samuel brohl & company-第14章

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She　answered　in　a　firmer　voice；　〃I　am　curious　to　know　what　you　would　think　if　I　should　marry；　some　day　or　other；　Count　Larinski。〃

He　was　startled；　thunderstruck。　He　never　had　foreseen　that　such　a　catastrophe　could　occur；　nor　had　the　least　suspicion　that　anything　had　passed　between　his　daughter　and　M。　Larinski。　Of　all　the　ideas　that　had　suggested　themselves　to　him；　this　seemed　the　least　admissible；　the　most　improbable　and　ridiculous。　After　a　long　silence；　he　said　to　Antoinette；　〃You　want　to　frighten　methis　is　not　serious。〃

〃Do　you　dislike　M。　Larinski？〃　she　asked。

〃Certainly　not；　I　by　no　means　dislike　him。　He　has　good　manners；　he　speaks　well；　and　I　must　acknowledge　that　he　had　a　very　graceful　way　of　taking　me　from　off　my　rock；　where　I　should　still　be　had　it　not　been　for　him。　I　am　grateful　to　him　for　it；　but；　from　that　to　giving　him　my　daughter；　there　is　a　wide　margin。　If　he　wanted　me　to　give　him　a　medal　he　should　have　it。〃

〃Let　us　talk　seriously；〃　said　she。　〃What　objections　have　you　to　make？〃

〃First；　M。　Larinski　is　a　stranger；　and　I　mistrust　strangers。　Then；　I　know　him　but　slightly。　I　naturally　demand　additional　information。　Finally；　I　own　that　the　state　of　his　affairs〃

〃Ah！　that　is　the　main　point；〃　she　interrupted。　〃He　is　poor；　that　is　his　crime；　which　he　has　not　disguised。　How　differently　we　think！　I　have　some　fortune；　its　only　advantage　that　I　can　see　is　that　it　makes　me　free　to　marry　the　man　I　esteem；　though　he　be　poor。〃

〃And　perhaps　a　little　because　of　that　very　reason；〃　interrupted　M。　Moriaz；　in　his　turn。　〃Come；　I　entreat　you；　let　me　explain　the　anxieties　arising　from　my　miserable　good　sense。　M。　Larinski　has　related　his　history　to　us。　Frankly；　do　you　not　think　that　it　is　rather　thatwhat　shall　I　sayof　an　adventurer？　The　word　shocks　youI　take　it　backbut　you　must　admit　that　this　Pole　belongs　to　theambulatory　family。〃

〃Or　family　of　heroes；〃　she　replied。

〃That　is　it；　of　wandering　heroes。　I　wish　all　manner　of　good　to　heroes；　although　I　never　have　clearly　discovered　their　use。　At　all　events；　I　am　not　sure　that　they　are　the　best　qualified　men　in　the　world　to　make　a　wife　happy；　and　I　intend　that　my　daughter　shall　be　happy。〃

〃You　are　not　convinced　as　I　am　that　M。　Larinski　has　a　superior　mind；　and　a　heart　of　gold？〃

〃A　heart　of　gold！　I　should　be　glad　to　believe　it。　I　have　no　reason　to　doubt　it；　but　many　very　skilful　persons　are　deceived　by　false　jewellery。　Ah！　my　dear；　if　you　were　better　versed　in　chemistry；　you　would　know　how　easy　it　is　to　manufacture　a　false　trinket。　Formerly；　after　having　cleaned　the　piece　to　be　gilded；　a　gold　amalgam　was　applied。　Now；　the　brass　or　copper　trinket　is　steeped　in　a　solution　of　perchloride　of　gold　and　bicarbonate　of　potash；　and　in　less　than　a　minute　the　thing　is　accomplished。　It　is　called　gilding　by　immersion。　There　is　another　process　in　which　galvanism　But　let　us　admit　that　M。　Larinski's　heart　is　real　gold。　In　the　purest　gold　there　is　usually　some　alloy；　to　dispense　with　which　resort　must　be　had　to　the　cupel。　Do　you　not　know　what　a　cupel　is？　It　is　a　small　capsule　or　cup　of　a　porous　substance；　used　in　the　refining　process；　and　possessing　the　property　of　absorbing　the　fused　oxides　and　retaining　the　refined　metal。　What　is　the　proportion　of　lead　or　of　gold　ore　in　M。　Larinski's　heart？　Neither　you　nor　I　know。〃

She　was　no　longer　listening；　her　chin　in　her　hand；　her　glances　wandered　over　the　glade。　He　touched　her　arm　gently　to　rouse　her；　and　said：　〃It　is　all　over？　You　love　him？〃

〃Why　will　you　make　me　say　so？〃　she　replied；　blushing。

〃And　he　has　declared　himself？　He　has　dared〃

〃He　has　dared　nothing。　Ah！　how　little　you　know　him！　If　you　were　to　offer　me　to　him；　his　pride　would　say　no；　and　I　would　have　to　go　down　on　my　knees　to　get　the　better　of　his　refusal。〃

〃We　will　say；　at　once；　that　he　is　unique；　that　he　is　a　marvel；　that　there　is　not　a　second　Pole　like　him；　the　mould　has　been　broken。　And　yet　are　you　sure　that　he　loves　you？〃

