derues-第8章

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e；　and　the　longer　you　will　stay　the　better　it　will　please　us。〃

The　night　was　a　sleepless　one　for　Derues；　whose　brain　was　occupied　by　a　confusion　of　criminal　plans。　　The　chance　which　had　caused　his　acquaintance　with　Madame　de　Lamotte；　and　even　more　the　accident　of　Brother　Marchois　appearing　in　the　nick　of　time；　to　enlarge　upon　the　praises　which　gave　him　so　excellent　a　character；　seemed　like　favourable　omens　not　to　be　neglected。　　He　began　to　imagine　fresh　villanies；　to　outline　an　unheard…of　crime；　which　as　yet　he　could　not　definitely　trace　out；　but　anyhow　there　would　be　plunder　to　seize　and　blood　to　spill；　and　the　spirit　of　murder　excited　and　kept　him　awake；　just　as　remorse　might　have　troubled　the　repose　of　another。

Meanwhile　Madame　de　Lamotte；　having　retired　with　her　husband；　was　saying　to　the　latter

〃Well；　now！　　what　do　you　think　of　my　protege；　or　rather；　of　the　protector　which　Heaven　sent　me？〃

〃I　think　that　physiognomy　is　often　very　deceptive；　for　I　should　have　been　quite　willing　to　hang　him　on　the　strength　of　his。〃

〃It　is　true　that　his　appearance　is　not　attractive；　and　it　led　me　into　a　foolish　mistake　which　I　quickly　regretted。　　When　I　recovered　consciousness；　and　saw　him　attending　on　me；　much　worse　and　more　carelessly　dressed　than　he　is　to…day　〃

〃You　were　frightened？〃

〃No；　not　exactly；　but　I　thought　I　must　be　indebted　to　a　man　of　the　lowest　class；　to　some　poor　fellow　who　was　really　starving；　and　my　first　effort　at　gratitude　was　to　offer　him　a　piece　of　gold。〃

〃Did　he　refuse　it？〃

〃No；　he　accepted　it　for　the　poor　of　the　parish。　　Then　he　told　me　his　name；　Cyrano　Derues　de　Bury；　and　told　me　that　the　shop　and　the　goods　it　contained　were　his　own　property；　and　that　he　occupied　an　apartment　in　the　house。　　I　floundered　in　excuses；　but　he　replied　that　he　blessed　the　mistake；　inasmuch　as　it　would　enable　him　to　relieve　some　unfortunate　people。　　I　was　so　touched　with　his　goodness　that　I　offered　him　a　second　piece　of　gold。〃

〃You　were　quite　right；　my　dear；　but　what　induced　you　to　bring　him　to　Buisson　？　　I　should　have　gone　to　see　and　thank　him　the　first　time　I　went　to　Paris；　and　meanwhile　a　letter　would　have　been　sufficient。　Did　he　carry　his　complaisance　and　interest　so　far　as　to　offer　you　his　escort？〃

〃Ah！　I　see　you　cannot　get　over　your　first　impressionhonestly；　is　it　not　so？〃

〃Indeed；〃　exclaimed　Monsieur　de　Lamotte；　laughing　heartily；　〃it　is　truly　unlucky　for　a　decent　man　to　have　such　a　face　as　that！　　He　ought　to　give　Providence　no　rest　until　he　obtains　the　gift　of　another　countenance。〃

〃Always　these　prejudices！　　It　is　not　the　poor　man's　fault　that　he　was　born　like　that。〃

〃Well；　you　said　something　about　business　we　were　to　discuss　together　what　is　it？〃

〃I　believe　he　can　help　us　to　obtain　the　money　we　are　in　want　of。〃

〃And　who　told　him　that　we　wanted　any？〃

〃I　did。〃

〃You！　　Come；　it　certainly　seems　that　this　gentleman　is　to　be　a　family　friend。　　And　pray　what　induced　you　to　confide　in　him　to　this　extent？〃

