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〃Comedian！〃 the Marquis contemptuously apostrophized him。 〃Does it
alter the case？ Are these men who have opposed you men who live by
the sword like yourself？〃
〃On the contrary； M。 le Marquis； I have found them men who died by
the sword with astonishing ease。 I cannot suppose that you desire
to add yourself to their number。〃
〃And why； if you please？〃 La Tour d'Azyr's face had flamed scarlet
before that sneer。
〃Oh；〃 Andre…Louis raised his eyebrows and pursed his lips； a man
considering。 He delivered himself slowly。 〃Because； monsieur； you
prefer the easy victim … the Lagrons and Vilmorins of this world；
mere sheep for your butchering。 That is why。〃
And then the Marquis struck him。
Andre…Louis stepped back。 His eyes gleamed a moment； the next they
were smiling up into the face of his tall enemy。
〃No better than the others； after all！ Well； well！ Remark； I beg
you； how history repeats itself … with certain differences。 Because
poor Vilmorin could not bear a vile lie with which you goaded him；
he struck you。 Because you cannot bear an equally vile truth which
I have uttered； you strike me。 But always is the vileness yours。
And now as then for the striker there is。。。 〃 He broke off。 〃But
why name it？ You will remember what there is。 Yourself you wrote
it that day with the point of your too…ready sword。 But there。
I will meet you if you desire it； monsieur。〃
〃What else do you suppose that I desire？ To talk？〃
Andre…Louis turned to his friends and sighed。 〃So that I am to go
another jaunt to the Bois。 Isaac； perhaps you will kindly have a
word with one of these friends of M。 le Marquis'； and arrange for
nine o'clock to…morrow； as usual。〃
〃Not to…morrow；〃 said the Marquis shortly to Le Chapeher。 〃I have
an engagement in the country； which I cannot postpone。〃
Le Chapelier looked at Andre…Louis。
〃Then for M。 le Marquis' convenience； we will say Sunday at the
same hour。〃
〃I do not fight on Sunday。 I am not a pagan to break the holy day。〃
〃But surely the good God would not have the presumption to damn a
gentleman of M。 le Marquis' quality on that account？ Ah； well；
Isaac； please arrange for Monday； if it is not a feast…day or
monsieur has not some other pressing engagement。 I leave it in
your hands。〃
He bowed with the air of a man wearied by these details； and
threading his arm through Kersain's withdrew。
〃Ah； Dieu de Dieu！ But what a trick of it you have；〃 said the
Breton deputy； entirely unsophisticated in these matters。
〃To be sure I have。 I have taken lessons at their hands。〃 He
laughed。 He was in excellent good…humour。 And Kersam was
enrolled in the ranks of those who accounted Andre…Louis a man
without heart or conscience。
But in his 〃Confessions〃 he tells us … and this is one of the
glimpses that reveal the true man under all that make…believe
… that on that night he went down on his knees to commune with
his dead friend Philippe； and to call his spirit to witness that
he was about to take the last step in the fulfilment of the oath
sworn upon his body at Gavrillac two years ago。
CHAPTER IX
TORN PRIDE
M。 de La Tour d'Azyr's engagement in the country on that Sunday
was with M。 de Kercadiou。 To fulfil it he drove out early in the
day to Meudon； taking with him in his pocket a copy of the last
issue of 〃Les Actes des Apotres；〃 a journal whose merry sallies
at the expense of the innovators greatly diverted the Seigneur de
Gavrillac。 The venomous scorn it poured upon those worthless
rapscallions afforded him a certain solatium against the
discomforts of expatriation by which he was afflicted as a result
of their detestable energies。
Twice in the last month； had M。 de La Tour d'Azyr gone to visit
the Lord of Gavrillac at Meudon； and the sight of Aline； so sweet
and fresh； so bright and of so lively a mind； had caused those
embers smouldering under the ashes of the past； embers which
until now he had believed utterly extinct； to kindle into flame
once more。 He desired her as we desire Heaven。 I believe that
it was the purest passion of his life； that had it come to him
earlier he might have been a vastly different man。 The cruelest
wound that in all his selfish life he had taken was when she
sent him word； quite definitely after the affair at the Feydau；
that she could not again in any circumstances receive him。 At
one blow … through that disgraceful riot … he had been robbed of a
mistress he prized and of a wife who had become a necessity to the
very soul of him。 The sordid love of La Binet might have consoled
