the deputy of arcis-第64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！


e；　more　serious　and　sober；　did　not　enjoy　to　the　same　extent。　Therefore；　when　Monsieur　de　Camps　proposed　going　to　the　Porte…Saint…　Martin　to　see　a　fairy　piece　then　much　in　vogue；　Madame　Octave　replied：

〃Neither　Madame　de　l'Estorade　nor　I　have　the　least　desire　to　go　out　this　evening；　we　are　very　tired　with　our　expedition。　Take　Rene　and　Nais；　they　will　enjoy　the　fairies　far　more　than　we。〃

The　two　children　awaited　in　deep　anxiety　the　permission　which　Madame　de　l'Estorade　finally　granted；　and　a　few　moments　later　the　two　friends；　left　to　themselves；　prepared　for　an　evening　of　comfortable　talk。

〃I　am　not　at　home　to　any　one；〃　said　Madame　de　l'Estorade　to　Lucas；　as　soon　as　her　family　had　departed。

〃Now　that　we　are　alone；〃　said　Madame　de　Camps；　〃I　shall　proceed　to　blows；　I　have　not　travelled　two　hundred　miles　to　wrap　up　in　cotton…　wool　the　truth　I　have　come　to　tell　you。〃

〃Ready　to　hear　it；〃　said　Madame　de　l'Estorade；　laughing。

〃Your　last　letter；　my　dear；　simply　frightened　me。〃

〃Why？　Because　I　told　you　I　was　trying　to　keep　a　man　at　a　distance？〃

〃Yes。　Why　keep　him　at　a　distance？　If　Monsieur　de　Camps　or　Monsieur　Gaston　or　Monsieur　de　Rastignac　were　to　make　a　practice　of　coming　here　habitually；　would　you　trouble　yourself　about　them？〃

〃No；　but　they　have　not　the　same　claim　upon　me：　it　is　that　I　fear。〃

〃Tell　me；　do　you　think　Monsieur　de　Sallenauve　loves　you？〃

〃No；　I　am　now　quite　sure　to　the　contrary；　and　I　also　think　that　on　my　side〃

〃We'll　talk　about　that　presently；　now　I　want　to　ask　if　you　desire　Monsieur　de　Sallenauve　to　love　you？〃

〃Heaven　forbid！〃

〃Well；　then；　the　best　possible　way　to　make　him　do　so　is　to　wound　his　self…love；　and　show　yourself　unjust　and　ungrateful　to　him；　you　will　only　force　him　to　think　the　more　of　you。〃

〃But；　my　dear　friend；　isn't　that　a　very　far…fetched　observation？〃

〃Did　you　never　observe　that　men　are　more　taken　by　our　snubs　than　by　our　caresses？　Severity　fixes　their　attention　upon　us。〃

〃If　that　were　so；　all　the　men　we　disdain　and　never　think　of　would　sigh　for　us。〃

〃Oh！　my　dear；　don't　make　me　talk　such　nonsense。　To　take　fire；　a　man　must　have　some　degree　of　combustibility；　and　if　that　/other/　person　is　lost　to　him　forever；　why　shouldn't　he；　as　you　said　yourself；　ricochet　upon　you？〃

〃That　other　person　is　not　lost　to　him；　he　expects；　more　than　ever；　to　find　her　by　the　help　of　a　very　clever　seeker；　the　mother…superior　of　a　convent　at　Arcis。〃

〃Very　good；　then　why　employ　the　delay　in　holding　him　at　arm's…　length；a　proceeding　which　will　only　draw　him　towards　you？〃

〃My　dear　moralist；　I　don't　admit　your　theory　in　the　least。　As　for　Monsieur　de　Sallenauve；　he　will　be　much　too　busy　with　his　duties　in　the　Chamber　to　think　of　me。　Besides；　he　is　a　man　who　is　full　of　self…　respect；　he　will　be　mortified　by　my　manner；　which　will　seem　to　him　both　ungrateful　and　unjust。　If　I　try　to　put　two　feet　of　distance　between　us；　he　will　put　four；　you　may　rely　on　that。〃

〃And　/you/；　my　dear？〃　asked　Madame　de　Camps。

〃How　do　you　mean？I？〃

〃You　who　are　not　busy；　who　have　no　Chamber　to　occupy　your　mind；　you　who　have；　I　will　agree；　a　great　deal　of　self…respect；　but　who　know　as　little　about　the　things　of　the　heart　as　the　veriest　school…girl；what　will　become　of　you　under　the　dangerous　system　you　are　imposing　upon　yourself？〃

〃If　I　don't　love　him　when　near；　I　shall　certainly　love　him　still　less　at　a　distance。〃

〃So　that　when　you　see　him　take　his　ostracism　coolly；　your　self…love　as　a　woman　will　not　be　piqued。〃

〃Certainly　not；　that　is　precisely　the　result　I　desire。〃

〃And　if　you　find；　on　the　contrary；　that　he　complains　of　you；　or　if　he　does　not　complain；　that　he　suffers　from　your　treatment；　will　your　conscience　tell　you　absolutely　nothing？〃

〃It　will　tell　me　that　I　am　doing　right；　and　that　I　could　not　do　otherwise。〃

〃And　if　success　attends　him　and　fame　with　its　hundred　voices　talks　of　him；　how　will　you　think　of　him？〃

〃As　I　think　of　Monsieur　Thiers　and　Monsieur　Berryer。〃

〃And　Nais；　who　adores　him　and　will　probably　say；　the　first　time　he　dines　with　you；　'Ah！　mamma；　how　well　he　talks！'〃

