登陆注册
5440900000005

第5章 CHAPTER II(1)

LORDS OF LIFE AND DEATH

One friend did La Boulaye count in the village of Bellecour. This was old Duhamel, the schoolmaster, an eccentric pedant and a fellow-worshipper of the immortal Jean Jacques. It was to him that La Boulaye now repaired intent upon seeking counsel touching a future that wore that morning a singularly gloomy outlook.

He found Duhamel's door open, and he stepped across the threshold into the chief room of the house. But there he paused, and hesitated. The chamber was crowded with people in holiday attire, and the centre of attraction was a well-set-up peasant with a happy, sun-tanned face, whose golden locks were covered by a huge round hat decked with a score of gaily-coloured ribbons.

At sight of him La Boulaye remembered that it was Charlot's wedding-day. Popular amongst the women by virtue of his comeliness, and respected by the men by virtue of his strength, Charlot Tardivet was a general favourite of the countryside, and here, in the room of old Duhamel, the schoolmaster, was half the village gathered to do him honour upon his wedding morn. It was like Duhamel, who, in fatherliness towards the villagers, went near out-rivalling M. le Cure, to throw open his house for the assembling of Charlot's friends, and La Boulaye was touched by this fresh sign of kindliness from a man whose good heart he had not lacked occasion to observe and appreciate. But it came to the secretary that there was no place for him in this happy assemblage. His advent would, probably, but serve to cast a gloom upon them, considering the conditions under which he came, with the signs of violence upon his face to remind them of the lords of life and death who dwelt at the Chateau up yonder. And such a reminder must fall upon them as does the reminder of some overhanging evil clutch suddenly at our hearts in happy moments of forgetfulness. To let them be happy that day, to leave their feasts free of a death's head, La Boulaye would have withdrawn had he not already been too late. Duhamel had espied him, and the little, wizened old man came hurrying forward, his horn-rimmed spectacles perched on the very end of his nose, his keen little eyes beaming with delight and welcome.

"Ah, Caron, you are very choicely come," he cried, holding out both hands to La Boulaye. "You shall embrace our happy Hercules yonder, and wish him joy of the wedded life he has the audacity to exploit."

Then, as he espied the crimson ridge across the secretary's countenance, "Mon Dieu!" he exclaimed, "what have you done to yourself, Caron?"

"Pish! It is nothing," answered La Boulaye hurriedly, and would have had the subject dismissed, but that one of the onlooking peasants swore by the memory of some long-dead saint that it was the cut of a whip. Duhamel's eyes kindled and his parchment-like skin was puckered into a hundred evil wrinkles.

"Who did it, Caron?" he demanded.

"Since you insist, old master," answered the secretary, still endeavouring to make light of it, "learn that is the lord Marquis's signature to his order of my dismissal from his service."

"The dog!" ejaculated the school-master.

"Sh! let it be. Perhaps I braved him overmuch. I will tell you of it when these good folks have gone. Do not let us cast a gloom over their happiness, old master. And now to embrace this good Charlot."

Though inwardly burning with curiosity and boiling with indignation, Duhamel permitted himself to be guided by La Boulaye, and for the moment allowed the matter to rest. La Boulaye himself laughingly set aside the many questions with which they pressed him. He drank the health of the bride-elect - who was not yet of the party - and he pledged the happiness of the pair. He embraced Charlot, and even went so far as to urge upon him, out of his own scanty store, a louis d'or with which to buy Marie a trinket in memory of him.

Then presently came one with the announcement that M. le Cure was waiting, and in answer to that reminder that there was a ceremony to be gone through, Charlot and his friends flung out of the house in joyous confusion, and went their way with laughter and jest to the little church of St. Ildefonse.

"We will follow presently - M. la Boulaye and I - Charlot," Duhamel had said, as the sturdy bridegroom was departing. "We shall be there to shake Madame by the hand and wish her joy of you."

When at last they were alone in the schoolmaster's room, the old man turned to La Boulaye, the very embodiment of a note of interrogation. The secretary told him all that had passed. He reddened slightly when it came to speaking of his love for Mlle. de Bellecour, but he realised that if he would have guidance he must withhold nothing from his friend.

Duhamel's face grew dark as the young man spoke, and his eyes became sad and very thoughtful.

