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"AT WHAT POINT shall I begin my story, your excellency?" asked Bertuccio. "Where you please," returned Monte Cristo, "since I know nothing at all of it." "I thought the Abbé Busoni had told your excellency." "Some particulars, doubtless, but that is seven or eight years ago, and I have forgotten them." "Then I can speak without fear of tiring your excellency." "Go on, M. Bertuccio; you will supply the want of the evening papers." "The story begins in 1815." "Ah," said Monte Cristo, "1815 is not yesterday." "No, monsieur, and yet I recollect1 all things as clearly as if they had happened but then. I had a brother, an elder brother, who was in the service of the emperor; he had become lieutenant2 in a regiment3 composed entirely4 of Corsicans. This brother was my only friend; we became orphans--I at five, he at eighteen. He brought me up as if I had been his son, and in 1814 he married. When the emperor returned from the Island of Elba, my brother instantly joined the army, was slightly wounded at Waterloo, and retired5 with the army beyond the Loire." "But that is the history of the Hundred Days, M. Bertuccio," said the count; "unless I am mistaken, it has been already written." "Excuse me, excellency, but these details are necessary, and you promised to be patient." "Go on; I will keep my word." "One day we received a letter. I should tell you that we lived in the little village of Rogliano, at the extremity6 of Cape7 Corso. This letter was from my brother. He told us that the army was disbanded, and that he should return by Chateauroux, Clermont-Ferrand, Le Puy, and N?mes; and, if I had any money, he prayed me to leave it for him at N?mes, with an inn-keeper with whom I had dealings." "In the smuggling8 line?" said Monte Cristo. "Eh, your excellency? Every one must live." "Certainly; go on." "I loved my brother tenderly, as I told your excellency, and I resolved not to send the money, but to take it to him myself. I possessed9 a thousand francs. I left five hundred with Assunta, my sister-in-law, and with the other five hundred I set off for N?mes. It was easy to do so, and as I had my boat and a lading to take in at sea, everything favored my project. But, after we had taken in our cargo10, the wind became contrary, so that we were four or five days without being able to enter the Rhone. At last, however, we succeeded, and worked up to Arles. I left the boat between Bellegarde and Beaucaire, and took the road to N?mes." "We are getting to the story now?" "Yes, your excellency; excuse me, but, as you will see, I only tell you what is absolutely necessary. Just at this time the famous massacres11 took place in the south of France. Three brigands12, called Trestaillon, Truphemy, and Graffan, publicly assassinated13 everybody whom they suspected of Bonapartism. You have doubtless heard of these massacres, your excellency?" "Vaguely14; I was far from France at that period. Go on." "As I entered N?mes, I literally15 waded16 in blood; at every step you encountered dead bodies and bands of murderers, who killed, plundered17, and burned. At the sight of this slaughter18 and devastation19 I became terrified, not for myself--for I, a simple Corsican fisherman, had nothing to fear; on the contrary, that time was most favorable for us smugglers--but for my brother, a soldier of the empire, returning from the army of the Loire, with his uniform and his epaulets, there was everything to apprehend21. I hastened to the inn-keeper. My misgivings22 had been but too true. My brother had arrived the previous evening at N?mes, and, at the very door of the house where he was about to demand hospitality, he had been assassinated. I did all in my power to discover the murderers, but no one durst tell me their names, so much were they dreaded24. I then thought of that French justice of which I had heard so much, and which feared nothing, and I went to the king's attorney." "And this king's attorney was named Villefort?" asked Monte Cristo carelessly. "Yes, your excellency; he came from Marseilles, where he had been deputy-procureur. His zeal25 had procured26 him advancement27, and he was said to be one of the first who had informed the government of the departure from the Island of Elba." "Then," said Monte Cristo "you went to him?" "'Monsieur,' I said, 'my brother was assassinated yesterday in the streets of N?mes, I know not by whom, but it is your duty to find out. You are the representative of justice here, and it is for justice to avenge28 those she has been unable to protect.'--'Who was your brother?' asked he.--'A lieutenant in the Corsican battalion29.'--'A soldier of the usurper30, then?'--'A soldier of the French army.'--'Well,' replied he, 'he has smitten31 with the sword, and he has perished by the sword.'--'You are mistaken, monsieur,' I replied; 'he has perished by the poniard.'--'What do you want me to do?' asked the magistrate32.--'I have already told you--avenge him.'--'On whom?'--'On his murderers.'--'How should I know who they are?'--'Order them to be sought for.'--'Why, your brother has been involved in a quarrel, and killed in a duel33. All these old soldiers commit excesses which were tolerated in the time of the emperor, but which are not suffered now, for the people here do not like soldiers of such disorderly conduct.'--'Monsieur,' I replied, 'it is not for myself that I entreat34 your interference--I should grieve for him or avenge him, but my poor brother had a wife, and were anything to happen to me, the poor creature would perish from want, for my brother's pay alone kept her. Pray, try and obtain a small government pension for her.' "'Every revolution has its catastrophes,' returned M. de Villefort; 'your brother has been the victim of this. It is a misfortune, and government owes nothing to his family. If we are to judge by all the vengeance35 that the followers36 of the usurper exercised on the partisans37 of the king, when, in their turn, they were in power, your brother would be to-day, in all probability, condemned38 to death. What has happened is quite natural, and in conformity39 with the law of reprisals40.'--'What,' cried I, 'do you, a magistrate, speak thus to me?'--'All these Corsicans are mad, on my honor,' replied M. de Villefort; 'they fancy that their countryman is still emperor. You have mistaken the time, you should have told me this two months ago, it is too late now. Go now, at once, or I shall have you put out.' "I looked at him an instant to see if there was anything to hope from further entreaty41. But he was a man of stone. I approached him, and said in a low voice, 'Well, since you know the Corsicans so well, you know that they always keep their word. You think that it was a good deed to kill my brother, who was a Bonapartist, because you are a royalist. Well, I, who am a Bonapartist also, declare one thing to you, which is, that I will kill you. From this moment I declare the vendetta42 against you, so protect yourself as well as you can, for the next time we meet your last hour has come.' And before he had recovered from his surprise, I opened the door and left the room." "Well, well," said Monte Cristo, "such an innocent looking person as you are to do those things, M. Bertuccio, and to a king's attorney at that! But did he know what was meant by the terrible word 'vendetta'?" "He knew so well, that from that moment he shut himself in his house, and never went out unattended, seeking me high and low. Fortunately, I was so well concealed44 that he could not find me. Then he became alarmed, and dared not stay any longer at N?mes, so he solicited45 a change of residence, and, as he was in reality very influential46, he was nominated to