the duchesse de langeais-第22章

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for　an　untiring　devotion；　to　be　idolised　at　every　moment；　some　for　gentleness；　others　for　tyranny。　　No　woman　in　this　world　as　yet　has　really　read　the　riddle　of　man's　heart。〃

There　was　a　pause。　　When　she　spoke　again　it　was　in　a　different　tone。

〃After　all；　my　friend；　you　cannot　prevent　a　woman　from　trembling　at　the　question；　‘Will　this　love　last　always？'　　Hard　though　my　words　may　be；　the　dread　of　losing　you　puts　them　into　my　mouth。　　Oh；　me！　it　is　not　I　who　speaks；　dear；　it　is　reason；　and　how　should　anyone　so　mad　as　I　be　reasonable？　　In　truth；　I　am　nothing　of　the　sort。〃

The　poignant　irony　of　her　answer　had　changed　before　the　end　into　the　most　musical　accents　in　which　a　woman　could　find　utterance　for　ingenuous　love。　　To　listen　to　her　words　was　to　pass　in　a　moment　from　martyrdom　to　heaven。　　Montriveau　grew　pale；　and　for　the　first　time　in　his　life；　he　fell　on　his　knees　before　a　woman。　　He　kissed　the　Duchess's　skirt　hem；　her　knees；　her　feet；　but　for　the　credit　of　the　Faubourg　Saint…Germain　it　is　necessary　to　respect　the　mysteries　of　its　boudoirs；　where　many　are　fain　to　take　the　utmost　that　Love　can　give　without　giving　proof　of　love　in　return。

The　Duchess　thought　herself　generous　when　she　suffered　herself　to　be　adored。　　But　Montriveau　was　in　a　wild　frenzy　of　joy　over　her　complete　surrender　of　the　position。

〃Dear　Antoinette；〃　he　cried。　　〃Yes；　you　are　right；　I　will　not　have　you　doubt　any　longer。　　I　too　am　trembling　at　this　momentlest　the　angel　of　my　life　should　leave　me；　I　wish　I　could　invent　some　tie　that　might　bind　us　to　each　other　irrevocably。〃

〃Ah！〃　she　said；　under　her　breath；　〃so　I　was　right；　you　see。〃

〃Let　me　say　all　that　I　have　to　say；　I　will　scatter　all　your　fears　with　a　word。　　Listen！　if　I　deserted　you；　I　should　deserve　to　die　a　thousand　deaths。　　Be　wholly　mine；　and　I　will　give　you　the　right　to　kill　me　if　I　am　false。　　I　myself　will　write　a　letter　explaining　certain　reasons　for　taking　my　own　life；　I　will　make　my　final　arrangements；　in　short。　　You　shall　have　the　letter　in　your　keeping；　in　the　eye　of　the　law　it　will　be　a　sufficient　explanation　of　my　death。　　You　can　avenge　yourself；　and　fear　nothing　from　God　or　men。〃

〃What　good　would　the　letter　be　to　me？　　What　would　life　be　if　I　had　lost　your　love？　　If　I　wished　to　kill　you；　should　I　not　be　ready　to　follow？　　No；　thank　you　for　the　thought；　but　I　do　not　want　the　letter。　　Should　I　not　begin　to　dread　that　you　were　faithful　to　me　through　fear？　　And　if　a　man　knows　that　he　must　risk　his　life　for　a　stolen　pleasure；　might　it　not　seem　more　tempting？　　Armand；　the　thing　I　ask　of　you　is　the　one　hard　thing　to　do。〃

〃Then　what　is　it　that　you　wish？〃

〃Your　obedience　and　my　liberty。〃

〃Ah；　God！〃　cried　he；　〃I　am　a　child。〃

〃A　wayward；　much　spoilt　child；〃　she　said；　stroking　the　thick　hair；　for　his　head　still　lay　on　her　knee。　　〃Ah！　and　loved　far　more　than　he　believes；　and　yet　he　is　very　disobedient。　　Why　not　stay　as　we　are？　　Why　not　sacrifice　to　me　the　desires　that　hurt　me？　　Why　not　take　what　I　can　give；　when　it　is　all　that　I　can　honestly　grant？　　Are　you　not　happy？〃

〃Oh　yes；　I　am　happy　when　I　have　not　a　doubt　left。　　Antoinette；　doubt　in　love　is　a　kind　of　death；　is　it　not？〃

In　a　moment　he　showed　himself　as　he　was；　as　all　men　are　under　the　influence　of　that　hot　fever；　he　grew　eloquent；　insinuating。　　And　the　Duchess　tasted　the　pleasures　which　she　reconciled　with　her　conscience　by　some　private；　Jesuitical　ukase　of　her　own；　Armand's　love　gave　her　a　thrill　of　cerebral　excitement　which　custom　made　as　necessary　to　her　as　society；　or　the　Opera。　　To　feel　that　she　was　adored　by　this　man；　who　rose　above　other　men；　whose　character　frightened　her；　to　treat　him　like　a　child；　to　play　with　him　as　Poppaea　played　with　Neromany　women；　like　the　wives　of　King　Henry　VIII；　have　paid　for　such　a　perilous　delight　with　all　the　blood　in　their　veins。　　Grim　presentiment！　　Even　as　she　surrendered　the　delicate；　pale；　gold　curls　to　his　touch；　and　felt　the　close　pressure　of　his　hand；　the　little　hand　of　a　man　whose　greatness　she　could　not　mistake；　even　as　she　herself　played　with　his　dark；　thick　locks；　in　that　boudoir　where　she　reigned　a　queen；　the　Duchess　would　say　to　herself

