scaramouche-第61节

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and　again　in　view　of　all　thrust　Andre…Louis　rudely　back。

〃Ahi！〃　cried　Andre…Louis；　with　a　grimace。　　〃You　hurt　me；　monsieur。
I　have　told　you　not　to　push　against　me。〃　　He　raised　his　voice　that
all　might　hear　him；　and　once　more　impelled　M。　de　Chabrillane　back
into　the　rain。

Now；　for　all　his　slenderness；　his　assiduous　daily　sword…practice
had　given　Andre…Louis　an　arm　of　iron。　　Also　he　threw　his　weight
into　the　thrust。　　His　assailant　reeled　backwards　a　few　steps；　and
then　his　heel　struck　a　baulk　of　timber　left　on　the　ground　by　some
workmen　that　morning；　and　he　sat　down　suddenly　in　the　mud。

A　roar　of　laughter　rose　from　all　who　witnessed　the　fine　gentleman's
downfall。　　He　rose；　mud…bespattered；　in　a　fury；　and　in　that　fury
sprang　at　Andre…Louis。

Andre…Louis　had　made　him　ridiculous；　which　was　altogether
unforgivable。

〃You　shall　meet　me　for　this！〃　he　spluttered。　　〃I　shall　kill　you
for　it。〃

His　inflamed　face　was　within　a　foot　of　Andre…Louis'。　　Andre…Louis
laughed。　　In　the　silence　everybody　heard　the　laugh　and　the　words
that　followed。

〃Oh；　is　that　what　you　wanted？　　But　why　didn't　you　say　so　before？
You　would　have　spared　me　the　trouble　of　knocking　you　down。　　I
thought　gentlemen　of　your　profession　invariably　conducted　these
affairs　with　decency；　decorum；　and　a　certain　grace。　　Had　you　done
so；　you　might　have　saved　your　breeches。〃

〃How　soon　shall　we　settle　this？〃　snapped　Chabrillane；　livid　with
very　real　fury。

〃Whenever　you　please；　monsieur。　　It　is　for　you　to　say　when　it　will
suit　your　convenience　to　kill　me。　　I　think　that　was　the　intention
you　announced；　was　it　not？〃　Andre…Louis　was　suavity　itself。

〃To…morrow　morning；　in　the　Bois。　　Perhaps　you　will　bring　a　friend。〃

〃Certainly；　monsieur。　　To…morrow　morning；　then。　　I　hope　we　shall
have　fine　weather。　　I　detest　the　rain。〃

Chabrillane　looked　at　him　almost　with　amazement　Andre…Louis　smiled
pleasantly。

〃Don't　let　me　detain　you　now；　monsieur。　　We　quite　understand　each
other。　　I　shall　be　in　the　Bois　at　nine　o'clock　to…morrow　morning。〃

〃That　is　too　late　for　me；　monsieur。〃

〃Any　other　hour　would　be　too　early　for　me。　　I　do　not　like　to　have
my　habits　disturbed。　　Nine　o'clock　or　not　at　all；　as　you　please。〃

〃But　I　must　be　at　the　Assembly　at　nine；　for　the　morning　session。〃

〃I　am　　afraid；　monsieur；　you　will　have　to　kill　me　first；　and　I
have　a　prejudice　against　being　killed　before　nine　o'clock。〃

Now　this　was　too　complete　a　subversion　of　the　usual　procedure　for
M。　de　Chabrillane's　stomach。　　Here　was　a　rustic　deputy　assuming
with　him　precisely　the　tone　of　sinister　mockery　which　his　class
usually　dealt　out　to　their　victims　of　the　Third　Estate。　　And　to
heighten　the　irritation；　Andre…Louis　…　the　actor；　Scaramouche
always　…　produced　his　snuffbox；　and　proffered　it　with　a　steady
hand　to　Le　Chapelier　before　helping　himself。

Chabrillane；　it　seemed；　after　all　that　he　had　suffered；　was　not
even　to　be　allowed　to　make　a　good　exit。

