the brotherhood of consolation-第42章

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her　teeth。

〃I　have　much　to　make　me　happy　in　the　midst　of　my　sufferings；
monsieur；〃　she　said；　〃and　certainly　ample　means　are　a　great　help　in
bearing　trouble。　If　we　had　been　poor　I　should　have　died　eighteen　years
ago；　but　I　still　live。　Oh；　yes；　I　have　many　enjoyments；　and　they　are
all　the　greater　because　they　are　perpetually　won　from　death。　I　am
afraid　you　will　think　me　quite　garrulous；〃　she　added；　smiling。

〃Madame；　I　should　like　to　listen　to　you　forever；〃　replied　Godefroid；
〃I　have　never　heard　a　voice　that　was　comparable　to　yours；　it　is　music；
Rubini　is　not　more　enchanting。〃

〃Don't　speak　of　Rubini　or　the　opera；〃　said　the　old　man；　sadly。　〃That
is　a　pleasure　that；　rich　as　I　am；　I　cannot　give　to　my　daughter。　She
was　once　a　great　musician；　and　the　opera　was　her　greatest　pleasure。〃

〃Forgive　me；〃　said　Godefroid。

〃You　will　soon　get　accustomed　to　us；〃　said　the　old　man。

〃Yes；　and　this　is　the　process；〃　said　the　sick　woman；　laughing；　〃when
they've　cried　'puss；　puss；　puss；'　often　enough　you'll　learn　the　puss…
in…the…corner　of　our　conversations。〃

Godefroid　gave　a　rapid　glance　at　Monsieur　Bernard；　who；　seeing　the
tears　in　the　eyes　of　his　new　neighbor；　seemed　to　be　making　him　a　sign
not　to　undo　the　results　of　the　self…command　he　and　his　grandson　had
practised　for　so　many　years。

This　sublime　and　perpetual　imposture；　proved　by　the　complete　illusion
of　the　sick　woman；　produced　on　Godefroid's　mind　the　impression　of　an
Alpine　precipice　down　which　two　chamois　hunters　picked　their　way。　The
magnificent　gold　snuff…box　enriched　with　diamonds　with　which　the　old
man　carelessly　toyed　as　he　sat　by　his　daughter's　bedside　was　like　the
stroke　of　genius　which　in　the　work　of　a　great　man　elicits　a　cry　of
admiration。　Godefroid　looked　at　that　snuff…box；　wondering　it　had　not
been　sold　or　found　its　way　to　the　mont…de…piete。

〃This　evening；　Monsieur　Godefroid；　my　daughter　received　the
announcement　of　your　visit　with　such　excitement　that　all　the　curious
symptoms　of　her　malady　which　have　troubled　us　very　much　for　the　last
twelve　days　have　entirely　disappeared。　You　can　fancy　how　grateful　I　am
to　you。〃

〃And　I；　too；〃　said　the　invalid　in　her　caressing　tones；　drooping　her
head　with　a　motion　full　of　coquetry。　〃Monsieur　is　to　me　a　deputy　from
the　world。　Since　I　was　twenty　years　old；　monsieur；　I　have　not　seen　a
salon；　or　a　party；　or　a　ball。　And　I　must　tell　you　that　I　love　dancing；
and　adore　the　theatre；　especially　the　opera。　I　imagine　everything　by
thought！　I　read　a　great　deal；　and　then　my　father；　who　goes　into
society；　tells　me　about　social　events。〃

Godefroid　made　an　involuntary　movement　as　if　to　kneel　at　the　old　man's
feet。

〃Yes；　when　he　goes　to　the　opera；　and　he　often　goes；　he　describes　to　me
the　singing　and　tells　me　about　the　dresses　of　the　ladies。　Oh！　I　would
I　were　cured　for　the　sake　of　my　father；　who　lives　solely　for　me　as　I
live　by　him　and　for　him；　and　then　for　my　son；　to　whom　I　would　fain　be
a　real　mother。　Ah！　monsieur；　what　blessed　beings　my　old　father　and　my
good　son　are！　I　should　also　like　to　recover　so　as　to　hear　Lablache；
Rubini；　Tamburini；　Grisi；　and　'I　Puritani。'　But〃

〃Come；　come；　my　child；　be　calm！　If　we　talk　music　we　are　lost！〃　said
the　old　man；　smiling。

That　smile；　which　rejuvenated　his　face；　was　evidently　a　perpetual
deception　to　the　sick　woman。

〃Yes；　yes；　I'll　be　good；〃　said　Vanda；　with　a　petulant　little　air；　〃but
when　will　you　give　me　an　accordion？〃

The　portable　instrument　then　called　by　that　name　had　just　been
invented。　It　could；　if　desired；　be　placed　at　the　edge　of　a　bedstead；
and　only　needed　the　pressure　of　a　foot　to　give　out　the　sounds　of　an
organ。　This　instrument；　in　its　highest　development；　was　equal　to　a
piano；　but　the　cost　of　it　was　three　hundred　francs。　Vanda；　who　read
the　newspapers　and　reviews；　knew　of　the　existence　of　the　instrument；
and　had　wished　for　one　for　the　last　two　months。

〃Yes；　madame；　you　shall　have　one；〃　said　Godefroid；　after　exchanging　a
look　with　the　old　man。　〃A　friend　of　mine　who　is　just　starting　for
Algiers　has　a　fine　instrument　and　I　will　borrow　it　of　him。　Before
buying；　you　had　better　try　one。　It　is　possible　that　the　powerful；
vibrating　tones　may　be　too　much　for　you。〃

