The Secret Of The Night(Fiscle Part 3) by Gaston Leroux (best business books of all time txt) 📖
- Author: Gaston Leroux
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Of A Carriage Break.
The Repair Was Difficult And Crude, With Bits Of Rope. And From
Then On The Journey Was Slow And Cautious After The Frenzied Speed.
In Vain Rouletabille Reasoned With Himself. "You Will Arrive
Anyway Before Morning. You Cannot Wake The Emperor In The Dead Of
Night." His Impatience Knew No Reason. "What A Country! What A
Country!"
After Some Other Petty Adventures (They Ran Into A Ravine And Had
Tremendous Difficulty Rescuing The Trunk) They Arrived At
Tsarskoie-Coelo At A Quarter Of Seven.
Even Here The Country Was Not Pleasant. Rouletabille Recalled The
Bright Awakening Of French Country. Here It Seemed There Was
Something More Dead Than Death: It Was This Little City With Its
Streets Where No One Passed, Not A Soul, Not A Phantom, With Its
Houses So Impenetrable, The Windows Even Of Glazed Glass And Further
Blinded By The Morning Hoar-Frost Shutting Out Light More Thoroughly
Than Closed Eyelids. Behind Them He Pictured To Himself A World
Part 1 Chapter 19 (The Tsar) Pg 213Unknown, A World Which Neither Spoke Nor Wept, Nor Laughed, A World
In Which No Living Chord Resounded. "What A Country! 'Where Is
The Chateau? I Do Not Know; I Have Been Here Only Once, In The
Marshal's Carriage. I Do Not Know The Way. Not The Great Palace!
The Idiot Of A Driver Has Brought Me To This Great Palace In Order
To See It, I Haven't A Doubt. Does Rouletabille Look Like A Tourist?
Dourak! The Home Of The Tsar, I Tell You. The Tsar's Residence.
The Place Where The Little Father Lives. Chez Batouchka!"
The Driver Lashed His Ponies. He Drove Past All The Streets.
"Stoi! (Stop!)" Cried Rouletabille. A Gate, A Soldier, Musket At
Shoulder, Bayonet In Play; Another Gate, Another Soldier, Another
Bayonet; A Park With Walls Around It, And Around The Walls More
Soldiers.
"No Mistake; Here Is The Place," Thought Rouletabille. There Was
Only One Prisoner For Whom Such Pains Would Be Taken. He Advanced
Towards The Gate. Ah! They Crossed Bayonets Under His Nose. Halt!
No Fooling, Joseph Rouletabille, Of "L'epoque. "A Subaltern Came
From A Guard-House And Advanced Toward Him. Explanation Evidently
Was Going To Be Difficult. The Young Man Saw That If He Demanded
To See The Tsar, They Would Think Him Crazed And That Would Further
Complicate Matters. He Asked For The Grand-Marshal Of The Court.
They Replied That He Could Get The Marshal's Address In Tsarskoie.
But The Subaltern Turned His Head. He Saw Someone Advancing. It
Was The Grand-Marshal Himself. Some Exceptional Service Called Him,
Without Doubt, Very Early To The Court.
"Why, What Are You Doing Here? You Are Not Yet Gone Then, Monsieur
Roidetabille?"
"Politeness Before Everything, Monsieur Le Grand-Marechal! I Would
Not Go Before Saying 'Au Revoir' To The Emperor. Be So Good, Since
You Are Going To Him And He Has Risen (You Yourself Have Told Me He
Rises At Seven), Be So Good As To Say To Him That I Wish To Pay My
Respects Before Leaving."
"Your Scheme, Doubtless, Is To Speak To Him Once More Regarding
Natacha Feodorovna?"
"Not At All. Tell Him, Excellency, That I Am Come To Explain The
Mystery Of The Eider Downs."
"Ah, Ah, The Eider Downs! You Know Something?"
"I Know All."
The Grand Marshal Saw That The Young Man Did Not Pretend. He Asked
Him To Wait A Few Minutes, And Vanished Into The Park.
A Quarter Of An Hour Later, Joseph Rouletabille, Of The Journal
"L'epoque," Was Admitted Into The Cabinet That He Knew Well From
The First Interview He Had Had There With His Majesty. The Simple
Work-Room Of A Country-House: A Few Pictures On The Walls, Portraits
Part 1 Chapter 19 (The Tsar) Pg 214Of The Tsarina And The Imperial Children On The Table; Oriental
Cigarettes In The Tiny Gold Cups. Rouletabille Was Far From Feeling
Any Assurance, For The Grand-Marshal Had Said To Him:
"Be Cautious. The Emperor Is In A Terrible Humor About You."
A Door Opened And Closed. The Tsar Made A Sign To The Marshal, Who
Disappeared. Rouletabille Bowed Low, Then Watched The Emperor
Closely.
Quite Apparently His Majesty Was Displeased. The Face Of The Tsar,
Ordinarily So Calm, So Pleasant, And Smiling, Was Severe, And His
Eyes Had An Angry Light. He Seated Himself And Lighted A Cigarette.
"Monsieur," He Commenced, "I Am Not Otherwise Sorry To See You
Before Your Departure In Order To Say To You Myself That I Am Not
At All Pleased With You. If You Were One Of My Subjects I Would
Have Already Started You On The Road To The Ural Mountains."
"I Remove Myself Farther, Sire."
"Monsieur, I Pray You Not To Interrupt Me And Not To Speak Unless
I Ask You A Question."
"Oh, Pardon, Sire, Pardon."
