scaramouche-第58章

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has　pertinacity；　and　he　insists　upon　being　heard。　　He　may　be
listened　to　some　day。　　But　that　he；　or　the　others；　will　ever　make
anything　of　Orleans。。。　pish！　　Orleans　himself　may　desire　it；　but。
the　man　is　a　eunuch　in　crime；　he　would；　but　he　can't。　　The　phrase
is　Mirabeau's。〃

He　broke　off　to　demand　Andre…Louis'　news　of　himself。

〃You　did　not　treat　me　as　a　friend　when　you　wrote　to　me；〃　he
complained。　　〃You　gave　me　no　clue　to　your　whereabouts；　you
represented　yourself　as　on　the　verge　of　destitution　and　withheld
from　me　the　means　to　come　to　your　assistance。　　I　have　been　troubled
in　mind　about　you；　Andre。　　Yet　to　judge　by　your　appearance　I　might
have　spared　myself　that。　　You　seem　prosperous；　assured。　　Tell　me
of　it。〃

Andre…Louis　told　him　frankly　all　that　there　was　to　tell。　　〃Do　you
know　that　you　are　an　amazement　to　me？〃　said　the　deputy。　　〃From　the
robe　to　the　buskin；　and　now　from　the　buskin　to　the　sword！　　What
will　be　the　end　of　you；　I　wonder？〃

〃The　gallows；　probably。〃

〃Fish！　　Be　serious。　　Why　not　the　toga　of　the　senator　in　senatorial
France？　　It　might　be　yours　now　if　you　had　willed　it　so。〃

〃The　surest　way　to　the　gallows　of　all；〃　laughed　Andre…Louis。

At　the　moment　Le　Chapelier　manifested　impatience。　　I　wonder　did　the
phrase　cross　his　mind　that　day　four　years　later　when　himself　he　rode
in　the　death…cart　to　the　Greve。

〃We　are　sixty…six　Breton　deputies　in　the　Assembly。　　Should　a　vacancy
occur；　will　you　act　as　suppleant？　　A　word　from　me　together　with　the
influence　of　your　name　in　Rennes　and　Nantes；　and　the　thing　is　done。〃

Andre…Louis　laughed　outright。　　〃Do　you　know；　Isaac；　that　I　never
meet　you　but　you　seek　to　thrust　me　into　politics？〃

〃Because　you　have　a　gift　for　politics。　　You　were　born　for　politics。〃

〃Ah；　yes　…　Scaramouche　in　real　life。　　I've　played　it　on　the　stage。
Let　that　suffice。　　Tell　me；　Isaac；　what　news　of　my　old　friend；　La
Tour　d'Azyr？〃

〃He　is　here　in　Versailles；　damn　him　…　a　thorn　in　the　flesh　of
the　Assembly。　　They've　burnt　his　chateau　at　La　Tour　d'Azyr。
Unfortunately　he　wasn't　in　it　at　the　time。　　The　flames　haven't　even
singed　his　insolence。　　He　dreams　that　when　this　philosophic
aberration　is　at　an　end；　there　will　be　serfs　to　rebuild　it　for　him。〃

〃So　there　has　been　trouble　in　Brittany？〃　Andre…Louis　had　become
suddenly　grave；　his　thoughts　swinging　to　Gavrillac。

〃An　abundance　of　it；　and　elsewhere　too。　　Can　you　wonder？　　These
delays　at　such　a　time；　with　famine　in　the　land？　　Chateaux　have　been
going　up　in　smoke　during　the　last　fortnight。　　The　peasants　took
their　cue　from　the　Parisians；　and　treated　every　castle　as　a　Bastille。
Order　is　being　restored；　there　as　here；　and　they　are　quieter　now。〃

〃What　of　Gavrillac？　　Do　you　know？〃

〃I　believe　all　to　be　well。　　M。　de　Kercadiou　was　not　a　Marquis　de　La
Tour　d'Azyr。　　He　was　in　sympathy　with　his　people。　　It　is　not　likely
that　they　would　injure　Gavrillac。　　But　don't　you　correspond　with
your　godfather？〃

〃In　the　circumstances　…　no。　　What　you　tell　me　would　make　it　now　more
difficult　than　ever；　for　he　must　account　me　one　of　those　who　helped
to　light　the　torch　that　has　set　fire　to　so　much　belonging　to　his
class。　　Ascertain　for　me　that　all　is　well；　and　let　me　know。〃

〃I　will；　at　once。〃

At　parting；　when　Andre…Louis　was　on　the　point　of　stepping　into　his
cabriolet　to　return　to　Paris；　he　sought　information　on　another
matter。

〃Do　you　happen　to　know　if　M。　de　La　Tour　d'Azyr　has　married？〃　he
asked。

〃I　don't；　which　really　means　that　he　hasn't。　　One　would　have　heard
of　it　in　the　case　of　that　exalted　Privileged。〃

〃To　be　sure。〃　Andre…Louis　spoke　indifferently。　　〃Au　revoir；　Isaac！
You'll　come　and　see　me　…　13　Rue　du　Hasard。　　Come　soon。〃

〃As　soon　and　as　often　as　my　duties　will　allow。　　They　keep　me　chained
here　at　present。〃

〃Poor　slave　of　duty　with　your　gospel　of　liberty！〃

〃True！　　And　because　of　that　I　will　come。　　I　have　a　duty　to　Brittany：
to　make　Omnes　Omnibus　one　of　her　representatives　in　the　National
Assembly。〃

