scaramouche-第35节

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unblushing　from　the　dregs　of　life　in　which　I　find　you；　and　shake
off　the　arm　of　that　theatre　girl；　to　come　and　preach　to　me。〃

〃If　these　were　the　dregs　of　life　I　might　still　speak　from　them　to
counsel　you　out　of　my　respect　and　devotion　；Aline。〃　　He　was　very
stiff　and　stern。　　〃But　they　are　not　the　dregs　of　life。　　Honour　and
virtue　are　possible　to　a　theatre　girl；　they　are　impossible　to　a
lady　who　sells　herself　to　gratify　ambition；　who　for　position；　riches；
and　a　great　title　barters　herself　in　marriage。〃

She　looked　at　him　breathlessly。　　Anger　turned　her　pale。　　She　reached
for　the　cord。

〃I　think　I　had　better　let　you　alight　so　that　you　may　go　back　to
practise　virtue　and　honour　with　your　theatre　wench。〃

〃You　shall　not　speak　so　of　her；　Aline。〃

〃Faith；　now　we　are　to　have　heat　on　her　behalf。　　You　think　I　am　too
delicate？　　You　think　I　should　speak　of　her　as　a。。。　〃

〃If　you　must　speak　of　her　at　all；〃　he　interrupted；　hotly；　〃you'll
speak　of　her　as　my　wife。〃

Amazement　smothered　her　anger。　　Her　pallor　deepened。　　〃My　God！〃　she
said；　and　looked　at　him　in　horror。　　And　in　horror　she　asked　him
presently：　〃You　are　married　…　married　to　that　…？〃

〃Not　yet。　　But　I　shall　be；　soon。　　And　let　me　tell　you　that　this
girl　whom　you　visit　with　your　ignorant　contempt　is　as　good　and　pure
as　you　are；　Aline。　　She　has　wit　and　talent　which　have　placed　her
where　she　is　and　shall　carry　her　a　deal　farther。　　And　she　has　the
womanliness　to　be　guided　by　natural　instincts　in　the　selection　of
her　mate。〃

She　was　trembling　with　passion。　　She　tugged　the　cord。

〃You　will　descend　this　instant！〃　she　told　him　fiercely。　　〃That　you
should　dare　to　make　a　comparison　between　me　and　that。。。　〃

〃And　my　wife…to…be；〃　he　interrupted；　before　she　could　speak　the
infamous　word。　　He　opened　the　door　for　himself　without　waiting　for
the　footman；　and　leapt　down。　　〃My　compliments；〃　said　he；　furiously；
〃to　the　assassin　you　are　to　marry。〃　　He　slammed　the　door。　　〃Drive
on；〃　he　bade　the　coachman。

The　carriage　rolled　away　up　the　Faubourg　Gigan；　leaving　him　standing
where　he　had　alighted；　quivering　with　rage。　　Gradually；　as　he　walked
back　to　the　inn；　his　anger　cooled。　　Gradually；　as　he　cooled；　he
perceived　her　point　of　view；　and　in　the　end　forgave　her。　　It　was　not
her　fault　that　she　thought　as　she　thought。　　Her　rearing　had　been　such
as　to　make　her　look　upon　every　actress　as　a　trull；　just　as　it　had
qualified　her　calmly　to　consider　the　monstrous　marriage　of　convenience
into　which　she　was　invited。

He　got　back　to　the　inn　to　find　the　company　at　table。　　Silence　fell
when　he　entered；　so　suddenly　that　of　necessity　it　must　be　supposed　he
was　himself　the　subject　of　the　conversation。　　Harlequin　and　Columbine
had　spread　the　tale　of　this　prince　in　disguise　caught　up　into　the
chariot　of　a　princess　and　carried　off　by　her；　and　it　was　a　tale　that
had　lost　nothing　in　the　telling。

