scaramouche-第66节

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tortured　breast。



CHAPTER　X

THE　RETURNING　CARRIAGE


M。　de　Kercadiou　wrote　a　letter。

〃Godson；〃　he　began；　without　any　softening　adjective；　〃I　have　learnt
with　pain　and　indignation　that　you　have　dishonoured　yourself　again
by　breaking　the　pledge　you　gave　me　to　abstain　from　politics。　　With
still　greater　pain　and　indignation　do　I　learn　that　your　name　has
become　in　a　few　short　days　a　byword；　that　you　have　discarded　the
weapon　of　false；　insidious　arguments　against　my　class　…　the　class
to　which　you　owe　everything　…　for　the　sword　of　the　assassin。　　It
has　come　to　my　knowledge　that　you　have　an　assignation　to…morrow
with　my　good　friend　M。　de　La　Tour　d'Azyr。　　A　gentleman　of　his
station　is　under　certain　obligations　imposed　upon　him　by　his　birth；
which　do　not　permit　him　to　draw　back　from　an　engagement。　　But　you
labour　under　no　such　disadvantages。　　For　a　man　of　your　class　to
refuse　an　engagement　of　honour；　or　to　neglect　it　when　made；　entails
no　sacrifice。　　Your　peers　will　probably　be　of　the　opinion　that　you
display　a　commendable　prudence。　　Therefore　I　beg　you；　indeed；　did
I　think　that　I　still　exercise　over　you　any　such　authority　as　the
favours　you　have　received　from　me　should　entitle　me　to　exercise；　I
would　command　you；　to　allow　this　matter　to　go　no　farther；　and　to
refrain　from　rendering　yourself　to　your　assignation　to…morrow
morning。　　Having　no　such　authority；　as　your　past　conduct　now　makes
clear；　having　no　reason　to　hope　that　a　proper　sentiment　of　gratitude
to　me　will　induce　to　give　heed　to　this　my　most　earnest　request；　I
am　compelled　to　add　that　should　you　survive　to…morrow's　encounter；
I　can　in　no　circumstances　ever　again　permit　myself　to　be　conscious
of　your　existence。　　If　any　spark　survives　of　the　affection　that　once
you　expressed　for　me；　or　if　you　set　any　value　upon　the　affection；
which；　in　spite　of　all　that　you　have　done　to　forfeit　it；　is　the
chief　prompter　of　this　letter；　you　will　not　refuse　to　do　as　I　am
asking。〃

It　was　not　a　tactful　letter。　　M。　de　Kercadiou　was　not　a　tactful　man。
Read　it　as　he　would；　Andre…Louis　…　when　it　was　delivered　to　him　on
that　Sunday　afternoon　by　the　groom　dispatched　with　it　into　Paris
　…　could　read　into　it　only　concern　for　M。　La　Tour　d'Azyr；　M。　de
Kercadiou's　good　friend；　as　he　called　him；　and　prospective
nephew…in…law。

He　kept　the　groom　waiting　a　full　hour　while　composing　his　answer。
Brief　though　it　was；　it　cost　him　very　considerable　effort　and
several　unsuccessful　attempts。　　In　the　end　this　is　what　he　wrote：

Monsieur　my　godfather　…　You　make　refusal　singularly　hard　for　me　when
you　appeal　to　me　upon　the　ground　of　affection。　　It　is　a　thing　of
which　all　my　life　I　shall　hail　the　opportunity　to　give　you　proofs；
and　I　am　therefore　desolated　beyond　anything　I　could　hope　to　express
that　I　cannot　give　you　the　proof　you　ask　to…day。　　There　is　too　much
between　M。　de　La　Tour　d'Azyr　and　me。　　Also　you　do　me　and　my　class
…　whatever　it　may　be　…　less　than　justice　when　you　say　that
obligations　of　honour　are　not　binding　upon　us。　　So　binding　do　I
count　them；　that；　if　I　would；　I　could　not　now　draw　back。

