an historical mystery-第14章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


the　cellar　of　a　little　house　belonging　to　him　at　the　end　of　one　of　the
long　faubourgs　in　Troyes。

That　faithful　servant；　named　Durieu；　and　his　wife　had　followed　the
fortunes　of　their　young　mistress。　Durieu　was　the　factotum　of　the
chateau；　and　his　wife　was　the　housekeeper。　He　was　helped　in　the
cooking　by　the　sister　of　Catherine；　Laurence's　maid；　to　whom　he　was
teaching　his　art　and　who　gave　promise　of　becoming　an　excellent　cook。
An　old　gardener；　his　wife；　a　son　paid　by　the　day；　and　a　daughter　who
served　as　a　dairy…woman；　made　up　the　household。　Madame　Durieu　had
lately　and　secretly　had　the　Cinq…Cygne　liveries　made　for　the
gardener's　son　and　for　Gothard。　Though　blamed　for　this　imprudence　by
Monsieur　d'Hauteserre；　the　housekeeper　took　great　pleasure　in　seeing
the　dinner　served　on　the　festival　of　Saint…Laurence；　the　countess's
fete…day；　with　almost　as　much　style　as　in　former　times。

This　slow　and　difficult　restoration　of　departed　things　was　the　delight
of　Monsieur　and　Madame　d'Hauteserre　and　the　Durieus。　Laurence　smiled
at　what　she　thought　nonsense。　But　the　worthy　old　d'Hauteserre　did　not
forget　the　more　solid　matters；　he　repaired　the　buildings；　put　up　the
walls；　planted　trees　wherever　there　was　a　chance　to　make　them　grow；
and　did　not　leave　an　inch　of　unproductive　land。　The　whole　valley
regarded　him　as　an　oracle　in　the　matter　of　agriculture。　He　had　managed
to　recover　a　hundred　acres　of　contested　land；　not　sold　as　national
property；　being　in　some　way　confounded　with　that　of　the　township。　This
land　he　had　turned　into　fields　which　afforded　good　pasturage　for　his
horses　and　cattle；　and　he　planted　them　round　with　poplars；　which　now；
at　the　end　of　six　years；　were　making　a　fine　growth。　He　intended　to　buy
back　some　of　the　lost　estate；　and　to　utilize　all　the　out…buildings　of
the　chateau　by　making　a　second　farm　and　managing　it　himself。

Life　at　the　chateau　had　thus　become　during　the　last　two　years
prosperous　and　almost　happy。　Monsieur　d'Hauteserre　was　off　at
daybreaks　to　overlook　his　laborers；　for　he　employed　them　in　all
weathers。　He　came　home　to　breakfast；　mounted　his　farm　pony　as　soon　as
the　meal　was　over；　and　made　his　rounds　of　the　estate　like　a　bailiff；
getting　home　in　time　for　dinner；　and　finishing　the　day　with　a　game　of
boston。　All　the　inhabitants　of　the　chateau　had　their　stated
occupations；　life　was　as　closely　regulated　there　as　in　a　convent。
Laurence　alone　disturbed　its　even　tenor　by　her　sudden　journeys；　her
uncertain　returns；　and　by　what　Madame　d'Hauteserre　called　her　pranks。
But　with　all　this　peacefulness　there　existed　at　Cinq…Cygne　conflicting
interests　and　certain　causes　of　dissension。　In　the　first　place　Durieu
and　his　wife　were　jealous　of　Catherine　and　Gothard；　who　lived　in
greater　intimacy　with　their　young　mistress；　the　idol　of　the　household；
than　they　did。　Then　the　two　d'Hauteserres；　encouraged　by　Mademoiselle
Goujet　and　the　abbe；　wanted　their　sons　as　well　as　the　Simeuse　brothers
to　take　the　oath　and　return　to　this　quiet　life；　instead　of　living
miserably　in　foreign　countries。　Laurence　scouted　the　odious　compromise
and　stood　firmly　for　the　monarchy；　militant　and　implacable。　The　four
old　people；　anxious　that　their　present　peaceful　existence　should　not
be　risked；　nor　their　spot　of　refuge；　saved　from　the　furious　waters　of
the　revolutionary　torrent；　lost；　did　their　best　to　convert　Laurence　to
their　cautious　views；　believing　that　her　influence　counted　for　much　in
the　unwillingness　of　their　sons　and　the　Simeuse　twins　to　return　to
France。　The　superb　disdain　with　which　she　met　the　project　frightened
these　poor　people；　who　were　not　mistaken　in　their　fears　that　she　was
meditating　what　they　called　knight…errantry。　This　jarring　of　opinion
came　to　the　surface　after　the　explosion　of　the　infernal　machine　in　the
rue　Saint…Nicaise；　the　first　royalist　attempt　against　the　conqueror　of
Marengo　after　his　refusal　to　treat　with　the　house　of　Bourbon。　The
d'Hauteserres　considered　it　fortunate　that　Bonaparte　escaped　that
danger；　believing　that　the　republicans　had　instigated　it。　But　Laurence
wept　with　rage　when　she　heard　he　was　safe。　Her　despair　overcame　her
usual　reticence；　and　she　vehemently　complained　that　God　had　deserted
the　sons　of　Saint…Louis。

