the magic skin-第51章

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you？〃



Valentin　could　not　restrain　the　tears　that　sprang　to　his　eyes。



〃Pauline；〃　he　exclaimed；　〃I〃



He　went　no　further；　love　sparkled　in　his　eyes；　and　his　emotion

overflowed　his　face。



〃Oh；　he　loves　me！　he　loves　me！〃　cried　Pauline。



Raphael　felt　himself　unable　to　say　one　word；　he　bent　his　head。　The

young　girl　took　his　hand　at　this；　she　pressed　it　as　she　said；　half

sobbing　and　half　laughing：



〃Rich；　rich；　happy　and　rich！　Your　Pauline　is　rich。　But　I？　Oh；　I　ought

to　be　very　poor　to…day。　I　have　said；　times　without　number；　that　I

would　give　all　the　wealth　upon　this　earth　for　those　words；　'He　loves

me！'　O　my　Raphael！　I　have　millions。　You　like　luxury；　you　will　be　glad；

but　you　must　love　me　and　my　heart　besides；　for　there　is　so　much　love

for　you　in　my　heart。　You　don't　know？　My　father　has　come　back。　I　am　a

wealthy　heiress。　Both　he　and　my　mother　leave　me　completely　free　to

decide　my　own　fate。　I　am　freedo　you　understand？〃



Seized　with　a　kind　of　frenzy；　Raphael　grasped　Pauline's　hands　and

kissed　them　eagerly　and　vehemently；　with　an　almost　convulsive　caress。

Pauline　drew　her　hands　away；　laid　them　on　Raphael's　shoulders；　and

drew　him　towards　her。　They　understood　one　anotherin　that　close

embrace；　in　the　unalloyed　and　sacred　fervor　of　that　one　kiss　without

an　afterthoughtthe　first　kiss　by　which　two　souls　take　possession　of

each　other。



〃Ah；　I　will　not　leave　you　any　more；〃　said　Pauline；　falling　back　in　her

chair。　〃I　do　not　know　how　I　come　to　be　so　bold！〃　she　added；　blushing。



〃Bold；　my　Pauline？　Do　not　fear　it。　It　is　love；　love　true　and　deep　and

everlasting　like　my　own；　is　it　not？〃



〃Speak！〃　she　cried。　〃Go　on　speaking；　so　long　your　lips　have　been　dumb

for　me。〃



〃Then　you　have　loved　me　all　along？〃



〃Loved　you？　MON　DIEU！　How　often　I　have　wept　here；　setting　your　room

straight；　and　grieving　for　your　poverty　and　my　own。　I　would　have　sold

myself　to　the　evil　one　to　spare　you　one　vexation！　You　are　MY　Raphael

to…day；　really　my　own　Raphael；　with　that　handsome　head　of　yours；　and

your　heart　is　mine　too；　yes；　that　above　all；　your　heartO　wealth

inexhaustible！　Well；　where　was　I？〃　she　went　on　after　a　pause。　〃Oh　yes！

We　have　three；　four；　or　five　millions；　I　believe。　If　I　were　poor；　I

should　perhaps　desire　to　bear　your　name；　to　be　acknowledged　as　your

wife；　but　as　it　is；　I　would　give　up　the　whole　world　for　you；　I　would

be　your　servant　still；　now　and　always。　Why；　Raphael；　if　I　give　you　my

fortune；　my　heart；　myself　to…day；　I　do　no　more　than　I　did　that　day

when　I　put　a　certain　five…franc　piece　in　the　drawer　there；〃　and　she

pointed　to　the　table。　〃Oh；　how　your　exultation　hurt　me　then！〃



〃Oh；　why　are　you　rich？〃　Raphael　cried；　〃why　is　there　no　vanity　in　you？

I　can　do　nothing　for　you。〃



He　wrung　his　hands　in　despair　and　happiness　and　love。



〃When　you　are　the　Marquise　de　Valentin；　I　know　that　the　title　and　the

fortune　for　thee；　heavenly　soul；　will　not　be　worth〃



〃One　hair　of　your　head；〃　she　cried。



〃I　have　millions　too。　But　what　is　wealth　to　either　of　us　now？　There　is

my　lifeah；　that　I　can　offer；　take　it。〃



〃Your　love；　Raphael；　your　love　is　all　the　world　to　me。　Are　your

thoughts　of　me？　I　am　the　happiest　of　the　happy！〃



〃Can　any　one　overhear　us？〃　asked　Raphael。



〃Nobody；〃　she　replied；　and　a　mischievous　gesture　escaped　her。



〃Come；　then！〃　cried　Valentin；　holding　out　his　arms。



She　sprang　upon　his　knees　and　clasped　her　arms　about　his　neck。



〃Kiss　me！〃　she　cried；　〃after　all　the　pain　you　have　given　me；　to　blot

out　the　memory　of　the　grief　that　your　joys　have　caused　me；　and　for　the

sake　of　the　nights　that　I　spent　in　painting　hand…screens〃



〃Those　hand…screens　of　yours？〃



〃Now　that　we　are　rich；　my　darling；　I　can　tell　you　all　about　it。　Poor

boy！　how　easy　it　is　to　delude　a　clever　man！　Could　you　have　had　white

waistcoats　and　clean　shirts　twice　a　week　for　three　francs　every　month

