the chouans-第25章

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　giving　it　an　ephemeral　grace；for　all　is　fleeting　in　a　woman；　her　beauty　of　to…day　is　often　not　that　of　yesterday；　fortunately　for　herself；　perhaps！　The　young　man；　who　was　still　at　an　age　when　youth　delights　in　the　nothings　which　are　the　all　of　love；　watched　eagerly　for　each　movement　of　the　eyelids；　and　the　seductive　rise　and　fall　of　her　bosom　as　she　breathed。　Sometimes　he　fancied；　suiting　the　tenor　of　his　thoughts；　that　he　could　see　a　meaning　in　the　expression　of　the　eyes　and　the　imperceptible　inflection　of　the　lips。　Every　gesture　betrayed　to　him　the　soul；　every　motion　a　new　aspect　of　the　young　girl。　If　a　thought　stirred　those　mobile　features；　if　a　sudden　blush　suffused　the　cheeks；　or　a　smile　brought　life　into　the　face；　he　found　a　fresh　delight　in　trying　to　discover　the　secrets　of　this　mysterious　creature。　Everything　about　her　was　a　snare　to　the　soul　and　a　snare　to　the　senses。　Even　the　silence　that　fell　between　them；　far　from　raising　an　obstacle　to　the　understanding　of　their　hearts；　became　the　common　ground　for　mutual　thoughts。　But　after　a　while　the　many　looks　in　which　their　eyes　encountered　each　other　warned　Marie　de　Verneuil　that　the　silence　was　compromising　her；　and　she　turned　to　Madame　du　Gua　with　one　of　those　commonplace　remarks　which　open　the　way　to　conversation；　but　even　in　so　doing　she　included　the　young　man。

〃Madame；〃　she　said；　〃how　could　you　put　your　son　into　the　navy？　have　you　not　doomed　yourself　to　perpetual　anxiety？〃

〃Mademoiselle；　the　fate　of　women；　of　mothers；　I　should　say；　is　to　tremble　for　the　safety　of　their　dear　ones。〃

〃Your　son　is　very　like　you。〃

〃Do　you　think　so；　mademoiselle？〃

The　smile　with　which　the　young　man　listened　to　these　remarks　increased　the　vexation　of　his　pretended　mother。　Her　hatred　grew　with　every　passionate　glance　he　turned　on　Marie。　Silence　or　conversation；　all　increased　the　dreadful　wrath　which　she　carefully　concealed　beneath　a　cordial　manner。

〃Mademoiselle；〃　said　the　young　man；　〃you　are　quite　mistaken。　Naval　men　are　not　more　exposed　to　danger　than　soldiers。　Women　ought　not　to　dislike　the　navy；　we　sailors　have　a　merit　beyond　that　of　the　military；　we　are　faithful　to　our　mistresses。〃

〃Oh；　from　necessity；〃　replied　Mademoiselle　de　Verneuil；　laughing。

〃But　even　so；　it　is　fidelity；〃　said　Madame　du　Gua；　in　a　deep　voice。

The　conversation　grew　lively；　touching　upon　subjects　that　were　interesting　to　none　but　the　three　travellers；　for　under　such　circumstances　intelligent　persons　given　new　meanings　to　commonplace　talk；　but　every　word；　insignificant　as　it　might　seem；　was　a　mutual　interrogation；　hiding　the　desires；　hopes；　and　passions　which　agitated　them。　Marie's　cleverness　and　quick　perception　（for　she　was　fully　on　her　guard）　showed　Madame　du　Gua　that　calumny　and　treachery　could　alone　avail　to　triumph　over　a　rival　as　formidable　through　her　intellect　as　by　her　beauty。　The　mail…coach　presently　overtook　the　escort；　and　then　advanced　more　slowly。　The　young　man；　seeing　a　long　hill　before　them；　proposed　to　the　young　lady　that　they　should　walk。　The　friendly　politeness　of　his　offer　decided　her；　and　her　consent　flattered　him。

〃Is　Madame　of　our　opinion？〃　she　said；　turning　to　Madame　du　Gua。　〃Will　she　walk；　too？〃

〃Coquette！〃　said　the　lady　to　herself；　as　she　left　the　coach。

Marie　and　the　young　man　walked　together；　but　a　little　apart。　The　sailor；　full　of　ardent　desires；　was　determined　to　break　the　reserve　that　checked　him；　of　which；　however；　he　was　not　the　dupe。　He　fancied　that　he　could　succeed　by　dallying　with　the　young　lady　in　that　tone　of　courteous　amiability　and　wit；　sometimes　frivolous；　sometimes　serious；　which　characterized　the　men　of　the　exiled　aristocracy。　But　the　smiling　Parisian　beauty　parried　him　so　mischievously；　and　rejected　his　frivolities　with　such　disdain；　evidently　preferring　the　stronger　ideas　and　enthusiasms　which　he　betrayed　from　time　to　time　in　spite　of　himself；　that　he　presently　began　to　understand　the　true　way　of　pleasing　her。　The　conversation　then　changed。　He　realized　the　hopes　her　expressive　face　had　given　him；　yet；　as　he　did　so；　new　difficulties　arose；　and　he　was　still　forced　to　suspend　his　judgment　on　a　girl　who　seemed　to　take　delight　in　thwarting　him；　a　siren　with　whom　he　grew　more　and　more　in　love。　After　yielding　to　the　seduction　of　her　beauty；　he　was　still　more　attracted　to　her　mysterious　soul；　with　a　curiosity　which　Marie　perceived　and　took　pleasure　in　exciting。　Their　intercourse　assumed；　insensibly；　a　character　of　intimacy　far　removed　from　the　tone　of　indifference　which　Mademoiselle　de　Verneuil　endeavored　in　vain　to　give　to　it。

