scaramouche-第9节

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


desired　satisfaction。〃

〃I　see；〃　said　Andre…Louis；　on　a　note　of　hopelessness。

〃You　see？　　What　the　devil　do　you　see？〃

〃That　I　shall　have　to　depend　upon　myself　alone。〃

〃And　what　the　devil　do　you　propose　to　do；　if　you　please？〃

〃I　shall　go　to　Rennes；　and　lay　the　facts　before　the　King's
Lieutenant。〃

〃He'll　be　too　busy　to　see　you。〃　　And　M。　de　Kercadiou's　mind　swung
a　trifle　inconsequently；　as　weak　minds　will。　　〃There　is　trouble
enough　in　Rennes　already　on　the　score　of　these　crazy　States　General；
with　which　the　wonderful　M。　Necker　is　to　repair　the　finances　of　the
kingdom。　　As　if　a　peddling　Swiss　bank…clerk；　who　is　also　a　damned
Protestant；　could　succeed　where　such　men　as　Calonne　and　Brienne　have
failed。〃

〃Good…afternoon；　monsieur　my　godfather；〃　said　Andre…Louis。

〃Where　are　you　going？〃　was　the　querulous　demand。

〃Home　at　present。　　To　Rennes　in　the　morning。〃

〃Wait；　boy；　wait！〃　　The　squat　little　man　rolled　forward；　affectionate
concern　on　his　great　ugly　face；　and　he　set　one　of　his　podgy　hands　on
his　godson's　shoulder。　　〃Now　listen　to　me；　Andre；〃　he　reasoned。　　〃This
is　sheer　knight…errantry　…　moonshine；　lunacy。　　You'11　come　to　no　good
by　it　if　you　persist。　　You've　read　'Don　Quixote；'　and　what　happened
to　him　when　he　went　tilting　against　windmills。　　It's　what　will　happen
to　you；　neither　more　nor　less。　　Leave　things　as　they　are；　my　boy。　　I
wouldn't　　have　a　mischief　happen　to　you。〃

Andre…Louis　looked　at　him；　smiling　wanly。

〃I　swore　an　oath　to…day　which　it　would　damn　my　soul　to　break。〃

〃You　mean　that　you'll　go　in　spite　of　anything　that　I　may　say？〃
Impetuous　as　he　was　inconsequent；　M。　de　Kercadiou　was　bristling
again。　　〃Very　well；　then；　go。。。　Go　to　the　devil！〃

〃I　will　begin　with　the　King's　Lieutenant。〃

〃And　if　you　get　into　the　trouble　you　are　seeking；　don't　come
whimpering　to　me　for　assistance；〃　the　seigneur　stormed。　　He　was　very
angry　now。　　〃Since　you　choose　to　disobey　me；　you　can　break　your
empty　head　against　the　windmill；　and　be　damned　to　you。〃

Andre…Louis　bowed　with　a　touch　of　irony；　and　reached　the　door。

〃If　the　windmill　should　prove　too　formidable；〃　said　he；　from　the
threshold；　〃I　may　see　what　can　be　done　with　the　wind。　　Good…bye；
monsieur　my　godfather。〃

He　was　gone；　and　M。　de　Kercadiou　was　alone；　purple　in　the　face；
puzzling　out　that　last　cryptic　utterance；　and　not　at　all　happy　in
his　mind；　either　on　the　score　of　his　godson　or　of　M。　de　La　Tour
d'Azyr。　　He　was　disposed　to　be　angry　with　them　both。　　He　found
these　headstrong；　wilful　men　who　relentlessly　followed　their　own
impulses　very　disturbing　and　irritating。　　Himself　he　loved　his　ease；
and　to　be　at　peace　with　his　neighbours；　and　that　seemed　to　him　so
obviously　the　supreme　good　of　life　that　he　was　disposed　to　brand
them　as　fools　who　troubled　to　seek　other　things。



