The avocat's pale face flushed, his long, thin fingers
twined round each other and untwined, and presently he said, in his
little chirping voice, so quaint as to be almost unreal:
"I was saying that the spirit of France lived always ahead of the time,
was ever first to conceive the feeling of the coming century, and by its
own struggles and sufferings--sometimes too abrupt and perilous--made
easy the way for the rest of the world."
During these words a change passed over Valmond. His restless body became
still, his mobile face steady and almost set--all the life of him seemed
to have burnt into his eyes; but he answered nothing, and the Cure, in
the pause, was constrained to say:
"Our dear Monsieur Garon knows perfectly the history of France, and is
devoted to the study of the Napoleonic times and of the Great
Revolution--alas for our people and the saints of Holy Church who
perished then!"
The avocat lifted a hand in mute disacknowledgment. Again there was a
silence, and out of the pause Monsieur De la Riviere's voice was heard.
"Monsieur Valmond, how fares this spirit of France now--you come from
France?"
There was a shadow of condescension and ulterior meaning in De la
Riviere's voice, for he had caught the tricks of the poseur in this
singular gentleman.
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