scaramouche-第54章

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confined　himself　to　a　half…dozen　combinations；　which　he　practised
assiduously　until　each　had　become　almost　automatic。　　And　he　proved
their　infallibility　upon　the　best　among　M。　des　Amis'　pupils。

Finally；　a　week　or　so　after　that　last　bout　of　his　with　des　Amis；
the　master　called　him　once　more　to　practice。

Hit　again　in　the　first　bout；　the　master　set　himself　to　exert　all
his　skill　against　his　assistant。　　But　to…day　it　availed　him　nothing
before　Andre…Louis'　impetuous　attacks。

After　the　third　hit；　M。　des　Amis　stepped　back　and　pulled　off　his
mask。

〃What's　this？〃　he　asked。　　He　was　pale；　and　his　dark　brows　were
contracted　in　a　frown。　　Not　in　years　had　he　been　so　wounded　in　his
self…love。　　〃Have　you　been　taught　a　secret　botte？〃

He　had　always　boasted　that　he　knew　too　much　about　the　sword　to
believe　any　nonsense　about　secret　bottes；　but　this　performance　of
Andre…Louis'　had　shaken　his　convictions　on　that　score。

〃No；〃　said　Andre…Louis。　　〃I　have　been　working　hard；　and　it　happens
that　I　fence　with　my　brains。〃

〃So　I　perceive。　　Well；　well；　I　think　I　have　taught　you　enough；　my
friend。　　I　have　no　intention　of　having　an　assistant　who　is　superior
to　myself。〃

〃Little　danger　of　that；〃　said　Andre…Louis；　smiling　pleasantly。
〃You　have　been　fencing　hard　all　morning；　and　you　are　tired；　whilst
I；　having　done　little；　am　entirely　fresh。　　That　is　the　only　secret
of　my　momentary　success。

His　tact　and　the　fundamental　good…nature　of　M。　des　Amis　prevented
the　matter　from　going　farther　along　the　road　it　was　almost
threatening　to　take。　　And　thereafter；　when　they　fenced　together；
Andre…Louis；　who　continued　daily　to　perfect　his　theory　into　an
almost　infallible　system；　saw　to　it　that　M。　des　Amis　always　scored
against　him　at　least　two　hits　for　every　one　of　his　own。　　So　much
he　would　grant　to　discretion；　but　no　more。　　He　desired　that　M。　des
Amis　should　be　conscious　of　his　strength；　without；　however；
discovering　so　much　of　its　real　extent　as　would　have　excited　in
him　an　unnecessary　degree　of　jealousy。

And　so　well　did　he　contrive　that　whilst　he　became　ever　of　greater
assistance　to　the　master　…　for　his　style　and　general　fencing；　too；
had　materially　improved　…　he　was　also　a　source　of　pride　to　him　as
the　most　brilliant　of　all　the　pupils　that　had　ever　passed　through
his　academy。　　Never　did　Andre…Louis　disillusion　him　by　revealing
the　fact　that　his　skill　was　due　far　more　to　M。　des　Amis'　library
and　his　own　mother　wit　than　to　any　lessons　received。



CHAPTER　II

QUOS　DEUS　VULT　PERDERE


Once　again；　precisely　as　he　had　done　when　he　joined　the　Binet　troupe；
did　Andre…Louis　now　settle　down　whole…heartedly　to　the　new　profession
into　which　necessity　had　driven　him；　and　in　which　he　found　effective
concealment　from　those　who　might　seek　him　to　his　hurt。　　This
profession　might　…　although　in　fact　it　did　not　…　have　brought　him
to　consider　himself　at　last　as　a　man　of　action。　　He　had　not；　however；
on　that　account　ceased　to　be　a　man　of　thought；　and　the　events　of　the
spring　and　summer　months　of　that　year　1789　in　Paris　provided　him
with　abundant　matter　for　reflection。　　He　read　there　in　the　raw　what
is　perhaps　the　most　amazing　page　in　the　history　of　human　development；
and　in　the　end　he　was　forced　to　the　conclusion　that　all　his　early
preconceptions　had　been　at　fault；　and　that　it　was　such　exalted；
passionate　enthusiasts　as　Vilmorin　who　had　been　right。

I　suspect　him　of　actually　taking　pride　in　the　fact　that　he　had　been
mistaken；　complacently　attributing　his　error　to　the　circumstance
that　he　had　been；　himself；　of　too　sane　and　logical　a　mind　to　gauge
the　depths　of　human　insanity　now　revealed。

He　watched　the　growth　of　hunger；　the　increasing　poverty　and　distress
of　Paris　during　that　spring；　and　assigned　it　to　its　proper　cause；
together　with　the　patience　with　which　the　people　bore　it。　　The　world
of　France　was　in　a　state　of　hushed；　of　paralyzed　expectancy；　waiting
for　the　States　General　to　assemble　and　for　centuries　of　tyranny　to
end。　　And　because　of　this　expectancy；　industry　had　come　to　a
standstill；　the　stream　of　trade　had　dwindled　to　a　trickle。　　Men　would
not　buy　or　sell　until　they　clearly　saw　the　means　by　which　the　genius
of　the　Swiss　banker；　M。　Necker；　was　to　deliver　them　from　this　morass。
And　because　of　this　paralysis　of　affairs　the　men　of　the　people　were
thrown　out　of　work　and　left　to　starve　with　their　wives　and　children。

