战争与和平(上)-第283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！


“This　is　the　egoism　and　the　cruelty　of　men。　I　expected　nothing　else。　Woman　sacrifices　herself　for　you；　she　suffers；　and　this　is　her　reward。　What　right　have　you；　your　highness；　to　call　me　to　account　for　my　friendships；　my　affections？　He　is　a　man　who　has　been　more　than　a　father　to　me！”
The　prince　would　have　said　something。　Ellen　interrupted　him。
“Well；　yes；　perhaps　he　has　sentiments　for　me　other　than　those　of　a　father；　but　that　is　not　a　reason　I　should　shut　my　door　on　him。　I　am　not　a　person　to　be　ungrateful。　Know；　your　highness；　that　in　all　that　relates　to　my　private　sentiments　I　will　account　only　to　God　and　to　my　conscience！”　she　concluded；　laying　her　hand　on　her　beautiful；　heaving　bosom；　and　looking　up　to　heaven。
“But　listen　to　me；　in　God’s　name！”…
“Marry　me；　and　I　will　be　your　slave！”
“But　it　is　impossible。”
“You　do　not　deign　to　stoop　to　me；　you…”　Ellen　burst　into　tears。
The　prince　attempted　to　console　her。　Ellen；　as　though　utterly　distraught；　declared　through　her　tears　that　there　was　nothing　to　prevent　her　marrying；　that　there　were　precedents　（they　were　but　few　at　that　time；　but　Ellen　quoted　the　case　of　Napoleon　and　some　other　persons　of　exalted　rank）；　that　she　had　never　been　a　real　wife　to　her　husband；　that　she　had　been　dragged　an　unwilling　victim　into　the　marriage。
“But　the　law；　religion　…”　murmured　the　prince；　on　the　point　of　yielding。
“Religion；　laws　…　what　can　they　have　been　invented　for；　if　they　are　unable　to　manage　that？”　said　Ellen。
The　prince　was　astonished　that　so　simple　a　reflection　had　never　occurred　to　him；　and　applied　to　the　council　of　the　brotherhood　of　the　Society　of　Jesus；　with　which　he　was　in　close　relations。
A　few　days　later；　at　one　of　the　fascinating　fêtes　Ellen　used　to　give　at　her　summer　villa　at　Kamenny　Ostrov；　a　certain　fascinating　M。　Jobert　was　presented　to　her；　a　man　no　longer　young；　with　snow…white　hair　and　brilliant　black　eyes；　un　Fésuite　à　robe　courte；　who　walked　for　a　long　while　with　Ellen　among　the　illuminations　in　the　garden　to　the　strains　of　music；　conversing　with　her　of　the　love　of　God；　of　Christ；　of　the　heart　of　the　Holy　Mother；　and　of　the　consolations　afforded　in　this　life　and　the　next　by　the　one　true　Catholic　faith。　Ellen　was　touched；　and　several　times　tears　stood　both　in　her　eyes　and　in　M。　Jobert’s；　and　their　voices　trembled。　A　dance；　to　which　her　partner　fetched　Ellen　away；　cut　short　her　conversation　with　the　future　“director　of　her　conscience；”　but　the　next　evening　M。　Jobert　came　alone　to　see　Ellen；　and　from　that　day　he　was　a　frequent　visitor。
One　day　he　took　the　countess　into　a　Catholic　church；　where　she　fell　on　her　knees　before　the　altar；　up　to　which　she　was　conducted。　The　fascinating；　middle…aged　Frenchman　laid　his　hands　on　her　head；　and　as　she　herself　afterwards　described　it；　she　felt　something　like　a　breath　of　fresh　air；　which　seemed　wafted　into　her　soul。　It　was　explained　to　her　that　this　was　the　“grace　of　God。”
Then　an　abbé　à　robe　longue　was　brought　to　her；　he　confessed　her；　and　absolved　her　from　her　sins。　Next　day　a　box　was　brought　containing　the　Sacred　Host；　and　left　for　her　to　partake　of　at　her　house。　Several　days　later　Ellen　learned　to　her　satisfaction　that　she　had　now　been　admitted　into　the　true　Catholic　Church；　and　that　in　a　few　days　the　Pope　himself　would　hear　of　her　case；　and　send　her　a　document　of　some　sort。
All　that　was　done　with　her　and　around　her　at　this　period；　the　attention　paid　her　by　so　many　clever　men；　and　expressed　in　such　agreeable　and　subtle　forms；　and　her　dovelike　purity　during　her　conversion　（she　wore　nothing　but　white　dresses　and　white　ribbons　all　the　time）—all　afforded　her　gratification。　But　this　gratification　never　led　her　for　one　instant　to　lose　sight　of　her　object。　And；　as　always　happens　in　contests　of　cunning；　the　stupid　person　gains　more　than　the　cleverer；　Ellen；　fully　grasping　that　the　motive　of　all　these　words　and　all　this　man？uvring　was　by　her　conversion　to　Catholicism　to　get　a　round　sum　from　her　for　the　benefit　of　the　Jesuit　order　（this　was　hinted　at；　indeed）；　held　back　the　money；　while　insisting　steadily　on　the　various　operations　that　would　set　her　free　from　her　conjugal　bonds。　To　her　notions；　the　real　object　of　every　religion　was　to　provide　recognised　forms　of　propriety　for　the　satisfaction　of　human　desires。　And　with　this　end　in　view；　she　insisted；　in　one　of　her　conversations　with　her　spiritual　adviser；　on　demanding　an　answer　to　the　question　how　far　her　marriage　was　binding。
