scaramouche-第64章

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superfluous。　　〃On　the　contrary；　madame；　I　tremble　to　think　what
they　might　have　made　of　me；　and　I　am　grateful　to　have　had　the
fashioning　of　myself。〃

She　looked　at　him　for　a　moment　very　sadly；　and　then；　smiling；　gently
shook　her　head。

〃You　do　not　want　self…satisfaction。。。　　Yet　I　could　wish　that　you
saw　things　differently；　Andre。　　It　is　a　moment　of　great
opportunities　for　a　young　man　of　talent　and　spirit。　　I　could　help
you；　I　could　help　you；　perhaps；　to　go　very　far　if　you　would　permit
yourself　to　be　helped　after　my　fashion。〃

〃Yes；〃　he　thought；　〃help　me　to　a　halter　by　sending　me　on　treasonable
missions　to　Austria　on　the　Queen's　behalf；　like　M。　de　Plougastel。
That　would　certainly　end　in　a　high　position　for　me。〃

Aloud　he　answered　more　as　politeness　prompted。　　〃I　am　grateful；
madame。　　But　you　will　see　that；　holding　the　ideals　I　have　expressed；
I　could　not　serve　any　cause　that　is　opposed　to　their　realization。〃

〃You　are　misled　by　prejudice；　Andre…Louis；　by　personal　grievances。
Will　you　allow　them　to　stand　in　the　way　of　your　advancement？〃

〃If　what　I　call　ideals　were　really　prejudices；　would　it　be　honest
of　me　to　run　counter　to　them　whilst　holding　them？〃

〃If　I　could　convince　you　that　you　are　mistaken！　　I　could　help　you
so　much　to　find　a　worthy　employment　for　the　talents　you　possess。
In　the　service　of　the　King　you　would　prosper　quickly。　　Will　you
think　of　it；　Andre…Louis；　and　let　us　talk　of　this　again？〃

He　answered　her　with　formal；　chill　politeness。

〃I　fear　that　it　would　be　idle；　madame。　　Yet　your　interest　in　me　is
very　flattering；　and　I　thank　you。　　It　is　unfortunate　for　me　that　I
am　so　headstrong。〃

〃And　now　who　deals　in　insincerity？〃　she　asked　him。

〃Ah；　but　you　see；　madame；　it　is　an　insincerity　that　does　not
mislead。〃

And　then　M。　de　Kercadiou　came　in　through　the　window　again；　and
announced　fussily　that　he　must　be　getting　back　to　Meudon；　and　that
he　would　take　his　godson　with　him　and　set　him　down　at　the　Rue　du
Hasard。

〃You　must　bring　him　again；　Quintin；〃　the　Countess　said；　as　they
took　their　leave　of　her。

〃Some　day；　perhaps；〃said　M。　de　Kercadiou　vaguely；　and　swept　his
godson　out。

In　the　carriage　he　asked　him　bluntly　of　what　madame　had　talked。

〃She　was　very　kind　…　a　sweet　woman；〃　said　Andre…Louis　pensively。

〃Devil　take　you；　I　didn't　ask　you　the　opinion　that　you　presume
to　have　formed　of　her。　　I　asked　you　what　she　said　to　you。

〃She　strove　to　point　out　to　me　the　error　of　my　ways。　　She　spoke　of
great　things　that　I　might　do　…　to　which　she　would　very　kindly　help
me　…　if　I　were　to　come　to　my　senses。　　But　as　miracles　do　not　happen；
I　gave　her　little　encouragement　to　hope。〃

〃I　see。　　I　see。　　Did　she　say　anything　else？〃

He　was　so　peremptory　that　Andre…Louis　turned　to　look　at　him。

〃What　else　did　you　expect　her　to　say；　monsieur　my　godfather？〃

〃Oh；　nothing。〃

〃Then　she　fulfilled　your　expectations。〃

〃Eh？　　Oh；　a　thousand　devils；　why　can't　you　express　yourself　in　a
sensible　manner　that　a　plain　man　can　understand　without　having　to
think　about　it？〃

He　sulked　after　that　most　of　the　way　to　the　Rue　du　Hasard；　or　so
it　seemed　to　Andre…Louis。　　At　least　he　sat　silent；　gloomily
thoughtful　to　judge　by　his　expression。

〃You　may　come　and　see　us　soon　again　at　Meudon；〃　he　told
Andre…Louis　at　parting。　　〃But　please　remember　…　no　revolutionary
politics　in　future；　if　we　are　to　remain　friends。〃



CHAPTER　VI

POLITICIANS


One　morning　in　August　the　academy　in　the　Rue　du　Hasard　was　invaded
by　Le　Chapelier　accompanied　by　a　man　of　remarkable　appearance；　whose
herculean　stature　and　disfigured　countenance　seemed　vaguely　familiar
to　Andre…Louis。　　He　was　a　man　of　little；　if　anything；　over　thirty；
with　small　bright　eyes　buried　in　an　enormous　face。　　His　cheek…bones
were　prominent；　his　nose　awry；　as　if　it　had　been　broken　by　a　blow；
and　his　mouth　was　rendered　almost　shapeless　by　the　scars　of　another
injury。　　（A　bull　had　horned　him　in　the　face　when　he　was　but　a　lad。）
As　if　that　were　not　enough　to　render　his　appearance　terrible；　his
cheeks　were　deeply　pock…marked。　　He　was　dressed　untidily　in　a　long
scarlet　coat　that　descended　almost　to　his　ankles；　soiled　buckskin
breeches　and　boots　with　reversed　tops。　　His　shirt；　none　too　clean；
was　open　at　the　throat；　the　collar　hanging　limply　over　an　unknotted
cravat；　displaying　fully　the　muscular　neck　that　rose　like　a　pillar
from　his　massive　shoulders。　　He　swung　a　cane　that　was　almost　a　club
in　his　left　hand；　and　there　was　a　cockade　in　his　biscuit…coloured；
conical　hat。　　He　carried　himself　with　an　aggressive；　masterful　air；
that　great　head　of　his　thrown　back　as　if　he　were　eternally　at
defiance。

