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el dorado-第48部分
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face in the soft masses of her hair; 〃until you came I was so dd
fatigued。〃
He was laughing; and the old look of boyish love of mischief
illumined his haggard face。
〃Is it not lucky; dear heart;〃 he said a moment or two later;
〃that those brutes do not leave me unshaved? I could not have
faced you with a week's growth of beard round my chin。 By dint of
promises and bribery I have persuaded one of that rabble to come
and shave me every morning。 They will not allow me to handle a
razor my…self。 They are afraid I should cut my throator one of
theirs。 But mostly I am too dd sleepy to think of such a thing。〃
〃Percy!〃 she exclaimed with tender and passionate reproach。
〃I knowI know; dear;〃 he murmured; 〃what a brute I am! Ah; God
did a cruel thing the day that He threw me in your path。 To think
that oncenot so very long agowe were drifting apart; you and
I。 You would have suffered less; dear heart; if we had continued
to drift。〃
Then as he saw that his bantering tone pained her; he covered her
hands with kisses; entreating her forgiveness。
〃Dear heart;〃 he said merrily; 〃I deserve that you should leave me
to rot in this abominable cage。 They haven't got me yet; little
woman; you know; I am not yet deadonly dd sleepy at times。
But I'll cheat them even now; never fear。〃
〃How; Percyhow?〃 she moaned; for her heart was aching with
intolerable pain; she knew better than he did the precautions
which were being taken against his escape; and she saw more
clearly than he realised it himself the terrible barrier set up
against that escape by ever encroaching physical weakness。
〃Well; dear;〃 he said simply; 〃to tell you the truth I have not
yet thought of that all…important 'how。' I had to wait; you see;
until you came。 I was so sure that you would come! I have
succeeded in putting on paper all my instructions for Ffoulkes and
the others。 I will give them to you anon。 I knew that you would
come; and that I could give them to you; until then I had but to
think of one thing; and that was of keeping body and soul together。
My chance of seeing you was to let them have their will with me。
Those brutes were sure; sooner or later; to bring you to me; that
you might see the caged fox worn down to imbecility; eh? That you
might add your tears to their persuasion; and succeed where they
have failed。〃
He laughed lightly with an unstrained note of gaiety; only
Marguerite's sensitive ears caught the faint tone of bitterness
which rang through the laugh。
〃Once I know that the little King of France is safe;〃 he said; 〃I
can think of how best to rob those dd murderers of my skin。〃
Then suddenly his manner changed。 He still held her with one arm
closely to; him; but the other now lay across the table; and the
slender; emaciated hand was tightly clutched。 He did not look at
her; but straight ahead; the eyes; unnaturally large now; with
their deep purple rims; looked far ahead beyond the stone walls of
this grim; cruel prison。
The passionate lover; hungering for his beloved; had vanished;
there sat the man with a purpose; the man whose firm hand had
snatched men and women and children from death; the reckless
enthusiast who tossed his life against an ideal。
For a while he sat thus; while in his drawn and haggard face she
could trace every line formed by his thoughtsthe frown of
anxiety; the resolute setting of the lips; the obstinate look of
will around the firm jaw。 Then he turned again to her。
〃My beautiful one;〃 he said softly; 〃the moments are very
precious。 God knows I could spend eternity thus with your dear
form nestling against my heart。 But those dd murderers will
only give us half an hour; and I want your help; my beloved; now
that I am a helpless cur caught in their trap。 Will you listen
attentively; dear heart; to what I am going to say?
