the house of the wolf(狼之家)-第21章
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explained； fretting with impatience。 This wonder was misplaced； I
thought； and time was passing。 〃Madame d'O found out where she was；〃
I continued； 〃and took her home； and then sent me to fetch you； hearing
you had crossed the river。 That is the story in brief。〃
〃That woman sent you to fetch me？〃 he repeated again。
〃Yes；〃 I answered angrily。 〃She did； M。 de Pavannes。〃
〃Then；〃 he said slowly； and with an air of solemn conviction which
could not but impress me； 〃there is a trap laid for me！ She is the worst； the
most wicked； the vilest of women！ If she sent you； this is a trap！ And
my wife has fallen into it already！ Heaven help herand meif it be so！〃
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CHAPTER VIII。
THE PARISIAN MATINS。
There are some statements for which it is impossible to be prepared；
statements so strong and so startling that it is impossible to answer them
except by actionby a blow。 And this of M。 de Pavannes was one of
these。 If there had been any one present； I think I should have given him
the lie and drawn upon him。 But alone with him at midnight in the
shadow near the bottom of the Rue des Fosses； with no witnesses； with
every reason to feel friendly towards him； what was I to do？
As a fact； I did nothing。 I stood； silent and stupefied； waiting to hear
more。 He did not keep me long。
〃She is my wife's sister；〃 he continued grimly。 〃But I have no reason
to shield her on that account！ Shield her？ Had you lived at court only a
month I might shield her all I could； M。 de Caylus； it would avail nothing。
Not Madame de Sauves is better known。 And I would not if I could！ I
know well； though my wife will not believe it； that there is nothing so near
Madame d'O's heart as to get rid of her sister and meof both of usthat
she may succeed to Madeleine's inheritance！ Oh； yes； I had good
grounds for being nervous yesterday； when my wife did not return；〃 he
added excitedly。
〃But there at least you wrong Madame d'O！〃 I cried； shocked and
horrified by an accusation； which seemed so much more dreadful in the
silence and gloomand withal so much less preposterous than it might
have seemed in the daylight。 〃There you certainly wrong her！ For
shame！ M。 de Pavannes。〃
He came a step nearer； and laying a hand on my sleeve peered into my
face。 〃Did you see a priest with her？〃 he asked slowly。 〃A man called
the Coadjutora down…looking dog？〃
I saidwith a shiver of dread； a sudden revulsion of feeling； born of
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his mannerthat I had。 And I explained the part the priest had taken。
〃Then；〃 Pavannes rejoined； 〃I am right There IS a trap laid for me。
The Abbess of the Ursulines！ She abduct my wife？ Why； she is her
dearest friend； believe me。 It is impossible。 She would be more likely
to save her from danger than toumph！ wait a minute。〃 I did： I
waited； dreading what he might discover； until he muttered； checking
himself〃Can that be it？ Can it be that the Abbess did know of some
danger threatening us； and would have put Madeleine in a safe retreat？ I
wonder！〃
And I wondered； and thenwell； thoughts are like gunpowder。 The
least spark will fire a train。 His words were few； but they formed spark
enough to raise such a flare in my brain as for a moment blinded me； and
shook me so that I trembled。 The shock over； I was left face to face with
a possibility of wickedness such as I could never have suspected of myself。
I remembered Mirepoix's distress and the priest's eagerness。 I re…called
the gruff warning Bezerseven Bezers； and there was something very odd
in Bezers giving a warning！had given Madame de Pavannes when he
told her that she would be better where she was。 I thought of the
wakefulness which I had marked in the streets； the silent hurrying to and
fro； the signs of coming strife； and contrasted these with the quietude and
seeming safety of Mirepoix's house； and I hastily asked Pavannes at what
time he had been arrested。
〃About an hour before midnight；〃 he answered。
〃Then you know nothing of what is happening？〃 I replied quickly。 〃
Why； even while we are loitering herebut listen！〃
And with all speed； stammering indeed in my haste and anxiety； I told
him what I had noticed in the streets； and the hints I had heard； and I
showed him the badges with which Madame had furnished me。
His manner when he had heard me out frightened me still more。 He
