登陆注册
5431700000018

第18章

This personage was as curious as the sorcerer Patience; perhaps more comic in his way than the sorcerer. He was a bilious, melancholy man, tall, lean, angular, full of languor, dignity, and deliberation in speech and action. So little did he like talking that he answered all questions in monosyllables; and yet he never failed to obey the laws of the most scrupulous politeness, and rarely said a word without raising his hand to the corner of his hat as a sign of respect and civility. Was he thus by nature, or, in his itinerant trade, had this wise reserve arisen from a fear of alienating some of his numerous clients by incautious chatter? No one knew. In all houses he was allowed a free hand; during the day he had the key of every granary;in the evening, a place at the fireside of every kitchen. He knew everything that happened; for his dreamy, absorbed air led people to talk freely in his presence; yet he had never been known to inform any household of the doings of another.

If you wish to know how I had become struck by this strange character, I may tell you that I had been a witness of my uncle's and grandfather's efforts to make him talk. They hoped to draw from him some information about the chateau of Saint-Severe, the home of a man they hated and envied, M. Hubert de Mauprat. Although Don Marcasse (they called him Don because he seemed to have the bearing and pride of a ruined hidalgo), although Don Marcasse, I say, had shown himself as incompressible here as elsewhere, the Coupe-Jarret Mauprats never failed to squeeze him a little more in the hope of extracting some details about the Casse-Tete Mauprats.

Nobody, then, could discover Marcasse's opinions about anything; it would have been simplest to suppose that he did not take the trouble to have any. Yet the attraction which Patience seemed to feel towards him--so great that he would accompany him on his travels for several weeks altogether--led one to believe that there was some witchery in the man's mysterious air, and that it was not solely the length of his sword and the skill of his dog which played such wonderful havoc with the moles and weasels. There were whispered rumours of the enchanted herbs that he employed to lure these suspicious animals from their holes into his nets. However, as people found themselves better off for his magic, no one dreamt of denouncing it as criminal.

I do not know if you have ever seen one of the rat-hunts. It is a curious sight, especially in a fodder-loft. The man and dog climbing up ladders and running along beams with marvellous assurance and agility, the dog sniffing every hole in the wall, playing the cat, crouching down and lying in wait until the game comes out for his master's rapier; the man thrusting through bundles of straw and putting the enemy to the sword--all this, when arranged and carried out with gravity and dignity by Don Marcasse, was, I assure you, a most singular and interesting performance.

When I saw this trusty fellow I felt equal to braving the sorcerer, and advanced boldly. Sylvain stared at me in admiration, and I noticed that Patience himself was not prepared for such audacity. I pretended to go up to Marcasse and speak to him, as though quite unconcerned about the presence of my enemy. Seeing this he gently thrust aside the mole-catcher, and, laying his heavy hand on my head, said very quietly:

"You have grown of late, my fine gentleman!"The blood rushed to my face, and, drawing back scornfully, I answered:

"Take care what you are doing, clodhopper; you should remember that if you still have your two ears, it is to my kindness that you owe them.""My two ears!" said Patience, with a bitter laugh.

Then making an allusion to the nickname of my family, he added:

"Perhaps you mean my two hamstrings? Patience, patience! The time, maybe, is not far distant when clodhoppers will rid the nobles of neither ears nor hamstrings, but of their heads and their purses.""Silence, Master Patience!" said the mole-catcher solemnly; "these are not the words of a philosopher.""You are quite right, quite right," replied the sorcerer; "and in truth, I don't know why I allow myself to argue with this lad. He might have had me made into pap by his uncles. I whipped him in the summer for playing me a stupid trick; and I don't know what happened to the family, but the Mauprats lost a fine chance of injuring a neighbour.""Learn, peasant," I said, "that a nobleman always takes vengeance nobly. I did not want my wrongs avenged by people more powerful than yourself; but wait a couple of years; I promise I will hang you with my own hand on a certain tree that I shall easily recognise, not very far from the door of Gazeau Tower. If I don't I will renounce my birthright; if I spare you I will take the title of wolf-driver."Patience smiled; then, suddenly becoming serious, he fixed on me that searching look which rendered his physiognomy so striking. Then turning to the weasel-hunter:

"It is strange," he said; "there must be something in blood. Take the vilest noble, and you will find that in certain things he has more spirit than the bravest of us. Ah! it is simple enough," he added, speaking to himself; "they are brought up like that, whilst we--we, they tell us, are born to obey. Patience!"He was silent for an instant; then, rousing himself from his reverie, he said to me in a kindly though somewhat mocking tone:

同类推荐
热门推荐
  • “昏”前婚后

    “昏”前婚后

    【这是一个掰直弯男的故事】她说:“我不想再沉沦下去了。”他说:“不行,我已经为你沉沦下去了,又怎么能放手让你离开?”她说:“嫁你是我始料未及的。幸福来得太突然,让我觉得太虚幻。”他说:“嫁我是你一生的赌注,我怎么舍得让你输?以我之姓,冠你之名。顾太太,你是我老婆,你要的幸福,在你老公我的手里!”【本文过程不平淡,结局很完美!宠虐结合是王道!】1.温馨片段:“我刚才看你疼,下意识的想去含你舌上的烫伤处,待我反应过来时,才发现对象不对。”顾宇笑着说。“还好你及时醒悟,不然可得对我负责了。”颜悦挑眉道。“好,宝贝儿,我负责,荣幸之至,只要你同意,咱们现在就去民政局如何?”他一脸阴谋得逞。2.表白片段:“你爱我么?”“爱,要怎么才能相信?我几时不爱你呢?把心掏出来如果有用,你就掏吧!那一定是鲜红的,为你跳动的。”他无奈,这女人怎么就不信?“如果杀人不偿命,我就动手了!”她撇嘴。“那么恨我吗?”“恨过!却因为爱过!”“那么现在把曾经的恨换成爱吧!我们该是相爱的。”他搂着她说。*推荐我的旧文:《抢夫,多多益善!》《天黑“狼”出没》
  • 权相红妆

