scaramouche-第45节

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contemptible；　to　find　myself　excelling　ever　in　the　art　of　running
away。　　But　if　I　am　not　brave；　at　least　I　am　prudent；　so　that　where
I　lack　one　virtue　I　may　lay　claim　to　possessing　another　almost　to
excess。　　On　a　previous　occasion　they　wanted　to　hang　me　for　sedition。
Should　I　have　stayed　to　be　hanged？　　This　time　they　may　want　to
hang　me　for　several　things；　including　murder；　for　I　do　not　know
whether　that　scoundrel　Binet　be　alive　or　dead　from　the　dose　of
lead　I　pumped　into　his　fat　paunch。　　Nor　can　I　say　that　I　very
greatly　care。　　If　I　have　a　hope　at　all　in　the　matter　it　is　that　he
is　dead　…　and　damned。　　But　I　am　really　indifferent。　　My　own　concerns
are　troubling　me　enough。　　I　have　all　but　spent　the　little　money　that
I　contrived　to　conceal　about　me　before　I　fled　from　Nantes　on　that
dreadful　night；　and　both　of　the　only　two　professions　of　which　I　can
claim　to　know　anything　…　the　law　and　the　stage　…　are　closed　to　me；
since　I　cannot　find　employment　in　either　without　revealing　myself
as　a　fellow　who　is　urgently　wanted　by　the　hangman。　　As　things　are
it　is　very　possible　that　I　may　die　of　hunger；　especially　considering
the　present　price　of　victuals　in　this　ravenous　city。　　Again　I　have
recourse　to　Epictetus　for　comfort。　　'It　is　better；'　he　says；　'to　die
of　hunger　having　lived　without　grief　and　fear；　than　to　live　with　a
troubled　spirit　amid　abundance。'　　I　seem　likely　to　perish　in　the
estate　that　he　accounts　so　enviable。　　That　it　does　not　seem　exactly
enviable　to　me　merely　proves　that　as　a　Stoic　I　am　not　a　success。

There　is　also　another　letter　of　his　written　at　about　the　same　time
to　the　Marquis　de　La　Tour　d'Azyr　…　a　letter　since　published　by　M。
Emile　Quersac　in　his　〃Undercurrents　of　the　Revolution　in　Brittany；〃
unearthed　by　him　from　the　archives　of　Rennes；　to　which　it　had　been
consigned　by　M。　de　Lesdiguieres；　who　had　received　it　for　justiciary
purposes　from　the　Marquis。

〃The　Paris　newspapers；〃　he　writes　in　this；　〃which　have　reported　in
considerable　detail　the　fracas　at　the　Theatre　Feydau　and　disclosed
the　true　identity　of　the　Scaramouche　who　provoked　it；　inform　me　also
that　you　have　escaped　the　fate　I　had　intended　for　you　when　I　raised
that　storm　of　public　opinion　and　public　indignation。　　I　would　not
have　you　take　satisfaction　in　the　thought　that　I　regret　your　escape。
I　do　not。　　I　rejoice　in　it。　　To　deal　justice　by　death　has　this
disadvantage　that　the　victim　has　no　knowledge　that　justice　has
overtaken　him。　　Had　you　died；　had　you　been　torn　limb　from　limb　that
night；　I　should　now　repine　in　the　thought　of　your　eternal　and
untroubled　slumber。　　Not　in　euthanasia；　but　in　torment　of　mind
should　the　guilty　atone。　　You　see；　I　am　not　sure　that　hell　hereafter
is　a　certainty；　whilst　I　am　quite　sure　that　it　can　be　a　certainty　in
this　life；　and　I　desire　you　to　continue　to　live　yet　awhile　that　you
may　taste　something　of　its　bitterness。

