scaramouche-第26章

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with　her　to　light　her　candle。　　Holding　it　in　her　left　hand；　she
offered　him　her　right；　a　long；　tapering；　white　hand　at　the　end　of
a　softly　rounded　arm　that　was　bare　to　the　elbow。

〃Good…night；　Scaramouche；〃　she　said；　but　so　softly；　so　tenderly；
that　he　caught　his　breath；　and　stood　conning　her；　his　dark　eyes
aglow。

Thus　a　moment；　then　he　took　the　tips　of　her　fingers　in　his　grasp；
and　bowing　over　the　hand；　pressed　his　lips　upon　it。　　Then　he　looked
at　her　again。　　The　intense　femininity　of　her　lured　him　on；　invited
him；　surrendered　to　him。　　Her　face　was　pale；　there　was　a　glitter　in
her　eyes；　a　curious　smile　upon　her　parted　lips；　and　under　its
fichu…menteur　her　bosom　rose　and　fell　to　complete　the　betrayal　of　her。

By　the　hand　he　continued　to　hold；　he　drew　her　towards　him。　　She　came
unresisting。　　He　took　the　candle　from　her；　and　set　it　down　on　the
sideboard　by　which　she　stood。　　The　next　moment　her　slight；　lithe
body　was　in　his　arms；　and　he　was　kissing　her；　murmuring　her　name　as
if　it　were　a　prayer。

〃Am　I　cruel　now？〃　she　asked　him；　panting。　　He　kissed　her　again　for
only　answer。　　〃You　made　me　cruel　because　you　would　not　see；〃　she
told　him　next　in　a　whisper。

And　then　the　door　opened；　and　M。　Binet　came　in　to　have　his　paternal
eyes　regaled　by　this　highly　indecorous　behaviour　of　his　daughter。

He　stood　at　gaze；　whilst　they　quite　leisurely；　and　in　a
self…possession　too　complete　to　be　natural；　detached　each　from
the　other。

〃And　what　may　be　the　meaning　of　this？〃　demanded　M。　Binet；　bewildered
and　profoundly　shocked。

〃Does　it　require　explaining？〃　asked　Scaramouche。　　〃Doesn't　it　speak
for　itself　…　eloquently？　　It　means　that　Climene　and　I　have　taken　it
into　our　heads　to　be　married。〃

〃And　doesn't　it　matter　what　I　may　take　into　my　head？〃

〃Of　course。　　But　you　could　have　neither　the　bad　taste　nor　the　bad
heart　to　offer　any　obstacle。〃

〃You　take　that　for　granted？　　Aye；　that　is　your　way；　to　be　sure　…　to
take　things　for　granted。　　But　my　daughter　is　not　to　be　taken　for
granted。　　I　have　very　definite　views　for　my　daughter。　　You　have　done
an　unworthy　thing；　Scaramouche。　　You　have　betrayed　my　trust　in　you。
I　am　very　angry　with　you。〃

He　rolled　forward　with　his　ponderous　yet　curiously　noiseless　gait。
Scaramouche　turned　to　her；　smiling；　and　handed　her　the　candle。

〃If　you　will　leave　us；　Climene；　I　will　ask　your　hand　of　your　father
in　proper　form。〃

She　vanished；　a　little　fluttered；　lovelier　than　ever　in　her　mixture
of　confusion　and　timidity。　　Scaramouche　closed　the　door　and　faced　the
enraged　M。　Binet；　who　had　flung　himself　into　an　armchair　at　the　head
of　the　short　table；　faced　him　with　the　avowed　purpose　of　asking　for
Climene's　hand　in　proper　form。　　And　this　was　how　he　did　it：

〃Father…in…law；〃　said　he；　〃I　congratulate　you。　　This　will　certainly
mean　the　Comedie　Francaise　for　Climene；　and　that　before　long；　and
you　shall　shine　in　the　glory　she　will　reflect。　　As　the　father　of
Madame　Scaramouche　you　may　yet　be　famous。〃

Binet；　his　face　slowly　empurpling；　glared　at　him　in　speechless
stupefaction。　　His　rage　was　the　more　utter　from　his　humiliating
conviction　that　whatever　he　might　say　or　do；　this　irresistible
fellow　would　bend　him　to　his　will。　　At　last　speech　came　to　him。

〃You're　a　damned　corsair；〃　he　cried；　thickly；　banging　his　ham…like
fist　upon　the　table。　　〃A　corsair！　　First　you　sail　in　and　plunder　me
of　half　my　legitimate　gains；　and　now　you　want　to　carry　off　my
daughter。　　But　I'll　be　damned　if　I'll　give　her　to　a　graceless；
nameless　scoundrel　like　you；　for　whom　the　gallows　are　waiting
already。〃

