the ball at sceaux-第15章

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rapidly　poured　out　when　any　accident　brought　up　the　subject。



But　those　who　loved　Emilie　could　see　through　all　her　banter　a　tinge　of

melancholy。　It　was　clear　that　Maximilien　Longueville　still　reigned

over　that　inexorable　heart。　Sometimes　she　would　be　as　gentle　as　she

had　been　during　the　brief　summer　that　had　seen　the　birth　of　her　love；

sometimes；　again；　she　was　unendurable。　Every　one　made　excuses　for　her

inequality　of　temper；　which　had　its　source　in　sufferings　at　once

secret　and　known　to　all。　The　Comte　de　Kergarouet　had　some　influence

over　her；　thanks　to　his　increased　prodigality；　a　kind　of　consolation

which　rarely　fails　of　its　effect　on　a　Parisian　girl。



The　first　ball　at　which　Mademoiselle　de　Fontaine　appeared　was　at　the

Neapolitan　ambassador's。　As　she　took　her　place　in　the　first　quadrille

she　saw；　a　few　yards　away　from　her；　Maximilien　Longueville；　who　nodded

slightly　to　her　partner。



〃Is　that　young　man　a　friend　of　yours？〃　she　asked；　with　a　scornful　air。



〃Only　my　brother；〃　he　replied。



Emilie　could　not　help　starting。　〃Ah！〃　he　continued；　〃and　he　is　the

noblest　soul　living〃



〃Do　you　know　my　name？〃　asked　Emilie；　eagerly　interrupting　him。



〃No；　mademoiselle。　It　is　a　crime；　I　confess；　not　to　remember　a　name

which　is　on　every　lipI　ought　to　say　in　every　heart。　But　I　have　a

valid　excuse。　I　have　but　just　arrived　from　Germany。　My　ambassador；　who

is　in　Paris　on　leave；　sent　me　here　this　evening　to　take　care　of　his

amiable　wife；　whom　you　may　see　yonder　in　that　corner。〃



〃A　perfect　tragic　mask！〃　said　Emilie；　after　looking　at　the

ambassadress。



〃And　yet　that　is　her　ballroom　face！〃　said　the　young　man；　laughing。　〃I

shall　have　to　dance　with　her！　So　I　thought　I　might　have　some

compensation。〃　Mademoiselle　de　Fontaine　courtesied。　〃I　was　very　much

surprised；〃　the　voluble　young　secretary　went　on；　〃to　find　my　brother

here。　On　arriving　from　Vienna　I　heard　that　the　poor　boy　was　ill　in

bed；　and　I　counted　on　seeing　him　before　coming　to　this　ball；　but　good

policy　will　always　allow　us　to　indulge　family　affection。　The　Padrona

della　case　would　not　give　me　time　to　call　on　my　poor　Maximilien。〃



〃Then；　monsieur；　your　brother　is　not；　like　you；　in　diplomatic

employment。〃



〃No；〃　said　the　attache；　with　a　sigh；　〃the　poor　fellow　sacrificed

himself　for　me。　He　and　my　sister　Clara　have　renounced　their　share　of

my　father's　fortune　to　make　an　eldest　son　of　me。　My　father　dreams　of　a

peerage；　like　all　who　vote　for　the　ministry。　Indeed；　it　is　promised

him；〃　he　added　in　an　undertone。　〃After　saving　up　a　little　capital　my

brother　joined　a　banking　firm；　and　I　hear　he　has　just　effected　a

speculation　in　Brazil　which　may　make　him　a　millionaire。　You　see　me　in

the　highest　spirits　at　having　been　able；　by　my　diplomatic　connections；

to　contribute　to　his　success。　I　am　impatiently　expecting　a　dispatch

from　the　Brazilian　Legation；　which　will　help　to　lift　the　cloud　from

his　brow。　What　do　you　think　of　him？〃



〃Well；　your　brother's　face　does　not　look　to　me　like　that　of　a　man

busied　with　money　matters。〃



The　young　attache　shot　a　scrutinizing　glance　at　the　apparently　calm

face　of　his　partner。



〃What！〃　he　exclaimed；　with　a　smile；　〃can　young　ladies　read　the

thoughts　of　love　behind　the　silent　brow？〃



〃Your　brother　is　in　love；　then？〃　she　asked；　betrayed　into　a　movement

of　curiosity。



〃Yes；　my　sister　Clara；　to　whom　he　is　as　devoted　as　a　mother；　wrote　to

me　that　he　had　fallen　in　love　this　summer　with　a　very　pretty　girl；　but

I　have　had　no　further　news　of　the　affair。　Would　you　believe　that　the

poor　boy　used　to　get　up　at　five　in　the　morning；　and　went　off　to　settle

his　business　that　he　might　be　back　by　four　o'clock　in　the　country

where　the　lady　was？　In　fact；　he　ruined　a　very　nice　thoroughbred　that　I

had　just　given　him。　Forgive　my　chatter；　mademoiselle；　I　have　but　just

come　home　from　Germany。　For　a　year　I　have　heard　no　decent　French；　I

have　been　weaned　from　French　faces；　and　satiated　with　Germans；　to　such