"Alas!" he sighed, when La Boulaye had ended. "What shall I say to you, my friend? The time is not yet for such as we - you and I - to speak of love for a daughter of the Seigneurie. It is coming, I doubt it not. All things have their climax, and France is tending swiftly to the climax of her serfdom. Very soon we shall have the crisis, this fire that is already smouldering, will leap into a great blaze, that shall lick the old regime as completely from the face of history as though it had never been. A new condition of things will spring up, of that I am convinced. Does not history afford us many instances? And what is history but the repetition of events under similar circumstances with different peoples. It will come in France, and it will come soon, for it is very direly needed."

"I know, I know, old master," broke in La Boulaye; "but how shall all this help me? For all that I have the welfare of France at heart, it weighs little with me at the moment by comparison with my own affairs.

What am I to do, Duhamel? How am I to take payment for this?" And he pressed his finger to his seared cheek.

同类推荐
  • 大川普济禅师语录

    大川普济禅师语录

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 异虚篇

    异虚篇

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 医门法律

    医门法律

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • The Monk

    The Monk

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 西游录注

    西游录注

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
热门推荐
  • 九百年前认识你

    九百年前认识你

    少女安亭溪一进高中校门就对比她高两届的学霸加篮球小王子齐友嘉很是着迷。不料一次看比赛时,安亭溪被齐友嘉用脚踢过来的篮球砸中失声。17岁生日这天,安亭溪不慎落水。当她重新浮出水面时,发现自己身在九百年前的南宋,并顺手救起一位貌似齐友嘉的年轻公子。为能重新回到现在,安亭溪女扮男装来到李清照府上成了一名小厮。她无意中发现,最终的危险正在朝三年来一直被战乱和阴谋挟裹着的李清照步步逼近……
  • 餮仙传人在都市

    餮仙传人在都市

    美食评论家古争被餮(tie)仙选中,成为都市餮仙传人,在餮仙令器灵的种种考验之下,提升自身,最终成为有史以来最伟大的食仙。(古争:“仙界对食材也划分了等级?地球上最好的食材只是普通级别?你让我用现有的食材做出最高级别的美食,器灵你出来,我绝对不打你!)
  • 九阳丹神

    九阳丹神

    三大至尊丹王之一,逍遥丹王,因修道界第一奇功《九阳帝王诀》被众人逼迫致死,两年后重生于一普通世家化名杨震,战强敌,炼神丹,吞天火,终以火神之名,俯瞰天地。
  • 魔教教主的退休生活

    魔教教主的退休生活

    如今武林中人人都说日月神教一家独大胡说什么八道!如果真是一家独大,原教主就不会借机把掌门传给老子啊!那老匹夫丢下一书交接函就跑路了啊!老子什么都不会就只会打架而已,才不做这个魔教教主!不行不行,这锅老子不接,老子现在就去享受退休生活……PS:已有完结作品《来到异界当魔王》和中短篇日常吐槽《齐木楠雄的忧郁》魔教教主群:552635338
  • 十里有八九

    十里有八九

    我的内心贫瘠,无人问津。杂草野蛮生长。面对突然闯入的人,对视时双方都有些许慌乱。口齿伶俐居然也会忘了措辞。不敢靠近,怕亵渎了如明月般的神明。常春的城也会下雪,京城的玫瑰永不凋谢。——————混子哥和锦衣卫姐的故事。大家都以为这两人在一起快一年了,结果男女主还在互相试探对方喜不喜欢自己,的故事。
  • 龙族安氏

    龙族安氏

    一语翩澜拖孤婴,十六年来未敢弃。十六芳华赌一瞬,人心难测终段绝。翩若惊鸿若游龙,荣耀秋菊胜青松,风华绝代耀五洲,绮罗生花容月容修。九十九剑九九伤,一束梅花别此生。
  • 每天读点鬼谷子

    每天读点鬼谷子

    本书以从先贤的思想中吸取营养,在创业时从实际出发、思虑周详,在事业发展过程中运筹帷幄、决胜千里,在职场竞争中认清形势、胜券在握,从而使我们能够在生活工作中捭阖纵横、潇洒自如,逐步达到人生的顶峰。
  • The Flag-Raising

    The Flag-Raising

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 仙侠机械师

    仙侠机械师

    修仙或许是主流,但是科技绝不是迷信。既然仙缘无望,那我就破天成神。你有飞剑万里取敌首级,我有破障导弹指哪打哪?你能挥手间焚海净世,我能大炮洗地寸草不生。射程之内即是真理,管你有何牛逼没有一发众生平等导弹解决不了的,实在不行就再来一发....这是一个现代物理博士穿越的故事,没有天赋,没有靠山一步步靠着自己的知识爬向高峰。因为他坚信:知识改变命远!
  • 去活三次吧