drew me on in a kind of fury to a house in the windows of which some
lighted candles had appeared not a minute before。
〃The ring！〃 he cried； 〃let me see the ring！ Whose is it？〃
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He held up my hand to this chance light and we looked at the ring。 It
was a heavy gold signet； with one curious characteristic： it had two
facets。 On one of these was engraved the letter 〃H；〃 and above it a
crown。 On the other was an eagle with outstretched wings。
Pavannes let my hand drop and leaned against the wall in sudden
despair。 〃It is the Duke of Guise's；〃 he muttered。 〃It is the eagle of
Lorraine。〃
〃Ha！〃 said I softly； seeing light。 The Duke was the idol then； as
later； of the Parisian populace； and I understood now why the citizen
soldiers had shown me such respect。 They had taken me for the Duke's
envoy and confidant。
But I saw no farther。 Pavannes did； and murmured bitterly； 〃We may
say our prayers； we Huguenots。 That is our death…warrant。 To…morrow
night there will not be one left in Paris； lad。 Guise has his father's death
to avenge； and these cursed Parisians will do his bidding like the wolves
they are！ The Baron de Rosny warned us of this； word for word。 I
would to Heaven we had taken his advice！〃
〃Stay！〃 I criedhe was going too fast for me〃stay！〃 His
monstrous conception； though it marched some way with my own
suspicions； outran them far！ I saw no sufficient grounds for it。 〃The
Kingthe king would not permit such a thing； M。 de Pavannes；〃 I argued。
〃Boy； you are blind！〃 he rejoined impatiently； for now he saw all and
I nothing。 〃Yonder was the Duke of Anjou's captain Monsieur's officer；
the follower of France's brother； mark you！ And HEhe obeyed the Duke's
ring！ The Duke has a free hand to… night； and he hates us。 And the
river。 Why are we not to cross the river？ The King indeed！ The King
has undone us。 He has sold us to his brother and the Guises。 VA
CHASSER L'IDOLE〃 for the second time I heard the quaint phrase； which
I learned afterwards was an anagram of the King's name； Charles de Valois；
used by the Protestants as a password〃VA CHASSER L'IDOLE has
betrayed us！ I remember the very words he used to the Admiral； 'Now
we have got you here we shall not let you go so easily！' Oh； the traitor！
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The wretched traitor！〃
He leaned against the wall overcome by the horror of the conviction
which had burst upon him； and unnerved by the imminence of the peril。
At all times he was an unready man； I fancy； more fit； courage apart； for
the college than the field； and now he gave way to despair。 Perhaps the
thought of his wife unmanned him。 Perhaps the excitement through
which he had already gone tended to stupefy him； or the suddenness of the
discovery。
At any rate； I was the first to gather my wits together； and my earliest
impulse was to tear into two parts a white handkerchief I had in my pouch；
and fasten one to his sleeve； the other in his hat； in rough imitation of the
badges I wore myself。
It will appear from this that I no longer trusted Madame d'O。 I was
not convinced； it is true； of her conscious guilt； still I did not trust her
entirely。 〃Do not wear them on your return；〃 she had said and that was
odd； although I could not yet believe that she was such a siren as Father
Pierre had warned us of； telling tales from old poets。 Yet I doubted；
shuddering as I did so。 Her companionship with that vile priest； her
strange eagerness to secure Pavannes' return； her mysterious directions to
me； her anxiety to take her sister homehome； where she would be
exposed to danger； as being in a known Huguenot's house these things
pointed to but one conclusion； still that one was so horrible that I would
not； even while I doubted and distrusted her； I would not； I could not
accept it。 I put it from me； and refused to believe it； although during the
rest of that night it kept coming back to me and knocking for admission at
my brain。
All this flashed through my mind while I was fixing on Pavannes'
badges。 Not that I lost time about it； for from the moment I grasped the
position as he conceived it； every minute we had wasted on explanations
seemed to me an hour。 I reproached myself for having forgotten even for
an instant that which had brought us to townthe rescue of Kit's lover。
We had small chance now of reaching him in time； misled as we had been
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