albert savarus-第30章

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might　be　innocent；　hastily　quitted　the　ballroom；　leaving　the　speaker
at　his　wits'　end　to　guess　what　terrible　blow　he　had　inflicted　on　the
beautiful　Duchesse　de　Rhetore。

〃If　you　want　to　hear　more　about　Albert；　come　to　the　Opera　ball　on
Tuesday　with　a　marigold　in　your　hand。〃

This　anonymous　note；　sent　by　Rosalie　to　the　Duchess；　brought　the
unhappy　Italian　to　the　ball；　where　Mademoiselle　de　Watteville　placed
in　her　hand　all　Albert's　letters；　with　that　written　to　Leopold
Hannequin　by　the　Vicar…General；　and　the　notary's　reply；　and　even　that
in　which　she　had　written　her　confession　to　the　Abbe　de　Grancey。

〃I　do　not　choose　to　be　the　only　sufferer；〃　she　said　to　her　rival；　〃for
one　has　been　as　ruthless　as　the　other。〃

After　enjoying　the　dismay　stamped　on　the　Duchess'　beautiful　face；
Rosalie　went　away；　she　went　out　no　more；　and　returned　to　Besancon　with
her　mother。



Mademoiselle　de　Watteville；　who　lived　alone　on　her　estate　of　les
Rouxey；　riding；　hunting；　refusing　two　or　three　offers　a　year；　going　to
Besancon　four　or　five　times　in　the　course　of　the　winter；　and　busying
herself　with　improving　her　land；　was　regarded　as　a　very　eccentric
personage。　She　was　one　of　the　celebrities　of　the　Eastern　provinces。

Madame　de　Soulas　has　two　children；　a　boy　and　a　girl；　and　she　has　grown
younger；　but　Monsieur　de　Soulas　has　aged　a　good　deal。

〃My　fortune　has　cost　me　dear；〃　said　he　to　young　Chavoncourt。　〃Really
to　know　a　bigot　it　is　unfortunately　necessary　to　marry　her！〃

Mademoiselle　de　Watteville　behaves　in　the　most　extraordinary　manner。
〃She　has　vagaries；〃　people　say。　Every　year　she　goes　to　gaze　at　the
walls　of　the　Grande　Chartreuse。　Perhaps　she　dreams　of　imitating　her
grand…uncle　by　forcing　the　walls　of　the　monastery　to　find　a　husband；
as　Watteville　broke　through　those　of　his　monastery　to　recover　his
liberty。

She　left　Besancon　in　1841；　intending；　it　was　said；　to　get　married；　but
the　real　reason　of　this　expedition　is　still　unknown；　for　she　returned
home　in　a　state　which　forbids　her　ever　appearing　in　society　again。　By
one　of　those　chances　of　which　the　Abbe　de　Grancey　had　spoken；　she
happened　to　be　on　the　Loire　in　a　steamboat　of　which　the　boiler　burst。
Mademoiselle　de　Watteville　was　so　severely　injured　that　she　lost　her
right　arm　and　her　left　leg；　her　face　is　marked　with　fearful　scars；
which　have　bereft　her　of　her　beauty；　her　health；　cruelly　upset；　leaves
her　few　days　free　from　suffering。　In　short；　she　now　never　leaves　the
Chartreuse　of　les　Rouxey；　where　she　leads　a　life　wholly　devoted　to
religious　practices。



PARIS；　May　1842。









End