scaramouche-第68节

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blue　uniform　of　a　captain　in　the　Gardes　du　Corps。

Andre…Louis　had　been　silent　and　preoccupied　throughout　that　drive。
He　was　perturbed　by　his　last　interview　with　Mademoiselle　de
Kercadiou　and　the　rash　inferences　which　he　had　drawn　as　to　her
motives。

〃Decidedly；〃　he　had　said；　〃this　man　must　be　killed。〃

Le　Chapelier　had　not　answered　him。　　Almost；　indeed；　had　the　Breton
shuddered　at　his　compatriot's　cold…bloodedness。　　He　had　often　of
late　thought　that　this　fellow　Moreau　was　hardly　human。　　Also　he　had
found　him　incomprehensibly　inconsistent。　　When　first　this
spadassinicide　business　had　been　proposed　to　him；　he　had　been　so
very　lofty　and　disdainful。　　Yet；　having　embraced　it；　he　went　about
it　at　times　with　a　ghoulish　flippancy　that　was　revolting；　at　times
with　a　detachment　that　was　more　revolting　still。

Their　preparations　were　made　quickly　and　in　silence；　yet　without
undue　haste　or　other　sign　of　nervousness　on　either　side。　　In　both
men　the　same　grim　determination　prevailed。　　The　opponent　must　be
killed；　there　could　be　no　half…measures　here。　　Stripped　each　of　coat
and　waistcoat；　shoeless　and　with　shirt…sleeves　rolled　to　the　elbow；
they　faced　each　other　at　last；　with　the　common　resolve　of　paying
in　full　the　long　score　that　stood　between　them。　I　doubt　if　either
of　them　entertained　a　misgiving　as　to　what　must　be　the　issue。

Beside　them；　and　opposite　each　other；　stood　Le　Chapelier　and　the
young　captain；　alert　and　watchful。

〃Allez；　messieurs！〃

The　slender；　wickedly　delicate　blades　clashed　together；　and　after
a　momentary　glizade　were　whirling；　swift　and　bright　as　lightnings；
and　almost　as　impossible　to　follow　with　the　eye。　　The　Marquis　led
the　attack；　impetuously　and　vigorously；　and　almost　at　once
Andre…Louis　realized　that　he　had　to　deal　with　an　opponent　of　a　very
different　mettle　from　those　successive　duellists　of　last　week；　not
excluding　La　Motte…Royau；　of　terrible　reputation。

Here　was　a　man　whom　much　and　constant　practice　had　given
extraordinary　speed　and　a　technique　that　was　almost　perfect。
In　addition；　he　enjoyed　over　Andre…Louis　physical　advantages　of
strength　and　length　of　reach；　which　rendered　him　altogether
formidable。　　And　he　was　cool；　too；　cool　and　self…contained；　fearless
and　purposeful。　　Would　anything　shake　that　calm；　wondered
Andre…Louis？

He　desired　the　punishment　to　be　as　full　as　he　could　make　it。　　Not
content　to　kill　the　Marquis　as　the　Marquis　had　killed　Philippe；　he
desired　that　he　should　first　know　himself　as　powerless　to　avert
that　death　as　Philippe　had　been。　　Nothing　less　would　content
Andre…Louis。　　M。　le　Marquis　must　begin　by　tasting　of　that　cup　of
despair。　　It　was　in　the　account；　part　of　the　quittance　due。

As　with　a　breaking　sweep　Andre…Louis　parried　the　heavy　lunge　in
which　that　first　series　of　passes　culminated；　he　actually　laughed
　…　gleefully；　after　the　fashion　of　a　boy　at　a　sport　he　loves。

That　extraordinary；　ill…timed　laugh　made　M。　de　La　Tour　d'Azyr's
recovery　hastier　and　less　correctly　dignified　than　it　would　otherwise
have　been。　　It　startled　and　discomposed　him；　who　had　already　been
discomposed　by　the　failure　to　get　home　with　a　lunge　so　beautifully
timed　and　so　truly　delivered。

