marquise de brinvilliers- 第1部分

Marquise　de　Brinvilliers

by　Alexandre　Dumas；　Pere




Towards　the　end　of　the　year　1665；　on　a　fine　autumn　evening；　there　was　a　considerable　crowd　assembled　on　the　Pont…Neuf　where　it　makes　a　turn　down　to　the　rue　Dauphine。　　The　object　of　this　crowd　and　the　centre　of　attraction　was　a　closely　shut；　carriage。　　A　police　official　was　trying　to　force　open　the　door；　and　two　out　of　the　four　sergeants　who　were　with　him　were　holding　the　horses　back　and　the　other　two　stopping　the　driver；　who　paid　no　attention　to　their　commands；　but　only　endeavoured　to　urge　his　horses　to　a　gallop。　　The　struggle　had　been　going　on　same　time；　when　suddenly　one　of　the　doors　violentiy　pushed　open；　and　a　young　officer　in　the　uniform　of　a　cavalry　captain　jumped　down；　shutting　the　door　as　he　did　so　though　not　too　quickly　for　the　nearest　spectators　to　perceive　a　woman　sitting　at　the　back　of　the　carriage。　　She　was　wrapped　in　cloak　and　veil；　and　judging　by　the　precautions　she；　had　taken　to　hide　her　face　from　every　eye；　she　must　have　had　her　reasons　for　avoiding　recognition。

〃Sir；〃　said　the　young　man；　addressing　the　officer　with　a　haughty　air；　〃I　presume；　till　I　find　myself　mistaken；　that　your　business　is　with　me　alone；　so　I　will　ask　you　to　inform　me　what　powers　you　may　have　for　thus　stopping　my　coach；　also；　since　I　have　alighted；　I　desire　you　to　give　your　men　orders　to　let　the　vehicle　go　on。〃

〃First　of　all；〃　replied　the　man；　by　no　means　intimidated　by　these　lordly　airs；　but　signing　to　his　men　that　they　must　not　release　the　coach　or　the　horses；　〃be　so　good　as　to　answer　my　questions。〃

〃I　am　attending；〃　said　the　young　man；　controlling　his　agitation　by　a　visible　effort。

〃Are　you　the　Chevalier　Gaudin　de　Sainte…Croix？〃

〃I　am　he。〃

〃Captain　of　the　Tracy；　regiment？〃

〃Yes；　sir。〃

〃Then　I　arrest　you　in　the　king's　name。〃

〃What　powers　have　you？〃　This　warrant。〃

Sainte…Croix　cast　a　rapid　glance　at　the　paper；　and　instantly　recognised　the　signature　of　the　minister　of　police：　he　then　apparently　confined　his　attention　to　the　woman　who　was　still　in　the　carriage；　then　he　returned　to　his　first　question。

〃This　is　all　very　well；　sir；〃　he　said　to　the　officer；　〃but　this　warrant　contains　no　other　name　than　mine；　and　so　you　have　no　right　to　expose　thus　to　the　public　gaze　the　lady　with　whom　I　was　travelling　when　you　arrested　me。　　I　must　beg　of　you　to　order　your　assistants　to　allow　this　carriage　to　drive　on；　then　take　me　where　you　please；　for　I　am　ready　to　go　with　you。〃

To　the　officer　this　request　seemed　a　just　one：　he　signed　to　his　men　to　let　the　driver　and　the　horses　go　on；　and；　they；　who　had　waited　only　for　this；　lost　no　time　in　breaking　through　the　crowd；　which　melted　away　before　them；　thus　the　woman　escaped　for　whose　safety　the　prisoner　seemed　so　much　concerned。

