an historical mystery-第37章

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Jena。

Eight　days　later；　they　were　driving　through　the　faubourg　of　Troyes；
where　they　learned　that　an　order　of　the　chief　justice；　transmitted
through　the　/procureur　imperial/　of　Troyes；　commanded　the　release　of
the　four　gentlemen　on　bail　during　the　Emperor's　pleasure。　But　Michu's
sentence　was　confirmed；　and　the　warrant　for　his　execution　had　been
forwarded　from　the　ministry　of　police。　These　orders　had　reached　Troyes
that　very　morning。　Laurence　went　at　once　to　the　prison；　though　it　was
two　in　the　morning；　and　obtained　permission　to　stay　with　Michu；　who
was　about　to　undergo　the　melancholy　ceremony　called　〃the　toilet。〃　The
good　abbe；　who　had　asked　permission　to　accompany　him　to　the　scaffold；
had　just　given　absolution　to　the　man；　whose　only　distress　in　dying　was
his　uncertainty　as　to　the　fate　of　his　young　masters。　When　Laurence
entered　his　cell　he　uttered　a　cry　of　joy。

〃I　can　die　now；〃　he　said。

〃They　are　pardoned；〃　she　said；　〃I　do　not　know　on　what　conditions；　but
they　are　pardoned。　I　did　all　I　could　for　you；　dear　friendagainst　the
advice　of　others。　I　thought　I　had　saved　you；　but　the　Emperor　deceived
me　with　his　graciousness。〃

〃It　was　written　above；〃　said　Michu；　〃that　the　watch…dog　should　be
killed　on　the　spot　where　his　old　masters　died。〃

The　last　hour　passed　rapidly。　Michu；　at　the　moment　of　parting；　asked
to　kiss　her　hand；　but　Laurence　held　her　cheek　to　the　lips　of　the　noble
victim　that　he　might　sacredly　kiss　it。　Michu　refused　to　mount　the
cart。

〃Innocent　men　should　go　afoot；〃　he　said。

He　would　not　let　the　abbe　give　him　his　arm；　resolutely　and　with
dignity　he　walked　alone　to　the　scaffold。　As　he　laid　his　head　on　the
plank　he　said　to　the　executioner；　after　asking　him　to　turn　down　the
collar　of　his　coat；　〃My　clothes　belong　to　you；　try　not　to　spot　them。〃

*****

The　four　gentlemen　had　hardly　time　to　even　see　Mademoiselle　de　Cinq…
Cygne。　An　orderly　of　the　general　commanding　the　division　to　which　they
were　assigned；　brought　them　their　commissions　as　sub…lieutenants　in
the　same　regiment　of　cavalry；　with　orders　to　proceed　at　once　to
Bayonne；　the　base　of　supplies　for　its　particular　army…corps。　After　a
scene　of　heart…rending　farewells；　for　they　all　foreboded　what　the
future　should　bring　forth；　Mademoiselle　de　Cinq…Cygne　returned　to　her
desolate　home。

The　two　brothers　were　killed　together　under　the　eyes　of　the　Emperor　at
Sommo…Sierra；　the　one　defending　the　other；　both　being　already　in
command　of　their　troop。　The　last　words　of　each　were；　〃Laurence；　/cy
meurs/！〃

The　elder　d'Hauteserre　died　a　colonel　at　the　attack　on　the　redoubt　at
Moscow；　where　his　brother　took　his　place。

Adrien　d'Hauteserre；　appointed　brigadier…general　at　the　battle　of
Dresden；　was　dangerously　wounded　there　and　was　sent　to　Cinq…Cygne　for
proper　nursing。　While　endeavoring　to　save　this　relic　of　the　four
gentlemen　who　for　a　few　brief　months　had　been　so　happy　around　her；
Laurence；　then　thirty…two　years　of　age；　married　him。　She　offered　him　a
withered　heart；　but　he　accepted　it；　those　who　truly　love　doubt　nothing
or　doubt　all。

The　Restoration　found　Laurence　without　enthusiasm。　The　Bourbons
returned　too　late　for　her。　Nevertheless；　she　had　no　cause　for
complaint。　Her　husband；　made　peer　of　France　with　the　title　of　Marquis
de　Cinq…Cygne；　became　lieutenant…general　in　1816；　and　was　rewarded
with　the　blue　ribbon　for　the　eminent　services　which　he　then　performed。

Michu's　son；　of　whom　Laurence　took　care　as　though　he　were　her　own
child；　was　admitted　to　the　bar　in　1817。　After　practising　two　years　he
was　made　assistant…judge　at　the　court　of　Alencon；　and　from　there　he
became　/procureur…du…roi/　at　Arcis　in　1827。　Laurence；　who　had　also
taken　charge　of　Michu's　property；　made　over　to　the　young　man　on　the
day　of　his　majority　an　investment　in　the　public　Funds　which　yielded
him　an　income　of　twelve　thousand　francs　a　year。　Later；　she　arranged　a
marriage　for　him　with　Mademoiselle　Girel；　an　heiress　at　Troyes。

