murat-第2章

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mineI　will　come　back　for　you。〃

Marouin　went　out。　　Bonafoux　remained　at　the　window；　absorbed　in　his
thoughts。　　The　ladies　of　the　house；　occupied　in　preparations　for　the
meal；　did　not　observe；　or　did　not　appear　to　observe；　his
preoccupation。　　In　five　minutes　Marouin　came　back。　　He　was　ready　to
start。　　The　avocat　and　his　friend　mounted　their　horses　and　rode
quickly　down　to　the　sea。　　On　the　beach　the　captain　slackened　his
pace；　and　riding　along　the　shore　for　about　half　an　hour；　he　seemed　to
be　examining　the　bearings　of　the　coast　with　great　attention。　　Marouin
followed　without　inquiring　into　his　investigations；　which　seemed
natural　enough　for　a　naval　officer。

After　about　an　hour　the　two　men　went　back　to　the　house。

Marouin　wished　to　have　the　horses　unsaddled；　but　Bonafoux　objected；
saying　that　he　must　go　back　to　Toulon　immediately　after　lunch。
Indeed；　the　coffee　was　hardly　finished　before　he　rose　and　took　leave
of　his　hosts。　　Marouin；　called　back　to　town　by　his　work；　mounted　his
horse　too；　and　the　two　friends　rode　back　to　Toulon　together。　　After
riding　along　for　ten　minutes；　Bonafoux　went　close　to　his　companion
and　touched　him　on　the　thigh

〃Marouin；〃　he　said；　〃I　have　an　important　secret　to　confide　to　you。〃

〃Speak；　captain。　　After　a　father　confessor；　you　know　there　is　no　one
so　discreet　as　a　notary；　and　after　a　notary　an　avocat。〃

〃You　can　quite　understand　that　I　did　not　come　to　your　country　house
just　for　the　pleasure　of　the　ride。　　A　more　important　object；　a
serious　responsibility；　preoccupied　me；　I　have　chosen　you　out　of　all
my　friends；　believing　that　you　were　devoted　enough　to　me　to　render　me
a　great　service。〃

〃You　did　well；　captain。〃

〃Let　us　go　straight　to　the　point；　as　men　who　respect　and　trust　each
other　should　do。　　My　uncle；　King　Joachim；　is　proscribed；　he　has　taken
refuge　with　me；　but　he　cannot　remain　there；　for　I　am　the　first　person
they　will　suspect。　　Your　house　is　in　an　isolated　position；　and
consequently　we　could　not　find　a　better　retreat　for　him。　　You　must
put　it　at　our　disposal　until　events　enable　the　king　to　come　to　some
decision。〃

〃It　is　at　your　service；〃　said　Marouin。

〃Right。　　My　uncle　shall　sleep　there　to…night。〃

〃But　at　least　give　me　time　to　make　some　preparations　worthy　of　my
royal　guest。〃

〃My　poor　Marouin；　you　are　giving　yourself　unnecessary　trouble；　and
making　a　vexatious　delay　for　us：　King　Joachim　is　no　longer　accustomed
to　palaces　and　courtiers；　he　is　only　too　happy　nowadays　to　find　a
cottage　with　a　friend　in　it；　besides；　I　have　let　him　know　about　it；
so　sure　was　I　of　your　answer。　　He　is　counting　on　sleeping　at　your
house　to…night；　and　if　I　try　to　change　his　determination　now　he　will
see　a　refusal　in　what　is　only　a　postponement；　and　you　will　lose　all
the　credit　for　your　generous　and　noble　action。　　Thereit　is　agreed：
to…night　at　ten　at　the　Champs　de　Mars。〃

With　these　words　the　captain　put　his　horse　to　a　gallop　and
disappeared。　　Marouin　turned　his　horse　and　went　back　to　his　country
house　to　give　the　necessary　orders　for　the　reception　of　a　stranger
whose　name　he　did　not　mention。

At　ten　o'clock　at　night；　as　had　been　agreed；　Marouin　was　on　the
Champs　de　Mars；　then　covered　with　Marshal　Brune's　field…artillery。
No　one　had　arrived　yet。　　He　walked　up　and　down　between　the　gun…
carriages　until　a　functionary　came　to　ask　what　he　was　doing。　　He　was
hard　put　to　it　to　find　an　answer：　a　man　is　hardly　likely　to　be
wandering　about　in　an　artillery　park　at　ten　o'clock　at　night　for　the
mere　pleasure　of　the　thing。　　He　asked　to　see　the　commanding　officer。
The　officer　came　up：　M。　　Marouin　informed　him　that　he　was　an　avocat；
attached　to　the　law　courts　of　Toulon；　and　told　him　that　he　had
arranged　to　meet　someone　on　the　Champs　de　Mars；　not　knowing　that　it
was　prohibited；　and　that　he　was　still　waiting　for　that　person。　　After
this　explanation；　the　officer　authorised　him　to　remain；　and　went　back
to　his　quarters。　　The　sentinel；　a　faithful　adherent　to　discipline；
continued　to　pace　up　and　down　with　his　measured　step；　without
troubling　any　more　about　the　stranger's　presence。

