the wandering jew, volume 10-第30章

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much　agitated：　〃You　are　right。　　I　could　never　doubt　your　fidelity。　　But
anger　deprives　me　of　my　senses。　　This　infamous　letter　is　enough　to　drive
one　mad。　　I　am　unjust；　ungratefulyes；　ungratefuland　to　you！〃

〃Do　not　think　of　me；　general。　　With　a　kind　word　at　the　end；　you　might
blow　me　up　all　the　year　round。　　But　what　has　happened？〃

The　general's　countenance　again　darkened；　as　he　answered　rapidly：　〃I　am
looked　down　upon；　and　despised！〃

〃You？〃

〃Yes　I。　　After　all；〃　resumed　the　marshal　bitterly；　〃why　should　I　conceal
from　you　this　new　wound？　　If　I　doubted　you　a　moment；　I　owe　you　some
compensation；　and　you　shall　know　all。　　For　some　time　past；　I　perceived
that；　when　I　meet　any　of　my　old　companions　in　arms；　they　try　to　avoid
me　…〃

〃What！　was　it　to　this　that　the　anonymous　letter　alluded？〃

〃Yes；　and　it　spoke　the　truth；〃　replied　the　marshal；　with　a　sigh　of　grief
and　indignation。

〃But　it　is　impossible；　generalyou　are　so　loved　and　respected〃

〃Those　are　mere　words；　I　speak　of　positive　facts。　　When　I　appear；　the
conversation　is　often　interrupted。　　Instead　of　treating　me　as　an　old
comrade；　they　affect　towards　me　a　rigorously　cold　politeness。　　There　are
a　thousand　little　shades；　a　thousand　trifles；　which　wound　the　heart；　but
which　it　is　impossible　to　notice〃

〃What　you　are　now　saying；　general；　quite　confounds　me；〃　replied　Dagobert。
〃You　assure　me　of　it；　and　I　am　forced　to　believe　you。〃

〃Oh；　it　is　intolerable！　I　was　resolved　to　ease　my　heart　of　it；　so；　this
morning；　I　went　to　General　d'Havrincourt；　who　was　colonel　with　me　in　the
Imperial　Guard；　he　is　honor　and　honesty　itself。　　I　went　to　him　with　open
heart。　　‘I　perceive；'　said　I；　‘the　coldness　that　is　shown　me。　　Some
calumny　must　be　circulating　to　my　disadvantage。　　Tell　me　all　about　it。
Knowing　the　attack；　I　shall　be　able　to　defend　myself'

〃Well；　general？〃

〃D'Havrincourt　remained　impassible　ceremoniously　polite。　　To　all　my
questions　he　answered　coldly：　‘I　am　not　aware；　my　lord　duke；　that　any
calumny　has　been　circulated　with　regard　to　you。''Do　not　call　me　〃my
lord　duke；〃　my　dear　D'Havrincourt；　we　are　old　fellow…soldiers　and
friends；　my　honor　is　somewhat　touchy；　I　confess；　and　I　find　that　you　and
our　comrades　do　not　receive　me　so　cordially；　as　in　times　past。　　You　do
not　deny　it；　I　see；　I　know；　I　feel　it。'　　To　all　this　D'Havrincourt
answered；　with　the　same　coldness：　‘I　have　never　seen　any　one　wanting　in
respect　towards　you。''I　am　not　talking　of　respect；'　exclaimed　I；　as　I
clasped　his　hand　affectionately；　though　I　observed　that　he　but　feebly
returned　the　pressure；　‘I　speak　of　cordiality；　confidence；　which　I　once
enjoyed；　while　now　I　am　treated　like　a　stranger。　　Why　is　it？　　What　has
occasioned　this　change？'Still　cold　and　reserved；　he　answered：　‘These
distinctions　are　so　nice；　marshal；　that　it　is　impossible　for　me　to　give
you　any　opinion　on　the　subject。'My　heart　swelled　with　grief　and　anger。
What　was　I　to　do？　　To　quarrel　with　D'Havrincourt　would　have　been　absurd。
A　sense　of　dignity　forced　me　to　break　off　the　interview；　but　it　has　only
confirmed　my　fears。　　Thus；〃　added　the　marshal；　getting　more　and　more
animated；　〃thus　am　I　fallen　from　the　esteem　to　which　I　am　entitled；　thus
am　I　despised；　without　even　knowing　the　cause！　　Is　it　not　odious？　　If
they　would　only　utter　a　charge　against　meI　should　at　least　be　able　to
defend　myself；　and　to　find　an　answer。　　But　no；　no！　not　even　a　wordonly
the　cold　politeness　that　is　worse　than　any　insult。　　Oh！　it　is　too　much；
too　much！　for　all　this　comes　but　in　addition　to　other　cares。　　What　a　life
is　mine　since　the　death　of　my　father！　　If　I　did　but　find　rest　and
happiness　at　homebut　no！　I　come　in；　but　to　read　shameful　letters；　and
still　worse；〃　added　the　marshal；　in　a　heartrending　tone；　and　after　a
moment's　hesitation；　〃to　find　my　children　grow　more　and　more　indifferent
towards　me

〃Yes；〃　continued　he；　perceiving　the　amazement　of　Dagobert；　〃and　yet　they
know　how　much　I　love　them！〃

〃Your　daughters　indifferent！〃　exclaimed　Dagobert；　in　astonishment。　　〃You
make　them　such　a　reproach？〃

