the lily of the valley-第7章

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story　to　which　they　owe　their　arms　and　their　distinction。　Monsieur　de

Mortsauf　is　descended　from　a　man　who　survived　the　gallows。　The　family

bear：　Or；　a　cross　potent　and　counter…potent　sable；　charged　with　a

fleur…de…lis　or；　and　'Dieu　saulve　le　Roi　notre　Sire；'　for　motto。　The

count　settled　here　after　the　return　of　the　emigration。　The　estate

belongs　to　his　wife；　a　demoiselle　de　Lenoncourt；　of　the　house　of

Lenoncourt…Givry　which　is　now　dying　out。　Madame　de　Mortsauf　is　an　only

daughter。　The　limited　fortune　of　the　family　contrasts　strangely　with

the　distinction　of　their　names；　either　from　pride；　or；　possibly；　from

necessity；　they　never　leave　Clochegourde　and　see　no　company。　Until　now

their　attachment　to　the　Bourbons　explained　this　retirement；　but　the

return　of　the　king　has　not　changed　their　way　of　living。　When　I　came　to

reside　here　last　year　I　paid　them　a　visit　of　courtesy；　they　returned

it　and　invited　us　to　dinner；　the　winter　separated　us　for　some　months；

and　political　events　kept　me　away　from　Frapesle　until　recently。　Madame

de　Mortsauf　is　a　woman　who　would　hold　the　highest　position　wherever

she　might　be。〃



〃Does　she　often　come　to　Tours？〃



〃She　never　goes　there。　However；〃　he　added；　correcting　himself；　〃she

did　go　there　lately　to　the　ball　given　to　the　Duc　d'Angouleme；　who　was

very　gracious　to　her　husband。〃



〃It　was　she！〃　I　exclaimed。



〃She！　who？〃



〃A　woman　with　beautiful　shoulders。〃



〃You　will　meet　a　great　many　women　with　beautiful　shoulders　in

Touraine；〃　he　said；　laughing。　〃But　if　you　are　not　tired　we　can　cross

the　river　and　call　at　Clochegourde　and　you　shall　renew　acquaintance

with　those　particular　shoulders。〃



I　agreed；　not　without　a　blush　of　shame　and　pleasure。　About　four

o'clock　we　reached　the　little　chateau　on　which　my　eyes　had　fastened

from　the　first。　The　building；　which　is　finely　effective　in　the

landscape；　is　in　reality　very　modest。　It　has　five　windows　on　the

front；　those　at　each　end　of　the　facade；　looking　south；　project　about

twelve　feet；an　architectural　device　which　gives　the　idea　of　two

towers　and　adds　grace　to　the　structure。　The　middle　window　serves　as　a

door　from　which　you　descend　through　a　double　portico　into　a　terraced

garden　which　joins　the　narrow　strip　of　grass…land　that　skirts　the

Indre　along　its　whole　course。　Though　this　meadow　is　separated　from　the

lower　terrace；　which　is　shaded　by　a　double　line　of　acacias　and

Japanese　ailanthus；　by　the　country　road；　it　nevertheless　appears　from

the　house　to　be　a　part　of　the　garden；　for　the　road　is　sunken　and

hemmed　in　on　one　side　by　the　terrace；　on　the　other　side　by　a　Norman

hedge。　The　terraces　being　very　well　managed　put　enough　distance

between　the　house　and　the　river　to　avoid　the　inconvenience　of　too

great　proximity　to　water；　without　losing　the　charms　of　it。　Below　the

house　are　the　stables；　coach…house；　green…houses；　and　kitchen；　the

various　openings　to　which　form　an　arcade。　The　roof　is　charmingly

rounded　at　the　angles；　and　bears　mansarde　windows　with　carved　mullions

and　leaden　finials　on　their　gables。　This　roof；　no　doubt　much　neglected

during　the　Revolution；　is　stained　by　a　sort　of　mildew　produced　by

lichens　and　the　reddish　moss　which　grows　on　houses　exposed　to　the　sun。

The　glass　door　of　the　portico　is　surmounted　by　a　little　tower　which

holds　the　bell；　and　on　which　is　carved　the　escutcheon　of　the　Blamont…

Chauvry　family；　to　which　Madame　de　Mortsauf　belonged；　as　follows：

Gules；　a　pale　vair；　flanked　quarterly　by　two　hands　clasped　or；　and　two

lances　in　chevron　sable。　The　motto；　〃Voyez　tous；　nul　ne　touche！〃

struck　me　greatly。　The　supporters；　a　griffin　and　dragon　gules；

enchained　or；　made　a　pretty　effect　in　the　carving。　The　Revolution　has

damaged　the　ducal　crown　and　the　crest；　which　was　a　palm…tree　vert　with

fruit　or。　Senart；　the　secretary　of　the　committee　of　public　safety　was

bailiff　of　Sache　before　1781；　which　explains　this　destruction。



These　arrangements　give　an　elegant　air　to　the　little　castle；　dainty　as

