the wandering jew, volume 10-第17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！


gateway　of　the　house。　　The　postilion　whipped　up　the　horses；　and　they
started　at　full　gallop。　　Was　it　chance　or　instinct？　　The　nearer　the
carriage　approached　the　group　of　which　he　formed　a　part；　the　more　did
Agricola's　heart　sink　within　him。

The　impression　became　so　vivid　that　it　was　soon　changed　into　a　terrible
apprehension；　and　at　the　moment　when　the　vehicle；　which　had　its　blinds
down；　was　about　to　pass　close　by　him；　the　smith；　in　obedience　to　a
resistless　impulse；　exclaimed；　as　he　rushed　to　the　horses'　heads：　〃Help；
friends！　stop　them！〃

〃Postilion！　ten　louis　if　you　ride　over　him！〃　cried　from　the　carriage　the
military　voice　of　Father　d'Aigrigny。

The　cholera　was　still　raging。　　The　postilion　had　heard　of　the　murder　of
the　poisoners。　　Already　frightened　at　the　sudden　attack　of　Agricola；　he
struck　him　a　heavy　blow　on　the　head　with　the　butt　of　his　whip　which
stretched　him　senseless　on　the　ground。　　Then；　spurring　with　all　his
might；　he　urged　his　three　horses　into　a　triple　gallop；　and　the　carriage
rapidly　disappeared；　whilst　Agricola's　companions；　who　had　neither
understood　his　actions　nor　the　sense　of　his　words；　crowded　around　the
smith；　and　did　their　best　to　revive　him。




CHAPTER　XLIV。

REMEMBRANCES。

Other　events　took　place　a　few　days　after　the　fatal　evening　in　which　M。
Hardy；　fascinated　and　misled　by　the　deplorable；　mystic　jargon　of　Rodin；
had　implored　Father　d'Aigrigny　on　his　knees　to　remove　him　far　from　Paris；
into　some　deep　solitude　where　he　might　devote　himself　to　a　life　of　prayer
and　ascetic　austerities。　　Marshal　Simon；　since　his　arrival　in　Paris；　had
occupied；　with　his　two　daughters；　a　house　in　the　Rue　des　Trois…Freres。
Before　introducing　the　reader　into　this　modest　dwelling；　we　are　obliged
to　recall　to　his　memory　some　preceding　facts。　　The　day　of　the　burning　of
Hardy　's　factory；　Marshal　Simon　had　come　to　consult　with　his　father　on　a
question　of　the　highest　importance；　and　to　communicate　to　him　his　painful
apprehensions　on　the　subject　of　the　growing　sadness　of　his　twin
daughters；　which　he　was　unable　to　explain。

Marshal　Simon　held　in　religious　reverence　the　memory　of　the　Great
Emperor。　　His　gratitude　to　the　hero　was　boundless；　his　devotion　blind；
his　enthusiasm　founded　upon　reason；　his　affection　warm　as　the　most
sincere　and　passionate　friendship。　　But　this　was　not　all。

One　day　the　emperor；　in　a　burst　of　joy　and　paternal　tenderness；　had　led
the　marshal　to　the　cradle　of　the　sleeping　King　of　Rome；　and　said　to　him；
as　he　proudly　pointed　to　the　beautiful　child：　〃My　old　friend；　swear　to　me
that　you　will　serve　the　son　as　you　have　served　the　father！〃

Marshal　Simon　took　and　kept　that　vow。　　During　the　Restoration；　the　chief
of　a　military　conspiracy　in　favor　of　Napoleon　II。；　he　had　attempted　in
vain　to　secure　a　regiment　of　cavalry；　at　that　time　commanded　by　the
Marquis　d'Aigrigny。　　Betrayed　and　denounced；　the　marshal；　after　a
desperate　duel　with　the　future　Jesuit；　had　succeeded　in　reaching　Poland；
and　thus　escaping　a　sentence　of　death。　　It　is　useless　to　repeat　the
series　of　events　which　led　the　marshal　from　Poland　to　India；　and　then
brought　him　back　to　Paris　after　the　Revolution　of　Julyan　epoch　at　which
a　number　of　his　old　comrades　in　arms　had　solicited　and　obtained　from　the
government；　without　his　knowledge；　the　confirmation　of　the　rank　and　title
which　the　emperor　had　bestowed　upon　him　just　before　Waterloo。

On　his　return　to　Paris；　after　his　long　exile；　in　spite　of　all　the
happiness　he　felt　in　at　length　embracing　his　children；　Marshal　Simon　was
deeply　affected　on　learning　the　death　of　their　mother；　whom　he　adored。
Till　the　last　moment；　he　had　hoped　to　find　her　in　Paris。　　The
disappointment　was　dreadful；　and　he　felt　it　cruelly；　though　he　sought
consolation　in　his　children's　affection。

