a woman of thirty-第25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！


　the　direction　of　arts；　or　for　the　conduct　of　an　important　mission。　The　admirable　phrase；　〃A　man　with　a　special　subject；〃　might　have　been　invented　on　purpose　for　these　acephalous　species　in　the　domain　of　literature　and　politics。

Charles　gazed　longer　than　he　intended。　He　was　vexed　with　himself　for　feeling　so　strongly　interested；　it　is　true；　however；　that　the　lady's　appearance　was　a　refutation　of　the　young　man's　ballroom　generalizations。

The　Marquise　had　reached　her　thirtieth　year。　She　was　beautiful　in　spite　of　her　fragile　form　and　extremely　delicate　look。　Her　greatest　charm　lay　in　her　still　face；　revealing　unfathomed　depths　of　soul。　Some　haunting；　ever…present　thought　veiled；　as　it　were；　the　full　brilliance　of　eyes　which　told　of　a　fevered　life　and　boundless　resignation。　So　seldom　did　she　raise　the　eyelids　soberly　downcast；　and　so　listless　were　her　glances；　that　it　almost　seemed　as　if　the　fire　in　her　eyes　were　reserved　for　some　occult　contemplation。　Any　man　of　genius　and　feeling　must　have　felt　strangely　attracted　by　her　gentleness　and　silence。　If　the　mind　sought　to　explain　the　mysterious　problem　of　a　constant　inward　turning　from　the　present　to　the　past；　the　soul　was　no　less　interested　in　initiating　itself　into　the　secrets　of　a　heart　proud　in　some　sort　of　its　anguish。　Everything　about　her；　moreover；　was　in　keeping　with　these　thoughts　which　she　inspired。　Like　almost　all　women　who　have　very　long　hair；　she　was　very　pale　and　perfectly　white。　The　marvelous　fineness　of　her　skin　（that　almost　unerring　sign）　indicated　a　quick　sensibility　which　could　be　seen　yet　more　unmistakably　in　her　features；　there　was　the　same　minute　and　wonderful　delicacy　of　finish　in　them　that　the　Chinese　artist　gives　to　his　fantastic　figures。　Perhaps　her　neck　was　rather　too　long；　but　such　necks　belong　to　the　most　graceful　type；　and　suggest　vague　affinities　between　a　woman's　head　and　the　magnetic　curves　of　the　serpent。　Leave　not　a　single　one　of　the　thousand　signs　and　tokens　by　which　the　most　inscrutable　character　betrays　itself　to　an　observer　of　human　nature；　he　has　but　to　watch　carefully　the　little　movements　of　a　woman's　head；　the　ever…varying　expressive　turns　and　curves　of　her　neck　and　throat；　to　read　her　nature。

Mme。　d'Aiglemont's　dress　harmonized　with　the　haunting　thought　that　informed　the　whole　woman。　Her　hair　was　gathered　up　into　a　tall　coronet　of　broad　plaits；　without　ornament　of　any　kind；　she　seemed　to　have　bidden　farewell　for　ever　to　elaborate　toilettes。　Nor　were　any　of　the　small　arts　of　coquetry　which　spoil　so　many　women　to　be　detected　in　her。　Perhaps　her　bodice；　modest　though　it　was；　did　not　altogether　conceal　the　dainty　grace　of　her　figure；　perhaps；　too；　her　gown　looked　rich　from　the　extreme　distinction　of　its　fashion；　and　if　it　is　permissible　to　look　for　expression　in　the　arrangement　of　stuffs；　surely　those　numerous　straight　folds　invested　her　with　a　great　dignity。　There　may　have　been　some　lingering　trace　of　the　indelible　feminine　foible　in　the　minute　care　bestowed　upon　her　hand　and　foot；　yet；　if　she　allowed　them　to　be　seen　with　some　pleasure；　it　would　have　tasked　the　utmost　malice　of　a　rival　to　discover　any　affectation　in　her　gestures；　so　natural　did　they　seem；　so　much　a　part　of　old　childish　habit；　that　her　careless　grace　absolved　this　vestige　of　vanity。

All　these　little　characteristics；　the　nameless　trifles　which　combine　to　make　up　the　sum　of　a　woman's　prettiness　or　ugliness；　her　charm　or　lack　of　charm；　can　only　be　indicated；　when；　as　with　Mme。　d'Aiglemont；　a　personality　dominates　and　gives　coherence　to　the　details；　informing　them；　blending　them　all　in　an　exquisite　whole。　Her　manner　was　perfectly　in　accord　with　her　style　of　beauty　and　her　dress。　Only　to　certain　women　at　a　certain　age　is　it　given　to　put　language　into　their　attitude。　Is　it　joy　or　is　it　sorrow　that　teaches　a　woman　of　thirty　the　secret　of　that　eloquence　of　carriage；　so　that　she　must　always　remain　an　enigma　which　each　interprets　by　the　aid　of　his　hopes；　desires；　or　theories？

