第23章RoadsofDestiny

第23章roadsofdestiny

igotoseekonmanyroads

whatistobe.

trueheartandstrong，withlovetolight—willtheynotbearmeinthefight

toorder，shunorwieldormould

mydestiny？

unpublishedpoemsofdavidmignot

thesongwasover.thewordsweredavid's；theair，oneofthecountryside.thecompanyabouttheinntableapplaudedheartily，fortheyoungpoetpaidforthewine.onlythenotary，m.papineau，shookhisheadalittleatthelines，forhewasamanofbooks，andhehadnotdrunkwiththerest.

davidwentoutintothevillagestreet，wherethenightairdrovethewinevaporfromhishead.andthenherememberedthatheandyvonehadquarreledthatday，andthathehadresolvedtoleavehishomethatnighttoseekfameandhonorinthegreatworldoutside.

"whenmypoemsareoneveryman'stongue，"hetoldhimself，inafineexhilaration，"shewill，perhaps，thinkofthehardwordsshespokethisday."

excepttheroisterersinthetavern，thevilagefolkwereabed.davidcreptsoftlyintohisroomintheshedofhisfather'scottageandmadeabundleofhissmallstoreofclothing.withthisuponastaff，hesethisfaceoutwardupontheroadthatranfromvernoy.

hepassedhisfather'sherdofsheep，huddledintheirnightlypen—thesheepheherdeddaily，leaningthemtoscatterwhilehewroteversesonscrapsofpaper.hesawalightyetshininginyvonne'swindow，andaweaknessshookhispurposeofasudden.perhapsthatlightmeantthatsherued，sleepless，heranger，andthatmorningmight—but，no！hisdecisionwasmade.vernoywasnoplaceforhim.notonesoultherecouldsharehisthoughts.outalonethatroadlayhisfateandhisfuture.

threeleaguesacrossthedim，moonlitchampaignrantheroad，straightasaploughman'sfurrow.itwasbelievedinthevillagethattheroadrantoparis，atleast；andthisnamethepoetwhispered.oftentohimselfashewalked.neversofarfromvernoyhaddavidtraveledbefore.

theieftbranch

threeleagues，then，theroadran，andturnedintoapuzzle.itjoinedwithanotherandalargerroadatrightangles.davidstood，uncertain，forawhile，andthentooktheroadtotheleft.

uponthismoreimportanthighwaywere，imprintedinthedust，wheeltracksleftbytherecentpassageofsomevehicle.somehalfanhourlaterthesetraceswereverifiedbythesightofaponderouscarriagemiredinalittlebrookatthebottomofasteephilt.thedriverandpostilionswereshoutingandingatthehorses'bridles.ontheroadatonesidestoodahuge，black-clothedmanandaslenderladywrappedinalong，lightcloak.

davidsawthelackofskillintheeffortsoftheservants.hequietlyassumedcontrolofthework.hedirectedtheoutriderstoceasetheirclamoratthehorsesandtoexercisetheirstrengthuponthewheels.thedriveraloneurgedtheanimalswithhisfamiliarvoice；davidhimselfheavedapowerfulshoulderattherearofthecarriage，andwithoneharmonioustugthegreatvehiclerolleduponsolidground.theoutridersclimbedtotheirplaces.

davidstoodforamomentupononefoot.thehugegentlemanwavedahand."youwillenterthecarriage，"hesaid，inavoice，large，likehimself，butsmoothedbyartandhabit.obediencebelongedthepathofsuchavoice.briefaswastheyoungpoet'shesitation，itwascutshorterstillbyarenewalofthecommand.david'sfootwenttothestep.inthedarknessheperceiveddimlytheformoftheladyupontherearseat.hewasabouttoseathim-selfopposite，whenthevoiceagainswayedhimtoitswill："youwillsitatthelady'sside."

thegentlemanswunghisgreatweighttotheforwardseat.thecarriageproceededupthehill.theladywasshrunk，silent，intohercorner.davidcouldnotestimatewhethershewasoldoryoung，butadelicate，mildperfumefromherclothesstirredhispoet'sfancytothebeliefthattherewaslovelinessbeneaththemystery.herewasanadventuresuchashehadoftenimagined.butasyetheheldnokeytoit，fornowordwasspokenwhilehesatwithhisimpenetrablecompanions.

inanhour'stimedavidperceivedthroughthewindowthatthevehicletraversedthestreetofsometown.thenitstoppedinfrontofaclosedanddarkenedhouse，andapostilionalightedtohammerimpatientlyuponthedoor.alatticedwindowaboveflewwideandanightcappedheadpoppedout.

"whoareyethatdisturbhonestfolkatthistimeofnight？myhouseisclosed.it'stoolateforprofitabletravelerstobeabroad.ceaseknockingatmydoor，andbeoff."

"open！"splutteredthepostilion，loudly；"openformonsiegneurthemarquisdebeaupertuys."

"ah！"criedthevoiceadove."tenthousandpardons，mylord.ididnotknow—thehourissolate—atonceshallthedoorbeopened，andthehouseplacedatmylord'sdisposal."

insidewasheardtheclinkofchainandbar，andthedoorwasflungopen.shiveringwithchillandapprehension，thelandlordofthesilverflagonstood，halfclad，candleinhand，uponthethreshold.

davidfollowedthemarquisoutofthecarriage."assistthelady，"hewasordered.thepoetobeyed.hefelthersmallhandtrembleasheguidedherdescent."intothehouse，"wasthenextcommand.

theroomwasthelongdining-hallofthetavern.agreatoaktablerandownitslength.thehugegentlemenseatedhimselfinachairatthenearerend.theladysankintoanotheragainstthewall，withanairofgreatweariness.davidstood，consideringhowbesthemightnowtakehisleaveandcontinueuponhisway.