him for the compulsory renunciation of his exalted love of Aline；
just as to his exalted love of Aline he had been ready to sacrifice
his attachment to La Binet。 But that ill…timed riot had robbed
him at once of both。 Faithful to his word to Sautron he had
definitely broken with La Binet； only to find that Aline had
definitely broken with him。 And by the time that he had
sufficiently recovered from his grief to think again of La Binet；
the comedienne had vanished beyond discovery。
For all this he blamed； and most bitterly blamed； Andre…Louis。
That low…born provincial lout pursued him like a Nemesis； was
become indeed the evil genius of his life。 That was it … the evil
genius of his life！ And it was odds that on Monday。。。 He did not
like to think of Monday。 He was not particularly afraid of death。
He was as brave as his kind in that respect； too brave in the
ordinary way； and too confident of his skill； to have considered
even remotely such a possibility as that of dying in a duel。 It
was only that it would seem like a proper consummation of all the
evil that he had suffered directly or indirectly through this
Andre…Louis Moreau that he should perish ignobly by his hand。
Almost he could hear that insolent； pleasant voice making the
flippant announcement to the Assembly on Monday morning。
He shook off the mood； angry with himself for entertaining it。
It was maudlin。 After all Chabrillane and La Motte…Royau were
quite exceptional swordsmen； but neither of them really approached
his own formidable calibre。 Reaction began to flow； as he drove
out through country lanes flooded with pleasant September sunshine。
His spirits rose。 A premonition of victory stirred within him
Far from fearing Monday's meeting； as he had so unreasonably been
doing； he began to look forward to it。 It should afford him the
means of setting a definite term to this persecution of which he
had been the victim。 He would crush this insolent and persistent
flea that had been stinging him at every opportunity。 Borne upward
on that wave of optimism； he took presently a more hopeful view
of his case with Aline。
At their first meeting a month ago he had used the utmost frankness
with her。 He had told her the whole truth of his motives in going
that night to the Feydau； he had made her realize that she had acted
unjustly towards him。 True he had gone no farther。
But that was very far to have gone as a beginning。 And in their
last meeting； now a fortnight old； she had received him with frank
friendliness。 True； she had been a little aloof。 But that was to
be expected until he quite explicitly avowed that he had revived
the hope of winning her。 He had been a fool not to have returned
before to…day。
Thus in that mood of new…born confidence … a confidence risen from
the very ashes of despondency … came he on that Sunday morning to
Meudon。 He was gay and jovial with M。 de Kercadiou what time he
waited in the salon for mademoiselle to show herself。 He pronounced
with confidence on the country's future。 There were signs already
… he wore the rosiest spectacles that morning … of a change of
opinion； of a more moderate note。 The Nation began to perceive
whither this lawyer rabble was leading it。 He pulled out 〃The Acts
of the Apostles〃 and read a stinging paragraph。 Then； when
mademoiselle at last made her appearance； he resigned the journal
into the hands of M。 de Kercadiou。
M。 de Kercadiou； with his niece's future to consider； went to read
the paper in the garden； taking up there a position whence he could
keep the couple within sight … as his obligations seemed to demand
of him … whilst being discreetly out of earshot。
The Marquis made the most of an opportunity that might be brief。
He quite frankly declared himself； and begged； implored to be taken
back into Aline's good graces； to be admitted at least to the hope
that one day before very long she would bring herself to consider
him in a nearer relationship。
〃Mademoiselle；〃 he told her； his voice vibrating with a feeling
that admitted of no doubt； 〃you cannot lack conviction of my utter
sincerity。 The very constancy of my devotion should afford you
this。 It is just that I should have been banished from you； since
I showed myself so utterly unworthy of the great honour to which
I aspired。 But this banishment has nowise diminished my devotion。
If you could conceive what I have suffered； you would agree that
I have fully expiated my abject fault。〃
She looked at him with a curious； gentle wistfulness on her
lovely face。
〃Monsieur； it is not you whom I doubt。