AT THE SIGHT of this agitation¹ Louis XVIII pushed from him violently the table at which he was sitting.

"What ails² you, baron³?" he exclaimed. "You appear quite aghast. Has your uneasiness anything to do with what M. de Blacas has told me, and M. de Villefort has just confirmed?" M. de Blacas moved suddenly towards the baron, but the fright of the courtier pleaded for the forbearance of the statesman; and besides, as matters were, it was much more to his advantage that the prefect of police should triumph over him than that he should humiliate⁴ the prefect.

"Sire"--stammered⁵ the baron.

"Well, what is it?" asked Louis XVIII. The minister of police, giving way to an impulse of despair, was about to throw himself at the feet of Louis XVIII., who retreated a step and frowned.

"Will you speak?" he said.

"Oh, sire, what a dreadful misfortune! I am, indeed, to be pitied. I can never forgive myself!"

"Monsieur," said Louis XVIII, "I command you to speak."

"Well, sire, the usurper⁶ left Elba on the 26th February, and landed on the 1st of March."

"And where? In Italy?" asked the king eagerly.

"In France, sire,--at a small port, near Antibes, in the Gulf⁷ of Juan." "The usurper landed in France, near Antibes, in the Gulf of Juan, two hundred and fifty leagues from Paris, on the 1st of March, and you only acquired this information to-day, the 4th of March! Well, sir, what you tell me is impossible. You must have received a false report, or you have gone mad."

"Alas⁸, sire, it is but too true!" Louis made a gesture of indescribable anger and alarm, and then drew himself up as if this sudden blow had struck him at the same moment in heart and countenance¹⁰.

"In France!" he cried, "the usurper in France! Then they did not watch over this man. Who knows? they were, perhaps, in league with him."

"Oh, sire," exclaimed the Duc de Blacas, "M. Dandré is not a man to be accused of treason! Sire, we have all been blind, and the minister of police has shared the general blindness, that is all."

"But"--said Villefort, and then suddenly checking himself, he was silent; then he continued, "Your pardon, sire," he said, bowing, "my zeal¹¹ carried me away. Will your majesty¹² deign¹³ to excuse me?"

"Speak, sir, speak boldly," replied Louis. "You alone forewarned us of the evil; now try and aid us with the remedy."

"Sire," said Villefort, "the usurper is detested¹⁴ in the south; and it seems to me that if he ventured into the south, it would be easy to raise Languedoc and Provence against him."

"Yes, assuredly," replied the minister; "but he is advancing by Gap and Sisteron."

"Advancing--he is advancing!" said Louis XVIII. "Is he then advancing on Paris?" The minister of police maintained a silence which was equivalent to a complete avowal¹⁵.

"And Dauphiné, sir?" inquired the king, of Villefort. "Do you think it possible to rouse that as well as Provence?"

"Sire, I am sorry to tell your majesty a cruel fact; but the feeling in Dauphiné is quite the reverse of that in Provence or Languedoc. The mountaineers are Bonapartists, sire."

"Then," murmured Louis, "he was well informed. And how many men had he with him?"

"I do not know, sire," answered the minister of police.

"What, you do not know! Have you neglected to obtain information on that point? Of course it is of no consequence," he added, with a withering¹⁶ smile.

"Sire, it was impossible to learn; the despatch¹⁷ simply stated the fact of the landing and the route taken by the usurper."

"And how did this despatch reach you?" inquired the king. The minister bowed his head, and while a deep color overspread his cheeks, he stammered out,--

"By the telegraph, sire."--Louis XVIII. advanced a step, and folded his arms over his chest as Napoleon would have done.

"So then," he exclaimed, turning pale with anger, "seven conjoined and allied¹⁸ armies overthrew¹⁹ that man. A miracle of heaven replaced me on the throne of my fathers after five-and-twenty years of exile. I have, during those five-and-twenty years, spared no pains to understand the people of France and the interests which were confided²⁰ to me; and now, when I see the fruition of my wishes almost within reach, the power I hold in my hands bursts, and shatters me to atoms!"

"Sire, it is fatality²¹!" murmured the minister, feeling that the pressure of circumstances, however light a thing to destiny, was too much for any human strength to endure.

"What our enemies say of us is then true. We have learnt nothing, forgotten nothing! If I were betrayed as he was, I would console myself; but to be in the midst of persons elevated by myself to places of honor, who ought to watch over me more carefully than over themselves,--for my fortune is theirs--before me they were nothing--after me they will be nothing, and perish miserably²² from incapacity--ineptitude! Oh, yes, sir, you are right--it is fatality!"

