Simon Legree

“ Gribble, blowing him a kiss. "I've always said there never was a man just like you, Elmer!"
"M-well," said Mr. Gribble, slowly, "maybe there's more to me than appears on the surface."
III On Wednesday afternoon there was considerable bad language at the studio of the Titan Company. The name of James Montague, director, came in for frequent mention and Buck Parvin, moving picture cowpuncher, voiced a general sentiment.
"Talk about your slave drivers!" said he. "Jim Montague can play Simon Legree without a makeup—all he needs is the bull-whip. ”

“ Pierre Labarre was not the real benefactor, who slept in his tomb, but when dying he had said to his old servant:
"I have been unfaithful to my duty toward Simon. I have been cowardly toward him. I have a large amount for my grandchildren, where, you alone will know. Seek these children, and make them rich. If Fate be against us, if you cannot find these children, consecrate this fortune to making the name of Simon beloved. Go to the poor village of Leigoutte, and let those who loved him, that is, all who knew him, be the heirs of that son whom the Marquis de Fongereues adored in his heart." ”

“ But men! And men capable of building, of ornamenting their dwellings of carving stone! No, I confess this is a phenomenon which unsettles all one's ideas. What do you make of it, Simon?"
Simon made no reply. A boat was rocking on the lake. He took his place in it with Isabel and rowed with a care-free mind; nor did Dolores' image ever rise from this limpid water, in which she had bathed on a certain voluptuous evening. Simon was the husband of one alone and this was the woman whom he had won. ”

“ Sometimes the water was up to his knees, sometimes his feet sank into a bed of thicker sand. These were the low-lying parts, the valleys of the peninsula; and there might perhaps be some, thought Simon where these beds would be deep enough to bar his passage. He went on all the more briskly. Ascents rose in front of him, leading him to mounds forty or fifty feet in height, whose farther slopes he descended rapidly. And, lost in the immensity of the sea, imprisoned by it, absorbed by it, he had the illusion that he was running over its surface, along the back of great frozen, motionless waves. ”

“ The vicomte, who had no weapon, recoiled: Simon, however, seized a pocket-pistol from his breast, and mockingly replied: "Oh, two can play at that game!"
He pressed his hand to the trigger, but Pierre Labarre put his pistol down, and contemptuously said:
[Pg 58]
"Bah! for the lackey the dog will do. Catch him, Sultan!"
As he said these words he opened a side door; a large Vosges dog, whose glowing eyes and crispy hair made him look like a wolf, sprang upon Simon, and, clutching him by the throat, threw him to the ground.
"Help, my lord marquis!" cried the steward. ”

“ Doesn't it upset all our accepted ideas, since it throws back the appearance of men to a period which we are not prepared to admit? Oh, you Old Sandstone, if you were only here! What theories you could evolve!"
Simon evolved no theories. But, though the scientific explanation of the phenomenon meant little to him, how acutely he felt its strangeness and how deeply stirring this moment seemed to him! Before him, before Dolores, rose another age and in circumstances that made them resemble two creatures of that age, the same desolate, barbarous surroundings, the same dangers, the same pitfalls. ”

“ For these Orwoods and he and Andrea had all been shamed by the crude literal child and by Mrs. West herself.
"God help me!" said Simon, and lay down on the tall, dry grass. Life pressed upon him like a weight, as if life were but a mode of death. ”

“ That I had changed the powder in the meantime for another he was unaware of. If I only knew," he concluded with a frown, "what object this marquis has to injure Fanfaro. This beast won't talk, and—"
"Let me speak to him," said the countess, softly. And turning to the grating, she urged Simon to confess his master's motives and thereby free himself. At first Simon looked uneasily at the young girl; he made an attempt to speak, but reconsidered it and closed his lips.
"Let us leave him alone, mademoiselle," said Girdel; "solitude will do him good." ”

