"L'on a choisi justement le temps que je parlois à mon traiste de fils. Sortons! Je veux aller querir la justice, et faire donner la question à toute ma maison; à servantes, à valets, à fils, à fille, et à moi aussi."
DRAMATIS PERSONÆ
PRINCE DE GATINAIS, an old nobleman, who affects yesterday's fashion.
Louis QUILLAN, formerly1 LOUIS DE SOYECOURT, son to the Prince, and newly become GRAND DUKE OF NOUMARIA.
VANRINGHAM, valet to the Prince.
NELCHEN THORN, daughter to Hans Thorn, landlord of the Golden
Pomegranate, and loves Louis Quillan.
And In the Proem, DUKE OF OSMSKIRK.
SCENE
The Dolphin Room of the Golden Pomegranate, an inn at
Manneville-en-Poictesme.
THE SCAPEGOATS2
PROEM:-To Present Mr. Vanringham as Nuntius
However profoundly the Duc de Puysange now approved of the universe and of its management, it is not to be supposed that in consequence he intended to overlook de Soyecourt's perfidy3. De Puysange bore his kinsman4 no malice5; indeed, he was sincerely fond of the Marquis, sympathized with him at bottom, and heartily6 regretted that the excellence7 of poor Louis' taste should be thus demonstrably counterbalanced by the frailty8 of his friendship. Still, one cannot entirely9 disregard the conventions: Louis had betrayed him, had before the eyes of de Puysange made love to de Puysange's wife. A duel10 was the inevitable11 consequence, though of course the Duke did not intend to kill poor Louis, who might before long be very useful to French statesmanship. So the Duke sent Ormskirk to arrange a meeting.
A floridly handsome man in black was descending12 the stairway of the Hôtel de Soyecourt at the moment the Duke of Ormskirk stepped cheerily from his coach. This person saluted13 the plump nobleman with due deference14, and was accorded in return a little whistling sound of amazement15.
"Mr. Vanringham, as I live—and in Paris! Man, will you hare-brained
Mr. Vanringham, this is annoying."
"My Lord Duke," said the other, "I venture to suggest that you forget I dare no longer meddle20 with politics, in light of my recent mishap21 at Tunbridge. Something of the truth leaked out, you comprehend—nothing provable, thank God!—but while I lay abed Captain Audaine was calling daily to inquire when would my wound be healed sufficiently22 for me to have my throat cut. I found England unsalubrious, and vanished."
Ormskirk nodded his approval. "I have always esteemed23 your common-sense. Now, let us consider—yes, I might use you here in Paris, I believe. And the work is light and safe,—a trifle of sedition24, of stirring up a street riot or two."
Vanringham laughed. "I might have recognized your hand in the late disturbances25, sir. As matters stand, I can only thank your Grace and regret that I have earlier secured employment. I've been, since April, valet to the old Prince de Gâtinais, Monsieur de Soyecourt's father."
"Yet lackeyship smacks26, however vaguely27, of an honest livelihood28. You disappoint me, Mr. Vanringham."
"Nay, believe me, I yet pilfer29 a cuff-button or perhaps a jewel, when occasion offers, lest any of my talents rust30. For we reside at Beaujolais yonder, my Lord Duke, where we live in retirement31 and give over our old age to curious chemistries. It suits me well enough. I find the air of Beaujolais excellent, my duties none too arduous32, and the girls of the country-side neither hideous33 nor obdurate34. Oho, I'm tolerably content at Beaujolais—the more for that 'tis expedient35 just now to go more softly than ever Ahab did of old."
"Lest your late associates get wind of your whereabouts? In that I don't question your discretion36, Mr. Vanringham. And out of pure friendliness37 I warn you Paris is a very hotbed of hot-headed Jacobites who would derive38 unmerited pleasure from getting a knife into your ribs39."
"Yet on an occasion of such importance—" Vanringham began; then marvelled40 in reply to the Duke's look of courteous41 curiosity: "You han't heard, sir, that my master's son is unexpectedly become the next Grand Duke of Noumaria!"