Versailles. But, as you know, a Corsican who has sworn to avenge himself cares not for distance, so his carriage, fast as it went, was never above half a day's journey before me, who followed him on foot. The most important thing was, not to kill him only--for I had an opportunity of doing so a hundred times--but to kill him without being discovered--at least, without being arrested. I no longer belonged to myself, for I had my sister-in-law to protect and provide for. For three months I watched M. de Villefort, for three months he took not a step out-of-doors without my following him. At length I discovered that he went mysteriously to Auteuil. I followed him thither47, and I saw him enter the house where we now are, only, instead of entering by the great door that looks into the street, he came on horseback, or in his carriage, left the one or the other at the little inn, and entered by the gate you see there." Monte Cristo made a sign with his head to show that he could discern in the darkness the door to which Bertuccio alluded48. "As I had nothing more to do at Versailles, I went to Auteuil, and gained all the information I could. If I wished to surprise him, it was evident this was the spot to lie in wait for him. The house belonged, as the concièrge informed your excellency, to M. de Saint-Méran, Villefort's father-in-law. M. de Saint-Méran lived at Marseilles, so that this country house was useless to him, and it was reported to be let to a young widow, known only by the name of 'the baroness49.' "One evening, as I was looking over the wall, I saw a young and handsome woman who was walking alone in that garden, which was not overlooked by any windows, and I guessed that she was awaiting M. de Villefort. When she was sufficiently50 near for me to distinguish her features, I saw she was from eighteen to nineteen, tall and very fair. As she had a loose muslin dress on and as nothing concealed her figure, I saw she would ere long become a mother. A few moments after, the little door was opened and a man entered. The young woman hastened to meet him. They threw themselves into each other's arms, embraced tenderly, and returned together to the house. The man was M. de Villefort; I fully52 believed that when he went out in the night he would be forced to traverse the whole of the garden alone." "And," asked the count, "did you ever know the name of this woman?" "No, excellency," returned Bertuccio; "you will see that I had no time to learn it." "Go on." "That evening," continued Bertuccio, "I could have killed the procureur, but as I was not sufficiently acquainted with the neighborhood, I was fearful of not killing53 him on the spot, and that if his cries were overheard I might be taken; so I put it off until the next occasion, and in order that nothing should escape me, I took a chamber54 looking into the street bordered by the wall of the garden. Three days after, about seven o'clock in the evening, I saw a servant on horseback leave the house at full gallop55, and take the road to Sèvres. I concluded that he was going to Versailles, and I was not deceived. Three hours later, the man returned covered with dust, his errand was performed, and two minutes after, another man on foot, muffled56 in a mantle57, opened the little door of the garden, which he closed after him. I descended58 rapidly; although I had not seen Villefort's face, I recognized him by the beating of my heart. I crossed the street, and stopped at a post placed at the angle of the wall, and by means of which I had once before looked into the garden. This time I did not content myself with looking, but I took my knife out of my pocket, felt that the point was sharp, and sprang over the wall. My first care was to run to the door; he had left the key in it, taking the simple precaution of turning it twice in the lock. Nothing, then, preventing my escape by this means, I examined the grounds. The garden was long and narrow; a stretch of smooth turf extended down the middle, and at the corners were clumps59 of trees with thick and massy foliage60, that made a background for the shrubs61 and flowers. In order to go from the door to the house, or from the house to the door, M. de Villefort would be obliged to pass by one of these clumps of trees. "It was the end of September; the wind blew violently. The faint glimpses of the pale moon, hidden momentarily by masses of dark clouds that were sweeping62 across the sky, whitened the gravel63 walks that led to the house, but were unable to pierce the obscurity of the thick shrubberies, in which a man could conceal43 himself without any fear of discovery. I hid myself in the one nearest to the path Villefort must take, and scarcely was I there when, amidst the gusts65 of wind, I fancied I heard groans66; but you know, or rather you do not know, your excellency, that he who is about to commit an assassination67 fancies that he hears low cries perpetually ringing in his ears. Two hours passed thus, during which I imagined I heard moans repeatedly. Midnight struck. As the last stroke died away, I saw a faint light shine through the windows of the private staircase by which we have just descended. The door opened, and the man in the mantle reappeared. The terrible moment had come, but I had so long been prepared for it that my heart did not fail in the least. I drew my knife from my pocket again, opened it, and made ready to strike. The man in the mantle advanced towards me, but as he drew near I saw that he had a weapon in his hand. I was afraid, not of a struggle, but of a failure. When he was only a few paces from me, I saw that what I had taken for a weapon was only a spade. I was still unable to divine for what reason M. de Villefort had this spade in his hands, when he stopped close to the thicket68 where I was, glanced round, and began to dig a hole in the earth. I then perceived that he was hiding something under his mantle, which he laid on the grass in order to dig more freely. Then, I confess, curiosity mingled69 with hatred70; I wished to see what Villefort was going to do there, and I remained motionless, holding my breath. Then an idea crossed my mind, which was confirmed when I saw the procureur lift from under his mantle a box, two feet long, and six or eight inches deep. I let him place the box in the hole he had made, then, while he stamped with his feet to remove all traces of his occupation, I rushed on him and plunged71 my knife into his breast, exclaiming,--'I am Giovanni Bertuccio; thy death for my brother's; thy treasure for his widow; thou seest that my vengeance is more complete than I had hoped.' I know not if he heard these words; I think he did not, for he fell without a cry. I felt his blood gush72 over my face, but I was intoxicated73, I was delirious74, and the blood refreshed, instead of burning me. In a second I had disinterred the box; then, that it might not be known I had done so, I filled up the hole, threw the spade over the wall, and rushed through the door, which I double-locked, carrying off the key." "Ah," said Monte Cristo "it seems to me this was nothing but murder and robbery." "No, your excellency," returned Bertuccio; "it was a vendetta followed by restitution75." "And was the sum a large one?" "It was not money." "Ah, I recollect," replied the count; "did you not say something of an infant?" "Yes, excellency; I hastened to the river, sat down on the bank, and with my knife forced open the lock of the box. In a fine linen76 cloth was wrapped a new-born child. Its purple visage, and its violet-colored hands showed that it had perished from suffocation77, but as it was not yet cold, I hesitated to throw it into the water that ran at my feet. After a moment I fancied that I felt a slight pulsation78 of the heart, and as I had been assistant at the hospital at Bastia, I did what a doctor would have done--I inflated79 the lungs by blowing air into them, and at the expiration80 of a quarter of an hour, it began to breathe, and cried feebly. In my turn I uttered a cry, but a cry of joy. 