登陆注册
5486300000059

第59章 CHAPTER XIII(4)

'Very well,' I replied steadfastly. 'Good or bad, he one day, in defiance of the Cardinal's edict against duelling, fought with a young Englishman behind St Jacques' Church. The Englishman had influence, the person of whom I speak had none, and an indifferent name; he was arrested, thrown into the Chatelet, cast for death, left for days to face death. At last an offer was made to him. If he would seek out and deliver up another man, an outlaw with a price upon his head, he should himself go free.'

I paused and drew a deep breath. Then I continued, looking not at her, but into the distance, and speaking slowly.

'Mademoiselle, it seems easy now to say what course he should have chosen. It seems hard now to find excuses for him. But there was one thing which I plead for him. The task he was asked to undertake was a dangerous one. He risked, he knew that he must risk, and the event proved him to be right, his life against the life of this unknown man. And one thing more; time was before him. The outlaw might be taken by another, might be killed, might die, might--But there, Mademoiselle, we know what answer this person made. He took the baser course, and on his honour, on his parole, with money supplied to him, he went free; free on the condition that he delivered up this other man.'

I paused again, but I did not dare to look at her; and after a moment of silence I resumed.

'Some portion of the second half of the story you know, Mademoiselle; but not all. Suffice it that this man came down to a remote village, and there at risk, but, Heaven knows, basely enough, found his way into his victim's home. Once there, however, his heart began to fail him. Had he found the house garrisoned by men, he might have pressed to his end with little remorse. But he found there only two helpless loyal women; and I say again that from the first hour of his entrance he sickened at the work which he had in hand, the work which ill-fortune had laid upon him. Still he pursued it. He had given his word; and if there was one tradition of his race which this man had never broken, it was that of fidelity to his side--to the man who paid him. But he pursued it with only half his mind, in great misery, if you will believe me; sometimes in agonies of shame.

Gradually, however, almost against his will, the drama worked itself out before him, until he needed only one thing.

I looked at Mademoiselle, trembling. But her head was averted:

I could gather nothing from the outlines of her form; and I went on.

'Do not misunderstand me,' I said in a lower voice. 'Do not misunderstand what I am going to say next. This is no love-story; and can have no ending such as romancers love to set to their tales. But I am bound to mention, Mademoiselle, that this man who had lived almost all his life about inns and eating-houses and at the gaming-tables met here for the first time for years a good woman, and learned by the light of her loyalty and devotion to see what his life had been, and what was the real nature of the work he was doing. I think--nay, I know,' I continued, 'that it added a hundredfold to his misery that when he learned at last the secret he had come to surprise, he learned it from her lips, and in such a way that, had he felt no shame, Hell could have been no place for him. But in one thing I hope she misjudged him. She thought, and had reason to think, that the moment he knew her secret he went out, not even closing the door, and used it. But the truth was that while her words were still in his ears news came to him that others had the secret; and had he not gone out on the instant and done what he did, and forestalled them, M. de Cocheforet would have been taken, but by others.'

Mademoiselle broke her long silence so suddenly that her horse sprang forward.

'Would to Heaven he had!' she wailed.

'Been taken by others?' I exclaimed, startled out of my false composure.

'Oh, yes, yes!' she answered with a passionate gesture. 'Why did you not tell me? Why did you not confess to me, sir, even at the last moment? But, no more! No more!' she continued in a piteous voice; and she tried to urge her horse forward. 'I have heard enough. You are racking my heart, M. de Berault. Some day I will ask God to give me strength to forgive you.'

'But you have not heard me out,' I said.

同类推荐
热门推荐
  • 初恋这件大项目

    初恋这件大项目

    有时候青春校园的恋爱很值得人去回味,大概是因为经历过的我们觉得它美好且短暂,于是乎任遗憾就如羽毛拂过心里最柔软细腻的地方,自己还十分满意。#后来,无论怎么样,我们还是喜欢回忆它,却忘记了自己主观地忽略掉所有寡然无味。#回忆,多美好,只留下灿烂的幻觉,让美化了的经历如黑夜里绽放的璀璨烟火,这盛夏的烟火碎片美得惊心动魄..#林徽因说,记忆的梗上,谁没有,两三朵娉婷披着情绪的花,无名地展开。我想,花开花谢,皆是虚妄。有多少芳华,就有多少遗憾。蓦然回首灯火阑珊处,其实根本就没有谁愿意一直为谁始终等候。春红谢匆匆,空留剩满怀愁情,很多人,很多事,从尊重生命的角度来说,我们,不必纠缠。
  • 重生之奋斗娱乐圈