〃You　murdered　Philippe　de　Vilmorin　because　you　feared　what　you
described　as　his　very　dangerous　gift　of　eloquence；　I　took　an　oath
that　day　that　your　evil　deed　should　be　fruitless；　that　I　would
render　it　so；　that　the　voice　you　had　done　murder　to　stifle　should
in　spite　of　that　ring　like　a　trumpet　through　the　land。　　That　was
my　conception　of　revenge。　　Do　you　realize　how　I　have　been　fulfilling
it；　how　I　shall　continue　to　fulfil　it　as　occasion　offers？　　In　the
speech　with　which　I　fired　the　people　of　Rennes　on　the　very　morrow
of　that　deed；　did　you　not　hear　the　voice　of　Philippe　de　Vilmorin
uttering　the　ideas　that　were　his　with　a　fire　and　a　passion　greater
than　he　could　have　commanded　because　Nemesis　lent　me　her　inflaming
aid？　　In　the　voice　of　Omnes　Omnibus　at　Nantes　my　voice　again　…　
demanding　the　petition　that　sounded　the　knell　of　your　hopes　of
coercing　the　Third　Estate；　did　you　not　hear　again　the　voice　of
Philippe　de　Vilmorin？　　Did　you　not　reflect　that　it　was　the　mind　of
the　man　you　had　murdered；　resurrected　in　me　his　surviving　friend；
which　made　necessary　your　futile　attempt　under　arms　last　January；
wherein　your　order；　finally　beaten；　was　driven　to　seek　sanctuary
in　the　Cordelier　Convent？　　And　that　night　when　from　the　stage　of
the　Feydau　you　were　denounced　to　the　people；　did　you　not　hear　yet
again；　in　the　voice　of　Scaramouche；　the　voice　of　Philippe　de
Vilmorin；　using　that　dangerous　gift　of　eloquence　which　you　so
foolishly　imagined　you　could　silence　with　a　sword…thrust？　　It　is
becoming　a　persecution　…　is　it　not？　…　this　voice　from　the　grave
that　insists　upon　making　itself　heard；　that　will　not　rest　until
you　have　been　cast　into　the　pit。　　You　will　be　regretting　by　now
that　you　did　not　kill　me　too；　as　I　invited　you　on　that　occasion。
I　can　picture　to　myself　the　bitterness　of　this　regret；　and　I
contemplate　it　with　satisfaction。　　Regret　of　neglected　opportunity
is　the　worst　hell　that　a　living　soul　can　inhabit；　particularly
such　a　soul　as　yours。　　It　is　because　of　this　that　I　am　glad　to
know　that　you　survived　the　riot　at　the　Feydau；　although　at　the　time
it　was　no　part　of　my　intention　that　you　should。　　Because　of　this　I
am　content　that　you　should　live　to　enrage　and　suffer　in　the　shadow
of　your　evil　deed；　knowing　at　last　…　since　you　had　not　hitherto　the
wit　to　discern　it　for　yourself　…　that　the　voice　of　Philippe　de
Vilmorin　will　follow　you　to　denounce　you　ever　more　loudly；　ever　more
insistently；　until　having　lived　in　dread　you　shall　go　down　in　blood
under　the　just　rage　which　your　victim's　dangerous　gift　of　eloquence
is　kindling　against　you。〃
　　
I　find　it　odd　that　he　should　have　omitted　from　this　letter　all
mention　of　Mlle。　Binet；　and　I　am　disposed　to　account　it　at　least　a
partial　insincerity　that　he　should　have　assigned　entirely　to　his
self…imposed　mission；　and　not　at　all　to　his　lacerated　feelings　in
the　matter　of　Climene；　the　action　which　he　had　taken　at　the　Feydau。

Those　two　letters；　both　written　in　April　of　that　year　1789；　had　for
only　immediate　effect　to　increase　the　activity　with　which　Andre…Louis
Moreau　was　being　sought。