〃You　would　have　known　by　now；　if　you　did　not　interrupt。　　Let　me　tell　you　all　in　order。　　The　day　after　my　accident　I　went　out　with　Edouard　about　midday；　and　I　went　to　again　express　my　gratitude　for　his　kindness。　　I　was　received　by　Madame　Derues；　who　told　me　her　husband　was　out；　and　that　he　had　gone　to　my　hotel　to　inquire　after　me　and　my　son；　and　also　to　see　if　anything　had　been　heard　of　my　stolen　earrings。　　She　appeared　a　simple　and　very　ordinary　sort　of　person；　and　she　begged　me　to　sit　down　and　wait　for　her　husband。　　I　thought　it　would　be　uncivil　not　to　do　so；　and　Monsieur　Derues　appeared　in　about　two　hours。　　The　first　thing　he　did；　after　having　saluted　me　and　inquired　most　particularly　after　my　health；　was　to　ask　for　his　children；　two　charming　little　things；　fresh　and　rosy；　whom　he　covered　with　kisses。　　We　talked　about　indifferent　matters；　then　he　offered　me　his　services；　placed　himself　at　my　disposal；　and　begged　me　to　spare　neither　his　time　nor　his　trouble。　　I　then　told　him　what　had　brought　me　to　Paris；　and　also　the　disappointments　I　had　encountered；　for　of　all　the　people　I　had　seen　not　one　had　given　me　a　favourable　answer。　He　said　that　he　might　possibly　be　of　some　use　to　me；　and　the　very　next　day　told　'me　that　he　had　seen　a　capitalist；　but　could　do　nothing　without　more　precise　information。　　Then　I　thought　it　might　be　better　to　bring　him　here；　so　that　he　might　talk　matters　over　with　you。　　When　I　first　asked　him；　he　refused　altogether；　and　only　yielded　to　my　earnest　entreaties　and　Edouard's。　　This　is　the　history；　dear；　of　the　circumstances　under　which　I　made　Monsieur　Derues'　acquaintance。　　I　hope　you　do　not　think　I　have　acted　foolishly？〃

〃Very　well；〃　said　Monsieur　de　Lamotte；　〃　I　will　talk　to　him　to…morrow；　and　in　any　case　I　promise　you　I　will　be　civil　to　him。　　I　will　not　forget　that　he　has　been　useful　to　you。〃　　With　which　promise　the　conversation　came　to　a　close。

Skilled　in　assuming　any　kind　of　mask　and　in　playing　every　sort　of　part；　Derues　did　not　find　it　difficult　to　overcome　Monsieur　de　Lamotte's　prejudices；　and　in　order　to　obtain　the　goodwill　of　the　father　he　made　a　skilful　use　of　the　friendship　which　the；　son　had　formed　with　him。　　One　can　hardly　think　that　he　already　meditated　the　crime　which　he　carried　out　later；　one　prefers　to　believe　that　these　atrocious　plots　were　not　invented　so　long　beforehand。　　But　he　was　already　a　prey　to　the　idea；　and　nothing　henceforth　could　turn　him　from　it。　　By　what　route　he　should　arrive　at　the　distant　goal　which　his　greed　foresaw；　he　knew　not　as　yet；　but　he　had　said　to　himself；　〃One　day　this　property　shall　be　mine。〃　　It　was　the　death…warrant　of　those　who　owned　it。

We　have　no　details；　no　information　as　to　Derues'　first　visit　to　Buisson…Souef；　but　when　he　departed　he　had　obtained　the　complete　confidence　of　the　family；　and　a　regular　correspondence　was　carried　on　between　him　and　the　Lamottes。　　It　was　thus　that　he　was　able　to　exercise　his　talent　of　forgery；　and　succeeded　in　imitating　the　writing　of　this　unfortunate　lady　so　as　to　be　able　even　to　deceive　her　husband。　　Several　months　passed；　and　none　of　the　hopes　which　Derues　had　inspired　were　realised；　a　loan　was　always　on　the　point　of　being　arranged；　and　regularly　failed　because　of　some　unforeseen　circumstance。　　These　pretended　negotiations　were　managed　by　Derues　with　so　much　skill　and　cunning　that　instead　of　being　suspected；　he　was　pitied　for　having　so　much　useless　trouble。　　Meanwhile；　Monsieur　de　Lamotte's　money　difficulties　increased；　and　the　sale　of　Buisson…Souef　became　inevitable。　　Derues　offered　himself　as　a　purchaser；　and　actually　acquired　the　property　by　private　contract；　dated　December　aa；　1775。　　It　was　agreed　between　the　parties　that　the　purchase…money　of　one　hundred　and　thirty　thousand　livres　should　not　be　paid　until　1776；　in　order　to　allow　Derues　to　collect　the　various　sums　at　his　disposal。　　It　was　an　important　purchase；　which；　he　said；　he　only　made　on　account　of　his　interest　in　Monsieur　de　Lamotte；　and　his　wish　to　put　an　end　to　the　latter's　difficulties。

