Part 16 (1/2)
He was standing thus, the gentle Rhodoht the sound of hooves He looked over his shoulder carelessly, and then stood frozen, with uplifted comb and loosened mouth Away across the common, on the road that bordered it, he beheld a party of seven horses of the marechaussee
Not for a endarallows had fallen suddenly upon him
And then the troop halted, abreast with the voice across the co with menace
Every member of the coaze Pantaloon advanced a step or two, stalking, his head thrown back, his 's Lieutenant
”Nohat the devil's this?” quoth he, but whether of Fate or Heaven or the sergeant, was not clear
There was a brief colloquy a across the coht towards the players' enca at the tail of the travelling house He was still passing the co hair, but mechanically and unconsciously Histroop, his wits alert and gathered together for a leap in whatever direction should be indicated
Still in the distance, but evidently iave you leave to encamp here?”
It was a question that reassured Andre-Louis not at all He was not deceived by it into supposing or even hoping that the business of these rants and trespassers That was no part of their real duty; it was so--done, perhaps, in the hope of levying a tax of their own It was very long odds that they were fro down of a young lawyer charged with sedition Meanwhile Pantaloon was shouting back
”Who gave us leave, do you say? What leave? This is cohed unpleasantly, and ca
”There is,” said a voice at Pantaloon's elbow, ”no such thing as communal land in the proper sense in all M de La Tour d'Azyr's vast domain This is a terre censive, and his bailiffs collect his dues froraze here”
Pantaloon turned to behold at his side Andre-Louis in his shi+rt-sleeves, and without a neckcloth, the towel still trailing over his left shoulder, a comb in his hand, his hair half dressed
”God of God!” swore Pantaloon ”But it is an ogre, this Marquis de La Tour d'Azyr!”
”I have told you already what I think of him,” said Andre-Louis ”As for these fellows you had better let me deal with the for Pantaloon's consent, Andre-Louis stepped forward tomen of the marechaussee He had realized that here boldness alone could save hieant pulled up his horse alongside of this half-dressed young man, Andre-Louis combed his hair what time he looked up with a half s
In spite of it the sergeant hailed hiabonds?”
”Yes that is to say, my father, there, is really the leader” And he jerked a thuaze out of earshot in the background ”What is your pleasure, captain?”
”My pleasure is to tell you that you are very likely to be gaoled for this, all the pack of you” His voice was loud and bullying It carried across the coht them all to stricken attention where they stood The lot of strolling players was hard enough without the addition of gaolings
”But how so, my captain? This is co of the kind”
”Where are the fences?” quoth Andre-Louis, waving the hand that held the comb, as if to indicate the openness of the place
”Fences!” snorted the sergeant ”What have fences to do with thehere save by payment of dues to the Marquis de La Tour d'Azyr”
”But we are not grazing,” quoth the innocent Andre-Louis
”To the devil with you, zany! You are not grazing! But your beasts are grazing!”