scaramouche-第36节

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


in　disguise　was　merely　the　outcast　bastard　of　a　country　gentleman！
She　would　be　the　laughing…stock　of　every　member　of　her　father's
troupe；　of　all　those　who　had　so　lately　envied　her　this　romantic　good
fortune。

〃You　should　have　told　me　this　before；〃　she　said；　in　a　dull　voice
that　she　strove　to　render　steady。

〃Perhaps　I　should。　　But　does　it　really　matter？〃

〃Matter？〃　　She　suppressed　her　fury　to　ask　another　question。　　〃You
say　that　this　M。　de　Kercadiou　is　popularly　believed　to　be　your
father。　　What　precisely　do　you　mean？〃

〃Just　that。　　It　is　a　belief　that　I　do　not　share。　　It　is　a　matter　of
instinct；　perhaps；　with　me。　　Moreover；　once　I　asked　M。　de　Kercadiou
point…blank；　and　I　received　from　him　a　denial。　　It　is　not；　perhaps；
a　denial　to　which　one　would　attach　too　much　importance　in　all　the
circumstances。　　Yet　I　have　never　known　M　de　Kercadiou　for　other　than
a　man　of　strictest　honour；　and　I　should　hesitate　to　disbelieve　him
　…　particularly　when　his　statement　leaps　with　my　own　instincts。　　He
assured　me　that　he　did　not　know　who　my　father　was。〃

〃And　your　mother；　was　he　equally　ignorant？〃　　She　was　sneering；　but
he　did　not　remark　it。　　Her　back　was　to　the　light。

〃He　would　not　disclose　her　name　to　me。　　He　confessed　her　to　be　a
dear　friend　of　his。〃

She　startled　him　by　laughing；　and　her　laugh　was　not　pleasant。

〃A　very　dear　friend；　you　may　be　sure；　you　simpleton。　　What　name　do
you　bear？〃

He　restrained　his　own　rising　indignation　to　answer　her　question
calmly：　〃Moreau。　　It　was　given　me；　so　I　am　told；　from　the　Brittany
village　in　which　I　was　born。　　But　I　have　no　claim　to　it。　　In　fact
I　have　no　name；　unless　it　be　Scaramouche；　to　which　I　have　earned　a
title。　　So　that　you　see；　my　dear；〃　he　ended　with　a　smile；　〃I　have
practised　no　deception　whatever。〃

〃No；　no。　　I　see　that　now。〃　　She　laughed　without　mirth；　then　drew　a
deep　breath　and　rose。　　〃I　am　very　tired；〃　she　said。

He　was　on　his　feet　in　an　instant；　all　solicitude。　　But　she　waved
him　wearily　back。

〃I　think　I　will　rest　until　it　is　time　to　go　to　the　theatre。〃　　She
moved　towards　the　door；　dragging　her　feet　a　little。　　He　sprang　to
open　it；　and　she　passed　out　without　looking　at　him。

Her　so　brief　romantic　dream　was　ended。　　The　glorious　world　of　fancy
which　in　the　last　hour　she　had　built　with　such　elaborate　detail；
over　which　it　should　be　her　exalted　destiny　to　rule；　lay　shattered
about　her　feet；　its　debris　so　many　stumbling…blocks　that　prevented
her　from　winning　back　to　her　erstwhile　content　in　Scaramouche　as　he
really　was。

Andre…Louis　sat　in　the　window　embrasure；　smoking　and　looking　idly
out　across　the　river。　　He　was　intrigued　and　meditative。　　He　had
shocked　her。　　The　fact　was　clear；　not　so　the　reason。　　That　he　should
confess　himself　nameless　should　not　particularly　injure　him　in　the
eyes　of　a　girl　reared　amid　the　surroundings　that　had　been　Climene's。
And　yet　that　his　confession　had　so　injured　him　was　fully　apparent。

There；　still　at　his　brooding；　the　returning　Columbine　discovered
him　a　half…hour　later。

