honorine-第11章

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him　into　the　fire？　Can　any　one　put　his　hand　into　a　brazier　without
burning　it？'

〃　'You　are　a　foolish　boy；'　replied　the　Count。　'I　will　send　you　well
gloved。　It　is　no　secretary　of　mine　that　will　be　lodged　in　the　Rue
Saint…Maur　in　the　little　garden…house　which　I　have　at　his　disposal。　It
is　my　distant　cousin；　Baron　de　l'Hostal；　a　lawyer　high　in
office　。　。　。〃

〃After　a　moment　of　silent　surprise；　I　heard　the　gate　bell　ring；　and　a
carriage　came　into　the　courtyard。　Presently　the　footman　announced
Madame　de　Courteville　and　her　daughter。　The　Count　had　a　large　family
connection　on　his　mother's　side。　Madame　de　Courteville；　his　cousin；
was　the　widow　of　a　judge　on　the　bench　of　the　Seine　division；　who　had
left　her　a　daughter　and　no　fortune　whatever。　What　could　a　woman　of
nine…and…twenty　be　in　comparison　with　a　young　girl　of　twenty；　as
lovely　as　imagination　could　wish　for　an　ideal　mistress？

〃　'Baron；　and　Master　of　Appeals；　till　you　get　something　better；　and
this　old　house　settled　on　her；would　not　you　have　enough　good　reasons
for　not　falling　in　love　with　the　Countess？'　he　said　to　me　in　a
whisper；　as　he　took　me　by　the　hand　and　introduced　me　to　Madame　de
Courteville　and　her　daughter。

〃I　was　dazzled；　not　so　much　by　these　advantages　of　which　I　had　never
dreamed；　but　by　Amelie　de　Courteville；　whose　beauty　was　thrown　into
relief　by　one　of　those　well…chosen　toilets　which　a　mother　can　achieve
for　a　daughter　when　she　wants　to　see　her　married。

〃But　I　will　not　talk　of　myself；〃　said　the　Consul　after　a　pause。

〃Three　weeks　later　I　went　to　live　in　the　gardener's　cottage；　which　had
been　cleaned；　repaired；　and　furnished　with　the　celerity　which　is
explained　by　three　words：　Paris；　French　workmen；　money！　I　was　as　much
in　love　as　the　Count　could　possibly　desire　as　a　security。　Would　the
prudence　of　a　young　man　of　five…and…twenty　be　equal　to　the　part　I　was
undertaking；　involving　a　friend's　happiness？　To　settle　that　matter；　I
may　confess　that　I　counted　very　much　on　my　uncle's　advice；　for　I　had
been　authorized　by　the　Count　to　take　him　into　confidence　in　any　case
where　I　deemed　his　interference　necessary。　I　engaged　a　garden；　I
devoted　myself　to　horticulture；　I　worked　frantically；　like　a　man　whom
nothing　can　divert；　turning　up　the　soil　of　the　market…garden；　and
appropriating　the　ground　to　the　culture　of　flowers。　Like　the　maniacs
of　England；　or　of　Holland；　I　gave　it　out　that　I　was　devoted　to　one
kind　of　flower；　and　especially　grew　dahlias；　collecting　every　variety。
You　will　understand　that　my　conduct；　even　in　the　smallest　details；　was
laid　down　for　me　by　the　Count；　whose　whole　intellectual　powers　were
directed　to　the　most　trifling　incidents　of　the　tragi…comedy　enacted　in
the　Rue　Saint…Maur。　As　soon　as　the　Countess　had　gone　to　bed；　at　about
eleven　at　night；　Octave；　Madame　Gobain；　and　I　sat　in　council。　I　heard
the　old　woman's　report　to　the　Count　of　his　wife's　least　proceedings
during　the　day。　He　inquired　into　everything：　her　meals；　her
occupations；　her　frame　of　mind；　her　plans　for　the　morrow；　the　flowers
she　proposed　to　imitate。　I　understood　what　love　in　despair　may　be　when
it　is　the　threefold　passion　of　the　heart；　the　mind；　and　the　senses。
Octave　lived　only　for　that　hour。

〃During　two　months；　while　my　work　in　the　garden　lasted；　I　never　set
eyes　on　the　little　house　where　my　fair　neighbor　dwelt。　I　had　not　even
inquired　whether　I　had　a　neighbor；　though　the　Countess'　garden　was
divided　from　mine　by　a　paling；　along　which　she　had　planted　cypress
trees　already　four　feet　high。　One　fine　morning　Madame　Gobain　announced
to　her　mistress；　as　a　disastrous　piece　of　news；　the　intention；
expressed　by　an　eccentric　creature　who　had　become　her　neighbor；　of
building　a　wall　between　the　two　gardens；　at　the　end　of　the　year。　I
will　say　nothing　of　the　curiosity　which　consumed　me　to　see　the
Countess！　The　wish　almost　extinguished　my　budding　love　for　Amelie　de
Courteville。　My　scheme　for　building　a　wall　was　indeed　a　dangerous
threat。　There　would　be　no　more　fresh　air　for　Honorine；　whose　garden
would　then　be　a　sort　of　narrow　alley　shut　in　between　my　wall　and　her
own　little　house。　This　dwelling；　formerly　a　summer　villa；　was　like　a
house　of　cards；　it　was　not　more　than　thirty　feet　deep；　and　about　a
hundred　feet　long。　The　garden　front；　painted　in　the　German　fashion；
imitated　a　trellis　with　flowers　up　to　the　second　floor；　and　was　really
a　charming　example　of　the　Pompadour　style；　so　well　called　rococo。　A
long　avenue　of　limes　led　up　to　it。　The　gardens　of　the　pavilion　and　my
plot　of　ground　were　in　the　shape　of　a　hatchet；　of　which　this　avenue
was　the　handle。　My　wall　would　cut　away　three…quarters　of　the　hatchet。

