scaramouche-第9章
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his cousin。
When the landlord and his people came； they found Andre…Louis； his
arms about the body of his dead friend； murmuring passionately into
the deaf ear that rested almost against his lips：
〃Philippe！ Speak to me； Philippe！ Philippe。。。 Don't you hear me？
0 God of Heaven！ Philippe！〃
At a glance they saw that here neither priest nor doctor could avail。
The cheek that lay against Andre…Louis's was leaden…hued； the
half…open eyes were glazed； and there was a little froth of blood
upon the vacuously parted lips。
Half blinded by tears Andre…Louis stumbled after them when they bore
the body into the inn。 Upstairs in the little room to which they
conveyed it； he knelt by the bed； and holding the dead man's hand
in both his own； he swore to him out of his impotent rage that M。 de
La Tour d'Azyr should pay a bitter price for this。
〃It was your eloquence he feared； Philippe；〃 he said。 Then if I can
get no justice for this deed； at least it shall be fruitless to him。
The thing he feared in you； he shall fear in me。 He feared that men
might be swayed by your eloquence to the undoing of such things as
himself。 Men shall be swayed by it still。 For your eloquence and
your arguments shall be my heritage from you。 I will make them my
own。 It matters nothing that I do not believe in your gospel of
freedom。 I know it … every word of it； that is all that matters to
our purpose； yours and mine。 If all else fails； your thoughts shall
find expression in my living tongue。 Thus at least we shall have
frustrated his vile aim to still the voice he feared。 It shall
profit him nothing to have your blood upon his soul。 That voice in
you would never half so relentlessly have hounded him and his as it
shall in me … if all else fails。〃
It was an exulting thought。 It calmed him； it soothed his grief；
and he began very softly to pray。 And then his heart trembled as
he considered that Philippe； a man of peace； almost a priest； an
apostle of Christianity； had gone to his Maker with the sin of anger
on his soul。 It was horrible。 Yet God would see the righteousness
of that anger。 And in no case … be man's interpretation of Divinity
what it might … could that one sin outweigh the loving good that
Philippe had ever practised； the noble purity of his great heart。
God after all； reflected Andre…Louis； was not a grand…seigneur。
M。 de Kercadiou stared at him blankly out of his pale
CHAPTER V
THE LORD OF GAVRILLAC
For the second time that day Andre…Louis set out for the chateau；
walking briskly； and heeding not at all the curious eyes that
followed him through the village； and the whisperings that marked
his passage through the people； all agog by now with that day's
event in which he had been an actor。
He was ushered by Benoit； the elderly body…servant； rather
grandiloquently called the seneschal； into the ground…floor room
known traditionally as the library。 It still contained several
shelves of neglected volumes； from which it derived its title； but
implements of the chase … fowling…pieces； powder…horns； hunting…bags；
sheath…knives … obtruded far more prominently than those of study。
The furniture was massive； of oak richly carved； and belonging to
another age。 Great massive oak beams crossed the rather lofty
whitewashed ceiling。
Here the squat Seigneur de Gavrillac was restlessly pacing when
Andre…Louis was introduced。 He was already informed； as he
announced at once； of what had taken place at the Breton arme。 M。
de Chabrillane had just left him； and he confessed himself deeply
grieved and deeply perplexed。
〃The pity of it！〃 he said。 〃The pity of it！〃 He bowed his enormous
head。 〃So estimable a young man； and so full of promise。 Ah； this
La Tour d'Azyr is a hard man； and he feels very strongly in these
matters。 He may be right。 I don't know。 I have never killed a man
for holding different views from mine。 In fact； I have never killed
a man at all。 It isn't in my nature。 I shouldn't sleep of nights if
I did。 But men are differently made。〃
〃The question； monsieur my godfather；〃 said Andre…Louis； 〃is what is
to be done。〃 He was quite calm and self…possessed； but very white。
M。 de Kercadiou stared at him blankly out of his pale eyes。
〃Why； what the devil is there to do？ From what I am told； Vilmorin
went so far as to strike M。 le Marquis。〃
〃Under the very grossest provocation。〃
〃Which he himself provoked by his revolutionary language。 The poor
lad's head was full of this encyclopaedist trash。 It comes of too
much reading。 I have never set much store by books； Andre； and I
have never known anything but trouble to come out of learning。 It
unsettles a man。 It complicates his views of life； destroys the
simplicity which makes for peace of mind and happiness。 Let this
miserable affair be a warning to you； Andre。 You are； yourself；
too prone to these new…fashioned speculations upon a different
constitution of the social order。 You see what comes of it。 A
fine； estimable young man； the only prop of his widowed mother too；
forgets himself； his position； his duty to that mother … everything；
and goes and gets himself killed like this。 It is infernally sad。
On my soul it is sad。〃 He produced a handkerchief； and blew his
nose with vehemence。
Andre…Louis felt a tightening of his heart； a lessening of the
hopes； never too sanguine； which he had founded upon his godfather。
〃Your criticisms；〃 he said； 〃are all for the conduct of the dead；
and none for that of the murderer。 It does not seem possible that
you should be in sympathy with such a crime。
〃Crime？〃 shrilled M。 de Kercadiou。 〃My God； boy； you are speaking
of M。 de La Tour d'Azyr。〃
〃I am； and of the abominable murder he has committed。。。 〃
〃Stop！〃 M。 de Kercadiou was very emphatic。 〃I cannot permit that
you apply such terms to him。 I cannot permit it。 M。 le Marquis is
my friend； and is likely very soon to stand in a still closer
relationship。〃
〃Notwithstanding this？〃 asked Andre…Louis。
M。 de Kercadiou was frankly impatient。
〃Why； what has this to do with it？ I may deplore it。 But I have
no right to condemn it。 It is a common way of adjusting differences
between gentlemen。〃
〃You really believe that？〃
〃What the devil do you imply； Andre？ Should I say a thing that I
don't believe？ You begin to make me angry。〃
〃'Thou shalt not kill；' is the King's law as well as God's。〃
〃You are determined to quarrel with me； I think。 It was a duel。。。 〃
Andre…Louis interrupted him。 〃It is no more a duel than if it had
been fought with pistols of which only M。 le Marquis 's was loaded。
He invited Philippe to discuss the matter further； with the
deliberate intent of forcing a quarrel upon him and killing him。
Be patient with me； monsieur my god…father。 I am not telling you
of what I imagine but what M。 le Marquis himself admitted to me。〃
Dominated a little by the young man's earnestness； M。 de Kercadiou's
pale eyes fell away。 He turned with a shrug； and sauntered over to
the window。
〃It would need a court of honour to decide such an issue。 And we
have no courts of honour；〃 he said。
〃But we have courts of justice。〃
With returning testiness the seigneur swung round to face him again。
〃And what court of justice； do you think； would listen to such a
plea as you appear to have in mind？〃
〃There is the court of the King's Lieutenant at Rennes。〃
〃And do you think the King's Lieutenant would listen to you？〃
〃Not to me； perhaps； Monsieur。 But if you were to bring the
plaint。。。 〃
〃I bring the plaint？〃 M。 de Kercadiou's pale eyes were wide with
horror of the suggestion。
〃The thing happened here on your domain。〃
〃I bring a plaint against M。 de La Tour d'Azyr！ You are out of your
senses； I think。 Oh； you are mad； as mad as that poor friend of
yours who has come to this end through meddling in what did not
concern him。 The language he used here to M。 le Marquis on the
score of Mabey was of the most offensive。 Perhaps you didn't know
that。 It does not at all surprise me that the Marquis should have
desired satisfaction。〃
〃I see；〃 said Andre…Louis； on a note of hopelessness。
