derues-第23章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


ccount　of　a　singular　resemblance；　he　paid　no　attention　to　me　at　first；　and　I　was　able　to　examine　him　at　leisure。　　His　manners　were　those　of　a　man　belonging　to　the　highest　classes　of　society；　and　his　dress　indicated　wealth。　　On　seeing　Edouard；　he　said　to　Madame　de　Lamotte

〃'So　this　is　he？'　and　he　then　kissed　him　tenderly。　　This　and　the　marks　of　undisguised　pleasure　which　he　evinced　surprised　me；　and　I　looked　at　Madame　de　Lamotte；　who　then　remarked　with　some　asperity

〃'I　did　not　expect　to　see　you；　Monsieur　Derues。　　I　had　not　asked　you　to　accompany　my　son。'

〃Edouard　seemed　quite　as　much　surprised　as　I　was。　　The　stranger　gave　me　a　look　of　haughty　annoyance；　but　seeing　I　did　not　avoid　his　glance　his　countenance　assumed　a　more　gentle　expression；　and　Madame　de　Lamotte　introduced　him　as　a　person　who　took　great　interest　in　Edouard。〃

〃It　is　a　whole　tissue　of　imposture！〃　exclaimed　Monsieur　de　Lamotte。

〃Allow　me　to　finish；〃　answered　Derues。　　〃I　understand　your　doubts；　and　that　you　are　not　anxious　to　believe　what　I　say；　but　I　have　been　brought　here　by　legal　summons　to　tell　the　truth；　and　I　am　going　to　tell　it。　　You　can　then　weigh　the　two　accusations　in　the　balance；　and　choose　between　them。　　The　reputation　of　an　honourable　man　is　as　sacred；　as　important；　as　worthy　of　credit　as　the　reputation　of　a　woman；　and　I　never　heard　that　the　virtue　of　the　one　was　more　fragile　than　that　of　the　other。〃

Monsieur　de　Lamotte；　thunderstruck　by　such　a　revelation；　could　not　contain　his　impatience　and　indignation。

〃This；　then；〃　he　said；　〃is　the　explanation　of　an　anonymous　letter　which　I　received；　and　of　the　injurious　suggestions'　concerning　my　wife's　honour　which　it　contained；　it　was　written　to　give　an　appearance　of　probability　to　this　infamous　legend。　　The　whole　thing　is　a　disgraceful　plot；　and　no　doubt　Monsieur　Derues　wrote　the　letter　himself。〃

〃I　know　nothing　about　it；〃　said　Derues　unconcernedly；　〃and　the　explanation　which　you　profess　to　find　in　it　I　should　rather　refer　to　something　else　I　am　going　to　mention。　　I　did　not　know　a　secret　warning　had　been　sent　to　you：　I　now　learn　it　from　you；　and　I　understand　perfectly　that　such　a　letter；　may　have　been　written。　　But　that　you　have　received　such　a　warning　ought　surely　to　be　a　reason　for　listening　patiently　and　not　denouncing　all　I　say　as　imposture。〃

While　saying　this　Derues　mentally　constructed　the　fresh　falsehood　necessitated　by　the　interruption；　but　no　variation　of　countenance　betrayed　his　thought。　　He　had　an　air　of　dignity　natural　to　his　position。　　He　saw　that；　in　spite　of　clear…headedness　and　long　practice　in　studying　the　most　deceptive　countenances；　the　magistrate　so　far　had　not　scented　any　of　his　falsehoods；　and　was　getting　bewildered　in　the　windings　of　this　long　narrative；　through　which　Derues　led　him　as　he　chose；　and　he　resumed　with　confidence

〃You　know　that　I　made　Monsieur　de　Lamotte's　acquaintance　more　than　a　year　ago；　and　I　had　reason　to　believe　his　friendship　as　sincere　as　my　own。　　As　a　friend；　I　could　not　calmly　accept　the　suspicion　which　then　entered　my　mind；　nor　could　I　conceal　my　surprise。　　Madame　de　Lamotte　saw　this；　and　understood　from　my　looks　that　I　was　not　satisfied　with　the　explanation　she　wished　me　to　accept。　　A　glance　of　intelligence　passed　between　her　and　her　friend；　who　was　still　holding　Edouard's　hand。　　The　day；　though　cold；　was　fine；　and　she　proposed　a　walk　in　the　park。　　I　offered　her　my　arm；　and　the　stranger　walked　in　front　with　Edouard。　　We　had　a　short　conversation；　which　has　remained　indelibly　fixed　in　my　memory。

〃'Why　did　you　come？'　she　inquired。

〃I　did　not　answer；　but　looked　sternly　at　her；　in　order　to　discompose　her。　　At　length　I　said

〃'You　should　have　written；　madame；　and　warned　me　that　my　coming　would　be　indiscreet。'

〃She　seemed　much　disconcerted；　and　exclaimed

〃'I　am　lost！　　I　see　you　guess　everything；　and　will　tell　my　husband。　I　am　an　unhappy　woman；　and　a　sin　once　committed　can　never　be　erased　from　the　pages　of　a　woman's　life！　　Listen；　Monsieur　Derues；　listen；　I　implore　you！　　You　see　this　man；　I　shall　not　tell　you　who　he　is；　I　shall　not　give　his　name　。　　。　　。　　but　I　loved　him　long　ago；　I　should　have　been　his　wife；　and　had　he　not　been　compelled　to　leave　France；　I　should　have　married　no　one　else。'〃

