samuel brohl & company-第4章

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would　read　them；　pen　in　hand；　I　would　make　extractswritten　extractsand　such　extracts！　/Grand　Dieu！/　they　would　be　like　copperplate。　My　dear　master；　will　you　give　her　to　me？〃

〃The　absurd　creature！　He　imagines　that　it　only　depends　upon　me　to　give　him　my　daughter。　I　could　as　easily　dispose　of　the　moon。　Since　she　has　had　teeth；　she　had　made　me　desire　everything　she　desires。〃

〃At　least　you　will　give　me　permission　to　pay　my　addresses　to　her　to…morrow？〃

〃Beware；　unlucky　youth！〃　cried　M。　Moriaz。　〃You　will　ruin　your　case　forever。　Since　you　have　been　away　she　has　refused　two　offers；　one　of　them　from　a　second　secretary　of　legation；　Viscount　de　R…；　and　at　the　present　moment　she　holds　in　holy　horror　all　suitors。　She　is　accompanying　me　to　Saint　Moritz　in　order　to　gather　flowers　and　paint　aquarelle　sketches　of　them。　Should　you　presume　to　interrupt　her　in　her　favourite　occupations；　should　you　present　yourself　before　her　like　a　creditor　on　the　day　of　maturity；　I　swear　to　you　that　your　note　would　be　protested；　and　that　you　would　have　nothing　better　to　do　than　return　to　Hungary。〃

〃You　are　sure　of　it？〃

〃As　sure　as　that　sulphuric　acid　will　turn　litmus　red。〃

〃And　you　have　the　heart　to　sent　me　back　to　Paris　without　having　spoken　with　her？〃

〃What　I　have　said　is　for　your　good；　and　you　know　whether　I　mean　you　well　or　not。〃

〃It　is　agreed；　then；　that　you　will　take　charge　of　my　interests；　that　you　will　plead　my　cause？〃

〃It　is　understood　that　I　will　sound　the　premises；　that　I　will　prepare　the　way〃

〃And　that　you　will　send　me　tidings　shortly；　and　that　these　tidings　will　be　good。　I　shall　await　them　here；　at　the　Hotel　Steinbock。〃

〃As　you　please；　but；　for　the　love　of　Heaven；　let　me　sleep！〃

M。　Camille　Langis　pressed　his　two　arms　and　said；　with　much　emotion：　〃I　place　myself　in　your　hands；　take　care　how　you　answer　for　my　life！〃

〃O　youth！〃　murmured　M。　Moriaz；　actually　thrusting　Camille　from　the　room。　〃One　might　search　in　vain　for　a　more　beautiful　invention。〃

Ten　hours　later；　a　post…chaise　bore　in　the　direction　of　Engadine　Mlle。　Antoinette　Moriaz；　her　father；　her　/demoiselle　de　compagnie/；　and　her　/femme　de　chambre/。　They　breakfasted　tolerably　well　in　a　village　situated　in　the　lower　portion　of　a　notch；　called　Tiefenkasten；　which　means；　literally；　/deep　chest/；　and　certainly　a　deeper　never　has　been　seen。　After　breakfast　they　pursued　their　way　farther；　and　towards　four　o'clock　in　the　afternoon　they　reached　the　entrance　of　the　savage　defile　of　Bergunerstein；　which　deserves　to　be　compared　with　that　of　Via　Mala。　The　road　lies　between　a　wall　of　rocks　and　a　precipice　of　nearly　two　hundred　metres；　at　the　bottom　of　which　rush　the　swift　waters　of　the　Albula。　This　wild　scenery　deeply　moved　Mlle。　Moriaz；　she　never　had　seen　anything　like　it　at　Cormeilles　or　anywhere　about　Paris。　She　alighted；　and；　moving　towards　the　parapet；　leaned　over　it；　contemplating　at　her　ease　the　depths　below；　which　the　foaming　torrent　beneath　filled　with　its　roars。

Her　father　speedily　joined　her。

〃Do　you　not　find　this　music　charming？〃　she　asked　of　him。

〃Charming；　I　grant；〃　he　replied；　〃but　more　charming　still　are　those　brave　workmen　who；　at　the　risk　of　their　necks；　have　engineered　such　a　suspended　highway　as　we　see　here。　I　think　you　admire　the　torrent　too　much；　and　the　road　not　enough。〃　And　after　a　pause　he　added；　〃I　wish　that　our　friend　Camille　Langis　had　had　fewer　dangers　to　contend　with　in　constructing　his。〃　Antoinette　turned　quickly　and　looked　at　her　father；　then　she　bestowed　her　attention　once　more　upon　the　Albula。　〃To　be　sure；〃　resumed　M。　Moriaz；　stroking　his　whiskers　with　the　head　of　his　cane；　〃Camille　is　just　the　man　to　make　his　way　through　difficulties。　He　has　a　youthful　air　that　is　very　deceptive；　but　he　always　has　been　astonishingly　precocious。　At　twenty　years　of　age　he　became　head　of　his　class　at　the　Central　School；　but　the　best　thing　about　him　is　that；　although　in　possession　of　a　fortune；　yet　he　has　a　passion　for　work。　The　rich　man　who　works　accepts　voluntary　poverty。〃

There　arose　from　the　precipice　a　damp；　chill　breeze；　Mlle。　Moriaz　drew　over　her　head　a　red　hood　that　she　held　in　her　hand；　and　scraping　off　with　her　finger　some　of　the　facing　of　the　parapet；　which　glittered　with　scales　of　mica；　she　asked：　〃What　do　you　call　this？〃

