scaramouche-第73章
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by humiliating myself I could hope to prevail。 But Azyr is a hard；
relentless man； and。。。 〃
Abruptly she left him。
She overtook the Marquis as he was in the act of stepping his
carriage。 He turned as she called； and bowed。
〃Mademoiselle？〃
At once he guessed her errand； tasted in anticipation the
unparalleled bitterness of being compelled to refuse her。 Yet at
her invitation he stepped back into the cool of the hall。
In the middle of the floor of chequered marbles； black and white；
stood a carved table of black oak。 By this he halted； leaning
lightly against it whilst she sat enthroned in the great crimson
chair beside it。
〃Monsieur； I cannot allow you so to depart；〃 she said。 〃You cannot
realize； monsieur； what a blow would be dealt my uncle if。。。 if
evil； irrevocable evil were to overtake his godson to…morrow。 The
expressions that he used at first。。。 〃
〃Mademoiselle； I perceived their true value。 Spare yourself。
Believe me I am profoundly desolated by circumstances which I had
not expected to find。 You must believe me when I say that。 It
is all that I can say。〃
〃Must it really be all？ Andre is very dear to his godfather。〃
The pleading tone cut him like a knife； and then suddenly it aroused
another emotion … an emotion which he realized to be utterly
unworthy； an emotion which； in his overwhelming pride of race；
seemed almost sullying； yet not to be repressed。 He hesitated to
give it utterance； hesitated even remotely to suggest so horrible
a thing as that in a man of such lowly origin he might conceivably
discover a rival。 Yet that sudden pang of jealousy was stronger
than his monstrous pride。
〃And to you； mademoiselle？ What is this Andre…Louis Moreau to you？
You will pardon the question。 But I desire clearly to understand。〃
Watching her he beheld the scarlet stain that overspread her face。
He read in it at first confusion； until the gleam of her blue eyes
announced its source to lie in anger。 That comforted him； since
he had affronted her； he was reassured。 It did not occur to him
that the anger might have another source。
〃Andre and I have been playmates from infancy。 He is very dear to
me； too； almost I regard him as a brother。 Were I in need of help；
and were my uncle not available； Andre would be the first man to
whom I should turn。 Are you sufficiently answered； monsieur？ Or
is there more of me you would desire revealed？〃
He bit his lip。 He was unnerved； he thought； this morning；
otherwise the silly suspicion with which he had offended could
never have occurred to him。
He bowed very low。 〃Mademoiselle； forgive that I should have
troubled you with such a question。 You have answered more fully
than I could have hoped or wished。〃
He said no more than that。 He waited for her to resume。 At a loss；
she sat in silence awhile； a pucker on her white brow； her fingers
nervously drumming on the table。 At last she flung herself headlong
against the impassive； polished front that he presented。
〃I have come； monsieur； to beg you to put off this meeting。〃
She saw the faint raising of his dark eyebrows； the faintly regretful
smile that scarcely did more than tinge his fine lips； and she
hurried on。 〃What honour can await you in such an engagement；
monsieur？〃
It was a shrewd thrust at the pride of race that she accounted his
paramount sentiment； that had as often lured him into error as it
had urged him into good。
〃I do not seek honour in it； mademoiselle； but … I must say it
… justice。 The engagement； as I have explained； is not of my
seeking。 It has been thrust upon me； and in honour I cannot draw
back。〃
〃Why； what dishonour would there be in sparing him？ Surely；
monsieur； none would call your courage in question？ None could
misapprehend your motives。〃
〃You are mistaken； mademoiselle。 My motives would most certainly
be misapprehended。 You forget that this young man has acquired in
the past week a certain reputation that might well make a man
hesitate to meet him。〃
She brushed that aside almost contemptuously； conceiving it the
merest quibble。
〃Some men； yes。 But not you； M。 le Marquis。〃
Her confidence in him on every count was most sweetly flattering。
But there was a bitterness behind the sweet。
〃Even I； mademoiselle； let me assure you。 And there is more than
that。 This quarrel which M。 Moreau has forced upon me is no new
thing。 It is merely the culmination of a long…drawn persecution。
〃Which you invited；〃 she cut in。 〃Be just； monsieur。〃
〃I hope that it is not in my nature to be otherwise； mademoiselle。〃
〃Consider； then； that you killed his friend。〃
〃I find in that nothing with which to reproach myself。 My
justification lay in the circumstances … the subsequent events in
this distracted country surely confirm it。〃
〃And。。。 〃 She faltered a little； and looked away from him for the
first time。 〃And that you。。。 that you。。。 And what of Mademoiselle
Binet； whom he was to have married？〃
He stared at her for a moment in sheer surprise。 〃Was to have
married？〃 he repeated incredulously； dismayed almost。
〃You did not know that？〃
〃But how do you？〃
〃Did I not tell you that we are as brother and sister almost？ I
have his confidence。 He told me； before。。。 before you made it
impossible。〃
He looked away； chin in hand； his glance thoughtful； disturbed；
almost wistful。
〃There is；〃 he said slowly； musingly。 〃a singular fatality at
work between that man and me； bringing us ever each by turns
athwart the other's path。。。 〃
He sighed； then swung to face her again； speaking more briskly：
〃Mademoiselle； until this moment I had no knowledge … no suspicion
of this thing。 But。。。〃 He broke off； considered； and then
shrugged。 〃If I wronged him； I did so unconsciously。 It would be
unjust to blame me； surely。 In all our actions it must be the
intention alone that counts。〃
〃But does it make no difference？〃
〃None that I can discern； mademoiselle。 It gives me no
justification to withdraw from that to which I am irrevocably
committed。 No justification； indeed； could ever be greater than
my concern for the pain it must occasion my good friend； your
uncle； and perhaps yourself； mademoiselle。〃
She rose suddenly； squarely confronting him； desperate now；
driven to play the only card upon which she thought she might
count。
〃Monsieur；〃 she said； 〃you did me the honour to…day to speak in
certain terms； to。。。 to allude to certain hopes with which you
honour me。〃
He looked at her almost in fear。 In silence； not daring to speak；
he waited for her to continue。
〃I。。。 I。。。 Will you please to understand； monsieur； that if you
persist in this matter； if。。。 unless you can break this engagement
of yours to…morrow morning in the Bois； you are not to presume
to mention this subject to me again； or； indeed； ever again to
approach me。〃
To put the matter in this negative way was as far as she could
possibly go。 It was for him to make the positive proposal to
which she had thus thrown wide the door。
〃Mademoiselle； you cannot mean。。。 〃
〃I do； monsieur。。。 irrevocably； please to understand。〃 He looked
at her with eyes of misery； his handsome； manly face as pale as
she had ever seen it。 The hand he had been holding out in protest
began to shake。 He lowered it to his side again； lest she should
perceive its tremor。 Thus a brief second； while the battle was
fought within him； the bitter engagement between his desires and
what he conceived to be the demands of his honour； never perceiving
how far his honour was buttressed by implacable vindictiveness。
Retreat； he conceived； was impossible without shame； and shame was
to him an agony unthinkable。 She asked too much。 She could not
understand what she was asking； else she would never be so
unreasonable； so unjust。 But also he saw that it would be futile
to attempt to make her understand。
It was the end。 Though he kill Andre…Louis Moreau in the morning
as he fiercely hoped he would； yet the victory even in death must
lie with Andre…Louis Moreau。
He bowed profoundly； grave and sorrowful of face as he was grave
and sorrowful of heart。
〃Mademoiselle； my homage；〃 h
