Part 53 (2/2)
”And that will give me two hours of life?”
”Two hours”
”I would take it, were it poison, for those two hours are necessary not only for lory of the order”
”What a loss, what a catastrophe for us all!” mur more,” replied the Franciscan, ”for Heaven will enable the poor monk, who is about to leave you, to find a worthy successor Adieu, Monsieur Grisart; already even, through the goodness of Heaven, I have met with you A physician who had not been one of our holy order, would have left norance of ed a few days further, I should not have taken the necessary precautions You are a learned man, Monsieur Grisart, and that confers an honor upon us all; it would have been repugnant toin his profession Adieu, Monsieur Grisart; send , at least, o; in my mind, I do so, I tell you-aniain fell back on the armchair, in an almost senseless state M Grisart hesitated, whether he should give him immediate assistance, or should run to prepare the cordial he had promised He decided in favor of the cordial, for he darted out of the room and disappeared down the staircase 6
Chapter LIII The State Secret
A few moments after the doctor's departure, the confessor arrived He had hardly crossed the threshold of the door when the Franciscan fixed a penetrating look upon hi his head, ivepiece of hu man with astonishly bright at the very moment they were about to close, nor looks so terrible at the moment they were about to be quenched in death The Franciscan made a rapid and imperious movement of his hand ”Sit down, there, my father,” he said, ”and listen to ood priest, a recently initiatedof its mysteries, yielded to the superiority assu in this hotel,” continued the Franciscan
”But,” inquired the Jesuit, ”I thought I had been summoned to listen to a confession Is your remark, then, a confession?”
”Why do you ask?”
”In order to knohether I am to keep your words secret”
”My remarks are part of my confession; I confide them to you in your character of a confessor”
”Very well,” said the priest, seating hireat difficulty, just left, to lie down on the bed
The Franciscan continued,-”I repeat, there are several persons staying in this inn”
”So I have heard”
”They ought to be eight in nun that he understood hi man, ”is a Gerh to go to him, and tell him the person he expected has arrived” The confessor, astounded, looked at his penitent; the confession seeular one
”Obey,” said the Franciscan, in a tone of coood Jesuit, coone, the Franciscan again took up the papers which a crisis of the fever had already, once before, obliged him to put aside
”The Baron de Wostpur? Good!” he said; ”ambitious, a fool, and straitened in means”
He folded up the papers, which he thrust under his pillow Rapid footsteps were heard at the end of the corridor The confessor returned, followed by the Baron de Wostpur, alked along with his head raised, as if he were discussing with hi with the feather in his hat Therefore, at the appearance of the Franciscan, at histhe plainness of the room, he stopped, and inquired,-”Who has summoned me?”
”I,” said the Franciscan, who turned towards the confessor, saying, ”My good father, leave us for a entleman leaves, you will return here” The Jesuit left the room, and, doubtless, availed hi e penitent, who treated his confessor no better than he would a man servant The baron approached the bed, and wished to speak, but the hand of the Franciscan imposed silence upon him
”Every moment is precious,” said the latter, hurriedly ”You have come here for the competition, have you not?”
”Yes, eneral of the order?”
”I hope so”
”You knohat conditions only you can possibly attain this high position, which makes one man the master of monarchs, the equal of popes?”
”Who are you,” inquired the baron, ”to subject ations?”
”I aeneral?”
”I am the elected”
”You are-”
The Franciscan did not give hilittered the ring of the general of the order The baron drew back in surprise; and then, i with the profoundest respect, he exclaineur; you, in this wretched room; you, upon this eneral, that is, your own successor?”
”Do not distress yourself about that, monsieur, but fulfil i the order with a secret of ireatest courts of Europe will, by your instrumentality, forever be subjected to the order Well! do you possess the secret which you prorand council?”
”Monseigneur-”
”Let us proceed, however, in due order,” said the neur”
”And this letter is froeneral of the Jesuits drew a paper frolanced at it, and neur, this letter is mine”
”Can you show rand council returned to you?”
”Here it is,” said the baron, holding towards the Franciscan a letter bearing simply the address, ”To his excellency the Baron de Wostpur,” and containing only this phrase, ”From the 15th to the 22nd May, Fontainebleau, the hotel of the Beau Paon-A M D G” 7 ”Right,” said the Franciscan, ”and now speak”
”I have a body of troops, coained over I am encamped on the Danube I four days I can overthrow the eress of our order, and can replace him by whichever of the princes of his family the order may determine upon” The Franciscan listened, unmoved
”Is that all?” he said
”A revolution throughout Europe is included in my plan,” said the baron
”Very well, Monsieur de Wostpur, you will receive a reply; return to your room, and leave Fontainebleau within a quarter of an hour” The baron withdrew backwards, as obsequiously as if he were taking leave of the emperor he was ready to betray
”There is no secret there,” murmured the Franciscan, ”it is a plot Besides,” he added, after a er in the hands of the House of Austria”
And with a pencil he held in his hand, he struck the Baron de Wostpur's name from the list