The　Marquis　de　Cinq…Cygne　died　in　1829；　in　the　arms　of　his　wife；
surrounded　by　his　father　and　mother；　and　his　children　who　adored　him。
At　the　time　of　his　death　no　one　had　ever　fathomed　the　mystery　of　the
senator's　abduction。　Louis　XVIII。　did　not　neglect　to　repair；　as　far　as
possible；　the　wrongs　done　by　that　affair；　but　he　was　silent　as　to　the
causes　of　the　disaster。　From　that　time　forth　the　Marquise　de　Cinq…
Cygne　believed　him　to　have　been　an　accomplice　in　the　catastrophe。



CHAPTER　XX

THE　MYSTERY　SOLVED

The　late　Marquis　de　Cinq…Cygne　had　used　his　savings；　as　well　as　those
of　his　father　and　mother；　in　the　purchase　of　a　fine　house　in　the　rue
de　Faubourg…du…Roule；　entailing　it　on　heirs　male　for　the　support　of
the　title。　The　sordid　economy　of　the　marquis　and　his　parents；　which
had　often　troubled　Laurence；　was　then　explained。　After　this　purchase
the　marquise；　who　lived　at　Cinq…Cygne　and　economized　on　her　own
account　for　her　children；　spent　her　winters　in　Paris；all　the　more
willingly　because　her　daughter　Berthe　and　her　son　Paul　were　now　of　an
age　when　their　education　required　the　resources　of　Paris。

Madame　de　Cinq…Cygne　went　but　little　into　society。　Her　husband　could
not　be　ignorant　of　the　regrets　which　lay　in　her　tender　heart；　but　he
showed　her　always　the　most　exquisite　delicacy；　and　died　having　loved
no　other　woman。　This　noble　soul；　not　fully　understood　for　a　period　of
time　but　to　which　the　generous　daughter　of　the　Cinq…Cygnes　returned　in
his　last　years　as　true　a　love　as　that　he　gave　to　her；　was　completely
happy　in　his　married　life。　Laurence　lived　for　the　joys　of　home。　No
woman　has　ever　been　more　cherished　by　her　friends　or　more　respected。
To　be　received　in　her　house　is　an　honor。　Gentle；　indulgent；
intellectual；　above　all　things　simple　and　natural；　she　pleases　choice
souls　and　draws　them　to　her　in　spite　of　her　saddened　aspect；　each
longs　to　protect　this　woman；　inwardly　so　strong；　and　that　sentiment　of
secret　protection　counts　for　much　in　the　wondrous　charm　of　her
friendship。　Her　life；　so　painful　during　her　youth；　is　beautiful　and
serene　towards　evening。　Her　sufferings　are　known；　and　no　one　asks　who
was　the　original　of　that　portrait　by　Lefebvre　which　is　the　chief　and
sacred　ornament　of　her　salon。　Her　face　has　the　maturity　of　fruits　that
have　ripened　slowly；　a　hallowed　pride　dignifies　that　long…tried　brow。

At　the　period　when　the　marquise　came　to　Paris　to　open　the　new　house；
her　fortune；　increased　by　the　law　of　indemnities；　gave　her　some　two
hundred　thousand　francs　a　year；　not　counting　her　husband's　salary；
besides　this；　Laurence　had　inherited　the　money　guarded　by　Michu　for
his　young　masters。　From　that　time　forth　she　made　a　practice　of
spending　half　her　income　and　of　laying　by　the　rest　for　her　daughter
Berthe。

Berthe　is　the　living　image　of　her　mother；　but　without　her　warrior
nerve；　she　is　her　mother　in　delicacy；　in　intellect；〃more　a　woman；〃
Laurence　says；　sadly。　The　marquise　was　not　willing　to　marry　her
daughter　until　she　was　twenty　years　of　age。　Her　savings；　judiciously
invested　in　the　Funds　by　old　Monsieur　d'Hauteserre　at　the　moment　when
consols　fell　in　1830；　gave　Berthe　a　dowry　of　eighty　thousand　francs　a
year　in　1833；　when　she　was　twenty。

