scaramouche-第69章

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and　so　was　M。　de　Chabrillane's。　　Gloom　and　resentment　sat　upon　the
members　of　the　Third；　and　brought　a　more　than　usually　acrid　note
into　their　debates。　　They　disapproved　of　the　rashness　of　the　new
recruit　to　their　body。　　Some　openly　condemned　his　lack　of
circumspection。　　Very　few　…　and　those　only　the　little　group　in　Le
Chapelier's　confidence　…　ever　expected　to　see　him　again。

It　was；　therefore；　as　much　in　amazement　as　in　relief　that　at　a　few
minutes　after　ten　they　saw　him　enter；　calm；　composed；　and　bland；
and　thread　his　way　to　his　seat。　　The　speaker　occupying　the　rostrum
at　that　moment　…　a　member　of　the　Privileged　…　stopped　short　to　stare
in　incredulous　dismay。　　Here　was　something　that　he　could　not
understand　at　all。　　Then　from　somewhere；　to　satisfy　the　amazement
on　both　sides　of　the　assembly；　a　voice　explained　the　phenomenon
contemptuously。

〃They　haven't　met。　　He　has　shirked　it　at　the　last　moment。〃

It　must　be　so；　thought　all；　the　mystification　ceased；　and　men　were
settling　back　into　their　seats。　　But　now；　having　reached　his　place；
having　heard　the　voice　that　explained　the　matter　to　the　universal
satisfaction；　Andre…Louis　paused　before　taking　his　seat。　　He　felt
it　incumbent　upon　him　to　reveal　the　true　fact。

〃M。　le　President；　my　excuses　for　my　late　arrival。〃　　There　was　no
necessity　for　this。　　It　was　a　mere　piece　of　theatricality；　such　as
it　was　not　in　Scaramouche's　nature　to　forgo。　　〃I　have　been　detained
by　an　engagement　of　a　pressing　nature。　　I　bring　you　also　the　excuses
of　M。　de　Chabrillane。　　He；　unfortunately；　will　be　permanently　absent
from　this　Assembly　in　future。〃

The　silence　was　complete。　　Andre…Louis　sat　down。



CHAPTER　VIII

THE　PALADIN　OF　THE　THIRD


M。　Le　Chevalier　de　Chabrillane　had　been　closely　connected；　you　will
remember；　with　the　iniquitous　affair　in　which　Philippe　de　Vilmorin
had　lost　his　life。　　We　know　enough　to　justify　a　surmise　that　he　had
not　merely　been　La　Tour　d'Azyr's　second　in　the　encounter；　but
actually　an　instigator　of　the　business。　　Andre…Louis　may　therefore
have　felt　a　justifiable　satisfaction　in　offering　up　the　Chevalier's
life　to　the　Manes　of　his　murdered　friend。　　He　may　have　viewed　it　as
an　act　of　common　justice　not　to　be　procured　by　any　other　means。
Also　it　is　to　be　remembered　that　Chabrillane　had　gone　confidently
to　the　meeting；　conceiving　that　he；　a　practised　ferailleur；　had　to
deal　with　a　bourgeois　utterly　unskilled　in　swordsmanship。　　Morally；
then；　he　was　little　better　than　a　murderer；　and　that　he　should　have
tumbled　into　the　pit　he　conceived　that　he　dug　for　Andre…Louis　was
a　poetic　retribution。　　Yet；　notwithstanding　all　this；　I　should　find
the　cynical　note　on　which　Andre…Louis　announced　the　issue　to　the
Assembly　utterly　detestable　did　I　believe　it　sincere。　　It　would
justify　Aline　of　the　expressed　opinion；　which　she　held　in　common
with　so　many　others　who　had　come　into　close　contact　with　him；　that
Andre…Louis　was　quite　heartless。

You　have　seen　something　of　the　same　heartlessness　in　his　conduct
when　he　discovered　the　faithlessness　of　La　Binet　although　that　is
belied　by　the　measures　he　took　to　avenge　himself。　　His　subsequent
contempt　of　the　woman　I　account　to　be　born　of　the　affection　in　which
for　a　time　he　held　her。　　That　this　affection　was　as　deep　as　he　first
imagined；　I　do　not　believe；　but　that　it　was　as　shallow　as　he　would
almost　be　at　pains　to　make　it　appear　by　the　completeness　with　which
he　affects　to　have　put　her　from　his　mind　when　he　discovered　her
worthlessness；　I　do　not　believe；　nor；　as　I　have　said；　do　his　actions
encourage　that　belief。　　Then；　again；　his　callous　cynicism　in　hoping
that　he　had　killed　Binet　is　also　an　affectation。　　Knowing　that　such
things　as　Binet　are　better　out　of　the　world；　he　can　have　suffered
no　compunction；　he　had；　you　must　remember；　that　rarely　level　vision
which　sees　things　in　their　just　proportions；　and　never　either
magnifies　or　reduces　them　by　sentimental　considerations。　　At　the
same　time；　that　he　should　contemplate　the　taking　of　life　with　such
complete　and　cynical　equanimity；　whatever　the　justification；　is
quite　incredible。

