the duchesse de langeais-第27章

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ther　hearts　as　child…like　as　my　own；　and　it　is　my　duty　to　spare　them　anguish。　　So　you　have　inspired　the　thought　of　justice。　　Expiate　your　sin　here　on　earth；　God　may　perhaps　forgive　you；　I　wish　that　He　may；　but　He　is　inexorable；　and　will　strike。〃

The　broken…spirited；　broken…hearted　woman　looked　up；　her　eyes　filled　with　tears。

〃Why　do　you　cry？　　Be　true　to　your　nature。　　You　could　look　on　indifferently　at　the　torture　of　a　heart　as　you　broke　it。　　That　will　do；　madame；　do　not　cry。　　I　cannot　bear　it　any　longer。　　Other　men　will　tell　you　that　you　have　given　them　life；　as　for　myself；　I　tell　you；　with　rapture；　that　you　have　given　me　blank　extinction。　　Perhaps　you　guess　that　I　am　not　my　own；　that　I　am　bound　to　live　for　my　friends；　that　from　this　time　forth　I　must　endure　the　cold　chill　of　death；　as　well　as　the　burden　of　life？　　Is　it　possible　that　there　can　be　so　much　kindness　in　you？　　Are　you　like　the　desert　tigress　that　licks　the　wounds　she　has　inflicted？〃

The　Duchess　burst　out　sobbing。

〃Pray　spare　your　tears；　madame。　　If　I　believed　in　them　at　all；　it　would　merely　set　me　on　my　guard。　　Is　this　another　of　your　artifices？　or　is　it　not？　　You　have　used　so　many　with　me；　how　can　one　think　that　there　is　any　truth　in　you？　　Nothing　that　you　do　or　say　has　any　power　now　to　move　me。　　That　is　all　I　have　to　say。〃

Mme　de　Langeais　rose　to　her　feet；　with　a　great　dignity　and　humility　in　her　bearing。

〃You　are　right　to　treat　me　very　hardly；〃　she　said；　holding　out　a　hand　to　the　man　who　did　not　take　it；　〃you　have　not　spoken　hardly　enough；　and　I　deserve　this　punishment。〃

〃_I_　punish　you；　madame！　　A　man　must　love　still；　to　punish；　must　he　not？　　From　me　you　must　expect　no　feeling；　nothing　resembling　it。　　If　I　chose；　I　might　be　accuser　and　judge　in　my　cause；　and　pronounce　and　carry　out　the　sentence。　　But　I　am　about　to　fulfil　a　duty；　not　a　desire　of　vengeance　of　any　kind。　　The　cruellest　revenge　of　all；　I　think；　is　scorn　of　revenge　when　it　is　in　our　power　to　take　it。　　Perhaps　I　shall　be　the　minister　of　your　pleasures；　who　knows？　　Perhaps　from　this　time　forth；　as　you　gracefully　wear　the　tokens　of　disgrace　by　which　society　marks　out　the　criminal；　you　may　perforce　learn　something　of　the　convict's　sense　of　honour。　　And　then；　you　will　love！〃

The　Duchess　sat　listening；　her　meekness　was　unfeigned；　it　was　no　coquettish　device。　　When　she　spoke　at　last；　it　was　after　a　silence。

〃Armand；〃　she　began；　〃it　seems　to　me　that　when　I　resisted　love；　I　was　obeying　all　the　instincts　of　woman's　modesty；　I　should　not　have　looked　for　such　reproaches　from　YOU。　　I　was　weak；　you　have　turned　all　my　weaknesses　against　me；　and　made　so　many　crimes　of　them。　　How　could　you　fail　to　understand　that　the　curiosity　of　love　might　have　carried　me　further　than　I　ought　to　go；　and　that　next　morning　I　might　be　angry　with　myself；　and　wretched　because　I　had　gone　too　far？　　Alas！　　I　sinned　in　ignorance。　　I　was　as　sincere　in　my　wrongdoing；　I　swear　to　you；　as　in　my　remorse。　　There　was　far　more　love　for　you　in　my　severity　than　in　my　concessions。　　And　besides；　of　what　do　you　complain？　　I　gave　you　my　heart；　that　was　not　enough；　you　demanded；　brutally；　that　I　should　give　my　person〃

〃Brutally？〃　repeated　Montriveau。　　But　to　himself　he　said；　〃If　I　once　allow　her　to　dispute　over　words；　I　am　lost。〃

