bustle of preparation for the departure that was imminent。
Andre…Louis had won safely out of Paris last night with his mother
and Aline； and to…day they were to set out all of them for Coblenz。
To Andre…Louis； sauntering there with hands clasped behind him and
head hunched between his shoulders … for life had never been richer
in material for reflection … came presently Aline through one of
the glass doors from the library。
〃You're early astir；〃 she greeted him。
〃Faith； yes。 I haven't been to bed。 No；〃 he assured her； in answer
to her exclamation。 〃I spent the night or what was left of it
sitting at the window thinking。〃
〃My poor Andre！〃
〃You describe me perfectly。 I am very poor … for I know nothing；
understand nothing。 It is not a calamitous condition until it is
realized。 Then。。。 〃 He threw out his arms； and let them fall again。
His face she observed was very drawn and haggard。
She paced with him along the old granite balustrade over which the
geraniums flung their mantle of green and scarlet。
〃Have you decided what you are going to do？〃 she asked him。
〃I have decided that I have no choice。 I； too； must emigrate。 I
am lucky to be able to do so； lucky to have found no one amid
yesterday's chaos in Paris to whom I could report myself as I
foolishly desired； else I might no longer be armed with these。〃
He drew from his pocket the powerful passport of the Commission of
Twelve； enjoining upon all Frenchmen to lend him such assistance as
he might require； and warning those who might think of hindering
him that they did so at their own peril。 He spread it before her。
〃With this I conduct you all safely to the frontier。 Over the
frontier M。 de Kercadiou and Mme。 de Plougastel will have to conduct
me； and then we shall be quits。〃
〃Quits？〃 quoth she。 〃But you will be unable to return！〃
〃You conceive； of course； my eagerness to do so。 My child； in a
day or two there will be enquiries。 It will be asked what has
become of me。 Things will transpire。 Then the hunt will start。
But by then we shall be well upon our way； well ahead of any
possible pursuit。 You don't imagine that I could ever give the
government any satisfactory explanation of my absence … assuming
that any government remains to which to explain it？〃
〃You mean。。。 that you will sacrifice your future； this career upon
which you have embarked？〃 It took her breath away。
〃In the pass to which things have come there is no career for me
down there … at least no honest one。 And I hope you do not think
that I could be dishonest。 It is the day of the Dantons； and the
Marats； the day of the rabble。 The reins of government will be
tossed to the populace； or else the populace； drunk with the conceit
with which the Dantons and the Marats have filled it； will seize
the reins by force。 Chaos must follow； and a despotism of brutes
and apes； a government of the whole by its lowest parts。 It cannot
endure； because unless a nation is ruled by its best elements it
must wither and decay。〃
〃I thought you were a republican；〃 said she。
〃Why； so I am。 I am talking like one。 I desire a society which
selects its rulers； from the best elements of every class and denies
the right of any class or corporation to usurp the government to
itself … whether it be the nobles； the clergy； the bourgeoisie； or
the proletariat。 For government by any one class is fatal to the
welfare of the whole。 Two years ago our ideal seemed to have been
realized。 The monopoly of power had been taken from the class that
had held it too long and too unjustly by the hollow right of
heredity。 It had been distributed as evenly as might be throughout
the State； and if men had only paused there； all would have been
well。 But our impetus carried us too far； the privileged orders
goaded us on by their very opposition； and the result is the horror
of which yesterday you saw no more than the beginnings。 No； no；〃
he ended。 〃Careers there may be for venal place…seekers； for
opportunists； but none for a man who desires to respect himself。
It is time to go。 I make no sacrifice in going。〃
〃But where will you go？ What will you do？〃
〃Oh； something。 Consider that in four years I have been lawyer；
politician； swordsman； and buffoon … especially the latter。 There
is always a place in the world for Scaramouche。 Besides； do you
know that unlike Scaramouche I have been oddly provident？ I am
the owner of a little farm in Saxony。 I think that agriculture
might suit me。 It is a meditative occupation； and when all is said；
I am not a man of action。 I haven't the qualities for the part。〃
She looked up into his face； and there was a wistful smile in her
deep blue eyes。
〃Is there any part for which you have not the qualities； I wonder？〃
〃Do you really？ Yet you cannot say that I have made a success of
any of those which I have played。 I have always ended by running
away。 I am running away now from a thriving fencing…academy； which
is likely to become the property of Le Duc。 That comes of having
gone into politics； from which I am also running away。 It is the
