第6章

类别:其他 作者:Rafael Sabatini字数:19007更新时间:19/01/07 08:48:38
InthattimeIletmybeardgrow,andtrainedmyhairintoapatrioticunkemptness。Then,infilthygarments,likeanytrueRepublican,Isetouttocrossthefrontier。AsIapproachedit,IwasfilledwithfearsthatImightnotwinacross,andthen,inthemomentofmydoubtings,Icameuponthatmostopportuneofcouriers。Ihadthenotiontochangeplaceswithhim,andIdid。 HewasthebearerofalettertotheDeputyLaBoulaye,ofwhomyoumayhaveheard,andthisletterIopenedtodiscoverthatitchargedhimtoeffectmyarrest。\" IfLaBoulayewasstartled,hisfaceneverbetrayedit,notbysomuchasthequiverofaneyelid。Hesaton,hisjawinhispalm,hiseyesadmiringlybentuponthespeaker。 \"Youmayjudgeofmyhonesty,andofhowfullysensibleIwasofthetrustIhadundertaken,whenItellyouthatwithmyownhandI deliveredtheletterthismorningtothatanimalLaBoulayeatBoisvert。\"Heseemedtoswellwithprideinhisachievement。 \"Diable!\"hecontinued。\"Minewasafinepieceofacting。Iwouldyoucouldhaveseenmeplaythepartofthepatriot。Thinkoftheironyofit!IwonoutofFrancewiththeverypapersorderingmyarrest。Mafoi!Youshouldhaveseenmebefoolthatdirtofadeputy!ItwasaperformanceworthyofTalmahimself。\"AndhelookedfromCadouxtoLaBoulayeforapplause。 \"Idoubtnot,\"saidtheDeputycoldly。\"Itmusthavebeenworthwitnessing。Butdoesitnotseemapitytospoileverythingandtoneutralisesowonderfulanachievementforthemeresakeofboastingofittoapoor,ignorantpeasant,MonsieurleVicomteAnatoled’Ombreval?\" Withasuddencry,thepseudocourierleapttohisfeet,whilstDesCadouxturnedonthestoolheoccupiedtostarealarmedlyatthespeaker。 \"NameofGod!Whoareyou?\"demandedOmbrevaladvancingastep。 WithhissleeveLaBoulayerubbedpartofthedisfiguringsmearfromhisfaceashestoodupandmadeanswercoolly: \"IamthatdirtofaDeputywhomyoubefooledatBoisvert。\"Then,raisinghisvoice,\"Garin!\"heshouted,andimmediatelythedooropenedandthesoldiersfiledin。 Ombrevalstoodlikeastatue,thunderstruckwithamazementatthismostunlooked—forturningofthetables,hisfaceashen,hisweakmouthfallenopenandhiseyesfearful。 DesCadoux,whohadalsorisen,seemedtotakeinthesituationataglance。Likeawell—bredgamesterwhoknowshowtolosewithagoodgracetheoldgentlemanlaugheddrilytohimselfashetappedhissnuff—box。 \"Wearedelightfullytaken,cherVicomte,\"hemurmured,applyingthetobaccotohisnostrilashespoke。\"It’soddsyouwon’tbeabletorepeatthatprettystorytoanymoreofyourfriends。Iwarnedyouthatyouinclinedtorelateittoooften。\" Withasuddenoath,Ombreval—movedtovalourbytheblindragethatpossessedhim—sprangatLaBoulaye。But,assuddenly,Garincaughthisarmsfrombehindandheldhimfast。 \"Removethemboth,\"LaBoulayecommanded。\"Placetheminsafetyforthenight,andseethattheydonotescapeyou,Garin,asyouvalueyourneck。\" DesCoudaxshuthissnuff—boxwithasnap。 \"Formypart,Iamready,Monsieur—yourpardon—Citizen,\"hesaid,\"andIshallgiveyounotrouble。ButsinceIamnot,Itakeit,includedintheordersyouhavereceived,Ihaveaproposaltomakewhichmayprovemutuallyconvenient。\" \"Praymakeit,Citizen,\"saidLaBoulaye。 \"ItoccurstomethatitmayoccasionyousomemeasureofannoyancetocarrymeallthewaytoParis—andcertainly,formypart,I shouldmuchprefernottoundertakethejourney。Foronething,itwillbefatiguing,foranother,Ihavenodesiretolookuponthenextworldthroughthelittlewindowoftheguillotine。Iwish,then,topropose,Citizen,\"pursuedtheoldnobleman,nonchalantlydustingsomefragmentsoftobaccofromhiscravat。\"thatyoudealwithmeoutofhand。\" \"How,Citizen?\"inquiredLaBoulaye。 \"Why,yourmen,Itakeitaretolerablemarksmen。Ithinkthatitmightprovemoreconvenienttobothofusifyouweretohavemeshotassoonasthereislightenough。\" LaBoulaye’seyesrestedinalmostimperceptiblekindnessuponDesCadoux。Here,atleast,wasanaristocratwithaspirittobeadmiredandemulated。 \"Youarechoosingthelesseroftwoevils,Citizen,\"saidtheDeputy。 \"Precisely,\"answeredDesCadoux。 \"Butpossibly,Citizen,itmaybeyourstoavoidboth。Youshallhearfrommeinthemorning。Ibegthatyouwillsleeptranquillyinthemeantime。Garin,removetheprisoners。\" CHAPTERXV LABOULAYEBAITSHISHOOK ForfullyanhouraftertheirprisonershadbeenremovedLaBoulayepacedthenarrowlimitsofthekitchenwithfaceinscrutableandbusymind。HerecalledwhatSuzannehadsaidtouchingherbetrothaltoOmbreval,whomshelookedtomeetatTreves。Thismiserableindividual,then,wasthemanforwhosesakeshehaddupedhim。ButOmbrevalatleastwasinCaron’spower,anditcametohimnowthatbyvirtueofthatcircumstancehemightdeviseawaytobringherbackwithouttheneedtogoafterher。Hewouldsendherword—aye,andproof—thathehadtakenhimcaptive,anditshouldbeherstochoosewhethershewouldcometohisrescueandhumbleherselftosavehimorleavehimtohisfate。InthathouritseemedallonetoLaBoulayewhichcourseshefollowed,sincebyeither,hereasoned,shemustbebroughttosuffer。Thathelovedherwaswithhimnowamatterthathadsunkintocomparativeinsignificance。 Thesentimentthatruledhismindwasanger,withitsnaturalconcomitant—thedesiretopunish。 AndwhenmorningcametheDeputy’sviewofthesituationwasstillunchanged。