Scaramouche

th, and plodded wearily and mechanically forward. He had no clear idea of whither he was going, or of whither he s

the people into sheltering him as the first victim of the persecution he had foreseen, and against which he had sworn them to tak

uitted myself none so badly." It is a phrase that recurs at intervals in his sketchy "Confessions." Constantly is he reminding you that he is a man of mental and not physical activities, and apologi

his world's misery is the fruit not as priests tell us of wickedness, but of stupidity." And we know that of all stupidities he considered anger the most deplorable. Yet he had permitted himself to be angry with a creature

a single louis d'or and a few pieces of silver for all capital, and a knowledge of

not reckon - his gift of laughter, sadly repressed of late, and the philosophic outloo

more. He had skirted the little township of Guichen, and now within a half-mile of Guignen,

shelter to his subconsciousness. A moment he hesitated; then he struck across towards a spot where a gap in the hedge was closed by a five-barred gate. He pushed the gate open, went through the gap, and stood now before the barn. It was as big as a house, yet consisted of no more than a roof carried upon half a dozen tall, brick pillars. But densely packed under that roof was a great stack of hay that promised a warm couch on so cold a night. Stout timbers had been built into the brick pillars, with projecting ends

and this before he realized quite where he was or how he came there. Then to his awakening senses came a drone of voices c

both ears to listen, his pulses faintly quickened by the nascent fear that those voices might bode him

us separate at once. If it

's voice broke in,

There is no one coming. We are quite

find us here together! I tr

of lovers who, with less to fear of life, were yet - after the manner of their kind - more timid of heart than he.

lace, whose glory had long since departed. He affected ruffles, but for want of starch they hung like weeping willows over hands that were fine and delicate. His breeches were of plain black cloth, and his black stockings were of cotton - matters entirely out of harmony with his magnificent coat. His shoes, stout and serviceable, were decked with buckles of cheap, lack-lustre paste. But for his engaging and ingenuous countenance, Andre–

cal, silvery voice that had awakened him - possessed in its exquisite modulations an allurement of its own that must have been irresistible, he thought, in the ugliest of her sex. She wore a hooded mantle of green cloth, and the hood being thrown back, her dainty head was all revealed to him. There were glints of gold struck by the

his pretty young fellow, who was partly clad, as it appeared, in the cast-offs of a nobleman. He could no

ntil then shall I count myself beyond his reach. And yet if we marry without his con

of sense, who saw through the shabby finery of M. Lea

eveal to you all the stratagem that I have prepared to win the consent of your unnatural parent, it is because I am loath to rob you of the pleasure o

dantic idiot who expressed himself in this set and formal manner? How came so sweet a bl

f from his observatory. Me

is very day. He arrives by noon. He comes to sign the contract - to make me the Marchioness of Sbrufadelli. Oh!" It was a cry of pain from that tender young h

ntly infected by the stilted manner of her ridiculous lover. There was an atrocious lack of sincerity about her words. They to

pair off with this dull young adventurer in the tarnished lace! It was, he supposed, the sort of thing t

lue vault of heaven - Ajax defying Jupiter. "Ah, but here comes our subtle friend . . . " (Andre–Louis did not catc

uis confessed to himself that had he been cursed with such a hangdog countenance he would have worn his hat in precisely such a manner, so as to conceal as much of it as possible. If M. Leandre appeared to be wearing, in part at least, the cast-offs of nobleman, the newcomer ap

spirator, "the time for action has arrived

ds, parted lips, and a bosom that raced distractingly under its white fi

our success. As for what he looks like, I could entertain you at length upon the fashion in which nature has designed his gross fatuity. But that is no matter. We are concerned with what he is, wit

ibility could have resisted. And then on the instant she caught her breath on a faint scream. "My fathe

, Climene!" s

sobbed. "Too l

end was urging her. "Keep calm and trust t

my friend, this is ruin - the end of all our hopes.

