scaramouche-第77节

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a　pistol。

Mme。　de　Plougastel　screamed；　and　flung　herself　upon　him。　On　her
knees　now；　she　clung　to　his　arm　with　all　her　strength　and　might。

Vainly　he　sought　to　shake　himself　free　of　that　desperate　clutch。

〃Therese！〃　he　cried。　　〃Are　you　mad？　　Will　you　destroy　me　and
yourself？　　This　creature　has　the　safe…conducts　that　mean　our
salvation。　　Himself；　he　is　nothing。〃

》From　the　background　Aline；　a　breathless；　horror…stricken　spectator
of　that　scene；　spoke　sharply；　her　quick　mind　pointing　out　the
line　of　checkmate。

〃Burn　the　safe…conducts；　Andre…Louis。　　Burn　them　at　once　…　in　the
candles　there。〃

But　Andre…Louis　had　taken　advantage　of　that　moment　of　M。　de　La　Tour
d'Azyr's　impotence　to　draw　a　pistol　in　his　turn。　　〃T　think　it　will
be　better　to　burn　his　brains　instead；〃　he　said。　　〃Stand　away　from
him；　madame。〃

Far　from　obeying　that　imperious　command；　Mme。　de　Plougastel　rose
to　her　feet　to　cover　the　Marquis　with　her　body。　　But　she　still
clung　to　his　arm；　clung　to　it　with　unsuspected　strength　that
continued　to　prevent　him　from　attempting　to　use　the　pistol。

〃Andre！　　For　God's　sake；　Andre！〃　she　panted　hoarsely　over　her
shoulder。

〃Stand　away；　madame；〃　he　commanded　her　again；　more　sternly；　〃and
let　this　murderer　take　his　due。　　He　is　jeopardizing　all　our　lives；
and　his　own　has　been　forfeit　these　years。　　Stand　away！〃　　He　sprang
forward　with　intent　now　to　fire　at　his　enemy　over　her　shoulder；　and
Aline　moved　too　late　to　hinder　him。

〃Andre！　　Andre！〃

Panting；　gasping；　haggard　of　face；　on　the　verge　almost　of　hysteria；
the　distracted　Countess　flung　at　last　an　effective；　a　terrible
barrier　between　the　hatred　of　those　men；　each　intent　upon　taking
the　other's　life。

〃He　is　your　father；　Andre！　　Gervais；　he　is　your　son　…　our　son！　　The
letter　there。。。　on　the　table。。。　0　my　God！〃　　And　she　slipped
nervelessly　to　the　ground；　and　crouched　there　sobbing　at　the　feet
of　M。　de　La　Tour　d'Azyr。



CHAPTER　XV

SAFE…CONDUCT


Across　the　body　of　that　convulsively　sobbing　woman；　the　mother　of
one　and　the　mistress　of　the　other；　the　eyes　of　those　mortal　enemies
met；　invested　with　a　startled；　appalled　interest　that　admitted　of
no　words。

Beyond　the　table；　as　if　turned　to　stone　by　this　culminating　horror
of　revelation；　stood　Aline。

M。　de　La　Tour　d'Azyr　was　the　first　to　stir。　　Into　his　bewildered
mind　came　the　memory　of　something　that　Mme。　de　Plougastel　had　said
of　a　letter　that　was　on　the　table。　　He　came　forward；　unhindered。
The　announcement　made；　Mme。　de　Plougastel　no　longer　feared　the
sequel；　and　so　she　let　him　go。　　He　walked　unsteadily　past　this
new…found　son　of　his；　and　took　up　the　sheet　that　lay　beside　the
candlebranch。　　A　long　moment　he　stood　reading　it；　none　heeding　him。
Aline's　eyes　were　all　on　Andre…Louis；　full　of　wonder　and
commiseration；　whilst　Andre…Louis　was　staring　down；　in　stupefied
fascination；　at　his　mother。