Hewasastiratanearlyhour,andwithoutsomuchaswaitingtobreakhisfast,hebadeGarinbringintheprisoners。 Theirappearancewasineachcasetypical。Ombrevalwassullenandhisdressuntidy,evenwhenallowancehadbeenmadefortheinherentuntidinessoftheRepublicandisguisewhichhehadadoptedtosolittlepurpose。DesCadouxlookedwellandfreshafterhisrest,andgavetheDeputyanairy\"Goodmorning\"asheentered。Hehadbeenatsomepains,too,withhistoilet,andalthoughhishairwasslightlydisarrangedandmostofthepowderwasgonefromtherightside,suggestingthathehadlainonit,hisappearanceinthemainwascreditablyelegant。 \"CitizenOmbreval,\"saidLaBoulaye,inthatstern,emotionlessvoicethatwasbecomingcharacteristicofhim,\"sinceyouhaveacquaintedyourselfwiththecontentsoftheletteryoustolefromthemanyoumurdered,youcannotbeindoubtastomyintentionsconcerningyou。\" TheVicomtereddenedwithanger。 \"ForyourintentionsIcarenothing,\"heansweredhotly—renderedverybravebypassion—\"butIwillhaveyouconsideryourwords。 DoyousaythatIstoleandmurdered?Youforget,M。leRepublican,thatIamagentlemen。\" \"Meaning,ofcourse,thattheclassthatsodescribeditselfcoulddothesethingswithimpunitywithouthavingthemcalledbytheirpropernames,isitnotso?ButyoualsoforgetthattheRepublichasabolishedgentlemen,andwiththem,theirdisgracefulprivileges。\" \"Canaille!\"growledtheVicomte,hiseyesablazewithwrath。 \"Citizen—aristocrat,consideryourwords!\"LaBoulayehadsteppedcloseuptohim,andhisvoicethrobbedwithasuddenangernowhitlesscompellingthanOmbreval’s。\"Fool!letmehearthatwordagain,appliedeithertomeortoanyofmyfollowers,andI’llhaveyoubeatenlikeadog。\" Andasthelessereverdoesgivewaybeforethegreater,sonowdidtheangerthathadsustainedOmbrevalgodownandvanishbeforetheoverwhelmingpassionofLaBoulaye。HegrewpaletothelipsattheDeputy’sthreat,andhiseyescravenlyavoidedthesteadygazeofhiscaptor。 \"Youdeservelittleconsiderationatmyhands,Citizen,\"saidLaBoulaye,morequietly,\"andyetIhaveamindtogiveyoualessoningenerosity。WestartforParisinhalf—an—hour。Ifanywhereyoushouldhavefriendsexpectingyou,whomyoumightwishtoappriseofyourposition,youmayspendthehalf—hourthatisleftinwritingtothem。Iwillseethatyourletterreachesitsdestination。\" Ombreval’spallorseemedtointensify。HiseyeslookedtroubledastheywereraisedtoLaBoulaye’s。Thentheyfellagain,andtherewasapause。Atlast— \"Ishallbegladtoavailmyselfofyouroffer,\"hesaid,inavoicethatformeeknesswasludicrouslyatvariancewithhislateutterances。 \"Thenpraydosoatonce。\"AndLaBoulayetookdownaninkhornaquill,andasheafofpaperfromthemantel—shelfbehindhim。 Theseheplacedonthetable,andsettingachair,hesignedtothearistocrattobeseated。 \"Andnow,CitizenCadoux,\"saidLaBoulaye,turningtotheoldnobleman,\"IshallbegladifyouwillhonourmebysharingmybreakfastwhileCitizenOmbrevalisathiswriting。\" DesCadouxlookedupinsomesurprise。 \"Youaretoogood,Monsieur,\"saidhe,inclininghishead。\"Butafterwards?\" \"Ihavedecided,\"saidLaBoulaye,withtheghostofasmile,\"todealwithyourcasemyself,Citizen。\" Theolddandytookadeepbreath,buttheglanceofhisblueeyeswassteadfast,andhislipssmiledashemadeanswer: \"Againyouaretoogood。IfearedthatyouwouldcarrymetoParis,andatmyagethejourneyisatiresomeone。Iamgrateful,andmeanwhile,—why,sinceyouaresogoodastoinviteme,letusbreakfast,byallmeans。\" Theysatdownatasmalltableintheembrasureofthewindow,andtheirhostessplacedbeforethemaboiledfowl,adishofeggs,astewofherbs,andaflaskofredwine,allofwhichLaBoulayehadbiddenherprepare。 \"Why,itisafeast,\"declaredDesCadoux,inexcellenthumour,andforallthathewasundertheimpressionthathewastodieinhalf—an—hourheatewiththeheartiestgood—will,chattingpleasantlythewhilewiththeRepublican—thefirstRepublicanwithwhomithadeverbeenhisaristocraticlottositattable。AndwhattimethemealproceededOmbreval—withtwosoldiersstandingbehindhischair—pennedhislettertoMademoiselledeBellecour。 HadLaBoulaye—inspiredbythedesiretoavengehimselfforthetreacheryofwhichhehadbeenthevictim—dictatedthatepistle,tcouldnothavebeenindictedinamannerbettersuitedtohisends。 Itwasamaudlin,piteousletter,inwhich,ratherthanmakinghisfarewells,theVicomtebesoughttheaidofSuzanne。Hewas,hewrote,inthehandsofmenwhomightbebribed,andsinceshewasrich—forheknewofthetreasurewithwhichshehadescaped—hebasedhishopesuponheremployingaportionofherrichestoobtaininghisenlargement。She,hecontinued,washisonlyhope,andforthesakeoftheirlove,forthesakeoftheircommonnobility,hebesoughthernottofailhimnow。Carriedawaybythepiteousnessofhisentreatiesthetearswelleduptohiseyesandtrickleddownhischeeks,oneortwoofthemfindingtheirwaytothepaperthussmearingitwithanappealmorepiteousstillifpossiblethanthatofhismaudlinwords。 Atlasttheletterwasended。Hesealeditwithawaferandwrotethesuperscription: \"ToMademoiselledeBellecour。Atthe’HoteldesTroisRois,’ Treves。\" Heannouncedthecompletionofhistask,andLaBoulayebadehimgojoinDesCadouxatthenexttableandtakesomefoodbeforesettingout,whilsttheDeputyhimselfnowsatdowntowrite。 \"Citoyenne,’hewrote,\"themantowhomyouarebetrothed,forwhosesakeyoustoopedtotreacheryandattemptedmurder,isinmyhands。 ThushasHeavensetitinmypowertopunishyou,iftheknowledgethathetravelstotheguillotineislikelytoproveapunishment。 Ifyouwouldrescuehim,cometomeinParis,and,conditionally,Imaygiveyouhislife。\" That,hethoughtshouldhumbleher。HefoldedhisletterroundOmbreval’sandhavingsealedthepackage,headdresseditasOmbrevalhadaddressedhisownmissive。 \"Garin,\"hecommandedbriefly,\"removetheCitizenOmbreval。\" Whenhehadbeenobeyed,andGarinhadconductedtheVicomtefromtheroom,LaBoulayeturnedagaintoDesCadoux。Theywerealone,savingthetwosoldiersguardingthedoor。 Theoldmanrose,andmakingthesignofthecross,hesteppedforward,calmandintrepidofbearing。 \"Monsieur,\"heannouncedtoLaBoulaye,whowaseyeinghimwiththefaintesttingeofsurprise,\"Iamquiteready。\" \"Haveyoualwaysbeensodevout,Citizen?\"inquiredtheDeputy。 \"Alas!noMonsieur。Buttherecomesatimeinthelifeofeverymanwhen,forafewmomentsatleast,heispronetogrowmindfulofthelessonslearntinchildhood。\" ThesurpriseincreasedinLaBoulaye’scountenance。Atlastheshruggedhisshoulders,afterthemannerofonewhoabandonsaproblemthathasgrowntooknotty。 \"CitizendesCadoux,\"saidhe,\"IhavedeliberatedthatsinceI havereceivednoordersfromParisconcerningyou,andalsosinceIamnotbyprofessionacatch—pollthereisnoreasonwhateverwhyIshouldcarryyoutoParis。Infact,Citizen,IknowofnoreasonwhyIshouldinterferewithyourfreedomatall。OnthecontrarywhenIrecallthekindnessyousoughttodomethatday,yearsago,atBellecour,IfindeveryreasonwhyIshouldfurtheryourescapefromtheRevolutionarytribunal。Ahorse,Citizen,standsreadysaddledforyou,andyouarefreetodepart,withtheonecondition,however,thatyouwillconsenttobecomemycourierforonce,andcarryaletterforme—amatterwhichshouldoccasionyou,Ithink,nodeviationfromyourjourney。\" Theolddandy,inwhoseintrepidspiritthedeathwhichhehadbelievedimminenthadoccasionednotrembling,turnedpaleasLaBoulayeceased。HisblueeyeswereliftedalmosttimidlytotheDeputy’sface,andhislipquivered。 \"Youarenotgoingtohavemeshot,then?\"hefaltered。 \"Shot?\"echoedLaBoulaye,andthenherememberedtheprecisewordsoftherequestwhichDesCadouxhadpreferredthenightbefore,butwhich,atthetime,hehadtreatedlightly。\"Mafoi,youdonotflatterme!\"hecried。\"AmIamurderer,then?Come,come,Citizen,hereistheletterthatyouaretocarry。ItisaddressedtoMademoiselledeBellecour,atTreves,andenclosesOmbreval’sfarewellepistletothatlady。\" \"But,gladly,Monsieur,\"exclaimedDesCadoux。 Andthen,asiftocoverhissuddenaccessofemotion,ofwhichhewasmostheartilyashamed,hefumbledforhissnuff—box,and,havingfoundit,hetookanenormouspinch。 Theypartedontheverybestoftermsdidthesetwo—thearistocratandtheRevolutionary—actuatedbyamutualesteemtemperedineachcasewithgratitude。 WhenatlastDesCadouxhadtakenasympatheticleaveofOmbrevalanddeparted,CaronorderedtheVicomtetobebroughtbeforehimagain,andatthesametimebadehismenmakereadyfortheroad。 \"Citizen,\"saidLaBoulaye,\"westartforParisatonce。Ifyouwillpassmeyourwordofhonourtoattemptnoescapeyoushalltravelwithusincompletefreedomandwithalldignity。\" Ombrevallookedathimwithinsolentsurprise,hisweaksuperciliousmouthgrowingmoresuperciliouseventhanitswont。Hehadrecoveredagooddealofhisspiritbynow。 \"Passyoumywordofhonour?\"heechoed。\"MonDieu!mygoodfellowawordofhonourisabondbetweengentlemen。IthinktoowellofminetopassittothefirstgreasyrascaloftheRepublicthatasksitofme。\" LaBoulayeeyedhimasecondwithaglancebeforewhichthearistocratgrewpale,andalreadyregrettedhimofhiswords。TheveinsintheDeputy’stempleswereswollen。 \"Iwarnedyou,\"saidhe,inadullvoice。ThentothesoldiersstandingoneithersideofOmbreval—\"Takehimout,\"hesaid,\"mounthimonhorseback。Lethimridewithhishandspinionedbehindhisback,andhisfeetlashedtogetherunderthehorse’sbelly。Attendtoit!\" \"Monsieur,\"criedtheyoungman,inanappealingvoice,\"Iwillgiveyoumywordofhonournottoescape。Iwill—\" \"Takehimout,\"LaBoulayerepeated,withadullbarkofcontempt。 \"Youhadyourchance,Citizen—aristocrat。\" Ombrevalsethisteethandclenchedhishands。 \"Canaille!\"hesnarled,inhisfury。 \"Hold!\"Caroncalledafterthedepartingmen。 Theyobeyed,andnowthiswretchedVicomte,ofsuchunstablespiritdroppedallhisangeragain,assuddenlyashehadcaughtitup。 Fearpaledhischeekandpalsiedhislimbsoncemore,forLaBoulaye’sexpressionwasveryterrible。 \"YouknowwhatIsaidthatIwouldhavedonetoyouifyouusedthatwordagain?\"LaBoulayequestionedhimcoldly。 \"I—Iwasbesidemyself,Monsieur,\"theothergasped,intheintensityofhisfear。AndatthesightofhispitiableconditiontheangerfellawayfromLaBoulaye,andhesmiledscornfully。 \"Myfaith,\"hesneered。\"Youarehotonemomentandcoldthenext。 Citizen,Iamafraidthatyouarenobetterthanavulgarcoward。 Takehimaway,\"heended,wavinghishandtowardsthedoor,andashewatchedthemleadinghimouthereflectedbitterlythatthiswasthemantowhomSuzannewasbetrothed—themanwhom,notadoubtofit,sheloved,sinceforhimshehadstoopedsolow。