按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！
ardent upholder of the noblesse； trampled to death under hooves of
foreign horsemen launched by the noblesse and led by a nobleman。
To Andre…Louis； waiting that evening on the second floor of No。 13
Rue du Hasard for the return of his friend and master； four men of
the people brought that broken body of one of the earliest victims
of the Revolution that was now launched in earnest。
CHAPTER III
PRESIDENT LE CHAPELIER
The ferment of Paris which； during the two following days； resembled
an armed camp rather than a city； delayed the burial of Bertrand
des Amis until the Wednesday of that eventful week。 Amid events
that were shaking a nation to its foundations the death of a
fencing…master passed almost unnoticed even among his pupils； most
of whom did not come to the academy during the two days that his
body lay there。 Some few； however； did come； and these conveyed the
news to others； with the result that the master was followed to Pere
Lachaise by a score of young men at the head of whom as chief mourner
walked Andre…Louis。
There were no relatives to be advised so far as Andre…Louis was
aware； although within a week of M。 des Amis' death a sister turned
up from Passy to claim his heritage。 This was considerable； for the
master had prospered and saved money； most of which was invested in
the Compagnie des Eaux and the National Debt。 Andre…Louis consigned
her to the lawyers； and saw her no more。
The death of des Amis left him with so profound a sense of loneliness
and desolation that he had no thought or care for the sudden access
of fortune which it automatically procured him。 To the master's
sister might fall such wealth as he had amassed； but Andre…Louis
succeeded to the mine itself from which that wealth had been
extracted； the fencing…school in which by now he was himself so well
established as an instructor that its numerous pupils looked to him
to carry it forward successfully as its chief。 And never was there
a season in which fencing…academies knew such prosperity as in these
troubled days； when every man was sharpening his sword and schooling
himself in the uses of it。
It was not until a couple of weeks later that Andre…Louis realized
what had really happened to him； and he found himself at the same
time an exhausted man； for during that fortnight he had been doing
the work of two。 If he had not hit upon the happy expedient of
pairing…off his more advanced pupils to fence with each other；
himself standing by to criticize； correct and otherwise instruct；
he must have found the task utterly beyond his strength。 Even so；
it was necessary for him to fence some six hours daily； and every
day he brought arrears of lassitude from yesterday until he was in
danger of succumbing under the increasing burden of fatigue。 In
the end he took an assistant to deal with beginners； who gave the
hardest work。 He found him readily enough by good fortune in one
of his own pupils named Le Duc。 As the summer advanced； and the
concourse of pupils steadily increased； it became necessary for him
to take yet another assistant … an able young instructor named
Galoche … and another room on the floor above。
They were strenuous days for Andre…Louis； more strenuous than he
had ever known； even when he had been at work to build up the Binet
Company； but it follows that they were days of extraordinary
prosperity。 He comments regretfully upon the fact that Bertrand des
Amis should have died by ill…chance on the very eve of so profitable
a vogue of sword…play。
The arms of the Academie du Roi； to which Andre…Louis had no title；
still continued to be displayed outside his door。 He had overcome
the difficulty in a manner worthy of Scaramouche。 He left the
escutcheon and the legend 〃Academie de Bertrand des Amis； Maitre en
fait d'Armes des Academies du Roi；〃 appending to it the further
legend： 〃Conducted by Andre…Louis。〃
With little time now in which to go abroad it was from his pupils
and the newspapers … of which a flood had risen in Paris with the
establishment of the freedom of the Press … that he learnt of the
revolutionary processes around him； following upon； as a measure
of anticlimax； the fall of the Bastille。 That had happened whilst
M。 des Amis lay dead； on the day before they buried him； and was
indeed the chief reason of the delay in his burial。 It was an
event that had its inspiration in that ill…considered charge of
Prince Lambesc in which the fencing…master had been killed。
The outraged people had besieged the electors in the Hotel de Ville；
demanding arms with which to defend their lives from these foreign
murderers hired by despotism。 And in the end the electors had
consented to give them arms； or； rather … for arms it had none to
give … to permit them to arm themselves。 Also it had given them a
cockade； of red and blue； the colours of Paris。 Because these
colours were also those of the liveries of the Duke of Orleans；
white was added to them … the white of the ancient standard of
France … and thus was the tricolour born。 Further； a permanent
committee of electors was appointed to watch over public order。
Thus empowered the people went to work with such good effect that
within thirty…six hours sixty thousand pikes had been forged。 At
nine o'clock on Tuesday morning thirty thousand men were before the
Invalides。 By eleven o'clock they had ravished it of its store of
arms amounting to some thirty thousand muskets； whilst others had
seized the Arsenal and possessed themse1ves of powder。
Thus they prepared to resist the attack that from seven points was
to be launched that evening upon the city。 But Paris did not wait
for the attack。 It took the initiative。 Mad with enthusiasm it
conceived the insane project of taking that terrible menacing
fortress； the Bastille； and； what is more； it succeeded； as you
know； before five o'clock that night； aided in the enterprise by
the French Guards with cannon。
The news of it； borne to Versailles by Lambesc in flight with his
dragoons before the vast armed force that had sprouted from the
paving…stones of Paris； gave the Court pause。 The people were in
possession of the guns captured from the Bastille。 They were
erecting barricades in the streets； and mounting these guns upon
them。 The attack had been too long delayed。 It must be abandoned
since now it could lead only to fruitless slaughter that must
further shake the already sorely shaken prestige of Royalty。
And so the Court； growing momentarily wise again under the spur of
fear； preferred to temporize。 Necker should be brought back yet
once again； the three orders should sit united as the National
Assembly demanded。 It was the completest surrender of force to
force； the only argument。 The King went alone to inform the
National Assembly of that eleventh…hour resolve； to the great
comfort of its members； who viewed with pain and alarm the dreadful
state of things in Paris。 〃No force but the force of reason and
argument〃 was their watchword； and it was so to continue for two
years yet； with a patience and fortitude in the face of ceaseless
provocation to which insufficient justice has be