第22章

“Icanhardlyrealizehowlongthispursuitafteranunseenpreylasted；IcanonlyrememberthatIwasgettingratherfaintwithfatigue，andignominiouslyheldontomypommel，whenallofasuddentheblackoutlineofasleighmergedintosightinfrontofus。 “Irubbedmysmartingeyeswithmybenumbedhand；weweregaininguponitsecondbysecond；twoofthosehellhoundsofthebaron’swerealreadywithinafewleapsofit。 “SoonIwasabletomakeouttwofigures，onestandingupandurgingthehorsesonwithwhipandvoice，theotherclingingtothebackseatandlookingtowardusinanattitudeofterror。Agreatfearcreptintomyhalf-frozenbrain——werewenotbringingdeadlydangerinsteadofhelptothesetravelers？GreatGod！didthebaronmeantousethemasabaitforhisnewmethodofwolfhunting？ “IwouldhaveturneduponKossowskiwithacryofexpostulationorwarning，buthe，urgingonhishoundsashegallopedontheirflank，howlingandgesticulatinglikeaveritableHun，passedmebylikeaflash——andallatonceIknew。“ Marshfieldpausedforamomentandsenthispalesmilerounduponhislisteners，whonowshowednosignsofsleepiness；heknockedtheashfromhiscigar，twistedthelatterroundinhismouth，andaddeddryly: “AndIconfessitseemedtomealittlestrongevenforabaronintheCarpathians。Thetravelerswereourquarry。ButthereasonwhytheLordofYanyhadturnedman-hunterIwasyettolearn。 JustthenIhadtodirectmyenergiestofrustratinghisplans。I usedmyspursmercilessly。WhileIdrewupevenwithhimIsawthetwofiguresinthesleighchangeplaces；hewhohadhithertodrivennowfacedback，whilehiscompaniontookthereins；therewasthepalebluesheenofarevolverbarrelunderthemoonlight，followedbyayellowflash，andthenearesthoundrolledoverinthesnow。 “Withanoaththebarontwistedroundinhissaddletocallupandurgeontheremainder。Myhorsehadtakenfrightatthereportanddashedirresistiblyforward，bringingmeatoncealmostlevelwiththefugitives，andthenextinstanttherevolverwasturnedmenacinglytowardme。Therewasnotimetoexplain；mypistolwasalreadydrawn，andasanotherofthebrutesboundedup，almostundermyhorse’sfeet，Iloosedituponhim。Imusthaveletoffbothbarrelsatonce，fortheweaponflewoutofmyhand，butthehound’sbackwasbroken。Ipresumethetravelerunderstood；atanyrate，hedidnotfireatme。 “Inmomentsofintenseexcitementlikethese，strangelyenough，themindisextraordinarilyopentoimpressions。Ishallneverforgetthatman’scountenanceinthesledge，ashestooduprightanddefiedusinhismortaldanger；itwasyoung，veryhandsome，thefeaturesnotdistorted，butsetintoasortofdesperate，stonycalm，andIknewit，beyondalldoubt，forthatofanEnglishman。 AndthenIsawhiscompanion——itwasthebaron’swife。AndI understoodwhythebellshadbeenremoved。 “Ittakesalongtimetosaythis；itonlyrequiredaninstanttoseeit。Theloudexplosionofmypistolhadhardlyceasedtoringbeforethebaron，withafearfulimprecation，wasuponme。Firsthelashedatmewithhiswhipaswetorealongsidebyside，andthenIsawhimwindthereinsroundhisoffarmandbendover，andIfelthisangryfingersclosetightlyonmyrightfoot。ThenextinstantIshouldhavebeenliftedoutofmysaddle，buttherecameanothershotfromthesledge。Thebaron’shorseplungedandstumbled，andthebaron，hangingontomyfootwithafiercegrip，waswrenchedfromhisseat。Hishorse，however，wasupagainimmediately，andIwasreleased，andthenIcaughtaconfusedglimpseofthefrightenedandwoundedanimalgallopingwildlyawaytotheright，leavingablacktrackofbloodbehindhiminthesnow，hismaster，entangledinthereins，runningwithincredibleswiftnessbyhissideandendeavoringtovaultbackintothesaddle。 “Andnowcametopassaterriblethingwhich，inhissavageplans，myhosthaddoubtlessneveranticipated。 “Oneofthehoundsthathadduringthisshortcheckrecoveredlostground，comingacrossthishottrailofblood，turnedawayfromhiscourse，andwithajoyousyelldartedaftertherunningman。Inanotherinstanttheremainderofthepackwasuponthenewscent。 “AssoonasIcouldstopmyhorse，Itriedtoturnhiminthedirectionthenewchasehadtaken，butjustthen，throughthenightair，overtherecedingsoundofthehorse’sscamperandthesobbingofthepackinfullcry，therecamealongscream，andafterthatasickeningsilence。AndIknewthatsomewhereyonder，underthebeautifulmoonlight，theBaronKossowskiwasbeingdevouredbyhisstarvingdogs。 “Ilookedround，withthesweatonmyface，vaguely，forsomehumanbeingtosharethehorrorofthemoment，andIsaw，glidingaway，farawayinthewhitedistance，theblacksilhouetteofthesledge。“ “Well？“saidwe，indiverstonesofimpatience，curiosity，orhorror，accordingtoourdiverstemperaments，asthespeakeruncrossedhislegsandgazedatusinmildtriumph，withalltheairofhavingsaidhissay，andsatisfactorilyprovedhispoint。 “Well，“repeatedhe，“whatmoredoyouwanttoknow？Itwillinterestyoubutslightly，Iamsure，tohearhowIfoundmywaybacktotheHof；orhowItoldasmuchasIdeemedprudentoftheevening’sgrewsomeworktothebaron’sservants，who，bytheway，tomyamazement，displayedtheprofoundestandmostunmistakablesorrowatthetidings，andsalliedforth(attheirheadtheCossackwhohadseenusdepart)toseekforhisremains。Excusetheunpleasantnessoftheremark:Ifearthedogsmusthaveleftverylittleofhim，hehaddietedthemsocarefully。However，sinceitwastohavebeenacaseof’chop，crunch，andgobble，’asthebaronhadit，Ipreferredthatthatparticularfateshouldhaveovertakenhimratherthanme——or，forthatmatter，eitherofthosetwocountrypeopleofoursinthesledge。 “NoramIgoingtoinflictuponyou，“continuedMarshfield，afterdraininghisglass，“afullaccountofmyimpressionswhenIfoundmyselfoncemoreinthatimmense，deserted，andstrickenhouse，soluxuriouslypreparedforthemistresswhohadfledfromit；howI philosophizedoverallthis，accordingtomywont；theconjecturesImadeastothefirstactsofthedrama；theuntoldsufferingsmycountrywomanmusthaveenduredfromthemomentherhusbandfirstgrewjealoustillshedeterminedonthisdesperatestep；astohowandwhenshehadmetherlover，howtheycommunicated，andhowthebaronhaddiscoveredtheintendedflittingintimetoconcocthischaracteristicrevenge。 “Onethingyoumaybesureof，IhadnomindtoremainatYanyanhourlongerthannecessary。Ievencontrivedtogetwellclearoftheneighborhoodbeforethelady’sabsencewasdiscovered。Luckilyforme——orImighthavebeentaxedwithconnivance，thoughindeedthesimplehouseholddidnotseemtoknowwhatsuspicionwas，andacceptedmyaccountwithchildlikecredence——verytypical，andveryconvenienttomeatthesametime。“ “Buthowdoyouknow，“saidoneofus，“thatthemanwasherlover？ Hemighthavebeenherbrotherorsomeotherrelative。“ “That，“saidMarshfield，withhislittleflatlaugh，“Ihappentohaveascertained——and，curiouslyenough，onlyafewweeksago。Itwasattheplay，betweentheacts，frommycomfortableseat(thefirstrowinthepit)。IwaslookingleisurelyroundthehousewhenIcaughtsightofawoman，inaboxcloseby，whoseheadwasturnedfromme，andwhopresentedthesomewhatunusualspectacleofayoungneckandshouldersofthemostexquisitecontour——andperfectlygrayhair；andnotdullgray，butratherofapleasingtintlikefrostedsilver。Thisarousedmycuriosity。Ibroughtmyglassestoafocusonherandwaitedpatientlytillsheturnedround。ThenIrecognizedtheBaronessKassowski，andInolongerwonderedattheyounghairbeingwhite。 “Yetshelookedplacidandhappy；strangelyso，itseemedtome，underthesuddenrevivinginmymemoryofsuchscenesasIhavenowdescribed。ButpresentlyIunderstoodfurther:besideher，incloseattendance，wasthemanofthesledge，ahandsomefellowwithmuchofamilitaryairabouthim。 “Duringthecourseoftheevening，asIwatched，Isawafriendofminecomeintothebox，andattheendIslippedoutintothepassagetocatchhimashecameout。 “’Whoisthewomanwiththewhitehair？’Iasked。Then，inthefragmentarystyleapprovedofbyultra-fashionableyoungmen——thisearnest-languidmodeofspeechpresentscurioussimilaritiesinalllanguages——hetoldme:’MostcharmingcoupleinLondon——awfullypretty，wasn’tshe？——hehadbeenintheGuards——attacheatViennaonce——theyadoredeachother。Whitehair，devilishqueer，wasn’tit？