white lies-第15章

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〃Parbleu！〃

〃She　had　thought　of　a　way　to　reconcile　my　wishes　with　this　terrible　etiquette　that　reigns　here。〃

〃She　thinks　to　more　purpose　than　you　do；　that　is　clear。〃

〃Nothing　is　left　now　but　to　ask　her　pardon；　and　to　consent；　I　am　off。〃

〃No；　you　are　not；〃　and　Jacintha　laid　a　grasp　of　iron　on　him。　　〃Will　you　be　quiet？is　not　one　blunder　a　day　enough？　　If　you　go　near　her　now；　she　will　affront　you；　and　order　the　doctor　not　to　speak　to　you。〃

〃O　Jacintha！　your　sex　then　are　fiends　of　malice？〃

〃While　it　lasts。　　Luckily　with　us　nothing　lasts　very　long。　　Now　you　don't　go　near　her　till　you　have　taken　advantage　of　her　hint；　and　made　the　doctor's　acquaintance；　that　is　easy　done。　　He　walks　two　hours　on　the　east　road　every　day；　with　his　feet　in　the　puddles　and　his　head　in　the　clouds。　　Them's　HIS　two　tastes。〃

〃But　how　am　I　to　get　him　out　of　the　clouds　and　the　puddles？〃　inquired　Riviere　half　peevishly。

〃How？〃　asked　Jacintha；　with　a　dash　of　that　contempt　uneducated　persons　generally　have　for　any　one　who　does　not　know　some　little　thing　they　happen　to　know　themselves。　　〃How？　　Why；　with　the　nearest　blackbeetle；　to　be　sure。〃

〃A　blackbeetle？〃

〃Black　or　brown；　it　matters　little。　　Have　her　ready　for　use　in　your　handkerchief：　pull　a　long　face：　and　says　you'Excuse　me；　sir；　I　have　THE　MISFORTUNE　not　to　know　the　Greek　name　of　this　merchandise　here。'　　Say　that；　and　behold　him　launched。　　He　will　christen　you　the　beast　in　Hebrew　and　Latin　as　well　as　Greek；　and　tell　you　her　history　down　from　the　flood：　next　he　will　beg　her　of　you；　and　out　will　come　a　cork　and　a　pin；　and　behold　the　creature　impaled。　　For　that　is　how　men　love　beetles。　　He　has　a　thousand　pinned　down　at　homebeetles；　butterflies；　and　so　forth。　　When　I　go　near　the　rubbish　with　my　duster　he　trembles　like　an　aspen。　　I　pretend　to　be　going　to　clean　them；　but　it　is　only　to　see　the　face　he　makes；　for　even　a　domestic　must　laugh　now　and　thenor　die。　　But　I　never　do　clean　them；　for　after　all　he　is　more　stupid　than　wicked；　poor　man：　I　have　not　therefore　the　sad　courage　to　make　him　wretched。〃

〃Let　us　return　to　our　beetlewhat　will　his　tirades　about　its　antiquity　advance　me？〃

〃Oh！　one　begins　about　a　beetle；　but　one　ends　Heaven　knows　where。〃

Riviere　profited　by　this　advice。　　He　even　improved　on　it。　　In　due　course　he　threw　himself　into　Aubertin's　way。　　He　stopped　the　doctor　reverentially；　and　said　he　had　heard　he　was　an　entomologist。　　WOULD　he　be　kind　enough　to　tell　him　what　was　this　enormous　chrysalis　he　had　just　found？

〃The　death's　head　moth！〃　cried　Aubertin　with　enthusiasm〃the　death's　head　moth！　a　great　rarity　in　this　district。　　Where　found　you　this？〃　　Riviere　undertook　to　show　him　the　place。

It　was　half　a　league　distant。　　Coming　and　going　he　had　time　to　make　friends　with　Aubertin；　and　this　was　the　easier　that　the　old　gentleman；　who　was　a　physiognomist　as　well　as　ologist；　had　seen　goodness　and　sensibility　in　Edouard's　face。　　At　the　end　of　the　walk　he　begged　the　doctor　to　accept　the　chrysalis。　　The　doctor　coquetted。　〃That　would　be　a　robbery。　　You　take　an　interest　in　these　things　yourselfat　least　I　hope　so。〃

The　young　rogue　confessed　modestly　to　the　sentiment　of　entomology；　but　〃the　government　worked　him　so　hard　as　to　leave　him　no　hopes　of　shining　in　so　high　a　science；〃　said　he　sorrowfully。

The　doctor　pitied　him。　　〃A　young　man　of　your　attainments　and　tastes　to　be　debarred　from　the　everlasting　secrets　of　nature；　by　the　fleeting　politics　of　the　day。〃

Riviere　shrugged　his　shoulders。　　〃Somebody　must　do　the　dirty　work；〃　said　he；　chuckling　inwardly。

The　chrysalis　went　to　Beaurepaire　in　the　pocket　of　a　grateful　man；　who　that　same　evening　told　the　whole　party　his　conversation　with　young　Riviere；　on　whom　he　pronounced　high　encomiums。　　Rose's　saucy　eyes　sparkled　with　fun：　you　might　have　lighted　a　candle　at　one　and　exploded　a　mine　at　the　other；　but　not　a　syllable　did　she　utter。

The　doctor　proved　a　key；　and　opened　the　enchanted　castle。　　One　fine　day　he　presented　his　friend　in　the　Pleasaunce　to　the　baroness　and　her　daughters。

