an historical mystery-第13章

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an　admirable　representative　of　those　honorable　gentlemen　on　whose　brow
God　Himself　has　written　the　word　/mites/；Frenchmen　who　burrowed　in
their　country　homes　and　let　the　storms　of　the　Revolution　pass　above
their　heads；　who　came　once　more　to　the　surface　under　the　Restoration；
rich　with　their　hidden　savings；　proud　of　their　discreet　attachment　to
the　monarchy；　and　who；　after　1830；　recovered　their　estates。

Monsieur　d'Hauteserre's　costume；　expressive　envelope　of　his
distinctive　character；　described　to　the　eye　both　the　man　and　his
period。　He　always　wore　one　of　those　nut…colored　great…coats　with　small
collars　which　the　Duc　d'Orleans　made　the　fashion　after　his　return　from
England；　and　which　were；　during　the　Revolution；　a　sort　of　compromise
between　the　hideous　popular　garments　and　the　elegant　surtouts　of　the
aristocracy。　His　velvet　waistcoat　with　flowered　stripes；　the　style　of
which　recalled　those　of　Robespierre　and　Saint…Just；　showed　the　upper
part　of　a　shirt…frill　in　fine　plaits。　He　still　wore　breeches；　but　his
were　of　coarse　blue　cloth；　with　burnished　steel　buckles。　His　stockings
of　black　spun…silk　defined　his　deer…like　legs；　the　feet　of　which　were
shod　in　thick　shoes；　held　in　place　by　gaiters　of　black　cloth。　He
retained　the　former　fashion　of　a　muslin　cravat　in　innumerable　folds
fastened　by　a　gold　buckle　at　the　throat。　The　worthy　man　had　not
intended　an　act　of　political　eclecticism　in　adopting　this　costume；
which　combined　the　styles　of　peasant；　revolutionist；　and　aristocrat；
he　simply　and　innocently　obeyed　the　dictates　of　circumstances。

Madame　d'Hauteserre；　forty　years　of　age　and　wasted　by　emotions；　had　a
faded　face　which　seemed　to　be　always　posing　for　its　portrait。　A　lace
cap；　trimmed　with　bows　of　white　satin；　contributed　singularly　to　give
her　a　solemn　air。　She　still　wore　powder；　in　spite　of　a　white　kerchief；
and　a　gown　of　puce…colored　silk　with　tight　sleeves　and　full　skirt；　the
sad　last　garments　of　Marie…Antoinette。　Her　nose　was　pinched；　her　chin
sharp；　the　whole　face　nearly　triangular；　the　eyes　worn…out　with
weeping；　but　she　now　wore　a　touch　of　rouge　which　brightened　their
grayness。　She　took　snuff；　and　each　time　that　she　did　so　she　employed
all　the　pretty　precautions　of　the　fashionable　women　of　her　early　days；
the　details　of　this　snuff…taking　constituted　a　ceremony　which　could　be
explained　by　one　factshe　had　very　pretty　hands。

For　the　last　two　years　the　former　tutor　of　the　Simeuse　twins；　a　friend
of　the　late　Abbe　d'Hauteserre；　named　Goujet；　Abbe　des　Minimes；　had
taken　charge　of　the　parish　of　Cinq…Cygne　out　of　friendship　for　the
d'Hauteserres　and　the　young　countess。　His　sister；　Mademoiselle　Goujet；
who　possessed　a　little　income　of　seven　hundred　francs；　added　that　sum
to　the　meagre　salary　of　her　brother　and　kept　his　house。　Neither　church
nor　parsonage　had　been　sold　during　the　Revolution　on　account　of　their
small　value。　The　abbe　and　his　sister　lived　close　to　the　chateau；　for
the　wall　of　the　parsonage　garden　and　that　of　the　park　were　the　same　in
places。　Twice　a　week　the　pair　dined　at　the　chateau；　but　they　came
every　evening　to　play　boston　with　the　d'Hauteserres；　for　Laurence；
unable　to　play　a　game；　did　not　even　know　one　card　from　another。

The　Abbe　Goujet；　an　old　man　with　white　hair　and　a　face　as　white　as
that　of　an　old　woman；　endowed　with　a　kindly　smile　and　a　gentle　and
persuasive　voice；　redeemed　the　insipidity　of　his　rather　mincing　face
by　a　fine　intellectual　brow　and　a　pair　of　keen　eyes。　Of　medium　height；
and　very　well　made；　he　still　wore　the　old…fashioned　black　coat；　silver
shoe…buckles；　breeches；　black　silk　stockings；　and　a　black　waistcoat　on
which　lay　his　clerical　bands；　giving　him　a　distinguished　air　which
detracted　nothing　from　his　dignity。　This　abbe；　who　became　bishop　of
Troyes　after　the　Restoration；　had　long　made　a　study　of　young　people
and　fully　understood　the　noble　character　of　the　young　countess；　he
appreciated　her　at　her　full　value；　and　had　shown　her；　from　the　first；
a　respectful　deference　which　contributed　much　to　her　independence　at
Cinq…Cygne；　for　it　led　the　austere　old　lady　and　the　kind　old　gentleman
to　yield　to　the　young　girl；　who　by　rights　should　have　yielded　to　them。
For　the　last　six　months　the　abbe　had　watched　Laurence　with　the
intuition　peculiar　to　priests；　the　most　sagacious　of　men；　and　although
he　did　not　know　that　this　girl　of　twenty…three　was　thinking　of
overturning　Bonaparte　as　she　lay　there　twisting　with　slender　fingers
the　frogged　lacing　of　her　riding…habit；　he　was　well　aware　that　she　was
agitated　by　some　great　project。

