scaramouche-第52节

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difficult　than　ever；　for　he　must　account　me　one　of　those　who　helped
to　light　the　torch　that　has　set　fire　to　so　much　belonging　to　his
class。　　Ascertain　for　me　that　all　is　well；　and　let　me　know。〃

〃I　will；　at　once。〃

At　parting；　when　Andre…Louis　was　on　the　point　of　stepping　into　his
cabriolet　to　return　to　Paris；　he　sought　information　on　another
matter。

〃Do　you　happen　to　know　if　M。　de　La　Tour　d'Azyr　has　married？〃　he
asked。

〃I　don't；　which　really　means　that　he　hasn't。　　One　would　have　heard
of　it　in　the　case　of　that　exalted　Privileged。〃

〃To　be　sure。〃　Andre…Louis　spoke　indifferently。　　〃Au　revoir；　Isaac！
You'll　come　and　see　me　…　13　Rue　du　Hasard。　　Come　soon。〃

〃As　soon　and　as　often　as　my　duties　will　allow。　　They　keep　me　chained
here　at　present。〃

〃Poor　slave　of　duty　with　your　gospel　of　liberty！〃

〃True！　　And　because　of　that　I　will　come。　　I　have　a　duty　to　Brittany：
to　make　Omnes　Omnibus　one　of　her　representatives　in　the　National
Assembly。〃

〃That　is　a　duty　you　will　oblige　me　by　neglecting；〃　laughed
Andre…Louis；　and　drove　away。



CHAPTER　IV

AT　MEUDON


Later　in　the　week　he　received　a　visit　from　Le　Chapelier　just　before
noon。

〃I　have　news　for　you；　Andre。　　Your　godfather　is　at　Meudon。　　He
arrived　there　two　days　ago。　　Had　you　heard？〃

〃But　no。　　How　should　I　hear？　　Why　is　he　at　Meudon？〃　　He　was　conscious
of　a　faint　excitement；　which　he　could　hardly　have　explained。

〃I　don't　know。　　There　have　been　fresh　disturbances　in　Brittany。　　It
may　be　due　to　that。〃

〃And　so　he　has　come　for　shelter　to　his　brother？〃　asked　Andre…Louis。

〃To　his　brother's　house；　yes；　but　not　to　his　brother。　　Where　do　you
live　at　all；　Andre？　　Do　you　never　hear　any　of　the　news？　　Etienne　de
Gavrillac　emigrated　years　ago。　　He　was　of　the　household　of　M。
d'Artois；　and　he　crossed　the　frontier　with　him。　　By　now；　no　doubt；
he　is　in　Germany　with　him；　conspiring　against　France。　　For　that　is
what　the　emigres　are　doing。　　That　Austrian　woman　at　the　Tuileries
will　end　by　destroying　the　monarchy。〃

〃Yes；　yes；〃　said　Andre…Louis　impatiently。　　Politics　interested　him
not　at　all　this　morning。　　〃But　about　Gavrillac？〃

〃Why；　haven't　I　told　you　that　Gavrillac　is　at　Meudon；　installed　in
the　house　his　brother　has　left？　　Dieu　de　Dieu！　　Don't　I　speak　French
or　don't　you　understand　the　language？　　I　believe　that　Rabouillet；
his　intendant；　is　in　charge　of　Gavrillac。　　I　have　brought　you　the
news　the　moment　I　received　it。　　I　thought　you　would　probably　wish　to
go　out　to　Meudon。〃

〃Of　course。　　I　will　go　at　once　…　that　is；　as　soon　as　I　can。　　I　can't
to…day；　nor　yet　to…morrow。　　I　am　too　busy　here。〃　　He　waved　a　hand
towards　the　inner　room；　whence　proceeded　the　click…click　of　blades；
the　quick　moving　of　feet；　and　the　voice　of　the　instructor；　Le　Duc。

〃Well；　well；　that　is　your　own　affair。　　You　are　busy。　　I　leave　you　now。
Let　us　dine　this　evening　at　the　Caf？de　Foy。　　Kersain　will　be　of　the
party。〃