〃All　alone；　my　prince！〃　was　her　laughing　greeting；　which　suddenly
threw　light　upon　his　mental　darkness。　　Climene　had　been　disappointed
of　hopes　that　the　wild　imagination　of　these　players　had　suddenly
erected　upon　the　incident　of　his　meeting　with　Aline。　　Poor　child！
He　smiled　whimsically　at　Columbine。

〃I　am　likely　to　be　so　for　some　little　time；〃　said　he；　〃until　it
becomes　a　commonplace　that　I　am　not；　after　all；　a　prince。

〃Not　a　prince？　　Oh；　but　a　duke；　then　…　at　least　a　marquis。〃

〃Not　even　a　chevalier；　unless　it　be　of　the　order　of　fortune。　　I
am　just　Scaramouche。　　My　castles　are　all　in　Spain。〃

Disappointment　clouded　the　lively；　good…natured　face。

〃And　I　had　imagined　you。。。　〃

〃I　know；〃　he　interrupted。　　〃That　is　the　mischief。〃　　He　might　have
gauged　the　extent　of　that　mischief　by　Climene's　conduct　that　evening
towards　the　gentlemen　of　fashion　who　clustered　now　in　the　green…room
between　the　acts　to　pay　their　homage　to　the　incomparable　amoureuse。
Hitherto　she　had　received　them　with　a　circumspection　compelling
respect。　　To…night　she　was　recklessly　gay；　impudent；　almost　wanton。

He　spoke　of　it　gently　to　her　as　they　walked　home　together；
counselling　more　prudence　in　the　future。

〃We　are　not　married　yet；〃　she　told　him；　tartly。　　〃Wait　until　then
before　you　criticize　my　conduct。〃

〃I　trust　that　there　will　be　no　occasion　then；〃　said　he。

〃You　trust？　　Ah；　yes。　　You　are　very　trusting。〃

〃Climene；　I　have　offended　you。　　I　am　sorry。〃

〃It　is　nothing；〃　said　she。　　〃You　are　what　you　are。　　Still　was　he　not
concerned。　　He　perceived　the　source　of　her　ill…humour；　understood；
whilst　deploring　it；　and；　because　he　understood；　forgave。　　He
perceived　also　that　her　ill…humour　was　shared　by　her　father；　and　by
this　he　was　frankly　amused。　　Towards　M。　Binet　a　tolerant　contempt
was　the　only　feeling　that　complete　acquaintance　could　beget。　　As　for
the　rest　of　the　company；　they　were　disposed　to　be　very　kindly　towards
Scaramouche。　　It　was　almost　as　if　in　reality　he　had　fallen　from　the
high　estate　to　which　their　own　imaginations　had　raised　him；　or
possibly　it　was　because　they　saw　the　effect　which　that　fall　from　his
temporary　and　fictitious　elevation　had　produced　upon　Climene。

Leandre　alone　made　himself　an　exception。　　His　habitual　melancholy
seemed　to　be　dispelled　at　last；　and　his　eyes　gleamed　now　with
malicious　satisfaction　when　they　rested　upon　Scaramouche；　whom
occasionally　he　continued　to　address　with　sly　mockery　as　〃mon
prince。〃

On　the　morrow　Andre…Louis　saw　but　little　of　Climene。　　This　was　not
in　itself　extraordinary；　for　he　was　very　hard　at　work　again；　with
preparations　now　for　〃Figaro…Scaramouche〃　which　was　to　be　played
on　Saturday。　　Also；　in　addition　to　his　manifold　theatrical
occupations；　he　now　devoted　an　hour　every　morning　to　the　study　of
fencing　in　an　academy　of　arms。　　This　was　done　not　only　to　repair
an　omission　in　his　education；　but　also；　and　chiefly；　to　give　him
added　grace　and　poise　upon　the　stage。　　He　found　his　mind　that
morning　distracted　by　thoughts　of　both　Climene　and　Aline。　　And
oddly　enough　it　was　Aline　who　provided　the　deeper　perturbation。
Climene's　attitude　he　regarded　as　a　passing　phase　which　need　not
seriously　engage　him。　　But　the　thought　of　Aline's　conduct　towards
him　kept　rankling；　and　still　more　deeply　rankled　the　thought　of
her　possible　betrothal　to　M。　de　La　Tour　d'Azyr。

