the chouans-第32节

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The　two　officers　hastened　to　post　sentinels　to　guard　the　gate　and　the　causeway；　then　they　examined　with　great　distrust　the　precipitous　banks　of　the　lakes　and　the　surroundings　of　the　chateau。

〃Pooh！〃　said　Merle；　〃we　must　do　one　of　two　things：　either　trust　ourselves　in　this　barrack　with　perfect　confidence；　or　else　not　enter　it　at　all。〃

〃Come；　let's　go　in；〃　replied　Gerard。

The　soldiers；　released　at　the　word　of　command；　hastened　to　stack　their　muskets　in　conical　sheaves；　and　to　form　a　sort　of　line　before　the　litter　of　straw；　in　the　middle　of　which　was　the　promised　barrel　of　cider。　They　then　divided　into　groups；　to　whom　two　peasants　began　to　distribute　butter　and　rye…bread。　The　marquis　appeared　in　the　portico　to　welcome　the　officers　and　take　them　to　the　salon。　As　Gerard　went　up　the　steps　he　looked　at　both　ends　of　the　portico；　where　some　venerable　larches　spread　their　black　branches；　and　he　called　up　Clef…des…Coeurs　and　Beau…Pied。

〃You　will　each　reconnoitre　the　gardens　and　search　the　bushes；　and　post　a　sentry　before　your　line。〃

〃May　we　light　our　fire　before　starting；　adjutant？〃　asked　Clef…des…　Coeurs。

Gerard　nodded。

〃There！　you　see；　Clef…des…Coeurs；〃　said　Beau…Pied；　〃the　adjutant's　wrong　to　run　himself　into　this　wasp's…nest。　If　Hulot　was　in　command　we　shouldn't　be　cornered　herein　a　saucepan！〃

〃What　a　stupid　you　are！〃　replied　Clef…des…Coeurs；　〃haven't　you　guessed；　you　knave　of　tricks；　that　this　is　the　home　of　the　beauty　our　jovial　Merle　has　been　whistling　round？　He'll　marry　her　to　a　certaintythat's　as　clear　as　a　well…rubbed　bayonet。　A　woman　like　that　will　do　honor　to　the　brigade。〃

〃True　for　you；〃　replied　Beau…Pied；　〃and　you　may　add　that　she　gives　pretty　good　ciderbut　I　can't　drink　it　in　peace　till　I　know　what's　behind　those　devilish　hedges。　I　always　remember　poor　Larose　and　Vieux…　Chapeau　rolling　down　the　ditch　at　La　Pelerine。　I　shall　recollect　Larose's　queue　to　the　end　of　my　days；　it　went　hammering　down　like　the　knocker　of　a　front　door。〃

〃Beau…Pied；　my　friend；　you　have　too　much　imagination　for　a　soldier；　you　ought　to　be　making　songs　at　the　national　Institute。〃

〃If　I've　too　much　imagination；〃　retorted　Beau…Pied；　〃you　haven't　any；　it　will　take　you　some　time　to　get　your　degree　as　consul。〃

A　general　laugh　put　an　end　to　the　discussion；　for　Clef…des…Coeurs　found　no　suitable　reply　in　his　pouch　with　which　to　floor　his　adversary。

〃Come　and　make　our　rounds；　I'll　go　to　the　right；〃　said　Beau…Pied。

〃Very　good；　I'll　take　the　left；〃　replied　his　comrade。　〃But　stop　one　minute；　I　must　have　a　glass　of　cider；　my　throat　is　glued　together　like　the　oiled…silk　of　Hulot's　best　hat。〃

The　left　bank　of　the　gardens；　which　Clef…des…Coeurs　thus　delayed　searching　at　once；　was；　unhappily；　the　dangerous　slope　where　Francine　had　seen　the　moving　line　of　men。　All　things　go　by　chance　in　war。

