第61章
think twice; you have my life in your hands." And recoiling a few steps she suddenly turned, fled across the room, threw open a small side-door, and disappeared.
How did Gilbert manage to reach his turret?
All he knows himself is, that on coming out of the dormer window, beside himself, forgetting all idea of danger, he committed, for the first time, the signal imprudence of walking erectly over the roof, which ordinarily he found difficult to cross even in crawling; seeing and hearing nothing, entirely absorbed in a single thought, he started forward at a quick pace.From his gait and carriage, the moon, which shone brightly in the sky, must have taken him for a madman, or a somnambulist.He reached the end of the roof, when a broken slate slipped under his feet.He lost his balance, fell heavily, and it would have been all over with him, if, in falling, his hand had not by a miracle encountered the trailing end of his ladder, by which he had strength enough to hold himself.Slates are brittle, and when hurled against a hard substance break in a thousand pieces.The one which Gilbert had just precipitated into space met a point of rock which scattered it into fragments, one of which struck, without wounding, the hand of a man who happened to be rambling on the border of the ravine.
As fate would have it, this evening M.Leminof had an important letter to forward by the mail; and near nine o'clock, contrary to all the usages and customs of his house, he had sent Fritz to a large town about a league distant, where the courier passed during the night.Unluckily, upon his return, Fritz saw a light shining in the cottage of his Dulcinea.Appetite, the opportunity, some devil also urging him, he left the road, walked straight to the cabin, opened the door, which was only closed by a latch, entered with stealthy tread, and surprised his beauty seated upon a stool and mending her linen.He drew near her, said gallant things to her, and soon began to take liberties.The damsel, frolicsome and forward, instead of awakening her father, who slept in the neighboring room, rushed to the door, darted out and gained upon a run the serpentine path which ran along the edge of the ravine.Ahundred times more active than Fritz, she kept in advance of him;then halted, called him, and the moment when he thought he was going to seize her, she escaped and ran on faster.She continued this game until becoming weary she hid herself behind a bush, and laughing in her sleeve, saw the amorous giant pass her, continue to ascend, reeking with sweat, slipping frequently, and constantly fearing he would fall down the precipice.At length, by dint of scrambling, he arrived at the place where the path ended at the perpendicular fall of the precipice, a height of forty feet.By what means had his fantastic princess scaled this wall? All at once he heard a silvery voice which called him below.In his rage he struck his forehead with his fist; but at the moment he was about to descend, a singular noise struck his ear--a piece of slate grazed his hand and drew from him an exclamation of surprise.
Raising his head quickly, and favored by the light of the moon, he saw upon his right a shadow suspended in the air.It mounted, stopped upon the ledge of a window, stooped down and soon disappeared.
"Oh! oh!" said he, much astonished, "here's something odd!
Monsieur secretary goes out at night, then, to make the rounds of the roofs? And for this we have provided ourselves with rope ladders.I am much mistaken if his Excellency, the Count, will relish this little amusement.Peste, the jolly fellow has a good foot and a good eye.There must be a great deal to gain to risk his skin this way.Faith! these demure faces are not to be trusted."The great Fritz was so stupefied with his discovery that he seated himself a moment upon a stone to collect his thoughts.The fine idea which his thick skull brought forth was that the secretary belonged to the illustrious brotherhood of ambidexters, and that his nocturnal circuits had for their object the search for hidden treasure.Proud of his sagacity, and delighted with the opportunity to satisfy his resentment, he descended the path, not without trouble, and deaf to the voice and the laughter of his enchantress, who challenged him to new trials, he regained the road and strode on to the castle.
"Oh! then, Mr.Secretary," said the knave to himself with a wicked smile, "you threw me down a staircase, and thought you'd get me turned out of doors.What will you say if I make you go out by the window?"