'God has not cursed me then,' I cried, 'since he permits me to save the life of a human creature, in exchange for the life I have taken away.'" "And what did you do with the child?" asked Monte Cristo. "It was an embarrassing load for a man seeking to escape." "I had not for a moment the idea of keeping it, but I knew that at Paris there was an asylum81 where they receive such creatures. As I passed the city gates I declared that I had found the child on the road, and I inquired where the asylum was; the box confirmed my statement, the linen proved that the infant belonged to wealthy parents, the blood with which I was covered might have proceeded from the child as well as from any one else. No objection was raised, but they pointed82 out the asylum, which was situated83 at the upper end of the Rue23 d'Enfer, and after having taken the precaution of cutting the linen in two pieces, so that one of the two letters which marked it was on the piece wrapped around the child, while the other remained in my possession, I rang the bell, and fled with all speed. A fortnight after I was at Rogliano, and I said to Assunta,--'Console thyself, sister; Israel is dead, but he is avenged84.' She demanded what I meant, and when I had told her all,--'Giovanni,' said she, 'you should have brought this child with you; we would have replaced the parents it has lost, have called it Benedetto, and then, in consequence of this good action, God would have blessed us.' In reply I gave her the half of the linen I had kept in order to reclaim85 him if we became rich." "What letters were marked on the linen?" said Monte Cristo. "An H and an N, surmounted86 by a baron's coronet." "By heaven, M. Bertuccio, you make use of heraldic terms; where did you study heraldry?" "In your service, excellency, where everything is learned." "Go on, I am curious to know two things." "What are they, your excellency ?" "What became of this little boy? for I think you told me it was a boy, M. Bertuccio." "No excellency, I do not recollect telling you that." "I thought you did; I must have been mistaken." "No, you were not, for it was in reality a little boy. But your excellency wished to know two things; what was the second?" "The second was the crime of which you were accused when you asked for a confessor, and the Abbé Busoni came to visit you at your request in the prison at N?mes." "The story will be very long, excellency." "What matter? you know I take but little sleep, and I do not suppose you are very much inclined for it either." Bertuccio bowed, and resumed his story. "Partly to drown the recollections of the past that haunted me, partly to supply the wants of the poor widow, I eagerly returned to my trade of smuggler20, which had become more easy since that relaxation87 of the laws which always follows a revolution. The southern districts were ill-watched in particular, in consequence of the disturbances88 that were perpetually breaking out in Avignon, N?mes, or Uzés. We profited by this respite89 on the part of the government to make friends everywhere. Since my brother's assassination in the streets of N?mes, I had never entered the town; the result was that the inn-keeper with whom we were connected, seeing that we would no longer come to him, was forced to come to us, and had established a branch to his inn, on the road from Bellegarde to Beaucaire, at the sign of the Pont du Gard. We had thus, at Aigues-Mortes, Martigues, or Bouc, a dozen places where we left our goods, and where, in case of necessity, we concealed ourselves from the gendarmes90 and custom-house officers. Smuggling is a profitable trade, when a certain degree of vigor91 and intelligence is employed; as for myself, brought up in the mountains, I had a double motive92 for fearing the gendarmes and custom-house officers, as my appearance before the judges would cause an inquiry93, and an inquiry always looks back into the past. And in my past life they might find something far more grave than the selling of smuggled94 cigars, or barrels of brandy without a permit. So, preferring death to capture, I accomplished95 the most astonishing deeds, and which, more than once, showed me that the too great care we take of our bodies is the only obstacle to the success of those projects which require rapid decision, and vigorous and determined96 execution. In reality, when you have once devoted97 your life to your enterprises, you are no longer the equal of other men, or, rather, other men are no longer your equals, and whosoever has taken this resolution, feels his strength and resources doubled." "Philosophy, M. Bertuccio," interrupted the Count; "you have done a little of everything in your life." "Oh, excellency," "No, no; but philosophy at half-past ten at night is somewhat late; yet I have no other observation to make, for what you say is correct, which is more than can be said for all philosophy." "My journeys became more and more extensive and more productive. Assunta took care of all, and our little fortune increased. One day as I was setting off on an expedition, 'Go,' said she; 'at your return I will give you a surprise.' I questioned her, but in vain; she would tell me nothing, and I departed. Our expedition lasted nearly six weeks; we had been to Lucca to take in oil, to Leghorn for English cottons, and we ran our cargo without opposition98, and returned home full of joy. When I entered the house, the first thing I beheld99 in the middle of Assunta's chamber was a cradle that might be called sumptuous100 compared with the rest of the furniture, and in it a baby seven or eight months old. I uttered a cry of joy; the only moments of sadness I had known since the assassination of the procureur were caused by the recollection that I had abandoned this child. For the assassination itself I had never felt any remorse101. Poor Assunta had guessed all. She had profited by my absence, and furnished with the half of the linen, and having written down the day and hour at which I had deposited the child at the asylum, had set off for Paris, and had reclaimed102 it. No objection was raised, and the infant was given up to her. Ah, I confess, your excellency, when I saw this poor creature sleeping peacefully in its cradle, I felt my eyes filled with tears. 'Ah, Assunta,' cried I, 'you are an excellent woman, and heaven will bless you.'" "This," said Monte Cristo, "is less correct than your philosophy,--it is only faith." "Alas103, your excellency is right," replied Bertuccio, "and God made this infant the instrument of our punishment. Never did a perverse104 nature declare itself more prematurely105, and yet it was not owing to any fault in his bringing up. He was a most lovely child, with large blue eyes, of that deep color that harmonizes so well with the blond complexion106; only his hair, which was too light, gave his face a most singular expression, and added to the vivacity107 of his look, and the malice108 of his smile. Unfortunately, there is a proverb which says that 'red is either altogether good or altogether bad.' The proverb was but too correct as regarded Benedetto, and even in his infancy109 he manifested the worst disposition110. It is true that the indulgence of his foster-mother encouraged him. This child, for whom my poor sister would go to the town, five or six leagues off, to purchase the earliest fruits and the most tempting112 sweetmeats, preferred to Palma grapes or Genoese preserves, the chestnuts113 stolen from a neighbor's orchard114, or the dried apples in his loft115, when he could eat as well of the nuts and apples that grew in my garden. One day, when Benedetto was about five or six, our neighbor Vasilio, who, according to the custom of the country, never locked up his purse or his valuables--for, as your excellency knows, there are no thieves in Corsica--complained that he had lost a louis out of his purse; we thought he must have made a mistake in counting his money, but he persisted in the accuracy of his statement. One day, Benedetto, who had been gone from the house since morning, to our great anxiety, did not return until late in the evening, dragging a monkey after him, which he said he had found chained to the foot of a tree. For more than a month past, the mischievous116 child, who knew not what to wish for, had taken it into his head to have a monkey. A boatman, who had passed by Rogliano, and who had several of these animals, whose tricks had greatly diverted him, had, doubtless, suggested this idea to him. 