"Zounds!" said his Grace of Ormskirk, all alert, "is old Ludwig dead at last? Why, then, the damned must be holding a notable carnival42 by this, in honor of his arrival. Hey, but there was a merry rascal43, a thorough-paced—" He broke off short. He laughed. "What the devil, man! Monsieur de Soyecourt is Ludwig's nephew, I grant you, on the maternal44 side, but Ludwig left a son. De Soyecourt remains45 de Soyecourt so long as Prince Rudolph lives,—and Prince Rudolph is to marry the Elector of Badenburg's daughter this autumn, so that we may presently look for any number of von Freistadts to perpetuate46 the older branch. Faith, you should study your Genealogischer Hofkalender more closely, Mr. Vanringham."
"Oh, but very plainly your Grace has heard no word of the appalling47 tragedy that hath made our little Louis a reigning48 monarch—"
With gusto Francis Vanringham narrated50 the details of Duke Ludwig's last mad freak [Footnote: In his Journal Horace Calverley gives a long and curious account of the disastrous51 masque at Breschau of which he, then on the Grand Tour, had the luck to be an eye-witness. His hints as to the part played in the affair by Kaunitz are now, of course, largely discredited52 by the later confessions53 of de Puysange.] which, as the world knows, resulted in the death of both Ludwig and his son, as well as that of their five companions in the escapade,—with gusto, for in progress the soul of the former actor warmed to his subject. But Ormskirk was sensibly displeased54.
"Behold55 what is termed a pretty kettle of fish!" said the Duke, in meditation56, when Vanringham had made an end. "Plainly, Gaston cannot fight the rascal, since Hop-o'-my-thumb is now, most vexatiously, transformed into a quasi-Royal Personage, Assassination57, I fear, is out of the question. So all our English plans will go to pot. A Frenchman will reign49 in Noumaria,—after we had not only bought old Ludwig, but had paid for him, too! Why, I suppose he gave that damnable masquerade on the strength of having our money,—good English money, mark you, Mr. Vanringham, that we have to squeeze out of honest tax-payers to bribe58 such, rascals59 with, only to have them, cheat us by cooking themselves to a crisp! This is annoying, Mr. Vanringham."
"I don't entirely follow your Grace—"
"It is not perhaps desirable you should. Yet I give you a key. It is profoundly to be deplored60 that little Louis de Soyecourt, who cannot draw a contented61 breath outside of his beloved Paris, should be forced to marry Victoria von Uhm, in his cousin's place,—yes, for Gaston will arrange that, of course,—and afterward62 be exiled to a semi-barbarous Noumaria, where he must devote the rest of his existence to heading processions and reviewing troops, and signing proclamations and guzzling63 beer and sauerkraut. Nay, beyond doubt, Mr. Vanringham, this is deplorable. 'Tis an appalling condition of affairs: it reminds me of Ovid among the Goths, Mr. Vanringham!"
"You are to understand that I am more deeply your debtor65 than I could desire you to believe; that I am going to tell the Marquis de Soyecourt all which I have told you, though I must reword it for him, as eloquently66 as may be possible; and that I even now feel myself to be Ciceronic." The Duke of Ormskirk passed on with a polite nod.
* * * * *
Next day they gossiped busily at Versailles over the sudden disappearance67 of Louis de Soyecourt. No more was heard of him for months. The mystery was discussed, and by the wits embroidered68, and by the imaginative annotated69, but it was never solved until the following September.