They　were　sitting　in　the　drawing…room　window。　It　was　dusk。　There　was　a　scent　of　flowers　from　the　window。　Ellen　wore　a　white　dress；　transparent　over　the　bosom　and　shoulders。　The　sleek；　well…fed　abbé；　with　his　plump；　clean…shaven　chin；　his　amiable；　strong　mouth；　and　his　white　hands；　clasped　mildly　on　his　knees；　was　sitting　close　by　Ellen。　With　a　subtle　smile　on　his　lips；　and　a　look　of　discreet　admiration　in　his　eyes；　he　gazed　from　time　to　time　at　her　face；　as　he　expounded　his　views　on　the　subject。　Ellen；　with　a　restless　smile；　stared　at　his　curly　hair　and　his　smooth…shaven；　blackish　cheeks；　and　seemed　every　minute　to　be　expecting　the　conversation　to　take　a　new　turn。　But　the　abbé；　though　unmistakably　aware　of　the　beauty　of　his　companion；　was　also　interested　in　his　own　skilful　handling　of　the　question。　The　spiritual　adviser　adopted　the　following　chain　of　reasoning：—
“In　ignorance；”　said　he；　“of　the　significance　of　your　promise；　you　took　a　vow　of　conjugal　fidelity　to　a　man　who；　on　his　side；　was　guilty　of　sacrilege　in　entering　on　the　sacrament　of　matrimony　with　no　faith　in　its　religious　significance。　That　marriage　had　not　the　dual　binding　force　it　should　have　had。　But　in　spite　of　that；　your　vow　was　binding　upon　you。　You　broke　it。　What　did　you　commit？　Venial　sin　or　mortal　sin？　A　venial　sin；　because　you　committed　it　with　no　intention　of　acting　wrongly。　If　now；　with　the　object　of　bearing　children；　you　should　enter　into　a　new　marriage；　your　sin　might　be　forgiven。　But　the　question　again　falls　into　two　divisions。　First　…”
“But；　I　imagine；”　Ellen；　who　was　getting　bored；　said　suddenly；　with　her　fascinating　smile；　“that　after　being　converted　to　the　true　religion；　cannot　be　bound　by　any　obligations　laid　upon　me　by　a　false　religion。”
Her　spiritual　adviser　was　astounded　at　the　simplicity　of　this　solution；　as　simple　as　the　solution　of　Columbus’s　egg。　He　was　enchanted　at　the　unexpected　rapidity　of　his　pupil’s　progress；　but　could　not　abandon　the　edifice　of　subtle　argument　that　had　cost　him　mental　effort。
“Let　us　understand　each　other；”　he　said；　with　a　smile；　and　began　to　find　arguments　to　refute　his　spiritual　daughter’s　contention。


Chapter　7
ELLEN　perceived　that　the　matter　was　very　simple　and　easy　from　the　ecclesiastical　point　of　view；　but　that　her　spiritual　counsellors　raised　difficulties　simply　because　they　were　apprehensive　of　the　way　in　which　it　might　be　looked　at　by　the　temporal　authorities。
And；　consequently；　Ellen　decided　in　her　own　mind　that　the　way　must　be　paved　for　society　to　look　at　the　matter　in　the　true　light。　She　excited　the　jealousy　of　the　old　dignitary；　and　said　the　same　thing　to　him　as　she　had　to　her　other　suitor—that　is；　gave　him　to　understand　that　the　sole　means　of　obtaining　exclusive　rights　over　her　was　to　marry　her。　The　elderly　dignitary　was；　like　the　young　foreign　prince；　for　the　first　moment　taken　aback　at　this　proposal　of　marriage　from　a　wife　whose　husband　was　living。　But　Ellen’s　unfaltering　confidence　in　asserting　that　it　was　a　matter　as　simple　and　natural　as　the　marriage　of　an　unmarried　girl　had　its　effect　on　him　too。　Had　the　slightest　traces　of　hesitation；　shame；　or　reserve　been　perceptible　in　Ellen　herself；　her　case　would　have　been　undoubtedly　lost。　But　far　from　it；　with　perfect　directness　and　simple…hearted　na？veté；　she　told　her　intimate　friends　（and　that　term　included　all　Petersburg）；　that　both　the　prince　and　the　dignitary　had　made　her　proposals　of　marriage；　and　that　she　loved　both；　and　was　afraid　of　grieving　either。
The　rumour　was　immediately　all　over　Petersburg—not　that　Ellen　wanted　a　divorce　from　her　husband　（had　such　a　rumour　been　discussed　very　many　persons　would　have　set　themselves　against　any　such　illegal　proceeding）—but　that　the　unhappy；　interesting　Ellen　was　in　hesitation　which　of　her　t