The Knight of Maison-Rouge by Alexandre Dumas & Julie Rose
Author:Alexandre Dumas & Julie Rose [Dumas, Alexandre & Rose, Julie]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: classics
ISBN: 9780679642985
Publisher: Modern Library
Published: 1969-01-02T00:00:00+00:00
28
THE KNIGHT OF MAISON-ROUGE
Maurice hurried back to the section to bring a complaint against Simon. It is true that before separating from Maurice Lorin had come up with a more effective plan, which was to assemble a few Thermopylae members, wait till Simon was due to leave the Temple, and kill him in an orderly battle. But Maurice put paid to the scheme.
âYouâre finished,â he said to Lorin, âonce you descend to battery. Weâll crush that bastard Simon all right, but letâs crush him legally. Lawyers would have a field day with him.â
And so Maurice went off to the section next morning to make his official complaint. He was perfectly stunned when the president of the section turned a deaf ear, declaring himself unable to act and saying he could not take sides between two good citizens both motivated by love of the nation.
âRight!â said Maurice. âNow I know what you have to do to merit the reputation of being a good citizen. Ha! All you have to do is gather a bunch of thugs together to assassinate a man you donât like! You call that being motivated by love of the nation? Iâm quickly coming round to Lorinâs view, which I was silly enough to rule out. From today Iâll practice patriotism as you understand it, and Iâll start by experimenting on Simon.â
âCitizen Maurice,â replied the president, âSimon may well be less in the wrong than you in this matter. He uncovered a plot without being called upon to do so by the terms of his employment. Furthermore, you have either chance or deliberate dealingsâwhich? That we donât know; we just know you have themâwith the enemies of our nation.â
âMe!â cried Maurice. âAh, this is novel, Iâll grant you that. And with whom then, citizen president?â
âWith citizen Maison-Rouge.â
âMe?â said Maurice, stunned. âMe? I have dealings with the Knight of Maison-Rouge? I donât even know him, I have never â¦â
âYou were seen talking to him.â
âMe?â
âShaking his hand.â
âMe?â
âYesâyou.â
âWhere? When? ⦠Citizen president, you are making it up!â said Maurice, carried away by the conviction of his innocence.
âYouâre taking your zeal for the nation a bit far, citizen Maurice,â said the president. âAnd youâll be sorry in a moment that you said what you just said, when I give you proof that Iâve spoken nothing but the truth. Here are three different reports accusing you.â
âWell, you wouldnât credit it!â said Maurice. âDo you really think Iâm naïve enough to believe in your Knight of Maison-Rouge?â
âAnd why wouldnât you believe in him?â
âBecause he is a conspirator bogeyman you always keep up your sleeve, ready to overpower your enemies with talk of some dreadful plot or other.â
âRead the denunciations.â
âI wonât read anything,â said Maurice. âI protest that I have never seen the Knight of Maison-Rouge and that I have never spoken to him. Let anyone who doesnât believe my word of honor come forward and tell me to my face. I know what Iâll say to him.â
The president gave a shrug. Maurice, not wanting to be outdone by anyone, did the same.
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