Looking　on；　Andre…Louis　smiled　grimly。　　So　far　he　was　right。　　The
sufferers　were　ever　the　proletariat。　　The　men　who　sought　to　make
this　revolution；　the　electors　…　here　in　Paris　as　elsewhere　…　were
men　of　substance；　notable　bourgeois；　wealthy　traders。　　And　whilst
these；　despising　the　canaille；　and　envying　the　privileged；　talked
largely　of　equality　…　by　which　they　meant　an　ascending　equality
that　should　confuse　themselves　with　the　gentry　…　the　proletariat
perished　of　want　in　its　kennels。

At　last　with　the　month　of　May　the　deputies　arrived；　Andre…Louis'
friend　Le　Chapelier　prominent　amongst　them；　and　the　States　General
were　inaugurated　at　Versailles。　　It　was　then　that　affairs　began　to
become　interesting；　then　that　Andre…Louis　began　seriously　to　doubt
the　soundness　of　the　views　he　had　held　hitherto。

When　the　royal　proclamation　had　gone　forth　decreeing　that　the
deputies　of　the　Third　Estate　should　number　twice　as　many　as　those
of　the　other　two　orders　together；　Andre…Louis　had　believed　that
the　preponderance　of　votes　thus　assured　to　the　Third　Estate　rendered
inevitable　the　reforms　to　which　they　had　pledged　themselves。

But　he　had　reckoned　without　the　power　of　the　privileged　orders　over
the　proud　Austrian　queen；　and　her　power　over　the　obese；　phlegmatic；
irresolute　monarch。　　That　the　privileged　orders　should　deliver　battle
in　defence　of　their　privileges；　Andre…Louis　could　understand。　　Man
being　what　he　is；　and　labouring　under　his　curse　of　acquisitiveness；
will　never　willingly　surrender　possessions；　whether　they　be　justly
or　unjustly　held。　　But　what　surprised　Andre…Louis　was　the　unutterable
crassness　of　the　methods　by　which　the　Privileged　ranged　themselves
for　battle。　　They　opposed　brute　force　to　reason　and　philosophy；　and
battalions　of　foreign　mercenaries　to　ideas。　　As　if　ideas　were　to　be
impaled　on　bayonets！

The　war　between　the　Privileged　and　the　Court　on　one　side；　and　the
Assembly　and　the　People　on　the　other　had　begun。

The　Third　Estate　contained　itself；　and　waited；　waited　with　the
patience　of　nature；　waited　a　month　whilst；　with　the　paralysis　of
business　now　complete；　the　skeleton　hand　of　famine　took　a　firmer
grip　of　Paris；　waited　a　month　whilst　Privilege　gradually　assembled
an　army　in　Versailles　to　intimidate　it　…　an　army　of　fifteen
regiments；　nine　of　which　were　Swiss　and　German　…　and　mounted　a　park
of　artillery　before　the　building　in　which　the　deputies　sat。　　But
the　deputies　refused　to　be　intimidated；　they　refused　to　see　the　guns
and　foreign　uniforms；　they　refused　to　see　anything　but　the　purpose
for　which　they　had　been　brought　together　by　royal　proclamation。

Thus　until　the　10th　of　June；　when　that　great　thinker　and
metaphysician；　the　Abbe　Sieyes；　gave　the　signal：　〃It　is　time；〃　said
he；　〃to　cut　the　cable。〃

And　the　opportunity　came　soon；　at　the　very　beginning　of　July。　　M。　du
Chatelet；　a　harsh；　haughty　disciplinarian；　proposed　to　transfer　the
eleven　French　Guards　placed　under　arrest　from　the　military　gaol　of
the　Abbaye　to　the　filthy　prison　of　Bicetre　reserved　for　thieves　and
felons　of　the　lowest　order。　　Word　of　that　intention　going　forth；　the
people　at　last　met　violence　with　violence。　　A　mob　four　thousand
strong　broke　into　the　Abbaye；　and　delivered　thence　not　only　the
eleven　guardsmen；　but　all　the　other　prisoners；　with　the　exception　of
one　whom　they　discovered　to　be　a　thief；　and　whom　they　put　back　again；

That　was　open　revolt　at　last；　and　with　revolt　Privilege　knew　how　to
deal。　　It　would　strangle　this　mutinous　Paris　in　the　iron　grip　of　the
foreign　regiments。　　Measures　were　quickly　concerted。　　Old　Marechal
de　Broglie；　a　veteran　of　the　Seven　Years'　War；　imbued　with　a
soldier's　contempt　for　civilians；　conceiving　that　the　sight　of　a
uniform　would　be　enough　to　restore　peace　and　order；　took　control
with　Besenval　as　his　second…in…