st. ives-第29章

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doubtful　nature；　even　Romaine　had　drawn　of　him　no　very　amiable　

portrait；　and　as　I　was　ushered　into　the　room；　it　was　a　critical　eye　

that　I　cast　on　my　great…uncle。　　He　lay　propped　on　pillows　in　a　

little　cot　no　greater　than　a　camp…bed；　not　visibly　breathing。　　He　

was　about　eighty　years　of　age；　and　looked　it；　not　that　his　face　was　

much　lined；　but　all　the　blood　and　colour　seemed　to　have　faded　from　

his　body；　and　even　his　eyes；　which　last　he　kept　usually　closed　as　

though　the　light　distressed　him。　　There　was　an　unspeakable　degree　

of　slyness　in　his　expression；　which　kept　me　ill　at　ease；　he　seemed　

to　lie　there　with　his　arms　folded；　like　a　spider　waiting　for　prey。　　

His　speech　was　very　deliberate　and　courteous；　but　scarce　louder　

than　a　sigh。



'I　bid　you　welcome；　MONSIEUR　LE　VICOMTE　ANNE；'　said　he；　looking　at　

me　hard　with　his　pale　eyes；　but　not　moving　on　his　pillows。　　'I　have　

sent　for　you；　and　I　thank　you　for　the　obliging　expedition　you　have　

shown。　　It　is　my　misfortune　that　I　cannot　rise　to　receive　you。　　I　

trust　you　have　been　reasonably　well　entertained？'



'MONSIEUR　MON　ONCLE；'　I　said；　bowing　very　low；　'I　am　come　at　the　

summons　of　the　head　of　my　family。'



'It　is　well；'　he　said。　　'Be　seated。　　I　should　be　glad　to　hear　some　

news　…　if　that　can　be　called　news　that　is　already　twenty　years　old　

…　of　how　I　have　the　pleasure　to　see　you　here。'



By　the　coldness　of　his　address；　not　more　than　by　the　nature　of　the　

times　that　he　bade　me　recall；　I　was　plunged　in　melancholy。　　I　felt　

myself　surrounded　as　with　deserts　of　friendlessness；　and　the　

delight　of　my　welcome　was　turned　to　ashes　in　my　mouth。



'That　is　soon　told；　MONSEIGNEUR；'　said　I。　　'I　understand　that　I　

need　tell　you　nothing　of　the　end　of　my　unhappy　parents？　　It　is　only　

the　story　of　the　lost　dog。'



'You　are　right。　　I　am　sufficiently　informed　of　that　deplorable　

affair；　it　is　painful　to　me。　　My　nephew；　your　father；　was　a　man　who　

would　not　be　advised；'　said　he。　　'Tell　me；　if　you　please；　simply　of　

yourself。'