Suitedher，somehow。AndthenshehadbeenmarriedtoaRussian，orsomething，somewhereinthewilds，andtheirnameswere——’Butdoyouknow，“saidMarshfield，interruptinghimself，“IthinkIhadbetterletyoufindthatoutforyourselves，ifyoucare。“ StanleyJ。WeymanTheFowlinthePotAnEpisodeAdaptedfromtheMemoirsofMaximiliandeBethune，DukeofSullyWhatIamgoingtorelatemayseemtosomemerelytobecuriousandonapartywiththedivertingstoryofM。Boisrose，whichIhavesetdowninanearlierpartofmymemoirs。Butamongthecalumniesofthosewhohaveneverceasedtoattackmesincethedeathofthelateking，thestatementthatIkeptfromhismajestythingswhichshouldhavereachedhisearshasalwayshadaprominentplace，thoughathousandtimesrefutedbymyfriends，andthosewhofromanintimateacquaintancewitheventscouldjudgehowfaithfullyI laboredtodeservetheconfidencewithwhichmymasterhonoredme。 Therefore，Itakeitinhandtoshowbyanexample，triflinginitself，thefullknowledgeofaffairswhichthekinghad，andtoprovethatinmanymatters，whichwereneverpermittedtobecomeknowntotheidlersofthecourt，hetookapersonalshare，worthyasmuchofHarounasofAlexander。 Itwasmycustom，beforeIentereduponthosenegotiationswiththePrinceofCondewhichterminatedintherecoveryoftheestateofVillebon，whereInowprincipallyreside，tospendapartoftheautumnandwinteratRosny。OntheseoccasionsIwasinthehabitofleavingPariswithaconsiderabletrainofSwiss，pages，valets，andgrooms，togetherwiththemaidsofhonorandwaitingwomenoftheduchess。WehaltedtotakedinneratPoissy，andgenerallycontrivedtoreachRosnytowardnightfall，soastosupbythelightofflambeauxinamannerenjoyableenough，thoughdevoidofthatstatewhichIhaveevermaintained，andenjoineduponmychildren，asatoncetheprivilegeandburdenofrank。 AtthetimeofwhichIamspeakingIhadformyfavoritechargerthesorrelhorsewhichtheDukeofMercoeurpresentedtomewithaviewtomygoodofficesatthetimeoftheking’sentryintoParis； andwhichIhonestlytransferredtohismajestyinaccordancewithaprinciplelaiddowninanotherplace。Thekinginsistedonreturningittome，andforseveralyearsIrodeitontheseannualvisitstoRosny。Whatwasmoreremarkablewasthatoneachoftheseoccasionsitcastashoeaboutthemiddleoftheafternoon，andalwayswhenwewerewithinashortleagueofthevillageofAubergenville。ThoughIneverhadwithmelessthanhalfascoreofledhorses，IhadsuchanaffectionforthesorrelthatI preferredtowaituntilitwasshod，ratherthanaccommodatemyselftoanagoflesseasypaces；andwouldallowmyhouseholdtoprecedeme，stayingbehindmyselfwithatmostaguardortwo，myvalet，andapage。 TheforgeatAubergenvillewaskeptbyasmithofsomeskill，acheerfulfellow，whomIalwaysrememberedtoreward，consideringmyownpositionratherthanhisservices，withagoldlivre。Hisjoyatreceivingwhatwastohimtheincomeofayearwasgreat，andneverfailedtoreimburseme；inadditiontowhichItooksomepleasureinunbending，andlearningfromthissimplepeasantandloyalman，whatthetaxpayersweresayingofmeandmyreforms——adutyIalwaysfeltIowedtothekingmymaster。 AsamanofbreedingitwouldillbecomemetosetdownthehomelytruthsIthuslearned。Theconversationsofthevulgararelittlesuitedtoanobleman’smemoirs；butinthisIdistinguishbetweentheDukeofSullyandtheking’sminister，anditisinthelattercapacitythatIrelatewhatpassedonthesedivertingoccasions。 “Ho，Simon，“Iwouldsay，encouragingthepoormanashecamebowingandtremblingbeforeme，“howgoesit，myfriend？“ “Badly，“hewouldanswer，“verybadlyuntilyourlordshipcamethisway。“ “Andhowisthat，littleman？“ “Oh，itistheroads，“healwaysreplied，shakinghisbaldheadashebegantosetabouthisbusiness。“Theroadssinceyourlordshipbecamesurveyor-generalaresogoodthatnotonehorseinahundredcastsashoe；andthentherearesofewhighwaymennowthatnotonerobber’splatesdoIreplaceinatwelvemonth。Thereiswhereitis。“ AtthisIwashighlydelighted。 “Still，sinceIbegantopassthiswaytimeshavenotbeensobadwithyou，Simon，“Iwouldanswer。 Theretohehadoneinvariablereply。