the lily of the valley-第13章

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equally　bound。　Cruelly　tried　by　revolutionary　horrors；　the　Duchesse　de

Verneuil　acquired　in　the　last　years　of　her　life　a　halo　of　passionate

piety；　which；　to　use　the　phraseology　of　Saint…Martin；　shed　the　light

of　celestial　love　and　the　chrism　of　inward　joy　upon　the　soul　of　her

cherished　niece。



After　the　death　of　her　aunt；　Madame　de　Mortsauf　received　several

visits　at　Clochegourde　from　Saint…Martin；　a　man　of　peace　and　of

virtuous　wisdom。　It　was　at　Clochegourde　that　he　corrected　his　last

books；　printed　at　Tours　by　Letourmy。　Madame　de　Verneuil；　wise　with　the

wisdom　of　an　old　woman　who　has　known　the　stormy　straits　of　life；　gave

Clochegourde　to　the　young　wife　for　her　married　home；　and　with　the

grace　of　old　age；　so　perfect　where　it　exists；　the　duchess　yielded

everything　to　her　niece；　reserving　for　herself　only　one　room　above　the

one　she　had　always　occupied；　and　which　she　now　fitted　up　for　the

countess。　Her　sudden　death　threw　a　gloom　over　the　early　days　of　the

marriage；　and　connected　Clochegourde　with　ideas　of　sadness　in　the

sensitive　mind　of　the　bride。　The　first　period　of　her　settlement　in

Touraine　was　to　Madame　de　Mortsauf；　I　cannot　say　the　happiest；　but　the

least　troubled　of　her　life。



After　the　many　trials　of　his　exile；　Monsieur　de　Mortsauf；　taking

comfort　in　the　thought　of　a　secure　future；　had　a　certain　recovery　of

mind；　he　breathed　anew　in　this　sweet　valley　the　intoxicating　essence

of　revived　hope。　Compelled　to　husband　his　means；　he　threw　himself　into

agricultural　pursuits　and　began　to　find　some　happiness　in　life。　But

the　birth　of　his　first　child；　Jacques；　was　a　thunderbolt　which　ruined

both　the　past　and　the　future。　The　doctor　declared　the　child　had　not

vitality　enough　to　live。　The　count　concealed　this　sentence　from　the

mother；　but　he　sought　other　advice；　and　received　the　same　fatal

answer；　the　truth　of　which　was　confirmed　at　the　subsequent　birth　of

Madeleine。　These　events　and　a　certain　inward　consciousness　of　the

cause　of　this　disaster　increased　the　diseased　tendencies　of　the　man

himself。　His　name　doomed　to　extinction；　a　pure　and　irreproachable

young　woman　made　miserable　beside　him　and　doomed　to　the　anguish　of

maternity　without　its　joysthis　uprising　of　his　former　into　his

present　life；　with　its　growth　of　new　sufferings；　crushed　his　spirit


and　completed　its　destruction。



The　countess　guessed　the　past　from　the　present；　and　read　the　future。

Though　nothing　is　so　difficult　as　to　make　a　man　happy　when　he　knows

himself　to　blame；　she　set　herself　to　that　task；　which　is　worthy　of　an

angel。　She　became　stoical。　Descending　into　an　abyss；　whence　she　still

could　see　the　sky；　she　devoted　herself　to　the　care　of　one　man　as　the

sister　of　charity　devotes　herself　to　many。　To　reconcile　him　with

himself；　she　forgave　him　that　for　which　he　had　no　forgiveness。　The

count　grew　miserly；　she　accepted　the　privations　he　imposed。　Like　all

who　have　known　the　world　only　to　acquire　its　suspiciousness；　he　feared

betrayal；　she　lived　in　solitude　and　yielded　without　a　murmur　to　his

mistrust。　With　a　woman's　tact　she　made　him　will　to　do　that　which　was

right；　till　he　fancied　the　ideas　were　his　own；　and　thus　enjoyed　in　his

own　person　the　honors　of　a　superiority　that　was　never　his。　After　due

experience　of　married　life；　she　came　to　the　resolution　of　never

leaving　Clochegourde；　for　she　saw　the　hysterical　tendencies　of　the

count's　nature；　and　feared　the　outbreaks　which　might　be　talked　of　in

that　gossipping　and　jealous　neighborhood　to　the　injury　of　her

children。　Thus；　thanks　to　her；　no　one　suspected　Monsieur　de　Mortsauf's

real　incapacity；　for　she　wrapped　his　ruins　in　a　mantle　of　ivy。　The

fickle；　not　merely　discontented　but　embittered　nature　of　the　man　found

rest　and　ease　in　his　wife；　his　secret　anguish　was　lessened　by　the　balm

she　shed　upon　it。



This　brief　history　is　in　part　a　summary　of　that　forced　from　Monsieur

de　Chessel　by　his　inward　vexation。　His　knowledge　of　the　world　enabled

