an historical mystery-第8章

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concealment　in　the　bosom　of　a　family。

After　she　attained　her　majority　Laurence　allowed　Monsieur　d'Hauteserre
to　manage　her　affairs　as　in　the　past。　So　long　as　her　favorite　mare　was
well…groomed；　her　maid　Catherine　dressed　to　please　her；　and　Gothard
the　little　page　was　suitably　clothed；　she　cared　for　nothing　else。　Her
thoughts　were　aimed　too　high　to　come　down　to　occupations　and　interests
which　in　other　times　than　these　would　doubtless　have　pleased　her。
Dress　was　a　small　matter　to　her　mind；　moreover　her　cousins　were　not
there　to　see　her。　She　wore　a　dark…green　habit　when　she　rode；　and　a
gown　of　some　common　woollen　stuff　with　a　cape　trimmed　with　braid　when
she　walked；　in　the　house　she　was　always　seen　in　a　silk　wrapper。
Gothard；　the　little　groom；　a　brave　and　clever　lad　of　fifteen；　attended
her　wherever　she　went；　and　she　was　nearly　always　out　of　doors；　riding
or　hunting　over　the　farms　of　Gondreville；　without　objection　being　made
by　either　Michu　or　the　farmers。　She　rode　admirably　well；　and　her
cleverness　in　hunting　was　thought　miraculous。　In　the　country　she　was
never　called　anything　but　〃Mademoiselle〃　even　during　the　Revolution。

Whoever　has　read　the　fine　romance　of　〃Rob　Roy〃　will　remember　that　rare
woman　for　whose　making　Walter　Scott's　imagination　abandoned　its
customary　coldness；Diana　Vernon。　The　recollection　will　serve　to　make
Laurence　understood　if；　to　the　noble　qualities　of　the　Scottish
huntress　you　add　the　restrained　exaltation　of　Charlotte　Corday；
surpassing；　however；　the　charming　vivacity　which　rendered　Diana　so
attractive。　The　young　countess　had　seen　her　mother　die；　the　Abbe
d'Hauteserre　shot　down；　the　Marquis　de　Simeuse　and　his　wife　executed；
her　only　brother　had　died　of　his　wounds；　her　two　cousins　serving　in
Conde's　army　might　be　killed　at　any　moment；　and；　finally；　the　fortunes
of　the　Simeuse　and　the　Cinq…Cygne　families　had　been　seized　and　wasted
by　the　Republic　without　being　of　any　benefit　to　the　nation。　Her　grave
demeanor；　now　lapsing　into　apparent　stolidity；　can　be　readily
understood。

Monsieur　d'Hauteserre　proved　an　upright　and　most　careful　guardian。
Under　his　administration　Cinq…Cygne　became　a　sort　of　farm。　The　good
man；　who　was　far　more　of　a　close　manager　than　a　knight　of　the　old
nobility；　had　turned　the　park　and　gardens　to　profit；　and　used　their
two　hundred　acres　of　grass　and　woodland　as　pasturage　for　horses　and
fuel　for　the　family。　Thanks　to　his　severe　economy　the　countess；　on
coming　of　age；　had　recovered　by　his　investments　in　the　State　funds　a
competent　fortune。　In　1798　she　possessed　about　twenty　thousand　francs
a　year　from　those　sources；　on　which；　in　fact；　some　dividends　were
still　due；　and　twelve　thousand　francs　a　year　from　the　rentals　at　Cinq…
Cygne；　which　had　lately　been　renewed　at　a　notable　increase。　Monsieur
and　Madame　d'Hauteserre　had　provided　for　their　old　age　by　the　purchase
of　an　annuity　of　three　thousand　francs　in　the　Tontines　Lafarge。　That
fragment　of　their　former　means　did　not　enable　them　to　live　elsewhere
than　at　Cinq…Cygne；　and　Laurence's　first　act　on　coming　to　her　majority
was　to　give　them　the　use　for　life　of　the　wing　of　the　chateau　which
they　occupied。

The　Hauteserres；　as　niggardly　for　their　ward　as　they　were　for
themselves；　laid　up　every　year　nearly　the　whole　of　their　annuity　for
the　benefit　of　their　sons；　and　kept　the　young　heiress　on　miserable
fare。　The　whole　cost　of　the　Cinq…Cygne　household　never　exceeded　five
thousand　francs　a　year。　But　Laurence；　who　condescended　to　no　details；
was　satisfied。　Her　guardian　and　his　wife；　unconsciously　ruled　by　the
imperceptible　influence　of　her　strong　character；　which　was　felt　even
in　little　things；　had　ended　by　admiring　her　whom　they　had　known　and
treated　as　a　child；a　sufficiently　rare　feeling。　But　in　her　manner；
her　deep　voice；　her　commanding　eye；　Laurence　held　that　inexplicable
power　which　rules　all　men；even　when　its　strength　is　mere　appearance。
To　vulgar　minds　real　depth　is　incomprehensible；　it　is　perhaps　for　that
reason　that　the　populace　is　so　prone　to　admire　what　it　cannot
understand。　Monsieur　and　Madame　d'Hauteserre；　impressed　by　the
habitual　silence　and　erratic　habits　of　the　young　girl；　were　constantly
expecting　some　extraordinary　thing　of　her。

