paz-第6章

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in　anything；　and　waited　to　be　questioned　before　he　spoke　at　all。　He

seemed　actually　stupid　to　the　countess；　whose　coquettish　little　ways

missed　their　mark　in　presence　of　such　frigid　gravity　and　conventional

respect。　In　vain　Adam　kept　saying：　〃Do　be　lively；　Thaddeus；　one　would

really　suppose　you　were　not　at　home。　You　must　have　made　a　wager　to

disconcert　Clementine。〃　Thaddeus　continued　heavy　and　half　asleep。　When

the　servants　left　the　room　at　the　end　of　the　dessert　the　captain

explained　that　his　habits　were　diametrically　opposite　to　those　of

society；he　went　to　bed　at　eight　o'clock　and　got　up　very　early　in　the

morning；　and　he　excused　his　dulness　on　the　ground　of　being　sleepy。



〃My　intention　in　taking　you　to　the　Opera　was　to　amuse　you；　captain；

but　do　as　you　prefer；〃　said　Clementine；　rather　piqued。



〃I　will　go；〃　said　Paz。



〃Duprez　sings　'Guillaume　Tell；'〃　remarked　Adam。　〃But　perhaps　you　would

rather　go　to　the　'Varietes'？〃



The　captain　smiled　and　rang　the　bell。　〃Tell　Constantin；〃　he　said　to

the　footman；　〃to　put　the　horses　to　the　carriage　instead　of　the　coupe。

We　should　be　rather　squeezed　otherwise；〃　he　said　to　the　count。



〃A　Frenchman　would　have　forgotten　that；〃　remarked　Clementine；　smiling。



〃Ah！　but　we　are　Florentines　transplanted　to　the　North；〃　answered

Thaddeus　with　a　refinement　of　accent　and　a　look　in　his　eyes　which　made

his　conduct　at　table　seem　assumed　for　the　occasion。　There　was　too

evident　a　contrast　between　his　involuntary　self…revelation　in　this

speech　and　his　behavior　during　dinner。　Clementine　examined　the　captain

with　a　few　of　those　covert　glances　which　show　a　woman's　surprise　and

also　her　capacity　for　observation。



It　resulted　from　this　little　incident　that　silence　reigned　in　the

salon　while　the　three　took　their　coffee；　a　silence　rather　annoying　to

Adam；　who　was　incapable　of　imagining　the　cause　of　it。　Clementine　no

longer　tried　to　draw　out　Thaddeus。　The　captain；　on　the　other　hand；

retreated　within　his　military　stiffness　and　came　out　of　it　no　more；

neither　on　the　way　to　the　Opera　nor　in　the　box；　where　he　seemed　to　be

asleep。



〃You　see；　madame；　that　I　am　a　very　stupid　man；〃　he　said　during　the

dance　in　the　last　act　of　〃Guillaume　Tell。〃　〃Am　I　not　right　to　keep；　as

the　saying　is；　to　my　own　specialty？〃



〃In　truth；　my　dear　captain；　you　are　neither　a　talker　nor　a　man　of　the

world；　but　you　are　perhaps　Polish。〃



〃Therefore　leave　me　to　look　after　your　pleasures；　your　property；　your

householdit　is　all　I　am　good　for。〃



〃Tartufe！　pooh！〃　cried　Adam；　laughing。　〃My　dear；　he　is　full　of　ardor；

he　is　thoroughly　educated；　he　can；　if　he　chooses；　hold　his　own　in　any

salon。　Clementine；　don't　believe　his　modesty。〃



〃Adieu；　comtesse；　I　have　obeyed　your　wishes　so　far；　and　now　I　will

take　the　carriage　and　go　home　to　bed　and　send　it　back　for　you。〃



Clementine　bowed　her　head　and　let　him　go　without　replying。



〃What　a　bear！〃　she　said　to　the　count。　〃You　are　a　great　deal　nicer。〃



Adam　pressed　her　hand　when　no　one　was　looking。



〃Poor；　dear　Thaddeus；〃　he　said；　〃he　is　trying　to　make　himself

disagreeable　where　most　men　would　try　to　seem　more　amiable　than　I。〃



〃Oh！〃　she　said；　〃I　am　not　sure　but　what　there　is　some　CALCULATION　in

his　behavior；　he　would　have　taken　in　an　ordinary　woman。〃



Half　an　hour　later；　when　the　chasseur；　Boleslas；　called　out　〃Gate！〃

and　the　carriage　was　waiting　for　it　to　swing　back；　Clementine　said　to

her　husband；　〃Where　does　the　captain　perch？〃



〃Why；　there！〃　replied　Adam；　pointing　to　a　floor　above　the　porte…

cochere　which　had　one　window　looking　on　the　street。　〃His　apartments

are　over　the　coachhouse。〃



〃Who　lives　on　the　other　side？〃　asked　the　countess。



〃No　one　as　yet；〃　said　Adam；　〃I　mean　that　apartment　for　our　children

and　their　instructors。〃



〃He　didn't　go　to　bed；〃　said　the　countess；　observing　lights　in

Thaddeus's　rooms　when　the　carriage　had　passed　under　the　portico

supported　by　columns　copied　from　those　of　the　Tuileries；　which

