maitre cornelius-第13部分

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〃Adieu；　my　crony；〃　said　Louis　XI。　at　last　in　a　curt　voice；　pushing　up

his　cap。



〃May　God　and　the　Virgin　keep　you　in　their　good　graces！〃　replied　the

silversmith　humbly；　conducting　the　king　to　the　door　of　the　house。



After　so　long　a　friendship；　the　two　men　found　a　barrier　raised　between

them　by　suspicion　and　gold；　though　they　had　always　been　like　one　man

on　the　two　points　of　gold　and　suspicion。　But　they　knew　each　other　so

well；　they　had　so　completely　the　habit；　one　may　say；　of　each　other；

that　the　king　could　divine；　from　the　tone　in　which　Cornelius　uttered

the　words；　〃As　you　please；　sire；〃　the　repugnance　that　his　visits　would

henceforth　cause　to　the　silversmith；　just　as　the　latter　recognized　a

declaration　of　war　in　the　〃Adieu；　my　crony；〃　of　the　king。



Thus　Louis　XI。　and　his　torconnier　parted　much　in　doubt　as　to　the

conduct　they　ought　in　future　to　hold　to　each　other。　The　monarch

possessed　the　secret　of　the　Fleming；　but　on　the　other　hand；　the　latter

could；　by　his　connections；　bring　about　one　of　the　finest　acquisitions

that　any　king　of　France　had　ever　made；　namely；　that　of　the　domains　of

the　house　of　Burgundy；　which　the　sovereigns　of　Europe　were　then

coveting。　The　marriage　of　the　celebrated　Marguerite　depended　on　the

people　of　Ghent　and　the　Flemings　who　surrounded　her。　The　gold　and　the

influence　of　Cornelius　could　powerfully　support　the　negotiations　now

begun　by　Desquerdes；　the　general　to　whom　Louis　XI。　had　given　the

command　of　the　army　encamped　on　the　frontiers　of　Belgium。　These　two

master…foxes　were；　therefore；　like　two　duellists；　whose　arms　are

paralyzed　by　chance。



So；　whether　it　were　that　from　that　day　the　king's　health　failed　and

went　from　bad　to　worse；　or　that　Cornelius　did　assist　in　bringing　into

France　Marguerite　of　Burgundywho　arrived　at　Ambroise　in　July；　1438；

to　marry　the　Dauphin　to　whom　she　was　betrothed　in　the　chapel　of　the

castlecertain　it　is　that　the　king　took　no　steps　in　the　matter　of　the

hidden　treasure；　he　levied　no　tribute　from　his　silversmith；　and　the

pair　remained　in　the　cautious　condition　of　an　armed　friendship。

Happily　for　Cornelius　a　rumor　was　spread　about　Tours　that　his　sister

was　the　actual　robber；　and　that　she　had　been　secretly　put　to　death　by

Tristan。　Otherwise；　if　the　true　history　had　been　known；　the　whole　town

would　have　risen　as　one　man　to　destroy　the　Malemaison　before　the　king

could　have　taken　measures　to　protect　it。



But；　although　these　historical　conjectures　have　some　foundation　so　far

as　the　inaction　of　Louis　XI。　is　concerned；　it　is　not　so　as　regards

Cornelius　Hoogworst。　There　was　no　inaction　there。　The　silversmith

spent　the　first　days　which　succeeded　that　fatal　night　in　ceaseless

occupation。　Like　carnivorous　animals　confined　in　cages；　he　went　and

came；　smelling　for　gold　in　every　corner　of　his　house；　he　studied　the

cracks　and　crevices；　he　sounded　the　walls；　he　besought　the　trees　of

the　garden；　the　foundations　of　the　house；　the　roofs　of　the　turrets；

the　earth　and　the　heavens；　to　give　him　back　his　treasure。　Often　he

stood　motionless　for　hours；　casting　his　eyes　on　all　sides；　plunging

them　into　the　void。　Striving　for　the　miracles　of　ecstasy　and　the

powers　of　sorcery；　he　tried　to　see　his　riches　through　space　and

obstacles。　He　was　constantly　absorbed　in　one　overwhelming　thought；

consumed　with　a　single　desire　that　burned　his　entrails；　gnawed　more

cruelly　still　by　the　ever…increasing　agony　of　the　duel　he　was　fighting

with　himself　since　his　passion　for　gold　had　turned　to　his　own　injury；

