the lily of the valley-第58章

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yield　you　to　none；　not　even　to　Death；　for　I　should　die　with　you。〃



She　led　me　to　her　rooms；　where　comfort　had　already　spread　its　charms。



〃Love　her；　dear；〃　I　said　warmly。　〃She　loves　you　sincerely；　not　in

jest。〃



〃Sincerely！　you　poor　child！〃　she　said；　unfastening　her　habit。



With　a　lover's　vanity　I　tried　to　exhibit　Henriette's　noble　character

to　this　imperious　creature。　While　her　waiting…woman；　who　did　not

understand　a　word　of　French；　arranged　her　hair　I　endeavored　to　picture

Madame　de　Mortsauf　by　sketching　her　life；　I　repeated　many　of　the　great

thoughts　she　had　uttered　at　a　crisis　when　nearly　all　women　become

either　petty　or　bad。　Though　Arabella　appeared　to　be　paying　no

attention　she　did　not　lose　a　single　word。



〃I　am　delighted；〃　she　said　when　we　were　alone；　〃to　learn　your　taste

for　pious　conversation。　There's　an　old　vicar　on　one　of　my　estates　who

understands　writing　sermons　better　than　any　one　I　know；　the　country…

people　like　him；　for　he　suits　his　prosing　to　his　hearers。　I'll　write

to　my　father　to…morrow　and　ask　him　to　send　the　good　man　here　by

steamboat；　you　can　meet　him　in　Paris；　and　when　once　you　have　heard　him

you　will　never　wish　to　listen　to　any　one　else；all　the　more　because

his　health　is　perfect。　His　moralities　won't　give　you　shocks　that　make

you　weep；　they　flow　along　without　tempests；　like　a　limpid　stream；　and

will　send　you　to　sleep。　Every　evening　you　can　if　you　like　satisfy　your

passion　for　sermons　by　digesting　one　with　your　dinner。　English

morality；　I　do　assure　you；　is　as　superior　to　that　of　Touraine　as　our

cutlery；　our　plate；　and　our　horses　are　to　your　knives　and　your　turf。

Do　me　the　kindness　to　listen　to　my　vicar；　promise　me。　I　am　only　a

woman；　my　dearest；　I　can　love；　I　can　die　for　you　if　you　will；　but　I

have　never　studied　at　Eton；　or　at　Oxford；　or　in　Edinburgh。　I　am

neither　a　doctor　of　laws　nor　a　reverend；　I　can't　preach　morality；　in

fact；　I　am　altogether　unfit　for　it；　I　should　be　awkward　if　I　tried。　I

don't　blame　your　tastes；　you　might　have　others　more　depraved；　and　I

should　still　endeavor　to　conform　to　them；　for　I　want　you　to　find　near

me　all　you　like　best；pleasures　of　love；　pleasures　of　food；　pleasures

of　piety；　good　claret；　and　virtuous　Christians。　Shall　I　wear　hair…

cloth　to…night？　She　is　very　lucky；　that　woman；　to　suit　you　in

morality。　From　what　college　did　she　graduate？　Poor　I；　who　can　only

give　you　myself；　who　can　only　be　your　slave〃



〃Then　why　did　you　rush　away　when　I　wanted　to　bring　you　together？〃



〃Are　you　crazy；　Amedee？　I　could　go　from　Paris　to　Rome　disguised　as　a

valet；　I　would　do　the　most　unreasonable　thing　for　your　sake；　but　how

can　you　expect　me　to　speak　to　a　woman　on　the　public　roads　who　has

never　been　presented　to　me；and　who；　besides；　would　have　preached　me

a　sermon　under　three　heads？　I　speak　to　peasants；　and　if　I　am　hungry　I

would　ask　a　workman　to　share　his　bread　with　me　and　pay　him　in　guineas；

that　is　all　proper　enough；　but　to　stop　a　carriage　on　the　highway；

like　the　gentlemen　of　the　road　in　England；　is　not　at　all　within　my

code　of　manners。　You　poor　child；　you　know　only　how　to　love；　you　don't

know　how　to　live。　Besides；　I　am　not　like　you　as　yet；　dear　angel；　I

don't　like　morality。　Still；　I　am　capable　of　great　efforts　to　please

you。　Yes；　I　will　go　to　work；　I　will　learn　how　to　preach；　you　shall

have　no　more　kisses　without　verses　of　the　Bible　interlarded。〃



She　used　her　power　and　abused　it　as　soon　as　she　saw　in　my　eyes　the

ardent　expression　which　was　always　there　when　she　began　her　sorceries。

She　triumphed　over　everything；　and　I　complacently　told　myself　that　the

woman　who　loses　all；　sacrifices　the　future；　and　makes　love　her　only

virtue；　is　far　above　Catholic　polemics。



〃So　she　loves　herself　better　than　she　loves　you？〃　Arabella　went　on。

〃She　sets　something　that　is　not　you　above　you。　Is　that　love？　how　can

we　women　find　anything　to　value　in　ourselves　except　that　which　you

