the collection of antiquities-第23章

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ly　adroit　lover　will　hasten　to　agree　with　any　fancy　that　Woman　may　take　into　her　head；　and　suggest　reasons　for　doing　otherwise；　while　leaving　her　free　exercise　of　her　right　to　change　her　mind；　her　intentions；　and　sentiments　generally　as　often　as　she　pleases。　Victurnien　was　angry　for　the　first　time；　angry　with　the　wrath　of　a　weak　man　of　poetic　temperament；　it　was　a　storm　of　rain　and　lightning　flashes；　but　no　thunder　followed。　The　angel　on　whose　faith　he　had　risked　more　than　his　life；　the　honor　of　his　house；　was　very　roughly　handled。

〃So；〃　said　she；　〃we　have　come　to　this　after　eighteen　months　of　tenderness！　You　are　unkind；　very　unkind。　Go　away！I　do　not　want　to　see　you　again。　I　thought　that　you　loved　me。　You　do　not。〃

〃I　DO　NOT　LOVE　YOU？〃　repeated　he；　thunderstruck　by　the　reproach。

〃No；　monsieur。〃

〃And　yet〃　he　cried。　〃Ah！　if　you　but　knew　what　I　have　just　done　for　your　sake！〃

〃And　how　have　you　done　so　much　for　me；　monsieur？　As　if　a　man　ought　not　to　do　anything　for　a　woman　that　has　done　so　much　for　him。〃

〃You　are　not　worthy　to　know　it！〃　Victurnien　cried　in　a　passion　of　anger。

〃Oh！〃

After　that　sublime；　〃Oh！〃　Diane　bowed　her　head　on　her　hand　and　sat；　still；　cold；　and　implacable　as　angels　naturally　may　be　expected　to　do；　seeing　that　they　share　none　of　the　passions　of　humanity。　At　the　sight　of　the　woman　he　loved　in　this　terrible　attitude；　Victurnien　forgot　his　danger。　Had　he　not　just　that　moment　wronged　the　most　angelic　creature　on　earth？　He　longed　for　forgiveness；　he　threw　himself　before　her；　he　kissed　her　feet；　he　pleaded；　he　wept。　Two　whole　hours　the　unhappy　young　man　spent　in　all　kinds　of　follies；　only　to　meet　the　same　cold　face；　while　the　great　silent　tears　dropping　one　by　one；　were　dried　as　soon　as　they　fell　lest　the　unworthy　lover　should　try　to　wipe　them　away。　The　Duchess　was　acting　a　great　agony；　one　of　those　hours　which　stamp　the　woman　who　passes　through　them　as　something　august　and　sacred。

Two　more　hours　went　by。　By　this　time　the　Count　had　gained　possession　of　Diane's　hand；　it　felt　cold　and　spiritless。　The　beautiful　hand；　with　all　the　treasures　in　its　grasp；　might　have　been　supple　wood；　there　was　nothing　of　Diane　in　it；　he　had　taken　it；　it　had　not　been　given　to　him。　As　for　Victurnien；　the　spirit　had　ebbed　out　of　his　frame；　he　had　ceased　to　think。　He　would　not　have　seen　the　sun　in　heaven。　What　was　to　be　done？　What　course　should　he　take？　What　resolution　should　he　make？　The　man　who　can　keep　his　head　in　such　circumstances　must　be　made　of　the　same　stuff　as　the　convict　who　spent　the　night　in　robbing　the　Bibliotheque　Royale　of　its　gold　medals；　and　repaired　to　his　honest　brother　in　the　morning　with　a　request　to　melt　down　the　plunder。　〃What　is　to　be　done？〃　cried　the　brother。　〃Make　me　some　coffee；〃　replied　the　thief。　Victurnien　sank　into　a　bewildered　stupor；　darkness　settled　down　over　his　brain。　Visions　of　past　rapture　flitted　across　the　misty　gloom　like　the　figures　that　Raphael　painted　against　a　black　background；　to　these　he　must　bid　farewell。　Inexorable　and　disdainful；　the　Duchess　played　with　the　tip　of　her　scarf。　She　looked　in　irritation　at　Victurnien　from　time　to　time；　she　coquetted　with　memories；　she　spoke　to　her　lover　of　his　rivals　as　if　anger　had　finally　decided　her　to　prefer　one　of　them　to　a　man　who　could　so　change　in　one　moment　after　twenty…eight　months　of　love。

〃Ah！　that　charming　young　Felix　de　Vandenesse；　so　faithful　as　he　was　to　Mme。　de　Mortsauf；　would　never　have　permitted　himself　such　a　scene！　He　can　love；　can　de　Vandenesse！　De　Marsay；　that　terrible　de　Marsay；　such　a　tiger　as　everyone　thought　him；　was　rough　with　other　men；　but　like　all　strong　men；　he　kept　his　gentleness　for　women。　Montriveau　trampled　the　Duchesse　de　Langeais　under　foot；　as　Othello　killed　Desdemona；　in　a　burst　of　fury　which　at　any　rate　proved　the　extravagance　of　his　love。　It　was　not　like　a　paltry　squabble。　There　was　rapture　in　being　so　crushed。　Little；　fair…haired；　slim；　and　slender　men　loved　to　torment　women；　they　could　only　reign　over　poor；　weak　creatures；　it　pleased　them　to　have　some　ground　for　believing　that　they　were　men。　The　tyranny　of　love　was　their　one　chance　of　asserting　their　power。　She　did　not　know　why　she　had　put　herself　at　the　mercy　of　fair　hair。　Such　men　as　de　Marsay；　Montriveau；　and　Vandenesse；　dark…haired　and　well　grown；　had　a　ray　of　sunlight　in　their　eyes。〃

