scaramouche-第42部分

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dressed　young　gentleman　stood　by　this　table　in　the　act　of　resuming
coat　and　wig。　　M。　des　Amis　sauntered　over　to　him　…　moving；　thought
Andre…Louis；　with　extraordinary　grace　and　elasticity　…　and　stood　in
talk　with　him　whilst　also　assisting　him　to　complete　his　toilet。

At　last　the　young　gentleman　took　his　departure；　mopping　himself　with
a　fine　kerchief　that　left　a　trail　of　perfume　on　the　air。　　M。　des
Amis　closed　the　door；　and　turned　to　the　applicant；　who　rose　at　once。

〃Where　have　you　studied？〃　quoth　the　fencing…master　abruptly。

〃Studied？〃　Andre…Louis　was　taken　aback　by　the　question。　　〃Oh；　at
Louis　Le　Grand。〃

M。　des　Amis　frowned；　looking　up　sharply　as　if　to　see　whether　his
applicant　was　taking　the　liberty　of　amusing　himself。

〃In　Heaven's　name！　　I　am　not　asking　you　where　you　did　your
humanities；　but　in　what　academy　you　studied　fencing。〃

〃Oh　…　fencing！〃　　It　had　hardly　ever　occurred　to　Andre…Louis　that
the　sword　ranked　seriously　as　a　study。　　〃I　never　studied　it　very
much。　　I　had　some　lessons　in。。。　in　the　country　once。

The　master's　eyebrows　went　up。　　〃But　then？〃　he　cried。　　〃Why　trouble
to　come　up　two　flights　of　stairs？〃　　He　was　impatient。

〃The　notice　does　not　demand　a　high　degree　of　proficiency。　　If　I　am
not　proficient　enough；　yet　knowing　the　rudiments　I　can　easily
improve。　　I　learn　most　things　readily；〃　Andre…Louis　commended　himself。
〃For　the　rest：　I　possess　the　other　qualifications。　　I　am　young；　as
you　observe：　and　I　leave　you　to　judge　whether　I　am　wrong　in　assuming
that　my　address　is　good。　　I　am　by　profession　a　man　of　the　robe；
though　I　realize　that　the　motto　here　is　cedat　toga　armis。〃

M。　des　Amis　smiled　approvingly。　　Undoubtedly　the　young　man　had　a
good　address；　and　a　certain　readiness　of　wit；　it　would　appear。　　He
ran　a　critical　eye　over　his　physical　points。　　〃What　is　your　name？〃
he　asked。

Andre…Louis　hesitated　a　moment。　　〃Andre…Louis；〃　he　said。

The　dark；　keen　eyes　conned　him　more　searchingly。
　　
〃Well？　　Andre…Louis　what？〃

〃Just　Andre…Louis。　　Louis　is　my　surname。〃

〃Oh！　　An　odd　surname。　　You　come　from　Brittany　by　your　accent。　　Why
did　you　leave　it？〃

〃To　save　my　skin；〃　he　answered；　without　reflecting。　　And　then　made
haste　to　cover　the　blunder。　　〃I　have　an　enemy；〃　he　explained。

M。　des　Amis　frowned；　stroking　his　square　chin。　　〃You　ran　away？〃　

〃You　may　say　so。

〃A　coward；　eh？〃

〃I　don't　think　so。〃　　And　then　he　lied　romantically。　　Surely　a　man
who　lived　by　the　sword　should　have　a　weakness　for　the　romantic。
〃You　see；　my　enemy　is　a　swordsman　of　great　strength　…　the　best　blade
in　the　province；　if　not　the　best　blade　in　France。　　That　is　his
repute。　　I　thought　I　would　come　to　Paris　to　learn　something　of　the
art；　and　then　go　back　and　kill　him。　That；　to　be　frank；　is　why　your
notice　attracted　me。　　You　see；　I　have　not　the　means　to　take　lessons
otherwise。　　I　thought　to　find　work　here　in　the　law。　　But　I　have
failed。　　There　are　too　many　lawyers　in　Paris　as　it　is；　and　whilst
waiting　I　have　consumed　the　little　money　that　I　had；　so　that。。。　so
that；　enfin；　your　notice　seemed　to　me　something　to　which　a　special
providence　had　directed　me。〃

