the magic skin-第52章

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

Good　heavens！〃　she　cried；　looking　at　her　watch；　〃it　is　three　o'clock

already！　I　ought　to　be　back　again　when　he　wakes　at　four。　I　am　mistress

of　the　house　at　home；　my　mother　does　everything　that　I　wish；　and　my

father　worships　me；　but　I　will　not　abuse　their　kindness；　that　would　be

wrong。　My　poor　father！　He　would　have　me　go　to　the　Italiens　yesterday。

You　will　come　to　see　him　to…morrow；　will　you　not？〃



〃Will　Madame　la　Marquise　de　Valentin　honor　me　by　taking　my　arm？〃



〃I　am　going　to　take　the　key　of　this　room　away　with　me；〃　she　said。

〃Isn't　our　treasure…house　a　palace？〃



〃One　more　kiss；　Pauline。〃



〃A　thousand；　MON　DIEU！〃　she　said；　looking　at　Raphael。　〃Will　it　always

be　like　this？　I　feel　as　if　I　were　dreaming。〃



They　went　slowly　down　the　stairs　together；　step　for　step；　with　arms

closely　linked；　trembling　both　of　them　beneath　their　load　of　joy。　Each

pressing　close　to　the　other's　side；　like　a　pair　of　doves；　they　reached

the　Place　de　la　Sorbonne；　where　Pauline's　carriage　was　waiting。



〃I　want　to　go　home　with　you；〃　she　said。　〃I　want　to　see　your　own　room

and　your　study；　and　to　sit　at　the　table　where　you　work。　It　will　be

like　old　times；〃　she　said；　blushing。



She　spoke　to　the　servant。　〃Joseph；　before　returning　home　I　am　going　to

the　Rue　de　Varenne。　It　is　a　quarter…past　three　now；　and　I　must　be　back

by　four　o'clock。　George　must　hurry　the　horses。〃　And　so　in　a　few

moments　the　lovers　came　to　Valentin's　abode。



〃How　glad　I　am　to　have　seen　all　this　for　myself！〃　Pauline　cried；

creasing　the　silken　bed…curtains　in　Raphael's　room　between　her

fingers。　〃As　I　go　to　sleep；　I　shall　be　here　in　thought。　I　shall

imagine　your　dear　head　on　the　pillow　there。　Raphael；　tell　me；　did　no

one　advise　you　about　the　furniture　of　your　hotel？〃



〃No　one　whatever。〃



〃Really？　It　was　not　a　woman　who〃



〃Pauline！〃



〃Oh；　I　know　I　am　fearfully　jealous。　You　have　good　taste。　I　will　have　a

bed　like　yours　to…morrow。〃



Quite　beside　himself　with　happiness；　Raphael　caught　Pauline　in　his

arms。



〃Oh；　my　father！〃　she　said；　〃my　father〃



〃I　will　take　you　back　to　him；〃　cried　Valentin；　〃for　I　want　to　be　away

from　you　as　little　as　possible。〃



〃How　loving　you　are！　I　did　not　venture　to　suggest　it〃



〃Are　you　not　my　life？〃



It　would　be　tedious　to　set　down　accurately　the　charming　prattle　of　the

lovers；　for　tones　and　looks　and　gestures　that　cannot　be　rendered　alone

gave　it　significance。　Valentin　went　back　with　Pauline　to　her　own　door；

and　returned　with　as　much　happiness　in　his　heart　as　mortal　man　can

know。



When　he　was　seated　in　his　armchair　beside　the　fire；　thinking　over　the

sudden　and　complete　way　in　which　his　wishes　had　been　fulfilled；　a　cold

shiver　went　through　him；　as　if　the　blade　of　a　dagger　had　been　plunged

into　his　breasthe　thought　of　the　Magic　Skin；　and　saw　that　it　had

shrunk　a　little。　He　uttered　the　most　tremendous　of　French　oaths；

without　any　of　the　Jesuitical　reservations　made　by　the　Abbess　of

Andouillettes；　leant　his　head　against　the　back　of　the　chair；　and　sat

motionless；　fixing　his　unseeing　eyes　upon　the　bracket　of　the　curtain

pole。



〃Good　God！〃　he　cried；　〃every　wish！　Every　desire　of　mine！　Poor

Pauline！〃



He　took　a　pair　of　compasses　and　measured　the　extent　of　existence　that

the　morning　had　cost　him。



〃I　have　scarcely　enough　for　two　months！〃　he　said。



A　cold　sweat　broke　out　over　him；　moved　by　an　ungovernable　spasm　of

rage；　he　seized　the　Magic　Skin；　exclaiming：



〃I　am　a　perfect　fool！〃



He　rushed　out　of　the　house　and　across　the　garden；　and　flung　the

talisman　down　a　well。



〃Vogue　la　galere；〃　cried　he。　〃The　devil　take　all　this　nonsense。〃



So　Raphael　gave　himself　up　to　the　happiness　of　being　beloved；　and　led

with　Pauline　the　life　of　heart　and　heart。　Difficulties　which　it　would

be　somewhat　tedious　to　describe　had　delayed　their　marriage；　which　was

to　take　place　early　in　March。　Each　was　sure　of　the　other；　their