He；　too；　had　realized　that　his　opponent's　force　was　above　anything
that　he　could　have　expected；　fencing…master　though　he　might　be；　and
on　that　account　he　had　put　forth　his　utmost　energy　to　make　an　end
at　once。

More　than　the　actual　parry；　the　laugh　by　which　it　was　accompanied
seemed　to　make　of　that　end　no　more　than　a　beginning。　　And　yet　it
was　the　end　of　something。　　It　was　the　end　of　that　absolute　confidence
that　had　hitherto　inspired　M。　de　La　Tour　d'Azyr。　　He　no　longer　looked
upon　the　issue　as　a　thing　forgone。　　He　realized　that　if　he　was　to
prevail　in　this　encounter；　he　must　go　warily　and　fence　as　he　had
never　fenced　yet　in　all　his　life。

They　settled　down　again；　and　again　…　on　the　principle　this　time　that
the　soundest　defence　is　in　attack　…　it　was　the　Marquis　who　made　the
game。　　Andre…Louis　allowed　him　to　do　so；　desired　him　to　do　so；
desired　him　to　spend　himself　and　that　magnificent　speed　of　his
against　the　greater　speed　that　whole　days　of　fencing　in　succession
for　nearly　two　years　had　given　the　master。　　With　a　beautiful；　easy
pressure　of　forte　on　foible　Andre…Louis　kept　himself　completely
covered　in　that　second　bout；　which　once　more　culminated　in　a　lunge。

Expecting　it　now；　Andre…Louis　parried　it　by　no　more　than　a　deflecting
touch。　　At　the　same　moment　he　stepped　suddenly　forward；　right　within
the　other's　guard；　thus　placing　his　man　so　completely　at　his　mercy
that；　as　if　fascinated；　the　Marquis　did　not　even　attempt　to　recover
himself。

This　time　Andre…Louis　did　not　laugh：　He　just　smiled　into　the　dilating
eyes　of　M。　de　La　Tour　d'Azyr；　and　made　no　shift　to　use　his　advantage。

〃Come；　come；　monsieur！〃　he　bade　him　sharply。　　〃Am　I　to　run　my　blade
through　an　uncovered　man？〃　　Deliberately　he　fell　back；　whilst　his
shaken　opponent　recovered　himself　at　last。

M。　d'Ormesson　released　the　breath　which　horror　had　for　a　moment
caught。　　Le　Chapelier　swore　softly；　muttering：

〃Name　of　a　name！　　It　is　tempting　Providence　to　play　the　fool　in
this　fashion！〃

Andre…Louis　observed　the　ashen　pallor　that　now　over　spread　the　face
of　his　opponent。

〃I　think　you　begin　to　realize；　monsieur；　what　Philippe　de　Vilmorin
must　have　felt　that　day　at　Gavrillac。　　I　desired　that　you　should
first　do　so。　　Since　that　is　accomplished；　why；　here's　to　make　an　end。〃

He　went　in　with　lightning　rapidity。　　For　a　moment　his　point　seemed
to　La　Tour　d'Azyr　to　be　everywhere　at　once；　and　then　from　a　low
engagement　in　sixte；　Andre…Louis　stretched　forward　with　swift　and
vigorous　ease　to　lunge　in　tierce。　　He　drove　his　point　to　transfix
his　opponent　whom　a　series　of　calculated　disengages　uncovered　in
that　line。　　But　to　his　amazement　and　chagrin；　La　Tour　d'Azyr　parried
the　stroke；　infinitely　more　to　his　chagrin　La　Tour　d'Azyr　parried
it　just　too　late。　　Had　he　completely　parried　it；　all　would　yet　have
been　well。　　But　striking　the　blade　in　the　last　fraction　of　a　second；
the　Marquis　deflected　the　point　from　the　line　of　his　body；　yet　not
so　completely　but　that　a　couple　of　feet　of　that　hard…driven　steel
tore　through　the　muscles　of　his　sword…arm。