The minister quailed²³ before this outburst of sarcasm²⁴. M. de Blacas wiped the moisture from his brow. Villefort smiled within himself, for he felt his increased importance.

"To fall," continued King Louis, who at the first glance had sounded the abyss on which the monarchy²⁵ hung suspended,--"to fall, and learn of that fall by telegraph! Oh, I would rather mount the scaffold of my brother, Louis XVI., than thus descend²⁶ the staircase at the Tuileries driven away by ridicule²⁷. Ridicule, sir--why, you know not its power in France, and yet you ought to know it!"

"Sire, sire," murmured the minister, "for pity's"--

"Approach, M. de Villefort," resumed the king, addressing the young man, who, motionless and breathless, was listening to a conversation on which depended the destiny of a kingdom. "Approach, and tell monsieur that it is possible to know beforehand all that he has not known."

"Sire, it was really impossible to learn secrets which that man concealed²⁹ from all the world."

"Really impossible! Yes--that is a great word, sir. Unfortunately, there are great words, as there are great men; I have measured them. Really impossible for a minister who has an office, agents, spies, and fifteen hundred thousand francs for secret service money, to know what is going on at sixty leagues from the coast of France! Well, then, see, here is a gentleman who had none of these resources at his disposal--a gentleman, only a simple magistrate³⁰, who learned more than you with all your police, and who would have saved my crown, if, like you, he had the power of directing a telegraph." The look of the minister of police was turned with concentrated spite on Villefort, who bent³¹ his head in modest triumph.

"I do not mean that for you, Blacas," continued Louis XVIII.; "for if you have discovered nothing, at least you have had the good sense to persevere³² in your suspicions. Any other than yourself would have considered the disclosure of M. de Villefort insignificant³³, or else dictated³⁴ by venal³⁵ ambition," These words were an allusion³⁶ to the sentiments which the minister of police had uttered with so much confidence an hour before.

Villefort understood the king's intent. Any other person would, perhaps, have been overcome by such an intoxicating³⁷ draught³⁸ of praise; but he feared to make for himself a mortal enemy of the police minister, although he saw that Dandré was irrevocably lost. In fact, the minister, who, in the plenitude of his power, had been unable to unearth³⁹ Napoleon's secret, might in despair at his own downfall interrogate⁴⁰ Dantès and so lay bare the motives⁴² of Villefort's plot. Realizing this, Villefort came to the rescue of the crest-fallen minister, instead of aiding to crush him.

"Sire," said Villefort, "the suddenness of this event must prove to your majesty that the issue is in the hands of Providence⁴³; what your majesty is pleased to attribute to me as profound perspicacity⁴⁴ is simply owing to chance, and I have profited by that chance, like a good and devoted⁴⁵ servant--that's all. Do not attribute to me more than I deserve, sire, that your majesty may never have occasion to recall the first opinion you have been pleased to form of me." The minister of police thanked the young man by an eloquent⁴⁶ look, and Villefort understood that he had succeeded in his design; that is to say, that without forfeiting⁴⁷ the gratitude⁴⁸ of the king, he had made a friend of one on whom, in case of necessity, he might rely.

"'Tis well," resumed the king. "And now, gentlemen," he continued, turning towards M. de Blacas and the minister of police, "I have no further occasion for you, and you may retire; what now remains⁴⁹ to do is in the department of the minister of war."

"Fortunately, sire," said M. de Blacas, "we can rely on the army; your majesty knows how every report confirms their loyalty⁵⁰ and attachment⁵¹."

"Do not mention reports, duke, to me, for I know now what confidence to place in them. Yet, speaking of reports, baron, what have you learned with regard to the affair in the Rue⁹ Saint-Jacques?"

"The affair in the Rue Saint-Jacques!" exclaimed Villefort, unable to repress an exclamation⁵². Then, suddenly pausing, he added, "Your pardon, sire, but my devotion to your majesty has made me forget, not the respect I have, for that is too deeply engraved⁵³ in my heart, but the rules of etiquette⁵⁴."

"Go on, go on, sir," replied the king; "you have to-day earned the right to make inquiries⁵⁵ here."

"Sire," interposed the minister of police, "I came a moment ago to give your majesty fresh information which I had obtained on this head, when your majesty's attention was attracted by the terrible event that has occurred in the gulf, and now these facts will cease to interest your majesty."

