paz-第12章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！



galop　with　Malaga　in　the　dress　of　a　savage；　her　head　garnished　with

plumes　like　the　horse　of　a　hearse；　and　bounding　through　the　crowd　like

a　will…o…the…wisp。



〃Ah！〃　said　Clementine　to　her　husband；　〃you　Poles　have　no　honor　at　all！

I　did　believe　in　Thaddeus。　He　gave　me　his　word　that　he　would　leave

that　woman；　he　did　not　know　that　I　should　be　here；　seeing　all　unseen。〃



A　few　days　later　she　requested　Paz　to　dine　with　them。　After　dinner

Adam　left　them　alone　together；　and　Clementine　reproved　Paz　and　let　him

know　very　plainly　that　she　did　not　wish　him　to　live　in　her　house　any

longer。



〃Yes；　madame；〃　said　Paz；　humbly；　〃you　are　right；　I　am　a　wretch；　I　did

give　you　my　word。　But　you　see　how　it　is；　I　put　off　leaving　Malaga　till

after　the　carnival。　Besides；　that　woman　exerts　an　influence　over　me

which〃



〃An　influence！a　woman　who　ought　to　be　turned　out　of　Musard's　by　the

police　for　such　dancing！〃



〃I　agree　to　all　that；　I　accept　the　condemnation　and　I'll　leave　your

house。　But　you　know　Adam。　If　I　give　up　the　management　of　your　property

you　must　show　energy　yourself。　I　may　have　been　to　blame　about　Malaga；

but　I　have　taken　the　whole　charge　of　your　affairs；　managed　your

servants；　and　looked　after　the　very　least　details。　I　cannot　leave　you

until　I　see　you　prepared　to　continue　my　management。　You　have　now　been

married　three　years；　and　you　are　safe　from　the　temptations　to

extravagance　which　come　with　the　honeymoon。　I　see　that　Parisian　women；

and　even　titled　ones；　do　manage　both　their　fortunes　and　their

households。　Well；　as　soon　as　I　am　certain　not　so　much　of　your　capacity

as　of　your　perseverance　I　shall　leave　Paris。〃



〃It　is　Thaddeus　of　Warsaw；　and　not　that　Circus　Thaddeus　who　speaks

now；〃　said　Clementine。　〃Go；　and　come　back　cured。〃



〃Cured！　never；〃　said　Paz；　his　eyes　lowered　and　fixed　on　Clementine's

pretty　feet。　〃You　do　not　know；　countess；　what　charm；　what　unexpected

piquancy　of　mind　she　has。〃　Then；　feeling　his　courage　fail　him；　he

added　hastily；　〃There　is　not　a　woman　in　society；　with　her　mincing

airs；　that　is　worth　the　honest　nature　of　that　young　animal。〃



〃At　any　rate；　I　wish　nothing　of　the　animal　about　me；〃　said　the

countess；　with　a　glance　like　that　of　an　angry　viper。



After　that　evening　Comte　Paz　showed　Clementine　the　exact　state　of　her

affairs；　he　made　himself　her　tutor；　taught　her　the　methods　and

difficulties　of　the　management　of　property；　the　proper　prices　to　pay

for　things；　and　how　to　avoid　being　cheated　by　her　servants。　He　told

her　she　could　rely　on　Constantin　and　make　him　her　major…domo。　Thaddeus

had　trained　the　man　thoroughly。　By　the　end　of　May　he　thought　the

countess　fully　competent　to　carry　on　her　affairs　alone；　for　Clementine

was　one　of　those　far…sighted　women；　full　of　instinct；　who　have　an

innate　genius　as　mistress　of　a　household。



This　position　of　affairs；　which　Thaddeus　had　led　up　to　naturally；　did

not　end　without　further　cruel　trials；　his　sufferings　were　fated　not　to

be　as　sweet　and　tender　as　he　was　trying　to　make　them。　The　poor　lover

forgot　to　reckon　on　the　hazard　of　events。　Adam　fell　seriously　ill；　and

Thaddeus；　instead　of　leaving　the　house；　stayed　to　nurse　his　friend。

His　devotion　was　unwearied。　A　woman　who　had　any　interest　in　employing

her　perspicacity　might　have　seen　in　this　devotion　a　sort　of　punishment

imposed　by　a　noble　soul　to　repress　an　involuntary　evil　thought；　but

women　see　all；　or　see　nothing；　according　to　the　condition　of　their

soulslove　is　their　sole　illuminator。



During　forty…five　days　Paz　watched　and　tended　Adam　without　appearing

to　think　of　Malaga；　for　the　very　good　reason　that　he　never　did　think　of

her。　Clementine；　feeling　that　Adam　was　at　the　point　of　death　though　he

did　not　die；　sent　for　all　the　leading　doctors　of　Paris　in

consultation。



〃If　he　comes　safely　out　of　this；〃　said　the　most　distinguished　of　them

all；　〃it　will　only　be　by　an　effort　of　nature。　It　is　for　those　who