As　Gerard　entered　the　salon　and　bowed　to　the　company　he　cast　a　penetrating　eye　on　the　men　who　were　present。　Suspicions　came　forcibly　to　his　mind；　and　he　went　at　once　to　Mademoiselle　de　Verneuil　and　said　in　a　low　voice：　〃I　think　you　had　better　leave　this　place　immediately。　We　are　not　safe　here。〃

〃What　can　you　fear　while　I　am　with　you？〃　she　answered；　laughing。　〃You　are　safer　here　than　you　would　be　at　Mayenne。〃

A　woman　answers　for　her　lover　in　good　faith。　The　two　officers　were　reassured。　The　party　now　moved　into　the　dining…room　after　some　discussion　about　a　guest；　apparently　of　some　importance；　who　had　not　appeared。　Mademoiselle　de　Verneuil　was　able；　thanks　to　the　silence　which　always　reigns　at　the　beginning　of　a　meal；　to　give　some　attention　to　the　character　of　the　assemblage；　which　was　curious　enough　under　existing　circumstances。　One　thing　struck　her　with　surprise。　The　Republican　officers　seemed　superior　to　the　rest　of　the　assembly　by　reason　of　their　dignified　appearance。　Their　long　hair　tied　behind　in　a　queue　drew　lines　beside　their　foreheads　which　gave；　in　those　days；　an　expression　of　great　candor　and　nobleness　to　young　heads。　Their　threadbare　blue　uniforms　with　the　shabby　red　facings；　even　their　epaulets　flung　back　behind　their　shoulders　（a　sign　throughout　the　army；　even　among　the　leaders；　of　a　lack　of　overcoats）；all　these　things　brought　the　two　Republican　officers　into　strong　relief　against　the　men　who　surrounded　them。

〃Oh；　they　are　the　Nation；　and　that　means　liberty！〃　thought　Marie；　then；　with　a　glance　at　the　royalists；　she　added；　〃on　the　other　side　is　a　man；　a　king；　and　privileges。〃　She　could　not　refrain　from　admiring　Merle；　so　thoroughly　did　that　gay　soldier　respond　to　the　ideas　she　had　formed　of　the　French　trooper　who　hums　a　tune　when　the　balls　are　whistling；　and　jests　when　a　comrade　falls。　Gerard　was　more　imposing。　Grave　and　self…possessed；　he　seemed　to　have　one　of　those　truly　Republican　spirits　which；　in　the　days　of　which　we　write；　crowded　the　French　armies；　and　gave　them；　by　means　of　these　noble　individual　devotions；　an　energy　which　they　had　never　before　possessed。　〃That　is　one　of　my　men　with　great　ideals；〃　thought　Mademoiselle　de　Verneuil。　〃Relying　on　the　present；　which　they　rule；　they　destroy　the　past　for　the　benefit　of　the　future。〃

The　thought　saddened　her　because　she　could　not　apply　it　to　her　lover；　towards　whom　she　now　turned；　to　discard　by　a　different　admiration；　these　beliefs　in　the　Republic　she　was　already　beginning　to　dislike。　Looking　at　the　marquis；　surrounded　by　men　who　were　bold　enough；　fanatical　enough；　and　sufficiently　long…headed　as　to　the　future　to　give　battle　to　a　victorious　Republic　in　the　hope　of　restoring　a　dead　monarchy；　a　proscribed　religion；　fugitive　princes；　and　lost　privileges；　〃He；〃　thought　she；　〃has　no　less　an　aim　than　the　others；　clinging　to　those　fragments；　he　wants　to　make　a　future　from　the　past。〃　Her　mind；　thus　grasped　by　conflicting　images；　hesitated　between　the　new　and　the　old　wrecks。　Her　conscience　told　her　that　the　one　was　fighting　for　a　man；　the　other　for　a　country；　but　she　had　now　reached；　through　her　feelings；　the　point　to　which　reason　will　also　bring　us；　namely：　to　a　recognition　that　the　king　/is/　the　Nation。