Sainte…Croix　kept　his　promise　and　offered　no　resistance；　for　some　moments　he　followed　the　officer；　surrounded　by　a　crowd　which　seemed　to　have　transferred　all　its　curiosity　to　his　account；　then；　at　the　corner　of　the　Quai　de　d'Horloge；　a　man　called　up　a　carriage　that　had　not　been　observed　before；　and　Sainte…Croix　took　his　place　with　the　same　haughty　and　disdainful　air　that　he　had　shown　throughout　the　scene　we　have　just　described。　　The　officer　sat　beside　him；　two　of　his　men　got　up　behind；　and　the　other　two；　obeying　no　doubt　their　master's　orders；　retired　with　a　parting　direction　to　the　driver；

〃The　Bastille！〃

Our　readers　will　now　permit　us　to　make　them　more　fully　acquainted　with　the　man　who　is　to　take　the　first　place　in　the　story。　　The　origin　of　Gaudin　de　Sainte…Croix　was　not　known：　according　to　one　tale；　he　was　the　natural　son　of　a　great　lord；　another　account　declared　that　he　was　the　offspring　of　poor　people；　but　that；　disgusted　with　his　obscure　birth；　he　preferred　a　splendid　disgrace；　and　therefore　chose　to　pass　for　what　he　was　not。　　The　only　certainty　is　that　he　was　born　at　Montauban；　and　in　actual　rank　and　position　he　was　captain　of　the　Tracy　regiment。　　At　the　time　when　this　narrative　opens；　towards　the　end　of　1665；　Sainte…Croix　was　about　twenty…eight　or　thirty；　a　fine　young　man　of　cheerful　and　lively　appearance；　a　merry　comrade　at　a　banquet；　and　an　excellent　captain：　he　took　his　pleasure　with　other　men；　and　was　so　impressionable　a　character　that　he　enjoyed　a　virtuous　project　as　well　as　any　plan　for　a　debauch；　in　love　he　was　most　susceptible；　and　jealous　to　the　point　of　madness　even　about　a　courtesan；　had　she　once　taken　his　fancy；　his　prodigality　was　princely；　although　he　had　no　income；　further；　he　was　most　sensitive　to　slights；　as　all　men　are　who；　because　they　are　placed　in　an　equivocal　position；　fancy　that　everyone　who　makes　any　reference　to　their　origin　is　offering　an　intentional　insult。

We　must　now　see　by　what　a　chain　of　circumstances　he　had　arrived　at　his　present　position。　　About　the　year　1660；　Sainte…Croix；　while　in　the　army；　had　made　the　acquaintance　of　the　Marquis　de　Brinvilliers；　maitre…de…camp　of　the　Normandy　regiment。

Their　age　was　much　the　same；　and　so　was　their　manner　of　life：　their　virtues　and　their　vices　were　similar；　and　thus　it　happened　that　a　mere　acquaintance　grew　into　a　friendship；　and　on　his　return　from　the　field　the　marquis　introduced　Sainte…Croix　to　his　wife；　and　he　became　an　intimate　of　the　house。　　The　usual　results　followed。　　Madame　de　Brinvilliers　was　then　scarcely　eight…and…twenty：　she　had　married　the　marquis　in　1651…that　is；　nine　years　before。　　He　enjoyed　an　income　of　30；000　livres；　to　which　she　added　her　dowry　of　200；000　livres；　exclusive　of　her　expectations　in　the　future。　　Her　name　was　Marie…　Madeleine；　she　had　a　sister　and　two　brothers：　her　father；　M。　de　Dreux　d'Aubray；　was　civil　lieutenant　at　the　Chatelet　de　Paris。　　At　the　age　of　twenty…eight　the　marquise　was　at　the　height　of　her　beauty：　her　figure　was　small　but　perfectly　proportioned；　her　rounded　face　was　charmingly　pretty；　her　features；　so　regular　that　no　emotion　seemed　to　alter　their　beauty；　suggested　the　lines　of　a　statue　miraculously　endowed　with　life：　it　was　easy　enough　to　mistake　for　the　repose　of　a　happy　conscience　the　cold；　cruel　calm　which　served　as　a　mask　to　cover　remorse。

