第 48 节
作者:铲除不公      更新:2021-02-20 18:51      字数:9322
  sent her into the water; she sank; but rose again to the surface; and
  waving her hand; she cried for the last time; 'Long live Napoleon!' a
  bullet shot putting an end to her life。
  〃Several of the townspeople had met with shocking deaths。  For
  instance; M。 Angles; a neighbour of mine; an old man and no
  inconsiderable scholar; having unfortunately; when at the palace some
  days before; given utterance before witnesses to the sentiment that
  Napoleon was a great man; learned that for this crime he was about to
  be arrested。  Yielding to the prayers of his family; he disguised
  himself; and; getting into a waggon; set off to seek safety in the
  country。  He was; however; recognised and brought a prisoner to the
  place du Chapitre; where; after being buffeted about and insulted for
  an hour by the populace; he was at last murdered。
  〃It may easily be imagined that although no one came to disturb us we
  did not sleep much that night。  The ladies rested on sofas or in
  arm…chairs without undressing; while our host; M_____ and myself took
  turns in guarding the door; gun in hand。
  〃As soon as it was light we consulted what course we should take: I
  was of the opinion that we ought to try to reach Aix by unfrequented
  paths; having friends there; we should be able to procure a carriage
  and get to Nimes; where my family lived。  But my wife did not agree
  with me。  'I must go back to town for our things;' said she; 'we have
  no clothes but those on our backs。  Let us send to the village to ask
  if Marseilles is quieter to…day than yesterday。'  So we sent off a
  messenger。
  〃The news he brought back was favourable; order was completely
  restored。  I could not quite believe this; and still refused to let
  my wife return to the town unless I accompanied her。  But in that
  everyone was against me: my presence would give rise to dangers which
  without me had no existence。  Where were the miscreants cowardly
  enough to murder a woman of eighteen who belonged to no…party and had
  never injured anyone?  As for me; my opinions were well known。
  Moreover; my mother…in…law offered to accompany her daughter; and
  both joined in persuading me that there was no danger。  At last I was
  forced to consent; but only on one condition。
  〃'I cannot say;' I observed; 'whether there is any foundation for the
  reassuring tidings we have heard; but of one thing you may be sure:
  it is now seven o'clock in the morning; you can get to Marseilles in
  an hour; pack your trunks in another hour; and return in a third; let
  us allow one hour more for unforeseen delays。 If you are not back by
  eleven o'clock; I shall believe something has happened; and take
  steps accordingly。'  'Very well;' said my wife; 'if I am not back by
  then; you may think me dead; and do whatever you think best。'  And so
  she and her mother left me。
  〃An hour later; quite different news came to hand。  Fugitives;
  seeking like ourselves safety in the country; told us that the
  rioting; far from ceasing; had increased; the streets were encumbered
  with corpses; and two people had been murdered with unheard…of
  cruelty。
  〃An old man named Bessieres; who had led a simple and blameless life;
  and whose only crime was that he had served under the Usurper;
  anticipating that under existing circumstances this would be regarded
  as a capital crime; made his will; which was afterwards found among
  his papers。  It began with the following words:
  〃'As it is possible that during this revolution I may meet my death;
  as a partisan of Napoleon; although I have never loved him; I give
  and bequeath;' etc。; etc。
  〃The day before; his brother…in…law; knowing he had private enemies;
  had come to the house and spent the night trying to induce him to
  flee; but all in vain。  But the next morning; his house being
  attacked; he yielded; and tried to escape by the back door。  He was
  stopped by some of the National Guard; and placed himself under their
  protection。
  They took him to the Cours St。 Louis; where; being hustled by the
  crowd and very ineffectually defended by the Guards; he tried to
  enter the Caf? Mercantier; but the door was shut in his face。  Being
  broken by fatigue; breathless; and covered with dust and sweat; he
  threw himself on one of the benches placed against the wall; outside
  the house。  Here he was wounded by a musket bullet; but not killed。
  At the sight of his blood shrieks of joy were heard; and then a young
  man with a pistol in each hand forced his way through the throng and
  killed the old man by two shots fired point blank in his face。
  〃Another still more atrocious murder took place in the course of the
