登陆注册
38679700000002

第2章

Sainte-Croix and the marquise loved at first sight, and she was soon his mistress.The marquis, perhaps endowed with the conjugal philosophy which alone pleased the taste of the period, perhaps too much occupied with his own pleasure to see what was going on before his eyes, offered no jealous obstacle to the intimacy, and continued his foolish extravagances long after they had impaired his fortunes:

his affairs became so entangled that the marquise, who cared for him no longer, and desired a fuller liberty for the indulgence of her new passion, demanded and obtained a separation.She then left her husband's house, and henceforth abandoning all discretion, appeared everywhere in public with Sainte-Croix.This behaviour, authorised as it was by the example of the highest nobility, made no impression upon the.Marquis of Brinvilliers,who merrily pursued the road to ruin, without worrying about his wife's behaviour.Not so M.de Dreux d'Aubray: he had the scrupulosity of a legal dignitary.He was scandalised at his daughter's conduct, and feared a stain upon his own fair name: he procured a warrant for the arrest of Sainte-Croix wheresoever the bearer might chance to encounter him.We have seen how it was put in execution when Sainte-Croix was driving in the carriage of the marquise, whom our readers will doubtless have recognised as the woman who concealed herself so carefully.

>From one's knowledge of the character of Sainte-Croix, it is easy to imagine that he had to use great self-control to govern the anger he felt at being arrested in the middle of the street; thus, although during the whole drive he uttered not a single word, it was plain to see that a terrible storm was gathering, soon to break.But he preserved the same impossibility both at the opening and shutting of the fatal gates, which, like the gates of hell, had so often bidden those who entered abandon all hope on their threshold, and again when he replied to the formal questions put to him by the governor.His voice was calm, and when they gave him they prison register he signed it with a steady hand.At once a gaoler, taking his orders from the governor, bade him follow: after traversing various corridors, cold and damp, where the daylight might sometimes enter but fresh air never, he opened a door, and Sainte-Croix had no sooner entered than he heard it locked behind him.

At the grating of the lock he turned.The gaoler had left him with no light but the rays of the moon, which, shining through a barred window some eight or ten feet from the ground, shed a gleam upon a miserable truckle-bed and left the rest of the room in deep obscurity.The prisoner stood still for a moment and listened; then, when he had heard the steps die away in the distance and knew himself to be alone at last, he fell upon the bed with a cry more like the roaring of a wild beast than any human sound: he cursed his fellow-man who had snatched him from his joyous life to plunge him into a dungeon; he cursed his God who had let this happen; he cried aloud to whatever powers might be that could grant him revenge and liberty.

Just at that moment, as though summoned by these words from the bowels of the earth, a man slowly stepped into the circle of blue light that fell from the window-a man thin and pale, a man with long hair, in a black doublet, who approached the foot of the bed where Sainte-Croix lay.Brave as he was, this apparition so fully answered to his prayers (and at the period the power of incantation and magic was still believed in) that he felt no doubt that the arch-enemy of the human race, who is continually at hand, had heard him and had now come in answer to his prayers.He sat up on the bed, feeling mechanically at the place where the handle of his sword would have been but two hours since, feeling his hair stand on end, and a cold sweat began to stream down his face as the strange fantastic being step by step approached him.At length the apparition paused, the prisoner and he stood face to face for a moment, their eyes riveted;then the mysterious stranger spoke in gloomy tones.

"Young man," said he, "you have prayed to the devil for vengeance on the men who have taken you, for help against the God who has abandoned you.I have the means, and I am here to proffer it.Have you the courage to accept?""First of all," asked Sainte-Croix; "who are you?""Why seek you to know who I am," replied the unknown, "at the very moment when I come at your call, and bring what you desire?""All the same," said Sainte-Croix, still attributing what he heard to a supernatural being, "when one makes a compact of this kind, one prefers to know with whom one is treating.""Well, since you must know," said the stranger, "I am the Italian Exili."Sainte-Croix shuddered anew, passing from a supernatural vision to a horrible reality.The name he had just heard had a terrible notoriety at the time, not only in France but in Italy as well.

Exili had been driven out of Rome, charged with many poisonings, which, however, could not be satisfactorily brought home to him.He had gone to Paris, and there, as in his native country, he had drawn the eyes of the authorities upon himself; but neither in Paris nor in Rome was he, the pupil of Rene and of Trophana, convicted of guilt.

同类推荐
  • What Diantha Did

    What Diantha Did

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
  • 网庐漫墨

    网庐漫墨

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
  • 须摩提经

    须摩提经

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
  • 琴声十六法

    琴声十六法

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
  • 情梦柝

    情梦柝

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
热门推荐
  • 清深于奈何

    清深于奈何

    她,在大学里,不为人知,平凡是她唯独动人心的一点。大二时,她认识了他。他,是哲学系的高材生,大学里几乎人人都知道他,他认识了她。他们曾是陌路。而他和她的初遇却是一个晃眼又不确定的一秒。他们是陌生的朋友......到头来迎来的却又是别离后的互不相识。愿我们都在最好的年纪遇见,不论最后在不在一起。注:封面图片如有侵权请与作者交谈。
  • 清穿之我的大清回忆录

    清穿之我的大清回忆录

    穿越大清,历经三十多年!亲情、爱情、友情如鬼魅一般变幻莫测、反复纠缠。在这个年代,人类最基础的情感竟变得奢不可及,人类最单纯的念想却变得波谲云诡、沦为勾心斗角的筹码!在这里,所有的事情没有单纯,只有运筹帷幄、步步为营;在这里,所有的人心,没有简单,只有匪夷叵测、机关算尽!正所谓——走错一步,万劫不复!我的大清回忆录——面对梦幻般的现实,感觉自己水深火热般的存在,回忆……那血淋淋的三十年。
  • 穿书之我不做白月光好多年

