maitre cornelius-第4部分

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taken　care　to　transmit　to　our　knowledge　the　licentious　tastes　of　a

monarch　who　was　not　averse　to　debauchery。　The　old　Fleming　found；　no

doubt；　both　pleasure　and　profit　in　lending　himself　to　the　capricious

pleasures　of　his　royal　client。



Cornelius　had　now　lived　nine　years　in　the　city　of　Tours。　During　those

years　extraordinary　events　had　happened　in　his　house；　which　had　made

him　the　object　of　general　execration。　On　his　first　arrival；　he　had

spent　considerable　sums　in　order　to　put　the　treasures　he　brought　with

him　in　safety。　The　strange　inventions　made　for　him　secretly　by　the

locksmiths　of　the　town；　the　curious　precautions　taken　in　bringing

those　locksmiths　to　his　house　in　a　way　to　compel　their　silence；　were

long　the　subject　of　countless　tales　which　enlivened　the　evening

gatherings　of　the　city。　These　singular　artifices　on　the　part　of　the

old　man　made　every　one　suppose　him　the　possessor　of　Oriental　riches。

Consequently　the　NARRATORS　of　that　regionthe　home　of　the　tale　in

Francebuilt　rooms　full　of　gold　and　precious　tones　in　the　Fleming's

house；　not　omitting　to　attribute　all　this　fabulous　wealth　to　compacts

with　Magic。



Maitre　Cornelius　had　brought　with　him　from　Ghent　two　Flemish　valets；

an　old　woman；　and　a　young　apprentice；　the　latter；　a　youth　with　a

gentle；　pleasing　face；　served　him　as　secretary；　cashier；　factotum；　and

courier。　During　the　first　year　of　his　settlement　in　Tours；　a　robbery

of　considerable　amount　took　place　in　his　house；　and　judicial　inquiry

showed　that　the　crime　must　have　been　committed　by　one　of　its　inmates。

The　old　miser　had　his　two　valets　and　the　secretary　put　in　prison。　The

young　man　was　feeble　and　he　died　under　the　sufferings　of　the

〃question〃　protesting　his　innocence。　The　valets　confessed　the　crime　to

escape　torture；　but　when　the　judge　required　them　to　say　where　the

stolen　property　could　be　found；　they　kept　silence；　were　again　put　to

the　torture；　judged；　condemned；　and　hanged。　On　their　way　to　the

scaffold　they　declared　themselves　innocent；　according　to　the　custom

of　all　persons　about　to　be　executed。



The　city　of　Tours　talked　much　of　this　singular　affair；　but　the

criminals　were　Flemish；　and　the　interest　felt　in　their　unhappy　fate

soon　evaporated。　In　those　days　wars　and　seditions　furnished　endless

excitements；　and　the　drama　of　each　day　eclipsed　that　of　the　night

before。　More　grieved　by　the　loss　he　had　met　with　than　by　the　death　of

his　three　servants；　Maitre　Cornelius　lived　alone　in　his　house　with　the

old　Flemish　woman；　his　sister。　He　obtained　permission　from　the　king　to

use　state　couriers　for　his　private　affairs；　sold　his　mules　to　a

muleteer　of　the　neighborhood；　and　lived　from　that　moment　in　the

deepest　solitude；　seeing　no　one　but　the　king；　doing　his　business　by

means　of　Jews；　who；　shrewd　calculators；　served　him　well　in　order　to

gain　his　all…powerful　protection。



Some　time　after　this　affair；　the　king　himself　procured　for　his　old

〃torconnier〃　a　young　orphan　in　whom　he　took　an　interest。　Louis　XI。

called　Maitre　Cornelius　familiarly　by　that　obsolete　term；　which；　under

the　reign　of　Saint…Louis；　meant　a　usurer；　a　collector　of　imposts；　a

man　who　pressed　others　by　violent　means。　The　epithet；　〃tortionnaire；〃

which　remains　to　this　day　in　our　legal　phraseology；　explains　the　old

