derues-第4部分

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ing　him　into　notice；　and　place　him　momentarily　on　a　pedestal；　in　order　to　cast　him　still　lower；　that　his　fall　may　be　yet　greater。　What　has　been　permitted　by　God　may　be　related　by　man。　　Decaying　and　satiated　communities　need　not　be　treated　as　children；　they　require　neither　diplomatic　handling　nor　precaution；　and　it　may　be　good　that　they　should　see　and　touch　the　putrescent　sores　which　canker　them。　Why　fear　to　mention　that　which　everyone　knows？　　Why　dread　to　sound　the　abyss　which　can　be　measured　by　everyone？　　Why　fear　to　bring　into　the　light　of　day　unmasked　wickedness；　even　though　it　confronts　the　public　gaze　unblushingly？　　Extreme　turpitude　and　extreme　excellence　are　both　in　the　schemes　of　Providence；　and　the　poet　has　summed　up　eternal　morality　for　all　ages　and　nations　in　this　sublime　exclamation

　　　　　　　　　　〃Abstulit　hunc　tandem　Rufini　poem　tumultum。〃

Besides；　and　we　cannot　insist　too　earnestly　that　our　intention　must　not　be　mistaken；　if　we　had　wished　to　inspire　any　other　sentiment　than　that　of　horror；　we　should　have　chosen　a　more　imposing　personage　from　the　annals　of　crime。　　There　have　been　deeds　which　required　audacity；　a　sort　of　grandeur；　a　false　heroism；　there　have　been　criminals　who　held　in　check　all　the　regular　and　legitimate　forces　of　society；　and　whom　one　regarded　with　a　mixture　of　terror　and　pity。　　There　is　nothing　of　that　in　Derues；　not　even　a　trace　of　courage；　nothing　but　a　shameless　cupidity；　exercising　itself　at　first　in　the　theft　of　a　few　pence　filched　from　the　poor；　nothing　but　the　illicit　gains　and　rascalities　of　a　cheating　shopkeeper　and　vile　money…lender；　a　depraved　cowardice　which　dared　not　strike　openly；　but　slew　in　the　dark。　　It　is　the　story　of　an　unclean　reptile　which　drags　itself　underground；　leaving　everywhere　the　trail　of　its　poisonous　saliva。

Such　was　the　man　whose　life　we　have　undertaken　to　narrate；　a　man　who　represents　a　complete　type　of　wickedness；　and　who　corresponds　to　the　most　hideous　sketch　ever　devised　by　poet　or　romance…writer：　Facts　without　importance　of　their　own；　which　would　be　childish　if　recorded　of　anyone　else；　obtain　a　sombre　reflection　from　other　facts　which　precede　them；　and　thenceforth　cannot　be　passed　over　in　silence。　　The　historian　is　obliged　to　collect　and　note　them；　as　showing　the　logical　development　of　this　degraded　being：　he　unites　them　in　sequence；　and　counts　the　successive　steps　of　the　ladder　mounted　by　the　criminal。

We　have　seen　the　early　exploit　of　this　assassin　by　instinct；　we　find　him；　twenty　years　later；　an　incendiary　and　a　fraudulent　bankrupt。　What　had　happened　in　the　interval？　　With　how　much　treachery　and　crime　had　he　filled　this　space　of　twenty　years？　　Let　us　return　to　his　infancy。

His　unconquerable　taste　for　theft　caused　him　to　be　expelled　by　the　relations　who　had　taken　charge　of　him。　　An　anecdote　is　told　which　shows　his　impudence　and　incurable　perversity。　　One　day　he　was　caught　taking　some　money；　and　was　soundly　whipped　by　his　cousins。　　When　this　was　over；　the　child；　instead　of　showing　any　sorrow　or　asking　forgiveness；　ran　away　with　a　sneer；　and　seeing　they　were　out　of　breath；　exclaimed

〃You　are　tired；　are　you？　　Well；　I　am　not！〃

Despairing　of　any　control　over　this　evil　disposition；　the　relations　refused　to　keep　him；　and　sent　him　to　Chartres；　where　two　other　cousins　agreed　to　have　him；　out　of　charity。　　They　were　simpleminded　women；　of　great　and　sincere　piety；　who　imagined　that　good　example　and　religious　teaching　might　have　a　happy　influence　on　their　young　relation。　　The　result　was　contrary　to　their　expectation：　the　sole　fruit　of　their　teaching　was　that　Derues　learnt　to　be　a　cheat　and　a　hypocrite；　and　to　assume　the　mask　of　respectability。