"On the contrary, sir,--on the contrary," said Louis XVIII., "this affair seems to me to have a decided⁵⁶ connection with that which occupies our attention, and the death of General Quesnel will, perhaps, put us on the direct track of a great internal conspiracy⁵⁷." At the name of General Quesnel, Villefort trembled.

"Everything points to the conclusion, sire," said the minister of police, "that death was not the result of suicide, as we first believed, but of assassination⁵⁸. General Quesnel, it appears, had just left a Bonapartist club when he disappeared. An unknown person had been with him that morning, and made an appointment with him in the Rue Saint-Jacques; unfortunately, the general's valet, who was dressing²⁸ his hair at the moment when the stranger entered, heard the street mentioned, but did not catch the number." As the police minister related this to the king, Villefort, who looked as if his very life hung on the speaker's lips, turned alternately red and pale. The king looked towards him.

"Do you not think with me, M. de Villefort, that General Quesnel, whom they believed attached to the usurper, but who was really entirely⁵⁹ devoted to me, has perished the victim of a Bonapartist ambush⁶⁰?"

"It is probable, sire," replied Villefort. "But is this all that is known?"

"They are on the track of the man who appointed the meeting with him."

"On his track?" said Villefort.

"Yes, the servant has given his description. He is a man of from fifty to fifty-two years of age, dark, with black eyes covered with shaggy eyebrows⁶¹, and a thick mustache. He was dressed in a blue frock-coat, buttoned up to the chin, and wore at his button-hole the rosette of an officer of the Legion of Honor. Yesterday a person exactly corresponding with this description was followed, but he was lost sight of at the corner of the Rue de la Jussienne and the Rue Coq-Héron." Villefort leaned on the back of an arm-chair, for as the minister of police went on speaking he felt his legs bend under him; but when he learned that the unknown had escaped the vigilance of the agent who followed him, he breathed again.

"Continue to seek for this man, sir," said the king to the minister of police; "for if, as I am all but convinced, General Quesnel, who would have been so useful to us at this moment, has been murdered, his assassins, Bonapartists or not, shall be cruelly punished." It required all Villefort's coolness not to betray the terror with which this declaration of the king inspired him.

"How strange," continued the king, with some asperity⁶²; "the police think that they have disposed of the whole matter when they say, 'A murder has been committed,' and especially so when they can add, 'And we are on the track of the guilty persons.'"

"Sire, your majesty will, I trust, be amply satisfied on this point at least."

"We shall see. I will no longer detain you, M. de Villefort, for you must be fatigued⁶³ after so long a journey; go and rest. Of course you stopped at your father's?" A feeling of faintness came over Villefort.

"No, sire," he replied, "I alighted at the Hotel de Madrid, in the Rue de Tournon."

"But you have seen him?"

"Sire, I went straight to the Duc de Blacas."

"But you will see him, then?"

"I think not, sire."

"Ah, I forgot," said Louis, smiling in a manner which proved that all these questions were not made without a motive⁴¹; "I forgot you and M. Noirtier are not on the best terms possible, and that is another sacrifice made to the royal cause, and for which you should be recompensed."

"Sire, the kindness your majesty deigns⁶⁴ to evince towards me is a recompense which so far surpasses my utmost ambition that I have nothing more to ask for."

"Never mind, sir, we will not forget you; make your mind easy. In the meanwhile" (the king here detached the cross of the Legion of Honor which he usually wore over his blue coat, near the cross of St. Louis, above the order of Notre-Dame-du-Mont-Carmel and St. Lazare, and gave it to Villefort)--"in the meanwhile take this cross."

"Sire," said Villefort, "your majesty mistakes; this is an officer's cross."

"Ma foi," said Louis XVIII., "take it, such as it is, for I have not the time to procure⁶⁵ you another. Blacas, let it be your care to see that the brevet is made out and sent to M. de Villefort." Villefort's eyes were filled with tears of joy and pride; he took the cross and kissed it.

"And now," he said, "may I inquire what are the orders with which your majesty deigns to honor me?"

"Take what rest you require, and remember that if you are not able to serve me here in Paris, you may be of the greatest service to me at Marseilles."

"Sire," replied Villefort, bowing, "in an hour I shall have quitted Paris."

"Go, sir," said the king; "and should I forget you (kings' memories are short), do not be afraid to bring yourself to my recollection. Baron, send for the minister of war. Blacas, remain."

