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. throw him another.
718
He changed his posture to a sitting one, crying with
a. triumphant air : ‘ ' ;
“ Here I am? See me I Shaken out of destiny’s dice-
box into the company of a mere smuggler ; shut up with
a poor little contraband trader, whose papers are wrong,
and whom the police lay hold of besides, for placing his
boat (as a means of getting beyond the frontier) at the
disposition of other little people whose papers are wrong ;
and he instinctively recognises my position, even by this
light and in this place. It's well done. ’ By Heaven I -I
win, however the game goes.” ’ ‘ '
Again his moustache went up, and his nose came down.
“ lVhat’s the hour, now? ” he asked, witl.i a dry, hot
pallor upon him, rather diiiicult of association with mer-
riment.
“ A little half-hour after mid-day.”
“ Good ! The President will have a gentleman before
him soon. Come I Shall I tell you on what accusation?
It must be now, or never, for I shall not return here.
Either I shall go free, or I shall go to be made ready
for shaving. You know where they keep the razor.”
Signor Cavalletto took his cigarette from between his
parted lips, and showed more momentary discomfiture
than might have been expected. ' ‘ ‘ ‘
“ I am a”-Monsieur Rigaud stood up to say it-“ I
am a cosmopolitan gentleman. I own no particular coun-
try. My father was Swisss-Canton de Vaud. My mother
was French by blood, English by birth. I myself was
‘ born in Belgium. I aim a citizen of the world.’’'
His theatrical air, as he stood with one arm on his hip,
within the folds of his cloak, together with his manner
V of disregarding his companion and addressing the oppo-
site wall instead, seemed to intimate that he was rehears-‘
mg for the President, whose examination he was shortly
to undergo, rather than troubling himself merely to en-
lighten so small a person as John Baptist Cavalletto.
“ Call me five-and-thirty years of age. I have seen
the world. I have livedhere, and lived there, and lived
like a gentleman everywhere. I have been treated and
respected as a gentleman universally. If you try to
prejudice me, by making out that I have lived by my wits
-:how do your lawyers Iivesyour politicianssyour in.
triguers-your men of the Exchange?” > v
‘ He kept his small, smooth hand in constant requisi-
tion, as if it were a witness to his gentility, that had
often done him good service before. <
“ Two years arro I came to Marseilles. I admit that ‘I
was poor ; I had been ill. “"hen your lawyers, your
politicians, your intriguers, your men of the Exchange
full 111, and have not scraped money together, they be-
comepoor. I put up at the Cross of Gold-kept then by
Monsieur Henri Barronneau-isixty-five at least and in a
failing state of health.- I had lived in the hoiise some
four months, when Monsieur Henri Barroniieau had’ the
misfortune to die ; at any rate, not a rare misfortune
that. It. happens without any aid of mine rett ’
oftelt 1) . , V a P Y
J 0 n Baptist havinrr smoked his cirrare '
fingers’,ends, Monsicicir Rigaud had the I!‘Il1i:!cgI11:l‘JVlll1i::yht1g
Ile lighted the second at the ashes
of the first, aind smoked on, looking sideways at his
::::.23“;2i;a;w ‘““‘ ‘"5 0"“ hardly
“ Monsieur arronneau left a. widow.
and-twenty. She had ained a reputatioihibijv
and (which is often anot er thin )was beautiful I ooh’
tinned to live at the Cross of Go (1. I married .1‘.I'l.(1a.I1](-3
Barronneau. It is not for me to say whether there was
any great di5P‘“‘iiY ill Such a match. Here I stand with
the contamination of a jail upon me; but it is possible
lfllgblzlllxilla me better suited to her than her for.
He had a certain air of bein
he was not ; an a certain air of bein a .
..which he '“'a.s,vnot. It was more gwaggeelg 2:31 cililiflilii
lengc ; but in this particular, as in many others blustehx
jug :113sS(-:!t'tl0l'l. tgocs fcpi pdroof, half over the world '
“ e i as i may, i a nine Barronneau - '
Tlipt is not 1:0 pl‘0j.ll(llCtC H116 I hope?” appmwd of me'
is 070 3PP9T1"1g 0 i lit u o ' .-
this inquiry. that little mail hrisllitlyl sjlidbrlz lliaigtlllgadnih
‘he ‘1e3“‘i""' and repeated in an argumentative IOIIII;
g a handsome man-which
CHARLES DI C’Ii'E'NS ’ WORK ii
under his breath, altro, altro, altro,"altro-an-infinite
number of times. ‘
“Now came’ the diiliculties of our position. I am
proud. I say nothing in defence-of pride. butl am
proud. It is also my charactcrto govern. I cant sub-
mit; I must govern. Unfortunately, the property of
Madame ltigaud was settled upon herself. i Such was
the insane act of her late’ husband. Mo.re’unfoi--
tunately still, she had relations. ‘Vixen a ivifes rela-
tions interpose against a husband who is a gentleman.