a　degree　that；　I　believe；　in　my　patriotic　mania；　I　could　talk　to　the

chimeras　on　a　French　candlestick。　And　if　I　talk　with　a　lack　of　reserve

unbecoming　in　a　diplomatist；　the　fault　is　yours；　mademoiselle。　Was　it

not　you　who　pointed　out　my　brother？　When　he　is　the　theme　I　become

inexhaustible。　I　should　like　to　proclaim　to　all　the　world　how　good　and

generous　he　is。　He　gave　up　no　less　than　a　hundred　thousand　francs　a

year；　the　income　from　the　Longueville　property。〃



If　Mademoiselle　de　Fontaine　had　the　benefit　of　these　important

revelations；　it　was　partly　due　to　the　skill　with　which　she　continued

to　question　her　confiding　partner　from　the　moment　when　she　found　that

he　was　the　brother　of　her　scorned　lover。



〃And　could　you；　without　being　grieved；　see　your　brother　selling　muslin

and　calico？〃　asked　Emilie；　at　the　end　of　the　third　figure　of　the

quadrille。



〃How　do　you　know　that？〃　asked　the　attache。　〃Thank　God；　though　I　pour

out　a　flood　of　words；　I　have　already　acquired　the　art　of　not　telling

more　than　I　intend；　like　all　the　other　diplomatic　apprentices　I　know。〃



〃You　told　me；　I　assure　you。〃



Monsieur　de　Longueville　looked　at　Mademoiselle　de　Fontaine　with　a

surprise　that　was　full　of　perspicacity。　A　suspicion　flashed　upon　him。

He　glanced　inquiringly　from　his　brother　to　his　partner；　guessed

everything；　clasped　his　hands；　fixed　his　eyes　on　the　ceiling；　and

began　to　laugh；　saying；　〃I　am　an　idiot！　You　are　the　handsomest　person

here；　my　brother　keeps　stealing　glances　at　you；　he　is　dancing　in　spite

of　his　illness；　and　you　pretend　not　to　see　him。　Make　him　happy；〃　he

added；　as　he　led　her　back　to　her　old　uncle。　〃I　shall　not　be　jealous；

but　I　shall　always　shiver　a　little　at　calling　you　my　sister〃



The　lovers；　however；　were　to　prove　as　inexorable　to　each　other　as　they

were　to　themselves。　At　about　two　in　the　morning；　refreshments　were

served　in　an　immense　corridor；　where；　to　leave　persons　of　the　same

coterie　free　to　meet　each　other；　the　tables　were　arranged　as　in　a

restaurant。　By　one　of　those　accidents　which　always　happen　to　lovers；

Mademoiselle　de　Fontaine　found　herself　at　a　table　next　to　that　at

which　the　more　important　guests　were　seated。　Maximilien　was　of　the

group。　Emilie；　who　lent　an　attentive　ear　to　her　neighbors'

conversation；　overheard　one　of　those　dialogues　into　which　a　young

woman　so　easily　falls　with　a　young　man　who　has　the　grace　and　style　of

Maximilien　Longueville。　The　lady　talking　to　the　young　banker　was　a

Neapolitan　duchess；　whose　eyes　shot　lightning　flashes；　and　whose　skin

had　the　sheen　of　satin。　The　intimate　terms　on　which　Longueville

affected　to　be　with　her　stung　Mademoiselle　de　Fontaine　all　the　more

because　she　had　just　given　her　lover　back　twenty　times　as　much

tenderness　as　she　had　ever　felt　for　him　before。



〃Yes；　monsieur；　in　my　country　true　love　can　make　every　kind　of

sacrifice；〃　the　Duchess　was　saying；　in　a　simper。



〃You　have　more　passion　than　Frenchwomen；〃　said　Maximilien；　whose

burning　gaze　fell　on　Emilie。　〃They　are　all　vanity。〃



〃Monsieur；〃　Emilie　eagerly　interposed；　〃is　it　not　very　wrong　to

calumniate　your　own　country？　Devotion　is　to　be　found　in　every　nation。〃



〃Do　you　imagine；　mademoiselle；〃　retorted　the　Italian；　with　a　sardonic

smile；　〃that　a　Parisian　would　be　capable　of　following　her　lover　all

over　the　world？〃



〃Oh；　madame；　let　us　understand　each　other。　She　would　follow　him　to　a

desert　and　live　in　a　tent　but　not　to　sit　in　a　shop。〃



A　disdainful　gesture　completed　her　meaning。　Thus；　under　the　influence

of　her　disastrous　education；　Emile　for　the　second　time　killed　her

budding　happiness；　and　destroyed　its　prospects　of　life。　Maximilien's

apparent　indifference；　and　a　woman's　smile；　had　wrung　from　her　one　of

those　sarcasms　whose　treacherous　zest　always　let　her　astray。



〃Mademoiselle；〃　said　Longueville；　in　a　low　voice；　under　cover　of　the

noise　made　by　the　ladies　as　they　rose　from　the　table；　〃no　one　will

ever　more　ardently　desire　your　happiness　than　I；　permit