twenty years after(二十年后)-第71章

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〃Are　you　sure；〃　said　the　queen　doubtfully；　〃that　you　have
not　been　forestalled？〃
〃By　whom？〃
〃By　the　Joices；　the　Prinns；　the　Cromwells？〃
〃By　a　tailor；　a　coachmaker；　a　brewer！　Ah！　I　hope；　madame；
that　the　cardinal　will　not　enter　into　negotiations　with　such
men！〃
〃Ah！　what　is　he　himself？〃　asked　Madame　Henrietta。
〃But　for　the　honor　of　the　king　　of　the　queen。〃
〃Well；　let　us　hope　he　will　do　something　for　the　sake　of
their　honor；〃　said　the　queen。　〃A　true　friend's　eloquence　is
so　powerful；　my　lord；　that　you　have　reassured　me。　Give　me
your　hand　and　let　us　go　to　the　minister；　and　yet；〃　she
added；　〃suppose　he　should　refuse　and　that　the　king　loses　the
battle？〃
〃His　majesty　will　then　take　refuge　in　Holland；　where　I　hear
his　highness　the　Prince　of　Wales　now　is。〃
〃And　can　his　majesty　count　upon　many　such　subjects　as
yourself　for　his　flight？〃
〃Alas！　no；　madame；〃　answered　De　Winter；　〃but　the　case　is
provided　for　and　I　am　come　to　France　to　seek　allies。〃
〃Allies！〃　said　the　queen；　shaking　her　head。
〃Madame；〃　replied　De　Winter；　〃provided　I　can　find　some　of　my
good　old　friends　of　former　times　I　will　answer　for
anything。〃
〃Come　then；　my　lord；〃　said　the　queen；　with　the　painful　doubt
that　is　felt　by　those　who　have　suffered　much；　〃come；　and　may
Heaven　hear　you。〃


37
Cromwell's　Letter。

At　the　very　moment　when　the　queen　quitted　the　convent　to　go
to　the　Palais　Royal；　a　young　man　dismounted　at　the　gate　of
this　royal　abode　and　announced　to　the　guards　that　he　had
something　of　importance　to　communicate　to　Cardinal　Mazarin。
Although　the　cardinal　was　often　tormented　by　fear；　he　was
more　often　in　need　of　counsel　and　information；　and　he　was
therefore　sufficiently　accessible。　The　true　difficulty　of
being　admitted　was　not　to　be　found　at　the　first　door；　and
even　the　second　was　passed　easily　enough；　but　at　the　third
watched；　besides　the　guard　and　the　doorkeepers；　the　faithful
Bernouin；　a　Cerberus　whom　no　speech　could　soften；　no　wand；
even　of　gold；　could　charm。
It　was　therefore　at　the　third　door　that　those　who　solicited
or　were　bidden　to　an　audience　underwent　their　formal
interrogatory。
The　young　man　having　left　his　horse　tied　to　the　gate　in　the
court；　mounted　the　great　staircase　and　addressed　the　guard
in　the　first　chamber。
〃Cardinal　Mazarin？〃　said　he。
〃Pass　on；〃　replied　the　guard。
The　cavalier　entered　the　second　hall；　which　was　guarded　by
the　musketeers　and　doorkeepers。
〃Have　you　a　letter　of　audience？〃　asked　a　porter；　advancing
to　the　new　arrival。
〃I　have　one；　but　not　one　from　Cardinal　Mazarin。〃
〃Enter；　and　ask　for　Monsieur　Bernouin；〃　said　the　porter；
opening　the　door　of　the　third　room。　Whether　he　only　held　his
usual　post　or　whether　it　was　by　accident；　Monsieur　Bernouin
was　found　standing　behind　the　door　and　must　have　heard　all
that　had　passed。
〃You　seek　me；　sir；〃　said　he。　〃From　whom　may　the　letter　be
you　bear　to　his　eminence？〃
〃From　General　Oliver　Cromwell；〃　said　the　new　comer。　〃Be　so
good　as　to　mention　this　name　to　his　eminence　and　to　bring　me
word　whether　he　will　receive　me　　yes　or　no。〃
Saying　which；　he　resumed　the　proud　and　sombre　bearing
peculiar　at　that　time　to　Puritans。　Bernouin　cast　an
inquisitorial　glance　at　the　person　of　the　young　man　and
entered　the　cabinet　of　the　cardinal；　to　whom　he　transmitted
the　messenger's　words。
〃A　man　bringing　a　letter　from　Oliver　Cromwell？〃　said
Mazarin。　〃And　what　kind　of　a　man？〃
〃A　genuine　Englishman；　your　eminence。　Hair　sandy…red　　more
red　than　sandy；　gray…blue　eyes　　more　gray　than　blue；　and
for　the　rest；　stiff　and　proud。〃
〃Let　him　give　in　his　letter。〃
〃His　eminence　asks　for　the　letter；〃　said　Bernouin；　passing
back　into　the　ante…chamber。
〃His　eminence　cannot　see　the　letter　without　the　bearer　of
it；〃　replied　the　young　man；　〃but　to　convince　you　that　I　am
really　the　bearer　of　a　letter；　see；　here　it　is；　and　kindly
add；〃　continued　he；　〃that　I　am　not　a　simple　messenger；　but
an　envoy　extraordinary。〃
Bernouin　re…entered　the　cabinet；　returning　in　a　few　seconds。
〃Enter；　sir；〃　said　he。
The　young　man　appeared　on　the　threshold　of　the　minister's
closet；　in　one　hand　holding　his　hat；　in　the　other　the
letter。　Mazarin　rose。　〃Have　you；　sir；〃　asked　he；　〃a　letter
accrediting　you　to　me？〃
〃There　it　is；　my　lord；〃　said　the　young　man。
Mazarin　took　the　letter　and　read　it　thus：

