from the memoirs of a minister of france-第22部分

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man　and　woman。

There　was　no　moon；　rain　was　still　falling；　and　the　yard；　crowded　with　steaming；　shivering　horses；　was　dreary　enough　where　the　lanthorns　displayed　it；　but；　accustomed　to　such　a　sight；　I　made；　without　regarding　it；　for　the　gate；　which　a　moment's　examination　showed　to　be　barricaded；　as　they　had　described；　with　great　beams　and　stones。　　In　this　there　was　nothing　beyond　the　ordinary；　one　entrance　to　a　house　being　in　troublous　times　better　than　two；　but　Boisrueil；　bidding　me　kneel　and　look　lower；　I　found；　when　I　did　so；　that　the　soil　under　the　beamswhich　did　not　touch　the　ground　by　some　incheswas　wet；　and　I　began　to　understand。　　When　he　asked　me　at　what　hour　rain　had　begun　to　fall；　I　answered　two　in　the　afternoon；　and　drew　at　once　the　inference　at　which　he　aimed　that　the　beams　had　been　put　there；　and　the　gate　barricaded；　at　some　later　hour。

〃We　reached　here　at　six；〃　he　said；　〃it　was　done　some　time　between　two　and　six；　my　lord；　therefore　to…day。　　To…day；〃　he　repeated　in　a　low　voice；　〃and　by　a　dozen　men　at　least；　Fewer　could　not　move　those　beams。〃

〃And　the　object？〃

〃To　prevent　our　escape。〃

〃But　who　are　they？〃　　I　said；　looking　at　him。

〃The　woman　knows；〃　he　answered。　　〃We　must　ask　her；　my　lord。〃

I　assented；　and　we　went　back　into　the　house；　where　it　would　not　have　surprised　me　if　we　had　found　the　wretches　flown　and　the　nest　empty。　　But　Colet　had　done　his　work　too　well。　　They　were　both　there；　and；　in　a　moment；　at　a　signal　from　Boisrueil；　were　secured　and　pinioned。　　Parabere；　hearing　the　scuffle；　came　out　and　would　have　remonstrated；　but　I　silenced　him　with　a　sharp　word；　and；　despatching　La　Font　with　a　couple　of　discreet　men　to　keep　watch　in　the　court　that　we　might　not　be　surprised；　I　bade　one　of　the　servants　throw　some　fir…cones　on　the　fire。　　These；　blazing　up；　filled　the　squalid　room　in　a　moment　with　a　glare　of　light；　which　revealed　alike　the　livid　faces　of　the　two　prisoners　and　the　excited　looks　and　dark　countenances　of　my　escort。

I　bade　them　put　the　woman　forward　first；　and　addressed　her　sternly；　telling　her　that　I　knew　all；　and　that　she　would　do　well　to　confess；　inasmuch　as　if　she　made　a　clean　breast　of　the　matter；　I　would　grant　her　her　life；　and　if　she　did　not；　she　would　be　the　first　to　die；　since　I　would　hang　her　were　a　single　shot　fired　against　the　house。

The　promise　found　her　unmoved；　but　the　threat；　uttered　in　a　tone　which　showed　that　I　was　in　earnest；　proved　more　effectual。　　With　an　ugly　look；　under　which　my　men　shrank　as　if　her　eye　had　power　to　scorch　them；　the　hag　said　that　she　would　confess；　and；　with　impotent　rage；　admitted　the　truth　of　Boisrueil's　surmises。　　The　rearward　gate　had　been　barricaded　that　afternoon　by　the　Great　Band；　who　had　had　notice　of　our　coming；　and　intended　to　attack　us　at　midnight。　　I　asked　her　how　many　they　mustered。

〃A　hundred；〃　she　answered　sullenly。

〃Very　well；〃　I　said。　　〃And；　supposing　that　we　do　not　wait　for　them；　how　shall　we　escape？　　By　the　road　to　Gueret？〃

〃Fifty　lie　in　ambush　on　it。〃

〃By　the　road　by　which　we　came？〃

〃The　other　fifty　lie　there。〃

〃Across　the　river？〃

〃There　is　no　ford。〃

〃Then　in　the　village？　　If　we　seize　some　other　building？〃

〃The　village　is　watched；　and　this　house；〃　she　answered；　with　a　sparkle　of　joy　in　her　eye。

