第 16 节
作者:尘小春      更新:2021-03-08 19:23      字数:9322
  will tell you why you have been carried off。 If you will take the
  trouble to put your hand out in this direction; you will find your
  case of instruments lying between us; we sent a messenger for them to
  your rooms; in your name。 You will need them。 We are taking you to a
  house that you may save the honor of a lady who is about to give birth
  to a child that she wishes to place in this gentleman's keeping
  without her husband's knowledge。 Though monsieur rarely leaves his
  wife; with whom he is still passionately in love; watching over her
  with all the vigilance of Spanish jealousy; she had succeeded in
  concealing her condition; he believes her to be ill。 You must bring
  the child into the world。 The dangers of this enterprise do not
  concern us: only; you must obey us; otherwise the lover; who is
  sitting opposite to you in this carriage; and who does not understand
  a word of French; will kill you on the least rash movement。〃
  〃 ' 〃And who are you?〃 I asked; feeling for the speaker's hand; for
  her arm was inside the sleeve of a soldier's uniform。
  〃 ' 〃I am my lady's waiting…woman;〃 said she; 〃and ready to reward you
  with my own person if you show yourself gallant and helpful in our
  necessities。〃
  〃 ' 〃Gladly;〃 said I; seeing that I was inevitably started on a
  perilous adventure。
  〃 'Under favor of the darkness; I felt whether the person and figure
  of the girl were in keeping with the idea I had formed of her from her
  tone of voice。 The good soul had; no doubt; made up her mind from the
  first to accept all the chances of this strange act of kidnapping; for
  she kept silence very obligingly; and the coach had not been more than
  ten minutes on the way when she accepted and returned a very
  satisfactory kiss。 The lover; who sat opposite to me; took no offence
  at an occasional quite involuntary kick; as he did not understand
  French; I conclude he paid no heed to them。
  〃 ' 〃I can be your mistress on one condition only;〃 said the woman; in
  reply to the nonsense I poured into her ear; carried away by the
  fervor of an improvised passion; to which everything was unpropitious。
  〃 ' 〃And what is it?〃
  〃 ' 〃That you will never attempt to find out whose servant I am。 If I
  am to go to you; it must be at night; and you must receive me in the
  dark。〃
  〃 ' 〃Very good;〃 said I。
  〃 'We had got as far as this; when the carriage drew up under a garden
  wall。
  〃 ' 〃You must allow me to bandage your eyes;〃 said the maid。 〃You can
  lean on my arm; and I will lead you。〃
  〃 'She tied a handkerchief over my eyes; fastening it in a tight knot
  at the back of my head。 I heard the sound of a key being cautiously
  fitted to the lock of a little side door by the speechless lover who
  had sat opposite to me。 In a moment the waiting…woman; whose shape was
  slender; and who walked with an elegant jauntiness'/meneho/; as they
  call it;〃 Monsieur Gravier explained in a superior tone; 〃a word which
  describes the swing which women contrive to give a certain part of
  their dress that shall be nameless。'The waiting…woman'it is the
  surgeon…major who is speaking;〃 the narrator went on〃 'led me along
  the gravel walks of a large garden; till at a certain spot she
  stopped。 From the louder sound of our footsteps; I concluded that we
  were close to the house。 〃Now silence!〃 said she in a whisper; 〃and
  mind what you are about。 Do not overlook any of my signals; I cannot
  speak without terrible danger for both of us; and at this moment your
  life is of the first importance。〃 Then she added: 〃My mistress is in a
  room on the ground floor。 To get into it we must pass through her
  husband's room and close to his bed。 Do not cough; walk softly; and
  follow me closely; so as not to knock against the furniture or tread
  anywhere but on the carpets I laid down。〃
  〃 'Here the lover gave an impatient growl; as a man annoyed by so much
  delay。
  〃 'The woman said no more; I heard a door open; I felt the warm air of
  the house; and we stole in like thieves。 Presently the girl's light
  hand removed the bandage。 I found myself in a lofty and spacious room;
  badly lighted by a smoky lamp。 The window was open; but the jealous
  husband had fitted it with iron bars。 I was in the bottom of a sack;
  as it were。
  〃 'On the ground a woman was lying on a mat; her head was covered with
  a muslin veil; but I could see her eyes through it full of tears and
  flashing with the brightness of stars; she held a handkerchief in her
  mouth; biting it so hard that her teeth were set in it: I never saw
  finer limbs; but her body was writhing with pain like a harp…string