word　torconnier；　which　we　often　find　spelt　〃tortionneur。〃　The　poor

young　orphan　devoted　himself　carefully　to　the　affairs　of　the　old

Fleming；　pleased　him　much；　and　was　soon　high　in　his　good　graces。

During　a　winter's　night；　certain　diamonds　deposited　with　Maitre

Cornelius　by　the　King　of　England　as　security　for　a　sum　of　a　hundred

thousand　crowns　were　stolen；　and　suspicion；　of　course；　fell　on　the

orphan。　Louis　XI。　was　all　the　more　severe　because　he　had　answered　for

the　youth's　fidelity。　After　a　very　brief　and　summary　examination　by

the　grand　provost；　the　unfortunate　secretary　was　hanged。　After　that　no

one　dared　for　a　long　time　to　learn　the　arts　of　banking　and　exchange

from　Maitre　Cornelius。



In　course　of　time；　however；　two　young　men　of　the　town；　Touraineans；

men　of　honor；　and　eager　to　make　their　fortunes；took　service　with　the

silversmith。　Robberies　coincided　with　the　admission　of　the　two　young

men　into　the　house。　The　circumstances　of　these　crimes；　the　manner　in

which　they　were　perpetrated；　showed　plainly　that　the　robbers　had

secret　communication　with　its　inmates。　Become　by　this　time　more　than

ever　suspicious　and　vindictive；　the　old　Fleming　laid　the　matter　before

Louis　XI。；　who　placed　it　in　the　hands　of　his　grand　provost。　A　trial

was　promptly　had　and　promptly　ended。　The　inhabitants　of　Tours　blamed

Tristan　l'Hermite　secretly　for　unseemly　haste。　Guilty　or　not　guilty；

the　young　Touraineans　were　looked　upon　as　victims；　and　Cornelius　as　an

executioner。　The　two　families　thus　thrown　into　mourning　were　much

respected；　their　complaints　obtained　a　hearing；　and　little　by　little

it　came　to　be　believed　that　all　the　victims　whom　the　king's

silversmith　had　sent　to　the　scaffold　were　innocent。　Some　persons

declared　that　the　cruel　miser　imitated　the　king；　and　sought　to　put

terror　and　gibbets　between　himself　and　his　fellow…men；　others　said

that　he　had　never　been　robbed　at　all；that　these　melancholy

executions　were　the　result　of　cool　calculations；　and　that　their　real

object　was　to　relieve　him　of　all　fear　for　his　treasure。



The　first　effect　of　these　rumors　was　to　isolate　Maitre　Cornelius。　The

Touraineans　treated　him　like　a　leper；　called　him　the　〃tortionnaire；〃

and　named　his　house　Malemaison。　If　the　Fleming　had　found　strangers　to

the　town　bold　enough　to　enter　it；　the　inhabitants　would　have　warned

them　against　doing　so。　The　most　favorable　opinion　of　Maitre　Cornelius

was　that　of　persons　who　thought　him　merely　baneful。　Some　he　inspired

with　instinctive　terror；　others　he　impressed　with　the　deep　respect

that　most　men　feel　for　limitless　power　and　money；　while　to　a　few　he

certainly　possessed　the　attraction　of　mystery。　His　way　of　life；　his

countenance；　and　the　favor　of　the　king；　justified　all　the　tales　of

which　he　had　now　become　the　subject。



Cornelius　travelled　much　in　foreign　lands　after　the　death　of　his

persecutor；　the　Duke　of　Burgundy；　and　during　his　absence　the　king

caused　his　premises　to　be　guarded　by　a　detachment　of　his　own　Scottish

guard。　Such　royal　solicitude　made　the　courtiers　believe　that　the　old

miser　had　bequeathed　his　property　to　Louis　XI。　When　at　home；　the

torconnier　went　out　but　little；　but　the　lords　of　the　court　paid　him

frequent　visits。　He　lent　them　money　rather　liberally；　though

capricious　in　his　manner　of　doing　so。　On　certain　days　he　refused　to