M。　des　Amis　gripped　him　by　the　shoulders；　and　looked　into　his　face。

〃Is　this　true；　my　friend？〃　he　asked。

〃Not　a　word　of　it；〃　said　Andre…Louis；　wrecking　his　chances　on　an
irresistible　impulse　to　say　the　unexpected。　　But　he　didn't　wreck
them。　M。　des　Amis　burst　into　laughter；　and　having　laughed　his　fill；
confessed　himself　charmed　by　his　applicant's　fundamental　honesty。

〃Take　off　your　coat；〃　he　said；　〃and　let　us　see　what　you　can　do。
Nature；　at　least；　designed　you　for　a　swordsman。　　You　are　light；
active；　and　supple；　with　a　good　length　of　arm；　and　you　seem
intelligent。　　I　may　make　something　of　you；　teach　you　enough　for　my
purpose；　which　is　that　you　should　give　the　elements　of　the　art　to
new　pupils　before　I　take　them　in　hand　to　finish　them。　Let　us　try。
Take　that　mask　and　foil；　and　come　over　here。

He　led　him　to　the　end　of　the　room；　where　the　bare　floor　was　scored
with　lines　of　chalk　to　guide　the　beginner　in　the　management　of　his
feet。

At　the　end　of　a　ten　minutes'　bout；　M。　des　Amis　offered　him　the
situation；　and　explained　it。　　In　addition　to　imparting　the　rudiments
of　the　art　to　beginners；　he　was　to　brush　out　the　fencing…room　every
morning；　keep　the　foils　furbished；　assist　the　gentlemen　who　came　for
lessons　to　dress　and　undress；　and　make　himself　generally　useful。
His　wages　for　the　present　were　to　be　forty　livres　a　month；　and　he
might　sleep　in　an　alcove　behind　the　fencing…room　if　he　had　no　other
lodging。

The　position；　you　see；　had　its　humiliations。　　But；　if　Andre…Louis
would　hope　to　dine；　he　must　begin　by　eating　his　pride　as　an　hors
d'oeuvre。

〃And　so；〃　he　said；　controlling　a　grimace；　〃the　robe　yields　not　only
to　the　sword；　but　to　the　broom　as　well。　　Be　it　so。　　I　stay。〃

lt　is　characteristic　of　him　that；　having　made　that　choice；　he　should
have　thrown　himself　into　the　work　with　enthusiasm。　　It　was　ever　his
way　to　do　whatever　he　did　with　all　the　resources　of　his　mind　and
energies　of　his　body。　　When　he　was　not　instructing　very　young
gentlemen　in　the　elements　of　the　art；　showing　them　the　elaborate　and
intricate　salute　…　which　with　a　few　days'　hard　practice　he　had
mastered　to　perfection　…　and　the　eight　guards；　he　was　himself　hard
at　work　on　those　same　guards；　exercising　eye；　wrist；　and　knees。

Perceiving　his　enthusiasm；　and　seeing　the　obvious　possibilities　it
opened　out　of　turning　him　into　a　really　effective　assistant；　M。
des　Amis　presently　took　him　more　seriously　in　hand。

〃Your　application　and　zeal；　my　friend；　are　deserving　of　more　than
forty　livres　a　month；〃　the　master　informed　him　at　the　end　of　a　week。
〃For　the　present；　however；　I　will　make　up　what　else　I　consider　due
to　you　by　imparting　to　you　secrets　of　this　noble　art。　　Your　future
depends　upon　how　you　profit　by　your　exceptional　good　fortune　in
receiving　instruction　from　me。〃

Thereafter　every　morning　before　the　opening　of　the　academy；　the
master　would　fence　for　half　an　hour　with　his　new　assistant。　　Under
this　really　excellent　tuition　Andre…Louis　improved　at　a　rate　that
both　astounded　and　flattered　M。　des　Amis。　　He　would　have　been　less
flattered　and　more　astounded　had　he　known　that　at　least　half　the
secret　of　Andre…Louis'　amazing　progress　lay　in　the　fact　that　he　was
devouring　the　contents　of　the　master's　library；　which　was　made　up
of　a　dozen　or　so　treatises　on　fencing　by　such　great　masters　as　La
Bessiere；　Danet；　and　the　syndic　of　the　King's　Academy；　Augustin
Rousseau。　　To　M。　des　Amis；　whose　swordsmanship　was　all　based　on
practice　and　not　at　all　on　theory；　who　was　indeed　no　theorist　or
student　in　any　sense；　that　little　library　was　merely　a　suitable
adjunct　to　a　fencing…academy；　a　proper　piece　of　decorative　furniture。
The　books　themselves　meant　nothing　to　him　in　any　other　sense。　　He
had　not　the　type　of　mind　that　could　have　read　them　with　profit　nor
could　be　understand　that　another　should　do　so。　　Andre…Louis；　on　the
contrary；　a　man　with　the　habit　of　study；　with　the　acquired　faculty
of　learning　from　books；　read　those　works　with　enormous　profit；　kept
their　precepts　in　mind；　critically　set　off　those　of　one　master
against　those　of　another；　and　made　for　himself　a　choice　which　he
proceeded　to　put　into　practice。