one thing in which I really excel。 That； too； is an attribute of
Scaramouche。〃
〃Why will you always be deriding yourself？〃 she wondered。
〃Because I recognize myself for part of this mad world； I suppose。
You wouldn't have me take it seriously？ I should lose my reason
utterly if I did； especially since discovering my parents。〃
〃Don't； Andre！〃 she begged him。 〃You are insincere； you know。〃
〃Of course I am。 Do you expect sincerity in man when hypocrisy is
the very keynote of human nature？ We are nurtured on it； we are
schooled in it； we live by it； and we rarely realize it。 You have
seen it rampant and out of hand in France during the past four
years … cant and hypocrisy on the lips of the revolutionaries；
cant and hypocrisy on the lips of the upholders of the old regime；
a riot of hypocrisy out of which in the end is begotten chaos。
And I who criticize it all on this beautiful God…given morning am
the rankest and most contemptible hypocrite of all。 It was this
… the realization of this truth kept me awake all night。 For two
years I have persecuted by every means in my power。。。 M。 de La Tour
d'Azyr。〃
He paused before uttering the name； paused as if hesitating how to
speak of him。
〃And in those two years I have deceived myself as to the motive
that was spurring me。 He spoke of me last night as the evil genius
of his life； and himself he recognized the justice of this。 It may
be that he was right； and because of that it is probable that even
had he not killed Philippe de Vilmorin； things would still have
been the same。 Indeed； to…day I know that they must have been。
That is why I call myself a hypocrite； a poor； self…duping hypocrite。〃
〃But why； Andre？〃
He stood still and looked at her。 〃Because he sought you； Aline。
Because in that alone he must have found me ranged against him；
utterly intransigeant。 Because of that I must have strained every
nerve to bring him down … so as to save you from becoming the prey
of your own ambition。
〃I wish to speak of him no more than I must。 After this； I trust
never to speak of him again。 Before the lines of our lives crossed；
I knew him for what he was； I knew the report of him that ran the
countryside。 Even then I found him detestable。 You heard him
allude last night to the unfortunate La Binet。 You heard him plead；
in extenuation of his fault； his mode of life； his rearing。 To that
there is no answer； I suppose。 He conforms to type。 Enough！ But
to me； he was the embodiment of evil； just as you have always been
the embodiment of good； he was the embodiment of sin； just as you
are the embodiment of purity。 I had enthroned you so high； Aline；
so high； and yet no higher than your place。 Could I； then； suffer
that you should be dragged down by ambition； could I suffer the
evil I detested to mate with the good I loved？ What could have
come of it but your own damnation； as I told you that day at
Gavrillac？ Because of that my detestation of him became a personal；
active thing。 I resolved to save you at all costs from a fate so
horrible。 Had you been able to tell me that you loved him it would
have been different。 I should have hoped that in a union sanctified
by love you would have raised him to your own pure heights。 But
that out of considerations of worldly advancement you should
lovelessly consent to mate with him。。。 Oh； it was vile and hopeless。
And so I fought him … a rat fighting a lion … fought him relentlessly
until I saw that love had come to take in your heart the place of
ambition。 Then I desisted。〃
〃Until you saw that love had taken the place of ambition！〃 Tears
had been gathering in her eyes whilst he was speaking。 Now
amazement eliminated her emotion。 〃But when did you see that？
When？〃
〃I … I was mistaken。 I know it now。 Yet； at the time。。。 surely；
Aline； that morning when you came to beg me not to keep my
engagement with him in the Bois； you were moved by concern for him？〃
〃For him！ It was concern for you；〃 she cried； without thinking
what she said。
But it did not convince him。 〃For me？ When you knew … when all
the world knew what I had been doing daily for a week！〃
〃Ah； but he； he was different from the others you had met。 His
reputation stood high。 My uncle accounted him invincible； he
persuaded me that if you met nothing could save you。〃
He looked at her frowning。
〃Why this； Aline？〃 he asked her with some sternness。 〃I can
understand that； having changed since then； you should now wish
to disown those sentiments。 It is a woman's way； I suppose。〃
〃Oh； what are you saying； Andre？ How wrong you are！ It is the
truth I have told you！〃
〃And was it concern for me；〃 he asked her； 〃that laid you swooning
when you saw him return wounded from the meeting？ That was what
opened my eyes。〃
〃Wounded？ I had not seen his wound。 I saw him sitting alive and
apparently unhurt in his caleche； and I concluded that he had
killed you as he had said he would。 What else could I conclude？〃
He saw light； dazzling； blinding； and it scared him。 He fell back；
a hand to his b