The　way　in　which　the　Marquise　leaned　both　elbows　on　the　arm　of　her　chair；　the　toying　of　her　interclasped　fingers；　the　curve　of　her　throat；　the　indolent　lines　of　her　languid　but　lissome　body　as　she　lay　back　in　graceful　exhaustion；　as　it　were；　her　indolent　limbs；　her　unstudied　pose；　the　utter　lassitude　of　her　movements；all　suggested　that　this　was　a　woman　for　whom　life　had　lost　its　interest；　a　woman　who　had　known　the　joys　of　love　only　in　dreams；　a　woman　bowed　down　by　the　burden　of　memories　of　the　past；　a　woman　who　had　long　since　despaired　of　the　future　and　despaired　of　herself；　an　unoccupied　woman　who　took　the　emptiness　of　her　own　life　for　the　nothingness　of　life。

Charles　de　Vandenesse　saw　and　admired　the　beautiful　picture　before　him；　as　a　kind　of　artistic　success　beyond　an　ordinary　woman's　powers　of　attainment。　He　was　acquainted　with　d'Aiglemont；　and　now；　at　the　first　sight　of　d'Aiglemont's　wife；　the　young　diplomatist　saw　at　a　glance　a　disproportionate　marriage；　an　incompatibility　（to　use　the　legal　jargon）　so　great　that　it　was　impossible　that　the　Marquise　should　love　her　husband。　And　yetthe　Marquise　d'Aiglemont's　life　was　above　reproach；　and　for　any　observer　the　mystery　about　her　was　the　more　interesting　on　this　account。　The　first　impulse　of　surprise　over；　Vandenesse　cast　about　for　the　best　way　of　approaching　Mme。　d'Aiglemont。　He　would　try　a　commonplace　piece　of　diplomacy；　he　thought；　he　would　disconcert　her　by　a　piece　of　clumsiness　and　see　how　she　would　receive　it。

〃Madame；〃　he　said；　seating　himself　near　her；　〃through　a　fortunate　indiscretion　I　have　learned　that；　for　some　reason　unknown　to　me；　I　have　had　the　good　fortune　to　attract　your　notice。　I　owe　you　the　more　thanks　because　I　have　never　been　so　honored　before。　At　the　same　time；　you　are　responsible　for　one　of　my　faults；　for　I　mean　never　to　be　modest　again〃

〃You　will　make　a　mistake；　monsieur；〃　she　laughed；　〃vanity　should　be　left　to　those　who　have　nothing　else　to　recommend　them。〃

The　conversation　thus　opened　ranged　at　large；　in　the　usual　way；　over　a　multitude　of　topicsart　and　literature；　politics；　men　and　things　till　insensibly　they　fell　to　talking　of　the　eternal　theme　in　France　and　all　the　world　overlove；　sentiment；　and　women。

〃We　are　bond…slaves。〃

〃You　are　queens。〃

This　was　the　gist　and　substance　of　all　the　more　or　less　ingenious　discourse　between　Charles　and　the　Marquise；　as　of　all　such　discourses　past；　present；　and　to　come。　Allow　a　certain　space　of　time；　and　the　two　formulas　shall　begin　to　mean　〃Love　me；〃　and　〃I　will　love　you。〃

〃Madame；〃　Charles　de　Vandenesse　exclaimed　under　his　breath；　〃you　have　made　me　bitterly　regret　that　I　am　leaving　Paris。　In　Italy　I　certainly　shall　not　pass　hours　in　intellectual　enjoyment　such　as　this　has　been。〃

〃Perhaps；　monsieur；　you　will　find　happiness；　and　happiness　is　worth　more　than　all　the　brilliant　things；　true　and　false；　that　are　said　every　evening　in　Paris。〃

Before　Charles　took　leave；　he　asked　permission　to　pay　a　farewell　call　on　the　Marquise　d'Aiglemont；　and　very　lucky　did　he　feel　himself　when　the　form　of　words　in　which　he　expressed　himself　for　once　was　used　in　all　sincerity；　and　that　night；　and　all　day　long　on　the　morrow；　he　could　not　put　the　thought　of　the　Marquise　out　of　his　mind。

At　times　he　wondered　why　she　had　singled　him　out；　what　she　had　meant　when　she　asked　him　to　come　to　see　her；　and　thought　supplied　an　inexhaustible　commentary。　Again　it　seemed　to　him　that　he　had　discovered　the　motives　of　her　curiosity；　and　he　grew　intoxicated　with　hope　or　frigidly　sober　with　each　new　construction　put　upon　that　piece　of　commonplace　civility。　Sometimes　it　meant　everything；　sometimes　nothing。　He　made　up　his　mind　at　last　that　he　would　not　yield　to　this　inclination；　andwent　to　call　on　Mme。　d'Aiglemont。

There　are　thoughts　which　determine　our　conduct；　while　we　do　not　so　much　as　suspect　their　existence。　If　at　first　sight　this　assertion　appears　to　be　less　a　truth　than　a　paradox；　let　any　candid　inquirer　look　into　his　own　life　and　he　shall　find　abundant　confirmation　therein。　Charles　went　to　Mme。　d'Aiglemont；　and　so　obeyed　one　of　these　latent；　pre…existent　germs　of　thought；　of　which　our　experience　and　our　intellectual　gains　and　achievements　are　but　later　and　tangible　developments。

For　a　young　man　a　woman