'Monkeys are not found in our woods chained to trees,' said I; 'confess how you obtained this animal.' Benedetto maintained the truth of what he had said, and accompanied it with details that did more honor to his imagination than to his veracity117. I became angry; he began to laugh, I threatened to strike him, and he made two steps backwards118. 'You cannot beat me,' said he; 'you have no right, for you are not my father.' "We never knew who had revealed this fatal secret, which we had so carefully concealed from him; however, it was this answer, in which the child's whole character revealed itself, that almost terrified me, and my arm fell without touching119 him. The boy triumphed, and this victory rendered him so audacious, that all the money of Assunta, whose affection for him seemed to increase as he became more unworthy of it, was spent in caprices she knew not how to contend against, and follies121 she had not the courage to prevent. When I was at Rogliano everything went on properly, but no sooner was my back turned than Benedetto became master, and everything went ill. When he was only eleven, he chose his companions from among the young men of eighteen or twenty, the worst characters in Bastia, or, indeed, in Corsica, and they had already, for some mischievous pranks122, been several times threatened with a prosecution123. I became alarmed, as any prosecution might be attended with serious consequences. I was compelled, at this period, to leave Corsica on an important expedition; I reflected for a long time, and with the hope of averting124 some impending125 misfortune, I resolved that Benedetto should accompany me. I hoped that the active and laborious126 life of a smuggler, with the severe discipline on board, would have a salutary effect on his character, which was now well-nigh, if not quite, corrupt127. I spoke128 to Benedetto alone, and proposed to him to accompany me, endeavoring to tempt111 him by all the promises most likely to dazzle the imagination of a child of twelve. He heard me patiently, and when I had finished, burst out laughing. "'Are you mad, uncle?' (he called me by this name when he was in good humor); 'do you think I am going to change the life I lead for your mode of existence--my agreeable indolence for the hard and precarious129 toil130 you impose on yourself, exposed to the bitter frost at night, and the scorching131 heat by day, compelled to conceal yourself, and when you are perceived, receive a volley of bullets, all to earn a paltry132 sum? Why, I have as much money as I want; mother Assunta always furnishes me when I ask for it! You see that I should be a fool to accept your offer.' The arguments, and his audacity133, perfectly134 stupefied me. Benedetto rejoined his associates, and I saw him from a distance point me out to them as a fool." "Sweet child," murmured Monte Cristo. "Oh, had he been my own son," replied Bertuccio, "or even my nephew, I would have brought him back to the right road, for the knowledge that you are doing your duty gives you strength, but the idea that I was striking a child whose father I had killed, made it impossible for me to punish him. I gave my sister, who constantly defended the unfortunate boy, good advice, and as she confessed that she had several times missed money to a considerable amount, I showed her a safe place in which to conceal our little treasure for the future. My mind was already made up. Benedetto could read, write, and cipher135 perfectly, for when the fit seized him, he learned more in a day than others in a week. My intention was to enter him as a clerk in some ship, and without letting him know anything of my plan, to convey him some morning on board; by this means his future treatment would depend upon his own conduct. I set off for France, after having fixed136 upon the plan. Our cargo was to be landed in the Gulf137 of Lyons, and this was a difficult thing to do because it was then the year 1829. The most perfect tranquillity138 was restored, and the vigilance of the custom-house officers was redoubled, and their strictness was increased at this time, in consequence of the fair at Beaucaire. "Our expedition made a favorable beginning. We anchored our vessel139--which had a double hold, where our goods were concealed--amidst a number of other vessels140 that bordered the banks of the Rhone from Beaucaire to Arles. On our arrival we began to discharge our cargo in the night, and to convey it into the town, by the help of the inn-keeper with whom we were connected. Whether success rendered us imprudent, or whether we were betrayed, I know not; but one evening, about five o'clock, our little cabin-boy came breathlessly, to inform us that he had seen a detachment of custom-house officers advancing in our direction. It was not their proximity141 that alarmed us, for detachments were constantly patrolling along the banks of the Rhone, but the care, according to the boy's account, that they took to avoid being seen. In an instant we were on the alert, but it was too late; our vessel was surrounded, and amongst the custom-house officers I observed several gendarmes, and, as terrified at the sight of their uniforms as I was brave at the sight of any other, I sprang into the hold, opened a port, and dropped into the river, dived, and only rose at intervals142 to breathe, until I reached a ditch that had recently been made from the Rhone to the canal that runs from Beaucaire to Aigues-Mortes. I was now safe, for I could swim along the ditch without being seen, and I reached the canal in safety. I had designedly taken this direction. I have already told your excellency of an inn-keeper from N?mes who had set up a little tavern143 on the road from Bellegarde to Beaucaire." "Yes," said Monte Cristo "I perfectly recollect him; I think he was your colleague." "Precisely," answered Bertuccio; "but he had, seven or eight years before this period, sold his establishment to a tailor at Marseilles, who, having almost ruined himself in his old trade, wished to make his fortune in another. Of course, we made the same arrangements with the new landlord that we had with the old; and it was of this man that I intended to ask shelter." "What was his name?" inquired the count, who seemed to become somewhat interested in Bertuccio's story. "Gaspard Caderousse; he had married a woman from the village of Carconte, and whom we did not know by any other name than that of her village. She was suffering from malarial145 fever, and seemed dying by inches. As for her husband, he was a strapping146 fellow of forty, or five and forty, who had more than once, in time of danger, given ample proof of