the lily of the valley-第72章

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　　you　have　given　me　to　understand　that　I　cannot　love　as　Henriette　or

　　Arabella　loved　you。　I　acknowledge　my　imperfections；　I　know　them；

　　but　why　so　roughly　make　me　feel　them？



　　Shall　I　tell　you　whom　I　pity？the　fourth　woman　whom　you　love。　She

　　will　be　forced　to　struggle　against　three　others。　Therefore；　in

　　your　interests　as　well　as　in　hers；　I　must　warn　you　against　the

　　dangers　of　your　tale。　For　myself；　I　renounce　the　laborious　glory

　　of　loving　you；it　needs　too　many　virtues；　Catholic　or　Anglican；

　　and　I　have　no　fancy　for　rivalling　phantoms。　The　virtues　of　the

　　virgin　of　Clochegourde　would　dishearten　any　woman；　however　sure　of

　　herself　she　might　be；　and　your　intrepid　English　amazon　discourages

　　even　a　wish　for　that　sort　of　happiness。　No　matter　what　a　poor

　　woman　may　do；　she　can　never　hope　to　give　you　the　joys　she　will

　　aspire　to　give。　Neither　heart　nor　senses　can　triumph　against　these

　　memories　of　yours。　I　own　that　I　have　never　been　able　to　warm　the

　　sunshine　chilled　for　you　by　the　death　of　your　sainted　Henriette。　I

　　have　felt　you　shuddering　beside　me。



　　My　friend；for　you　will　always　be　my　friend；never　make　such

　　confidences　again；　they　lay　bare　your　disillusions；　they

　　discourage　love；　and　compel　a　woman　to　feel　doubtful　of　herself。

　　Love；　dear　count；　can　only　live　on　trustfulness。　The　woman　who

　　before　she　says　a　word　or　mounts　her　horse；　must　ask　herself

　　whether　a　celestial　Henriette　might　not　have　spoken　better；

　　whether　a　rider　like　Arabella　was　not　more　graceful；　that　woman

　　you　may　be　very　sure；　will　tremble　in　all　her　members。　You

　　certainly　have　given　me　a　desire　to　receive　a　few　of　those

　　intoxicating　bouquetsbut　you　say　you　will　make　no　more。　There

　　are　many　other　things　you　dare　no　longer　do；　thoughts　and

　　enjoyments　you　can　never　reawaken。　No　woman；　and　you　ought　to　know

　　this；　will　be　willing　to　elbow　in　your　heart　the　phantom　whom　you

　　hold　there。



　　You　ask　me　to　love　you　out　of　Christian　charity。　I　could　do　much；

　　I　candidly　admit；　for　charity；　in　fact　I　could　do　allexcept

　　love。　You　are　sometimes　wearisome　and　wearied；　you　call　your

　　dulness　melancholy。　Very　good；so　be　it；　but　all　the　same　it　is

　　intolerable；　and　causes　much　cruel　anxiety　to　one　who　loves　you。　I

　　have　often　found　the　grave　of　that　saint　between　us。　I　have

　　searched　my　own　heart；　I　know　myself；　and　I　own　I　do　not　wish　to

　　die　as　she　did。　If　you　tired　out　Lady　Dudley；　who　is　a　very

　　distinguished　woman；　I；　who　have　not　her　passionate　desires；

　　should；　I　fear；　turn　coldly　against　you　even　sooner　than　she　did。

　　Come；　let　us　suppress　love　between　us；　inasmuch　as　you　can　find

　　happiness　only　with　the　dead；　and　let　us　be　merely　friendsI　wish

　　it。



　　Ah！　my　dear　count；　what　a　history　you　have　told　me！　At　your

　　entrance　into　life　you　found　an　adorable　woman；　a　perfect

　　mistress；　who　thought　of　your　future；　made　you　a　peer；　loved　you

　　to　distraction；　only　asked　that　you　would　be　faithful　to　her；　and

　　you　killed　her！　I　know　nothing　more　monstrous。　Among　all　the

　　passionate　and　unfortunate　young　men　who　haunt　the　streets　of

　　Paris；　I　doubt　if　there　is　one　who　would　not　stay　virtuous　ten

　　years　to　obtain　one　half　of　the　favors　you　did　not　know　how　to

　　value！　When　a　man　is　loved　like　that　how　can　he　ask　more？　Poor

　　woman！　she　suffered　indeed；　and　after　you　have　written　a　few

　　sentimental　phrases　you　think　you　have　balanced　your　account　with

　　her　coffin。　Such；　no　doubt；　is　the　end　that　awaits　my　tenderness

　　for　you。　Thank　you；　dear　count；　I　will　have　no　rival　on　either

　　side　of　the　grave。　When　a　man　has　such　a　crime　upon　his

　　conscience；　at　least　he　ought　not　to　tell　of　it。　I　made　you　an

　　imprudent　request；　but　I　was　true　to　my　woman's　part　as　a　daughter

　　of　Eve；it　was　your　part　to　estimate　the　effect　of　the　answer。

　　You　ought　to　have　deceived　me；　later　I　should　have　thanked　you。　Is