a　flower；　which　seems　to　scarcely　rest　upon　the　earth。　Seen　from　the

valley　the　ground…floor　appears　to　be　the　first　story；　but　on　the

other　side　it　is　on　a　level　with　a　broad　gravelled　path　leading　to　a

grass…plot；　on　which　are　several　flower…beds。　To　right　and　left　are

vineyards；　orchards；　and　a　few　acres　of　tilled　land　planted　with

chestnut…trees　which　surround　the　house；　the　ground　falling　rapidly　to

the　Indre；　where　other　groups　of　trees　of　variegated　shades　of　green；

chosen　by　Nature　herself；　are　spread　along　the　shore。　I　admired　these

groups；　so　charmingly　disposed；　as　we　mounted　the　hilly　road　which

borders　Clochegourde；　I　breathed　an　atmosphere　of　happiness。　Has　the

moral　nature；　like　the　physical　nature；　its　own　electrical

communications　and　its　rapid　changes　of　temperature？　My　heart　was

beating　at　the　approach　of　events　then　unrevealed　which　were　to　change

it　forever；　just　as　animals　grow　livelier　when　foreseeing　fine

weather。



This　day；　so　marked　in　my　life；　lacked　no　circumstance　that　was　needed

to　solemnize　it。　Nature　was　adorned　like　a　woman　to　meet　her　lover。　My

soul　heard　her　voice　for　the　first　time；　my　eyes　worshipped　her；　as

fruitful；　as　varied　as　my　imagination　had　pictured　her　in　those

school…dreams　the　influence　of　which　I　have　tried　in　a　few　unskilful

words　to　explain　to　you；　for　they　were　to　me　an　Apocalypse　in　which　my

life　was　figuratively　foretold；　each　event；　fortunate　or　unfortunate；

being　mated　to　some　one　of　these　strange　visions　by　ties　known　only　to

the　soul。



We　crossed　a　court…yard　surrounded　by　buildings　necessary　for　the　farm

work；a　barn；　a　wine…press；　cow…sheds；　and　stables。　Warned　by　the

barking　of　the　watch…dog；　a　servant　came　to　meet　us；　saying　that

Monsieur　le　comte　had　gone　to　Azay　in　the　morning　but　would　soon

return；　and　that　Madame　la　comtesse　was　at　home。　My　companion　looked

at　me。　I　fairly　trembled　lest　he　should　decline　to　see　Madame　de

Mortsauf　in　her　husband's　absence；　but　he　told　the　man　to　announce　us。

With　the　eagerness　of　a　child　I　rushed　into　the　long　antechamber　which

crosses　the　whole　house。



〃Come　in；　gentlemen；〃　said　a　golden　voice。



Though　Madame　de　Mortsauf　had　spoken　only　one　word　at　the　ball；　I

recognized　her　voice；　which　entered　my　soul　and　filled　it　as　a　ray　of

sunshine　fills　and　gilds　a　prisoner's　dungeon。　Thinking；　suddenly；

that　she　might　remember　my　face；　my　first　impulse　was　to　fly；　but　it

was　too　late；she　appeared　in　the　doorway；　and　our　eyes　met。　I　know

not　which　of　us　blushed　deepest。　Too　much　confused　for　immediate

speech　she　returned　to　her　seat　at　an　embroidery　frame　while　the

servant　placed　two　chairs；　then　she　drew　out　her　needle　and　counted

some　stitches；　as　if　to　explain　her　silence；　after　which　she　raised

her　head；　gently　yet　proudly；　in　the　direction　of　Monsieur　de　Chessel

as　she　asked　to　what　fortunate　circumstance　she　owed　his　visit。　Though

curious　to　know　the　secret　of　my　unexpected　appearance；　she　looked　at

neither　of　us；her　eyes　were　fixed　on　the　river；　and　yet　you　could

have　told　by　the　way　she　listened　that　she　was　able　to　recognize；　as

the　blind　do；　the　agitations　of　a　neighboring　soul　by　the

imperceptible　inflexions　of　the　voice。



Monsieur　de　Chessel　gave　my　name　and　biography。　I　had　lately　arrived

at　Tours；　where　my　parents　had　recalled　me　when　the　armies　threatened

Paris。　A　son　of　Touraine　to　whom　Touraine　was　as　yet　unknown；　she

would　find　me　a　young　man　weakened　by　excessive　study　and　sent　to

Frapesle　to　amuse　himself；　he　had　already　shown　me　his　estate；　which　I

saw　for　the　first　time。　I　had　just　told　him　that　I　had　walked　from

Tours　to　Frapesle；　and　fearing　for　my　healthwhich　was　really

delicatehe　had　stopped　at　Clochegourde　to　ask　her　to　allow　me　to

rest　there。　Monsieur　de　Chessel　told　the　truth；　but　the　accident

seemed　so　forced　that　Madame　de　Mortsauf　distrusted　us。　She　gave　me　a

cold；　severe　glance；　under　which　my　own　eyelids　fell；　as　much　from　a

sense　of　humiliation　as　to　hide　th