scaramouche-第25节

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were　again　in　close　communion　throughout　the　whole　of　Sunday　morning。

After　dinner　M。　Binet　read　to　the　assembled　company　the　amended　and
amplified　canevas　of　〃The　Heartless　Father；〃　which；　acting　upon　the
advice　of　M。　Parvissimus；　he　had　been　at　great　pains　to　prepare。
The　company　had　few　doubts　as　to　the　real　authorship　before　he　began
to　read；　none　at　all　when　he　had　read。　　There　was　a　verve；　a　grip
about　this　story；　and；　what　was　more；　those　of　them　who　knew　their
Moliere　realized　that　far　from　approaching　the　original　more　closely；
this　canevas　had　drawn　farther　away　from　it。　　Moliere's　original
part　…　the　title　role　…　had　dwindled　into　insignificance；　to　the
great　disgust　of　Polichinelle；　to　whom　it　fell。　　But　the　other　parts
had　all　been　built　up　into　importance；　with　the　exception　of　Leandre；
who　remained　as　before。　　The　two　great　roles　were　now　Scaramouche；
in　the　character　of　the　intriguing　Sbrigandini；　and　Pantaloon　the
father。　　There　was；　too；　a　comical　part　for　Rhodomont；　as　the
roaring　bully　hired　by　Polichinelle　to　cut　Leandre　into　ribbons。
And　in　view　of　the　importance　now　of　Scaramouche；　the　play　had　been
rechristened　〃Figaro…Scaramouche。〃

This　last　had　not　been　without　a　deal　of　opposition　from　M。　Binet。
But　his　relentless　collaborator；　who　was　in　reality　the　real　author
　…　drawing　shamelessly；　but　practically　at　last　upon　his　great　store
of　reading　…　had　overborne　him。

〃You　must　move　with　the　times；　monsieur。　　In　Paris　Beaumarchais　is
the　rage。　　'Figaro'　is　known　to…day　throughout　the　world。　　Let　us
borrow　a　little　of　his　glory。　　It　will　draw　the　people　in。　　They
will　come　to　see　half　a　'Figaro'　when　they　will　not　come　to　see　a
dozen　'Heartless　Fathers。'　　Therefore　let　us　cast　the　mantle　of
Figaro　upon　some　one；　and　proclaim　it　in　our　title。〃

〃But　as　I　am　the　head　of　the　company。。。　〃　began　M。　Binet；　weakly。

〃If　you　will　be　blind　to　your　interests；　you　will　presently　be　a
head　without　a　body。　　And　what　use　is　that？　　Can　the　shoulders　of
Pantaloon　carry　the　mantle　of　Figaro？　　You　laugh。　　Of　course　you
laugh。　　The　notion　is　absurd。　　The　proper　person　for　the　mantle　of
Figaro　is　Scaramouche；　who　is　naturally　Figaro's　twin…brother。〃

Thus　tyrannized；　the　tyrant　Binet　gave　way；　comforted　by　the
reflection　that　if　he　understood　anything　at　all　about　the　theatre；
he　had　for　fifteen　livres　a　month　acquired　something　that　would
presently　be　earning　him　as　many　louis。

The　company's　reception　of　the　canevas　now　confirmed　him；　if　we
except　Polichinelle；　who；　annoyed　at　having　lost　half　his　part　in
the　alterations；　declared　the　new　scenario　fatuous。

〃Ah！　　You　call　my　work　fatuous；　do　you？〃　M。　Binet　hectored　him。

〃Your　work？〃　said　Polichinelle；　to　add　with　his　tongue　in　his　cheek：
〃Ah；　pardon。　　I　had　not　realized　that　you　were　the　author。〃

〃Then　realize　it　now。〃

〃You　were　very　close　with　M。　Parvissimus　over　this　authorship；〃　said
Polichinelle；　with　impudent　suggestiveness。

