the trampling of the lilies-第44章

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passport　a　part　of　your　bargain。　　Instead　of　this；　not　only　are
we　obliged　to　run　the　risk　of　waiting；　but　even　if　this　fellow
should　return；　we　shall　be　affronted　by　his　company　for　some　days
to　come。〃　　And　the　Vicomte　sniffed　the　air　in　token　of　disgust。

Suzanne　looked　at　him　in　an　amazement　that　left　her　speechless　for
a　moment。　　At　last：

〃And　this　is　your　gratitude？〃　she　demanded。　　〃This　is　all　that　you
have　to　say　in　thanks　for　the　discomfort　and　danger　that　I　have
suffered　on　your　behalf？　　Your　tone　is　oddly　changed　since　you
wrote　me　that　piteous；　pitiable　letter　from　Belgium；　M。　le　Vicomte。〃

He　reddened　slightly。

〃I　am　afraid　that　I　have　been　clumsy　in　my　expressions；〃　he
apologised。　　〃But　never　doubt　my　gratitude；　Mademoiselle。　　I　am　more
grateful　to　you　than　words　can　tell。　　You　have　done　your　duty　to　me
as　few　women　could。〃

The　word　〃duty〃　offended　her；　yet　she　let　it　pass。　　In　his　monstrous
vanity　it　was　often　hopeless　to　make　him　appreciate　the　importance
of　anything　or　anybody　outside　of　himself。　　Of　this　the　present
occasion　was　an　instance。

〃You　must　forgive　me　my　seeming　thanklessness；　Mademoiselle；〃　he
pursued。　　〃It　was　the　company　of　that　sans…culotte　rascal　that　soured
me。　　I　had　enough　of　him　a　month　ago；　when　he　brought　me　to　Paris。
It　offended　me　to　have　him　stand　here　again　in　the　same　room　with　me；
and　insolently　refer　to　his　pledged　word　as　though　he　were　a
gentleman　born。〃

〃To　whom　do　you　refer？〃　quoth　she。

〃Ma　foi！　　How　many　of　them　are　there？　　Why；　to　this　fellow；　La
Boulaye？〃

〃So　it　seemed；　and　yet　I　could　not　believe　it　of　you。　　Do　you　not
realise　that　your　ingratitude　approaches　the　base？〃

He　vouchsafed　her　a　long；　cold　stare　of　amazement。

〃Mordieu！〃　he　ejaculated　at　last。　　〃I　am　afraid　that　your　reason　has
been　affected　by　your　troubles。　　You　seem；　Mademoiselle；　to　be
unmindful　of　the　station　into　which　you　have　had　the　honour　to　be
born。〃

〃If　your　bearing　is　to　be　accepted　as　a　sign　that　you　remember　it；
I　will　pray　God　that　I　may；　indeed；　forget　it　…　completely　and　for
all　time。〃

And　then　the　door　opened　to　admit　the　good　Henriette；　who　came　to
announce　that　she　had　contrived　a　hasty　meal；　and　that　it　was　served
and　awaiting　them。

〃Diable！〃　he　laughed。　　〃Those　are　the　first　words　of　true　wit　that
I　have　heard　these　many　days。　　I　swear；〃　he　added；　with　a
pleasantness　that　was　oddly　at　variance　with　his　sullen　humour　of
a　moment　back；〃　that　I　have　not　tasted　human　food　these　four　weeks；
and　as　for　my　appetite　…　it　is　capable　of　consuming　the　whole
patrimony　of　St。　Peter。　　Lead　the　way；　my　good　Henriette。　　Come；
Mademoiselle。〃




CHAPTER　XXI

THE　ARREST


Facts　proved　how　correct　had　been　La　Boulaye's　anticipations　of　the
course　that　Cecile　would　adopt；　Within　a　half…hour　of　his　having
quitted　the　house　of　Billaud　Varennes；　she　presented　herself　there；
and　demanded　to　see　the　Deputy。　　Upon　being　told　that　he　was　absent
she　determined　to　await　his　return。

And　so；　for　the　matter　of　an　hour；　she　remained　in　the　room　where
the　porter　had　offered　her　accommodation；　fretting　at　the　delay；　and
only　restrained　from　repairing　to　some　other　member　of　the　Convention
by　the　expectation　that　the　next　moment　would　see　Varennes　arrive。
Arrive　he　did　at　last；　when　her　patience　was　all　but　exhausted；　and
excitedly　she　told　her　tale　of　what　had　taken　place。　　Varennes
listened　gravely；　and　cross…questioned　her　in　his　unbelief　…　for　it
seemed；　indeed；　monstrous　that　a　man　of　La　Boulaye's　position　should
ruin　so　promising　a　future　as　was　his　by　an　act　for　which　Varennes
could　not　so　much　as　divine　a　motive。　　But　her　story　hung　together
so　faithfully；　and　was　so　far　borne　out　by　the　fact　that　Varennes
himself　had　indeed　signed　such　a　document　as　she　described；　that　in
the　end　the　Deputy　determined　to　take　some　steps　to　neutralise　the
harm　that　might　have　been　done。