Thismiserablecravenshepreferredtohim,becausetheman,soignobleofnature,wasnoblebytheaccidentofbirth。 PARTIII THEEVERLASTINGRULE Loverulesthecourt,thecamp,thegrove,Andmenbelowandsaintsabove,ForloveisHeavenandHeavenislove。 TheLayoftheLastMinstrel。 CHAPTERXVI CECILEDESHAIX InhislodgingsatthecorneroftheRue—St。HonoreandtheRuedelaRepublique—latelychanged,intheall—encompassingmetamorphosis,from\"RueRoyale\"sattheDeputyCaronLaBoulayeathiswriting—table。 Therewasaflushonhisfaceandasparkleintheeyesthatlookedpensivelybeforehimwhattimehegnawedthefeatheredendofhisquill。InhisearsstillrangtheacclamationsthathadgreetedhisbrilliantspeechintheAssemblythatday。HewasofthepartyoftheMountain—aswasbutnaturalinaprotegeoftheSeagreenRobespierre—apartymorefamedforitsdirectnessofpurposethaneleganceofexpression,andinitsrankstherewasroomandtospareforsuchoratorsashe。TheseasonwasMarchof’93—aseasonmarkedbythedeadlyfeudraging’twixttheGirondinsandtheMountain,andinthatbattleoftonguesLaBoulayewascoveringhimselfwithgloryanddoingcredittohispatron,theIncorruptible。 HewasofarhetoricnotinferiortoVergniaud’s—thatmosteloquentGirondon—andofaquicknessofwitandhonestyofaimunrivalledinthewholebodyoftheConvention,andwiththesegiftsheharassedtonolittlepurposethosesmooth—tonguedlegislatorsoftheGironde,whomDumouriezcalledtheJesuitsoftheRevolution。HispopularitywiththemenoftheMountainandwiththemassesofPariswasgrowingdaily,andthecrushingreplyhehadthatdaydeliveredtothechargespreferredbyVergniaudwaslikelytoincreasehisfame。 Well,therefore,mighthesitwithflushedcheeksandsparklingeyeschewingthebuttofhispenandsmilingtohimselfatthememoryoftheenthusiasmofwhichhehadbeenthecentreahalf—hourago。 Here,indeed,wassomethingthatamanmightlivefor,somethingthatamanmighttakepridein,andsomethingthatmightconsoleamanforawoman’streachery。What,indeed,couldwoman’slovegivehimthatmightcomparewiththis?Wasitnotmoregloriousfartomakehimselftheadmired,therevered,theveryidolofthosesternmen,thanthebelovedofasimperinggirl?Thelatteranycoxcombwithawell—cutcoatmightencompass,buttheformerachievementwasaman’swork。 Andyet,forallthathereasonedthusspeciouslyandphilosophically,therewasamomentwhenhisbrowgrewcloudedandhiseyeslosttheirsparkle。HewasthinkingofthatnightintheinnatBoisvert,whenhehadkneltbesideherandshehadliedtohim。Hewasthinkingofthehappiness,thatforafewbriefhourshadbeenhis,untilhediscoveredhowbaselyshehaddeceivedhim,andforallthefull—flavourofhispresentelationitseemedtohimthatinthatotherhappinesswhichhenowaffectedtodespisebycontrast,therehaddweltagreater,amorecontentingsweetness。 WouldshecometoParis?Hehadaskedhimselfthatquestioneverydayofthetwentythatwerespentsincehisreturn。AndinthemeantimetheVicomted’OmbrevallayintheprisonoftheLuxembourgawaitingtrial。ThathehadnotyetbeenarraignedhehadtothanktheeffortsofLaBoulaye。TheyoungDeputyhadinformedRobespierrethatforreasonsofhisownhewishedtheci—devantVicomte,tobekeptinprisonsomelittletime,andtheIncorruptible,peeringathimoverhishorn—rimmedspectacles,hadshruggedhisshouldersandanswered: \"Butcertainly,cherCaron,sinceitisyourwish。HewillbesafeintheLuxembourg。\" Hehadpressedhisprotegeforareason,butLaBoulayehadevadedthequestion,promisingtoenlightenhimlater。 SincethenCaronhadwaited,andnowitwasmorethantimethatMademoisellemadesomesign。OrwasitthatneitherOmbreval’scravenentreatiesnorhisownshortmessagehadaffectedher?WasshewhollyheartlessandlikelytoproveasfaithlesstotheVicomteinhishourofneedasshehadprovedtohim? Withatossoftheheadhedismissedherfromhisthoughts,anddippinghisquill,hebegantowrite。 >Fromthestreetcamethedullrollofbeatendrumsandtherhythmicalfallofmarchingfeet。ButthesoundwastoocommoninrevolutionaryParistoarrestattention,andhewroteon,heedingitaslittleashedidthegruffvoiceofapastry—cookcryinghiswares,theshrillercallofamilkman,ortheoccasionalrumblingsofpassingvehicles。Butofasuddenoneofthoserumblingsceasedabruptlyathisdoor。Heheardtherattleofhoofsandthegrindofthewheelagainstthepavement,andlookingup,heglancedacrossattheormolutimepieceonhisovermantel。Itwasnotyetfouro’clock。 Wonderingwhetherthevisitormightbeforhimorforthetenantofthefloorabove,hesatlisteninguntilhisdooropenedandhisofficial—theeuphemismof\"servant\"intherevolutionarylexicon—cametoannouncethatawomanwasbelow,askingtoseehim。 NowforallthathebelievedhimselftohavebecomeaboveemotionswhereMademoiselledeBellecourwasconcerned,hefelthispulsesquickenattheverythoughtthatthismightbesheatlast。 \"Whatmannerofwoman,Brutus?\"heasked。 \"Aprettywoman,Citizen,\"answeredBrutus,withagrin。\"ItistheCitoyenneDeshaix。\" LaBoulayemadeanimpatientgesture。 \"Fool。whydidyounotsayso,\"hecriedsharply。 \"Fool,youdidnotaskme,\"answeredtheservant,withthattouching,fraternalfranknessadoptedbyalltruepatriots。