登陆注册
5302500000054

第54章 M.DE RAMBOUILLET.(1)

For a while we were but a melancholy party.The incident I have last related which seemed to admit of more explanations than one --left me in a state of the greatest perplexity;and this prevailed with me for a time,and was only dissipated at length by my seeing my own face,as it were,in a glass.For,chancing presently to look behind me,I observed that Simon Fleix was riding,notwithstanding his fine hat and feather and his new sword,in a posture and with an air of dejection difficult to exaggerate;whereon the reflection that master and man had the same object in their minds--nay,the thought that possibly he bore in his bosom a like token to that which lay warm in mine--occurring to me,I roused myself as from some degrading dream,and,shaking up the Cid,cantered forward to join Rosny,who,in no cheerful mood himself,was riding steadily forward,wrapped to his eyes in his cloak.

The news of the King of Navarre's illness had fallen on him,indeed,in the midst of his sanguine scheming with the force of a thunderbolt.He saw himself in danger of losing at once the master he loved and the brilliant future to which he looked forward;and amid the imminent crash of his hopes and the destruction of the system in which he lived,he had scarcely time to regret the wife he was leaving at Rosny or the quiet from which he was so suddenly called.His heart was in the South,at La Ganache,by Henry's couch.His main idea was to get there quickly at all risks.The name of the King of Navarre's physician was constantly on his lips.'Dortoman is a good man.

If anyone call save him,Dortoman will,'was his perpetual cry.

And whenever he met anyone who had the least appearance of bearing news,he would have me stop and interrogate him,and by no means let the traveller go until he had given us the last rumour from Blois--the channel through which all the news from the South reached us.

An incident which occurred at the inn that evening cheered him somewhat;the most powerful minds being prone,I have observed,to snatch at omens in times of uncertainty.An elderly man,of strange appearance,and dressed in an affected and bizarre fashion,was seated at table when we arrived.Though I entered first in my assumed capacity of leader of the party,he let me pass before him without comment,but rose and solemnly saluted M.

de Rosny,albeit the latter walked behind me and was much more plainly dressed.Rosny returned his greeting and would have passed on;but the stranger,interposing with a still lower bow,invited him to take his seat,which was near the fire and sheltered from the draught,at the same time making as if he would himself remove to another place.

'Nay,'said my companion,surprised by such an excess of courtesy,'I do not see why I should take your place,sir.'

'Not mine only,'the old man rejoined,looking at him with a particularity and speaking with an emphasis which attracted our attention,'but those of many others,who I can assure you will very shortly yield them up to you,whether they will or not.'

M.de Rosny shrugged his shoulders and passed on,affecting to suppose the old man wandered.But privately he thought much of his words,and more when he learned that he was an astrologer from Paris,who had the name,at any rate in this country,of having studied under Nostradamus.And whether he drew fresh hopes from this,or turned his attention more particularly as we approached Blois to present matters,certainly he grew more cheerful,and began again to discuss the future,as though assured of his master's recovery.

'You have never been to the King's Court?'he said presently,following up,as I judged,a train of thought in his own mind.

'At Blois,I mean.'

'No;nor do I feel anxious to visit it,'I answered.'To tell you the truth,M.le Baron,'I continued with some warmth,'the sooner me are beyond Blois,the better I shall be pleased.Ithink we run some risk there,and,besides,I do not fancy a shambles.I do not think I could see the king without thinking of the Bartholomew,nor his chamber without thinking of Guise.'

'Tut,tut!'he said,'you have killed a man before now.'

'Many,'I answered.

'Do they trouble you?'

'No,but they were killed in fair fight,'I replied,'That makes a difference.'

'To you,'he said drily.'But you are not the King of France,you see.Should you ever come across him,'he continued,flicking his horse's ears,a faint smile on his lips,'I will give you a hint.Talk to him of the battles at Jarnac and Moncontour,and praise your Conde's father!As Conde lost the fight and,he won it,the compliment comes home to him.The more hopelessly a man has lost his powers,my friend,the more fondly he regards them,and the more highly he prizes the victories he call no longer gain.'

