samuel brohl & company-第5章

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〃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　other　men　of　my　acquaintance。　After　that　I　will　not　positively　forbid　him　to　have　decent　clothing。〃

M。　Moriaz　made　a　little　gesture　of　impatience；　and　then　set　out　to　regain　the　chaise；　which　was　some　distance　in　advance。　When　he　had　proceeded　about　twenty　steps；　he　paused；　and；　turning　towards　Antoinette；　who　was　engaged　in　readjusting　her　hood　and　rebuttoning　her　twelve…button　gloves；　he　said：

〃I　have　drawn　an　odd　number　in　the　great　lottery　of　this　world。　In　our　day　there　are　no　romantic　girls；　the　last　remaining　one　is　mine。〃

〃That　is　it；　I　am　a　romantic　girl！〃　she　cried；　tossing　her　pretty；　curly　head　with　an　air　of　defiance；　〃and　if　you　are　wise　you　will　not　urge　me　to　marry；　for　I　never　shall　make　any　but　an　ineligible　match。〃

〃Ah；　speak　lower！〃　he　exclaimed；　casting　a　hurried　glance　around　him；　and　adding：　〃Thank　Heaven！　there　is　no　one　here　but　the　Albula　to　hear　you。〃

M。　Moriaz　mistook。　Had　he　raised　his　eyes　a　little　higher　he　would　have　discovered；　above　the　rock　cornice　bordering　the　highway；　a　foot…　path；　and　in　this　foot…path　a　pedestrian　tourist；　who　had　paused　beneath　a　fir…tree。　This　tourist　had　set　out　from　Chur　in　the　diligence。　At　the　entrance　of　the　defile；　leaving　his　luggage　to　continue　without　him　to　Saint　Moritz；　he　had　alighted；　and　with　his　haversack　on　his　back　had　set　forward　on　foot　for　Bergun；　where　he　proposed　passing　the　night；　as　did　also　M。　Moriaz。　Of　the　conversation　between　Antoinette　and　her　father　he　had　caught　only　one　word。　This　word；　however；　sped　like　an　arrow　into　his　ear；　and　from　his　ear　into　the　innermost　recesses　of　his　brain；　where　it　long　quivered。　It　was　a　treasure；　this　word；　and　he　did　not　cease　to　meditate　upon　it；　to　comment　on　it；　to　extract　from　it　all　its　essence；　until　he　had　reached　the　first　houses　of　Bergun；　like　a　mendicant　who　has　picked　up　in　a　dusty　road　a　well…filled　purse；　and　who　opens　it；　closes　it；　opens　it　again；　counts　his　prize　piece　by　piece；　and　adds　up　its　value　twenty　times　over。　Our　tourist　dined　at　the　/table　d'hote/；　he　was　so　preoccupied　that　he　ate　the　trout　caught　in　the　Albula　without　suspecting　that　they　possessed　a　marvellous　freshness；　an　exquisite　flavour　and　delicacy；　and　yet　it　is　notorious　that　the　trout　of　the　Albula　are　the　first　trout　of　the　universe。

Mlle。　Moiseney；　the　duties　of　whose　office　consisted　in　serving　as　chaperon　to　Mlle。　Moriaz；　was　not　a　great　genius。　This　worthy　and　excellent　personage　had；　in　fact；　rather　a　circumscribed　mind；　and　she　had　not　the　least　suspicion　of　it。　Her　physiognomy　was　not　pleasing　to　M。　Moriaz；　he　had　several　times　besought　his　daughter　to　part　with　her。　In　the　goodness　of　her　soul　Antoinette　always　refused；　she　was　not　one　who　could　countenance　rebuffs　to　old　domestics；　old　dogs；　old　horses；　or　worn…out　governesses。　Young　Candide　arrived　at　the　conclusion；　as　the　result　of　his　observations；　that　the　first　degree　of　happiness　would　be　to　be　Mlle。　Gunegonde；　and　the　second　to　contemplate　her　throughout　life。　Mlle。　Moiseney　believed　that　it　would　be　the　first　degree　of　superhuman　felicity　to　be　Mlle。　Moriaz；　the　second　to　pass　one's　life　near　this　queen；　who；　arbitrary　and　capricious　though　she　might　be；　was　most　thoughtful　of　the　happiness　of　her　subjects；　and　to　be　able　to　say：　〃It　was　I　that　hatched　the　egg　whence　arose　this　phoenix；　I　did　something　for　this　marvel；　I　taught　her　English　and　music。〃　She　had　boundless　admiration　for　her　queen；　amounting　actually　to　idolatry。　The　English　profess　that　their　sovereigns　can　do　nothing　amiss：　〃The　king　can　do　no　wrong。〃　Mlle。　Moiseney　was　convinced　that　Mlle。　Moriaz　could　neither　do　wrong　nor　make　mistakes　about　anything。　She　saw　everything　with　her　eyes；　espoused　her　likes　and　her　dislikes；　her　sentiments；　her　opinions；　her　rights；　and　her　wrongs；　she　lived；　as　it　were；　a　reflected　existence。　Every　morning　she　said　to　her　idol；　〃How　beautiful　we　are　to…day！〃　precisely　as　the　bell…ringer　who；　puffing　out　his　cheeks；　cried：　〃We　are　in　voice；　we　have　chanted　vespers　well　to…day！〃　M。　Moriaz　excused　her　for　finding　his　daughter　charming；　but　could　not　so　readily　approve　of　her　upholding　Antoinette's　ideas；　her　decisions；　her　prejudices。　〃This　woman　is　no　chaperon；〃　said　he；　〃she　is　an　admiration…point！〃　He　would　have　been　very　glad　to　have　routed　her　from　the　field；　and　to　give　her　place　to　a　person　of　good　sound　sense　and　judgment；　one　who　might　gain　some　influence　over　Antoinette。　It　would　have　greatly　surprised　Mlle。　Moiseney　had　he　represented　to　her　that　she　lacked　good　sense。　This　good　creature　flattered　herself　that　she　had　an　inexhaustible　stock　of　this　commodity；　she　placed　the　highest　estimate　on　her　own　judgment；　she　believed　herself　to　be　well…　nigh　infallible。　She　discoursed　in　the　tone　of　an　oracle　on　future　contingencies；　she　prided　herself　on　being　able　to　divine　all　things；　to　foresee　all　things；　to　predict　all　thingsin　a　word；　to　be　in　the　secret　of　the　gods。　As　her　Christian　name　was　Joan；　M。　Moriaz；　who　set　little　store　by　his　calendar；　sometimes　called　her　Pope　Joan；　which　wounded　her　deeply。