〃And　what　if　I　was？　　What　do　you　imply？〃

〃That　you　took　him　to　cut　quills　for　you；　of　course。〃

〃I'll　cut　your　ears　for　you　if　you're　not　civil；〃　stormed　the
infuriated　Binet。

Polichinelle　got　up　slowly；　and　stretched　himself。

〃Dieu　de　Dieu！〃　　said　he。　　〃If　Pantaloon　is　to　play　Rhodomont；　I
think　I'll　leave　you。　　He　is　not　amusing　in　the　part。〃　　And　he
swaggered　out　before　M。　Binet　had　recovered　from　his　speechlessness。



CHAPTER　IV

EXIT　MONSIEUR　PARVISSIMUS

Ar　four　o'clock　on　Monday　afternoon　the　curtain　rose　on
〃Figaro…Scaramouche〃　to　an　audience　that　filled　three　quarters　of
the　market…hall。　　M。　Binet　attributed　this　good　attendance　to　the
influx　of　people　to　Guichen　for　the　fair；　and　to　the　magnificent
parade　of　his　company　through　the　streets　of　the　township　at　the
busiest　time　of　the　day。　　Andre…Louis　attributed　it　entirely　to
the　title。　　It　was　the　〃Figaro〃　touch　that　had　fetched　in　the
better…class　bourgeoisie；　which　filled　more　than　half　of　the
twenty…sous　places　and　three　quarters　of　the　twelve…sous　seats。
The　lure　had　drawn　them。　Whether　it　was　to　continue　to　do　so　would
depend　upon　the　manner　in　which　the　canevas　over　which　he　had
laboured　to　the　glory　of　Binet　was　interpreted　by　the　company。　　Of
the　merits　of　the　canevas　itself　he　had　no　doubt。　　The　authors　upon
whom　he　had　drawn　for　the　elements　of　it　were　sound；　and　he　had
taken　of　their　best；　which　he　claimed　to　be　no　more　than　the
justice　due　to　them。

The　company　excelled　itself。　　The　audience　followed　with　relish　the
sly　intriguings　of　Scaramouche；　delighted　in　the　beauty　and
freshness　of　Climene；　was　moved　almost　to　tears　by　the　hard　fate
which　through　four　long　acts　kept　her　from　the　hungering　arms　of
the　so　beautiful　Leandre；　howled　its　delight　over　the　ignominy　of
Pantaloon；　the　buffooneries　of　his　sprightly　lackey　Harlequin；　and
the　thrasonical　strut　and　bellowing　fierceness　of　the　cowardly
Rhodomont。

The　success　of　the　Binet　troupe　in　Guichen　was　assured。　　That　night
the　company　drank　Burgundy　at　M。　Binet's　expense。　　The　takings
reached　the　sum　of　eight　louis；　which　was　as　good　business　as　M。
Binet　had　ever　done　in　all　his　career。　　He　was　very　pleased。
Gratification　rose　like　steam　from　his　fat　body。　　He　even
condescended　so　far　as　to　attribute　a　share　of　the　credit　for　the
success　to　M。　Parvissimus。

〃His　suggestion；〃　he　was　careful　to　say；　by　way　of　properly
delimiting　that　share；　〃was　most　valuable；　as　I　perceived　at　the
time。〃

〃And　his　cutting　of　quills；〃　growled　Polichinelle。　　〃Don't　forget
that。　　It　is　most　important　to　have　by　you　a　man　who　understands　how
to　cut　a　quill；　as　I　shall　remember　when　I　turn　author。〃

But　not　even　that　gibe　could　stir　M。　Binet　out　of　his　lethargy　of
content。

On　Tuesday　the　success　was　repeated　artistically　and　augmented
financially。　　Ten　louis　and　seven　livres　was　the　enormous　sum　that
Andre…Louis；　the　doorkeeper；　counted　over　to　M。　Binet　after　the
performance。　　Never　yet　had　M。　Binet　made　so　much　money　in　one
evening　…　and　a　miserable　little　village　like　Guichen　was　certainly
the　last　place　in　which　he　would　have　expected　this　windfall。

〃Ah；　but　Guichen　in　time　of　fair；〃　Andre…Louis　reminded　him。　〃There
are　people　here　from　as　far　as　Nantes　and　Rennes　to　buy　and　sell。
To…morrow；　being　the　last　day　of　the　fair；　the　crowds　will　be　greater
than　ever。　　We　should　better　this　evening's　receipts。〃