Sainte…Croix　and　the　marquise　loved　at　first　sight；　and　she　was　soon　his　mistress。　　The　marquis；　perhaps　endowed　with　the　conjugal　philosophy　which　alone　pleased　the　taste　of　the　period；　perhaps　too　much　occupied　with　his　own　pleasure　to　see　what　was　going　on　before　his　eyes；　offered　no　jealous　obstacle　to　the　intimacy；　and　continued　his　foolish　extravagances　long　after　they　had　impaired　his　fortunes：　his　affairs　became　so　entangled　that　the　marquise；　who　cared　for　him　no　longer；　and　desired　a　fuller　liberty　for　the　indulgence　of　her　new　passion；　demanded　and　obtained　a　separation。　　She　then　left　her　husband's　house；　and　henceforth　abandoning　all　discretion；　appeared　everywhere　in　public　with　Sainte…Croix。　　This　behaviour；　authorised　as　it　was　by　the　example　of　the　highest　nobility；　made　no　impression　upon　the。　　Marquis　of　Brinvilliers；who　merrily　pursued　the　road　to　ruin；　without　worrying　about　his　wife's　behaviour。　　Not　so　M。　de　Dreux　d'Aubray：　he　had　the　scrupulosity　of　a　legal　dignitary。　　He　was　scandalised　at　his　daughter's　conduct；　and　feared　a　stain　upon　his　own　fair　name：　he　procured　a　warrant　for　the　arrest　of　Sainte…Croix　wheresoever　the　bearer　might　chance　to　encounter　him。　　We　have　seen　how　it　was　put　in　execution　when　Sainte…Croix　was　driving　in　the　carriage　of　the　marquise；　whom　our　readers　will　doubtless　have　recognised　as　the　woman　who　concealed　herself　so　carefully。

》From　one's　knowledge　of　the　character　of　Sainte…Croix；　it　is　easy　to　imagine　that　he　had　to　use　great　self…control　to　govern　the　anger　he　felt　at　being　arrested　in　the　middle　of　the　street；　thus；　although　during　the　whole　drive　he　uttered　not　a　single　word；　it　was　plain　to　see　that　a　terrible　storm　was　gathering；　soon　to　break。　　But　he　preserved　the　same　impossibility　both　at　the　opening　and　shutting　of　the　fatal　gates；　which；　like　the　gates　of　hell；　had　so　often　bidden　those　who　entered　abandon　all　hope　on　their　threshold；　and　again　when　he　replied　to　the　formal　questions　put　to　him　by　the　governor。　　His　voice　was　calm；　and　when　they　gave　him　they　prison　register　he　signed　it　with　a　steady　hand。　　At　once　a　gaoler；　taking　his　orders　from　the　governor；　bade　him　follow：　after　traversing　various　corridors；　cold　and　damp；　where　the　daylight　might　sometimes　enter　but　fresh　air　never；　he　opened　a　door；　and　Sainte…Croix　had　no　sooner　entered　than　he　heard　it　locked　behind　him。

At　the　grating　of　the　lock　he　turned。　　The　gaoler　had　left　him　with　no　light　but　the　rays　of　the　moon；　which；　shining　through　a　barred　window　some　eight　or　ten　feet　from　the　ground；　shed　a　gleam　upon　a　miserable　truckle…bed　and　left　the　rest　of　the　room　in　deep　obscurity。　　The　prisoner　stood　still　for　a　moment　and　listened；　then；　when　he　had　heard　the　steps　die　away　in　the　distance　and　knew　himself　to　be　alone　at　last；　he　fell　upon　the　bed　with　a　cry　more　like　the　roaring　of　a　wild　beast　than　any　human　sound：　he　cursed　his　fellow…　man　who　had　snatched　him　from　his　joyous　life　to　plunge　him　into　a　dungeon；　he　cursed　his　God　who　had　let　this　happen；　he　cried　aloud　to　whatever　powers　might　be　that　could　grant　him　revenge　and　liberty。

Just　at　that　moment；　as　though　summoned