a woman of thirty-第9章

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m；　its　rider　turned　a　melancholy　look　upon　the　Countess；　who　seldom　deigned　to　take　the　slightest　notion　of　him。　Not　so　the　Marquise。　Minds　not　necessarily　little　find　it　difficult　to　resist　the　little　curiosity　which　fastens　upon　the　most　trifling　event　that　enlivens　provincial　life；　and　the　Englishman's　mute　way　of　expressing　his　timid；　earnest　love　tickled　Mme。　de　Listomere。　For　her　the　periodically　recurrent　glance　became　a　part　of　the　day's　routine；　hailed　daily　with　new　jests。　As　the　two　women　sat　down　to　table；　both　of　them　looked　out　at　the　same　moment。　This　time　Julie's　eyes　met　Arthur's　with　such　a　precision　of　sympathy　that　the　color　rose　to　her　face。　The　stranger　immediately　urged　his　horse　into　a　gallop　and　went。

〃What　is　to　be　done；　madame？〃　asked　Julie。　〃People　see　this　Englishman　go　past　the　house；　and　they　will　take　it　for　granted　that　I〃

〃Yes；〃　interrupted　her　aunt。

〃Well；　then；　could　I　not　tell　him　to　discontinue　his　promenades？〃

〃Would　not　that　be　a　way　of　telling　him　that　he　was　dangerous？　You　might　put　that　notion　into　his　head。　And　besides；　can　you　prevent　a　man　from　coming　and　going　as　he　pleases？　Our　meals　shall　be　served　in　another　room　to…morrow；　and　when　this　young　gentleman　sees　us　no　longer；　there　will　be　an　end　of　making　love　to　you　through　the　window。　There；　dear　child；　that　is　how　a　woman　of　the　world　does。〃

But　the　measure　of　Julie's　misfortune　was　to　be　filled　up。　The　two　women　had　scarcely　risen　from　table　when　Victor's　man　arrived　in　hot　haste　from　Bourges　with　a　letter　for　the　Countess　from　her　husband。　The　servant　had　ridden　by　unfrequented　ways。

Victor　sent　his　wife　news　of　the　downfall　of　the　Empire　and　the　capitulation　of　Paris。　He　himself　had　gone　over　to　the　Bourbons；　and　all　France　was　welcoming　them　back　with　transports　of　enthusiasm。　He　could　not　go　so　far　as　Tours；　but　he　begged　her　to　come　at　once　to　join　him　at　Orleans；　where　he　hoped　to　be　in　readiness　with　passports　for　her。　His　servant；　an　old　soldier；　would　be　her　escort　so　far　as　Orleans；　he　（Victor）　believed　that　the　road　was　still　open。

〃You　have　not　a　moment　to　lose；　madame；〃　said　the　man。　〃The　Prussians；　Austrians；　and　English　are　about　to　effect　a　junction　either　at　Blois　or　at　Orleans。〃

A　few　hours　later；　Julie's　preparations　were　made；　and　she　started　out　upon　her　journey　in　an　old　traveling　carriage　lent　by　her　aunt。

〃Why　should　you　not　come　with　us　to　Paris？〃　she　asked；　as　she　put　her　arms　about　the　Marquise。　〃Now　that　the　Bourbons　have　come　back　you　would　be〃

〃Even　if　there　had　not　been　this　unhoped…for　return；　I　should　still　have　gone　to　Paris；　my　poor　child；　for　my　advice　is　only　too　necessary　to　both　you　and　Victor。　So　I　shall　make　all　my　preparations　for　rejoining　you　there。〃

Julie　set　out。　She　took　her　maid　with　her；　and　the　old　soldier　galloped　beside　the　carriage　as　escort。　At　nightfall；　as　they　changed　horses　for　the　last　stage　before　Blois；　Julie　grew　uneasy。　All　the　way　from　Amboise　she　had　heard　the　sound　of　wheels　behind　them；　a　carriage　following　hers　had　kept　at　the　same　distance。　She　stood　on　the　step　and　looked　out　to　see　who　her　traveling　companions　might　be；　and　in　the　moonlight　saw　Arthur　standing　three　paces　away；　gazing　fixedly　at　the　chaise　which　contained　her。　Again　their　eyes　met。　The　Countess　hastily　flung　herself　back　in　her　seat；　but　a　feeling　of　dread　set　her　pulses　throbbing。　It　seemed　to　her；　as　to　most　innocent　and　inexperienced　young　wives；　that　she　was　herself　to　blame　for　this　love　which　she　had　all　unwittingly　inspired。　With　this　thought　came　an　instinctive　terror；　perhaps　a　sense　of　her　own　helplessness　before　aggressive　audacity。　One　of　a　man's　strongest　weapons　is　the　terrible　power　of　compelling　a　woman　to　think　of　him　when　her　naturally　lively　imagination　takes　alarm　or　offence　at　the　thought　that　she　is　followed。