Climene　had　been　silent　and　thoughtful；　pondering　what　Columbine　had
called　this　romance　of　hers。　　Clearly　her　Scaramouche　must　be　vastly
other　than　he　had　hitherto　appeared；　or　else　that　great　lady　and　he
would　never　have　used　such　familiarity　with　each　other。　　Imagining　him
no　better　than　he　was；　Climene　had　made　him　her　own。　　And　now　she　was
to　receive　the　reward　of　disinterested　affection。

Even　old　Binet's　secret　hostility　towards　Andre…Louis　melted　before
this　astounding　revelation。　　He　had　pinched　his　daughter's　ear　quite
playfully。　　〃Ah；　ah；　trust　you　to　have　penetrated　his　disguise；　my
child！〃

She　shrank　resentfully　from　that　implication。

〃But　I　did　not。　　I　took　him　for　what　he　seemed。〃

Her　father　winked　at　her　very　solemnly　and　laughed。　　〃To　be　sure；
you　did。　　But　like　your　father；　who　was　once　a　gentleman；　and　knows
the　ways　of　gentlemen；　you　detected　in　him　a　subtle　something
different　from　those　with　whom　misfortune　has　compelled　you　hitherto
to　herd。　　You　knew　as　well　as　I　did　that　he　never　caught　that　trick
of　haughtiness；　that　grand　air　of　command；　in　a　lawyer's　musty
office；　and　that　his　speech　had　hardly　the　ring　or　his　thoughts　the
complexion　of　the　bourgeois　that　he　pretended　to　be。　　And　it　was
shrewd　of　you　to　have　made　him　yours。　　Do　you　know　that　I　shall　be
very　proud　of　you　yet；　Climene？〃

She　moved　away　without　answering。　　Her　father's　oiliness　offended
her。　　Scaramouche　was　clearly　a　great　gentleman；　an　eccentric　if　you
please；　but　a　man　born。　　And　she　was　to　be　his　lady。　　Her　father
must　learn　to　treat　her　differently。

She　looked　shyly　…　with　a　new　shyness　…　at　her　lover　when　he　came
into　the　room　where　they　were　dining。　　She　observed　for　the　first
time　that　proud　carriage　of　the　head；　with　the　chin　thrust　forward；
that　was　a　trick　of　his；　and　she　noticed　with　what　a　grace　he　moved
　…　the　grace　of　one　who　in　youth　has　had　his　dancing…masters　and
fencing…masters。

It　almost　hurt　her　when　he　flung　himself　into　a　chair　and　exchanged
a　quip　with　Harlequin　in　the　usual　manner　as　with　an　equal；　and　it
offended　her　still　more　that　Harlequin；　knowing　what　he　now　knew；
should　use　him　with　the　same　unbecoming　familiarity。



CHAPTER　IX

THE　AWAKENING


〃Do　you　know；〃　said　Climene；　〃that　I　am　waiting　for　the　explanation
which　I　think　you　owe　me？〃

They　were　alone　together；　lingering　still　at　the　table　to　which
Andre…Louis　had　come　belatedly；　and　Andre…Louis　was　loading　himself
a　pipe。　　Of　late　…　since　joining　the　Binet　Troupe　…　he　had　acquired
the　habit　of　smoking。　　The　others　had　gone；　some　to　take　the　air
and　others；　like　Binet　and　Madame；　because　they　felt　that　it　were
discreet　to　leave　those　two　to　the　explanations　that　must　pass。　　It
was　a　feeling　that　Andre…Louis　did　not　share。　　He　kindled　a　light
and　leisurely　applied　it　to　his　pipe。　　A　frown　came　to　settle　on
his　brow。

〃Explanation？〃　he　questioned　presently；　and　looked　at　her。　　〃But　on
what　score？〃

〃On　the　score　of　the　deception　you　have　practised　on　us　…　on　me。〃

〃I　have　practised　none；〃　he　assured　her。

〃You　mean　that　you　have　simply　kept　your　own　counsel；　and　that　in
silence　there　is　no　deception。　　But　it　is　deceitful　to　withhold
facts　concerning　yourself　and　your　true　station　from　your　future
wife。　　You　should　not　have　pretended　to　be　a　simple　country　lawyer；
which；　of　course；　any　one　could　see　that　you　are　not。　　It　may　have
been　very　romantic；　but。。。　Enfin；　will　you　explain？〃