"mylord，"saidthelandlord，bowingtothefloor，"h-hadiexexpectedthishonor，entertainmentwouldhavebeenready.t-t-thereiswineandcoldfowlandm-m-maybe—"

"candles，"saidthemarquis，spreadingthefingersofoneplumpwhitehandinagesturehehad.

"y-yes，mylord."hefetchedhalfadozencandles，lightedthem，andsetthemuponthetable.

"ifmonsieurwould，perhaps，deigntotasteacertainburgundy—thereisacask—"

"candles，"sandmoonsieur，spreadinghisfingers.

"assuredly—quickly—ifly，mylord."

adozenmorelightedcandlesshoneinthehall.thegreatbulkofthemarquisoverflowedhischair.hewasdressedinfineblackfromheadtofootsaveforthesnowyrufflesathiswristsandthroat.eventhehiltandscabbardofhisswordwereblack.hisexpressionwasoneofsneeringpride.theendsofanupturnedmoustachereachednearlytohismockingeyes.

theladysatmotionless，andnowdavidperceivedthatshewasyoung，andpossessedofpatheticandappealingbeauty.hewasstartledfromthecontemplationofherforlornlovelinessbytheboomingvoiceofthemarguis.

"whatisyournameandpursuit？"

"davidmignot，iamapoet."

themoustacheofthemarquiscurlednearertohiseyes.

"howdoyoulive？"

"iamalsoashepherd；iguardedmyfather'sflock，"davidanswered，withhisheadhigh，butaflushuponhischeek.

"thenlisten，mastershepherdandpoet，tothefortuneyouhaveblunderedupontonight.thisladyismyniece，mademoiselleluciedevarennes.sheisofnobledescentandispossessedoftenthousandfrancsayearinherownright.astohercharms，youhavebuttoobserveforyourself.iftheinventorypleasesyourshepherd'sheart，shebecomesyourwifeataword.donotinterruptme.tonighticonveyedhertothechateauofthecomtedevillemaur，towhomherhandhadbeenpromised.guestswerepresent；thepriestwaswaiting；hermarriagetooneeligibleinrankandfortunewasreadytobeaccomplished.atthealterthisdemoiselle，someekanddutiful，turneduponmelikealeopardess，chargedmewithcrueltyandcrimes，andbroke，beforethegapingpriest，thetrothihadplightedforher.iworethereandthen，bytenthousanddevils，thatsheshouldmarrythefirstmanwemetafterleavingthechateau，beheprince，charcoal-burner，orthief.you，shepherd，arethefirst.mademoisellemustbewedthisnight，ifnotyou，thenanother.youhavetenminutesinwhichtomakeyourdecision.donotvexmewithwordsorquestions.tenminutes，shepherd；andtheyarespeeding."

themarquisdrummedloudlywithhiswhitefingersuponthetable.hesankintoaveiledattitudeofwaiting.itwasasifsomegreathousehadshutitsdoorsandwindowsagainstapproach.davidwouldhavespoken，butthehugeman'sbearingstoppedhistongue.insteadhestoodbythelady'schairandbowed.

"mademoiselle，"hesaid，andhemarveledtofindhiswordsflowingeasilybeforesomucheleganceandbeauty."youhaveheardmesayiwasashepherd.ihavealsohadthefancy，attimes，thatiamapoet.ifitbethetestofapoettoadoreandcherishthebeautifulthatfancyisnowstrengthened.caniserveyouinanyway，mademoiselle？"

theyoungwomanlookedupathimwitheyesdryandmournful.hisfrank，glowingface，madeseriousbythegravityoftheadventure，hisstrong，straightfigureandtheliquidsympathyinhisblueeyes，perhaps，also，herimminentneedoflong-deniedhelpandkindness，thawedhertosuddentears.

"monsieur，"shesaid，inlowtones，"youlooktobetrueandkind.heismyuncle，thebrotherofmyfather，andmyonlyrelative.helovedmymother，andhehatesmebecauseiamlikeher.hehasmademylifeonelongterror.iamafraidofhisverylooks，andneverbeforedaredtodisobeyhim.buttonighthewouldhavemarriedmetoamanthreetimesmyage.youwillforgivemeforbringingthisvexationuponyou，monsieur.youwill，ofcourse，declinethismadacthetriestoforceuponyou.butletmethankyouforyourgenerouswords，atleast.ihavehadnonespokentomeinsolong."

therewasnowsomethingmorethangenerosityinthepoet'seye.poethemusthavebeen，foryvonnewasforgotten；thisfine，newlovelinessheldhimwithitsfreshnessandgrace.thesubtleperfumefromherfilledhimwithstrangeemotions.histenderlookfellwarmlyuponher.sheleanedtoit，thirstily.

"tenminutes，"saiddavid，"isgivenmeinwhichtodowhatiwoulddevoteyearstoachieve.iwillnotsayipityyou，mademoiselle，itwouldnotbetrue—iloveyou.icannotasklovefromyouyet，butletmerescutyoufromthiscruelman，and，intime，lovemaycome.ithinkihaveafuture；iwiilnotalwaysbeashepherd.forthepresentiwillcherishyouwithallmyheartandmakeyourlifelesssad.willyoutrustyourfatetome，mademoiselle？"

"ah，youwouldsacrificeyourselffrompity！"

"fromlove."thetimeisalmostup，mademoiselle."

"youwillregretit，anddespiseme."

"iwillliveonlytomakeyouhappy，andmyselfworthyofyou."