  same morning。  A father and son; bound back to back; were delivered
  over to the tender mercies of the mob。  Stoned and beaten and covered
  with each other's blood; for two long hours their death…agony
  endured; and all the while those who could not get near enough to
  strike were dancing round them。
  〃Our time passed listening to such stories; suddenly I saw a friend
  running towards the house。  I went to meet him。  He was so pale that
  I hardly dared to question him。  He came from the city; and had been
  at my house to see what had become of me。  There was no one in it;
  but across the door lay two corpses wrapped in a blood…stained sheet
  which he had not dared to lift。
  〃At these terrible words nothing could hold me back。  I set off for
  Marseilles。  M_____ who would not consent to let me return alone;
  accompanied me。  In passing through the village of Saint…Just we
  encountered a crowd of armed peasants in the main street who appeared
  to belong to the free companies。  Although this circumstance was
  rather alarming; it would have been dangerous to turn back; so we
  continued our way as if we were not in the least uneasy。  They
  examined our bearing and our dress narrowly; and then exchanged some
  sentences in a low; voice; of which we only caught the word
  austaniers。  This was the name by which the Bonapartists were called
  by the peasants; and means 'eaters of chestnuts;' this article of
  food being brought from Corsica to France。  However; we were not
  molested in any way; for as we were going towards the city they did
  not think we could be fugitives。  A hundred yards beyond the village
  we came up with a crowd of peasants; who were; like us; on the way to
  Marseilles。  It was plain to see that they had just been pillaging
  some country house; for they were laden with rich stuffs; chandeliers
  and jewels。  It proved to be that of M。 R____; inspector of reviews。
  Several carried muskets。  I pointed out to my companion a stain of
  blood on the trousers of one of the men; who began to laugh when he
  saw what we were looking at。  Two hundred yards outside the city I
  met a woman who had formerly been a servant in my house。  She was
  very much astonished to see me; and said; 'Go away at once; the
  massacre is horrible; much worse than yesterday。'
  〃'But my wife;' I cried; 'do you know anything about her?'
  〃'No; sir;' she replied; 'I was going to knock at the door; but some
  people asked me in a threatening manner if I could tell them where
  the friend of that rascal Brine was; as they were going to take away
  his appetite for bread。  So take my advice;' she continued; 'and go
  back to where you came from。'
  〃This advice was the last I could make up my mind to follow; so we
  went on; but found a strong guard at the gate; and saw that it would
  be impossible to get through without being recognised。  At the same
  time; the cries and the reports of firearms from within were coming
  nearer; it would therefore have been to court certain death to
  advance; so we retraced our steps。  In passing again through the
  village of Saint…Just we met once more our armed peasants。  But this
  time they burst out into threats on seeing us; shouting; 'Let us kill
  them!  Let us kill them!'  Instead of running away; we approached
  them; assuring them that we were Royalists。  Our coolness was so
  convincing that we got through safe and sound。
  〃On getting back to the captain's I threw myself on the sofa; quite
  overcome by the thought that only that morning my wife had been
  beside me under my protection; and that I had let her go back to the
  town to a cruel and inevitable death。  I felt as if my heart would
  break; and nothing that our host and my friend could say gave me the
  slightest comfort。  I was like a madman; unconscious of everything
  round me。
  〃M_____  went out to try to pick up some news; but in an instant we
  heard him running back; and he dashed into the room; calling out
  〃'They are coming!  There they are!'
  〃'Who are coming?' we asked。
  〃'The assassins!'
  〃My first feeling; I confess; was one of joy。  I pounced upon a pair
  of double…barrelled pistols; resolved not to let myself be
  slaughtered like a sheep。  Through the window I could see some men
  climbing over the wall and getting down into the garden。  We had just
  sufficient time to escape by a back staircase which led to a door;
  through which we passed; shutting it behind us。  We found ourselves
  on a road; at the other side of which was a vineyard。  We crossed the
  road and crept under the vines; which completely concealed us。
  〃As we learned later; the captain's house had been denoun