the trampling of the lilies-第6章

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〃Get　you　gone；　Charlot；　Get　you　gone　quickly；〃　they　advised　him。
〃And　if　you　are　wise　you　will　leave　Bellecour　without　delay。　　It　is
not　safe　for　you　here。〃

〃It　is　not　safe　for　any　of　us；〃　exclaimed　one。　　〃I　have　no　mind　to
be　caught　when　the　Seigneur　returns。　　There　will　be　a　vengeance。　　Ah
Dieu！　what　a　vengeance！〃

The　warning　acted　magically。　　There　were　hurried　leave…takings；　and
then；　like　a　parcel　of　scuttling　rabbits；　they　made　for　their　burrows
to　hide　from　the　huntsman　that　would　not　be　long　in　coming。　　And　ere
the　last　of　them　was　out　of　sight　there　arose　a　stamping　of　hoofs
and　a　chorus　of　angry　voices。　　Down　tine　street　thundered　the
Marquis's　cavalcade；　brought　back　by　the　servant　who　had　escaped　and
who　had　ridden　after　them。　　Some　anger　there　was　…　particularly　in
the　heart　of　the　Lord　of　Bellecour　…　but　greater　than　their　anger
was　their　excitement　at　the　prospect　of　a　man…hunt；　with　which　the
chase　on　which　they　had　been　originally　bent　made　but　a　poor
comparison。

〃There　he　is；　Monseigneur〃　cried　Jean；　as　he　pointed　to　La　Boulaye。
〃And　yonder　are　the　girl　and　her　husband。〃

〃Ah！　　The　secretary　again；　eh？〃　laughed　the　nobleman；　grimly；　as　he
came　nearer。　　〃Ma　foi；　life　must　have　grown　wearisome　to　him。　　Secure
the　woman；　Jean。〃

Caron　stood　before　him；　pale　in　his　impotent　rage；　which　was　directed
as　much　against　the　peasants　who　had　fled　as　against　the　nobles　who
approached。　　Had　these　clods　but　stood　there；　and　defended　themselves
and　their　manhood　with　sticks　and　stones　and　such　weapons　as　came　to
their　hands；　they　might　have　taken　pride　in　being　trampled　beneath
the　hoofs　of　the　Seigneurie。　　Thus；　at　least；　might　they　have　proved
themselves　men。　　But　to　fly　thus　…　some　fifty　of　them　from　the
approach　of　less　than　a　score　…　was　to　confess　unworthiness　of　a
better　fate　than　that　of　which　their　seigneurs　rendered　themselves
the　instruments。

Himself　he　could　do　no　more　than　the　single　shot　in　his　pistol　would
allow。　　That　much；　however；　he　would　do；　and　like　him　whose　resources
are　reduced；　and　yet　who　desires　to　spend　the　little　that　he　has　to
best　advantage；　he　levelled　the　weapon　boldly　at　the　advancing
Marquis；　and　pulled　the　trigger。　　But　Bellecour　was　an　old　campaigner；
and　by　an　old　campaigner's　trick　he　saved　himself　at　the　last　moment。
At　sight　of　that　levelled　barrel　he　pulled　his　horse　suddenly　on　to
its　haunches；　and　received　the　charge　in　the　animal's　belly。　　With
a　shriek　of　pain　the　horse　sought　to　recover　its　feet；　then　tumbled
forward　hurling　the　Marquis　from　the　saddle。　　La　Boulaye　had　an
inspiration　to　fling　himself　upon　the　old　roue　and　seek　with　his
hands　to　kill　him　before　they　made　an　end　of　himself。　　But　ere　he
could　move　to　execute　his　design　a　horseman　was　almost　on　top　of　him。
He　received　a　stunning　blow　on　the　head。　　The　daylight　faded　in　his
eyes；　he　felt　a　sensation　of　sinking；　and　a　reverberating　darkness
engulfed　him。




CHAPTER　III

THE　WORD　OF　BELLECOUR

When　La　Boulaye　recovered　consciousness　he　was　lying　on　his　back　in
the　middle　of　the　courtyard　of　the　Chateau　de　Bellecour。　　From　a
great　stone　balcony　above；　a　little　group；　of　which　Mademoiselle　de
Bellecour　was　the　centre；　observed　the　scene　about　the　captive；　who
was　being　resuscitated　that　he　might　fittingly　experience　the
Seigneur's　vengeance。

