the lesser bourgeoisie-第76章

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〃Do　you　really　think　so？〃　said　the　countess。

〃Certainly；〃　replied　la　Peyrade；　〃when　the　Comtesse　du　Bruel　takes　it
into　her　head　to　seriously　obtain　that　bit　of　red　ribbon；　she　can　do
so；　in　spite　of　all　obstacles　that　are　put　in　her　way。〃

The　countess　received　this　assertion　with　a　smile；　and　shook　her　head。

〃But；　madame；　only　a　day　or　two　ago　Madame　du　Bruel　told　Madame
Colleville　that　the　unexpected　opposition　she　had　met　with　piqued　her；
and　that　she　meant　to　go　in　person　to　the　minister。〃

〃But　you　forget　that　since　then　this　seizure　has　been　made　by　the
police；　it　is　not　usual　to　decorate　a　man　who　is　summoned　before　the
court　of　assizes。　You　seem　not　to　notice　that　the　seizure　argues　a
strong　ill…will　against　Monsieur　Thuillier；　and；　I　may　add；　against
yourself；　monsieur；　for　you　are　known　to　be　the　culprit。　You　have　not；
I　think；　taken　all　this　into　account。　The　authorities　appear　to　have
acted　not　wholly　from　legal　causes。〃

La　Peyrade　looked　at　the　countess。

〃I　must　own；〃　he　said；　after　that　rapid　glance；　〃that　I　have　tried　in
vain　to　find　any　passage　in　that　pamphlet　which　could　be　made　a　legal
pretext　for　the　seizure。〃

〃In　my　opinion；〃　said　the　countess；　〃the　king's　servants　must　have　a
vivid　imagination　to　persuade　themselves　they　were　dealing　with　a
seditious　publication。　But　that　only　proves　the　strength　of　the
underground　power　which　is　thwarting　all　your　good　intentions　in　favor
of　Monsieur　Thuillier。〃

〃Madame；〃　said　la　Peyrade；　〃do　you　know　our　secret　enemies？〃

〃Perhaps　I　do；〃　replied　the　countess；　with　another　smile。

〃May　I　dare　to　utter　a　suspicion；　madame？〃　said　la　Peyrade；　with　some
agitation。

〃Yes；　say　what　you　think；〃　replied　Madame　de　Godollo。　〃I　shall　not
blame　you　if　you　guess　right。〃

〃Well；　madame；　our　enemies；　Thuillier's　and　mine；　area　woman。〃

〃Supposing　that　is　so；〃　said　the　countess；　〃do　you　know　how　many　lines
Richelieu　required　from　a　man's　hand　in　order　to　hang　him？〃

〃Four；〃　replied　la　Peyrade。

〃You　can　imagine；　then；　that　a　pamphlet　of　two　hundred　pages　might
afford　aslightly　intriguing　woman　sufficient　ground　for
persecution。〃

〃I　see　it　all；　madame；　I　understand　it！〃　cried　la　Peyrade；　with
animation。　〃I　believe　that　woman　to　be　one　of　the　elite　of　her　sex；
with　as　much　mind　and　malice　as　Richelieu！　Adorable　magician！　it　is
she　who　has　set　in　motion　the　police　and　the　gendarmes；　but；　more　than
that；　it　is　she　who　withholds　that　cross　the　ministers　were　about　to
give。〃

〃If　that　be　so；〃　said　the　countess；　〃why　struggle　against　her？〃

〃Ah！　I　struggle　no　longer；〃　said　la　Peyrade。　Then；　with　an　assumed　air
of　contrition；　he　added；　〃You　must；　indeed；　HATE　me；　madame。〃

〃Not　quite　as　much　as　you　may　think；〃　replied　the　countess；　〃but；
after　all；　suppose　that　I　do　hate　you？〃

〃Ah！　madame；〃　cried　la　Peyrade；　ardently；　〃I　should　then　be　the
happiest　of　unhappy　men；　for　that　hatred　would　seem　to　me　sweeter　and
more　precious　than　your　indifference。　But　you　do　not　hate　me；　why
should　you　feel　to　me　that　most　blessed　feminine　sentiment　which
Scribe　has　depicted　with　such　delicacy　and　wit？〃

Madame　de　Godollo　did　not　answer　immediately。　She　lowered　her　eyelids；
and　the　deeper　breathing　of　her　bosom　gave　to　her　voice　when　she　did
speak　a　tremulous　tone：

〃The　hatred　of　a　woman！〃　she　said。　〃Is　a　man　of　your　stoicism　able　to
perceive　it？〃

〃Ah！　yes；　madame；〃　replied　la　Peyrade；　〃I　do　indeed　perceive　it；　but
not　to　revolt　against　it；　on　the　contrary；　I　bless　the　harshness　that
deigns　to　hurt　me。　Now　that　I　know　my　beautiful　and　avowed　enemy；　I
shall　not　despair　of　touching　her　heart；　for　never　again　will　I　follow
any　road　but　the　one　that　she　points　out　to　me；　never　will　I　march
under　any　banner　but　hers。　I　shall　waitfor　her　inspiration；　to
think；　for　her　will；　to　will；　for　her　commands；　to　act。　In　all　things
I　will　be　her　auxiliary；more　than　that；　her　slave；　and　if　she　still
repulses　me　with　that　dainty　foot；　that　snowy　hand；　I　will　bear　it
resignedly；　asking；　in　return　for　such　obedience　one　only　favor；that
of　kissing　the　foot　that　spurns　me；　of　bathing　with　tears　the　hand
that　threatens　me。〃

