a book of scoundrels-第21部分

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！



In　the　grey　morning　thirty　soldiers　crept　forth　guided　by　the　traitor；　‘en　habits　de　bourgeois　et　de　chasseur；'　for　the　house　where　Cartouche　had　lain。　　It　was　an　inn；　kept　by　one　Savard；　near　la　Haulte　Borne　de　la　Courtille；　and　the　soldiers；　though　they　lacked　not　numbers；　approached　the　chieftain's　lair　shaking　with　terror。　　In　front　marched　Du　Chtelet；　the　rest　followed　in　Indian　file；　ten　paces　apart。　　When　the　traitor　reached　the　house；　Savard　recognised　him　for　a　friend；　and　entertained　him　with　familiar　speech。　　‘Is　there　anybody　upstairs？'　demanded　Du　Chtelet。　　‘No；'　replied　Savard。　　‘Are　the　four　women　upstairs？'　asked　Du　Chtelet　again。　　‘Yes；　they　are；'　came　the　answer：　for　Savard　knew　the　password　of　the　day。　　Instantly　the　soldiers　filled　the　tavern；　and；　mounting　the　staircase；　discovered　Cartouche　with　his　three　lieutenants；　Balagny；　Limousin；　and　Blanchard。　　One　of　the　four　still　lay　abed；　but　Cartouche；　with　all　the　dandy's　respect　for　his　clothes；　was　mending　his　breeches。　　The　others　hugged　a　flagon　of　wine　over　the　fire。

So　fell　the　scourge　of　Paris　into　the　grip　of　justice。　　But　once　under　lock　and　key；　he　displayed　all　the　qualities　which　made　him　supreme。　　His　gaiety　broke　forth　into　a　light…hearted　contempt　of　his　gaolers；　and　the　Lieutenant　Criminel；　who　would　interrogate　him；　was　covered　with　ridicule。　　Not　for　an　instant　did　he　bow　to　fate：　all　shackled　as　he　was；　his　legs　engarlanded　in　heavy　chainswhich　he　called　his　gartershe　tempered　his　merriment　with　the　meditation　of　escape。　　From　the　first　he　denied　all　knowledge　of　Cartouche；　insisting　that　his　name　was　Charles　Bourguignon；　and　demanding　burgundy；　that　he　might　drink　to　his　country　and　thus　prove　him　a　true　son　of　the　soil。　　Not　even　the　presence　of　his　mother　and　brother　abashed　him。　　He　laughed　them　away　as　impostors；　hired　by　a　false　justice　to　accuse　and　to　betray　the　innocent。　　No　word　of　confession　crossed　his　lips；　and　he　would　still　entertain　the　officers　of　the　law　with　joke　and　epigram。

Thus　he　won　over　a　handful　of　the　Guard；　and；　begging　for　solitude；　he　straightway　set　about　escape　with　a　courage　and　an　address　which　Jack　Sheppard　might　have　envied。　　His　delicate　ear　discovered　that　a　cellar　lay　beneath　his　cell；　and　with　the　old　nail　which　lies　on　the　floor　of　every　prison　he　made　his　way　downwards　into　a　boxmaker's　shop。　　But　a　barking　dog　spoiled　the　enterprise：　the　boxmaker　and　his　daughter　were　immediately　abroad；　and　once　more　Cartouche　was　lodged　in　prison；　weighted　with　still　heavier　garters。

Then　came　a　period　of　splendid　notoriety：　he　held　his　court；　he　gave　an　easy　rein　to　his　wit；　he　received　duchesses　and　princes　with　an　air　of　amiable　patronage。　　Few　there　were　of　his　visitants　who　left　him　without　a　present　of　gold；　and　thus　the　universal　robber　was　further　rewarded　by　his　victims。　　His　portrait　hung　in　every　house；　and　his　thin；　hard　face；　his　dry；　small　features　were　at　last　familiar　to　the　whole　of　France。　　M。　　Grandval　made　him　the　hero　of　an　epic‘Le　Vice　Puni。'　　Even　the　theatre　was　dominated　by　his　presence；　and　while　Arlequin…　Cartouche　was　greeted　with　thunders　of　applause　at　the　Italiens；　the　more　serious　Franais　set　Cartouche　upon　the　stage　in　three　acts；　and　lavished　upon　its　theme　the　resources　of　a　then　intelligent　art。　　M。　Le　Grand；　author　of　the　piece；　deigned　to　call　upon　the　king　of　thieves；　spoke　some　words　of　argot　with　him；　and　by　way　of　conscience　money　gave　him　a　hundred　crowns。