The　Countess　bethought　herself　of　her　aunt's　advice；　and　made　up　her　mind　that　she　would　not　stir　from　her　place　during　the　rest　of　the　journey；　but　every　time　the　horses　were　changed　she　heard　the　Englishman　pacing　round　the　two　carriages；　and　again　upon　the　road　heard　the　importunate　sound　of　the　wheels　of　his　caleche。　Julie　soon　began　to　think　that；　when　once　reunited　to　her　husband；　Victor　would　know　how　to　defend　her　against　this　singular　persecution。

〃Yet　suppose　that　in　spite　of　everything；　this　young　man　does　not　love　me？〃　This　was　the　thought　that　came　last　of　all。

No　sooner　did　she　reach　Orleans　than　the　Prussians　stopped　the　chaise。　It　was　wheeled　into　an　inn…yard　and　put　under　a　guard　of　soldiers。　Resistance　was　out　of　the　question。　The　foreign　soldiers　made　the　three　travelers　understand　by　signs　that　they　were　obeying　orders；　and　that　no　one　could　be　allowed　to　leave　the　carriage。　For　about　two　hours　the　Countess　sat　in　tears；　a　prisoner　surrounded　by　the　guard；　who　smoked；　laughed；　and　occasionally　stared　at　her　with　insolent　curiosity。　At　last；　however；　she　saw　her　captors　fall　away　from　the　carriage　with　a　sort　of　respect；　and　heard　at　the　same　time　the　sound　of　horses　entering　the　yard。　Another　moment；　and　a　little　group　of　foreign　officers；　with　an　Austrian　general　at　their　head；　gathered　about　the　door　of　the　traveling　carriage。

〃Madame；〃　said　the　General；　〃pray　accept　our　apologies。　A　mistake　has　been　made。　You　may　continue　your　journey　without　fear；　and　here　is　a　passport　which　will　spare　you　all　further　annoyance　of　any　kind。〃

Trembling　the　Countess　took　the　paper；　and　faltered　out　some　vague　words　of　thanks。　She　saw　Arthur；　now　wearing　an　English　uniform；　standing　beside　the　General；　and　could　not　doubt　that　this　prompt　deliverance　was　due　to　him。　The　young　Englishman　himself　looked　half　glad；　half　melancholy；　his　face　was　turned　away；　and　he　only　dared　to　steal　an　occasional　glance　at　Julie's　face。

Thanks　to　the　passport；　Mme。　d'Aiglemont　reached　Paris　without　further　misadventure；　and　there　she　found　her　husband。　Victor　d'Aiglemont；　released　from　his　oath　of　allegiance　to　the　Emperor；　had　met　with　a　most　flattering　reception　from　the　Comte　d'Artois；　recently　appointed　Lieutenant…General　of　the　kingdom　by　his　brother　Louis　XVIII。　D'Aiglemont　received　a　commission　in　the　Life　Guards；　equivalent　to　the　rank　of　general。　But　amid　the　rejoicings　over　the　return　of　the　Bourbons；　fate　dealt　poor　Julie　a　terrible　blow。　The　death　of　the　Marquise　de　Listomere…Landon　was　an　irreparable　loss。　The　old　lady　died　of　joy　and　of　an　accession　of　gout　to　the　heart　when　the　Duc　d'Angouleme　came　back　to　Tours；　and　the　one　living　being　entitled　by　her　age　to　enlighten　Victor；　the　woman　who；　by　discreet　counsels；　might　have　brought　about　perfect　unanimity　of　husband　and　wife；　was　dead；　and　Julie　felt　the　full　extent　of　her　loss。　Henceforward　she　must　stand　alone　between　herself　and　her　husband。　But　she　was　young　and　timid；　there　could　be　no　doubt　of　the　result；　or　that　from　the　first　she　would　elect　to　bear　her　lot　in　silence。　The　very　perfections　of　her　character　forbade　her　to　venture　to　swerve　from　her　duties；　or　to　attempt　to　inquire　into　the　cause　of　her　sufferings；　for　to　put　an　end　to　them　would　have　been　to　venture　on　delicate　ground；　and　Julie's　girlish　modesty　shrank　from　the　thought。

A　word　as　to　M。　d'Aiglemont's　destinies　under　the　Restoration。

How　many　men　are　there　whose　utter　incapacity　is　a　secret　kept　from　most　of　their　acquaintance。　For　such　as　these　high　rank；　high　office；　illustrious　birth；　a　certain　veneer　of　politeness；　and　considerable　reserve　of　manner；　or　the　/prestige/　of　great　fortunes；　are　but　so　many　sentinels　to　turn　back　critics　who　would　penetrate　to　the　presence　of　the　real　man。　Such　men　are　like　kings；　in　that　their　real　figure；　character；　and　life　can　never　be　known　nor　justly　appreciated；　because　they　are　always　seen　from　too　near　or　too　far。　Factitious　merit　has　a　way　of　asking　questions　and　saying　little；　and　understands　the　art　of　putting　others　forward　to　save　the　necessity　of　posing　before　them；　then；　with　a　happy　knack　of　its　own；　it　draws　and　attaches　others　by　the　thread　of　the　ruling　passion　of　self…interest；　keeping　men　of　far　greater　abilities　to　play　like　puppets；　and　despising　those　whom　it　has　brought　down　to　its　own　level。　The　petty　fixed　idea　naturally　prevails；