〃I　see；〃　he　said；　and　pulled　at　his　pipe。　　〃But　you　are　wrong；
Climene。　　I　have　practised　no　deception。　　If　there　are　things　about
me　that　I　have　not　told　you；　it　is　that　I　did　not　account　them　of
much　importance。　　But　I　have　never　deceived　you　by　pretending　to　be
other　than　I　am。　　I　am　neither　more　nor　less　than　I　have
represented　myself。〃

This　persistence　began　to　annoy　her；　and　the　annoyance　showed　on　her
winsome　face；　coloured　her　voice。

〃Ha！　　And　that　fine　lady　of　the　nobility　with　whom　you　are　so
intimate；　who　carried　you　off　in　her　cabriolet　with　so　little
ceremony　towards　myself？　　What　is　she　to　you？〃

〃A　sort　of　sister；〃　said　he。

〃A　sort　of　sister！〃　She　was　indignant。　　〃Harlequin　foretold　that
you　would　say　so；　but　he　was　amusing　himself。　　It　was　not　very
funny。　　It　is　less　funny　still　from　you。　　She　has　a　name；　I　suppose；
this　sort　of　sister？〃

〃Certainly　she　has　a　name。　　She　is　Mlle。　Aline　de　Kercadiou；　the
niece　of　Quintin　de　Kercadiou；　Lord　of　Gavrillac。〃

〃Oho！　　That's　a　sufficiently　fine　name　for　your　sort　of　sister。
What　sort　of　sister；　my　friend？〃

For　the　first　time　in　their　relationship　he　observed　and　deplored
the　taint　of　vulgarity；　of　shrewishness；　in　her　manner。

〃It　would　have　been　more　accurate　in　me　to　have　said　a　sort　of
reputed　left…handed　cousin。〃

〃A　reputed　left…handed　cousin！　　And　what　sort　of　relationship　may
that　be？　　Faith；　you　dazzle　me　with　your　lucidity。〃

〃It　requires　to　be　explained。〃

〃That　is　what　I　have　been　telling　you。　　But　you　seem　very　reluctant
with　your　explanations。〃

〃Oh；　no。　　It　is　only　that　they　are　so　unimportant。　　But　be　you　the
judge。　　Her　uncle；　M。　de　Kercadiou；　is　my　godfather；　and　she　and　I
have　been　playmates　from　infancy　as　a　consequence。　　It　is　popularly
believed　in　Gavrillac　that　M。　de　Kercadiou　is　my　father。　　He　has
certainly　cared　for　my　rearing　from　my　tenderest　years；　and　it　is
entirely　owing　to　him　that　I　was　educated　at　Louis　le　Grand。　　I　owe
to　him　everything　that　I　have　…　or；　rather；　everything　that　I　had；
for　of　my　own　free　will　I　have　cut　myself　adrift；　and　to…day　I
possess　nothing　save　what　I　can　earn　for　myself　in　the　theatre　or
elsewhere。〃

She　sat　stunned　and　pale　under　that　cruel　blow　to　her　swelling　pride。
Had　he　told　her　this　but　yesterday；　it　would　have　made　no　impression
upon　her；　it　would　have　mattered　not　at　all；　the　event　of　to…day
coming　as　a　sequel　would　but　have　enhanced　him　in　her　eyes。　　But
coming　now；　after　her　imagination　had　woven　for　him　so　magnificent　a
background；　after　the　rashly　assumed　discovery　of　his　splendid
identity　had　made　her　the　envied　of　all　the　company；　after　having
been　in　her　own　eyes　and　theirs　enshrined　by　marriage　with　him　as　a
great　lady；　this　disclosure　crushed　and　humiliated　her。　　Her　prince
in　disguise　was　merely　the　outcast　bastard　of　a　country　gentleman！
She　would　be　the　l