juana-第13章

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Juana　comprehended　him；　she　was　sure　of　his　heart；　his　future；　she

adored　him；　but　her　ardent　love　was　a　secret　between　herself；　her

child；　and　God。　Juan　instinctively　enjoyed　the　seeming　indifference　of

his　mother　in　presence　of　his　father　and　brother；　for　she　pressed　him

to　her　heart　when　alone。　Francisque　was　Diard；　and　Juana's　incessant

care　and　watchfulness　betrayed　her　desire　to　correct　in　the　son　the

vices　of　the　father　and　to　encourage　his　better　qualities。　Juana；

unaware　that　her　glance　had　said　too　much　and　that　her　husband　had

rightly　interpreted　it；　took　Francisque　in　her　lap　and　gave　him；　in　a

gentle　voice　still　trembling　with　the　pleasure　that　Juan's　answer　had

brought　her；　a　lesson　upon　honor；　simplified　to　his　childish

intelligence。



〃That　boy's　character　requires　care；〃　said　Diard。



〃Yes；〃　she　replied　simply。



〃How　about　Juan？〃



Madame　Diard；　struck　by　the　tone　in　which　the　words　were　uttered；

looked　at　her　husband。



〃Juan　was　born　perfect；〃　he　added。



Then　he　sat　down　gloomily；　and　reflected。　Presently；　as　his　wife

continued　silent；　he　added：



〃You　love　one　of　YOUR　children　better　than　the　other。〃



〃You　know　that；〃　she　said。



〃No；〃　said　Diard；　〃I　did　not　know　until　now　which　of　them　you

preferred。〃



〃But　neither　of　them　have　ever　given　me　a　moment's　uneasiness；〃　she

answered　quickly。



〃But　one　of　them　gives　you　greater　joys；〃　he　said；　more　quickly　still。



〃I　never　counted　them；〃　she　said。



〃How　false　you　women　are！〃　cried　Diard。　〃Will　you　dare　to　say　that

Juan　is　not　the　child　of　your　heart？〃



〃If　that　were　so；〃　she　said；　with　dignity；　〃do　you　think　it　a

misfortune？〃



〃You　have　never　loved　me。　If　you　had　chosen；　I　would　have　conquered

worlds　for　your　sake。　You　know　all　that　I　have　struggled　to　do　in

life；　supported　by　the　hope　of　pleasing　you。　Ah！　if　you　had　only　loved

me！〃



〃A　woman　who　loves；〃　said　Juana；　〃likes　to　live　in　solitude；　far　from

the　world；　and　that　is　what　we　are　doing。〃



〃I　know；　Juana；　that　YOU　are　never　in　the　wrong。〃



The　words　were　said　bitterly；　and　cast；　for　the　rest　of　their　lives

together；　a　coldness　between　them。



On　the　morrow　of　that　fatal　day　Diard　went　back　to　his　old　companions

and　found　distractions　for　his　mind　in　play。　Unfortunately；　he　won

much　money；　and　continued　playing。　Little　by　little；　he　returned　to

the　dissipated　life　he　had　formerly　lived。　Soon　he　ceased　even　to　dine

in　his　own　home。



Some　months　went　by　in　the　enjoyment　of　this　new　independence；　he　was

determined　to　preserve　it；　and　in　order　to　do　so　he　separated　himself

from　his　wife；　giving　her　the　large　apartments　and　lodging　himself　in

the　entresol。　By　the　end　of　the　year　Diard　and　Juana　only　saw　each

other　in　the　morning　at　breakfast。



Like　all　gamblers；　he　had　his　alternations　of　loss　and　gain。　Not

wishing　to　cut　into　the　capital　of　his　fortune；　he　felt　the　necessity

of　withdrawing　from　his　wife　the　management　of　their　income；　and　the

day　came　when　he　took　from　her　all　she　had　hitherto　freely　disposed　of

for　the　household　benefit；　giving　her　instead　a　monthly　stipend。　The

conversation　they　had　on　this　subject　was　the　last　of　their　married

intercourse。　The　silence　that　fell　between　them　was　a　true　divorce；

Juana　comprehended　that　from　henceforth　she　was　only　a　mother；　and　she

was　glad；　not　seeking　for　the　causes　of　this　evil。　For　such　an　event

is　a　great　evil。　Children　are　conjointly　one　with　husband　and　wife　in

the　home；　and　the　life　of　her　husband　could　not　be　a　source　of　grief

and　injury　to　Juana　only。



As　for　Diard；　now　emancipated；　he　speedily　grew　accustomed　to　win　and

lose　enormous　sums。　A　fine　player　and　a　heavy　player；　he　soon　became

celebrated　for　his　style　of　playing。　The　social　consideration　he　had

been　unable　to　win　under　the　Empire；　he　acquired　under　the　Restoration

by　the　rolling　of　his　gold　on　the　green　cloth　and　by　his　talent　for

all　games　that　were　in　vogue。　Ambassadors；　bankers；　persons　with

