M. le Marquis, on his side, was no less eager for an immediate7 settlement; and since they had M. de Chabrillane to act for his cousin, and Andre–Louis to serve as witness for M. de Vilmorin, there was nothing to delay them.
And so, within a few minutes, all arrangements were concluded, and you behold8 that sinisterly9 intentioned little group of four assembled in the afternoon sunshine on the bowling-green behind the inn. They were entirely10 private, screened more or less from the windows of the house by a ramage of trees, which, if leafless now, was at least dense11 enough to provide an effective lattice.
There were no formalities over measurements of blades or selection of ground. M. le Marquis removed his sword-belt and scabbard, but declined — not considering it worth while for the sake of so negligible an opponent — to divest12 himself either of his shoes or his coat. Tall, lithe13, and athletic14, he stood to face the no less tall, but very delicate and frail15, M. de Vilmorin. The latter also disdained16 to make any of the usual preparations. Since he recognized that it could avail him nothing to strip, he came on guard fully17 dressed, two hectic18 spots above the cheek-bones burning on his otherwise grey face.
M. de Chabrillane, leaning upon a cane19 — for he had relinquished20 his sword to M. de Vilmorin — looked on with quiet interest. Facing him on the other side of the combatants stood Andre–Louis, the palest of the four, staring from fevered eyes, twisting and untwisting clammy hands.
His every instinct was to fling himself between the antagonists21, to protest against and frustrate22 this meeting. That sane23 impulse was curbed24, however, by the consciousness of its futility25. To calm him, he clung to the conviction that the issue could not really be very serious. If the obligations of Philippe’s honour compelled him to cross swords with the man he had struck, M. de La Tour d’Azyr’s birth compelled him no less to do no serious hurt to the unfledged lad he had so grievously provoked. M. le Marquis, after all, was a man of honour. He could intend no more than to administer a lesson; sharp, perhaps, but one by which his opponent must live to profit. Andre–Louis clung obstinately26 to that for comfort.
Steel beat on steel, and the men engaged. The Marquis presented to his opponent the narrow edge of his upright body, his knees slightly flexed27 and converted into living springs, whilst M. de Vilmorin stood squarely, a full target, his knees wooden. Honour and the spirit of fair play alike cried out against such a match.
The encounter was very short, of course. In youth, Philippe had received the tutoring in sword-play that was given to every boy born into his station of life. And so he knew at least the rudiments28 of what was now expected of him. But what could rudiments avail him here? Three disengages completed the exchanges, and then without any haste the Marquis slid his right foot along the moist turf, his long, graceful29 body extending itself in a lunge that went under M. de Vilmorin’s clumsy guard, and with the utmost deliberation he drove his blade through the young man’s vitals.
Andre–Louis sprang forward just in time to catch his friend’s body under the armpits as it sank. Then, his own legs bending beneath the weight of it, he went down with his burden until he was kneeling on the damp turf. Philippe’s limp head lay against Andre–Louis’ left shoulder; Philippe’s relaxed arms trailed at his sides; the blood welled and bubbled from the ghastly wound to saturate30 the poor lad’s garments.
With white face and twitching31 lips, Andre–Louis looked up at M. de La Tour d’Azyr, who stood surveying his work with a countenance32 of grave but remorseless interest.
“You have killed him!” cried Andre–Louis.
“Of course.”
The Marquis ran a lace handkerchief along his blade to wipe it. As he let the dainty fabric33 fall, he explained himself. “He had, as I told him, a too dangerous gift of eloquence34.”
And he turned away, leaving completest understanding with Andre–Louis. Still supporting the limp, draining body, the young man called to him.
“Come back, you cowardly murderer, and make yourself quite safe by killing35 me too!”
The Marquis half turned, his face dark with anger. Then M. de Chabrillane set a restraining hand upon his arm. Although a party throughout to the deed, the Chevalier was a little appalled36 now that it was done. He had not the high stomach of M. de La Tour d’Azyr, and he was a good deal younger.
“Come away,” he said. “The lad is raving37. They were friends.”
“You heard what he said?” quoth the Marquis.
“Nor can he, or you, or any man deny it,” flung back Andre–Louis. “Yourself, monsieur, you made confession38 when you gave me now the reason why you killed him. You did it because you feared him.”
“If that were true — what, then?” asked the great gentleman.
