a daughter of eve-第20章

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silence　hid　no　witness；　then　she　raised　her　head　to　Raoul；　who　bent

his　own；　and　let　him　take　one　kiss；　the　first　and　the　only　one　that

she　ever　gave　in　secret；　feeling　happier　at　that　moment　than　she　had

felt　in　five　years。　Raoul　thought　all　his　toils　well…paid。　They　both

walked　forward　they　scarcely　knew　where；　but　it　was　on　the　road　to

Auteuil；　presently；　however；　they　were　forced　to　return　and　find　their

carriages；　pacing　together　with　the　rhythmic　step　well…known　to

lovers。　Raoul　had　faith　in　that　kiss　given　with　the　quiet　facility　of

a　sacred　sentiment。　All　the　evil　of　it　was　in　the　mind　of　the　world；

not　in　that　of　the　woman　who　walked　beside　him。　Marie　herself；　given

over　to　the　grateful　admiration　which　characterizes　the　love　of　woman；

walked　with　a　firm；　light　step　on　the　gravelled　path；　saying；　like

Raoul；　but　few　words；　yet　those　few　were　felt　and　full　of　meaning。　The

sky　was　cloudless；　the　tall　trees　had　burgeoned；　a　few　green　shoots

were　already　brightening　their　myriad　of　brown　twigs。　The　shrubs；　the

birches；　the　willows；　the　poplars　were　showing　their　first　diaphanous

and　tender　foliage。　No　soul　resists　these　harmonies。　Love　explained

Nature　as　it　had　already　explained　society　to　Marie's　heart。



〃I　wish　you　have　never　loved　any　one　but　me；〃　she　said。



〃Your　wish　is　realized；〃　replied　Raoul。　〃We　have　awakened　in　each

other　the　only　true　love。〃



He　spoke　the　truth　as　he　felt　it。　Posing　before　this　innocent　young

heart　as　a　pure　man；　Raoul　was　caught　himself　by　his　own　fine

sentiments。　At　first　purely　speculative　and　born　of　vanity；　his　love

had　now　become　sincere。　He　began　by　lying；　he　had　ended　in　speaking

truth。　In　all　writers　there　is　ever　a　sentiment；　difficult　to　stifle；

which　impels　them　to　admire　the　highest　good。　The　countess；　on　her

part；　after　her　first　rush　of　gratitude　and　surprise；　was　charmed　to

have　inspired　such　sacrifices；　to　have　caused　him　to　surmount　such

difficulties。　She　was　beloved　by　a　man　who　was　worthy　of　her！　Raoul

was　totally　ignorant　to　what　his　imaginary　grandeur　bound　him。　Women

will　not　suffer　their　idol　to　step　down　from　his　pedestal。　They　do　not

forgive　the　slightest　pettiness　in　a　god。　Marie　was　far　from　knowing

the　solution　to　the　riddle　given　by　Raoul　to　his　friends　at　Very's。

The　struggle　of　this　writer；　risen　from　the　lower　classes；　had　cost

him　the　ten　first　years　of　his　youth；　and　now　in　the　days　of　his

success　he　longed　to　be　loved　by　one　of　the　queens　of　the　great　world。

Vanity；　without　which；　as　Champfort　says；　love　would　be　but　a　feeble

thing；　sustained　his　passion　and　increased　it　day　by　day。



〃Can　you　swear　to　me；〃　said　Marie；　〃that　you　belong　and　will　never

belong　to　any　other　woman？〃



〃There　is　neither　time　in　my　life　nor　place　in　my　heart　for　any　other

woman；〃　replied　Raoul；　not　thinking　that　he　told　a　lie；　so　little　did

he　value　Florine。



〃I　believe　you；〃　she　said。



When　they　reached　the　alley　where　their　carriages　were　waiting；　Marie

dropped　Raoul's　arm；　and　the　young　man　assumed　a　respectful　and

distant　attitude　as　if　he　had　just　met　her；　he　accompanied　her；　with

his　hat　off；　to　her　carriage；　then　he　followed　her　by　the　Avenue

Charles　X。；　breathing　in；　with　satisfaction；　the　very　dust　her　caleche

raised。



In　spite　of　Marie's　high　renunciations；　Raoul　continued　to　follow　her

everywhere；　he　adored　the　air　of　mingled　pleasure　and　displeasure　with

which　she　scolded　him　for　wasting　his　precious　time。　She　took

direction　of　his　labors；　she　gave　him　formal　orders　on　the　employment

of　his　time；　she　stayed　at　home　to　deprive　him　of　every　pretext　for

dissipation。　Every　morning　she　read　his　paper；　and　became　the　herald

of　his　staff　of　editors；　of　Etienne　Lousteau　the　feuilletonist；　whom

she　thought　delightful；　of　Felicien　Vernou；　of　Claude　Vignon；in

short；　of　the　whole　staff。　She　advised　Raoul　to　do　justice　to　de

Marsay　when　he　died；　and　she　read　with　deep　emotion　the　noble　eulogy

