the lily of the valley-第42章

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celestial　things　fell　on　my　heart　and　crushed　it。　I　felt　myself　too

small；　I　wished　to　die　at　her　feet。



〃Ah！〃　I　said；　〃you　surpass　us　in　all　things。　Can　you　doubt　me？for

you　did　doubt　me　just　now；　Henriette。〃



〃Not　now；〃　she　answered；　looking　at　me　with　ineffable　tenderness；

which；　for　a　moment；　veiled　the　light　of　her　eyes。　〃But　seeing　you　so

changed；　so　handsome；　I　said　to　myself；　'Our　plans　for　Madeleine　will

be　defeated　by　some　woman　who　will　guess　the　treasures　in　his　heart；

she　will　steal　our　Felix；　and　destroy　all　happiness　here。'〃



〃Always　Madeleine！〃　I　replied。　〃Is　it　Madeleine　to　whom　I　am

faithful？〃



We　fell　into　a　silence　which　Monsieur　de　Mortsauf　inconveniently

interrupted。　I　was　forced　to　keep　up　a　conversation　bristling　with

difficulties；　in　which　my　honest　replies　as　to　the　king's　policy

jarred　with　the　count's　ideas；　and　he　forced　me　to　explain　again　and

again　the　king's　intentions。　In　spite　of　all　my　questions　as　to　his

horses；　his　agricultural　affairs；　whether　he　was　satisfied　with　his

five　farms；　whether　he　meant　to　cut　the　timber　of　the　old　avenue；　he

returned　to　the　subject　of　politics　with　the　pestering　faculty　of　an

old　maid　and　the　persistency　of　a　child。　Minds　like　his　prefer　to　dash

themselves　against　the　light；　they　return　again　and　again　and　hum

about　it　without　ever　getting　into　it；　like　those　big　flies　which

weary　our　ears　as　they　buzz　upon　the　glass。



Henriette　was　silent。　To　stop　the　conversation；　in　which　I　feared　my

young　blood　might　take　fire；　I　answered　in　monosyllables；　mostly

acquiescent；　avoiding　discussion；　but　Monsieur　de　Mortsauf　had　too

much　sense　not　to　perceive　the　meaning　of　my　politeness。　Presently　he

was　angry　at　being　always　in　the　right；　he　grew　refractory；　his

eyebrows　and　the　wrinkles　of　his　forehead　worked；　his　yellow　eyes

blazed；　his　rufous　nose　grew　redder；　as　it　did　on　the　day　I　first

witnessed　an　attack　of　madness。　Henriette　gave　me　a　supplicating　look；

making　me　understand　that　she　could　not　employ　on　my　behalf　an

authority　to　which　she　had　recourse　to　protect　her　children。　I　at　once

answered　the　count　seriously；　taking　up　the　political　question；　and

managing　his　peevish　spirit　with　the　utmost　care。



〃Poor　dear！　poor　dear！〃　she　murmured　two　or　three　times；　the　words

reaching　my　ear　like　a　gentle　breeze。　When　she　could　intervene　with

success　she　said；　interrupting　us；　〃Let　me　tell　you；　gentlemen；　that

you　are　very　dull　company。〃



Recalled　by　this　conversation　to　his　chivalrous　sense　of　what　was　due

to　a　woman；　the　count　ceased　to　talk　politics；　and　as　we　bored　him　in

our　turn　by　commonplace　matters；　he　presently　left　us　to　continue　our

walk；　declaring　that　it　made　his　head　spin　to　go　round　and　round　on

the　same　path。



My　sad　conjectures　were　true。　The　soft　landscape；　the　warm　atmosphere；

the　cloudless　skies；　the　soothing　poetry　of　this　valley；　which　for

fifteen　years　had　calmed　the　stinging　fancies　of　that　diseased　mind；

were　now　impotent。　At　a　period　of　life　when　the　asperities　of　other

men　are　softened　and　their　angles　smoothed；　the　disposition　of　this

man　became　more　and　more　aggressive。　For　the　last　few　months　he　had

taken　a　habit　of　contradicting　for　the　sake　of　contradiction；　without

reason；　without　even　trying　to　justify　his　opinions；　he　insisted　on

knowing　the　why　and　the　wherefore　of　everything；　grew　restless　under　a

delay　or　an　omission；　meddled　with　every　item　of　the　household

affairs；　and　compelled　his　wife　and　the　servants　to　render　him　the

most　minute　and　fatiguing　account　of　all　that　was　done；　never　allowing

them　the　slightest　freedom　of　action。　Formerly　he　did　not　lose　his

temper　except　for　some　special　reason；　now　his　irritation　was

constant。　Perhaps　the　care　of　his　farms；　the　interests　of　agriculture；

an　active　out…door　life　had　formerly　soothed　his　atrabilious　temper　by

giving　it　a　field　for　its　uneasiness；　and　by　furnishing　employment　for

