samuel brohl & company-第33章

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〃Look　at　me　well；　have　I　not　the　appearance　of　an　adventurer？〃　The　abbe　recoiled。　〃This　word　shocks　you？〃　continued　Samuel。　〃Yes；　I　am　a　man　of　adventures；　born　to　be　always　on　my　feet；　and　ready　to　start　off　at　a　moment's　warning。　Marriage　was　not　instituted　for　those　whose　lives　are　liable　at　any　time　to　be　in　jeopardy。〃　With　a　tragic　accent；　he　added：　〃You　know　what　occurred　in　Bosnia。　How　do　we　know　that　war　may　not　very　shortly　be　proclaimed；　and　who　can　foresee　the　consequences？　I　must　hold　myself　in　readiness　for　the　great　day。　Perhaps　an　inscrutable　Providence　may　ere　long　offer　me　a　new　occasion　to　risk　my　life　for　my　country；　perhaps　Poland　will　call　me；　crying；　'Come；　I　have　need　of　thee！'　If　I　should　respond：　'I　belong　no　more　to　myself；　I　have　given　my　heart　to　a　woman　who　holds　me　in　chains；　I　have　henceforth　a　roof；　a　family；　a　hearthstone；　dear　ties　that　I　dare　not　break！'　I　ask　you；　M。　l'Abbe；　would　not　Poland　have　a　right　to　say　to　me；　'Thou　hast　violated　thy　vow；　thou　hast　denied　me；　upon　thy　head　rest　forever　my　maledictions？'　〃

Abbe　Miollens　had　just　taken　a　pinch　of　snuff；　and　he　hearkened　to　this　harangue；　tapping　his　fingers　impatiently　on　the　lid　of　his　handsome　gold　snuff…box；　which　had　been　presented　to　him　by　the　most　amiable　of　his　penitents。

〃If　this　be　the　way　you　view　it；〃　replied　he；　〃is　your　conscience　quite　tranquil；　my　dear　friend？　for　you　will　permit　me；　I　trust；　to　call　you　so。　Ay；　is　it　sure　that　from　your　standpoint　your　conscience　has　no　accusations　to　make　you？　Is　it　certain　that　your　heart　has　not　been　unfaithful　to　its　mistress？　If　I　may　believe　a　certain　rumour　that　has　reached　my　ear；　there　took　place　a　most　singular　scene　yesterday　at　the　house　of　Mme。　de　Lorcy。〃

Samuel　Brohl　trembled　violently；　he　changed　colour；　he　buried　his　face　in　his　hands；　doubtless　to　hide　from　the　abbe　the　blushes　remorse　had　caused　to　mantle　his　cheeks。　In　a　faint　voice　he　murmured：

〃Not　a　word　more！　you　know　not　how　deep　a　wound　you　have　probed。〃

〃It　is；　then；　true　that　you　love　Mlle。　Antoinette　Moriaz？〃　asked　the　abbe。

〃I　have　sworn　that　she　never　shall　know　it；〃　replied　Samuel；　in　accents　of　the　most　humble　contrition。　〃Yesterday　I　had　the　unworthy　weakness　to　betray　myself。　/Mon　Dieu！/　what　must　she　have　thought　of　me？〃

As　he　spoke　thus；　his　face　buried　in　his　hands；　he　slightly　moved　apart　his　fingers；　and　fixed　upon　the　abbe　two　glittering　eyes　that；　like　cats'　eyes；　were　capable　of　seeing　clearly　in　the　dark。

〃What　she　thinks　of　you！〃　echoed　the　abbe；　taking　a　fresh　pinch　of　snuff。　〃Bah！　my　dear　count；　women　never　are　angry　when　a　man　swoons　away　because　of　their　bright　eyes；　especially　when　this　man　is　a　noble　chevalier；　a　true　knight　of　the　Round　Table。　I　have　reason　to　believe　that　Mlle。　Moriaz　did　not　take　your　accident　unkindly。　Shall　I　tell　you　my　whole　thought？　I　should　not　be　surprised　if　you　had　touched　her　heart；　and　that；　if　you　take　the　pains；　you　may　flatter　yourself　with　the　hope　of　one　day　being　loved　by　her。〃

At　this　moment　the　voice　of　his　worthy　friend　appeared　to　Samuel　Brohl　the　most　harmonious　of　all　music。　He　felt　a　delicious　thrill　quiver　through　his　frame。　The　abbe　was　telling　him　nothing　he　had　not　known　before；　but　there　are　things　of　which　we　are　certain；　things　that　we　have　told　ourselves　a　hundred　times；　and　yet　that　seem　new　when　told　us　for　the　first　time　by　another。

〃You　are　not　misleading　me？〃　ejaculated　Samuel　Brohl；　overwhelmed　with　joy；　transported　beyond　himself。　〃Can　it　really　be　true！One　day　I　may　flatter　myselfone　day　she　may　judge　me　worthy　Ah！　what　a　glorious　vision　you　cause　to　pass　before　my　eyes！　How　good　and　cruel　together　you　are　to　me！　What　bitterness　is　intermingled　with　the　ineffable　sweetness　of　your　words！　No；　I　never　could　have　believed　that　there　could　be　so　much　joy　in　anguish；　so　much　anguish　in　joy。〃

〃What　would　you　imply；　my　dear　count？〃　interposed　Abbe　Miollens。　〃Have　you　need　of　a　negotiator？　I　can　boast　of　having　had　some　experience　in　that　line。　I　am　wholly　at　your　service。〃

