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