"Ah, sir," said the minister of police to Villefort, as they left the Tuileries, "you entered by luck's door--your fortune is made."

"Will it be long first?" muttered Villefort, saluting⁶⁶ the minister, whose career was ended, and looking about him for a hackney-coach. One passed at the moment, which he hailed; he gave his address to the driver, and springing in, threw himself on the seat, and gave loose to dreams of ambition.

Ten minutes afterwards Villefort reached his hotel, ordered horses to be ready in two hours, and asked to have his breakfast brought to him. He was about to begin his repast when the sound of the bell rang sharp and loud. The valet opened the door, and Villefort heard some one speak his name.

"Who could know that I was here already?" said the young man. The valet entered.

"Well," said Villefort, "what is it?--Who rang?--Who asked for me?"

"A stranger who will not send in his name."

"A stranger who will not send in his name! What can he want with me?"

"He wishes to speak to you."

"To me?"

"Yes."

"Did he mention my name?"

"Yes."

"What sort of person is he?"

"Why, sir, a man of about fifty."

"Short or tall?"

"About your own height, sir."

"Dark or fair?"

"Dark,--very dark; with black eyes, black hair, black eyebrows."

"And how dressed?" asked Villefort quickly.

"In a blue frock-coat, buttoned up close, decorated with the Legion of Honor."

"It is he!" said Villefort, turning pale.

"Eh, " said the individual whose description we have twice given, entering the door, "what a great deal of ceremony! Is it the custom in Marseilles for sons to keep their fathers waiting in their anterooms?"

"Father!" cried Villefort, "then I was not deceived; I felt sure it must be you."

"Well, then, if you felt so sure," replied the new-comer, putting his cane⁶⁷ in a corner and his hat on a chair, "allow me to say, my dear Gérard, that it was not very filial of you to keep me waiting at the door."

"Leave us, Germain," said Villefort. The servant quitted the apartment with evident signs of astonishment⁶⁸.

看到這種神色慌張的樣子，路易十八就猛地推開了那張他正在寫字的桌子。

“出什么事了，男爵先生？”他驚訝地問，“看來你好象是一副大難臨頭的樣子，你這驚慌猶豫的樣子，是否與剛才勃拉卡斯先生又加以證實(shí)的事有關(guān)？”

勃拉卡斯公爵趕緊向男爵走去，那大臣的驚慌的神色完全嚇退了這位元老的得意心情，說實(shí)在的，在這種情況下，如果是警務(wù)大臣戰(zhàn)勝了他，實(shí)在是比使大臣受到羞辱對他有利得多。

“陛下，”——男爵嚅嚅地說。

“什么事？”路易十八問。那絕望幾乎壓倒了警務(wù)大臣，幾乎是撲到了國王的腳下，后者不由得倒退了幾步，并皺起了眉頭。

“請您快說呀?！彼f。

“噢，陛下，災(zāi)難降臨了，我真該死，我永遠(yuǎn)也不能饒恕我自己！”

“先生我命令你快說。”路易十八說道。

“陛下，逆賊已在二月十八日離開了厄爾巴島，三月一日登陸了。”

“在那兒？——在意大利嗎？”國王問。

“在法國，陛下，昂蒂布附近一個(gè)小巷口的琪恩灣那兒?！?span lang="EN-US">

“那逆賊于三月一日在離巴黎七百五十哩的琪恩灣昂布附近登陸，而今天都三月四日了你才得到消息！哦，先生，你告訴我的事是難以叫人想象的，如果不是你得到了一份假情報(bào)，那么你就是發(fā)瘋了?！?span lang="EN-US">

“唉，陛下，這事千真萬確！”

國王做了一個(gè)難以形容的，憤怒和驚惶的動(dòng)作，然后猛地一下子挺直并站了起來，象是這個(gè)突然的打擊同時(shí)擊中了他的臉和心一樣。“在法國，”他喊到，“這個(gè)逆賊已經(jīng)到了法國了！這么說，他們沒有看住這個(gè)人，誰知道？或許他們是和他串通的！”

“噢，陛下！”勃拉卡斯公爵驚喊到，這事決不該怪罪唐德雷說他不忠。陛下，我們都瞎了眼，警務(wù)大臣也同大家一樣僅此而已?！?span lang="EN-US">