Laurence；　who　did　good　intelligently　and　never　allowed　herself　to　be
deceived；　was　held　in　the　utmost　respect　by　the　peasantry　although　she
was　an　aristocrat。　Her　sex；　name；　and　great　misfortunes；　also　the
originality　of　her　present　life；　contributed　to　give　her　authority
over　the　inhabitants　of　the　valley　of　Cinq…Cygne。　She　was　sometimes
absent　for　two　days；　attended　by　Gothard；　but　neither　Monsieur　nor
Madame　d'Hauteserre　questioned　her；　on　her　return；　as　to　the　reasons
of　her　absence。　Please　observe；　however；　that　there　was　nothing　odd　or
eccentric　about　Laurence。　What　she　was　and　what　she　did　was　masked；　as
it　were；　by　a　feminine　and　even　fragile　appearance。　Her　heart　was　full
of　extreme　sensibility；　though　her　head　contained　a　stoical　firmness
and　the　virile　gift　of　resolution。　Her　clear…seeing　eyes　knew　not　how
to　weep；　but　no　one　would　have　imagined　that　the　delicate　white　wrist
with　its　tracery　of　blue　veins　could　defy　that　of　the　boldest
horseman。　Her　hand；　so　noble；　so　flexible；　could　handle　gun　or　pistol
with　the　ease　of　a　practised　marksman。　She　always　wore　when　out　of
doors　the　coquettish　little　cap　with　visor　and　green　veil　which　women
wear　on　horseback。　Her　delicate　fair　face；　thus　protected；　and　her
white　throat　tied　with　a　black　cravat；　were　never　injured　by　her　long
rides　in　all　weathers。

Under　the　Directory　and　at　the　beginning　of　the　Consulate；　Laurence
had　been　able　to　escape　the　observation　of　others；　but　since　the
government　had　become　a　more　settled　thing；　the　new　authorities；　the
prefect　of　the　Aube；　Malin's　friends；　and　Malin　himself　had　endeavored
to　undermine　her　in　the　community。　Her　preoccupying　thought　was　the
overthrow　of　Bonaparte；　whose　ambition　and　its　triumphs　excited　the
anger　of　her　soul；a　cold；　deliberate　anger。　The　obscure　and　hidden
enemy　of　a　man　at　the　pinnacle　of　glory；　she　kept　her　gaze　upon　him
from　the　depths　of　her　valley　and　her　forests；　with　relentless　fixity；
there　were　times　when　she　thought　of　killing　him　in　the　roads　about
Malmaison　or　Saint…Cloud。　Plans　for　the　execution　of　this　idea　may
have　been　the　cause　of　many　of　her　past　actions；　but　having　been
initiated；　after　the　peace　of　Amiens；　into　the　conspiracy　of　the　men
who　expected　to　make　the　18th　Brumaire　recoil　upon　the　First　Consul；
she　had　thenceforth　subordinated　her　faculties　and　her　hatred　to　their
vast　and　well　laid　scheme；　which　was　to　strike　at　Bonaparte　externally
by　the　vast　coalition　of　Russia；　Austria；　and　Prussia　（vanquished　at
Austerlitz）　and　internally　by　the　coalition　of　men　politically　opposed
to　each　other；　but　united　by　their　common　hatred　of　a　man　whose　death
some　of　them　were　meditating；　like　Laurence　herself；　without　shrinking
from　the　word　assassination。　This　young　girl；　so　fragile　to　the　eye；
so　powerful　to　those　who　knew　her　well；　was　at　the　present　moment　the
faithful　guide　and　assistant　of　the　exiled　gentlemen　who　came　from
England　to　take　part　in　this　deadly　enterprise。