his　activity。　Possibly　the　loss　of　such　occupation　had　allowed　his

malady　to　prey　upon　itself；　no　longer　exercised　on　matters　without；　it

was　showing　itself　in　more　fixed　ideas；　the　moral　being　was　laying

hold　of　the　physical　being。　He　had　lately　become　his　own　doctor；　he

studied　medical　books；　fancied　he　had　the　diseases　he　read　of；　and

took　the　most　extraordinary　and　unheard　of　precautions　about　his

health；precautions　never　the　same；　impossible　to　foresee；　and

consequently　impossible　to　satisfy。　Sometimes　he　wanted　no　noise；

then；　when　the　countess　had　succeeded　in　establishing　absolute

silence；　he　would　declare　he　was　in　a　tomb；　and　blame　her　for　not

finding　some　medium　between　incessant　noise　and　the　stillness　of　La

Trappe。　Sometimes　he　affected　a　perfect　indifference　for　all　earthly

things。　Then　the　whole　household　breathed　freely；　the　children　played；

family　affairs　went　on　without　criticism。　Suddenly　he　would　cry　out

lamentably；　〃They　want　to　kill　me！My　dear；〃　he　would　say　to　his

wife；　increasing　the　injustice　of　his　words　by　the　aggravating　tones

of　his　sharp　voice；　〃if　it　concerned　your　children　you　would　know　very

well　what　was　the　matter　with　them。〃



He　dressed　and　re…dressed　himself　incessantly；　watching　every　change

of　temperature；　and　doing　nothing　without　consulting　the　barometer。

Notwithstanding　his　wife's　attentions；　he　found　no　food　to　suit　him；

his　stomach　being；　he　said；　impaired；　and　digestion　so　painful　as　to

keep　him　awake　all　night。　In　spite　of　this　he　ate；　drank；　digested；

and　slept；　in　a　manner　to　satisfy　any　doctor。　His　capricious　will

exhausted　the　patience　of　the　servants；　accustomed　to　the　beaten　track

of　domestic　service　and　unable　to　conform　to　the　requirements　of　his

conflicting　orders。　Sometimes　he　bade　them　keep　all　the　windows　open；

declaring　that　his　health　required　a　current　of　fresh　air；　a　few　days

later　the　fresh　air；　being　too　hot　or　too　damp；　as　the　case　might　be；

became　intolerable；　then　he　scolded；　quarrelled　with　the　servants；　and

in　order　to　justify　himself；　denied　his　former　orders。　This　defect　of

memory；　or　this　bad　faith；　call　it　which　you　will；　always　carried　the

day　against　his　wife　in　the　arguments　by　which　she　tried　to　pit　him

against　himself。　Life　at　Clochegourde　had　become　so　intolerable　that

the　Abbe　Dominis；　a　man　of　great　learning；　took　refuge　in　the　study　of

scientific　problems；　and　withdrew　into　the　shelter　of　pretended

abstraction。　The　countess　had　no　longer　any　hope　of　hiding　the　secret

of　these　insane　furies　within　the　circle　of　her　own　home；　the　servants

had　witnessed　scenes　of　exasperation　without　exciting　cause；　in　which

the　premature　old　man　passed　the　bounds　of　reason。　They　were；　however；

so　devoted　to　the　countess　that　nothing　so　far　had　transpired　outside；

but　she　dreaded　daily　some　public　outburst　of　a　frenzy　no　longer

controlled　by　respect　for　opinion。



Later　I　learned　the　dreadful　details　of　the　count's　treatment　of　his

wife。　Instead　of　supporting　her　when　the　children　were　ill；　he

assailed　her　with　dark　predictions　and　made　her　responsible　for　all

future　illnesses；　because　she　refused　to　let　the　children　take　the

crazy　doses　which　he　prescribed。　When　she　went　to　walk　with　them　the

count　would　predict　a　storm　in　the　face　of　a　clear　sky；　if　by　chance

the　prediction　proved　true；　the　satisfaction　he　felt　made　him　quite

indifferent　to　any　harm　to　the　children。　If　one　of　them　was　ailing；

the　count　gave　his　whole　mind　to　fastening　the　cause　of　the　illness

upon　the　system　of　nursing　adopted　by　his　wife；　whom　he　carped　at　for

every　trifling　detail；　always　ending　with　the　cruel　words；　〃If　your

children　fall　ill　again　you　have　only　yourself　to　thank　for　it。〃



He　behaved　in　the　same　way　in　the　management　of　the　household；　seeing

the　worst　side　of　everything；　and　making　himself；　as　his　old　coachman

said；　〃the　devil's　own　advocate。〃　The　countess　arranged　that　Jacques

and　Madeleine　should　take　their　meals　alone　at　different　hours　from

the　family；　so　as　to　save　them　from　the　co