Scaramouche　pulled　the　bell…rope；　not　at　all　discomposed。　　He　smiled。
There　was　a　flush　on　his　cheeks　and　a　gleam　in　his　eyes。　　He　was
very　pleased　with　the　world　that　night。　　He　really　owed　a　great　debt
to　M。　de　Lesdiguieres。

〃Binet；〃　said　he；　〃forget　for　once　that　you　are　Pantaloon；　and　behave
as　a　nice；　amiable　father…in…law　should　behave　when　he　has　secured　a
son…in…law　of　exceptionable　merits。　　We　are　going　to　have　a　bottle　of
Burgundy　at　my　expense；　and　it　shall　be　the　best　bottle　of　Burgundy
to　be　found　in　Redon。　　Compose　yourself　to　do　fitting　honour　to　it。
Excitations　of　the　bile　invariably　impair　the　fine　sensitiveness　of
the　palate。〃



CHAPTER　VII

THE　CONQUEST　OF　NANTES


The　Binet　Troupe　opened　in　Nantes　…　as　you　may　discover　in　surviving
copies　of　the　〃Courrier　Nantais〃　…　on　the　Feast　of　the　Purification
with　〃Les　Fourberies　de　Scaramouche。〃　　But　they　did　not　come　to
Nantes　as　hitherto　they　had　gone　to　little　country　villages　and
townships；　unheralded　and　depending　entirely　upon　the　parade　of
their　entrance　to　attract　attention　to　themselves。　　Andre…Louis
had　borrowed　from　the　business　methods　of　the　Comedie　Francaise。
Carrying　matters　with　a　high　hand　entirely　in　his　own　fashion；　he
had　ordered　at　Redon　the　printing　of　playbills；　and　four　days　before
the　company's　descent　upon　Nantes；　these　bills　were　pasted　outside
the　Theatre　Feydau　and　elsewhere　about　the　town；　and　had　attracted
　…　being　still　sufficiently　unusual　announcements　at　the　time　…　
considerable　attention。　　He　had　entrusted　the　matter　to　one　of　the
company's　latest　recruits；　an　intelligent　young　man　named　Basque；
sending　him　on　ahead　of　the　company　for　the　purpose。

You　may　see　for　yourself　one　of　these　playbills　in　the　Carnavalet
Museum。　　It　details　the　players　by　their　stage　names　only；　with　the
exception　of　M。　Binet　and　his　daughter；　and　leaving　out　of　account
that　he　who　plays　Trivelin　in　one　piece　appears　as　Tabarin　in
another；　it　makes　the　company　appear　to　be　at　least　half　as　numerous
again　as　it　really　was。　　It　announces　that　they　will　open　with　〃Les
Fourberies　de　Scaramouche；〃　to　be　followed　by　five　other　plays　of
which　it　gives　the　titles；　and　by　others　not　named；　which　shall　also
be　added　should　the　patronage　to　be　received　in　the　distinguished
and　enlightened　city　of　Nantes　encourage　the　Binet　Troupe　to　prolong
its　sojourn　at　the　Theatre　Feydau。　　It　lays　great　stress　upon　the
fact　that　this　is　a　company　of　improvisers　in　the　old　Italian　manner；
the　like　of　which　has　not　been　seen　in　France　for　half　a　century；
and　it　exhorts　the　public　of　Nantes　not　to　miss　this　opportunity　of
witnessing　these　distinguished　mimes　who　are　reviving　for　them　the
glories　of　the　Comedie　de　l'Art。　　Their　visit　to　Nantes　…　the
announcement　proceeds　…　is　preliminary　to　their　visit　to　Paris；
where　they　intend　to　throw　down　the　glove　to　the　actors　of　the
Comedie　Francaise；　and　to　show　the　world　how　superior　is　the　art　of
the　improviser　to　that　of　the　actor　who　depends　upon　an　author　for
what　he　shall　say；　and　who　consequently　says　always　the　same　thing
every　time　that　he　plays　in　the　same　piece。

It　is　an　audacious　bill；　and　its　audacity　had　scared　M。　Binet　out
of　the　little　sense　left　him　by　the　Burgundy　which　in　these　days　he
could　afford　to　abuse。　　He　had　offered　the　most　vehement　opposition。
Part　of　this　Andre…Louis　had　swept　aside；　part　he　had　disregarded。

〃I　admit　that　it　is　audacious；〃　said　Scaramouche。　　〃But　at　your　time
of　life　you　should　have　learnt　that　in　this　world　nothing　succeeds
like　audacity。〃

〃I　forbid　it；　I　absolutely　forbid　it；〃　M。　Binet　insisted。

〃I　knew　you　would。　　Just　as　I　know　that　you'll　be　very　grateful　to
me　presently　for　not　obeying　you。