his presence of mind and courage." "And you say," interrupted Monte Cristo "that this took place towards the year"-- "1829, your excellency." "In what month?" "June." "The beginning or the end?" "The evening of the 3d." "Ah," said Monte Cristo "the evening of the 3d of June, 1829. Go on." "It was from Caderousse that I intended demanding shelter, and, as we never entered by the door that opened onto the road, I resolved not to break through the rule, so climbing over the garden-hedge, I crept amongst the olive and wild fig51 trees, and fearing that Caderousse might have some guest, I entered a kind of shed in which I had often passed the night, and which was only separated from the inn by a partition, in which holes had been made in order to enable us to watch an opportunity of announcing our presence. My intention was, if Caderousse was alone, to acquaint him with my presence, finish the meal the custom-house officers had interrupted, and profit by the threatened storm to return to the Rhone, and ascertain147 the state of our vessel and its crew. I stepped into the shed, and it was fortunate I did so, for at that moment Caderousse entered with a stranger. "I waited patiently, not to overhear what they said, but because I could do nothing else; besides, the same thing had occurred often before. The man who was with Caderousse was evidently a stranger to the South of France; he was one of those merchants who come to sell jewellery at the Beaucaire fair, and who during the month the fair lasts, and during which there is so great an influx148 of merchants and customers from all parts of Europe, often have dealings to the amount of 100,000 to 150,000 francs. Caderousse entered hastily. Then, seeing that the room was, as usual, empty, and only guarded by the dog, he called to his wife, 'Hello, Carconte,' said he, 'the worthy120 priest has not deceived us; the diamond is real.' An exclamation149 of joy was heard, and the staircase creaked beneath a feeble step. 'What do you say?' asked his wife, pale as death. "'I say that the diamond is real, and that this gentleman, one of the first jewellers of Paris, will give us 50,000 francs for it. Only, in order to satisfy himself that it really belongs to us, he wishes you to relate to him, as I have done already, the miraculous150 manner in which the diamond came into our possession. In the meantime please to sit down, monsieur, and I will fetch you some refreshment151.' The jeweller examined attentively152 the interior of the inn and the apparent poverty of the persons who were about to sell him a diamond that seemed to have come from the casket of a prince. 'Relate your story, madame,' said he, wishing, no doubt, to profit by the absence of the husband, so that the latter could not influence the wife's story, to see if the two recitals153 tallied154. "'Oh,' returned she, 'it was a gift of heaven. My husband was a great friend, in 1814 or 1815, of a sailor named Edmond Dantès. This poor fellow, whom Caderousse had forgotten, had not forgotten him, and at his death he bequeathed this diamond to him.'--'But how did he obtain it?' asked the jeweller; 'had he it before he was imprisoned155?'--'No, monsieur; but it appears that in prison he made the acquaintance of a rich Englishman, and as in prison he fell sick, and Dantès took the same care of him as if he had been his brother, the Englishman, when he was set free, gave this stone to Dantès, who, less fortunate, died, and, in his turn, left it to us, and charged the excellent abbé, who was here this morning, to deliver it.'--'The same story,' muttered the jeweller; 'and improbable as it seemed at first, it may be true. There's only the price we are not agreed about.'--'How not agreed about?' said Caderousse. 'I thought we agreed for the price I asked.'--'That is,' replied the jeweller, 'I offered 40,000 francs.'--'Forty thousand,' cried La Carconte; 'we will not part with it for that sum. The abbé told us it was worth 50,000 without the setting.' "'What was the abbé's name?' asked the indefatigable156 questioner.--'The Abbé Busoni,' said La Carconte.--'He was a foreigner?'--'An Italian, from the neighborhood of Mantua, I believe.'--'Let me see this diamond again,' replied the jeweller; 'the first time you are often mistaken as to the value of a stone.' Caderousse took from his pocket a small case of black shagreen, opened, and gave it to the jeweller. At the sight of the diamond, which was as large as a hazel-nut, La Carconte's eyes sparkled with cupidity157." "And what did you think of this fine story, eavesdropper158?" said Monte Cristo; "did you credit it?" "Yes, your excellency. I did not look on Caderousse as a bad man, and I thought him incapable159 of committing a crime, or even a theft." "That did more honor to your heart than to your experience, M. Bertuccio. Had you known this Edmond Dantès, of whom they spoke?" "No, your excellency, I had never heard of him before, and never but once afterwards, and that was from the Abbé Busoni himself, when I saw him in the prison at N?mes." "Go on." "The jeweller took the ring, and drawing from his pocket a pair of steel pliers and a small set of copper160 scales, he took the stone out of its setting, and weighed it carefully. 'I will give you 45,000,' said he, 'but not a sou more; besides, as that is the exact value of the stone, I brought just that sum with me.'--'Oh, that's no matter,' replied Caderousse, 'I will go back with you to fetch the other 5,000 francs.'--'No,' returned the jeweller, giving back the diamond and the ring to Caderousse--'no, it is worth no more, and I am sorry I offered so much, for the stone has a flaw in it, which I had not seen. However, I will not go back on my word, and I will give 45,000.'--'At least, replace the diamond in the ring,' said La Carconte sharply.--'Ah, true,' replied the jeweller, and he reset161 the stone.--'No matter,' observed Caderousse, replacing the box in his pocket, 'some one else will purchase it.'--'Yes,' continued the jeweller; 'but some one else will not be so easy as I am, or content himself with the same story. It is not natural that a man like you should possess such a diamond. He will inform against you. You will have to find the Abbé Busoni; and abbes who give diamonds worth two thousand louis are rare. The law would seize it, and put you in prison; if at the end of three or four months you are set at liberty, the ring will be lost, or a false stone, worth three francs, will be given you, instead of a diamond worth 50,000 or perhaps 55,000 francs; from which you must allow that one runs considerable risk in purchasing.' Caderousse and his wife looked eagerly at each other.--'No,' said Caderousse, 'we are not rich enough to lose 5,000 francs.'--'As you please, my dear sir,' said the, jeweller; 'I had, however, as you see, brought you the money in bright coin.' And he drew from his pocket a handful of gold, and held it sparkling before the dazzled eyes of the innkeeper, and in the other hand he held a packet of bank-notes. "There was evidently a severe struggle in the mind of Caderousse; it was plain that the small shagreen case, which he turned over and over in his hand, did not seem to him commensurate in value to the enormous sum which fascinated his gaze. He turned towards his wife. 'What do you think of this?' he asked in a low voice.--'Let him have it--let him have it,' she said. 'If he returns to Beaucaire without the diamond, he will inform against us, and, as he says, who knows if we shall ever again see the Abbé Busoni?--in all probability we shall never see him.'--'Well, then, so I will!' said Caderousse; 'so you may have the diamond for 45,000 francs. But my wife wants a gold chain, and I want a pair of silver buckles162.' The jeweller drew from his pocket a long flat box, which contained several samples of the articles demanded. 