Cartouche　set　little　store　by　such　patronage。　　He　pocketed　the　crowns；　and　then　put　an　end　to　the　comedy　by　threatening　that　if　it　were　played　again　the　companions　of　Cartouche　would　punish　all　such　miscreants　as　dared　to　make　him　a　laughing　stock。　　For　Cartouche　would　endure　ridicule　at　no　man's　hand。　　At　the　very　instant　of　his　arrest；　all　bare…footed　as　he　was；　he　kicked　a　constable　who　presumed　to　smile　at　his　discomfiture。　　His　last　days　were　spent　in　resolute　abandonment。　　True；　he　once　attempted　to　beat　out　his　brains　with　the　fetters　that　bound　him；　true；　also；　he　took　a　poison　that　had　been　secretly　conveyed　within　the　prison。　　But　both　attempts　failed；　and；　more　scrupulously　watched；　he　had　no　other　course　than　jollity。　　Lawyers　and　priests　he　visited　with　a　like　and　bitter　scorn；　and　when；　on　November　27；　1721；　he　was　led　to　the　scaffold；　not　a　word　of　confession　or　contrition　had　been　dragged　from　him。

To　the　last　moment　he　cherished　the　hope　of　rescue；　and　eagerly　he　scanned　the　crowd　for　the　faces　of　his　comrades。　　But　the　gang；　trusting　to　its　leader's　nobility；　had　broken　its　oath。　　With　contemptuous　dignity　Cartouche　determined　upon　revenge：　proudly　he　turned　to　the　priest；　begging　a　respite　and　the　opportunity　of　speech。　　Forgotten　by　his　friends；　he　resolved　to　spare　no　single　soul：　he　betrayed　even　his　mistresses　to　justice。

Of　his　gang；　forty　were　in　the　service　of　Mlle。　de　Montpensier；　who　was　already　in　Spain；　while　two　obeyed　the　Duchesse　de　Ventadour　as　valets…de…pied。　　His　confession；　in　brief；　was　so　dangerous　a　document；　it　betrayed　the　friends　and　servants　of　so　many　great　houses；　that　the　officers　of　the　Law　found　safety　for　their　patrons　in　its　destruction；　and　not　a　line　of　the　hero's　testimony　remains。　　The　trial　of　his　comrades　dragged　on　for　many　a　year；　and　after　Cartouche　had　been　cruelly　broken　on　the　wheel；　not　a　few　of　the　gang；　of　which　he　had　been　at　once　the　terror　and　inspiration；　suffered　a　like　fate。　　Such　the　career　and　such　the　fitting　end　of　the　most　distinguished　marauder　the　world　has　known。　　Thackeray；　with　no　better　guide　than　a　chap…book；　was　minded　to　belittle　him；　now　habiting　him　like　a　scullion；　now　sending　him　forth　on　some　petty　errand　of　cly…faking。　　But　for　all　Thackeray's　contempt　his　fame　is　still　undimmed；　and　he　has　left　the　reputation　of　one　who；　as　thief　unrivalled；　had　scarce　his　equal　as　wit　and　dandy　even　in　the　days　when　Louis　the　Magnificent　was　still　a　memory　and　an　example。



III　A　PARALLEL　（SHEPPARD　AND　CARTOUCHE）



A　PARALLEL　（SHEPPARD　AND　CARTOUCHE）

IF　the　seventeenth　century　was　the　golden　age　of　the　hightobyman；　it　was　at　the　advent　of　the　eighteenth　that　the　burglar　and　street…robber　plied　their　trade　with　the　most　distinguished　success；　and　it　was　the　good　fortune　of　both　Cartouche　and　Sheppard　to　be　born　in　the　nick　of　time。　　Rivals　in　talent；　they　were　also　near　contemporaries；　and　the　Scourge　of　Paris　may　well　have　been　famous　in　the　purlieus　of　Clare　Market　before　Jack　the　Slip…String　paid　the　last　penalty　of　his　crimes。　　As　each　of　these　great　men　harboured　a　similar　ambition；　so　their　careers　are　closely　parallel。　　Born　in　a　humble　rank　of　life；　Jack；　like　Cartouche；　was　the　architect　of　his　own　fortune；　Jack；　like　Cartouche；　lived　to　be　flattered　by　noble　dames　and　to　claim　the　solicitude　of　his　Sovereign；　and　each　owed　his　pre…eminence　rather　to　natural　genius　than　to　a　sympathetic　training。

