按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！
republic； Toulan can avenge himself by reporting the whole story and
bringing me to misfortune。 I must； therefore； while I am secure；
take away from the fellow the means of betraying me。 Yes； yes； it
must be so； Toulan must die； that Simon may live。 Look out for your
own self first； and then your neighbors。〃
With a decided step； Simon left the room； and entered the chamber；
where Toulan was busy with Jeanne Marie in arranging the furniture。
〃I am glad to find you here still；〃 said Simon； nodding to him； 〃for
I had entirely forgotten to tell you that I have a present for you；
which will certainly please you； and which I have saved and laid
away expressly for you。〃
〃What is it； Simon？ What kind of a present have you for me？〃
〃A very precious one； at least such as you and your like will
consider so； I think。 I have the long； yellow locks which Jeanne
Marie cut yesterday from little Capet's head。〃
〃And will you give them to me？〃 asked Toulan； eagerly。
〃Yes； that will I； and it is for that purpose that I have brought
them along。 They are lying； with all the letters； in my work…box。
But I cannot get at them to…day in all the confusion； for they are
at the very bottom of the box。 But come to…morrow morning； and you
shall receive your costly treasure。 If you like； you can come about
nine o'clock； and if I should happen to have any thing to do； and
not be here； I will give the hair to Jeanne Marie； and she will hand
it to you。〃
〃Be sure that I shall come；〃 said Toulan； earnestly。 〃Give me your
hand； and let me thank you for your delicate act of kindness。 I
certainly did you a wrong； for I did not hold you capable of such a
deed。 I thank you； Simon； I thank you from my heart； and to…morrow
morning； punctually at nine； I shall be here to receive my precious
possession。 Farewell till then； Simon！ I have no quiet now； but must
run around and see whether every thing seems as usual in the Temple；
and our secret undiscovered。〃 He hastened away； and disappeared
around the corner。
The whole day Simon was busy with his own thoughts； and engaged in
arranging the furniture； with his mind clearly not on his work。 In
the afternoon he declared that he must go to the Temple again；
because in the upper corridor he had left a chest with some utensils
in it which were his。
〃It seems to me； husband； you are homesick for the Temple；〃 said
Jeanne Marie jestingly； 〃and you are sad because you are no longer
in the old； black walls。〃
〃Yes； I am homesick for the Temple；〃 replied Simon； 〃and that is why
I go there。〃
But he did not take the way to the Temple； but to the city hall； and
rang the bell so violently that the porter dashed to the door to
open it。
〃It is you； citizen；〃 he ejaculated。 〃I thought something must have
happened。〃
〃Something has happened； and I have come to inform the Committee of
Safety；〃 answered Simon； impetuously。
〃Has it met？〃
〃Yes； it is in the little council…chamber。 You will find an officer
at the door； and can let him announce you。〃
Simon strode forward and found the sentinel before the door； who
asked him what his business there was。
〃Go in； citizen； and announce that Simon is here； and brings
important news； of great peril to the state。〃
A minute later； Simon was ushered into the hall in which the Safety
Committee were assembled。 All those stern…faced men of the republic
knew Simon as a faithful and zealous republican； upon whose devotion
they could reckon； and whose fidelity was immovable。
〃I am come；〃 said Simon； slowly； 〃I am come to bring an accusation
against a certain person as a conspirator against the republic； and
a traitor to our liberties。〃
〃Who is it； and what has he done？〃 asked the chairman； with a cold
smile。
〃What has he done？ He means to do something； and I mean to prevent
him。 He means to release the wolf's whelp from the Temple。 Who knows
but he may have done so already； for when I left the Temple this
morning； my successor had not come； and little Capet was alone。 Who
is it that is able to release the boy and the two ladies？ It is
Toulan； the traitor； the royalist Toulan！〃
〃Toulan！〃 replied Petion； with a shrug。 〃We know very well that
Toulan is a traitor； and that the republic can expect only the worst
from him that he can do。 He was accused once； but escaped merited
punishment by flight； and he has unquestionably gone to Coblentz to
join the tyrant's brothers there。 Our police are watchful； and have
discovered not a trace of him。〃
〃Then allow me to put the police on his track；〃 said Simon；
