the wandering jew, volume 9-第5章

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and　myself。　　Our　General　has　pronounced；　and　I　have　obeyed。　　But；　as　your
Eminence　will　soon　see　our　superior；　I　should　wish　that　you　would　grant
me　the　favor　to　report　faithfully　the　answers　of　Father　Rodin　to　one　or
two　questions　I　am　about　to　put　to　him。〃

The　prelate　bowed。　　Rodin　looked　at　Father　d'Aigrigny　with　an　air　of
surprise；　and　said　to　him；　dryly：　〃The　thing　is　decided。　　What　is　the　use
of　questions？〃

〃Not　to　justify　myself；〃　answered　Father　d'Aigrigny；　〃but　to　place
matters　in　their　true　light　before　his　Eminence。〃

〃Speak；　then；　but　let　us　have　no　useless　speeches；〃　said　Rodin；　drawing
out　his　large　silver　watch；　and　looking　at　it。　　〃By　two　o'clock　I　must　be
at　Saint…Sulpice。〃

〃I　will　be　as　brief　as　possible；〃　said　Father　d'Aigrigny；　with　repressed
resentment。　　Then；　addressing　Rodin；　he　resumed：　〃When　your　reverence
thought　fit　to　take　my　place；　and　to　blame；　very　severely　perhaps；　the
manner　in　which　I　had　managed　the　interests　confided　to　my　care；　I
confess　honestly　that　these　interests　were　gravely　compromised。〃

〃Compromised？〃　said　Rodin；　ironically；　〃you　mean　lost。　　Did　you　not　order
me　to　write　to　Rome；　to　bid　them　renounce　all　hope？〃

〃That　is　true；〃　said　Father　d'Aigrigny。

〃It　was　then　a　desperate　case；　given　up　by　the　best　doctors；〃　continued
Rodin；　with　irony；　〃and　yet　I　have　undertaken　to　restore　it　to　life。　　Go
on。〃

And；　plunging　both　hands　into　the　pockets　of　his　trousers；　he　looked
Father　d'Aigrigny　full　in　the　face。

〃Your　reverence　blamed　me　harshly；〃　resumed　Father　d'Aigrigny；　〃not　for
having　sought；　by　every　possible　means；　to　recover　the　property　odiously
diverted　from　our　society〃

〃All　your　casuists　authorize　you　to　do　so；〃　said　the　cardinal；　〃the　texts
are　clear　and　positive；　you　have　a　right　to　recover；　per　fas　aut　nefas
what　has　been　treacherously　taken　from　you。〃

〃And　therefore；〃　resumed　Father　d'Aigrigny；　〃Father　Rodin　only　reproached
me　with　the　military　roughness　of　my　means。　　‘Their　violence；'　he　said；
‘was　in　dangerous　opposition　to　the　manners　of　the　age。'　Be　it　so；　but
first　of　all；　I　could　not　be　exposed　to　any　legal　proceedings；　and；　but
for　one　fatal　circumstance；　success　would　have　crowned　the　course　I　had
taken；　however　rough　and　brutal　it　may　appear。　　Now；　may　I　ask　your
reverence　what〃

〃What　I　have　done　more　than　you？〃　said　Rodin　to　Father　d'Aigrigny；　giving
way　to　his　impertinent　habit　of　interrupting　people；　〃what　I　have　done
better　than　you？what　step　I　have　taken　in　the　Rennepont　affair；　since　I
received　it　from　you　in　a　desperate　condition？　　Is　that　what　you　wish　to
know？〃

〃Precisely；〃　said　Father　d'Aigrigny；　dryly。

〃Well；　I　confess；〃　resumed　Rodin；　in　a　sardonic　tone；　〃just　as　you　did
great　things；　coarse　things；　turbulent　things；　I　have　been　doing　little；
puerile；　secret　things。　　Oh；　heaven！　you　cannot　imagine　what　a　foolish
part　I；　who　passed　for　a　man　of　enlarged　views；　have　been　acting　for　the
last　six　weeks。〃

〃I　should　never　have　allowed　myself　to　address　such　a　reproach　to　your
reverence；　however　deserved　it　may　appear；〃　said　Father　d'Aigrigny；　with
a　bitter　smile。

〃A　reproach？〃　said　Rodin；　shrugging　his　shoulders；　〃a　reproach？　　You
shall　be　the　judge。　　Do　you　know　what　I　wrote　about　you；　some　six　weeks
ago？　　Here　it　is：　‘Father　d'Aigrigny　has　excellent　qualities。　　He　will　be
of　much　service　to　me'and　from　to…morrow　I　shall　employ　you　very
actively；　added　Rodin；　by　way　of　parenthesis‘but　he　is　not　great　enough
to　know　how　to　make　himself　little　on　occasion。'　Do　you　understand？〃

