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the extraordinary situation in which he found himself。
〃Louis XI。 and I；〃 he said in conclusion； 〃have just been lying to
each other like two pedlers of coconuts。 You understand； my girl； that
if he follows me； he will get the secret of the hiding…place。 The king
alone can watch my wanderings at night。 I don't feel sure that his
conscience； near as he is to death； can resist thirteen hundred
thousand crowns。 We MUST be beforehand with him； we must find the
hidden treasure and send it to Ghent； and you alone〃
Cornelius stopped suddenly； and seemed to be weighing the heart of the
sovereign who had had thoughts of parricide at twenty…two years of
age。 When his judgment of Louis XI。 was concluded； he rose abruptly
like a man in haste to escape a pressing danger。 At this instant； his
sister； too feeble or too strong for such a crisis； fell stark； she
was dead。 Maitre Cornelius seized her； and shook her violently； crying
out：
〃You cannot die now。 There is time enough laterOh！ it is all over。
The old hag never could do anything at the right time。〃
He closed her eyes and laid her on the floor。 Then the good and noble
feelings which lay at the bottom of his soul came back to him； and；
half forgetting his hidden treasure； he cried out mournfully：
〃Oh！ my poor companion； have I lost you？you who understood me so
well！ Oh！ you were my real treasure。 There it lies； my treasure！ With
you； my peace of mind； my affections； all； are gone。 If you had only
known what good it would have done me to live two nights longer； you
would have lived； solely to please me； my poor sister！ Ah； Jeanne！
thirteen hundred thousand crowns！ Won't that wake you？No； she is
dead！〃
Thereupon； he sat down； and said no more； but two great tears issued
from his eyes and rolled down his hollow cheeks； then； with strange
exclamations of grief； he locked up the room and returned to the king。
Louis XI。 was struck with the expression of sorrow on the moistened
features of his old friend。
〃What is the matter？〃 he asked。
〃Ah！ sire； misfortunes never come singly。 My sister is dead。 She
precedes me there below；〃 he said； pointing to the floor with a
dreadful gesture。
〃Enough！〃 cried Louis XI。； who did not like to hear of death。
〃I make you my heir。 I care for nothing now。 Here are my keys。 Hang
me； if that's your good pleasure。 Take all； ransack the house； it is
full of gold。 I give up all to you〃
〃Come； come； crony；〃 replied Louis XI。； who was partly touched by the
sight of this strange suffering； 〃we shall find your treasure some
fine night； and the sight of such riches will give you heart to live。
I will come back in the course of this week〃
〃As you please； sire。〃
At that answer the king； who had made a few steps toward the door of
the chamber； turned round abruptly。 The two men looked at each other
with an expression that neither pen nor pencil can reproduce。
〃Adieu； my crony；〃 said Louis XI。 at last in a curt voice； pushing up
his cap。
〃May God and the Virgin keep you in their good graces！〃 replied the
silversmith humbly； conducting the king to the door of the house。
After so long a friendship； the two men found a barrier raised between
them by suspicion and gold； though they had always been like one man
on the two points of gold and suspicion。 But they knew each other so
well； they had so completely the habit； one may say； of each other；
that the king could divine； from the tone in which Cornelius uttered
the words； 〃As you please； sire；〃 the repugnance that his visits would
henceforth cause to the silversmith； just as the latter recognized a
declaration of war in the 〃Adieu； my crony；〃 of the king。
Thus Louis XI。 and his torconnier parted much in doubt as to the
conduct they ought in future to hold to each other。 The monarch
possessed the secret of the Fleming； but on the other hand； the latter
could； by his connections； bring about one of the finest acquisitions
that any king of France had ever made； namely； that of the domains of
the house of Burgundy； which the sovereigns of Europe were then
coveting。 The marriage of the celebrated Marguerite depended on the
people of Ghent and the Flemings who surrounded her。 The gold and the
influence of Cornelius could powerfully support the negotiations now
begun by Desquerdes； the general to whom Louis XI。 had given the
command of the army encamped on the frontiers of Belgium。 These two
