第 11 节
作者:插翅难飞      更新:2021-04-30 17:18      字数:9322
  The poor wretch was in his last agony; his head sunk upon his shoulder
  and   his   blackened   tongue   protruding   from   his   lips。      He   was   dying   as
  much   from   thirst   as   from   his   wounds;   and   these   inhuman   wretches   had
  placed a beaker of wine upon the table in front of him to add a fresh pang
  to his tortures。
  I raised it to his lips。    He had still strength enough to swallow; and the
  light came back a little to his dim eyes。
  〃Are you a Frenchman?〃 he whispered。
  〃Yes。    They have sent me to learn what had befallen you。〃
  〃They discovered me。          They have killed me for it。
  But before   I die   let   me tell   you   what   I   know。  A  little   more   of   that
  wine; please!       Quick!     Quick! I am very near the end。             My strength is
  going。     Listen to me!
  The powder is stored in the Mother Superior's room。
  The wall is pierced; and the end of the train is in Sister Angela's cell;
  next   the   chapel。    All   was   ready   two   days   ago。   But   they   discovered   a
  letter and they tortured me。〃
  〃Good heavens! have you been hanging here for two days?〃
  〃It seems like two years。        Comrade; I have served France; have I not?
  Then do one little service for me。
  Stab me to the heart; dear friend!          I implore you; I entreat you; to put
  an end to my sufferings。〃
  The man was indeed in a hopeless plight; and the kindest action would
  have been that for which he begged。
  And     yet  I  could   not  in  cold   blood    drive   my   knife   into  his   body;
  although I knew how I should have prayed for such a mercy had I been in
  his place。     But a sudden thought crossed my mind。                In my pocket I held
  that which   would   give   an   instant   and   a   painless   death。   It   was   my  own
  safeguard against torture; and yet this poor soul was in very pressing need
  of   it;   and   he   had   deserved   well   of   France。  I   took   out   my   phial   and
  emptied   it   into   the   cup   of   wine。 I   was   in   the   act   of   handing   it   to   him
  when I heard a sudden clash of arms outside the door。
  In an instant I put out my light and slipped behind the window…curtains。
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  Next moment the door was flung open and two Spaniards strode into the
  room; fierce; swarthy men in the dress of citizens; but with muskets slung
  over   their   shoulders。      I   looked   through   the   chink   in   the   curtains   in   an
  agony of fear lest they had come upon my traces; but it was evident that
  their   visit   was   simply   in   order   to   feast   their   eyes   upon   my   unfortunate
  compatriot。
  One of them held the lantern which he carried up in front of the dying
  man; and both of them burst into a shout of mocking laughter。                       Then the
  eyes   of   the   man   with   the   lantern   fell   upon   the   flagon   of   wine   upon   the
  table。    He picked it up; held it; with a devilish grin; to the lips of Hubert;
  and   then;   as   the   poor   wretch   involuntarily   inclined   his   head   forward   to
  reach it; he snatched it back and took a long gulp himself。                     At the same
  instant   he   uttered   a   loud   cry;   clutched   wildly  at   his   own   throat;   and   fell
  stone…dead       upon    the  floor。   His    comrade   stared      at  him   in   horror   and
  amazement。         Then;  overcome  by  his   own   superstitious   fears;  he   gave   a
  yell of terror and rushed madly from the room。                 I heard his feet clattering
  wildly on the cobble…stones until the sound died away in the distance。
  The lantern had been left burning upon the table; and by its light I saw;
  as I came out from behind my curtain; that the unfortunate Hubert's head
  had fallen forward upon his chest and that he also was dead。                    That motion
  to reach the wine with his lips had been his last。               A clock ticked loudly in
  the house;   but   otherwise   all   was   absolutely  still。      On   the  wall   hung   the
  twisted form of the Frenchman; on the floor lay the motionless body of the
  Spaniard; all dimly lit by the horn lantern。              For the first time in my life a
  frantic   spasm  of   terror   came   over   me。      I   had   seen   ten   thousand   men   in
  every conceivable degree of mutilation stretched upon the ground; but the
  sight   had   never   affected   me   like   those   two   silent   figures   who   were   my
  companions        in   that  shadowy       room。     I   rushed    into   the   street  as   the
  Spaniard had   done;  eager   only  to   leave  that   house of gloom  behind   me;
  and I had run as far as the cathedral before my wits came back to me。
  There I stopped; panting; in the shadow; and; my hand pressed to my
  side; I tried to collect my scattered senses and to plan out what I should do。
  As I stood there; breathless; the great brass bells roared twice above my
  head。     It was two o'clock。         Four was the hour when the storming…party
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  would be in its place。         I had still two hours in which to act。
  The cathedral was brilliantly lit within; and a number of people were
  passing   in   and   out;   so   I   entered;   thinking   that   I   was   less   likely   to   be
  accosted   there;   and   that   I   might   have   quiet   to   form   my   plans。     It   was
  certainly a singular sight; for the place had been turned into an hospital; a
  refuge;     and   a  store…house。      One     aisle   was    crammed      with    provisions;
  another   was   littered   with   sick   and   wounded;   while   in   the   centre   a   great
  number of helpless people had taken up their abode; and had even lit their
  cooking fires upon the mosaic floors。                There were many at prayer; so I
  knelt in the shadow of a pillar; and I prayed with all my heart that I might
  have the good luck to get out of this scrape alive; and that I might do such
  a deed that night as would make my name as famous in Spain as it had
  already  become   in   Germany。          I   waited   until   the   clock   struck   three;   and
  then   I   left   the   cathedral   and   made   my   way   toward   the   Convent   of   the
  Madonna;  where  the  assault   was   to   be  delivered。           You   will   understand;
  you who know me so well; that I was not the man to return tamely to the
  French camp with the report that our agent was dead and that other means
  must be found of entering the city。              Either I should find some means to
  finish   his   uncompleted   task   or   there   would   be   a   vacancy   for   a   senior
  captain in the Hussars of Conflans。
  I passed unquestioned down the broad boulevard; which I have already
  described;      until  I  came     to  the  great   stone    convent     which    formed     the
  outwork of the defence。
  It   was   built   in   a square   with   a   garden in   the   centre。 In   this   garden
  some   hundreds   of   men   were   assembled;   all   armed   and   ready;   for   it   was
  known; of course; within the town that this was the point against which the
  French attack was likely to be made。              Up to this time our fighting all over
  Europe   had   always   been   done   between   one   army   and   another。             It   was
  only here in Spain that we learned how terrible a thing it is to fight against
  a people。
  On the one hand there is no glory; for what glory could be gained by
  defeating   this   rabble   of   elderly  shopkeepers;   ignorant   peasants;   fanatical
  priests;    excited    women;     and    all  the  other   creatures    who     made    up   the
  garrison?      On the other hand there were extreme discomfort and danger;
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  for these people would give you no rest; would observe no rules of war;
  and were desperately earnest in their desire by hook or by crook to do you
  an injury。     I began to realise how odious was our task as I looked upon
  the motley but ferocious groups who were gathered round the watch…fires
  in the garden of the Convent of the Madonna。               It was not for us soldiers
  to think about politics; but from the beginning there always seemed to be a
  curse upon this war in Spain。
  However; at the moment I had no time to brood over such matters as
  these。    There   was;   as   I   have   said;   no   difficulty   in   getting   as   far   as   the
  convent   garden