'Here,' he said, 'I am very straightforward163 in my dealings--take your choice.' The woman selected a gold chain worth about five louis, and the husband a pair of buckles. worth perhaps fifteen francs.--'I hope you will not complain now?' said the jeweller. "'The abbé told me it was worth 50,000 francs,' muttered Caderousse. 'Come, come--give it to me! What a strange fellow you are,' said the jeweller, taking the diamond from his hand. 'I give you 45,000 francs--that is, 2,500 livres of income,--a fortune such as I wish I had myself, and you are not satisfied!'--'And the five and forty thousand francs,' inquired Caderousse in a hoarse164 voice, 'where are they? Come--let us see them.'--'Here they are,' replied the jeweller, and he counted out upon the table 15,000 francs in gold, and 30,000 francs in bank-notes. "'Wait while I light the lamp,' said La Carconte; 'it is growing dark, and there may be some mistake.' In fact, night had come on during this conversation, and with night the storm which had been threatening for the last half-hour. The thunder growled165 in the distance; but it was apparently166 not heard by the jeweller, Caderousse, or La Carconte, absorbed as they were all three with the demon167 of gain. I myself felt; a strange kind of fascination168 at the sight of all this gold and all these bank-notes; it seemed to me that I was in a dream, and, as it always happens in a dream, I felt myself riveted169 to the spot. Caderousse counted and again counted the gold and the notes, then handed them to his wife, who counted and counted them again in her turn. During this time, the jeweller made the diamond play and sparkle in the lamplight, and the gem144 threw out jets of light which made him unmindful of those which--precursors of the storm--began to play in at the windows. 'Well,' inquired the jeweller, 'is the cash all right?' "'Yes,' said Caderousse. 'Give me the pocket-book, La Carconte, and find a bag somewhere.' "La Carconte went to a cupboard, and returned with an old leathern pocket-book and a bag. From the former she took some greasy170 letters, and put in their place the bank-notes, and from the bag took two or three crowns of six livres each, which, in all probability, formed the entire fortune of the miserable171 couple. 'There,' said Caderousse; 'and now, although you have wronged us of perhaps 10,000 francs, will you have your supper with us? I invite you with good-will.'--'Thank you,' replied the jeweller, 'it must be getting late, and I must return to Beaucaire--my wife will be getting uneasy.' He drew out his watch, and exclaimed, 'Morbleu! nearly nine o'clock--why, I shall not get back to Beaucaire before midnight! Good-night, my friends. If the Abbé Busoni should by any accident return, think of me.'--'In another week you will have left Beaucaire.' remarked Caderousse, 'for the fair ends in a few days.'--'True, but that makes no difference. Write to me at Paris, to M. Joannes, in the Palais Royal, arcade172 Pierre, No. 45. I will make the journey on purpose to see him, if it is worth while.' At this moment there was a tremendous clap of thunder, accompanied by a flash of lightning so vivid, that it quite eclipsed the light of the lamp. "'See here,' exclaimed Caderousse. 'You cannot think of going out in such weather as this.'--'Oh, I am not afraid of thunder,' said the jeweller.--'And then there are robbers,' said La Carconte. 'The road is never very safe during fair time.'--'Oh, as to the robbers,' said Joannes, 'here is something for them,' and he drew from his pocket a pair of small pistols, loaded to the muzzle173. 'Here,' said he, 'are dogs who bark and bite at the same time, they are for the two first who shall have a longing174 for your diamond, Friend Caderousse.' "Caderousse and his wife again interchanged a meaning look. It seemed as though they were both inspired at the same time with some horrible thought. 'Well, then, a good journey to you,' said Caderousse.--'Thanks,' replied the jeweller. He then took his cane175, which he had placed against an old cupboard, and went out. At the moment when he opened the door, such a gust64 of wind came in that the lamp was nearly extinguished. 'Oh,' said he, 'this is very nice weather, and two leagues to go in such a storm.'--'Remain,' said Caderousse. 'You can sleep here.'--'Yes; do stay,' added La Carconte in a tremulous voice; 'we will take every care of you.'--'No; I must sleep at Beaucaire. So, once more, good-night.' Caderousse followed him slowly to the threshold. 'I can see neither heaven nor earth,' said the jeweller, who was outside the door. 'Do I turn to the right, or to the left hand?'--'To the right,' said Caderousse. 'You cannot go wrong--the road is bordered by trees on both sides.'--'Good--all right,' said a voice almost lost in the distance. 'Close the door,' said La Carconte; 'I do not like open doors when it thunders.'--'Particularly when there is money in the house, eh?' answered Caderousse, double-locking the door. "He came into the room, went to the cupboard, took out the bag and pocket-book, and both began, for the third time, to count their gold and bank-notes. I never saw such an expression of cupidity as the flickering176 lamp revealed in those two countenances178. The woman, especially, was hideous179; her usual feverish180 tremulousness was intensified181, her countenance177 had become livid, and her eyes resembled burning coals. 'Why,' she inquired in a hoarse voice, 'did you invite him to sleep here to-night?'--'Why?' said Caderousse with a shudder182; 'why, that he might not have the trouble of returning to Beaucaire.'--'Ah,' responded the woman, with an expression impossible to describe; 'I thought it was for something else.'--'Woman, woman--why do you have such ideas?' cried Caderousse; 'or, if you have them, why don't you keep them to yourself?'--'Well,' said La Carconte, after a moment's pause, 'you are not a man.'--'What do you mean?' added Caderousse.--'If you had been a man, you would not have let him go from here.'--'Woman!'--'Or else he should not have reached Beaucaire.'--'Woman!'--'The road takes a turn--he is obliged to follow it--while alongside of the canal there is a shorter road.'--'Woman!--you offend the good God. There--listen!' And at this moment there was a tremendous peal183 of thunder, while the livid lightning illumined the room, and the thunder, rolling away in the distance, seemed to withdraw unwillingly184 from the cursed abode185. 'Mercy!' said Caderousse, crossing himself. "At the same moment, and in the midst of the terrifying silence which usually follows a clap of thunder, they heard a knocking at the door. Caderousse and his wife started and looked aghast at each other. 'Who's there?' cried Caderousse, rising, and drawing up in a heap the gold and notes scattered186 over the table, and which he covered with his two hands.--'It is I,' shouted a voice.--'And who are you?'--'Eh, Pardieu! Joannes, the jeweller.'--'Well, and you said I offended the good God,' said La Carconte with a horrid187 smile. 'Why, the good God sends him back again.' Caderousse sank pale and breathless into his chair. La Carconte, on the contrary, rose, and going with a firm step towards the door, opened it, saying, as she did so--'Come in, dear M. Joannes.'--'Ma foi!' said the jeweller, drenched188 with rain, 'I am not destined189 to return to Beaucaire to-night. The shortest follies are best, my dear Caderousse. You offered me hospitality, and I accept it, and have returned to sleep beneath your friendly roof.' Caderousse stammered190 out something, while he wiped away the sweat that started to his brow. La Carconte doubled-locked the door behind the jeweller. “我的故事从什么地方讲起呢,伯爵阁下?”