Monsieur　de　Lamotte　started；　and　grew　pale。

〃What　is　the　matter？〃　the　magistrate　inquired。

〃Oh！　this　dastardly　wretch　is　profiting　by　his　knowledge　of　secrets　which　a　long　intimacy　has　enabled　him　to　discover。　　Do　not　believe　him；　I　entreat　you；　do　not　believe　him！〃

Derues　resumed。　　〃Madame　de　Lamotte　continued　：　'I　saw　him　again　sixteen　years　ago；　always　in　hiding；　always　proscribed。　　To…day　he　reappears　under　a　name　which　is　not　his　own：　he　wishes　to　link　my　fate　with　his；　he　has　insisted　on　seeing　Edouard。　　But　I　shall　escape　him。　　I　have　invented　this　fiction　of　placing　my　son　among　the；　royal　pages　to　account　for　my　stay　here。　　Do　not　contradict　me；　but　help　me；　for　a　little　time　ago　I　met　one　of　Monsieur　de　Lamotte's　friends；　I　am　afraid　he　suspected　something。　　Say　you　have　seen　me　several　times；　as　you　have　come；　let　it　be　known　that　you　brought　Edouard　here。　　I　shall　return　to　Buisson　as　soon　as　possible；　but　will　you　go　first；　see　my　husband；　satisfy　him　if　he　is　anxious？　　I　am　in　your　hands；　my　honour；　my　reputation；　my　very　life；　are　at　your　mercy；　you　can　either　ruin　or　help　to　save　me。　　I　may　be　guilty；　but　I　am　not　corrupt。　　I　have　wept　for　my　sin　day　after　day；　and　I　have　already　cruelly　expiated　it。'〃

This　execrable　calumny　was　not　related　without　frequent　interruptions　on　the　part　of　Monsieur　de　Lamotte。　　He　was；　however；　obliged　to　own　to　himself　that　it　was　quite　true　that　Marie　Perier　had　really　been　promised　to　a　man　whom　an　unlucky　affair　had　driven　into　exile；　and　whom　he　had　supposed　to　be　dead。　　This　revelation；　coming　from　Derues；　who　had　the　strongest　interest　in　lying；　by　no　means　convinced　him　of　his　wife's　dishonour；　nor　destroyed　the　feelings　of　a　husband　and　father；　but　Derues　was　not　speaking　for　him　lone；　and　what　appeared　incredible　to　Monsieur　de　Lamotte　might　easily　seem　less　improbable　to　the　colder　and　less　interested　judgment　of　the　magistrate。

〃I　was　wrong；〃　Derues　continued；　〃in　allowing　myself　to　be　touched　by　her　tears；　wrong　in　believing　in　her　repentance；　more　wrong　still　in　going　to　Buisson　to　satisfy　her　husband。　　But　I　only　consented　on　conditions：　Madame　de　Lamotte　promised　me　to　return　shortly　to　Paris；　vowing　that　her　son　should　never　know　the　truth；　and　that　the　rest　of　her　life　should　be　devoted　to　atoning　for　her　sin　by　a　boundless　devotion。　　She　then　begged　me　to　leave　her；　and　told　me　she　would　write　to　me　at　Paris　to　fix　the　day　of　her　return。　　This　is　what　happened；　and　this　is　why　I　went　to　Buissan　and　gave　my　support　to　a　lying　fiction。　　With　one　word　I　might　have　destroyed　the　happiness　of　seventeen　years。　　I　did　not　wish　to　do　so。　　I　believed　in　the　remorse；　I　believe　in　it　still；　in　spite　of　all　appearances；　I　have　refused　to　speak　this　very　day；　and　made　every　effort　to　prolong　an　illusion　which　I　know　it　will　be　terrible　to　lose。〃

There　was　a　moment　of　silence。　　This　fable；　so　atrociously　ingenious；　was　simply　and　impressively　narrated；　and　with　an　air　of　candour　well　contrived　to　impose　on　the　magistrate；　or；　at　least；　to　suggest　grave　doubts　to　his　mind。　　Derues；　with　his　usual　cunning；　had　conformed　his　language　to　the　quality　of　his　listener。　　Any　tricks；　profession　of　piety；　quotations　from　sacred　books；　so　largely　indulged　in　when　he　wished　to　bamboozle　people　of　a　lower　class；　would　here　have　told　against　him。　　He　knew　when　to　abstain；　and　carried　the　art　of　deception　far　enough　to　be　able　to　lay　aside　the　appearance　of　hypocrisy。　　He　had　described　all　the　circumstances　without　affectation；　and　if　this　unexpected　accusation　was　wholly　unproved；　it　yet　rested　on　a　possible　fact；　and　did　not　appear　absolutely　incredible。　　The　magistrate　went　through　it　all　again；　and　made　him　repeat　every　detail；　without　being　able　to　make　him　contradict　himself　or　show　the　smallest　embarrassment。　　While　interrogating　Derues；　he　kept　his　eyes　fixed　upon　him；　and　this　double　examination　being　quite　fruitless；　only　increased　his　perplexity。　　However；　he　never　relaxed　the　incred