replaced　a　vulgar　zinc　awning　painted　in　stripes　like　cloth。



The　captain；　in　his　dressing…gown　with　a　pipe　in　his　mouth；　was

watching　Clementine　as　she　entered　the　vestibule。　The　day　had　been　a

hard　one　for　him。　And　here　is　the　reason　why：　A　great　and　terrible

emotion　had　taken　possession　of　his　heart　on　the　day　when　Adam　made

him　go　to　the　Opera　to　see　and　give　his　opinion　on　Mademoiselle　du

Rouvre；　and　again　when　he　saw　her　on　the　occasion　of　her　marriage；　and

recognized　in　her　the　woman　whom　a　man　is　forced　to　love　exclusively。

For　this　reason　Paz　strongly　advised　and　promoted　the　long　journey　to

Italy　and　elsewhere　after　the　marriage。　At　peace　so　long　as　Clementine

was　away；　his　trial　was　renewed　on　the　return　of　the　happy　household。

As　he　sat　at　his　window　on　this　memorable　night；　smoking　his　latakia

in　a　pipe　of　wild…cherry　wood　six　feet　long；　given　to　him　by　Adam；

these　are　the　thoughts　that　were　passing　through　his　mind：



〃I；　and　God；　who　will　reward　me　for　suffering　in　silence；　alone　know

how　I　love　her！　But　how　shall　I　manage　to　have　neither　her　love　nor

her　dislike？〃



And　his　thoughts　travelled　far　on　this　strange　theme。



It　must　not　be　supposed　that　Thaddeus　was　living　without　pleasure；　in

the　midst　of　his　sufferings。　The　deceptions　of　this　day；　for　instance；

were　a　source　of　inward　joy　to　him。　Since　the　return　of　the　count　and

countess　he　had　daily　felt　ineffable　satisfactions　in　knowing　himself

necessary　to　a　household　which；　without　his　devotion　to　its　interests；

would　infallibly　have　gone　to　ruin。　What　fortune　can　bear　the　strain

of　reckless　prodigality？　Clementine；　brought　up　by　a　spendthrift

father；　knew　nothing　of　the　management　of　a　household　which　the　women

of　the　present　day；　however　rich　or　noble　they　are；　are　often

compelled　to　undertake　themselves。　How　few；　in　these　days；　keep　a

steward。　Adam；　on　the　other　hand；　son　of　one　of　the　great　Polish　lords

who　let　themselves　be　preyed　on　by　the　Jews；　and　are　wholly　incapable

of　managing　even　the　wreck　of　their　vast　fortunes　（for　fortunes　are

vast　in　Poland）；　was　not　of　a　nature　to　check　his　own　fancies　or　those

of　his　wife。　Left　to　himself　he　would　probably　have　been　ruined　before

his　marriage。　Paz　had　prevented　him　from　gambling　at　the　Bourse；　and

that　says　all。



Under　these　circumstances；　Thaddeus；　feeling　that　he　loved　Clementine

in　spite　of　himself；　had　not　the　resource　of　leaving　the　house　and

travelling　in　other　lands　to　forget　his　passion。　Gratitude；　the　key…

note　of　his　life；　held　him　bound　to　that　household　where　he　alone

could　look　after　the　affairs　of　the　heedless　owners。　The　long　absence

of　Adam　and　Clementine　had　given　him　peace。　But　the　countess　had

returned　more　lovely　than　ever；　enjoying　the　freedom　which　marriage

brings　to　a　Parisian　woman；　displaying　the　graces　of　a　young　wife　and

the　nameless　attraction　she　gains　from　the　happiness；　or　the

independence；　bestowed　upon　her　by　a　young　man　as　trustful；　as

chivalric；　and　as　much　in　love　as　Adam。　To　know　that　he　was　the　pivot

on　which　the　splendor　the　household　depended；　to　see　Clementine　when

she　got　out　of　her　carriage　on　returning　from　some　fete；　or　got　into

it　in　the　morning　when　she　took　her　drive；　to　meet　her　on　the

boulevards　in　her　pretty　equipage；　looking　like　a　flower　in　a　whorl　of

leaves；　inspired　poor　Thaddeus　with　mysterious　delights；　which　glowed

in　the　depths　of　his　heart　but　gave　no　signs　upon　his　face。



How　happened　it　that　for　five　whole　months　the　countess　had　never

perceived　the　captain？　Because　he　hid　himself　from　her　knowledge；　and

carefully　concealed　the　pains　he　took　to　avoid　her。　Nothing　so

resembles　the　Divine　love　as　hopeless　human　love。　A　man　must　have

great　depth　of　heart　to　devote　himself　in　silence　and　obscurity　to　a

woman。　In　such　a　heart　is　the　worship　of　love　for　love's　sake　only

sublime　avarice；　sublime　because　ever　generous　and　founded　on　the

mysterious　existence　of　the　principles　of　creation。　EFFECT　is　nat