登陆注册
4915400000059

第59章

I answered him in the same tone. "Yes," I said roundly. "He has told me; of course, that every year you give him two hundred livres to omit your name."He glanced behind him with an oath. "Man, are you mad?" he gasped, his jaw falling. "They will hear you.""Yes," I said loudly, "I mean them to hear me."I do not know what he thought of this--perhaps that I was mad--but he staggered back from me, and looked wildly round. Finding everyone laughing, he looked again at me, but still failed to understand; on which, with another oath, he turned on his heel, and forcing his way through the grinning crowd, was out of sight in a moment.

I was about to return to my seat, when a pursy, pale-faced man, with small eyes and a heavy jowl, whom I had before noticed, pushed his way through the line, and came to me. Though his neighbours were all laughing he was sober, and in a moment Iunderstood why.

"I am very deaf," he said in a whisper. "My name, Monsieur, is Philippon. I am a--"I made a sign to him that I could not hear.

"I am the silk merchant," he continued pretty audibly, but with a suspicious glance behind him. "Probably you have--"Again I signed to him that I could not hear.

"You have heard of me?"

"From M. Gringuet?" I said very loudly.

"Yes," he answered in a similar tone; for, aware that deaf persons cannot hear their own voices and are seldom able to judge how loudly they are speaking, I had led him to this. "And Isuppose that you will do as he did?"

"How?" I asked. "In what way?"

He touched his pocket with a stealthy gesture, unseen by the people behind him.

Again I made a sign as if I could not hear.

"Take the usual little gift?" he said, finding himself compelled to speak.

"I cannot hear a word," I bellowed. By this time the crowd were shaking with laughter.

"Accept the usual gift?" he said, his fat, pale face perspiring, and his little pig's eyes regarding me balefully.

"And let you pay one quarter?" I said.

"Yes," he answered.

But this, and the simplicity with which he said it, drew so loud a roar of laughter from the crowd as penetrated even to his dulled senses. Turning abruptly, as if a bee had stung him, he found the place convulsed with merriment; and perceiving, in an instant, that I had played upon him, though he could not understand how or why, he glared about him a moment, muttered something which I could not catch, and staggered away with the gait of a drunken man.

After this, it was useless to suppose that I could amuse myself with others. The crowd, which had never dreamed of such a tax-collector, and could scarcely believe either eyes or ears, hesitated to come forward even to pay; and I was considering what I should do next, when a commotion in one corner of the square drew my eyes to that quarter. I looked and saw at first only Curtin. Then, the crowd dividing and making way for him, Iperceived that he had the real Gringuet with him--Gringuet, who rode through the market with an air of grim majesty, with one foot in a huge slipper and eyes glaring with ill-temper.

Doubtless Curtin, going to him on the chance of hearing something of the rogue who had cheated him, had apprised the tax-collector of the whole matter; for on seeing me in my chair of state, he merely grinned in a vicious way, and cried to the nearest not to let me escape. "We have lost one rogue, but we will hang the other," he said. And while the townsfolk stood dumbfounded round us, he slipped with a groan from his horse, and bade his two servants seize me.

"And do you," he called to the host, "see that you help, my man!

You have harboured him, and you shall pay for it if he escapes."With that he hopped a step nearer; and then, not dreaming of resistance, sank with another groan--for his foot was immensely swollen by the journey--into the chair from which I had risen.

A glance showed me that, if I would not be drawn into an unseemly brawl, I must act; and meeting Maignan's eager eye fixed upon my face, I nodded. In a second he seized the unsuspecting Gringuet by the neck, snatched him up from the chair, and flung him half-a-dozen paces away. "Lie there," he cried, "you insolent rascal!

Who told you to sit before your betters?"

The violence of the action, and Maignan's heat, were such that the nearest drew back affrighted; and even Gringuet's servants recoiled, while the market people gasped with astonishment. But I knew that the respite would last a moment only, and I stood forward. "Arrest that man," I said, pointing to the collector, who was grovelling on the ground, nursing his foot and shrieking foul threats at us.

同类推荐
  • 北方毗沙门天王随军护法仪轨

    北方毗沙门天王随军护法仪轨

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 妇人诸乳疾门

    妇人诸乳疾门

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 梅花草堂笔谈

    梅花草堂笔谈

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 三冈识略

    三冈识略

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 静居集

    静居集

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
热门推荐
  • 私家侦探

    私家侦探

    《私家侦探》讲的是,吴诚是前大学教授、前知名剧作家,因一次酒后失态导致混乱的“龟山岛事件”愤而退出戏剧界,遁隐于六张犁当起私家侦探,他在咖比茶咖啡店看报兼接案,听修车厂阿鑫谯政治,和派出所小胖泡茶博感情,唯一助手是某次跟监行动中结识的出租车运将添来。然而,在看似平静的生活背后,台湾第一起计划性连续杀人命案正悄悄发生……
  • 名人演讲词大全集(优秀青少年必读)

    名人演讲词大全集(优秀青少年必读)