If　hereafter　you　should　persist　in　the　harsh　intention　you　express；
I　must　suffer　it。　　That　I　shall　suffer　be　assured。
　　　　　　　　　　　　　Your　affectionate　and　grateful　godson
　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　Andre…Louis

He　dispatched　that　letter　by　M。　de　Kercadiou's　groom；　and　conceived
this　to　be　the　end　of　the　matter。　　It　cut　him　keenly；　but　he　bore
the　wound　with　that　outward　stoicism　he　affected。

Next　morning；　at　a　quarter　past　eight；　as　with　Le　Chapelier　…　who
had　come　to　break　his　fast　with　him　…　he　was　rising　from　table　to
set　out　for　the　Bois；　his　housekeeper　startled　him　by　announcing
Mademoiselle　de　Kercadiou。

He　looked　at　his　watch。　　Although　his　cabriolet　was　already　at　the
door；　he　had　a　few　minutes　to　spare。　　He　excused　himself　from　Le
Chapelier；　and　went　briskly　out　to　the　anteroom。

She　advanced　to　meet　him；　her　manner　eager；　almost　feverish。

〃I　will　not　affect　ignorance　of　why　you　have　come；〃　he　said　quickly；
to　make　short　work。　　〃But　time　presses；　and　I　warn　you　that　only
the　most　solid　of　reasons　can　be　worth　stating。〃

It　surprised　her。　　It　amounted　to　a　rebuff　at　the　very　outset；
before　she　had　uttered　a　word；　and　that　was　the　last　thing　she　had
expected　from　Andre…Louis。　　Moreover；　there　was　about　him　an　air
of　aloofness　that　was　unusual　where　she　was　concerned；　and　his
voice　had　been　singularly　cold　and　formal。

It　wounded　her。　　She　was　not　to　guess　the　conclusion　to　which　he
had　leapt。　　He　made　with　regard　to　her　…　as　was　but　natural；　after
all　…　the　same　mistake　that　he　had　made　with　regard　to　yesterday's
letter　from　his　godfather。　　He　conceived　that　the　mainspring　of
action　here　was　solely　concern　for　M。　de　La　Tour　d'Azyr。　　That　it
might　be　concern　for　himself　never　entered　his　mind。　　So　absolute
was　his　own　conviction　of　what　must　be　the　inevitable　issue　of　that
meeting　that　he　could　not　conceive　of　any　one　entertaining　a　fear
on　his　behalf。

What　he　assumed　to　be　anxiety　on　the　score　of　the　predestined　victim
had　irritated　him　in　M。　de　Kercadiou；　in　Aline　it　filled　him　with　a
cold　anger；　he　argued　from　it　that　she　had　hardly　been　frank　with
him；　that　ambition　was　urging　her　to　consider　with　favour　the　suit
of　M。　de　La　Tour　d'Azyr。　　And　than　this　there　was　no　spur　that　could
have　driven　more　relentlessly　in　his　purpose；　since　to　save　her
was　in　his　eyes　almost　as　momentous　as　to　avenge　the　past。

She　conned　him　searchingly；　and　the　complete　calm　of　him　at　such　a
time　amazed　her。　　She　could　not　repress　the　mention　of　it。

〃How　calm　you　are；　Andre！〃

〃I　am　not　easily　disturbed。　　It　is　a　vanity　of　mine。〃

〃But。。。　Oh；　Andre；　this　meeting　must　not　take　place！〃　　She　came
close　up　to　him；　to　set　her　hands　upon　his　shoulders；　and　stood　so；
her　face　within　a　foot　of　his　own。

〃You　know；　of　course；　of　some　good　reason　why　it　should　not？〃
said　he。

〃You　may　be　killed；〃　she　answered　him；　and　her　eyes　dilated　as
she　spoke。

It　was　so　far　from　anything　that　he　had　expected　that　for　a　moment
he　could　only　stare　at　her。　　Then　he　thought　he　had　understood。　　He
laughed　as　he　removed　her　hands　from　his　shoulders；　and　stepped
back。　　This　was　a　shallow　device；　childish　and　unworthy　in　her。