　　it　possible　that　you　have　never　understood　the　special　virtue　of

　　lovers？　Can　you　not　feel　how　generous　they　are　in　swearing　that

　　they　have　never　loved　before；　and　love　at　last　for　the　first　time？



　　No；　your　programme　cannot　be　carried　out。　To　attempt　to　be　both

　　Madame　de　Mortsauf　and　Lady　Dudley；why；　my　dear　friend；　it　would

　　be　trying　to　unite　fire　and　water　within　me！　Is　it　possible　that

　　you　don't　know　women？　Believe　me；　they　are　what　they　are；　and　they

　　have　therefore　the　defects　of　their　virtues。　You　met　Lady　Dudley

　　too　early　in　life　to　appreciate　her；　and　the　harm　you　say　of　her

　　seems　to　me　the　revenge　of　your　wounded　vanity。　You　understood

　　Madame　de　Mortsauf　too　late；　you　punished　one　for　not　being　the

　　other；what　would　happen　to　me　if　I　were　neither　the　one　nor　the

　　other？　I　love　you　enough　to　have　thought　deeply　about　your　future；

　　in　fact；　I　really　care　for　you　a　great　deal。　Your　air　of　the

　　Knight　of　the　Sad　Countenance　has　always　deeply　interested　me；　I

　　believed　in　the　constancy　of　melancholy　men；　but　I　little　thought

　　that　you　had　killed　the　loveliest　and　the　most　virtuous　of　women

　　at　the　opening　of　your　life。



　　Well；　I　ask　myself；　what　remains　for　you　to　do？　I　have　thought　it

　　over　carefully。　I　think；　my　friend；　that　you　will　have　to　marry　a

　　Mrs。　Shandy；　who　will　know　nothing　of　love　or　of　passion；　and　will

　　not　trouble　herself　about　Madame　de　Mortsauf　or　Lady　Dudley；　who

　　will　be　wholly　indifferent　to　those　moments　of　ennui　which　you

　　call　melancholy；　during　which　you　are　as　lively　as　a　rainy　day；a

　　wife　who　will　be　to　you；　in　short；　the　excellent　sister　of　charity

　　whom　you　are　seeking。　But　as　for　loving；　quivering　at　a　word；

　　anticipating　happiness；　giving　it；　receiving　it；　experiencing　all

　　the　tempests　of　passion；　cherishing　the　little　weaknesses　of　a

　　beloved　womanmy　dear　count；　renounce　it　all！　You　have　followed

　　the　advice　of　your　good　angel　about　young　women　too　closely；　you

　　have　avoided　them　so　carefully　that　now　you　know　nothing　about

　　them。　Madame　de　Mortsauf　was　right　to　place　you　high　in　life　at

　　the　start；　otherwise　all　women　would　have　been　against　you；　and

　　you　never　would　have　risen　in　society。



　　It　is　too　late　now　to　begin　your　training　over　again；　too　late　to

　　learn　to　tell　us　what　we　long　to　hear；　to　be　superior　to　us　at　the

　　right　moment；　or　to　worship　our　pettiness　when　it　pleases　us　to　be

　　petty。　We　are　not　so　silly　as　you　think　us。　When　we　love　we　place

　　the　man　of　our　choice　above　all　else。　Whatever　shakes　our　faith　in

　　our　supremacy　shakes　our　love。　In　flattering　us　men　flatter

　　themselves。　If　you　intend　to　remain　in　society；　to　enjoy　an

　　intercourse　with　women；　you　must　carefully　conceal　from　them　all

　　that　you　have　told　me；　they　will　not　be　willing　to　sow　the　flowers

　　of　their　love　upon　the　rocks　or　lavish　their　caresses　to　soothe　a

　　sickened　spirit。　Women　will　discover　the　barrenness　of　your　heart

　　and　you　will　be　ever　more　and　more　unhappy。　Few　among　them　would

　　be　frank　enough　to　tell　you　what　I　have　told　you；　or　sufficiently

　　good…natured　to　leave　you　without　rancor；　offering　their

　　friendship；　like　the　woman　who　now　subscribes　herself



Your　devoted　friend；



Natalie　de　Manerville。









ADDENDUM



The　following　personages　appear　in　other　stories　of　the　Human　Comedy。



Birotteau；　Abbe　Francois

　　Cesar　Birotteau

　　The　Vicar　of　Tours



Blamont…Chauvry；　Princesse　de

　　The　Thirteen

　　Madame　Firmiani



Brandon；　Lady　Marie　Augusta

　　The　Member　for　Arcis

　　La　Grenadiere



Chessel；　Madame　de

　　The　Government　Clerks



Dudley；　Lord

　　The　Thirteen

　　A　Man　of　Business

　　Another　Study　of　Woman

　　A　Daughter　of　Eve



Dudley；　Lady　Arabella

　　The　Ball　at　Sceaux

　　The　Magic　Skin

　　The　Secrets　of　a　Princess

　　A　Daughter　of　Eve

　　Letters　of　Two　Brides



Givry

　　Letters　of　Two　Brides

　　Scenes　from　a　Courtesan's　Life



Lenoncourt；　Duc　de

　　Cesar　Birotteau

　　Jealousies　of　a　Co