'I　am　afraid　I　must　run　the　risk　of　harrowing　your　sensibility　in　

the　beginning；'　said　I；　with　a　bitter　smile；　'because　my　story　

begins　at　the　foot　of　the　guillotine。　　When　the　list　came　out　that　

night；　and　her　name　was　there；　I　was　already　old　enough；　not　in　

years　but　in　sad　experience；　to　understand　the　extent　of　my　

misfortune。　　She　…　'　I　paused。　　'Enough　that　she　arranged　with　a　

friend；　Madame　de　Chasserades；　that　she　should　take　charge　of　me；　

and　by　the　favour　of　our　jailers　I　was　suffered　to　remain　in　the　

shelter　of　the　ABBAYE。　　That　was　my　only　refuge；　there　was　no　

corner　of　France　that　I　could　rest　the　sole　of　my　foot　upon　except　

the　prison。　　Monsieur　le　Comte；　you　are　as　well　aware　as　I　can　be　


what　kind　of　a　life　that　was；　and　how　swiftly　death　smote　in　that　

society。　　I　did　not　wait　long　before　the　name　of　Madame　de　

Chasserades　succeeded　to　that　of　my　mother　on　the　list。　　She　passed　

me　on　to　Madame　de　Noytot；　she；　in　her　turn；　to　Mademoiselle　de　

Braye；　and　there　were　others。　　I　was　the　one　thing　permanent；　they　

were　all　transient　as　clouds；　a　day　or　two　of　their　care；　and　then　

came　the　last　farewell　and　…　somewhere　far　off　in　that　roaring　

Paris　that　surrounded　us　…　the　bloody　scene。　　I　was　the　cherished　

one；　the　last　comfort；　of　these　dying　women。　　I　have　been　in　

pitched　fights；　my　lord；　and　I　never　knew　such　courage。　　It　was　all　

done　smiling；　in　the　tone　of　good　society；　BELLE　MAMAN　was　the　name　

I　was　taught　to　give　to　each；　and　for　a　day　or　two　the　new　〃pretty　

mamma〃　would　make　much　of　me；　show　me　off；　teach　me　the　minuet；　and　

to　say　my　prayers；　and　then；　with　a　tender　embrace；　would　go　the　

way　of　her　predecessors；　smiling。　　There　were　some　that　wept　too。　　

There　was　a　childhood！　　All　the　time　Monsieur　de　Culemberg　kept　his　

eye　on　me；　and　would　have　had　me　out　of　the　ABBAYE　and　in　his　own　

protection；　but　my　〃pretty　mammas〃　one　after　another　resisted　the　

idea。　　Where　could　I　be　safer？　they　argued；　and　what　was　to　become　

of　them　without　the　darling　of　the　prison？　　Well；　it　was　soon　shown　

how　safe　I　was！　　The　dreadful　day　of　the　massacre　came；　the　prison　

was　overrun；　none　paid　attention　to　me；　not　even　the　last　of　my　

〃pretty　mammas；〃　for　she　had　met　another　fate。　　I　was　wandering　

distracted；　when　I　was　found　by　some　one　in　the　interests　of　

Monsieur　de　Culemberg。　　I　understand　he　was　sent　on　purpose；　I　

believe；　in　order　to　reach　the　interior　of　the　prison；　he　had　set　

his　hand　to　nameless　barbarities：　such　was　the　price　paid　for　my　

worthless；　whimpering　little　life！　　He　gave　me　his　hand；　it　was　

wet；　and　mine　was　reddened；　he　led　me　unresisting。　　I　remember　but　

the　one　circumstance　of　my　flight　…　it　was　my　last　view　of　my　last　

pretty　mamma。　　Shall　I　describe　it　to　you？'　I　asked　the　Count；　with　

a　sudden　fierceness。



'Avoid　unpleasant　details；'　observed　my　great…uncle　gently。



At　these　words　a　sudden　peace　fell　upon　me。　　I　had　been　angry　with　

the　man　before；　I　had　not　sought　to　spare　him；　and　now；　in　a　

moment；　I　saw　that　there　was　nothing　to　spare。　　Whether　from　

natural　heartlessness　or　extreme　old　age；　the　soul　was　not　at　home；　

and　my　benefactor；　who　had　kept　the　fire　lit　in　my　room　for　a　month　

past　…　my　only　relative　except　Alain；　whom　I　knew　already　to　be　a　

hired　spy　…　had　trodden　out　the　last　sparks　of　hope　and　interest。



'Certainly；'　said　I；　'and；　indeed；　the　day　for　them　is　nearly　over。　　

I　was　taken　to　Monsieur　de　Culemberg's；　…　I　presume；　sir；　that　you　

know　the　Abbe　de　Culemberg？'



He　indicated　assent　without　opening　his　eyes。



'He　was　a　very　brave　and　a　very　learned　man　…　'



'And　a　very　holy　one；'　said　my　uncle　civilly。



'And　a　very　holy　one；　as　you　observe；'　I　continued。　　'He　did　an　

infinity　of　good；　and　through　all　the　Terror　kept　himself　from　the　

guillotine。　　He　brought　me　up；　and　gave　me　such　education　as　I　

have。　　It　was　in　his　house　in　the　country　at　Dammarie；　near　Melun；　

that　I　made　the　acquaintance　of　your　agent；　Mr。　Vicary；　who　lay　

there　in　hiding；　only　to　fall　a　victim　at　the　last　to　a　gang　of　

CHAUFFEURS。'



'That　poor　Mr。　Vicary！'　observed　my　uncle。　　'He　had　been　many　times　

in　my　interests　to　France；　and　this　was　his　first　failure。　　QUEL　

CHARMANT　HOMME；　N'EST…CE　PAS？'



'Infinitely　so；'　said　I。　　'But　I　would　not　willingly　detain　you　any　

further　with　a　story；　the　details　of　which　it　must　naturally　be　

more　or　less　unpleasant　for　you　to　hear。　　Suffice　it　that；　by　M。　de　

Culemberg's　own　advice；　I　said　farewell　at　eighteen　to　that　kind　

preceptor　and　his　books；　and　entered　the　service　of　France；　and　

have　since　then　carried　arms　in　such　a　manner　as　not　to　disgrace　my　

family。'



'You　narrate　well；　VOUS　AVES　LA　VOIX　CHAUDE；'　said　my　uncle；　

turning　on　his　pillows　as　if　to　study　me。　　'I　have　a　very　good　

account　of　you　by　Monsieur　de　Mauseant；　whom　you　helped　in　Spain。　　

And　you　had　some　education　from　the　Abbe　de　Culemberg；　a　man　of　a　

good　house？　　Yes；　you　will　do　very　well。　　You　have　a　good　manner　

and　a　handsome　person；　which　hurts　nothing。　　We　are　all　handsome　in　

the　family；　even　I　myself；　I　have　had　my　successes；　the　memories　of　

which　still　charm　me。　　It　is　my　intention；　my　nephew；　to　make　of　

you　my　heir。　　I　am　not　very　well　content　with　my　other　nephew；　

Monsieur　le　Vicomte：　he　has　not　been　respectful；　which　is　the　

flattery　due　to　age。　　And　there　are　other　matters。'