M。　de　La　Tour　d'Azyr　read　the　letter　slowly　through。　　Then　very
quietly　he　replaced　it。　　His　next　concern；　being　the　product　of
an　artificial　age　sternly　schooled　in　the　suppression　of　emotion；
was　to　compose　himself。　　Then　he　stepped　back　to　Mme。　de　Plougastel's
side　and　stooped　to　raise　her。

〃Therese；〃　he　said。

Obeying；　by　instinct；　the　implied　command；　she　made　an　effort　to
rise　and　to　control　herself　in　her　turn。　　The　Marquis　half　conducted；
half　carried　her　to　the　armchair　by　the　table。

Andre…Louis　looked　on。　　Still　numbed　and　bewildered；　he　made　no
attempt　to　assist。　　He　saw　as　in　a　dream　the　Marquis　bending　over
Mme。　de　Plougastel。　　As　in　a　dream　he　heard　him　ask：

〃How　long　have　you　known　this；　Therese？〃

〃I。。。　I　have　always　known　it。。。　always。　　I　confided　him　to　Kercadiou。
I　saw　him　once　as　a　child。。。　Oh；　but　what　of　that？〃

〃Why　was　I　never　told？　　Why　did　you　deceive　me？　　Why　did　you　tell
me　that　this　child　had　died　a　few　days　after　birth？　　Why；　Therese？
Why？〃

〃I　was　afraid。　　I。。。　I　thought　it　better　so　…　that　nobody；　nobody；
not　even　you；　should　know。　　And　nobody　has　known　save　Quintin　until
last　night；　when　to　induce　him　to　come　here　and　save　me　he　was
forced　to　tell　him。〃

〃But　I；　Therese？〃　the　Marquis　insisted。　　〃It　was　my　right　to　know。〃

〃Your　right？　　What　could　you　have　done？　　Acknowledge　him？　　And　then？
Ha！〃　　It　was　a　queer；　desperate　note　of　laughter。　　〃There　was
Plougastel；　there　was　my　family。　　And　there　was　you。。。　you；　yourself；
who　had　ceased　to　care；　in　whom　the　fear　of　discovery　had　stifled
love。　　Why　should　I　have　told　you；　then？　　Why？　　I　should　not　have
told　you　now　had　there　been　any　other　way　to。。。　to　save　you　both。
Once　before　I　suffered　just　such　dreadful　apprehensions　when　you
and　he　fought　in　the　Bois。　　I　was　on　my　way　to　prevent　it　when　you
met　me。　　I　would　have　divulged　the　truth；　as　a　last　resource；　to
avert　that　horror。　　But　mercifully　God　spared　me　the　necessity　then。〃

It　had　not　occurred　to　any　of　them　to　doubt　her　statement；　incredible
though　it　might　seem。　　Had　any　done　so　her　present　words　must　have
resolved　all　doubt；　explaining　as　they　did　much　that　to　each　of　her
listeners　had　been　obscure　until　this　moment。

M。　de　La　Tour　d'Azyr；　overcome；　reeled　away　to　a　chair　and　sat　down
heavily。　　Losing　command　of　himself　for　a　moment；　he　took　his
haggard　face　in　his　hands。

Through　the　windows　open　to　the　garden　came　from　the　distance　the
faint　throbbing　of　a　drum　to　remind　them　of　what　was　happening
around　them。　　But　the　sound　went　unheeded。　　To　each　it　must　have
seemed　that　here　they　were　face　to　face　with　a　horror　greater　than
any　that　might　be　tormenting　Paris。　　At　last　Andre…Louis　began　to
speak；　his　voice　level　and　unutterably　cold。

〃M。　de　La　Tour　d'Azyr；〃　he　said；　〃I　trust　that　you'll　agree　that
this　disclosure；　which　can　hardly　be　more　distasteful　and　horrible
to　you　than　it　is　to　me；　alters　nothing；　…　since　it　effaces　nothing
of　all　that　lies　between　us。　　Or；　if　it　alters　anything；　it　is
merely　to　add　something　to　that　score。　　And　yet。。。　Oh；　but　what　can
it　avail　to　talk！　　Here；　monsieur；　take　this　safe…conduct　which　is
made　out　for　Mme。　de　Plougastel's　footman；　and　with　it　make　your
escape　as　best　you　can。　　In　return　I　will　beg　of　you　the　favour
never　to　allow　me　to　see　you　or　hear　of　you　again。〃

