Part 32 (1/2)
”No, no I see that now” She laughed without mirth, then drew a deep breath and rose ”I am very tired,” she said
He was on his feet in an instant, all solicitude But she waved him wearily back
”I think I will rest until it is ti her feet a little He sprang to open it, and she passed out without looking at hilorious world of fancy which in the last hour she had built with such elaborate detail, over which it should be her exalted destiny to rule, lay shattered about her feet, its debris soback to her erstwhile content in Scaramouche as he really was
Andre-Louis sat in thee idly out across the river He was intrigued and meditative He had shocked her
The fact was clear; not so the reason That he should confess himself nairl reared as that had been Climene's And yet that his confession had so injured hi, the returning Columbine discovered him a half-hour later
”All alone, , which suddenly threw light upon his mental darkness Cliination of these players had suddenly erected upon the incident of hiswith Aline Poor child! He smiled whimsically at Columbine
”I am likely to be so for some little time,” said he, ”until it becomes a commonplace that I am not, after all, a prince
”Not a prince? Oh, but a duke, then--at least a marquis”
”Not even a chevalier, unless it be of the order of fortune I am just Scaramouche My castles are all in Spain”
Disappointood-natured face
”And I had iined you”
”I know,” he interrupted ”That is the ed the extent of that entlereen-rooe to the incomparable amoureuse Hitherto she had received theht she was recklessly gay, iently to her as they walked ho more prudence in the future
”We are not married yet,” she told him, tartly ”Wait until then before you criticize my conduct”
”I trust that there will be no occasion then,” said he
”You trust? Ah, yes You are very trusting”
”Cli,” said she ”You are what you are” Still was he not concerned He perceived the source of her ill-hu it; and, because he understood, forgave He perceived also that her ill-humour was shared by her father, and by this he was frankly amused Towards M Binet a tolerant conteet As for the rest of the company, they were disposed to be very kindly towards Scaramouche It was alh estate to which their own iinations had raised him; or possibly it was because they saw the effect which that fall from his temporary and fictitious elevation had produced upon Climene
Leandre alone made himself an exception His habitual leamed noith malicious satisfaction when they rested upon Scaramouche, whom occasionally he continued to address with sly mockery as ”mon prince”
On the morrow Andre-Louis saw but little of Climene This was not in itself extraordinary, for he was very hard at work again, with preparations now for ”Figaro-Scaramouche” which was to be played on Saturday Also, in addition to his manifold theatrical occupations, he now devoted an hour everyin an academy of arms This was done not only to repair an oive hie
He found his hts of both Clih it was Aline who provided the deeper perturbation Cli phase which need not seriously engage hiht of Aline's conduct towards hiht of her possible betrothal to M de La Tour d'Azyr
This it was that brought forcibly to his otten mission that he had made his own He had boasted that he would ht to silence ring through the length and breadth of the land And what had he done of all this that he had boasted? He had incited the mob of Rennes and the ht have employed, and then because of a hue and cry he had fled like a cur and taken shelter in the first kennel that offered, there to lie quiet and devote his What a fine contrast between the promise and the fulfilment!
Thus Andre-Louis to himself in his self-contempt And whilst he trifled away his time and played Scara the rival of such men as Chenier and Mercier, M de La Tour d'Azyr went his proud ways unchallenged and wrought his will
It was idle to tell hi fruit