Dixmer

“ I only tell you Maurice does not love you, that is all."
"And I—I," said Geneviève, "tell you that you are mistaken."
"In that case," replied Dixmer, "Maurice, who has had sufficient strength to tear himself away rather than make a cuckold of his host, is an honest man; and as such men are rare, Geneviève, one cannot do too much to reclaim them when lost. Geneviève, you will write to Maurice, will you not?" ”

“ Dixmer did the honors; he offered twenty bottles of wine to his company, while the Citizen Morand recounted the devotion of Curtius, the disinterestedness of Fabricius, and the patriotism of Brutus and Cassius,—histories almost as much appreciated as the Brie cheese and the Anjou wine offered by Dixmer, which is not saying a little.
Eleven o'clock struck. At half-past, the sentinels were relieved.
"Does not the Austrian generally take her walk from twelve to one?" asked Dixmer of Tison, who passed the cabin. ”

“ Geneviève," said Dixmer, with a movement of impatience very unusual with him, "why do you speak to me thus; why stifle the ardor of my ideas by your own; why strive to create difficulties where too many already exist? Geneviève, act like an honorable, devoted woman; act as you feel you ought to act. I tell you, to-morrow I go out—to-morrow I take Morand's place as engineer. I shall not dine with you, but he will; he has something to ask Maurice, and will explain to you what it is. What he has to request you may imagine, Geneviève, is a thing of vital import ”

“ He had succeeded, thanks to Dixmer's flight, and above all from the interest excited in Fouquier Tinville, who wished to preserve his administration free from all stain.
"Citizen," said he, flinging himself upon his knees before Fouquier, "pardon me, for I have been deceived."
"Citizen," replied the public prosecutor, "an employee of the nation who in these days permits himself to be deceived deserves to be guillotined." ”

“ The Conciergerie is more secure than the Temple."
Morand and Dixmer exchanged looks unperceived by Maurice.
"Ah!" exclaimed Maurice, "Madame Dixmer has turned faint again."
"Geneviève!" said Dixmer, "you must go to bed, my child; you suffer."
Maurice took the hint. He respectfully kissed Geneviève's hand, and quitted the house. Morand left with him, and accompanied him as far as the old Rue Saint Jacques, where he parted with him to exchange some words with a man, a superior sort of domestic, who held a horse ready saddled and bridled. ”

“ Never man, you must confess, has evinced so little of the tiger in his composition as myself."
"That is to say, you thought I might be useful, and you could mould me to your purpose."
"Without doubt," returned Dixmer, calmly, who ruled his own passion as much as Maurice was carried away by his. "Without doubt; while you were betraying your Republic, and were selling it to me for a look from my [Pg 484] wife; while you were dishonoring yourselves,—you by your treason, she by her adulterous love,—I remained the sage and hero. I waited, and I triumphed."
"Horrible!" said Maurice. ”

“ The lists being opened, Dixmer, like the sounding herald, added,—
"One moment, one moment, Citizen Morand; you except, I hope, those women who are known enemies of the nation?"
A silence of some moments succeeded this "parry and thrust" to the response of Morand and the sign of Maurice. Maurice first interrupted the silence.
"Let us except no one," said he, sadly; "those females who have been enemies to the nation are now, it appears to me, sufficiently punished."
"You allude to the prisoners of the Temple,—to the Austrian, the sister and daughter of Capet?" ”

“ It seemed to her that in speaking of the young man by his surname, her voice sounded less tender than when she called him by his Christian name.
"No," replied Dixmer, shaking his head; "I have done all that I could. Any new proceeding would appear singular, and necessarily arouse his suspicions; and then, look you, Geneviève, I see further than you into this affair. Maurice feels deeply wounded."
"Wounded!" exclaimed Geneviève, greatly moved. "What would you say? Speak."
"You know as well as I do, Geneviève, that in our rupture with the Citizen Lindey there is more than caprice." ”

“ Maurice left Dixmer with Morand and joined Geneviève as he said to himself, "It must be confessed the trade of municipal is degrading to the hero! About eight days in the Temple one might fancy one's self an aristocrat [Pg 109] and denounce one's self. Honest Dixmer! Plodding Morand! Gentle Geneviève! ”