Mademoiselle　Goujet　was　one　of　those　unmarried　women　whose　portrait
can　be　drawn　in　one　word　which　will　enable　the　least　imaginative　mind
to　picture　her；　she　was　ungainly。　She　knew　her　own　ugliness　and　was
the　first　to　laugh　at　it；　showing　her　long　teeth；　yellow　as　her
complexion　and　her　bony　hands。　She　was　gay　and　hearty。　She　wore　the
famous　short　gown　of　former　days；　a　very　full　skirt　with　pockets　full
of　keys；　a　cap　with　ribbons　and　a　false　front。　She　was　forty　years　of
age　very　early；　but　had；　so　she　said；　caught　up　with　herself　by
keeping　at　that　age　for　twenty　years。　She　revered　the　nobility；　and
knew　well　how　to　preserve　her　own　dignity　by　giving　to　persons　of
noble　birth　the　respect　and　deference　that　were　due　to　them。

This　little　company　was　a　god…send　to　Madame　d'Hauteserre；　who　had
not；　like　her　husband；　rural　occupations；　nor；　like　Laurence；　the
tonic　of　hatred；　to　enable　her　to　bear　the　dulness　of　a　retired　life。
Many　things　had　happened　to　ameliorate　that　life　within　the　last　six
years。　The　restoration　of　Catholic　worship　allowed　the　faithful　to
fulfil　their　religious　duties；　which　play　more　of　a　part　in　country
life　than　elsewhere。　Protected　by　the　conservative　edicts　of　the　First
Consul；　Monsieur　and　Madame　d'Hauteserre　had　been　able　to　correspond
with　their　sons；　and　no　longer　in　dread　of　what　might　happen　to　them
could　even　hope　for　the　erasure　of　their　names　from　the　lists　of　the
proscribed　and　their　consequent　return　to　France。　The　Treasury　had
lately　made　up　the　arrearages　and　now　paid　its　dividends　promptly；　so
that　the　d'Hauteserres　received；　over　and　above　their　annuity；　about
eight　thousand　francs　a　year。　The　old　man　congratulated　himself　on　the
sagacity　of　his　foresight　in　having　put　all　his　savings；　amounting　to
twenty　thousand　francs；　together　with　those　of　his　ward；　in　the　public
Funds　before　the　18th　Brumaire；　which；　as　we　all　know；　sent　those
stocks　up　from　twelve　to　eighteen　francs。

The　chateau　of　Cinq…Cygne　had　long　been　empty　and　denuded　of
furniture。　The　prudent　guardian　was　careful　not　to　alter　its　aspect
during　the　revolutionary　troubles；　but　after　the　peace　of　Amiens　he
made　a　journey　to　Troyes　and　brought　back　various　relics　of　the
pillaged　mansions　which　he　obtained　from　the　dealers　in　second…hand
furniture。　The　salon　was　furnished　for　the　first　time　since　their
occupation　of　the　house。　Handsome　curtains　of　white　brocade　with　green
flowers；　from　the　hotel　de　Simeuse；　draped　the　six　windows　of　the
salon；　in　which　the　family　were　now　assembled。　The　walls　of　this　vast
room　were　entirely　of　wood；　with　panels　encased　in　beaded　mouldings
with　masks　at　the　angles；　the　whole　painted　in　two　shades　of　gray。　The
spaces　over　the　four　doors　were　filled　with　those　designs；　painted　in
cameo　of　two　colors；　which　were　so　much　in　vogue　under　Louis　XV。
Monsieur　d'Hauteserre　had　picked　up　at　Troyes　certain　gilded　pier…
tables；　a　sofa　in　green　damask；　a　crystal　chandelier；　a　card…table　of
marquetry；　among　other　things　that　served　him　to　restore　the　chateau。
In　1792　all　the　furniture　of　the　house　had　been　taken　or　destroyed；
for　the　pillage　of　the　mansions　in　town　was　imitated　in　the　valley。
Each　time　that　the　old　man　went　to　Troyes　he　returned　with　some　relic
of　the　former　splendor；　sometimes　a　fine　carpet　for　the　floor　of　the
salon；　at　other　times　part　of　a　dinner　service；　or　a　bit　of　rare　old
porcelain　of　either　Sevres　or　Dresden。　During　the　last　six　months　he
had　ventured　to　dig　up　the　family　silver；　which　the　cook　had　buried　in
the　cellar　of　a　little　house　belonging　to　him　at　the　end　of　one　of　the
long　faubourgs　in　Troyes。

That　faithful　se