the trampling of the lilies-第30节

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〃Have　you　always　been　so　devout；　Citizen？〃　inquired　the　Deputy。

〃Alas！　no　Monsieur。　　But　there　comes　a　time　in　the　life　of　every
man　when；　for　a　few　moments　at　least；　he　is　prone　to　grow　mindful
of　the　lessons　learnt　in　childhood。〃

The　surprise　increased　in　La　Boulaye's　countenance。　　At　last　he
shrugged　his　shoulders；　after　the　manner　of　one　who　abandons　a
problem　that　has　grown　too　knotty。

〃Citizen　des　Cadoux；〃　said　he；　〃I　have　deliberated　that　since　I
have　received　no　orders　from　Paris　concerning　you；　and　also　since
I　am　not　by　profession　a　catch…poll　there　is　no　reason　whatever　why
I　should　carry　you　to　Paris。　　In　fact；　Citizen；　I　know　of　no　reason
why　I　should　interfere　with　your　freedom　at　all。　　On　the　contrary
when　I　recall　the　kindness　you　sought　to　do　me　that　day；　years　ago；
at　Bellecour；　I　find　every　reason　why　I　should　further　your　escape
from　the　Revolutionary　tribunal。　　A　horse；　Citizen；　stands　ready
saddled　for　you；　and　you　are　free　to　depart；　with　the　one　condition；
however；　that　you　will　consent　to　become　my　courier　for　once；　and
carry　a　letter　for　me　…　a　matter　which　should　occasion　you；　I　think；
no　deviation　from　your　journey。〃

The　old　dandy；　in　whose　intrepid　spirit　the　death　which　he　had
believed　imminent　had　occasioned　no　trembling；　turned　pale　as　La
Boulaye　ceased。　　His　blue　eyes　were　lifted　almost　timidly　to　the
Deputy's　face；　and　his　lip　quivered。

〃You　are　not　going　to　have　me　shot；　then？〃　he　faltered。

〃Shot？〃　echoed　La　Boulaye；　and　then　he　remembered　the　precise　words
of　the　request　which　Des　Cadoux　had　preferred　the　night　before；　but
which；　at　the　time；　he　had　treated　lightly。　　〃Ma　foi；　you　do　not
flatter　me！〃　he　cried。　　〃Am　I　a　murderer；　then？　　Come；　come；
Citizen；　here　is　the　letter　that　you　are　to　carry。　　It　is　addressed
to　Mademoiselle　de　Bellecour；　at　Treves；　and　encloses　Ombreval's
farewell　epistle　to　that　lady。〃

〃But；　gladly；　Monsieur；〃　exclaimed　Des　Cadoux。

And　then；　as　if　to　cover　his　sudden　access　of　emotion；　of　which　he
was　most　heartily　ashamed；　he　fumbled　for　his　snuff…box；　and；
having　found　it；　he　took　an　enormous　pinch。

They　parted　on　the　very　best　of　terms　did　these　two　…　the　aristocrat
and　the　Revolutionary　…　actuated　by　a　mutual　esteem　tempered　in　each
case　with　gratitude。

When　at　last　Des　Cadoux　had　taken　a　sympathetic　leave　of　Ombreval
and　departed；　Caron　ordered　the　Vicomte　to　be　brought　before　him
again；　and　at　the　same　time　bade　his　men　make　ready　for　the　road。

〃Citizen；〃　said　La　Boulaye；　〃we　start　for　Paris　at　once。　　If　you
will　pass　me　your　word　of　honour　to　attempt　no　escape　you　shall
travel　with　us　in　complete　freedom　and　with　all　dignity。〃

Ombreval　looked　at　him　with　insolent　surprise；　his　weak　supercilious
mouth　growing　more　supercilious　even　than　its　wont。　　He　had　recovered
a　good　deal　of　his　spirit　by　now。

〃Pass　you　my　word　of　honour？〃　he　echoed。　〃Mon　Dieu！　my　good　fellow
a　word　of　honour　is　a　bond　between　gentlemen。　　I　think　too　well　of
mine　to　pass　it　to　the　first　greasy　rascal　of　the　Republic　that
asks　it　of　me。〃