Here　also　repeated　thefts　insured　him　sound　corrections。　　Knowing　his　cousins'　extreme　economy；　not　to　say　avarice；　he　mocked　them　when　they　broke　a　lath　over　his　shoulders：　〃There　now；　I　am　so　glad；　that　will　cost　you　two　farthings！〃

His　benefactresses'　patience　becoming　exhausted；　he　left　their　house；　and　was　apprenticed　to　a　tinman　at　Chartres。　　His　master　died；　and　an　ironmonger　of　the　same　town　took　him　as　shop…boy；　and　from　this　he　passed　on　to　a　druggist　and　grocer。　　Until　now；　although　fifteen　years　old；　he　had　shown　no　preference　for　one　trade　more　than　another；　but　it　was　now　necessary　he　should　choose　some　profession；　and　his　share　in　the　family　property　amounted　to　the　modest　sum　of　three　thousand　five　hundred　livres。　　His　residence　with　this　last　master　revealed　a　decided　taste；　but　it　was　only　another　evil　instinct　developing　itself：　the　poisoner　had　scented　poison；　being　always　surrounded　with　drugs　which　were　health…giving　or　hurtful；　according　to　the　use　made　of　them。　　Derues　would　probably　have　settled　at　Chartres；　but　repeated　thefts　obliged　him　to　leave　the　town。　　The　profession　of　druggist　and　grocer　being　one　which　presented　most　chances　of　fortune；　and　being；　moreover；　adapted　to　his　tastes；　his　family　apprenticed　him　to　a　grocer　in　the　rue　Comtesse　d'Artois；　paying　a　specified　premium　for　him。

Derues　arrived　in　Paris　in　1760。　　It　was　a　new　horizon；　where　he　was　unknown；　no　suspicion　attached　to　him；　and　he　felt　much　at　his　ease。　Lost　in　the　noise　and　the　crowd　of　this　immense　receptacle　for　every　vice；　he　had　time　to　found　on　hypocrisy　his　reputation　as　an　honest　man。　　When　his　apprenticeship　expired；　his　master　proposed　to　place　him　with　his　sister…in…law；　who　kept　a　similar　establishment　in　the　rue　St。　Victor；　and　who　had　been　a　widow　for　several　years。　　He　recommended　Derues　as　a　young　man　whose　zeal　and　intelligence　might　be　useful　in　her　business；　being　ignorant　of　various　embezzlements　committed　by　his　late　apprentice；　who　was　always　clever　enough　to　cast　suspicion　on　others。　　But　the　negotiation　nearly　fell　through；　because；　one　day；　Derues　so　far　forgot　his　usual　prudence　and　dissimulation　as　to　allow　himself　to　make　the　observation　recorded　above　to　his　mistress。　　She；　horrified；　ordered　him　to　be　silent；　and　threatened　to　ask　her　husband　to　dismiss　him。　　It　required　a　double　amount　of　hypocrisy　to　remove　this　unfavourable　impression；　but　he　spared　no　pains　to　obtain　the　confidence　of　the　sister…in…law；　who　was　much　influenced　in　his　favour。　　Every　day　he　inquired　what　could　be　done　for　her；　every　evening　he　took　a　basket…load　of　the　goods　she　required　from　the　rue　Comtesse　d'Artois；　and　it　excited　the　pity　of　all　beholders　to　see　this　weakly　young　man；　panting　and　sweating　under　his　heavy　burden；　refusing　any　reward；　and　labouring　merely　for　the　pleasure　of　obliging；　and　from　natural　kindness　of　heart！　　The　poor　widow；　whose　spoils　he　was　already　coveting；　was　completely　duped。　　She　rejected　the　advice　of　her　brother…in…law；　and　only　listened　to　the　concert　of　praises　sung　by　neighbours　much　edified　by　Derues'　conduct；　and　touched　by　the　interest　he　appeared　to　show　her。　Often　he　found　occasion　to　speak　of　her；　always　with　the　liveliest　expressions　of　boundless　devotion。　　These　remarks　were　repeated　to　the　good　woman；　and　seemed　all　the　more　sincere　to　her　as　they　appeared　to　have　been　made　quite　casually；　and　she　never　suspected　they　were　carefully　calculated　and　thought　out　long　before。

