scaramouche-第75节

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〃He。。。　he　seems　to　be　an　official；　at　least　he　wears　the　sash　of
office。　　And　he　refuses　to　give　any　name；　he　says　that　his　name
would　convey　nothing　to　you。　　He　insists　that　he　must　see　you　in
person　and　at　once。〃

〃An　official？〃　said　madame。

〃An　official；〃　Jacques　repeated。　　〃I　would　not　have　admitted　him；
but　that　he　demanded　it　in　the　name　of　the　Nation。　　Madame；　it　is
for　you　to　say　what　shall　be　done。　　Robert　is　with　me。　　If　you
wish　it。。。　whatever　it　may　be。。。　〃

〃My　good　Jacques；　no；　no。〃　　She　was　perfectly　composed。　　If　this
man　intended　evil；　surely　he　would　not　come　alone。　　Conduct　him　to
me；　and　then　beg　Mlle。　de　Kercadiou　to　join　me　if　she　is　awake。〃

Jacques　departed；　himself　partly　reassured。　　Madame　seated　herself
in　the　armchair　by　the　table　well　within　the　light。　　She　smoothed
her　dress　with　a　mechanical　hand。　　If；　as　it　would　seem；　her　hopes
had　been　futile；　so　had　her　momentary　fears。　　A　man　on　any　but　an
errand　of　peace　would　have　brought　some　following　with　him；　as　she
had　said。

The　door　opened　again；　and　Jacques　reappeared；　after　him；　stepping
briskly　past　him；　came　a　slight　man　in　a　wide…brimmed　hat；　adorned
by　a　tricolour　cockade。　　About　the　waist　of　an　olive…green
riding…coat　he　wore　a　broad　tricolour　sash；　a　sword　hung　at　his　side。

He　swept　off　his　hat；　and　the　candlelight　glinted　on　the　steel
buckle　in　front　of　it。　　Madame　found　herself　silently　regarded　by
a　pair　of　large；　dark　eyes　set　in　a　lean；　brown　face；　eyes　that
were　most　singularly　intent　and　searching。

She　leaned　forward；　incredulity　swept　across　her　countenance。　　Then
her　eyes　kindled；　and　the　colour　came　creeping　back　into　her　pale
cheeks。　　She　rose　suddenly。　　She　was　trembling。

〃Andre…Louis！〃　she　exclaimed。



CHAPTER　XIV

THE　BARRIER


That　gift　of　laughter　of　his　seemed　utterly　extinguished。　　For　once
there　was　no　gleam　of　humour　in　those　dark　eyes；　as　they　continued
to　consider　her　with　that　queer　stare　of　scrutiny。　　And　yet；　though
his　gaze　was　sombre；　his　thoughts　were　not。　　With　his　cruelly　true
mental　vision　which　pierced　through　shams；　and　his　capacity　for
detached　observation　…　which　properly　applied　might　have　carried　him
very　far；　indeed　…　he　perceived　the　grotesqueness；　the　artificiality
of　the　emotion　which　in　that　moment　he　experienced；　but　by　which　he
refused　to　be　possessed。　　It　sprang　entirely　from　the　consciousness
that　she　was　his　mother；　as　if；　all　things　considered；　the　more　or
less　accidental　fact　that　she　had　brought　him　into　the　world　could
establish　between　them　any　real　bond　at　this　time　of　day！　　The
motherhood　that　bears　and　forsakes　is　less　than　animal。　　He　had
considered　this；　he　had　been　given　ample　leisure　in　which　to　consider
it　during　those　long；　turbulent　hours　in　which　he　had　been　forced　to
wait；　because　it　would　have　been　almost　impossible　to　have　won　across
that　seething　city；　and　certainly　unwise　to　have　attempted　so　to　do。