I　was　half　tempted　to　throw　back　in　his　face　that　inheritance　so　

coldly　offered。　　At　the　same　time　I　had　to　consider　that　he　was　an　

old　man；　and；　after　all；　my　relation；　and　that　I　was　a　poor　one；　in　

considerable　straits；　with　a　hope　at　heart　which　that　inheritance　

might　yet　enable　me　to　realise。　　Nor　could　I　forget　that；　however　

icy　his　manners；　he　had　behaved　to　me　from　the　first　with　the　

extreme　of　liberality　and　…　I　was　about　to　write；　kindness；　but　the　

word；　in　that　connection；　would　not　come。　　I　really　owed　the　man　

some　measure　of　gratitude；　which　it　would　be　an　ill　manner　to　repay　

if　I　were　to　insult　him　on　his　deathbed。



'Your　will；　monsieur；　must　ever　be　my　rule；'　said　I；　bowing。



'You　have　wit；　MONSIEUR　MON　NEVEU；'　said　he；　'the　best　wit　…　the　

wit　of　silence。　　Many　might　have　deafened　me　with　their　gratitude。　　

Gratitude！'　he　repeated；　with　a　peculiar　intonation；　and　lay　and　

smiled　to　himself。　　'But　to　approach　what　is　more　important。　　As　a　

prisoner　of　war；　will　it　be　possible　for　you　to　be　served　heir　to　

English　estates？　　I　have　no　idea：　long　as　I　have　dwelt　in　England；　

I　have　never　studied　what　they　call　their　laws。　　On　the　other　hand；　

how　if　Romaine　should　come　too　late？　　I　have　two　pieces　of　business　

to　be　transacted　…　to　die；　and　to　make　my　will；　and；　however　

desirous　I　may　be　to　serve　you；　I　cannot　postpone　the　first　in　

favour　of　the　second　beyond　a　very　few　hours。'



'Well；　sir；　I　must　then　contrive　to　be　doing　as　I　did　before；'　said　

I。



'Not　so；'　said　the　Count。　　'I　have　an　alternative。　　I　have　just　

drawn　my　balance　at　my　banker's；　a　considerable　sum；　and　I　am　now　

to　place　it　in　your　hands。　　It　will　be　so　much　for　you　and　so　much　

less　…　'　he　paused；　and　smiled　with　an　air　of　malignity　that　

surprised　me。　　'But　it　is　necessary　it　should　be　done　before　

witnesses。　　MONSIEUR　LE　VICOMTE　is　of　a　particular　disposition；　and　

an　unwitnessed　donation　may　very　easily　be　twisted　into　a　theft。'



He　touched　a　bell；　which　was　answered　by　a　man　having　the　

appearance　of　a　confidential　valet。　　To　him　he　gave　a　key。



'Bring　me　the　despatch…box　that　came　yesterday；　La　Ferriere；'　said　

he。　　'You　will　at　the　same　time　present　my　compliments　to　Dr。　

Hunter　and　M。　l'Abbe；　and　request　them　to　step　for　a　few　moments　to　

my　room。'



The　despatch…box　proved　to　be　rather　a　bulky　piece　of　baggage；　

covered　with　Russia　leather。　　Before　the　doctor　and　an　excellent　

old　smiling　priest　it　was　passed　over　into　my　hands　with　a　very　

clear　statement　of　the　disposer's　wishes；　immediately　after　which；　

though　the　witnesses　remained　behind　to　draw　up　and　sign　a　joint　

note　of　the　transaction；　Monsieur　de　Keroual　dismissed　me　to　my　own　

room；　La　Ferriere　following　with　the　invaluable　box。



At　my　chamber　door　I　took　it　from　him　with　thanks；　and　entered　

alone。　　Everything　had　been　already　disposed　for　the　night；　the　

curtains　drawn　and　the　fire　trimmed；　and　Rowley　was　still　busy　with　

my　bedclothes。　　He　turned　round　as　I　entered　with　a　look　of　welcome　

that　did　my　heart　good。　　Indeed；　I　had　never　a　much　greater　need　of　

human　sympathy；　however　trivial；　than　at　that　moment　when　I　held　a　

fortune　in　my　arms。　　In　my　uncle's　room　I　had　breathed　the　very　

atmosphere　of　disenchantment。　　He　had　gorged　my　pockets；　he　had　

starved　every　dignified　or　affectionate　sentiment　of　a　man。　　I　had　

received　so　chilling　an　impression　of　age　and　experience　that　the　

mere　look　of　youth　dr