a woman of thirty-第18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！



〃We　can　take　her　with　us；〃　muttered　he；　〃I　will　love　her　dearly。〃

〃Mamma！〃　cried　little　Helene；　now　awake。　Julie　burst　into　tears。　Lord　Grenville　sat　down　and　folded　his　arms　in　gloomy　silence。

〃Mamma！〃　At　the　sweet　childish　name；　so　many　nobler　feelings；　so　many　irresistible　yearnings　awoke；　that　for　a　moment　love　was　effaced　by　the　all…powerful　instinct　of　motherhood；　the　mother　triumphed　over　the　woman　in　Julie；　and　Lord　Grenville　could　not　hold　out；　he　was　defeated　by　Julie's　tears。

Just　at　that　moment　a　door　was　flung　noisily　open。　〃Madame　d'Aiglemont；　are　you　hereabouts？〃　called　a　voice　which　rang　like　a　crack　of　thunder　through　the　hearts　of　the　two　lovers。　The　Marquis　had　come　home。

Before　Julie　could　recover　her　presence　of　mind；　her　husband　was　on　the　way　to　the　door　of　her　room　which　opened　into　his。　Luckily；　at　a　sign；　Lord　Grenville　escaped　into　the　dressing…closet；　and　she　hastily　shut　the　door　upon　him。

〃Well；　my　lady；　here　am　I；〃　said　Victor；　〃the　hunting　party　did　not　come　off。　I　am　just　going　to　bed。〃

〃Good…night；　so　am　I。　So　go　and　leave　me　to　undress。〃

〃You　are　very　cross　to…night；　Madame　la　Marquise。〃

The　General　returned　to　his　room；　Julie　went　with　him　to　the　door　and　shut　it。　Then　she　sprang　to　the　dressing…close　to　release　Arthur。　All　her　presence　of　mind　returned；　she　bethought　herself　that　it　was　quite　natural　that　her　sometime　doctor　should　pay　her　a　visit；　she　might　have　left　him　in　the　drawing…room　while　she　put　her　little　girl　to　bed。　She　was　about　to　tell　him；　under　her　breath；　to　go　back　to　the　drawing…room；　and　had　opened　the　door。　Then　she　shrieked　aloud。　Lord　Grenville's　fingers　had　been　caught　and　crushed　in　the　door。

〃Well；　what　is　it？〃　demanded　her　husband。

〃Oh！　nothing；　I　have　just　pricked　my　finger　with　a　pin。〃

The　General's　door　opened　at　once。　Julie　imagined　that　the　irruption　was　due　to　a　sudden　concern　for　her；　and　cursed　a　solicitude　in　which　love　had　no　part。　She　had　barely　time　to　close　the　dressing…closet；　and　Lord　Grenville　had　not　extricated　his　hand。　The　General　did；　in　fact；　appear；　but　his　wife　had　mistaken　his　motives；　his　apprehensions　were　entirely　on　his　own　account。

〃Can　you　lend　me　a　bandana　handkerchief？　The　stupid　fool　Charles　leaves　me　without　a　single　one。　In　the　early　days　you　used　to　bother　me　with　looking　after　me　so　carefully。　Ah；　well；　the　honeymoon　did　not　last　very　long　for　me；　nor　yet　for　my　cravats。　Nowadays　I　am　given　over　to　the　secular　arm；　in　the　shape　of　servants　who　do　not　care　one　jack　straw　for　what　I　say。〃

〃There！　There　is　a　bandana　for　you。　Did　you　go　into　the　drawing…room？〃

〃No。〃

〃Oh！　you　might　perhaps　have　been　in　time　to　see　Lord　Grenville。〃

〃Is　he　in　Paris？〃

〃It　seems　so。〃

〃Oh！　I　will　go　at　once。　The　good　doctor。〃

〃But　he　will　have　gone　by　now！〃　exclaimed　Julie。

The　Marquis；　standing　in　the　middle　of　the　room；　was　tying　the　handkerchief　over　his　head。　He　looked　complacently　at　himself　in　the　glass。

〃What　has　become　of　the　servants　is　more　than　I　know；〃　he　remarked。　〃I　have　rung　the　bell　for　Charles；　and　he　has　not　answered　it。　And　your　maid　is　not　here　either。　Ring　for　her。　I　should　like　another　blanket　on　my　bed　to…night。〃

〃Pauline　is　out；〃　the　Marquise　said　drily。

〃What；　at　midnight！〃　exclaimed　the　General。

〃I　gave　her　leave　to　go　to　the　Opera。〃

〃That　is　funny！〃　returned　her　husband；　continuing　to　undress。　〃I　thought　I　saw　her　coming　upstairs。〃

〃She　has　come　in　then；　of　course；〃　said　Julie；　with　assumed　impatience；　and　to　allay　any　possible　suspicion　on　her　husband's　part　she　pretended　to　ring　the　bell。



The　whole　history　of　that　night　has　never　been　known；　but　no　doubt　it　was　as　simple　and　as　tragically　commonplace　as　the　domestic　incidents　that　preceded　it。

Next　day　the　Marquise　d'Aiglemont　took　to　her　bed；　nor　did　she　leave　it　for　some　days。

〃What　can　have　happened　in　your　family　so　extraordinary　that　every　one　is　talking　about　your　wife？〃　asked　M。　de　Ronquerolles　of　M。　d'Aiglemont　a　short　time　after　that　night　of　catastrophes。