〃Yes; Percy; I will listen;〃 she replied。
〃And have you the courage to do just what I tell you; dear?〃
〃I would not have courage to do aught else;〃 she said simply。
〃It means going from hence to…day; dear heart; and perhaps not
meeting again。 Hush…sh…sh; my beloved;〃 he said; tenderly placing
his thin hand over her mouth; from which a sharp cry of pain had
well…nigh escaped; 〃your exquisite soul will be with me always。
Trytry not to give way to despair。 Why! your love alone; which I
see shining from your dear eyes; is enough to make a man cling to
life with all his might。 Tell me! will you do as I ask you?〃
And she replied firmly and courageously:
〃I will do just what you ask; Percy。〃
〃God bless you for your courage; dear。 You will have need of it。〃
CHAPTER XXIX
FOR THE SAKE OF THAT HELPLESS INNOCENT
The next instant he was kneeling on the floor and his hands were
wandering over the small; irregular flagstones immediately
underneath the table。 Marguerite had risen to her feet; she
watched her husband with intent and puzzled eyes; she saw him
suddenly pass his slender fingers along a crevice between two
flagstones; then raise one of these slightly and from beneath it
extract a small bundle of papers; each carefully folded and
sealed。 Then he replaced the stone and once more rose to his
knees。
He gave a quick glance toward the doorway。 That corner of his
cell; the recess wherein stood the table; was invisible to any one
who had not actually crossed the threshold。 Reassured that his
movements could not have been and were not watched; he drew
Marguerite closer to him。
〃Dear heart;〃 he whispered; 〃I want to place these papers in your
care。 Look upon them as my last will and testament。 I succeeded
in fooling those brutes one day by pretending to be willing to
accede to their will。 They gave me pen and ink and paper and wax;
and I was to write out an order to my followers to bring the
Dauphin hither。 They left me in peace for one quarter of an hour;
which gave me time to write three lettersone for Armand and the
other two for Ffoulkes; and to hide them under the flooring of my
cell。 You see; dear; I knew that you would come and that I could
give them to you then。〃
He paused; and that; ghost of a smile once more hovered round his
lips。 He was thinking of that day when he had fooled Heron and
Chauvelin into the belief that their devilry had succeeded; and
that they had brought the reckless adventurer to his knees。 He
smiled at the recollection of their wrath when they knew that they
had been tricked; and after a quarter of an hour s anxious waiting
found a few sheets of paper scribbled over with incoherent words
or satirical verse; and the prisoner having apparently snatched
ten minutes' sleep; which seemingly had restored to him quite a
modicum of his strength。
But of this he told Marguerite nothing; nor of the insults and the
humiliation which he had had to bear in consequence of that trick。
He did not tell her that directly afterwards the order went forth
that the prisoner was to be kept on bread and water in the future;
nor that Chauvelin had stood by laughing and jeering while 。。。
No! he did not tell her all that; the recollection of it all had
still the power to make him laugh; was it not all a part and
parcel of that great gamble for human lives wherein he had held
the winning cards himself for so long?
〃It is your turn now;〃 he had said even then to his bitter enemy。
〃Yes!〃 Chauvelin had replied; 〃our turn at last。 And you will not
bend my fine English gentleman; we'll break you yet; never fear。〃
It was the thought of it all; of that hand to hand; will to will;
spirit to spirit struggle that lighted up his haggard face even
now; gave him a fresh zest for life; a desire to combat and to
conquer in spite of all; in spite of the odds that had martyred
his body but left the mind; the will; the power still unconquered。
He was pressing one of the papers into her hand; holding her
fingers tightly in his; and compelling her gaze with the ardent
excitement of his own。
〃This first letter is for Ffoulkes;〃 he said。 〃It relates to the
final measures for the safety of the Dauphin。 They are my
instructions to those members of the League who are in or near
Paris at the present moment。 Ffoulkes; I know; must be with
youhe was not likely; God bless his loyalty; to let you come to
Paris alone。 Then give this letter to him; dear heart; at once;
to…night; and tell him that it is my express command that he and
the others shall act in minute accordance with my instructions。〃
〃But the Dauphin surely is safe now;〃 she urged。 〃Ffoulkes and the
others are here in order to help you。〃
〃To help me; dear heart?〃 he interposed earnestly。 〃God alone can
do that now; and such of my poor wits as these devils do not
succeed in crushing out of me within the next ten days。〃
Ten days!
〃I have waited a week; until this hour when I could place this
packet in your hands; another ten days should see the Dauphin out
of Franceafter that; we shall see。〃
〃Percy;〃 she exclaimed in an agony of horror; 〃you cannot endure
this another dayand live!〃
〃Nay!〃 he said in a tone that was almost insolent in its proud
defiance; 〃there is but little that a man cannot do an he sets his
mind to it。 For the rest; 'tis in G
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