the ball at sceaux-第10章

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〃Nor　is　it　the　first　time　you　have　looked　for　him；〃　replied　the

admiral　with　a　laugh。



Emilie　colored。　Her　uncle　amused　himself　for　some　time　with　her

embarrassment；　then　he　said：　〃Emilie；　you　know　that　I　love　you　as　my

own　child；　precisely　because　you　are　the　only　member　of　the　family　who

has　the　legitimate　pride　of　high　birth。　Devil　take　it；　child；　who

could　have　believed　that　sound　principles　would　become　so　rare？　Well；

I　will　be　your　confidant。　My　dear　child；　I　see　that　his　young

gentleman　is　not　indifferent　to　you。　Hush！　All　the　family　would　laugh

at　us　if　we　sailed　under　the　wrong　flag。　You　know　what　that　means。　We

two　will　keep　our　secret；　and　I　promise　to　bring　him　straight　into　the

drawing…room。〃



〃When；　uncle？〃



〃To…morrow。〃



〃But；　my　dear　uncle；　I　am　not　committed　to　anything？〃



〃Nothing　whatever；　and　you　may　bombard　him；　set　fire　to　him；　and　leave

him　to　founder　like　an　old　hulk　if　you　choose。　He　won't　be　the　first；

I　fancy？〃



〃You　ARE　kind；　uncle！〃



As　soon　as　the　Count　got　home　he　put　on　his　glasses；　quietly　took　the

card　out　of　his　pocket；　and　read；　〃Maximilien　Longueville；　Rue　de

Sentier。〃



〃Make　yourself　happy；　my　dear　niece；〃　he　said　to　Emilie；　〃you　may　hook

him　with　any　easy　conscience；　he　belongs　to　one　of　our　historical

families；　and　if　he　is　not　a　peer　of　France；　he　infallibly　will　be。〃



〃How　do　you　know　so　much？〃



〃That　is　my　secret。〃



〃Then　do　you　know　his　name？〃



The　old　man　bowed　his　gray　head；　which　was　not　unlike　a　gnarled　oak…

stump；　with　a　few　leaves　fluttering　about　it；　withered　by　autumnal

frosts；　and　his　niece　immediately　began　to　try　the　ever…new　power　of

her　coquettish　arts。　Long　familiar　with　the　secret　of　cajoling　the　old

man；　she　lavished　on　him　the　most　childlike　caresses；　the　tenderest

names；　she　even　went　so　far　as　to　kiss　him　to　induce　him　to　divulge　so

important　a　secret。　The　old　man；　who　spent　his　life　in　playing　off

these　scenes　on　his　niece；　often　paying　for　them　with　a　present　of

jewelry；　or　by　giving　her　his　box　at　the　opera；　this　time　amused

himself　with　her　entreaties；　and；　above　all；　her　caresses。　But　as　he

spun　out　this　pleasure　too　long；　Emilie　grew　angry；　passed　from

coaxing　to　sarcasm　and　sulks；　then；　urged　by　curiosity；　she　recovered

herself。　The　diplomatic　admiral　extracted　a　solemn　promise　from　his

niece　that　she　would　for　the　future　be　gentler；　less　noisy；　and　less

wilful；　that　she　would　spend　less；　and；　above　all；　tell　him

everything。　The　treaty　being　concluded；　and　signed　by　a　kiss　impressed

on　Emilie's　white　brow；　he　led　her　into　a　corner　of　the　room；　drew　her

on　to　his　knee；　held　the　card　under　the　thumbs　so　as　to　hide　it；　and

then　uncovered　the　letters　one　by　one；　spelling　the　name　of

Longueville；　but　he　firmly　refused　to　show　her　anything　more。



This　incident　added　to　the　intensity　of　Mademoiselle　de　Fontaine's

secret　sentiment；　and　during　chief　part　of　the　night　she　evolved　the

most　brilliant　pictures　from　the　dreams　with　which　she　had　fed　her

hopes。　At　last；　thanks　to　chance；　to　which　she　had　so　often　appealed；

Emilie　could　now　see　something　very　unlike　a　chimera　at　the　fountain…

head　of　the　imaginary　wealth　with　which　she　gilded　her　married　life。

Ignorant；　as　all　young　girls　are；　of　the　perils　of　love　and　marriage；

she　was　passionately　captivated　by　the　externals　of　marriage　and　love。

Is　not　this　as　much　as　to　say　that　her　feeling　had　birth　like　all　the

feelings　of　extreme　youthsweet　but　cruel　mistakes；　which　exert　a

fatal　influence　on　the　lives　of　young　girls　so　inexperienced　as　to

trust　their　own　judgment　to　take　care　of　their　future　happiness？



Next　morning；　before　Emilie　was　awake；　her　uncle　had　hastened　to

Chevreuse。　On　recognizing；　in　the　courtyard　of　an　elegant　little

villa；　the　young　man　he　had　so　determinedly　insulted　the　day　before；

he　went　up　to　him　with　the　pressing　politeness　of　men　of　the　old

court。