Le　Chapelier；　whose　manner　was　very　grave；　named　him　to　Andre…Louis。

〃This　is　M。　Danton；　a　brother…lawyer；　President　of　the　Cordeliers；
of　whom　you　will　have　heard。〃

Of　course　Andre…Louis　had　heard　of　him。　　Who　had　not；　by　then？

Looking　at　him　now　with　interest；　Andre…Louis　wondered　how　it　came
that　all；　or　nearly　all　the　leading　innovators；　were　pock…marked。
Mirabeau；　the　journalist　Desmoulins；　the　philanthropist　Marat；
Robespierre　the　little　lawyer　from　Arras；　this　formidable　fellow
Danton；　and　several　others　he　could　call　to　mind　all　bore　upon
them　the　scars　of　smallpox。　　Almost　he　began　to　wonder　was　there
any　connection　between　the　two。　　Did　an　attack　of　smallpox　produce
certain　moral　results　which　found　expression　in　this　way？

He　dismissed　the　idle　speculation；　or　rather　it　was　shattered　by
the　startling　thunder　of　Danton's　voice。

〃This　　Chapelier　has　told　me　of　you。　　He　says　that　you　are　a
patriotic　　。〃

More　than　by　the　tone　was　Andre…Louis　startled　by　the　obscenities
with　which　the　Colossus　did　not　hesitate　to　interlard　his　first
speech　to　a　total　stranger。　　He　laughed　outright。　　There　was　nothing
else　to　do。

〃If　he　has　told　you　that；　he　has　told　you　more　than　the　truth！　　I
am　a　patriot。　　The　rest　my　modesty　compels　me　to　disavow。〃

〃You're　a　joker　too；　it　seems；〃　roared　the　other；　but　he　laughed
nevertheless；　and　the　volume　of　it　shook　the　windows。　　〃There's　no
offence　in　me。　　I　am　like　that。〃

〃What　a　pity；〃　said　Andre…Louis。

It　disconcerted　the　king　of　the　markets。　　〃Eh？　　what's　this；
Chapelier？　　Does　he　give　himself　airs；　your　friend　here？〃

The　spruce　Breton；　a　very　petit…maitre　in　appearance　by　contrast
with　his　companion；　but　nevertheless　of　a　down…right　manner　quite
equal　to　Danton's　in　brutality；　though　dispensing　with　the　emphasis
of　foulness；　shrugged　as　he　answered　him：

〃It　is　merely　that　he　doesn't　like　your　manners；　which　is　not　at　all
surprising。　　They　are　execrable。〃

〃Ah；　bah！　　You　are　all　like　that；　you　…　Bretons。　　Let's　come　to
business。　　You'll　have　heard　what　took　place　in　the　Assembly
yesterday？　　You　haven't？　　My　God；　where　do　you　live？　　Have　you　heard
that　this　scoundrel　who　calls　himself　King　of　France　gave　passage
across　French　soil　the　other　day　to　Austrian　troops　going　to　crush
those　who　fight　for　liberty　in　Belgium？　　Have　you　heard　that；　by
any　chance？〃

〃Yes；〃　said　Andre…Louis　coldly；　masking　his　irritation　before　the
other's　hectoring　manner。　　〃I　have　heard　that。〃

〃Oh！　　And　what　do　you　think　of　it？〃　arms　akimbo；　the　Colossus
towered　above　him。

Andre…Louis　turned　aside　to　Le　Chapelier。

〃I　don't　think　I　understand。　　Have　you　brought　this　gentleman　here
to　examine　my　conscience？〃

〃Name　of　a　name！　　He　's　prickly　as　a　…　porcupine！〃　Danton　protested。

〃No；　no。〃　Le　Chapelier　was　conciliatory；　seeking　to　provide　an
antidote　to　the　irritant　administered　by　his　companion。　　〃We　require
your　help；　Andre。　　Danton　here　thinks　that　you　are　the　very　man　for
us。　　Listen　now。。。　〃

〃That's　it。　　You　tell　him；〃　Danton　agreed。　　〃You　both　talk　the　same
mincing　…　sort　of　French。　　He'll　probably　understand　you。〃

Le　Chapelier　went　on　without　heeding　the　interruption。　　〃This
violation　by　the　King　of　the　obvious　rights　of　a　country　engaged
in　framing　a　constitution　that　shall　make　it　free　has　shattered
every　philanthropic　illusion　we　still　cherished。　　There　are　those
who　go　so　far　as　to　proclaim　the　King　the　vowed　enemy　of　France。
But　that；　of　course；　is　excessive。

〃Who　says　so？〃　blazed　Danton；　and　swore　horribly　by　way　of