to　the　laundress？　Why；　you　used　to　drink　twice　as　much　milk　as　your

money　would　have　paid　for。　I　deceived　you　all　roundover　firing；　oil；

and　even　money。　O　Raphael　mine；　don't　have　me　for　your　wife；　I　am　far

too　cunning！〃　she　said　laughing。



〃But　how　did　you　manage？〃



〃I　used　to　work　till　two　o'clock　in　the　morning；　I　gave　my　mother　half

the　money　made　by　my　screens；　and　the　other　half　went　to　you。〃



They　looked　at　one　another　for　a　moment；　both　bewildered　by　love　and

gladness。



〃Some　day　we　shall　have　to　pay　for　this　happiness　by　some　terrible

sorrow；〃　cried　Raphael。



〃Perhaps　you　are　married？〃　said　Pauline。　〃Oh；　I　will　not　give　you　up

to　any　other　woman。〃



〃I　am　free；　my　beloved。〃



〃Free！〃　she　repeated。　〃Free；　and　mine！〃



She　slipped　down　upon　her　knees；　clasped　her　hands；　and　looked　at

Raphael　in　an　enthusiasm　of　devotion。



〃I　am　afraid　I　shall　go　mad。　How　handsome　you　are！〃　she　went　on；

passing　her　fingers　through　her　lover's　fair　hair。　〃How　stupid　your

Countess　Foedora　is！　How　pleased　I　was　yesterday　with　the　homage　they

all　paid　to　me！　SHE　has　never　been　applauded。　Dear；　when　I　felt　your

arm　against　my　back；　I　heard　a　vague　voice　within　me　that　cried；　'He

is　there！'　and　I　turned　round　and　saw　you。　I　fled；　for　I　longed　so　to

throw　my　arms　about　you　before　them　all。〃



〃How　happy　you　areyou　can　speak！〃　Raphael　exclaimed。　〃My　heart　is

overwhelmed；　I　would　weep；　but　I　cannot。　Do　not　draw　your　hand　away。　I

could　stay　here　looking　at　you　like　this　for　the　rest　of　my　life；　I

think；　happy　and　content。〃



〃O　my　love；　say　that　once　more！〃



〃Ah；　what　are　words？〃　answered　Valentin；　letting　a　hot　tear　fall　on

Pauline's　hands。　〃Some　time　I　will　try　to　tell　you　of　my　love；　just

now　I　can　only　feel　it。〃



〃You；〃　she　said；　〃with　your　lofty　soul　and　your　great　genius；　with

that　heart　of　yours　that　I　know　so　well；　are　you　really　mine；　as　I　am

yours？〃



〃For　ever　and　ever；　my　sweet　creature；〃　said　Raphael　in　an　uncertain

voice。　〃You　shall　be　my　wife；　my　protecting　angel。　My　griefs　have

always　been　dispelled　by　your　presence；　and　my　courage　revived；　that

angelic　smile　now　on　your　lips　has　purified　me；　so　to　speak。　A　new

life　seems　about　to　begin　for　me。　The　cruel　past　and　my　wretched

follies　are　hardly　more　to　me　than　evil　dreams。　At　your　side　I　breathe

an　atmosphere　of　happiness；　and　I　am　pure。　Be　with　me　always；〃　he

added；　pressing　her　solemnly　to　his　beating　heart。



〃Death　may　come　when　it　will；〃　said　Pauline　in　ecstasy；　〃I　have

lived！〃



Happy　he　who　shall　divine　their　joy；　for　he　must　have　experienced　it。



〃I　wish　that　no　one　might　enter　this　dear　garret　again；　my　Raphael；〃

said　Pauline；　after　two　hours　of　silence。



〃We　must　have　the　door　walled　up；　put　bars　across　the　window；　and　buy

the　house；〃　the　Marquis　answered。



〃Yes；　we　will；〃　she　said。　Then　a　moment　later　she　added：　〃Our　search

for　your　manuscripts　has　been　a　little　lost　sight　of；〃　and　they　both

laughed　like　children。



〃Pshaw！　I　don't　care　a　jot　for　the　whole　circle　of　the　sciences；〃

Raphael　answered。



〃Ah；　sir；　and　how　about　glory？〃



〃I　glory　in　you　alone。〃



〃You　used　to　be　very　miserable　as　you　made　these　little　scratches　and

scrawls；〃　she　said；　turning　the　papers　over。



〃My　Pauline〃



〃Oh　yes；　I　am　your　Paulineand　what　then？〃



〃Where　are　you　living　now？〃



〃In　the　Rue　Saint　Lazare。　And　you？〃



〃In　the　Rue　de　Varenne。〃



〃What　a　long　way　apart　we　shall　be　until〃　She　stopped；　and　looked

at　her　lover　with　a　mischievous　and　coquettish　expression。



〃But　at　the　most　we　need　only　be　separated　for　a　fortnight；〃　Raphael

answered。



〃Really！　we　are　to　be　married　in　a　fortnight？〃　and　she　jumped　for　joy

like　a　child。



〃I　am　an　unnatural　daughter！〃　she　went　on。　〃I　give　no　more　thought　to

my　father　or　my　mother；　or　to　anything　in　the　world。　Poor　love；　you

don't　know　that　my　father　is　very　ill？　He　returned　from　the　Indies　in

very　bad　health。　He　nearly　died　at　Havre；　where　we　went　to　find　him。

Good　heavens！〃　s