a woman of thirty-第43章

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head；　were　interpreted　yet　more　plainly　by　the　joy　sparkling　in　her　eyes。

〃And　how　is　this？〃　he　asked；　wondering　at　his　daughter's　life；　forgetful　now　of　everything　but　the　bright　glowing　face　before　him。

〃Listen；　father；　I　have　for　lover；　husband；　servant；　and　master　one　whose　soul　is　as　great　as　the　boundless　sea；　as　infinite　in　his　kindness　as　heaven；　a　god　on　earth！　Never　during　these　seven　years　has　a　chance　look；　or　word；　or　gesture　jarred　in　the　divine　harmony　of　his　talk；　his　love；　his　caresses。　His　eyes　have　never　met　mine　without　a　gleam　of　happiness　in　them；　there　has　always　been　a　bright　smile　on　his　lips　for　me。　On　deck；　his　voice　rises　above　the　thunder　of　storms　and　the　tumult　of　battle；　but　here　below　it　is　soft　and　melodious　as　Rossini's　musicfor　he　has　Rossini's　music　sent　for　me。　I　have　everything　that　woman's　caprice　can　imagine。　My　wishes　are　more　than　fulfilled。　In　short；　I　am　a　queen　on　the　seas；　I　am　obeyed　here　as　perhaps　a　queen　may　be　obeyed。Ah！〃　she　cried；　interrupting　herself；　〃/happy/　did　I　say？　Happiness　is　no　word　to　express　such　bliss　as　mine。　All　the　happiness　that　should　have　fallen　to　all　the　women　in　the　world　has　been　my　share。　Knowing　one's　own　great　love　and　self…　devotion；　to　find　in　/his/　heart　an　infinite　love　in　which　a　woman's　soul　is　lost；　and　lost　for　evertell　me；　is　this　happiness？　I　have　lived　through　a　thousand　lives　even　now。　Here；　I　am　alone；　here；　I　command。　No　other　woman　has　set　foot　on　this　noble　vessel；　and　Victor　is　never　more　than　a　few　paces　distant　from　me；he　cannot　wander　further　from　me　than　from　stern　to　prow；〃　she　added；　with　a　shade　of　mischief　in　her　manner。　〃Seven　years！　A　love　that　outlasts　seven　years　of　continual　joy；　that　endures　all　the　tests　brought　by　all　the　moments　that　make　up　seven　yearsis　this　love？　Oh；　no；　no！　it　is　something　better　than　all　that　I　know　of　life　。　。　。　human　language　fails　to　express　the　bliss　of　heaven。〃

A　sudden　torrent　of　tears　fell　from　her　burning　eyes。　The　four　little　ones　raised　a　piteous　cry　at　this；　and　flocked　like　chickens　about　their　mother。　The　oldest　boy　struck　the　General　with　a　threatening　look。

〃Abel；　darling；〃　said　Helene；　〃I　am　crying　for　joy。〃

Helene　took　him　on　her　knee；　and　the　child　fondled　her；　putting　his　arms　about　her　queenly　neck；　as　a　lion's　whelp　might　play　with　the　lioness。

〃Do　you　never　weary　of　your　life？〃　asked　the　General；　bewildered　by　his　daughter's　enthusiastic　language。

〃Yes；〃　she　said；　〃sometimes；　when　we　are　on　land；　yet　even　then　I　have　never　parted　from　my　husband。〃

〃But　you　need　to　be　fond　of　music　and　balls　and　fetes。〃

〃His　voice　is　music　for　me；　and　for　fetes；　I　devise　new　toilettes　for　him　to　see。　When　he　likes　my　dress；　it　is　as　if　all　the　world　admired　me。　Simply　for　that　reason　I　keep　the　diamonds　and　jewels；　the　precious　things；　the　flowers　and　masterpieces　of　art　that　he　heaps　upon　me；　saying；　'Helene；　as　you　live　out　of　the　world；　I　will　have　the　world　come　to　you。'　But　for　that　I　would　fling　them　all　overboard。〃

〃But　there　are　others　on　board；　wild；　reckless　men　whose　passions〃

〃I　understand；　father；〃　she　said　smiling。　〃Do　not　fear　for　me。　Never　was　empress　encompassed　with　more　observance　than　I。　The　men　are　very　superstitious；　they　look　upon　me　as　a　sort　of　tutelary　genius；　the　luck　of　the　vessel。　But　/he/　is　their　god；　they　worship　him。　Once；　and　once　only；　one　of　the　crew　showed　disrespect；　mere　words；〃　she　added；　laughing；　〃but　before　Victor　knew　of　it；　the　others　flung　the　offender　overboard；　although　I　forgave　him。　They　love　me　as　their　good　angel；　I　nurse　them　when　they　are　ill；　several　times　I　have　been　so　fortunate　as　to　save　a　life；　by　constant　care　such　as　a　woman　can　give。　Poor　fellows；　they　are　giants；　but　they　are　children　at　the　same　time。〃

〃And　when　there　is　fighting　overhead？〃

〃I　am　used　to　it　now；　I　quaked　for　fear　during　the　first　engagement；　but　never　since。I　am　used　to　such　peril；　andI　am　your　daughter；〃　she　said；　〃I　love　it。〃