〃Can　you　really　think　to　prevail　by　attempting　to　frighten　me？〃　he
asked；　and　almost　sneered。

〃Oh；　you　are　surely　mad！　　M。　de　La　Tour　d'Azyr　is　reputed　the　most
dangerous　sword　in　France。〃

〃Have　you　never　noticed　that　most　reputations　are　undeserved？
Chabrillane　was　a　dangerous　swordsman；　and　Chabrillane　is
underground。　　La　Motte…Royau　was　an　even　more　dangerous　swordsman；
and　he　is　in　a　surgeon's　hands。　　So　are　the　other　spadassinicides
who　dreamt　of　skewering　a　poor　sheep　of　a　provincial　lawyer。　　And
here　to…day　comes　the　chief；　the　fine　flower　of　these
bully…swordsmen。　　He　comes；　for　wages　long　overdue。　　Be　sure　of
that。　　So　if　you　have　no　other　reason　to　urge。

It　was　the　sarcasm　of　him　that　mystified　her。　　Could　he　possibly
be　sincere　in　his　assurance　that　he　must　prevail　against　M。　de　La
Tour　d'Azyr？　　To　her　in　her　limited　knowledge；　her　mind　filled
with　her　uncle's　contrary　conviction；　it　seemed　that　Andre…Louis
was　only　acting；　he　would　act　a　part　to　the　very　end。

Be　that　as　it　might；　she　shifted　her　ground　to　answer　him。

〃You　had　my　uncle's　letter？〃

〃And　I　answered　it。〃

〃I　know。　　But　what　he　said；　he　will　fulfil。　　Do　not　dream　that　he
will　relent　if　you　carry　out　this　horrible　purpose。〃

〃Come；　now；　that　is　a　better　reason　than　the　other；〃　said　he。　　〃If
there　is　a　reason　in　the　world　that　could　move　me　it　would　be　that。
But　there　is　too　much　between　La　Tour　d'Azyr　and　me。　　There　is　an
oath　I　swore　on　the　dead　hand　of　Philippe　de　Vilmorin。　　I　could
never　have　hoped　that　God　would　afford　me　so　great　an　opportunity
of　keeping　it。〃

〃You　have　not　kept　it　yet；〃　she　warned　him。

He　smiled　at　her。　　〃True！〃　he　said。　　〃But　nine　o'clock　will　soon　be
here。　　Tell　me；〃　he　asked　her　suddenly；　〃why　did　you　not　carry　this
request　of　yours　to　M。　de　La　Tour　d'Azyr？〃

〃I　did；〃　she　answered　him；　and　flushed　as　she　remembered　her
yesterday's　rejection。　　He　interpreted　the　flush　quite　otherwise。

〃And　he？〃　he　asked。

〃M。　de　La　Tour　d'Azyr's　obligations。。。　〃　she　was　beginning：　then
she　broke　off　to　answer　shortly：　〃Oh；　he　refused。〃

〃So；　so。　　He　must；　of　course；　whatever　it　may　have　cost　him。　　Yet
in　his　place　I　should　have　counted　the　cost　as　nothing。　　But　men
are　different；　you　see。〃　　He　sighed。　　〃Also　in　your　place；　had　that
been　so；　I　think　I　should　have　left　the　matter　there。　　But　then。。。　〃

〃I　don't　understand　you；　Andre。〃

〃I　am　not　so　very　obscure。　　Not　nearly　so　obscure　as　I　can　be。　　Turn
it　over　in　your　mind。　　It　may　help　to　comfort　you　presently。〃　　He
consulted　his　watch　again。　　〃Pray　use　this　house　as　your　own。　　I
must　be　going。〃

Le　Chapelier　put　his　head　in　at　the　door。

〃Forgive　the　intrusion。　　But　we　shall　be　late；　Andre；　unless　you。。。　〃

〃Coming；〃　Andre　answered　him。　〃If　you　will　await　my　return；　Aline；
you　will　oblige　me　deeply。　　Particularly　in　view　of　your　uncle's
resolve。〃

She　did　not　answer　him。　She　was　numbed。　　He　took　her　silence