He　had　reached　the　conclusion　that　by　consenting　to　go　to　her　rescue
at　such　a　time　he　stood　committed　to　a　piece　of　purely　sentimental
quixotry。　　The　quittances　which　the　Mayor　of　Meudon　had　exacted　from
him　before　he　would　issue　the　necessary　safe…conducts　placed　the
whole　of　his　future；　perhaps　his　very　life；　in　jeopardy。　　And　he
had　consented　to　do　this　not　for　the　sake　of　a　reality；　but　out　of
regard　for　an　idea　…　he　who　all　his　life　had　avoided　the　false　lure
of　worthless　and　hollow　sentimentality。

Thus　thought　Andre…Louis　as　he　considered　her　now　so　searchingly；
finding　it；　naturally　enough；　a　matter　of　extraordinary　interest　to
look　consciously　upon　his　mother　for　the　first　time　at　the　age　of
eight…and…twenty。

》From　her　he　looked　at　last　at　Jacques；　who　remained　at　attention；
waiting　by　the　open　door。

〃Could　we　be　alone；　madame？〃　he　asked　her。

She　waved　the　footman　away；　and　the　door　closed。　　In　agitated
silence；　unquestioning；　she　waited　for　him　to　account　for　his
presence　there　at　so　extraordinary　a　time。

〃Rougane　could　not　return；〃　he　informed　her　shortly。　　At　M。　de
Kercadiou's　request；　I　come　instead。〃

〃You！　　You　are　sent　to　rescue　us！〃　The　note　of　amazement　in　her
voice　was　stronger　than　that　of　het　relief。

〃That；　and　to　make　your　acquaintance；　madame。〃

〃To　make　my　acquaintance？　　But　what　do　you　mean；　Andre…Louis？〃

〃This　letter　from　M。　de　Kercadiou　will　tell　you。〃　　Intrigued　by　his
odd　words　and　odder　manner；　she　took　the　folded　sheet。　　She　broke
the　seal　with　shaking　hands；　and　with　shaking　hands　approached　the
written　page　to　the　light。　　Her　eyes　grew　troubled　as　she　read；　the
shaking　of　her　hands　increased；　and　midway　through　that　reading　a
moan　escaped　her。　　One　glance　that　was　almost　terror　she　darted　at
the　slim；　straight　man　standing　so　incredibly　impassive　upon　the
edge　of　the　light；　and　then　she　endeavoured　to　read　on。　　But　the
crabbed　characters　of　M。　de　Kercadiou　swam　distortedly　under　her
eyes。　　She　could　not　read。　　Besides；　what　could　it　matter　what　else
he　said。　　She　had　read　enough。　　The　sheet　fluttered　from　her　hands
to　the　table；　and　out　of　a　face　that　was　like　a　face　of　wax；　she
looked　now　with　a　wistfulness；　a　sadness　indescribable；　at
Andre…Louis。

〃And　so　you　know；　my　child？〃　Her　voice　was　stifled　to　a　whisper。

〃I　know；　madame　my　mother。〃

The　grimness；　the　subtle　blend　of　merciless　derision　and　reproach
in　which　it　was　uttered　completely　escaped　her。　　She　cried　out　at
the　new　name。　　For　her　in　that　moment　time　and　the　world　stood
still。　　Her　peril　there　in　Paris　as　the　wife　of　an　intriguer　at
Coblenz　was　blotted　out；　together　with　every　other　consideration
　…　thrust　out　of　a　consciousness　that　could　find　room　for　nothing
else　beside　the　fact　that　she　stood　acknowledged　by　her　only　son；
this　child　begotten　in　adultery；　borne　furtively　and　in　shame　in　a
remote　Brittany　village　eight…and…twenty　years　ago。　　Not　even　a
thought　for　the　betrayal　of　that　inviolable　secret；　or　the　con…
sequences　that　might　follow；　could　she　spare　in　this　supreme　moment。

She　took　one　or　two　faltering　steps　towards　him；　hesitating。　　Then
she　opened　her　arms。　　Sobs　suffocated　her　voice。

