a daughter of eve-第30章

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might。〃



〃Go　and　ask　at　the　hotel　du　Mail；　rue　du　Mail；　if　he　was　not　taken

there　that　morning；　half　dead　of　the　fumes　of　charcoal；　by　a　handsome

young　woman　with　whom　he　has　been　in　love　over　a　year。　Her　letters　are

at　this　moment　under　your　very　nose　in　your　own　house。　If　you　want　to

teach　Nathan　a　good　lesson；　let　us　all　three　go　there；　and　I'll　show

you；　papers　in　hand；　how　you　can　save　him　from　the　sheriff　and　Clichy

if　you　choose　to　be　the　good　girl　that　you　are。〃



〃Try　that　on　others　than　Florine；　my　little　man。　I　am　certain　that

Nathan　has　never　been　in　love　with　any　one　but　me。〃



〃On　the　contrary；　he　has　been　in　love　with　a　woman　in　society　for　over

a　year〃



〃A　woman　in　society；　he！〃　cried　Florine。　〃I　don't　trouble　myself　about

such　nonsense　as　that。〃



〃Well；　do　you　want　me　to　make　him　come　and　tell　you　that　he　will　not

take　you　home　from　here　to…night。〃



〃If　you　can　make　him　tell　me　that；〃　said　Florine；　〃I'll　take　YOU　home；

and　we'll　look　for　those　letters；　which　I　shall　believe　in　when　I　see

them；　and　not　till　then。　He　must　have　written　them　while　I　slept。〃



〃Stay　here；〃　said　Felix；　〃and　watch。〃



So　saying；　he　took　the　arm　of　his　wife　and　moved　to　a　little　distance。

Presently；　Nathan；　who　had　been　hunting　up　and　down　the　foyer　like　a

dog　looking　for　its　master；　returned　to　the　spot　where　the　mask　had

addressed　him。　Seeing　on　his　face　an　expression　he　could　not　conceal；

Florine　placed　herself　like　a　post　in　front　of　him；　and　said；

imperiously：



〃I　don't　wish　you　to　leave　me　again；　I　have　my　reasons　for　this。〃



The　countess　then；　at　the　instigation　of　her　husband；　went　up　to　Raoul

and　said　in　his　ear；



〃Marie。　Who　is　this　woman？　Leave　her　at　once；　and　meet　me　at　the　foot

of　the　grand　staircase。〃



In　this　difficult　extremity　Raoul　dropped　Florine's　arm；　and　though

she　caught　his　own　and　held　it　forcibly；　she　was　obliged；　after　a

moment；　to　let　him　go。　Nathan　disappeared　into　the　crowd。



〃What　did　I　tell　you？〃　said　Felix　in　Florine's　astonished　ears；

offering　her　his　arm。



〃Come；〃　she　said；　〃whoever　you　are；　come。　Have　you　a　carriage　here？〃



For　all　answer；　Vandenesse　hurried　Florine　away；　followed　by　his　wife。

A　few　moments　later　the　three　masks；　driven　rapidly　by　the　Vandenesse

coachman；　reached　Florine's　house。　As　soon　as　she　had　entered　her　own

apartments　the　actress　unmasked。　Madame　de　Vandenesse　could　not

restrain　a　quiver　of　surprise　at　Florine's　beauty　as　she　stood　there

choking　with　anger；　and　superb　in　her　wrath　and　jealousy。



〃There　is；　somewhere　in　these　rooms；〃　said　Vandenesse；　〃a　portfolio；

the　key　of　which　you　have　never　had；　the　letters　are　probably　in　it。〃



〃Well；　well；　for　once　in　my　life　I　am　bewildered；　you　know　something

that　I　have　been　uneasy　about　for　some　days；〃　cried　Florine；　rushing

into　the　study　in　search　of　the　portfolio。



Vandenesse　saw　that　his　wife　was　turning　pale　beneath　her　mask。

Florine's　apartment　revealed　more　about　the　intimacy　of　the　actress

and　Nathan　than　any　ideal　mistress　would　wish　to　know。　The　eye　of　a

woman　can　take　in　the　truth　of　such　things　in　a　second；　and　the

countess　saw　vestiges　of　Nathan　which　proved　to　her　the　certainty　of

what　Vandenesse　had　said。　Florine　returned　with　the　portfolio。



〃How　am　I　to　open　it？〃　she　said。



The　actress　rang　the　bell　and　sent　into　the　kitchen　for　the　cook's

knife。　When　it　came　she　brandished　it　in　the　air；　crying　out　in

ironical　tones：



〃With　this　they　cut　the　necks　of　'poulets。'〃



The　words；　which　made　the　countess　shiver；　explained　to　her；　even

better　than　her　husband　had　done　the　night　before；　the　depths　of　the

abyss　into　which　she　had　so　nearly　fallen。



〃What　a　fool　I　am！〃　said　Florine；　〃his　razor　will　do　better。〃



She　fetched　one　of　Nathan's　razors　from　his　dressing…table；　and　slit

the　leather　cover　of　the　portfolio；　through　which　Marie's　letters

