samuel brohl & company-第3章

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rned　to　Vienna；　and　will　honour　　　the　dear　little　note。　One　day　you　will　go　down　on　your　knees　to　　　beg　of　me　to　loan　you　a　thousand　florins；　and　I　will　astonish　you　　　with　my　ingratitude。　May　the　God　of　Abraham；　of　Isaac；　and　of　　　Jacob；　have　you　in　his　holy　keeping；　my　dear　Guldenthal！〃

As　he　finished　his　letter；　he　heard　the　sound　of　harps　and　violins。　Some　itinerant　musicians　were　giving　a　concert　in　the　hotel…garden；　which　was　lit　up　as　bright　as　day。　Abel　opened　his　window；　and　leaned　on　his　elbows；　looking　out。　The　first　object　that　presented　itself　to　his　eyes　was　Mlle。　Moriaz；　promenading　one　of　the　long　garden…walks；　leaning　on　her　father's　arm。　Many　eyes　were　fixed　on　herwe　have　already　said　it　was　difficult　not　to　gaze　upon　herbut　no　one　contemplated　her　with　such　close　attention　as　Count　Larinski。　He　never　once　lost　sight　of　her。

〃Is　she　beautiful？　Is　she　even　pretty？〃　he　queried　within　himself。　〃I　cannot　quite　make　up　my　mind；　but　I　am　very　sure　that　she　is　charming。　Like　my　bracelet；　this　is　a　fancy　article。　She　is　a　little　thin；　and　her　shoulders　are　too　vigorously　fashioned　for　her　waist；　which　is　slender　and　supple　as　a　reed；　but；　such　as　she　is；　she　has　not　her　equal。　Her　walk；　her　carriage；　resemble　nothing　I　ever　have　seen　before。　I　can　well　imagine　that　when　she　appears　in　the　streets　of　Paris　people　turn　to　look　after　her；　but　no　one　would　have　the　audacity　to　follow　her。　How　old　is　she？　Twenty…four　or　twenty…five　years；　I　should　say。　Why　is　she　not　married？　Who　is　this　withered；　pinched…looking　fright　of　a　personage　who　trots　at　her　side　like　a　poodle…dog？　Probably　some　/demoiselle　de　compagnie/。　And　there　comes　her　/femme　de　chambre/；　a　very　spruce　little　lass；　bringing　her　a　shawl；　which　the　/demoiselle　de　compagnie/　hastens　to　put　over　her　shoulders。　She　allows　it　to　be　done　with　the　air　of　one　who　is　accustomed　to　being　waited　upon。　Mlle。　Moriaz　is　an　heiress。　Why；　then；　is　she　not　married？〃

Count　Larinski　pursued　his　soliloquy　as　long　as　Mlle。　Moriaz　promenaded　in　the　garden。　As　soon　as　she　re…entered　the　hotel；　it　appeared　to　him　that　the　garden　had　become　empty；　and　that　the　musicians　were　playing　out　of　tune。　He　closed　his　window。　He　gave　up　his　plan　of　starting　the　next　day　for　Saxon。　He　had　decided　that　he　would　set　out　for　Saint　Moritz；　to　pass　there　at　least　two　or　three　days。　He　said　to　himself；　〃It　seems　absurd；　but　who　can　tell？〃

Thereupon　he　proceeded　to　investigate　the　state　of　his　finances；　and　he　weighed　and　re…weighed　his　purse；　which　was　very　light。　Formerly　Count　Larinski　had　possessed　a　very　pretty　collection　of　jewellery。　He　had　looked　upon　this　as　a　reserve　fund；　to　which　he　would　have　recourse　only　in　cases　of　extreme　distress。　Alas！　there　remained　to　him　now　only　two　articles　of　his　once　considerable　storethe　bracelet　that　was　in　the　hands　of　M。　Guldenthal；　and　a　diamond　ring　that　he　wore　on　his　finger。　He　decided　that；　before　quitting　Chur；　he　would　borrow　money　on　this　ring；　or　that　he　would　try　to　sell　it。

He　remained　some　time　seated　at　the　foot　of　his　bed；　dangling　his　legs　to　and　fro；　his　eyes　closed。　He　had　closed　them；　in　order　to　better　call　up　a　vision　of　Mlle。　Moriaz；　and　he　repeated　the　words：　〃It　seems　absurd；　but　who　can　tell？　The　fact　is；　we　can　know　nothing　of　a　surety；　and　anything　may　happen。〃　Then　he　recalled　one　of　Goethe's　poems；　entitled　〃Vanitas！　vanitatum　vanitas！〃　and　he　recited　several　time　in　German　these　two　lines：

　〃Nun　hab'　ich　mein'　Sach'　auf　nichts　gestellt；　　　Und　mein　gehort　die　ganze　Welt！〃

This　literally　signifies；　〃Now　that　I　no　longer　count　on　anything；　the　whole　world　is　mine。〃　Abel　Larinski　recited　these　lines　with　a　purity　of　accent　that　would　have　astonished　M。　Moses　Guldenthal。

M。　Moriaz；　after　wishing　his　daughter　good…night；　and　imprinting　a　kiss　upon　her　brow；　as　was　his　custom；　had　retired　to　his　chamber。　He　was　preparing　for　bed；　when　there　came　a　knock　at　his　door。　Opening　this；　he　saw　before　him　a　fair…haired　youth；　who　rushed　eagerly　towards　him；　seized　both　his　hands；　and　pressed　them　with　effusion。　M。　Moriaz　disengaged　his　hands；　and　regarded　the　intruder　with　a　bewildered　air。