Le　Chapelier　would　have　found　him　so　as　to　lend　him　assistance；　to
urge　upon　him　once　again　that　he　should　take　up　a　political　career。
The　electors　of　Nantes　would　have　found　him　…　at　least；　they　would
have　found　Omnes　Omnibus；　of　whose　identity　with　himself　they　were
still　in　ignorance　…　on　each　of　the　several　occasions　when　a　vacancy
occurred　in　their　body。　　And　the　Marquis　de　La　Tour　d'Azyr　and　M。
de　Lesdiguieres　would　have　found　him　that　they　might　send　him　to
the　gallows。

With　a　purpose　no　less　vindictive　was　he　being　sought　by　M。　Binet；
now　unhappily　recovered　from　his　wound　to　face　completest　ruin。　　His
troupe　had　deserted　him　during　his　illness；　and　reconstituted　under
the　direction　of　Polichinelle　it　was　now　striving　with　tolerable
success　to　continue　upon　the　lines　which　Andre…Louis　had　laid　down。
M。　le　Marquis；　prevented　by　the　riot　from　expressing　in　person　to
Mlle。　Binet　his　purpose　of　making　an　end　of　their　relations；　had
been　constrained　to　write　to　her　to　that　effect　from　Azyr　a　few　days
later。　　He　tempered　the　blow　by　enclosing　in　discharge　of　all
liabilities　a　bill　on　the　Caisse　d'Escompte　for　a　hundred　louis。
Nevertheless　it　almost　crushed　the　unfortunate　and　it　enabled　her
father　when　he　recovered　to　enrage　her　by　pointing　out　that　she　owed
this　turn　of　events　to　the　premature　surrender　she　had　made　in
defiance　of　his　sound　worldly　advice。　　Father　and　daughter　alike
were　left　to　assign　the　Marquis'　desertion；　naturally　enough；　to
the　riot　at　the　Feydau。　　They　laid　that　with　the　rest　to　the　account
of　Scaramouche；　and　were　forced　in　bitterness　to　admit　that　the
scoundrel　had　taken　a　superlative　revenge。　　C1imene　may　even　have
come　to　consider　that　it　would　have　paid　her　better　to　have　run　a
straight　course　with　Scaramouche　and　by　marrying　him　to　have　trusted
to　his　undoubted　talents　to　place　her　on　the　summit　to　which　her
ambition　urged　her；　and　to　which　it　was　now　futile　for　her　to　aspire。
If　so；　that　reflection　must　have　been　her　sufficient　punishment。
For；　as　Andre…Louis　so　truly　says；　there　is　no　worse　hell　than　that
provided　by　the　regrets　for　wasted　opportunities。

Meanwhile　the　fiercely　sought　Andre…Louis　Moreau　had　gone　to　earth
completely　for　the　present。　　And　the　brisk　police　of　Paris；　urged
on　by　the　King's　Lieutenant　from　Rennes；　hunted　for　him　in　vain。
Yet　he　might　have　been　found　in　a　house　in　the　Rue　du　Hasard　within
a　stone's　throw　of　the　Palais　Royal；　whither　purest　chance　had
conducted　him。

That　which　in　his　letter　to　Le　Chapelier　he　represents　as　a
contingency　of　the　near　future　was；　in　fact；　the　case　in　which
already　he　found　himself。　　He　was　destitute。　　His　money　was
exhausted；　including　that　procured　by　the　sale　of　such　articles　of
adornment　as　were　not　of　absolute　necessity。

So　desperate　was　his　case　that　strolling　one　gusty　April　morning
down　the　Rue　du　Hasard　with　his　nose　in　the　wind　looking　for　what
might　be　picked　up；　he　stopped　to　read　a　notice　outside　the　door
of　a　house　on　the　left　side　of　the　street　as　you　approach　the　Rue
de　Richelieu。　　There　was　no　reason　why　he　should　have　gone　down
the　Rue　du　Hasard。　　Perhaps　its　name　attracted　him；　as　appropriate
to　his　case。

The　notice　written　in　a　big　round　hand　announced　that