the lily of the valley-第14章

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his　bailiff。〃



The　count　then　showed　me　his　yards　and　the　farm　buildings；　the

pleasure…grounds；　orchards；　vineyards；　and　kitchen　garden；　until　we

finally　came　to　the　long　alley　of　acacias　and　ailanthus　beside　the

river；　at　the　end　of　which　I　saw　Madame　de　Mortsauf　sitting　on　a

bench；　with　her　children。　A　woman　is　very　lovely　under　the　light　and

quivering　shade　of　such　foliage。　Surprised；　perhaps；　at　my　prompt

visit；　she　did　not　move；　knowing　very　well　that　we　should　go　to　her。

The　count　made　me　admire　the　view　of　the　valley；　which　at　this　point

is　totally　different　from　that　seen　from　the　heights　above。　Here　I

might　have　thought　myself　in　a　corner　of　Switzerland。　The　meadows；

furrowed　with　little　brooks　which　flow　into　the　Indre；　can　be　seen　to

their　full　extent　till　lost　in　the　misty　distance。　Towards　Montbazon

the　eye　ranges　over　a　vast　green　plain；　in　all　other　directions　it　is

stopped　by　hills；　by　masses　of　trees；　and　rocks。　We　quickened　our

steps　as　we　approached　Madame　de　Mortsauf；　who　suddenly　dropped　the

book　in　which　Madeleine　was　reading　to　her　and　took　Jacques　upon　her

knees；　in　the　paroxysms　of　a　violent　cough。



〃What's　the　matter？〃　cried　the　count；　turning　livid。



〃A　sore　throat；〃　answered　the　mother；　who　seemed　not　to　see　me；　〃but

it　is　nothing　serious。〃



She　was　holding　the　child　by　the　head　and　body；　and　her　eyes　seemed　to

shed　two　rays　of　life　into　the　poor　frail　creature。



〃You　are　so　extraordinarily　imprudent；〃　said　the　count；　sharply；　〃you

expose　him　to　the　river　damps　and　let　him　sit　on　a　stone　bench。〃



〃Why；　papa；　the　stone　is　burning　hot；〃　cried　Madeleine。



〃They　were　suffocating　higher　up；〃　said　the　countess。



〃Women　always　want　to　prove　they　are　right；〃　said　the　count；　turning

to　me。



To　avoid　agreeing　or　disagreeing　with　him　by　word　or　look　I　watched

Jacques；　who　complained　of　his　throat。　His　mother　carried　him　away；

but　as　she　did　so　she　heard　her　husband　say：



〃When　they　have　brought　such　sickly　children　into　the　world　they　ought

to　learn　how　to　take　care　of　them。〃



Words　that　were　cruelly　unjust；　but　his　self…love　drove　him　to　defend

himself　at　the　expense　of　his　wife。　The　countess　hurried　up　the　steps

and　across　the　portico；　and　I　saw　her　disappear　through　the　glass

door。　Monsieur　de　Mortsauf　seated　himself　on　the　bench；　his　head　bowed

in　gloomy　silence。　My　position　became　annoying；　he　neither　spoke　nor

looked　at　me。　Farewell　to　the　walk　he　had　proposed；　in　the　course　of

which　I　had　hoped　to　fathom　him。　I　hardly　remember　a　more　unpleasant

moment。　Ought　I　to　go　away；　or　should　I　not　go？　How　many　painful

thoughts　must　have　arisen　in　his　mind；　to　make　him　forget　to　follow

Jacques　and　learn　how　he　was！　At　last　however　he　rose　abruptly　and

came　towards　me。　We　both　turned　and　looked　at　the　smiling　valley。



〃We　will　put　off　our　walk　to　another　day；　Monsieur　le　comte；〃　I　said

gently。



〃No；　let　us　go；〃　he　replied。　〃Unfortunately；　I　am　accustomed　to　such

scenesI；　who　would　give　my　life　without　the　slightest　regret　to　save

that　of　the　child。〃



〃Jacques　is　better；　my　dear；　he　has　gone　to　sleep；〃　said　a　golden

voice。　Madame　de　Mortsauf　suddenly　appeared　at　the　end　of　the　path。

She　came　forward；　without　bitterness　or　ill…will；　and　bowed　to　me。



〃I　am　glad　to　see　that　you　like　Clochegourde；〃　she　said。



〃My　dear；　should　you　like　me　to　ride　over　and　fetch　Monsieur

Deslandes？〃　said　the　count；　as　if　wishing　her　to　forgive　his

injustice。



〃Don't　be　worried；〃　she　said。　〃Jacques　did　not　sleep　last　night；

that's　all。　The　child　is　very　nervous；　he　had　a　bad　dream；　and　I　told

him　stories　all　night　to　keep　him　quiet。　His　cough　is　purely　nervous；

I　have　stilled　it　with　a　lozenge；　and　he　has　gone　to　sleep。〃



〃Poor　woman！〃　said　her　husband；　taking　her　hand　in　his　and　giving　her

a　tearful　look；　〃I　knew　nothing　of　it。〃



〃Why　should　you　be　troubled　when　there　is　no　occasion？〃　she　replied。