A　few　moments　later　a　group　of　several　persons　appeared　from　the
direction　of　Les　Lices。　　The　night　was　magnificent；　and　the　moon
brilliant。　　Marouin　recognised　Bonafoux；　and　went　up　to　him。　　The
captain　at　once　took　him　by　the　hand　and　led　him　to　the　king；　and
speaking　in　turn　to　each　of　them

〃Sire；〃　he　said；　〃here　is　the　friend。　　I　told　you　of。〃

Then　turning　to　Marouin

〃Here；〃　he　said；　〃is　the　King　of　Naples；　exile　and　fugitive；　whom　I
confide　to　your　care。　　I　do　not　speak　of　the　possibility　that　some
day　he　may　get　back　his　crown；　that　would　deprive　you　of　the　credit
of　your　fine　action。。。。　　Now；　be　his　guidewe　will　follow　at　a
distance。　　March！〃

The　king　and　the　lawyer　set　out　at　once　together。　　Murat　was　dressed
in　a　blue　coat…semi…military；　semi…civil；　buttoned　to　the　throat；　he
wore　white　trousers　and　top　boots　with　spurs；　he　had　long　hair；
moustache；　and　thick　whiskers；　which　would　reach　round　his　neck。

As　they　rode　along　he　questioned　his　host　about　the　situation　of　his
country　house　and　the　facility　for　reaching　the　sea　in　case　of　a
surprise。　　Towards　midnight　the　king　and　Marouin　arrived　at　Bonette；
the　royal　suite　came　up　in　about　ten　minutes；　it　consisted　of　about
thirty　individuals。　　After　partaking　of　some　light　refreshment；　this
little　troop；　the　last　of　the　court　of　the　deposed　king；　retired　to
disperse　in　the　town　and　its　environs；　and　Murat　remained　alone　with
the　women；　only　keeping　one　valet　named　Leblanc。

Murat　stayed　nearly　a　month　in　this　retirement；　spending　all　his　time
in　answering　the　newspapers　which　accused　him　of　treason　to　the
Emperor。　　This　accusation　was　his　absorbing　idea；　a　phantom；　a
spectre　to　him；　day　and　night　he　tried　to　shake　it　off；　seeking　in
the　difficult　position　in　which　he　had　found　himself　all　the　reasons
which　it　might　offer　him　for　acting　as　he　had　acted。　　Meanwhile　the
terrible　news　of　the　defeat　at　Waterloo　had　spread　abroad。　　The
Emperor　who　had　exiled　him　was　an　exile　himself；　and　he　was　waiting
at　Rochefort；　like　Murat　at　Toulon；　to　hear　what　his　enemies　would
decide　against　him。　　No　one　knows　to　this　day　what　inward　prompting
Napoleon　obeyed　when；　rejecting　the　counsels　of　General　Lallemande
and　the　devotion　of　Captain　Bodin；　he　preferred　England　to　America；
and　went　like　a　modern　Prometheus　to　be　chained　to　the　rock　of　St。
Helena。

We　are　going　to　relate　the　fortuitous　circumstance　which　led　Murat　to
the　moat　of　Pizzo；　then　we　will　leave　it　to　fatalists　to　draw　from
this　strange　story　whatever　philosophical　deduction　may　please　them。
We；　as　humble　annalists；　can　only　vouch　for　the　truth　of　the　facts　we
have　already　related　and　of　those　which　will　follow。

King　Louis　XVIII　remounted　his　throne；　consequently　Murat　lost　all
hope　of　remaining　in　France；　he　felt　he　was　bound　to　go。　　His　nephew
Bonafoux　fitted　out　a　frigate　for　the　United　States　under　the　name　of
Prince　Rocca　Romana。　　The　whole　suite　went　on　board；　and　they　began
to　carry　on　to　the　boat　all　the　valuables　which　the　exile　had　been
able　to　save　from　the　shipwreck　of　his　kingdom。　　First　a　bag　of　gold
weighing　nearly　a　hundred　pounds；　a　sword…sheath　on　which　were　the
portraits　of　the　king；　the　queen；　and　their　children；　the　deed　of　the
civil　estates　of　his　family　bound　in　velvet　and　adorned　with　his
arms。　　Murat　carried　on　his　person　a　belt　where　some　precious　papers
were　concealed；　with　about　a　score　of　unmounted　diamonds；　which　he
estimated　himself　to　be　worth　four　millions。

When　all　these　preparations　for　departing　were　accomplished；　it　was
agreed　that　the　next　day；　the　1st　of　August；　at　five　o'clock；　a　boat
should　fetch　the　king　to　the　brig　from　a　little　bay；　ten　minutes'
walk　from　the　house　where　he　was　staying。　　The　king　spent　the　night
making　out　a　route　for　M。　Marouin　by　which　he　could　reach　the　queen；
who　was　then　in　Austria；　I　think。

It　was　finished　just　as　it　was　time　to　leave；　and　on　crossing　the
threshold　of　the　hospitable　house　where　he　had　found　refuge　he　gave
it　to　his　host；　slipped　into　a　volume　of　a　pocket　edition　of
Voltaire。　　Below　the　story　of　'Micromegas'　the　king　had　writ