scaramouche-第43节

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done　with　the　fool。　　So　long　as　you　let　him　have　no　more　than　your
fingertips　to　kiss。。。　　ah；　name　of　a　name！　　that　was　the　time　to
build　your　future。　　If　you　live　to　be　a　thousand　you'll　never　have
such　a　chance　again；　and　you've　squandered　it；　for　what？〃

Mademoiselle　sat　down。…　〃You're　sordid；〃　she　said；　with　disgust。

〃Sordid；　am　I？〃　His　thick　lips　curled　again。　　〃I　have　had　enough　of
the　dregs　of　life；　and　so　I　should　have　thought　have　you。　　You　held
a　hand　on　which　to　have　won　a　fortune　if　you　had　played　it　as　I
bade　you。　　Well；　you've　played　it；　and　where's　the　fortune？　　We　can
whistle　for　that　as　a　sailor　whistles　for　wind。　　And；　by　Heaven；
we'll　need　to　whistle　presently　if　the　weather　in　the　troupe
continues　as　it's　set　in。　　That　scoundrel　Scaramouche　has　been　at
his　ape's　tricks　with　them。　　They've　suddenly　turned　moral。　　They
won't　sit　at　table　with　me　any　more。〃　　He　was　spluttering　between
anger　and　sardonic　mirth。　　〃It　was　your　friend　Scaramouche　set　them
the　example　of　that。　　He　threatened　my　life　actually。　　Threatened　my
life！　　Called　me。。。　Oh；　but　what　does　that　matter？　　What　matters　is
that　the　next　thing　to　happen　to　us　will　be　that　the　Binet　Troupe
will　discover　it　can　manage　without　M。　Binet　and　his　daughter。
This　scoundrelly　bastard　I've　befriended　has　little　by　little
robbed　me　of　everything。　　It's　in　his　power　to…day　to　rob　me　of　my
troupe；　and　the　knave's　ungrateful　enough　and　vile　enough　to　make
use　of　his　power。

〃Let　him；〃　said　mademoiselle　contemptuously。

〃Let　him？〃　He　was　aghast。　　〃And　what's　to　become　of　us？〃


〃In　no　case　will　the　Binet　Troupe　interest　me　much　longer；〃　said
she。　　〃I　shall　be　going　to　Paris　soon。　　There　are　better　theatres
there　than　the　Feydau。　　There's　Mlle。　Montansier's　theatre　in　the
Palais　Royal；　there's　the　Ambigu　Comique；　there's　the　Comedie
Francaise；　there's　even　a　possibility　I　may　have　a　theatre　of　my
own。〃

His　eyes　grew　big　for　once。　　He　stretched　out　a　fat　hand；　and
placed　it　on　one　of　hers。　　She　noticed　that　it　trembled。

〃Has　he　promised　that？　　Has　he　promised？〃

She　looked　at　him　with　her　head　on　one　side；　eyes　sly　and　a　queer
little　smile　on　her　perfect　lips。

〃He　did　not　refuse　me　when　I　asked　it；〃　she　answered；　with
conviction　that　all　was　as　she　desired　it。

〃Bah！〃　　He　withdrew　his　hand；　and　heaved　himself　up。　　There　was
disgust　on　his　face。　　〃He　did　not　refuse！〃　he　mocked　her；　and　then
with　passion：　〃Had　you　acted　as　I　advised　you；　he　would　have
consented　to　anything　that　you　asked；　and　what　is　more　he　would
have　provided　anything　that　you　asked　…　anything　that　lay　within
his　means；　and　they　are　inexhaustible。　　You　have　changed　a
certainty　into　a　possibility；　and　I　hate　possibilities　…　God　of
God！　　I　have　lived　on　possibilities；　and　infernally　near　starved
on　them。〃