At　the　end　of　a　month　it　suddenly　dawned　upon　M。　des　Amis　that　his
assistant　had　developed　into　a　fencer　of　very　considerable　force；
a　man　in　a　bout　with　whom　it　became　necessary　to　exert　himself　if
he　were　to　escape　defeat。

〃I　said　from　the　first；〃　he　told　him　one　day；　〃that　Nature　designed
you　for　a　swordsman。　　See　how　justified　I　was；　and　see　also　how　well
I　have　known　how　to　mould　the　material　with　which　Nature　has
equipped　you。〃

〃To　the　master　be　the　glory；〃　said　Andre…Louis。

His　relations　with　M。　des　Amis　had　meanwhile　become　of　the
friendliest；　and　he　was　now　beginning　to　receive　from　him　other
pupils　than　mere　beginners。　　In　fact　Andre…Louis　was　becoming　an
assistant　in　a　much　fuller　sense　of　the　word。　　M。　des　Amis；　a
chivalrous；　open…handed　fellow；　far　from　taking　advantage　of　what
he　had　guessed　to　be　the　young　man's　difficulties；　rewarded　his
zeal　by　increasing　his　wages　to　four　louis　a　month。

》From　the'　earnest　and　thoughtful　study　of　the　theories　of　others；
it　followed　now　…　as　not　uncommonly　happens　…　that　Andre…Louis　came
to　develop　theories　of　his　own。　　He　lay　one　June　morning　on　his
little　truckle　bed　in　the　alcove　behind　the　academy；　considering　a
passage　that　he　had　read　last　night　in　Danet　on　double　and　triple
feints。　　It　had　seemed　to　him　when　reading　it　that　Danet　had　stopped
short　on　the　threshold　of　a　great　discovery　in　the　art　of　fencing。
Essentially　a　theorist；　Andre…Louis　perceived　the　theory　suggested；
which　Danet　himself　in　suggesting　it　had　not　perceived。　　He　lay　now
on　his　back；　surveying　the　cracks　in　the　ceiling　and　considering
this　matter　further　with　the　lucidity　that　early　morning　often
brings　to　an　acute　intelligence。　　You　are　to　remember　that　for　close
upon　two　months　now　the　sword　had　been　Andre…Louis'　daily　exercise
and　almost　hourly　thought。　　Protracted　concentration　upon　the　subject
was　giving　him　an　extraordinary　penetration　of　vision。　　Swordsmanship
as　he　learnt　and　taught　and　saw　it　daily　practised　consisted　of　a
series　of　attacks　and　parries；　a　series　of　disengages　from　one　line
into　another。　　But　always　a　limited　series。　　A　half…dozen　disengages
on　either　side　was；　strictly　speaking；　usually　as　far　as　any
engagement　went。　　Then　one　recommenced。　　But　even　so；　these
disengages　were　fortuitous。　　What　if　from　first　to　last　they　should
be　calculated？

That　was　part　of　the　thought　…　one　of　the　two　legs　on　which　his
theory　was　to　stand；　the　other　was：　what　would　happen　if　one　so
elaborated　Danet's　ideas　on　the　triple　feint　as　to　merge　them　into
a　series　of　actual　calculated　disengages　to　culminate　at　the　fourth
or　fifth　or　even　sixth　disengage？　　That　is　to　say；　if　one　were　to
make　a　series　of　attacks　inviting　ripostes　again　to　be　countered；
each　of　which　was　not　intended　to　go　home；　but　simply　to　play　the
opponent's　blade　into　a　line　that　must　open　him　ultimately；　and　as
predetermined；　for　an　irresistible　lunge。　　Each　counter　of　th