"I Am Not Duped By The Pretext You Have Offered Monsieur Le
Grand-Marechal In Order To Penetrate Here."
"It Is Not A Pretext, Sire."
"Again!"
"Oh, Pardon, Sire, Pardon."
"I Say To You That, Called Here To Aid Me Against My Enemies, They
Themselves Have Not Found A Stronger Or More Criminal Support Than
In You."
"Of What Am I Accused, Sire?"
"Koupriane - "
"Ah! Ah! ... Pardon!"
"My Chief Of Police Justly Complains That You Have Traversed All
His Designs And That You Have Taken It Upon Yourself To Ruin Them.
First, You Removed His Agents, Who Inconvenienced You, It Seems;
Then, The Moment That He Had The Proof In Hand Of The Abominable
Alliance Of Natacha Feodorovna With The Nihilists Who Attempt The
Assassination Of Her Father Your Intervention Has Permitted That
Proof To Escape Him. And You Have Boasted Of The Feat, Monsieur,
So That We Can Only Consider You Responsible For The Attempts
That Followed.
Part 1 Chapter 19 (The Tsar) Pg 215"Without You, Natacha Would Not Have Attempted To Poison Her Father.
Without You, They Would Not Have Sent To Find Physicians Who Could
Blow Up The Datcha Des Iles. Finally, No Later Than Yesterday,
When This Faithful Servant Of Mine Had Set A Trap They Could Not
Have Escaped From, You Have Had The Audacity, You, To Warn Them Of
It. They Owe Their Escape To You. Monsieur, Those Are Attempts
Against The Security Of The State Which Deserves The Heaviest
Punishment. Why, You Went Out One Day From Here Promising Me To
Save General Trebassof From All The Plotting Assassins Who Lurked
About Him. And Then You Play The Game Of The Assassins! Your
Conduct Is As Miserable As That Of Natacha Feodorovna Is Monstrous!"
The Emperor Ceased, And Looked At Rouletabille, Who Had Not Lowered
His Eyes.
"What Can You Say For Yourself? Speak - Now."
"I Can Only Say To Your Majesty That I Come To Take Leave Of You
Because My Task Here Is Finished. I Have Promised You The Life Of
General Trebassof, And I Bring It To You. He Runs No Danger Any
More! I Say Further To Your Majesty That There Exists Nowhere In
The World A Daughter More Devoted To Her Father, Even To The Death,
A Daughter More Sublime Than Natacha Feodorovna, Nor More Innocent."
"Be Careful, Monsieur. I Inform You That I Have Studied This Affair
Personally And Very Closely. You Have The Proofs Of These
Statements You Advance?"
Yes, Sire."
"And I, I Have The Proofs That Natacha Feodorovna Is A Renegade."
At This Contradiction, Uttered In A Firm Voice, The Emperor Stirred,
A Flush Of Anger And Of Outraged Majesty In His Face. But, After
This First Movement, He Succeeded In Controlling Himself, Opened A
Drawer Brusquely, Took Out Some Papers And Threw Them On The Table.
"Here They Are."
Rouletabille Reached For The Papers.
"You Do Not Read Russian, Monsieur. I Will Translate Their Purport
For You. Know, Then, That There Has Been A Mysterious Exchange Of
Letters Between Natacha Feodorovna And The Central Revolutionary
Committee, And That These Letters Show The Daughter Of General
Trebassof To Be In Perfect Accord With The Assassins Of Her Father
For The Execution Of Their Abominable Project."
"The Death Of The General?"
"I Declare To Your Majesty That That Is Not Possible."
"Obstinate Man! I Will Read -"
Part 1 Chapter 19 (The Tsar) Pg 216
"Useless, Sire. It Is Impossible. There May Be In Them The
Question Of A Project, But I Am Greatly Surprised If These
Conspirators Have Been Sufficiently Imprudent To Write In Those
Letters That They Count On Natacha To Poison Her Father."
"That, As A Matter Of Fact, Is Not Written, And You Yourself Are
Responsible For It Not Being There. It Does Not Follow Any The
Less That Natacha Feodorovna Had An Understanding With The Nihilists."
"That Is Correct, Sire."
"Ah, You Confess That?"
"I Do Not Confess; I Simply Affirm That Natacha Had An Understanding
With The Nihilists."
"Who Plotted Their Abominable Attacks Against The Ex-Governor Of
Moscow."
"Sire, Since Natacha Had An Understanding With The Nihilists, It
Was Not To Kill Her Father, But To Save Him. And The Project Of
Which You Hold Here The Proofs, But Of Whose Character You Are
Unaware, Is To End The Attacks Of Which You Speak, Instantly."
"You Say That."
"I Speak The Truth, Sire."
"Where Are The Proofs? Show Me Your Papers."
"I Have None. I Have Only My Word."
"That Is Not Sufficient."
"It Will Be Sufficient, Once You Have Heard Me."
"I Listen."
"Sire, Before Revealing To You A Secret On Which Depends The Life
Of General Trebassof, You Must Permit Me Some Questions. Your
Majesty Holds The Life Of The General Very Dear?"
"What Has That To Do With It?"
"Pardon. I Desire That Your Majesty Assure Me On That Point."
"The General Has Protected My Throne. He Has Saved The Empire From
One Of The Greatest Dangers That It Has Ever Run. If The Servant
Who Has Done Such A Service Should He Rewarded By Death, By The
Punishment That The Enemies Of My People Prepare For Him In The
Darkness, I Should
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