But　soon　new　causes　of　trouble　and　anxiety　were　interwoven　with　his　life
by　the　machinations　of　Rodin。　　Thanks　to　the　secret　intrigues　of　the
reverend　father　at　the　Courts　of　Rome　and　Vienna；　one　of　his　emissaries；
in　a　condition　to　inspire　full　confidence；　and　provided　with　undeniable
evidence　to　support　his　words；　went　to　Marshal　Simon；　and　said　to　him：
〃The　son　of　the　emperor　is　dying；　the　victim　of　the　fears　with　which　the
name　of　Napoleon　still　inspires　Europe。

〃From　this　slow　expiring；　you；　Marshal　Simon；　one　of　the　emperor's　most
faithful　friends；　are　able　to　rescue　this　unfortunate　prince。

〃The　correspondence　in　my　hand　proves　that　it　would　be　easy　to　open
relations；　of　the　surest　and　most　secret　nature；　with　one　of　the　most
influential　persons　about　the　King　of　Rome；　and　this　person　would　be
disposed　to　favor　the　prince's　escape。

〃It　is　possible；　by　a　bold；　unexpected　stroke；　to　deliver　Napoleon　II。
from　the　custody　of　Austria；　which　would　leave　him　to　perish　by　inches　in
an　atmosphere　that　is　fatal　to　him。

〃The　enterprise　may　be　a　rash　one；　but　it　has　chances　of　success　that　you
Marshal　Simon；　more　than　any　other；　could　change　into　certainties；　for
your　devotion　to　the　emperor　is　well　known；　and　we　remember　with　what
adventurous　audacity　you　conspired；　in　1815；　in　favor　of　Napoleon　II。〃

The　state　of　languor　and　decline　of　the　King　of　Rome　was　then　in　France　a
matter　of　public　notoriety。　　People　even　went　so　far　as　to　affirm　that
the　son　of　the　hero　was　carefully　trained　by　priests；　who　kept　him　in
complete　ignorance　of　the　glory　of　his　paternal　name；　and　that；　by　the
most　execrable　machinations；　they　strove　day　by　day　to　extinguish　every
noble　and　generous　instinct　that　displayed　itself　in　the　unfortunate
youth。　　The　coldest　hearts　were　touched　and　softened　at　the　story　of　so
sad　and　fatal　a　destiny。　　When　we　remember　the　heroic　character　and
chivalrous　loyalty　of　Marshal　Simon；　and　his　passionate　devotion　to　the
emperor；　we　can　understand　how　the　father　of　Rose　and　Blanche　was　more
interested　than　any　one　else　in　the　fate　of　the　young　prince；　and　how；　if
occasion　offered；　he　would　feel　himself　obliged　not　to　confine　his
efforts　to　mere　regrets。　　With　regard　to　the　reality　of　the
correspondence　produced　by　Rodin's　emissary；　it　had　been　submitted　by　the
marshal　to　a　searching　test；　by　means　of　his　intimacy　with　one　of　his　old
companions　in　arms；　who　had　been　for　a　long　period　on　a　mission　to
Vienna；　in　the　time　of　the　empire。　　The　result　of　this　investigation；
conducted　with　as　much　prudence　as　address；　so　that　nothing　should
transpire；　showed　that　the　marshal　might　give　his　serious　attention　to
the　advances　made　him。

Hence；　this　proposition　threw　the　father　of　Rose　and　Blanche　into　a　cruel
perplexity；　for；　to　attempt　so　bold　and　dangerous　an　enterprise；　he　must
once　more　abandon　his　children；　whilst；　on　the　contrary；　if；　alarmed　at
this　separation；　he　renounced　the　endeavor　to　save　the　King　of　Rome；
whose　lingering　death　was　perfectly　true　and　well　authenticated；　the
marshal　would　consider　himself　as　false　to　the　vow　he　had　sworn　to　the
emperor。　　To　end　these　painful　hesitations；　full　of　confidence　in　the
inflexible　uprightness　of　his　father's　character；　the　marshal　had　gone　to
ask　his　advice；　unfortunately　the　old　republican　workman；　mortally
wounded　during　the　attack　on　M。　Hardy's　factory；　but　still　pondering　over
the　serious　communication　of　his　son；　died　with　these　words　upon　his
Lips：　〃My　son；　you　have　a　great　duty　to　perform；　under　pain　of　not　acting
like　a　man　of　honor；　and　of　disobeying　my　last　will。　　You　must；　without
hesitation〃