La　Boulaye　eyed　him　a　second　with　a　glance　before　which　the
aristocrat　grew　pale；　and　already　regretted　him　of　his　words。　　The
veins　in　the　Deputy's　temples　were　swollen。

〃I　warned　you；〃　said　he；　in　a　dull　voice。　　Then　to　the　soldiers
standing　on　either　side　of　Ombreval　…　〃Take　him　out；〃　he　said；
〃mount　him　on　horseback。　　Let　him　ride　with　his　hands　pinioned
behind　his　back；　and　his　feet　lashed　together　under　the　horse's
belly。　　Attend　to　it！〃

〃Monsieur；〃　cried　the　young　man；　in　an　appealing　voice；〃　I　will　give
you　my　word　of　honour　not　to　escape。　　I　will　…　〃

〃Take　him　out；〃　La　Boulaye　repeated；　with　a　dull　bark　of　contempt。
〃You　had　your　chance；　Citizen…aristocrat。〃

Ombreval　set　his　teeth　and　clenched　his　hands。

〃Canaille！〃　he　snarled；　in　his　fury。

〃Hold！〃　Caron　called　after　the　departing　men。

They　obeyed；　and　now　this　wretched　Vicomte；　of　such　unstable　spirit
dropped　all　his　anger　again；　as　suddenly　as　he　had　caught　it　up。
Fear　paled　his　cheek　and　palsied　his　limbs　once　more；　for　La
Boulaye's　expression　was　very　terrible。

〃You　know　what　I　said　that　I　would　have　done　to　you　if　you　used　that
word　again？〃　La　Boulaye　questioned　him　coldly。

〃I　…　I　was　beside　myself；　Monsieur；〃　the　other　gasped；　in　the
intensity　of　his　fear。　　And　at　the　sight　of　his　pitiable　condition
the　anger　fell　away　from　La　Boulaye；　and　he　smiled　scornfully。

〃My　faith；〃　he　sneered。　　〃You　are　hot　one　moment　and　cold　the　next。
Citizen；　I　am　afraid　that　you　are　no　better　than　a　vulgar　coward。
Take　him　away；〃　he　ended；　waving　his　hand　towards　the　door；　and　as
he　watched　them　leading　him　out　he　reflected　bitterly　that　this　was
the　man　to　whom　Suzanne　was　betrothed　…　the　man　whom；　not　a　doubt
of　it；　she　loved；　since　for　him　she　had　stooped　so　low。　　This
miserable　craven　she　preferred　to　him；　because　the　man；　so　ignoble
of　nature；　was　noble　by　the　accident　of　birth。






PART　III

THE　EVERLASTING　RULE

　　　Love　rules　the　court；　the　camp；　the　grove；
　　　And　men　below　and　saints　above；
　　　For　love　is　Heaven　and　Heaven　is　love。

The　Lay　of　the　Last　Minstrel。




CHAPTER　XVI

CECILE　DESHAIX


In　his　lodgings　at　the　corner　of　the　Rue…St。　　Honore　and　the　Rue
de　la　Republique　…　lately　changed；　in　the　all…encompassing
metamorphosis；　from　〃Rue　Royale〃　sat　the　Deputy　Caron　La　Boulaye
at　his　writing…table。