Though　Madame　du　Gua　had　followed　the　lovers；　the　latter　had　unconsciously　walked　so　much　more　rapidly　than　she　that　a　distance　of　several　hundred　feet　soon　separated　them。　The　charming　pair　trod　the　fine　sand　beneath　their　feet；　listening　with　childlike　delight　to　the　union　of　their　footsteps；　happy　in　being　wrapped　by　the　same　ray　of　a　sunshine　that　seemed　spring…like；　in　breathing　with　the　same　breath　autumnal　perfumes　laden　with　vegetable　odors　which　seemed　a　nourishment　brought　by　the　breezes　to　their　dawning　love。　Though　to　them　it　may　have　been　a　mere　circumstance　of　their　fortuitous　meeting；　yet　the　sky；　the　landscape；　the　season　of　the　year；　did　communicate　to　their　emotions　a　tinge　of　melancholy　gravity　which　gave　them　an　element　of　passion。　They　praised　the　weather　and　talked　of　its　beauty；　then　of　their　strange　encounter；　of　the　coming　rupture　of　an　intercourse　so　delightful；　of　the　ease　with　which；　in　travelling；　friendships；　lost　as　soon　as　made；　are　formed。　After　this　last　remark；　the　young　man　profited　by　what　seemed　to　be　a　tacit　permission　to　make　a　few　tender　confidences；　and　to　risk　an　avowal　of　love　like　a　man　who　was　not　unaccustomed　to　such　situations。

〃Have　you　noticed；　mademoiselle；〃　he　said；　〃how　little　the　feelings　of　the　heart　follow　the　old　conventional　rules　in　the　days　of　terror　in　which　we　live？　Everything　about　us　bears　the　stamp　of　suddenness。　We　love　in　a　day；　or　we　hate　on　the　strength　of　a　single　glance。　We　are　bound　to　each　other　for　life　in　a　moment；　or　we　part　with　the　celerity　of　death　itself。　All　things　are　hurried；　like　the　convulsions　of　the　nation。　In　the　midst　of　such　dangers　as　ours　the　ties　that　bind　should　be　stronger　than　under　the　ordinary　course　of　life。　In　Paris　during　the　Terror；　every　one　came　to　know　the　full　meaning　of　a　clasp　of　the　hand　as　men　do　on　a　battle…field。〃

〃People　felt　the　necessity　of　living　fast　and　ardently；〃　she　answered；　〃for　they　had　little　time　to　live。〃　Then；　with　a　glance　at　her　companion　which　seemed　to　tell　him　that　the　end　of　their　short　intercourse　was　approaching；　she　added；　maliciously：　〃You　are　very　well　informed　as　to　the　affairs　of　life；　for　a　young　man　who　has　just　left　the　Ecole　Polytechnique！〃

〃What　are　you　thinking　of　me？〃　he　said　after　a　moment's　silence。　〃Tell　me　frankly；　without　disguise。〃

〃You　wish　to　acquire　the　right　to　speak　to　me　of　myself；〃　she　said　laughing。

〃You　do　not　answer　me；〃　he　went　on　after　a　slight　pause。　〃Take　care；　silence　is　sometimes　significant。〃

〃Do　you　think　I　cannot　guess　all　that　you　would　like　to　say　to　me？　Good　heavens！　you　have　already　said　enough。〃

〃Oh；　if　we　understand　each　other；〃　he　replied；　smiling；　〃I　have　obtained　more　than　I　dared　hope　for。〃

She　smiled　in　return　so　graciously　that　she　seemed　to　accept　the　courteous　struggle　into　which　all　men　like　to　draw　a　woman。　They　persuaded　themselves；　half　in　jest；　half　in　earnest；　that　they　never　could　be　more　to　each　other　than　they　were　at　that　moment。　The　young　man　fancied；　therefore；　he　might　give　reins　to　a　passion　that　could　have　no　future；　the　young　woman　felt　she　might　smile　upon　it。　Marie　suddenly　struck　her　foot　against　a　stone　and　stumbled。

〃Take　my　arm；〃　said　her　companion。

〃It　seems　I　must；〃　she　replied；　〃you　would　be　too　proud　if　I　refused；　you　would　fancy　I　feared　you。〃

〃Ah；　mademoiselle；〃　he　said；　pressing　her　arm　against　his　heart　that　she　might　feel　the　beating　of　it；　〃you　flatter　my　pride　by　granting　such　a　favor。〃

〃Well；　the　readiness　with　which　I　do　so　will　cure　your　illusions。〃

〃Do　you　wish　to　save　me　from　the　danger　of　the　emotions　you　cause？〃

〃Stop；　stop！〃　she　cried；　〃do　not　try　to　entangle　me　in