Part 32 (2/2)
That the deranted by M Necker, thanks largely to the commotion which his anonymous speech had made That was not his concern or his eneration of eneration of the social structure of France His concern was to see that M de La Tour d'Azyr paid to the utter he had done Philippe de Vilmorin And it did not increase his self-respect to find that the danger in which Aline stood of being married to the Marquis was the real spur to his rancour and to remembrance of his vow He was--too unjustly, perhaps--disposed to disu he could do; that, in fact, he had but to show his head to find hi his final exit froallows
It is impossible to read that part of his ”Confessions” without feeling a certain pity for him You realize what must have been his state of mind You realize what a prey he was to eination that will enable you to put yourself in his place, you will also realize how impossible was any decision save the one to which he says he came, that he would move, at the first moment that he perceived in what direction it would serve his real aims to move
It happened that the first person he sahen he took the stage on that Thursday evening was Aline; the second was the Marquis de La Tour d'Azyr They occupied a box on the right of, and ie There were others with them--notably a thin, elderly, resplendent lady whom Andre-Louis supposed to be Madame la Comtesse de Sautron But at the time he had no eyes for any but those tho of late had so haunted his thoughts The sight of either of theht of both together very nearly et the purpose for which he had coether, and played He played, he says, with an unusual nerve, and never in all that brief but eventful career of his was he 's first shock The next careen-rooed than usual, and at the far end with Cliht, his eyes intent upon her face, what ti lips moved in talk, M
de La Tour d'Azyr He had her entirely to hie none of thethe coulisse had yet enjoyed Those lesser gentlemen had all withdrawn before the Marquis, as jackals withdraw before the lion
Andre-Louis stared afrom his surprise he became critical in his study of the Marquis He considered the beauty and grace and splendour of him, his courtly air, his complete and unshakable self-possession But more than all he considered the expression of the dark eyes that were devouring Clihtened
M de La Tour d'Azyr never heeded him or his stare; nor, had he done so, would he have knoho it was that looked at hiain, had he knoould he have been in the least troubled or concerned
Andre-Louis sat down apart, his entle him, andbeen thus sequestered, and Coluallants, the lesser visitors had to content themselves with Madame and the male ay cluster that shook with laughter at his sallies He seelooood-humour, and Scara upon his daughter and her splendid courtier
That night there, were high words between Andre-Louis and Cli froain, and more insistently, enjoined prudence upon his betrothed, and begged her to beware how far she encouraged the advances of such a man as M de La Tour d'Azyr, she became roundly abusive She shocked and stunned him by her virulently shrewish tone, and her still ht to reason with her, and finally she came to certain terms with him
”If you have become betrothed to me simply to stand as an obstacle in my path, the sooner we make an end the better”
”You do not loveto do with it I'll not tolerate your insensate jealousy A girl in the theatre e froives nothing in exchange”
White-faced, with fla eyes she turned on him at that
”Nohat exactly do you irl in your position e that is offered, provided she receives it with a dignified aloofness i clearly that she has no favours to bestow in return beyond the favour of her se is always offered collectively by her adst the her alone If she is wise she will give no encouragement, nourish no hopes that it may afterwards be beyond her power to deny realization”
”How? You dare?”
”I knoorld And I know M de La Tour d'Azyr,” he answered her ”He is a man without charity, without humanity almost; a man who takes what he wants wherever he finds it and whether it is given willingly or not; aof the ent way; a man whose only law is force Ponder it, Cli you”
He went out on that, feeling a degradation in continuing the subject
The days that folloere unhappy days for him, and for at least one other That other was Leandre, as cast into the profoundest dejection by M de La Tour d'Azyr's assiduous attendance upon Climene
The Marquis was to be seen at every performance; a box was perpetually reserved for him, and invariably he came either alone or else with his cousin M de Chabrillane
On Tuesday of the folloeek, Andre-Louis went out alone early in thesense of hu In turning the corner of the Place du Bouffay he ran into a slightly built, sallow-co a tie-wig under a round hat The lass, then hailed hi with a your-self these months?”
It was Le Chapelier, the lawyer, the leader of the Literary Chamber of Rennes
”Behind the skirts of Thespis,” said Scaramouche
”I don't understand”