Similarly　now；　it　is　not　to　be　believed　that　in　coming　straight
from　the　Bois　de　Boulogne；　straight　from　the　killing　of　a　man；　he
should　be　sincerely　expressing　his　nature　in　alluding　to　the　fact
in　terms　of　such　outrageous　flippancy。　　Not　quite　to　such　an　extent
was　he　the　incarnation　of　Scaramouche。　　But　sufficiently　was　he　so
ever　to　mask　his　true　feelings　by　an　arresting　gesture；　his　true
thoughts　by　an　effective　phrase。　　He　was　the　actor　always；　a　man
ever　calculating　the　effect　he　would　produce；　ever　avoiding
self…revelation；　ever　concerned　to　overlay　his　real　character　by
an　assumed　and　quite　fictitious　one。　　There　was　in　this　something
of　impishness；　and　something　of　other　things。

Nobody　laughed　now　at　his　flippancy。　　He　did　not　intend　that
anybody　should。　　He　intended　to　be　terrible；　and　he　knew　that　the
more　flippant　and　casual　his　tone；　the　more　terrible　would　be　its
effect。　　He　produced　exactly　the　effect　he　desired。

What　followed　in　a　place　where　feelings　and　practices　had　become
what　they　had　become　is　not　difficult　to　surmise。　　When　the　session
rose；　there　were　a　dozen　spadassins　awaiting　him　in　the　vestibule；
and　this　time　the　men　of　his　own　party　were　less　concerned　to　guard
him。　He　seemed　so　entirely　capable　of　guarding　himself；　he　appeared；
for　all　his　circumspection；　to　have　so　completely　carried　the　war
into　the　enemy's　camp；　so　completely　to　have　adopted　their　own
methods；　that　his　fellows　scarcely　felt　the　need　to　protect　him
as　yesterday。

As　he　emerged；　he　scanned　that　hostile　file；　whose　air　and　garments
marked　them　so　clearly　for　what　they　were。　　He　paused；　seeking　the
man　he　expected；　the　man　he　was　most　anxious　to　oblige。　　But　M。　de
La　Tour　d'Azyr　was　absent　from　those　eager　ranks。　　This　seemed　to
him　odd。　　La　Tour　d'Azyr　was　Chabrillane's　cousin　and　closest　friend。
Surely　he　should　have　been　among　the　first　to…day。　　The　fact　was
that　La　Tour　d'Azyr　was　too　deeply　overcome　by　amazement　and　grief
at　the　utterly　unexpected　event。　　Also　his　vindictiveness　was　held
curiously　in　leash。　　Perhaps　he；　too；　remembered　the　part　played　by
Chabrillane　in　the　affair　at　Gavrillac；　and　saw　in　this　obscure
Andre…Louis　Moreau；　who　had　so　persistently　persecuted　him　ever
since；　an　ordained　avenger。　　The　repugnance　he　felt　to　come　to　the
point；　with　him；　particularly　after　this　culminating　provocation；
was　puzzling　even　to　himself。　　But　it　existed；　and　it　curbed　him　now。

To　Andre…Louis；　since　La　Tour　was　not　one　of　that　waiting　pack；　it
mattered　little　on　that　Tuesday　morning　who　should　be　the　next。　　The
next；　as　it　happened；　was　the　young　Vicomte　de　La　Motte…Royau；　one
of　the　deadliest　blades　in　the　group。

On　the　Wednesday　morning；　coming　again　an　hour　or　so　late　to　the
Assembly；　Andre…Louis　announced　…　in　much　the　same　terms　as　he　had
announced　the　death　of　Chabrillane　…　that　M。　de　La　Motte…Royau
would　probably　not　disturb　the　harmony　of　the　Assembly　for　some
weeks　to　come；　assuming　that　he　were　so　fortunate　as　to　recover
ultimately　from　the　effects　of　an　unpleasant　accident　with　which　he
had　quite　unexpectedly　had　the　misfortune　to　meet　that　morning。

On　Thursday　he　made　an　identical　announcement　with　regard　to　the
Vidame　de　Blavon。　　On　Friday　he　told　them　that　he　had　been　delayed
by　M。　de　Troiscantins；　and　then　turning　to　the　members　of　the　Cote
Droit；　and　lengthening　his　face　to　a　sympathetic　gravity：

〃I　am　glad　to　inform　you；　messieurs；　that　M。　des　Troiscantins　is
in　the　hands　of　a　very　competent　surgeon　who　hopes　with　care　to
restore　him　to　your　councils　in　a　few　weeks'　time。〃

It　was　paralyzing；　fantastic；　unreal；　and　friend　and　foe　in　that
assembly　sat　alike　stupefied　under　those　bland　daily　announcements。
Four　of　the　most　redoubtable　spadassinicides　put　away　for　a　time；
one　of　them　dead　…　and　all　this　performed　with　such　an　air　of
indifference　and　announced　in　such　casual　terms　by　a　wretched　little
provincial　lawyer！

He　began　to　assume　in　their　eyes　a　romantic　aspect。　　Even　that　group
of　philosophers　of　the　Cote　Gauche；　who　refused　to　worship　any　force
but　the　force