Had　she　known　of　the　interview　taking　place　at　that　moment　at　the
Chateau　de　Sautron　she　would　have　laughed　less　confidently　at　her
father's　gloomy　forebodings。　　But　she　was　destined　never　to　know；
which　indeed　was　the　cruellest　punishment　of　all。　　She　was　to
attribute　all　the　evil　that　of　a　sudden　overwhelmed　her；　the
shattering　of　all　the　future　hopes　she　had　founded　upon　the　Marquis
and　the　sudden　disintegration　of　the　Binet　Troupe；　to　the　wicked
interference　of　that　villain　Scaramouche。

She　had　this　much　justification　that　possibly；　without　the　warning
from　M。　de　Sautron；　the　Marquis　would　have　found　in　the　events　of
that　evening　at　the　Theatre　Feydau　a　sufficient　reason　for　ending
an　entanglement　that　was　fraught　with　too　much　unpleasant　excitement；
whilst　the　breaking…up　of　the　Binet　Troupe　was　most　certainly　the
result　of　Andre…Louis'　work。　　But　it　was　not　a　result　that　he
intended　or　even　foresaw。

So　much　was　this　the　case　that　in　the　interval　after　the　second　act；
he　sought　the　dressing…room　shared　by　Polichinelle　and　Rhodomont。
Polichinelle　was　in　the　act　of　changing。

〃I　shouldn't　trouble　to　change；〃　he　said。　　〃The　piece　isn't　likely
to　go　beyond　my　opening　scene　of　the　next　act　with　Leandre。〃

〃What　do　you　mean？〃

〃You'll　see。〃　　He　put　a　paper　on　Polichinelle's　table　amid　the
grease…paints。　　〃Cast　your　eye　over　that。　　It's　a　sort　of　last　will
and　testament　in　favour　of　the　troupe。　　I　was　a　lawyer　once；　the
document　is　in　order。　　I　relinquish　to　all　of　you　the　share　produced
by　my　partnership　in　the　company。〃

〃But　you　don't　mean　that　you　are　leaving　us？〃　cried　Polichinelle　in
alarm；　whilst　Rhodomont's　sudden　stare　asked　the　same　question。

Scaramouche's　shrug　was　eloquent。　　Polichinelle　ran　on　gloomily：
〃Of　course　it　was　to　have　been　foreseen。　　But　why　should　you　be　the
one　to　go？　　It　is　you　who　have　made　us；　and　it　is　you　who　are　the
real　head　and　brains　of　the　troupe；　it　is　you　who　have　raised　it
into　a　real　theatrical　company。　　If　any　one　must　go；　let　it　be
Binet　…　Binet　and　his　infernal　daughter。　　Or　if　you　go；　name　of　a
name！　　we　all　go　with　you！〃

〃Aye；〃　added　Rhodomont；　〃we've　had　enough　of　that　fat　scoundrel。〃

〃I　had　thought　of　it；　of　course；〃　said　Andre…Louis。　　〃It　was　not
vanity；　for　once；　it　was　trust　in　your　friendship。　　After　to…night
we　may　consider　it　again；　if　I　survive。〃

〃If　you　survive？〃　both　cried。

Polichinelle　got　up。　　〃Now；　what　madness　have　you　in　mind？〃　he
asked。

〃For　one　thing　I　think　I　am　indulging　Leandre；　for　another　I　am
pursuing　an　old　quarrel。〃

The　three　knocks　sounded　as　he　spoke。

〃There；　I　must　go。　　Keep　that　paper；　Polichinelle。　　After　all；　it
may　not　be　necessary。

He　was　gone。　　Rhodomont　stared　at　Polichinelle。　　Polichinelle
stared　at　Rhodomont。


〃What　the　devil　is　he　thinking　of？〃　quoth　the　latter。

〃That　is　most　readily　ascertained　by　going　to　see；〃　replied
Polichinelle。　　He　completed　changing　in　haste；　and　despite　what
Scaramouche　had　said；　and　then　followed　with　Rhodomont。

As　they　approached　the　wings　a　roar　of　applause　met　them　coming　from
the　audience。　　It　was　applause　and　something　else；　applause　on　an
unusual　note。　　As　it　faded　away　they　heard　the　voice　of　Scaramouche
ringing　clear　as　a　bell：