About　that　time　the　Princesse　de　Cadignan；　who　was　seeking　to　marry
her　son；　the　Duc　de　Maufrigneuse；　brought　him　into　intimate　relations
with　Madame　de　Cinq…Cygne。　Georges　de　Maufrigneuse　dined　with　the
marquise　three　times　a　week；　accompanied　the　mother　and　daughter　to
the　Opera；　and　curvetted　in　the　Bois　around　their　carriage　when　they
drove　out。　It　was　evident　to　all　the　world　of　the　Faubourg　Saint…
Germain　that　Georges　loved　Berthe。　But　no　one　could　discover　to　a
certainty　whether　Madame　de　Cinq…Cygne　was　desirous　of　making　her
daughter　a　duchess；　to　become　a　princess　later；　or　whether　it　was　only
the　princess　who　coveted　for　her　son　the　splendid　dowry。　Did　the
celebrated　Diane　court　the　noble　provincial　house？　and　was　the
daughter　of　the　Cinq…Cygnes　frightened　by　the　celebrity　of　Madame　de
Cadignan；　her　tastes　and　her　ruinous　extravagance？　In　her　strong
desire　not　to　injure　her　son's　prospects　the　princess　grew　devout；
shut　the　door　on　her　former　life；　and　spent　the　summer　season　at
Geneva　in　a　villa　on　the　lake。

One　evening　there　were　present　in　the　salon　of　the　Princesse　de
Cadignan；　the　Marquise　d'Espard；　and　de　Marsay；　then　president　of　the
Council　（on　this　occasion　the　princess　saw　her　former　lover　for　the
last　time；　for　he　died　the　following　year）；　Eugene　de　Rastignac；
under…secretary　of　State　attached　to　de　Marsay's　ministry；　two
ambassadors；　two　celebrated　orators　from　the　Chamber　of　Peers；　the　old
dukes　of　Lenoncourt　and　de　Navarreins；　the　Comte　de　Vandenesse　and　his
young　wife；　and　d'Arthez；who　formed　a　rather　singular　circle；　the
composition　of　which　can　be　thus　explained。　The　princess　was　anxious
to　obtain　from　the　prime　minister　of　the　crown　a　permit　for　the　return
of　the　Prince　de　Cadignan。　De　Marsay；　who　did　not　choose　to　take　upon
himself　the　responsibility　of　granting　it　came　to　tell　the　princess
the　matter　had　been　entrusted　to　safe　hands；　and　that　a　certain
political　manager　had　promised　to　bring　her　the　result　in　the　course
of　that　evening。

Madame　and　Mademoiselle　de　Cinq…Cygne　were　announced。　Laurence；　whose
principles　were　unyielding；　was　not　only　surprised　but　shocked　to　see
the　most　illustrious　representatives　of　Legitimacy　talking　and
laughing　in　a　friendly　manner　with　the　prime　minister　of　the　man　whom
she　never　called　anything　but　Monsieur　le　Duc　d'Orleans。　De　Marsay；
like　an　expiring　lamp；　shone　with　a　last　brilliancy。　He　laid　aside　for
the　moment　his　political　anxieties；　and　Madame　de　Cinq…Cygne　endured
him；　as　they　say　the　Court　of　Austria　endured　de　Saint…Aulaire；　the
man　of　the　world　effaced　the　minister　of　the　citizen…king。　But　she
rose　to　her　feet　as　though　her　chair　were　of　red…hot　iron　when　the
name　was　announced　of　〃Monsieur　le　Comte　de　Gondreville。〃

〃Adieu；　madame；〃　she　said　to　the　princess　in　a　curt　tone。

She　left　the　room　with　Berthe；　measuring　her　steps　to　avoid
encountering　that　fatal　being。

〃You　may　have　caused　the　loss　of　Georges'　marriage；〃　said　the　princess
to　de　Marsay；　in　a　low　voice。　〃Why　did　you　not　tell　me　your　agent's
name？〃

The　former　clerk　of　Arcis；　former　Conventional；　former　Thermidorien；
tribune；　Councillor　of　State；　count　of　the　Empire　and　senator；　peer　of
the　Restoration；　and　now　peer　of　the　monarchy　of　July；　made　a　servile
bow　to　the　princess。

〃Fear　nothing；　madame；〃　he　said；　〃we　have　ceased　to　make　war　on
princes。　I　bring　you　an　assurance　of　the　permit；〃　he　added；　seating
himself　beside　her。

Malin　was　long　in　the　confidence　of　Louis　XVIII。；　to　whom　his　varied
experience　was　useful。　He　had　greatly　aided　in　overthrowing　Decazes；
and　had　given　much　good　advice　to　the　ministry　of　Villele。　Coldly
received　by　Charles　X。；　he　had　adopted　all　the　rancors　of　Talleyrand。
He　was　now　in　high　favor　under　the　twelfth　government　he　had　served
since　1789；　and　which　in　turn　he　would　doubtless　betray。　For　the　last
fifteen　months　he　had　broken　the　long　friendship　which　had　bound　him
for　thirty…six　years　to　our　greatest　diplomat；　the　Prince　de
Talleyrand。　It　was　in　the　course　of　this　very　evening　that　he　made
an