〃Why；　my　dear　sir；　who　could　have　guessed　that　I　should　have　a　brush；

at　the　age　of　seventy…three；　with　the　son；　or　the　grandson；　of　one　of

my　best　friends。　I　am　a　vice…admiral；　monsieur；　is　not　that　as　much　as

to　say　that　I　think　no　more　of　fighting　a　duel　than　of　smoking　a

cigar？　Why；　in　my　time；　no　two　young　men　could　be　intimate　till　they

had　seen　the　color　of　their　blood！　But　'sdeath；　sir；　last　evening；

sailor…like；　I　had　taken　a　drop　too　much　grog　on　board；　and　I　ran　you

down。　Shake　hands；　I　would　rather　take　a　hundred　rebuffs　from　a

Longueville　than　cause　his　family　the　smallest　regret。〃



However　coldly　the　young　man　tried　to　behave　to　the　Comte　de

Kergarouet；　he　could　not　resist　the　frank　cordiality　of　his　manner；

and　presently　gave　him　his　hand。



〃You　were　going　out　riding；〃　said　the　Count。　〃Do　not　let　me　detain

you。　But；　unless　you　have　other　plans；　I　beg　you　will　come　to　dinner

to…day　at　the　Villa　Planat。　My　nephew；　the　Comte　de　Fontaine；　is　a　man

it　is　essential　that　you　should　know。　Ah；　ha！　And　I　propose　to　make　up

to　you　for　my　clumsiness　by　introducing　you　to　five　of　the　prettiest

women　in　Paris。　So；　so；　young　man；　your　brow　is　clearing！　I　am　fond　of

young　people；　and　I　like　to　see　them　happy。　Their　happiness　reminds　me

of　the　good　times　of　my　youth；　when　adventures　were　not　lacking；　any

more　than　duels。　We　were　gay　dogs　then！　Nowadays　you　think　and　worry

over　everything；　as　though　there　had　never　been　a　fifteenth　and　a

sixteenth　century。〃



〃But；　monsieur；　are　we　not　in　the　right？　The　sixteenth　century　only

gave　religious　liberty　to　Europe；　and　the　nineteenth　will　give　it

political　lib〃



〃Oh；　we　will　not　talk　politics。　I　am　a　perfect　old　womanultra　you

see。　But　I　do　not　hinder　young　men　from　being　revolutionary；　so　long

as　they　leave　the　King　at　liberty　to　disperse　their　assemblies。〃



When　they　had　gone　a　little　way；　and　the　Count　and　his　companion　were

in　the　heart　of　the　woods；　the　old　sailor　pointed　out　a　slender　young

birch　sapling；　pulled　up　his　horse；　took　out　one　of　his　pistols；　and

the　bullet　was　lodged　in　the　heart　of　the　tree；　fifteen　paces　away。



〃You　see；　my　dear　fellow；　that　I　am　not　afraid　of　a　duel；〃　he　said

with　comical　gravity；　as　he　looked　at　Monsieur　Longueville。



〃Nor　am　I；〃　replied　the　young　man；　promptly　cocking　his　pistol；　he

aimed　at　the　hole　made　by　the　Comte's　bullet；　and　sent　his　own　close

to　it。



〃That　is　what　I　call　a　well…educated　man；〃　cried　the　admiral　with

enthusiasm。



During　this　ride　with　the　youth；　whom　he　already　regarded　as　his

nephew；　he　found　endless　opportunities　of　catechizing　him　on　all　the

trifles　of　which　a　perfect　knowledge　constituted；　according　to　his

private　code；　an　accomplished　gentleman。



〃Have　you　any　debts？〃　he　at　last　asked　of　his　companion；　after　many

other　inquiries。



〃No；　monsieur。〃



〃What；　you　pay　for　all　you　have？〃



〃Punctually；　otherwise　we　should　lose　our　credit；　and　every　sort　of

respect。〃



〃But　at　least　you　have　more　than　one　mistress？　Ah；　you　blush；　comrade！

Well；　manners　have　changed。　All　these　notions　of　lawful　order；

Kantism；　and　liberty　have　spoilt　the　young　men。　You　have　no　Guimard

now；　no　Duthe；　no　creditorsand　you　know　nothing　of　heraldry；　why；　my

dear　young　friend；　you　are　not　fully　fledged。　The　man　who　does　not　sow

his　wild　oats　in　the　spring　sows　them　in　the　winter。　If　I　have　but

eighty　thousand　francs　a　year　at　the　age　of　seventy；　it　is　because　I

ran　through　the　capital　at　thirty。　Oh！　with　my　wifein　decency　and

honor。　However；　your　imperfections　will　not　interfere　with　my

introducing　you　at　the　Pavillon　Planat。　Remember；　you　have　promised　to

come；　and　I　shall　expect　you。〃



〃What　an　odd　little　old　man！〃　said　Longueville　to　himself。　〃He　is　so

jolly　and　hale；　but　though　he　wishes　to　seem　a　good　fellow；　I　will　not

trust　him　too　far。〃



Next　day；　at　about　four　o'clock；　when　the　house　party　were　dispersed

in　the　drawing…rooms　and　billiard…room；　a　servant　announced　to　the

inhabitants　of　the　Vil