affection　had　been　tried；　and　happiness　had　taught　them　how　strong　it

was。　Never　has　love　made　two　souls；　two　natures；　so　absolutely　one。

The　more　they　came　to　know　of　each　other；　the　more　they　loved。　On

either　side　there　was　the　same　hesitating　delicacy；　the　same

transports　of　joy　such　as　angels　know；　there　were　no　clouds　in　their

heaven；　the　will　of　either　was　the　other's　law。



Wealthy　as　they　both　were；　they　had　not　a　caprice　which　they　could　not

gratify；　and　for　that　reason　had　no　caprices。　A　refined　taste；　a

feeling　for　beauty　and　poetry；　was　instinct　in　the　soul　of　the　bride；

her　lover's　smile　was　more　to　her　than　all　the　pearls　of　Ormuz。　She

disdained　feminine　finery；　a　muslin　dress　and　flowers　formed　her　most

elaborate　toilette。



Pauline　and　Raphael　shunned　every　one　else；　for　solitude　was

abundantly　beautiful　to　them。　The　idlers　at　the　Opera；　or　at　the

Italiens；　saw　this　charming　and　unconventional　pair　evening　after

evening。　Some　gossip　went　the　round　of　the　salons　at　first；　but　the

harmless　lovers　were　soon　forgotten　in　the　course　of　events　which　took

place　in　Paris；　their　marriage　was　announced　at　length　to　excuse　them

in　the　eyes　of　the　prudish；　and　as　it　happened；　their　servants　did　not

babble；　so　their　bliss　did　not　draw　down　upon　them　any　very　severe

punishment。



One　morning　towards　the　end　of　February；　at　the　time　when　the

brightening　days　bring　a　belief　in　the　nearness　of　the　joys　of　spring；

Pauline　and　Raphael　were　breakfasting　together　in　a　small

conservatory；　a　kind　of　drawing…room　filled　with　flowers；　on　a　level

with　the　garden。　The　mild　rays　of　the　pale　winter　sunlight；　breaking

through　the　thicket　of　exotic　plants；　warmed　the　air　somewhat。　The

vivid　contrast　made　by　the　varieties　of　foliage；　the　colors　of　the

masses　of　flowering　shrubs；　the　freaks　of　light　and　shadow；　gladdened

the　eyes。　While　all　the　rest　of　Paris　still　sought　warmth　from　its

melancholy　hearth；　these　two　were　laughing　in　a　bower　of　camellias；

lilacs；　and　blossoming　heath。　Their　happy　faces　rose　above　lilies　of

the　valley；　narcissus　blooms；　and　Bengal　roses。　A　mat　of　plaited

African　grass；　variegated　like　a　carpet；　lay　beneath　their　feet　in

this　luxurious　conservatory。　The　walls；　covered　with　a　green　linen

material；　bore　no　traces　of　damp。　The　surfaces　of　the　rustic　wooden

furniture　shone　with　cleanliness。　A　kitten；　attracted　by　the　odor　of

milk；　had　established　itself　upon　the　table；　it　allowed　Pauline　to

bedabble　it　in　coffee；　she　was　playing　merrily　with　it；　taking　away

the　cream　that　she　had　just　allowed　the　kitten　to　sniff　at；　so　as　to

exercise　its　patience；　and　keep　up　the　contest。　She　burst　out　laughing

at　every　antic；　and　by　the　comical　remarks　she　constantly　made；　she

hindered　Raphael　from　perusing　the　paper；　he　had　dropped　it　a　dozen

times　already。　This　morning　picture　seemed　to　overflow　with

inexpressible　gladness；　like　everything　that　is　natural　and　genuine。



Raphael；　still　pretending　to　read　his　paper；　furtively　watched　Pauline

with　the　cathis　Pauline；　in　the　dressing…gown　that　hung　carelessly

about　her；　his　Pauline；　with　her　hair　loose　on　her　shoulders；　with　a

tiny；　white；　blue…veined　foot　peeping　out　of　a　velvet　slipper。　It　was

pleasant　to　see　her　in　this　negligent　dress；　she　was　delightful　as

some　fanciful　picture　by　Westall；　half…girl；　half…woman；　as　she　seemed

to　be；　or　perhaps　more　of　a　girl　than　a　woman；　there　was　no　alloy　in

the　happiness　she　enjoyed；　and　of　love　she　knew　as　yet　only　its　first

ecstasy。　When　Raphael；　absorbed　in　happy　musing；　had　forgotten　the

existence　of　the　newspaper；　Pauline　flew　upon　it；　crumpled　it　up　into

a　ball；　and　threw　it　out　into　the　garden；　the　kitten　sprang　after　the

rotating　object；　which　spun　round　and　round；　as　politics　are　wont　to

do。　This　childish　scene　recalled　Raphael　to　himself。　He　would　have

gone　on　reading；　and　felt　for　the　sheet　he　no　longer　possessed。　Joyous

laughter　rang　out　like　the　song　of　a　bird；　one