Derues　carried　dishonesty　as　far　as　possible；　but　he　knew　how　to　stop　when　suspicion　was　likely　to　be　aroused；　and　though　always　planning　either　to　deceive　or　to　hurt；　he　was　never　taken　by　surprise。　　Like　the　spider　which　spreads　the　threads　of　her　web　all　round　her；　he　concealed　himself　in　a　net　of　falsehood　which　one　had　to　traverse　before　arriving　at　his　real　nature。　　The　evil　destiny　of　this　poor　woman；　mother　of　four　children；　caused　her　to　engage　him　as　her　shopman　in　the　year　1767；　thereby　signing　the　warrant　for　her　own　ruin。

Derues　began　life　under　his　new　mistress　with　a　master…stroke。　　His　exemplary　piety　was　the　talk　of　the　whole　quarter；　and　his　first　care　had　been　to　request　Madame　Legrand　to　recommend　him　a　confessor。　　She　sent　him　to　the　director　of　her　late　husband；　Pere　Cartault；　of　the　Carmelite　order；　who；　astonished　at　the　devotion　of　his　penitent；　never　failed；　if　he　passed　the　shop；　to　enter　and　congratulate　Madame　Legrand　on　the　excellent　acquisition　she　had　made　in　securing　this　young　man；　who　would　certainly　bring　her　a　blessing　along　with　him。　Derues　affected　the　greatest　modesty；　and　blushed　at　these　praises；　and　often；　when　he　saw　the　good　father　approaching；　appeared　not　to　see　him；　and　found　something　to　do　elsewhere；　whereby　the　field　was　left　clear　for　his　too　credulous　panegyrists。

But　Pere　Cartault　appeared　too　indulgent；　and　Derues　feared　that　his　sins　were　too　easily　pardoned；　and　he　dared　not　find　peace　in　an　absolution　which　was　never　refused。　　Therefore；　before　the　year　was　out；　he　chose　a　second　confessor；　Pere　Denys；　a　Franciscan；　consulting　both　alternately；　and　confiding　his　conscientious　scruples　to　them。　　Every　penance　appeared　too　easy；　and　he　added　to　those　enjoined　by　his　directors　continual　mortifications　of　his　own　devising；　so　that　even　Tartufe　himself　would　have　owned　his　superiority。

He　wore　about　him　two　shrouds；　to　which　were　fastened　relics　of　Madame　de　Chantal；　also　a　medal　of　St。　Francois　de　Saps；　and　occasionally　scourged　himself。　　His　mistress　related　that　he　had　begged　her　to　take　a　sitting　at　the　church　of　St。　Nicholas；　in　order　that　he　might　more　easily　attend　service　when　he　had　a　day　out；　and　had　brought　her　a　small　sum　which　he　had　saved；　to　pay　half　the　expense。

Moreover；　he　had　slept　upon　straw　during　the　whole　of　Lent；　and　took　care　that　Madame　Legrand　heard　of　this　through　the　servant；　pretending　at　first　to　hide　it　as　if　it　were　something　wrong。　　He　tried　to　prevent　the　maid　from　going　into　his　room；　and　when　she　found　out　the　straw　he　forbade　her　to　mention　itwhich　naturally　made　her　more　anxious　to　relate　her　discovery。　　Such　a　piece　of　piety；　combined　with　such　meritorious　humility；　such　dread　of　publicity；　could　only　increase　the　excellent　opinion　which　everyone　already　had　of　him。

Every　day　was　marked　by　some　fresh　hypocrisy。　　One　of　his　sisters；　a　novice　in　the　convent　of　the　Ladies　of　the　Visitation　of　the　Virgin；　was　to　take　the　veil　at　Easter。　　Derues　obtained　permission　to　be　present　at　the　ceremony；　and　was　to　start　on　foot　on　Good　Friday。　When　he　departed；　the　shop　happened　to　be　full　of　people；　and　the