an historical mystery-第2章

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Marquis〃a　name　given　in　the　family　to　the　Simeuse　who　built
Gondreville。　Since　1789　Michu　lived　in　the　hunting　lodge　at　the
entrance　to　the　park；　built　in　the　reign　of　Louis　XIV。；　and　called　the
pavilion　of　Cinq…Cygne。　The　village　of　Cinq…Cygne　is　at　the　end　of　the
forest　of　Nodesme　（a　corruption　of　Notre…Dame）　which　was　reached
through　the　fine　avenue　of　four　rows　of　elms　where　Michu's　dog　was　now
suspecting　spies。　After　the　death　of　the　Grand　Marquis　this　pavilion
fell　into　disuse。　The　vice…admiral　preferred　the　court　and　the　sea　to
Champagne；　and　his　son　gave　the　dilapidated　building　to　Michu　for　a
dwelling。

This　noble　structure　is　of　brick；　with　vermiculated　stone…work　at　the
angles　and　on　the　casings　of　the　doors　and　windows。　On　either　side　is
a　gateway　of　finely　wrought　iron；　eaten　with　rust　and　connected　by　a
railing；　beyond　which　is　a　wide　and　deep　ha…ha；　full　of　vigorous
trees；　its　parapets　bristling　with　iron　arabesques；　the　innumerable
sharp　points　of　which　are　a　warning　to　evil…doers。

The　park　walls　begin　on　each　side　of　the　circumference　of　the　/rond…
point/；　on　the　one　hand　the　fine　semi…circle　is　defined　by　slopes
planted　with　elms；　on　the　other；　within　the　park；　a　corresponding
half…circle　is　formed　by　groups　of　rare　trees。　The　pavilion；
therefore；　stands　at　the　centre　of　this　round　open　space；　which
extends　before　it　and　behind　it　in　the　shape　of　two　horseshoes。　Michu
had　turned　the　rooms　on　the　lower　floor　into　a　stable；　a　kitchen；　and
a　wood…shed。　The　only　trace　remaining　of　their　ancient　splendor　was　an
antechamber　paved　with　marble　in　squares　of　black　and　white；　which　was
entered　on　the　park　side　through　a　door　with　small　leaded　panes；　such
as　might　still　be　seen　at　Versailles　before　Louis…Philippe　turned　that
Chateau　into　an　asylum　for　the　glories　of　France。　The　pavilion　is
divided　inside　by　an　old　staircase　of　worm…eaten　wood；　full　of
character；　which　leads　to　the　first　story。　Above　that　is　an　immense
garret。　This　venerable　edifice　is　covered　by　one　of　those　vast　roofs
with　four　sides；　a　ridgepole　decorated　with　leaden　ornaments；　and　a
round　projecting　window　on　each　side；　such　as　Mansart　very　justly
delighted　in；　for　in　France；　the　Italian　attics　and　flat　roofs　are　a
folly　against　which　our　climate　protests。　Michu　kept　his　fodder　in
this　garret。　That　portion　of　the　park　which　surrounds　the　old　pavilion
is　English　in　style。　A　hundred　feet　from　the　house　a　former　lake；　now
a　mere　pond　well　stocked　with　fish；　makes　known　its　vicinity　as　much
by　a　thin　mist　rising　above　the　tree…tops　as　by　the　croaking　of　a
thousand　frogs；　toads；　and　other　amphibious　gossips　who　discourse　at
sunset。　The　time…worn　look　of　everything；　the　deep　silence　of　the
woods；　the　long　perspective　of　the　avenue；　the　forest　in　the　distance；
the　rusty　iron…work；　the　masses　of　stone　draped　with　velvet　mosses；
all　made　poetry　of　this　old　structure；　which　still　exists。

At　the　moment　when　our　history　begins　Michu　was　leaning　against　a
mossy　parapet　on　which　he　had　laid　his　powder…horn；　cap；　handkerchief；
screw…driver；　and　rags；in　fact；　all　the　utensils　needed　for　his
suspicious　occupation。　His　wife's　chair　was　against　the　wall　beside
the　outer　door　of　the　house；　above　which　could　still　be　seen　the　arms
of　the　Simeuse　family；　richly　carved；　with　their　noble　motto；　〃Cy
meurs。〃　The　old　mother；　in　peasant　dress；　had　moved　her　chair　in　front
of　Madame　Michu；　so　that　the　latter　might　put　her　feet　upon　the　rungs
and　keep　them　from　dampness。

〃Where's　the　boy？〃　said　Michu　to　his　wife。

〃Round　the　pond；　he　is　crazy　about　the　frogs　and　the　insects；〃
answered　the　mother。

Michu　whistled　in　a　way　that　made　his　hearers　tremble。　The　rapidity
with　which　his　son　ran　up　to　him　proved　plainly　enough　the　despotic
power　of　the　bailiff　of　Gondreville。　Since　1789；　but　more　especially
since　1793；　Michu　had　been　well…nigh　master　of　the　property。　The
terror　he　inspired　in　his　wife；　his　mother…in…law；　a　servant…lad　named
Gaucher；　and　the　cook　named　Marianne；　was　shared　throughout　a
neighborhood　of　twenty　miles　in　circumference。　It　may　be　well　to　give；
without　further　delay；　the　reasons　for　this　fear；all　the　more
because　an　account　of　them　will　complete　the　moral　portrait　of　the
man。