'Ugh!'I muttered.

'Of the two parties at Court,'Rosny continued,calmly overlooking my ill-humour,'trust D'Aumont and Biron and the French clique.They are true to France at any rate.But whomsoever you see consort with the two Retzs--the King of Spain's jackals as men name them--avoid him for a Spaniard and a traitor.'

'But the Retzs are Italians,'I objected peevishly.

'The same thing,'he answered curtly.'They cry,"Vive le Roi!"but privately they are for the League,or for Spain,or for whatever may most hurt us;who are better Frenchmen than themselves,and whose leader will some day,if God spare his life,be King of France.'

'Well,the less I have to do with the one or the other of them,save at the sword's point,the better I shall be pleased,'Irejoined.

On that he looked at me with a queer smile;as was his way when he had more in his mind than appeared.And this,and something special in the tone of his conversation,as well,perhaps,as my own doubts about my future and his intentions regarding me,gave me an uneasy feeling;which lasted through the day,and left me only when more immediate peril presently rose to threaten us.

同类推荐
  • MY WORLD

    MY WORLD

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 佛说慧印三昧经

    佛说慧印三昧经

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 佛说蓱沙王五愿经

    佛说蓱沙王五愿经

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 入大乘论

    入大乘论

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 唐护法沙门法琳别传

    唐护法沙门法琳别传

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
热门推荐
  • 凤舞依天

    凤舞依天

    天生丽质,就会得人宠爱吗?出生高贵,就能诸事顺利吗?嫁入皇宫,就会享尽荣华吗?哪儿有那么容易!本文的女主经历了人生不易、命途多舛,但是她选择了接受挑战,并活出了精彩。女神是怎样炼成的?凤凰涅槃便是最好的诠释。
  • 南怀瑾:真正的修行是红尘炼心

    南怀瑾:真正的修行是红尘炼心

    都市的繁华、漂泊的迷茫、生活的压力,让我们逐渐失去了品味幸福的能力。为了找回内心的宁静,有的人到处奔走寻求,可是修了很多年,没有任何改变。因为,这不是真正的修行。真正的修行不能脱离社会,不能脱离现实,要在修行中生活,在生活中修行。人生本就是一场修行,面对工作、生活中的各种境遇历事炼性,对人炼心。做到心中多一些理解和包容,多一些责任和义务。当你不求回报地给予奉献的时候,这就是修行。你会得到无比的快乐,你的事业、家庭等都会顺利。
  • 画山水序

    画山水序

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 海绡说词

    海绡说词

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 我不想有这个系统

    我不想有这个系统

    捡到一部手机后莫名其妙被系统绑架,不完成任务弟弟就得消失?莫凡:“求求你放过我啦,我不想做任务好吧!”系统:“不要,就因为在人群中看了你一眼,我就爱上了你!” 莫凡:“……我真的不想要这个系统。” ps:群号:807596374
  • 毒医丑妃不下堂

    毒医丑妃不下堂

    21世纪最懒的特工穿越后又丑又傻,名气还不小,只因为她嫁给了当今大润朝最俊美妖孽的八王爷。招蜂引蝶还整天想要她死的男人有什么好留恋的?一封休夫书,一袭白纱拂面,潇洒离去。那一夜,她一舞倾天下,面具下的容颜,艳惊四座!阳春三月,京城第一花魁招夫大赛拉开帷幕。
  • 一切如来说佛顶轮王一百八名赞

    一切如来说佛顶轮王一百八名赞

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 重生之最强丐神

    重生之最强丐神

    齐夕由于前世是个乞丐所以街头行乞饿死了,但是在以灵魂体重生时,奇迹般留存下了地球的记忆,于是乎被域外大能看中。在另一片奇异的大陆重生,但是狗血的是,还没当够少爷,全家却被屠杀了,于是他依旧做回了一个乞丐老本行。游荡在这新奇的大陆,揭开这片大陆的秘密。一步一步的开启传承。渐渐的变强。
  • 虎之影