〃How？〃　cried　the　latter。　〃You　do　not　know　me？　So　sure　as　you　are　one　of　the　most　illustrious　chemists　of　the　day；　I　am　Camille　Langis；　son　of　your　best　friend；　a　young　man　of　great　expectations；　who　admires　you　truly；　who　has　followed　you　here；　and　who　is　now　ready　to　begin　all　over　again。　There；　my　dear　master；　do　you　recognise　me？〃

〃Ay；　to　be　sure　I　recognise　you；　my　boy；〃　replied　M。　Moriaz；　〃although；　to　tell　the　truth；　you　have　greatly　changed。　When　you　left　us　you　were　a　mere　youth。〃

〃And　now？〃

〃And　now　you　have　the　air　of　a　young　man；　but；　I　beg　of　you；　where　have　you　come　from？　I　thought　you　were　in　the　heart　of　Transylvania。〃

〃It　is　possible　to　return　from　there；　as　you　see。　Three　days　ago　I　arrived　in　Paris　and　flew　to　Maisons…Lafitte。　Mme。　De　Lorcy；　who　bears　the　double　insignia　of　honour　of　being　my　aunt　and　the　godmother　of　AntoinetteI　beg　your　pardon；　I　mean　Mlle。　Antoinette　Moriaz　informed　me　that　you　were　in　ill…health；　and　that　your　physician　had　sent　you　to　Switzerland；　to　Saint　Moritz；　to　recruit。　I　hastened　after　you；　this　morning　I　missed　you　by　one　hour　at　Zurich；　but　I　have　you　now；　and　you　will　listen　to　me。〃

〃I　warn　you；　my　dear　child；　that　I　am　at　this　moment　a　most　detestable　auditor。　We　have　done　to…day　one　/hotel　de　ville/；　one　episcopal　palace；　one　cathedral；　and　some　relics　of　St。　Lucius。　To　speak　plainly；　I　am　overpowered　with　sleep。　Is　there　any　great　haste　for　what　you　have　to　say　to　me？〃

〃Is　there　any　great　haste？　Why；　I　arrive　breathless　from　Hungary　to　demand　your　daughter　in　marriage。〃

M。　Moriaz　threw　up　his　arms；　then；　seating　himself　on　the　edge　of　his　bed；　he　piteously　gasped：

〃You　could　not　wait　until　to…morrow？　If　a　judge　is　desired　to　take　a　favourable　view　of　a　case；　he　surely　should　not　be　disturbed　in　his　first　sleep　to　consider　it。〃

〃My　dear　master；　I　am　truly　distressed　to　be　compelled　to　be　disagreeable　to　you；　but　it　is　absolutely　necessary　that　you　should　listen　to　me。　Two　years　ago；　for　the　first　time；　I　asked　of　you　your　daughter's　hand。　After　having　consulted　Antoinetteyou　will　permit　me　to　call　her　Antoinette；　will　you　not？after　having　consulted　her；　you　told　me　that　I　was　too　young；　that　she　would　not　listen　seriously　to　my　proposal；　and　you　gave　me　your　permission　to　try　again　in　two　years。　I　have　employed　these　two　mortal　years　in　constructing　a　railroad　and　a　wire　bridge　in　Hungary；　and；　believe　me；　I　took　infinite　pains　to　forget　Antoinette。　In　vain！　She　is　the　romance　of　my　youth；　I　never　can　have　another。　On　July　5；　1873；　did　you　not　tell　me　to　return　in　two　years？　We　are　now　at　July　5；　1875；　and　I　return。　Am　I　a　punctual　man？〃

〃As　punctual　as　insupportable；〃　rejoined　M。　Moriaz；　casting　a　melancholy　look　at　his　pillow。　〃Now；　candidly；　is　it　the　thing　to　seek　the　presence　of　the　President　of　the　Academy　of　Sciences　between　eleven　o'clock　and　midnight；　to　pour　such　silly　stuff　into　his　ear？　You　are　wanting　in　respect　for　the　Institute。　Besides；　my　dear　boy；　people　change　in　two　years；　you　are　a　proof　of　it。　You　have　developed　from　boyhood　almost　into　manhood；　and　you　have　done　well　to　let　your　imperial　grow；　it　gives　you　quite　a　dashing　military　airone　would　divine　at　first　sight　that　you　were　fresh　from　Hungary。　But；　while　you　have　changed　for　the　better；　are　you　sure　that　Antoinette　has　not　changed　for　the　worse？　Are　you　sure　that　she　is　still　the　Antoinette　of　your　romance？〃

〃I　beg　your　pardon；　I　saw　her　just　now；　without　her　seeing　me。　She　was　promenading　on　your　arm　in　the　hotel…garden；　which　was　lit　up　in　her　honour。　Formerly　she　was　enchanting；　she　has　become　adorable。　If　you　would　have　the　immense　goodness　to　give　her　to　me；　I　would　be　capable　of　doing　anything　agreeable　to　you。　I　would　relieve　you　of　all　your　little　troublesome　jobs；　I　would　clean　your　retorts；　I　would　put　labels　on　your　bottles　and　jars；　I　would　sweep　out　your　laboratory。　I　know　German　very　wellI　would　read　all　the　large　German　books　it　might　please　you　to　consult；　I　would　read　them；　pen　in　hand；　I　would　make　extractswritten　extractsand　such　extracts！　/Grand　Dieu！/