camille-第32章

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〃Do　you　think；　then；　sir；　that　the　mission　of　a　man　of　honour　is　to　go　about　converting　lost　women？　Do　you　think　that　God　has　given　such　a　grotesque　aim　to　life；　and　that　the　heart　should　have　any　room　for　enthusiasm　of　that　kind？　What　will　be　the　end　of　this　marvellous　cure；　and　what　will　you　think　of　what　you　are　saying　to…day　by　the　time　you　are　forty？　You　will　laugh　at　this　love　of　yours；　if　you　can　still　laugh；　and　if　it　has　not　left　too　serious　a　trace　in　your　past。　What　would　you　be　now　if　your　father　had　had　your　ideas　and　had　given　up　his　life　to　every　impulse　of　this　kind；　instead　of　rooting　himself　firmly　in　convictions　of　honour　and　steadfastness？　Think　it　over；　Armand；　and　do　not　talk　any　more　such　absurdities。　Come；　leave　this　woman；　your　father　entreats　you。〃

I　answered　nothing。

〃Armand；〃　continued　my　father；　〃in　the　name　of　your　sainted　mother；　abandon　this　life；　which　you　will　forget　more　easily　than　you　think。　You　are　tied　to　it　by　an　impossible　theory。　You　are　twenty…four；　think　of　the　future。　You　can　not　always　love　this　woman；　who　also　can　not　always　love　you。　You　both　exaggerate　your　love。　You　put　an　end　to　your　whole　career。　One　step　further；　and　you　will　no　longer　be　able　to　leave　the　path　you　have　chosen；　and　you　will　suffer　all　your　life　for　what　you　have　done　in　your　youth。　Leave　Paris。　Come　and　stay　for　a　month　or　two　with　your　sister　and　me。　Rest　in　our　quiet　family　affection　will　soon　heal　you　of　this　fever；　for　it　is　nothing　else。　Meanwhile；　your　mistress　will　console　herself；　she　will　take　another　lover；　and　when　you　see　what　it　is　for　which　you　have　all　but　broken　with　your　father；　and　all　but　lost　his　love；　you　will　tell　me　that　I　have　done　well　to　come　and　seek　you　out；　and　you　will　thank　me　for　it。　Come；　you　will　go　with　me；　Armand；　will　you　not？〃　I　felt　that　my　father　would　be　right　if　it　had　been　any　other　woman；　but　I　was　convinced　that　he　was　wrong　with　regard　to　Marguerite。　Nevertheless；　the　tone　in　which　he　said　these　last　words　was　so　kind；　so　appealing；　that　I　dared　not　answer。

〃Well？〃　said　he　in　a　trembling　voice。

〃Well；　father；　I　can　promise　nothing；〃　I　said　at　last；　〃what　you　ask　of　me　is　beyond　my　power。　Believe　me；〃　I　continued；　seeing　him　make　an　impatient　movement；　〃you　exaggerate　the　effects　of　this　liaison。　Marguerite　is　a　different　kind　of　a　woman　from　what　you　think。　This　love；　far　from　leading　me　astray；　is　capable；　on　the　contrary；　of　setting　me　in　the　right　direction。　Love　always　makes　a　man　better；　no　matter　what　woman　inspires　it。　If　you　knew　Marguerite；　you　would　understand　that　I　am　in　no　danger。　She　is　as　noble　as　the　noblest　of　women。　There　is　as　much　disinterestedness　in　her　as　there　is　cupidity　in　others。〃

〃All　of　which　does　not　prevent　her　from　accepting　the　whole　of　your　fortune；　for　the　sixty　thousand　francs　which　come　to　you　from　your　mother；　and　which　you　are　giving　her；　are；　understand　me　well；　your　whole　fortune。〃

My　father　had　probably　kept　this　peroration　and　this　threat　for　the　last　stroke。　I　was　firmer　before　these　threats　than　before　his　entreaties。

〃Who　told　you　that　I　was　handing　this　sum　to　her？〃　I　asked。

〃My　solicitor。　Could　an　honest　man　carry　out　such　a　procedure　without　warning　me？　Well；　it　is　to　prevent　you　from　ruining　yourself　for　a　prostitute　that　I　am　now　in　Paris。　Your　mother；　when　she　died；　left　you　enough　to　live　on　respectably；　and　not　to　squander　on　your　mistresses。〃

〃I　swear　to　you；　father；　that　Marguerite　knew　nothing　of　this　transfer。〃

〃Why；　then；　do　you　make　it？〃

〃Because　Marguerite；　the　woman　you　calumniate；　and　whom　you　wish　me　to　abandon；　is　sacrificing　all　that　she　possesses　in　order　to　live　with　me。〃

〃And　you　accept　this　sacrifice？　What　sort　of　a　man　are　you；　sir；　to　allow　Mlle。　Gautier　to　sacrifice　anything　for　you？　Come；　enough　of　this。　You　will　leave　this　woman。　Just　now　I　begged　you；　now　I　command　you。　I　will　have　no　such　scandalous　doings　in　my　family。　Pack　up　your　things　and　get　ready　to　come　with　me。〃