nurse　him　to　watch　for　the　moment　when　they　must　second　nature。　The

count's　life　is　in　the　hands　of　his　nurses。〃



Thaddeus　went　to　find　Clementine　and　tell　her　this　result　of　the

consultation。　He　found　her　sitting　in　the　Chinese　pavilion；　as　much

for　a　little　rest　as　to　leave　the　field　to　the　doctors　and　not

embarrass　them。　As　he　walked　along　the　winding　gravelled　path　which

led　to　the　pavilion；　Thaddeus　seemed　to　himself　in　the　depths　of　an

abyss　described　by　Dante。　The　unfortunate　man　had　never　dreamed　that

the　possibility　might　arise　of　becoming　Clementine's　husband；　and　now

he　had　drowned　himself　in　a　ditch　of　mud。　His　face　was　convulsed；　when

he　reached　the　kiosk；　with　an　agony　of　grief；　his　head；　like　Medusa's；

conveyed　despair。



〃Is　he　dead？〃　said　Clementine。



〃They　have　given　him　up；　that　is；　they　leave　him　to　nature。　Do　not　go

in；　they　are　still　there；　and　Bianchon　is　changing　the　dressings。〃



〃Poor　Adam！　I　ask　myself　if　I　have　not　sometimes　pained　him；〃　she

said。



〃You　have　made　him　very　happy；〃　said　Thaddeus；　〃you　ought　to　be　easy

on　that　score；　for　you　have　shown　every　indulgence　for　him。〃



〃My　loss　would　be　irreparable。〃



〃But；　dear；　you　judged　him　justly。〃



〃I　was　never　blind　to　his　faults；〃　she　said；　〃but　I　loved　him　as　a

wife　should　love　her　husband。〃



〃Then　you　ought；　in　case　you　lose　him；〃　said　Thaddeus；　in　a　voice

which　Clementine　had　never　heard　him　use；　〃to　grieve　for　him　less　than

if　you　lost　a　man　who　was　your　pride；　your　love；　and　all　your　life；

as　some　men　are　to　you　women。　Surely　you　can　be　frank　at　this　moment

with　a　friend　like　me。　I　shall　grieve；　too；　long　before　your　marriage

I　had　made　him　my　child；　I　had　sacrificed　my　life　to　him。　If　he　dies　I

shall　be　without　an　interest　on　earth；　but　life　is　still　beautiful　to

a　widow　of　twenty…four。〃



〃Ah！　but　you　know　that　I　love　no　one；〃　she　said；　with　the　impatience

of　grief。



〃You　don't　yet　know　what　it　is　to　love；〃　said　Thaddeus。



〃Oh；　as　husbands　are；　I　have　sense　enough　to　prefer　a　child　like　my

poor　Adam　to　a　superior　man。　It　is　now　over　a　month　that　we　have　been

saying　to　each　other；　'Will　he　live？'　and　these　alternations　have

prepared　me；　as　they　have　you；　for　this　loss。　I　can　be　frank　with　you。

Well；　I　would　give　my　life　to　save　Adam。　What　is　a　woman's

independence　in　Paris？　the　freedom　to　let　herself　be　taken　in　by

ruined　or　dissipated　men　who　pretend　to　love　her。　I　pray　to　God　to

leave　me　this　husband　who　is　so　kind；　so　obliging；　so　little　fault…

finding；　and　who　is　beginning　to　stand　in　awe　of　me。〃



〃You　are　honest；　and　I　love　you　the　better　for　it；〃　said　Thaddeus；

taking　her　hand　which　she　yielded　to　him；　and　kissing　it。　〃In　solemn

moments　like　these　there　is　unspeakable　satisfaction　in　finding　a

woman　without　hypocrisy。　It　is　possible　to　converse　with　you。　Let　us

look　to　the　future。　Suppose　that　God　does　not　grant　your　prayer；and

no　one　cries　to　him　more　than　I　do；　'Leave　me　my　friend！'　Yes；　these

fifty　nights　have　not　weakened　me；　if　thirty　more　days　and　nights　are

needed　I　can　give　them　while　you　sleep；yes；　I　will　tear　him　from

death　if；　as　the　doctors　say；　nursing　can　save　him。　But　suppose　that

in　spite　of　you　and　me；　the　count　dies；well；　then；　if　you　were

loved；　oh；　adored；　by　a　man　of　a　heart　and　soul　that　are　worthy　of

you〃



〃I　may　have　wished　for　such　love；　foolishly；　but　I　have　never　met　with

it。〃



〃Perhaps　you　are　mistaken〃



Clementine　looked　fixedly　at　Thaddeus；　imagining　that　there　was　less

of　love　than　of　cupidity　in　his　thoughts；　her　eyes　measured　him　from

head　to　foot　and　poured　contempt　upon　him；　then　she　crushed　him　with

the　words；　〃Poor　Malaga！〃　uttered　in　tones　which　a　great　lady　alone

can　find　to　give　expression　to　her　disdain。　She　rose；　leaving　Thaddeus

half　unconscious　behind　her；　slowly　re…entered　her　boudoir；　and　went

back　to　Adam's　chamber。



An　hour　later　Paz　returned　to　the　sick…room；　and　began　anew；　with

death　in　his　heart；　his　care　of　the　count。　From　that　moment　he　said

not