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第48章

the lily of the valley-第48章

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combats; a species of cold madness which makes a coward of the bravest

man; a bigot of an unbeliever; and renders those it grasps indifferent

to all things; even to vital sentiments; to honor; to lovefor the

doubt it brings takes from us the knowledge of ourselves and disgusts

us with life itself。 Poor; nervous creatures; whom the very richness

of your organization delivers over to this mysterious; fatal power;

who are your peers and who your judges? Horrified by the thoughts that

rose within me; and demanding; like the wicked man; 〃Where is now thy

God?〃 I could not restrain the tears that rolled down my cheeks。



〃What is it; dear Felix?〃 said Madeleine in her childish voice。



Then Henriette put to flight these dark horrors of the mind by a look

of tender solicitude which shone into my soul like a sunbeam。 Just

then the old huntsman brought me a letter from Tours; at sight of

which I made a sudden cry of surprise; which made Madame de Mortsauf

tremble。 I saw the king's signet and knew it contained my recall。 I

gave her the letter and she read it at a glance。



〃What will become of me?〃 she murmured; beholding her desert sunless。



We fell into a stupor of thought which oppressed us equally; never had

we felt more strongly how necessary we were to one another。 The

countess; even when she spoke indifferently of other things; seemed to

have a new voice; as if the instrument had lost some chords and others

were out of tune。 Her movements were apathetic; her eyes without

light。 I begged her to tell me her thoughts。



〃Have I any?〃 she replied in a dazed way。



She drew me into her chamber; made me sit upon the sofa; took a

package from the drawer of her dressing…table; and knelt before me;

saying: 〃This hair has fallen from my head during the last year; take

it; it is yours; you will some day know how and why。〃



Slowly I bent to meet her brow; and she did not avoid my lips。 I

kissed her sacredly; without unworthy passion; without one impure

impulse; but solemnly; with tenderness。 Was she willing to make the

sacrifice; or did she merely come; as I did once; to the verge of the

precipice? If love were leading her to give herself could she have

worn that calm; that holy look; would she have asked; in that pure

voice of hers; 〃You are not angry with me; are you?〃



I left that evening; she wished to accompany me on the road to

Frapesle; and we stopped under my walnut…tree。 I showed it to her; and

told her how I had first seen her four years earlier from that spot。

〃The valley was so beautiful then!〃 I cried。



〃And now?〃 she said quickly。



〃You are beneath my tree; and the valley is ours!〃



She bowed her head and that was our farewell; she got into her

carriage with Madeleine; and I into mine alone。



On my return to Paris I was absorbed in pressing business which took

all my time and kept me out of society; which for a while forgot me。 I

corresponded with Madame de Mortsauf; and sent her my journal once a

week。 She answered twice a month。 It was a life of solitude yet

teeming; like those sequestered spots; blooming unknown; which I had

sometimes found in the depths of woods when gathering the flowers for

my poems。



Oh; you who love! take these obligations on you; accept these daily

duties; like those the Church imposes upon Christians。 The rigorous

observances of the Roman faith contain a great idea; they plough the

furrow of duty in the soul by the daily repetition of acts which keep

alive the sense of hope and fear。 Sentiments flow clearer in furrowed

channels which purify their stream; they refresh the heart; they

fertilize the life from the abundant treasures of a hidden faith; the

source divine in which the single thought of a single love is

multiplied indefinitely。



My love; an echo of the Middle Ages and of chivalry; was known; I know

not how; possibly the king and the Duc de Lenoncourt had spoken of it。

From that upper sphere the romantic yet simple story of a young man

piously adoring a beautiful woman remote from the world; noble in her

solitude; faithful without support to duty; spread; no doubt quickly;

through the faubourg St。 Germain。 In the salons I was the object of

embarrassing notice; for retired life has advantages which if once

experienced make the burden of a constant social intercourse

insupportable。 Certain minds are painfully affected by violent

contrasts; just as eyes accustomed to soft colors are hurt by glaring

light。 This was my condition then; you may be surprised at it now; but

have patience; the inconsistencies of the Vandenesse of to…day will be

explained to you。



I found society courteous and women most kind。 After the marriage of

the Duc de Berry the court resumed its former splendor and the glory

of the French fetes revived。 The Allied occupation was over;

prosperity reappeared; enjoyments were again possible。 Noted

personages; illustrious by rank; prominent by fortune; came from all

parts of Europe to the capital of the intellect; where the merits and

the vices of other countries were found magnified and whetted by the

charms of French intellect。



Five months after leaving Clochegourde my good angel wrote me; in the

middle of the winter; a despairing letter; telling me of the serious

illness of her son。 He was then out of danger; but there were many

fears for the future; the doctor said that precautions were necessary

for his lungsthe suggestion of a terrible idea which had put the

mother's heart in mourning。 Hardly had Jacques begun to convalesce;

and she could breathe again; when Madeleine made them all uneasy。 That

pretty plant; whose bloom had lately rewarded the mother's culture;

was now frail and pallid and anemic。 The countess; worn…out by

Jacques' long illness; found no courage; she said; to bear this

additional blow; and the ever present spectacle of these two dear

failing creatures made her insensible to the redoubled torment of her

husband's temper。 Thus the storms were again raging; tearing up by the

roots the hopes that were planted deepest in her bosom。 She was now at

the mercy of the count; weary of the struggle; she allowed him to

regain all the ground he had lost。



〃When all my strength is employed in caring for my children;〃 she

wrote; 〃how is it possible to employ it against Monsieur de Mortsauf;

how can I struggle against his aggressions when I am fighting against

death? Standing here to…day; alone and much enfeebled; between these

two young images of mournful fate; I am overpowered with disgust;

invincible disgust for life。 What blow can I feel; to what affection

can I answer; when I see Jacques motionless on the terrace; scarcely a

sign of life about him; except in those dear eyes; large by

emaciation; hollow as those of an old man and; oh; fatal sign; full of

precocious intelligence contrasting with his physical debility。 When I

look at my pretty Madeleine; once so gay; so caressing; so blooming;

now white as death; her very hair and eyes seem to me to have paled;

she turns a languishing look upon me as if bidding me farewell;

nothing rouses her; nothing tempts her。 In spite of all my efforts I

cannot amuse my children; they smile at me; but their smile is only in

answer to my endearments; it does not come from them。 They weep

because they have no strength to play with me。 Suffering has enfeebled

their whole being; it has loosened even the ties that bound them to

me。



〃Thus you can well believe that Clochegourde is very sad。 Monsieur de

Mortsauf now rules everythingOh my friend! you; my glory!〃 she

wrote; farther on; 〃you must indeed love me well to love me still; to

love me callous; ungrateful; turned to stone by grief。〃







CHAPTER III



THE TWO WOMEN



It was at this time; when I was never more deeply moved in my whole

being; when I lived in that soul to which I strove to send the

luminous breeze of the mornings and the hope of the crimsoned

evenings; that

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