Hewasathin,under—sizedmanofperhapsthirtyyearsofage,anddressedinblack,withadecency—underLaBoulaye’ssuasion—thatwasratheratvariancewithhisextremedemocracy。HisrealnamewasFerdinand,but,followingafashionprevailingamongtheultra—republicans,hehadrenamedhimselfafterthefamousRomanpatriot。 LaBoulayetoyedamomentwithhispen,afrowndarkeninghisbrow。 Then: \"Admither,\"hesighedwearily。 Andpresentlyshecame,aprettywoman,asBrutushaddeclared,veryfair,andwiththeinnocenteyesofababy。Shewassmallofstature,andbytheegregiousheightofherplume—crownedhead—dressitwouldseemasifshesoughtbyarttoaddtotheinchesshehadreceivedfromNature。Fortherestsheworeapinkpetticoat,veryextravagantlybeflounced,andapinkcorsagecutextravagantlylow。 Inonehandshecarriedafan—hardlyasaweaponagainstheat,seeingthatthewinterwasnotyetout—intheotherahugebunchofearlyroses。 \"Tevoile!\"washergreeting,merrily—roguishly—delivered,andiftheRevolutionhaddonenothingelseforher,ithad,atleast,enabledhertoaddressLaBoulayebythe\"Thou\"ofintimacywhichthenewvocabularyprescribed。 LaBoulayerose,laidasidehispen,andpolitely,ifcoolly,returnedhergreetingandsetachairforher。 \"Youare,\"saidhe,\"averyharbingerofSpring,Citoyenne,withyourflowersandyourravishingtoilette。\" \"Ah!Ipleaseyou,then,foronce,\"saidshewithouttheleastembarrassment。\"Tellme—howdoyoufindme?\"And,laughing,sheturnedaboutthathemightadmireherfromallpointsofview。 Helookedathergravelyforamoment,sogravelythatthelaughterbegantofadefromhereyes。 \"Ifindyoucharming,Citoyenne,\"heansweredatlast。\"YouremindmeofDiana。\" \"Compliments?\"quothshe,hereyebrowsgoingupandhereyesbeamingwithsurpriseanddelight。\"ComplimentsfromLaBoulaye!Butsurelyitistheendoftheworld。Tellme,monami,\"shebegged,greedilyanglingformore,\"inwhatdoIremindyouofthesylvangoddess?\" \"Inthescantinessofyourraiment,Citoyenne,\"heansweredacidly。 \"ItsortsbetterwithArcadiathanwithParis。\" Hereyebrowscamedown,hercheeksflushedwithresentmentanddiscomfiture。Tocoverthissheflungherrosesamongthepapersofhiswriting—table,anddroppingintoachairshefannedherselfvigorously。 \"Citoyenne,yourelievemyanxieties,\"saidhe。\"Ifearedthatyoustoodindangeroffreezing。\" \"Tofreezeisnomorethanonemightexpectinyourcompany,\"sheanswered,stiflingheranger。 Hemadenoreply。Hemovedtothewindow,andstooddrummingabsentlyonthepanes。HewasinuredtotheseinvasionsonthepartofCecileDeshaixandtothebold,unwomanlyadvancesthatrepelledhim。To—dayhispatiencewithherwasevenshorterthanitswont,haplybecausewhenhisofficialhadannouncedawomanhehadforamomentpermittedhimselftothinkthatitmightbeSuzanne。Thesilencegrewawkward,andatlasthebrokeit。 \"TheCitizenRobespierreiswell?\"heasked,withoutturning。 \"Yes,\"saidshe,andforallthattherewaschagrintospareintheglancewithwhichsheadmiredthebackofhisstraightandshapelyfigure,shecontrivedtorenderhervoiceairilyindifferent。 \"Wewereattheplaylastnight。\" \"Ah!\"hemurmuredpolitely。\"AndwasTalmainveine?\" \"Morebrilliantthanever,\"answeredshe。 \"Heisagreatactor,Citoyenne。\" Ashadeofannoyancecrossedherface。 \"WhydoyoualwaysaddressmeasCitoyenne?\"sheasked,withsometestiness。 Heturnedatlastandlookedatheramoment。 \"Weliveinacensoriousworld,Citoyenne,\"heansweredgravely。 Shetossedherheadwithanexclamationofimpatience。 \"Weliveinafreeworld,Citizen。Freedomisourmotto。IsitfornothingthatweareRepublicans?\" \"Freedomofactionbegetsfreedomofwords,\"saidhe,\"andfreedomofwordsleadstofreedomofcriticism—andthatisathingtowhichnowisewomanwillexposeherself,nomatterunderwhatregimewelive。Youwouldbewell—advised,Citoyenne,inthinkingofthatwhenyoucomehere。\" \"Butyounevercometous,Caron,\"shereturned,inavoiceofmildcomplaint。\"YouhavenotbeenoncetoDuplay’ssinceyourreturnfromBelgium。Andyouseemdifferent,too,sinceyourjourneytothearmy。\"Sherosenowandapproachedhim。\"Whatisit,cherCaron?\"sheasked,hervoiceaverycaressofseductiveness,hereyeslookingupintohis。\"Issomethingtroublingyou?\" \"Troublingme?\"heechoed,musingly。\"No。ButthenIamabusyman,Citoyenne。\" Awaveofredseemedtosweepacrossherface,andherheelbeattheparquetfloor。 \"IfyoucallmeCitoyenneagainIshallstrikeyou,\"shethreatenedhim。 Helookeddownather,andshehadthefeelingthatbehindtheinscrutablemaskofhiscountenancehewaslaughingather。 \"Itwouldsortwellwithyouraudacity,\"hemadeanswercoolly。 Shefeltinthatmomentthatshehatedhim,anditwasamiraclethatshedidnotdoasshehadthreatened,forwithallhermeeklookssheownedaveryfiercestoftempers。Shedrewbackapaceortwo,andherglancefell。 \"Ishallnottroubleyouinfuture,\"shevowed。\"Ishallnotcomehereagain。\" Hebowedslightly。 \"Iapplaudthewisdomofyourresolve—Cit—Cecile。Theworld,asIhavesaid,iscensorious。\" Shelookedathimasecond,thenshelaughed,butitwaslaughterofthelipsonly;theeyeslookedsteelyasdaggersandascapableofmischief。 \"Adieu,CitizenLaBoulaye,\"shemurmuredmockingly。 \"Aurevoir,CitoyenneDeshaix,\"herepliedurbanely。 \"Ough!\"shegasped,andwiththatsuddenexclamationofpent—upwrath,shewhiskedaboutandwentrustlingtothedoor。 \"Citoyenne,\"hecalledafterher,\"youareforgettingyourflowers。\" Shehalted,andseemedforasecondtohesitate,lookingathimoddly。Thenshecamebacktothetableandtookupherroses。 Againshelookedathim,andletthebouquetfallbackamongthepapers。 \"Ibroughtthemforyou,Caron,\"shesaid,\"andI’llleavethemwithyou。Wecanatleastbefriends,canwenot?\" \"Friends?Butwereweeveraughtelse?\"heasked。 \"Alas!no,\"shesaidtoherself,whilstaloudshemurmured:\"I thoughtthatyouwouldlikethem。Yourroomhassuchagloomy,sombreair,andafewrosesseemtodiffusesomeofthesunshineonwhichtheyhavebeennurtured。\" \"Youaretoogood,Cecile’’heanswered,and,forallhiscoldness,hewastouchedalittlebythisthoughtfulness。 Shelookedupatthealteredtone,andtheexpressionofherfaceseemedtosoften。Butbeforeshecouldmakeanswertherewasarapatthedoor。Itopened,andBrutusstoodinthedoorway。 \"Citizen,\"heannounced,inhissourtones,\"thereisanotherwomanbelowaskingtoseeyou。\" LaBoulayestarted,asagainhisthoughtsflewtoSuzanne,andadullflushcreptintohispalecheeksandmountedtohisbrow。 Cecile’seyeswereuponhim,herglancehardeningassheobservedthesesigns。Bitterenoughhaditbeentoendurehiscoldnesswhilstshehadimaginedthatitsprangfromtheausterityofhisnatureandtheabsorptionofhissoulinmatterspolitical。Butnowthatitseemedshemighthavecausetotemperherbitternesswithjealousyhersoulwasturnedtogall。 \"Whatmannerofwoman,Brutus?\"heaskedafterasecond’spause。 \"Tall,pale,straight,blackhair,blackeyes,silkgown—andsavoursthearistocrataleagueoff,\"answeredBrutus。 \"Yourofficialseemsgiftedwithaverycomprehensiveeye,\"saidCeciletartly。 ButLaBoulayepaidnoheedtoher。Theflushdeepenedonhisface,thenfadedagain,andhegrewoddlypale。Hisofficial’sinventoryofhercharacteristicsfittedMademoiselledeBellecourineverydetail。 \"Admither,Brutus,\"hecommanded,andhisvoicehadahuskysound。 Then,turningtoCecile,\"Youwillgivemeleave?\"hesaid,cloakingrudedismissalinitspolitestform。 \"Assuredly,\"sheansweredbitterly,makingshifttogo。\"Yourvisitorisnodoubtpolitical?\"shehalf—askedhalf—asserted。 Buthemadenoanswerasheheldthedoorforher,andbowedlowasshepassedout。Withawhitefaceandlipstightlycompressedshewent,andhalf—wayonthestairsshemetahandsomewoman,tallandofqueenlybearing,whoascended。HertoilettelackedtheelaboratenessofCecile’s,butshecarrieditwithanairwhichnotallthemodistesofFrancecouldhavesucceededinimpartingtotheCitoyenneDeshaix。 SodeadwasRobespierre’sniecetoeverysenseoffitnessthat,havingdrawnasidetoletthewomanpass,shestoodgazingafterheruntilshedisappearedroundtheangleofthelanding。Then,inafury,shesweptfromthehouseandintoherwaitingcoach,andasshedrovebacktoDuplay’sintheRueSt。Honoreshewasweepingbitterlyinherjealousrage。 CHAPTERXVII LABOULAYE’SPROMISE LaBoulayeremainedamomentbythedoorafterCecile’sdeparture; thenhemovedawaytowardshisdesk,strivingtomasterthetumultuousthrobbingofhispulses。HiseyealightedonCecile’sroses,and,scarceknowingwhyhedidit,hepickedthemupandflungthembehindabookcase。Itwasbutdonewhenagainthedooropened,andhisofficialusheredinMademoiselledeBellecour。 Oddlyenough,atsightofher,LaBoulayegrewmasterofhimself。 Hereceivedherwithapoliteandveryformalbow—atrifleover—gracefulforapatriot。 \"So,Citoyenne,\"saidhe,andsocoldwashisvoicethatitseemedeventingedwithmockery,\"youarecomeatlast。\" \"Icouldnotcomebefore,Monsieur,\"sheanswered,trembling。\"Theywouldnotletme。\"Then,afterasecond’spause:\"AmItoolate,Monsieur?\"sheasked。 \"No,\"heansweredher。\"Theci—devantVicomted’Ombrevalstillliesawaitingtrial。Willyounotbeseated?\" \"Idonotlooktoremainlong。\" \"Asyouplease,Citoyenne。IhavedelayedOmbreval’strialthinkingthatifnotmyletterwhythenhismightbringyou,soonerorlater,tohisrescue。Itmayinterestyoutohear,\"hecontinuedwithanunmistakablenoteofirony,\"thatthatbravebuthaplessgentlemanismuchfrettedathisincarceration。\" Ashadowcrossedherface,whichremainedotherwisecalmandcomposed—thebeautiful,intrepidfacethathadmorethanoncebeenLaBoulaye’sundoing。 \"Iamgladthatyouhavewaited,Monsieur。Insodoingyouneedhavenodoubtsconcerningme。M。d’Ombrevalismybetrothed,andthetrothIplightedhimbindsmeinhonourtosuccourhimnow。\" LaBoulayelookedsteadilyatherforamoment。 \"Uponmysoul,\"hesaidatlast,anoteofineffablesarcasmvibratinginhisvoice,\"Ishallneverceasetoadmiretheeffronteryofyourclass,andthecoolnesswithwhich,indespiteofdishonourableaction,youmakehigh—soundingtalkofhonourandthethingstowhichitbindsyou。Ihaveadimrecollection,Citoyenne,ofsomethinguncommonlylikeyourtrothwhichyouplightedmeonenightatBoisvert。ButsolittledidthatpromisebindyouthatwhenIsoughttoenforceyourfulfilmentofityoubrokemyheadandleftmetodieintheroad。\" Hiswordsshookheroutofhercalm。Herbosomroseandfell,hereyesseemedtogrowhaggardandherhandswereclaspedconvulsively。 \"Monsieur,\"sheanswered,\"whenIgaveyoumypromisethatnightI hadeveryintentionofkeepingit。Iswearit,asHeavenismywitness。