“Do you ask? Do you understand of life and humanity nothing but how to wear a coat and dress your hair — oh, yes, and to handle weapons against boys and priests? Have you no mind to think, no soul into which you can turn its vision? Must you be told that it is a coward’s part to kill the thing he fears, and doubly a coward’s part to kill in this way? Had you stabbed him in the back with a knife, you would have shown the courage of your vileness40. It would have been a vileness undisguised. But you feared the consequences of that, powerful as you are; and so you shelter your cowardice41 under the pretext42 of a duel43.”
The Marquis shook off his cousin’s hand, and took a step forward, holding now his sword like a whip. But again the Chevalier caught and held him.
“No, no, Gervais! Let be, in God’s name!”
“Let him come, monsieur,” raved44 Andre–Louis, his voice thick and concentrated. “Let him complete his coward’s work on me, and thus make himself safe from a coward’s wages.”
M. de Chabrillane let his cousin go. He came white to the lips, his eyes glaring at the lad who so recklessly insulted him. And then he checked. It may be that he remembered suddenly the relationship in which this young man was popularly believed to stand to the Seigneur de Gavrillac, and the well-known affection in which the Seigneur held him. And so he may have realized that if he pushed this matter further, he might find himself upon the horns of a dilemma45. He would be confronted with the alternatives of shedding more blood, and so embroiling46 himself with the Lord of Gavrillac at a time when that gentleman’s friendship was of the first importance to him, or else of withdrawing with such hurt to his dignity as must impair47 his authority in the countryside hereafter.
Be it so or otherwise, the fact remains48 that he stopped short; then, with an incoherent ejaculation, between anger and contempt, he tossed his arms, turned on his heel and strode off quickly with his cousin.
When the landlord and his people came, they found Andre–Louis, his arms about the body of his dead friend, murmuring passionately49 into the deaf ear that rested almost against his lips:
“Philippe! Speak to me, Philippe! Philippe . . . Don’t you hear me? O God of Heaven! Philippe!”
At a glance they saw that here neither priest nor doctor could avail. The cheek that lay against Andre–Louis’s was leaden-hued, the half-open eyes were glazed50, and there was a little froth of blood upon the vacuously51 parted lips.
Half blinded by tears Andre–Louis stumbled after them when they bore the body into the inn. Upstairs in the little room to which they conveyed it, he knelt by the bed, and holding the dead man’s hand in both his own, he swore to him out of his impotent rage that M. de La Tour d’Azyr should pay a bitter price for this.
“It was your eloquence he feared, Philippe,” he said. “Then if I can get no justice for this deed, at least it shall be fruitless to him. The thing he feared in you, he shall fear in me. He feared that men might be swayed by your eloquence to the undoing52 of such things as himself. Men shall be swayed by it still. For your eloquence and your arguments shall be my heritage from you. I will make them my own. It matters nothing that I do not believe in your gospel of freedom. I know it — every word of it; that is all that matters to our purpose, yours and mine. If all else fails, your thoughts shall find expression in my living tongue. Thus at least we shall have frustrated53 his vile39 aim to still the voice he feared. It shall profit him nothing to have your blood upon his soul. That voice in you would never half so relentlessly54 have hounded him and his as it shall in me — if all else fails.”
It was an exulting55 thought. It calmed him; it soothed56 his grief, and he began very softly to pray. And then his heart trembled as he considered that Philippe, a man of peace, almost a priest, an apostle of Christianity, had gone to his Maker57 with the sin of anger on his soul. It was horrible. Yet God would see the righteousness of that anger. And in no case — be man’s interpretation58 of Divinity what it might — could that one sin outweigh59 the loving good that Philippe had ever practised, the noble purity of his great heart. God after all, reflected Andre–Louis, was not a grand-seigneur.