    演讲是时代的音符,是历史的记录,是才情的展示,是艺术的杰作。出色的演讲犹如滔滔江河,震撼人心,也如涓涓细流,滋润心田;能让现场欢声雷动,也让现场鸦雀无声;能让人笑声不断,也让人泪流满面。古往今来,各个时代、各个领域的名人们,以他们杰出的演讲口才,点燃了人们的激情,鼓舞了人们的斗志,征服了历史的狂澜,推动了文明的前进,留下了一代人的传奇,书写了一代人的辉煌。本书精选世界政坛领袖、思想先哲、科学巨匠、文艺泰斗、商界精英、社会名流等各类名人的演讲佳作。这些经典之作,有的高屋建瓴、气势逼人;有的引经据典、高谈阔论;有的慷慨激昂、奔放热烈;有的低回舒缓、委婉哀怨;有的汪洋恣肆、游刃有余,各领风骚。
  • 追妻无门:女boss不好惹

    追妻无门:女boss不好惹

    青涩蜕变,如今她是能独当一面的女boss,爱了冷泽聿七年,也同样花了七年时间去忘记他。以为是陌路,他突然向他表白,扬言要娶她,她只当他是脑子抽风,他的殷勤她也全都无视。他帮她查她父母的死因,赶走身边情敌,解释当初拒绝她的告别,和故意对她冷漠都是无奈之举。突然爆出她父母的死居然和冷家有丝毫联系,还莫名跳出个公爵未婚夫,扬言要与她履行婚约。峰回路转,破镜还能重圆吗? PS:我又开新文了,每逢假期必书荒,新文《有你的世界遇到爱》,喜欢我的文的朋友可以来看看,这是重生类现言,对这个题材感兴趣的一定要收藏起来。
  • 栴檀钵自香

    栴檀钵自香

    他是佛,本应无欲无求,却跌入凡尘。她是上古神祗,金枝玉叶,没有她得不到的,除了他。
  • 始母华胥

    始母华胥

    一个茹毛饮血的时代,一个民族逐渐形成的时代,一个与天抗争的时代。
  • 挖坑需谨慎之炮灰的反抗

    挖坑需谨慎之炮灰的反抗

    【1V1快穿,第一个世界可跳过,更新慢,无逻辑,入坑是缘,欢迎吐槽。】 蔺青青是一名网文写手,平时最大的爱好就是在各个小说网站“流浪”,顺带挖坑,再一次挖了一堆坑不填,然后没然后了…… 挖坑太多总有遭报应的时候。 跟一本书签了契约,蔺青青从此背负上了填坑的巨大“债务”。—— 蔺青青:“坑儿,这个变态眼睛真好看。” 书灵失联当中。 蔺青青:“坑儿,金主爸爸眼睛真好看。” 书灵失联当中。 蔺青青:“坑儿,摄政王的眼睛真好看。” 书灵继续失联当中。 …… 好好的填坑任务突然变成了爱情攻略? 眼睛君一出现书灵又失联,蔺青青表示有点难搞。
  • 重生娇妻:聿少的心尖宠

    重生娇妻:聿少的心尖宠

    【全文完】18岁生日当天,云可儿惨遭表妹与未婚夫设计,沦为男人五年禁脔,女人的无偿血库。五年里,亲表妹顶着她的脸,她的心,成为云家大小姐,荔城第一名媛,与市长儿子订婚,霸占云家所有产业,还不算完,父母、妹妹、亲人都接连惨死两人手中。当心脏再次被挖开,当亲人的鲜血铺满地,她带着滔天的仇恨,踏血而来。重活一世,她誓要让贱人渣男血债血偿。可是这位大叔,我坑人,你挖坑;我手刃仇人,你积极掏枪,是为嘛?你这么多管闲事,以为自己是谁?聿少霸气回应:“是......你、男、人!”1V1,女强男霸道宠文,欢迎入坑开心新文!
  • 千手观音造次第法仪轨

    千手观音造次第法仪轨

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 晶莹若泪

    晶莹若泪

    无父无母和姑妈相依为命的乡下小姑娘,同两位王子一般的男人的爱情故事。虽然掉入了俗套,但是故事的结尾却是与众不同的,没有灰姑娘的浪漫结局,更多的,是现实。
  • 暴君的宠姬

    暴君的宠姬

    这是一个欢天喜地的喜剧:人物:霸王,当然是强横霸道的王,在他的眼中,普天之下莫非王土,自然,普天下的女人他看上了,就应归了王。姬:抢来的,绝色的,但与其他姬不同的,有本事把霸王整了个一个头两个大的。内容:霸王抢美色,但抢了一个让他终生都后悔的美女,美则美已,但是,美色下面,想不到还有其它,抢了美色,丢了很多,还没吃到嘴边,正所谓丢了夫人又折兵。本文以祸乱纷起的大齐为背景,当时宦官米世仁专权,立了一个白痴皇帝,看这山野的绝色怎么率了一村的乌合之众与王斗,与奸臣斗,斗出水平,斗出笑料百出的笑话……