him　to　penetrate　several　of　the　mysteries　of　Clochegourde。　But　the

prescience　of　love　could　not　be　misled　by　the　sublime　attitude　with

which　Madame　de　Mortsauf　deceived　the　world。　When　alone　in　my　little

bedroom；　a　sense　of　the　full　truth　made　me　spring　from　my　bed；　I　could

not　bear　to　stay　at　Frapesle　when　I　saw　the　lighted　windows　of

Clochegourde。　I　dressed；　went　softly　down；　and　left　the　chateau　by　the

door　of　a　tower　at　the　foot　of　a　winding　stairway。　The　coolness　of　the

night　calmed　me。　I　crossed　the　Indre　by　the　bridge　at　the　Red　Mill；

took　the　ever…blessed　punt；　and　rowed　in　front　of　Clochegourde；　where

a　brilliant　light　was　streaming　from　a　window　looking　towards　Azay。



Again　I　plunged　into　my　old　meditations；　but　they　were　now　peaceful；

intermingled　with　the　love…note　of　the　nightingale　and　the　solitary

cry　of　the　sedge…warbler。　Ideas　glided　like　fairies　through　my　mind；

lifting　the　black　veil　which　had　hidden　till　then　the　glorious　future。

Soul　and　senses　were　alike　charmed。　With　what　passion　my　thoughts　rose

to　her！　Again　and　again　I　cried；　with　the　repetition　of　a　madman；

〃Will　she　be　mine？〃　During　the　preceding　days　the　universe　had

enlarged　to　me；　but　now　in　a　single　night　I　found　its　centre。　On　her

my　will　and　my　ambition　henceforth　fastened；　I　desired　to　be　all　in

all　to　her；　that　I　might　heal　and　fill　her　lacerated　heart。



Beautiful　was　that　night　beneath　her　windows；　amid　the　murmur　of

waters　rippling　through　the　sluices；　broken　only　by　a　voice　that　told

the　hours　from　the　clock…tower　of　Sache。　During　those　hours　of

darkness　bathed　in　light；　when　this　sidereal　flower　illumined　my

existence；　I　betrothed　to　her　my　soul　with　the　faith　of　the　poor

Castilian　knight　whom　we　laugh　at　in　the　pages　of　Cervantes；a　faith；

nevertheless；　with　which　all　love　begins。



At　the　first　gleam　of　day；　the　first　note　of　the　waking　birds；　I　fled

back　among　the　trees　of　Frapesle　and　reached　the　house；　no　one　had

seen　me；　no　one　suspected　by　absence；　and　I　slept　soundly　until　the

bell　rang　for　breakfast。　When　the　meal　was　over　I　went　down；　in　spite

of　the　heat；　to　the　meadow…lands　for　another　sight　of　the　Indre　and

its　isles；　the　valley　and　its　slopes；　of　which　I　seemed　so　passionate

an　admirer。　But　once　there；　thanks　to　a　swiftness　of　foot　like　that　of

a　loose　horse；　I　returned　to　my　punt；　the　willows；　and　Clochegourde。

All　was　silent　and　palpitating；　as　a　landscape　is　at　midday　in　summer。

The　still　foliage　lay　sharply　defined　on　the　blue　of　the　sky；　the

insects　that　live　by　light；　the　dragon…flies；　the　cantharides；　were

flying　among　the　reeds　and　the　ash…trees；　cattle　chewed　the　cud　in　the

shade；　the　ruddy　earth　of　the　vineyards　glowed；　the　adders　glided　up

and　down　the　banks。　What　a　change　in　the　sparkling　and　coquettish

landscape　while　I　slept！　I　sprang　suddenly　from　the　boat　and　ran　up

the　road　which　went　round　Clochegourde　for　I　fancied　that　I　saw　the

count　coming　out。　I　was　not　mistaken；　he　was　walking　beside　the　hedge；

evidently　making　for　a　gate　on　the　road　to　Azay　which　followed　the

bank　of　the　river。



〃How　are　you　this　morning；　Monsieur　le　comte？〃



He　looked　at　me　pleasantly；　not　being　used　to　hear　himself　thus

addressed。



〃Quite　well；〃　he　answered。　〃You　must　love　the　country；　to　be　rambling

about　in　this　heat！〃



〃I　was　sent　here　to　live　in　the　open　air。〃



〃Then　what　do　you　say　to　coming　with　me　to　see　them　cut　my　rye？〃



〃Gladly；〃　I　replied。　〃I'll　own　to　you　that　my　ignorance　is　past

belief；　I　don't　know　rye　from　wheat；　nor　a　poplar　from　an　aspen；　I

know　nothing　of　farming；　nor　of　the　various　methods　of　cultivating　the

soil。〃



〃Well；　come　and　learn；〃　he　cried　gaily；　returning　upon　his　steps。

〃Come　in　by　the　little　gate　above。〃



The　count　walked　back　along　the　hedge；　he　being　within　it　and　I

without。



〃You　will　learn　nothing　from　Monsieur　de　Chessel；〃　he　remarked；　〃he　is

altogether　too　fine　a　gentleman　to　do　more　than　receive　the　reports　of

his　bailiff。〃



The　count　then　showed　me　his