the lily of the valley-第31章

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petty。



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

at　me　for　a　moment；　held　out　her　hand；　and　said；　〃My　friend　is　always

too　tender。〃　Her　eyes　grew　moist；　she　rose；　and　then　she　added；　in　a

tone　of　desperate　entreaty；　〃Never　write　thus　to　me　again。〃



Monsieur　de　Mortsauf　was　very　kind。　The　countess　had　recovered　her

courage　and　serenity；　but　her　pallor　betrayed　the　sufferings　of　the

previous　night；　which　were　calmed；　but　not　extinguished。　That　evening

she　said　to　me；　as　she　paced　among　the　autumn　leaves　which　rustled

beneath　our　footsteps；　〃Sorrow　is　infinite；　joys　are　limited；〃words

which　betrayed　her　sufferings　by　the　comparison　she　made　with　the

fleeting　delights　of　the　previous　week。



〃Do　not　slander　life；〃　I　said　to　her。　〃You　are　ignorant　of　love；　love

gives　happiness　which　shines　in　heaven。〃



〃Hush！〃　she　said。　〃I　wish　to　know　nothing　of　it。　The　Icelander　would

die　in　Italy。　I　am　calm　and　happy　beside　you；　I　can　tell　you　all　my

thoughts；　do　not　destroy　my　confidence。　Why　will　you　not　combine　the

virtue　of　the　priest　with　the　charm　of　a　free　man。〃



〃You　make　me　drink　the　hemlock！〃　I　cried；　taking　her　hand　and　laying

it　on　my　heart；　which　was　beating　fast。



〃Again！〃　she　said；　withdrawing　her　hand　as　if　it　pained　her。　〃Are　you

determined　to　deny　me　the　sad　comfort　of　letting　my　wounds　be　stanched

by　a　friendly　hand？　Do　not　add　to　my　sufferings；　you　do　not　know　them

all；　those　that　are　hidden　are　the　worst　to　bear。　If　you　were　a　woman

you　would　know　the　melancholy　disgust　that　fills　her　soul　when　she

sees　herself　the　object　of　attentions　which　atone　for　nothing；　but　are

thought　to　atone　for　all。　For　the　next　few　days　I　shall　be　courted　and

caressed；　that　I　may　pardon　the　wrong　that　has　been　done。　I　could　then

obtain　consent　to　any　wish　of　mine；　however　unreasonable。　I　am

humiliated　by　his　humility；　by　caresses　which　will　cease　as　soon　as　he

imagines　that　I　have　forgotten　that　scene。　To　owe　our　master's　good

graces　to　his　faults〃



〃His　crimes！〃　I　interrupted　quickly。



〃Is　not　that　a　frightful　condition　of　existence？〃　she　continued；　with

a　sad　smile。　〃I　cannot　use　this　transient　power。　At　such　times　I　am

like　the　knights　who　could　not　strike　a　fallen　adversary。　To　see　in

the　dust　a　man　whom　we　ought　to　honor；　to　raise　him　only　to　enable　him

to　deal　other　blows；　to　suffer　from　his　degradation　more　than　he

suffers　himself；　to　feel　ourselves　degraded　if　we　profit　by　such

influence　for　even　a　useful　end；　to　spend　our　strength；　to　waste　the

vigor　of　our　souls　in　struggles　that　have　no　grandeur；　to　have　no

power　except　for　a　moment　when　a　fatal　crisis　comesah；　better　death！

If　I　had　no　children　I　would　let　myself　drift　on　the　wretched　current

of　this　life；　but　if　I　lose　my　courage；　what　will　become　of　them？　I

must　live　for　them；　however　cruel　this　life　may　be。　You　talk　to　me　of

love。　Ah！　my　dear　friend；　think　of　the　hell　into　which　I　should　fling

myself　if　I　gave　that　pitiless　being；　pitiless　like　all　weak

creatures；　the　right　to　despise　me。　The　purity　of　my　conduct　is　my

strength。　Virtue；　dear　friend；　is　holy　water　in　which　we　gain　fresh

strength；　from　which　we　issue　renewed　in　the　love　of　God。〃



〃Listen　to　me；　dear　Henriette；　I　have　only　another　week　to　stay　here；

and　I　wish〃



〃Ah；　you　mean　to　leave　us！〃　she　exclaimed。



〃You　must　know　what　my　father　intends　to　do　with　me；〃　I　replied。　〃It

is　now　three　months〃



〃I　have　not　counted　the　days；〃　she　said；　with　momentary　self…

abandonment。　Then　she　checked　herself　and　cried；　〃Come；　let　us　go　to

Frapesle。〃



She　called　the　count　and　the　children；　sent　for　a　shawl；　and　when　all

were　ready　she；　usually　so　calm　and　slow　in　all　her　movements；　became

as　active　as　a　Parisian；　and　we　started　in　a　body　to　pay　a　visit　at

Frapesle　which　the　countess　did　not　owe。　She　forced　herself　to　talk　to

Madame　de　Chessel；　who　was　fortunately　discursive　in　her　answers。　The