The　old　Marquis　de　Simeuse　transferred　the　greater　part　of　his
property　in　1790；　but；　overtaken　by　circumstances；　he　had　not　been
able　to　put　the　estate　of　Gondreville　into　sure　hands。　Accused　of
corresponding　with　the　Duke　of　Brunswick　and　the　Prince　of　Cobourg；
the　marquis　and　his　wife　were　thrust　into　prison　and　condemned　to
death　by　the　revolutionary　tribunal　of　Troyes；　of　which　Madame　Michu's
father　was　then　president。　The　fine　domain　of　Gondreville　was　sold　as
national　property。　The　head…keeper；　to　the　horror　of　many；　was　present
at　the　execution　of　the　marquis　and　his　wife　in　his　capacity　as
president　of　the　club　of　Jacobins　at　Arcis。　Michu；　the　orphan　son　of　a
peasant；　showered　with　benefactions　by　the　marquise；　who　brought　him
up　in　her　own　home　and　gave　him　his　place　as　keeper；　was　regarded　as　a
Brutus　by　excited　demagogues；　but　the　people　of　the　neighborhood
ceased　to　recognize　him　after　this　act　of　base　ingratitude。　The
purchaser　of　the　estate　was　a　man　from　Arcis　named　Marion；　grandson　of
a　former　bailiff　in　the　Simeuse　family。　This　man；　a　lawyer　before　and
after　the　Revolution；　was　afraid　of　the　keeper；　he　made　him　his
bailiff　with　a　salary　of　three　thousand　francs；　and　gave　him　an
interest　in　the　sales　of　timber；　Michu；　who　was　thought　to　have　some
ten　thousand　francs　of　his　own　laid　by；　married　the　daughter　of　a
tanner　at　Troyes；　an　apostle　of　the　Revolution　in　that　town；　where　he
was　president　of　the　revolutionary　tribunal。　This　tanner；　a　man　of
profound　convictions；　who　resembled　Saint…Just　as　to　character；　was
afterwards　mixed　up　in　Baboeuf's　conspiracy　and　killed　himself　to
escape　execution。　Marthe　was　the　handsomest　girl　in　Troyes。　In　spite
of　her　shrinking　modesty　she　had　been　forced　by　her　formidable　father
to　play　the　part　of　Goddess　of　Liberty　in　some　republican　ceremony。

The　new　proprietor　came　only　three　times　to　Gondreville　in　the　course
of　seven　years。　His　grandfather　had　been　bailiff　of　the　estate　under
the　Simeuse　family；　and　all　Arcis　took　for　granted　that　the　citizen
Marion　was　the　secret　representative　of　the　present　Marquis　and　his
twin　brother。　As　long　as　the　Terror　lasted；　Michu；　still　bailiff　of
Gondreville；　a　devoted　patriot；　son…in…law　of　the　president　of　the
revolutionary　tribunal　of　Troyes　and　flattered　by　Malin；
representative　from　the　department　of　the　Aube；　was　the　object　of　a
certain　sort　of　respect。　But　when　the　Mountain　was　overthrown　and
after　his　father…in…law　committed　suicide；　he　found　himself　a　scape…
goat；　everybody　hastened　to　accuse　him；　in　common　with　his　father…in…
law；　of　acts　to　which；　so　far　as　he　was　concerned；　he　was　a　total
stranger。　The　bailiff　resented　the　injustice　of　the　community；　he
stiffened　his　back　and　took　an　attitude　of　hostility。　He　talked
boldly。　But　after　the　18th　Brumaire　he　maintained　an　unbroken　silence；
the　philosophy　of　the　strong；　he　struggled　no　longer　against　public
opinion；　and　contented　himself　with　attending　to　his　own　affairs；
wise　conduct；　which　led　his　neighbors　to　pronounce　him　sly；　for　he
owned；　it　was　said；　a　fortune　of　not　less　than　a　hundred　thousand
francs　in　landed　property。　In　the　first　place；　he　spent　nothing；　next；
this　property　was　legitimately　acquired；　partly　from　the　inheritance
of　his　father…in…law's　estate；　and　partly　from　the　savings　of　six…
thousand　francs　a　year；　the　salary　he　derived　from　his　place　with　its
profits　and　emoluments。　He　had　been　bailiff　of　Gondreville　for　the
last　twelve　years　and　every　one　had　estimated　the　probable　amount　of
his　savings；　so　that　when；　after　the　Consulate　was　proclaimed；　he
bought　a　farm　for　fifty　thousand　francs；　the　suspicions　attaching　to
his　former　opinions　lessened；　and　the　community　of　Arcis　gave　him
credit　for　intending　to　recover　himself　in　public　estimation。
Unfortunately；　at　the　very　moment　when　public　opinion　was　condoning
his　past　a　foolish　affair；　envenomed　by　the　gossip　of　the　country…
side；　revived　the　laten