Part 8 (1/2)
de Lesdiguieres accounted hi personality, and he had every reason to do so, for in his time he had seen many a poor devil scared out of all his senses by the thunder of his voice
He waited now to see the sa happen to this youthful lawyer from Gavrillac But he waited in vain
Andre-Louis found him ridiculous He knew pretentiousness for the mask of worthlessness and weakness And here he beheld pretentiousness incarnate It was to be read in that arrogant poise of the head, that scowling brow, the inflexion of that reverberating voice Even more difficult than it is for a man to be a hero to his valet--who has witnessed the dispersal of the parts thatwhole--is it for a man to be a hero to the student of Man who has witnessed the same in a different sense
Andre-Louis stood forward boldly--iuieres
”You are His Majesty's Lieutenant here in Brittany,” he said--and it alust lord of life and death that this fellow had the incredible effrontery to address hi to another
”You are the dispenser of the King's high justice in this province”
Surprise spread on that handso
”Is your business concerned with this infernal insubordination of the canaille?” he asked
”It is not, monsieur”
The black eyebrows rose ”Then what the devil do youuponclairaceful affair?”
”The affair that brings ent”
”It will have to wait!” thundered the greatback a cloud of lace from his hand, he reached for the little silver bell upon his table
”A moment, uieres checked in sheer amazement at its impudence ”I can state it very briefly”
”Haven't I said already”
”And when you have heard it,” Andre-Louis went on, relentlessly, interrupting the interruption, ”you will agree with uieres considered him very sternly
”What is your name?” he asked
”Andre-Louis Moreau”
”Well, Andre-Louis Moreau, if you can state your plea briefly, I will hear you But I warn you that I shall be very angry if you fail to justify the impertinence of this insistence at so inopportune a e of that, monsieur,” said Andre-Louis, and he proceeded at once to state his case, beginning with the shooting of Mabey, and passing thence to the killing of M de Vilentleainst whom he demanded justice, persuaded that did he introduce it earlier he would not be allowed to proceed
He had a gift of oratory of whose full powers he was hih destined very soon to becoeration, yet with a force of sireatseverity Interest, war almost to sympathy, came to be reflected on it
”And who, sir, is the e with this?”
”The Marquis de La Tour d'Azyr”
The effect of that forance more utter than before, took the place of the sy
”Who?” he shouted, and without waiting for an answer, ”Why, here's ie against a gentleman of M de La Tour d'Azyr's eminence! How dare you speak of him as a coward”