scaramouche-第27章

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louis；　ten　livres；　and　two　sous。　　By　the　time　M。　Binet　had　paid　for
the　use　of　the　market；　his　lights；　and　the　expenses　of　his　company
at　the　inn　over　Sunday；　there　was　not　likely　to　be　very　much　left
towards　the　wages　of　his　players。　　It　is　not　surprising；　therefore；
that　M。　Binet's　bonhomie　should　have　been　a　trifle　overcast　that
evening。

〃And　what　do　you　think　of　it？〃　he　asked　Andre…Louis；　as　they　were
walking　back　to　the　inn　after　the　performance。

〃Possibly　it　could　have　been　worse；　probably　it　could　not；〃　said　he。

In　sheer　amazement　M。　Binet　checked　in　his　stride；　and　turned　to
look　at　his　companion。

〃Huh！〃　said　he。　　〃Dieu　de　Dien！　　But　you　are　frank。〃

〃An　unpopular　form　of　service　among　fools；　I　know。〃

〃Well；　I　am　not　a　fool；〃　said　Binet。

〃That　is　why　I　am　frank。　　I　pay　you　the　compliment　of　assuming
intelligence　in　you；　M。　Binet。〃

〃Oh；　you　do？〃　quoth　M。　Binet。　　〃And　who　the　devil　are　you　to　assume
anything？　　Your　assumptions　are　presumptuous；　sir。〃　　And　with　that
he　lapsed　into　silence　and　the　gloomy　business　of　mentally　casting
up　his　accounts。

But　at　table　over　supper　a　half…hour　later　he　revived　the　topic。

〃Our　latest　recruit；　this　excellent　M。　Parvissimus；〃　he　announced；
〃has　the　impudence　to　tell　me　that　possibly　our　comedy　could　have
been　worse；　but　that　probably　it　could　not。〃　　And　he　blew　out　his
great　round　cheeks　to　invite　a　laugh　at　the　expense　of　that　foolish
critic。

〃That's　bad；〃　said　the　swarthy　and　sardonic　Polichinelle。　　He　was
grave　as　Rhadamanthus　pronouncing　judgment。　　〃That's　bad。　　But　what
is　infinitely　worse　is　that　the　audience　had　the　impudence　to　be　of
the　same　mind。〃

〃An　ignorant　pack　of　clods；〃　sneered　Leandre；　with　a　toss　of　his
handsome　head。

〃You　are　wrong；〃　quoth　Harlequin。　　〃You　were　born　for　love；　my　dear；
not　criticism。〃

Leandre　…　a　dull　dog；　as　you　will　have　conceived　…　looked
contemptuously　down　upon　the　little　man。　　〃And　you；　what　were　you
born　for？〃　he　wondered。

〃Nobody　knows；〃　was　the　candid　admission。　　〃Nor　yet　why。　　It　is　the
case　of　many　of　us；　my　dear；　believe　me。〃

〃But　why〃　…　M。　Binet　took　him　up；　and　thus　spoilt　the　beginnings　of
a　very　pretty　quarrel　…　〃why　do　you　say　that　Leandre　is　wrong？〃

〃To　be　general；　because　he　is　always　wrong。　　To　be　particular；
because　I　judge　the　audience　of　Guichen　to　be　too　sophisticated
for　'The　Heartless　Father。'〃

〃You　would　put　it　more　happily；〃　interposed　Andre…Louis　…　who　was
the　cause　of　this　discussion　…　〃if　you　said　that　'The　Heartless
Father'　is　too　unsophisticated　for　the　audience　of　Guichen。〃

〃Why；　what's　the　difference？〃　asked　Leandre。

〃I　didn't　imply　a　difference。　　I　merely　suggested　that　it　is　a
happier　way　to　express　the　fact。〃

〃The　gentleman　is　being　subtle；〃　sneered　Binet。

〃Why　happier？〃　Harlequin　demanded。

〃Because　it　is　easier　to　bring　'The　Heartless　Father'　to　the
sophistication　of　the　Guichen　audience；　than　the　Guichen　audience
to　the　unsophistication　of　'The　Heartless　Father。'〃

〃Let　me　think　it　out；〃　groaned　Polichinelle；　and　he　took　his　head
in　his　hands。

But　from　the　tail　of　the　table　Andre…Louis　was　challenged　by　Climene
who　sat　there　between　Columbine　and　Madame。

〃You　would　alter　the　comedy；　would　you；　M。　Parvissimus？〃　she　cried。

He　turned　to　parry　her　malice。

〃I　would　suggest　that　it　be　altered；〃　he　corrected；　inclining　his
head。

〃And　how　would　you　alter　it；　monsieur？〃

〃I？　　Oh；　for　the　better。〃

〃But　of　course！〃　She　was　sleekest　sarcasm。　〃And　how　would　you　do　it？〃

〃Aye；　tell　us　that；〃　roared　M。　Binet；　and　added：　〃Silence；　I　pray
you；　gentlemen　and　ladies。　　Silence　for　M。　Parvissimus。〃

Andre…Louis　looked　from　father　to　daughter；　and　smiled。　　〃Pardi！〃
said　he。　　〃I　am　between　bludgeon　and　dagger。　　If　I　escape　with　my
life；　I　shall　be　fortunate。　　Why；　then；　since　you　pin　me　to　the　very
wall；　I'll　tell　you　what　I　should　do。　　I　should　go　back　to　the
original　and　help　myself　more　freely　from　it。〃