But；　by　a　deplorable　fatality；　the　last　words；　which　would　have　completed
the　sense　of　the　old　workman's　thought；　were　spoken　in　so　feeble　a　voice
as　to　be　quite　unintelligible。　　He　died；　leaving　Marshal　Simon　in　a　worse
state　of　anxiety；　as　one　of　the　two　courses　open　to　him　had　now　been
formally　condemned　by　his　father；　in　whose　judgment　he　had　the　most
implicit　and　merited　confidence。　　In　a　word；　his　mind　was　now　tortured　by
the　doubt　whether　his　father　had　intended；　in　the　name　of　honor　and　duty；
to　advise　him　not　to　abandon　his　children；　to　engage　in　so　hazardous　an
enterprise；　or　whether；　on　the　contrary；　he　had　wished　him　to　leave　them
for　a　time；　to　perform　the　vow　made　to　the　emperor；　and　endeavor　at　least
to　rescue　Napoleon　II。　from　a　captivity　that　might　soon　be　mortal。

This　perplexity；　rendered　more　cruel　by　certain　circumstances；　to　be
related　hereafter；　the　tragical　death　of　his　father；　who　had　expired　in
his　arms；　the　incessant　and　painful　remembrance　of　his　wife；　who　had
perished　in　a　land　of　exile；　and　finally；　the　grief　he　felt　at　perceiving
the　overgrowing　sadness　of　Rose　and　Blanche；　occasioned　severe　shocks　to
Marshal　Simon。　　Let　us　add　that；　in　spite　of　his　natural　intrepidity；　so
nobly　proved　by　twenty　years　of　war；　the　ravages　of　the　cholera；　the　same
terrible　malady　to　which　his　wife　had　fallen　a　victim　in　Siberia；　filled
the　marshal　with　involuntary　dread。　　Yes；　this　man　of　iron　nerves；　who
had　coolly　braved　death　in　so　many　battles；　felt　the　habitual　firmness　of
his　character　give　way　at　sight　of　the　scenes　of　desolation　and　mourning
which　Paris　offered　at　every　step。　　Yet；　when　Mdlle。　de　Cardoville
gathered　round　her　the　members　of　her　family；　to　warn　them　against　the
plot　of　their　enemies；　the　affectionate　tenderness　of　Adrienne　for　Rose
and　Blanche　appeared　to　exercise　so　happy　an　influence　on　their
mysterious　sorrow；　that　the　marshal；　forgetting　for　a　moment　his　fatal
regrets；　thought　only　of　enjoying　this　blessed　change；　which；　alas！　was
but　of　short　duration。　　Having　now　recalled　these　facts　to　the　mind　of
the　reader；　we　shall　continue　our　story。




CHAPTER　XLV。

THE　BLOCKHEAD

We　have　stated　that　Marshal　Simon　occupied　a　small　house　in　the　Rue　des
Trois…Freres。　　Two　o'clock　in　the　afternoon　had　just　struck　in　the
marshal's　sleeping…chamber；　a　room　furnished　with　military　simplicity。
In　the　recess；　in　which　stood　the　bed；　hung　a　trophy　composed　of　the　arms
used　by　the　marshal　during　his　campaigns。　　On　the　secretary　opposite　was
a　small　bronze　bust　of　the　emperor；　the　only　ornament　of　the　apartment。
Out　of　doors　the　temperature　was　far　from　warm；　and　the　marshal　had
become　susceptible　to　cold　during　his　long　residence　in　India。　　A　good
fire　therefore　blazed　upon　the　hearth。　　A　door；　concealed　by　the
hangings；　and　leading　to　a　back　staircase；　opened　slowly；　and　a　man
entered　the　chamber。　　He　carried　a　basket　of　wood；　and　advanced　leisurely
to　the　fireplace；　before　which　he　knelt　clown；　and　began　to　arrange　the
logs　symmetrically　in　a　box　that　stood　besides　the　hearth。　　After　some
minutes　occupied　in　this　manner；　still　kneeling；　he　gradually　approached
another　door；　at　a　little　distance　from　the　chimney；　and　appeared　to
listen　with　deep　attention；　as　if　he　wished　to　hear　what　was　passing　in
the　next　room。

This　man；　employed　as　an　inferior　servant　in　the　house；　had　the　most
ridiculously　stupid　look　that　can　be　imagined。　　His　functions　consisted
in　carrying　wood；　running　errands；　etc。　　In　other　respects　he　was　a　kind
of　laughing…stock　to　the　other　servants。　　In　a　moment　of　good　humor；
Dagobert；　who　filled　the　post　of　major…domo；　had　given　this　idiot　the
name　of　〃Loony〃　（lunatic）；　which　he　had　retained　ever　since；　and　which　he
deserved　in　every　respect；　as　well　for　his　awkwardness　and　folly　a