nose, decently dressed after the fashion of a solid bourgeois. There was no mist

what they mean at all? Thus," he cried, and casting his round hat from him in a broad gesture, he took his stand at M. Leandre

ruin - the end of all our hopes. Your wit

uously. "Let the passion of your hopelessness express itself in your voice. Consider that you are not asking

duped he had been, had loosed his laughter. The sound of it pealing and booming uncan

nnounced it after his own fashion in one of th

Leandre." Then he addressed the roof of the b

self by a further protru

s equipped with a tin chimney, from which the smoke was slowly curling. Three heavy Flemish horses and a couple of donkeys - all of them hobbled - were contentedly cropping the grass in the neighbourhood of these vehicles. These, had he perceived them sooner, must have given him the clue to the queer scene that had been played u

umed no more time than it had taken him to say good-mor

il are you do

you are doing down there," was

ce beaten out of his big red face. Although the thing was one that they

?" he asked, with d

his stockings. "I believe it to be the p

nding name. Is the

; or rather, I should prefer to say upon reflect

ho played Scaramouche, "by your own confessing you do

ts upon us, and Nature conquers respect for law as she conquers all else. Nature conquered me last night when I had got as far as this. And so I slept here without regard for the

t, the little cunning eyes of the heavy father conned him in detail. Observing that his clothes, if plain, were of a good fashion, that his s

ou for the warning, sir

petres of M. d'Azyr have orders to fire

m. But as he was turning away he perceived a young man of the company performing his morning toilet at a bucket placed upon one of the wo

hospitality, monsieur," said he, "I would beg leave to imi

er. "It is nothing at all. But, by all means. Rhodomont will provide what you require. He

ooked out through a foam of soapsuds. Pantaloon issued an order, and Rhodomont, who was indeed as gentle and amiable o

and even a greasy hair-ribbon, in case the gentleman should have lost his own. This last Andre–Louis declined, but the comb he gratefully accepted, and having presently washed hims

oked over his shoulder carelessly, and then stood frozen, with uplifted comb and loosened mouth. Away across the common,

f this prowling gendarmerie. It was as if the chill

h them, and the sergeant leading it se

!" His tone ra

l - stood at gaze. Pantaloon advanced a step or two, stalking,

th he, but whether of Fate or Hea

en, then they came trotting across the comm

hrough his straggling hair, but mechanically and unconsciously. His mind was all intent upon the advan

evidently impatient, the

u leave to e

vagrants and trespassers. That was no part of their real duty; it was something done in passing - done, perhaps, in the hope of levying a tax of their own. It was very

say? What leave? This is

npleasantly, and came

the proper sense in all M. de La Tour d'Azyr's vast domain. This is a terre censiv

-sleeves, and without a neckcloth, the towel still trailing ove

on. "But it is an ogre, thi

al with them. I have experience of their kind." And without waiting for Pantaloon's consent, Andre–Louis steppe

half-dressed young man, Andre–Louis combed his hair what time he looked

ed him gruffly: "Are you the lea

nd he jerked a thumb in the direction of M. Pantaloon, who stood at g

ud and bullying. It carried across the common to the ears of every member of the company, and brought them all to

ain? This is communa

thing of

, waving the hand that held the comb, as

h the matter? This is terre censive. There is no grazing he

zing," quoth the in

ny! You are not grazing! B

ouis apologized, and again es

t the point. The point is that you are committing what

for the warning." He passed the comb into his left hand, and with his right fumbled in his breeches' pocket, whence there came a faint jingle of coins. "We are desolated to have brought you out

ted from the sergeant'

and." He leaned from the saddle to bring his recipient hand to a

hour," said

an hour? Why

me to break

dered the broad piece of silver in his palm. Then

rom Rennes." Andre–Louis' eyelids played him false by flickering. "But if you linger, look out for the gardes-champetres of th

my captain," ans

his troop wheeled with him. They were

st of a scoundrel named Andre–Louis Moreau, from Gavrillac, a fugitive from justice wanted for the gallows

very boldly, his face eager with co

sergeant, in a ringing

in the neighbourhoo

geant felt himself

fearful of being recognized . . .

y the description. Keep a lookout on your travels, master player. The King's Lieutenant in Rennes has sent us word this morning that he will pay ten louis to any one giving information th

ed, captain," answered

tting off in the wake of his men. Andre–Louis continued to laugh, quite s

owards Pantaloon and the rest of the company

h hands out-held. For a moment Andre–Lo

he very marrow. For though we be poor, yet are we all honest folk and not one of us has ever suffered the indignity of p

ng - and his portrait even better than himself, especially when it is wrought in gold. But even in silver it is respected. The sergeant was so over

st decamp. About it, my

. But he knows as well as I do that they are not seriously to be feared, and that if they came, again the King's portrait - wrought in copper this time - would produce the same melting e

a great arm about the young man's shoulde

you would ask me," said An