Part 6 (1/2)
”You have killed him!” cried Andre-Louis
”Of course”
The Marquis ran a lace handkerchief along his blade to wipe it As he let the dainty fabric fall, he explained hiift of eloquence”
And he turned away, leaving co with Andre-Louis
Still supporting the li man called to him
”Come back, you cowardlyer Then M de Chabrillane set a restraining hand upon his arhout to the deed, the Chevalier was a little appalled now that it was done He had not the high stoer
”Co They were friends”
”You heard what he said?” quoth the Marquis
”Nor can he, or you, or anyback Andre-Louis
”Yourself, ave me now the reason why you killed him You did it because you feared hientleman
”Do you ask? Do you understand of life and hu but hoear a coat and dress your hair--oh, yes, and to handle weapons against boys and priests? Have you no mind to think, no soul into which you can turn its vision? Must you be told that it is a coward's part to kill the thing he fears, and doubly a coward's part to kill in this way? Had you stabbed hie of your vileness It would have been a vileness undisguised But you feared the consequences of that, powerful as you are; and so you shelter your cowardice under the pretext of a duel”
The Marquis shook off his cousin's hand, and took a step forward, holding now his sword like a whip But again the Chevalier caught and held him
”No, no, Gervais! Let be, in God's name!”
”Let him come, monsieur,” raved Andre-Louis, his voice thick and concentrated ”Let him complete his coward's work on es”
M de Chabrillane let his cousin go He ca at the lad who so recklessly insulted him And then he checked
It may be that he re neur de Gavrillac, and the well-known affection in which the Seigneur held him And so he may have realized that if he pushed this ht find himself upon the horns of a dilehientleman's friendshi+p was of the first i with such hurt to his dignity as must impair his authority in the countryside hereafter
Be it so or otherwise, the fact remains that he stopped short; then, with an incoherent ejaculation, between anger and contempt, he tossed his arms, turned on his heel and strode off quickly with his cousin
When the landlord and his people came, they found Andre-Louis, his ar passionately into the deaf ear that rested alainst his lips:
”Philippe! Speak to me, Philippe! Philippe Don't you hear lance they saw that here neither priest nor doctor could avail
The cheek that lay against Andre-Louis's was leaden-hued, the half-open eyes were glazed, and there was a little froth of blood upon the vacuously parted lips
Half blinded by tears Andre-Louis stumbled after them when they bore the body into the inn Upstairs in the little roo the dead man's hand in both his own, he swore to hie that M de La Tour d'Azyr should pay a bitter price for this
”It was your eloquence he feared, Philippe,” he said ”Then if I can get no justice for this deed, at least it shall be fruitless to hi he feared in you, he shall fear in ht be swayed by your eloquence to the undoing of such things as himself Men shall be swayed by it still For your eloquence and your argue fro that I do not believe in your gospel of freedom I know it--every word of it; that is all that matters to our purpose, yours and hts shall find expression in ue Thus at least we shall have frustrated his vile ai to have your blood upon his soul
That voice in you would never half so relentlessly have hounded him and his as it shall in ht It calan very softly to pray And then his heart trembled as he considered that Philippe, a man of peace, alone to his Maker with the sin of anger on his soul