scaramouche-第59节

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eager　to　offer　themselves　to　the　swords　of　Privilege。

〃True　enough；〃　said　Le　Chapelier　gloomily；　and　then；　as　if　suddenly
leaping　to　the　thing　in　Andre…Louis'　mind：　〃Andre！〃　he　cried。
〃Would　you。。。　〃

〃It　is　what　I　was　considering。　　It　would　give　me　a　legitimate　place
in　the　Assembly。　　If　your　Tour　d'Azyrs　choose　to　seek　me　out　then；
why；　their　blood　be　upon　their　own　heads。　　I　shall　certainly　do
nothing　to　discourage　them。〃　　He　smiled　curiously。　　〃I　am　just　a
rascal　who　tries　to　be　honest　…　Scaramouche　always；　in　fact；　a
creature　of　sophistries。　　Do　you　think　that　Ancenis　would　have　me
for　its　representative？〃

〃Will　it　have　Omnes　Omnibus　for　its　representative？〃　　Le　Chapelier
was　laughing；　his　countenance　eager。　　〃Ancenis　will　be　convulsed
with　pride。　　It　is　not　Rennes　or　Nantes；　as　it　might　have　been　had
you　wished　it。　　But　it　gives　you　a　voice　for　Brittany。〃

〃I　should　have　to　go　to　Ancenis。。。　〃

〃No　need　at　all。　　A　letter　from　me　to　the　Municipality；　and　the
Municipality　will　confirm　you　at　once。　　No　need　to　move　from　here。
In　a　fortnight　at　most　the　thing　can　be　accomplished。　　It　is
settled；　then？〃

Andre…Louis　considered　yet　a　moment。　　There　was　his　academy。　　But
he　could　make　arrangements　with　Le　Duc　and　Galoche　to　carry　it　on
for　him　whilst　himself　directing　and　advising。　　Le　Duc；　after　all；
was　become　a　thoroughly　efficient　master；　and　he　was　a　trustworthy
fellow。　　At　need　a　third　assistant　could　be　engaged。

〃Be　it　so；〃　he　said　at　last。

Le　Chapelier　clasped　hands　with　him　and　became　congratulatorily
voluble；　until　interrupted　by　the　red…coated　giant　at　the　door。

〃What　exactly　does　it　mean　to　our　business；　anyway？〃　he　asked。
〃Does　it　mean　that　when　you　are　a　representative　you　will　not
scruple　to　skewer　M。　le　Marquis？〃

〃If　M。　le　Marquis　should　offer　himself　to　be　skewered；　as　he　no
doubt　will。〃

〃I　perceive　the　distinction；〃　said　M。　Danton；　and　sneered。　　〃You've
an　ingenious　mind。〃　　He　turned　to　Le　Chapelier。　　〃What　did　you　say
he　was　to　begin　with　…　a　lawyer；　wasn't　it？〃

〃Yes；　I　was　a　lawyer；　and　afterwards　a　mountebank。〃

〃And　this　is　the　result！〃

〃As　you　say。　　And　do　you　know　that　we　are　after　all　not　so
dissimilar；　you　and　I？〃

〃What？〃

〃Once　like　you　I　went　about　inciting　other　people　to　go　and　kill
the　man　I　wanted　dead。　　You'll　say　I　was　a　coward；　of　course。〃

Le　Chapelier　prepared　to　slip　between　them　as　the　clouds　gathered
on　the　giant's　brow。　　Then　these　were　dispelled　again；　and　the
great　laugh　vibrated　through　the　long　room。

〃You've　touched　me　for　the　second　time；　and　in　the　same　place。　　Oh；
you　can　fence；　my　lad。　　We　should　be　friends。　　Rue　des　Cordeliers
is　my　address。　　Any　…　scoundrel　will　tell　you　where　Danton　lodges。
Desmoulins　lives　underneath。　　Come　and　visit　us　one　evening。　　There's
always　a　bottle　for　a　friend。〃