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1
subjective
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| a.主观(上)的，个人的 | |
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prey
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| n.被掠食者，牺牲者，掠食；v.捕食，掠夺，折磨 | |
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vocation
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| n.职业，行业 | |
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brutality
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| n.野蛮的行为，残忍，野蛮 | |
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dishonouring
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| 使（人、家族等）丧失名誉（dishonour的现在分词形式） | |
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ordeal
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| n.苦难经历，（尤指对品格、耐力的）严峻考验 | |
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7
immediate
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| adj.立即的；直接的，最接近的；紧靠的 | |
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behold
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| v.看，注视，看到 | |
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sinisterly
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| 不吉祥地，邪恶地 | |
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10
entirely
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| ad.全部地，完整地；完全地，彻底地 | |
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dense
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| a.密集的，稠密的，浓密的；密度大的 | |
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divest
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| v.脱去，剥除 | |
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lithe
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| adj.(指人、身体)柔软的，易弯的 | |
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athletic
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| adj.擅长运动的，强健的；活跃的，体格健壮的 | |
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frail
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| adj.身体虚弱的；易损坏的 | |
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disdained
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| 鄙视( disdain的过去式和过去分词 )； 不屑于做，不愿意做 | |
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fully
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| adv.完全地，全部地，彻底地；充分地 | |
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hectic
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| adj.肺病的；消耗热的；发热的；闹哄哄的 | |
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19
cane
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| n.手杖，细长的茎，藤条；v.以杖击，以藤编制的 | |
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20
relinquished
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| 交出，让给( relinquish的过去式和过去分词 )； 放弃 | |
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antagonists
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| 对立[对抗] 者，对手，敌手( antagonist的名词复数 )； 对抗肌； 对抗药 | |
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frustrate
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| v.使失望；使沮丧；使厌烦 | |
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sane
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| adj.心智健全的，神志清醒的，明智的，稳健的 | |
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curbed
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| v.限制，克制，抑制( curb的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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futility
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| n.无用 | |
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obstinately
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| ad.固执地，顽固地 | |
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27
flexed
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| adj.[医]曲折的，屈曲v.屈曲( flex的过去式和过去分词 )；弯曲；（为准备大干而）显示实力；摩拳擦掌 | |
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28
rudiments
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| n.基础知识，入门 | |
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graceful
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| adj.优美的，优雅的；得体的 | |
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saturate
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| vt.使湿透，浸透；使充满，使饱和 | |
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31
twitching
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| n.颤搐 | |
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32
countenance
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| n.脸色，面容；面部表情；vt.支持，赞同 | |
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33
fabric
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| n.织物，织品，布；构造，结构，组织 | |
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34
eloquence
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| n.雄辩；口才，修辞 | |
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35
killing
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| n.巨额利润；突然赚大钱，发大财 | |
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36
appalled
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| v.使惊骇，使充满恐惧( appall的过去式和过去分词)adj.惊骇的；丧胆的 | |
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37
raving
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| adj.说胡话的；疯狂的，怒吼的；非常漂亮的；令人醉心[痴心]的v.胡言乱语(rave的现在分词)n.胡话；疯话adv.胡言乱语地；疯狂地 | |
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38
confession
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| n.自白，供认，承认 | |
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39
vile
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| adj.卑鄙的，可耻的，邪恶的；坏透的 | |
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40
vileness
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| n.讨厌，卑劣 | |
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41
cowardice
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| n.胆小，怯懦 | |
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42
pretext
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| n.借口，托词 | |
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43
duel
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| n./v.决斗；(双方的)斗争 | |
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44
raved
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| v.胡言乱语( rave的过去式和过去分词 )；愤怒地说；咆哮；痴心地说 | |
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45
dilemma
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| n.困境，进退两难的局面 | |
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46
embroiling
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| v.使（自己或他人）卷入纠纷( embroil的现在分词 ) | |
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impair
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| v.损害，损伤；削弱，减少 | |
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48
remains
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| n.剩余物，残留物；遗体，遗迹 | |
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49
passionately
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| ad.热烈地，激烈地 | |
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50
glazed
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| adj.光滑的，像玻璃的；上过釉的；呆滞无神的v.装玻璃( glaze的过去式)；上釉于，上光；（目光）变得呆滞无神 | |
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51
vacuously
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| adv.无意义地，茫然若失地，无所事事地 | |
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52
undoing
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| n.毁灭的原因，祸根；破坏，毁灭 | |
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53
frustrated
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| adj.挫败的，失意的，泄气的v.使不成功( frustrate的过去式和过去分词 )；挫败；使受挫折；令人沮丧 | |
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54
relentlessly
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| adv.不屈不挠地；残酷地；不间断 | |
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55
exulting
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| vi. 欢欣鼓舞，狂喜 | |
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56
soothed
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| v.安慰( soothe的过去式和过去分词 )；抚慰；使舒服；减轻痛苦 | |
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57
maker
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| n.制造者，制造商 | |
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58
interpretation
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| n.解释，说明，描述；艺术处理 | |
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59
outweigh
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| vt.比...更重，...更重要 | |
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