    重生之奋斗娱乐圈

    新书《今生不嫁有钱人》已经上传啦,欢迎亲们来踩呀!------那个一辈子碌碌无为的蒋艳阳重生啦,还莫名其妙的进了娱乐圈当上了经纪人。谁也想不到,她就靠着那三两个人四五杆枪,竟然成了演艺圈最红的经纪人!这是一个无经验小白靠着个人努力和运气,外加金大腿的加持,一步步成为娱乐圈当红经纪人的故事,当然爱情事业双丰收那是必须的!
  • 苍山的颜色

    苍山的颜色

    那刚刚被雨水浸染过的绿,落在苍翠的岭头那几株清新的树上。此刻,在明净的天空下,似乎看得清每一片叶子都透着新生的青嫩。这,是苍山的颜色。又是她,几乎每个雨后的夜晚,她都会闯进我的梦。这次,她越发美丽了,及腰长发在银白色的月光下飞扬,洁白的裙裾点缀着绿草地。她舞动着婀娜多姿的腰身,秀发随着身体旋转跳跃,像一个黑夜里的精灵!她回头,对上我的眼睛,那双灵动的眼眸让我沉醉。她上前迎接我,就像在每一次梦中那样,我奉上那一捧百合,那是我从遥远的地方采来,还带着泥土气息和露水香气的花朵。只有这纯洁的百合才配得上她动人的笑颜。
  • 斗罗之破星神剑

    斗罗之破星神剑

    放弃了,无数次想提起笔重新写,但是却发现实在没办法再动笔了,身为一个写手,我恨透了那个人。天穹之下有众神,天穹之上有众星,一剑破星,破星之神,有位名为曜的星辰之子,从天而降,不为何许,只为征服众星。众星之外有深渊,两仪平衡,以剑为名,守护这一切。
  • 穿梭于单机游戏世界

    穿梭于单机游戏世界

    在steam里喜加一的时候,苏羽凡意外地购买了一款神奇的游戏,于是,苏羽的传奇冒险故事开始了。在《塞尔达传说》世界里探索海拉尔大陆、在《金庸群侠传》世界里剑书恩仇、在《仙剑奇侠传》、《古剑奇谭》世界里修仙练道、在《魔兽》世界里争霸异界、在《饥荒》世界里荒岛求生、在《大航海时代》世界里扬帆远航、在《鬼泣》世界里狩猎恶魔、在《骑砍》世界里掠地攻城、在《DOTA》世界里超神杀戮、在《巫师》的世界里斩妖除魔、在《上古卷轴》的世界里征战八荒、在《辐射》的世界里废土余生、在《三国无双》的世界里一骑当千、在《合金装备》的世界里驾驶机甲、在《GTA》的世界里喋血洛杉矶、在《使命召唤》的世界里血战斯大林格勒、在《刺客信条》的世界里纵横加勒比海……QQ群:462189665
  • 旧德堂医案

    旧德堂医案

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 武林之世家崛起

    武林之世家崛起

    一个世界,江湖太小。一个江湖,世家太小。一个世家,地主太小。一个地主,心却不小。故事从一个死后重生地主家的小儿子开始。。。
  • 相思焚城

    相思焚城

    宁若自小父母双亡,为躲避婚约而立下誓约,一年为期,身无分文游历江湖。期间,易容改貌偶遇翩翩公子简宁枫,心生爱慕却被伤透了心。幸得温润如玉的天下第一公子沈昱照顾,并一同经历了三个美人悬疑故事——花神祭,雪不渡,不死鸟。三卷故事,每一个都动人心魄,暗藏杀机与秘密,也深埋着揪心的过往……美人倾国倾城,相思焚心焚骨。宁若与沈昱经历重重险象,次次错过又重逢,深谙彼此心意,不料十年前的青冥宫噩梦来袭,漫天遍野的青蝶缠绕在澹台家,混乱的梦境里,父母死去的真相,宁若辨不清的真假,她与他在明白彼此心意后,是否能走到最后?
  • 呻吟语

    呻吟语

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 追妻无门:女boss不好惹

    追妻无门:女boss不好惹

    青涩蜕变,如今她是能独当一面的女boss,爱了冷泽聿七年,也同样花了七年时间去忘记他。以为是陌路,他突然向他表白,扬言要娶她,她只当他是脑子抽风,他的殷勤她也全都无视。他帮她查她父母的死因,赶走身边情敌,解释当初拒绝她的告别,和故意对她冷漠都是无奈之举。突然爆出她父母的死居然和冷家有丝毫联系,还莫名跳出个公爵未婚夫,扬言要与她履行婚约。峰回路转,破镜还能重圆吗? PS:我又开新文了,每逢假期必书荒,新文《有你的世界遇到爱》,喜欢我的文的朋友可以来看看,这是重生类现言,对这个题材感兴趣的一定要收藏起来。