To　the　seconds　none　of　these　details　had　been　visible。　　All　that
they　had　seen　had　been　a　swift　whirl　of　flashing　blades；　and　then
Andre…Louis　stretched　almost　to　the　ground　in　an　upward　lunge　that
had　pierced　the　Marquis'　right　arm　just　below　the　shoulder。

The　sword　fell　from　the　suddenly　relaxed　grip　of　La　Tour　d'Azyr's
fingers；　which　had　been　rendered　powerless；　and　he　stood　now
disarmed；　his　lip　in　his　teeth；　his　face　white；　his　chest　heaving；
before　his　opponent；　who　had　at　once　recovered。　　With　the
blood…tinged　tip　of　his　sword　resting　on　the　ground；　Andre…Louis
surveyed　him　grimly；　as　we　survey　the　prey　that　through　our　own
clumsiness　has　escaped　us　at　the　last　moment。

In　the　Assembly　and　in　the　newspapers　this　might　be　hailed　as　another
victory　for　the　Paladin　of　the　Third　Estate；　only　himself　could　know
the　extent　and　the　bitternest　of　the　failure。

M。　d'Ormesson　had　sprung　to　the　side　of　his　principal。

〃You　are　hurt！〃　he　had　cried　stupidly。

〃It　is　nothing；〃　said　La　Tour　d'Azyr。　　〃A　scratch。〃　　But　his　lip
writhed；　and　the　torn　sleeve　of　his　fine　cambric　shirt　was　full　of
blood。

D'Ormesson；　a　practical　man　in　such　matters；　produced　a　linen
kerchief；　which　he　tore　quickly　into　strips　to　improvise　a　bandage。

Still　Andre…Louis　continued　to　stand　there；　looking　on　as　if　bemused。
He　continued　so　until　Le　Chapelier　touched　him　on　the　arm。　　Then　at
last　he　roused　himself；　sighed；　and　turned　away　to　resume　his
garments；　nor　did　he　address　or　look　again　at　his　late　opponent；　but
left　the　ground　at　once。

As；　with　Le　Chapelier；　he　was　walking　slowly　and　in　silent　dejection
towards　the　entrance　of　the　Bois；　where　they　had　left　their　carriage；
they　were　passed　by　the　caleche　conveying　La　Tour　d'Azyr　and　his
second　…　which　had　originally　driven　almost　right　up　to　the　spot　of
the　encounter。　　The　Marquis'　wounded　arm　was　carried　in　a　sling
improvised　from　his　companion's　sword…belt。　　His　sky…blue　coat　with
three　collars　had　been　buttoned　over　this；　so　that　the　right　sleeve
hung　empty。　　Otherwise；　saving　a　certain　pallor；　he　looked　much　his
usual　self。

And　now　you　understand　how　it　was　that　he　was　the　first　to　return；
and　that　seeing　him　thus　returning；　apparently　safe　and　sound；　the
two　ladies；　intent　upon　preventing　the　encounter；　should　have
assumed　that　their　worst　fears　were　realized。

Mme。　de　Plougastel　attempted　to　call　out；　but　her　voice　refused　its
office。　　She　attempted　to　throw　open　the　door　of　her　own　carriage；
but　her　fingers　fumbled　clumsily　and　ineffectively　with　the　handle。
And　meanwhile　the　caleche　was　slowly　passing；　La　Tour　d'Azyr's　fine
eyes　sombrely　yet　intently　meeting　her　own　anguished　gaze。　　And　then
she　saw　something　else。　　M。　d'Ormesson；　leaning　back　again　from　the
forward　inclination　of　his　body　to　join　his　own　to　his　companion's
salutation　of　the　Countess；　disclosed　the　empty　right　sleeve　of　M。
de　La　Tour　d'Azyr's　blue　coat。　　More；　the　near　side　of　th