But　when　the　period　agreed　on　arrived；　towards　the　middle　of　1776；　Derues　found　it　impossible　to　pay。　　It　is　certain　that　he　never　meant　to　do　so；　and　a　special　peculiarity　of　this　dismal　story　is　the　avarice　of　the　man；　the　passion　for　money　which　overruled　all　his　actions；　and　occasionally　caused　him　to　neglect　necessary　prudence。　Enriched　by　three　bankruptcies；　by　continual　thefts；　by　usury；　the　gold　he　acquired　promptly　seemed　to　disappear。　　He　stuck　at　nothing　to　obtain　it；　and　once　in　his　grasp；　he　never　let　it　go　again。　Frequently　he　risked　the　loss　of　his　character　for　honest　dealing　rather　than　relinquish　a　fraction　of　his　wealth。　　According　to　many　credible　people；　it　was　generally　believed　by　his　contemporaries　that　this　monster　possessed　treasures　which　he　had　buried　in　the　ground；　the　hiding…place　of　which　no　one　knew；　not　even　his　wife。　　Perhaps　it　is　only　a　vague　and　unfounded　rumour；　which　should　be　rejected；　or　is　it；　perhaps；　a　truth　which　failed　to　reveal　itself　？　　It　would　be　strange　if　after　the　lapse　of　half　a　century　the　hiding…place　were　to　open　and　give　up　the　fruit　of　his　rapine。　　Who　knows　whether　some　of　this　treasure；　accidentally　discovered；　may　not　have　founded　fortunes　whose　origin　is　unknown；　even　to　their　possessors？

Although　it　was　of　the　utmost　importance　not　to　arouse　Monsieur　de　Lamotte's　suspicions　just　at　the　moment　when　he　ought　to　be　paying　him　so　large　a　sum；　Derues　was　actually　at　this　time　being　sued　by　his　creditors。　　But　in　those　days　ordinary　lawsuits　had　no　publicity；　they　struggled　and　died　between　the　magistrates　and　advocates　without　causing　any　sound。　　In　order　to　escape　the　arrest　and　detention　with　which　he　was　threatened；　he　took　refuge　at　Buisson…Souef　with　his　family；　and　remained　there　from　Whitsuntide　till　the　end　of　November。　After　being　treated　all　this　time　as　a　friend；　Derues　departed　for　Paris；　in　order；　he　said；　to　receive　an　inheritance　which　would　enable　him　to　pay　the　required　purchase…money。

This　pretended　inheritance　was　that　of　one　of　his　wife's　relations；　Monsieur　Despeignes…Duplessis；　who　had　been　murdered　in　his　country　house；　near　Beauvais。　　It　has　been　strongly　suspected　that　Derues　was　guilty　of　this　crime。　　There　are；　however；　no　positive　proofs；　and　we　prefer　only　to　class　it　as　a　simple　possibility。

Derues　had　made　formal　promises　to　Monsieur　de　Lamotte；　and　it　was　no　longer　possible　for　him　to　elude　them。　　Either　the　payment　must　now　be　made；　or　the　contract　annulled。　　A　new　correspondence　began　between　the　creditors　and　the　debtor；　friendly　letters　were　exchanged；　full　of　protestations　on　one　side　and　confidence　on　the　other。　　But　all　Derues'　skill　could　only　obtain　a　delay　of　a　few　months。　　At　length　Monsieur　de　Lamotte；　unable　to　leave　Buisson…Souef　himself；　on　account　of　important　business　which　required　his　presence；　gave　his　wife　a　power　of　attorney；　consented　to　another　separation；　and　sent　her　to　Paris；　accompanied　by　Edouard；　and　as　if　to　hasten　their　misfortunes；　sent　notice　of　their　coming　to　the　expectant　murderer。

We　have　passed　quickly　over　the　interval　between　the　first　meeting　of　Monsieur　de　Lamotte　and　Derues；　and　the　moment　when　the　victims　fell　into　the　trap：　we　might　easily　have　invented　long　conversations；　and　episodes　which　would　have　brought　Derues'　profound　hypocrisy　into　greater　relief；　but　the　reader　now　knows　all　that　we　care　to　show　him。　　We　have　purposely　lingered　in　our　narration　in　the　endeavour　to　explain　the　perversities　of　this　mysterious　organisation；　we　have　over…loaded　it　with　all　the　facts　which　seem　to　throw　any　light　upon　this　sombre　character。　　But　now；　after　these　long　preparations；　the　drama　opens；　the　scenes　become　rapid　and　lifelike；　events；　long　impeded；　accumulate　and　pass　quickly　before　us；　the　action　is　connected　and　hastens　to　an　end。　　We　shall　see　Derues　like　an　unwearied　Proteus；　changing　names；　costumes；　language；　multiplying　himself　in　many　forms；　scattering　deceptions　and　lies　from　one　end　of　France　to　the　other；　and　finally；　after　so　many　efforts；　such　prodigies　of　calculation　and　activity；　end　by　wrecking　himself　against　a　corpse。

The　letter　written　at　Buisson…Souef　arrived　at　Paris　the　morning　of　the　14th　of　December。　　In　the　course　of　the　day　an　unknown　man　presented　himself　at　the　hotel　where　Ma