During　this　long　cry　of　the　excited　heart；　which　the　joy　of　triumph
wrung　from　a　nature　so　nervous　and　impressionable　as　that　of　the
Provencal；　he　had　slidden　from　his　chair；　and　now　knelt　with　one　knee
on　the　ground　beside　the　countess；　in　the　conventional　attitude　of　the
stage；　which　is；　however；　much　more　common　in　real　life　than　people
suppose。

〃Rise；　monsieur；〃　said　the　countess；　〃and　be　so　good　as　to　answer　me。〃
Then；　giving　him　a　questioning　look　from　beneath　her　beautiful
frowning　brows；　she　continued：　〃Have　you　well…weighed　the　outcome　of
the　words　you　have　just　uttered？　Have　you　measured　the　full　extent　of
your　pledge；　and　its　depth？　With　your　hand　on　your　heart　and　on　your
conscience；　are　you　a　man　to　fulfil　those　words？　Or　are　you　one　of　the
falsely　humble　and　perfidious　men　who　throw　themselves　at　our　feet
only　to　make　us　lose　the　balance　of　our　will　and　our　reason？〃

〃I！〃　exclaimed　la　Peyrade；　〃never　can　I　react　against　the　fascination
you　have　wielded　over　me　from　the　moment　of　our　first　interview！　Ah！
madame；　the　more　I　have　resisted；　the　more　I　have　struggled；　the　more
you　ought　to　trust　in　my　sincerity　and　its　tardy　expression。　What　I
have　said；　I　think；　that　which　I　think　aloud　to…day　I　have　thought　in
my　soul　since　the　hour　when　I　first　had　the　honor　of　admittance　to
you；　and　the　many　days　I　have　passed　in　struggling　against　this
allurement　have　ended　in　giving　me　a　firm　and　deliberate　will；　which
understands　itself；　and　is　not　cast　down　by　your　severity。〃

〃Severity？〃　said　the　countess；　〃possibly。　But　you　ought　to　think　of
the　kindness　too。　Question　yourself　carefully。　We　foreign　women　do　not
understand　the　careless　ease　with　which　a　Frenchwoman　enters　upon　a
solemn　engagement。　To　us；　our　YES　is　sacred；　our　word　is　a　bond。　We　do
and　we　will　nothing　by　halves。　The　arms　of　my　family　bear　a　motto
which　seems　significant　under　the　present　circumstances；'All　or
Nothing'；　that　is　saying　much；　and　yet；　perhaps；　not　enough。〃

〃That　is　how　I　understand　my　pledge；〃　replied　la　Peyrade；　〃and　on
leaving　this　room　my　first　step　will　be　to　break　with　that　ignoble
past　which　for　an　instant　I　seemed　to　hold　in　the　balance　against　the
intoxicating　future　you　do　not　forbid　me　to　expect。〃

〃No；〃　said　the　countess；　〃do　it　calmly　and　advisedly；　I　do　not　like
rash　conduct；　you　will　not　please　me　by　taking　open　steps。　These
Thuilliers　are　not　really　bad　at　heart；　they　humiliated　you　without
knowing　that　they　did　so；　their　world　is　not　yours。　Is　that　their
fault？　Loosen　the　tie　between　you；　but　do　not　violently　break　it。　And；
above　all；　reflect。　Your　conversion　to　my　beliefs　is　of　recent　date。
What　man　is　certain　of　what　his　heart　will　say　to　him　to…morrow？〃

〃Madame；〃　said　la　Peyrade；　〃I　am　that　man。　We　men　of　Southern　blood　do
not　love　as　you　say　a　Frenchwoman　loves。〃

〃But；〃　said　the　countess；　with　a　charming　smile；　〃I　thought　it　was
hatred　we　were　talking　of。〃

〃Ah；　madame；〃　cried　the　barrister；　〃explained　and　understood　as　it　has
been；　that　word　is　still　a　thing　that　hurts　me。　Tell　me　rather；　not
that　you　love　me；　but　that　the　words　you　deigned　to　say　to　me　at　our
first　interview　were　indeed　the　expression　of　your　thoughts。〃

〃My　friend；〃　said　the　countess；　dwelling　on　the　word；　〃one　of　your
moralists　has　said：　'There　are　persons　who　say；　THAT　IS　or　THAT　IS
NOT。'　Do　me　the　favor　to　count　me　among　such　persons。〃

So　saying；　she　held　out　her　hand　to　her　suitor　with　a　charming　gesture
of　modesty　and　grace。　La　Peyrade；　quite　beside　himself；　darted　upon
that　beautiful　hand　and　devoured　it　with　kisses。

〃Enough；　child！〃　said　the　countess；　gently　freeing　her　imprisoned
fingers；　〃adieu　now；　soon　to　meet　again！　Adieu！　My　headache；　I　think；
has　disappeared。〃

La　Peyrade　picked　up　his　hat；　and　seemed　about　to　rush　from　the
apartment；　but　at　the　door　he　turned　and　cast　upon　the　handsome
creature　a　look　of　tenderness。　The　countess　made　him；　with　her　head；　a
graceful　gesture　of　adieu；　then；　seeing　that　la　Peyrade　was　inclined
to　return　to　her；　she　raised　he