the crime of sylvestre bonnard-第38章

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〃Your　assiduities　in　this　house　are　being　interpreted；　by　the　most　respectable　and　the　least　suspicious　persons；　in　such　a　manner　that　I　find　myself　obliged；　both　in　the　interest　of　my　establishment　and　in　the　interest　of　Mademoiselle　Alexandre；　to　see　that　they　end　at　once。〃

〃Madame；〃　I　cried；　〃I　have　heard　a　great　many　silly　things　in　my　life；　but　never　anything　so　silly　as　what　you　have　just　said！〃

She　answered　me　quietly；

〃Your　words　of　abuse　will　not　affect　me　in　the　slightest。　　When　one　has　a　duty　to　accomplish；　one　is　strong　enough　to　endure　all。〃

And　she　pressed　her　pelerine　over　her　heart　once　morenot　perhaps　on　this　occasion　to　restrain；　but　doubtless　only　to　caress　that　generous　heart。

〃Madame；〃　I　said；　shaking　my　finger　at　her；　〃you　have　wantonly　aroused　the　indignation　of　an　aged　man。　　Be　good　enough　to　act　in　such　a　fashion　that　the　old　man　may　be　able　at　least　to　forget　your　existence；　and　do　not　add　fresh　insults　to　those　which　I　have　already　sustained　from　your　lips。　　I　give　you　fair　warning　that　I　shall　never　cease　to　look　after　Mademoiselle　Alexandre；　and　that　should　you　attempt　to　do　her　any　harm；　in　any　manner　whatsoever；　you　will　have　serious　reason　to　regret　it！〃

The　more　I　became　excited；　the　more　she　became　cool；　and　she　answered　in　a　tone　of　superb　indifference：

〃Monsieur；　I　am　much　too　well　informed　in　regard　to　the　nature　of　the　interest　which　you　take　in　this　young　girl；　not　to　withdraw　her　immediately　from　that　very　surveillance　with　which　you　threaten　me。　After　observing　the　more　than　equivocal　intimacy　in　which　you　are　living　with　your　housekeeper；　I　ought　to　have　taken　measures　at　once　to　render　it　impossible　for　you　ever　to　come　into　contact　with　an　innocent　child。　　In　the　future　I　shall　certainly　do　it。　　If　up　to　this　time　I　have　been　too　trustful；　it　is　for　Mademoiselle　Alexandre；　and　not　for　you；　to　reproach　me　with　it。　　But　she　is　too　artless　and　too　purethanks　to　me！ever　to　have　suspected　the　nature　of　that　danger　into　which　you　were　trying　to　lead　her。　　I　scarecly　suppose　that　you　will　place　me　under　the　necessity　of　enlightening　her　upon　the　subject。〃

〃Come；　my　poor　old　Bonnard；〃　I　said　to　myself；　as　I　shrugged　my　shoulders〃so　you　had　to　live　as　long　as　this　in　order　to　learn　for　the　first　time　exactly　what　a　wicked　woman　is。　　And　now　your　knowledge　of　the　subject　is　complete。〃

I　went　out　without　replying；　and　I　had　the　pleasure　of　observing；　from　the　sudden　flush　which　overspread　the　face　of　the　schoolmistress；　that　my　silence　had　wounded　her　far　more　than　my　words。

As　I　passed　through　the　court　I　looked　about　me　in　every　direction　for　Jeanne。　　She　was　watching　for　me；　and　she　ran　to　me。

〃If　anybody　touches　one　little　hair　of　your　head；　Jeanne；　write　to　me！　　Good…bye！〃

〃No；　not　good…bye。〃

I　replied；

〃Well；　nonot　good…bye！　　Write　to　me！〃


I　went　straight　to　Madame　de　Gabry's　residence。

〃Madame　is　at　Rome　with　Monsieur。　　Did　not　Monsieur　know　it？〃

〃Why；　yes；〃　I　replied。　　〃Madame　wrote　to　me。〃。。。

She　had　indeed　written　to　me　in　regard　to　her　leaving　home；　but　my　head　must　have　become　very　much　confused；　so　that　I　had　forgotten　all　about　it。　　The　servant　seemed　to　be　of　the　same　opinion；　for　he　looked　at　me　in　a　way　that　seemed　to　signify；　〃Monsieur　Bonnard　is　doting〃and　he　leaned　down　over　the　balustrade　of　the　stairway　to　see　if　I　was　not　going　to　do　something　extraordinary　before　I　got　to　the　bottom。　　But　I　descended　the　stairs　rationally　enough；　and　then　he　drew　back　his　head　in　disappointment。

On　returning　home　I　was　informed　that　Monsieur　Gelis　was　waiting　for　me　in　the　parlour。　　（This　young　man　has　become　a　constant　visitor。　His　judgement　is　at　fault　at　times；　but　his　mind　is　not　at　all　commonplace。）　　On　this　occasion；　however；　his　usually　welcome　visit　only　embarrassed　me。　　〃Alas！〃　I　thought　to　myself；　〃I　shall　be　sure　to　say　something　very　stupid　to　my　young　friend　to…day；　and　he　also　will　think　that　my　facilities　are　becoming　impaired。　　But　still　I　cannot　really　explain　to　him　that　I　had　first　been　demanded　in　wedlock；　and　subsequently　traduced　as　a　man　wholly　devoid　of　morals　that　even　Therese　had　become　an　object　of　suspicionand　that　Jeanne　remains　in　the　power　of　the　most　rascally　woman　on　the　face　of　the　earth。　　I　am　certainly　in　an　admirable　state　of　mind　for　conversing　about　Cistercian　abbeys　with　a　young　and　mischievously　minded　man。　Nevertheless；　we　shall　seewe　shall　try。〃。。。