〃Very　well；　monsieur；〃　he　said。　　〃Nine　o'clock；　then；　and　we'll　see
if　you'll　talk　as　pertly　afterwards。〃

On　that　he　flung　away；　before　the　jeers　of　the　provincial　deputies。
Nor　did　it　soothe　his　rage　to　be　laughed　at　by　urchins　all　the　way
down　the　Rue　Dauphine　because　of　the　mud　and　filth　that　dripped
from　his　satin　breeches　and　the　tails　of　his　elegant；　striped　coat。

But　though　the　members　of　the　Third　had　jeered　on　the　surface；　they
trembled　underneath　with　fear　and　indignation。　　It　was　too　much。
Lagron　killed　by　one　of　these　bullies；　and　now　his　successor
challenged；　and　about　to　be　killed　by　another　of　them　on　the　very
first　day　of　his　appearance　to　take　the　dead　man's　place。　　Several
came　now　to　implore　Andre…Louis　not　to　go　to　the　Bois；　to　ignore
the　challenge　and　the　whole　affair；　which　was　but　a　deliberate
attempt　to　put　him　out　of　the　way。　　He　listened　seriously；　shook
his　head　gloomily；　and　promised　at　last　to　think　it　over。

He　was　in　his　seat　again　for　the　afternoon　session　as　if　nothing
disturbed　him。

But　in　the　morning；　when　the　Assembly　met；　his　place　was　vacant；
and　so　was　M。　de　Chabrillane's。　　Gloom　and　resentment　sat　upon　the
members　of　the　Third；　and　brought　a　more　than　usually　acrid　note
into　their　debates。　　They　disapproved　of　the　rashness　of　the　new
recruit　to　their　body。　　Some　openly　condemned　his　lack　of
circumspection。　　Very　few　…　and　those　only　the　little　group　in　Le
Chapelier's　confidence　…　ever　expected　to　see　him　again。

It　was；　therefore；　as　much　in　amazement　as　in　relief　that　at　a　few
minutes　after　ten　they　saw　him　enter；　calm；　composed；　and　bland；
and　thread　his　way　to　his　seat。　　The　speaker　occupying　the　rostrum
at　that　moment　…　a　member　of　the　Privileged　…　stopped　short　to　stare
in　incredulous　dismay。　　Here　was　something　that　he　could　not
understand　at　all。　　Then　from　somewhere；　to　satisfy　the　amazement
on　both　sides　of　the　assembly；　a　voice　explained　the　phenomenon
contemptuously。

〃They　haven't　met。　　He　has　shirked　it　at　the　last　moment。〃

It　must　be　so；　thought　all；　the　mystification　ceased；　and　men　were
settling　back　into　their　seats。　　But　now；　having　reached　his　place；
having　heard　the　voice　that　explained　the　matter　to　the　universal
satisfaction；　Andre…Louis　paused　before　taking　his　seat。　　He　felt
it　incumbent　upon　him　to　reveal　the　true　fact。

〃M。　le　President；　my　excuses　for　my　late　arrival。〃　　There　was　no
necessity　for　this。　　It　was　a　mere　piece　of　theatricality；　such　as
it　was　not　in　Scaramouche's　nature　to　forgo。　　〃I　have　been　detained
by　an　engagement　of　a　pressing　nature。　　I　bring　you　also　the　excuses
of　M。　de　Chabrillane。　　He；　unfortunately；　will　be　permanently　absent
from　this　Assembly　in　future。〃

