the deputy of arcis-第72章

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〃Come；　let　us　go！〃

〃Yes；〃　replied　Monsieur　de　l'Estorade；　passing　out　first　and　neglecting　to　say　good…bye　to　his　wife。

〃Ah！　stay；　I　have　forgotten　a　message　my　wife　gave　me；〃　said　Monsieur　de　Camps；　turning　back　to　Madame　de　l'Estorade。　〃She　told　me　to　say　she　would　come　for　you　at　two　o'clock　to　go　and　see　the　spring　things　at　the　'Jean　de　Paris；'　and　she　has　arranged　that　after　that　we　shall　all　four　go　to　the　flower…show。　When　we　leave　Rastignac；　l'Estorade　and　I　will　come　back　here；　and　wait　for　you　if　you　have　not　returned　before　us。〃

Madame　de　l'Estorade　paid　little　attention　to　this　programme；　for　a　flash　of　light　had　illumined　her　mind。　As　soon　as　she　was　alone；　she　took　Marie…Gaston's　letter　from　her　gown；　and；　finding　it　folded　in　the　proper　manner；　she　exclaimed；

〃Not　a　doubt　of　it！　I　remember　perfectly　that　I　folded　it　with　the　writing　outside；　as　I　put　it　back　into　the　envelope；　he　must　have　read　it！〃

An　hour　later；　Madame　de　l'Estorade　and　Madame　de　Camps　met　in　the　same　salon　where　they　had　talked　of　Sallenauve　a　few　days　earlier。

〃Good　heavens！　what　is　the　matter　with　you？〃　cried　Madame　de　Camps；　seeing　tears　on　the　face　of　her　friend；　who　was　finishing　a　letter　she　had　written。

Madame　de　l'Estorade　told　her　all　that　had　happened；　and　showed　her　Marie…Gaston's　letter。

〃Are　you　very　sure；〃　asked　Madame　de　Camps；　〃that　your　husband　has　read　the　luckless　scrawl？〃

〃How　can　I　doubt　it？〃　returned　Madame　de　l'Estorade。　〃The　paper　can't　have　turned　of　itself；　besides；　in　recalling　the　circumstances；　I　have　a　dim　recollection　that　at　the　moment　when　I　started　to　run　to　Rene　I　felt　something　drop；fate　willed　that　I　should　not　stop　to　pick　it　up。〃

〃Often；　when　people　strain　their　memories　in　that　way　they　fasten　on　some　false　indication。〃

〃But；　my　dear　friend；　the　extraordinary　change　in　the　face　and　behavior　of　Monsieur　de　l'Estorade；　coming　so　suddenly　as　it　did；　must　have　been　the　result　of　some　sudden　shock。　He　looked　like　a　man　struck　by　lightning。〃

〃But　if　you　account　for　the　change　in　his　appearance　in　that　way；　why　look　for　symptoms　of　something　wrong　with　his　liver？〃

〃Ah！　this　is　not　the　first　time　I　have　seen　symptoms　of　that；〃　replied　Madame　de　l'Estorade。　〃But　you　know　when　sick　people　don't　complain；　we　forget　about　their　illness。　See；〃　and　she　pointed　to　a　volume　lying　open　beside　her；　〃just　before　you　came　in；　I　found　in　this　medical　dictionary　that　persons　who　suffer　from　diseases　of　the　liver　are　apt　to　be　morose；　irritable；　impatient。　Well；　for　some　time　past；　I　have　noticed　a　great　change　in　my　husband's　disposition。　You　yourself　mentioned　it　to　me　the　other　day。　Besides；　the　scene　Monsieur　de　Camps　has　just　witnessedwhich　is；　I　may　truly　say；　unprecedented　in　our　householdis　enough　to　prove　it。〃

〃My　dear　love；　you　are　like　those　unpleasant　persons　who　are　resolved　to　torture　themselves。　In　the　first　place；　you　have　looked　into　medical　books；　which　is　the　very　height　of　imprudence。　I　defy　you　to　read　a　description　of　any　sort　of　disease　without　fancying　that　either　you　or　some　friends　of　yours　have　the　symptoms　of　it。　In　the　next　place；　you　are　mixing　up　things；　the　effects　of　fear　and　of　a　chronic　malady　are　totally　different。〃

〃No；　I　am　not　mixing　them　up；　I　know　what　I　am　talking　about。　You　don't　need　to　be　told　that　if　in　our　poor　human　machine　some　one　part　gets　out　of　order；　it　is　on　/that/　that　any　strong　emotion　will　strike。〃

〃Well；〃　said　Madame　de　Camps；　not　pursuing　the　medical　discussion；　〃if　the　letter　of　that　unhappy　madman　has　really　fallen　into　the　hands　of　your　husband；　the　peace　of　your　home　is　seriously　endangered；　that　is　the　point　to　be　discussed。〃

〃There　are　not　two　ways　to　be　followed　as　to　that；〃　said　Madame　de　l'Estorade。　〃Monsieur　de　Sallenauve　must　never　set　foot　in　this　house　again。〃

〃That　is　precisely　what　I　came　to　speak　about　to…day。　Do　you　know　that　last　night　I　did　not　think　you　showed　the　composure　which　is　so　marked　a　trait　in　your　character？〃