She　had　returned　from　the　morning's　affair　in　the　park　with　a
conscience　not　altogether　easy。　　To　have　stood　by　whilst　her　father
had　struck　Caron；　and　moreover；　to　have　done　so　without　any　sense　of
horror；　or　even　of　regret；　was　a　matter　in　which　she　asked　herself
whether　she　had　done　well。　　Certainly　La　Boulaye　had　presumed
unpardonably　in　speaking　to　her　as　he　had　spoken；　and　for　his
presumption　it　was　fitting　that　he　should　be　punished。　　Had　she
interfered　she　must　have　seemed　to　sympathise；　and　thus　the　lesson
might　have　suffered　in　salutariness。　　And　yet　Caron　La　Boulaye　was
a　man　of　most　excellent　exterior；　and；　when　passion　had　roused　him
out　of　his　restraint　and　awkwardness；　of　most　ardent　and　eloquent
address。　　The　very　sombreness　that　…　be　it　from　his　mournful　garments
or　from　a　mind　of　thoughtful　habit　…　seemed　to　envelop　him　was　but
an　additional　note　of　poetry　in　a　personality　which　struck　her　now
as　eminently　poetical。　　In　the　seclusion　of　her　own　chamber；　as　she
recalled　the　burning　words　and　the　fall　of　her　father's　whip　upon
the　young　man's　pale　face；　she　even　permitted　herself　to　sigh。　　Had
he　but　been　of　her　own　station；　he　had　been　such　a　man　as　she　would
have　taken　pride　in　being　wooed　by。　　As　it　was　…　she　halted　there
and　laughed　disdainfully；　yet　with　never　so　faint　a　note　of　regret。
It　was　absurd！　　She　was　Mademoiselle　de　Bellecour；　and　he　her
father's　secretary；　educated；　if　you　will　…　aye；　and　beyond　his
station　…　but　a　vassal　withal；　and　very　humbly　born。　　Yes；　it　was
absurd；　she　told　herself　again：　the　eagle　may　not　mate　with　the
sparrow。

And　when　presently　she　had　come　from　her　chamber；　she　had　been
greeted　with　the　story　of　a　rebellion　in　the　village；　and　an
attempted　assassination　of　her　father。　　The　ringleader；　she　was
told；　had　been　brought　to　the　Chateau；　and　he　was　even　then　in　the
courtyard　and　about　to　be　hanged　by　the　Marquis。　　Curious　to　behold
this　unfortunate；　she　had　stepped　out　on　to　the　balcony　where　already
an　idle　group　had　formed。　　Inexpressible　had　been　her　shock　upon
seeing　him　that　lay　below；　his　white　face　upturned　to　the　heavens；
his　eyes　closed。

〃Is　he　dead？〃　she　asked；　when　presently　she　had　overcome　her　feelings。

〃Not　yet　Mademoiselle；〃　answered　the　graceful　Chevalier　de　Jacquelin；
toying　with　his　solitaire。　　〃Your　father　is　bringing　him　to　life　that
he　may　send　him　back　to　death。〃

And　then　she　heard　her　father's　voice　behind　her。　　The　Marquis　had
stepped　out　on　to　the　balcony　to　ascertain　whether　La　Boulaye　had
yet　regained　consciousness。

〃He　seems　to　be　even　now　recovering；〃　said　someone。

〃Ah；　you　are　there；　Suzanne；〃　cried　Bellecour。　　〃You　see　your　friend
the　secretary　there。　　He　has　chosen　to　present　himself　in　a　new　role
to…day。　　From　being　my　servant；　it　seems　that　he　would　constitute
himself　my　murderer。〃

However　unfilial　it　might　be；　she　could　not　stifle　a　certain　sympathy
for　this　young　man。　　She　imagined　that　his　rebellion；　whatever　shape
it　had　assumed；　had　been　provoked　by　that　weal　upon　his　face；　and　it
seemed　to　her　then　that　he　had　been　less　than　a　man　had　he　not
attempted　to　exact　some　reparation　for　the　hurt　the　whip　had
inflicted　at　once　upon　his　body　and　his　soul。

〃But　what　is　it　that　he　has　done；　Monsieur？〃　she　asked；　seeking　more
than　the　scant　information　which　so　far　she　had　received。

〃Enough；　at　least；　to　justify　my　hanging　him；〃　answered　Bellecour
grimly。　　〃He　sought　to　withstand　my　authority；　he　incited　the
peasants　of　Bellecour　to　withstand　it；　he　has　killed　Blaise；　and　he
would　have　killed　me　but　that　I　preferred　to　let　him　kill　my　horse。〃

〃In　what　way　did　he　seek　to　withstand　your　authority！〃　she　persisted。

He　stared　at　her；　half　surprised；　half　angry。

〃What　doers　the　manner　of　it　signify？〃　he　asked　impatiently。　　〃Is
not　the　fact　enough？　　Is　it　not　enough　that　Blaise　is　dead；　and　that
I　have　had　a　narrow　escape；　at　his　hands？〃

〃Insolent　hound　that　he　is！〃　put　in　Madame　la　Marquise　…　a　fleshly
lady　monstrously　coiffed。　　〃If　we　allow　such　men　as　thus　to　live
in　France　our　days　are　numbered。〃

〃They　say　that　you　are　going　to　hang　him；〃　said　Suzanne；　heedless
of　her　mother's　words；　and　there　was　the　faintest　note　of　horror　in
her　voice。

〃They　are　mistaken。　　I　am　not。〃

〃You　are　mot？〃　cried　the　Marquise。　　〃But　what；　then；　do　you　intend
to　do？〃

〃To　keep　my　word；　madame；〃　he　answered　her。　　〃I　promised　that
canaille　that　if　he　ever　came　within　the　grounds　of　Bellecour　I
would　have　him　flogged　to　death。　　That　is　what　I　propose。〃

〃Father；〃　gasped　Suzanne；　in　horror；　a　horror　that　was　echoed　by
the　other　three　or　four　ladies　present。　　But　the　Marquise　only
laughed。

〃He　will　be；　richly　served；〃　she　approved；　with　a　sage　nod　of　her
pumpkin…like　head…dress　…　〃most　richly　served。〃

A　great　pity　arose　now　in　the　heart　of　Mademoisell