“但是，”——維爾福剛剛說了兩個(gè)字，便又突然停住了。

“請您原諒，陛下，”他一面說一面欠了一下身子，我的忠誠已使我無法自制了。望陛下寬恕?！?span lang="EN-US">

“說吧，先生，大膽地說吧，”國王說道?！翱磥碇挥心阋粋€(gè)人把這個(gè)壞消息及早告訴了我們，現(xiàn)在請你幫助我們找到什么補(bǔ)救的辦法！”

“陛下，”維爾福說：“逆賊在南方是遭人憎恨的，假如他想在那兒冒險(xiǎn)，我們就很容易發(fā)動(dòng)郎格多克和普羅旺斯兩省的民眾起來反對他?！?span lang="EN-US">

“那是當(dāng)然”，大臣說道，只不過是順著加普和錫斯特龍挺進(jìn)。

“挺進(jìn)，他在挺進(jìn)！”路易十八說。“這么說他是在向巴黎挺進(jìn)了嗎？”

警務(wù)大臣一聲不響了，這無疑是一種默認(rèn)。

“陀菲內(nèi)省呢，先生？”國王問維爾福，“你覺得我們也可能象在普羅旺斯省那樣去做嗎？”

“陛下，我很抱歉不得不稟告陛下一個(gè)嚴(yán)酷的事實(shí)，陀菲內(nèi)的民情遠(yuǎn)不如普羅旺斯或朗格多克。那些山民都是拿破侖黨分子，陛下?！?span lang="EN-US">

“那么，路易十八喃喃地說，“他的情報(bào)倒很正確了，他帶了多少人？”

“我不知道。陛下。警務(wù)大臣說。

“什么！你不知道，你沒去打聽打聽這方面的消息？是啊，這件事沒什么了不起，”他說著苦笑了一下。

“陛下，這是沒法知道的，快報(bào)上只提到了登陸和逆賊所走的路線?！?span lang="EN-US">

“你這個(gè)快報(bào)是怎么來的？”

大臣低下了頭，漲紅了臉，他喃喃地說，“快報(bào)是投遞站接力送來的，陛下。”

路易十八向前跨了一步，象拿破侖那樣交叉起雙臂?！芭?，這么說七國聯(lián)軍推翻了那個(gè)人，在我經(jīng)過了二十五年的流亡以后，上天顯出奇跡，又把我送到了我父親的寶座上。在這二十五年中，我研究，探索，分析我的國家和人民和事物，而今正當(dāng)我全部心愿就要實(shí)現(xiàn)的時(shí)候，我手里的權(quán)力卻爆炸了，把我炸得粉碎！”

“陛下這是劫數(shù)！”大臣輕聲地說，他覺得這樣的一種壓力，在命運(yùn)之神看來不論多么微不足道，卻已經(jīng)能夠壓跨一個(gè)人了。

“那么，我們的敵人抨擊我們說的話沒錯(cuò)了，什么都沒有學(xué)到，什么都不會(huì)忘記！假如我也象他那樣為國家所共棄，那我倒可以自慰，既然是大家推薦我為尊，他們大家就應(yīng)該愛護(hù)我勝過愛護(hù)他們自己才是。因?yàn)槲业臉s辱也就是他們的榮辱，在我繼位之前，他們是一無所有的，在我遜位之后，他們也將一無所有，我竟會(huì)因他們的愚昧和無能而自取滅亡！噢，是的，先生，你說的不錯(cuò)——這是劫數(shù)！”

在這一番冷嘲熱諷之下，大臣一直躬著腰，不敢抬頭。勃拉卡斯德公爵一個(gè)勁地擦著他頭上的冷汗。只有維爾福暗自得意，因?yàn)樗X得他越發(fā)顯得重要了。

“亡國！”國王路易又說，他一眼就看出了國王將要墜入的深淵——?！巴鰢?，從快報(bào)上才知道亡國的消息！噢，我情愿踏上我哥哥路易十六的斷頭臺(tái)而不愿意這樣丑態(tài)百出地被人趕下杜伊勒宮的樓梯。笑話呀，你為什么不知道他在法國的力量，而這原是你應(yīng)該知道的！”

“陛下，陛下，”大臣咕噥地說，“陛下開恩——”

“請您過來，維爾福先生，”國王又對那青年說道，后者一動(dòng)也不動(dòng)，屏住了呼吸，傾聽一場關(guān)系到一個(gè)國王的命運(yùn)的談話，——“來來，告訴大臣先生，他所不知道的一切，別人卻能事先知道。”

