villa rubein and other stories-第47节

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as　for　the　address；　I　never　knew　it。。。！　　I　reflected。　'That；'　I　said；

'I　am　unable　to　do；　for　special　reasons。'　　'Aha！'　he　said；　'reasons

that　will　prevent　our　fighting　him；　I　suppose？　　'On　the　contrary；'　I

said。　　'I　will　convey　your　request　to　him；　I　may　mention　that　I　have

heard　he　is　the　best　swordsman　and　pistol…shot　in　Europe。　　Good…

night！'　　I　wished　to　give　them　something　to　dream　of；　you

understand。。。。　　Patience；　my　dear！　　Patience！　　I　was；　coming　to　you；

but　I　thought　I　would　let　them　sleep　on　itthere　was　plenty　of　time！

But　yesterday　morning　I　came　into　the　Place；　and　there　he　was　on　the

bench；　with　a　big　dog。　　I　declare　to　you　he　blushed　like　a　young

girl。　　'Sir；'　he　said；　'I　was　hoping　to　meet　you；　last　evening　I　made

a　great　disturbance。　　I　took　an　unpardonable　liberty'and　he　put　in

my　hand　an　envelope。　　My　friend；　what　do　you　suppose　it　containeda

pair　of　gloves！　　Senor　Don　Punctilioso；　hein？　　He　was　the　devil；　this

friend　of　yours；　he　fascinated　me　with　his　gentle　eyes　and　his　white

moustachettes；　his　humility；　his　flamespoor　man。。。！　　I　told　him　I

had　been　asked　to　take　him　a　challenge。　　'If　anything　comes　of　it；'　I

said；　'make　use　of　me！'　　'Is　that　so？'　he　said。　　'I　am　most　grateful

for　your　kind　offer。　　Let　me　seeit　is　so　long　since　I　fought　a

duel。　　The　sooner　it's　over　the　better。　　Could　you　arrange　to…morrow

morning？　　Weapons？　　Yes；　let　them　choose。'　　You　see；　my　friend；　there

was　no　hanging　back　here；　nous　voila　en　train。〃



Jules　took　out　his　watch。　　〃I　have　sixteen　minutes。　　It　is　lucky　for

you　that　you　were　away　yesterday；　or　you　would　be　in　my　shoes　now。　　I

fixed　the　place；　right　hand　of　the　road　to　Roquebrune；　just　by　the

railway　cutting；　and　the　timefive…thirty　of　the　morning。　　It　was

arranged　that　I　should　call　for　him。　　Disgusting　hour；　I　have　not

been　up　so　early　since　I　fought　Jacques　Tirbaut　in　'85。　　At　five

o'clock　I　found　him　ready　and　drinking　tea　with　rum　in　itsingular

man！　he　made　me　have　some　too；　brrr！　　He　was　shaved；　and　dressed　in

that　old　frock…coat。　　His　great　dog　jumped　into　the　carriage；　but　he

bade　her　get　out；　took　her　paws　on　his　shoulders；　and　whispered　in

her　ear　some　Italian　words；　a　charm；　hein！　and　back　she　went；　the

tail　between　the　legs。　　We　drove　slowly；　so　as　not　to　shake　his　arm。

He　was　more　gay　than　I。　　All　the　way　he　talked　to　me　of　you：　how　kind

you　were！　how　good　you　had　been　to　him！　　'You　do　not　speak　of

yourself！'　I　said。　　'Have　you　no　friends；　nothing　to　say？　　Sometimes

an　accident　will　happen！'　　'Oh！'　he　answered；　'there　is　no　danger；

but　if　by　any　chancewell；　there　is　a　letter　in　my　pocket。'　　'And　if

you　should　kill　him？'　I　said。　　'But　I　shall　not；'　he　answered　slyly：

'do　you　think　I　am　going　to　fire　at　him？　　No；　no；　he　is　too　young。'

