the lily of the valley-第17章

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gesture　promised　it。　For　several　days　an　explanation　seemed　to　float

between　us；　a　word　would　suffice　to　send　it　gushing　from　the　spring；

overfull；　in　our　souls。　What　timidity　had　thus　far　delayed　a　perfect

understanding　between　us？　Perhaps　she　loved；　as　I　did；　these

quiverings　of　the　spirit　which　resembled　emotions　of　fear　and　numbed

the　sensibilities　while　we　held　our　life　unuttered　within　us；

hesitating　to　unveil　its　secrets　with　the　modesty　of　the　young　girl

before　the　husband　she　loves。　An　hour　passed。　I　was　sitting　on　the

brick　balustrade　when　the　sound　of　her　footsteps　blending　with　the

undulating　ripple　of　her　flowing　gown　stirred　the　calm　air　of　the

night。　These　are　sensations　to　which　the　heart　suffices　not。



〃Monsieur　de　Mortsauf　is　sleeping；〃　she　said。　〃When　he　is　thus　I　give

him　an　infusion　of　poppies；　a　cup　of　water　in　which　a　few　poppies　have

been　steeped；　the　attacks　are　so　infrequent　that　this　simple　remedy

never　loses　its　effectMonsieur；〃　she　continued；　changing　her　tone

and　using　the　most　persuasive　inflexion　of　her　voice；　〃this　most

unfortunate　accident　has　revealed　to　you　a　secret　which　has　hitherto

been　sedulously　kept；　promise　me　to　bury　the　recollection　of　that

scene。　Do　this　for　my　sake；　I　beg　of　you。　I　don't　ask　you　to　swear　it；

give　me　your　word　of　honor　and　I　shall　be　content。〃



〃Need　I　give　it　to　you？〃　I　said。　〃Do　we　not　understand　each　other？〃



〃You　must　not　judge　unfavorably　of　Monsieur　de　Mortsauf；　you　see　the

effects　of　his　many　sufferings　under　the　emigration；〃　she　went　on。

〃To…morrow　he　will　entirely　forget　all　that　he　has　said　and　done；　you

will　find　him　kind　and　excellent　as　ever。〃



〃Do　not　seek　to　excuse　him；　madame；〃　I　replied。　〃I　will　do　all　you

wish。　I　would　fling　myself　into　the　Indre　at　this　moment　if　I　could

restore　Monsieur　de　Mortsauf's　health　and　ensure　you　a　happy　life。　The

only　thing　I　cannot　change　is　my　opinion。　I　can　give　you　my　life；　but

not　my　convictions；　I　can　pay　no　heed　to　what　he　says；　but　can　I

hinder　him　from　saying　it？　No；　in　my　opinion　Monsieur　de　Mortsauf

is〃



〃I　understand　you；〃　she　said；　hastily　interrupting　me；　〃you　are　right。

The　count　is　as　nervous　as　a　fashionable　woman；〃　she　added；　as　if　to

conceal　the　idea　of　madness　by　softening　the　word。　〃But　he　is　only　so

at　intervals；　once　a　year；　when　the　weather　is　very　hot。　Ah；　what

evils　have　resulted　from　the　emigration！　How　many　fine　lives　ruined！

He　would　have　been；　I　am　sure　of　it；　a　great　soldier；　an　honor　to　his

country〃



〃I　know；〃　I　said；　interrupting　in　my　turn　to　let　her　see　that　it　was

useless　to　attempt　to　deceive　me。



She　stopped；　laid　one　hand　lightly　on　my　brow；　and　looked　at　me。　〃Who

has　sent　you　here；〃　she　said；　〃into　this　home？　Has　God　sent　me　help；　a

true　friendship　to　support　me？〃　She　paused；　then　added；　as　she　laid

her　hand　firmly　upon　mine；　〃For　you　are　good　and　generous〃　She

raised　her　eyes　to　heaven；　as　if　to　invoke　some　invisible　testimony　to

confirm　her　thought；　and　then　let　them　rest　upon　me。　Electrified　by

the　look；　which　cast　a　soul　into　my　soul；　I　was　guilty；　judging　by

social　laws；　of　a　want　of　tact；　though　in　certain　natures　such

indelicacy　really　means　a　brave　desire　to　meet　danger；　to　avert　a

blow；　to　arrest　an　evil　before　it　happens；　oftener　still；　an　abrupt

call　upon　a　heart；　a　blow　given　to　learn　if　it　resounds　in　unison　with

ours。　Many　thoughts　rose　like　gleams　within　my　mind　and　bade　me　wash

out　the　stain　that　blotted　my　conscience　at　this　moment　when　I　was

seeking　a　complete　understanding。



〃Before　we　say　more；〃　I　said　in　a　voice　shaken　by　the　throbbings　of　my

heart；　which　could　be　heard　in　the　deep　silence　that　surrounded　us；

〃suffer　me　to　purify　one　memory　of　the　past。〃



〃Hush！〃　she　said　quickly；　touching　my　lips　with　a　finger　which　she

instantly　removed。　She　looked　at　me　haughtily；　with　the　glance　of　a

woman　who　knows　herself　too　exalted　for　insult　to　reach　her。　〃Be

