scaramouche-第15章
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！
held its meetings。 Thither in his wake the members of that chamber
came hurrying； summoned by the messages that Le Chapelier had issued
during their progress。
Behind closed doors a flushed and excited group of some fifty men；
the majority of whom were young； ardent； and afire with the illusion
of liberty； hailed Andre…Louis as the strayed sheep who had returned
to the fold； and smothered him in congratulations and thanks。
Then they settled down to deliberate upon immediate measures； whilst
the doors below were kept by a guard of honour that had improvised
itself from the masses。 And very necessary was this。 For no sooner
had the Chamber assembled than the house was assailed by the
gendarmerie of M。 de Lesdiguieres； dispatched in haste to arrest the
firebrand who was inciting the people of Rennes to sedition。 The
force consisted of fifty men。 Five hundred would have been too few。
The mob broke their carbines； broke some of their heads； and would
indeed have torn them into pieces had they not beaten a timely and
well…advised retreat before a form of horseplay to which they were
not at all accustomed。
And whilst that was taking place in the street below； in the room
abovestairs the eloquent Le Chapelier was addressing his colleagues
of the Literary Chamber。 Here； with no bullets to fear； and no
one to report his words to the authorities； Le Chapelier could
permit his oratory a full； unintimidated flow。 And that considerable
oratory was as direct and brutal as the man himself was delicate and
elegant。
He praised the vigour and the greatness of the speech they had heard
from their colleague Moreau。 Above all he praised its wisdom。
Moreau's words had come as a surprise to them。 Hitherto they had
never known him as other than a bitter critic of their projects of
reform and regeneration； and quite lately they had heard； not without
misgivings； of his appointment as delegate for a nobleman in the
States of Brittany。 But they held the explanation of his conversion。
The murder of their dear colleague Vilmorin had produced this change。
In that brutal deed Moreau had beheld at last in true proportions
the workings of that evil spirit which they were vowed to exorcise
from France。 And to…day he had proven himself the stoutest apostle
among them of the new faith。 He had pointed out to them the only
sane and useful course。 The illustration he had borrowed from
natural history was most apt。 Above all； let them pack like the
wolves； and to ensure this uniformity of action in the people of
all Brittany； let a delegate at once be sent to Nantes； which had
already proved itself the real seat of Brittany's power。 It but
remained to appoint that delegate； and Le Chapelier invited them
to elect him。
Andre…Louis； on a bench near the window； a prey now to some measure
of reaction； listened in bewilderment to that flood of eloquence。
As the applause died down； he heard a voice exclaiming：
〃I propose to you that we appoint our leader here； Le Chapelier； to
be that delegate。〃
Le Chapelier reared his elegantly dressed head； which had been bowed
in thought； and it was seen that his countenance was pale。 Nervously
he fingered a gold spy…glass。
〃My friends；〃 he said； slowly； 〃I am deeply sensible of the honour
that you do me。 But in accepting it I should be usurping an honour
that rightly belongs elsewhere。 Who could represent us better； who
more deserving to be our representative； to speak to our friends of
Nantes with the voice of Rennes； than the champion who once already
to…day has so incomparably given utterance to the voice of this
great city？ Confer this honour of being your spokesman where it
belongs … upon Andre…Louis Moreau。〃
Rising in response to the storm of applause that greeted the
proposal； Andre…Louis bowed and forthwith yielded。 〃Be it so；〃 he
said； simply。 〃It is perhaps fitting that I should carry out what
I have begun； though I too am of the opinion that Le Chapelier would
have been a worthier representative。 I will set out to…night。〃
〃You will set out at once； my lad；〃 Le Chapelier informed him； and
now revealed what an uncharitable mind might account the true source
of his generosity。 〃It is not safe after what has happened for you
to linger an hour in Rennes。 And you must go secretly。 Let none
of you allow it to be known that he has gone。 I would not have you
come to harm over this； Andre…Louis。 But you must see the risks
you run； and if you are to be spared to help in this work of
salvation of our afflicted motherland； you must use caution； move
secretly； veil your identity even。 Or else M。 de Lesdiguieres will
have you laid by the heels； and it will be good…night for you。〃
CHAPTER VIII
OMNES OMNIBUS
Andre…Louis rode forth from Rennes committed to a deeper adventure
than he had dreamed of when he left the sleepy village of Gavrillac。
Lying the night at a roadside inn； and setting out again early in
the morning； he reached Nantes soon after noon of the following day。
Through that long and lonely ride through the dull plains of
Brittany； now at their dreariest in their winter garb； he had ample
leisure in which to review his actions and his position。 From one
who had taken hitherto a purely academic and by no means friendly
interest in the new philosophies of social life； exercising his wits
upon these new ideas merely as a fencer exercises his eye and wrist
with the foils； without ever suffering himself to be deluded into
supposing the issue a real one； he found himself suddenly converted
into a revolutionary firebrand； committed to revolutionary action
of the most desperate kind。 The representative and delegate of a
nobleman in the States of Brittany； he found himself simultaneously
and incongruously the representative and delegate of the whole Third
Estate of Rennes。
It is difficult to determine to what extent； in the heat of passion
and swept along by the torrent of his own oratory； he might
yesterday have succeeded in deceiving himself。 But it is at least
certain that； looking back in cold blood now he had no single
delusion on the score of what he had done。 Cynically he had
presented to his audience one side only of the great question that
he propounded。
But since the established order of things in France was such as to
make a rampart for M。 de La Tour d'Azyr； affording him complete
immunity for this and any other crimes that it pleased him to commit；
why； then the established order must take the consequences of its
wrong…doing。 Therein he perceived his clear justification。
And so it was without misgivings that he came on his errand of
sedition into that beautiful city of Nantes； rendered its spacious
streets and splendid port the rival in prosperity of Bordeaux and
Marseilles。
He found an inn on the Quai La Fosse； where he put up his horse；
and where he dined in the embrasure of a window that looked out
over the tree…bordered quay and the broad bosom of the Loire； on
which argosies of all nations rode at anchor。 The sun had again
broken through the clouds； and shed its pale wintry light over the
yellow waters and the tall…masted shipping。
Along the quays there was a stir of life as great as that to be seen
on the quays of Paris。 Foreign sailors in outlandish garments and
of harsh…sounding； outlandish speech； stalwart fishwives with baskets
of herrings on their heads； voluminous of petticoat above bare legs
and bare feet； calling their wares shrilly and almost inarticulately；
watermen in woollen caps and loose trousers rolled to the knees；
peasants in goatskin coats； their wooden shoes clattering on the
round kidney…stones； shipwrights and labourers from the dockyards；
bellows…menders； rat…catchers； water…carriers； ink…sellers； and other
itinerant pedlars。 And； sprinkled through this proletariat mass that
came and went in constant movement； Andre…Louis beheld tradesmen in
sober garments； merchants in long； fur…lined coats； occasionally a
merchant…prince rolling along in his two…horse cabriolet to the
whip…crackings and shouts of 〃Gare！〃 from his coachman； occasionally
a dainty lady carried past in her sedan…chair； with perhaps a mi