count　and　Monsieur　de　Chessel　conversed　on　business。　I　was　afraid　the

former　might　boast　of　his　carriage　and　horses；　but　he　committed　no

such　solecisms。　His　neighbor　questioned　him　about　his　projected

improvements　at　the　Cassine　and　the　Rhetoriere。　I　looked　at　the　count；

wondering　if　he　would　avoid　a　subject　of　conversation　so　full　of

painful　memories　to　all；　so　cruelly　mortifying　to　him。　On　the

contrary；　he　explained　how　urgent　a　duty　it　was　to　better　the

agricultural　condition　of　the　canton；　to　build　good　houses　and　make

the　premises　salubrious；　in　short；　he　glorified　himself　with　his

wife's　ideas。　I　blushed　as　I　looked　at　her。　Such　want　of　scruple　in　a

man　who；　on　certain　occasions；　could　be　scrupulous　enough；　this

oblivion　of　the　dreadful　scene；　this　adoption　of　ideas　against　which

he　had　fought　so　violently；　this　confident　belief　in　himself；

petrified　me。



When　Monsieur　de　Chessel　said　to　him；　〃Do　you　expect　to　recover　your

outlay？〃



〃More　than　recover　it！〃　he　exclaimed；　with　a　confident　gesture。



Such　contradictions　can　be　explained　only　by　the　word　〃insanity。〃

Henriette；　celestial　creature；　was　radiant。　The　count　was　appearing　to

be　a　man　of　intelligence；　a　good　administrator；　an　excellent

agriculturist；　she　played　with　her　boy's　curly　head；　joyous　for　him；

happy　for　herself。　What　a　comedy　of　pain；　what　mockery　in　this　drama；

I　was　horrified　by　it。　Later　in　life；　when　the　curtain　of　the　world's

stage　was　lifted　before　me；　how　many　other　Mortsaufs　I　saw　without　the

loyalty　and　the　religious　faith　of　this　man。　What　strange；　relentless

power　is　it　that　perpetually　awards　an　angel　to　a　madman；　to　a　man　of

heart；　of　true　poetic　passion；　a　base　woman；　to　the　petty；　grandeur；

to　this　demented　brain；　a　beautiful；　sublime　being；　to　Juana；　Captain

Diard；　whose　history　at　Bordeaux　I　have　told　you；　to　Madame　de

Beauseant；　an　Ajuda；　to　Madame　d'Aiglemont；　her　husband；　to　the

Marquis　d'Espard；　his　wife！　Long　have　I　sought　the　meaning　of　this

enigma。　I　have　ransacked　many　mysteries；　I　have　discovered　the　reason

of　many　natural　laws；　the　purport　of　some　divine　hieroglyphics；　of　the

meaning　of　this　dark　secret　I　know　nothing。　I　study　it　as　I　would　the

form　of　an　Indian　weapon；　the　symbolic　construction　of　which　is　known

only　to　the　Brahmans。　In　this　dread　mystery　the　spirit　of　Evil　is　too

visibly　the　master；　I　dare　not　lay　the　blame　to　God。　Anguish

irremediable；　what　power　finds　amusement　in　weaving　you？　Can　Henriette

and　her　mysterious　philosopher　be　right？　Does　their　mysticism　contain

the　explanation　of　humanity？



The　autumn　leaves　were　falling　during　the　last　few　days　which　I　passed

in　the　valley；　days　of　lowering　clouds；　which　do　sometimes　obscure　the

heaven　of　Touraine；　so　pure；　so　warm　at　that　fine　season。　The　evening

before　my　departure　Madame　de　Mortsauf　took　me　to　the　terrace　before

dinner。



〃My　dear　Felix；〃　she　said；　after　we　had　taken　a　turn　in　silence　under

the　leafless　trees；　〃you　are　about　to　enter　the　world；　and　I　wish　to

go　with　you　in　thought。　Those　who　have　suffered　much　have　lived　and

known　much。　Do　not　think　that　solitary　souls　know　nothing　of　the

world；　on　the　contrary；　they　are　able　to　judge　it。　Hear　me：　If　I　am　to

live　in　and　for　my　friend　I　must　do　what　I　can　for　his　heart　and　for

his　conscience。　When　the　conflict　rages　it　is　hard　to　remember　rules；

therefore　let　me　give　you　a　few　instructions；　the　warnings　of　a　mother

to　her　son。　The　day　you　leave　us　I　shall　give　you　a　letter；　a　long

letter；　in　which　you　will　find　my　woman's　thoughts　on　the　world；　on

society；　on　men；　on　the　right　methods　of　meeting　difficulty　in　this

great　clash　of　human　interests。　Promise　me　not　to　read　this　letter

till　you　reach　Paris。　I　ask　it　from　a　fanciful　sentiment；　one　of　those

secrets　of　womanhood　not　impossible　to　understand；　but　which　we　grieve

to　find　deciphered；　leave　me　this　covert　way　where　as　a　woman　I　wish

to　walk　alone。〃



〃Yes；　I　promise　it；〃　I　said；　kissing　her　hand。



〃Ah；〃　she　added；　〃I　have　one