“陛下，那個(gè)人一手遮蓋住了天下人的耳目，誰也無法事先知道這個(gè)計(jì)劃?！?span lang="EN-US">

“無法知道，這是多么偉大的字眼，不幸的是我已經(jīng)都知道了，天下確實(shí)有偉大的字眼，先生，一位大臣他手里有龐大的機(jī)關(guān)，有警察，有秘探，有一百五十萬法朗的秘密活動(dòng)經(jīng)費(fèi)，竟無法說出離法國一百八十里以外的情況。難道真的無法知道，那么，看看吧，這兒有一位先生，他的手下并沒有這些條件，只是一個(gè)法官，可他卻比你和所有警務(wù)都知道的多。假如，他象你那樣有權(quán)指揮快報(bào)機(jī)構(gòu)的話，他早就可以幫我保住這頂皇冠啦。”

警務(wù)大臣的眼光都轉(zhuǎn)到維爾福身上，神色中帶著仇恨，后者卻帶著勝利的謙遜低下了頭。

“我并沒有在說您，勃拉卡斯，”路易十八繼續(xù)說道，“因?yàn)樗闶悄鷽]有發(fā)現(xiàn)什么，但至少您很明達(dá)，曾堅(jiān)持您的懷疑，要是換了個(gè)人，就會(huì)認(rèn)為維爾福先生的發(fā)現(xiàn)是無足輕重的，或他只是想貪功邀賞罷了。”

這些話是射向警務(wù)大臣一小時(shí)前帶著極為自信的口氣所發(fā)的那番議論的，維爾福很明白國王講話的意圖。要是換了別人，也許被這一番贊譽(yù)所陶醉，而忘乎所以了，但他怕自己會(huì)成為警務(wù)大臣的死敵，他已看出大臣的失敗是無可挽回的了。

事情也確實(shí)如此，這位大臣的權(quán)力在握的時(shí)候雖不能揭穿拿破侖的秘密，但在他垂死掙扎之際，卻可能揭穿他的秘密，因?yàn)樗灰獑栆粏柼铺贡阋磺卸济靼琢?，所以維爾福不得不落井下石，反而來幫他一把了。

“陛下，”維爾福說，事態(tài)變化之迅速足以向陛下證明：只有上帝掀起一陣風(fēng)暴才能把它止祝陛下譽(yù)臣有先見之明，實(shí)際上我純粹是出于偶然，我只不過象一個(gè)忠心的臣仆那樣抓住了這個(gè)偶然的機(jī)會(huì)而已。陛下，請不要對我過獎(jiǎng)了，否則，我將來恐怕再無機(jī)會(huì)來附和您的好意了?！?span lang="EN-US">

警務(wù)大臣向這位青年人投去了感激的一瞥，維爾福明白他的計(jì)劃已經(jīng)成功了，也就是說他既沒有損害了國王的感激之情，又新交上了一個(gè)朋友，必要時(shí)，也許可以依靠他呢。

“那也好，”國王又開始說道，“先生們，”他轉(zhuǎn)過向勃拉卡斯公爵和警務(wù)大臣說道，“我對你們沒有什么可以談的了，你們可以退下了。剩下的事必須由陸軍部來辦理了?！?span lang="EN-US">

“幸虧，陛下，”勃拉卡斯說，“我們可以信賴陸軍，陛下知道。所有的報(bào)告都證實(shí)他們是忠心耿耿的?！?span lang="EN-US">

“先生，別再向我提起報(bào)告了！我現(xiàn)在已經(jīng)知道可以信賴他們的程度了，可是，說到報(bào)告，男爵閣下，你知道有關(guān)圣·杰克司事件的消息嗎？”

“圣·杰克司街的事件！”維爾福禁不住驚叫了一聲。然后，又急忙換了口氣說，“請您原諒，陛下，我對陛下的忠誠使我忘記了——倒不是忘記了對您的尊敬，而是一時(shí)忘記了禮儀?！?span lang="EN-US">

“請隨意一些，先生！”國王答道，“今天你有提出問題的權(quán)利。”

“陛下，”警務(wù)大臣回答道，“我剛才就是來向陛下報(bào)告有關(guān)這方面的最新消息的，碰巧陛下的注意力都集中到那件可怕的大事上去了，現(xiàn)在陛下恐怕不會(huì)再感興趣了吧。”

