the collection of antiquities-第21章

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ily　the　young　Count　would　lend　himself　to　his　schemes　of　revenge？　Or　was　he　merely　profiting　by　an　opportunity　for　which　he　had　been　on　the　watch　for　years？　One　circumstance　there　was；　to　be　sure；　in　his　manner　of　preparing　his　stroke；　which　shows　a　certain　skill。　Who　was　it　that　gave　du　Croisier　warning　of　the　moment？　Was　it　the　Kellers？　Or　could　it　have　been　President　du　Ronceret's　son；　then　finishing　his　law　studies　in　Paris？

Du　Croisier　wrote　to　Victurnien；　telling　him　that　the　Kellers　had　been　instructed　to　advance　no　more　money；　and　that　letter　was　timed　to　arrive　just　as　the　Duchesse　de　Maufrigneuse　was　in　the　utmost　perplexity；　and　the　Comte　d'Esgrignon　consumed　by　the　sense　of　poverty　as　dreadful　as　it　was　cunningly　hidden。　The　wretched　young　man　was　exerting　all　his　ingenuity　to　seem　as　if　he　were　wealthy！

Now　in　the　letter　which　informed　the　victim　that　in　future　the　Kellers　would　make　no　further　advances　without　security；　there　was　a　tolerably　wide　space　left　between　the　forms　of　an　exaggerated　respect　and　the　signature。　It　was　quite　easy　to　tear　off　the　best　part　of　the　letter　and　convert　it　into　a　bill　of　exchange　for　any　amount。　The　diabolical　missive　had　been　enclosed　in　an　envelope；　so　that　the　other　side　of　the　sheet　was　blank。　When　it　arrived；　Victurnien　was　writhing　in　the　lowest　depths　of　despair。　After　two　years　of　the　most　prosperous；　sensual；　thoughtless；　and　luxurious　life；　he　found　himself　face　to　face　with　the　most　inexorable　poverty；　it　was　an　absolute　impossibility　to　procure　money。　There　had　been　some　throes　of　crisis　before　the　journey　came　to　an　end。　With　the　Duchess'　help　he　had　managed　to　extort　various　sums　from　bankers；　but　it　had　been　with　the　greatest　difficulty；　and；　moreover；　those　very　amounts　were　about　to　start　up　again　before　him　as　overdue　bills　of　exchange　in　all　their　rigor；　with　a　stern　summons　to　pay　from　the　Bank　of　France　and　the　commercial　court。　All　through　the　enjoyments　of　those　last　weeks　the　unhappy　boy　had　felt　the　point　of　the　Commander's　sword；　at　every　supper…party　he　heard；　like　Don　Juan；　the　heavy　tread　of　the　statue　outside　upon　the　stairs。　He　felt　an　unaccountable　creeping　of　the　flesh；　a　warning　that　the　sirocco　of　debt　is　nigh　at　hand。　He　reckoned　on　chance。　For　five　years　he　had　never　turned　up　a　blank　in　the　lottery；　his　purse　had　always　been　replenished。　After　Chesnel　had　come　du　Croisier　（he　told　himself）；　after　du　Croisier　surely　another　gold　mine　would　pour　out　its　wealth。　And　besides；　he　was　winning　great　sums　at　play；　his　luck　at　play　had　saved　him　several　unpleasant　steps　already；　and　often　a　wild　hope　sent　him　to　the　Salon　des　Etrangers　only　to　lose　his　winnings　afterwards　at　whist　at　the　club。　His　life　for　the　past　two　months　had　been　like　the　immortal　finale　of　Mozart's　Don　Giovanni；　and　of　a　truth；　if　a　young　man　has　come　to　such　a　plight　as　Victurnien's；　that　finale　is　enough　to　make　him　shudder。　Can　anything　better　prove　the　enormous　power　of　music　than　that　sublime　rendering　of　the　disorder　and　confusion　arising　out　of　a　life　wholly　give　up　to　sensual　indulgence？　that　fearful　picture　of　a　deliberate　effort　to　shut　out　the　thought　of　debts　and　duels；　deceit　and　evil　luck？　In　that　music　Mozart　disputes　the　palm　with　Moliere。　The　terrific　finale；　with　its　glow；　its　power；　its　despair　and　laughter；　its　grisly　spectres　and　elfish　women；　centres　about　the　prodigal's　last　effort　made　in　the　after…supper　heat　of　wine；　the　frantic　struggle　which　ends　the　drama。　Victurnien　was　living　through　this　infernal　poem；　and　alone。　He　saw　visions　of　himselfa　friendless；　solitary　outcast；　reading　the　words　carved　on　the　stone；　the　last　words　on　the　last　page　of　the　book　that　had　held　him　spellboundTHE　END！

Yes；　for　him　all　would　be　at　an　end；　and　that　soon。　Already　he　saw　the　cold；　ironical　eyes　which　his　associates　would　turn　upon　him；　and　their　amusement　over　his　downfall。　Some　of　them　he　knew　were　playing　high　on　that　gambling…table　kept　open　all　day　long　at　the　Bourse；　or　in　private　houses　at　the　clubs；　and　anywhere　and　everywhere　in　Paris；　but　not　one　of　these　men　could　spare　a　banknote　to　save　an　intimate。　There　was　no　help　for　itChesnel　must　be　ruined。　He　had　devoured　Chesnel's　living。