value　in　us？　No　woman；　no　matter　how　fine　a　moralist　she　may　be；　is

the　equal　of　a　man。　Tread　upon　us；　kill　us；　never　embarrass　your　lives

on　our　account。　It　is　for　us　to　die；　for　you　to　live；　great　and

honored。　For　us　the　dagger　in　your　hand；　for　you　our　pardoning　love。

Does　the　sun　think　of　the　gnats　in　his　beams；　that　live　by　his　light？

they　stay　as　long　as　they　can　and　when　he　withdraws　his　face　they

die〃



〃Or　fly　somewhere　else；〃　I　said　interrupting　her。



〃Yes；　somewhere　else；〃　she　replied；　with　an　indifference　that　would

have　piqued　any　man　into　using　the　power　with　which　she　invested　him。

〃Do　you　really　think　it　is　worthy　of　womanhood　to　make　a　man　eat　his

bread　buttered　with　virtue；　and　to　persuade　him　that　religion　is

incompatible　with　love？　Am　I　a　reprobate？　A　woman　either　gives　herself

or　she　refuses。　But　to　refuse　and　moralize　is　a　double　wrong；　and　is

contrary　to　the　rule　of　the　right　in　all　lands。　Here；　you　will　get

only　excellent　sandwiches　prepared　by　the　hand　of　your　servant

Arabella；　whose　sole　morality　is　to　imagine　caresses　no　man　has　yet

felt　and　which　the　angels　inspire。〃



I　know　nothing　more　destructive　than　the　wit　of　an　Englishwoman；　she

gives　it　the　eloquent　gravity；　the　tone　of　pompous　conviction　with

which　the　British　hide　the　absurdities　of　their　life　of　prejudice。

French　wit　and　humor；　on　the　other　hand；　is　like　a　lace　with　which　our

women　adorn　the　joys　they　give　and　the　quarrels　they　invent；　it　is　a

mental　jewelry；　as　charming　as　their　pretty　dresses。　English　wit　is　an

acid　which　corrodes　all　those　on　whom　it　falls　until　it　bares　their

bones；　which　it　scrapes　and　polishes。　The　tongue　of　a　clever

Englishwoman　is　like　that　of　a　tiger　tearing　the　flesh　from　the　bone

when　he　is　only　in　play。　All…powerful　weapon　of　a　sneering　devil；

English　satire　leaves　a　deadly　poison　in　the　wound　it　makes。　Arabella

chose　to　show　her　power　like　the　sultan　who；　to　prove　his　dexterity；

cut　off　the　heads　of　unoffending　beings　with　his　own　scimitar。



〃My　angel；〃　she　said；　〃I　can　talk　morality　too　if　I　choose。　I　have

asked　myself　whether　I　commit　a　crime　in　loving　you；　whether　I　violate

the　divine　laws；　and　I　find　that　my　love　for　you　is　both　natural　and

pious。　Why　did　God　create　some　beings　handsomer　than　others　if　not　to

show　us　that　we　ought　to　adore　them？　The　crime　would　be　in　not　loving

you。　This　lady　insults　you　by　confounding　you　with　other　men；　the　laws

of　morality　are　not　applicable　to　you；　for　God　has　created　you　above

them。　Am　I　not　drawing　nearer　to　divine　love　in　loving　you？　will　God

punish　a　poor　woman　for　seeking　the　divine？　Your　great　and　luminous

heart　so　resembles　the　heavens　that　I　am　like　the　gnats　which　flutter

about　the　torches　of　a　fete　and　burn　themselves；　are　they　to　be

punished　for　their　error？　besides；　is　it　an　error？　may　it　not　be　pure

worship　of　the　light？　They　perish　of　too　much　piety；if　you　call　it

perishing　to　fling　one's　self　on　the　breast　of　him　we　love。　I　have　the

weakness　to　love　you；　whereas　that　woman　has　the　strength　to　remain　in

her　Catholic　shrine。　Now；　don't　frown。　You　think　I　wish　her　ill。　No；　I

do　not。　I　adore　the　morality　which　has　led　her　to　leave　you　free；　and

enables　me　to　win　you　and　hold　you　foreverfor　you　are　mine　forever；

are　you　not？〃



〃Yes。〃



〃Forever　and　ever？〃



〃Yes。〃



〃Ah！　I　have　found　favor　in　my　lord！　I　alone　have　understood　his　worth！

She　knows　how　to　cultivate　her　estate；　you　say。　Well；　I　leave　that　to

farmers；　I　cultivate　your　heart。〃



I　try　to　recall　this　intoxicating　babble；　that　I　may　picture　to　you

the　woman　as　she　is；　confirm　all　I　have　said　of　her；　and　let　you　into

the　secret　of　what　happened　later。　But　how　shall　I　describe　the

accompaniment　of　the　words？　She　sought　to　annihilate　by　the　passion　of

her　impetuous　love　the　impressions　left　in　my　heart　by　the　chaste　and

dignified　love　of　my　Henriette。　Lady　Dudley　had　seen　the　countess　as

plainly　as　the　countess　had　seen　her；　each　had　judged　the　other。　The

force　of　Arabella's　attack　revealed　to　me　the　extent　o