laughing。 〃Be so good as to send a couple of officers to me
tomorrow； and I will deliver Toulan； the traitor； into their hands。〃
CHAPTER XXVIII。
TOULAN'S DEATH。
The next morning； at the stroke of nine； Toulan； in the garb of a
commissioner； entered the house of the new collector at the Macon
gate。 Simon received him at the door； and conducted him into the
sitting…room。
〃You see；〃 said Toulan； 〃that I am punctual； and I must tell you
that I have been almost too impatient to wait。 I hope you do not
regret your promise； and that you mean to give me the noble present
that you promised me。〃
〃Unfortunately I can not；〃 answered Simon； with a shrug。 〃My wife
insisted on giving you the hair with her own hands； and she has just
gone out。 You will have to wait for her； if you really are anxious
to possess the hair of little Capet。〃
〃Yes； I am anxious to own it；〃 replied Toulan。 〃The hair of my dear
young king will be my most cherished possession； and〃
〃Come； come；〃 interrupted Simon； 〃there you exaggerate。 The gold
salt's…bottle； which the Austrian gave you； is a great deal dearer
to you； is it not？ You still have that； have you not？〃
〃Still have it？〃 cried Toulan。 〃I would sooner part with my life
than with this remembrancer of Marie Antoinette！〃
〃Well； then； see which you would rather keep； your life； or the
bottle the Austrian gave you；〃 said Simon； with a laugh； as he
sprang toward the door and opened it Two officials of the Safety
Committee； followed by armed men； entered。
〃Have you heard every thing？〃 asked Simon； triumphantly。
〃Yes； we have heard every thing； and we arrest you； Toulan； as a
traitor。 Take him to the Conciergerie。 The authorities will decide
what shall be done with him further。〃
〃Well；〃 said Toulan； calmly； 〃the authorities will； perhaps； do me
the honor of letting me go the same way that my kingand my queen
have taken； and I shall follow the example of the noble sufferers；
and die for the hallowed cause of royalty。 Let us go； that I may not
longer breathe the air which the blasphemer and traitor Simon has
poisoned。 Woe upon you； Simon！ In your dying hour think of me； and
of what I say to you now： You are sending me to death； that you may
live in peace。 But you will find no peace on earth； and if no man
accuses you； your conscience will。 On your dying bed you will see me
before you； and on the day of judgment you will hear my voice；
accusing you before the throne of God as a betrayer and murderer。
May my blood come on your head； Simon！〃
Simon lived to enjoy his freedom and his money only a short time。 At
the expiration of a year he fell into lunacy； which soon made him
attempt his own life。 He died in the Asylum of Bicetre。 His wife
lived till 1821； in a hospital at Paris； and in her dying hour
asserted that little Capet was released in the way above related。
On the next day； there was a great excitement within the Temple； and
the Safety Committee repaired thither in a body。 The lamplighter；
who made his rounds on the evening of the day on which Simon left
the Temple； had asserted that the child that lay upon the mattress
was not the little Capet。 〃He must know this；〃 he said； 〃for he had
seen the child daily when he lighted the lamp in the boy's room。〃
The new keeper； Augustus Lasne； was very much excited at the
communication of the lamplighter； and at dawn of the next day
repaired to the city hall to report the statement。 The Safety
Committee resolved on an immediate investigation of the Temple；
after pledging one another to the deepest secrecy； and enjoining the
same on all the servants at the Temple。
The officials found on the mattress a moaning； feverish boy； in the
garments of the dauphin。 These they recognized as the ones which the
republic had had made a month before for little Capet； but no one
could say whether this child； with a body covered with sores； a
swollen face； and sunken； lustreless eyes； was really little Capet
or not； no one knew whether sickness had so changed his looks that
this stupid； idiotic boy was the one whom they had all known when he
was well； as they saw him joyously flitting around。 First of all
they summoned Doctor Naudin； the director of Hotel Dieu； to examine
the boy。 He appeared without delay； and declared solemnly and
decidedly that this was the same boy whom he had seen there some
days before when he visited Simon's wife； only the English sickness
which afflicted the child had distorted his limbs； while the cutting
off of his hair gave him a changed look； and it was no wonder that
the lamplighter failed to recognize him。
Simon； who was summoned to g