the lily of the valley(幽谷百合)-第7章

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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　the　tears　that　rose　beneath　them。　She
saw　the　moisture　on　my　forehead；　and　perhaps　she　guessed　the　tears；
for　she　offered　me　the　restoratives　I　needed；　with　a　few　kind　and
consoling　words；　which　gave　me　back　the　power　of　speech。　I　blushed
like　a　young　girl；　and　in　a　voice　as　tremulous　as　that　of　an　old　man　I
thanked　her　and　declined。

〃All　I　ask；〃　I　said；　raising　my　eyes　to　hers；　which　mine　now　met　for
the　second　time　in　a　glance　as　rapid　as　lightning；〃is　to　rest　here。
I　am　so　crippled　with　fatigue　I　really　cannot　walk　farther。〃

〃You　must　not　doubt　the　hospitality　of　our　beautiful　Touraine；〃　she
said；　then；　turning　to　my　companion；　she　added：　〃You　will　give　us　the
pleasure　of　your　dining　at　Clochegourde？〃

I　threw　such　a　look　of　entreaty　at　Monsieur　de　Chessel　that　he　began
the　preliminaries　of　accepting　the　invitation；　though　it　was　given　in
a　manner　that　seemed　to　expect　a　refusal。　As　a　man　of　the　world；　he
recognized　these　shades　of　meaning；　but　I；　a　young　man　without
experience；　believed　so　implicitly　in　the　sincerity　between　word　and
thought　of　this　beautiful　woman　that　I　was　wholly　astonished　when　my
host　said　to　me；　after　we　reached　home　that　evening；　〃I　stayed　because
I　saw　you　were　dying　to　do　so；　but　if　you　do　not　succeed　in　making　it
all　right；　I　may　find　myself　on　bad　terms　with　my　neighbors。〃　That
expression；　〃if　you　do　not　make　it　all　right；〃　made　me　ponder　the
matter　deeply。　In　other　words；　if　I　pleased　Madame　de　Mortsauf；　she
would　not　be　displeased　with　the　man　who　introduced　me　to　her。　He
evidently　thought　I　had　the　power　to　please　her；　this　in　itself　gave
me　that　power；　and　corroborated　my　inward　hope　at　a　moment　when　it
needed　some　outward　succor。

〃I　am　afraid　it　will　be　difficult；〃　he　began；　〃Madame　de　Chessel
expects　us。〃

〃She　has　you　every　day；〃　repl