“ The feeling that there was some mystery about the family could not be dispelled even by the liberty allowed him by Dixmer of conversing with Geneviève as often and as long as he pleased, nor by the solitary interview they had together [Pg 115] every evening. Moreover, Maurice had now become a constant and expected guest at the house, where he not only enjoyed unrestrained intercourse with Geneviève, who seemed guarded by her angelic purity from any advances on the part of the young man, but he now escorted her in all the excursions made from time to time in the quarter in which she lived. ”

“ My queen is no more; she has died ignominiously on the scaffold. Now! now! I can think of revenge."
"Say of assassination."
"One cannot assassinate an adulteress; when she is killed, she is but punished for her crime."
"This sin you imposed upon her, therefore it was rendered lawful."
"You think so?" said Dixmer, with a sardonic smile. "Judge from her remorse if she believes she has acted lawfully."
"Those who punish strike openly. You, you do not punish; for while striking you fly, and while casting her head to the guillotine you conceal yourself." ”

“ Unfriendly as we are at present, he might perhaps have even avoided speaking to me."
"I think," replied Geneviève, "you exaggerate the unpleasantness of our situation. Monsieur Maurice may have taken a whim not to come here; may have some futile reasons to see us no more,—but is not on that account our enemy. Coolness does not exclude politeness, and I am convinced on seeing you come to him, he would meet you half-way."
"Geneviève," replied Dixmer, "what we require from Maurice needs something more than politeness,—a firm [Pg 151] and attached friendship. This feeling is destroyed ”

“ LA DIXMERIE, NICOLAS BRICAIRE DE (c. 1730–1791) , French man of letters, was born at Lamothe (Haute-Marne) . While still young he removed to Paris, where the rest of his life was spent in literary activity. He died on the 26th of November 1791. ”

“ Reinhart coughed and bent over to see. Dixon flashed on a pocket flare and set it beside the body.
The body was charred, half destroyed by the burning phosphorus. It lay motionless, one arm over its face, mouth open, legs sprawled grotesquely. Like some abandoned rag doll, tossed in an incinerator and consumed almost beyond recognition.
“He’s alive!” Dixon muttered. He felt around curiously. “Must have had some kind of protection screen. Amazing that a man could—”
“It’s him? It’s really him?” ”

“ If Dixie had hoped that Carol would say that she would far rather live in the log cabin with them, she was doomed to disappointment, for Carol’s pretty face glowed joyfully, and, clapping her hands, she cried: “Oh, Dix, how wonderful that will be! Just think of the pretty clothes I’ll have. That old ruffly dress of Jessica Archer’s will look like poor folks by the side of the dresses I will wear. Why, Sylvia Clayburn had on a pink-silk dress at the fair. I’d be the happiest girl on earth, Dix, if I could have a silk dress and have Jessica Archer see me wearing it.” ”

“ Thou hast answered thy rival's challenge as only a brave man couldst; and now most freely do I give thee my daughter to wife. She shall dower thee ten thousand times more handsomely than any woman of the star-world, Ramos, thou hast lately left.'
"'And her husband shall not be penniless, for I hereby promise him the sum of fifty thousand pounds sterling, as soon as communication is again established between Gathma and Earth, and he may be able to present my cheque for that amount,' said Temple, jumping to his feet in excitement. ”

“ So engrossed had Dixon been in the final stages of his work that for the last seventy-two hours he had literally lived there in his laboratory. It remained now only for him to step outside and test the effect of the little contact grenade, and at the same time get a badly needed taste of fresh air.
He set the safety catch on the little bomb and slipped it into his pocket. As he started for the door he threw back his hood, revealing the ruggedly good-looking face of a young man in the early thirties, with lines of weariness now etched deeply into the clean-cut features. ”

“ Moreover, she was to rely upon him—Brant—to accomplish what Dixon had planned to do. Dangerous as it seemed, Brant never for an instant hesitated to accept the part offered him.
“We'll get Korry one way or another,” he declared emphatically. “You may not find me as resourceful and capable as Dixon, but I'll do my best.”
“I am sure you will,” the girl responded, a quick color rising in her cheeks. “It is for Mr. Dixon—to finish what he set out to do—that we must succeed. It is, perhaps, to avenge a despicable crime. Trap this smuggler, even though we do not wring the truth from him. ”