'But；'　I　said；　'I　'I　am　not　going　to　stand　that！'　　'Yes；'　he

replied；　'I　owe　him　a　shot；　but　there　is　no　dangernot　the　least

danger。'　　We　had　arrived；　already　they　were　there。　　Ah　bah！　　You　know

the　preliminaries；　the　politenessthis　duelling；　you　know；　it　is

absurd；　after　all。　　We　placed　them　at　twenty　paces。　　It　is　not　a　bad

place。　　There　are　pine…trees　round；　and　rocks；　at　that　hour　it　was

cool　and　grey　as　a　church。　　I　handed　him　the　pistol。　　How　can　I

describe　him　to　you；　standing　there；　smoothing　the　barrel　with　his

fingers！　　'What　a　beautiful　thing　a　good　pistol！'　he　said。　　'Only　a

fool　or　a　madman　throws　away　his　life；'　I　said。　　'Certainly；'　he

replied；　'certainly；　but　there　is　no　danger；'　and　he　regarded　me；

raising　his　moustachette。



〃There　they　stood　then；　back　to　back；　with　the　mouths　of　their

pistols　to　the　sky。　　'　Un！'　I　cried；　'deux！　tirez！'　They　turned；　I

saw　the　smoke　of　his　shot　go　straight　up　like　a　prayer；　his　pistol

dropped。　　I　ran　to　him。　　He　looked　surprised；　put　out　his　hand；　and

fell　into　my　arms。　　He　was　dead。　　Those　fools　came　running　up。　　'What

is　it？'　cried　one。　　I　made　him　a　bow。　　'As　you　see；'　I　said；　'you

have　made　a　pretty　shot。　　My　friend　fired　in　the　air。　　Messieurs；　you

had　better　breakfast　in　Italy。'　　We　carried　him　to　the　carriage；　and

covered　him　with　a　rug；　the　others　drove　for　the　frontier。　　I　brought

him　to　his　room。　　Here　is　his　letter。〃　　Jules　stopped；　tears　were

running　down　his　face。　　〃He　is　dead；　I　have　closed　his　eyes。　　Look

here；　you　know；　we　are　all　of　us　cadsit　is　the　rule；　but　this

this；　perhaps；　was　the　exception。〃　　And　without　another　word　he

rushed　away。。。。



Outside　the　old　fellow's　lodging　a　dismounted　cocher　was　standing

disconsolate　in　the　sun。　〃How　was　I　to　know　they　were　going　to　fight

a　duel？〃　he　burst　out　on　seeing　me。　　〃He　had　white　hairI　call　you

to　witness　he　had　white　hair。　　This　is　bad　for　me：　they　will　ravish

my　licence。　　Aha！　you　will　seethis　is　bad　for　me！〃　　I　gave　him　the

slip　and　found　my　way　upstairs。　　The　old　fellow　was　alone；　lying　on

the　bed；　his　feet　covered　with　a　rug　as　if　he　might　feel　cold；　his

eyes　were　closed；　but　in　this　sleep　of　death；　he　still　had　that　air

of　faint　surprise。　　At　full　length；　watching　the　bed　intently；　Freda

lay；　as　she　lay　nightly　when　he　was　really　asleep。　　The　shutters　were

half　open；　the　room　still　smelt　slightly　of　rum。　　I　stood　for　a　long

time　looking　at　the　face：　the　little　white　fans　of　moustache　brushed

upwards　even　in　death；　the　hollows　in　his　cheeks；　the　quiet　of　his

figure；　he　was　like　some　old　knight。。。。　　The　dog　broke　the　spell。

She　sat　up；　and　resting　her　paws　on　the　bed；　licked　his　face。　　I　went

downstairsI　couldn't　bear　to　hear　her　howl。　　This　was　his　letter　to

me；　written　in　a　pointed　handwriting：



〃MY　DEAR　SIR；Should　you　read　this；　I　shall　be　gone。　　I　am　ashamed

to　trouble　youa　man　should　surely　manage　so　as　not　to　give　trouble；

and　yet　I　believe　you　will　not　consider　me　importunate。　　If；　then；

you　will　pick　up　the　pieces　of　an　old　fellow；　I　ask　you　to　have　my