These　words　calmed　Samuel　Brohl。　Quickly　recovering　himself；　he　coldly　rejoined：

〃A　negotiator？　What　occasion　would　I　have　for　a　negotiator？　Do　not　delude　me　with　a　chimera；　and　above　all　do　not　tempt　me　to　sacrifice　my　honour　to　it。　This　height　of　felicity　that　you　offer　to　me　I　must　renounce　forever；　I　have　told　you　why。〃

Abbe　Miollens　was　at　first　inclined　to　be　indignant；　he　even　took　the　liberty　to　rebuke；　to　expostulate　with　his　noble　friend。　He　endeavoured　to　prove　to　him　that　his　principles　were　too　rigorous；　that　such　a　thing　is　possible　as　exaggeration　in　virtue；　too　great　refinement　in　delicacy　of　conscience。　He　represented　to　him　that　noble　souls　should　beware　of　exaltation　of　sentiment。　He　cited　the　Gospels；　he　cited　Bossuet；　he　also　cited　his　well…beloved　Horace；　who　censored　all　that　was　ultra　or　excessive；　and　recommended　the　sage　to　flee　all　extremities。　His　reasoning　was　weak　against　the　unwavering　resolution　of　Samuel；　who　resisted；　with　the　firmness　of　a　rock；　all　his　remonstrances；　and　finally　ended　these　with　the　words：

〃Peace；　I　implore　you！　Respect　my　folly；　which　is　surely　wisdom　in　the　eyes　of　God。　I　repeat　it　to　you；　I　am　no　longer　free；　and；　even　if　I　were；　do　you　not　know　that　there　is　between　Mlle。　Moriaz　and　myself　an　insurmountable　barrier？〃

〃And　pray；　what　is　that？〃　demanded　the　abbe。

〃Her　fortune　and　my　pride；〃　said　Samuel。　〃She　is　rich；　I　am　poor；　this　adorable　being　is　not　made　for　me。　I　told　Mme。　de　Lorcy　one　day　what　I　thought　of　this　kind　of　alliances；　or；　to　speak　more　clearly；　of　bargains。　Yes；　my　revered　friend；　I　love　Mlle。　Moriaz　with　an　ardour　of　passion　with　which　I　reproach　myself　as　though　it　were　a　crime。　Nothing　remains　to　me　but　to　avoid　seeing　her；　and　I　never　will　see　her　again。　Let　me　follow　to　its　end　my　solitary　and　rugged　path。　One　consolation　will　accompany　me：　I　can　say　that　happiness　has　not　been　denied　to　me：　that　it　is　my　conscience；　admonished　from　on　high；　which　has　refused　to　accept　it；　and　there　is　a　divine　sweetness　in　great　trials　religiously　accepted。　Believe　me；　it　is　God　who　speaks　to　me；　as　he　spoke　to　me　of　old　in　San　Francisco；　to　enjoin　me　to　forsake　everything　and　give　my　blood　for　my　country。　I　recognise　his　voice；　which　to…day　bids　my　heart　be　silent　and　immolate　itself　on　the　altar　of　its　chosen　cause。　God　and　Poland！　Beyond　this；　my　watch…word；　I　have　no　longer　the　right　to　yield　to　anything。〃

And；　turning　towards　the　statuette；　he　exclaimed：　〃It　is　at　her　feet　that　I　lay　down　my　dolorous　offering；　she　it　is　who　will　cure　my　bruised　and　broken　heart。〃

Samuel　Brohl　spoke　in　a　voice　thrilling　with　emotion；　the　breath　of　the　Divine　Spirit　seemed　to　play　through　his　hair；　and　make　his　eyes　grow　humid。　The　eyes　of　the　good　abbe　also　grew　moist：　he　was　profoundly　moved；　he　gazed　with　veneration　upon　this　hero；　he　was　filled　with　respect　for　this　antique　character；　for　this　truly　celestial　soul。　He　never　had　seen　anything　like　it；　either　in　the　odes　or　in　the　epistles　of　Horace。　Lollius　himself　was　surpassed。　Transported　with　admiration；　he　opened　wide　his　arms　to　Samuel　Brohl；　spreading　them　out　their　full　length；　as　though　otherwise　they　might　fail　to　accomplish　their　object；　and；　clasping　him　to　his　bosom；　he　cried：

〃Ah！　my　dear　count；　how　grand　you　are！　You　are　immense　as　the　world！〃



CHAPTER　VIII

Abbe　Miollens　hastened　to　repair　to　Cormeilles；　where　he　gave　a　faithful　circumstantial　account　of　his　conference　with　Count　Larinski。　He　was　still　warm　from　the　interview；　and　he　gave　free　vent　to　the　effusions　of　his　enthusiasm。　He　struck　up　a　Canticle　of　Zion　in　honour　of　the　antique　soul；　the　celestial　soul；　which　had　just　been　revealing　to　him　all　its　hidden　treasures。　M。　Moriaz；　both　astonished　and　scandalized；　observed；　dryly：

〃You　are　right；　this　Pole　is　a　prodigy；　he　should　either　be　canonized　or　hanged；　I　do　not　know　which。〃

Antoinette　said　not　a　word；　she　kept　her　reflections　to　herself。　She　retired　to　her　chamber；　where　she　paced　to　and　fro　for　some　time；　uncertain　regarding　what　she　was　about　to　do；　or；　rather　more　restless　than　uncertain。　Several　times　she　approached　her　writing…table；　and　gazed　earnestly　at　her　ink