    权相红妆

    【邪魅恣意vs偏执病娇】她是王府郡主,生而尊贵,本该荣华富贵,尊享一生,一场阴谋,父亲战死,兄长早夭,为撑起王府甘愿褪下红装,代替兄长成了王府世子。从此,上京多了一位放浪形骸,风流不羁的纨绔世子爷!调戏美人,撩拨王爷,戏弄皇子……放眼上京,没有她不敢做的。人前,玩世不恭,不学无术,邪魅恣意张扬纨绔。人后,操纵权术,算计人心,翻手为云覆手为雨。玩得起暧昧,守得住身心,谋得了天下,掌得了权谋,却……一不小心,撩到了自己的仇敌加情敌。仇敌?五年前废了他的双腿;情敌,五年后夺了他的未婚妻!这仇恨,可以说是很不共戴天了。殊不知,自赐婚初始,便落入了对方精心布置的纠缠陷阱之中。从此,她谋天下他谋她!!女主对男主,变态宠!!!男主对女主,病态宠!!!(女扮男装,1v1,身心干净,男强女强)扫雷:女主不是好人,邪魅恣意,心狠手辣,不喜慎入!
  • 悍妻来袭:抢个相公来压寨

    悍妻来袭:抢个相公来压寨

    唐夭夭家里是山贼,她自从被逼婚后的人生目标就是抢个压寨相公回家生孩子。当她第一眼见到秦淮,脑子里冒出来的就是,没错就是他了,他就是我未来的相公。“秦淮,你娶我好不好啊!”唐夭夭一脸痴迷的看着秦淮。可秦淮一脸嫌弃的答道:“不好。”唐夭夭:“你不娶我也可以,那就换我娶你。”秦淮:“………”很久以后,秦淮看着一脸花痴的唐夭夭看着其他男子,整个人都要气的爆炸了。这个女人说好的只喜欢他一个人呢?怎么转头就去看别的男人了去了。秦淮忍无可忍,直接上前一把将唐夭夭扛起带走。
  • 天降萌宝:总裁宠妻成瘾

    天降萌宝:总裁宠妻成瘾

    外界传闻,她是一个被总裁包养的小明星,但她以为他们之间有爱,可当她拿着怀孕诊断书准备报喜的时候,看到的却是站在他身边的白月光初恋,以及一声冰冷的“分手”。几年后,独身带着小包子的她成功加冕影后,她在颁奖典礼后台再次遇见了他。“你好影后,我是你的头号粉丝,‘摘星’。”
  • 山河故人图

    山河故人图

    通过架构琅琊世家子弟,在悟道和武道间的争执和矛盾,展开一场正与邪,血与火的战争。
  • 夫如一夜春风来

    夫如一夜春风来

    东羽国国舅宋意天因风流多情而备受这个国家的女人倾慕,外号国民相公。东羽国才女上官想因为一个意外与宋意天传绯闻传的沸沸扬扬。皇帝为了解决掉宋意天这个行走着的四处勾人烂桃花,于是一纸婚书让两个画风完全不一致的冤家成了一家。婚后,宋意天为完成救国就民的英雄大业,抛家弃妻,闯荡江湖,上官想为了完成宋家指标传宗接代,顶风作案,夫唱妇随,从帝京追他到了益州。上官想也因此结识了宋意天的师父,名门剑派的庄主章玦,身兼数职多重身份的江湖游侠夏游,流镜派美女掌门风涵秀,强盗联盟女当家余瑛则。
  • 去香港上大学

    去香港上大学

    不同的文化背景,不同的教育制度,成就你另一种人生!本书将系统叙述、深入分析内地学生去香港上大学热潮的时代背景、社会反响,对内地学生去香港上大学的种种情况给予全面、确切介绍,包括整个香港院校招生事件的新闻故事、香港及其八所主要院校介绍、去香港上大学的各种具体事项、内地学生已在香港上大学的情形、去香港上大学的种种优点和存在的不足、香港各院校在内地招生所引发的思考等,对内地广大中学生、大学生及其家长和老师既是一本权威的考试指导用书,又是一本生动的校园生活纪实作品。
  • 曹洞五位显诀

    曹洞五位显诀

    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。
  • 昼帘绪论

    昼帘绪论

    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。
  • 新时代大学生思想政治教育创新发展研究

    新时代大学生思想政治教育创新发展研究

    大学生是十分宝贵的人才资源,是民族的希望,是祖国的未来。目前,我国在校大学生包括本科生、专科生和研究生约有2000万。加强和改进大学生思想政治教育,提高他们的思想政治素质,把他们培养成中国特色社会主义事业的建设者和接班人,对于全面实施科教兴国和人才强国战略,确保我国在激烈的国际竞争中始终立于不败之地,确保实现全面建设小康社会、加快推进社会主义现代化的宏伟目标,确保中国特色社会主义事业兴旺发达、后继有人,具有重大而深远的战略意义。