“ The Marquis of Fougereuse is grateful."
When the marquis went downstairs shortly afterward, he found Simon awaiting him.
"Simon," he said, hurriedly, "do you know who Fanfaro is?"
"No, my lord."
[Pg 72]
"He is the son of my brother, Jules de Fougereuse."
"Really?" exclaimed Simon, joyfully, "that would be splendid."
"Listen to my plan; the young man must die, but under such circumstances as to have his identity proved, so that Pierre Labarre can be forced to break his silence. You understand me, Simon?" ”

“ Simon, we have made a mistake. It is right that our love, the great and sincere love which we bear each other, should dominate all our thoughts and form the object of our whole lives, but it is not right that this love should be our only rule of conduct and our only obligation. In leaving England we did what is only permissible to those whose fate has persistently thwarted all their dreams and destroyed all their sources of joy. It was an act of liberation and revolt, which people have a right to perform when there is no other alternative than death. But is this the case with us, Simon? ”

“ If ever you play the kidnapping-scene in real life, I'm sorry for your adversary!'"
"Let's hurry," said Simon. "Mazzani may try to avenge his brother's death; and a man like Forsetta doesn't easily give up. . . ."
They continued on their way and once more came upon the cable. Simon went on foot, abreast of Dolores. By turning his head a little, he could see her sad face, with its crown of black hair. She had lost her broad-brimmed hat, as well as her bolero, which was strapped to the saddle of the horse stolen by Mazzani. ”

“ But he was so sure of his own strength and so well protected by Isabel that he took little pains to fathom the secrets of this mysterious soul.
Three times they witnessed murderous conflicts among the swarm of vagabonds who were checked by the barrier of the river. Two men and a woman fell, but Simon made no attempt to defend them or to punish the criminals:
"It is the law of the strongest," he said. "No police! No judges! No executioners! No guillotine! So why trouble ourselves? All social and moral acquisitions, all the subtleties of civilization, all these melt away in a moment. ”

“ Let us see what is in the royal warrant,” and he drew the parchment from his pocket.
“What is it about, Simon, for I am no hand at the law.”
Thereupon Simon related the tale, as he had it from his master, I suppose, of how I had fought on the side of Duke Monmouth, and had been adjudged a traitor, but had escaped ere I could be sold to slavery. As Simon progressed I saw the Captain’s face grow grave and stern, for, it seemed, he was a great friend at court, and all his people had been against Monmouth. Therefore he had little liking for a rebel like myself, and one who was accused of treason. ”

“ Simon pointed to the sea:
"That will, perhaps."
"No!"
He told her of his conversation with Lord Bakefield on the previous day and of the three conditions upon which they had agreed. She was amused, and asked him:
"May I too lay down a condition?"
"What condition, Isabel?"
"Fidelity," she replied, gravely. "Absolute fidelity. No lapses! I could never forgive anything of that sort."
He kissed her hand and said:
"There is no love without fidelity. I love you." ”

“ The host went away and growled on the stairs:
"Confound big people and their servants. I prefer guests like Girdel and his troupe."
As soon as the door had closed behind Schwan, Simon approached the marquis.
"We are alone, master," he said timidly. ”

“ Simon, do us the favour to tie us up in sacks and throw us into the river that we may give up our thieving ways and become the owners of flocks.’
‘I am ready,’ answered Simon, ‘to do what you please; there’s nothing in the world I wouldn’t do for you.’
So he took three strong sacks and put a man in each of them, and fastened them up so tightly that they couldn’t get out, and then he threw them all into the river; and that was the end of the three rogues. But Mr. Simon returned home to his faithful Nina rich in flocks and gold, and lived for many a year in health and happiness. ”

“ But no, I will not despair; Pierre Labarre must talk, and then—"
"Suppose he won't? Old people are sometimes obstinate."
"Have no fear, Simon, my methods have subdued many wills."
"Yes, yes, you are right, sir," laughed Simon.
"I can rely on you, then?"
"Perfectly so, sir. If it were necessary I would pick it up with ten Pierres!"
"You will find me grateful," said the marquis. "If Pierre Labarre gives the fortune to the Fougereuse and the vicomte becomes the husband of the countess, we will be saved." ”