dropped。　Florine　snatched　one　up　hap…hazard；　and　looked　it　over。



〃Yes；　she　must　be　a　well…bred　woman。　It　looks　to　me　as　if　there　were

no　mistakes　in　spelling　here。〃



The　count　gathered　up　the　letters　hastily　and　gave　them　to　his　wife；

who　took　them　to　a　table　as　if　to　see　that　they　were　all　there。



〃Now；〃　said　Vandenesse　to　Florine；　〃will　you　let　me　have　those　letters

for　these？〃　showing　her　five　bank…bills　of　ten　thousand　francs　each。

〃They'll　replace　the　sums　you　have　paid　for　him。〃



〃Ah！〃　cried　Florine；　〃didn't　I　kill　myself　body　and　soul　in　the

provinces　to　get　him　money；I；　who'd　have　cut　my　hand　off　to　serve

him？　But　that's　men！　damn　your　soul　for　them　and　they'll　march　over

you　rough…shod！　He　shall　pay　me　for　this！〃



Madame　de　Vandenesse　was　disappearing　with　the　letters。




〃Hi！　stop；　stop；　my　fine　mask！〃　cried　Florine；　〃leave　me　one　to

confound　him　with。〃



〃Not　possible；〃　said　Vandenesse。



〃Why　not？〃



〃That　mask　is　your　ex…rival；　but　you　needn't　fear　her　now。〃



〃Well；　she　might　have　had　the　grace　to　say　thank　you；〃　cried　Florine。



〃But　you　have　the　fifty　thousand　francs　instead；〃　said　Vandenesse；

bowing　to　her。



It　is　extremely　rare　for　young　men；　when　driven　to　suicide；　to　attempt

it　a　second　time　if　the　first　fails。　When　it　doesn't　cure　life；　it

cures　all　desire　for　voluntary　death。　Raoul　felt　no　disposition　to　try

it　again　when　he　found　himself　in　a　more　painful　position　than　that

from　which　he　had　just　been　rescued。　He　tried　to　see　the　countess　and

explain　to　her　the　nature　of　his　love；　which　now　shone　more　vividly　in

his　soul　than　ever。　But　the　first　time　they　met　in　society；　Madame　de

Vandenesse　gave　him　that　fixed　and　contemptuous　look　which　at　once　and

forever　puts　an　impassable　gulf　between　a　man　and　a　woman。　In　spite　of

his　natural　assurance；　Nathan　never　dared；　during　the　rest　of　the

winter；　either　to　speak　to　the　countess　or　even　approach　her。



But　he　opened　his　heart　to　Blondet；　to　him　he　talked　of　his　Laura　and

his　Beatrice；　apropos　of　Madame　de　Vandenesse。　He　even　made　a

paraphrase　of　the　following　beautiful　passage　from　the　pen　of

Theophile　Gautier；　one　of　the　most　remarkable　poets　of　our　day：



〃'Ideala；　flower　of　heaven's　own　blue；　with　heart　of　gold；　whose

fibrous　roots；　softer；　a　thousandfold；　than　fairy　tresses；　strike　to

our　souls　and　drink　their　purest　essence；　flower　most　sweet　and

bitter！　thou　canst　not　be　torn　away　without　the　heart's　blood　flowing；

without　thy　bruised　stems　sweating　with　scarlet　tears。　Ah！　cursed

flower；　why　didst　thou　grow　within　my　soul？'〃



〃My　dear　fellow；〃　said　Blondet；　〃you　are　raving。　I'll　grant　it　was　a

pretty　flower；　but　it　wasn't　a　bit　ideal；　and　instead　of　singing　like

a　blind　man　before　an　empty　niche；　you　had　much　better　wash　your　hands

and　make　submission　to　the　powers。　You　are　too　much　of　an　artist　ever

to　be　a　good　politician；　you　have　been　fooled　by　men　of　not　one…half

your　value。　Think　about　being　fooled　againbut　elsewhere。〃



〃Marie　cannot　prevent　my　loving　her；〃　said　Nathan；　〃she　shall　be　my

Beatrice。〃



〃Beatrice；　my　good　Raoul；　was　a　little　girl　twelve　years　of　age　when

Dante　last　saw　her；　otherwise；　she　would　not　have　been　Beatrice。　To

make　a　divinity；　it　won't　do　to　see　her　one　day　wrapped　in　a　mantle；

and　the　next　with　a　low　dress；　and　the　third　on　the　boulevard；

cheapening　toys　for　her　last　baby。　When　a　man　has　Florine；　who　is　in

turn　duchess；　bourgeoise；　Negress；　marquise；　colonel；　Swiss　peasant；

virgin　of　the　sun　in　Peru　（only　way　she　can　play　the　part）；　I　don't

see　why　he　should　go　rambling　after　fashionable　women。〃



Du　Tillet；　to　use　a　Bourse　term；　EXECUTED　Nathan；　who；　for　lack　of

money；　gave　up　his　place　on　the　newspaper；　and　the　celebrated　man

received　but　five　votes　in　the　electoral　college　where　the　banker　was

elected。



When；　after　a　long　and　happy　journey　in　Italy；　the　Comtesse　de

Vandenesse　returned　to　Paris　late　in　the　following　winter；　all　her

husband's　predictions　about　Nathan　were　justified。　He　had　ta