The　silence　was　complete。　　Andre…Louis　sat　down。



CHAPTER　VIII

THE　PALADIN　OF　THE　THIRD


M。　Le　Chevalier　de　Chabrillane　had　been　closely　connected；　you　will
remember；　with　the　iniquitous　affair　in　which　Philippe　de　Vilmorin
had　lost　his　life。　　We　know　enough　to　justify　a　surmise　that　he　had
not　merely　been　La　Tour　d'Azyr's　second　in　the　encounter；　but
actually　an　instigator　of　the　business。　　Andre…Louis　may　therefore
have　felt　a　justifiable　satisfaction　in　offering　up　the　Chevalier's
life　to　the　Manes　of　his　murdered　friend。　　He　may　have　viewed　it　as
an　act　of　common　justice　not　to　be　procured　by　any　other　means。
Also　it　is　to　be　remembered　that　Chabrillane　had　gone　confidently
to　the　meeting；　conceiving　that　he；　a　practised　ferailleur；　had　to
deal　with　a　bourgeois　utterly　unskilled　in　swordsmanship。　　Morally；
then；　he　was　little　better　than　a　murderer；　and　that　he　should　have
tumbled　into　the　pit　he　conceived　that　he　dug　for　Andre…Louis　was
a　poetic　retribution。　　Yet；　notwithstanding　all　this；　I　should　find
the　cynical　note　on　which　Andre…Louis　announced　the　issue　to　the
Assembly　utterly　detestable　did　I　believe　it　sincere。　　It　would
justify　Aline　of　the　expressed　opinion；　which　she　held　in　common
with　so　many　others　who　had　come　into　close　contact　with　him；　that
Andre…Louis　was　quite　heartless。

You　have　seen　something　of　the　same　heartlessness　in　his　conduct
when　he　discovered　the　faithlessness　of　La　Binet　although　that　is
belied　by　the　measures　he　took　to　avenge　himself。　　His　subsequent
contempt　of　the　woman　I　account　to　be　born　of　the　affection　in　which
for　a　time　he　held　her。　　That　this　affection　was　as　deep　as　he　first
imagined；　I　do　not　believe；　but　that　it　was　as　shallow　as　he　would
almost　be　at　pains　to　make　it　appear　by　the　completeness　with　which
he　affects　to　have　put　her　from　his　mind　when　he　discovered　her
worthlessness；　I　do　not　believe；　nor；　as　I　have　said；　do　his　actions
encourage　that　belief。　　Then；　again；　his　callous　cynicism　in　hoping
that　he　had　killed　Binet　is　also　an　affectation。　　Knowing　that　such
things　as　Binet　are　better　out　of　the　world；　he　can　have　suffered
no　compunction；　he　had；　you　must　remember；　that　rarely　level　vision
which　sees　things　in　their　just　proportions；　and　never　either
magnifies　or　reduces　them　by　sentimental　considerations。　　At　the
same　time；　that　he　should　contemplate　the　taking　of　life　with　such
complete　and　cynical　equanimity；　whatever　the　justification；　is
quite　incredible。

Similarly　now；　it　is　not　to　be　believed　that　in　coming　straight
from　the　Bois　de　Boulogne；　straight　from　the　killing　of　a　man；　he
should　be　sincerely　expressing　his　nature　in　alluding　to　the　fact
in　terms　of　such　outrageous　flippancy。　　Not　quite　to　such　an　extent
was　he　the　incarnation　of　Scaramouche。　　But　sufficiently　was　he　so
ever　to　mask　his　true　feelings　by　an　arresting　gesture；　his　true
thoughts　by　an　effective　phrase。　　He　was　the　actor　always；　a　man
ever　calculating　the　effect　he　would　produce；　ever　avoiding
self…revelation；　ever　concerned　to　overlay　his　real　character　by
an　assumed　and　quite　fictitious　one。　　There　was　in　this　something
of　impishness；　and　something　of　other　things。

Nobody　laughed　now　at　his　flippancy。　　He　did　not　intend　that
anybody　should。　　He　intended　to　be　terrible；　and　he　knew　that　the
more　flippant　and　casual　his　tone；　the　more　terrible　would　be　its
effect。　　He　produced　exactly　the　effect　he　desired。

What　followed　in　a　place　where　feelings　and　practices　had　become
what　they　had　become　is　not　difficul