It　was　a　storm　of　epigrams。　Her　speeches；　like　bullets；　came　hissing　past　his　ears。　Every　word　that　Diane　hurled　at　him　was　triple…barbed；　she　humiliated；　stung；　and　wounded　him　with　an　art　that　was　all　her　own；　as　half　a　score　of　savages　can　torture　an　enemy　bound　to　a　stake。

〃You　are　mad！〃　he　cried　at　last；　at　the　end　of　his　patience；　and　out　he　went　in　God　knows　what　mood。　He　drove　as　if　he　had　never　handled　the　reins　before；　locked　his　wheels　in　the　wheels　of　other　vehicles；　collided　with　the　curbstone　in　the　Place　Louis…Quinze；　went　he　knew　not　whither。　The　horse；　left　to　its　own　devices；　made　a　bolt　for　the　stable　along　the　Quai　d'Orsay；　but　as　he　turned　into　the　Rue　de　l'Universite；　Josephin　appeared　to　stop　the　runaway。

〃You　cannot　go　home；　sir；〃　the　old　man　said；　with　a　scared　face；　〃they　have　come　with　a　warrant　to　arrest　you。〃

Victurnien　thought　that　he　had　been　arrested　on　the　criminal　charge；　albeit　there　had　not　been　time　for　the　public　prosecutor　to　receive　his　instructions。　He　had　forgotten　the　matter　of　the　bills　of　exchange；　which　had　been　stirred　up　again　for　some　days　past　in　the　form　of　orders　to　pay；　brought　by　the　officers　of　the　court　with　accompaniments　in　the　shape　of　bailiffs；　men　in　possession；　magistrates；　commissaries；　policemen；　and　other　representatives　of　social　order。　Like　most　guilty　creatures；　Victurnien　had　forgotten　everything　but　his　crime。

〃It　is　all　over　with　me；〃　he　cried。

〃No；　M。　le　Comte；　drive　as　fast　as　you　can　to　the　Hotel　du　Bon　la　Fontaine；　in　the　Rue　de　Grenelle。　Mlle。　Armande　is　waiting　there　for　you；　the　horses　have　been　put　in；　she　will　take　you　with　her。〃

Victurnien；　in　his　trouble；　caught　like　a　drowning　man　at　the　branch　that　came　to　his　hand；　he　rushed　off　to　the　inn；　reached　the　place；　and　flung　his　arms　about　his　aunt。　Mlle。　Armande　cried　as　if　her　heart　would　break；　any　one　might　have　thought　that　she　had　a　share　in　her　nephew's　guilt。　They　stepped　into　the　carriage。　A　few　minutes　later　they　were　on　the　road　to　Brest；　and　Paris　lay　behind　them。　Victurnien　uttered　not　a　sound；　he　was　paralyzed。　And　when　aunt　and　nephew　began　to　speak；　they　talked　at　cross　purposes；　Victurnien；　still　laboring　under　the　unlucky　misapprehension　which　flung　him　into　Mlle。　Armande's　arms；　was　thinking　of　his　forgery；　his　aunt　had　the　debts　and　the　bills　on　her　mind。

〃You　know　all；　aunt；〃　he　had　said。

〃Poor　boy；　yes；　but　we　are　here。　I　am　not　going　to　scold　you　just　yet。　Take　heart。〃

〃I　must　hide　somewhere。〃

〃Perhaps。　。　。　。　Yes；　it　is　a　very　good　idea。〃

〃Perhaps　I　might　get　into　Chesnel's　house　without　being　seen　if　we　timed　ourselves　to　arrive　in　the　middle　of　the　night？〃

〃That　will　be　best。　We　shall　be　better　able　to　hide　this　from　my　brother。Poor　angel！　how　unhappy　he　is！〃　said　she；　petting　the　unworthy　child。

〃Ah！　now　I　begin　to　know　what　dishonor　means；　it　has　chilled　my　love。〃

〃Unhappy　boy；　what　bliss　and　what　misery！〃　And　Mlle。　Armande　drew　his　fevered　face　to　her　breast　and　kissed　his　forehead；　cold　and　damp　though　it　was；　as　the　holy　women　might　have　kissed　the　brow　of　the　dead　Christ　when　they　laid　Him　in　His　grave　clothes。　Following　out　the　excellent　scheme　suggested　by　the　prodigal　son；　he　was　brought　by　night　to　the　quiet　house　in　the　Rue　du　Bercail；　but　chance　ordered　it　that　by　so　doing　he　ran　straight　into　the　wolf's　jaws；　as　the　saying　goes。　That　evening　Chesnel　had　been　making　arrangements　to　sell　his　connection　to　M。　Lepressoir's　head…clerk。　M。　Lepressoir　was　the　notary　employed　by　the　Liberals；　just　as　Chesnel's　practice　lay　among　the　aristocratic　families。　The　young　fellow's　relatives　were　rich　enough　to　pay　Chesnel　the　considerable　sum　of　a　hundred　thousand　francs　in　cash。

Chesnel　was　rubbing　his　hands。　〃A　hundred　thousand　francs　will　go　a　long　way　in　buying　up　debts；〃　he　thought。　〃The　young　man　is　paying　a　high　rate　of　interest　on　his　loans。　We　will　lock　him　up