samuel brohl & company-第12章

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Then　suddenly　he　started　as　one　just　awakening　from　a　dream；　he　drew　his　hand　over　his　brow；　looked　confusedly　around　him；　and　said：　〃/Grand　Dieu！/　here　I　have　been　talking　to　you　of　myself　for　two　hours！　It　is　the　most　stupid　way　of　passing　one's　time；　and　I　promise　you　it　shall　not　happen　again。〃

With　these　words　he　rose；　took　up　his　hat；　and　left。

M。　Moriaz　paced　the　floor　for　some　moments；　his　hands　behind　his　back；　presently　he　said：　〃This　/diable/　of　a　man　has　strangely　moved　me。　One　thing　alone　spoils　his　story　for　methat　is　the　gun。　A　man　who　once　has　drunk　will　drink　again；　one　who　has　invented　will　invent　again。　No　man　in　the　world　ever　remained　satisfied　with　his　first　gun。〃

〃I　beg　of　you；　monsieur；〃　cried　Mlle。　Moiseney；　〃could　you　not　speak　to　the　Minister　of　War　about　adopting　the　Larinski　musket？〃

〃Are　you　your　country's　enemy？〃　he　asked。　〃Do　you　wish　its　destruction？　Have　you　sworn　that　after　Alsace　we　must　lose　Champagne？〃

〃I　am　perfectly　sure；〃　she　replied；　mounting　on　her　high　horse；　〃that　the　Larinski　musket　is　a　/chef…d'oeuvre/；　and　I　would　pledge　my　life　that　he　who　invented　it　is　a　man　of　genius。〃

〃If　you　would　pledge　your　word　of　honour　to　that；　mademoiselle；〃　he　replied；　making　her　a　profound　bow；　〃you　may　well　feel　assured　that　the　French　Government　would　not　hesitate　a　moment。〃

Mlle。　Moriaz　took　no　part　in　this　conversation。　Her　face　slightly　contracted；　buried　in　her　thoughts　as　in　a　solitude　inaccessible　to　earthly　sounds；　her　cheek　resting　in　the　palm　of　her　left　hand；　she　held　in　her　right　hand　a　paper…cutter；　and　she　kept　pricking　the　point　into　one　of　the　grooves　of　the　table　on　which　her　elbow　rested；　while　her　half…closed　eyes　were　fixed　on　a　knot　of　the　mahogany。　She　saw　in　this　knot　the　Isthmus　of　Panama；　San　Francisco；　the　angelic　countenance　of　the　beautiful　Polish　woman　who　had　given　birth　to　Count　Abel　Larinski；　she　saw　there　also　fields　of　snow；　ambuscades；　retreats　more　glorious　than　victories；　and；　beyond　all　else；　the　bursting　of　a　gun　and　of　a　man's　heart。

She　arose；　and　saluted　her　father　without　a　word。　In　crossing　the　/salon/　she　perceived　that　M。　Larinski　had　forgotten　a　book　he　had　left　on　the　piano　when　he　came　in。　She　opened　the　volume；　he　had　written　his　name　on　the　top　of　the　first　page；　and　Antoinette　recognised　the　handwriting　of　the　note。

Shut　up　in　her　own　room；　while　taking　down　and　combing　her　hair；　her　imagination　long　wandered　through　California　and　Poland。　She　compared　M。　Larinski　with　all　the　other　men　she　ever　had　known；　and　she　concluded　that　he　resembled　none　of　them。　And　it　was　he　who　had　written：　〃I　arrived　in　this　village　disgusted　with　life；　sorrowful　and　so　weary　that　I　longed　to　die。　I　saw　you　pass　by；　and　I　know　not　what　mysterious　virtue　entered　into　me。　I　will　live。〃

It　seemed　to　her　that　for　long　years　she　had　been　seeking　some　one；　and　that　she　had　done　well　to　come　to　the　Engadine；　because　here　she　had　found　the　object　of　her　search。



CHAPTER　III

Two；　three；　four　days　passed　without　Count　Larinski　reappearing　at　the　Hotel　Badrutt；　where　every　evening　he　was　expected。　This　prolonged　absence　keenly　affected　Mlle。　Moriaz。　She　sought　an　explanation　thereof；　the　search　occupied　part　of　her　days；　and　troubled　her　sleep。　She　had　too　much　character　not　to　conceal　her　trouble　and　anxiety。　Those　about　her　had　not　the　least　suspicion　that　she　asked　herself　a　hundred　times　in　the　twenty…four　hours：　〃Why　does　he　not　come？　will　he　never　come　again？　is　it　a　fixed　resolution？　Does　he　blame　us　for　drawing　out；　by　our　questions；　the　secret　of　his　life？　or　does　he　suspect　that　I　have　discovered　him　to　be　the　writer　of　the　anonymous　letter？　Will　he　leave　Engadine　without　bidding　us　good…bye？　Perhaps　he　has　already　gone；　and　we　shall　never　see　him　again。〃　This　thought　caused　Mlle。　Moriaz　a　heart…burn　that　she　had　never　before　experienced。　Her　day　had　come；　her　heart　was　no　longer　free：　the　bird　had　allowed　itself　to　be　caught。

Mlle。　Moiseney　said　to　her　one　evening：　〃It　seems　certain　to　me　that　we　never　shall　see　Count　Larinski　again。〃