    虎之影

    老一辈常说,解放前的凉山,老君山、螺髻山、黄毛梗、阳糯雪山等主要山脉,都曾经是虎的天堂。其他野生动物也是种类繁多,不计其数。但是,由于多年以来过度狩猎,乱砍乱伐,生态环境遭到严重破坏。到如今,不要说虎豹。一只野兔也难觅其踪。将来我们的子孙,就只能在影视资料里一睹其芳容了。长此以往,人类将成为孤独的、单一的物种。因为惧怕的缘故吧,在相当长的一段时间里,下面这个故事一直萦绕在我的脑海里,久久挥之不去……——作者。在我生命最后的时光里,我常常徜徉于阳糯雪山的山岭沟谷间。我老了,老了就是老了,不是一句话能说明白的。
  • 契约鬼妃

    契约鬼妃

    如果有一天我被尘世遗忘谁能透过我的灵魂找到我…当她醒来,周围一切变得虚无缥缈,感觉不到自己的存在,就算触碰自己都只会穿身而过。原来她变成了一抹幽魂,不知自己的过去,更不知自己的未来。没有身份的幽魂无法投胎转世,无法获得真正的解脱。从此她代替别人活着,为的只是寻找真正的自己。当她一次又一次用别人的身体睁开眼睛,她用自己的思想过着别人的生活,看尽世间悲欢离合,听遍天下承诺誓言。却没有人在她用另一个身份出现是认出她。她是被尘世抛弃的人,她是不记得过往却苦苦寻觅的幽魂。…只知阎王掌管凡尘众生的生死,其实他座下有三大聚魂灵尊,他们才是真正决定世人应该生或死的生死判官。其中一聚魂灵尊——东陵邪觉得自己很悲催,因为他所负责的地盘正值乱世硝烟。万事皆有法则,虽为生死判官也只能按法则行事,无奈乱世硝烟中人命皆如草芥,总有些人还没到该死的时辰,便因为种种原因嗝屁了。阎王传命于他,不该死的人就绝不能引入地府也不允许游魂在外。东陵邪听到这样的命令,皱起眉头,这不是强人所难吗?左思右想,苦思冥想之后,东陵邪创造一道地府之令——逐梦令。何谓逐梦令?东陵邪邪魅一笑,让那些不当死之人活下去就是逐梦令。谁来执行逐梦令?是东陵大大您亲自去吗?东陵邪再次邪魅一笑,开玩笑,本灵尊怎么会干此下等活儿,自然是让她去。她?她是谁?东陵邪觉得今日自己笑得有点多了,遂冷了脸色。她是谁?连她自己都不知道她是谁,她会跟着本灵尊正是因为她想知道她是谁。既然她没有身份,便可以用任何身份活下去,所以若谁在不该死的时候死去,她便得遵从逐梦令代替那人活下去,活到那人该死的时候。无论是否到该死的时辰,但凡死去的总不是什么好命人,那她岂不是永远在苦命中徘徊,这她也肯?她若想知道自己究竟是谁,就必须遵从逐梦令,或许在执行逐梦令时有人认出她来,她还有翻身的机会,不然她就永远魂魄难安,永世不得超生。…她想活着,却不知自己为何死去。那些人明明能活着,为何偏偏选择极端之路。古琴一响,逐梦一令。她能否寻找回真正的自我?…特别说明:1、此文略带玄幻色彩,不过只属于轻玄幻范畴。没有打怪练级换地图,却有宅斗宫斗人心斗,顺便还加了点触动心灵的爱情。2、此文人物背景皆为架空,偶尔出场的神话人物也只是杜纂而出,请勿寻瑕伺隙吹毛求疵。3、此文作者只接受一对一的结局。