〃And　so　you　see；　my　dear　M。　Leandre；　that　when　you　speak　of　the
Third　Estate；　it　is　necessary　to　be　more　explicit。　　What　precisely
is　the　Third　Estate？〃

〃Nothing；〃　said　Leandre。

There　was　a　gasp　from　the　audience；　audible　in　the　wings；　and　then
swiftly　followed　Scaramouche's　next　question：

〃True。　　Alas！　　But　what　should　it　be？〃

〃Everything；〃　said　Leandre。

The　audience　roared　its　acclamations；　the　more　violent　because　of
the　unexpectedness　of　that　reply。

〃True　again；〃　said　Scaramouche。　　〃And　what　is　more；　that　is　what　it
will　be；　that　is　what　it　already　is。　　Do　you　doubt　it？〃

〃I　hope　it；〃　said　the　schooled　Leandre。

〃You　may　believe　it；〃　said　Scaramouche；　and　again　the　acclamations
rolled　into　thunder。

Polichinelle　and　Rhodomont　exchanged　glances：　indeed；　the　former
winked；　not　without　mirth。

〃Sacred　name！〃　growled　a　voice　behind　them。　〃Is　the　scoundrel　at
his　political　tricks　again？〃

They　turned　to　confront　M。　Binet。　　Moving　with　that　noiseless　tread
of　his；　he　had　come　up　unheard　behind　them；　and　there　he　stood　now
in　his　scarlet　suit　of　Pantaloon　under　a　trailing　bedgown；　his　little
eyes　glaring　from　either　side　of　his　false　nose。　　But　their　attention
was　held　by　the　voice　of　Scaramouche。　　He　had　stepped　to　the　front
of　the　stage。

〃He　doubts　it；〃　he　was　felling　the　audience。　　〃But　then　this　M。
Leandre　is　himself　akin　to　those　who　worship　the　worm…eaten　idol　of
Privilege；　and　so　he　is　a　little　afraid　to　believe　a　truth　that　is
becoming　apparent　to　all　the　world。　　Shall　I　convince　him？　　Shall　I
tell　him　how　a　company　of　noblemen　backed　by　their　servants　under
arms　…　six　hundred　men　in　all　…　sought　to　dictate　to　the　Third
Estate　of　Rennes　a　few　short　weeks　ago？　　Must　I　remind　him　of　the
martial　front　shown　on　that　occasion　by　the　Third　Estate；　and　how
they　swept　the　streets　clean　of　that　rabble　of　nobles　…　cette
canaille　noble。。。　〃

Applause　interrupted　him。　The　phrase　had　struck　home　and　caught。
Those　who　had　writhed　under　that　infamous　designation　from　their
betters　leapt　at　this　turning　of　it　against　the　nobles　themselves。

〃But　let　me　tell　you　of　their　leader　…　le　pins　noble　de　cette
canaille；　on　bien　le　plus　canaille　de　ces　nobles！　　You　know　him
　…　that　one。　　He　fears　many　things；　but　the　voice　of　truth　he　fears
most。　　With　such　as　him　the　eloquent　truth　eloquently　spoken　is　a
thing　instantly　to　be　silenced。　　So　he　marshalled　his　peers　and
their　valetailles；　and　led　them　out　to　slaughter　these　miserable
bourgeois　who　dared　to　raise　a　voice。　　But　these　same　miserable
bourgeois　did　not　choose　to　be　slaughtered　in　the　streets　of　Rennes。
It　occurred　to　them　that　since　the　nobles　decreed　that　blood　should
flow；　it　might　as　well　be　the　blood　of　the　nobles。　　They　marshalled
themselves　too　…　this　noble　rabble　against　the　rabble　of　nobles　…　
and　they　marshalled　themselves　so　well　that　they　drove　M。　de　La
Tour　d'Azyr　and　his　warlike　following　from　the　field　with　broken
heads　and　shattered　delusions。　　They　sought　shelter　at　the　hands
of　the　Cordeliers；　and　the　shavelings　gave　them　sanctuary　in　their
convent　…　those　who　survived；　among　whom　was　their