ferragus-第25章

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daughter；'in　short；　to　be　a　happy　father。〃

〃Oh；　father！　father！〃

〃After　infinite　difficulty；　after　searching　the　whole　globe；〃
continued　Ferragus；　〃my　friends　have　found　me　the　skin　of　a　dead　man
in　which　to　take　my　place　once　more　in　social　life。　A　few　days　hence；
I　shall　be　Monsieur　de　Funcal；　a　Portuguese　count。　Ah！　my　dear　child；
there　are　few　men　of　my　age　who　would　have　had　the　patience　to　learn
Portuguese　and　English；　which　were　spoken　fluently　by　that　devil　of　a
sailor；　who　was　drowned　at　sea。〃

〃But；　my　dear　father〃

〃All　has　been　foreseen；　and　prepared。　A　few　days　hence；　his　Majesty
John　VI。；　King　of　Portugal　will　be　my　accomplice。　My　child；　you　must
have　a　little　patience　where　your　father　has　had　so　much。　But　ah！　what
would　I　not　do　to　reward　your　devotion　for　the　last　three　years；
coming　religiously　to　comfort　your　old　father；　at　the　risk　of　your　own
peace！〃

〃Father！〃　cried　Clemence；　taking　his　hands　and　kissing　them。

〃Come；　my　child；　have　courage　still；　keep　my　fatal　secret　a　few　days
longer；　till　the　end　is　reached。　Jules　is　not　an　ordinary　man；　I　know；
but　are　we　sure　that　his　lofty　character　and　his　noble　love　may　not
impel　him　to　dislike　the　daughter　of　a〃

〃Oh！〃　cried　Clemence；　〃you　have　read　my　heart；　I　have　no　other　fear
than　that。　The　very　thought　turns　me　to　ice；〃　she　added；　in　a　heart…
rending　tone。　〃But；　father；　think　that　I　have　promised　him　the　truth
in　two　hours。〃

〃If　so；　my　daughter；　tell　him　to　go　to　the　Portuguese　embassy　and　see
the　Comte　de　Funcal；　your　father。　I　will　be　there。〃

〃But　Monsieur　de　Maulincour　has　told　him　of　Ferragus。　Oh；　father；　what
torture；　to　deceive；　deceive；　deceive！〃

〃Need　you　say　that　to　me？　But　only　a　few　days　more；　and　no　living　man
will　be　able　to　expose　me。　Besides；　Monsieur　de　Maulincour　is　beyond
the　faculty　of　remembering。　Come；　dry　your　tears；　my　silly　child；　and
think〃

At　this　instant　a　terrible　cry　rang　from　the　room　in　which　Jules
Desmarets　was　stationed。

The　clamor　was　heard　by　Madame　Jules　and　Ferragus　through　the　opening
of　the　wall；　and　struck　them　with　terror。

〃Go　and　see　what　it　means；　Clemence；〃　said　her　father。

Clemence　ran　rapidly　down　the　little　staircase；　found　the　door　into
Madame　Gruget's　apartment　wide　open；　heard　the　cries　which　echoed　from
the　upper　floor；　went　up　the　stairs；　guided　by　the　noise　of　sobs；　and
caught　these　words　before　she　entered　the　fatal　chamber：

〃You；　monsieur；　you；　with　your　horrid　inventions；you　are　the　cause
of　her　death！〃

〃Hush；　miserable　woman！〃　replied　Jules；　putting　his　handkerchief　on
the　mouth　of　the　old　woman；　who　began　at　once　to　cry　out；　〃Murder！
help！〃

At　this　instant　Clemence　entered；　saw　her　husband；　uttered　a　cry；　and
fled　away。

〃Who　will　save　my　child？〃　cried　the　widow　Gruget。　〃You　have　murdered
her。〃

〃How？〃　asked　Jules；　mechanically；　for　he　was　horror…struck　at　being
seen　by　his　wife。

〃Read　that；〃　said　the　old　woman；　giving　him　a　letter。　〃Can　money　or
annuities　console　me　for　that？〃

　　Farewell；　mother！　I　bequeeth　you　what　I　have。　I　beg　your　pardon
　　for　my　forlts；　and　the　last　greef　to　which　I　put　you　by　ending　my
　　life　in　the　river。　Henry；　who　I　love　more　than　myself；　says　I　have
　　made　his　misfortune；　and　as　he　has　drifen　me　away；　and　I　have　lost
　　all　my　hops　of　merrying　him；　I　am　going　to　droun　myself。　I　shall
　　go　abov　Neuilly；　so　that　they　can't　put　me　in　the　Morg。　If　Henry
　　does　not　hate　me　anny　more　after　I　am　ded；　ask　him　to　berry　a　pore
　　girl　whose　hart　beet　for　him　only；　and　to　forgif　me；　for　I　did
　　rong　to　meddle　in　what　didn't　consern　me。　Tak　care　of　his　wounds。
　　How　much　he　sufered；　pore　fellow！　I　shall　have　as　much　corage　to
　　kill　myself　as　he　had　to　burn　his　bak。　Carry　home　the　corsets　I
　　have　finished。　And　pray　God　for　your　daughter。

Ida。


〃Take　this　letter　to　Monsieur　de　Funcal；　who　is　upstairs；〃　said　Jules。
〃He　alone　can　save　your　daughter；　if　there　is　still　time。〃