〃You　are　inviting　a　catastrophe。〃

〃I　am　inviting　fortune。　　The　worst　catastrophe　that　can　overtake
you　is　to　be　back　in　the　market…halls　of　the　country　villages　from
which　I　rescued　you。　　I'll　have　you　in　Paris　yet　in　spite　of
yourself。　　Leave　this　to　me。〃

And　he　went　out　to　attend　to　the　printing。　　Nor　did　his　preparations
end　there。　　He　wrote　a　piquant　article　on　the　glories　of　the　Comedie
de　l'Art；　and　its　resurrection　by　the　improvising　troupe　of　the
great　mime　Florimond　Binet。　　Binet's　name　was　not　Florimond；　it　was
just　Pierre。　　But　Andre…Louis　had　a　great　sense　of　the　theatre。　　That
article　was　an　amplification　of　the　stimulating　matter　contained　in
the　playbills；　and　he　persuaded　Basque；　who　had　relations　in　Nantes；
to　use　all　the　influence　he　could　command；　and　all　the　bribery　they
could　afford；　to　get　that　article　printed　in　the　〃Courrier　Nantais〃
a　couple　of　days　before　the　arrival　of　the　Binet　Troupe。

Basque　had　succeeded；　and；　considering　the　undoubted　literary　merits
and　intrinsic　interest　of　the　article；　this　is　not　at　all　surprising。

And　so　it　was　upon　an　already　expectant　city　that　Binet　and　his
company　descended　in　that　first　week　of　February。　　M。　Binet　would
have　made　his　entrance　in　the　usual　manner　…　a　full…dress　parade　with
banging　drums　and　crashing　cymbals。　　But　to　this　Andre…Louis　offered
the　most　relentless　opposition。

〃We　should　but　discover　our　poverty；〃　said　he。　　〃Instead；　we　will
creep　into　the　city　unobserved；　and　leave　ourselves　to　the　imagination
of　the　public。〃

He　had　his　way；　of　course。　　M。　Binet；　worn　already　with　battling
against　the　strong　waters　of　this　young　man's　will；　was　altogether
unequal　to　the　contest　now　that　he　found　CLIMENE　in　alliance　with
Scaramouche；　adding　her　insistence　to　his；　and　joining　with　him
in　reprobation　of　her　father's　sluggish　and　reactionary　wits。
Metaphorically；　M。　Binet　threw　up　his　arms；　and　cursing　the　day　on
which　he　had　taken　this　young　man　into　his　troupe；　he　allowed　the
current　to　carry　him　whither　it　would。　　He　was　persuaded　that　he
would　be　drowned　in　the　end。　　Meanwhile　he　would　drown　his　vexation
in　Burgundy。　　At　least　there　was　abundance　of　Burgundy。　　Never　in
his　life　had　he　found　Burgundy　so　plentiful。　　Perhaps　things　were
not　as　bad　as　he　imagined；　after　all。　　He　reflected　that；　when　all
was　said；　he　had　to　thank　Scaramouche　for　the　Burgundy。　　Whilst
fearing　the　worst；　he　would　hope　for　the　best。

And　it　was　very　much　the　worst　that　he　feared　as　he　waited　in　the
wings　when　the　curtain　rose　on　that　first　performance　of　theirs　at
the　Theatre　Feydau　to　a　house　that　was　tolerably　filled　by　a　public
whose　curiosity　the　preliminary　announcements　had　thoroughly
stimulated。

Although　the　scenario　of　〃Lee　Fourberies　de　Scaramouche〃　has　not
apparently　survived；　yet　we　know　from　Andre…Louis'　〃Confessions〃
that　it　is　opened　by　Polichinelle　in　the　character　of　an　arrogant
and　fiercely　jealous　lover　shown　in　the　act　of　beguiling　the
waiting…maid；　Columbine；　to　play　the　spy　upon　her　mistress；　Climene。
Beginning　with　cajolery；　but　failing　in　this　with　the　saucy
Columbine；　who　likes　cajolers　to　be　at　least　attractive　and　to　pay
a　due　deference　to　her　own　very　piquant　charms；　the　fierce　humpbacked
scoundrel　passes　on　to　threats　of　the　terrible　vengeance　he　will
wreak　upon　her　if　she　betrays　him　or　neglects　to　obey　him　implicitly；
failing　here；　likewise；　he　finally　has　recourse　to　bribery；　and
after　he　has　bled　himself　freely　to　the　very　expectant　Columbine；　he
succeeds　by　these　means　in　obtaining　her　consent　to　spy　upon　Climene；
and　to　report　to　him　upon　her　lady's　conduct。

The　pair　played　the　scene　well　together；　stimulated；　perhaps；　by
their　very　nervousness　at　finding　themselves　before　so　imposing　an
audience。　　Polichinelle　was　everything　that　is　fierce；　contemptuous；
and　insistent。　　Columbine　was　the　essence　of　pert　indifference
under　his　cajolery；　saucily　mock