She　replied　by　a　motion　of　the　head。

〃I　should　confess；〃　he　resumed；　〃that　the　passion　that　is　called　the　grand　passion　is　for　me　a　sealed　letter；　the　mystery　of　mysteries。　I　am　completely　ignorant　of　it。　Yet　that　did　not　prevent　my　marrying；　and　making　a　choice　that　brought　me　great　happiness。　Your　method　is　different；　and　I　must　believe　that　you　have　yielded　to　an　irresistible　force。　It　seems　to　me；　however；　that　resistance　can　always　be　made。　You　have　will；　character〃

She　interrupted　him；　murmuring；　〃It　is　either　he　or　no　one。〃

〃Oh！　if　it　comes　to　that；〃　he　continued；　〃you　are　of　age；　and　mistress　of　your　actions；　there　is　nothing　for　me　but　to　submit。　Still；　it　will　be　painful　to　you；　I　like　to　believe；　to　marry　in　opposition　to　my　wishes。〃

〃Do　you　doubt　it？　I　am　willing　not　to　marry。〃

〃Bad　solution！　It　is　worse　than　the　other。　Let　us　come　to　terms。　The　positive　has　its　place　only　in　science。　It　is　absolutely　true　that　borax　is　a　salt　composed　of　boracic　acid　and　soda。　Beyond　such　facts　all　is　uncertain。　Does　this　happy　man　surmise　the　sentiments　he　has　inspired？〃

〃I　tell　you　that　you　do　not　know　him？　Do　you　take　him　for　a　coxcomb？　When　he　came　this　morning　to　announce　his　departure；　his　serious　intention　was　to　bid　us　an　eternal　farewell；　and　never　to　see　me　again。〃

〃A　most　excellent　idea　that；〃　sighed　M。　Moriaz。　〃Unfortunately；　you　represented　to　him　that　it　took　but　two　hours　to　go　from　Paris　to　Cormeilles。〃

〃I　had　trouble　to　persuade　him　of　it。〃

〃Well；　since　the　matter　stands　thus；　nothing　is　yet　lost。　You　know；　my　dear；　that　my　physician　advised　me　to　beware　of　abrupt　transitions；　and　not　to　change　too　suddenly　from　the　keen　air　of　Engadine　to　the　heavy　atmosphere　of　the　plains。　On　leaving　Saint　Moritz；　we　will　descend　five　hundred　metres　lower；　and　remain　three　weeks　at　Churwalden；　consequently；　we　will　not　be　in　Paris　for　a　month。　You　will　employ　this　month　in　somewhat　calming　your　imagination。　It　is　very　easy　for　it　to　become　excited　in　these　mountain…holes；　without　taking　into　account　the　wearisomeness　of　hotel…life。　From　the　very　day　after　our　arrival　you　took　a　dislike　to　the　paper　in　our　little　/salon/；　and　its　squares；　I　confess；　are　very　ugly。　In　every　square；　a　thrush　stretching　out　its　neck　to　peck　a　currant。　Two　hundred　thrushes　and　two　hundred　currantsit　was　enough　to　weary　you　to　death。　Suddenly　there　appears　a　Pole〃

〃The　thrushes　had　nothing　to　do　with　it；〃　she　replied；　smiling。　〃A　month　hence　I　shall　say　as　I　do　to…day。　'It　is　either　he　or　no　one。'　And　you　shall　choose。〃

〃Do　not　repeat　that　formula；　I　beg。　Fixed　resolves　are　the　prison…　house　of　the　will。　Promise　me　to　reflect；　reflection　is　an　excellent　thing。　One　thing　moregrant　me　in　advance　what　I　am　going　to　ask　you。〃

〃It　is　granted。〃

〃You　have　a　godmother〃

〃Ah！　now　we　are　coming　to　the　point；〃　she　added。

〃You　cannot　deny　that　Mme。　De　Lorcy　is　a　woman　of　the　world；　a　woman　of　good　sense；　a　woman　of　experience；　who　is　deeply　interested　in　your　welfare〃

〃And　who　has　decided　from　time　immemorial；　that　I　can　only　be　happy　on　condition　that　I　marry　her　nephew；　M。　Camille　Langis。〃

〃Well；　I　admit　that　she　is　partial。　That　is　no　reason　why　we　should　not　send　her　our　Pole。　She　will　inspect　him；　she　will　tell　us　her　opinion；　it　will　be　a　new　element　in　the　argument。〃

〃Ah！　I　know　her　opinion　without　asking　it。　This　woman　of　experience　and　good　sense　is　incapable　of　recognising　merit　in　a　man　who　is　sufficiently　impertinent　to　make　Mlle。　Moriaz　love　him；　without　having　at　least　fifty　thousand　livres　a　year　to　offer　her。〃

〃What　does　that　matter？　We　will　let　her　speakwe　need　not　question　her；　an　oracle；　but　she　knows　false　jewellery。　If　she　discover〃

〃I　would　require　proofs；〃　she　interrupted；　quickly。

〃And　if　she　furnish　them？〃

She　was　silent　an　instant；　then　she　said：　〃Let　it　be　so；　do　as　you　please。〃

With　these　words　they　ended　the　conversation；　then　arose；　and　retook　the　road　to　Saint　Moritz。　M。　Moriaz　scarcely　had　reached　there；　when　he　entered　a　carriage　to　drive　to　Cellarina；　provided　with　a　portfolio　given　him　by　Antoinette。　He　found　M。　Larinski　busy　strapping　his　trunks；　and　waiting　for　the　mail…coach　that　made　the　journey　between　Samaden　and　Chur　by　the　Col　du　Julier。

M。　Moriaz　expressed　his　regret　a