But；　for　all　the　Briton's　artistry；　the　Frenchman　was　in　all　points　save　one　the　superior。　　Sheppard's　brain　carried　him　not　beyond　the　wants　of　to…day　and　the　extortions　of　Poll　Maggot。

Who　knows　but　he　might　have　been　a　respectable　citizen；　with　never　a　chance　for　the　display　of　his　peculiar　talent；　had　not　hunger　and　his　mistress's　greed　driven　him　upon　the　pad？　　History　records　no　brilliant　robbery　of　his　own　planning；　and　so　circumscribed　was　his　imagination　that　he　must　needs　pick　out　his　own　friends　and　benefactors　for　depredation。　　His　paltry　sense　of　discipline　permitted　him　to　be　betrayed　even　by　his　brother　and　pupil；　and　there　was　no　cracksman　of　his　time　over　whose　head　he　held　the　rod　of　terror。　　Even　his　hatred　of　Jonathan　Wild　was　the　result　not　of　policy　but　of　prejudice。　　Cartouche；　on　the　other　hand；　was　always　perfect　when　at　work。　　The　master　of　himself；　he　was　also　the　master　of　his　fellows。　　There　was　no　detail　of　civil　war　that　he　had　not　made　his　own；　and　he　still　remains；　after　nearly　two　centuries；　the　greatest　captain　the　world　has　seen。　　Never　did　he　permit　an　enterprise　to　fail　by　accident；　never　was　he　impelled　by　hunger　or　improvidence　to　fight　a　battle　unprepared。　　His　means　were　always　neatly　fitted　to　their　end；　as　is　proved　by　the　truth　that；　throughout　his　career；　he　was　arrested　but　once；　and　then　not　by　his　own　inadvertence　but　by　the　treachery　of　others。

Yet　from　the　moment　of　arrest　Jack　Sheppard　asserted　his　magnificent　superiority。　　If　Cartouche　was　a　sorry　bungler　at　prison…breaking；　Sheppard　was　unmatched　in　this　dangerous　art。　　The　sport　of　the　one　was　to　break　in；　of　the　other　to　break　out。　　True；　the　Briton　proved　his　inferiority　by　too　frequently　placing　himself　under　lock　and　key；　but　you　will　forgive　his　every　weakness　for　the　unexampled　skill　wherewith　he　extricated　himself　from　the　stubbornest　dungeon。　　Cartouche　would　scarce　have　given　Sheppard　a　menial's　office　in　his　gang。　　How　cordially　Sheppard　would　have　despised　Cartouche's　solitary　experiment　in　escape！　　To　be　foiled　by　a　dog　and　a　boxmaker's　daughter！　　Would　not　that　have　seemed　contemptible　to　the　master　breaker　of　those　unnumbered　doors　and　walls　which　separate　the　Castle　from　the　freedom　of　Newgate　roof？

Such；　then；　is　the　contrast　between　the　heroes。　　Sheppard　claims　our　admiration　for　one　masterpiece。　　Cartouche　has　a　sheaf　of　works；　which　shall　carry　him　triumphantly　to　the　remotest　future。

And　when　you　forget　a　while　professional　rivalry；　and　consider　the　delicacies　of　leisure；　you　will　find　the　Frenchman's　greatness　still　indisputable。　　At　all　points　he　was　the　prettier　gentleman。　　Sheppard；　to　be　sure；　had　a　sense　of　finery；　but　he　was　so　unused　to　grandeur　that　vulgarity　always　spoiled　his　effects。　　When　he　hied　him　from　the　pawnshop；　laden　with　booty；　he　must　e'en　cram　what　he　could　not　wear　into　his　pockets；　and　doubtless　his　vulgar　lack　of　reticence　made　detection　easier。　　Cartouche；　on　the　other　hand；　had　an　unfailing　sense　of　proportion；　and　was　never　more　dressed　than　became　the　perfect　dandy。　　He　was　elegant；　he　was　polished；　he　was　joyous。　　He　drank　wine；　while　the　other　soaked　himself　in　beer；　he　despised　whatever　was　common；　while　his　rival　knew　but　the　coarser　flavours　of　life。

The　one　was　distinguished　by　a　boisterous　humour；　a　swaggering　pride　in　his　own　prow