CHAPTER　VII

THE　SPADASSINICIDES


After　an　absence　of　rather　more　than　a　week；　M。　le　Marquis　de　La
Tour　d'Azyr　was　back　in　his　place　on　the　Cote　Droit　of　the　National
Assembly。　　Properly　speaking；　we　should　already　at　this　date　allude
to　him　as　the　ci…devant　Marquis　de　La　Tour　d'Azyr；　for　the　time　was
September　of　1790；　two　months　after　the　passing　…　on　the　motion　of
that　downright　Breton　leveller；　Le　Chapelier　…　of　the　decree　that
nobility　should　no　more　be　hereditary　than　infamy；　that　just　as
the　brand　of　the　gallows　must　not　defile　the　possibly　worthy
descendants　of　one　who　had　been　convicted　of　evil；　neither　should
the　blazon　advertising　achievement　glorify　the　possibly　unworthy
descendants　of　one　who　had　proved　himself　good。　　And　so　the　decree
had　been　passed　abolishing　hereditary　nobility　and　consigning
family　escutcheons　to　the　rubbish…heap　of　things　no　longer　to　be
tolerated　by　an　enlightened　generation　of　philosophers。　　M。　le
Comte　de　Lafayette；　who　had　supported　the　motion；　left　the　Assembly
as　plain　M。　Motier；　the　great　tribune　Count　Mirabeau　became　plain
M。　Riquetti；　and　M。　le　Marquis　de　La　Tour　d'Azyr　just　simple　M。
Lesarques。　　The　thing　was　done　in　one　of　those　exaltations　produced
by　the　approach　of　the　great　National　Festival　of　the　Champ　de
Mars；　and　no　doubt　it　was　thoroughly　repented　on　the　morrow　by
those　who　had　lent　themselves　to　it。　　Thus；　although　law　by　now；
it　was　a　law　that　no　one　troubled　just　yet　to　enforce。

That；　however；　is　by　the　way。　　The　time；　as　I　have　said；　was
September；　the　day　dull　and　showery；　and　some　of　the　damp　and　gloom
of　it　seemed　to　have　penetrated　the　long　Hall　of　the　Manege；　where
on　their　eight　rows　of　green　benches　elliptically　arranged　in
ascending　tiers　about　the　space　known　as　La　Piste；　sat　some　eight
or　nine　hundred　of　the　representatives　of　the　three　orders　that
composed　the　nation。

The　matter　under　debate　by。　　the　constitution…builders　was　whether
the　deliberating　body　to　succeed　the　Constituent　Assembly　should
work　in　conjunction　with　the　King；　whether　it　should　be　periodic
or　permanent；　whether　it　should　govern　by　two　chambers　or　by　one。

The　Abbe　Maury；　son　of　a　cobbler；　and　therefore　in　these　days　of
antitheses　orator…in…chief　of　the　party　of　the　Right　…　the　Blacks；
as　those　who　fought　Privilege's　losing　battles　were　known　…　was　in
the　tribune。　　He　appeared　to　be　urging　the　adoption　of　a
two…chambers　system　framed　on　the　English　model。　　He　was；　if
anything；　more　long…winded　and　prosy　even　than　his　habit；　his
arguments　assumed　more　and　more　the　form　of　a　sermon；　the　tribune
of　the　National　Assembly　became　more　and　more　like　a　pulpit；　but
the　members；　conversely；　less　and　less　like　a　congregation。　　They
grew　restive　under　that　steady　flow　of　pompous　verbiage；　and　it
was　in　vain　that　the　four　ushers　in　black　satin　breeches　and
carefully　powdered　heads；　chain　of　office　on　their　breasts；　gilded
sword　at　their　sides；　circulated　in　the　Piste；　clapping　their
hands；　and　hissing

