the wandering jew, volume 5-第1部分

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The　Wandering　Jew；　Volume　5


by　Eugene　Sue






BOOK　V。

XIV。　　　　　　　The　Eve　of　a　Great　Day
XV。　　　　　　　　The　Thug
XVI。　　　　　　　The　Two　Brothers　of　the　Good　Work
XVII。　　　　　　The　House　in　the　Rue　Saint…Francois
XVIII。　　　　　Debit　and　Credit
XIX。　　　　　　　The　Heir
XX。　　　　　　　　The　Rupture
XXI。　　　　　　　The　Change
XXII。　　　　　　The　Red　Room
XXIII。　　　　　The　Testament
XXIV。　　　　　　The　Last　Stroke　of　Noon
XXV。　　　　　　　The　Deed　of　Gift




CHAPTER　XIV。

THE　EVE　OF　A　GREAT　DAY。

About　two　hours　before　the　event　last　related　took　place　at　St。　Mary's
Convent；　Rodin　and　Abbe　d'Aigrigny　met　in　the　room　where　we　have　already
seen　them；　in　the　Rue　du　Milieu…des…Ursins。　　Since　the　Revolution　of
July；　Father　d'Aigrigny　had　thought　proper　to　remove　for　the　moment　to
this　temporary　habitation　all　the　secret　archives　and　correspondence　of
his　Ordera　prudent　measure；　since　he　had　every　reason　to　fear　that　the
reverend　fathers　would　be　expelled　by　the　state　from　that　magnificent
establishment；　with　which　the　restoration　had　so　liberally　endowed　their
society。＇11＇

Rodin；　dressed　in　his　usual　sordid　style；　mean　and　dirty　as　ever；　was
writing　modestly　at　his　desk；　faithful　to　his　humble　part　of　secretary；
which　concealed；　as　we　have　already　seen　a　far　more　important　office
that　of　Sociusa　function　which；　according　to　the　constitutions　of　the
Order；　consists　in　never　quitting　his　superior；　watching　his　least
actions；　spying　into　his　very　thoughts；　and　reporting　all　to　Rome。

In　spite　of　his　usual　impassibility；　Rodin　appeared　visibly　uneasy　and
absent　in　mind；　he　answered　even　more　briefly　than　usual　to　the　commands
and　questions　of　Father　d'Aigrigny；　who　had　but　just　entered　the　room。

〃Has　anything　new　occurred　during　my　absence？〃　asked　he。　　〃Are　the
reports　still　favorable？〃

〃Very　favorable。〃

〃Read　them　to　me。〃

〃Before　giving　this　account　to　your　reverence；〃　said　Rodin；　〃I　must
inform　you　that　Morok　has　been　two　days　in　Paris。〃

〃Morok？〃　　said　Abbe　d'Aigrigny；　with　surprise。　　〃I　thought；　on　leaving
Germany　and　Switzerland；　he　had　received　from　Friburg　the　order　to
proceed　southward。　　At　Nismes；　or　Avignon；　he　would　at　this　moment　be
useful　as　an　agent；　for　the　Protestants　begin　to　move；　and　we　fear　a
reaction　against　the　Catholics。〃

〃I　do　not　know；〃　said　Rodin；　〃if　Morok　may　not　have　had　private　reasons
for　changing　his　route。　　His　ostensible　reasons　are；　that　he　comes　here
to　give　performances。〃

〃How　so？〃

〃A　dramatic　agent；　passing　through　Lyons；　engaged　him　and　his　menagerie
for　the　Port　Saint…Martin　Theatre　at　a　very　high　price。　　He　says　that　he
did　not　like　to　refuse　such　an　offer。〃

〃Well；〃　said　Father　d'Aigrigny；　shrugging　his　shoulders；　〃but　by
distributing　his　little　books；　and　selling　prints　and　chaplets；　as　well
as　by　the　influence　he　would　certainly　exercise　over　the　pious　and
ignorant　people　of　the　South　or　of　Brittany；　he　might　render　services；
such　as　he　can　never　perform　in　Paris。〃

〃He　is　now　below；　with　a　kind　of　giant；　who　travels　about　with　him。　　In
his　capacity　of　your　reverence's　old　servant；　Morok　hoped　to　have　the
honor　of　kissing　your　hand　this　evening。〃

