scaramouche-第47节

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feet。

At　the　end　of　a　ten　minutes'　bout；　M。　des　Amis　offered　him　the
situation；　and　explained　it。　　In　addition　to　imparting　the　rudiments
of　the　art　to　beginners；　he　was　to　brush　out　the　fencing…room　every
morning；　keep　the　foils　furbished；　assist　the　gentlemen　who　came　for
lessons　to　dress　and　undress；　and　make　himself　generally　useful。
His　wages　for　the　present　were　to　be　forty　livres　a　month；　and　he
might　sleep　in　an　alcove　behind　the　fencing…room　if　he　had　no　other
lodging。

The　position；　you　see；　had　its　humiliations。　　But；　if　Andre…Louis
would　hope　to　dine；　he　must　begin　by　eating　his　pride　as　an　hors
d'oeuvre。

〃And　so；〃　he　said；　controlling　a　grimace；　〃the　robe　yields　not　only
to　the　sword；　but　to　the　broom　as　well。　　Be　it　so。　　I　stay。〃

lt　is　characteristic　of　him　that；　having　made　that　choice；　he　should
have　thrown　himself　into　the　work　with　enthusiasm。　　It　was　ever　his
way　to　do　whatever　he　did　with　all　the　resources　of　his　mind　and
energies　of　his　body。　　When　he　was　not　instructing　very　young
gentlemen　in　the　elements　of　the　art；　showing　them　the　elaborate　and
intricate　salute　…　which　with　a　few　days'　hard　practice　he　had
mastered　to　perfection　…　and　the　eight　guards；　he　was　himself　hard
at　work　on　those　same　guards；　exercising　eye；　wrist；　and　knees。

Perceiving　his　enthusiasm；　and　seeing　the　obvious　possibilities　it
opened　out　of　turning　him　into　a　really　effective　assistant；　M。
des　Amis　presently　took　him　more　seriously　in　hand。

〃Your　application　and　zeal；　my　friend；　are　deserving　of　more　than
forty　livres　a　month；〃　the　master　informed　him　at　the　end　of　a　week。
〃For　the　present；　however；　I　will　make　up　what　else　I　consider　due
to　you　by　imparting　to　you　secrets　of　this　noble　art。　　Your　future
depends　upon　how　you　profit　by　your　exceptional　good　fortune　in
receiving　instruction　from　me。〃

Thereafter　every　morning　before　the　opening　of　the　academy；　the
master　would　fence　for　half　an　hour　with　his　new　assistant。　　Under
this　really　excellent　tuition　Andre…Louis　improved　at　a　rate　that
both　astounded　and　flattered　M。　des　Amis。　　He　would　have　been　less
flattered　and　more　astounded　had　he　known　that　at　least　half　the
secret　of　Andre…Louis'　amazing　progress　lay　in　the　fact　that　he　was
devouring　the　contents　of　the　master's　library；　which　was　made　up
of　a　dozen　or　so　treatises　on　fencing　by　such　great　masters　as　La
Bessiere；　Danet；　and　the　syndic　of　the　King's　Academy；　Augustin
Rousseau。　　To　M。　des　Amis；　whose　swordsmanship　was　all　based　on
practice　and　not　at　all　on　theory；　who　was　indeed　no　theorist　or
student　in　any　sense；　that　little　library　was　merely　a　suitable
adjunct　to　a　fencing…academy；　a　proper　piece　of　decorative　furniture。
The　books　themselves　meant　nothing　to　him　in　any　other　sense。　　He
had　not　the　type　of　mind　that　could　have　read　them　with　profit　nor
could　be　understand　that　another　should　do　so。　　Andre…Louis；　on　the
contrary；　a　man　with　the　habit　of　study；　with　the　acquired　faculty
of　learning　from　books；　read　those　works　with　enormous　profit；　kept
their　precepts　in　mind；　critically　set　off　those　of　one　master
against　those　of　another；　and　made　for　himself　a　choice　which　he
proceeded　to　put　into　practice。

At　the　end　of　a　month　it　suddenly　dawned　upon　M。　des　Amis　that　his
assistant　had　developed　into　a　fencer　of　very　considerable　force；
a　man　in　a　bout　with　whom　it　became　necessary　to　exert　himself　if
he　were　to　escape　defeat。

〃I　said　from　the　first；〃　he　told　him　one　day；　〃that　Nature　designed
you　for　a　swordsman。　　See　how　justified　I　was；　and　see　also　how　well
I　have　known　how　to　mould　the　material　with　which　Nature　has
equipped　you。〃

〃To　the　master　be　the　glory；〃　said　Andre…Louis。

His　relations　with　M。　des　Amis　had　meanwhile　become　of　the
friendliest；　and　he　was　now　beginning　to　receive　from　him　other
pupils　than　mere　beginners。　　In　fact　Andre…Louis　was　becoming　an
assistant　in　a　much　fuller　sense　of　the　word。　　M。　des　Amis；　a
chivalrous；　open…handed　fellow；　far　from　taking　advantage　of　what
he　had　guessed　to　be　the　young　man's　difficulties；　rewarded　his
zeal　by　increasing　his　wages　to　four　louis　a　month。