“ Dixie’s eyes were wide. “Ken Martin, I hope you didn’t get right into that pen where an angry old sow was. Don’t you know they will turn on a boy just as quick as anything?”
Ken nodded, and then looked down at his overalls that plainly showed that he had not escaped without a muddying.
“Yes, I know,” he said, “but I took a chance, and I’m glad I did, for now we own a pig. I’ve always wanted one, and, oh, Dix, I’m almost glad we didn’t sell the apples.” Then, as he held the squealing little creature up to be admired, the boy added, “I’ve named him already.”
Carol sniffed. ”

“ When they were home again, Dixie declared: “There now, Ken, you said this morning that you couldn’t think of anything to celebrate about, and just see what a wonderful day we’ve had. It’s always that way, I do believe. When a person feels gloomy, if he’d just up and prepare to celebrate, even if there’s nothing to celebrate about, something will turn up, certain-sure.”
“You’re right, Dix. You always are,” her brother declared warmly. “Two things turned up, the pig and Miss Bayley.” ”

“ While one is the servant of neither, one has the courage of neither; but when he finally makes his choice he gets what his master has to give him."
Then he spoke to Dix.
"Sit down!" he said; and it was in that deep, level voice that Abner used when he was standing close behind his words. Every man in the hills knew that voice; one had only a moment to decide after he heard it. Dix knew that, and yet for one instant he hung there on his toes, his eyes shimmering like a weasel's, his mouth twisting. He was not afraid! If he had had the ghost of a chance against Abner he would have taken it. ”

“ I said. "You know my father! A horse must be fed at dinner time, but a man can go till he gets it."
One was always glad of any company on the road, and we fell into an idle talk. Dix said he was going out into the Ten Mile country; and I have always thought that was, in fact, his intention. The road turned south about a mile our side of the tavern. I never liked Dix; he was of an apologetic manner, with a cunning, irresolute face.
A little later a man passed us at a gallop. He was a drover named Marks, who lived beyond my Uncle Abner, and he was riding hard to get in before night. ”

“ Let me be your nurse. Let me try, at any rate. No one has ever, shall ever try so hard as I will do. It will be such a comfort, mamma."
"My poor child! Well, you shall try. Do you know, Margaret, Dixon and I thought you would quite shrink from me if you knew—"
"Dixon thought!" said Margaret, her lip curling. "Dixon could not give me credit for enough true love—for as much as herself! She thought, I suppose, that I was one of those poor sickly women who like to lie on rose leaves, and be fanned all day. Don't let Dixon's fancies come any more between you and me, mamma. ”

“ I never see such a feller in all my born days."
"I was so glad to get 'ome agin I didn't think," ses Dixon. "I hope you're not 'urt."
He started telling them all about his 'ardships while they were at tea, but none of 'em seemed to care much about hearing 'em. Bob said that the sea was all right for men, and that other people were sure not to like it.
"And you brought it all on yourself," ses Charlie. "You've only got yourself to thank for it. I 'ad thought o' picking a bone with you over those letters you wrote." ”

“ I am as guilty as poor Dixon, if, indeed, he is guilty—but he is innocent—indeed he is!”
“If he is no more guilty than you, I am sure he is! Let me be more than your friend, Ellinor—let me know all, and help you all that I can, with the right of an affianced husband.”
“No, no!” said she, frightened both at what she had revealed, and his eager, warm, imploring manner. “That can never be. You do not know the disgrace that may be hanging over me.” ”

“ There's one chap I don't trust much—a feller from the south named Sag Ruff. He looks like a sharper. But he has got some o' my money already, an' I am bound to win it back, or my name ain't Dixon."
"Better leave him alone," said Mark. "If he is a swindler he will surely take all he can from you."
"I'll stake against him once more," said Dixon, determinedly.
Curious to see what might happen to Maybe Dixon, Mark watched his chance that evening and followed the man to the gambling shanty, which was located on the outskirts of the temporary settlement. ”