newly…acquired　large　fortunes；　and　all　those　men　who；　having　sucked

life　to　the　dregs；　turn　to　gambling　for　its　feverish　joys；　admired

Diard　at　their　clubs；seldom　in　their　own　houses；and　they　all

gambled　with　him。　He　became　the　fashion。　Two　or　three　times　during　the

winter　he　gave　a　fete　as　a　matter　of　social　pride　in　return　for　the

civilities　he　received。　At　such　times　Juana　once　more　caught　a　glimpse

of　the　world　of　balls；　festivities；　luxury；　and　lights；　but　for　her　it

was　a　sort　of　tax　imposed　upon　the　comfort　of　her　solitude。　She；　the

queen　of　these　solemnities；　appeared　like　a　being　fallen　from　some

other　planet。　Her　simplicity；　which　nothing　had　corrupted；　her

beautiful　virginity　of　soul；　which　her　peaceful　life　restored　to　her；

her　beauty　and　her　true　modesty；　won　her　sincere　homage。　But　observing

how　few　women　ever　entered　her　salons；　she　came　to　understand　that

though　her　husband　was　following；　without　communicating　its　nature　to

her；　a　new　line　of　conduct；　he　had　gained　nothing　actually　in　the

world's　esteem。



Diard　was　not　always　lucky；　far　from　it。　In　three　years　he　had

dissipated　three　fourths　of　his　fortune；　but　his　passion　for　play　gave

him　the　energy　to　continue　it。　He　was　intimate　with　a　number　of　men；

more　particularly　with　the　roues　of　the　Bourse；　men　who；　since　the

revolution；　have　set　up　the　principle　that　robbery　done　on　a　large

scale　is　only　a　SMIRCH　to　the　reputation；transferring　thus　to

financial　matters　the　loose　principles　of　love　in　the　eighteenth

century。　Diard　now　became　a　sort　of　business　man；　and　concerned

himself　in　several　of　those　affairs　which　are　called　SHADY　in　the

slang　of　the　law…courts。　He　practised　the　decent　thievery　by　which　so

many　men；　cleverly　masked；　or　hidden　in　the　recesses　of　the　political

world；　make　their　fortunes；thievery　which；　if　done　in　the　streets　by

the　light　of　an　oil　lamp；　would　see　a　poor　devil　to　the　galleys；　but；

under　gilded　ceilings　and　by　the　light　of　candelabra；　is　sanctioned。

Diard　brought　up；　monopolized；　and　sold　sugars；　he　sold　offices；　he

had　the　glory　of　inventing　the　〃man　of　straw〃　for　lucrative　posts

which　it　was　necessary　to　keep　in　his　own　hands　for　a　short　time；　he

bought　votes；　receiving；　on　one　occasion；　so　much　per　cent　on　the

purchase　of　fifteen　parliamentary　votes　which　all　passed　on　one

division　from　the　benches　of　the　Left　to　the　benches　of　the　Right。

Such　actions　are　no　longer　crimes　or　thefts；they　are　called

governing；　developing　industry；　becoming　a　financial　power。　Diard　was

placed　by　public　opinion　on　the　bench　of　infamy　where　many　an　able　man

was　already　seated。　On　that　bench　is　the　aristocracy　of　evil。　It　is

the　upper　Chamber　of　scoundrels　of　high　life。　Diard　was；　therefore；

not　a　mere　commonplace　gambler　who　is　seen　to　be　a　blackguard；　and

ends　by　begging。　That　style　of　gambler　is　no　longer　seen　in　society　of

a　certain　topographical　height。　In　these　days　bold　scoundrels　die

brilliantly　in　the　chariot　of　vice　with　the　trappings　of　luxury。

Diard；　at　least；　did　not　buy　his　remorse　at　a　low　price；　he　made

himself　one　of　these　privileged　men。　Having　studied　the　machinery　of

government　and　learned　all　the　secrets　and　the　passions　of　the　men　in

power；　he　was　able　to　maintain　himself　in　the　fiery　furnace　into　which

he　had　sprung。



Madame　Diard　knew　nothing　of　her　husband's　infernal　life。　Glad　of　his

abandonment；　she　felt　no　curiosity　about　him；　and　all　her　hours　were

occupied。　She　devoted　what　money　she　had　to　the　education　of　her

children；　wishing　to　make　men　of　them；　and　giving　them　straight…

forward　reasons；　without；　however；　taking　the　bloom　from　their　young

imaginations。　Through　them　alone　came　her　interests　and　her　emotions；

consequently；　she　suffered　no　longer　from　her　blemished　life。　Her

children　were　to　her　what　they　are　to　many　mothers　for　a　long　period

of　time；a　sort　of　renewal　of　their　own　existence。　Diard　was　now　an

accidental　circumstance；　not　a　participator　in　her