CHAPTER　VI

THE　WINDMILL


There　was　between　Nantes　and　Rennes　an　established　service　of　three
stage…coaches　weekly　in　each　direction；　which　for　a　sum　of
twenty…four　livres　…　roughly；　the　equivalent　of　an　English　guinea
　…　would　carry　you　the　seventy　and　odd　miles　of　the　journey　in　some
fourteen　hours。　　Once　a　week　one　of　the　diligences　going　in　each
direction　would　swerve　aside　from　the　highroad　to　call　at　Gavrillac；
to　bring　and　take　letters；　newspapers；　and　sometimes　passengers。　　It
was　usually　by　this　coach　that　Andre…Louis　came　and　went　when　the
occasion　offered。　　At　present；　however；　he　was　too　much　in　haste　to
lose　a　day　awaiting　the　passing　of　that　diligence。　　So　it　was　on　a
horse　hired　from　the　Breton　arme　that　he　set　out　next　morning；　and
an　hour's　brisk　ride　under　a　grey　wintry　sky；　by　a　half…ruined　road
through　ten　miles　of　flat；　uninteresting　country；　brought　him　to　the
city　of　Rennes。

He　rode　across　the　main　bridge　over　the　Vilaine；　and　so　into　the
upper　and　principal　part　of　that　important　city　of　some　thirty
thousand　souls；　most　of　whom；　he　opined　from　the　seething；　clamant
crowds　that　everywhere　blocked　his　way；　must　on　this　day　have　taken
to　the　streets。　　Clearly　Philippe　had　not　overstated　the　excitement
prevailing　there。

He　pushed　on　as　best　he　could；　and　so　came　at　last　to　the　Place
Royale；　where　he　found　the　crowd　to　be　most　dense。　　From　the　plinth
of　the　equestrian　statue　of　Louis　XV；　a　white…faced　young　man　was
excitedly　addressing　the　multitude。　　His　youth　and　dress　proclaimed
the　student；　and　a　group　of　his　fellows；　acting　as　a　guard　of　honour
to　him；　kept　the　immediate　precincts　of　the　statue。

Over　the　heads　of　the　crowd　Andre…Louis　caught　a　few　of　the　phrases
flung　forth　by　that　eager　voice。

〃It　was　the　promise　of　the　King。。。　It　is　the　King's　authority　they
flout。。。　They　arrogate　to　themselves　the　whole　sovereignty　in
Brittany。　　The　King　has　dissolved　them。。。　These　insolent　nobles
defying　their　sovereign　and　the　people。。。　〃

Had　he　not　known　already；　from　what　Philippe　had　told　him；　of　the
events　which　had　brought　the　Third　Estate　to　the　point　of　active
revolt；　those　few　phrases　would　fully　have　informed　him。　　This　popular
display　of　temper　was　most　opportune　to　his　need；　he　thought。　　And　in
the　hope　that　it　might　serve　his　turn　by　disposing　to　reasonableness
the　mind　of　the　King's　Lieutenant；　he　pushed　on　up　the　wide　and
well…paved　Rue　Royale；　where　the　concourse　of　people　began　to　diminish。
He　put　up　his　hired　horse　at　the　Come　de　Cerf；　and　set　out　again；　on
foot；　to　the　Palais　de　Justice。

There　was　a　brawling　mob　by　the　framework　of　poles　and　scaffoldings
about　the　building　cathedral；　upon　which　work　had　been　commenced
a　year　ago。　　But　he　did　not　pause　to　ascertain　the　particular　cause
of　that　gathering。　　He　strode　on；　and　thus　came　presently　to　the
handsome　Italianate　palace　that　was　one　of　the　few　public　edifices　
hat　had　survived　the　devastating　fire　of　sixty　years　ago。

He　won　through　with　difficulty　to　the　great　hall；　known　as　the　Salle
des　Pas　Perdus；　where　he　was　left　to　cool　his　heels　for　a　full
half…hour　after　he　had　found　an　usher　so　condescending　as　to　inform
the　god　who　presided　over　that　shrine　of　Justice　that　a　lawyer　from
Gavrillac　humbly　begged　an　audience　on　an　affair　of　gravity。