贝尔图乔问道。 “随便你好了,”基督山回答,“反正我什么都不知道。” “我想布沙尼神甫可能已告诉过大人了吧。” “是的,说过一点,但那是七八年以前的事了,我都忘记啦。” “那么我可以随意地讲,不必担心大人听了会厌倦” “说吧,贝尔图乔先生,你可以补充晚报的不足。” “事情要从一八一五年开始讲起。” “啊,”基督山说,“一八一五年可不是昨天。” “不,大人,可是这一切我都记得清清楚楚,就象是昨天刚发生的一样。我曾有一个哥哥,他在皇帝[指拿破仑——译注]手下服务,曾升到了中尉。他那一团全都是科西嘉人。这个哥哥是我唯一的朋友。我们都是孤儿,那时我五岁,他十八岁。他抚养我长大,把我当作他的儿子般看待,一八一四年,他结了婚。当皇帝从厄尔巴岛回来的时候,我的哥哥立刻就去参了军,在滑铁卢受了轻伤,随军退到了卢瓦尔。” “但这是‘百日’政变的历史,贝尔图乔先生,”伯爵说道,“要是我没记错的话,这些事都已记载在史书上了。” “请原谅我,大人,但这些细节都必须讲一下的,而您答应过我肯耐心听的呀。” “说下去吧,我一定信守诺言。” “有一天,我们收到了一封信。我应该先告诉你,我们住的地方是一个名叫洛格里亚诺的小村子,就在科西嘉海峡的头上。他告诉我们说,军队已经解散了,他要取道经夏托鲁,克莱蒙费朗,蒲伊和尼姆回来,假如我有钱,他叫我托人带到尼姆去留给他,交给一个和我有交往的客栈老板。” “是走私线上的人吗?”基督山问道。 “伯爵阁下,人总得活下去呀。” “当然啦,继续讲吧。” “我深爱我的哥哥,这我已告诉过大人了,我决定不托人带钱去,而是亲自带去给他。我有一千法郎,我留下了五百给我的嫂嫂爱苏泰,就带着其余那五百动身到尼姆去了。这是很容易办到的,因为我自己有一条船,而恰巧有一船货要运出去,一切都对我的计划很有利。但当我们把货装好以后,风向却逆转了,以致于我们四五天都进不了罗纳河。最后,我们终于成功了,就逆流向阿尔驶去。我在比里加答和布揆耳之间下船,取陆路向尼姆走去。” “我们现在快要讲到故事的本身了是吧?” “是的,大人,请原谅我,但是,您一会儿就会知道的,我所讲的话,都是省得不能再省的了。正在这个时候,那次著名的法国南部大屠杀发生了。有两三支流寇,叫什么德太龙,杜希蛮和格拉番的,公开地暗杀人,凡是被他们认为有拿破仑党嫌疑的,都有被杀的危险。您一定也听说过这次大屠杀吧,伯爵阁下?” “隐约听说过,那时候我正在离法国很远的地方。往下说吧。” “我一进尼姆,真可谓一脚踏进了血泊里,因为每走一步我都会遇到几个死尸,而那些杀人的强盗还在到处杀人,掳掠,纵火。一看到这种到处杀戮和破坏的景象,我吓慌了——不是为我自己(我不过是个老老实实的科西嘉渔夫,没有什么可害怕的,正巧相反,那正是我们走私贩子最有利的时机),而是为了我的哥哥,他是帝国时代的军人,刚从卢瓦尔军队里回来,凭他的制服和他的肩章,就够让人处处担心的了。我赶紧去找客栈老板。我的推测实在太准啦:我的哥哥是前一天傍晚到尼姆的,刚走到他想借宿的那间房子门口,就被人刺死了,我费尽心机地去寻找凶手,但谁都不敢把他们的名字告诉我,他们实在是吓坏啦。于是我想起了常常听人说起的法国司法机关,据说它是什么都不怕的,我就去要求见检察官。” “这位检察官的名字叫维尔福?”基督山随随便便地问道。 “是的,大人,他是从马赛来的,曾做过马赛的代理检察官。他因为对王室忠心,所以升了一级,据说他就是最先把拿破仑从厄尔巴岛出走这个消息通知政府的人之一。” “那么,”基督山说道,“你们去见他了?” “‘先生,’我对他说,‘我的哥哥昨天在尼姆街上被人暗杀了,我不知道是谁杀死他的,但查究这件事是您的责任。您是这儿的法院院长,法院应该为它以前不能保护的人复仇。’‘你的哥哥是什么人?’他问道。‘科西嘉步兵大队的一个中尉。’‘那么说,是逆贼手下的一个军人罗?’‘是法国陆军里的一个军人。’‘哦,’他回答说,‘他用剑杀人,就在剑下亡身。’‘您错啦,先生,’我答道,‘他是被匕首刺死的。’‘你要我怎么办?’那个法官问道。‘我已经告诉过您啦,为他报仇。’‘去拿谁来报仇?’‘拿他的凶手呀。’‘我怎么知道谁是凶手呢?’‘吩咐他们去找呀。’‘为什么?你的哥哥和人吵架,是在一场决斗中被杀死的。所有这些老军人都无法无天的,皇帝时代,大家还能容忍他们,但现在可不同啦,因为我们南方人是不喜欢军人或混乱状态的。’“‘先生,’我回答说,‘我来请您干预这件事,不是为我自己,至于我,我痛哭一场,或为他报仇就行了,但我那可怜的哥哥有一个老婆,要是我万一发生了什么事,那个可怜的人就会饿死的,因为她一向靠我哥哥的薪水生活的。请为她在政府里弄一笔小小的抚恤金吧。’‘每一次革命总是有灾难的,’维尔福先生回答说。‘你的哥哥是这次灾难里的牺牲品。这是天灾,政府对他的家庭是毫无义务的。假如我们从各种复仇法上来判断,逆贼的追随者以前曾处处迫害王党,现在轮到他们当权,你的哥哥在今天多半会被判处死刑的。这种事情是很自然的,这是报应的定律嘛。’‘什么!’我大声叫道,‘你做法官的也对我这样说?’‘这些科西嘉人简直都疯了,我敢断定,’维尔福先生回答说,‘他们以为他们的老乡还依旧在做皇帝呢。你看错了时代啦,你应该在两个月之前来告诉我的,现在太晚了。赶快走吧,不然我就要用强迫手段了。’我望了他一会儿,想看看要是再向他请求会不会有什么收获,但这个人是石头做的。我走近他,低声说道,‘好吧,既然你把科西嘉人看得这样清楚,你就一定该知道,他们是绝不食言的。你以为杀死我哥哥是件好事,因为他是个拿破仑党,而你是一个保皇党!好吧,我,我也是一个拿破仑党,我现在向你宣布一件事,就是我要杀死你!从我向你宣布为亲人复仇的这个时候起,你就赶紧想法保护你自己吧,因为下一次我再碰见你的时候,你死期就到了!’就在他惊魂未定的时候,我打开门逃了出去。” “啊,啊!”基督山说道,“看你的外表很老实,贝尔图乔先生,想不到你竟会对一位检察官做出这样的事来!他知不知道‘为亲人复仇’这几个可怕的字是什么意思?” “他知道得非常清楚,所以从那个时候起,他不带卫队就决不敢外出,总把自己关在家里,并派人到处抓我。幸亏,我躲藏得非常好,他找不到我,于是他心慌了,不敢再住在尼姆了。他要求调职,而他确实也极其神通广大,他调到了凡尔赛。但是,您是知道的,一个科西嘉人既已发誓要为自己的亲人报仇,是不管路途远近的。所以,他的马车尽管走得快,却从来不曾超过我半天的路程,我步行跟踪着他。最要紧的事情是不但要杀死他,因为这种机会我有过不下一百次了,并且要杀死他而又不被人发觉,至少不被人捉住。我已不再是属于我自己了,因为我得保护自己和想法养活我的嫂嫂。接连三个月,我盯住了维尔福先生,那三个月里,只要他一出门,我就跟着他。终于,我发觉他偷偷摸摸地到欧特伊去了。我就跟着他到了那儿,我看他走进了我们现在的这所房子,只是,他并不从朝街的大门进来,他原是骑马或是乘车来的,但他却把车子或马留在小客栈里,从那扇门进来,您看,就是那边儿的那扇门!” 基督山点了一下头,表示他能在黑暗中看到贝尔图乔所指的那扇门。 “我在凡尔赛既然无事可做,就到欧特伊来竭力探听消息。假如我想偷袭他,最合适的地点显然就是躲在这儿等候他了。这年房子,正如门房告诉大人的,是属于维尔福的岳父圣·梅朗先生的。圣·梅郎先生住在马赛,所以他用不着这所乡村别墅。据说房子已租给了一个青年寡妇,大家只知道她叫‘男爵夫人’。 “有一天傍晚,我正从墙外向里探望的时候,看见一个年轻而美丽的女人独自在花园里散步,花园里的情形不论从哪一个窗口都是望得到的,我猜测她是在等维尔福先生。当她走近时,能够辩别出她的面貌了,我便看出她才十八九岁,身材高挑,非常漂亮。而由于她穿着一件很松的绸衣,又没有什么东西挡住她的身体,所以我看出她不久就要做母亲了。过了一会儿,小门开了,进来了一个男人,那个青年女人就急忙向他迎上去。他们互相拥抱,亲密地接吻,一同回到了屋子里。这个男人就是维尔福。我当时想,当他回去的时候,尤其是假如他在晚上回去的话,他就会独自在花园里走一大段路的。” “你知不知道这个女人的名字?”伯爵问道。 “不知道,大人,”贝尔图乔回答说,“你一会儿就会知道我当时没有时间去打听这件事。” “说下去”。 “那天晚上,”贝尔图乔继续说道,“我本来可以杀死那个检察官的,但我对于地形还不够熟悉。我深恐不能立刻杀死他,要是他一喊,我可就逃不掉了。我把这件事拖到了他下次再来的时候。而为了不使这些逃过我的眼睛,我弄了一个窗子对着街道的房间,以便随时窥视花园里的情形。三天以后,约莫晚上七点钟的时候,我看见一个仆人骑着马疾驰着离开了房子,踏上了通往塞夫勒去的大道。我推测他是到凡尔赛去的,我没猜错。三个钟头之后,那个人满身灰尘地人回来了,他的使命已经完成了。十分钟之后,又来了一个男人,是徒步来的,裹着一件披风,他打开了花园的小门,一进去就把门关上了,我赶紧下来,虽然我还没看清维尔福的脸,但从我剧烈的心跳上就可以认出是他。我穿过街道,奔到了墙角上的一个邮筒前面。我以前就是用了这个邮筒的帮助朝花园里窥探的,这一次,只是望望已不能使我满足了,我从口袋里拿出小刀来,自己先试了一下,刀尖的确很锋利,然后就从墙上翻了过来。我做的第一件事就是跑去看看那扇门,原来他把钥匙留在了门上,但为小心起见,他把钥匙在锁孔里连转了两次。那么,没问题我可以从这扇门逃出去的。我把地形仔细地观察了一遍。花园是个长方形的,中间有一片光滑的草坪,四角有枝叶茂密的树丛,树丛中夹杂着矮树和花草。要从那扇门走到屋子里或从屋子里走到那扇门,维尔福先生必须经过一处树丛。 “当时九月底,风很猛烈。大块的乌云扫过了天空,不时地把那苍白的月亮遮住了,这时,微弱的月光染白了那条通到屋子里去的石子路,但却无法穿透那黑压压的树丛,人要是躲在这茂密的树丛里,是决不会被发现的。我就躲在离维尔福必经之路最近的一个树丛里。我刚一躲进去,就好象听到在呼呼的风声里有呻吟声,您知道,或说得更确切些,您不知道,伯爵阁下,一个快要犯暗杀罪的人,总好象听到空中有低低的哭泣声。就这样过了两个钟头,在这期间,我好象觉得又有几次听到了这种呻吟的声音。后来午夜的钟声响了。当最后那一下钟声消逝的时候,我看到我刚才下来的那座秘密楼梯的窗口上透出了一点微弱的灯光。不久门开了,那个穿披风的人又出现了。那可怕的时机终于到啦,为这个时机我已准备了很久,所以我毫不心慌。我把小刀从口袋里摸出来,准备出击。那个穿披风的人向我走过来,但当他走近一些的时候,我看到他手里拿着一件武器。我是怕了,不是怕搏斗,而是怕失败。当他离我只有几步远的时候,我才看清那武器原来是一把铲子,这时他已在树丛边上停了下来,先向周围望了望,然后开始在地上掘起坑来。为了便于挖土,他把披风脱下来放在了草地上,我这才发觉在他的披风下面蒙着一样东西。当时,我承认,好奇心和我的仇恨混在了一起,我想看看维尔福究竟要在那儿干什么,所以我屏住呼吸,一动不动地站着,我的脑子里闪过了一个念头,而当我看到那检察官从他的披风底下抽出一个两呎长七八时深的木箱的时候,那个念头就更明确了。我等他把那只箱子放在坑里,然后,当他用脚把土踩结实,想消除一切痕迹的时候,我就冲了上去,把我的小刀一下插进了他的胸膛,一面大声说道:“我是琪奥凡尼·伯都西粤,拿你的命抵偿我哥哥的命,拿你的财宝给他的寡妇!你看见了吧,我这次报的仇比我所希望的还圆满!”我不知道他当时有没有听到这些话,我想他大概没有听到,因为他喊都没喊一声就倒了下去。我只觉得他的血喷了我一脸,我当时如醉如狂,而那血并没有使我更糊涂,却反而使我清醒过来。不一会儿,我便挖出了那只箱子,然后,为了不让人知道,我又填满了那个坑,把那把铲子抛到了墙外,冲到门口,把门牢牢地锁上,带走了那把钥匙。” “啊!”基督山说,“依我看,这是一桩小小的暗杀抢劫案。” “不,大人,”贝尔图乔答道,“这是为亲人复仇,外加赔偿损失。” “是笔不小的数目吧?” “那不是钱。” “啊!我记起来了,”伯爵回答说,“你不是说到过一个什么婴儿吧?” “是的,大人,我当时急忙奔到河边,在河堤上坐下来,用我的小刀撬开了箱子上的锁。在一块质地很好的纱布里,包着一个初生的婴儿。他的脸发紫,小手发青,显然是被人闷死的,但他的身体还没有冷,所以我有点犹豫不决,不敢把他扔到我脚边的河里。过了会儿,我好象觉得他的心脏微微地跳了一下,因为我曾在巴斯蒂亚的一家医院里当过助手,所以我就照医生的办法做起来——我把气吹到了他的肺里,使他的肺部膨胀起来。一刻钟之后,我看到他呼吸了,并且听到了一声微弱的喊叫。”于是我也喊了一声,但那是一声高兴的喊叫。“那么,上帝没有责骂我,”我喊道,“因为他允许我救活一条人命来抵偿我夺掉的那条命。” “你把那孩子怎么样了?”基督山问道。“对于一个想逃走的人,他无疑是个负担。” “我一点没想收留他,但我知道巴黎有一家医院是接受这种可怜虫的。当我经过关卡的时候,我便说这个孩子是我在路上捡到的,并问那家医院在什么地方。那只箱子证实了我的话,那块纱布也证明他的父母是有钱的人,我身上的血可以解释是从别人身上弄来的,也可以解释是从那孩子身上弄来的。他们没有刁难我,就把那家医院指给了我,原来医院就在恩弗街的头上。我先把那块布撕成两片,布上原先写着两个字,这样一来,一个字仍留在包孩子的那片布上,一个字便留在了我的手里,我来到医院门口,拉了拉铃,便飞也似的赶快逃走了。两个星期之后,我便回到了洛格里亚诺,我对爱苏泰说,‘你可以安心了,嫂嫂,伊斯雷死了,但他的仇已经报了。’她问我这句话是什么意思,我就把经过的一切都讲给她听了,‘琪奥凡尼,’她说道,‘你应该把那个孩子带回来。我们可以取代他失去的父母,给他取名叫贝尼代托[意大利文,意思是“祝福。——译注],上帝看到我们做了这件好事,会祝福我们。’我把我藏着的半片布给了她,回答说,等我们的境况宽裕一点的时候,再去把他要回来。” “那片布绣的是什么字?”基督山问道。 “H和N,上面有一个男爵的花环图纹。” “天哪,伯都西粤先生,你竟用起家谱学的术语来了!你是在哪儿研究家谱学的?” “就在您这儿,大人,在您手下当差是什么都学得到的。” “讲下去吧,我很想知道两件事。” “什么事,大人?” “这个小男孩后来怎么样了?因为我记得你告诉过我他是一个男孩子,贝尔图乔先生。” “没有,大人,我不记得曾告诉过您这一点。” “我以为你说过的,是我弄错了。” “不,您没有错,他的确是个男孩儿。但大人想知道两件事情,那第二件事是什么?” “第二件是你被人控告的那件罪案的经过,就是后来你要一位忏悔师,而布沙尼神甫应邀到尼姆狱中来看你的那件事。” “那个故事讲起来很长的,大人。” “那又有什么关系?你知道我睡觉的时间是很短的,我想你也不见得很想睡吧。”贝尔图乔鞠了一躬,继续讲他的故事。 “一半是由于我忘不了那种种往事,一半是为了要养活那可怜的寡妇,我就急急地又回去干走私贩子那老行当了,当时走私比以前更容易了,因为在一次革命之后,接着总有一段时期法纪很松弛。南部沿岸的警戒尤其薄弱,因为在阿维尼翁,尼姆,或乌齐斯不断有叛乱发生。我们就利用政府给的这个休战时间,在沿海一带建立起了联络网。自从我的哥哥在尼姆街上被暗杀以后,我就再也没进过那个城市。结果是,那位和我们有联系的客栈老板看到我们不再到他那儿去了,就不得不来找我们,他在比里加答到布揆耳的路上开了一个分店,名叫杜加桥客栈。所以,在埃格莫特,马地苟斯和波克一带,我们有十几个地方可以卸货,必要的时候,也可以在那儿藏身,以躲避宪兵和海关官员。走私这个行当,只要肯花精力,肯动脑筋,是很赚钱的,我是在山沟里长大的,所以我有双重的理由怕宪兵和海关官员,因为一旦把我带到法官前面,就免不了要审问,而一经审问,就总是要追究过去的事情。那样在我过去的生活中,他们就可能发现一些比走私雪茄和无证贩白兰地更为严重的事,所以我宁死也不愿被捕。我干成了不少惊人的交易,而这些经验不止一次地证明,凡是那些需要当机立断,果敢执行的计划,我们对于自身的过份顾虑,几乎是成功的唯一障碍。的确,当你拚命想完成一件事的时候,你就不再是别人的对手,或说得更确切些,别人也就不再是你的对手了,不管是谁,只要下了这个决心,他就会立刻觉得增添了无穷的力量,而他的视野也随之开阔了。” “谈起哲学来了,贝尔图乔先生!”伯爵插嘴说道,“你一生中什么都干过一些的了?” “噢,请您原谅,大人。” “不,不要紧,但在夜里十点半的时候谈哲学未免有点太晚了吧。我没什么别的意思,只是觉得你说的很对,比有些哲学家说得还对。” “我的生意愈做愈远,也愈来愈赚钱。爱苏泰照料着家务,我们那份小家产渐渐地积累起来。有一天,当我要出发去远行的时候,‘去吧,’她说道,‘你回来的时候我要吓你一跳。’我追问她是什么事,但没用,她什么也不肯告诉我,于是我就走了。我们那次离开了差不多六个星期。我们到卢卡去装油,到里窝那却装英国棉花,我们顺利地卸了货,分了红利,然后高高兴兴地回家了。我一进家门,就看见爱苏泰的房间中央有一只摇篮,这只摇篮,和其余的家具一比,算是奢华的了,摇篮里有一个七八个月的婴儿。我高兴地叫了一声,自从我暗杀了那检察官以来,一向都很快乐,只是一想到遗弃了这个孩子的时候,心里总有点不快。而对那次暗杀,我从没有后悔过。这一切,可怜的爱苏泰都猜到了。她就趁我出门的时候,带着那半片纱布,写下我把孩子送到医院里去的日期和时间,动身到巴黎去接孩子了。他们没有提出异议,就把那婴儿交了给她,啊,我承认,伯爵阁下,当我看到那可怜的小东西安静地躺在摇篮里的时候,我泪水盈眶,心潮澎湃。‘啊,爱苏泰,’我喊道,‘你真是一个好女人,上天会祝福你的。’” “这就和你的哲学不太相符了,”基督山说道,“这实在只是一种迷信而已。” “唉!大人说对啦,”贝尔图乔答道,“上帝派这个婴儿来是为了惩罚我们的。从没有哪个人的邪恶的天性这样早地就显露了出来,而且这决不是由于教养方面的什么过错。他是一个很可爱的孩子,有一双深蓝色的大眼睛,和他那洁白的肤色非常相称,只是他的头发太淡了一点,使他的面貌看上去有点古怪,但他却有着极灵活的目光,极刻毒的微笑。不幸的是,在我们那儿有句谚语,叫做‘脸蛋儿长得俊,不是好到极点,就是坏到透顶。’这句谚语用在贝尼代托身上实在是正确不过啦,在他还很小的时候,他就已表现得极为恶劣。不错,我嫂嫂的溺爱也助长了他。为了这个孩子,我那可怜的嫂嫂宁肯跑上一、二十里路到镇上去买最新鲜的水果和最好吃的糖果,但他不爱帕尔马的子或热那亚的蜜饯,却偏爱到一家邻居的果园里去偷栗子或在阁楼上偷吃苹果干,尽管我的花园里长的胡桃和苹果可以随他吃个够。