the jacket (the star-rover)-第21章

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explained　the　happening。



〃Sainte…Maure　has　accorded　you　satisfaction；〃　was　his　judgment。　　〃He

has　prayed　your　pardon。〃



〃In　truth；　yes；〃　I　interrupted　in　my　suavest　tones。　　〃And　I　pray

your　pardon　again；　Villehardouin；　for　my　very　great　clumsiness。　　I

pray　your　pardon　a　thousand　times。　　The　fault　was　mine；　though

unintentioned。　　In　my　haste　to　an　engagement　I　was　clumsy；　most

woful　clumsy；　but　without　intention。〃



What　could　the　dolt　do　but　grudgingly　accept　the　amends　I　so　freely

proffered　him？　　Yet　I　knew；　as　Lanfranc　and　I　hastened　on；　that　ere

many　days；　or　hours；　the　flame…headed　youth　would　see　to　it　that　we

measured　steel　together　on　the　grass。



I　explained　no　more　to　Lanfranc　than　my　need　of　him；　and　he　was

little　interested　to　pry　deeper　into　the　matter。　　He　was　himself　a

lively　youngster　of　no　more　than　twenty；　but　he　had　been　trained　to

arms；　had　fought　in　Spain；　and　had　an　honourable　record　on　the

grass。　　Merely　his　black　eyes　flashed　when　he　learned　what　was

toward；　and　such　was　his　eagerness　that　it　was　he　who　gathered　Henry

Bohemond　in　to　our　number。



When　the　three　of　us　arrived　in　the　open　space　beyond　the　fish…pond

Fortini　and　two　friends　were　already　waiting　us。　　One　was　Felix

Pasquini；　nephew　to　the　Cardinal　of　that　name；　and　as　close　in　his

uncle's　confidence　as　was　his　uncle　close　in　the　confidence　of　the

gray　old　man。　　The　other　was　Raoul　de　Goncourt；　whose　presence

surprised　me；　he　being　too　good　and　noble　a　man　for　the　company　he

kept。



We　saluted　properly；　and　properly　went　about　the　business。　　It　was

nothing　new　to　any　of　us。　　The　footing　was　good；　as　promised。　　There

was　no　dew。　　The　moon　shone　fair；　and　Fortini's　blade　and　mine　were

out　and　at　earnest　play。



This　I　knew：　　good　swordsman　as　they　reckoned　me　in　France；　Fortini

was　a　better。　　This；　too；　I　knew：　　that　I　carried　my　lady's　heart

with　me　this　night；　and　that　this　night；　because　of　me；　there　would

be　one　Italian　less　in　the　world。　　I　say　I　knew　it。　　In　my　mind　the

issue　could　not　be　in　doubt。　　And　as　our　rapiers　played　I　pondered

the　manner　I　should　kill　him。　　I　was　not　minded　for　a　long　contest。

Quick　and　brilliant　had　always　been　my　way。　　And　further；　what　of　my

past　gay　months　of　carousal　and　of　singing　〃Sing　cucu；　sing　cucu；

sing　cucu；〃　at　ungodly　hours；　I　knew　I　was　not　conditioned　for　a

long　contest。　　Quick　and　brilliant　was　my　decision。



But　quick　and　brilliant　was　a　difficult　matter　with　so　consummate　a

swordsman　as　Fortini　opposed　to　me。　　Besides；　as　luck　would　have　it；

Fortini；　always　the　cold　one；　always　the　tireless…wristed；　always

sure　and　long；　as　report　had　it；　in　going　about　such　business；　on

this　night　elected；　too；　the　quick　and　brilliant。



It　was　nervous；　tingling　work；　for　as　surely　as　I　sensed　his

intention　of　briefness；　just　as　surely　had　he　sensed　mine。　　I　doubt

that　I　could　have　done　the　trick　had　it　been　broad　day　instead　of

moonlight。　　The　dim　light　aided　me。　　Also　was　I　aided　by　divining；

the　moment　in　advance；　what　he　had　in　mind。　　It　was　the　time　attack；

a　common　but　perilous　trick　that　every　novice　knows；　that　has　laid

on　his　back　many　a　good　man　who　attempted　it；　and　that　is　so　fraught

with　danger　to　the　perpetrator　that　swordsmen　are　not　enamoured　of

it。



We　had　been　at　work　barely　a　minute；　when　I　knew　under　all　his

darting；　flashing　show　of　offence　that　Fortini　meditated　this　very

time　attack。　　He　desired　of　me　a　thrust　and　lunge；　not　that　he　might

parry　it　but　that　he　might　time　it　and　deflect　it　by　the　customary

slight　turn　of　the　wrist；　his　rapier　point　directed　to　meet　me　as　my

body　followed　in　the　lunge。　　A　ticklish　thingay；　a　ticklish　thing

in　the　best　of　light。　　Did　he　deflect　a　fraction　of　a　second　too

early；　I　should　be　warned　and　saved。　　Did　he　deflect　a　fraction　of　a

second　too　late；　my　thrust　would　go　home　to　him。



〃Quick　and　brilliant　is　it？〃　was　my　thought。　　〃Very　well；　my　Italian