〃A　moment！〃　Andre…Louis'　voice　arrested　him　on　the　threshold。　　〃Is
Mlle。　de　Kercadiou　with　her　uncle？〃

〃How　the　devil　should　I　know？　　Go　and　find　out。〃

He　was　gone；　and　Andre…Louis　stood　there　a　moment　deep　in　thought。
Then　he　turned　and　went　back　to　resume　with　his　pupil；　the　Vicomte
de　Villeniort；　the　interrupted　exposition　of　the　demi…contre　of
Danet；　illustrating　with　a　small…sword　the　advantages　to　be　derived
from　its　adoption。

Thereafter　he　fenced　with　the　Vicomte；　who　was　perhaps　the　ablest
of　his　pupils　at　the　time；　and　all　the　while　his　thoughts　were　on
the　heights　of　Meudon；　his　mind　casting　up　the　lessons　he　had　to
give　that　afternoon　and　on　the　morrow；　and　wondering　which　of　these
he　might　postpone　without　deranging　the　academy。　　When　having　touched
the　Vicomte　three　times　in　succession；　he　paused　and　wrenched　himself
back　to　the　present；　it　was　to　marvel　at　the　precision　to　be　gained
by　purely　mechanical　action。　　Without　bestowing　a　thought　upon　what
he　was　doing；　his　wrist　and　arm　and　knees　had　automatically　performed
their　work；　like　the　accurate　fighting　engine　into　which　constant
practice　for　a　year　and　more　had　combined　them。

Not　until　Sunday　was　Andre…Louis　able　to　satisfy　a　wish　which　the
impatience　of　the　intervening　days　had　converted　into　a　yearning。
Dressed　with　more　than　ordinary　care；　his　head　elegantly　coiffed
　…　by　one　of　those　hairdressers　to　the　nobility　of　whom　so　many
were　being　thrown　out　of　employment　by　the　stream　of　emigration
which　was　now　flowing　freely　…　Andre…Louis　mounted　his　hired
carriage；　and　drove　out　to　Meudon。

The　house　of　the　younger　Kercadiou　no　more　resembled　that　of　the
head　of　the　family　than　did　his　person。　　A　man　of　the　Court；　where
his　brother　was　essentially　a　man　of　the　soil；　an　officer　of　the
household　of　M。　le　Comte　d'Artois；　he　had　built　for　himself　and　his
family　an　imposing　villa　on　the　heights　of　Meudon　in　a　miniature
park；　conveniently　situated　for　him　midway　between　Versailles　and
Paris；　and　easily　accessible　from　either。　　M。　d'Artois　…　the　royal
tennis…player　…　had　been　amongst　the　very　first　to　emigrate。
Together　with　the　Condes；　the　Contis；　the　Polignacs；　and　others　of
the　Queen's　intimate　council；　old　Marshal　de　Broglie　and　the　Prince
de　Lambesc；　who　realized　that　their　very　names　had　become　odious　to
the　people；　he　had　quitted　France　immediately　after　the　fall　of　the
Bastille。　　He　had　gone　to　play　tennis　beyond　the　frontier　…　and
there　consummate　the　work　of　ruining　the　French　monarchy　upon　which
he　and　those　others　had　been　engaged　in　France。　　With　him；　amongst
several　members　of　his　household　went　Etienne　de　Kercadiou；　and　with
Etienne　de　Kercadiou　went　his　family；　a　wife　and　four　children。
Thus　it　was　that　the　Seigneur　de　Gavrillac；　glad　to　escape　from　a
province　so　peculiarly　disturbed　as　that　of　Brittany　…　where　the
nobles　had　shown　themselves　the　most　intransigent　of　all　France
…　had　come　to　occupy　in　his　brother's　absence　the　courtier's
handsome　villa　at　Meudon。