“ In accordance with the orders he had received, Simon allowed his prisoner to go down into the garden every day, and sometimes took him with him when he went up on the roof of the Tower to breathe the air and smoke his pipe undisturbed. The boy followed him with hanging head, like a whipped dog; he never ventured to raise his eyes to his master’s face, knowing he should meet only hatred and abuse. ”

“ But I didn't dare warn you in his presence."
"He's with Miss Bakefield, isn't he?" asked Simon anxiously.
"Yes."
"Were you able to communicate with her?"
"No, but I know where she is."
"Let's hurry," said Simon.
[Pg 280] Antonio held him back:
"One word. What has become of Dolores?"
He looked Simon straight in the eyes.
"Dolores left me," Simon replied.
"Why?" asked Antonio, in a harsh voice. "Yes, why? A woman alone, in this country: it's certain death! And you deserted her?"
Simon did not lower his eyes. He replied:
"I did my duty by Dolores . . . more than my duty. It was she who left me." ”

“ This was the position of the marquis's affairs when Simon found Pierre Labarre; the marquis was determined not to return to Paris without first having settled the affair, and as Simon now returned to the room with the host, his master exclaimed:
"Are the horses ready?"
"No, my lord; the Cure has overflowed in consequence [Pg 40] of the heavy rains, and the road from here to Vagney is impassable."
"Can we not reach Vagney by any other way?"
"No, my lord."
"Bah! the peasants exaggerate the danger so as to get increased prices for their services. Have you tried to get horses?" ”

“ Who this beast is? You shall know it at once; the magnificent personage is Simon, the factotum of the Marquis Fougereuse. In his leisure hours the miserable wretch occupies himself with poisoning experiments, and it would not be a loss to humanity if he should never see daylight again. ”

“ Simon exclaimed excitedly:
"She comes from there! . . . She has been there!"
And shaking the mad woman by the shoulders, he asked:
"Where is it? How many hours have you been walking? Have you seen a party of men leading two prisoners, an old man and a girl?"
But the madwoman picked up her dog and closed her bag. She refused to hear. At the most, as she moved away, she said, or rather sang to the air of a ballad which the dog accompanied with his barking:
"Men on horseback. . . . They were galloping. . . . It was yesterday. . . . A girl with fair hair. . . ." ”

“ Richard started. “I cannot believe what thou sayest of Simon,” he answered in displeasure.
“One day thou wilt,” calmly answered Henry; “but I had rather not have it proved upon the heiress of Leicester and Montfort.”
“Leicester is forfeit—Simon an outlawed man.”
“If the humour for pardon is set in, Cousin Edward is no man to do things by halves. If he owned me at all, the lands would be mine again, and such a bait would be smelt out by Simon were he at the ends of the earth. Or if not, that poor child would be granted to any needy kinsman or grasping baron that Edward wanted to portion. ”

“ He thought of the three clergymen and the French family and the captain; and he shuddered at remembering the moment when, with all the strength of his will and all the imperious power of his love, he had dragged Isabel towards the abyss.
A halt was called. Simon left his horse with [Pg 165] the Indians and went forward, accompanied by Antonio. He ran down the steep slope which the stern of the vessel had hollowed in the sand, gripped with both hands a rope which hung beside the rudder and in a few seconds, with the assistance of his feet and knees, reached the stern rail. ”

“ Was it the mere familiarity of a comrade, or that of a man who wishes, in the presence of another man, to assert his rights or his preten [Pg 159] tions to a woman? His tone was not imperious, but Simon surprised the glance that flashed anger on the one side and defiance on the other. However, he paid little attention, being much less anxious to discover the private motives which actuated Dolores and Antonio than to elucidate the problem arising from his meeting with Lord Bakefield's secretary. ”

“ The men from the fertile plains of the Galilean Lake had never seen such wild nature. Simon was so enchanted that he wanted to build huts there for himself, his comrades, and the Prophet. The other disciples shuddered, and would gladly have persuaded the Master to return. He pointed to the high mountains, and said: "What frightens you, My children? When the races of men are becoming satiated and stupid, such wildness will refresh them."
Simon and John nodded in agreement, but the others, as often was the case, did not understand what He—who spoke for all time—said. ”