〃Silence！　　En　place！〃

Equally　vain　was　the　intermittent　ringing　of　the　bell　by　the
president　at　his　green…covered　table　facing　the　tribune。　　The　Abbe
Maury　had　talked　too　long；　and　for　some　time　had　failed　to　interest
the　members。　　Realizing　it　at　last；　he　ceased；　whereupon　the　hum
of　conversation　became　general。　　And　then。　　it　fell　abruptly。
There　was　a　silence　of　expectancy；　and　a　turning　of　heads；　a
craning　of　necks。　　Even　the　group　of　secretaries　at　the　round　table
below　the　president's　dais　roused　themselves　from　their　usual
apathy　to　consider　this　young　man　who　was　mounting　the　tribune　of
the　Assembly　for　the　first　time。

〃M。　Andre…Louis　Moreau；　deputy　suppleant；　vice　Emmanuel　Lagron；
deceased；　for　Ancenis　in　the　Department　of　the　Loire。〃

M。　de　La　Tour　d'Azyr　shook　himself　out　of　the　gloomy　abstraction　in
which　he　had　sat。　　The　successor　of　the　deputy　he　had　slain　must；
in　any　event；　be　an　object　of　grim　interest　to　him。　You　conceive
how　that　interest　was　heightened　when　he　heard　him　named；　when；
looking　across；　he　recognized　indeed　in　this　Andre…Louis　Moreau
the　young　scoundrel　who　was　continually　crossing　his　path；
continually　exerting　against　him　a　deep…moving；　sinister　influence
to　make　him　regret　that　he　should　have　spared　his　life　that　day　at
Gavrillac　two　years　ago。　　That　he　should　thus　have　stepped　into
the　shoes　of　Lagron　seemed　to　M。　de　La　Tour　d'Azyr　too　apt　for
mere　coincidence；　a　direct　challenge　in　itself。

He　looked　at　the　young　man　in　wonder　rather　than　in　anger；　and
looking　at　him　he　was　filled　by　a　vague；　almost　a　premonitory；
uneasiness。

At　the　very　outset；　the　presence　which　in　itself　he　conceived　to
be　a　challenge　was　to　demonstrate　itself　for　this　in　no　equivocal
terms。

〃I　come　before　you；〃　Andre…Louis　began；　〃as　a　deputy…suppleant
to　fill　the　place　of　one　who　was　murdered　some　three　weeks　ago。〃

It　was　a　challenging　opening　that　instantly　provoked　an　indignant
outcry　from　the　Blacks。　　Andre…Louis　paused；　and　looked　at　them；
smiling　a　little；　a　singularly　self…confident　young　man。

〃The　gentlemen　of　the　Right；　M。　le　President；　do　not　appear　to　like
my　words。　　But　that　is　not　surprising。　　The　gentlemen　of　the　Right
notoriously　do　not　like　the　truth。〃

This　time　there　was　uproar。　　The　members　of　the　Left　roared　with
laughter；　those　of　the　Right　thundered　menacingly。　　The　ushers
circulated　at　a　pace　beyond　their　usual；　agitated　themselves；
clapped　their　hands；　and　called　in　vain　for　silence。

The　President　rang　his　bell。

Above　the　general　din　came　the　voice　of　La　Tour　d'Azyr；　who　had
half…risen　from　his　seat：　〃Mountebank！　　This　is　not　the　theatre！〃

〃No；　monsieur；　it　is　becoming　a　hunting…ground　for　bully…swordsmen；〃
was　the　answer；　and　the　uproar　grew。

The　deputy…suppleant　looked　round　and　waited。　　Near　at　hand　he　met
the　encouraging　grin　of　Le　Chapelier；　and　the　quiet；　approving　smile
of　Kersain；　another　Breton　deputy　of　his　acquaintance。　　A　little
farther　off　he　saw　the　great　head　of　Mirabeau　thrown　back；　the　great
eyes　regarding　him　from　under　a　frown　in　a　sort　of　wonder；　and
yonder；　among　all　that　moving　sea　of　faces；　the　sallow　countenance
of　the　Arras'　lawyer　Robespierre　…　or　de　Robespierre；　as　the　little
snob　now　called　himself；　having　assumed　the　aristocratic　particle
as　the　prerogative　of　a　man　of　his　distinction　in　the　councils