paz-第14章

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　　persons　do　in　the　tropics；　a　vapor　laden　with　creative　principles。



　　〃I　MUST　tell　you　these　things　to　explain　the　strange　presumption

　　of　my　involuntary　thoughts；I　would　have　died　rather　than　avow　it

　　until　now。



　　〃You　will　remember　those　few　days　of　curiosity　when　you　wished　to

　　know　the　man　who　performed　the　household　miracles　you　had

　　sometimes　noticed。　I　thought；forgive　me；　madame；I　believed　you

　　might　love　me。　Your　good…will；　your　glances　interpreted　by　me；　a

　　lover；　seemed　to　me　so　dangerousfor　methat　I　invented　that

　　story　of　Malaga；　knowing　it　was　the　sort　of　liaison　which　women

　　cannot　forgive。　I　did　it　in　a　moment　when　I　felt　that　my　love

　　would　be　communicated；　fatally；　to　you。　Despise　me；　crush　me　with

　　the　contempt　you　have　so　often　cast　upon　me　when　I　did　not　deserve

　　it；　and　yet　I　am　certain　that；　if；　on　that　evening　when　your　aunt

　　took　Adam　away　from　you；　I　had　said　what　I　have　now　written　to

　　you；　I　should；　like　the　tamed　tiger　that　sets　his　teeth　once　more

　　in　living　flesh；　and　scents　the　blood；　and



　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　〃Midnight。



　　〃I　could　not　go　on；　the　memory　of　that　hour　is　still　too　living。

　　Yes；　I　was　maddened。　Was　there　hope　for　me　in　your　eyes？　then

　　victory　with　its　scarlet　banners　would　have　flamed　in　mine　and

　　fascinated　yours。　My　crime　has　been　to　think　all　this；　perhaps

　　wrongly。　You　alone　can　judge　of　that　dreadful　scene　when　I　drove

　　back　love；　desire；　all　the　most　invincible　forces　of　our　manhood；

　　with　the　cold　hand　of　gratitude；gratitude　which　must　be　eternal。



　　〃Your　terrible　contempt　has　been　my　punishment。　You　have　shown　me

　　there　is　no　return　from　loathing　or　disdain。　I　love　you　madly。　I

　　should　have　gone　had　Adam　died；　all　the　more　must　I　go　because　he

　　lives。　A　man　does　not　tear　his　friend　from　the　arms　of　death　to

　　betray　him。　Besides；　my　going　is　my　punishment　for　the　thought　

　　that　came　to　me　that　I　would　let　him　die；　when　the　doctors　said

　　that　his　life　depended　on　his　nursing。



　　〃Adieu；　madame；　in　leaving　Paris　I　lose　all；　but　you　lose　nothing

　　now　in　my　being　no　longer　near　you。



〃Your　devoted

〃Thaddeus　Paz。〃





〃If　my　poor　Adam　says　he　has　lost　a　friend；　what　have　I　lost？〃　thought

Clementine；　sinking　into　a　chair　with　her　eyes　fixed　on　the　carpet。



The　following　letter　Constantin　had　orders　to　give　privately　to　the

count：



　　〃My　dear　Adam；Malaga　has　told　me　all。　In　the　name　of　all　your

　　future　happiness；　never　let　a　word　escape　you　to　Clementine　about

　　your　visits　to　that　girl；　let　her　think　that　Malaga　has　cost　me　a

　　hundred　thousand　francs。　I　know　Clementine's　character；　she　will

　　never　forgive　you　either　your　losses　at　cards　or　your　visits　to

　　Malaga。



　　〃I　am　not　going　to　Khiva；　but　to　the　Caucasus。　I　have　the　spleen；

　　and　at　the　pace　at　which　I　mean　to　go　I　shall　be　either　Prince　Paz

　　in　three　years；　or　dead。　Good…by；　though　I　have　taken　sixty…

　　thousand　francs　from　Nucingen；　our　accounts　are　even。



〃Thaddeus。〃





〃Idiot　that　I　was；〃　thought　Adam；　〃I　came　near　to　cutting　my　throat

just　now；　talking　about　Malaga。〃



It　is　now　three　years　since　Paz　went　away。　The　newspapers　have　as　yet

said　nothing　about　any　Prince　Paz。　The　Comtesse　Laginska　is　immensely

interested　in　the　expeditions　of　the　Emperor　Nicholas；　she　is　Russian

to　the　core；　and　reads　with　a　sort　of　avidity　all　the　news　that　comes

from　that　distant　land。　Once　or　twice　every　winter　she　says　to　the

Russian　ambassador；　with　an　air　of　indifference；　〃Do　you　know　what　has

become　of　our　poor　Comte　Paz？〃



Alas！　most　Parisian　women；　those　beings　who　think　themselves　so　clever

and　clear…sighted；　pass　and　repass　beside　a　Paz　and　never　recognize

him。　Yes；　many　a　Paz　is　unknown　and　misconceived；　buthorrible　to

think　of！some　are　misconceived　even　though　they　are　loved。　The

simplest　women　in　society　exact　a　certain　amount　of　conventional　sham

from　the　greatest　men。　A　noble　love　signifies　nothing　to　them　if　rough

and　unpolished；　it　needs　the　cutting　and　setting　of　a　jeweller　to　give

it　value　in　their　eyes。



In　January；　1842；　the　Comtesse　Laginska；　with　her　charm　of　gentle

melancholy；　inspired　a　violent　passion　in　the　Comte　de　La　Palferine；

one　of　the　most　daring　and　presumptuous　lions　of　the　day。　La　Palferine

was　well　aware　that　the　conquest　of　a　woman　so　guarded　by　reserve　as

the　Comtesse　Laginska　was　difficult；　but　he　thought　he　could　inveigle

this　charming　creature　into　committing　herself　if　he　took　her

unawares；　by　the　assistance　of　a　certain　friend　of　her　own；　a　woman

already　jealous　of　her。



Quite　incapable；　in　spite　of　her　intelligence；　of　suspecting　such

treachery；　the　Comtesse　Laginska　committed　the　imprudence　of　going

with　her　so…called　friend　to　a　masked　ball　at　the　Opera。　About　three

in　the　morning；　led　away　by　the　excitement　of　the　scene；　Clementine；

on　whom　La　Palferine　had　expended　his　seductions；　consented　to　accept

a　supper；　and　was　about　to　enter　the　carriage　of　her　faithless　friend。

At　this　critical　moment　her　arm　was　grasped　by　a　powerful　hand；　and

she　was　taken；　in　spite　of　her　struggles；　to　her　own　carriage；　the

door　of　which　stood　open；　though　she　did　not　know　it　was　there。



〃He　has　never　left　Paris！〃　she　exclaimed　to　herself　as　she　recognized

Thaddeus；　who　disappeared　when　the　carriage　drove　away。



Did　any　woman　ever　have　a　like　romance　in　her　life？　Clementine　is

constantly　hoping　she　may　again　see　Paz。










End