〃Mr。　Mordaunt；　one　of　my　secretaries；　will　remit　this　letter
of　introduction　to　His　Eminence；　the　Cardinal　Mazarin；　in
Paris。　He　is　also　the　bearer　of　a　second　confidential
epistle　for　his　eminence。
〃Oliver　Cromwell。

〃Very　well；　Monsieur　Mordaunt；〃　said　Mazarin；　〃give　me　this
second　letter　and　sit　down。〃
The　young　man　drew　from　his　pocket　a　second　letter；
presented　it　to　the　cardinal；　and　took　his　seat。　The
cardinal；　however；　did　not　unseal　the　letter　at　once；　but
continued　to　turn　it　again　and　again　in　his　hand；　then；　in
accordance　with　his　usual　custom　and　judging　from　experience
that　few　people　could　hide　anything　from　him　when　he　began
to　question　them；　fixing　his　eyes　upon　them　at　the　same
time；　he　thus　addressed　the　messenger：
〃You　are　very　young；　Monsieur　Mordaunt；　for　this　difficult
task　of　ambassador；　in　which　the　oldest　diplomatists　often
fail。〃
〃My　lord；　I　am　twenty…three　years　of　age；　but　your　eminence
is　mistaken　in　saying　that　I　am　young。　I　am　older　than　your
eminence；　although　I　possess　not　your　wisdom。　Years　of
suffering；　in　my　opinion；　count　double；　and　I　have　suffered
for　twenty　years。〃
〃Ah；　yes；　I　understand；〃　said　Mazarin；　〃want　of　fortune；
perhaps。　You　are　poor；　are　you　not？〃　Then　he　added　to
himself：　〃These　English　Revolutionists　are　all　beggars　and
ill…bred。〃
〃My　lord；　I　ought　to　have　a　fortune　of　six　millions；　but　it
has　been　taken　from　me。〃
〃You　are　not；　then；　a　man　of　the　people？〃　said　Mazarin；
astonished。
〃If　I　bore　my　proper　title　I　should　be　a　lord。　If　I　bore　my
name　you　would　have　heard　one　of　the　most　illustrious　names
of　England。〃
〃What　is　your　name；　then？〃　asked　Mazarin。
〃My　name　is　Mordaunt；〃　replied　the　young　man；　bowing。
Mazarin　now　understood　that　Cromwell's　envoy　desired　to
retain　his　incognito。　He　was　silent　for　an　instant；　and
during　that　time　he　scanned　the　young　man　even　more
attentively　than　he　had　done　at　first。　The　messenger　was
unmoved。
〃Devil　take　these　Puritans；〃　said　Mazarin　aside；　〃they　are
carved　from　granite。〃　Then　he　added　aloud；　〃But　you　have
relations　left　you？〃
〃I　have　one　remaining。　Three　times　I　presented　myself　to　ask
his　support　and　three　times　he　ordered　his　servants　to　turn
me　away。〃
〃Oh；　mon　Dieu！　my　dear　Mr。　Mordaunt；〃　said　Mazarin；　hoping
by　a　display　of　affected　pity　to　catch　the　young　man　in　a
snare；　〃how　extremely　your　history　interests　me！　You　know
not；　then；　anything　of　your　birth　　you　have　never　seen
your　mother？〃
〃Yes；　my　lord；　she　came　three　times；　whilst　I　was　a　child；
to　my　nurse's　house；　I　remember　the　last　time　she　came　as
well　as　if　it　were　to…day。〃
〃You　have　a　good　memory；〃　said　Mazarin。
〃Oh！　yes；　my　lord；〃　said　the　young　man；　with　such　peculiar
emphasis　that　the　cardinal　felt　a　shudder　run　through　every
vein。
〃And　who　brought　you　up？〃　he　asked　again。
〃A　French　nurse；　who　sent　me　away　when　I　was　five　years　old
because　no　one　paid　her　for　me；　telling　me　the　name　of　a
relation　of　whom　she　had　heard　my　mother　often　speak。〃
〃What　became　of　you？〃
〃As　I　was　weeping　and　begging　on　the　high　road；　a　minister
from　Kingston　took　me　in；　instructed　me　in　the　Calvinistic
faith；　taught　me　all　he　knew　himself　and　aided　me　in　my
researches　after　my　family。〃
〃And　these　researches？〃
〃Were　fruitless；　chance　did　everything。〃
〃You　discovered　what　had　become　of　your　mother？〃
〃I　learned　that　she　had　been　assassinated　by　my　relation；
aided　by　four　friends；　but　I　was　already　aware　that　I　had
been　robbed　of　my　wealth　and　degraded　from　my　nobility　by
King　Charles　I。〃
〃Oh！　I　now　understand　why　you　are　in　the　service　of
Cromwell；　you　hate　the　king。〃
〃Yes；　my　lord；　I　hate　him！〃　said　the　young　man。
Mazarin　marked　with　surprise　the　diabolical　expression　with
which　the　young　man　uttered　these　words。　Just　as；
ordinarily；　faces　are　colored　by　blood；　his　face　seemed　dyed
by　hatred　and　became　livid。
〃Your　history　is　a　terrible　one；　Mr。　Mordaunt；　and　touches
me　keenly；　b