the black robe-第3章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！





servant；　in　a　whisper；　〃if　the　dogs　were　loose？〃　After　what　I　had



observed；　I　could　only　conclude　that　the　dogs　were　used　as　a



patrol；　to　give　the　alarm　in　case　of　a　descent　of　the　police。　It



was　plainly　high　time　to　thank　Captain　Peterkin　for　his



hospitality；　and　to　take　our　leave。







〃We　have　had　enough　of　this；〃　I　whispered　to　Romayne　in　English。



〃Let　us　go。〃







In　these　days　it　is　a　delusion　to　suppose　that　you　can　speak



confidentially　in　the　English　language；　when　French　people　are



within　hearing。　One　of　the　ladies　asked　Romayne；　tenderly；　if　he



was　tired　of　her　already。　Another　reminded　him　that　it　was



raining　heavily　（as　we　could　all　hear）；　and　suggested　waiting



until　it　cleared　up。　The　hideous　General　waved　his　greasy　hand　in



the　direction　of　the　card　table；　and　said；　〃The　game　is　waiting



for　us。〃







Romayne　was　excited；　but　not　stupefied；　by　the　wine　he　had　drunk。



He　answered；　discreetly　enough；　〃I　must　beg　you　to　excuse　me；　I



am　a　poor　card　player。〃







The　General　suddenly　looked　grave。　〃You　are　speaking；　sir；　under



a　strange　misapprehension；〃　he　said。　〃Our　game　is



lansquenetessentially　a　game　of　chance。　With　luck；　the　poorest



player　is　a　match　for　the　whole　table。〃







Romayne　persisted　in　his　refusal。　As　a　matter　of　course；　I



supported　him；　with　all　needful　care　to　avoid　giving　offense。　The



General　took　offense；　nevertheless。　He　crossed　his　arms　on　his



breast；　and　looked　at　us　fiercely。







〃Does　this　mean；　gentlemen；　that　you　distrust　the　company？〃　he



asked。







The　broken…nosed　Commander；　hearing　the　question；　immediately



joined　us；　in　the　interests　of　peacebearing　with　him　the



elements　of　persuasion；　under　the　form　of　a　lady　on　his　arm。







The　lady　stepped　briskly　forward；　and　tapped　the　General　on　the



shoulder　with　her　fan。　〃I　am　one　of　the　company；〃　she　said；　〃and



I　am　sure　Mr。　Romayne　doesn't　distrust　_me_。〃　She　turned　to



Romayne　with　her　most　irresistible　smile。　〃A　gentleman　always



plays　cards；〃　she　resumed；　〃when　he　has　a　lady　for　a　partner。　Let



us　join　our　interests　at　the　tableand；　dear　Mr。　Romayne；　don't



risk　too　much！〃　She　put　her　pretty　little　purse　into　his　hand；



and　looked　as　if　she　had　been　in　love　with　him　for　half　her



lifetime。







The　fatal　influence　of　the　sex；　assisted　by　wine；　produced　the



inevitable　result。　Romayne　allowed　himself　to　be　led　to　the　card



table。　For　a　moment　the　General　delayed　the　beginning　of　the



game。　After　what　had　happened；　it　was　necessary　that　he　should



assert　the　strict　sense　of　justice　that　was　in　him。　〃We　are　all



honorable　men；〃　he　began。







〃And　brave　men；〃　the　Commander　added；　admiring　the　General。







〃And　brave　men；〃　the　General　admitted；　admiring　the　Commander。



〃Gentlemen；　if　I　have　been　led　into　expressing　myself　with



unnecessary　warmth　of　feeling；　I　apologize；　and　regret　it。







〃Nobly　spoken！〃　the　Commander　pronounced。　The　General　put　his



hand　on　his　heart　and　bowed。　The　game　began。







As　the　poorest　man　of　the　two　I　had　escaped　the　attentions



lavished　by　the　ladies　on　Romayne。　At　the　same　time　I　was　obliged



to　pay　for　my　dinner；　by　taking　some　part　in　the　proceedings　of



the　evening。　Small　stakes　were　allowed；　I　found；　at　roulette；



and；　besides；　the　heavy　chances　in　favor　of　the　table　made　it



hardly　worth　while　to　run　the　risk　of　cheating　in　this　case。　I



placed　myself　next　to　the　least　rascally…looking　man　in　the



company；　and　played　roulette。







For　a　wonder；　I　was　successful　at　the　first　attempt。　My　neighbor



handed　me　my　winnings。　〃I　have　lost　every　farthing　I　possess；〃　he



whispered　to　me；　piteously；　〃and　I　have　a　wife　and　children　at



home。〃　I　lent　the　poor　wretch　five　francs。　He　smiled　faintly　as