But　Therese　stopped　me：

〃How　red　you　are；　Monsieur！〃　she　exclaimed；　in　a　tone　of　reproach。

〃It　must　be　the　spring；〃　I　answered。

She　cried　out；

〃The　spring！in　the　month　of　December？〃

That　is　a　fact！　this　is　December。　　Ah！　what　is　the　matter　with　my　head？　what　a　fine　help　I　am　going　to　be　to　poor　Jeanne！

〃Therese；　take　my　cane；　and　put　it；　if　you　possibly　can；　in　some　place　where　I　shall　be　able　to　find　it　again。

〃Good…day；　Monsieur　Gelis。　　How　are　you？〃


Undated。


Next　morning　the　old　boy　wanted　to　get　up；　but　the　old　boy　could　not　get　up。　　A　merciless　invisible　hand　kept　him　down　upon　his　bed。　Finding　himself　immovably　riveted　there；　the　old　boy　resigned　himself　to　remain　motionless；　but　his　thoughts　kept　running　in　all　directions。

He　must　have　had　a　very　violent　fever；　for　Mademoiselle　Prefere；　the　Abbots　of　Saint…Germain…des…Pres；　and　the　servant　of　Madame　de　Gabry　appeared　to　him　in　divers　fantastic　shapes。　　The　figure　of　the　servant　in　particular　lengthened　weirdly　over　his　head；　grimacing　like　some　gargoyle　of　a　cathedral。　　Then　it　seemed　to　me　that　there　were　a　great　many　people；　much　too　many　people；　in　my　bedroom。

This　bedroom　of　mine　is　furnished　after　the　antiquated　fashion。　　The　portrait　of　my　father　in　full　uniform；　and　the　portrait　of　my　mother　in　her　cashmere　dress；　are　suspended　on　the　wall。　　The　wall…paper　is　covered　with　green　foliage　designs。　　I　am　aware　of　all　this；　and　I　am　even　conscious　that　everything　is　faded；　very　much　faded。　　But　an　old　man's　room　does　not　require　to　be　pretty；　it　is　enough　that　it　should　be　clean；　and　Therese　sees　to　that。　　At　all　events　my　room　is　sufficiently　decorated　to　please　a　mind　like　mine；　which　has　always　remained　somewhat　childish　and　dreamy。　　There　are　things　hanging　on　the　wall　or　scattered　over　the　tables　and　shelves　which　usually　please　my　fancy　and　amuse　me。　　But　to…day　it　would　seem　as　if　all　those　objects　had　suddenly　conceived　some　kind　of　ill…will　against　me。　　They　have　all　become　garish；　grimacing；　menacing。　　That　statuette；　modelled　after　one　of　the　Theological　Virtues　of　Notre…　Dame　de　Brou；　always　so　ingenuously　graceful　in　its　natural　condition；　is　now　making　contortions　and　putting　out　its　tongue　at　me。　　And　that　beautiful　miniaturein　which　one　of　the　most　skilful　pupils　of　Jehan　Fouquet　depicted　himself；　girdled　with　the　cord…girdle　of　the　Sons　of　St。　Francis；　offering　his　book；　on　bended　knee；　to　the　good　Duc　d'Angoulemewho　has　taken　it　out　of　its　frame　and　put　in　its　place　a　great　ugly　cat's　head；　which　stares　at　me　with　phosphorescent　eyes。　　And　the　designs　on　the　wall…paper　have　also　turned　into　headshideous　green　heads。。。。　　But　noI　am　sure　that　wall…paper　must　have　foliage…designs　upon　it　at　this　moment　just　as　it　had　twenty　years　ago；　and　nothing　else。。。。　　But　no；　againI　was　right　beforethey　are　heads；　with　eyes；　noses；　mouthsthey　are　heads！。。。　　Ah！　now　I　understand！　they　are　both　heads　and　foliage…　designs　at　the　same　time。　　I　wish　I　could　not　see　them　at　all。

And　there；　on　my　right；　the　pretty　miniature　of　the　Franciscan　has　come　back　again；　but　it　seems　to　me　as　if　I　can　only　keep　it　in　its　frame　by　a　tremendous　effort　of　will；　and　that　the　moment　I　get　tired　the　ugly　cat…head　will　appear　in　its　place。　　Certainly　I　am　not　delirious；　I　can　see　Therese　very　plainly；　standing　at　the　foot　of　my　bed；　I　can　hear　her　speaking　to　me　perfectly　well；　and　I　should　be　able　to　answer　her　quite　satisfactorily　if　I　were　not　kept　so　busy　in　trying　to　compel　the　various　objects　about　me　to　maintain　their　natural　aspect。

Here　is　the　doctor　coming。　　I　never　sent　for　him；　but　it　gives　me　pleasure　to　see　him。　　He　is　an　old　neighbor　of　mine；　I　have　never　been　of　much　service　to　him；　but　I　like　him　very　much。　　Even　if　I　do　not　say　much　to　him；　I　have