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第51章

the lily of the valley(幽谷百合)-第51章

小说: the lily of the valley(幽谷百合) 字数: 每页4000字

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cheeks as velvety as a peach and given to her throat the silken down
which; like her mother's; caught the light。 She was to live! God had
written it; dear bud of the loveliest of human flowers; on the long
lashes of her eyelids; on the curve of those shoulders which gave
promise of a development as superb as her mother's! This brown young
girl; erect as a poplar; contrasted with Jacques; a fragile youth of
seventeen; whose head had grown immensely; causing anxiety by the
rapid expansion of the forehead; while his feverish; weary eyes were
in keeping with a voice that was deep and sonorous。 The voice gave
forth too strong a volume of tone; the eye too many thoughts。 It was
Henriette's intellect and soul and heart that were here devouring with
swift flames a body without stamina; for Jacques had the milk…white
skin and high color which characterize young English women doomed
sooner or later to the consumptive curse;an appearance of health
that deceives the eye。 Following a sign by which Henriette; after
showing me Madeleine; made me look at Jacques drawing geometrical
figures and algebraic calculations on a board before the Abbe Dominis;
I shivered at the sight of death hidden beneath the roses; and was
thankful for the self…deception of his mother。

〃When I see my children thus; happiness stills my griefsjust as
those griefs are dumb; and even disappear; when I see them failing。 My
friend;〃 she said; her eyes shining with maternal pleasure; 〃if other
affections fail us; the feelings rewarded here; the duties done and
crowned with success; are compensation enough for defeat elsewhere。
Jacques will be; like you; a man of the highest education; possessed
of the worthiest knowledge; he will be; like you; an honor to his
country; which he may assist in governing; helped by you; whose
standing will be so high; but I will strive to make him faithful to
his first affections。 Madeleine; dear creature; has a noble heart; she
is pure as the snows on the highest Alps; she will have a woman's
devotion and a woman's graceful intellect。 She is proud; she is worthy
of being a Lenoncourt。 My motherhood; once so tried; so tortured; is
happy now; happy with an infinite happiness; unmixed with pain。 Yes;
my life is full; my life is rich。 You see; God makes my joy to blossom
in the heart of these sanctified affections; and turns to bitterness
those that might have led me astray〃

〃Good!〃 cried the abbe; joyfully。 〃Monsieur le vicomte begins to know
as much as I〃

Just then Jacques coughed。

〃Enough for to…day; my dear abbe;〃 said the countess; 〃above all; no
chemistry。 Go for a ride on horseback; Jacques;〃 she added; letting
her son kiss her with the tender and yet dignified pleasure of a
mother。 〃Go; dear; but take care of yourself。〃

〃But;〃 I said; as her eyes followed Jacques with a lingering look;
〃you have not answered me。 Do you feel ill?〃

〃Oh; sometimes; in my stomach。 If I were in Paris I should have the
honors of gastritis; the fashionable disease。〃

〃My mother suffers very much and very often;〃 said Madeleine。

〃Ah!〃 she said; 〃does my health interest you?〃

Madeleine; astonished at the irony of these words; looked from one to
the other; my eyes counted the roses on the cushion of the gray and
green sofa which was in the salon。

〃This situation is intolerable;〃 I whispered in her ear。

〃Did I create it?〃 she asked。 〃Dear child;〃 she said aloud; with one
of those cruel levities by which women point their vengeance; 〃don't
you read history? France and England are enemies; and ever have been。
Madeleine knows that; she knows that a broad sea; and a cold and
stormy one; separates them。〃

The vases on the mantelshelf had given place to candelabra; no doubt
to deprive me of the pleasure of filling them with flowers; I found
them later in my own room。 When my servant arrived I went out to give
him some orders; he had brought me certain things I wished to place in
my room。

〃Felix;〃 said the countess; 〃do not make a mistake。 My aunt's old room
is now Madeleine's。 Yours is over the count's。〃