〃That　is　a　duty　you　will　oblige　me　by　neglecting；〃　laughed
Andre…Louis；　and　drove　away。



CHAPTER　IV

AT　MEUDON


Later　in　the　week　he　received　a　visit　from　Le　Chapelier　just　before
noon。

〃I　have　news　for　you；　Andre。　　Your　godfather　is　at　Meudon。　　He
arrived　there　two　days　ago。　　Had　you　heard？〃

〃But　no。　　How　should　I　hear？　　Why　is　he　at　Meudon？〃　　He　was　conscious
of　a　faint　excitement；　which　he　could　hardly　have　explained。

〃I　don't　know。　　There　have　been　fresh　disturbances　in　Brittany。　　It
may　be　due　to　that。〃

〃And　so　he　has　come　for　shelter　to　his　brother？〃　asked　Andre…Louis。

〃To　his　brother's　house；　yes；　but　not　to　his　brother。　　Where　do　you
live　at　all；　Andre？　　Do　you　never　hear　any　of　the　news？　　Etienne　de
Gavrillac　emigrated　years　ago。　　He　was　of　the　household　of　M。
d'Artois；　and　he　crossed　the　frontier　with　him。　　By　now；　no　doubt；
he　is　in　Germany　with　him；　conspiring　against　France。　　For　that　is
what　the　emigres　are　doing。　　That　Austrian　woman　at　the　Tuileries
will　end　by　destroying　the　monarchy。〃

〃Yes；　yes；〃　said　Andre…Louis　impatiently。　　Politics　interested　him
not　at　all　this　morning。　　〃But　about　Gavrillac？〃

〃Why；　haven't　I　told　you　that　Gavrillac　is　at　Meudon；　installed　in
the　house　his　brother　has　left？　　Dieu　de　Dieu！　　Don't　I　speak　French
or　don't　you　understand　the　language？　　I　believe　that　Rabouillet；
his　intendant；　is　in　charge　of　Gavrillac。　　I　have　brought　you　the
news　the　moment　I　received　it。　　I　thought　you　would　probably　wish　to
go　out　to　Meudon。〃

〃Of　course。　　I　will　go　at　once　…　that　is；　as　soon　as　I　can。　　I　can't
to…day；　nor　yet　to…morrow。　　I　am　too　busy　here。〃　　He　waved　a　hand
towards　the　inner　room；　whence　proceeded　the　click…click　of　blades；
the　quick　moving　of　feet；　and　the　voice　of　the　instructor；　Le　Duc。

〃Well；　well；　that　is　your　own　affair。　　You　are　busy。　　I　leave　you　now。
Let　us　dine　this　evening　at　the　Caf？de　Foy。　　Kersain　will　be　of　the
party。〃

〃A　moment！〃　Andre…Louis'　voice　arrested　him　on　the　threshold。　　〃Is
Mlle。　de　Kercadiou　with　her　uncle？〃

〃How　the　devil　should　I　know？　　Go　and　find　out。〃

He　was　gone；　and　Andre…Louis　stood　there　a　moment　deep　in　thought。
Then　he　turned　and　went　back　to　resume　with　his　pupil；　the　Vicomte
de　Villeniort；　the　interrupted　exposition　of　the　demi…contre　of
Danet；　illustrating　with　a　small…sword　the　advantages　to　be　derived
from　its　adoption。

Thereafter　he　fenced　with　the　Vicomte；　who　was　perhaps　the　ablest
of　his　pupils　at　the　time；　and　all　the　while　his　thoughts　were　on
the　heights　of　Meudon；　his　mind　casting　up　the　lessons　he　had　to
give　that　afternoon　and　on　the　morrow；　and　wondering　which　of　these
he　might　postpone　without　deranging　the　academy。　　When　having　touched
the　Vicomte　three　times　in　succession；　he　paused　and　wrenched　himself
back　to　the　present；　it　was　to　marvel　at　the　precision　to　be　gained
by　purely　mechanical　action。　　Without　bestowing　a　thought　upon　what
he　was　doing；　his　wrist　and　arm　and　knees　had　automatically　performed
their　work；　like　the　accurate　fighting　engine　into　which　constant
practice　for　a　year　and　more　had　combined　them。

Not　until　Sunday　was　Andre…Louis　able　to　satisfy　a　wish　which　the
impatience　of　the　intervening　days　had　converted　into　a　yearning。
Dressed　with　more　than　ordinary　care；　his　head　elegantly　coiffed
　…　by　one　of　those　hairdressers　to　the　nobility　of　whom　so　many
were　being　thrown　out　of　employment　by　the　stream　of　emigration
which　was　now　flowing　freely　…　Andre…Louis　mounted　his　hired
carriage；　and　drove　out　to　Meudon。

The　house　of　the　younger　Kercadiou　no　more　resembled　that　of　the
head　of　the　family　than　did　his　person。　　A　man　of　the　Court；　where
his　brother　was　essentially　a　man　of　the　soil；　an　officer　of　the
household　of　M。　le　Comte　d'Artois；　he　had　built　for　himself　and　his
family　an　imposing　villa　on　the　heights　of　Meudon　in　a　miniature
park；　conveniently　situated　for　him　midway　between　Versailles　and
Paris；　and　easily　accessible　from　either。　　M。　d'Artois　…　the　royal
tennis…player　…　had　been　amongst　the　very　first　to　emigrate。
Together　with　the　Condes；　the　Contis；　the　Polignacs；　and　others　of
the　Queen's　intimate　council；　old　Marshal　de　Broglie　and　the　Prince
de　Lambesc；