Fouche　relied　on　the　co…operation　of　the　/emigres/　everywhere　beyond
the　Rhine　to　lure　the　Duc　d'Enghien　into　the　plot。　The　presence　of
that　prince　in　the　Baden　territory；　not　far　from　Strasburg；　gave　much
weight　later　to　the　accusation。　The　great　question　of　whether　the
prince　really　knew　of　the　enterprise；　and　was　waiting　on　the　frontier
to　enter　France　on　its　success；　is　one　of　those　secrets　about　which；
as　about　several　others；　the　house　of　Bourbon　has　maintained　an
unbroken　silence。　As　the　history　of　that　period　recedes　into　the　past；
impartial　historians　will　declare　the　imprudence；　to　say　the　least；　of
the　Duc　d'Enghien　in　placing　himself　close　to　the　frontier　at　a　time
when　a　vast　conspiracy　was　about　to　break　forth；　the　secret　of　which
was　undoubtedly　known　to　every　member　of　the　Bourbon　family。

The　caution　which　Malin　displayed　in　talking　with　Grevin　in　the　open
air；　Laurence　applied　to　her　every　action。　She　met　the　emissaries　and
conferred　with　them　either　at　various　points　in　the　Nodesme　forest；　or
beyond　the　valley　of　the　Cinq…Cygne；　between　the　villages　of　Sezanne
and　Brienne。　Often　she　rode　forty　miles　on　a　stretch　with　Gothard；　and
returned　to　Cinq…Cygne　without　the　least　sign　of　weariness　or
pre…occupation　on　her　fair　young　face。

Some　years　earlier；　Laurence　had　seen　in　the　eyes　of　a　little　cow…boy；
then　nine　years　old；　the　artless　admiration　which　children　feel　for
everything　that　is　out　of　the　common　way。　She　made　him　her　page；　and
taught　him　to　groom　a　horse　with　the　nicety　and　care　of　an　Englishman。
She　saw　in　the　lad　a　desire　to　do　well；　a　bright　intelligence；　and　a
total　absence　of　sly　motives；　she　tested　his　devotion　and　found　he　had
not　only　mind　but　nobility　of　character；　he　never　dreamed　of　reward。
The　young　girl　trained　this　soul　that　was　still　so　young；　she　was　good
to　him；　good　with　dignity；　she　attached　him　to　her　by　attaching
herself　to　him；　and　by　herself　polishing　a　nature　that　was　half　wild；
without　destroying　its　freshness　or　its　simplicity。　When　she　had
sufficiently　tested　the　almost　canine　fidelity　she　had　nurtured；
Gothard　became　her　intelligent　and　ingenuous　accomplice。　The　little
peasant；　whom　no　one　could　suspect；　went　from　Cinq…Cygne　to　Nancy；　and
often　returned　before　any　one　had　missed　him　from　the　neighborhood。　He
knew　how　to　practise　all　the　tricks　of　a　spy。　The　extreme　distrust　and
caution　his　mistress　had　taught　him　did　not　change　his　natural　self。
Gothard；　who　possessed　all　the　craft　of　a　woman；　the　candor　of　a
child；　and　the　ceaseless　observation　of　a　conspirator；　hid　every　one
of　these　admirable　qualities　beneath　the　torpor　and　dull　ignorance　of
a　country　lad。　The　little　fellow　had　a　silly；　weak；　and　clumsy
appearance；　but　once　at　work　he　was　active　as　a　fish；　he　escaped　like
an　eel；　he　understood；　as　the　dogs　do；　the　merest　glance；　he　nosed　a
thought。　His　good　fat　face；　both　round　and　red；　his　sleepy　brown　eyes；
his　hair；　cut　in　the　peasant　fashion；　his　clothes；　and　his　slow　growth
gave　him　the　appearance　of　a　child　of　ten。

The　two　young　d'Hauteserres　and　the　twin　brothers　Simeuse；　under　the
guidance　of　their　cousin　Laurence；　who　had　been　watching　over　their
safety　and　that　of　the　other　/emigres/　who　accompanied　them　from
Strasburg　to　Bar…sur…Aube；　had　just　passed　through　Alsace　and
Lorraine；　and　were　now　in　Champagne　while　other　conspirators；　not　less
bold；　were　entering　France　by　the　cliffs　of　Normandy。　Dressed　as
workmen　the　d'Hauteserres　and　the　Simeuse　twins　had　walked　from　forest
to　forest；　guided　on　their　way　by　relays　of　persons；　chosen　by
Laurence　during　the　last　three　months　from　among　the　least　suspected
of　the　Bourbon　adherents　living　in　each　neighborhood。　The　/emigres/
slept　by　day　and　travelled　by　night。　Each　brought　with　him　two
faithful　soldiers；　one　of　whom　went　before　to　warn　of　danger；　the
other　behind　to　protect　a　retreat。　Thanks　to　these　military
precautions；　this　valuable　detachment　had　at　last　reached；　without
accident；　the　forest　of　Nodesme；　which　was　chosen　as　the　rendezvous。