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1 formerly | |
adv.从前,以前 | |
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2 scapegoats | |
n.代人受过的人,替罪羊( scapegoat的名词复数 )v.使成为替罪羊( scapegoat的第三人称单数 ) | |
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3 perfidy | |
n.背信弃义,不忠贞 | |
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4 kinsman | |
n.男亲属 | |
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5 malice | |
n.恶意,怨恨,蓄意;[律]预谋 | |
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6 heartily | |
adv.衷心地,诚恳地,十分,很 | |
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7 excellence | |
n.优秀,杰出,(pl.)优点,美德 | |
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8 frailty | |
n.脆弱;意志薄弱 | |
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9 entirely | |
ad.全部地,完整地;完全地,彻底地 | |
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10 duel | |
n./v.决斗;(双方的)斗争 | |
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11 inevitable | |
adj.不可避免的,必然发生的 | |
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12 descending | |
n. 下行 adj. 下降的 | |
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13 saluted | |
v.欢迎,致敬( salute的过去式和过去分词 );赞扬,赞颂 | |
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14 deference | |
n.尊重,顺从;敬意 | |
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15 amazement | |
n.惊奇,惊讶 | |
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16 idiotic | |
adj.白痴的 | |
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17 intrigues | |
n.密谋策划( intrigue的名词复数 );神秘气氛;引人入胜的复杂情节v.搞阴谋诡计( intrigue的第三人称单数 );激起…的好奇心 | |
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18 nay | |
adv.不;n.反对票,投反对票者 | |
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19 sincerity | |
n.真诚,诚意;真实 | |
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20 meddle | |
v.干预,干涉,插手 | |
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21 mishap | |
n.不幸的事,不幸;灾祸 | |
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22 sufficiently | |
adv.足够地,充分地 | |
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23 esteemed | |
adj.受人尊敬的v.尊敬( esteem的过去式和过去分词 );敬重;认为;以为 | |
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24 sedition | |
n.煽动叛乱 | |
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25 disturbances | |
n.骚乱( disturbance的名词复数 );打扰;困扰;障碍 | |
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26 smacks | |
掌掴(声)( smack的名词复数 ); 海洛因; (打的)一拳; 打巴掌 | |
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27 vaguely | |
adv.含糊地,暖昧地 | |
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28 livelihood | |
n.生计,谋生之道 | |
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29 pilfer | |
v.盗,偷,窃 | |
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30 rust | |
n.锈;v.生锈;(脑子)衰退 | |
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31 retirement | |
n.退休,退职 | |
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32 arduous | |
adj.艰苦的,费力的,陡峭的 | |
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33 hideous | |
adj.丑陋的,可憎的,可怕的,恐怖的 | |
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34 obdurate | |
adj.固执的,顽固的 | |
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35 expedient | |
adj.有用的,有利的;n.紧急的办法,权宜之计 | |
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36 discretion | |
n.谨慎;随意处理 | |
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37 friendliness | |
n.友谊,亲切,亲密 | |
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38 derive | |
v.取得;导出;引申;来自;源自;出自 | |
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39 ribs | |
n.肋骨( rib的名词复数 );(船或屋顶等的)肋拱;肋骨状的东西;(织物的)凸条花纹 | |
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40 marvelled | |
v.惊奇,对…感到惊奇( marvel的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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41 courteous | |
adj.彬彬有礼的,客气的 | |
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42 carnival | |
n.嘉年华会,狂欢,狂欢节,巡回表演 | |
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43 rascal | |
n.流氓;不诚实的人 | |
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44 maternal | |
adj.母亲的,母亲般的,母系的,母方的 | |
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45 remains | |
n.剩余物,残留物;遗体,遗迹 | |
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46 perpetuate | |
v.使永存,使永记不忘 | |
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47 appalling | |
adj.骇人听闻的,令人震惊的,可怕的 | |
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48 reigning | |
adj.统治的,起支配作用的 | |
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49 reign | |
n.统治时期,统治,支配,盛行;v.占优势 | |
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50 narrated | |
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51 disastrous | |
adj.灾难性的,造成灾害的;极坏的,很糟的 | |
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52 discredited | |
不足信的,不名誉的 | |
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53 confessions | |
n.承认( confession的名词复数 );自首;声明;(向神父的)忏悔 | |
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54 displeased | |
a.不快的 | |
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55 behold | |
v.看,注视,看到 | |
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56 meditation | |
n.熟虑,(尤指宗教的)默想,沉思,(pl.)冥想录 | |
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57 assassination | |
n.暗杀;暗杀事件 | |
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58 bribe | |
n.贿赂;v.向…行贿,买通 | |
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59 rascals | |
流氓( rascal的名词复数 ); 无赖; (开玩笑说法)淘气的人(尤指小孩); 恶作剧的人 | |
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60 deplored | |
v.悲叹,痛惜,强烈反对( deplore的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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61 contented | |
adj.满意的,安心的,知足的 | |
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62 afterward | |
adv.后来;以后 | |
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63 guzzling | |
v.狂吃暴饮,大吃大喝( guzzle的现在分词 ) | |
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64 stammered | |
v.结巴地说出( stammer的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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65 debtor | |
n.借方,债务人 | |
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66 eloquently | |
adv. 雄辩地(有口才地, 富于表情地) | |
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67 disappearance | |
n.消失,消散,失踪 | |
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68 embroidered | |
adj.绣花的 | |
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69 annotated | |
v.注解,注释( annotate的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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