  thrown on the fire。 The poor creature had made a sort of struts of her
  legs by setting her feet against a chest of drawers; and with both
  hands she held on to the bar of a chair; her arms outstretched; with
  every vein painfully swelled。 She might have been a criminal
  undergoing torture。 But she did not utter a cry; there was not a
  sound; all three speechless and motionless。 The husband snored with
  reassuring regularity。 I wanted to study the waiting…woman's face; but
  she had put on a mask; which she had removed; no doubt; during our
  drive; and I could see nothing but a pair of black eyes and a
  pleasingly rounded figure。
  〃 'The lover threw some towels over his mistress' legs and folded the
  muslin veil double over her face。 As soon as I had examined the lady
  with care; I perceived from certain symptoms which I had noted once
  before on a very sad occasion in my life; that the infant was dead。 I
  turned to the maid in order to tell her this。 Instantly the suspicious
  stranger drew his dagger; but I had time to explain the matter to the
  woman; who explained in a word or two to him in a low voice。 On
  hearing my opinion; a quick; slight shudder ran through him from head
  to foot like a lightning flash; I fancied I could see him turn pale
  under his black velvet mask。
  〃 'The waiting…woman took advantage of a moment when he was bending in
  despair over the dying woman; who had turned blue; to point to some
  glasses of lemonade standing on a table; at the same time shaking her
  head negatively。 I understood that I was not to drink anything in
  spite of the dreadful thirst that parched my throat。 The lover was
  thirsty too; he took an empty glass; poured out some fresh lemonade;
  and drank it off。
  〃 'At this moment the lady had a violent attack of pain; which showed
  me that now was the time to operate。 I summoned all my courage; and in
  about an hour had succeeded in delivering her of the child; cutting it
  up to extract it。 The Spaniard no longer thought of poisoning me;
  understanding that I had saved the mother's life。 Large tears fell on
  his cloak。 The woman uttered no sound; but she trembled like a hunted
  animal; and was bathed in sweat。
  〃 'At one horribly critical moment she pointed in the direction of her
  husband's room; he had turned in his sleep; and she alone had heard
  the rustle of the sheets; the creaking of the bed or of the curtain。
  We all paused; and the lover and the waiting…woman; through the
  eyeholes of their masks; gave each other a look that said; 〃If he
  wakes; shall we kill him?〃
  〃 'At that instant I put out my hand to take the glass of lemonade the
  Spaniard had drunk of。 He; thinking that I was about to take one of
  the full glasses; sprang forward like a cat; and laid his long dagger
  over the two poisoned goblets; leaving me his own; and signing to me
  to drink what was left。 So much was conveyed by this quick action; and
  it was so full of good feeling; that I forgave him his atrocious
  schemes for killing me; and thus burying every trace of this event。
  〃 'After two hours of care and alarms; the maid and I put her mistress
  to bed。 The lover; forced into so perilous an adventure; had; to
  provide means in case of having to fly; a packet of diamonds stuck to
  paper; these he put into my pocket without my knowing it; and I may
  add parenthetically; that as I was ignorant of the Spaniard's
  magnificent gift; my servant stole the jewels the day after; and went
  off with a perfect fortune。
  〃 'I whispered my instructions to the waiting…woman as to the further
  care of her patient; and wanted to be gone。 The maid remained with her
  mistress; which was not very reassuring; but I was on my guard。 The
  lover made a bundle of the dead infant and the blood…stained clothes;
  tying it up tightly; and hiding it under his cloak; he passed his hand
  over my eyes as if to bid me to see nothing; and signed to me to take
  hold of the skirt of his coat。 He went first out of the room; and I
  followed; not without a parting glance at my lady of an hour。 She;
  seeing the Spaniard had gone out; snatched off her mask and showed me
  an exquisite face。
  〃 'When I found myself in the garden; in the open air; I confess that
  I breathed as if a heavy load had been lifted from my breast。 I
  followed my guide at a respectful distance; watching his least
  movement with keen attention。 Having reached the little door; he took
  my hand and pressed a seal to my lips; set in a ring which I had seen
  him wearing on a finger of his left hand; and I gave him to understand
  that this significant sign would be obeyed。 In the street two horses
  were waiting; we each mounted one。 My Spani