〃The　Countess　was　in　despair。

〃　'My　good　Gobain；'　said　she；　'what　sort　of　man　is　this　florist？'

〃　'On　my　word；'　said　the　housekeeper；　'I　do　not　know　whether　it　will
be　possible　to　tame　him。　He　seems　to　have　a　horror　of　women。　He　is　the
nephew　of　a　Paris　cure。　I　have　seen　the　uncle　but　once；　a　fine　old　man
of　sixty；　very　ugly；　but　very　amiable。　It　is　quite　possible　that　this
priest　encourages　his　nephew；　as　they　say　in　the　neighborhood；　in　his
love　of　flowers；　that　nothing　worse　may　happen'

〃　'Whywhat？'

〃　'Well；　your　neighbor　is　a　little　cracked！'　said　Gobain；　tapping　her
head！

〃Now　a　harmless　lunatic　is　the　only　man　whom　no　woman　ever　distrusts
in　the　matter　of　sentiment。　You　will　see　how　wise　the　Count　had　been
in　choosing　this　disguise　for　me。

〃　'What　ails　him　then？'　asked　the　Countess。

〃　'He　has　studied　too　hard；'　replied　Gobain；　'he　has　turned
misanthropic。　And　he　has　his　reasons　for　disliking　womenwell；　if　you
want　to　know　all　that　is　said　about　him'

〃　'Well；'　said　Honorine；　'madmen　frighten　me　less　than　sane　folks；　I
will　speak　to　him　myself！　Tell　him　that　I　beg　him　to　come　here。　If　I
do　not　succeed；　I　will　send　for　the　cure。；'

〃The　day　after　this　conversation；　as　I　was　walking　along　my　graveled
path；　I　caught　sight　of　the　half…opened　curtains　on　the　first　floor　of
the　little　house；　and　of　a　woman's　face　curiously　peeping　out。　Madame
Gobain　called　me。　I　hastily　glanced　at　the　Countess'　house；　and　by　a
rude　shrug　expressed；　'What　do　I　care　for　your　mistress！'

〃　〃Madame；'　said　Gobain；　called　upon　to　give　an　account　of　her　errand；
'the　madman　bid　me　leave　him　in　peace；　saying　that　even　a　charcoal
seller　is　master　in　his　own　premises；　especially　when　he　has　no　wife。'

〃　'He　is　perfectly　right；'　said　the　Countess。

〃　'Yes；　but　he　ended　by　saying；　〃I　will　go；〃　when　I　told　him　that　he
would　greatly　distress　a　lady　living　in　retirement；　who　found　her
greatest　solace　in　growing　flowers。'

〃Next　day　a　signal　from　Gobain　informed　me　that　I　was　expected。　After
the　Countess'　breakfast；　when　she　was　walking　to　and　fro　in　front　of
her　house；　I　broke　out　some　palings　and　went　towards　her。　I　had
dressed　myself　like　a　countryman；　in　an　old　pair　of　gray　flannel
trousers；　heavy　wooden　shoes；　and　shabby　shooting　coat；　a　peaked　cap
on　my　head；　a　ragged　bandana　round　my　neck；　hands　soiled　with　mould；
and　a　dibble　in　my　hand。

〃　'Madame；'　said　the　housekeeper；　'this　good　man　is　your　neighbor。'

〃The　Countess　was　not　alarmed。　I　saw　at　last　the　woman　whom　her　own
conduct　and　her　husband's　confidences　had　made　me　so　curious　to　meet。
It　was　in　the　early　days　of　May。　The　air　was　pure；　the　weather　serene；
the　verdure　of　the　first　foliage；　the　fragrance　of　spring　formed　a
setting　for　this　creature　of　sorrow。　As　I　then　saw　Honorine　I
understood　Octave's　passion　and　the　truthfulness　of　his　description；
'A　heavenly　flower！'

〃Her　pallor　was　what　first　struck　me　by　its　peculiar　tone　of　white
for　there　are　as　many　tones　of　white　as　of　red　or　blue。　On　looking　at
the　Countess；　the　eye　seemed　to　feel　that　tender　skin；　where　the　blood
flowed　in　the　blue　veins。　At　the　slightest　emotion　the　blood　mounted
under　the　surface　in　rosy　flushes　like　a　cloud。　When　we　met；　the
sunshine；　filtering　through　the　light　foliage　of　the　acacias；　shed　on
Honorine　the　pale　gold；　ambient　glory　in　which　Raphael　and　Titian；
alone　of　all　painters；　have　been　able　to　enwrap　the　Virgin。　Her　brown
eyes　expressed　both　tenderness　and　vivacity；　their　brightness　seemed
reflected　in　her　face　through　the　long　downca