the lily of the valley-第70章

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　　If　you　do　not　wish　to　marry　Madeleine　you　will　at　least　seek　the

　　repose　of　my　soul　by　making　Monsieur　de　Mortsauf　as　happy　as　he

　　ever　can　be。



　　Farewell；　dear　child　of　my　heart；　this　is　the　farewell　of　a　mind

　　absolutely　sane；　still　full　of　life；　the　farewell　of　a　spirit　on

　　which　thou　hast　shed　too　many　and　too　great　joys　to　suffer　thee　to

　　feel　remorse　for　the　catastrophe　they　have　caused。　I　use　that　word

　　〃catastrophe〃　thinking　of　you　and　how　you　love　me；　as　for　me；　I

　　reach　the　haven　of　my　rest；　sacrificed　to　duty　and　not　without

　　regretah！　I　tremble　at　that　thought。　God　knows　better　than　I

　　whether　I　have　fulfilled　his　holy　laws　in　accordance　with　their

　　spirit。　Often；　no　doubt；　I　have　tottered；　but　I　have　not　fallen；

　　the　most　potent　cause　of　my　wrong…doing　lay　in　the　grandeur　of　the

　　seductions　that　encompassed　me。　The　Lord　will　behold　me　trembling

　　when　I　enter　His　presence　as　though　I　had　succumbed。　Farewell

　　again；　a　long　farewell　like　that　I　gave　last　night　to　our　dear

　　valley；　where　I　soon　shall　rest　and　where　you　will　oftenwill　you

　　not？return。





Henriette。



I　fell　into　an　abyss　of　terrible　reflections；　as　I　perceived　the

depths　unknown　of　the　life　now　lighted　up　by　this　expiring　flame。　The

clouds　of　my　egotism　rolled　away。　She　had　suffered　as　much　as　Imore

than　I；　for　she　was　dead。　She　believed　that　others　would　be　kind　to

her　friend；　she　was　so　blinded　by　love　that　she　had　never　so　much　as

suspected　the　enmity　of　her　daughter。　That　last　proof　of　her

tenderness　pained　me　terribly。　Poor　Henriette　wished　to　give　me

Clochegourde　and　her　daughter。



Natalie；　from　that　dread　day　when　first　I　entered　a　graveyard

following　the　remains　of　my　noble　Henriette；　whom　now　you　know；　the

sun　has　been　less　warm；　less　luminous；　the　nights　more　gloomy；

movement　less　agile；　thought　more　dull。　There　are　some　departed　whom

we　bury　in　the　earth；　but　there　are　others　more　deeply　loved　for　whom

our　souls　are　winding…sheets；　whose　memory　mingles　daily　with　our

heart…beats；　we　think　of　them　as　we　breathe；　they　are　in　us　by　the

tender　law　of　a　metempsychosis　special　to　love。　A　soul　is　within　my

soul。　When　some　good　thing　is　done　by　me；　when　some　true　word　is

spoken；　that　soul　acts　and　speaks。　All　that　is　good　within　me　issues

from　that　grave；　as　the　fragrance　of　a　lily　fills　the　air；　sarcasm；

bitterness；　all　that　you　blame　in　me　is　mine。　Natalie；　when　next　my

eyes　are　darkened　by　a　cloud　or　raised　to　heaven　after　long

contemplation　of　earth；　when　my　lips　make　no　reply　to　your　words　or

your　devotion；　do　not　ask　me　again；　〃Of　what　are　you　thinking？〃



*****



Dear　Natalie；　I　ceased　to　write　some　days　ago；　these　memories　were　too

bitter　for　me。　Still；　I　owe　you　an　account　of　the　events　which

followed　this　catastrophe；　they　need　few　words。　When　a　life　is　made　up

of　action　and　movement　it　is　soon　told；　but　when　it　passes　in　the

higher　regions　of　the　soul　its　story　becomes　diffuse。　Henriette's

letter　put　the　star　of　hope　before　my　eyes。　In　this　great　shipwreck　I

saw　an　isle　on　which　I　might　be　rescued。　To　live　at　Clochegourde　with

Madeleine；　consecrating　my　life　to　hers；　was　a　fate　which　satisfied

the　ideas　of　which　my　heart　was　full。　But　it　was　necessary　to　know　the

truth　as　to　her　real　feelings。　As　I　was　bound　to　bid　the　count

farewell；　I　went　to　Clochegourde　to　see　him；　and　met　him　on　the

terrace。　We　walked　up　and　down　for　some　time。　At　first　he　spoke　of　the

countess　like　a　man　who　knew　the　extent　of　his　loss；　and　all　the

injury　it　was　doing　to　his　inner　self。　But　after　the　first　outbreak　of

his　grief　was　over　he　seemed　more　concerned　about　the　future　than　the

present。　He　feared　his　daughter；　who；　he　told　me；　had　not　her　mother's

gentleness。　Madeleine's　firm　character；　in　which　there　was　something

heroic　blending　with　her　mother's　gracious　nature；　alarmed　the　old

man；　used　to　Henriette's　tenderness；　and　he　now　foresaw　the　power　of　a