〃The　original？〃　questioned　M。　Binet　…　the　author。

〃It　is　called；　I　believe；　'Monsieur　de　Pourceaugnac；'　and　was　written
by　Moliere。〃

Somebody　tittered；　but　that　somebody　was　not　M。　Binet。　　He　had　been
touched　on　the　raw；　and　the　look　in　his　little　eyes　betrayed　the
fact　that　his　bonhomme　exterior　covered　anything　but　a　bonhomme。

〃You　charge　me　with　plagiarism；〃　he　said　at　last；　〃with　filching　the
ideas　of　Moliere。〃

〃There　is　always；　of　course；〃　said　Andre…Louis；　unruffled；　〃the
alternative　possibility　of　two　great　minds　working　upon　parallel
lines。〃

M。　Binet　studied　the　young　man　attentively　a　moment。　　He　found　him
bland　and　inscrutable；　and　decided　to　pin　him　down。

〃Then　you　do　not　imply　that　I　have　been　stealing　from　Moliere？〃

〃I　advise　you　to　do　so；　monsieur；〃　was　the　disconcerting　reply。

M。　Binet　was　shocked。

〃You　advise　me　to　do　so！　　You　advise　me；　me；　Antoine　Binet；　to　turn
thief　at　my　age！〃

〃He　is　outrageous；〃　said　mademoiselle；　indignantly。

〃Outrageous　is　the　word。　　I　thank　you　for　it；　my　dear。　　I　take　you
on　trust；　sir。　　You　sit　at　my　table；　you　have　the　honour　to　be
included　in　my　company；　and　to　my　face　you　have　the　audacity　to
advise　me　to　become　a　thief　…　the　worst　kind　of　thief　that　is
conceivable；　a　thief　of　spiritual　things；　a　thief　of　ideas！　　It　is
insufferable；　intolerable！　　I　have　been；　I　fear；　deeply　mistaken
in　you；　monsieur；　just　as　you　appear　to　have　been　mistaken　in　me。
I　am　not　the　scoundrel　you　suppose　me；　sir；　and　I　will　not　number
in　my　company　a　man　who　dares　to　suggest　that　I　should　become　one。
Outrageous！〃

He　was　very　angry。　　His　voice　boomed　through　the　little　room；　and
the　company　sat　hushed　and　something　scared；　their　eyes　upon
Andre…Louis；　who　was　the　only　one　entirely　unmoved　by　this　outburst
of　virtuous　indignation。

〃You　realize；　monsieur；〃　he　said；　very　quietly；　〃that　you　are
insulting　the　memory　of　the　illustrious　dead？〃

〃Eh？〃　said　Binet。

Andre…Louis　developed　his　sophistries。

〃You　insult　the　memory　of　Moliere；　the　greatest　ornament　of　our
stage；　one　of　the　greatest　ornaments　of　our　nation；　when　you　suggest
that　there　is　vileness　in　doing　that　which　he　never　hesitated　to　do；
which　no　great　author　yet　has　hesitated　to　do。　　You　cannot　suppose
that　Moliere　ever　troubled　himself　to　be　original　in　the　matter　of
ideas。　　You　cannot　suppose　that　the　stories　he　tells　in　his　plays
have　never　been　told　before。　　They　were　culled；　as　you　very　well
know　…　though　you　seem　momentarily　to　have　forgotten　it；　and　it　is
therefore　necessary　that　I　should　remind　you　…　they　were　culled；
many　of　them；　from　the　Italian　authors；　who　themselves　had　culled
them　Heaven　alone　knows　where。　　Moliere　took　those　old　stories　and
retold　them　in　his　own　language。　　That　is　precisely　what　I　am
suggesting　that　you　should　do。　　Your　company　is　a　company　of
improvisers。　　You　supply　the　dialogue　as　you　proceed；　which　is
rather　more　than　Moliere　ever　attempted。　　You　may；　if　you　prefer　it
　…　though　it　would　seem　to　me　to　be　yielding　to　an　excess　of　scruple
　…　go　straight　to　Boccaccio　or　Sacchetti。　　But　even　then　you　cannot
be　sure　that　you　have　reached　the　sources。〃

Andre…Louis　came　off　with　flying　colours　after　that。　　You　see　what
a　debater　was　lost　in　him；　how　nimble　he　was　in　the　art　of　making
white　look　black。　　The　company　was　impressed；　and　no　one　more　that
M。　Binet；　who　found　himself　supplied　with　a　crushing　argument
against　those　who　in　future　might　tax　him　with　the　impudent
plagiarisms　which　he　undoubtedly　perpetrated。　　He　retired　in　the
best　order　he　could　from　the　position　he　had　taken　up　at　the　outset。

〃So　that　you　think；〃　he　said；　at　the　end　of　a　long　outburst　of
agreement；　〃you　think　that　our　story　of　'The　Heartless　Father'
could　be　enriched　by　dipping　into　'Monsieur　de　Pourceaugnac；'　to
which　I　confess　upon　reflection　that　it　may　present　certain
superficial　resemblances？〃

〃I　do；　most　certainly　I　do　…　always　provided　that　you　do　so
judiciously。　　Times　have　changed　since　Moliere。〃　　It　was　as　a
consequence　of　this　that　Binet　retired　soon　after；　taking
Andre…Louis　with　him。　The　pair　sat　together　late　that　night；　and
were　again　in　close　communion　throughout　the　whole　of　Sunday　morning。

After　d