〃Andre！〃　　His　mother　swung　upon　him　with　that　cry。　　And　yet　again
that　question。　　〃Have　you　no　heart？　　What　has　he　ever　done　to　you
that　you　should　nurse　so　bitter　a　hatred　of　him？〃

〃You　shall　hear；　madame。　　Once；　two　years　ago　in　this　very　room　I
told　you　of　a　man　who　had　brutally　killed　my　dearest　friend　and
debauched　the　girl　I　was　to　have　married。　　M。　de　La　Tour　d'Azyr　is
that　man。〃

A　moan　was　her　only　answer。　　She　covered　her　face　with　her　hands。

The　Marquis　rose　slowly　to　his　feet　again。　　He　came　slowly　forward；
his　smouldering　eyes　scanning　his　son's　face。

〃You　are　hard；〃　he　said　grimly。　　〃But　I　recognize　the　hardness。
It　derives　from　the　blood　you　bear。〃

〃Spare　me　that；〃　said　Andre…Louis。

The　Marquis　inclined　his　head。　　〃I　will　not　mention　it　again。　　But
I　desire　that　you　should　at　least　understand　me；　and　you　too；　Therese。
You　accuse　me；　sir；　of　murdering　your　dearest　friend。　　I　will　admit
that　the　means　employed　were　perhaps　unworthy。　　But　what　other　means
were　at　my　command　to　meet　an　urgency　that　every　day　since　then
proves　to　have　existed？　　M。　de　Vilmorin　was　a　revolutionary；　a　man
of　new　ideas　that　should　overthrow　society　and　rebuild　it　more　akin
to　the　desires　of　such　as　himself。　　I　belonged　to　the　order　that
quite　as　justifiably　desired　society　to　remain　as　it　was。　　Not　only
was　it　better　so　for　me　and　mine；　but　I　also　contend；　and　you　have
yet　to　prove　me　wrong；　that　it　is　better　so　for　all　the　world；　that；
indeed；　no　other　conceivable　society　is　possible。　　Every　human
society　must　of　necessity　be　composed　of　several　strata。　　You　may
disturb　it　temporarily　into　an　amorphous　whole　by　a　revolution　such
as　this；　but　only　temporarily。　　Soon　out　of　the　chaos　which　is　all
that　you　and　your　kind　can　ever　produce；　order　must　be　restored　or
life　will　perish；　and　with　the　restoration　of　order　comes　the
restoration　of　the　various　strata　necessary　to　organized　society。
Those　that　were　yesterday　at　the　top　may　in　the　new　order　of　things
find　themselves　dispossessed　without　any　benefit　to　the　whole。　　That
change　I　resisted。　　The　spirit　of　it　I　fought　with　whatever　weapons
were　available；　whenever　and　wherever　I　encountered　it。　　M。　de
Vilmorin　was　an　incendiary　of　the　worst　type；　a　man　of　eloquence
full　of　false　ideals　that　misled　poor　ignorant　men　into　believing
that　the　change　proposed　could　make　the　world　a　better　place　for
them。　You　are　an　intelligent　man；　and　I　defy　you　to　answer　me　from
your　heart　and　conscience　that　such　a　thing　was　true　or　possible。
You　know　that　it　is　untrue；　you　know　that　it　is　a　pernicious
doctrine；　and　what　made　it　worse　on　the　lips　of　M。　de　Vilmorin　was
that　he　was　sincere　and　eloquent。　　His　voice　was　a　danger　that　must
be　removed　…　silenced。　　So　much　was　necessary　in　self…defence。　　In
self…defence　I　did　it。　　I　had　no　grudge　against　M。　de　Vilmorin。　　He
was　a　man　of　my　own　class；　a　gentleman　of　pleasant　ways；　amiable；
estimable；　and　able。

〃You　conceive　me　slaying　him　for　the　very