She　replied　in　an　almost　indifferent　tone；　〃No　doubt　he　has　found　people　at　Cellarina；　or　elsewhere；　who　are　more　entertaining　than　we。〃

〃You　mean　to　say；〃　said　Mlle。　Moiseney；　〃that　M。　Moriaz　and　the　/bezique/　has　frightened　him　away。　I　would　not　for　worlds　speak　ill　of　your　father；　he　has　all　the　good　qualities　imaginable；　except　a　certain　delicacy　of　sentiment；　which　is　not　to　be　learned　in　dealing　with　acids。　Think　of　condemning　a　Count　Larinski　to　play　/bezique/！　There　are　some　things　that　your　father　does　not　and　never　will　understand。〃

M。　Moriaz　had　entered　meanwhile。　〃Please　oblige　me　by　explaining　what　it　is　that　I　do　not　understand；〃　said　he　to　Mlle。　Moiseney。

She　replied　with　some　embarrassment；　〃You　do　not　understand；　monsieur；　that　certain　visits　were　a　charming　diversion　to　us；　and　that　now　we　miss　them。〃

〃And　do　you　think　that　I　do　not　miss　them？　It　has　been　four　days　since　I　have　had　a　game　of　cards。　But　how　can　it　be　helped？　Poles　are　fickle　more　fools　they　who　trust　them。〃

〃It　may　be　simply　that　M。　Larinski　has　been　ill；〃　interrupted　Antoinette；　with　perfect　tranquility。　〃I　think；　father；　that　it　would　be　right　for　us　to　make　inquiries。〃

The　following　day　M。　Moriaz　went　to　Cellarina。　He　brought　back　word　that　M。　Larinski　had　gone　on　a　walking…excursion　through　the　mountains；　that　he　had　started　out　with　the　intention　of　climbing　to　the　summit　of　Piz…Morteratsch；　and　of　attempting　the　still　more　difficult　ascent　of　Piz…Roseg。　Mlle。　Moriaz　found　it　hard　to　decide　whether　this　news　was　good　or　bad　news。　All　depended　on　what　point　of　view　was　taken；　and　she　changed　hers　every　hour。

Since　his　mishap；　M。　Moriaz　had　become　less　rash　than　formerly。　Experience　had　taught　him　that　there　are　treacherous　rocks　that　can　be　climbed　without　much　difficulty；　but　from　which　it　is　impossible　to　descendrocks　exposing　one　to　the　danger　of　ending　one's　days　in　their　midst；　if　there　is　no　Pole　near　at　hand。　Certain　truths　stamp　themselves　indelibly　on　the　mind；　so　M。　Moriaz　never　ventured　again　on　the　mountains　without　being　attended　by　a　guide；　who　received　orders　from　Antoinette　not　to　leave　him；　and　not　to　let　him　expose　himself。　One　day　he　came　in　later　than　usual；　and　his　daughter　reproached　him；　with　some　vivacity；　for　the　continual　anxiety　he　caused　her。　〃The　glaciers　and　precipices　will　end　by　giving　me　the　nightmare；〃　she　said　to　him。

〃Pray　on　whose　account；　my　dear？〃　he　playfully　rejoined。　〃I　assure　you　the　ascent　that　I　have　just　made　was　neither　more　difficult　nor　more　dangerous　than　that　of　Montmartre；　nor　of　the　Sannois　Hill；　and　as　to　glaciers；　I　have　firmly　resolved　to　keep　shy　of　them。　I　have　passed　the　age　of　prowess。　My　guide　has　been　making　me　tremble　by　relating　the　dangers　to　which　he　was　exposed　in　1864　on　Morteratsch；　where　he　had　accompanied　Professor　Tyndall　and　another　English　tourist。　They　were　all　swept　away　by　an　avalanche。　Attached　to　the　same　rope；　they　went　down　with　the　snow。　A　fall　of　three　hundred　metres！　They　would　have　been　lost；　if；　through　the　presence　of　mind　of　one　of　the　guides；　they　had　not　succeeded　in　stopping　themselves　two　feet　from　a　frightful　precipice；　which　was　about　to　swallow　them　up。　I　am　a　father；　and　I　do　not　despise　life。　Let　him　ascend　Morteratsch　who　likes！　I　wish　our　friend　Larinski　had　made　the　descent　safe　and　sound。　If　he　has　met　an　avalanche　on　the　way；　he　will　invent　no　more　guns。〃

Antoinette　was　no　longer　mistress　of　her　nerves：　during　the　entire　evening　she　was　so　preoccupied　that　M。　Moriaz　could　not　fail　to　notice　it；　but　he　had　no　suspicion　of　the　cause。　He　was　profoundly　versed　in　qualitative　and　quantitative　analysis；　but　less　skilled　in　the　analysis　of　his　daughter's　heart。　〃How　pale　you　are！〃　he　said　to　her。　〃Are　you　not　well？　You　are　cold。Pray；　Mlle。　Moiseney；　make　yourself　useful　and　prepare　her　a　mulled　egg；　you　know　I　do　not　permit　her　to　be　sick。〃

It　was　not　the　mulled　egg　that　restored　Mlle。　Moriaz's　color。　The　next　morning　as　she　was　giving　a　drawing　lesson　to　her　/protegee/；　Count　Abel　was　announced。　She　trembled；　the　blood　rose　in　her　cheeks；　and　she　could　not　conceal　her　agitation　from　the　p