The　steps　of　a　man　echoed　in　the　adjoining　room；　and　the　marquis　rose　from　the　table　to　greet　him。　He　proved　to　be　the　expected　guest；　and　seeing　the　assembled　company　he　was　about　to　speak；　when　the　Gars　made　him　a　hasty　sign；　which　he　concealed　from　the　Republicans；　to　take　his　place　and　say　nothing。　The　more　the　two　officers　analyzed　the　faces　about　them；　the　more　their　suspicions　increased。　The　clerical　dress　of　the　Abbe　Gudin　and　the　singularity　of　the　Chouan　garments　were　so　many　warnings　to　them；　they　redoubled　their　watchfulness；　and　soon　discovered　many　discrepancies　between　the　manners　of　the　guests　and　the　topics　of　their　conversation。　The　republicanism　of　some　was　quite　as　exaggerated　as　the　aristocratic　bearing　of　others　was　unmistakable。　Certain　glances　which　they　detected　between　the　marquis　and　his　guests；　certain　words　of　double　meaning　imprudently　uttered；　but　above　all　the　fringe　of　beard　which　was　round　the　necks　of　several　of　the　men　and　was　very　ill…concealed　by　their　cravats；　brought　the　officers　at　last　to　a　full　conviction　of　the　truth；　which　flashed　upon　their　minds　at　the　same　instant。　They　gave　each　other　one　look；　for　Madame　du　Gua　had　cleverly　separated　them　and　they　could　only　impart　their　thoughts　by　their　eyes。　Such　a　situation　demanded　the　utmost　caution。　They　did　not　know　whether　they　and　their　men　were　masters　of　the　situation；　or　whether　they　had　been　drawn　into　a　trap；　or　whether　Mademoiselle　de　Verneuil　was　the　dupe　or　the　accomplice　of　this　inexplicable　state　of　things。　But　an　unforeseen　event　precipitated　a　crisis　before　they　had　fully　recognized　the　gravity　of　their　situation。

The　new　guest　was　one　of　those　solid　men　who　are　square　at　the　base　and　square　at　the　shoulders；　with　ruddy　skins；　men　who　lean　backward　when　they　walk；　seeming　to　displace　much　atmosphere　about　them；　and　who　appear　to　think　that　more　than　one　glance　of　the　eye　is　needful　to　take　them　in。　Notwithstanding　his　rank；　he　had　taken　life　as　a　joke　from　which　he　was　to　get　as　much　amusement　as　possible；　and　yet；　although　he　knelt　at　his　own　shrine　only；　he　was　kind；　polite；　and　witty；　after　the　fashion　of　those　noblemen　who；　having　finished　their　training　at　court；　return　to　live　on　their　estates；　and　never　suspect　that　they　have；　at　the　end　of　twenty　years；　grown　rusty。　Men　of　this　type　fail　in　tact　with　imperturbable　coolness；　talk　folly　wittily；　distrust　good　with　extreme　shrewdness；　and　take　incredible　pains　to　fall　into　traps。

When；　by　a　play　of　his　knife　and　fork　which　proclaimed　him　a　good　feeder；　he　had　made　up　for　lost　time；　he　began　to　look　round　on　the　company。　His　astonishment　was　great　when　he　observed　the　two　Republican　officers；　and　he　questioned　Madame　du　Gua　with　a　look；　while　she；　for　all　answer；　showed　him　Mademoiselle　de　Verneuil　in　the　same　way。　When　he　saw　the　siren　whose　demeanor　had　silenced　the　suspicions　Madame　du　Gua　had　excited　among　the　guests；　the　face　of　the　stout　stranger　broke　into　one　of　those　insolent；　ironical　smiles　which　contain　a　whole　history　of　scandal。　He　leaned　to　his　next　neighbor　and　whispered　a　few　words；　which　went　from　ear　to　ear　and　lip　to　lip；　passing　Marie　and　the　two　officers；　until　they　reached　the　heart　of　one　wh