〃I；〃　she　exclaimed；　〃I　could　have　succeeded！　Have　we　no　right；〃　she
added；　seeing　the　stupefaction　her　words　produced　on　the　faces　about
her；　and　addressing　the　abbe；　〃no　right　to　attack　the　usurper　by　every
means　in　our　power？〃

〃My　child；〃　replied　the　abbe；　〃the　Church　has　been　greatly　blamed　by
philosophers　for　declaring　in　former　times　that　the　same　weapons　might
be　employed　against　usurpers　which　the　usurpers　themselves　had
employed　to　succeed；　but　in　these　days　the　Church　owes　far　too　much　to
the　First　Consul　not　to　protect　him　against　that　maxim；which；　by　the
by；　was　due　to　the　Jesuits。〃

〃So　the　Church　abandons　us！〃　she　answered；　gloomily。

From　that　day　forth　whenever　the　four　old　people　talked　of　submitting
to　the　decrees　of　Providence；　Laurence　left　the　room。　Of　late；　the
abbe；　shrewder　than　Monsieur　d'Hauteserre；　instead　of　discussing
principles；　drew　pictures　of　the　material　advantages　of　the　consular
rule；　less　to　convert　the　countess　than　to　detect　in　her　eyes　some
expression　which　might　enlighten　him　as　to　her　projects。　Gothard's
frequent　disappearances；　the　long　rides　of　his　mistress；　and　her
evident　preoccupation；　which；　for　the　last　few　days；　had　appeared　in
her　face；　together　with　other　little　signs　not　to　be　hidden　in　the
silence　and　tranquillity　of　such　a　life；　had　roused　the　fears　of　these
submissive　royalists。　Still；　as　no　event　happened；　and　perfect　quiet
appeared　to　reign　in　the　political　atmosphere；　the　minds　of　the　little
household　were　soothed　into　peace；　and　the　countess's　long　rides　were
one　more　attributed　to　her　passion　for　hunting。

It　is　easy　to　imagine　the　deep　silence　which　reigned　at　nine　o'clock
in　the　evening　in　the　park；　courtyards；　and　gardens　of　Cinq…Cygne；
where　at　that　particular　moment　the　persons　we　have　described　were
harmoniously　grouped；　where　perfect　peace　pervaded　all　things；　where
comfort　and　abundance　were　again　enjoyed；　and　where　the　worthy　and
judicious　old　gentleman　was　still　hoping　to　convert　his　late　ward　to
his　system　of　obedience　to　the　ruling　powers　by　the　argument　of　what
we　may　call　the　continuity　of　prosperous　results。

These　royalists　continued　to　play　their　boston；　a　game　which　spread
ideas　of　independence　under　a　frivolous　form　over　the　whole　of　France；
for　it　was　first　invented　in　honor　of　the　American　insurgents；　its
very　terms　applying　to　the　struggle　which　Louis　XVI。　encouraged。　While
making　their　〃independences〃　and　〃poverties；〃　the　players　kept　an　eye
on　the　countess；　who　had　fallen　asleep；　overcome　by　fatigue；　with　a
singular　smile　on　her　lips；　her　last　waking　thought　having　been　of　the
terror　two　words　could　inspire　in　the　minds　of　the　peaceful　company　by
informing　the　d'Hauteserres　that　their　sons　had　passed　the　preceding
night　under　that　roof。　What　young　girl　of　twenty…three　would　not　have
been；　as　Laurence　was；　proud　to　play　the　part　of　Destiny？　and　who
would　not　have　felt；　as　she　did；　a　sense　of　compassion　for　those　whom
she　felt　to　be　so　far　below　her　in　loyalty？

〃She　sleeps；〃　said　the　abbe。　〃I　have　never　seen　her　so　wearied。〃

〃Durieu　tells　me　her　mare　is　almost　foundered；〃　remarked　Madame
d'Hauteserre。　〃Her　gun　has　not　been　fired；　the　breech　is　clean；　she
has　evidently　not　hunted。〃

〃Oh！　that's　neither　here　nor　there；〃　said　the　abbe。

〃Bah？〃　cried　Mademoiselle　Goujet；　〃when　I　was　twenty…three　and　saw　I
should　be　an　old　maid　all　my　life；　I　rushed　about　and　fatigued　myself
in　a　dozen　ways。　I　understand　how　the　countess　can　scour　the　country
for　hours　without　thinking　of　the　game。　It　is　nearly　twelve　years　now
since　she　has　seen　her　cousins；　and　you　know　she　loves　them。　Well；　if
I　were　she；　if　I　were　as　young　and　pretty；　I'd　make　a　straight　line
for　Germany！　Poor　darling；　perhaps　she　is　thinking　of　the　frontier；
and　that　may　be　the　reason　why　she　rides　so　far　towards　it。〃

〃You　are　rather　giddy；　Mademoiselle　Goujet；〃　said　the　abbe；　smiling。

〃Not　at　all；〃　she　replied。　〃I　see　you　all　uneasy　about　the　g