“恰恰相反，先生，恰恰相反，”路易十八說，“依我看和剛才我們所關(guān)心的事一定有關(guān)系，奎斯奈爾將軍之死或許會(huì)引起一次內(nèi)部的大叛亂?！?span lang="EN-US">

維爾福聽到奎斯奈爾將軍的名字不禁顫粟了一下。

“陛下，”警務(wù)大臣說，“事實(shí)上，一切證據(jù)都說明這他的死，并不象我們以前所相信的那樣是自殺，而是一次謀殺。好象是奎斯奈爾將軍在離開一個(gè)拿破侖黨俱樂部的時(shí)候失蹤的。那天早晨，曾有人和他在一起，并約他在圣·杰克司街相會(huì)，不幸的是當(dāng)那個(gè)陌生人進(jìn)來的時(shí)候，將軍的貼身保鏢正在梳頭，他只聽到了街名，沒聽清門牌號(hào)碼?！?span lang="EN-US">

當(dāng)警務(wù)大臣向國王講述這件事的時(shí)候，維爾福全神貫注地聽著，臉上一陣紅一陣白，好象他的整個(gè)生命都維系于這番話上似的。國王把目光轉(zhuǎn)到了他的身上。

“維爾福先生，人們都以為這位奎斯奈爾將軍是追隨逆賊的，但實(shí)際上他卻是完全忠心于我的，我覺得他是拿破侖黨所設(shè)的一次圈套的犧牲品，你是否與我有同感？”

“這是可能的，陛下，”維爾福回答?！暗F(xiàn)在只知道這些嗎？”

“他們已經(jīng)在跟蹤那個(gè)和他約會(huì)的人了?！?span lang="EN-US">

“已經(jīng)跟蹤他了嗎？”維爾福說。

“是的，仆人已把他的外貌描繪了出來。他是一個(gè)年約五十一二歲的人，棕褐色皮膚，蓬松的眉毛底下有一雙黑色的眼睛，胡子又長又密。他身穿藍(lán)色披風(fēng)，鈕孔上掛著榮譽(yù)團(tuán)軍官的玫瑰花形徽章。昨天跟蹤到一個(gè)人，他的外貌和以上所描過的完全相符，但那人到裘森尼街和高海隆路的拐角上便突然不見了?！?span lang="EN-US">

維爾福將身子靠在了椅背上，因?yàn)榫瘎?wù)大臣在講述的時(shí)候，他直覺得兩腿發(fā)軟，當(dāng)他聽到那人擺脫了跟蹤他的密探的時(shí)候，他才松了一口氣。

“繼續(xù)追蹤這個(gè)人，先生，”國王對警務(wù)大臣說，“奎斯?fàn)枌④娔壳皩ξ覀兎浅Ｓ杏?，從各方面看來，我相信他是被謀殺的，假如果真如此，那么暗殺他的兇手，不論是否是拿破侖黨，都該從嚴(yán)懲處?！?span lang="EN-US">

國王講這些話的，維爾福在極力使自己鎮(zhèn)定下來，以免露出恐怖的神色。

“多妙呀！”國王用很尖酸的語氣繼續(xù)說道?！爱?dāng)警務(wù)部說'又發(fā)生了一起謀殺案’的時(shí)候，尤其是，當(dāng)他們又加上一句'我們已經(jīng)在追蹤兇手’的時(shí)候，他們就以為一切就都已了結(jié)?！?span lang="EN-US">

“陛下，我相信陛下對此已經(jīng)滿意了。”

“等著瞧吧。我不再耽擱你了，男爵。維爾福先生，你經(jīng)過這次長途旅程，一定很疲乏了，回去休息吧。你大概是下塌在你父親那兒吧？”

維爾福感到微微有點(diǎn)昏眩?！安唬菹?，”他答道，“我下塌在導(dǎo)農(nóng)街的馬德里飯店里?！?span lang="EN-US">

“你去見過他了嗎？”

“陛下，我剛到就去找勃拉卡斯公爵先生了。”

“但你總得去見他吧？”

“我不想去見他，陛下?！?span lang="EN-US">

“呀，我忘啦，”路易十八說道，隨即微笑了一下，借以表示這一切問題是沒有任何意圖的，“我忘記了你和諾瓦萊埃先生的關(guān)系并不太好，這又是效忠王室而作出的一次犧牲，為了兩次犧牲你該得到報(bào)償?！?span lang="EN-US">

“陛下，陛下對我的仁慈已超過了我所希望的最高報(bào)償，我已別無所求了。”