》From　the'　earnest　and　thoughtful　study　of　the　theories　of　others；
it　followed　now　…　as　not　uncommonly　happens　…　that　Andre…Louis　came
to　develop　theories　of　his　own。　　He　lay　one　June　morning　on　his
little　truckle　bed　in　the　alcove　behind　the　academy；　considering　a
passage　that　he　had　read　last　night　in　Danet　on　double　and　triple
feints。　　It　had　seemed　to　him　when　reading　it　that　Danet　had　stopped
short　on　the　threshold　of　a　great　discovery　in　the　art　of　fencing。
Essentially　a　theorist；　Andre…Louis　perceived　the　theory　suggested；
which　Danet　himself　in　suggesting　it　had　not　perceived。　　He　lay　now
on　his　back；　surveying　the　cracks　in　the　ceiling　and　considering
this　matter　further　with　the　lucidity　that　early　morning　often
brings　to　an　acute　intelligence。　　You　are　to　remember　that　for　close
upon　two　months　now　the　sword　had　been　Andre…Louis'　daily　exercise
and　almost　hourly　thought。　　Protracted　concentration　upon　the　subject
was　giving　him　an　extraordinary　penetration　of　vision。　　Swordsmanship
as　he　learnt　and　taught　and　saw　it　daily　practised　consisted　of　a
series　of　attacks　and　parries；　a　series　of　disengages　from　one　line
into　another。　　But　always　a　limited　series。　　A　half…dozen　disengages
on　either　side　was；　strictly　speaking；　usually　as　far　as　any
engagement　went。　　Then　one　recommenced。　　But　even　so；　these
disengages　were　fortuitous。　　What　if　from　first　to　last　they　should
be　calculated？

That　was　part　of　the　thought　…　one　of　the　two　legs　on　which　his
theory　was　to　stand；　the　other　was：　what　would　happen　if　one　so
elaborated　Danet's　ideas　on　the　triple　feint　as　to　merge　them　into
a　series　of　actual　calculated　disengages　to　culminate　at　the　fourth
or　fifth　or　even　sixth　disengage？　　That　is　to　say；　if　one　were　to
make　a　series　of　attacks　inviting　ripostes　again　to　be　countered；
each　of　which　was　not　intended　to　go　home；　but　simply　to　play　the
opponent's　blade　into　a　line　that　must　open　him　ultimately；　and　as
predetermined；　for　an　irresistible　lunge。　　Each　counter　of　the
opponent's　would　have　to　be　preconsidered　in　this　widening　of　his
guard；　a　widening　so　gradual　that　he　should　himself　be　unconscious
of　it；　and　throughout　intent　upon　getting　home　his　own　point　on
one　of　those　counters。

Andre…Louis　had　been　in　his　time　a　chess…player　of　some　force；　and
at　chess　he　had　excelled　by　virtue　of　his　capacity　for　thinking
ahead。　　That　virtue　applied　to　fencing　should　all　but　revolutionize
the　art。　　It　was　so　applied　already；　of　course；　but　only　in　an
elementary　and　very　limited　fashion；　in　mere　feints；　single；　double；
or　triple。　　But　even　the　triple　feint　should　be　a　clumsy　device
compared　with　this　method　upon　which　he　theorized。

He　considered　further；　and　the　conviction　grew　that　he　held　the　key
of　a　discovery。　　He　was　impatient　to　put　his　theory　to　the　test。

That　morning　he　was　given　a　pupil　of　some　force；　against　whom
usually　he　was　hard　put　to　it　to　defend　himself。　　Coming　on　guard；
he　made　up　his　mind　to　hit　him　on　the　fourth　disengage；
predetermining　the　four　passes　that　should　lead　up　to　it。　　They
engaged　in　tierce；　and　Andre…Louis　led　the　attack　by　a　beat　and　a
straightening　of　the　arm。　　Came　the　demi…contre　he　expected；　which
he　promptly　countered　by　a　thrust　in　quinte；　this　being　countered
again；　he　reentered　still　lower；　and　being　again　correctly　parried；
as　he　had　calculated；　he　lunged　swirling　his　point　into　carte；　and
got　home　full　upon　his　opponent's　breast。　　The　ease　of　it　surprised
him。

They　began　again。　　This　time　he　resolved　to　go　in　on　the　fifth
disengage；　and　in　on　that　he　went　with　the　same　ease。　　Then；
complicating　the　matter　further；　he　decided　to　try　the　sixth；　and
worked　out　in　his　mind　the　combination　of　the　five　preliminary
engages。　　Yet　again　he　succeeded　as　easily　as　before。

The　young　gentleman　opposed　to　him　laughed　with　just　a　tinge　of
mortification　in　his　voice。

〃I　am　all　to　pieces　this　morning；〃　he　said。

〃You　are　not　of　your　usual　force；〃　Andre…Louis　politely　agreed。
And　then　greatly　daring；　always　to　test　that　theory　of　his　to　the
uttermost：　〃So　much　so；〃　he　added；　〃that　I　could　almost　be　sure
of　hitting　you　as　and　when　I　declare。〃

The　capable　pupil　looked　at　him　with　a　half…sneer。　　〃Ah；　that；　no；〃
said　he。

〃Let　us　try。　　On　the　fourth　disengage　I　shall　touch　you。　　Allons！
En　garde！〃

And　as　he　promised；　so　it　happened。

The　young　gentleman　who；　hitherto；　had　held　no　great　opinion　of
Andre…Louis'　swordsmanship；　accounting　him　well　enough　for　purposes
of　practice　when　the　master　was　otherwise　engaged；　opened　wide　his
eyes。　　In　a　burst　of　mingled　generosity　and　intoxication；　Andre…Louis
was　almost　for　disclosing　his　method　…　a　method　which　a　little　later
was　to　become　a　commonplace　of　the　fencing…rooms。　　Betimes　he　checked
himself。　　To　reveal　his　secret　would　be　to　destroy　the　prestige　that
must　accrue　to　him　from　exercising　it。

At　noon；　the　academy　being　empty；　M。　des　Amis　called　Andre…Louis　to
one　of　the　occasional　lessons　which　he　still　received。　　And　for　the
first　time　in　all　his　experience　with　A