the chouans- 第29部分

〃May　we　light　our　fire　before　starting；　adjutant？〃　asked　Clef…des…　Coeurs。

Gerard　nodded。

〃There！　you　see；　Clef…des…Coeurs；〃　said　Beau…Pied；　〃the　adjutant's　wrong　to　run　himself　into　this　wasp's…nest。　If　Hulot　was　in　command　we　shouldn't　be　cornered　herein　a　saucepan！〃

〃What　a　stupid　you　are！〃　replied　Clef…des…Coeurs；　〃haven't　you　guessed；　you　knave　of　tricks；　that　this　is　the　home　of　the　beauty　our　jovial　Merle　has　been　whistling　round？　He'll　marry　her　to　a　certaintythat's　as　clear　as　a　well…rubbed　bayonet。　A　woman　like　that　will　do　honor　to　the　brigade。〃

〃True　for　you；〃　replied　Beau…Pied；　〃and　you　may　add　that　she　gives　pretty　good　ciderbut　I　can't　drink　it　in　peace　till　I　know　what's　behind　those　devilish　hedges。　I　always　remember　poor　Larose　and　Vieux…　Chapeau　rolling　down　the　ditch　at　La　Pelerine。　I　shall　recollect　Larose's　queue　to　the　end　of　my　days；　it　went　hammering　down　like　the　knocker　of　a　front　door。〃

〃Beau…Pied；　my　friend；　you　have　too　much　imagination　for　a　soldier；　you　ought　to　be　making　songs　at　the　national　Institute。〃

〃If　I've　too　much　imagination；〃　retorted　Beau…Pied；　〃you　haven't　any；　it　will　take　you　some　time　to　get　your　degree　as　consul。〃

A　general　laugh　put　an　end　to　the　discussion；　for　Clef…des…Coeurs　found　no　suitable　reply　in　his　pouch　with　which　to　floor　his　adversary。

〃Come　and　make　our　rounds；　I'll　go　to　the　right；〃　said　Beau…Pied。

〃Very　good；　I'll　take　the　left；〃　replied　his　comrade。　〃But　stop　one　minute；　I　must　have　a　glass　of　cider；　my　throat　is　glued　together　like　the　oiled…silk　of　Hulot's　best　hat。〃

The　left　bank　of　the　gardens；　which　Clef…des…Coeurs　thus　delayed　searching　at　once；　was；　unhappily；　the　dangerous　slope　where　Francine　had　seen　the　moving　line　of　men。　All　things　go　by　chance　in　war。

As　Gerard　entered　the　salon　and　bowed　to　the　company　he　cast　a　penetrating　eye　on　the　men　who　were　present。　Suspicions　came　forcibly　to　his　mind；　and　he　went　at　once　to　Mademoiselle　de　Verneuil　and　said　in　a　low　voice：　〃I　think　you　had　better　leave　this　place　immediately。　We　are　not　safe　here。〃

〃What　can　you　fear　while　I　am　with　you？〃　she　answered；　laughing。　〃You　are　safer　here　than　you　would　be　at　Mayenne。〃

A　woman　answers　for　her　lover　in　good　faith。　The　two　officers　were　reassured。　The　party　now　moved　into　the　dining…room　after　some　discussion　about　a　guest；　apparently　of　some　importance；　who　had　not　appeared。　Mademoiselle　de　Verneuil　was　able；　thanks　to　the　silence　which　always　reigns　at　the　beginning　of　a　meal；　to　give　some　attention　to　the　character　of　the　assemblage；　which　was　curious　enough　under　existing　circumstances。　One　thing　struck　her　with　surprise。　The　Republican　officers　seemed　superior　to　the　rest　of　the　assembly　by　reason　of　their　dignified　appearance。　Their　long　hair　tied　behind　in　a　queue　drew　lines　beside　their　foreheads　which　gave；　in　those　days；　an　expression　of　great　candor　and　nobleness　to　young　heads。　Their　threadbare　blue　uniforms　with　the　shabby　red　facings；　even　their　epaulets　flung　back　behind　their　shoulders　（a　sign　throughout　the　army；　even　among　the　leaders；　of　a　lack　of　overcoats）；all　these　things　brought　the　two　Republican　officers　into　strong　relief　against　the　men　who　surrounded　them。

