speak；〃　he　said；　softening　his　stern；
accented　tones；　as　if　he　were　speaking　to　a　woman。
〃My　lord；〃　said　Raoul；　blushing；　〃might　examine　the　Spanish
prisoner。〃
〃Have　you　a　Spanish　prisoner？〃　cried　the　prince。
〃Yes；　my　lord。〃
〃Ah；　that　is　true；〃　said　De　Guiche；　〃I　had　forgotten　it。〃
〃That　is　easily　understood；　it　was　you　who　took　him；　count；〃
said　Raoul；　smiling。
The　old　marshal　turned　toward　the　viscount；　grateful　for
that　praise　of　his　son；　whilst　the　prince　exclaimed：
〃The　young　man　is　right；　let　the　prisoner　be　brought　in。〃
Meanwhile　the　prince　took　De　Guiche　aside　and　asked　him　how
the　prisoner　had　been　taken　and　who　this　young　man　was。
〃Monsieur；〃　said　the　prince；　turning　toward　Raoul；　〃I　know
that　you　have　a　letter　from　my　sister；　Madame　de
Longueville；　but　I　see　that　you　have　preferred　commending
yourself　to　me　by　giving　me　good　counsel。〃
〃My　lord；〃　said　Raoul；　coloring　up；　〃I　did　not　wish　to
interrupt　your　highness　in　a　conversation　so　important　as
that　in　which　you　were　engaged　with　the　count。　But　here　is
the　letter。〃
〃Very　well；〃　said　the　prince；　〃give　it　to　me　later。　Here　is
the　prisoner；　let　us　attend　to　what　is　most　pressing。〃
The　prisoner　was　one　of　those　military　adventurers　who　sold
their　blood　to　whoever　would　buy；　and　grew　old　in　stratagems
and　spoils。　Since　he　had　been　taken　he　had　not　uttered　a
word；　so　that　it　was　not　known　to　what　country　he　belonged。
The　prince　looked　at　him　with　unspeakable　distrust。
〃Of　what　country　are　you？〃　asked　the　prince。
The　prisoner　muttered　a　few　words　in　a　foreign　tongue。
〃Ah！　ah！　it　seems　that　he　is　a　Spaniard。　Do　you　speak
Spanish；　Grammont？〃
〃Faith；　my　lord；　but　indifferently。〃
〃And　I　not　at　all；〃　said　the　prince；　laughing。　〃Gentlemen；〃
he　said；　turning　to　those　who　were　near　him　〃can　any　one　of
you　speak　Spanish　and　serve　me　as　interpreter？〃
〃I　can；　my　lord；〃　said　Raoul。
〃Ah；　you　speak　Spanish？〃
〃Enough；　I　think；　to　fulfill　your　highness's　wishes　on　this
occasion。〃
Meanwhile　the　prisoner　had　remained　impassive　and　as　if　he
had　no　understanding　of　what　was　taking　place。
〃My　lord　asks　of　what　country　you　are；〃　said　the　young　man；
in　the　purest　Castilian。
〃Ich　bin　ein　Deutscher；〃　replied　the　prisoner。
〃What　in　the　devil　does　he　say？〃　asked　the　prince。　〃What　new
gibberish　is　that？〃
〃He　says　he　is　German；　my　lord；〃　replied　Raoul；　〃but　I　doubt
it；　for　his　accent　is　bad　and　his　pronunciation　defective。〃
〃Then　you　speak　German；　also？〃　asked　the　prince。
〃Yes；　my　lord。〃
〃Well　enough　to　question　him　in　that　language？〃
〃Yes；　my　lord。〃
〃Question　him；　then。〃
Raoul　began　the　examination；　but　the　result　justified　his
opinion。　The　prisoner　did　not　understand；　or　seemed　not　to
understand；　what　Raoul　said　to　him；　and　Raoul　could　hardly
understand　his　replies；　containing　a　mixture　of　Flemish　and
Alsatian。　However；　amidst　all　the　prisoner's　efforts　to
elude　a　systematic　examination；　Raoul　had　recognized　his
natural　accent。
〃Non　siete　Spagnuolo；〃　he　said；　〃non　siete　Tedesco；　siete
Italiano。〃
The　prisoner　started　and　bit　his　lips。
〃Ah；　that；〃　said　the　prince；　〃I　understand　that　language
thoroughly；　and　since　he　is　Italian　I　will　myself　continue
the　examination。　Thank　you；　viscount；〃　continued　the　prince；
laughing；　〃and　I　appoint　you　from　this　moment　my
interpreter。〃
But　the　prisoner　was　not　less　unwilling　to　respond　in
Italian　than　in　the　other　languages；　his　aim　was　to　elude
the　examination。　Therefore；　he　knew　nothing　either　of　the
enemy's　numbers；　or　of　those　in　command；　or　of　the　purpose
of　the　army。
〃Very　good；〃　said　the　prince；　understanding　the　reason　of
that　ignorance；　〃the　man　was　caught　in　the　act　of
assassination　and　robbery；　he　might　have　purchased　his　life
by　speaking；　he　doesn't　wish　to　speak。　Take　him　out　and
shoot　him。〃
The　prisoner　turned　pale。　The　two　soldiers　who　had　brought
him　in　took　him；　each　by　one　arm；　and　led　him　toward　the
door；　whilst　the　prince；　turning　to　Marshal　de　Grammont；
seemed　to　have　already　forgotten　the　order　he　had　given。
When　he　reached　the　threshold　of　the　door　the　prisoner
stopped。　The　soldiers；　who　knew　only　their　orders；　attempted
to　force　him　along。
〃One　moment；〃　said　the　prisoner；　in　French。　〃I　am　ready　to
speak；　my　lord。〃
〃Ah！　ah！〃　said　the　prince；　laughing；　〃I　thought　we　should
come　to　that。　I　have　a　sure　method　of　limbering　tongues。
Young　men；　take　advantage　of　it　against　the　time　when　you
may　be　in　command。〃
〃But　on　condition；〃　continued　the　prisoner；　〃that　your
highness　will　swear　that　my　life　shall　be　safe。〃
〃Upon　my　honor；〃　said　the　prince。
〃