〃This　man　is　capable　of　killing　me　if　he　once　finds　out　that　I　am　playing　with　him。〃

Armand　de　Montriveau　stayed　with　her　till　two　o'clock　in　the　morning。　　From　that　moment　this　woman；　whom　he　loved；　was　neither　a　duchess　nor　a　Navarreins；　Antoinette；　in　her　disguises；　had　gone　so　far　as　to　appear　to　be　a　woman。　　On　that　most　blissful　evening；　the　sweetest　prelude　ever　played　by　a　Parisienne　to　what　the　world　calls　〃a　slip〃；　in　spite　of　all　her　affectations　of　a　coyness　which　she　did　not　feel；　the　General　saw　all　maidenly　beauty　in　her。　　He　had　some　excuse　for　believing　that　so　many　storms　of　caprice　had　been　but　clouds　covering　a　heavenly　soul；　that　these　must　be　lifted　one　by　one　like　the　veils　that　hid　her　divine　loveliness。　　The　Duchess　became；　for　him；　the　most　simple　and　girlish　mistress；　she　was　the　one　woman　in　the　world　for　him；　and　he　went　away　quite　happy　in　that　at　last　he　had　brought　her　to　give　him　such　pledges　of　love；　that　it　seemed　to　him　impossible　but　that　he　should　be　but　her　husband　henceforth　in　secret；　her　choice　sanctioned　by　Heaven。

Armand　went　slowly　home；　turning　this　thought　in　his　mind　with　the　impartiality　of　a　man　who　is　conscious　of　all　the　responsibilities　that　love　lays　on　him　while　he　tastes　the　sweetness　of　its　joys。　　He　went　along　the　Quais　to　see　the　widest　possible　space　of　sky；　his　heart　had　grown　in　him；　he　would　fain　have　had　the　bounds　of　the　firmament　and　of　earth　enlarged。　　It　seemed　to　him　that　his　lungs　drew　an　ampler　breath。

In　the　course　of　his　self…examination；　as　he　walked；　he　vowed　to　love　this　woman　so　devoutly；　that　every　day　of　her　life　she　should　find　absolution　for　her　sins　against　society　in　unfailing　happiness。　　Sweet　stirrings　of　life　when　life　is　at　the　full！　　The　man　that　is　strong　enough　to　steep　his　soul　in　the　colour　of　one　emotion；　feels　infinite　joy　as　glimpses　open　out　for　him　of　an　ardent　lifetime　that　knows　no　diminution　of　passion　to　the　end；　even　so　it　is　permitted　to　certain　mystics；　in　ecstasy；　to　behold　the　Light　of　God。　　Love　would　be　naught　without　the　belief　that　it　would　last　forever；　love　grows　great　through　constancy。　　It　was　thus　that；　wholly　absorbed　by　his　happiness；　Montriveau　understood　passion。

〃We　belong　to　each　other　forever！〃

The　thought　was　like　a　talisman　fulfilling　the　wishes　of　his　life。　　He　did　not　ask　whether　the　Duchess　might　not　change；　whether　her　love　might　not　last。　　No；　for　he　had　faith。　　Without　that　virtue　there　is　no　future　for　Christianity；　and　perhaps　it　is　even　more　necessary　to　society。　　A　conception　of　life　as　feeling　occurred　to　him　for　the　first　time；　hitherto　he　had　lived　by　action；　the　most　strenuous　exertion　of　human　energies；　the　physical　devotion；　as　it　may　be　called；　of　the　soldier。

Next　day　M。　de　Montriveau　went　early　in　the　direction　of　the　Faubourg　Saint…Germain。　　He　had　made　an　appointment　at　a　house　not　far　from　the　Hotel　de　Langeais；　and　the　business　over；　he　went　thither　as　if　to　his　own　home。　　The　General's　companion　chanced　to　be　a　man　for　whom　he　felt　a　kind　of　repulsion　whenever　he　met　him　in　other　houses。　　This　was　the　Marquis　de　Ronquerolles；　whose　reputation　had　grown　so　great　in　Paris　boudoirs。　　He　was　witty；　clever；　and　what　was　morecourageous；　he　set　the　fashion　to　all　the　young　men　in　Paris。　　As　a　man　of　gallantry；　his　success　and　experience　were　equally　matters　of　envy；　and　neither　fortune　nor　birth　was　wanting　in　his　case；　qualifications　which　add　such　lustre　in　Paris　to　a　reputation　as　a　leader　of　fashion。

〃Where　are　you　going？〃　asked　M。　de　Ronquerolles。

〃To　Mme　de　Langeais's。〃

〃Ah；　true。　　I　forgot　that　you　had　allowed　her　to　lime　you。　　You　are　wasting　your　affections　on　her　when　they　might　be　much　better　employed　elsewhere。　　I　could　have　told　you　of　half　a　score　of　women　in　the　financial　world；　any　one　of　them　a　thousand　times　better　worth　your　while　than　that　titled　courtesan；　who　does　with　her　brains　what　less　artificial　women　do　with〃

〃What　is　this；　my　dear　fellow？〃　Armand　broke　in。　　〃The　Duchess　is　an　angel　of　innocence。〃

Ronquerolles　began　to　laugh。

〃Thing