scaramouche-第36章

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considerable　attention。　　He　had　entrusted　the　matter　to　one　of　the
company's　latest　recruits；　an　intelligent　young　man　named　Basque；
sending　him　on　ahead　of　the　company　for　the　purpose。

You　may　see　for　yourself　one　of　these　playbills　in　the　Carnavalet
Museum。　　It　details　the　players　by　their　stage　names　only；　with　the
exception　of　M。　Binet　and　his　daughter；　and　leaving　out　of　account
that　he　who　plays　Trivelin　in　one　piece　appears　as　Tabarin　in
another；　it　makes　the　company　appear　to　be　at　least　half　as　numerous
again　as　it　really　was。　　It　announces　that　they　will　open　with　〃Les
Fourberies　de　Scaramouche；〃　to　be　followed　by　five　other　plays　of
which　it　gives　the　titles；　and　by　others　not　named；　which　shall　also
be　added　should　the　patronage　to　be　received　in　the　distinguished
and　enlightened　city　of　Nantes　encourage　the　Binet　Troupe　to　prolong
its　sojourn　at　the　Theatre　Feydau。　　It　lays　great　stress　upon　the
fact　that　this　is　a　company　of　improvisers　in　the　old　Italian　manner；
the　like　of　which　has　not　been　seen　in　France　for　half　a　century；
and　it　exhorts　the　public　of　Nantes　not　to　miss　this　opportunity　of
witnessing　these　distinguished　mimes　who　are　reviving　for　them　the
glories　of　the　Comedie　de　l'Art。　　Their　visit　to　Nantes　…　the
announcement　proceeds　…　is　preliminary　to　their　visit　to　Paris；
where　they　intend　to　throw　down　the　glove　to　the　actors　of　the
Comedie　Francaise；　and　to　show　the　world　how　superior　is　the　art　of
the　improviser　to　that　of　the　actor　who　depends　upon　an　author　for
what　he　shall　say；　and　who　consequently　says　always　the　same　thing
every　time　that　he　plays　in　the　same　piece。

It　is　an　audacious　bill；　and　its　audacity　had　scared　M。　Binet　out
of　the　little　sense　left　him　by　the　Burgundy　which　in　these　days　he
could　afford　to　abuse。　　He　had　offered　the　most　vehement　opposition。
Part　of　this　Andre…Louis　had　swept　aside；　part　he　had　disregarded。

〃I　admit　that　it　is　audacious；〃　said　Scaramouche。　　〃But　at　your　time
of　life　you　should　have　learnt　that　in　this　world　nothing　succeeds
like　audacity。〃

〃I　forbid　it；　I　absolutely　forbid　it；〃　M。　Binet　insisted。

〃I　knew　you　would。　　Just　as　I　know　that　you'll　be　very　grateful　to
me　presently　for　not　obeying　you。

〃You　are　inviting　a　catastrophe。〃

〃I　am　inviting　fortune。　　The　worst　catastrophe　that　can　overtake
you　is　to　be　back　in　the　market…halls　of　the　country　villages　from
which　I　rescued　you。　　I'll　have　you　in　Paris　yet　in　spite　of
yourself。　　Leave　this　to　me。〃

And　he　went　out　to　attend　to　the　printing。　　Nor　did　his　preparations
end　there。　　He　wrote　a　piquant　article　on　the　glories　of　the　Comedie
de　l'Art；　and　its　resurrection　by　the　improvising　troupe　of　the
great　mime　Florimond　Binet。　　Binet's　name　was　not　Florimond；　it　was
just　Pierre。　　But　Andre…Louis　had　a　great　sense　of　the　theatre。　　That
article　was　an　amplification　of　the　stimulating　matter　contained　in
the　playbills；　and　he　persuaded　Basque；　who　had　relations　in　Nantes；
to　use　all　the　influence　he　could　command；　and　all　the　bribery　they
could　afford；　to　get　that　article　printed　in　the　〃Courrier　Nantais〃
a　couple　of　days　before　the　arrival　of　the　Binet　Troupe。

Basque　had　succeeded；　and；　considering　the　undoubted　literary　merits
and　intrinsic　interest　of　the　article；　this　is　not　at　all　surprising。

And　so　it　was　upon　an　already　expectant　city　that　Binet　and　his
company　descended　in　that　first　week　of　February。　　M。　Binet　would
have　made　his　entrance　in　the　usual　manner　…　a　full…dress　parade　with
banging　drums　and　crashing　cymbals。　　But　to　this　Andre…Louis　offered
the　most　relentless　opposition。

〃We　should　but　discover　our　poverty；〃　said　he。　　〃Instead；　we　will
creep　into　the　city　unobserved；　and　leave　ourselves　to　the　imagination
of　the　public。〃