give　them　a　penny；　the　next　day　he　would　offer　them　large

sums；always　at　high　interest　and　on　good　security。　A　good　Catholic；

he　went　regularly　to　the　services；　always　attending　the　earliest　mass

at　Saint…Martin；　and　as　he　had　purchased　there；　as　elsewhere；　a　chapel

in　perpetuity；　he　was　separated　even　in　church　from　other　Christians。

A　popular　proverb　of　that　day；　long　remembered　in　Tours；　was　the

saying：　〃You　passed　in　front　of　the　Fleming；　ill…luck　will　happen　to

you。〃　Passing　in　front　of　the　Fleming　explained　all　sudden　pains　and

evils；　involuntary　sadness；　ill…turns　of　fortune　among　the

Touraineans。　Even　at　court　most　persons　attributed　to　Cornelius　that

fatal　influence　which　Italian；　Spanish；　and　Asiatic　superstition　has

called　the　〃evil　eye。〃　Without　the　terrible　power　of　Louis　XI。；　which

was　stretched　like　a　mantle　over　that　house；　the　populace；　on　the

slightest　opportunity；　would　have　demolished　La　Malemaison；　that　〃evil

house〃　in　the　rue　du　Murier。　And　yet　Cornelius　had　been　the　first　to

plant　mulberries　in　Tours；　and　the　Touraineans　at　that　time　regarded

him　as　their　good　genius。　Who　shall　reckon　on　popular　favor！



A　few　seigneurs　having　met　Maitre　Cornelius　on　his　journeys　out　of

France　were　surprised　at　his　friendliness　and　good…humor。　At　Tours　he

was　gloomy　and　absorbed；　yet　always　he　returned　there。　Some

inexplicable　power　brought　him　back　to　his　dismal　house　in　the　rue　du

Murier。　Like　a　snail；　whose　life　is　so　firmly　attached　to　its　shell；

he　admitted　to　the　king　that　he　was　never　at　ease　except　under　the

bolts　and　behind　the　vermiculated　stones　of　his　little　bastille；　yet

he　knew　very　well　that　whenever　Louis　XI。　died；　the　place　would　be　the

most　dangerous　spot　on　earth　for　him。



〃The　devil　is　amusing　himself　at　the　expense　of　our　crony；　the

torconnier；〃　said　Louis　XI。　to　his　barber；　a　few　days　before　the

festival　of　All…Saints。　〃He　says　he　has　been　robbed　again；　but　he

can't　hang　anybody　this　time　unless　he　hangs　himself。　The　old　vagabond

came　and　asked　me　if；　by　chance；　I　had　carried　off　a　string　of　rubies

he　wanted　to　sell　me。　'Pasques…Dieu！　I　don't　steal　what　I　can　take；'　I

said　to　him。〃



〃Was　he　frightened？〃　asked　the　barber。



〃Misers　are　afraid　of　only　one　thing；〃　replied　the　king。　〃My　crony　the

torconnier　knows　very　well　that　I　shall　not　plunder　him　unless　for

good　reason；　otherwise　I　should　be　unjust；　and　I　have　never　done

anything　but　what　is　just　and　necessary。〃



〃And　yet　that　old　brigand　overcharges　you；〃　said　the　barber。



〃You　wish　he　did；　don't　you？〃　replied　the　king；　with　the　malicious

look　at　his　barber。



〃Ventre…Mahom；　sire；　the　inheritance　would　be　a　fine　one　between　you

and　the　devil！〃



〃There；　there！〃　said　the　king；　〃don't　put　bad　ideas　into　my　head。　My

crony　is　a　more　faithful　man　than　those　whose　fortunes　I　have　made

perhaps　because　he　owes　me　nothing。〃



For　the　last　two　years　Maitre　Cornelius　had　lived　entirely　alone　with

his　aged　sister；　who　was　thought　a　witch。　A　tailor　in　the　neighborhood

declared　that　he　had　often　seen　her　at　night；　on　the　roof　of　the

house；　waiting　for　the　hour　of　the　witches'　sabbath。　This　fact　seemed

the　more　extraordinary　because　it　was　known　to　be　the　miser's　custom

to　lock　up　his　sister　at　night　in　a　bedroom　with　iron…barred　windows。



As　he　grew　older；　Cornelius；　constantly　robbe