master…foxes were； therefore； like two duellists； whose arms are
paralyzed by chance。
So； whether it were that from that day the king's health failed and
went from bad to worse； or that Cornelius did assist in bringing into
France Marguerite of Burgundywho arrived at Ambroise in July； 1438；
to marry the Dauphin to whom she was betrothed in the chapel of the
castlecertain it is that the king took no steps in the matter of the
hidden treasure； he levied no tribute from his silversmith； and the
pair remained in the cautious condition of an armed friendship。
Happily for Cornelius a rumor was spread about Tours that his sister
was the actual robber； and that she had been secretly put to death by
Tristan。 Otherwise； if the true history had been known； the whole town
would have risen as one man to destroy the Malemaison before the king
could have taken measures to protect it。
But； although these historical conjectures have some foundation so far
as the inaction of Louis XI。 is concerned； it is not so as regards
Cornelius Hoogworst。 There was no inaction there。 The silversmith
spent the first days which succeeded that fatal night in ceaseless
occupation。 Like carnivorous animals confined in cages； he went and
came； smelling for gold in every corner of his house； he studied the
cracks and crevices； he sounded the walls； he besought the trees of
the garden； the foundations of the house； the roofs of the turrets；
the earth and the heavens； to give him back his treasure。 Often he
stood motionless for hours； casting his eyes on all sides； plunging
them into the void。 Striving for the miracles of ecstasy and the
powers of sorcery； he tried to see his riches through space and
obstacles。 He was constantly absorbed in one overwhelming thought；
consumed with a single desire that burned his entrails； gnawed more
cruelly still by the ever…increasing agony of the duel he was fighting
with himself since his passion for gold had turned to his own injury；
a species of uncompleted suicide which kept him at once in the
miseries of life and in those of death。
Never was a Vice more punished by itself。 A miser； locked by accident
into the subterranean strong…room that contains his treasures； has；
like Sardanapalus； the happiness of dying in the midst of his wealth。
But Cornelius； the robber and the robbed； knowing the secret of
neither the one nor the other； possessed and did not possess his
treasure；a novel； fantastic； but continually terrible torture。
Sometimes； becoming forgetful； he would leave the little gratings of
his door wide open； and then the passers in the street could see that
already wizened man； planted on his two legs in the midst of his
untilled garden； absolutely motionless； and casting on those who
watched him a fixed gaze； the insupportable light of which froze them
with terror。 If； by chance； he walked through the streets of Tours； he
seemed like a stranger in them； he knew not where he was； nor whether
the sun or the moon were shining。 Often he would ask his way of those
who passed him； believing that he was still in Ghent； and seeming to
be in search of something lost。
The most perennial and the best materialized of human ideas； the idea
by which man reproduces himself by creating outside of himself the
fictitious being called Property； that mental demon； drove its steel
claws perpetually into his heart。 Then； in the midst of this torture；
Fear arose； with all its accompanying sentiments。 Two men had his
secret； the secret he did not know himself。 Louis XI。 or Coyctier
could post men to watch him during his sleep and discover the unknown
gulf into which he had cast his riches；those riches he had watered
with the blood of so many innocent men。 And then； beside his fear；
arose Remorse。
In order to prevent during his lifetime the abduction of his hidden
treasure； he took the most cruel precautions against sleep； besides
which； his commercial relations put him in the way of obtaining
powerful anti…narcotics。 His struggles to keep awake were awfulalone
with night； silence； Remorse； and Fear； with all the thoughts that
man； instinctively perhaps； has best embodiedobedient thus to a
moral truth as yet devoid of actual proof。
At last this man so powerful； this heart so hardened by political and
commercial life； this genius； obscure in history； succumbed to the
horrors of the torture he had himself created。 Maddened by certain
thoughts more agonizing than those he had as yet