\" \"Youractionsmorethanprovedit,\"hesaiddryly。 \"Begenerous,Monsieur,\"shebegged。\"Itwasmymotherprevaileduponmetoaltermydetermination。SheurgedthatIshouldbedishonouredifIdidnot。\" \"Thatwordagain!\"hecried。\"Whatpartitplaysinthelifeofthenoblesse。Allthatitsuitsyoutodo,youdobecausehonourbidsyou,alltowhichyouhaveboundyourselves,butwhichisdistasteful,youdiscoverthathonourforbids,andthatyouwouldbedishonoureddidyoupersist。ButIaminterruptingyou,Citoyenne。Didyourmotheradvanceanyarguments?\" \"Thestrongestargumentofalllayhere,inmyheart,Monsieur,\" sheansweredhim,rousedandhardenedbyhisscorn。\"Youmustseethatithadbecomewithmeamatterofchoosingthelesseroftwoevils。UponreflectionIdiscoveredthatIwasboundtotwomen,anditbehovedmetokeepthemorebindingofmypledges。\" \"WhichyoudiscoveredtobeyourwordtoOmbreval,\"hesaid,andhisvoicegrewunconsciouslysofter,forhebegantorealisethequandaryinwhichshehadfoundherself。 Sheinclinedherheadassentingly。 \"TohimIhadgiventheearlierpromise,andthen,again,hewasofmyownclasswhilstyou—\" \"Spareme,Citoyenne,\"hecried。\"Iknowwhatyouwouldsay。I amoftherabble,andoflittlemoreaccountinamatterofhonourthana,beastofthefield。Itisthusthatyoureason,andyet,monDieu!Ihadthoughtthaterenowsuchnotionshaddiedoutwithyou,andthat,stupidenoughthoughyourclasshasproveditself,itwouldatleasthavedisplayedtheintelligencetoperceivethatitsdayisended,itssunset。\"Heturnedandpacedtheapartmentashespoke。\"TheLiliesofFrancehavebeenshornfromtheirstems,theyhavewitheredbytheroadside,andtheyhavebeentrampledintothedustbythemenofthenewregime,andyetitseemsthatyouothersofthenoblessehavenotlearntyourlesson。YouhavenotyetdiscoveredthathereinFrancethemanwhowasbornatillerofthesoilisstillaman,and,byhismanhood,theequalofaking,who,afterall,canbenomorethanaman,andissometimesless。 Enfin!\"heendedbrusquely。\"ThisisnottheNationalAssembly,andItalktoearsuntutoredinsuchthings。Letusdealratherwiththebusinessuponwhichyouarecome。\" Sheeyedhimoutofapaleface,witheyesthatseemedfascinated。 Thatshortburstofthefieryeloquencethathadmadehimfamousrevealedhimtoherinanewlight:thelightofastrengthandcapacityaboveandbeyondthatwhich,already,shehadperceivedwashis。 \"Willyoubelieve,Monsieur,thatitcostmemanytearstouseyouasIdid?Ifyoubutknew—\"Andthereshepausedabruptly。ShehadallbuttoldhimofthekissthatshehadleftuponhisunconsciouslipsthateveningontheroadtoLiege。\"MonDieuhowIhatedmyself!\"Andsheshudderedasshespoke。 Heobservedallthis,andwithabrusquenessthatwaspartlyassumedhehastenedtoherrescue。 \"Whatisdoneisdone,Citoyenne。Come,letusleavereminiscences。 Youareheretoatone,Itakeit。\" Atthatshestarted。Hiswordsremindedherofthoseofhisletter。 \"MonsieurLaBoulaye—\" \"Ifitisallonetoyou,Citoyenne,Ishouldpreferthatyoucallmecitizen。\" \"Citizen,then,\"sheamended。\"IhavebroughtwithmethegemswhichItoldyouwouldconstitutemydowry。InhislettertometheVicomtesuggestedthat—\"Shepaused。 \"ThatsomeRepublicanblackguardmightbebribed,\"heconcluded,verygently。 Hisgentlenessdeceivedher。Sheimaginedthatitmeantthathemightnotbeunwillingtoacceptsuchabribe,andthereuponshesetherselftopleadwithhim。Helisteneddispassionately,hishandsbehindhisback,hiseyesbentuponher,yetbetrayingnothingofhisthoughts。AtlastshebroughtherprayerforOmbreval’slifetoanend,andproducedasmallleatherbagwhichshesetuponthetable,beseechinghimtosatisfyhimselfastothevalueofthecontents。 Nowatlasthestirred。Hisfacegrewcrimsontotherootsofhishair,andhiseyesseemedofasuddentotakefire。Heseizedthatlittlebagandhelditinhishand。 \"Andso,MademoiselledeBellecour,\"saidhe,inaconcentratedvoice,\"youhavelearntsolittleofmethatyoubringmeabribeofgems。AmIahelot,thatyoushouldoffertobuymyverysoul? Doyouthinkmyhonourissocheapathingthatyoucanhaveitforthematterofsomebitsofglass?Ordoyouimaginethatweofthenewregime,becausewedonotmouththewordateveryturn,havenosuchthingashonour?Forshame!\"Hepaused,hiswrathboilingoverashesoughtwordsinwhichtogiveitutterance。Andthen,wordsfailinghimtoexpressthehalfofwhatwasinhim,heliftedthebaghighabovehishead,andhurleditatherfeetwithaforcethatsenthalftheglitteringcontentsrollingabouttheparquetfloor。\"Citoyenne,yourjourneyhasbeeninvain。Iwillnottreatwithyouanotherinstant。\" Sherecoiledbeforehiswrath,awhiteandfrightenedthingthatbutaninstantbackhadbeensocalmandself—possessed。Shegavenothoughttotheflashingjewelsscatteredaboutthefloor。Throughallthefearthatnowpossessedherrosetheconsiderationofthisman—thismanwhomshehadalmostconfessedhalf—shamedlytoherselfthatsheloved,thatnightontheLiegeroad;thismanwhoateveryturnamazedherandfilledherwithanewsenseofhisstrengthanddignity。 Then,bethinkingherofOmbrevalandofhermission,shetookhercourageinbothhands,and,advancingastep,shecastherselfuponherkneesbeforeCaron。 \"Monsieur,forgiveme,\"shebesoughthim。\"Imeantyounoinsult。 