〃Oh；　they　are　the　Nation；　and　that　means　liberty！〃　thought　Marie；　then；　with　a　glance　at　the　royalists；　she　added；　〃on　the　other　side　is　a　man；　a　king；　and　privileges。〃　She　could　not　refrain　from　admiring　Merle；　so　thoroughly　did　that　gay　soldier　respond　to　the　ideas　she　had　formed　of　the　French　trooper　who　hums　a　tune　when　the　balls　are　whistling；　and　jests　when　a　comrade　falls。　Gerard　was　more　imposing。　Grave　and　self…possessed；　he　seemed　to　have　one　of　those　truly　Republican　spirits　which；　in　the　days　of　which　we　write；　crowded　the　French　armies；　and　gave　them；　by　means　of　these　noble　individual　devotions；　an　energy　which　they　had　never　before　possessed。　〃That　is　one　of　my　men　with　great　ideals；〃　thought　Mademoiselle　de　Verneuil。　〃Relying　on　the　present；　which　they　rule；　they　destroy　the　past　for　the　benefit　of　the　future。〃

The　thought　saddened　her　because　she　could　not　apply　it　to　her　lover；　towards　whom　she　now　turned；　to　discard　by　a　different　admiration；　these　beliefs　in　the　Republic　she　was　already　beginning　to　dislike。　Looking　at　the　marquis；　surrounded　by　men　who　were　bold　enough；　fanatical　enough；　and　sufficiently　long…headed　as　to　the　future　to　give　battle　to　a　victorious　Republic　in　the　hope　of　restoring　a　dead　monarchy；　a　proscribed　religion；　fugitive　princes；　and　lost　privileges；　〃He；〃　thought　she；　〃has　no　less　an　aim　than　the　others；　clinging　to　those　fragments；　he　wants　to　make　a　future　from　the　past。〃　Her　mind；　thus　grasped　by　conflicting　images；　hesitated　between　the　new　and　the　old　wrecks。　Her　conscience　told　her　that　the　one　was　fighting　for　a　man；　the　other　for　a　country；　but　she　had　now　reached；　through　her　feelings；　the　point　to　which　reason　will　also　bring　us；　namely：　to　a　recognition　that　the　king　/is/　the　Nation。

The　steps　of　a　man　echoed　in　the　adjoining　room；　and　the　marquis　rose　from　the　table　to　greet　him。　He　proved　to　be　the　expected　guest；　and　seeing　the　assembled　company　he　was　about　to　speak；　when　the　Gars　made　him　a　hasty　sign；　which　he　concealed　from　the　Republicans；　to　take　his　place　and　say　nothing。　The　more　the　two　officers　analyzed　the　faces　about　them；　the　more　their　suspicions　increased。　The　clerical　dress　of　the　Abbe　Gudin　and　the　singularity　of　the　Chouan　garments　were　so　many　warnings　to　them；　they　redoubled　their　watchfulness；　and　soon　discovered　many　discrepancies　between　the　manners　of　the　guests　and　the　topics　of　their　conversation。　The　republicanism　of　some　was　quite　as　exaggerated　as　the　aristocratic　bearing　of　others　was　unmistakable。　Certain　glances　which　they　detected　between　the　marquis　and　his　guests；　certain　words　of　double　meaning　imprudently　uttered；　but　above　all　the　fringe　of　beard　which　was　round　the　necks　of　several　of　the　men　and　was　very　ill…concealed　by　their　cravats；　brought　the　officers　at　last　to　a　full　conviction　of　the　truth；　which　flashed　upon　their　minds　at　the　same　instant。　They　gave　each　other　one　look；　for　Madame　du　Gua　had　cleverly　separated　them　and　they　could　only　impart　their　thoughts　by　their　eyes。　Such　a　situation　demanded　the　utmost　caution。　They　did　not　know　whether　they　and　their　men　were　masters　of　the　situation；　or　whether　they　had　been　drawn　into　a　trap；　or　whether　Mademoiselle　de　Verneuil　was　the　dupe　or　the　accomplice　of　this　inexplicable　state　of　things。　But　an　unforeseen　event　precipitated　a　crisis　before　they　had　fully　recognized　the　gravity　of　their　situation。

