ferragus-第14章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


others　are　grave；　some　grow　angry。　After　beginning　life　by　feigning
indifference　to　the　homage　that　deeply　flatters　them；　they　often　end
by　lying　to　themselves。　Who　has　not　admired　their　apparent　superiority
to　everything　at　the　very　moment　when　they　are　trembling　for　the
secret　treasures　of　their　love？　Who　has　never　studied　their　ease；
their　readiness；　their　freedom　of　mind　in　the　greatest　embarrassments
of　life？　In　them；　nothing　is　put　on。　Deception　comes　as　the　snow　from
heaven。　And　then；　with　what　art　they　discover　the　truth　in　others！
With　what　shrewdness　they　employ　a　direct　logic　in　answer　to　some
passionate　question　which　has　revealed　to　them　the　secret　of　the　heart
of　a　man　who　was　guileless　enough　to　proceed　by　questioning！　To
question　a　woman！　why；　that　is　delivering　one's　self　up　to　her；　does
she　not　learn　in　that　way　all　that　we　seek　to　hide　from　her？　Does　she
not　know　also　how　to　be　dumb；　through　speaking？　What　men　are　daring
enough　to　struggle　with　the　Parisian　woman？a　woman　who　knows　how　to
hold　herself　above　all　dagger　thrusts；　saying：　〃You　are　very
inquisitive；　what　is　it　to　you？　Why　do　you　wish　to　know？　Ah！　you　are
jealous！　And　suppose　I　do　not　choose　to　answer　you？〃in　short；　a
woman　who　possesses　the　hundred　and　thirty…seven　methods　of　saying
/No/；　and　incommensurable　variations　of　the　word　/Yes/。　Is　not　a
treatise　on　the　words　/yes/　and　/no/；　a　fine　diplomatic；　philosophic；
logographic；　and　moral　work；　still　waiting　to　be　written？　But　to
accomplish　this　work；　which　we　may　also　call　diabolic；　isn't　an
androgynous　genius　necessary？　For　that　reason；　probably；　it　will　never
be　attempted。　And　besides；　of　all　unpublished　works　isn't　it　the　best
known　and　the　best　practised　among　women？　Have　you　studied　the
behavior；　the　pose；　the　/disinvoltura/　of　a　falsehood？　Examine　it。

Madame　Desmarets　was　seated　in　the　right…hand　corner　of　her　carriage；
her　husband　in　the　left。　Having　forced　herself　to　recover　from　her
emotion　in　the　ballroom；　she　now　affected　a　calm　demeanor。　Her　husband
had　then　said　nothing　to　her；　and　he　still　said　nothing。　Jules　looked
out　of　the　carriage　window　at　the　black　walls　of　the　silent　houses
before　which　they　passed；　but　suddenly；　as　if　driven　by　a　determining
thought；　when　turning　the　corner　of　a　street　he　examined　his　wife；　who
appeared　to　be　cold　in　spite　of　the　fur…lined　pelisse　in　which　she　was
wrapped。　He　thought　she　seemed　pensive；　and　perhaps　she　really　was　so。
Of　all　communicable　things；　reflection　and　gravity　are　the　most
contagious。

〃What　could　Monsieur　de　Maulincour　have　said　to　affect　you　so　keenly？〃
said　Jules；　〃and　why　does　he　wish　me　to　go　to　his　house　and　find　out？〃

〃He　can　tell　you　nothing　in　his　house　that　I　cannot　tell　you　here；〃
she　replied。

Then；　with　that　feminine　craft　which　always　slightly　degrades　virtue；
Madame　Jules　waited　for　another　question。　Her　husband　turned　his　face
back　to　the　houses；　and　continued　his　study　of　their　walls。　Another
question　would　imply　suspicion；　distrust。　To　suspect　a　woman　is　a
crime　in　love。　Jules　had　already　killed　a　man　for　doubting　his　wife。
Clemence　did　not　know　all　there　was　of　true　passion；　of　loyal
reflection；　in　her　husband's　silence；　just　as　Jules　was　ignorant　of
the　generous　drama　that　was　wringing　the　heart　of　his　Clemence。

The　carriage　rolled　on　through　a　silent　Paris；　bearing　the　couple；
two　lovers　who　adored　each　other；　and　who；　gently　leaning　on　the　same
silken　cushion；　were　being　parted　by　an　abyss。　In　these　elegant　coupes
returning　from　a　ball　between　midnight　and　two　in　the　morning；　how
many　curious　and　singular　scenes　must　pass；meaning　those　coupes　with
lanterns；　which　light　both　the　street　and　the　carriage；　those　with
their　windows　unshaded；　in　short；　legitimate　coupes；　in　which　couples
can　quarrel　without　caring　for　the　eyes　of　pedestrians；　because　the
civil　code　gives　a　right　to　provoke；　or　beat；　or　kiss；　a　wife　in　a
carriage　or　elsewhere；　anywhere；　everywhere！　How　many　secrets　must　be
revealed　in　this　way　to　nocturnal　pedestrians；to　those　young　fellows
who　have　gone　to　a　ball　in　a　carriage；　but　are　obliged；　for　whatever
cause　it　may　be；　to　return　on　foot。　It　was　the　first　time　that　Jules
and　Clemence　had　been　together　thus；each　in　a　corner；　usually　the
husband　pressed　close　to　his　wife。