who is proud and who must govern, the consequences
are inimical to peace. There was yet another source of
difference between us. Madame Rigaud was unfortu-
nately a little vulgar. I sought to improve her iiianners
and ameliorate her general tone; she (supported in H115
likewise by her relations) resented my end9i1V011T5-
Quarrels -began to arise between us; an(l,.IJT0I7‘lS“ted
and exaggerated by the slanders of the relations of Ma-
dame, Itigaud, to become notorious to the neiglibouri
It has been said that I treated Madame Rigaud W1:
cruelty. I may have been seen to slap her f:ice-n0t1-
ing more. I have a light hand ; and if have been seen
apparently to correct Madame Rigaud in that manner,
I have done it almost playfully.” ‘ , 1
r If ‘the playfulness of Monsieur Itiglaud were at :11 1&3‘
pressed by his smile at this point, t e relations ofh 11‘;
dame Rigaud might have said that they would’ t-‘ND
much preferred his correcting that unfortunate nonia
seriously. - ‘ - “ ‘ - W . . a
“ I am sensitive and brave. I do not advance 1‘! 5:5
merit to be sensitive and brave, but it is my 01111131: ‘:5:
If the male relations of Madame Iligaud had put 1 deeal
selves forward openly, I should have known how towns
with them. They knew that, and their inachinal
‘were conducted in secret ; consequently, Madame Rigaud
and I were brought into frequent and unfortunate gt;
lision. Even when I wanted any little sunrof iiiillolit
for my personal expenses, I could not obtain it ‘M.
collision-and I too, a man whose character ltf lime
govern! One night, Madame Iligaud and m)'5911 gi M
walking amicably--I may say like lovers:-011 5:“ ‘dzgne
overhanging the sea. An evil star occasioned as her
Rigaud to advert to her relations ; I reasoned Wlflduty
on that subject, and remonstrated on .t1,10.W3Dt‘; to be
and devotion manifested in her allowing horse] hus-
infiuenced by their jealous animosity towards lltirdame
band. Madame Rigaud retorted, I rctorted. 1‘]"r
Rigaud grew warm ; I grew warm, and provoked 18 o
admit it. Frankness is a part ofvmy Cl1“”‘cte’i'muSt
length. Madame Iligaud, in an access of fail’ that ms 0
ever deplore, threw herself upon me with screztz Come
passion (no doubt those that were overheard ami my
distance), tore my clothes, tore my half, 1“‘7“'l”’j lcape
hands, trampled and trod tliodust, and final D’ Sue,
over, dashing herself to death upon the rocks helm: . 1 mm
is the train of incidents which inalicc has pervcl‘ “re in.
my endenvouriiigto force from Madame Rlgfmd: ‘:0 in 9,
quishment of her rights; and, on lierpersisteln with
refusal to make the concession I required. Stmgg mg
lier-assassinating her l” . 9
He stopped aside to the ledge where the W1
yet lay strewn about, collected two or three, R1119 nrrht‘
wipiil,‘-I his hands upon them, with his back 143111‘ ve ‘you
. “VVcll,” he demanded" after a silence. , 3
nothinrr to say to all tliat?” ' - on,
“It’: ugly,” returned ‘the little man, fV1“’ had :55 e
and was brightening his knife ‘upon’ his 51109:
leaned an arm against the wall. ‘ ‘ ‘
“ What do you mean?” . . ‘ .
John Baptist polished his knife in silence.
“Dolyou mean that I have notrcpresente
correct ‘Z" , i ‘ . ni
“ Al-tyre I” returned John Baptist The W0’d,,‘:‘ 3,5 Y
apology now, and stood for,- “ Oh, by no means -
“ lVliat then? ” . ‘ , ,.
“ Presidents and tribunals are so pfejud-lccdl end of
"‘ ‘Veil I” cried the other uneasily iiinglvg t llhein do
his cloak over his shoulder with an oath, “Let
their worst l” i I Ba tist to
“ Truly I think they will,” murmured -I011‘? sash.
himself, as he bent his head to put his knife 1” 11 they
Nothing more was said oneitlier side, ‘mug
.1cave5
d the case