〃Now　go　and　attend　to　the　rye。　You　know　if　you　are　not　there　the　men

will　let　the　gleaners　of　the　other　villages　get　into　the　field　before

the　sheaves　are　carried　away。〃



〃I　am　going　to　take　a　first　lesson　in　agriculture；　madame；〃　I　said　to

her。



〃You　have　a　very　good　master；〃　she　replied；　motioning　towards　the

count；　whose　mouth　screwed　itself　into　that　smile　of　satisfaction

which　is　vulgarly　termed　a　〃bouche　en　coeur。〃



Two　months　later　I　learned　she　had　passed　that　night　in　great　anxiety；

fearing　that　her　son　had　the　croup；　while　I　was　in　the　boat；　rocked　by

thoughts　of　love；　imagined　that　she　might　see　me　from　her　window

adoring　the　gleam　of　the　candle　which　was　then　lighting　a　forehead

furrowed　by　fears！　The　croup　prevailed　at　Tours；　and　was　often　fatal。

When　we　were　outside　the　gate；　the　count　said　in　a　voice　of　emotion；

〃Madame　de　Mortsauf　is　an　angel！〃　The　words　staggered　me。　As　yet　I

knew　but　little　of　the　family；　and　the　natural　conscience　of　a　young

soul　made　me　exclaim　inwardly：　〃What　right　have　I　to　trouble　this

perfect　peace？〃



Glad　to　find　a　listener　in　a　young　man　over　whom　he　could　lord　it　so

easily；　the　count　talked　to　me　of　the　future　which　the　return　of　the

Bourbons　would　secure　to　France。　We　had　a　desultory　conversation；　in

which　I　listened　to　much　childish　nonsense　which　positively　amazed　me。

He　was　ignorant　of　facts　susceptible　of　proof　that　might　be　called

geometric；　he　feared　persons　of　education；　he　rejected　superiority；

and　scoffed；　perhaps　with　some　reason；　at　progress。　I　discovered　in

his　nature　a　number　of　sensitive　fibres　which　it　required　the　utmost

caution　not　to　wound；　so　that　a　conversation　with　him　of　any　length

was　a　positive　strain　upon　the　mind。　When　I　had；　as　it　were；　felt　of

his　defects；　I　conformed　to　them　with　the　same　suppleness　that　his

wife　showed　in　soothing　him。　Later　in　life　I　should　certainly　have

made　him　angry；　but　now；　humble　as　a　child；　supposing　that　I　knew

nothing　and　believing　that　men　in　their　prime　knew　all；　I　was

genuinely　amazed　at　the　results　obtained　at　Clochegourde　by　this

patient　agriculturist。　I　listened　admiringly　to　his　plans；　and　with　an

involuntary　flattery　which　won　his　good…will；　I　envied　him　the　estate

and　its　outlooka　terrestrial　paradise；　I　called　it；　far　superior　to

Frapesle。



〃Frapesle；〃　I　said；　〃is　a　massive　piece　of　plate；　but　Clochegourde　is

a　jewel…case　of　gems；〃a　speech　which　he　often　quoted；　giving　credit

to　its　author。



〃Before　we　came　here；〃　he　said；　〃it　was　desolation　itself。〃



I　was　all　ears　when　he　told　of　his　seed…fields　and　nurseries。　New　to

country　life；　I　besieged　him　with　questions　about　prices；　means　of

preparing　and　working　the　soil；　etc。；　and　he　seemed　glad　to　answer　all

in　detail。



〃What　in　the　world　do　they　teach　you　in　your　colleges？〃　he　exclaimed

at　last　in　astonishment。



On　this　first　day　the　count　said　to　his　wife　when　he　reached　home；

〃Monsieur　Felix　is　a　charming　young　man。〃



That　evening　I　wrote　to　my　mother　and　asked　her　to　send　my　clothes　and

linen；　saying　that　I　should　remain　at　Frapesle。　Ignorant　of　the　great

revolution　which　was　just　taking　place；　and　not　perceiving　the

influence　it　was　to　have　upon　my　fate；　I　expected　to　return　to　Paris

to　resume　my　legal　studies。　The　Law　School　did　not　open　till　the　first

week　in　November；　meantime　I　had　two　months　and　a　half　before　me。



The　first　part　of　my　stay；　while　I　studied　to　understand　the　count；

was　a　period　of　painful　impressions　to　me。　I　found　him　a　man　of

extreme　irascibility　without　adequate　cause；　hasty　in　action　in

hazardous　cases　to　a　degree　that　alarmed　me。　Sometimes　he　showed

glimpses　of　the　brave　gentleman　of　Conde's　army；　parabolic　flashes　of

will　such　as　may；　in　times　of　emergency；　tear　through　politics　like

bomb…shells；　and　may　also；　by　virtue　of　honesty　and　courage；　make　a

man　condemned　to　live　buried　on　his　property　an　Elbee；　a　Bonchamp；　or

a　Charette。　In　presence　of　certain　ideas　his　nostril　contracted；　his

forehead　c