At　that　the　position　began　to　assume　so　serious　an　aspect　that　I　turned　to　Parabere　to　take　his　advice。　　We　numbered　twenty　in　all；　and　were　well　armed；　but　five　to　one　are　large　odds；　and　we　had　little　ammunition；　while；　for　all　we　knew；　the　house　might　be　fired　with　ease　from　the　outside。　　The　roads　north　and　south　being　occupied；　and　the　river　enclosing　us　on　the　west；　there　remained　only　one　direction　in　which　escape　seemed　possible；　but；　as　we　knew　nothing　of　the　country；　and　the　brigands　everything；　the　desperate　idea　of　plunging　into　it　blindly；　at　night；　and　with　pursuers　at　our　heels；　was　dismissed　as　soon　as　formed。

Parabere　interrupted　these　calculations　by　drawing　me　aside　into　the　room　in　which　we　had　supped；　where；　after　rallying　me　on　the　whimsical　notion　of　the　Grand　Master　of　the　Ordnance　and　Governor　of　the　Bastile　being　besieged　in　a　paltry　inn；　he　confessed　that　he　had　been　wrong；　and　that　the　adventure　was　likely　to　prove　serious。　　〃Ten　to　one　this　is　the　very　band　that　Bareilles　is　pursuing；〃　he　said。

〃Very　likely；〃　I　answered　bluntly；　〃but　the　question　is　how　are　we　to　evade　them。　　Are　we　to　fight　or　fly？〃

〃Well；　for　lighting；〃　he　replied　coolly；　〃the　front　gate　lies　in　the　road；　there　are　no　shutters　to　half　the　windows；　the　door　is　crazy；　and　there　is　a　thatched　pent…house　against　one　wall。〃

〃And　no　help…nearer　than　Gueret。〃

〃Three　leagues；〃　he　assented。　　〃And　from　that　we　are　cut　off。　Fifty　men　in　the　gorge　might　hold　it　against　five　hundred。　Better　man　the　courtyard　here　than　that；　tether　the　horses　in　the　gateway；　and　fight　it　out。〃　　〃Perhaps　so；〃　I　said；　and　we　looked　at　one　another；　hearing　through　the　open　door　the　men　muttering　and　whispering　in　the　kitchen；　and　above　their　voices　the　dull　murmur　of　the　stream；　which　seemed　of　a　piece　with　the　bleak　night　outside；　the　ruined　hamlet；　and　the　danger　that　lurked　round　us。　　Bitterly　repenting　the　hardihood　that　had　led　me　to　expose　myself　to　such　risks　in　breach　of　the　King's　commandment；　I　found　it　difficult　to　direct　my　mind　to　the　immediate　question。　So　many　reflections　connected　with　my　mission　at　Chatelherault　and　other　affairs　of　state　would　intrude　that　I　seemed　to　be　occupied　rather　with　the　results　of　my　death　at　this　juncture；　and　particularly　the　injury　which　it　must　inflict　on　the　King's　service；　than　with　the　question　how　I　could　escape。

However；　Parabere　soon　recalled　me　to　the　point。　　〃It　is　now　ten　o'clock；〃　he　said　in　a　placid　tone；　〃we　have　two　hours。〃

〃Yes；〃　I　answered；　then；　as　if　my　mind　had　all　the　time　been　running　in　an　under…current　to　the　desired　goal；　I　continued；　〃And　we　must　make　the　most　of　them。　　We　must　remove　the　barricade；　in　the　dark　and　quietly；　from　the　rear　to　the　front　gate。　　Do　you　see？　　Then　the　moment　they　sound　the　attack　in　front　we　must　slip　out　at　the　back；　make　a　dash　for　the　road；　and　through　the　gorge　to　Gueret。〃

〃Good；〃　Parabere　assented；　with　the　utmost　coolness。　　〃Why　not？　Let　us　do　it。〃

We　went　in；　and　in　a　moment　the　orders　were　given；　and；　the　men　being　charged　to　be　silent　and　to　make　as　little　noise　as　possible　over　the　work；　we　had　every　hope　of　accomplishing　it　undetected。　　To　go　out　into　the　road　and　raise　and　replace　the　shattered　gate　would　have　been　too　bold　a　step。　　We　contented　ourselves；　therefore；　with　removing　four　great　baulks　of　timber　from　the　one　gate　to　the　other；　and　placing　them　across　the　gap　in　such　a　manner　that；　being　supported　by　large　stones；　they　formed　a　pretty　high　barrier。　　To　these；　at　Boisrueil's　suggestion；　were　added　three　doors　which　we　forced　from　their　hinges　in　the　house；　and　behind　the　whole；　to　cover　our　retreat　the　better；　we　tethered　six　sumpter　horses　in　two　lines。