So　saying　he　disappeared；　running　like　a　man　who　has　committed　a
crime。　His　legs　trembled。　The　hot　blood　poured　into　his　swelling　heart
in　torrents　greater　than　at　any　other　moment　of　his　life；　and　left　it
again　with　untold　violence。　Conflicting　thoughts　struggled　in　his
mind；　and　yet　one　thought　predominated；he　had　not　been　loyal　to　the
being　he　loved　most。　It　was　impossible　for　him　to　argue　with　his
conscience；　whose　voice；　rising　high　with　conviction；　came　like　an
echo　of　those　inward　cries　of　his　love　during　the　cruel　hours　of　doubt
he　had　lately　lived　through。

He　spent　the　greater　part　of　the　day　wandering　about　Paris；　for　he
dared　not　go　home。　This　man　of　integrity　and　honor　feared　to　meet　the
spotless　brow　of　the　woman　he　had　misjudged。　We　estimate　wrongdoing　in
proportion　to　the　purity　of　our　conscience；　the　deed　which　is　scarcely
a　fault　in　some　hearts；　takes　the　proportions　of　a　crime　in　certain
unsullied　souls。　The　slightest　stain　on　the　white　garment　of　a　virgin
makes　it　a　thing　ignoble　as　the　rags　of　a　mendicant。　Between　the　two
the　difference　lies　in　the　misfortune　of　the　one；　the　wrong…doing　of
the　other。　God　never　measures　repentance；　he　never　apportions　it。　As
much　is　needed　to　efface　a　spot　as　to　obliterate　the　crimes　of　a
lifetime。　These　reflections　fell　with　all　their　weight　on　Jules；
passions；　like　human　laws；　will　not　pardon；　and　their　reasoning　is
more　just；　for　are　they　not　based　upon　a　conscience　of　their　own　as
infallible　as　an　instinct？

Jules　finally　came　home　pale；　despondent；　crushed　beneath　a　sense　of
his　wrong…doing；　and　yet　expressing　in　spite　of　himself　the　joy　his
wife's　innocence　had　given　him。　He　entered　her　room　all　throbbing　with
emotion；　she　was　in　bed　with　a　high　fever。　He　took　her　hand；　kissed
it；　and　covered　it　with　tears。

〃Dear　angel；〃　he　said；　when　they　were　alone；　〃it　is　repentance。〃

〃And　for　what？〃　she　answered。

As　she　made　that　reply；　she　laid　her　head　back　upon　the　pillow；　closed
her　eyes；　and　remained　motionless；　keeping　the　secret　of　her
sufferings　that　she　might　not　frighten　her　husband；the　tenderness　of
a　mother；　the　delicacy　of　an　angel！　All　the　woman　was　in　her　answer。

The　silence　lasted　long。　Jules；　thinking　her　asleep；　went　to　question
Josephine　as　to　her　mistress's　condition。

〃Madame　came　home　half…dead；　monsieur。　We　sent　at　once　for　Monsieur
Haudry。〃

〃Did　he　come？　What　did　he　say？〃

〃He　said　nothing；　monsieur。　He　did　not　seem　satisfied；　gave　orders
that　no　one　should　go　near　madame　except　the　nurse；　and　said　he　should
come　back　this　evening。〃

Jules　returned　softly　to　his　wife's　room　and　sat　down　in　a　chair
before　the　bed。　There　he　remained；　motionless；　with　his　eyes　fixed　on
those　of　Clemence。　When　she　raised　her　eyelids　she　saw　him；　and
through　those　lids　passed　a　tender　glance；　full　of　passionate　love；
free　from　reproach　and　bitterness；a　look　which　fell　like　a　flame　of
fire　upon　the　heart　of　that　husband；　nobly　absolved　and　forever　loved
by　the　being　whom　he　had　killed。　The　presentiment　of　death　struck　both
their　minds　with　equal　force。　Their　looks　were　blended　in　one　anguish；
as　their　hearts　had　long　been　blended　in　one　love；　felt　equally　by
both；　and　shared　equally。　No　questions　were　uttered；　a　horrible
certainty　was　there；in　the　wife　an　absolute　generosity；　in　the
husband　an　awful　remorse；　then；　in　both　souls　the　same　vision　of　the
end；　the　same　conviction　of　fatality。

There　came　a　moment　when；　thinking　his　wife　asleep；　Jules　kissed　her
softly　on　the　forehead；　then　after　long　contemplation　of　that
cherished　face；　he　said：

〃Oh　God！　leave　me　this　angel　still　a　little　while　that　I　may　blot　out
my　wrong　by　love　and　adoration。　As　a　daughter；　she　is　sublime；　as　a
wife；　what　word　can　express　her？〃

Clemence　raised　her　eyes；　they　were　full　of　tears。

〃You　pain　me；〃　she　said；　in　a　feeble　voice。

It　was　getting　late；　Doctor　Haudry　came；　and　requested　the　husband　to
withdraw　during　his　visit。　When　the　doctor　left　the　sick…room　Jules
asked　him　no　question；　one　gesture　was　enough。

〃Call　in　consultation　any　physician　in　whom　you　place　confidence；　I
may　be　wrong。〃

〃Doctor；　tell　me　the　truth。　I　am　a　man；　and　I　can　bear　it。　Besides；　I
have　the　deepest　interest　in　knowing　it；