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第30章

the lily of the valley-第30章

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felt unworthy to touch her; but he went before me to open the door of

her bedroom next the salon;a sacred room I had never entered。 I put

the countess on her feet and held her for a moment in one arm; passing

the other round her waist; while Monsieur de Mortsauf took the eider…

down coverlet from the bed; then together we lifted her and laid her;

still dressed; on the bed。 When she came to herself she motioned to us

to unfasten her belt。 Monsieur de Mortsauf found a pair of scissors;

and cut through it; I made her breathe salts; and she opened her eyes。

The count left the room; more ashamed than sorry。 Two hours passed in

perfect silence。 Henriette's hand lay in mine; she pressed it to mine;

but could not speak。 From time to time she opened her eyes as if to

tell me by a look that she wished to be still and silent; then

suddenly; for an instant; there seemed a change; she rose on her elbow

and whispered; 〃Unhappy man!ah! if you did but know〃



She fell back upon the pillow。 The remembrance of her past sufferings;

joined to the present shock; threw her again into the nervous

convulsions I had just calmed by the magnetism of love;a power then

unknown to me; but which I used instinctively。 I held her with gentle

force; and she gave me a look which made me weep。 When the nervous

motions ceased I smoothed her disordered hair; the first and only time

that I ever touched it; then I again took her hand and sat looking at

the room; all brown and gray; at the bed with its simple chintz

curtains; at the toilet table draped in a fashion now discarded; at

the commonplace sofa with its quilted mattress。 What poetry I could

read in that room! What renunciations of luxury for herself; the only

luxury being its spotless cleanliness。 Sacred cell of a married nun;

filled with holy resignation; its sole adornments were the crucifix of

her bed; and above it the portrait of her aunt; then; on each side of

the holy water basin; two drawings of the children made by herself;

with locks of their hair when they were little。 What a retreat for a

woman whose appearance in the great world of fashion would have made

the handsomest of her sex jealous! Such was the chamber where the

daughter of an illustrious family wept out her days; sunken at this

moment in anguish; and denying herself the love that might have

comforted her。 Hidden; irreparable woe! Tears of the victim for her

slayer; tears of the slayer for his victim! When the children and

waiting…woman came at length into the room I left it。 The count was

waiting for me; he seemed to seek me as a mediating power between

himself and his wife。 He caught my hands; exclaiming; 〃Stay; stay with

us; Felix!〃



〃Unfortunately;〃 I said; 〃Monsieur de Chessel has a party; and my

absence would cause remark。 But after dinner I will return。〃



He left the house when I did; and took me to the lower gate without

speaking; then he accompanied me to Frapesle; seeming not to know what

he was doing。 At last I said to him; 〃For heaven's sake; Monsieur le

comte; let her manage your affairs if it pleases her; and don't

torment her。〃



〃I have not long to live;〃 he said gravely; 〃she will not suffer long

through me; my head is giving way。〃



He left me in a spasm of involuntary self…pity。 After dinner I

returned for news of Madame de Mortsauf; who was already better。 If

such were the joys of marriage; if such scenes were frequent; how

could she survive them long? What slow; unpunished murder was this?

During that day I understood the tortures by which the count was

wearing out his wife。 Before what tribunal can we arraign such crimes?

These thoughts stunned me; I could say nothing to Henriette by word of

mouth; but I spent the night in writing to her。 Of the three or four

letters that I wrote I have kept only the beginning of one; with which

I was not satisfied。 Here it is; for though it seems to me to express

nothing; and to speak too much of myself when I ought only to have

thought of her; it will serve to show you the state my soul was in:



  To Madame de Mortsauf:



  How many things I had to say to you when I reached the house! I

  thought of them on the way; but I forgot them in your presence。

  Yes; when I see you; dear Henriette; I find my thoughts no longer

  in keeping with the light from your soul which heightens your

  beauty; then; too; the happiness of being near you is so ineffable

  as to efface all other feelings。 Each time we meet I am born into

  a broader life; I am like the traveller who climbs a rock and sees

  before him a new horizon。 Each time you talk with me I add new

  treasures to my treasury。 There lies; I think; the secret of long

  and inexhaustible affections。 I can only speak to you of yourself

  when away from you。 In your presence I am too dazzled to see; too

  happy to question my happiness; too full of you to be myself; too

  eloquent through you to speak; too eager in seizing the present

  moment to remember the past。 You must think of this state of

  intoxication and forgive me its consequent mistakes。



  When near you I can only feel。 Yet; I have courage to say; dear

  Henriette; that never; in all the many joys you have given me;

  never did I taste such joy as filled my soul when; after that

  dreadful storm through which you struggled with superhuman

  courage; you came to yourself alone with me; in the twilight of

  your chamber where that unhappy scene had brought me。 I alone

  know the light that shines from a woman when through the portals

  of death she re…enters life with the dawn of a rebirth tinting her

  brow。 What harmonies were in your voice! How words; even your

  words; seemed paltry when the sound of that adored voicein

  itself the echo of past pains mingled with divine consolations

  blessed me with the gift of your first thought。 I knew you were

  brilliant with all human splendor; but yesterday I found a new

  Henriette; who might be mine if God so willed; I beheld a spirit

  freed from the bodily trammels which repress the ardors of the

  soul。 Ah! thou wert beautiful indeed in thy weakness; majestic in

  thy prostration。 Yesterday I found something more beautiful than

  thy beauty; sweeter than thy voice; lights more sparkling than the

  light of thine eyes; perfumes for which there are no words

  yesterday thy soul was visible and palpable。 Would I could have

  opened my heart and made thee live there! Yesterday I lost the

  respectful timidity with which thy presence inspires me; thy

  weakness brought us nearer together。 Then; when the crisis passed

  and thou couldst bear our atmosphere once more; I knew what it was

  to breathe in unison with thy breath。 How many prayers rose up to

  heaven in that moment! Since I did not die as I rushed through

  space to ask of God that he would leave thee with me; no human

  creature can die of joy nor yet of sorrow。 That moment has left

  memories buried in my soul which never again will reappear upon

  its surface and leave me tearless。 Yes; the fears with which my

  soul was tortured yesterday are incomparably greater than all

  sorrows that the future can bring upon me; just as the joys which

  thou hast given me; dear eternal thought of my life! will be

  forever greater than any future joy God may be pleased to grant

  me。 Thou hast made me comprehend the love divine; that sure love;

  sure in strength and in duration; that knows no doubt or jealousy。



Deepest melancholy gnawed my soul; the glimpse into that hidden life

was agonizing to a young heart new to social emotions; it was an awful

thing to find this abyss at the opening of life;a bottomless abyss;

a Dead Sea。 This dreadful aggregation of misfortunes suggested many

thoughts; at my first step into social life I found a standard of

comparison by which all other events and circumstances must seem

petty。



The next day when I entered the salon she was there alone。 She looked

at me for a mome

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