〃Take　my　advice　and　remain　a　bachelor；〃　said　d'Aiglemont。　〃The　curtains　of　Helene's　cot　caught　fire；　and　gave　my　wife　such　a　shock　that　it　will　be　a　twelvemonth　before　she　gets　over　it；　so　the　doctor　says。　You　marry　a　pretty　wife；　and　her　looks　fall　off；　you　marry　a　girl　in　blooming　health；　and　she　turns　into　an　invalid。　You　think　she　has　a　passionate　temperament；　and　find　her　cold；　or　else　under　her　apparent　coldness　there　lurks　a　nature　so　passionate　that　she　is　the　death　of　you；　or　she　dishonors　your　name。　Sometimes　the　meekest　of　them　will　turn　out　crotchety；　though　the　crotchety　ones　never　grow　any　sweeter。　Sometimes　the　mere　child；　so　simple　and　silly　at　first；　will　develop　an　iron　will　to　thwart　you　and　the　ingenuity　of　a　fiend。　I　am　tired　of　marriage。〃

〃Or　of　your　wife？〃

〃That　would　be　difficult。　By…the…by；　do　you　feel　inclined　to　go　to　Saint…Thomas　d'Aquin　with　me　to　attend　Lord　Grenville's　funeral？〃

〃A　singular　way　of　spending　time。Is　it　really　known　how　he　came　by　his　death？〃　added　Ronquerolles。

〃His　man　says　that　he　spent　a　whole　night　sitting　on　somebody's　window　sill　to　save　some　woman's　character；　and　it　has　been　infernally　cold　lately。〃

〃Such　devotion　would　be　highly　creditable　to　one　of　us　old　stagers；　but　Lord　Grenville　was　a　youngster　andan　Englishman。　Englishmen　never　can　do　anything　like　anybody　else。〃

〃Pooh！〃　returned　d'Aiglemont；　〃these　heroic　exploits　all　depend　upon　the　woman　in　the　case；　and　it　certainly　was　not　for　one　that　I　know；　that　poor　Arthur　came　by　his　death。〃



II。

A　HIDDEN　GRIEF

Between　the　Seine　and　the　little　river　Loing　lies　a　wide　flat　country；　skirted　on　the　one　side　by　the　Forest　of　Fontainebleau；　and　marked　out　as　to　its　southern　limits　by　the　towns　of　Moret；　Montereau；　and　Nemours。　It　is　a　dreary　country；　little　knolls　of　hills　appear　only　at　rare　intervals；　and　a　coppice　here　and　there　among　the　fields　affords　for　game；　and　beyond；　upon　every　side；　stretches　the　endless　gray　or　yellowish　horizon　peculiar　to　Beauce；　Sologne；　and　Berri。

In　the　very　centre　of　the　plain；　at　equal　distances　from　Moret　and　Montereau；　the　traveler　passes　the　old　chateau　of　Saint…Lange；　standing　amid　surroundings　which　lack　neither　dignity　nor　stateliness。　There　are　magnificent　avenues　of　elm…trees；　great　gardens　encircled　by　the　moat；　and　a　circumference　of　walls　about　a　huge　manorial　pile　which　represents　the　profits　of　the　/maltote/；　the　gains　of　farmers…　general；　legalized　malversation；　or　the　vast　fortunes　of　great　houses　now　brought　low　beneath　the　hammer　of　the　Civil　Code。

Should　any　artist　or　dreamer　of　dreams　chance　to　stray　along　the　roads　full　of　deep　ruts；　or　over　the　heavy　land　which　secures　the　place　against　intrusion；　he　will　wonder　how　it　happened　that　this　romantic　old　place　was　set　down　in　a　savanna　of　corn…land；　a　desert　of　chalk；　and　sand；　and　marl；　where　gaiety　dies　away；　and　melancholy　is　a　natural　product　of　the　soil。　The　voiceless　solitude；　the　monotonous　horizon　line　which　weigh　upon　the　spirits　are　negative　beauties；　which　only　suit　with　sorrow　that　refuses　to　be　comforted。

Hither；　at　the　close　of　the　year　1820；　came　a　woman；　still　young；　well　known　in　Paris　for　her　charm；　her　fair　face；　and　her　wit；　and　to　the　immense　astonishment　of　the　little　village　a　mile　away；　this　woman　of　high　rank　and　corresponding　fortune　took　up　her　abode　at　Saint…Lange。

From　time　immemorial；　farmers　and　laborers　had　seen　no　gentry　at　the　chateau。　The　estate；　considerable　though　it　was；　had　been　left　in　charge　of　a　land…steward　and　the　house　to　the　old　servants。　Wherefore　the　appearance　of　the　lady　of　the　manor　caused　a　kind　of　sensation　in　the　district。

A　group　had　gathered　in　the　yard　of　the　wretched　little　wineshop　at　the　end　of　the　village　（where　the　road　forks　to　Nemours　and　Moret）　to　see　the　carriage　pass。　It　went　by　slowly；　for　the　Marquise　had　come　from　Paris　with　her　own　horses；　and　those　on　the　lookout　had　ample　opportunity　of　observing　a　waiting…maid；　who　sat　with　her　back　to　the　horses　holding　a　little　girl；　with　a　somewhat　dreamy　look；　upon　her　knee。　The　child's　mother　lay　back　in　the　carriage；　she　looked　like　a　dying　woman　sent　out　into　the　countr