silent；　I　know　of　what　you　are　about　to　speak；the　first；　the　last；

the　only　outrage　ever　offered　to　me。　Never　speak　to　me　of　that　ball。

If　as　a　Christian　I　have　forgiven　you；　as　a　woman　I　still　suffer　from

your　act。〃



〃You　are　more　pitiless　than　God　himself；〃　I　said；　forcing　back　the

tears　that　came　into　my　eyes。



〃I　ought　to　be　so；　I　am　more　feeble；〃　she　replied。



〃But；〃　I　continued　with　the　persistence　of　a　child；　〃listen　to　me　now

if　only　for　the　first；　the　last；　the　only　time　in　your　life。〃



〃Speak；　then；〃　she　said；　〃speak；　or　you　will　think　I　dare　not　hear

you。〃



Feeling　that　this　was　the　turning　moment　of　our　lives；　I　spoke　to　her

in　the　tone　that　commands　attention；　I　told　her　that　all　women　whom　I

had　ever　seen　were　nothing　to　me；　but　when　I　met　her；　I；　whose　life

was　studious；　whose　nature　was　not　bold；　I　had　been；　as　it　were；

possessed　by　a　frenzy　that　no　one　who　once　felt　it　could　condemn；　that

never　heart　of　man　had　been　so　filled　with　the　passion　which　no　being

can　resist；　which　conquers　all　things；　even　death



〃And　contempt？〃　she　asked；　stopping　me。



〃Did　you　despise　me？〃　I　exclaimed。



〃Let　us　say　no　more　on　this　subject；〃　she　replied。



〃No；　let　me　say　all！〃　I　replied；　in　the　excitement　of　my　intolerable

pain。　〃It　concerns　my　life；　my　whole　being；　my　inward　self；　it

contains　a　secret　you　must　know　or　I　must　die　in　despair。　It　also

concerns　you；　who；　unawares；　are　the　lady　in　whose　hand　is　the　crown

promised　to　the　victor　in　the　tournament！〃



Then　I　related　to　her　my　childhood　and　youth；　not　as　I　have　told　it　to

you；　judged　from　a　distance；　but　in　the　language　of　a　young　man　whose

wounds　are　still　bleeding。　My　voice　was　like　the　axe　of　a　woodsman　in

the　forest。　At　every　word　the　dead　years　fell　with　echoing　sound；

bristling　with　their　anguish　like　branches　robbed　of　their　foliage。　I

described　to　her　in　feverish　language　many　cruel　details　which　I　have

here　spared　you。　I　spread　before　her　the　treasure　of　my　radiant　hopes；

the　virgin　gold　of　my　desires；　the　whole　of　a　burning　heart　kept　alive

beneath　the　snow　of　these　Alps；　piled　higher　and　higher　by　perpetual

winter。　When；　bowed　down　by　the　weight　of　these　remembered　sufferings；

related　as　with　the　live　coal　of　Isaiah；　I　awaited　the　reply　of　the

woman　who　listened　with　a　bowed　head；　she　illumined　the　darkness　with

a　look；　she　quickened　the　worlds　terrestrial　and　divine　with　a　single

sentence。



〃We　have　had　the　same　childhood！〃　she　said；　turning　to　me　a　face　on

which　the　halo　of　the　martyrs　shone。



After　a　pause；　in　which　our　souls　were　wedded　in　the　one　consoling

thought；　〃I　am　not　alone　in　suffering；〃　the　countess　told　me；　in　the

voice　she　kept　for　her　little　ones；　how　unwelcome　she　was　as　a　girl

when　sons　were　wanted。　She　showed　me　how　her　troubles　as　a　daughter

bound　to　her　mother's　side　differed　from　those　of　a　boy　cast　out　upon

the　world　of　school　and　college　life。　My　desolate　neglect　seemed　to　me

a　paradise　compared　to　that　contact　with　a　millstone　under　which　her

soul　was　ground　until　the　day　when　her　good　aunt；　her　true　mother；　had

saved　her　from　this　misery；　the　ever…recurring　pain　of　which　she　now

related　to　me；　misery　caused　sometimes　by　incessant　faultfinding；

always　intolerable　to　high…strung　natures　which　do　not　shrink　before

death　itself　but　die　beneath　the　sword　of　Damocles；　sometimes　by　the

crushing　of　generous　impulses　beneath　an　icy　hand；　by　the　cold

rebuffal　of　her　kisses；　by　a　stern　command　of　silence；　first　imposed

and　then　as　often　blamed；　by　inward　tears　that　dared　not　flow　but

stayed　within　the　heart；　in　short；　by　all　the　bitterness　and　tyranny

of　convent　rule；　hidden　to　the　eyes　of　the　world　under　the　appearance

of　an　exalted　motherly　devotion。　She　gratified　her　mother's　vanity

before　strangers；　but　she　dearly　paid　in　private　for　this　homage。

When；　believing　that　by　obedience　and　gentleness　she　had　softened　her

mother's　heart；　she　opened　hers；　the　tyrant　only　armed　herself　with

the　girl's　confidence。　No