scaramouche-第12章
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〃I am； then； to understand； monsieur； that there will be no inquiry
into this case？ That nothing that I can say will move you？〃
〃You are to understand that if you are still there in two minutes
it will be very much the worse for you。〃 And M。 de Lesdiguieres
tinkled the silver hand…bell upon his table。
〃I have informed you； monsieur； that a duel … so…called … has been
fought； and a man killed。 It seems that I must remind you； the
administrator of the King's justice； that duels are against the law；
and that it is your duty to hold an inquiry。 I come as the legal
representative of the bereaved mother of M。 de Vilmorin to demand
of you the inquiry that is due。〃
The door behind Andre…Louis opened softly。 M。 de Lesdiguieres；
pale with anger； contained himself with difficulty。
〃You seek to compel us； do you； you impudent rascal？〃 he growled。
〃You think the King's justice is to be driven headlong by the voice
of any impudent roturier？ I marvel at my own patience with you。
But I give you a last warning； master lawyer； keep a closer guard
over that insolent tongue of yours； or you will have cause very
bitterly to regret its glibness。〃 He waved a jewelled； contemptuous
hand； and spoke to the usher standing behind Andre。 〃To the door！〃
he said； shortly。
Andre…Louis hesitated a second。 Then with a shrug he turned。 This
was the windmill； indeed； and he a poor knight of rueful countenance。
To attack it at closer quarters would mean being dashed to pieces。
Yet on the threshold he turned again。
〃M。 de Lesdiguieres；〃 said he； 〃may I recite to you an interesting
fact in natural history？ The tiger is a great lord in the jungle；
and was for centuries the terror of lesser beasts； including the
wolf。 The wolf； himself a hunter； wearied of being hunted。 He
took to associating with other wolves； and then the wolves； driven
to form packs for self…protection； discovered the power of the pack；
and took to hunting the tiger； with disastrous results to him。 You
should study Buffon； M。 de Lesdiguieres。〃
〃I have studied a buffoon this morning； I think；〃 was the punning
sneer with which M。 de Lesdiguieres replied。 But that he conceived
himself witty； it is probable he would not have condescended to
reply at all。 〃I don't understand you；〃 he added。
〃But you will； M。 de Lesdiguieres。 You will；〃 said Andre…Louis；
and so departed。
CHAPTER VII
THE WIND
He had broken his futile lance with the windmill … the image
suggested by M。 de Kercadiou persisted in his mind … and it was； he
perceived； by sheer good fortune that he had escaped without hurt。
There remained the wind itself … the whirlwind。 And the events in
Rennes； reflex of the graver events in Nantes； had set that wind
blowing in his favour。
He set out briskly to retrace his steps towards the Place Royale；
where the gathering of the populace was greatest； where； as he
judged； lay the heart and brain of this commotion that was exciting
the city。
But the commotion that he had left there was as nothing to the
commotion which he found on his return。 Then there had been a
comparative hush to listen to the voice of a speaker who denounced
the First and Second Estates from the pedestal of the statue of
Louis XV。 Now the air was vibrant with the voice of the multitude
itself； raised in anger。 Here and there men were fighting with
canes and fists； everywhere a fierce excitement raged； and the
gendarmes sent thither by the King's Lieutenant to restore and
maintain order were so much helpless flotsam in that tempestuous
human ocean。
There were cries of 〃To the Palais！ To the Palais！ Down with the
assassins！ Down with the nobles！ To the Palais！〃
An artisan who stood shoulder to shoulder with him in the press
enlightened Andre…Louis on the score of the increased excitement。
〃They've shot him dead。 His body is lying there where it fell at
the foot of the statue。 And there was another student killed not
an hour ago over there by the cathedral works。 Pardi！ If they
can't prevail in one way they'll prevail in another。〃 The man was
fiercely emphatic。 〃They'll stop at nothing。 If they can't overawe
us； by God； they'll assassinate us。 They are determined to conduct
these States of Brittany in their own way。 No interests but their
own shall be considered。〃
Andre…Louis left him still talking； and clove himself a way through
that human press。
At the statue's base he came upon a little cluster of students about
the body of the murdered lad； all stricken with fear and helplessness。
〃You here； Moreau！〃 said a voice。
He looked round to find himself confronted by a slight； swarthy man
of little more than thirty； firm of mouth and impertinent of nose；
who considered him with disapproval。 It was Le Chapelier； a lawyer
of Rennes； a prominent member of the Literary Chamber of that city；
a forceful man； fertile in revolutionary ideas and of an exceptional
gift of eloquence。
〃Ah； it is you； Chapelier！ Why don't you speak to them？ Why don't
you tell them what to do？ Up with you； man！〃 And he pointed to
the plinth。
Le Chapelier's dark； restless eyes searched the other's impassive
face for some trace of the irony he suspected。 They were as wide
asunder as the poles； these two； in their political views； and
mistrusted as Andre…Louis was by all his colleagues of the Literary
Chamber of Rennes； he was by none mistrusted so thoroughly as by
this vigorous republican。 Indeed； had Le Chapelier been able to
prevail against the influence of the seminarist Vilmorin；
Andre…Louis would long since have found himself excluded from that
assembly of the intellectual youth of Rennes； which he exasperated
by his eternal mockery of their ideals。
So now Le Chapelier suspected mockery in that invitation； suspected
it even when he failed to find traces of it on Andre…Louis' face；
for he had learnt by experience that it was a face not often to be
trusted for an indication of the real thoughts that moved behind it。
〃Your notions and mine on that score can hardly coincide；〃 said he。
〃Can there be two opinions？〃 quoth Andre…Louis。
〃There are usually two opinions whenever you and I are together；
Moreau … more than ever now that you are the appointed delegate of
a nobleman。 You see what your friends have done。 No doubt you
approve their methods。〃 He was coldly hostile。
Andre…Louis looked at him without surprise。 So invariably opposed
to each other in academic debates； how should Le Chapelier suspect
his present intentions？
〃If you won't tell them what is to be done； I will；〃 said he。
〃Nom de Dieu！ If you want to invite a bullet from the other side；
I shall not hinder you。 It may help to square the account。〃
Scarcely were the words out than he repented them； for as if in
answer to that challenge Andre…Louis sprang up on to the plinth。
Alarmed now； for he could only suppose it to be Andre…Louis'
intention to speak on behalf of Privilege； of which he was a
publicly appointed representative； Le Chapelier clutched him by the
leg to pull him down again。
〃Ah； that； no！〃 he was shouting。 〃Come down； you fool。 Do you
think we will let you ruin everything by your clowning？ Come down！〃
Andre…Louis； maintaining his position by clutching one of the legs
of the bronze horse； flung his voice like a bugle…note over the
heads of that seething mob。
〃Citizens of Rennes； the motherland is in danger！〃
The effect was electric。 A stir ran； like a ripple over water；
across that froth of upturned human faces； and completest silence
followed。 In that great silence they looked at this slim young man；
hatless； long wisps of his black hair fluttering in the breeze； his
neckcloth in disorder； his face white； his eyes on fire。
Andre…Louis felt a sudden surge of exaltation as he realized by
instinct that at one grip he had seized that crowd； and that he held
it fast in the spell of his cry and his audacity。
Even Le Chapelier； though still clinging to his ankle； had ceased
to tug。 The reformer； though unshaken in his assumption of
Andre…Louis' intentions； was for a moment bewildered by the first
note of his appeal。
And then； slowly； impressiv