Mlle。　Moiseney　had　two　weaknesses；　she　was　a　gormand；　and　she　admired　handsome　men。　Let　us　understand　the　case：　she　knew　perfectly　well　that　they　were　not　created　for　her；　that　she　had　no　attractions　to　offer　them；　that　they　had　nothing　to　give　her。　She　admired　them　naively　and　innocently；　as　a　child　might　admire　a　beautiful　Epinal　engraving；　she　would　willingly　have　cut　out　their　likenesses　to　hang　on　a　nail　on　her　wall；　and　contemplate　while　rereading　〃Gonzalve　de　Cordue〃　and　〃Le　Dernier　des　Cavaliers；〃　her　two　favourite　romances。　At　Bergun；　during　the　repast；　her　brain　had　been　working；　and　she　had　made　two　reflections。　The　first　was；　that　the　trout　of　Albula　were　incomparable；　the　second　that　the　stranger　seated　opposite　her　had　a　remarkably　handsome　head；　and　was　altogether　a　fine…looking　man。　Several　times；　with　fork　halfway　to　mouth；　and　nose　in　the　air；　she　had　forgotten　herself　in　her　scrutiny　of　him。

Antoinette；　rather　weary；　had　retired　early　to　her　chamber。　Mlle。　Moiseney　repaired　thither　to　see　if　she　needed　anything；　and；　as　she　was　about　leaving　her　for　the　night；　candle　in　hand；　she　suddenly　inquired；　〃Do　not　you　think；　as　I　do；　that　this　stranger　is　a　remarkable…looking　person？〃

〃Of　whom　do　you　speak？〃　rejoined　Antoinette。

〃Why；　of　the　traveller　who　sat　opposite　me。〃

〃I　confess　that　I　scarcely　looked　at　him。〃

〃Indeed！　He　has　superb　eyes；　nearly　green；　with　fawn…coloured　tinting。〃

〃Most　astonishing！　And　his　hair；　is　it　green　also？〃

〃Chestnut　brown；　almost　hazel。〃

〃Pray　be　more　exact；　is　it　hazel　or　not？〃

〃You　need　not　laugh　at　mehis　whole　appearance　is　striking；　his　figure　singular；　but　full　of　character；　full　of　expression；　and　as　handsome　as　singular。〃

〃What　enthusiasm！　It　seemed　to　me；　so　far　as　I　noticed；　that　he　was　inclined　to　stoop；　and　that　his　head　was　very　badly　poised。〃

〃What　do　you　say？〃　cried　Mlle。　Moiseney；　greatly　scandalized。　〃How　came　you　to　think　his　head　badly　poised？〃

〃Therethere！　Don't　let　us　quarrel　about　it；　I　am　ready　to　retract。　Good…night；　mademoiselle。　Apropos；　did　you　know　that　M。　Camille　Langis　had　returned　to　Paris？〃

〃I　did　not　know　it；　but　I　am　not　surprised。　I　had　surmised　it；　in　fact；　I　was　quite　sure　that　he　would　be　back　about　this　time；　perfectly　sure。　And；　of　course；　you　think　he　has　returned　with　the　intention〃

〃I　think；〃　interrupted　Antoinette；　〃that　it　costs　me　more　to　pain　M。　Langis　than　any　other　man　in　the　world。　I　think；　also；　that　he　possesses　most　tiresome　fidelity；　it　is　always　the　way；　one　never　loses　one's　dog　when　one　wants　to　lose　him；　and　I　think；　moreover；　that　a　woman　makes　a　poor　bargain　when　she　marries　a　man　for　whom　she　feels　friendship；　for；　if　she　gains　a　husband；　she　is　very　sure　to　lose　a　friend。〃

〃How　true　your　words　are！〃　exclaimed　Mlle。　Moiseney。　〃But　you　are　always　right。　Has　M。　Langis　forgotten　that　you　thought　him　too　young　only　twenty…three？〃

〃He　has　so　little　forgotten　it　that　he　has　managed；　I　don't　know　how；　to　be　at