Dismissing　the　girl　with　the　assurance　that　the　matter　should　have
his　attention；　he　began　by　despatching　a　courier　to　Robespierre　at
Chartres　…　where　he　knew　the　Incorruptible　to　be。　　That　done；　he
resorted　to　measures　for　La　Boulaye's　detention。　　But　this　proved　a
grave　matter。　　What　if；　after　all；　that　half…hysterical　girl's
story　should　be　inaccurate？　　In　what　case　would　he　find　himself　if；
acting　upon　it　in　the　meantime；　he　should　order　Caron's　arrest？　　The
person　of　a　Deputy　was　not　one　to　be　so　lightly　treated；　and　he
might　find　himself　constrained　to　answer　a　serious　charge　in
consequence。　　Thus　partly　actuated　by　patriotism　and　the　fear　of
Robespierre；　and　partly　restrained　by　patriotism　and　the　fear　of　La
Boulaye；　he　decided　upon　a　middle　course：　that　of　simply　detaining
La　Boulaye　at　his　lodging　until　Robespierre　should　either　return　or
send　an　answer　to　his　message。　　Thus；　whilst　leaving　him　perfect
freedom　of　movement　within　his　own　apartments；　he　would　yet　ensure
against　his　escape　so　that　should　Robespierre　demand　him　he　could
without　difficulty　be　produced。

To　this　end　he　repaired　with　a　sous…lieutenant　and　six　men　to　La
Boulaye's　house　in　the　Rue　Nationale；　intending　to　station　the
soldiers　there　with　orders　not　to　allow　the　Deputy　to　go　out；　and
to　detain　and　question　all　who　sought　admittance　to　him。　　He
nourished　the　hope　that　the　ci…devant　Vicomte　might　still　be　with
La　Boulaye。　　At　the　Rue　Nationale；　however；　he　was　to　discover　that
neither　Deputy　nor　aristocrat　was　to　be　found。　　Brutus　informed
him　that　he　was　expecting　the　Citizen　La　Boulaye；　but　beyond　that
he　would　say　nothing；　and　he　wisely　determined　to　hold　his　peace
touching　the　valise　that　he　had　been　ordered　to　pack　and　the　fact
that　he　knew　the　Deputy　meditated　leaving　Paris。　　Brutus　had　learnt
the　value　of　silence；　especially　when　those　who　sought　information
were　members　of　the　Convention。

Alarmed　at　this　further　corroboration　of　Cecile's　story　of　treachery
Varennes　left　the　military　at　Caron's　house；　with　orders　not　to
allow　the　Deputy　to　again　depart　if　in　the　meantime　he　should　happen
to　return；　whilst　to　every　barrier　of　Paris　he　sent　instructions　to
have　La　Boulaye　detained　if　he　should　present　himself。　　By　these
measures　he　hoped　still　to　be　able　to　provide　against　the
possibility　of　Caron's　seeking　to　leave　Paris。

But　Caron　had　been　gone　over　an　hour；　and　as　a　matter　of　fact；　he
was　back　again　in　Paris　within　a　very　little　time　of　these　orders
having　been　issued。　　At　the　Barriere　d'Enfer；　although　recognised；
he　was　not　molested；　since　the　orders　only；　and　distinctly；
concerned　his　departure　and　nowise　his　arrival。

Thus；　not　until　he　had　reached　his　lodgings　did　he　realise　that
all　was　not　as　he　had　hoped。　　And　even　then　it　was　only　within
doors　that　he　made　the　discovery；

when　he　found　himself　suddenly　confronted　by　the　sous…lieutenant；
who　was　idling　in　the　passage。　　The　officer　saluted　him　respectfully；
and　no　less　respectfully；　though　firmly；　informed　him　that；　by　order
of　the　Citizen…deputy　Billaud　Varennes；　he　must　ask　him　to　confine
himself　to　his　own　apartments　until　further　orders。

〃But　why；　Citizen…officer？〃　La　Boulaye　demanded；　striving　to　exclude
from　his　voice　any　shade　of　the　chagrin　that　was　besetting　him。
〃What　do　these　orders　mean？〃

The　officer　was　courtesy　personified；　but　explanations　he　had　none
to　give；　for　the　excellent　reason；　he　urged　that　he　was　possessed
of　none。　　He　was　a　soldier；　and　he　had　received　orders　which　he　must
obey；　without　questioning　either　their　wisdom　or　their　justice。
Appreciating　the　futility　of　bearing　himself　otherwise；　since　his
retreat　was　already　blocked　by　a　couple　of　gendarmes；　Caron
submitted　to　the　inevitable。

He　mounted　leisurely　to　his　study；　and　the　ruin　that　stared　him　in
the　eyes　was　enough　to　have　daunted　the　boldest　of　men。　　Yet；　to　do
him　justice；　he　was　more　concerned　at　the　moment　with　the
consequences　this　turn　of　affairs　might　have　for　Mademoiselle　than
with　his　own　impending　downfall。　　That　he　had　Cecile　to　thank　for
his　apprehension　he　never　doubted。　　Yet　it　was　a　reflection　that　he
readily　dismissed　from　his　mind。　　In　such　a　pass　as　he　now　found
himself　none　but　a　weakling　could　waste　time　and　energy　in　bewailing
the