〃Pardon　me；　father；〃　I　said；　〃but　I　shall　not　come。〃

〃And　why？〃

〃Because　I　am　at　an　age　when　no　one　any　longer　obeys　a　command。〃

My　father　turned　pale　at　my　answer。

〃Very　well；　sir；〃　he　said；　〃I　know　what　remains　to　be　done。〃

He　rang　and　Joseph　appeared。

〃Have　my　things　taken　to　the　Hotel　de　Paris；〃　he　said　to　my　servant。　And　thereupon　he　went　to　his　room　and　finished　dressing。　When　he　returned；　I　went　up　to　him。

〃Promise　me；　father；〃　I　said；　〃that　you　will　do　nothing　to　give　Marguerite　pain？〃

My　father　stopped；　looked　at　me　disdainfully；　and　contented　himself　with　saying；　〃I　believe　you　are　mad。〃　After　this　he　went　out；　shutting　the　door　violently　after　him。

I　went　downstairs；　took　a　cab；　and　returned　to　Bougival。

Marguerite　was　waiting　for　me　at　the　window。



Chapter　21

〃At　last　you　have　come；〃　she　said；　throwing　her　arms　round　my　neck。　〃But　how　pale　you　are！〃

I　told　her　of　the　scene　with　my　father。

〃My　God！　I　was　afraid　of　it；〃　she　said。　〃When　Joseph　came　to　tell　you　of　your　father's　arrival　I　trembled　as　if　he　had　brought　news　of　some　misfortune。　My　poor　friend；　I　am　the　cause　of　all　your　distress。　You　will　be　better　off；　perhaps；　if　you　leave　me　and　do　not　quarrel　with　your　father　on　my　account。　He　knows　that　you　are　sure　to　have　a　mistress；　and　he　ought　to　be　thankful　that　it　is　I；　since　I　love　you　and　do　not　want　more　of　you　than　your　position　allows。　Did　you　tell　him　how　we　had　arranged　our　future？〃

〃Yes；　that　is　what　annoyed　him　the　most；　for　he　saw　how　much　we　really　love　one　another。〃

〃What　are　we　to　do；　then？〃

〃Hold　together；　my　good　Marguerite；　and　let　the　storm　pass　over。〃

〃Will　it　pass？〃

〃It　will　have　to。〃

〃But　your　father　will　not　stop　there。〃

〃What　do　you　suppose　he　can　do？〃

〃How　do　I　know？　Everything　that　a　father　can　do　to　make　his　son　obey　him。　He　will　remind　you　of　my　past　life；　and　will　perhaps　do　me　the　honour　of　inventing　some　new　story；　so　that　you　may　give　me　up。〃

〃You　know　that　I　love　you。〃

〃Yes；　but　what　I　know；　too；　is　that；　sooner　or　later；　you　will　have　to　obey　your　father；　and　perhaps　you　will　end　by　believing　him。〃

〃No；　Marguerite。　It　is　I　who　will　make　him　believe　me。　Some　of　his　friends　have　been　telling　him　tales　which　have　made　him　angry；　but　he　is　good　and　just；　he　will　change　his　first　impression；　and　then；　after　all；　what　does　it　matter　to　me？〃

〃Do　not　say　that；　Armand。　I　would　rather　anything　should　happen　than　that　you　should　quarrel　with　your　family；　wait　till　after　to…day；　and　to…morrow　go　back　to　Paris。　Your　father；　too；　will　have　thought　it　over　on　his　side；　and　perhaps　you　will　both　come　to　a　better　understanding。　Do　not　go　against　his　principles；　pretend　to　make　some　concessions　to　what　he　wants；　seem　not　to　care　so　very　much　about　me；　and　he　will　let　things　remain　as　they　are。　Hope；　my　friend；　and　be　sure　of　one　thing；　that　whatever　happens；　Marguerite　will　always　be　yours。〃

〃You　swear　it？〃

〃Do　I　need　to　swear　it？〃

How　sweet　it　is　to　let　oneself　be　persuaded　by　the　voice　that　one　loves！　Marguerite　and　I　spent　the　whole　day　in　talking　over　our　projects　for　the　future；　as　if　we　felt　the　need　of　realizing　them　as　quickly　as　possible。　At　every　moment　we　awaited　some　event；　but　the　day　passed　without　bringing　us　any　new　tidings。

Next　day　I　left　at　ten　o'clock；　and　reached　the　hotel　about　twelve。　My　father　had　gone　out。

I　went　to　my　own　rooms；　hoping　that　he　had　perhaps　gone　there。　No　one　had　called。　I　went　to　the　solicitor's。　No　one　was　there。　I　went　back　to　the　hotel；　and　waited　till　six。　M。　Duval　did　not　return；　and　I　went　back　to　Bougival。

I　found　Marguerite　not　waiting　for　me；　as　she　had　been　the　day　before；　but　sitting　by　the　fire；　which　the　weather　still　made　necessary。　She　was　so　absorbed　in　her　thoughts　that　I　came　close　to　her　chair　without　her　hearing　me。　When　I　put　my　lips　to　her　forehead　she　started　as　if　the　kiss　had　suddenly　awakened　her。　

〃You　frightened　me；〃　she　said。　〃And　your　father？〃

〃I　have　not　seen　him。　I　do　not　know　what　it　means。　He　was　not　at　his　hotel；　nor　anywhere　where　there　was　a　chance　of　my　finding　him。〃

〃Well；　you　must　try　again　to…morrow。〃

〃I　am　very　much　inclined　to　wait　till　he　sends　for　me。　I　think　I　ha