sword；　the　letter　enclosed　in　this；　and　the　photograph　that　stands　on

the　stove　buried　with　me。　　My　will　and　the　acknowledgments　of　my

property　are　between　the　leaves　of　the　Byron　in　my　tin　chest；　they

should　go　to　Lucy　Toraddress　thereon。　　Perhaps　you　will　do　me　the

honour　to　retain　for　yourself　any　of　my　books　that　may　give　you

pleasure。　　In　the　Pilgrim's　Progress　you　will　find　some　excellent

recipes　for　Turkish　coffee；　Italian　and　Spanish　dishes；　and　washing

wounds。　　The　landlady's　daughter　speaks　Italian；　and　she　would；　I

know；　like　to　have　Freda；　the　poor　dog　will　miss　me。　　I　have　read　of

old　Indian　warriors　taking　their　horses　and　dogs　with　them　to　the

happy　hunting…grounds。　　Freda　would　comenoble　animals　are　dogs！　She

eats　once　a　daya　good　large　mealand　requires　much　salt。　　If　you

have　animals　of　your　own；　sir；　don't　forgetall　animals　require

salt。　　I　have　no　debts；　thank　God！　　The　money　in　my　pockets　would

bury　me　decentlynot　that　there　is　any　danger。　　And　I　am　ashamed　to

weary　you　with　detailsthe　least　a　man　can　do　is　not　to　make　a　fuss…

…and　yet　he　must　be　found　ready。Sir；　with　profound　gratitude；　your

servant；



〃ROGER　BRUNE。〃





Everything　was　as　he　had　said。　　The　photograph　on　the　stove　was　that

of　a　young　girl　of　nineteen　or　twenty；　dressed　in　an　old…fashioned

style；　with　hair　gathered　backward　in　a　knot。　　The　eyes　gazed　at　you

with　a　little　frown；　the　lips　were　tightly　closed；　the　expression　of

the　face　was　eager；　quick；　wilful；　and；　above　all；　young。



The　tin　trunk　was　scented　with　dry　fragments　of　some　herb；　the

history　of　which　in　that　trunk　man　knoweth　not。。。。　　There　were　a　few

clothes；　but　very　few；　all　older　than　those　he　usually　wore。　　Besides

the　Byron　and　Pilgrim's　Progress　were　Scott's　Quentin　Durward；

Captain　Marryat's　Midshipman　Easy；　a　pocket　Testament；　and　a　long　and

frightfully　stiff　book　on　the　art　of　fortifying　towns；　much　thumbed；

and　bearing　date　1863。　　By　far　the　most　interesting　thing　I　found；

however；　was　a　diary；　kept　down　to　the　preceding　Christmas。　　It　was　a

pathetic　document；　full　of　calculations　of　the　price　of　meals；

resolutions　to　be　careful　over　this　or　that；　doubts　whether　he　must

not　give　up　smoking；　sentences　of　fear　that　Freda　had　not　enough　to

eat。　　It　appeared　that　he　had　tried　to　live　on　ninety　pounds　a　year；

and　send　the　other　hundred　pounds　home　to　Lucy　for　the　child；　in　this

struggle　he　was　always　failing；　having　to　send　less　than　the　amount…

the　entries　showed　that　this　was　a　nightmare　to　him。　　The　last　words；

written　on　Christmas　Day；　were　these　〃What　is　the　use　of　writing

this；　since　it　records　nothing　but　failure！〃



The　landlady's　daughter　and　myself　were　at　the　funeral。　　The　same

afternoon　I　went　into　the　concert…room；　where　I　had　spoken　to　him

first。　　When　I　came　out　Freda　was　lying　at　the　entrance；　looking　into

the　faces　of　every　one　that　passed；　and　sniffing　idly　at　their　heels。

Close　by　the　landlady's　daughter　hovered；　a　biscuit　in　her　hand；　and

a　puzzled；　sorry　look　on　her　face。



September　1900。













TO



MY　BROTHER



HUBERT　GALSWORTHY