〃When？〃　asked　Madame　de　l'Estorade。

〃Why；　when　you　expressed　so　effusively　your　gratitude　to　Monsieur　de　Sallenauve。　When　I　advised　you　not　to　avoid　him；　for　fear　it　would　induce　him　to　keep　at　your　heels；　I　never　intended　that　you　should　shower　your　regard　upon　his　head　in　a　way　to　turn　it。　The　wife　of　so　zealous　a　dynastic　partisan　as　Monsieur　de　l'Estorade　ought　to　know　what　the　/juste　milieu/　is　by　this　time。〃

〃Ah！　my　dear；　I　entreat　you；　don't　make　fun　of　my　poor　husband。〃

〃I　am　not　talking　of　your　husband；　I　am　talking　of　you。　Last　night　you　so　surprised　me　that　I　have　come　here　to　take　back　my　words。　I　like　people　to　follow　my　advice；　but　I　don't　like　them　to　go　beyond　it。〃

〃At　any　other　time　I　should　make　you　explain　what　horrible　impropriety　I　have　committed　under　your　counsel；　but　fate　has　interposed　and　settled　everything。　Monsieur　de　Sallenauve　will；　at　any　cost；　disappear　from　our　path；　and　therefore　why　discuss　the　degree　of　kindness　one　might　have　shown　him？〃

〃But；〃　said　Madame　de　Camps；　〃since　I　must　tell　you　all；　I　have　come　to　think　him　a　dangerous　acquaintance；less　for　you　than　for　some　one　else。〃

〃Who？〃　asked　Madame　de　l'Estorade。

〃Nais。　That　child；　with　her　passion　for　her　'preserver；'　makes　me　really　uneasy。〃

〃Oh！〃　said　the　countess；　smiling　rather　sadly；　〃are　you　not　giving　too　much　importance　to　childish　nonsense？〃

〃Nais　is；　of　course；　a　child；　but　a　child　who　will　ripen　quickly　into　a　woman。　Did　you　not　tell　me　yourself　that　you　were　sometimes　frightened　at　the　intuition　she　showed　in　matters　beyond　her　years？〃

〃That　is　true。　But　what　you　call　her　passion　for　Monsieur　de　Sallenauve；　besides　being　perfectly　natural；　is　expressed　by　the　dear　little　thing　with　such　freedom　and　publicity　that　the　sentiment　is；　it　seems　to　me；　obviously　childlike。〃

〃Well；　don't　trust　to　that；　especially　not　after　this　troublesome　being　ceases　to　come　to　your　house。　Suppose　that　when　the　time　comes　to　marry　your　daughter；　this　fancy　should　have　smouldered　in　her　heart　and　increased；　imagine　your　difficulty！〃

〃Oh！　between　now　and　then；　thank　Heaven！　there's　time　enough；〃　replied　Madame　de　l'Estorade；　in　a　tone　of　incredulity。

〃Between　now　and　then；〃　said　Madame　de　Camps；　〃Monsieur　de　Sallenauve　may　have　reached　a　distinction　which　will　put　his　name　on　every　lip；　and　Nais；　with　her　lively　imagination；　is　more　likely　than　other　girls　to　be　dazzled　by　it。〃

〃But；　my　dear　love；　look　at　the　disproportion　in　their　ages。〃

〃Monsieur　de　Sallenauve　is　thirty；　and　Nais　will　soon　be　fourteen；　that　is　precisely　the　difference　between　you　and　Monsieur　de　l'Estorade。〃

〃Well；　you　may　be　right；〃　said　Madame　de　l'Estorade；　〃and　the　sort　of　marriage　I　made　from　reason　Nais　may　want　to　make　from　folly。　But　you　needn't　be　afraid；　I　will　ruin　that　idol　in　her　estimation。〃

〃But　there　again；　as　in　the　comedy　of　hatred　you　mean　to　play　for　Monsieur　de　l'Estorade's　benefit；　you　need　moderation。　If　you　do　not　manage　it　by　careful　transitions；　you　may　miss　your　end。　Never　allow　the　influence　of　circumstances　to　appear　when　it　is　desirable　than　an　impulse　or　an　action　should　seem　spontaneous。〃

〃But；〃　said　Madame　de　l'Estorade；　excitedly；　〃do　you　think　that　my　hatred；　as　you　call　it；　will　be　acted？　I　do　hate　him；　that　man；　he　is　our　evil　genius！〃

〃Come；　come；　my　dear；　be　calm！　I　don't　know　youyou；　you　have　always　been　Reason　incarnate。〃

At　this　moment　Lucas　entered　the　room　and　asked　his　mistress　if　she　would　receive　/a/　Monsieur　Jacques　Bricheteau。　Madame　de　l'Estorade　looked　at　her　friend；　as　if　to　consult　her。

〃He　is　that　organist　who　was　so　useful　to　Monsieur　de　Sallenauve　during　the　election。　I　don't　know　what　he　can　want　of　me。〃

〃Never　mind；〃　said　Madame　de　Camps；　〃receive　him。　Before　beginning　hostilities　it　is　always　well　to　know　what　is　going　on　in　the　enemy's　camp。〃

〃Show　him　in；〃　said　the　countess。

Jacques　Bricheteau　entered。　Expecting　to　be　received　in　a　friendly　country；　he　had　not　taken　any　particular　pains　with　his　dress。　An　old　maroon　frock…coat　to　the　cut　of　which　it　would　have　been　difficult　to　assign　a　date；　a　plaid　waistcoat　buttoned　to　the　throat；　surmounted　by　a　black　cravat　worn　without　a　collar　and　twisted　round　th