〃Won't　you　come　to　me；　Andre…Louis？〃

A　moment　yet　he　stood　hesitating；　startled　by　that　appeal；　angered
almost　by　his　heart's　response　to　it；　reason　and　sentiment　at　grips
in　his　soul。　　This　was　not　real；　his　reason　postulated；　this
poignant　emotion　that　she　displayed　and　that　he　experienced　was
fantastic。　　Yet　he　went。　　Her　arms　enfolded　him；　her　wet　cheek　was
pressed　hard　against　his　own；　her　frame；　which　the　years　had　not
yet　succeeded　in　robbing　of　its　grace；　was　shaken　by　the　passionate
storm　within　her。

〃Oh；　Andre…Louis；　my　child；　if　you　knew　how　I　have　hungered　to　hold
you　so！　　If　you　knew　how　in　denying　myself　this　I　have　atoned　and
suffered！　　Kercadiou　should　not　have　told　you　…　not　even　now。　　It
was　wrong　…　most　wrong；　perhaps；　to　you。　　It　would　have　been　better
that　he　should　have　left　me　here　to　my　fate；　whatever　that　may　be。
And　yet　…　come　what　may　of　this　…　to　be　able　to　hold　you　so；　to　be
able　to　acknowledge　you；　to　hear　you　call　me　mother　…　oh！
Andre…Louis；　I　cannot　now　regret　it。　　I　cannot。。。　I　cannot　wish　it
otherwise。〃

〃Is　there　any　need；　madame？〃　he　asked　her；　his　stoicism　deeply
shaken。　　〃There　is　no　occasion　to　take　others　into　our　confidence。
This　is　for　to…night　alone。　　To…night　we　are　mother　and　son。
To…morrow　we　resume　our　former　places；　and；　outwardly　at　least；
forget。〃

〃Forget？　　Have　you　no　heart；　Andre…Louis？〃

The　question　recalled　him　curiously　to　his　attitude　towards　life
　…　that　histrionic　attitude　of　his　that　he　accounted　true　philosophy。
Also　he　remembered　what　lay　before　them；　and　he　realized　that　he
must　master　not　only　himself　but　her；　that　to　yield　too　far　to
sentiment　at　such　a　time　might　be　the　ruin　of　them　all。

〃It　is　a　question　propounded　to　me　so　often　that　it　must　contain
the　truth；〃　said　he。　　〃My　rearing　is　to　blame　for　that。〃

She　tightened　her　clutch　about　his　neck　even　as　he　would　have
attempted　to　disengage　himself　from　her　embrace。

〃You　do　not　blame　me　for　your　rearing？　　Knowing　all；　as　you　do；
Andre…Louis；　you　cannot　altogether　blame。　　You　must　be　merciful　to
me。　　You　must　forgive　me。　　You　must！　　I　had　no　choice。〃

〃When　we　know　all　of　whatever　it　may　be；　we　can　never　do　anything
but　forgive；　madame。　　That　is　the　profoundest　religious　truth　that
was　ever　written。　　It　contains；　in　fact；　a　whole　religion　…　the
noblest　religion　any　man　could　have　to　guide　him。　I　say　this　for
your　comfort；　madame　my　mother。〃

She　sprang　away　from　him　with　a　startled　cry。　　Beyond　him　in　the
shadows　by　the　door　a　pale　figure　shimmered　ghostly。　　It　advanced
into　the　light；　and　resolved　itself　into　Aline。　　She　had　come　in
answer　to　that　forgotten　summons　madame　had　sent　her　by　Jacques。
Entering　unperceived　she　had　seen　Andre…Louis　in　the　embrace　of
the　woman　whom　he　addressed　as　〃mother。〃　She　had　recognized　him
instantly　by　his　voice；　and　she　could　not　have　said　what　bewildered
her　more：　his　presence　there　or　the　thing　she　overheard。

〃You　heard；　Aline？〃　madame　exclaimed。

〃I　could　not　help　it；　madame。　　You　sent　for　me。　　I　am　sorry　if。。。　〃
She　broke　off；　and　lo