〃It　is　very　cold；〃　remarked　Madame　Jules。

But　her　husband　did　not　hear　her；　he　was　studying　the　signs　above　the
shop　windows。

〃Clemence；〃　he　said　at　last；　〃forgive　me　the　question　I　am　about　to
ask　you。〃

He　came　closer；　took　her　by　the　waist；　and　drew　her　to　him。

〃My　God；　it　is　coming！〃　thought　the　poor　woman。　〃Well；〃　she　said
aloud；　anticipating　the　question；　〃you　want　to　know　what　Monsieur　de
Maulincour　said　to　me。　I　will　tell　you；　Jules；　but　not　without　fear。
Good　God！　how　is　it　possible　that　you　and　I　should　have　secrets　from
one　another？　For　the　last　few　moments　I　have　seen　you　struggling
between　a　conviction　of　our　love　and　vague　fears。　But　that　conviction
is　clear　within　us；　is　it　not？　And　these　doubts　and　fears；　do　they　not
seem　to　you　dark　and　unnatural？　Why　not　stay　in　that　clear　light　of
love　you　cannot　doubt？　When　I　have　told　you　all；　you　will　still　desire
to　know　more；　and　yet　I　myself　do　not　know　what　the　extraordinary
words　of　that　man　meant。　What　I　fear　is　that　this　may　lead　to　some
fatal　affair　between　you。　I　would　rather　that　we　both　forget　this
unpleasant　moment。　But；　in　any　case；　swear　to　me　that　you　will　let
this　singular　adventure　explain　itself　naturally。　Here　are　the　facts。
Monsieur　de　Maulincour　declared　to　me　that　the　three　accidents　you
have　heard　mentionedthe　falling　of　a　stone　on　his　servant；　the
breaking　down　of　his　cabriolet；　and　his　duel　about　Madame　de　Serizy
were　the　result　of　some　plot　I　had　laid　against　him。　He　also
threatened　to　reveal　to　you　the　cause　of　my　desire　to　destroy　him。　Can
you　imagine　what　all　this　means？　My　emotion　came　from　the　sight　of　his
face　convulsed　with　madness；　his　haggard　eyes；　and　also　his　words；
broken　by　some　violent　inward　emotion。　I　thought　him　mad。　That　is　all
that　took　place。　Now；　I　should　be　less　than　a　woman　if　I　had　not
perceived　that　for　over　a　year　I　have　become；　as　they　call　it；　the
passion　of　Monsieur　de　Maulincour。　He　has　never　seen　me　except　at　a
ball；　and　our　intercourse　has　been　most　insignificant；merely　that
which　every　one　shares　at　a　ball。　Perhaps　he　wants　to　disunite　us；　so
that　he　may　find　me　at　some　future　time　alone　and　unprotected。　There；
see！　already　you　are　frowning！　Oh；　how　cordially　I　hate　society！　We
were　so　happy　without　him；　why　take　any　notice　of　him？　Jules；　I
entreat　you；　forget　all　this！　To…morrow　we　shall；　no　doubt；　hear　that
Monsieur　de　Maulincour　has　gone　mad。〃

〃What　a　singular　affair！〃　thought　Jules；　as　the　carriage　stopped　under
the　peristyle　of　their　house。　He　gave　his　arm　to　his　wife　and　together
they　went　up　to　their　apartments。

To　develop　this　history　in　all　its　truth　of　detail；　and　to　follow　its
course　through　many　windings；　it　is　necessary　here　to　divulge　some　of
love's　secrets；　to　glide　beneath　the　ceilings　of　a　marriage　chamber；
not　shamelessly；　but　like　Trilby；　frightening　neither　Dougal　nor
Jeannie；　alarming　no　one；being　as　chaste　as　our　noble　French
language　requires；　and　as　bold　as　the　pencil　of　Gerard　in　his　picture
of　Daphnis　and　Chloe。

The　bedroom　of　Madame　Jules　was　a　sacred　plot。　Herself；　her　husband；
and　her　maid　alone　entered　it。　Opulence　has　glorious　privileges；　and
the　most　enviable　are　those　which　enable　the　development　of　sentiments
to　their　fullest　extent；fertilizing　them　by　the　accomplishment　of
even　their　caprices；　and　surrounding　them　with　a　brilliancy　that
enlarges　them；　with　refinements　that　purify　them；　with　a　thousand
delicacies　that　make　them　still　more　alluring。　If　you　hate　dinners　on
the　grass；　and　meals　ill…served；　if　you　feel　a　pleasure　in　seeing　a
damask　cloth　that　is　dazzlingly　white；　a　silver…gilt　dinner　service；
and　porcelain　of　exquisite　purity；　lighted　by　transparent　candles；
where　miracles　of　cookery　are　served　under　silver　covers　bearing　coats
of　arms；　you　must；　to　be　consistent；　leave　the　garrets　at　the　tops　of
the　houses；　and　the　grisettes　in　the　str