he　looked　at　the　money。　〃It　reminds　me；〃　he　said；　〃of　my　last



transaction；　when　I　borrowed　of　that　gentleman　there；　who　is



betting　on　the　General's　luck　at　the　card　table。　Beware　of



employing　him　as　I　did。　What　do　you　think　I　got　for　my　note　of



hand　of　four　thousand　francs？　A　hundred　bottles　of　champagne；



fifty　bottles　of　ink；　fifty　bottles　of　blacking；　three　dozen



handkerchiefs；　two　pictures　by　unknown　masters；　two　shawls；　one



hundred　maps；　_and_five　francs。〃







We　went　on　playing。　My　luck　deserted　me；　I　lost；　and　lost；　and



lost　again。　From　time　to　time　I　looked　round　at　the　card　table。



The　〃deal〃　had　fallen　early　to　the　General；　and　it　seemed　to　be



indefinitely　prolonged。　A　heap　of　notes　and　gold　（won　mainly　from



Romayne；　as　I　afterward　discovered）　lay　before　him。　As　for　my



neighbor；　the　unhappy　possessor　of　the　bottles　of　blacking；　the



pictures　by　unknown　masters；　and　the　rest　of　it；　he　won；　and　then



rashly　presumed　on　his　good　fortune。　Deprived　of　his　last



farthing；　he　retired　into　a　corner　of　the　room；　and　consoled



himself　with　a　cigar。　I　had　just　arisen；　to　follow　his　example；



when　a　furious　uproar　burst　out　at　the　card　table。







I　saw　Romayne　spring　up；　and　snatch　the　cards　out　of　the



General's　hand。　〃You　scoundrel！〃　he　shouted；　〃you　are　cheating！〃



The　General　started　to　his　feet　in　a　fury。　〃You　lie！〃　he　cried。　I



attempted　to　interfere；　but　Romayne　had　already　seen　the



necessity　of　controlling　himself。　〃A　gentleman　doesn't　accept　an



insult　from　a　swindler；〃　he　said；　coolly。　〃Accept　this；　then！〃



the　General　answeredand　spat　on　him。　In　an　instant　Romayne



knocked　him　down。







The　blow　was　dealt　straight　between　his　eyes：　he　was　a　gross



big…boned　man；　and　he　fell　heavily。　For　the　time　he　was　stunned。



The　women　ran；　screaming；　out　of　the　room。　The　peaceable



Commander　trembled　from　head　to　foot。　Two　of　the　men　present；



who；　to　give　them　their　due；　were　no　cowards；　locked　the　doors。



〃You　don't　go；〃　they　said；　〃till　we　see　whether　he　recovers　or



not。〃　Cold　water；　assisted　by　the　landlady's　smelling　salts；



brought　the　General　to　his　senses　after　a　while。　He　whispered



something　to　one　of　his　friends；　who　immediately　turned　to　me。



〃The　General　challenges　Mr。　Romayne；〃　he　said。　〃As　one　of　his



seconds；　I　demand　an　appointment　for　to…morrow　morning。〃　I



refused　to　make　any　appointment　unless　the　doors　were　first



unlocked；　and　we　were　left　free　to　depart。　〃Our　carriage　is



waiting　outside；〃　I　added。　〃If　it　returns　to　the　hotel　without



us；　there　will　be　an　inquiry。〃　This　latter　consideration　had　its



effect。　On　their　side；　the　doors　were　opened。　On　our　side；　the



appointment　was　made。　We　left　the　house。







IV。







IN　consenting　to　receive　the　General's　representative；　it　is



needless　to　say　that　I　merely　desired　to　avoid　provoking　another



quarrel。　If　those　persons　were　really　impudent　enough　to　call　at



the　hotel；　I　had　arranged　to　threaten　them　with　the　interference



of　the　police；　and　so　to　put　an　end　to　the　matter。　Romayne



expressed　no　opinion　on　the　subject；　one　way　or　the　other。　His



conduct　inspired　me　with　a　feeling　of　uneasiness。　The　filthy



insult　of　which　he　had　been　made　the　object　seemed　to　be　rankling



in　his　mind。　He　went　away　thoughtfully　to　his　own　room。　〃Have　you



nothing　to　say　to　me？〃　I　asked。　He　only　answered：　〃Wait　till



to…morrow。〃







The　next　day　the　seconds　appeared。







I　had　expected　to　see　two　of　the　men　with　whom　we　had　dined。　To



my　astonishment；　the　visitors　proved　to　be　officers　of　the



General's　regiment。　They　brought　proposals　for　a　hostile　meeting



the　next　morning；　the　choice　of　weapons　being　left　to　Romayne　as



the　challenged　man。







It　was　now　quite　plain　to　me　that　the　General's　peculiar　met