Part 5 (1/2)
M le Marquis shi+fted in his chair, and spoke at last
”You have, ift of eloquence And it is of yourself rather than of your subject For after all, what do you offer me? A rechauffe of the dishes served to out-at-elbow enthusiasts in the provincial literary chambers, compounded of the effusions of your Voltaires and Jean-Jacques and such dirty-fingered scribblers You have not a all your philosophers one with the wit to understand that we are an order consecrated by antiquity, that for our rights and privileges we have behind us the authority of centuries”
”Humanity, monsieur,” Philippe replied, ”is hts are conteed
”That is the answer I ht note of cant that distinguishes the philosophers”
And then M de Chabrillane spoke
”You go a long way round,” he criticized his cousin, on a note of i there,” he was answered ”I desired to make quite certain first”
”Faith, you should have no doubt by now”
”I have none” The Marquis rose, and turned again to M de Vile ”M l'abbe,” said he once ift of eloquence I can conceive of entleman, you would not so easily have acquired these false views that you express”
M de Vil
”Had I been born a gentleman, do you say?” quoth he, in a sloildered voice ”But I was born a gentleood as yours, ht play of eyebrows, a vague, indulgent smile His dark, liquid eyes looked squarely into the face of M de Vilmorin
”You have been deceived in that, I fear”
”Deceived?”
”Your sentiments betray the indiscretion of which uilty”
The brutally affronting words were sped beyond recall, and the lips that had uttered them, coldly, as if they had been the
A dead silence followed Andre-Louis' ere nuht suspended in him, what time M de Vilmorin's eyes continued fixed upon M de La Tour d'Azyr's, as if searching there for athat eluded him Quite suddenly he understood the vile affront The blood leapt to his face, fire blazed in his gentle eyes A convulsive quiver shook him Then, with an inarticulate cry, he leaned forward, and with his open hand struck M le Marquis full and hard upon his sneering face
In a flash M de Chabrillane was on his feet, between the two men
Too late Andre-Louis had seen the trap La Tour d'Azyr's words were but as a ame of chess, calculated to exasperate his opponent into some such counter-move as this--a counter-move that left him entirely at the other's mercy
M le Marquis looked on, very white save where M de Vilan slowly to colour his face; but he said nothing more
Instead, it was M de Chabrillane who now did the talking, taking up his preconcerted part in this vile game
”You realize, monsieur, what you have done,” said he, coldly, to Philippe ”And you realize, of course, what must inevitably follow”