    穿书之我不做白月光好多年

    白乐颜如何都想不到,自己看个电影竟然被迫穿成了书里的女主!而且……系统大大告知,她必须按照原著剧情发展走下去才会放她出去,某颜只好弱弱问一声,“原著女主活了六十一岁,时间太久……我……走个后门可以咩~”“好。”某颜惊叹,这么好说话?看来她可以一路顺风顺水了~然而……她高兴的有点早!分给她的剧情引导兽是个小坑货!剧情走势发生了改变它竟然不知情!只用一句“主子,人家睡过头了”就给搪塞过去,对此,某颜甜甜一笑,“幽冥啊,你过来,我帮你顺顺毛。”等待引导兽的,自然是无情的蹂躏再蹂躏!在它喊破喉咙的嘶吼声中,某颜冷哼一句,哼!谁叫你这么坑!原著中仅寥寥提过几笔的“路人”竟然变成了新男主!可是当白乐颜见了这个如神祗般的男人,她满脸堆笑,“小幽冥~我错怪你了,我爱你!系统大大~我爱你!这么好的男主到哪找!我白乐颜决定,我不做男主的白月光了!我要当这个原著里“路人”的老婆!”
  • 三弟不要跑,我娶你

    三弟不要跑,我娶你

    三弟怎么在偷亲自己?不行不行,要纠正他这种行为。什么,自己的三弟早就死了?那他是谁?呃?“他”原来是“她”。那好,“三弟,亲也亲过了,抱也抱过了,看也看过了,该对我负责了吧!”追妻路,真辛苦,前有巫教教主挡路,后有女人抢亲,刚把美妻抱,又有前妻来搅局,“三弟不要跑,我娶你!”
  • 不太普通的诡事日记

    不太普通的诡事日记

    一本记录普通日常中,那些不太普通的事件的日记(部分情节由真实事件改编)
  • 魂穿之寡妇公主在现代

    魂穿之寡妇公主在现代

    大夏第一公主死在了四十五岁。双眼阖上的那一刻,她用力吐了一口气,庭院深深三十载,唯有牌坊慰余生,这一世的守寡终于解脱了。可是闭了眼的死人为什么又能马上睁眼?她以为自己是假死,映入眼中的却不再是雕栏玉砌的华丽宫殿,醒来也不再有高高在上的贵重身份;有的只是她未曾见过的现代世界,被休的原配之女…以及新寡的身份?………………………………@………………………………木秦清空有一副我见犹怜的白莲花模样,EQIQ双傻到被妹妹抢了地位,抢了男人,还要被用来当筹码去为那短命之人冲喜,新婚当天便成了寡妇给退回了慕家。艳若桃李的妹妹挽着年轻帅气的前男友怜悯地看着她又要卖给肥头大耳的富商?油腻大肚的政要?中年谢顶的老男人?受不了一连串打击的原主一跃跳了湖,一命呜呼后醒来时已是善宫斗,精谋略的大夏公主慕秦清,寂寞宫闱三十载,终于有人陪她斗,让她谋了,而且这的寡妇不用守着贞节牌坊,还能去相亲,呜呜呜……第一公主简直是感恩戴德,喜极而泣啊。女主虽然是寡妇但却是身心双洁哈,1V1,扮猪吃老虎的伪柔情女主VS霸气护短的真腹黑男主~
  • 绝世神坻,废柴封印师

    绝世神坻,废柴封印师

    她是众人所敬仰的创世主神,创造天地,却将管理之职位于他人,自身游走在天地之间,看尽万世浮沉,不为情欲所动,一朝重伤,陷入沉睡。万年之后,苏醒回归,然等待她的又将是何等坎坷,昔年友人被封,她将如何在重重磨难之中,谈笑风声?看一代创世之神如何叱咤天地。
  • 成仙路上不成亲

    成仙路上不成亲

    “我爱慕于你,希望……”“不娶”“这有人给你说媒……”“不娶啊”“小伙子挺好啊,入赘过来……”“老子不娶啊,我要成仙,我要自在!”“成仙路上不成亲,不嫁不娶一人行!”PS:这是一个励志成为单身狗修仙的故事。
  • 恶魔的左手

    恶魔的左手

    一个普通的大学毕业生,偶然得到了可以觉醒异术的恶魔异术石,从此,摇身一变成为了一名异术师,踏上了异术的修行之路,无法面对的对手,不可阻挡的浩劫,纷至沓来,时间紧迫,时局危矣,他该怎样面对?看他如何以凡人之身,笑傲三界,拯救地球。请放心收藏《恶魔的左手》。只要还有一人在看,就会坚持完本《恶魔的左手》。
  • 因为痛,所以正青春

    因为痛,所以正青春

    市中心的某栋写字楼里,座着一脸精致妆容的年轻女子,桌上依然是那本《小心轻放的光阴》,想起个人,那段青春,依旧暖暖的·······多年后的他依旧喜欢穿着那件白衬衫,端着一杯咖啡,望着阳光满溢,让他想起多年前的那天,依然是这样的阳光,还有那个爱穿白衬衫的女孩·······多年后的他依然袭着黑衬衣,坐在市中心的高楼里,签着不同的文件,不轻意间,拉开了那个抽屉,他很熟悉的那本《小心轻放的光阴》,冷峻的双眸,开始颤动,他依然深爱着那个白衬衣女孩······多年前的那天,阳光很好,悸动跳跃在着年轻少男少女的心头,却不曾告诉他们,青春那样痛,谁的青春不青春,谁的青春不清纯·······