will　that　never　yielded。　His　only　consolation　for　his　irreparable

loss；　he　said；　was　the　certainty　of　soon　rejoining　his　wife；　the

agitations；　the　griefs　of　these　last　few　weeks　had　increased　his

illness　and　brought　back　all　his　former　pains；　the　struggle　which　he

foresaw　between　his　authority　as　a　father　and　that　of　his　daughter；

now　mistress　of　the　house；　would　end　his　days　in　bitterness；　for

though　he　should　have　struggled　against　his　wife；　he　should；　he　knew；

be　forced　to　give　way　before　his　child。　Besides；　his　son　was　soon　to

leave　him；　his　daughter　would　marry；　and　what　sort　of　son…in…law　was

he　likely　to　have？　Though　he　thus　talked　of　dying；　his　real　distress

was　in　feeling　himself　alone　for　many　years　to　come　without　sympathy。



During　this　hour　when　he　spoke　only　of　himself；　and　asked　for　my

friendship　in　his　wife's　name；　he　completed　a　picture　in　my　mind　of

the　remarkable　figure　of　the　Emigre；one　of　the　most　imposing　types

of　our　period。　In　appearance　he　was　frail　and　broken；　but　life　seemed

persistent　in　him　because　of　his　sober　habits　and　his　country

avocations。　He　is　still　living。



Though　Madeleine　could　see　me　on　the　terrace；　she　did　not　come　down。

Several　times　she　came　out　upon　the　portico　and　went　back　in　again；　as

if　to　signify　her　contempt。　I　seized　a　moment　when　she　appeared　to　beg

the　count　to　go　to　the　house　and　call　her；　saying　I　had　a　last　wish　of

her　mother　to　convey　to　her；　and　this　would　be　my　only　opportunity　of

doing　so。　The　count　brought　her；　and　left　us　alone　together　on　the

terrace。



〃Dear　Madeleine；〃　I　said；　〃if　I　am　to　speak　to　you；　surely　it　should

be　here　where　your　mother　listened　to　me　when　she　felt　she　had　less

reason　to　complain　of　me　than　of　the　circumstances　of　life。　I　know

your　thoughts；　but　are　you　not　condemning　me　without　a　knowledge　of

the　facts？　My　life　and　happiness　are　bound　up　in　this　place；　you　know

that；　and　yet　you　seek　to　banish　me　by　the　coldness　you　show；　in　place

of　the　brotherly　affection　which　has　always　united　us；　and　which　death

should　have　strengthened　by　the　bonds　of　a　common　grief。　Dear

Madeleine；　you　for　whom　I　would　gladly　give　my　life　without　hope　of

recompense；　without　your　even　knowing　it；so　deeply　do　we　love　the

children　of　those　who　have　succored　us；you　are　not　aware　of　the

project　your　adorable　mother　cherished　during　the　last　seven　years。　If

you　knew　it　your　feelings　would　doubtless　soften　towards　me；　but　I　do

not　wish　to　take　advantage　of　you　now。　All　that　I　ask　is　that　you　do

not　deprive　me　of　the　right　to　come　here；　to　breathe　the　air　on　this

terrace；　and　to　wait　until　time　has　changed　your　ideas　of　social　life。

At　this　moment　I　desire　not　to　ruffle　them；　I　respect　a　grief　which

misleads　you；　for　it　takes　even　from　me　the　power　of　judging　soberly

the　circumstances　in　which　I　find　myself。　The　saint　who　now　looks　down

upon　us　will　approve　the　reticence　with　which　I　simply　ask　that　you

stand　neutral　between　your　present　feelings　and　my　wishes。　I　love　you

too　well；　in　spite　of　the　aversion　you　are　showing　me；　to　say　one　word

to　the　count　of　a　proposal　he　would　welcome　eagerly。　Be　free。　Later；

remember　that　you　know　no　one　in　the　world　as　you　know　me；　that　no　man

will　ever　have　more　devoted　feelings〃



Up　to　this　moment　Madeleine　had　listened　with　lowered　eyes；　now　she

stopped　me　by　a　gesture。



〃Monsieur；〃　she　said；　in　a　voice　trembling　with　emotion。　〃I　know　all

your　thoughts；　but　I　shall　not　change　my　feelings　towards　you。　I　would

rather　fling　myself　into　the　Indre　than　ally　myself　to　you。　I　will　not

speak　to　you　of　myself；　but　if　my　mother's　name　still　possesses　any

power　over　you；　in　her　name　I　beg　you　never　to　return　to　Clochegourde

so　long　as　I　am　in　it。　The　mere　sight　of　you　causes　me　a　repugnance　I

cannot　express；　but　which　I　shall　never　overcome。〃



She　bowed　to　me　with　dignity；　and　returned　to　the　house　without

looking　back；　impassible　as　her　mother　had　been　for　one　day　only；　but

more　pitiless。　The　searching　eye　of　that　young　gi