This　it　was　that　brought　forcibly　to　his　mind　the　self…imposed　but
by　now　half…forgotten　mission　that　he　had　made　his　own。　　He　had
boasted　that　he　would　make　the　voice　which　M。　de　La　Tour　d'Azyr　had
sought　to　silence　ring　through　the　length　and　breadth　of　the　land。
And　what　had　he　done　of　all　this　that　he　had　boasted？　　He　had
incited　the　mob　of　Rennes　and　the　mob　of　Nantes　in　such　terms　as
poor　Philippe　might　have　employed；　and　then　because　of　a　hue　and
cry　he　had　fled　like　a　cur　and　taken　shelter　in　the　first　kennel
that　offered；　there　to　lie　quiet　and　devote　himself　to　other
things　…　self…seeking　things。　　What　a　fine　contrast　between　the
promise　and　the　fulfilment！

Thus　Andre…Louis　to　himself　in　his　self…contempt。　　And　whilst　he
trifled　away　his　time　and　played　Scaramouche；　and　centred　all　his
hopes　in　presently　becoming　the　rival　of　such　men　as　Chenier　and
Mercier；　M。　de　La　Tour　d'Azyr　went　his　proud　ways　unchallenged
and　wrought　his　will。　　It　was　idle　to　tell　himself　that　the　seed
he　had　sown　was　bearing　fruit。　　That　the　demands　he　had　voiced　in
Nantes　for　the　Third　Estate　had　been　granted　by　M。　Necker；　thanks
largely　to　the　commotion　which　his　anonymous　speech　had　made。　　That
was　not　his　concern　or　his　mission。　　It　was　no　part　of　his　concern
to　set　about　the　regeneration　of　mankind；　or　even　the　regeneration
of　the　social　structure　of　France。　　His　concern　was　to　see　that　M。
de　La　Tour　d'Azyr　paid　to　the　uttermost　liard　for　the　brutal　wrong
he　had　done　Philippe　de　Vilmorin。　　And　it　did　not　increase　his
self…respect　to　find　that　the　danger　in　which　Aline　stood　of　being
married　to　the　Marquis　was　the　real　spur　to　his　rancour　and　to
remembrance　of　his　vow。　　He　was　…　too　unjustly；　perhaps　…　disposed
to　dismiss　as　mere　sophistries　his　own　arguments　that　there　was
nothing　he　could　do；　that；　in　fact；　he　had　but　to　show　his　head　to
find　himself　going　to　Rennes　under　arrest　and　making　his　final　exit
from　the　world's　stage　by　way　of　the　gallows。

It　is　impossible　to　read　that　part　of　his　〃Confessions〃　without
feeling　a　certain　pity　for　him。　　You　realize　what　must　have　been
his　state　of　mind。　　You　realize　what　a　prey　he　was　to　emotions　so
conflicting；　and　if　you　have　the　imagination　that　will　enable　you
to　put　yourself　in　his　place；　you　will　also　realize　how　impossible
was　any　decision　save　the　one　to　which　he　says　he　came；　that　he
would　move；　at　the　first　moment　that　he　perceived　in　what　direction
it　would　serve　his　real　aims　to　move。

It　happened　that　the　first　person　he　saw　when　he　took　the　stage　on
that　Thursday　evening　was　Aline；　the　second　was　the　Marquis　de　La
Tour　d'Azyr。　　They　occupied　a　box　on　the　right　of；　and　immediately
above；　the　stage。　　There　were　others　with　them　…　notably　a　thin；
elderly；　resplendent　lady　whom　Andre…Louis　supposed　to　be　Madame
la