They　received　him　with　perfect　politeness。　　Thus　introduced；　and　as　he　was　not　one　to　let　the　grass　grow　under　his　feet；　he　soon　obtained　a　footing　as　friend　of　the　family；　which；　being　now　advised　by　Josephine；　he　took　care　not　to　compromise　by　making　love　to　Rose　before　the　baroness。　　However；　he　insisted　on　placing　his　financial　talent　at　their　service。　　He　surveyed　and　valued　their　lands；　and　soon　discovered　that　all　their　farms　were　grossly　underlet。　　Luckily　most　of　the　leases　were　run　out。　　He　prepared　a　new　rent　roll；　and　showed　it　Aubertin；　now　his　fast　friend。　　Aubertin　at　his　request　obtained　a　list　of　the　mortgages；　and　Edouard　drew　a　balance…sheet　founded　on　sure　data；　and　proved　to　the　baroness　that　in　able　hands　the　said　estate　was　now　solvent。

This　was　a　great　comfort　to　the　old　lady：　and　she　said　to　Aubertin；　〃Heaven　has　sent　us　a　champion；　a　little　republicanwith　the　face　of　an　angel。〃

Descending　to　practice；　Edouard　actually　put　three　of　the　farms　into　the　market；　and　let　them　at　an　advance　of　twenty　per　cent　on　the　expired　leases。　　He　brought　these　leases　signed；　and　the　baroness　had　scarcely　done　thanking　him；　when　her　other　secret　friend；　Monsieur　Perrin；　was　announced。　　Edouard　exchanged　civilities　with　him；　and　then　retired　to　the　Pleasaunce。　　There　he　found　both　sisters；　who　were　all　tenderness　and　gratitude　to　him。　　By　this　time　he　had　learned　to　value　Josephine：　she　was　so　lovely　and　so　good；　and　such　a　true　womanly　friend　to　him。　　Even　Rose　could　not　resist　her　influence；　and　was　obliged　to　be　kind　to　him；　when　Josephine　was　by。　　But　let　Josephine　go；　and　instead　of　her　being　more　tender；　as　any　other　girl　would；　left　alone　with　her　lover；　sauciness　resumed　its　empire　till　sweet　Josephine　returned。　　Whereof　cometh　an　example；　for　the　said　Josephine　was　summoned　to　a　final　conference　with　the　baroness　and　Monsieur　Perrin。

〃Don't　be　long；〃　said　Rose；　as　Josephine　glided　away；　and　（taking　the　precaution　to　wait　till　she　was　quite　out　of　hearing）；　〃I　shall　be　so　dull；　dear；　till　you　come　back。〃

〃I　shall　not　though；〃　said　Edouard。

〃I　am　not　so　sure　of　that。　　Now　then。〃

〃Now　then；　what？〃

〃Begin。〃

〃Begin　what？〃

〃Amusing　me。〃　　And　she　made　herself　look　sullen　and　unamusable　all　over。

〃I　will　try；〃　said　Riviere。　　〃I'll　tell　you　what　they　say　of　you：　that　you　are　too　young　to　love。〃

〃So　I　am；　much。〃

〃No；　no；　no！　I　made　a　mistake。　　I　mean　too　young　to　be　loved。〃

〃Oh；　I　am　not　too　young　for　that；　not　a　bit。〃

This　point　settled；　she　suggested　that；　if　he　could　not　amuse　her；　he　had　better　do　THE　NEXT　BEST　THING；　and　that　was；　talk　sense。

〃I　think　I　had　better　not　talk　at　all；〃　said　he；　〃for　I　am　no　match　for　such　a　nimble　tongue。　　And　then　you　are　so　remorseless。　　I'll　hold　my　tongue；　and　make　a　sketch　of　this　magnificent　oak。〃

〃Ay；　do：　draw　it　as　it　appeared　on　a　late　occasion：　with　two　ladies　flying　out　of　it；　and　you　rooted　with　dismay。〃

〃There　is　no　need；　that　scene　is　engraved。〃

〃Where？　in　all　the　shops？〃

〃No；　on　all　our　memories。〃

〃Not　on　mine；　not　on　mine。　　How　terrified　you　wereha；　ha！　and　how　terrified　we　should　have　been　if　you　had　not。　　Listen：　once　upon　a　timedon't　be　alarmed：　it　was　long　after　Noaha　frightened　hare　ran　by　a　pond；　the　frogs　splashed　in　the　water；　smit　with　awe。　　Then　she　said；　'Ah　ha！　there　are　people　in　the　world　I　frighten　in　my　turn；　I　am　the　thunderbolt　of　war。'　　Excuse　my　quoting　La　Fontaine：　I　am　not　in　'Charles　the　Twelfth　of　Sweden'　yet。　　I　am　but　a　child。〃

〃And　it's　a　great　mercy；　for　when　you　grow　up；　you　will　be　too　much　for　me；　that　is　evident。　　Come；　then；　Mademoiselle　the　Quizzer；　come　and　adorn　my　sketch。〃

〃Monsieur；　shall　I　make　you　a　confession？　　You　will　not　be　angry：　I　could　not　support　your　displeasure。　　I　have　a　strange　inclination　to　walk　up　and　down　this　terrace　while　you　go　and　draw　that　tree　in　the　Pleasaunce。〃

〃Resist　that　inclination；　perhaps　it　will　fly　from　you。〃

〃No；　you　fly　from　me；　and　draw。　　I　will　rejoin　you　in　a　few　minutes。〃

〃Thank　you；　I'm　not　so　stupid。　　You　will　step　indoors　directly。〃

〃Do　you　doubt　my　word；　sir？〃　asked　she　haughtily。

He　had　learned　to　obey　all　her　caprices；　so　he　went　an