That　the　god　condescended　to　see　him　at　all　was　probably　due　to　the
grave　complexion　of　the　hour。　　At　long　length　he　was　escorted　up
the　broad　stone　staircase；　and　ushered　into　a　spacious；　meagrely
furnished　anteroom；　to　make　one　of　a　waiting　crowd　of　clients；
mostly　men。

There　he　spent　another　half…hour；　and　employed　the　time　in
considering　exactly　what　he　should　say。　　This　consideration　made
him　realize　the　weakness　of　the　case　he　proposed　to　set　before　a
man　whose　views　of　law　and　morality　were　coloured　by　his　social
rank。

At　last　he　was　ushered　through　a　narrow　but　very　massive　and　richly
decorated　door　into　a　fine；　well…lighted　room　furnished　with　enough
gilt　and　satin　to　have　supplied　the　boudoir　of　a　lady　of　fashion。

It　was　a　trivial　setting　for　a　King's　Lieutenant；　but　about　the
King's　Lieutenant　there　was　…　at　least　to　ordinary　eyes　…　nothing
trivial。　　At　the　far　end　of　the　chamber；　to　the　right　of　one　of　the
tall　windows　that　looked　out　over　the　inner　court；　before　a
goat…legged　writing…table　with　Watteau　panels；　heavily　encrusted
with　ormolu；　sat　that　exalted　being。　　Above　a　scarlet　coat　with　an
order　flaming　on　its　breast；　and　a　billow　of　lace　in　which　diamonds
sparkled　like　drops　of　water；　sprouted　the　massive　powdered　head
of　M。　de　Lesdiguieres。　　It　was　thrown　back　to　scowl　upon　this
visitor　with　an　expectant　arrogance　that　made　Andre…Louis　wonder
almost　was　a　genuflexion　awaited　from　him。

Perceiving　a　lean；　lantern…jawed　young　man；　with　straight；　lank
black　hair；　in　a　caped　riding…coat　of　brown　cloth；　and　yellow
buckskin　breeches；　his　knee…boots　splashed　with　mud；　the　scowl　upon
that　August　visage　deepened　until　it　brought　together　the　thick
black　eyebrows　above　the　great　hooked　nose。

〃You　announce　yourself　as　a　lawyer　of　Gavrillac　with　an　important
communication；〃　he　growled。　　It　was　a　peremptory　command　to　make
this　communication　without　wasting　the　valuable　time　of　a　King's
Lieutenant；　of　whose　immense　importance　it　conveyed　something　more
than　a　hint。　　M。　de　Lesdiguieres　accounted　himself　an　imposing
personality；　and　he　had　every　reason　to　do　so；　for　in　his　time　he
had　seen　many　a　poor　devil　scared　out　of　all　his　senses　by　the
thunder　of　his　voice。

He　waited　now　to　see　the　same　thing　happen　to　this　youthful　lawyer
from　Gavrillac。　　But　he　waited　in　vain。

Andre…Louis　found　him　ridiculous。　　He　knew　pretentiousness　for　the
mask　of　worthlessness　and　weakness。　　And　here　he　beheld
pretentiousness　incarnate。　　It　was　to　be　read　in　that　arrogant
poise　of　the　head；　that　scowling　brow；　the　inflexion　of　that
reverberating　voice。　　Even　more　difficult　than　it　is　for　a　man　to
be　a　hero　to　his　valet　…　who　has　witnessed　the　dispersal　of　the
parts　that　make　up　the　imposing　whole　…　is　it　for　a　man　to　be　a
hero　to　the　student　of　Man　who　has　witnessed　the　same　in　a　different
sense。

Andre…Louis　stood　forward　boldly　…　impudently；　thought　M。　de
Lesdiguieres。

〃You　are　His　Majesty's　Lieutenant　here　in　Brittany；〃　he　said　…　and
it　almost　seemed　to　the　August　lord　of　life　and　death　that　this
fellow　had