〃Impossibleimpossibleyou　know　how　much　I　am　occupied。　　Have　you　sent
to　the　Rue　Saint…Francois？〃

〃Yes；　I　have。　　The　old　Jew　guardian　has　had　notice　from　the　notary。　　To…
morrow；　at　six　in　the　morning；　the　masons　will　unwall　the　door；　and；　for
the　first　time　since　one　hundred　and　fifty　years；　the　house　will　be
opened。〃

Father　d'Aigrigny　remained　in　thought　for　a　moment；　and　then　said　to
Rodin：　〃On　the　eve　of　such　a　decisive　day；　we　must　neglect　nothing；　and
call　every　circumstance　to　memory。　　Read　me　the　copy　of　the　note；
inserted　in　the　archives　of　the　society；　a　century　and　a　half　ago；　on　the
subject　of　Rennepont。〃

The　secretary　took　the　note　from　the　case；　and　read　as　follows：

〃‘This　19th　day　of　February；　1682；　the　Reverend　Father…Provincial
Alexander　Bourdon　sent　the　following　advice；　with　these　words　in　the
margin：　Of　extreme　importance　for　the　future。

〃'We　have　just　discovered；　by　the　confession　of　a　dying　person　to　one　of
our　fathers；　a　very　close　secret。

〃‘Marius　de　Rennepont；　one　of　the　most　active　and　redoubtable　partisans
of　the　Reformed　Religion；　and　one　of　the　most　determined　enemies　of　our
Holy　Society；　had　apparently　re…entered　the　pale　of　our　Mother　Church；
but　with　the　sole　design　of　saving　his　worldly　goods；　threatened　with
confiscation　because　of　his　irreligious　and　damnable　errors。　　Evidence
having　been　furnished　by　different　persons　of　our　company　to　prove　that
the　conversion　of　Rennepont　was　not　sincere；　and　in　reality　covered　a
sacrilegious　lure；　the　possessions　of　the　said　gentleman；　now　considered
a　relapsed　heretic；　were　confiscated　by　our　gracious　sovereign；　his
Majesty　King　Louis　XIV；　and　the　said　Rennepont　was　condemned　to　the
galleys　for　life。＇12＇　　He　escaped　his　doom　by　a　voluntary　death；　in
consequence　of　which　abominable　crime；　his　body　was　dragged　upon　a
hurdle；　and　flung　to　the　dogs　on　the　highway。

〃‘From　these　preliminaries；　we　come　to　the　great　secret；　which　is　of　such
importance　to　the　future　interests　of　our　Society。

〃‘His　Majesty　Louis　XIV。；　in　his　paternal　and　Catholic　goodness　towards
the　Church　in　general；　and　our　Order　in　particular；　had　granted　to　us　the
profit　of　this　confiscation；　in　acknowledgment　of　our　services　in
discovering　the　infamous　and　sacrilegious　relapse　of　the　said　Rennepont。

〃‘But　we　have　just　learned；　for　certain；　that　a　house　situated　in　Paris；
No。　3；　Rue　Saint…Francois；　and　a　sum　of　fifty　thousand　gold　crowns；　have
escaped　this　confiscation；　and　have　consequently　been　stolen　from　our
Society。