〃Yes。　　You　came　to　me　as　if　I　were　one　of　those　women。　　You　showed　none　of　the　respect；　none　of　the　attentions　of　love。　　Had　I　not　reason　to　reflect？　　Very　well；　I　reflected。　　The　unseemliness　of　your　conduct　is　not　inexcusable；　love　lay　at　the　source　of　it；　let　me　think　so；　and　justify　you　to　myself。Well；　Armand；　this　evening；　even　while　you　were　prophesying　evil；　I　felt　convinced　that　there　was　happiness　in　store　for　us　both。　　Yes；　I　put　my　faith　in　the　noble；　proud　nature　so　often　tested　and　proved。〃　　She　bent　lower。　　〃And　I　was　yours　wholly；〃　she　murmured　in　his　ear。　　〃I　felt　a　longing　that　I　cannot　express　to　give　happiness　to　a　man　so　violently　tried　by　adversity。　　If　I　must　have　a　master；　my　master　should　be　a　great　man。　　As　I　felt　conscious　of　my　height；　the　less　I　cared　to　descend。　　I　felt　I　could　trust　you；　I　saw　a　whole　lifetime　of　love；　while　you　were　pointing　to　death。　。　。　。　　Strength　and　kindness　always　go　together。　　My　friend；　you　are　so　strong；　you　will　not　be　unkind　to　a　helpless　woman　who　loves　you。　　If　I　was　wrong；　is　there　no　way　of　obtaining　forgiveness？　　No　way　of　making　reparation？　　Repentance　is　the　charm　of　love；　I　should　like　to　be　very　charming　for　you。　　How　could　I；　alone　among　women；　fail　to　know　a　woman's　doubts　and　fears；　the　timidity　that　it　is　so　natural　to　feel　when　you　bind　yourself　for　life；　and　know　how　easily　a　man　snaps　such　ties？　　The　bourgeoises；　with　whom　you　compared　me　just　now；　give　themselves；　but　they　struggle　first。　　Very　wellI　struggled；　but　here　I　am！Ah！　　God；　he　does　not　hear　me！〃　she　broke　off；　and　wringing　her　hands；　she　cried　out　〃But　I　love　you！　　I　am　yours！〃　and　fell　at　Armand's　feet。

〃Yours！　yours！　my　one　and　only　master！〃

Armand　tried　to　raise　her。

〃Madame；　it　is　too　late！　　Antoinette　cannot　save　the　Duchesse　de　Langeais。　　I　cannot　believe　in　either。　　Today　you　may　give　yourself；　tomorrow；　you　may　refuse。　　No　power　in　earth　or　heaven　can　insure　me　the　sweet　constancy　of　love。　　All　love's　pledges　lay　in　the　past；　and　now　nothing　of　that　past　exists。〃

The　light　behind　the　curtain　blazed　up　so　brightly；　that　the　Duchess　could　not　help　turning　her　head；　this　time　she　distinctly　saw　the　three　masked　figures。

〃Armand；〃　she　said；　〃I　would　not　wish　to　think　ill　of　you。　　Why　are　those　men　there？　　What　are　you　going　to　do　to　me？〃

〃Those　men　will　be　as　silent　as　I　myself　with　regard　to　the　thing　which　is　about　to　be　done。　　Think　of　them　simply　as　my　hands　and　my　heart。　　One　of　them　is　a　surgeon〃

〃A　surgeon！　　Armand；　my　friend；　of　all　things；　suspense　is　the　hardest　to　bear。　　Just　speak；　tell　me　if　you　wish　for　my　life；　I　will　give　it　to　you；　you　shall　not　take　it〃

〃Then　you　did　not　understand　me？　　Did　I　not　speak　just　now　of　justice？　　To　put　an　end　to　your　misapprehensions；〃　continued　he；　taking　up　a　small　steel　object　from　the　table；　〃I　will　now　explain　what　I　have　decided　with　regard　to　you。〃

He　held　out　a　Lorraine　cross；　fastened　to　the　tip　of　a　steel　rod。

〃Two　of　my　friends　at　this　very　moment　are　heating　another　cross；　made　on　this　pattern；　red…hot。　　We　are　going　to　stamp　it　upon　your　forehead；　here　between　the　eyes；　so　that　there　will　be　no　possibility　of　hiding　the　mark　with　diamonds；　and　so　avoiding　people's　questions。　　In　short；　you　shall　bear　on　your　forehead　the　brand　of　infamy　which　your　brothers　the　convicts　wear　on　their　shoulders。　　The　pain　is　a　mere　trifle；　but　I　feared　a　nervous　crisis　of　some　kind；　of　resistance〃

〃Resistance？〃　she　cried；　clapping　her　hands　for　joy。　　〃Oh　no；　no！　　I　would　have　the　whole　world　here　to　see。　　Ah；　my　Armand；　brand　her　quickly；　this　creature　of　yours；　brand　her　with　your　mark　as　a　poor　little　trifle　belonging　to　you。　　You　asked　for　pledges　of　my　love；　here　they　are　all　in　one。　　Ah！　for　me　there　is　nothing　but　mercy　and　forgiveness　and　eternal　happiness　in　this　revenge　of　yours。　　When　you　have　marked　this　woman　with　your　mark；　when　you　set　your　crimson　brand　on　her；　your　slave　in　soul；　you　can　never　afterwards　abandon　her；　you　will　be　mine　for　evermore？　　When　you　cut　me　off　from　my　kind；　you　make　yourself　responsible　for　my　happiness；　or　you　prove　yourself　base；　and　I　know　that　you　are　noble　and　great！　　Why；　when　a　woman　loves；　the　brand　of　love　is　burnt　into　her　soul　by　her　own　will。Come　in；　gentlemen！　come　in　and　brand　her；　this　Duchesse　de　Langeais。　　She　is　M。　de　Montriveau's　forever！　　Ah！　come　quickly；　all　of　you；　my　forehead　burns　hotter　than　your　fire！〃

Armand　turned　his　head　sharply　away　lest　he　should　see　the　Duchess　kneeling；　quivering　with　the　throbbings　of　her　heart。　　He　said　some　word；　and　his　three　friends　vanished。

The　women　of　Paris　salons　know　how　one　mirror　reflects　another。　　The　Duchess；　with　every　motive　for　reading　the　depths　of　Armand's　heart；　was　all　eyes；　and　Armand；　all　unsuspicious　of　the　mirror；　brushed　away　two　tears　as　they　fell。　　Her　whole　future　lay　in　those　two　tears。　　When　he　turned　round　again　to　help　her　to　rise；　she　was　standing　before　him；　sure