a　species　of　uncompleted　suicide　which　kept　him　at　once　in　the

miseries　of　life　and　in　those　of　death。



Never　was　a　Vice　more　punished　by　itself。　A　miser；　locked　by　accident

into　the　subterranean　strong…room　that　contains　his　treasures；　has；

like　Sardanapalus；　the　happiness　of　dying　in　the　midst　of　his　wealth。

But　Cornelius；　the　robber　and　the　robbed；　knowing　the　secret　of

neither　the　one　nor　the　other；　possessed　and　did　not　possess　his

treasure；a　novel；　fantastic；　but　continually　terrible　torture。

Sometimes；　becoming　forgetful；　he　would　leave　the　little　gratings　of

his　door　wide　open；　and　then　the　passers　in　the　street　could　see　that

already　wizened　man；　planted　on　his　two　legs　in　the　midst　of　his

untilled　garden；　absolutely　motionless；　and　casting　on　those　who

watched　him　a　fixed　gaze；　the　insupportable　light　of　which　froze　them

with　terror。　If；　by　chance；　he　walked　through　the　streets　of　Tours；　he

seemed　like　a　stranger　in　them；　he　knew　not　where　he　was；　nor　whether

the　sun　or　the　moon　were　shining。　Often　he　would　ask　his　way　of　those

who　passed　him；　believing　that　he　was　still　in　Ghent；　and　seeming　to

be　in　search　of　something　lost。



The　most　perennial　and　the　best　materialized　of　human　ideas；　the　idea

by　which　man　reproduces　himself　by　creating　outside　of　himself　the

fictitious　being　called　Property；　that　mental　demon；　drove　its　steel

claws　perpetually　into　his　heart。　Then；　in　the　midst　of　this　torture；

Fear　arose；　with　all　its　accompanying　sentiments。　Two　men　had　his

secret；　the　secret　he　did　not　know　himself。　Louis　XI。　or　Coyctier

could　post　men　to　watch　him　during　his　sleep　and　discover　the　unknown

gulf　into　which　he　had　cast　his　riches；those　riches　he　had　watered

with　the　blood　of　so　many　innocent　men。　And　then；　beside　his　fear；

arose　Remorse。



In　order　to　prevent　during　his　lifetime　the　abduction　of　his　hidden

treasure；　he　took　the　most　cruel　precautions　against　sleep；　besides

which；　his　commercial　relations　put　him　in　the　way　of　obtaining

powerful　anti…narcotics。　His　struggles　to　keep　awake　were　awfulalone

with　night；　silence；　Remorse；　and　Fear；　with　all　the　thoughts　that

man；　instinctively　perhaps；　has　best　embodiedobedient　thus　to　a

moral　truth　as　yet　devoid　of　actual　proof。



At　last　this　man　so　powerful；　this　heart　so　hardened　by　political　and

commercial　life；　this　genius；　obscure　in　history；　succumbed　to　the

horrors　of　the　torture　he　had　himself　created。　Maddened　by　certain

thoughts　more　agonizing　than　those　he　had　as　yet　resisted；　he　cut　his

throat　with　a　razor。



This　death　coincided；　almost；　with　that　of　Louis　XI。　Nothing　then

restrained　the　populace；　and　Malemaison；　that　Evil　House；　was

pillaged。　A　tradition　exists　among　the　older　inhabitants　of　Touraine

that　a　contractor　of　public　works；　named　Bohier；　found　the　miser's

treasure　and　used　it　in　the　construction　of　Chenonceaux；　that

marvellous　chateau　which；　in　spite　of　the　wealth　of　several　kings　and

the　taste　of　Diane　de　Poitiers　and　Catherine　de'　Medici　for　building；

remains　unfinished　to　the　present　day。



Happily　for　Marie　de　Sassenage；　the　Comte　de　Saint…Vallier　died；　as　we

know；　in　his　embassy。　The　family　did　not　become　extinct。　After　the

departure　of　the　count；　the　countess　gave　birth　to　a　son；　whose　career

was　famous　in　the　history　of　France　under　the　reign　of　Francois　I。　He

was　saved　by　his　daughter；　the　celebrated　Diane　de　Poitiers；　the

illegitimate　great…granddaughter　of　Louis　XI。；　who　became　the

illegitimate　wife；　the　beloved　mistress　of　Henri　II。for　bastardy　and

love　were　hereditary　in　that　family　of　nobles。











End