贝尼代托大约五六岁的时候,有一天我们的邻居华西里奥抱怨说他的钱袋里少一个路易,按照当地的风俗,人们是从不不把钱袋或贵重物品锁起来的,因为,大人们都知道,科西嘉是没有贼的,开始我们以为他一定是数钱时数错了,但他却坚持说一点没数错。那天,贝尼代托一早就离开了家,到很晚了还没有回来,我们非常焦急,后来,我们终天看到牵着一只猴子回来了,他说他看到那只猴子锁在一棵树下,就捡来了。这个喜欢恶作剧的孩子总是异想天开的,想要一只猴子的念头已在他的脑子里转了一个多月。一个路过洛格里亚诺的船夫有几只猴子,那个刁滑的家伙引坏了他,偷钱的念头无疑也是那个家伙教给他的。在我们的树林里是捡不到锁在树上的猴子的,’我说道,‘老实承认你是怎么弄来的吧。’贝尼代托坚持着他的谎话,而且讲得有声有色,听起来根本不象是真话,倒是显示出他很富于想象力。于是我发火了,他却大笑起来。我威胁要打他,他后退了两步。‘你不能打我,’他说道,‘你没有这个权利,因为你不是我的父亲。’“我们始终弄不明白这个要命的秘密是谁泄露给他的,我们一向小心谨慎地瞒着他,总之,这一句把那孩子的全部性情都暴露出来,我几乎被他吓住了,我的手无力地地垂了下来,连碰也没碰他一下。那孩子胜利了,而这次胜利使他变得更加肆无忌惮,以致把爱苏泰所有有钱都任意挥霍掉了。他愈是不成器,爱苏泰似乎愈是爱他,她不知道该如何抑制他的任性,也没有勇气限止他的放荡行为。当我在洛格里亚诺的时候,一切还好,但只要我一离开,贝尼代托便成了一家之主,一切便都乱了套,当他才十一岁的时候,他就喜欢混在十八九岁的孩子们中玩了,而且选中的伙伴都是巴斯蒂亚甚至科西嘉最坏的孩子,他们已经闹过不少恶作剧,好多次有人恐吓控告他们。我慌了,因为一旦被人控告,就可能产生严重的后果。而当时又不得不离开科西嘉去作一次长途跋涉,我考虑了很久,最后决定带贝尼代托一起去,希望借此来避免一场临近的灾祸。走私贩子的生活是活跃而辛苦的,我希望那种生活,再加上船上严格的纪律,可以有助于改变一下他的堕落。我和贝尼代托单独谈话,叫他同我一起去,我努力用种种最能打动一个十二岁的孩子的幻想的许诺去相诱他。他耐心地听我讲,听我讲完以后,他当时大笑起来。 “‘你疯了吗,叔叔?’(他高兴的时候就这么叫我。)‘你以为我会用现在的这种生活去换取你那种生存方式——放弃我这种自由自在愉快的生活,而去象你那样又辛苦,又危险地去自讨苦吃吗?夜里忍受刺骨的寒风,白天忍受灼肤的酷热,东躲西藏的,一旦被人发觉,就得吃枪子儿这样去赚那一点点钱吗?哼,我要多少钱就有多少钱,只要我要,妈妈总是会给我的,你瞧,我要是接受了你的建议,我不就是一个傻瓜啦。’他说得这样厚颜无耻,头头是道,我简直呆住了。贝尼代托却已回到了他的伙伴那儿,我看到他远远地把我指给他们看,简直把我当成了一个傻瓜了。” “可爱的孩子!”基督山自言自语地说道。 “哎!假若他是我自己的儿子,贝尔图乔回答说,或甚至是我的侄儿,我是会想法把他带到正路上来的,因为你知道自己要尽责任,那样你的力量也就来了。但一想到要打一个父亲死在我手里的孩子,我就下不去手了。我的嫂嫂总是为那不幸的孩子辩护,但她也承认,她曾丢过好几次钱,而且数目都相当大,于是我就好好地劝她,让她把我们那笔小小的积蓄藏在一个安全的地方,以备将来急用。我已经下定了决心,贝尼代托已完全能读,能写,能算了,当他高兴的时候,他在一天中所学的。比别人一个星期学的还要多。我一心想着把他送到一只船上去干活,事前丝毫也不让他知道我的计划,只待拟定一个日子,然后一清早就送他上船,上了船,就把他推荐给船长,以后他的前途就由他自己去决定了。计划想好了以后,我便动身到法国去了。我们的全部货物都得在里昂湾里卸上岸,这样干已愈来愈困难了,因为当时是一八二九年了。社会秩序已完全重新建立起来了,海关关员的警戒已加强了好几倍,布揆耳的集市又刚刚开始,所以他们这时看管得极为严格。 “我们远航开始的时候很顺利。我们把船驶进了罗纳河,在布揆耳到阿尔之间的一段河面上抛了锚,和其他几只帆船混在一起。我们一到达,当天夜里就开始卸货,在和我们有联络的几位客栈老板的帮助下,把货运进了城里。究竟是成功使我们疏忽大意了呢,还是我们被什么人出卖了,这我就不知道了,总之有一天傍晚,大约五点钟的时候,我们的小船员上气不接下气地跑来通知我们,说他看见一队海关关员正向我们这个方向走来。我们吃惊的倒不是他们就在附近,因为罗纳河沿岸是经常有人巡逻的,而是他们的小心谨慎,据那孩子讲,他们怕被人看到。我们立刻警戒起来,但已经太晚了。我们的船已被包围了,在海关人员中间,我还看到有几个宪兵,尽管我平时很勇敢,但这时一看见他们的制服,就吓得象老鼠见了猫似的,我一下跳进货舱里,打开一扇圆窗,窜入了河里,潜水逃走了,只有要呼吸的时候才浮上来一下,就这样我一直游到了罗纳河和那条从布揆耳到埃格莫特的运河交会的转弯处。我现在安全了,因为我可以沿着那个转拐的边上游而不会被人发现,我平平安安地游到了运河,我是故意朝这个方向游的。我已经告诉过大人,一个尼姆的客栈老板曾在比里加答到布揆耳的路上开了一家客栈。” “是的,”基督山说,“我记得很清楚,我想他是你们的同伙吧。” “一点不错,”贝尔图乔回答说,“但在七、八年以前,他已把他的店顶给了一个马赛的裁缝,因为在他的老行当上几乎破了产,所以想换个行业重起炉灶。我们对于新旧店主当当然是不分彼此的,所以和他签订了同样的合同,我当时就是想去这个人那儿躲一下的。” “他叫什么名字?伯爵问道,似乎对贝尔图乔的故事颇感兴趣。” “葛司柏·卡德鲁斯,他娶了一个卡康脱村的女人,除了她的村名以外,我们也不知道她究竟叫什么名字。她当时正发着一种寒热病,似乎正在慢慢地死去。而她的丈夫,倒是一个很壮实的汉子,年约四十至四十五岁,他曾在危险中充分证明了他很有头脑和勇气,而且不止一次。” “你说”基督山插嘴道,“这件事发生的那一年是” “一八二九年,伯爵阁下。” “哪个月?” “六月。” “月初还是月底?” “三日傍晚。” “啊,”基督山说道,“一八二九年六月三日傍晚。讲下去吧。” “我当时就是想去要求卡德鲁斯给予庇护的。我们是从来不走前门的,所以我决定不破坏老规矩,而是翻过花园的篱笆,在橄榄树和野生的无花果树中间爬了进去。我怕卡德鲁斯那儿有别人,就躲进了一间小屋里,我以前常常在那间小屋里过夜,它和客栈正屋只隔着一层墙板,墙板上有洞,我们可以从洞里向里偷看,等候机会宣布我们的到来。我的意思是,假如里面只有卡德鲁斯一个人,我就告诉他我来了,在他家继续吃完那一顿刚才被海关关员打断了的晚餐,趁着那快要到来的暴风雨回到罗纳河去打听一下我们的船和船员的情形。我走进了那间小屋,而幸亏当时我那样做了,因为当时卡德鲁斯正巧带着一个陌生人进来了。 “我耐心地等候着,并不是想存心偷听他们的谈话,只是我没什么别的事可做,况且,这种事以前也是经常发生的。那个和卡德鲁斯一起来的人显然不是法国南部的本地人,他是个到布揆耳的集市上卖珠宝的商人,那次的集市要持续一个月,有很多从欧洲各地云集而来的商人和顾客,一次集市,每个珠宝商人通常可以做成十万到十五万法郎的生意。卡德鲁斯匆匆忙忙地进来,看到房间里空空的,只有那只狗在那儿,就叫起他的老婆来。‘喂,卡特娘们!’他说道,‘那位可敬的神甫没有骗我们,钻石是真的。’于是便听到了一声欢呼,楼梯就在一种软弱的脚步下格格地叫起来。‘你说计么?’他的老婆问道,脸色白得象死人一般。‘我说那颗钻石是真的,这位先生是巴黎的头等珠宝商,他肯出五万法郎买我们的钻石。只是,为了想证实它真是属于我们的,他希望你也象我那样来讲一遍,究竟那颗钻石是怎样不可思议地落到我们手里的。现在请坐吧,先生,我去给你倒一杯酒来。’ “那珠宝商仔细地察看着客栈内部,看出对方显然是穷人,而他们要卖给他的那颗钻石,简直象是从一位亲王的珠宝箱里弄来的似的,‘讲一下你们的故事吧,太太,’他说道,无疑是想利用那丈夫离开的机会,使后者无法影响他妻子的故事,看看两篇话是否符合。‘噢!’她答道,‘这是天赐的礼物,我们做梦也想不到的!我的丈夫在一八一四或一八一五年的时候有一个好朋友,名叫爱德蒙·唐太斯,他是个水手。这个可怜的人,卡德鲁斯已把他忘了,而他却没有忘记他,他临死的时候,把这颗钻石遗赠给了他。’‘可他又是怎么弄到的呢!’那珠宝商问道,难道‘他在入狱以前就有那颗钻石了吗?’‘不,先生,好象是他在牢里认识了一个有钱的英国人。当那人在牢里生病的时候,唐太斯象亲兄弟般地照顾他,那英国人在被释放的时候就把这颗钻石送给了唐太斯,而唐太斯却没福气,他死了,于是这颗钻石就由他拜托一位好心肠的神甫转赠给了我们,就在今天早晨才送到这儿来的。’‘说得一样!’珠宝商自言自语地说道,‘这个故事最初似乎令人难以置信,但或许倒是真的。我们现在还没有讲定的只是价钱了。’‘怎么还没有讲定呢?’卡德鲁斯说道。‘我以为你已经同意我要的那个价钱了呢。’‘我出的价钱,’珠宝商回答说,‘是四万法郎。’‘四万!’卡康脱女人大声说道,‘这个数目我们是不卖的。神甫告诉我们它值五万,还不连那托子呢,’‘那位神甫叫什么名字?’那不怕麻烦的商人问道。‘布沙尼神甫,’卡康脱女人说道。‘他是个外国人吗?’‘意大利人,我想大概是从孟都亚附近来的。’‘让我再来看一下这颗钻石,’珠宝商答道,‘宝石的价值第一次看的时候常常会估错的。’卡德鲁斯从他的口袋里摸出了一只黑鲛皮的小盒子,打开盒子,把钻石交给了珠宝商。一看到那颗象榛子般大的钻石,卡康脱女人立刻显露出贪婪的目光。” “偷听者,你对这个美丽的故事怎么看?”基督山问道,“你信不信?” “信的,大人。我并不把卡德鲁斯看作是一个坏人,我以为他是不敢犯罪的,即使连偷东西的事也是不敢做的。” “这只能证明你的心地善良,可不是证明你的阅历深,贝尔图乔先生。你认不认识他们所说的那个爱德蒙·唐太斯?” “不,大人,我以前从没听人说起过他,后来也只听人提起过一次,那还是我在尼姆监狱里看到布沙尼神甫的时候他亲自对我说的。” “说下去吧。” “珠宝商接过了那只戒指,从他的口袋里摸出了一把钢钳和一个铜制的小天秤,把钻石从托子里拿出来,仔细地称了称。‘我给你四万五,’他说道,‘半个铜板也不能再加了,而且,这颗钻石也只值这些钱,我身上又刚巧只带着那个数目。’‘啊,那没关系,’卡德鲁斯回答说,‘其余那五千法郎我跟你回去拿好了。’‘不,’珠宝商把钻石和戒指还给了卡德鲁斯,答道,‘不,再多就不值了,我已经后悔给得太多了,因为这颗钻石里面有一条裂纹,我刚才没看出来。但是,我说出的话决不反悔,我可以出四万五。’‘至少,你得把钻石装回到戒指上面去呀。’卡尔贡特女人厉声说道。‘啊,是的。’珠宝商回答道,于是把钻石重新镶好了。‘没有关系,’卡德鲁斯一边说着,一边把那盒子放回到了他的口袋里,‘你不买别人也会买的。’‘是的,’珠宝商又说,‘但别人是不会象我这样好说话的,别人是不会相信这种故事的,象你这样的人会有这样的一颗钻石是不大合情理的。他会去告你的。你就不得不再去找布沙尼神甫,而把价值两千路易的钻石送人的神甫是不多的。法院会把它拿去,而把你关到牢里,过三四个月再放你出来,到那时这只戒指就会不见了,或是给你一粒价值三个法郎而不是四万五千法郎的假钻石,不错,它也许值五万五,但你必须承认,做这笔交易是冒着很大的风险的呀。’卡德罗斯和他的妻子焦急地互相对看了一眼。‘不,’卡德鲁斯说道,‘我们不是有钱人,五千法郎的亏实在是吃不起。’‘你随便吧,亲爱的先生,’珠宝商说道,‘你看,我是带着亮晶晶的钱来的。’说着他便从口袋里摸出了一把金洋,故意把钱的光射到客栈老板那一对看花了的眼睛里,另外一只手则拿着一叠钞票。 “卡德鲁斯的脑子里显然在激烈地斗争着,在他看来,他拿在手里翻来复去的这只鲛皮小盒子,其价值显然是不足以和那吸引他目光的那一大笔钱相匹敌的。因此他转过去低声问他的妻子,‘你觉得这事怎么样?’‘卖给他吧,卖给他吧!’她说道。‘假如他空手回布揆耳,他会去告我们的,而正如他所说的,谁知道我们这一辈子还能不能再见到那位布沙尼神甫呢?’‘好吧,那么,我同意了!’卡德罗斯说道,‘你就出四万五千法郎买下这颗钻石吧。但我的太太要一条金项链,我也要一对银纽扣。’珠宝商从他的口袋里摸出了一只扁扁的长盒子来,里面装着几种他们所要的东西的样品。‘喏,’他说道,‘我这个人做生意非常爽快,你们自己挑吧。’那女人挑选了一条约值五个路易的金项链,那做丈夫的则选了一对大概可值十五法郎的纽扣。‘我希望你们现在不会再抱怨了吧?’珠宝商说道,‘神甫告诉我它可是值五万法郎的。’卡德鲁斯自言自语地说道。‘来,来,把它给我吧!你这个人真奇怪!’珠宝商说着,一边从他的手里把那钻戒拿了过来。‘我给了你四万五千法郎,也就是说,每年可有两千五百法郎的进帐,我倒很想发这样的一笔财,而你还不满足!’‘那四万五千法郎在哪儿呢?’卡德鲁斯用一种嘶哑的声音问道,‘来,我们先来看看钱吧!’‘钱在这儿。’珠宝商回答说,于是他在桌子上数出一万五千法郎的金洋和三万法郎的钞票。‘等我先把灯点起来,’卡康脱女人说道,‘天黑下来了,说不定会数错的。’“的确,在他们谈话的时候,天已经黑了,还有那半个钟头以来一直气势汹汹表示快要降临的暴风雨也和夜晚一起来了。远处已隐约可听到隆隆的雷声,但那珠宝商,卡德鲁斯,或是卡康脱女人似乎都没有去注意它,他们都象是着了魔似的。当我看到这么多金洋和这么多钞票时也觉得有点入迷了,真象是在做梦,象在做梦时常常发生的情形一样,我觉得自己已被钉在了那个地方了。卡德鲁斯把金洋和钞票连数了两遍。在这期间,那珠宝商在灯光下查看着那颗亮晶晶的钻石,钻石发出来的光使他没去注意那暴风雨的先兆已反射到了窗户上。 ‘喂,’珠宝商问道,‘现款对不对?’‘对的,’卡德鲁斯说道。‘把皮夹子拿给我,卡康脱特娘们,再找一只可以装钱的布袋来。’“卡康脱女人走到一只碗柜前面,拿出了一只旧皮夹子和一只钱袋,她从那只皮夹里子抽出了几封油腻腻的信,把钞票装了进去,又从那只钱袋里摸出了两三个值六里弗的艾居,这两三个艾居,多半就是这对可怜的夫妇全部的财产了。‘好了,’卡德鲁斯说道,‘现在,虽然你叫我们亏了一万法郎,但你愿不愿意和我们一起吃晚饭,我是诚心诚意请你的。’‘谢谢你,’珠宝商答道,‘时候不早了,我必须赶回布揆耳去了。我的太太要着急了。’他摸出表来大声叫道,‘啊唷!差不多九点钟啦!唷,我得半夜里才能回到布揆耳了!晚安,亲爱的。要是布沙尼神甫碰巧回来,别忘了提起我呀。’‘你再过一个星期就要离开布揆耳了呀,’卡德鲁斯说道,‘因为集市过几天就要结束了。’‘不错,但那没关系。写信通知我好了,写巴黎王宫于皮埃尔街四十五号埃阿内先生收就得了。我会专程来拜访他的。’“这时,天上打了一个很响的霹雳,同时擦过一道强烈的闪电,几乎使灯光相映失色。‘啊唷!’卡德鲁斯大声说道。‘这种天气你可不能走了吧。’‘响,我是不怕打雷的!’珠宝商说道。‘那么强盗呢,’卡康脱女人说道,‘在这条路上碰到这样的集市时期是向来不十分安全的。’‘噢,至于强盗,’埃阿内说道,‘我这儿有样东西可以对付他们,说着他从口袋里摸出了一对上满子弹的小手枪来。’‘喏,’他说,‘这就是两只又会叫又会咬的狗,谁要是想垂涎你的钻石,就得尝尝它们的味道,卡德鲁斯老爷。’“卡德鲁斯和他的妻子又互相交换了一个意义深长的眼色。看来他们好象同时想到了一个可怕的念头似的。‘那好吧,祝你一路平安!’卡德鲁斯说道。‘谢谢你。’珠宝商回答说。于是他拿起那只靠在一只旧碗柜旁边的手杖,转身向外走去,他刚把门打开,门外就立刻扑进来一阵狂风,差一点儿把灯吹灭了。‘噢!’他说道,‘这种天气真是太好了,在这样的暴风雨中走六里路那才妙呢!’‘别走了吧,’卡德鲁斯说道,‘你可以睡在这儿的。’‘是呀,真的别走了吧,’卡康脱女人用一种颤抖的声音接上去说道,‘我们会好好地照顾你的。’‘不,我一定得到布揆耳去过夜。所以我再说一次,晚安!’卡德鲁斯慢吞吞地跟他到门口。‘我什么都看不清啦!’珠宝商说道,他已到了门外。‘我应该向右走还是向左走呢?’‘向右走,’卡德鲁斯说道。‘你决不会走错的,大路两旁都有树。‘好,行啦!’听那个声音似乎已到了远处。‘把门关上,’卡康脱女人说道,‘我不喜欢在打雷的时候把门开着。’‘尤其是当家里有钱的时候,呃?’卡德鲁斯回答说,把门上下都闩好。 “他回到了房间里,走到碗柜前面取出了钱袋和皮夹子,于是两个人又开始第三次数他们的金洋和钞票。跳动的灯光照亮了那两张脸,我从没在人的脸上看到过那种贪婪的表情。那女的尤其可怕,她本来就因为发烧一天到晚都在索索地发抖,这时抖得更厉害了,她的脸变成了铅白色,眼睛象炽热的煤炭。‘你干嘛要留他在这儿过夜?’她用一种嘶哑的声音问道。‘干嘛?’卡德鲁斯打了一个寒颤说道,‘咦,免得他一路辛苦地回到布揆耳去呀。’‘啊’!那女人带着一种难以形容的表情回答说,‘我还以为是为别的什么原因呢。’‘女人哪,女人哪,你为什么要有这种念头呢?’卡德鲁斯大声说道,‘即使你有了这种念头,你又为什么不把它闷在自己的心里呢?’‘哼,’卡康脱女人顿了顿说道,‘你不是个男子汉!’‘你这是什么意思?’卡德鲁斯说道。‘假如你是个男子汉,你就不该让他走出这个门。’‘女人!’‘或者不该让他到布揆耳。’‘女人哪!’‘这条路有一个大转弯,他不得不顺着大路走,而沿着运河走,却有一条近路。’‘女人哪!你触怒上帝啦!喏!听!’正当这个时候,他们听到了一连串轰隆隆的雷声,银白色的闪电照亮了房间,然后,那雷声渐渐地远去了,似乎有点不情愿离开这该诅咒的房子似的。‘耶稣呀!’卡德鲁斯一边说着,一边在自己胸前划十字。 “正在这时,在那常常随雷声之后而来的恐怖的沉寂中,他们听到了一阵叩门声。卡德鲁斯和他的妻子都吓了一跳,惊骇地互相望了一眼。‘是谁呀?’卡德鲁斯大声问道,并站起来把散开在桌子上的金洋和钞票拢成一堆,用双手把它压住。 ‘是我!’一个声音喊道。‘你是谁?’‘呃,没错的!珠宝商埃阿内呀。’‘哼,你还说我触怒了上帝!’卡康脱女人带着一个可怕的微笑说道,‘咦,正是那好心肠的上帝又把他送回来啦。’卡德鲁斯脸色煞白,吓得都喘不过气来了,一下子跌回到了他的椅子里。卡康脱女人则正巧相反,她站起身来,跨着坚定的步子向门口走去,一边开门,一边说道,‘请进来,亲爱的埃阿内先生。’‘说实话!’那浑身被雨淋得透透的珠宝商说道,‘看来我今晚上是无法回布揆耳啦。蠢事愈早结束愈好,亲爱的卡德鲁斯。你则说愿意留宿我,我接受了,所以我回来准备在你这儿过夜了。’卡德鲁斯一面抹掉他额头上的冷汗,一面低声地说了几句话。卡康脱女人在珠宝商进来以后就把门上下都闩好了。 点击收听单词发音
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