which　Raoul　published　upon　the　dead　minister　while　blaming　his

Machiavelianism　and　his　hatred　for　the　masses。　She　was　present；　of

course；　at　the　Gymnase　on　the　occasion　of　the　first　representation　of

the　play　upon　the　proceeds　of　which　Nathan　relied　to　support　his

enterprise；　and　was　completely　duped　by　the　purchased　applause。



〃You　did　not　bid　farewell　to　the　Italian　opera；〃　said　Lady　Dudley；　to

whose　house　she　went　after　the　performance。



〃No；　I　went　to　the　Gymnase。　They　gave　a　first　representation。〃



〃I　can't　endure　vaudevilles。　I　am　like　Louis　XIV。　about　Teniers；〃　said

Lady　Dudley。



〃For　my　part；〃　said　Madame　d'Espard；　〃I　think　actors　have　greatly

improved。　Vaudevilles　in　the　present　day　are　really　charming　comedies；

full　of　wit；　requiring　great　talent；　they　amuse　me　very　much。〃



〃The　actors　are　excellent；　too；〃　said　Marie。　〃Those　at　the　Gymnase

played　very　well　to…night；　the　piece　pleased　them；　the　dialogue　was

witty　and　keen。〃



〃Like　those　of　Beaumarchais；〃　said　Lady　Dudley。



〃Monsieur　Nathan　is　not　Moliere　as　yet；　but〃　said　Madame　d'Espard；

looking　at　the　countess。



〃He　makes　vaudevilles；〃　said　Madame　Charles　de　Vandenesse。



〃And　unmakes　ministries；〃　added　Madame　de　Manerville。



The　countess　was　silent；　she　wanted　to　answer　with　a　sharp　repartee；

her　heart　was　bounding　with　anger；　but　she　could　find　nothing　better

to　say　than；



〃He　will　make　them；　perhaps。〃



All　the　women　looked　at　each　other　with　mysterious　significance。　When

Marie　de　Vandenesse　departed　Moina　de　Saint…Heren　exclaimed：



〃She　adores　him。〃



〃And　she　makes　no　secret　of　it；〃　said　Madame　d'Espard。







CHAPTER　VII



SUICIDE



In　the　month　of　May　Vandenesse　took　his　wife；　as　usual；　to　their

country…seat；　where　she　was　consoled　by　the　passionate　letters　she

received　from　Raoul；　to　whom　she　wrote　every　day。



Marie's　absence　might　have　saved　Raoul　from　the　gulf　into　which　he　was

falling；　if　Florine　had　been　near　him；　but；　unfortunately；　he　was

alone　in　the　midst　of　friends　who　had　become　his　enemies　from　the

moment　that　he　showed　his　intention　of　ruling　them。　His　staff　of

writers　hated　him　〃pro　tem。；〃　ready　to　hold　out　a　hand　to　him　and

console　him　in　case　of　a　fall；　ready　to　adore　him　in　case　of　success。

So　goes　the　world　of　literature。　No　one　is　really　liked　but　an

inferior。　Every　man's　hand　is　against　him　who　is　likely　to　rise。　This

wide…spread　envy　doubles　the　chances　of　common　minds　who　excite

neither　envy　nor　suspicion；　who　make　their　way　like　moles；　and；　fools

though　they　be；　find　themselves　gazetted　in　the　〃Moniteur；〃　for　three

or　four　places；　while　men　of　talent　are　still　struggling　at　the　door

to　keep　each　other　out。



The　underhand　enmity　of　these　pretended　friends；　which　Florine　would

have　scented　with　the　innate　faculty　of　a　courtesan　to　get　at　truth

amid　a　thousand　misleading　circumstances；　was　by　no　means　Raoul's

greatest　danger。　His　partners；　Massol　the　lawyer；　and　du　Tillet　the

banker；　had　intended　from　the　first　to　harness　his　ardor　to　the

chariot　of　their　own　importance　and　get　rid　of　him　as　soon　as　he　was

out　of　condition　to　feed　the　paper；　or　else　to　deprive　him　of　his

power；　arbitrarily；　whenever　it　suited　their　purpose　to　take　it。　To

them　Nathan　represented　a　certain　amount　of　talent　to　use　up；　a

literary　force　of　the　motive　power　of　ten　pens　to　employ。　Massol；　one

of　those　lawyers　who　mistake　the　faculty　of　endless　speech　for

eloquence；　who　possess　the　art　of　boring　by　diffusiveness；　the　torment

of　all　meetings　and　assemblies　where　they　belittle　everything；　and　who

desire　to　become　personages　at　any　cost；Massol　no　longer　wanted　the

place　as　Keeper　of　the　Seals；　he　had　seen　some　five　or　six　different

men　go　through　that　office　in　four　years；　and　the　robes　disgusted　him。

In　exchange；　his　mind　was　now　set　on　obtaining　a　chair　on　the　Board　of

Education　and　a　place　in　the　Council　of　State；　the　whole　adorned　with

the　cross　of　the　Legion　of　honor。　Du　Tillet　and　Nucinge