〃‘The　house　was　conveyed；　before　the　confiscation；　by　means　of　a　feigned
purchase；　to　a　friend　of　Rennepont's　a　good　Catholic；　unfortunately；　as
against　him　we　cannot　take　any　severe　measures。　　Thanks　to　the　culpable；
but　secure　connivance　of　his　friend；　the　house　has　been　walled　up；　and　is
only　to　be　opened　in　a　century　and　a　half；　according　to　the　last　will　of
Rennepont。　　As　for　the　fifty　thousand　gold　crowns；　they　have　been　placed
in　hands　which；　unfortunately；　are　hitherto　unknown　to　us；　in　order　to　be
invested　and　put　out　to　use　for　one　hundred　and　fifty　years；　at　the
expiration　of　which　time　they　are　to　be　divided　between　the　then　existing
descendants　of　the　said　Rennepont；　and　it　is　calculated　that　this　sum；
increased　by　so　many　accumulations；　will　by　then　have　become　enormous；
and　will　amount　to　at　least　forty　or　fifty　millions　of　livres　tournois。
From　motives　which　are　not　known；　but　which　are　duly　stated　in　a
testamentary　document；　the　said　Rennepont　has　concealed　from　his　family；
whom　the　edicts　against　the　Protestants　have　driven　out　of　France；　the
investment　of　these　fifty　thousand　crowns；　and　has　only　desired　his
relations　to　preserve　in　their　line　from　generation　to　generation；　the
charge　to　the　last　survivors；　to　meet　in　Paris；　Rue　Saint…Francois；　a
hundred　and　fifty　years　hence；　on　February　the　13th；　1832。　　And　that　this
charge　might　not　be　forgotten；　he　employed　a　person；　whose　description　is
known；　but　not　his　real　occupation；　to　cause　to　be　manufactured　sundry
bronze　medals；　on　which　the　request　and　date　are　engraved；　and　to　deliver
one　to　each　member　of　the　familya　measure　the　more　necessary；　as；　from
some　other　motive　equally　unknown；　but　probably　explained　in　the
testament；　the　heirs　are　to　present　themselves　on　the　day　in　question；
before　noon；　in　person；　and　not　by　any　attorney；　or　representative；　or　to
forfeit　all　claim　to　the　inheritance。　　The　stranger　who　undertook　to
distribute　the　medals　to　the　different　members　of　the　family　of　Rennepont
is　a　man　of　thirty　to　thirty…six　years　of　age；　of　tall　stature；　and　with
a　proud　and　sad　expression　of　countenance。　　He　has　black　eyebrows；　very
thick；　and　singularly　joined　together。　　He　is　known　as　JOSEPH；　and　is
much　suspected　of　being　an　active　and　dangerous　emissary　of　the　wretched
republicans　and　heretics　of　the　Seven　United　Provinces。　　It　results　from
these　premises；　that　this　sum；　surreptitiously　confided　by　a　relapsed
heretic　to　unknown　hands；　has　escaped　the　confiscation　decreed　in　our
favor　by　our　well…beloved　king。　　A　serious　fraud　and　injury　has　therefore
been　committed；　and　we　are　bound　to　take　every　means　to　recover　this　our
right；　if　not　immediately；　at　least　in　some　future　time。　　Our　Society
being　（for　the　greater　glory　of　God　and　our　Holy　Father）　imperishable；　it
will　be　easy；　thanks　to　the　connections　we　keep　up　with　all　parts　of　the
world；　by　means　of　missions　and　other　establishments；　to　follow　the　line
of　this　family　of　Rennepont　from　generation　to　generation；　without　ever
losing　sight　of　itso　that　a　hundred　and　fifty　years　hence；　at　the
moment　of　the　division　of　this　immense　accumulation　of　property；　our
Company　may　claim　the　inheritance　of　which　it　has　been　so　treacherously
deprived；　and　recover　it　by　any　means　in　its　power；　fas　aut　nefas；　even
by　craft　or　violenceour　Company　not　being　bound　to　act　tenderly　with
the　future　detainers　of　our　goods；　of　which　we　have　been　maliciously
deprived　by　an　infamous　and　sacrilegious　hereticand　because　it　is　right
to　defend；　preserve；　and　recover　one's　own　property　by　every　means　which
the　Lord　may　place　within　one's　reach。　　Until；　therefore；　the　complete
restitution　of　this　wealth；　the　family　of　Rennepont　must　be　considered　as
reprobate　and　damnable；　as　the　cursed　seed　of　a　Cain；　and　always　to　be
watched　with　the　utmost　caution。　　And　it　is　to　be　recommended；　that；
every　year　from　this　present　date；　a　sort　of　inquisition　should　he　held
as　to　the　situation　of　the　successive　members　of　this　family。'〃

Rodin　paused；　and　said　to　Father　d'Aigrigny：　〃Here　follows　the　account；
year　by　year；　of　the　history　of　this　family；　from　the　year　1682；　to　our
own　day。　　It　will　be　useless　to　read　this　to　your　reverence。〃

〃Quite　useless；〃　said　Abbe　d'Aigrigny。　　〃The　note　contains　all　the
important　facts。〃　　Then；　after　a　moment's　silence；　he　exclaimed；　with　an
expression　of　triumphant　pride：　〃How　great　is　the　power　of　the
Association；　when　founded　upon　tradition　and　perpetuity！　　Thanks　to　this
note；　inserted　in　our　archives　a　century