“那算什么，先生，我們是不會(huì)忘記你的，你放心好了?，F(xiàn)在（說到這里，國王將他佩戴在藍(lán)色上衣上的榮譽(yù)勛章摘了下來，遞給了維爾福，這枚勛章原先戴在他的圣·路易十字勛章的旁邊。圣·拉柴勛章之上的）——現(xiàn)在暫時(shí)先接受這個(gè)勛章吧。”

“陛下，”維爾福說，“陛下搞錯(cuò)了，這種勛章是軍人佩戴的。”

“是??！”路易十八說，“拿著吧，就算這樣吧，因?yàn)槲襾聿患敖o你弄個(gè)別的了。勃拉卡斯，您記得把榮譽(yù)勛位證書發(fā)給維爾福先生。”

維爾福的眼睛里充滿了喜悅和得意的淚水。他接過勛章在上面吻了一下。“現(xiàn)在，”他說，“我能問一下：陛下還有什么命令賜我去執(zhí)行嗎？”

“你需要休息，先休息去吧，要記住，你雖然不能在巴黎這兒為我服務(wù)，但你在馬賽對我也是很有用處呢?！?span lang="EN-US">

“陛下，”維爾福一面鞠躬，一面回答，“我在一個(gè)鐘頭之內(nèi)就要離開巴黎了?！?span lang="EN-US">

“去吧，先生，”國王說，“假如我忘了你（國王記憶力都不強(qiáng)），就設(shè)法使我想起你來，不用怕。男爵先生，去叫軍政大臣來。勃拉卡斯，你留在這兒。”

“啊，先生，”在他們離開杜伊勒里宮的時(shí)候，警務(wù)部長對維爾福說，“您走的門路不錯(cuò)，您的前程遠(yuǎn)大！”“誰知道能否真的前程遠(yuǎn)大？”維爾福心里這樣思忖著，一面向大臣致敬告別，他的任務(wù)已經(jīng)完成了，他環(huán)顧四周尋找出租的馬車。這時(shí)正巧有一輛從眼前經(jīng)過，他便喊住了它，告訴了地址，然后跳到車?yán)?，躺在座位上，做起野心夢來了?span lang="EN-US">

十分鐘之后，維爾福到了他的旅館，他吩咐馬車兩小時(shí)后來接他，并吩咐把早餐給他拿來。他正要進(jìn)餐時(shí)，門鈴有了，聽那鈴聲，便知道這人果斷有力。仆人打開了門，維爾福聽到來客提到了他的名字。

“誰會(huì)知道我在這兒呢？”青年自問道。

仆人走進(jìn)來。

“咦，”維爾福說，“什么事？誰拉鈴？誰要見我？”

“一個(gè)陌生人，他不愿意說出他的姓名?！?span lang="EN-US">

“一個(gè)不愿意說出姓名的陌生人，他想干什么？”

“他想同您說話?！?span lang="EN-US">

“同我。”

“是的?！?span lang="EN-US">

“他有沒有說出我的名字？”

“說了。”

“他是個(gè)什么樣的人?！?span lang="EN-US">

“唔，先生，是一個(gè)五十歲左右的人。”

“個(gè)頭是高是矮？”

“跟您差不多，先生?！?span lang="EN-US">

“頭發(fā)是黑的還是黃的？”

“黑，——黑極了，黑眼睛，黑頭發(fā)，黑眉毛。”

“穿什么衣服？”維爾福急忙問。

“穿一件藍(lán)色的披風(fēng)，排胸扣的，還掛著榮譽(yù)勛章?！?span lang="EN-US">

“是他！”維爾福說道，臉色變得蒼白。

“呃，一點(diǎn)不錯(cuò)！”我們已描繪過兩次外貌的那個(gè)人走進(jìn)門來說，“規(guī)矩還不少哪！兒子叫他父親候在外客廳里，這可是馬賽的規(guī)矩嗎？”

“父親！”維爾福喊道，“我沒弄錯(cuò)，我覺得這一定是您。”

“哦，那么，假如你覺得這樣肯定，”來客一面說著，一面把他的手杖靠在了一個(gè)角落里，把帽子放在了一張椅子上，“讓我告訴你，我親愛的杰拉爾，你要我這樣等在門外可太不客氣了?！?span lang="EN-US">

“你去吧，茄曼?！本S爾福說。于是那仆人帶著一臉的驚異神色退出了房間。