friend；　quick　and　brilliant　shall　it　be；　and　especially　shall　it　be

quick。〃



In　a　way；　it　was　time　attack　against　time　attack；　but　I　would　fool

him　on　the　time　by　being　over…quick。　　And　I　was　quick。　　As　I　said；

we　had　been　at　work　scarcely　a　minute　when　it　happened。　　Quick？

That　thrust　and　lunge　of　mine　were　one。　　A　snap　of　action　it　was；　an

explosion；　an　instantaneousness。　　I　swear　my　thrust　and　lunge　were　a

fraction　of　a　second　quicker　than　any　man　is　supposed　to　thrust　and

lunge。　　I　won　the　fraction　of　a　second。　　By　that　fraction　of　a

second　too　late　Fortini　attempted　to　deflect　my　blade　and　impale　me

on　his。　　But　it　was　his　blade　that　was　deflected。　　It　flashed　past

my　breast；　and　I　was　ininside　his　weapon；　which　extended　full

length　in　the　empty　air　behind　meand　my　blade　was　inside　of　him；

and　through　him；　heart…high；　from　right　side　of　him　to　left　side　of

him　and　outside　of　him　beyond。



It　is　a　strange　thing　to　do；　to　spit　a　live　man　on　a　length　of

steel。　　I　sit　here　in　my　cell；　and　cease　from　writing　a　space；　while

I　consider　the　matter。　　And　I　have　considered　it　often；　that

moonlight　night　in　France　of　long　ago；　when　I　taught　the　Italian

hound　quick　and　brilliant。　　It　was　so　easy　a　thing；　that　perforation

of　a　torso。　　One　would　have　expected　more　resistance。　　There　would

have　been　resistance　had　my　rapier　point　touched　bone。　　As　it　was；

it　encountered　only　the　softness　of　flesh。　　Still　it　perforated　so

easily。　　I　have　the　sensation　of　it　now；　in　my　hand；　my　brain；　as　I

write。　　A　woman's　hat…pin　could　go　through　a　plum　pudding　not　more

easily　than　did　my　blade　go　through　the　Italian。　　Oh；　there　was

nothing　amazing　about　it　at　the　time　to　Guillaume　de　Sainte…Maure；

but　amazing　it　is　to　me；　Darrell　Standing；　as　I　recollect　and　ponder

it　across　the　centuries。　　It　is　easy；　most　easy；　to　kill　a　strong；

live；　breathing　man　with　so　crude　a　weapon　as　a　piece　of　steel。

Why；　men　are　like　soft…shell　crabs；　so　tender；　frail；　and　vulnerable

are　they。



But　to　return　to　the　moonlight　on　the　grass。　　My　thrust　made　home；

there　was　a　perceptible　pause。　　Not　at　once　did　Fortini　fall。　　Not

at　once　did　I　withdraw　the　blade。　　For　a　full　second　we　stood　in

pauseI；　with　legs　spread；　and　arched　and　tense；　body　thrown

forward；　right　arm　horizontal　and　straight　out；　Fortini；　his　blade

beyond　me　so　far　that　hilt　and　hand　just　rested　lightly　against　my

left　breast；　his　body　rigid；　his　eyes　open　and　shining。



So　statuesque　were　we　for　that　second　that　I　swear　those　about　us

were　not　immediately　aware　of　what　had　happened。　　Then　Fortini

gasped　and　coughed　slightly。　　The　rigidity　of　his　pose　slackened。

The　hilt　and　hand　against　my　breast　wavered；　then　the　arm　drooped　to

his　side　till　the　rapier　point　rested　on　the　lawn。　　By　this　time

Pasquini　and　de　Goncourt　had　sprung　to　him　and　he　was　sinking　into

their　arms。　　In　faith；　it　was　harder　for　me　to　withdraw　the　steel

than　to　drive　it　in。　　His　flesh　clung　about　it　as　if　jealous　to　let

it　depart。　　Oh；　believe　me；　it　required　a　distinct　physical　effort

to　get　clear　of　what　I　had　done。



But　the　pang　of　the　withdrawal　must　have　stung　him　back　to　life　and

purpose；　for　he　shook　off　his　friends；　straightened　himself；　and

lifted　his　rapier　into　position。　　I；　too；　took　position；　marvelling

that　it　was　possible　I　had　spitted　him　heart…high　and　yet　missed　any

vital　spot。　　Then；　and　before　his　friends　could　catch　him；　his　legs

crumpled　under　him　and　he　went　heavily　to　grass。　　They　laid　him　on

his　back；　but　he　was　already　dead；　his　face　ghastly　still　under　the

moon；　his　right　hand　still　a…clutch　of　the　rapier。



Yes；　it　is　indeed　a　marvellous　easy　thing　to　kill　a　man。



We　saluted　his　friends　and　were　about　to　depart；　when　Felix　Pasquini

detained　me。



〃Pardon　me；〃　I　said。　　〃Let　it　be　to…morrow。〃



〃We　have　but　to　move　a　step　aside；〃　he　urged；　〃where　the　grass　is

still　dry。〃



〃Let　me　then　wet　it　for　you；　Sainte…Maure；〃　Lanfranc　asked　of　me；

eager　himself　to　do　for　an　Italian。