〃If　you　are　going　to　argue　on　the　chatter　of　a　child〃

〃And　Monsieur　de　l'Estorade；　who　already　irritates　you？　He　is　beginning　to…day　to　sacrifice　him　to　the　spirit　of　party；　shall　you　silence　him　every　time　he　makes　some　malevolent　insinuation　about　Monsieur　de　Sallenauve；　and　denies　his　honor　and　his　talent？you　know　the　judgment　people　make　on　those　who　do　not　think　as　we　do。〃

〃In　short；〃　said　Madame　de　l'Estorade；　〃you　are　trying　to　make　me　admit　that　the　surest　way　to　think　of　a　person　is　to　put　him　out　of　sight。〃

〃Listen　to　me；　my　dear；〃　said　Madame　de　Camps；　with　a　slight　touch　of　gravity。　〃I　have　read　and　re…read　your　letters。　You　were　there　your　own　self；　more　natural　and　less　quibbling　than　you　are　now；　and　an　impression　has　remained　upon　my　mind：　it　is　that　Monsieur　de　Sallenauve　has　touched　your　heart；　though　he　may　not　have　entered　it。〃

Madame　de　l'Estorade　made　a　gesture　of　denial；　but　the　confessor　went　on：

〃I　know　that　idea　provokes　you；　you　can't　very　well　admit　to　me　what　you　have　studiously　denied　to　yourself。　But　what　is；　is。　We　don't　say　of　a　man；　'A　sort　of　magnetism　issues　from　him；　one　feels　his　eye　without　meeting　it'；　we　don't　cry　out；　'I　am　invulnerable　on　the　side　of　love；'　without　having　had　some　prickings　of　it。〃

〃But　so　many　things　have　happened　since　I　wrote　that　nonsense。〃

〃True；　he　was　only　a　sculptor　then；　and　before　long　he　may　be　a　minister；not　like　Monsieur　de　Rastignac；　but　like　our　great　poet；　Canalis。〃

〃I　like　sermons　with　definite　deductions；〃　said　Madame　de　l'Estorade；　with　a　touch　of　impatience。

〃That　is　what　Vergniaud　said　to　Robespierre　on　the　31st　of　May；　and　I　reply；　with　Robespierre；　Yes；　I'll　draw　my　conclusion；　and　it　is　against　your　self…confidence　as　a　woman；　who；　having　reached　the　age　of　thirty…two　without　a　suspicion　of　what　love　is；　cannot　admit　that　at　this　late　date　she　may　be　subjected　to　the　common　law。〃

〃But　what　I　want　is　a　practical　conclusion；〃　said　Madame　de　l'Estorade；　tapping　her　foot。

〃My　practical　conclusion；here　it　is；〃　replied　Madame　Octave。　〃If　you　will　not　persist　in　the　folly　of　swimming　against　the　current；　I　see　no　danger　whatever　in　your　being　submerged。　You　are　strong；　you　have　principles　and　religion；　you　adore　your　children；　you　love　Monsieur　de　l'Estorade；　their　father；　in　them。　With　all　that　ballast　you　cannot　sink。〃

〃Well？〃　said　Madame　de　l'Estorade；　interrogatively。

〃Well；　there　is　no　need　to　have　recourse　to　violent　measures；　the　success　of　which　is　very　problematical。　Remain　as　you　are；　build　no　barricades　when　no　one　attacks　you。　Don't　excite　tempests　of　heart　and　conscience　merely　to　pacify　your　conscience　and　quiet　your　heart；　now　ruffled　only　by　a　tiny　breeze。　No　doubt　between　a　man　and　a　woman　the　sentiment　of　friendship　does　take　something　of　the　character　ordinarily　given　to　love；　but　such　friendship　is　neither　an　impossible　illusion　nor　is　it　a　yawning　gulf。〃

〃Then；〃　said　Madame　de　l'Estorade；　with　a　thoughtful　air；　〃do　you　wish　me　to　make　a　friend　of　Monsieur　de　Sallenauve？〃

〃Yes；　dear；　in　order　not　to　make　him　a　fixed　idea；　a　regret；　a　struggle；three　things　which　poison　life。〃

〃But　my　husband；　who　has　already　had　a　touch　of　jealousy？〃

〃As　for　your　husband；　I　find　him　somewhat　changed；　and　not　for　the　better。　I　miss　that　deference　he　always　showed　to　you　personally；　to　your　ideas　and　impressions；a　deference　which　honored　him　more　than　he　thought；　because　there　is　true　greatness　in　the　power　to　admire。　I　may　be　mistaken；　but　it　seems　to　me　that　public　life　is　spoiling　him　a　little。　As　you　cannot　be　with　him　in　the　Chamber　of　peers；　he　is　beginning　to　suspect　that　he　can　have　a　life　without　you。　If　I　were　you；　I　should　watch　these　symptoms　of　independence；　and　not　let　the　work　of　your　lifetime　come　to　nought。〃

〃Do　you　know；　my　dear；〃　said　Madame　de　l'Estorade；　laughing；　〃that　you　are　giving　me　advice　that　may　end　in　fire　and　slaughter？〃

〃Not　at　all。　I　am　a　woman　forty…five　years　of　age；　who　has　always　seen　things　on　their　practical　side。　I　did　not　marry　my　husband；　whom　I　loved；　until　I　had　convinced　myself；　by　putting　him　to　the　test；　that　he　was　wo