There　was　a　flush　on　his　face　and　a　sparkle　in　the　eyes　that　looked
pensively　before　him　what　time　he　gnawed　the　feathered　end　of　his
quill。　　In　his　ears　still　rang　the　acclamations　that　had　greeted
his　brilliant　speech　in　the　Assembly　that　day。　　He　was　of　the　party
of　the　Mountain　…　as　was　but　natural　in　a　protege　of　the　Seagreen
Robespierre　…　a　party　more　famed　for　its　directness　of　purpose　than
elegance　of　expression；　and　in　its　ranks　there　was　room　and　to　spare
for　such　orators　as　he。　　The　season　was　March　of　'93　…　a　season
marked　by　the　deadly　feud　raging　'twixt　the　Girondins　and　the
Mountain；　and　in　that　battle　of　tongues　La　Boulaye　was　covering
himself　with　glory　and　doing　credit　to　his　patron；　the　Incorruptible。
He　was　of　a　rhetoric　not　inferior　to　Vergniaud's　…　that　most　eloquent
Girondon　…　and　of　a　quickness　of　wit　and　honesty　of　aim　unrivalled
in　the　whole　body　of　the　Convention；　and　with　these　gifts　he　harassed
to　no　little　purpose　those　smooth…tongued　legislators　of　the　Gironde；
whom　Dumouriez　called　the　Jesuits　of　the　Revolution。　　His　popularity
with　the　men　of　the　Mountain　and　with　the　masses　of　Paris　was　growing
daily；　and　the　crushing　reply　he　had　that　day　delivered　to　the
charges　preferred　by　Vergniaud　was　likely　to　increase　his　fame。

Well；　therefore；　might　he　sit　with　flushed　cheeks　and　sparkling　eyes
chewing　the　butt　of　his　pen　and　smiling　to　himself　at　the　memory　of
the　enthusiasm　of　which　he　had　been　the　centre　a　half…hour　ago。
Here；　indeed；　was　something　that　a　man　might　live　for；　something
that　a　man　might　take　pride　in；　and　something　that　might　console　a
man　for　a　woman's　treachery。　　What；　indeed；　could　woman's　love　give
him　that　might　compare　with　this？　　Was　it　not　more　glorious　far　to
make　himself　the　admired；　the　revered；　the　very　idol　of　those　stern
men；　than　the　beloved　of　a　simpering　girl？　　The　latter　any　coxcomb
with　a　well…cut　coat　might　encompass；　but　the　former　achievement
was　a　man's　work。

And　yet；　for　all　that　he　reasoned　thus　speciously　and　philosophically；
there　was　a　moment　when　his　brow　grew　clouded　and　his　eyes　lost　their
sparkle。　　He　was　thinking　of　that　night　in　the　inn　at　Boisvert；　when
he　had　knelt　beside　her　and　she　had　lied　to　him。　　He　was　thinking　of
the　happiness；　that　for　a　few　brief　hours　had　been　his；　until　he
discovered　how　basely　she　had　deceived　him；　and　for　all　the
full…flavour　of　his　present　elation　it　seemed　to　him　that　in　that
other　happiness　which　he　now　affected　to　despise　by　contrast；　there
had　dwelt　a　greater；　a　more　contenting　sweetness。

Would　she　come　to　Paris？　　He　had　asked　himself　that　question　every
day　of　the　twenty　that　were　spent　since　his　return。　　And　in　the
meantime　the　Vicomte　d'Ombreval　lay　in　the　prison　of　the　Luxembourg
awaiting　trial。　　That　he　had　not　yet　been　arraigned　he　had　to　thank
the　efforts　of　La　Boulaye。　　The　young　Deputy　had　informed　Robespierre
that　for　reasons　of　his　own　he　wished　the　ci…devant　Vicomte；　to　be
kept　in　prison　some　little　time；　and　the　Incorruptible；　peering　at
him　over　his　horn…rimmed　spectacles；　had　shrugged　his　shoulders　and
answered：

〃But　certainly；　cher　Caron；　since　it　is　your　wish。　　He　will　be　safe
in　the　Luxembourg。〃

He　had　pressed　his　protege　for　a　reason；　but　La　Boulaye　had　evaded
the　question；　promising　to　enlighten　him　later。

Since　then　Caron　had　waited；　and　now　it　was　more　than　time　that
Mademoiselle　made　some　sign。　　Or　was　it　that　neither　Ombreval's
craven　entreaties　nor　his　own　short　message　had　affected　her？　　Was
she　wholly　heartless　and　likely　to　prove　as　faithless　to　the
Vicomte　in　his　hour　of　need　as　she　had　proved　to　him？

With　a　toss　of　the　head　he　dismissed　her　from　his　thoughts；　and
dipping　his　quill；　he　began　to　write。

》From　the　street　came　the　dull　roll　of　beaten