He　sat　with　the　Duchess　in　their　box　at　the　Italiens；　the　whole　house　envying　them　their　happiness；　and　while　he　smiled　at　her；　all　the　Furies　were　tearing　at　his　heart。　Indeed；　to　give　some　idea　of　the　depths　of　doubt；　despair；　and　incredulity　in　which　the　boy　was　groveling；　he　who　so　clung　to　lifethe　life　which　the　angel　had　made　so　fairwho　so　loved　it；　that　he　would　have　stooped　to　baseness　merely　to　live；　he；　the　pleasure…loving　scapegrace；　the　degenerate　d'Esgrignon；　had　even　taken　out　his　pistols；　had　gone　so　far　as　to　think　of　suicide。　He　who　would　never　have　brooked　the　appearance　of　an　insult　was　abusing　himself　in　language　which　no　man　is　likely　to　hear　except　from　himself。

He　left　du　Croisier's　letter　lying　open　on　the　bed。　Josephin　had　brought　it　in　at　nine　o'clock。　Victurnien's　furniture　had　been　seized；　but　he　slept　none　the　less。　After　he　came　back　from　the　Opera；　he　and　the　Duchess　had　gone　to　a　voluptuous　retreat；　where　they　often　spent　a　few　hours　together　after　the　most　brilliant　court　balls　and　evening　parties　and　gaieties。　Appearances　were　very　cleverly　saved。　Their　love…nest　was　a　garret　like　any　other　to　all　appearance；　Mme。　de　Maufrigneuse　was　obliged　to　bow　her　head　with　its　court　feathers　or　wreath　of　flowers　to　enter　in　at　the　door；　but　within　all　the　peris　of　the　East　had　made　the　chamber　fair。　And　now　that　the　Count　was　on　the　brink　of　ruin；　he　had　longed　to　bid　farewell　to　the　dainty　nest；　which　he　had　built　to　realize　a　day…dream　worthy　of　his　angel。　Presently　adversity　would　break　the　enchanted　eggs；　there　would　be　no　brood　of　white　doves；　no　brilliant　tropical　birds；　no　more　of　the　thousand　bright…winged　fancies　which　hover　above　our　heads　even　to　the　last　days　of　our　lives。　Alas！　alas！　in　three　days　he　must　be　gone；　his　bills　had　fallen　into　the　hands　of　the　money…lenders；　the　law　proceedings　had　reached　the　last　stage。

An　evil　thought　crossed　his　brain。　He　would　fly　with　the　Duchess；　they　would　live　in　some　undiscovered　nook　in　the　wilds　of　North　or　South　America；　buthe　would　fly　with　a　fortune；　and　leave　his　creditors　to　confront　their　bills。　To　carry　out　the　plan；　he　had　only　to　cut　off　the　lower　portion　of　that　letter　with　du　Croisier's　signature；　and　to　fill　in　the　figures　to　turn　it　into　a　bill；　and　present　it　to　the　Kellers。　There　was　a　dreadful　struggle　with　temptation；　tears　shed；　but　the　honor　of　the　family　triumphed；　subject　to　one　condition。　Victurnien　wanted　to　be　sure　of　his　beautiful　Diane；　he　would　do　nothing　unless　she　should　consent　to　their　flight。　So　he　went　to　the　Duchess　in　the　Rue　Faubourg　Saint…Honore；　and　found　her　in　coquettish　morning　dress；　which　cost　as　much　in　thought　as　in　money；　a　fit　dress　in　which　to　begin　to　play　the　part　of　Angel　at　eleven　o'clock　in　the　morning。

Mme。　de　Maufrigneuse　was　somewhat　pensive。　Cares　of　a　similar　kind　were　gnawing　her　mind；　but　she　took　them　gallantly。　Of　all　the　various　feminine　organizations　classified　by　physiologists；　there　is　one　that　has　something　indescribably　terrible　about　it。　Such　women　combine　strength　of　soul　and　clear　insight；　with　a　faculty　for　prompt　decision；　and　a　recklessness；　or　rather　resolution　in　a　crisis　which　would　shake　a　man's　nerves。　And　these　powers　lie　out　of　sight　beneath　an　appearance　of　the　most　graceful　helplessness。　Such　women　only　among　womankind　afford　examples　of　a　phenomenon　which　Buffon　recognized　in　men　alone；　to　wit；　the　union；　or　rather　the　disunion；　of　two　different　natures　in　one　human　being。　Other　women　are　wholly　women；　wholly　tender；　wholly　devoted；　wholly　mothers；　completely　null　and　completely　tiresome；　nerves　and　brain　and　blood　are　all　in　harmony；　but　the　Duchess；　and　others　like　her；　are　capable　of　rising　to　the　highest　heights　of　feelings；　or　of　showing　the　most　selfish　insensibility。　It　is　one　of　the　glories　of　Moliere　that　he　has　given　us　a　wonderful　portrait　of　such　a　woman；　from　one　point　of　view　only；　in　that　greatest　of　his　full…length　figuresCelimene；　Celimene　is　the　typical　aristocratic　woman；　as　Figaro；　the