〃Oh！　I　do　not　blame　them。　　They　have　hardly　had　time　to　know　me。〃

〃Not　had　time　to　know　you？〃　returned　the　soldier；　in　a　tone　of
remonstrance；　and　warming　up　in　his　turn。　　〃Ah！　of　what　did　their　mother
talk　to　them；　except　you？　　and　I　too！　what　could　I　teach　your　children
except　to　know　and　love　you？〃

〃You　take　their　partthat　is　naturalthey　love　you　better　than　they　do
me；〃　said　the　marshal；　with　growing　bitterness。　　Dagobert　felt　himself　so
painfully　affected；　that　he　looked　at　the　marshal　without　answering。

〃Yes！〃　continued　the　other；　〃yes！　it　may　be　base　and　ungratefulbut　no
matter！Twenty　times　I　have　felt　jealous　of　the　affectionate　confidence
which　my　children　display　towards　you；　while　with　me　they　seem　always　to
be　in　fear。　　If　their　melancholy　faces　ever　grow　animated　for　a　moment；
it　is　in　talking　to　you；　in　seeing　you；　while　for　me　they　have　nothing
but　cold　respectand　that　kills　me。　　Sure　of　the　affection　of　my
children；　I　would　have　braved　and　surmounted　every　difficulty〃　　Then；
seeing　that　Dagobert　rushed　towards　the　door　which　led　to　the　chamber　of
Rose　and　Blanche；　the　marshal　asked：　〃Where　are　you　going？〃

〃For　your　daughters；　general。〃

〃What　for？〃

〃To　bring　them　face　to　face　with　youto　tell　them：　‘My　children；　your
father　thinks　that　you　do　not　love　him。'I　will　only　say　thatand　then
you　will　see。〃

〃Dagobert！　I　forbid　you　to　do　it；〃　cried　the　marshal；　hastily。

〃I　don't　care　for　thatyou　have　no　right　to　be　unjust　to　the　poor
children；〃　said　the　soldier；　as　he　again　advanced　towards　the　door。

〃Dagobert；　I　command　you　to　remain　here；〃　cried　the　marshal。

〃Listen　to　me；　general。　　I　am　your　soldier；　your　inferior；　your　servant；
if　you　will；〃　said　the　old　grenadier；　roughly；　〃but　neither　rank　nor
station　shall　keep　me　silent；　when　I　have　to　defend　your　daughters。　　All
must　be　explainedI　know　but　one　wayand　that　is　to　bring　honest　people
face　to　face。〃

If　the　marshal　had　not　seized　him　by　the　arm；　Dagobert　would　have　entered
the　apartment　of　the　young　girls。

〃Remain！〃　said　the　marshal；　so　imperiously　that　the　soldier；　accustomed
to　obedience；　hung　his　head；　and　stood　still。

〃What　would　you　do？〃　resumed　the　marshal。　　〃Tell　my　children；　that　I
think　they　do　not　love　me？　induce　them　to　affect　a　tenderness　they　do　not
feelwhen　it　is　not　their　fault；　but　mine？〃

〃Oh；　general！〃　said　Dagobert；　in　a　tone　of　despair；　〃I　no　longer　feel
anger；　in　hearing　you　speak　thus　of　your　children。　　It　is　such　grief；
that　it　breaks　my　heart！〃

Touched　by　the　expression　of　the　soldier's　countenance；　the　marshal
continued；　less　abruptly：　〃Come；　I　may　be　wrong；　and　yet　I　ask　you；
without　bitterness　or　jealousy；　are　not　my　children　more　confiding；　more
familiar；　with　you　than　with　me？〃

〃God　bless　me；　general！〃　cried　Dagobert；　〃if　you　come　to　that；　they　are
more　familiar　with　Spoil…sport　than　with　either　of　us。　　You　are　their
father；　and；　however　kind　a　father　may　be；　he　must　always　command　some
respect。　　Familiar　with　me！　　I　should　think　so。　　A　fine　story！　　What　the
devil　should　they　respect　in　me；　who；　except　that　I　am　six　feet　high；　and
wear　a　moustache；　might　pass　for　the　old　woman　that　nursed　them？and
then　I　must　say；　that；　even　before　the　death　of　your　worthy　father；　you
were　sad　and　full　of　thought；　the　children　have　remarked　that；　and　what
you　take　for　coldness　on　their　part；　is；　I　am　sure；　anxiety　for　you。
Come；　general；　you　are　not　just。　　You　complain；　because　they　love　you　too
much。〃

〃I　complain；　because　I　suffer；〃　said　the　marshal；　in　an　agony　of
excitement。　　〃I　alone　know　my　sufferings。〃

〃They　must　indeed　be　grievous；　general；〃　said　Dagobert；　carried　further
than　he　would　otherwise　have　gone　by　his　attachment　for　the　orphans；
〃since　those　who　love　you　feel　them　so　cruelly。〃

〃What；　sir！　more　reproaches？〃

〃Yes；　general；　reproaches；〃　cried　Dagobert。　　〃Your　children　have　the
right　to　complain　of　you；　since　you　accuse　them　so　unjustly。〃

〃Sir；〃　said　the　marshal；　scarcely　able　to　contain　himself；　‘this　is
enoughthis　is　too　much！〃

〃Oh；　yes！　it　is　enough；〃　replied　Dagobert；　with　rising　emotion。　　〃Why
defend　unfortunate　childre