The　new　guest　was　one　of　those　solid　men　who　are　square　at　the　base　and　square　at　the　shoulders；　with　ruddy　skins；　men　who　lean　backward　when　they　walk；　seeming　to　displace　much　atmosphere　about　them；　and　who　appear　to　think　that　more　than　one　glance　of　the　eye　is　needful　to　take　them　in。　Notwithstanding　his　rank；　he　had　taken　life　as　a　joke　from　which　he　was　to　get　as　much　amusement　as　possible；　and　yet；　although　he　knelt　at　his　own　shrine　only；　he　was　kind；　polite；　and　witty；　after　the　fashion　of　those　noblemen　who；　having　finished　their　training　at　court；　return　to　live　on　their　estates；　and　never　suspect　that　they　have；　at　the　end　of　twenty　years；　grown　rusty。　Men　of　this　type　fail　in　tact　with　imperturbable　coolness；　talk　folly　wittily；　distrust　good　with　extreme　shrewdness；　and　take　incredible　pains　to　fall　into　traps。

When；　by　a　play　of　his　knife　and　fork　which　proclaimed　him　a　good　feeder；　he　had　made　up　for　lost　time；　he　began　to　look　round　on　the　company。　His　astonishment　was　great　when　he　observed　the　two　Republican　officers；　and　he　questioned　Madame　du　Gua　with　a　look；　while　she；　for　all　answer；　showed　him　Mademoiselle　de　Verneuil　in　the　same　way。　When　he　saw　the　siren　whose　demeanor　had　silenced　the　suspicions　Madame　du　Gua　had　excited　among　the　guests；　the　face　of　the　stout　stranger　broke　into　one　of　those　insolent；　ironical　smiles　which　contain　a　whole　history　of　scandal。　He　leaned　to　his　next　neighbor　and　whispered　a　few　words；　which　went　from　ear　to　ear　and　lip　to　lip；　passing　Marie　and　the　two　officers；　until　they　reached　the　heart　of　one　whom　they　struck　to　death。　The　leaders　of　the　Vendeans　and　the　Chouans　assembled　round　that　table　looked　at　the　Marquis　de　Montauran　with　cruel　curiosity。　The　eyes　of　Madame　du　Gua；　flashing　with　joy；　turned　from　the　marquis　to　Mademoiselle　de　Verneuil；　who　was　speechless　with　surprise。　The　Republican　officers；　uneasy　in　mind；　questioned　each　other's　thoughts　as　they　awaited　the　result　of　this　extraordinary　scene。　In　a　moment　the　forks　remained　inactive　in　every　hand；　silence　reigned；　and　every　eye　was　turned　to　the　Gars。　A　frightful　anger　showed　upon　his　face；　which　turned　waxen　in　tone。　He　leaned　towards　the　guest　from　whom　the　rocket　had　started　and　said；　in　a　voice　that　seemed　muffled　in　crape；　〃Death　of　my　soul！　count；　is　that　true？〃

〃On　my　honor；〃　said　the　count；　bowing　gravely。

The　marquis　lowered　his　eyes　for　a　moment；　then　he　raised　them　and　looked　fixedly　at　Marie；　who；　watchful　of　his　struggle；　knew　that　look　to　be　her　death…warrant。

〃I　would　give　my　life；〃　he　said　in　a　low　voice；　〃for　revenge　on　the　spot。〃

Madame　du　Gua　understood　the　words　from　the　mere　movement　of　the　young　man's　lips；　and　she　smiled　upon　him　as　we　smile　at　a　friend　whose　regrets　are　about　to　cease。　The　scorn　felt　for　Mademoiselle　de　Verneuil　and　shown　on　every　face；　brought　to　its　height　the　growing　indignation　of　the　two　Republicans；　who　now　rose　hastily：

〃Do　you　want　anything；　citizens？〃　asked　Madame　du　Gua。

〃Our　swords；　/citoyenne/；〃　said　Gerard；　sarcastically。

〃You　do　not　need　them　at　table；〃　said　the　marquis；　coldly。

〃No；　but　we　are　going　to　play　at　a　game　you　know　very　well；〃　replied　Gerard。　〃This　is　La　Pelerine　over　again。〃

The　whole　party　seemed　dumfounded。　Just　then　a　volley；　fired　with　terrible　regularity；　echoed　through　the　courtyard。　The　two　officers　sprang　to　the　portico；　there　they　beheld　a　hundred　or　so　of　Chouans　aiming　at　the　few　soldiers　who　were　not　shot　down　at　the　first　discharge；　these　they　fired　upon　as　upon　so　many　hares。　The　Bretons　swarmed　from　the　bank；　where　Marche…a…Terre　had　posted　them　at　the　peril　of　the