〃Can　I　have　it　to…morrow？〃　she　said；　with　the　wilfulness　of　a　creole。

〃To…morrow？〃　said　Monsieur　Bernard；　〃that　is　soon；　besides；　to…morrow
is　Sunday。〃

〃Ah〃　she　exclaimed；　looking　at　Godefroid；　who　fancied　he　could　see　a
soul　hovering　in　the　air　as　he　admired　the　ubiquity　of　Vanda's
glances。

Until　then；　Godefroid　had　never　known　the　power　of　voice　and　eyes　when
the　whole　of　life　is　put　into　them。　The　glance　was　no　longer　a　glance；
a　look；　it　was　a　flame；　or　rather；　a　divine　incandescence；　a　radiance；
communicating　life　and　mind；it　was　thought　made　visible。　The　voice；
with　its　thousand　intonations；　took　the　place　of　motions；　gestures；
attitudes。　The　variations　of　the　complexion；　changing　color　like　the
famous　chameleon；　made　the　illusion；　perhaps　we　should　say　the　mirage；
complete。　That　suffering　head　lying　on　the　white　pillow　edged　with
laces　was　a　whole　person　in　itself。

Never　in　his　life　had　Godefroid　seen　so　wonderful　a　sight；　he　could
scarcely　control　his　emotions。　Another　wonder；　for　all　was　wondrous　in
this　scene；　so　full　of　horror　and　yet　of　poesy；　was　that　in　those　who
saw　it　soul　alone　existed。　This　atmosphere；　filled　with　mental
emotions　only；　had　a　celestial　influence。　Those　present　felt　their
bodies　as　little　as　the　sick　woman　felt　hers。　They　were　all　mind。　As
Godefroid　contemplated　that　frail　fragment　of　woman　he　forgot　the
surrounding　elegancies　of　the　room；　and　fancied　himself　beneath　the
open　heavens。　It　was　not　until　half　an　hour　had　passed　that　he　came
back　to　his　sense　of　things　about　him；　he　then　noticed　a　fine　picture；
which　the　invalid　asked　him　to　examine；　saying　it　was　by　Gericault。

〃Gericault；〃　she　told　him；　〃came　from　Rouen；　his　family　were　under
certain　obligations　to　my　father；　who　was　president　of　the　court；　and
he　showed　his　gratitude　by　painting　that　portrait　of　me　when　I　was　a
girl　of　sixteen。〃

〃It　is　a　beautiful　picture；〃　said　Godefroid；　〃and　quite　unknown　to
those　who　are　in　search　of　the　rare　works　of　that　master。〃

〃To　me　it　is　merely　an　object　of　affection；〃　replied　Vanda；　〃I　live　in
my　heart　only；and　it　is　a　beautiful　life；〃　she　added；　casting　a　look
at　her　father　in　which　she　seemed　to　put　her　very　soul。　〃Ah！　monsieur；
if　you　only　knew　what　my　father　really　is！　Who　would　believe　that　the
stern　and　lofty　magistrate　to　whom　the　Emperor　was　under　such
obligations　that　he　gave　him　that　snuff…box；　and　on　whom　Charles　X。
bestowed　as　a　reward　that　Sevres　tea…set　which　you　see　behind　you；　who
would　suppose　that　that　rigid　supporter　of　power　and　law；　that　learned
jurist；　should　have　within　his　heart　of　rock　the　heart　of　a　mother；
too？　Oh！　papa；　papa！　kiss　me；　kiss　me！　come！〃

The　old　man　rose；　leaned　over　the　bed　and　kissed　the　broad　poetic
forehead　of　his　daughter；　whose　passionate　excitements　did　not　always
take　the　turn　of　this　tempest　of　affection。　Then　he　walked　about　the
room；　his　slippers；　embroidered　by　his　daughter；　making　no　noise。

〃What　are　your　occupations？〃　said　Vanda　to　Godefroid；　after　a　pause。

〃Madame；　I　am　employed　by　pious　persons　to　help　the　unfortunate。〃

〃Ah！　what　a　noble　mission；　monsieur！〃　she　said。　〃Do　you　know　the
thought　of　devoting　myself　to　that　very　work　has　often　come　to　me？　but
ah！　what　ideas　do　not　come　to　me？〃　she　added；　with　a　motion　of　her
head。　〃Suffering　is　like　a　torch　which　lights　up　life。　If　I　were　ever
to　recover　health〃

〃You　should　amuse　yourself；　my　child；〃　said　her　father。

〃Oh　yes！〃　she　said；　〃I　have　the　desire；　but　should　I　then　have　the
faculty？　My　son　will　be；　I　hope　a　magistrate；　worthy　of　his　two
grandfathers；　and　he　will　leave　me。　What　should　I　do　then？　If　God
restores　me　to　life　I　will　dedicate　that　life　to　Himoh！　after　giving
you　all　you　need　of　it；〃　she　cried；　looking　tenderly　at　her　father　and
son。　〃There　are　moments；　my　dear　father；　when　the　ideas　of　Monsieur　de
Maistre　work　within　me　powerfully；　and　I　fancy　that　I　am　expiating
something。〃

〃See　what　it　is　to　read　too　much！〃　said　the　old　man；　evidentl