HowcouldI,whenmyeverywishistopropitiateyou?Bethinkyou,Monsieur,IhavejourneyedallthewayfromPrussiatosavethatman,becausemyhon—becauseheismybetrothed。Remember,Monsieur,youheldouttomethepromiseinyourletterthatifIcameyouwouldtreatwithme,andthatImightbuyhislifefromyou。\" \"Why,soIdid,\"heanswered,touchedbyherhumiliationandhertears。\"Butyouwenttoofastinyourconclusions。\" \"Forgivemethat。See!Iamonmykneestoyou。AmInothumbledenough?HaveInotsufferedenoughforthewrongImayhavedoneyou?\" \"ItwouldtakethesufferingsofagenerationtoatoneforthewrongsI haveenduredatthehandsofyourfamily,Citoyenne。\" \"Iwilldowhatyouwill,Monsieur。BethinkyouthatIampleadingforthelifeofthemanIamtomarry。\" Helookeddownuponhernowinanemotionthatinitswaywasaspowerfulasherown。Yethisvoicewashardandsternlygovernedashenowaskedher\"Isthatanargument,Mademoiselle?Isitanargumentlikelytoprevailwiththemanwho,forhistwice—confessedloveofyou,hassufferedsoretrials?\" Hefeltthatinawayshehadconqueredhim;hiscareer,whichbutthatdayhadseemedall—sufficingtohim,wasnowfallenintothelimboofdisregard。Theonethingwhosepossessionwouldrenderhislifeahappyone,whoseabsencewouldleavehimnowalastingunhappiness,knelthereathisfeet。Forgottenwerethewrongshehadsuffered,forgottenthepurposetohumbleandtopunish。 Everythingwasforgottenandsilencedbythecompellingvoiceofhisblood,whichcriedoutthathelovedher。Hestoopedtoherandcaughtherwristsinagripthatmadeherwince。Hisvoicegrewtense。 \"Ifyouwouldbribemetosavehislife,Suzanne,thereisbutonepricethatyoucanpay。\" \"Andthat?\"shegaspedhereyeslookingupwithascaredexpressionintohismasterfulface。 \"Yourself,\"hewhispered,withanardourthatalmostamountedtofierceness。 Shegazedasecondathimingrowingalarm,thenshedraggedherhandsfromhisgrasp,andcoveringherfaceshefella—sobbing。 \"Donotmisunderstandme,\"hecried,ashestooderectoverher。 \"IfyouwouldhaveOmbrevalsavedandsentoutofFranceyoumustbecomemywife。\" \"Yourwife?\"sheechoed,pausinginherweeping,andforamomentanoddhappinessseemedtofillher。Butassuddenlyasithadarisendidshestifleit。WasshenotthenobledaughterofthenobleMarquisdeBellecourandwasnotthisalowlybornmemberofarabblegovernment?Therecouldbenosuchmating。Ashudderranthroughher。\"Icannot,Monsieur,Icannot!\"shesobbed。 Helookedatheramomentwithaglancethatwasalmostofsurprise,then,withaslightcompressionofthelipsandthefaintestraisingoftheshoulders,heturnedfromherandstrodeovertothewindow。 TherewasaconsiderableconcourseofpeopleontheirwaytothePlacedelaRepublique,forthehourofthetumbrilswasathand。 Ahalf—dozenofthoseunsexedviragosproducedbytheRevolution,infilthygarments,redbonnetsandstreaminghair,weremarchingbytotheraucouschorusofthe\"Caira!\" Heturnedfromthesightindisgust,andagainfacedhisvisitor。 \"Citoyenne,\"hesaid,inacomposedvoice,\"Iamafraidthatyourjourneyhasbeeninvain。\" Sherosenowfromherknees,andadvancedtowardshim。 \"Monsieur,youwillnotbesocruelastosendmeawayempty—handed?\" shecried,scarceknowingwhatshewassaying。 Buthelookedathergravely,andwithoutanysignofmelting。 \"Onwhat,\"heasked,\"doyoubaseanyclaimuponme?\" \"Onwhat?\"sheechoed,andherglancevastroubledwithperplexity。 Thenofasuddenitcleared。\"Onthelovethatyouhaveconfessedforme,\"shecried。 Helaughedashortlaugh—halfamazement,halfscorn。 \"MonDieu!\"heexclaimed,tossinghisarmstoHeaven,\"afineclaimthat,asIlive;afineargumentbywhichtoinducemetoplaceanothermaninyourarms。IamtodoitbecauseIloveyou!\" Theygazedateachothernow,shewithaglanceofstrainedanxiety,hewiththesamelookofhalf—contemptuouswonder。Andthenacreakingrumblefrombelowattractedhisattention,andhelookedround。Hemovedforwardandthrewthewindowwide,lettinginwiththeMarchairanoddmedleyofsoundstowhichtherollingofdrumsaffordedamostcongruousaccompaniment。 \"Look,Citoyenne,\"hesaid,andhepointedoutthefirsttumbril,whichwascomingroundthecorneroftheRueSt。Honore。 Sheapproachedwithsomeshrinkingbegottenbyasuspicionofwhatshewasdesiredtosee。 Inthestreetbelow,amongavociferatingcrowdofallsortsandconditions,theblackdeath—cartmovedonitswaytotheguillotine。 ItwasprecededbyacompanyofNationalGuards,andfollowedbythedrummersandanothercompanyonfoot。Withinthefatalvehicletravelledthreemenandtwowomen,accompaniedbyaconstitutionalpriest—oneofthoserenegadeswhohadtakentheoathimposedbytheConvention。Thetwowomensatmotionless,morelikestatuesthanlivingbeings,theirfaceslividandhorriblyexpressionless,sonumbedweretheirintelligencesbyfear。Ofthemen,onestoodcalmanddignified,anotherkneltathisprayers,andwassubject,therefore,tothegreaterportionofthegibesthemobwasofferingthesepoorvictims;thethird,averyelegantgentlemaninagreencoatandbuckskinbreeches,leantnonchalantlyupontherailofthetumbrilandexchangedgibeswiththepeople。Allfiveofthemwereintheprimeoflife,and,bytheirtoilettesandtheairthatclungtothem,belongedunmistakablytothenoblesse。 OneglancedidMademoisellebestowuponthattragicspectacle,thenwithashuddershedrewback,herfacegoingdeathlywhite。 \"Whydidyoubidmelook?\"shemoaned。