Though guilty; I had a heart; those words were dagger thrusts coldly
given at its tenderest spot; for which she seemed to aim。 Moral
sufferings are not fixed quantities; they depend on the sensitiveness
of souls。 The countess had trod each round of the ladder of pain; but;
for that very reason; the kindest of women was now as cruel as she was
once beneficent。 I looked at Henriette; but she averted her head。 I
went to my new room; which was pretty; white and green。 Once there I
burst into tears。 Henriette heard me as she entered with a bunch of
flowers in her hand。

〃Henriette;〃 I said; 〃will you never forgive a wrong that is indeed
excusable?〃

〃Do not call me Henriette;〃 she said。 〃She no longer exists; poor
soul; but you may feel sure of Madame de Mortsauf; a devoted friend;
who will listen to you and who will love you。 Felix; we will talk of
these things later。 If you have still any tenderness for me let me
grow accustomed to seeing you。 Whenever words will not rend my heart;
if the day should ever come when I recover courage; I will speak to
you; but not till then。 Look at the valley;〃 she said; pointing to the
Indre; 〃it hurts me; I love it still。〃

〃Ah; perish England and all her women! I will send my resignation to
the king; I will live and die here; pardoned。〃

〃No; love her; love that woman! Henriette is not。 This is no play; and
you should know it。〃

She left the room; betraying by the tone of her last words the extent
of her wounds。 I ran after her and held her back; saying; 〃Do you no
longer love me?〃

〃You have done me more harm than all my other troubles put together。
To…day I suffer less; therefore I love you less。 Be kind; do not
increase my pain; if you suffer; remember thatIlive。〃

She withdrew her hand; which I held; cold; motionless; but moist; in
mine; and darted like an arrow through the corridor in which this
scene of actual tragedy took place。

At dinner; the count subjected me to a torture I had little expected。
〃So the Marchioness of Dudley is not in Paris?〃 he said。

I blushed excessively; but answered; 〃No。〃

〃She is not in Tours;〃 continued the count。

〃She is not divorced; and she can go back to England。 Her husband
would be very glad if she would return to him;〃 I said; eagerly。

〃Has she children?〃 asked Madame de Mortsauf; in a changed voice。

〃Two sons;〃 I replied。

〃Where are they?〃

〃In England; with their father。〃

〃Come; Felix;〃 interposed the count; 〃be frank; is she as handsome as
they say?〃

〃How can you ask him such a question?〃 cried the countess。 〃Is not the
woman you love always the handsomest of women?〃

〃Yes; always;〃 I said; firmly; with a glance which she could not
sustain。

〃You are a happy fellow;〃 said the count; 〃yes; a very happy one。 Ha!
in my young days; I should have gone mad over such a conquest〃

〃Hush!〃 said Madame de Mortsauf; reminding the count of Madeleine by a
look。

〃I am not a child;〃 he said。

When we left the table I followed the countess to the terrace。 When we
were alone she exclaimed; 〃How is it possible that some women can
sacrifice their children to a man? Wealth; position; the world; I can
conceive of; eternity? yes; possibly; but children! deprive one's self
of one's children!〃

〃Yes; and such women would give even more if they had it; they
sacrifice everything。〃

The world was suddenly reversed before her; her ideas became confused。
The grandeur of that thought struck her; a suspicion entered her mind
that sacrifice; immolation justified happiness; the echo of her own
inward cry for love came back to her; she stood dumb in presence of
her wasted life。 Yes; for a moment horrible doubts possessed her; then
she rose; grand and saintly; her head erect。

〃Love her well; Felix;〃 she said; with tears in her eyes; 〃she shall
be my happy sister。 I will forgive her the harm she has done me if she
gives you what you could not have here。 You are right; I have never
told you that I loved you; and I never have loved you as the world
loves。 But if she is a mother how can she love you so?〃

〃Dear saint;〃 I answered; 〃I must be less mo

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