〃Not　very　well；〃　said　Father　d'Aigrigny；　blushing。

〃So　much　the　worse　for　you；〃　answered　Rodin；　〃it　only　proves　that　I　was
right。　　Well；　since　I　must　tell　you；　I　have　been　wise　enough　to　play　the
most　foolish　part　for　six　whole　weeks。　　Yes；　I　have　chatted　nonsense　with
a　grisettehave　talked　of　liberty；　progress；　humanity；　emancipation　of
women；　with　a　young；　excited　girl；　of　Napoleon　the　Great；　and　all　sorts
of　Bonapartist　idolatry；　with　an　old；　imbecile　soldier；　of　imperial
glory；　humiliation　of　France；　hopes　in　the　King　of　Rome；　with　a　certain
marshal　of　France；　who；　with　a　heart　full　of　adoration　for　the　robber　of
thrones；　that　was　transported　to　Saint…Helena；　has　a　head　as　hollow　and
sonorous　as　a　trumpet；　into　which　you　have　only　to　blow　some　warlike　or
patriotic　notes；　and　it　will　flourish　away　of　itself；　without　knowing　why
or　how。　　More　than　all　this；　I　have　talked　of　love　affairs　with　a　young
tiger。　　When　I　told　you　it　was　lamentable　to　see　a　man　of　any
intelligence　descend；　as　I　have　done；　to　all　such　petty　ways　of
connecting　the　thousand　threads　of　this　dark　web；　was　I　not　right？　　Is　it
not　a　fine　spectacle　to　see　the　spider　obstinately　weaving　its　net？to
see　the　ugly　little　black　animal　crossing　thread　upon　thread；　fastening
it　here；　strengthening　it　there；　and　again　lengthening　it　in　some　other
place？　　You　shrug　your　shoulders　in　pity；　but　return　two　hours　after
what　will　you　find？　　The　little　black　animal　eating　its　fill；　and　in　its
web　a　dozen　of　the　foolish　flies；　bound　so　securely；　that　the　little
black　animal　has　only　to　choose　the　moment　of　its　repast。〃

As　he　uttered　those　words；　Rodin　smiled　strangely；　his　eyes；　gradually
half　closed；　opened　to　their　full　width；　and　seemed　to　shine　more　than
usual。　　The　Jesuit　felt　a　sort　of　feverish　excitement；　which　he
attributed　to　the　contest　in　which　he　had　engaged　before　these　eminent
personages；　who　already　felt　the　influence　of　his　original　and　cutting
speech。

Father　d'Aigrigny　began　to　regret　having　entered　on　the　contest。　　He
resumed；　however；　with　ill…repressed　irony：　〃I　do　not　dispute　the
smallness　of　your　means。　　I　agree　with　you；　they　are　very　puerilethey
are　even　very　vulgar。　　But　that　is　not　quite　sufficient　to　give　an
exalted　notion　of　your　merit。　　May　I　be　allowed　to　ask〃

〃What　these　means　have　produced？〃　resumed　Rodin；　with　an　excitement　that
was　not　usual　with　him。　　〃Look　into　my　spider's　web；　and　you　will　see
there　the　beautiful　and　insolent　young　girl；　so　proud；　six　weeks　ago；　of
her　grace；　mind；　and　audacitynow　pale；　trembling；　mortally　wounded　at
the　heart。〃

〃But　the　act　of　chivalrous　intrepidity　of　the　Indian　prince；　with　which
all　Paris　is　ringing；〃　said　the　princess；　〃must　surely　have　touched
Mdlle。　de　Cardoville。〃

〃Yes；　but　I　have　paralyzed　the　effect　of　that　stupid　and　savage　devotion；
by　demonstrating　to　the　young　lady　that　it　is　not　sufficient　to　kill
black　panthers　to　prove　one's　self　a　susceptible；　delicate；　and　faithful
lover。〃

〃Be　it　so；〃　said　Father　d'Aigrigny；　〃we　will　admit　the　fact　that　Mdlle。
de　Cardoville　is　wounded　to　the　heart。〃

〃But　what　does　this　prove　with　regard　to　the　Rennepont　affair？〃　asked　the
cardinal；　with　curiosity；　as　he　leaned　his　elbows　on　the　table。

〃There　results　from　it；〃　said　Rodin；　〃that　when　our　most　dangerous　enemy
is　mortally　wounded；　she　abandons　the　battlefield。　　That　is　something；　I
should　imagine。〃

〃Indeed；〃　said　the　princess；　〃the　talents　and　audacity　of　Mdlle。　de
Cardoville　would　make　her　the　soul　of　the　coalition　formed　against　us。〃

〃Be　it　so；〃　replied　Father　d'Aigrigny；　obstinately；　〃she　may　be　no　longer
formidable　in　that　respect。　　But　the　wound　in　her　heart　will　not　prevent
her　from　inheriting。〃

〃Who　tells　you　so？〃　asked　Rodin；　coldly；　and　with　assurance。　　〃Do　you
know　why　I　have　taken　such　pains；　first　to　bring　her　in　contact　with
Djalma；　and　then　to　separate　her　from　him？〃

〃That　is　what　I　ask　you；〃　said　Father　D'Aigrigny；　〃how　can　this　storm　of
passion　prevent　Mdlle。　de　Cardoville　and　the　prince　from　inheriting？〃

〃Is　it　from　the　serene；　or　from　the　stormy　sky；　that　darts　the　destroying
thunderbolt？〃　said　Rodin；　disdainfully。　　〃Be　satisfied；　I　shall　know
where　to　place　the　conductor。　　As　for　M。　Hardy；　the　man　lived　for　three
things：　his　workmen；　his　friend；　his　mistress。　　He　has　been　thrice
wounded　in　the　heart。　　I　always　take　aim　at　the　heart；　it　is　legal　and
sure。〃

〃It　is　legal；　and　sure；　and　praiseworthy；〃　said　the　bishop；　〃for；　if　I
understand　you　rightly；　this　manufacturer　had　a　concubine；　now　it　is　well
to　make　use　of　an　evil　passion　for　the　punishment　of　the　wicked。〃

〃True；　q