That　he　was　quite　happy　there　is　not　to　be　supposed。　　A　man　of　his
almost　Spartan　habits；　accustomed　to　plain　fare　and　self…help；　was
a　little　uneasy　in　this　sybaritic　abode；　with　its　soft　carpets；
profusion　of　gilding；　and　battalion　of　sleek；　silent…footed　servants
　…　for　Kercadiou　the　younger　had　left　his　entire　household　behind。
Time；　which　at　Gavrillac　he　had　kept　so　fully　employed　in　agrarian
concerns；　here　hung　heavily　upon　his　hands。　　In　self…defence　he
slept　a　great　deal；　and　but　for　Aline；　who　made　no　attempt　to
conceal　her　delight　at　this　proximity　to　Paris　and　the　heart　of
things；　it　is　possible　that　he　would　have　beat　a　retreat　almost　at
once　from　surroundings　that　sorted　so　ill　with　his　habits。　　Later
on；　perhaps；　he　would　accustom　himself　and　grow　resigned　to　this
luxurious　inactivity。　　In　the　meantime　the　novelty　of　it　fretted
him；　and　it　was　into　the　presence　of　a　peevish　and　rather　somnolent
M。　de　Kercadiou　that　Andre…Louis　was　ushered　in　the　early　hours　of
the　afternoon　of　that　Sunday　in　June。　　He　was　unannounced；　as　had
ever　been　the　custom　at　Gavrillac。　　This　because　Benoit；　M。　de
Kercadiou's　old　seneschal；　had　accompanied　his　seigneur　upon　this
soft　adventure；　and　was　installed　…　to　the　ceaseless　and　but
half…concealed　hilarity　of　the　impertinent　valetaille　that　M。
Etienne　had　left　…　as　his　maitre　d'hotel　here　at　Meudon。

Benoit　had　welcomed　M。　Andre　with　incoherencies　of　delight；　almost
had　he　gambolled　about　him　like　some　faithful　dog；　whilst　conducting
him　to　the　salon　and　the　presence　of　the　Lord　of　Gavrillac；　who
would　…　in　the　words　of　Benoit　…　be　ravished　to　see　M。　Andre　again。

〃Monseigneur！　　Monseigneur！〃　he　cried　in　a　quavering　voice；　entering
a　pace　or　two　in　advance　of　the　visitor。　　〃It　is　M。　Andre。。。　　M。
Andre；　your　godson；　who　comes　to　kiss　your　hand。　　He　is　here。。。　and
so　fine　that　you　would　hardly　know　him。　Here　he　is；　monseigneur！　　Is
he　not　beautiful？〃

And　the　old　servant　rubbed　his　hands　in　conviction　of　the　delight
that　he　believed　he　was　conveying　to　his　master。

Andre…Louis　crossed　the　threshold　of　that　great　room；　soft…carpeted
to　the　foot；　dazzling　to　the　eye。　　It　was　immensely　lofty；　and　its
festooned　ceiling　was　carried　on　fluted　pillars　with　gilded　capitals。
The　door　by　which　he　entered；　and　the　windows　that　opened　upon　the
garden；　were　of　an　enormous　height　…　almost；　indeed；　the　full　height
of　the　room　itself。　　It　was　a　room　overwhelmingly　gilded；　with　an
abundance　of　ormolu　encrustations　on　the　furniture；　in　which　it
nowise　differed　from　what　was　customary　in　the　dwellings　of　people
of　birth　and　wealth。　　Never；　indeed；　was　there　a　time　in　which　so
much　gold　was　employed　decoratively　as　in　this　age　when　coined　gold
was　almost　unprocurable；　and　paper　money　had　been　put　into
circulation　to　supply　the　lack。　　It　was　a　saying　of　Andre…Louis'
that　if　these　people　could　only　have　been　induced　to　put　the　paper
on　their　walls　and　the　gold　into　their　pockets；　the　finances　of　the
kingdom　might　soon　have　been　in　better　case。

The　Seigneur　…　furbished　and　beruffled　to　harmonize　with　his
surroundings　…　had　risen；　startled　by　this　exuberant　invasion　on
the　part　of　Benoit；　who　had　been　almost　as　forlorn　as　himself　since
their　coming　to　Meudon。

〃What　is　it？　　Eh？〃　　H