He　had　his　way；　of　course。　　M。　Binet；　worn　already　with　battling
against　the　strong　waters　of　this　young　man's　will；　was　altogether
unequal　to　the　contest　now　that　he　found　CLIMENE　in　alliance　with
Scaramouche；　adding　her　insistence　to　his；　and　joining　with　him
in　reprobation　of　her　father's　sluggish　and　reactionary　wits。
Metaphorically；　M。　Binet　threw　up　his　arms；　and　cursing　the　day　on
which　he　had　taken　this　young　man　into　his　troupe；　he　allowed　the
current　to　carry　him　whither　it　would。　　He　was　persuaded　that　he
would　be　drowned　in　the　end。　　Meanwhile　he　would　drown　his　vexation
in　Burgundy。　　At　least　there　was　abundance　of　Burgundy。　　Never　in
his　life　had　he　found　Burgundy　so　plentiful。　　Perhaps　things　were
not　as　bad　as　he　imagined；　after　all。　　He　reflected　that；　when　all
was　said；　he　had　to　thank　Scaramouche　for　the　Burgundy。　　Whilst
fearing　the　worst；　he　would　hope　for　the　best。

And　it　was　very　much　the　worst　that　he　feared　as　he　waited　in　the
wings　when　the　curtain　rose　on　that　first　performance　of　theirs　at
the　Theatre　Feydau　to　a　house　that　was　tolerably　filled　by　a　public
whose　curiosity　the　preliminary　announcements　had　thoroughly
stimulated。

Although　the　scenario　of　〃Lee　Fourberies　de　Scaramouche〃　has　not
apparently　survived；　yet　we　know　from　Andre…Louis'　〃Confessions〃
that　it　is　opened　by　Polichinelle　in　the　character　of　an　arrogant
and　fiercely　jealous　lover　shown　in　the　act　of　beguiling　the
waiting…maid；　Columbine；　to　play　the　spy　upon　her　mistress；　Climene。
Beginning　with　cajolery；　but　failing　in　this　with　the　saucy
Columbine；　who　likes　cajolers　to　be　at　least　attractive　and　to　pay
a　due　deference　to　her　own　very　piquant　charms；　the　fierce　humpbacked
scoundrel　passes　on　to　threats　of　the　terrible　vengeance　he　will
wreak　upon　her　if　she　betrays　him　or　neglects　to　obey　him　implicitly；
failing　here；　likewise；　he　finally　has　recourse　to　bribery；　and
after　he　has　bled　himself　freely　to　the　very　expectant　Columbine；　he
succeeds　by　these　means　in　obtaining　her　consent　to　spy　upon　Climene；
and　to　report　to　him　upon　her　lady's　conduct。

The　pair　played　the　scene　well　together；　stimulated；　perhaps；　by
their　very　nervousness　at　finding　themselves　before　so　imposing　an
audience。　　Polichinelle　was　everything　that　is　fierce；　contemptuous；
and　insistent。　　Columbine　was　the　essence　of　pert　indifference
under　his　cajolery；　saucily　mocking　under　his　threats；　and　finely
sly　in　extorting　the　very　maximum　when　it　came　to　accepting　a　bribe。
Laughter　rippled　through　the　audience　and　promised　well。　　But　M。
Binet；　standing　trembling　in　the　wings；　missed　the　great　guffaws　of
the　rustic　spectators　to　whom　they　had　played　hitherto；　and　his
fears　steadily　mounted。

Then；　scarcely　has　Polichinelle　departed　by　the　door　than　Scaramouche
bounds　in　through　the　window。　　It　was　an　effective　entrance；　usually
performed　with　a　broad　comic　effect　that　set　the　people　in　a　roar。
Not　so　on　this　occasion。　　Meditating　in　bed　that　morning；　Scaramouche
had　decided　to　present　himself　in　a　totally　different　aspect。　　He
would　cut　out　all　the　broad　play；　all　the　usual　clowning　which　had
delighted　their　past　rude　audiences；　and　he　would　obtain　his　effects
by　subtlety　instead。　　He　would　present　a　slyly　humorous　rogue；
restrained；　and　of　a　certain　dignity；　wearing　a　countenance　of
complete　solemnity；　speaking　his　lines　drily；　as　if　unconscious　of
the　humour　with　which　he　intended　to　invest　them。　　Thus；　though　it
might　take　the　audience　longer　to　understand　and　discover　him；　they
would　like　him　all　the　better　in　the　end。

True　to　that　resolve；　he　now　played　his　part　as　the　friend　and　hired
ally　of　the　lovesick　Leandre；　on　whose　behalf　he　came　for　news　of
Climene；　seizing　the　opportunity　to　further　his　own　amour　with
Columbine　and　his　designs　upon　the　money…bags　of　Pantaloon。　　Also　he
had　taken　certain　liberties　with　the　traditional　costume　of
Scaramouche；　he　had　caused　the　black　doublet　and　breeches　to　be
slashed　with　red；　and　the　doublet　to　be　cut　more　to　a　peak；　a　la
Henri　III。　　The　conventional　black　velvet　cap　he　had　replaced　by　a
conical　hat　with　a　turned…up　brim；　and　a　tuft　of　feathers　on　the
left；　and　he　had　discarded　the　guitar。

M。　Binet　listened　desperately　for　the　roar　of　laughter　that　usually
greeted　the　entrance　of　Scaramouche；　and　his　dismay　increased　when
it　did　not　come。　　And　then　he　became　conscious　of　something
alarmingly　unusual　in　Scara