Part 49 (1/2)
”If what I call ideals were really prejudices, would it be honest ofthem?”
”If I could convince you that you are mistaken! I could help you so much to find a worthy employ you would prosper quickly Will you think of it, Andre-Louis, and let us talk of this again?”
He answered her with formal, chill politeness
”I fear that it would be idle, , and I thank you It is unfortunate for ”
”And noho deals in insincerity?” she asked him
”Ah, but you see, madame, it is an insincerity that does not h theagain, and announced fussily that heback to Meudon, and that he would take his Godson with hi hiain, Quintin,” the Countess said, as they took their leave of her
”Souely, and swept his Godson out
In the carriage he asked him bluntly of what madame had talked
”She was very kind--a soman,” said Andre-Louis pensively
”Devil take you, I didn't ask you the opinion that you presume to have formed of her I asked you what she said to you”
”She strove to point out to ht do--to which she would very kindly help me--if I were to coave her little encourage else?”
He was so peremptory that Andre-Louis turned to look at him
”What else did you expect her to say, ”
”Then she fulfilled your expectations”
”Eh? Oh, a thousand devils, why can't you express yourself in a sensibleto think about it?”
He sulked after that most of the way to the Rue du Hasard, or so it seehtful to judge by his expression
”You ain at Meudon,” he told Andre-Louis at parting ”But please remember--no revolutionary politics in future, if we are to remain friends”
CHAPTER VI POLITICIANS
One ust the academy in the Rue du Hasard was invaded by Le Chapelier accompanied by a man of reured countenance seeuely fa, over thirty, with sht eyes buried in an enormous face His cheek-bones were prominent, his nose awry, as if it had been broken by a blow, and his mouth was rendered almost shapeless by the scars of another injury (A bull had horned him in the face when he was but a lad) As if that were not enough to render his appearance terrible, his cheeks were deeply pock- scarlet coat that descended almost to his ankles, soiled buckskin breeches and boots with reversed tops His shi+rt, none too clean, was open at the throat, the collar hanging li fully the muscular neck that rose like a pillar fro a cane that was almost a club in his left hand, and there was a cockade in his biscuit-coloured, conical hat He carried hireat head of his thrown back as if he were eternally at defiance
Le Chapelier, whose rave, named him to Andre-Louis
”This is M Danton, a brother-lawyer, President of the Cordeliers, of whom you will have heard”
Of course Andre-Louis had heard of hi at him noith interest, Andre-Louis wondered how it ca innovators, were pock-marked Mirabeau, the journalist Desmoulins, the philanthropist Marat, Robespierre the little lawyer from Arras, this formidable fellow Danton, and several others he could call to mind all bore upon thean to wonder was there any connection between the two