〃But　how　if　he　should　fall？〃

〃I　should　die　with　him。〃

〃And　your　children？〃

〃They　are　children　of　the　sea　and　of　danger；　they　share　the　life　of　their　parents。　We　have　but　one　life；　and　we　do　not　flinch　from　it。　We　have　but　one　life；　our　names　are　written　on　the　same　page　of　the　book　of　Fate；　one　skiff　bears　us　and　our　fortunes；　and　we　know　it。〃

〃Do　you　so　love　him　that　he　is　more　to　you　than　all　beside？〃

〃All　beside？〃　echoed　she。　〃Let　us　leave　that　mystery　alone。　Yet　stay！　there　is　this　dear　little　onewell；　this　too　is　/he/；〃　and　straining　Abel　to　her　in　a　tight　clasp；　she　set　eager　kisses　on　his　cheeks　and　hair。

〃But　I　can　never　forget　that　he　has　just　drowned　nine　men！〃　exclaimed　the　General。

〃There　was　no　help　for　it；　doubtless；〃　she　said；　〃for　he　is　generous　and　humane。　He　sheds　as　little　blood　as　may　be；　and　only　in　the　interests　of　the　little　world　which　he　defends；　and　the　sacred　cause　for　which　he　is　fighting。　Talk　to　him　about　anything　that　seems　to　you　to　be　wrong；　and　he　will　convince　you；　you　will　see。〃

〃There　was　that　crime　of　his；〃　muttered　the　General　to　himself。

〃But　how　if　that　crime　was　a　virtue？〃　she　asked；　with　cold　dignity。　〃How　if　man's　justice　had　failed　to　avenge　a　great　wrong？〃

〃But　a　private　revenge！〃　exclaimed　her　father。

〃But　what　is　hell；〃　she　cried；　〃but　a　revenge　through　all　eternity　for　the　wrong　done　in　a　little　day？〃

〃Ah！　you　are　lost！　He　has　bewitched　and　perverted　you。　You　are　talking　wildly。〃

〃Stay　with　us　one　day；　father；　and　if　you　will　but　listen　to　him；　and　see　him；　you　will　love　him。〃

〃Helene；　France　lies　only　a　few　leagues　away；〃　he　said　gravely。

Helene　trembled；　then　she　went　to　the　porthole　and　pointed　to　the　savannas　of　green　water　spreading　far　and　wide。

〃There　lies　my　country；〃　she　said；　tapping　the　carpet　with　her　foot。

〃But　are　you　not　coming　with　me　to　see　your　mother　and　your　sister　and　brothers？〃

〃Oh！　yes；〃　she　cried；　with　tears　in　her　voice；　〃if　/he/　is　willing；　if　he　will　come　with　me。〃

〃So；〃　the　General　said　sternly；　〃you　have　neither　country　nor　kin　now；　Helene？〃

〃I　am　his　wife；〃　she　answered　proudly；　and　there　was　something　very　noble　in　her　tone。　〃This　is　the　first　happiness　in　seven　years　that　has　not　come　to　me　through　him；〃　she　saidthen；　as　she　caught　her　father's　hand　and　kissed　it〃and　this　is　the　first　word　of　reproach　that　I　have　heard。〃

〃And　your　conscience？〃

〃My　conscience；　he　is　my　conscience！〃　she　cried；　trembling　from　head　to　foot。　〃Here　he　is！　Even　in　the　thick　of　a　fight　I　can　tell　his　footstep　among　all　the　others　on　deck；〃　she　cried。

A　sudden　crimson　flushed　her　cheeks　and　glowed　in　her　features；　her　eyes　lighted　up；　her　complexion　changed　to　velvet　whiteness；　there　was　joy　and　love　in　every　fibre；　in　the　blue　veins；　in　the　unconscious　trembling　of　her　whole　frame。　That　quiver　of　the　sensitive　plant　softened　the　General。

It　was　as　she　had　said。　The　captain　came　in；　sat　down　in　an　easy…　chair；　took　up　his　oldest　boy；　and　began　to　play　with　him。　There　was　a　moment's　silence；　for　the　General's　deep　musing　had　grown　vague　and　dreamy；　and　the　daintily　furnished　cabin　and　the　playing　children　seemed　like　a　nest　of　halcyons；　floating　on　the　waves；　between　sky　and　sea；　safe　in　the　protection　of　this　man　who　steered　his　way　amid　the　perils　of　war　and　tempest；　as　other　heads　of　household　guide　those　in　their　care　among　the　hazards　of　common　life。　He　gazed　admiringly　at　Helenea　dreamlike　vision　of　some　sea　goddess；　gracious　in　her　loveliness；　rich　in　happiness；　all　the　treasures　about　her　grown　poor　in　comparison　with　the　wealth　of　her　nature；　paling　before　the　brightness　of　her　eyes；　the　indefinable　romance　expressed　in　her　and　her　surroundings。

The　strangeness　of　the　situation　took　the　General　by　surprise；　the　ideas　of　ordinary　life　were　thrown　into　confusion　by　this　lofty　passion　and　reasoning。　Chill　and　narrow　social　conventions　faded　away　before　this　picture。　All　these　things　the　old　soldier　felt；　and　saw　no　less　how　impossible　it　was　that　his　daughter　should　give　up　so　wide　a　life；　a　life　so　variously　rich；　filled　to　the　full　with　such　passionate　love。　And　Helene　had　tasted　danger　without　shrinking；　how　could　she　return　to　the　pretty　stage；　the　superficial　circu