It　remained　only　to　unbar　the　rear　gate　and　see　that　it　opened　easily。　　This　being　done；　as　we　had　done　all　the　rest；　stealthily　and　in　darkness；　and　by　men　who　dared　not　speak　above　a　whisper；　I　gave　the　word　to　hang　the　male　prisoner　and　gag　and　bind　the　woman。　　Colet　undertook　these　duties；　and　with　a　grim　humour　of　his　own　hung　the　rascally　host　on　the　threshold　where　the　brigands　must　run　against　him　when　they　entered。　　Then　I　directed　every　man　to　saddle　and　bridle　his　nag　and　stand　by　it；　and　so　we　waited　with　what　patience　we　might　for　the　DENOUEMENT。

It　seemed　very　long　in　coming；　yet　when　it　did；　what　with　the　restless　movements　of　the　horses　and　the　melancholy　murmur　of　the　stream；　it　well…nigh　took　us　by　surprise。　　It　was　Boisrueil　who　touched　my　sleeve　and　made　me　aware　of　a　low　trampling　on　the　road　outside；　a　sound　that　had　scarcely　become　clearly　audible　before　it　ceased。　　I　judged　that　the　moment　was　come；　and　passed　the　word　in　a　whisper　to　open　the　gates。　　Unfortunately；　they　creaked；　and　I　feared　for　a　moment　that　I　had　been　premature；　but　before　they　were　more　than　ajar　a　harsh　whistle　startled　the　silence；　a　flare　blazed　up　on　the　road；　and　a　voice　cried　to　charge。

On　the　instant　the　ground　shook　under　the　assailants'　rush；　but　the　barricade；　which　doubtless　took　the　rogues　by　surprise；　brought　them　to　a　sudden　stop；　and　gave　us　time　to　file　out。　　The　heavy　rain　which　was　failing　served　to　cover　our　movements　almost　as　well　as　the　baggage　horses　which　we　had　posted　for　the　purpose；　while　we　ran　the　less　risk；　inasmuch　as　the　flare　they　had　kindled　lit　up　the　upper　part　of　the　house　but　left　the　courtyard　in　perfect　darkness。

Naturally；　once　outside；　we　did　not　linger　to　see　what　happened；　but；　filing　in　a　line　and　like　ghosts　up　the　bank　of　the　stream；　were　glad　to　hit　on　the　road　a　hundred　and　fifty　paces　away；　where　it　entered　the　gorge。　　Here；　where　it　was　as　dark　as　pitch；　we　whipped　our　horses　into　a　canter　and　made　a　good　pace　for　half　a　league；　then；　drawing　rein；　let　our　horses　trot　until　the　league　was　out。　　By　that　time　we　were　through　the　gorge；　and　I　gave　the　word　to　pull　up；　that　we　might　listen　and　learn　whether　we　were　pursued。　　Before　the　order　had　quite　brought　us　to　a　standstill；　however；　two　figures　on　a　sudden　rose　out　of　the　darkness　before　us　and　barred　the　way。　　I　was　riding　in　the　front　rank；　abreast　of　Parabere　and　La　Font；　and　I　had　just　time　to　lay　my　hand　on　a　pistol　when　one　of　the　figures　spoke。

〃Well；　M。　le　Capitaine；　what　luck？〃　　he　cried；　advancing；　and　drawing　rein　to　turn　with　us。

I　saw　his　mistake；　and；　raising　my　hand　to　check　those　behind；　muttered　in　my　beard　that　all　had　gone　well。

〃You　got　the　man？〃

〃Yes；〃　I　said；　peering　at　him　through　the　darkness。

〃Good！〃　　he　answered。　　〃Then　now　for　Bareilles；　supper；　and　a　full　purse；　and　afterwards；　for　me；　the　quietest　corner　of　France！　　The　King　will　make　a　fine　outcry；　and　I　do　not　trust　one　gov〃

In　a　flash　Parabere　had　him　by　the　throat；　and　dragged　him　in　a　grip　of　iron　on　to　the　withers　of　his　horse。　　Still　he　managed　to　utter　a　cry；　and　the　other　rascal；　taking　the　alarm；　whipped　his　horse　round；　and　in　a　second　got　a　start　of　twenty　paces。　　Colet；　a　light　man　and　well　mounted；　was　after　him　in　a　trice；　and　we　heard　them