While the fit of willingness was on him he would be true; yet in reality
there was no truth at all--only self-indulgence unmarked by duty or
honour.
"Give me a judgment for defamation of character. Give me a thousand
dollars or so for that, m'sieu', and you'll do a good turn to a deserving
fellow-citizen and admirer--one little thousand, that's all, m'sieu'.
Then I'll dance at your wedding and weep at your tomb--so there!"
How easy he made the way for the little Clerk of the Court! "Defamation
of character"--could there possibly be a better opening for what he had
promised Judge Carcasson he would say!
"Ah, Monsieur Masson," very officially and decorously replied M. Fille,
"but is it defamation of character? If the thing is true, then what is
the judgment? It goes against you--so there!" There was irony in the
last words.
"If what thing is true?" sharply asked the mastercarpenter, catching at
the fringe of the idea in M. Fille's mind. "What thing?"
"Ah, but it is true, for I saw it! Yes, alas! I saw it with my own
eyes. By accident of course; but there it was--absolute, uncompromising,
deadly and complete."
It was a happy moment for the little Clerk of the Court when he could, in
such an impromptu way, coin a phrase, or a set of adjectives, which would
bear inspection of purists of the language.
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