〃It　is　gneiss；　a　sort　of　sheet…granite；　but　do　not　you　too　admire　people　who　work　when　they　are　not　compelled　to　do　anything？〃

〃Then　you　must　admire　yourself　a　great　deal。〃

〃Oh；　I！　In　my　early　youth　I　worked　from　necessity；　and　then　I　formed　a　habit　which　I　cannot　now　get　rid　of；　while　Camille　Langis〃

〃Once　more？〃　she　ejaculated；　with　a　gesture　of　impatience。　〃What　prompts　you　to　speak　to　me　of　Camille？〃

〃Nothing。　I　often　think　of　him。〃

〃Do　not　let　us　two　play　at　diplomacy。　You　have　had　news　of　him　lately？〃

〃You　just　remind　me　that　I　have；　through　a　letter　from　Mme。　De　Lorcy。〃

〃Mme　de　Lorcy；　my　godmother；　would　do　better　to　meddle　with　what　concerns　her。　That　woman　is　incorrigible。〃

〃Of　what　would　you　have　her　correct　herself？〃

〃Simply　of　her　mania　for　making　my　happiness　after　her　own　fashion。　I　read　in　your　eyes　that　Camille　has　returned　to　Paris。　What　is　his　object？〃

〃I　know　nothing　about　it。　How　should　I　know？　I　only　presumethat　is；　I　suppose〃

〃You　do　not　supposeyou　know。〃

〃Not　at　all。　At　the　same　time；　since　hypothesis　is　the　road　which　leads　to　science；　a　road　we　/savants/　travel　every　day；　I〃

'You　know　very　well；〃　she　again　interposed；　〃that　I　promised　him　nothing。〃

〃Strictly　speaking；　I　admit；　but　you　requested　me　to　tell　him　that　you　found　him　too　young。　He　has　laboured　conscientiously　since　then　to　correct　that　fault。〃　Then　playfully　pinching　her　cheeks；　he　added：　〃You　are　a　great　girl　for　objections。　Soon　you　will　be　twenty…five　years　old；　and　you　have　refused　five　eligible　offers。　Have　you　taken　a　vow　to　remain　unmarried？〃

〃Ah！　you　have　no　mercy；〃　she　cried。　〃What！　you　cannot　even　spare　me　on　the　Albula！　You　know　that；　of　all　subjects　of　conversation；　I　have　most　antipathy　for　this。〃

〃Come；　come；　you　are　slandering　me　now；　my　child。　I　spoke　to　you　of　Camille　as　I　might　have　spoken　of　the　King　of　Prussia；　and　you　rose　in　arms　at　once；　taking　it　wholly　to　yourself。〃

Antoinette　was　silent　for　some　moments。

〃Decidedly；　you　are　very　fond　of　Camille；〃　she　presently　said。

〃Of　all　the　sons…in…law　you　could　propose　to　me〃

〃But　I　do　not　propose　any。〃

〃That　is　precisely　what　I　find　fault　with。〃

〃Very　good；　since　you　think　so　much　of　him；　this　Camille；　suppose　you　command　me　to　marry　him？〃

〃If　I　were　to　command；　would　you　obey？〃

〃Perhaps；　just　for　the　curiosity　of　the　thing；〃　she　rejoined；　laughing。

〃Naughty　girl；　to　mock　at　her　father！〃　said　he。　〃If　these　twenty　years　I　have　been　in　servitude；　I　can　scarcely　emancipate　myself　in　a　day。　However；　since　the　great　king　deigns　to　hold　parley　with　his　ministers；　I　am　Pomponnelet　us　argue。〃

〃Ah；　well！　you　know　as　well　as　I　that　I　have　a　real　friendship　for　Camille；　as　the　playmate　of　my　childhood。　I　remember　him　when　he　was　ever　so　small；　and　he　remembers　me；　too；　when　I　was　a　tiny　creature。　We　played　hide…and…seek　together；　and　he　humoured　me　in　my　ten　thousand　little　caprices。　Delightful　reminiscences　these；　but　unfortunately　I　think　of　them　too　much　when　I　see　him。〃

〃He　has　passed　two　years　among　the　Magyars；　two　years　is　a　good　while。〃

〃Bah！　he　could　never　possibly　have　any　authority　over　me。　I　intend　that　my　husband　shall　be　my　government。〃

〃So　that　you　may　have　the　pleasure　of　governing　your　government？〃

〃Besides；　I　know　Camille　too　well。　I　could　only　fall　in　love　with　a　stranger；〃　said　she；　heedless　of　the　last　sally。

〃Was　not　the　Viscount　R…　a　stranger？〃

〃At　the　end　of　five　minutes　I　knew　him　by　heart。　He　is　precisely　like　all　other　second　secretaries　of　legation　in　the　world。　You　may　be　sure　that　there　is　not　a　single　idea　in　his　head　that　is　really　his　own。　Even　his　figure　does　not　belong　to　himself；　it　is　the　/chef…d'oeuvre/　of　the　united　efforts　of　his　tailor　and　his　shirt…maker。〃

〃According　to　this；　a　prime　requisite　in　the　man　whom　you　could　love　is　to　be　poorly　clad。〃

〃If　ever　my　heart　is　touched；　it　will　be　because　I　have　met　a　man　who　is　not　like　all　the　othe