〃Better　them？　　I　shall　be　quite　satisfied　if　we　do　as　well；　my
friend。〃

〃You　can　depend　upon　that；〃　Andre…Louis　assured　him。　　〃Are　we　to
have　Burgundy？〃

And　then　the　tragedy　occurred。　　It　announced　itself　in　a　succession
of　bumps　and　thuds；　culminating　in　a　crash　outside　the　door　that
brought　them　all　to　their　feet　in　alarm。

Pierrot　sprang　to　open；　and　beheld　the　tumbled　body　of　a　man　lying
at　the　foot　of　the　stairs。　　It　emitted　groans；　therefore　it　was
alive。　　Pierrot　went　forward　to　turn　it　over；　and　disclosed　the　fact
that　the　body　wore　the　wizened　face　of　Scaramouche；　a　grimacing；
groaning；　twitching　Scaramouche。

The　whole　company；　pressing　after　Pierrot；　abandoned　itself　to
laughter。

〃I　always　said　you　should　change　parts　with　me；〃　cried　Harlequin。
〃You're　such　an　excellent　tumbler。　　Have　you　been　practising？〃

〃Fool！〃　Scaramouche　snapped。　　〃Must　you　be　laughing　when　I've　all
but　broken　my　neck？〃

〃You　are　right。　　We　ought　to　be　weeping　because　you　didn't　break
it。　　Come；　man；　get　up；〃　and　he　held　out　a　hand　to　the　prostrate
rogue。

Scaramouche　took　the　hand；　clutched　it；　heaved　himself　from　the
ground；　then　with　a　scream　dropped　back　again。

〃My　foot！〃　he　complained。

Binet　rolled　through　the　group　of　players；　scattering　them　to　right
and　left。　　Apprehension　had　been　quick　to　seize　him。　　Fate　had
played　him　such　tricks　before。

〃What　ails　your　foot？〃　quoth　he；　sourly。

〃It's　broken；　I　think；〃　Scaramouche　complained。

〃Broken？　　Bah！　　Get　up；　man。〃　　He　caught　him　under　the　armpits　and
hauled　him　up。

Scaramouche　came　howling　to　one　foot；　the　other　doubled　under　him
when　he　attempted　to　set　it　down；　and　he　must　have　collapsed　again
but　that　Binet　supported　him。　　He　filled　the　place　with　his　plaint；
whilst　Binet　swore　amazingly　and　variedly。

〃Must　you　bellow　like　a　calf；　you　fool？　　Be　quiet。　　A　chair　here；
some　one。〃

A　chair　was　thrust　forward。　　He　crushed　Scaramouche　down　into　it。

〃Let　us　look　at　this　foot　of　yours。〃

Heedless　of　Scaramouche's　howls　of　pain；　he　swept　away　shoe　and
stocking。

〃What　ails　it？〃　he　asked；　staring。　　〃Nothing　that　I　can　see。〃　　He
seized　it；　heel　in　one　hand；　instep　in　the　other；　and　gyrated　it。
Scaramouche　screamed　in　agony；　until　Climene　caught　Binet's　arm　and
made　him　stop。

〃My　God；　have　you　no　feelings？〃　she　reproved　her　father。　　〃The　lad
has　hurt　his　foot。　　Must　you　torture　him？　　Will　that　cure　it？〃

〃Hurt　his　foot！〃　said　Binet。　　〃I　can　see　nothing　the　matter　with　his
foot　…　nothing　to　justify　all　this　uproar。　　He　has　bruised　it；
maybe。。。　〃

〃A　man　with　a　bruised　foot　doesn't　scream　like　that；〃　said　Madame
over　Climene's　shoulder。　　〃Perhaps　he　has　dislocated　it。〃

〃That　is　what　I　fear；〃　whimpered　Scaramouche。

Binet　heaved　himself　up　in　disgust。

〃Take　him　to　bed；〃　he　bade　them；　〃and　fetch　a　doc