a daughter of eve-第18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！



Comte　Felix。　〃In　other　respects　he　is　just　what　I　want　him：　the　son　of

a　Jew　broker　who　died　a　bankrupt　soon　after　his　marriage；　but　the

mother　was　a　Catholic；　and　I　am　sorry　to　say　she　made　a　Christian　of

the　boy。〃



This　origin；　which　Nathan　thought　carefully　concealed；　Lady　Dudley　had

just　discovered；　and　she　enjoyed　by　anticipation　the　pleasure　she

should　have　in　launching　some　terrible　epigram　against　Vandenesse。



〃Heavens！　I　have　just　invited　him　to　my　house！〃　cried　Madame　d'Espard。



〃Didn't　I　receive　him　at　my　ball？〃　replied　Lady　Dudley。　〃Some

pleasures；　my　dear　love；　are　costly。〃



The　news　of　the　mutual　attachment　between　Raoul　and　Madame　de

Vandenesse　circulated　in　the　world　after　this；　but　not　without

exciting　denials　and　incredulity。　The　countess；　however；　was　defended

by　her　friends；　Lady　Dudley；　and　Mesdames　d'Espard　and　de　Manerville；

with　an　unnecessary　warmth　that　gave　a　certain　color　to　the　calumny。



On　the　following　Wednesday　evening　Raoul　went　to　Madame　d'Espard's；

and　was　able　to　exchange　a　few　sentences　with　Marie；　more　expressive

by　their　tones　than　their　ideas。　In　the　midst　of　the　elegant　assembly

both　found　pleasure　in　those　enjoyable　sensations　given　by　the　voice；

the　gestures；　the　attitude　of　one　beloved。　The　soul　then　fastens　upon

absolute　nothings。　No　longer　do　ideas　or　even　language　speak；　but

things；　and　these　so　loudly；　that　often　a　man　lets　another　pay　the

small　attentionsbring　a　cup　of　tea；　or　the　sugar　to　sweeten　it

demanded　by　the　woman　he　loves；　fearful　of　betraying　his　emotion　to

eyes　that　seem　to　see　nothing　and　yet　see　all。　Raoul；　however；　a　man

indifferent　to　the　eyes　of　the　world；　betrayed　his　passion　in　his

speech　and　was　brilliantly　witty。　The　company　listened　to　the　roar　of

a　discourse　inspired　by　the　restraint　put　upon　him；　restraint　being

that　which　artists　cannot　endure。　This　Rolandic　fury；　this　wit　which

slashed　down　all　things；　using　epigram　as　its　weapon；　intoxicated

Marie　and　amused　the　circle　around　them；　as　the　sight　of　a　bull　goaded

with　banderols　amuses　the　company　in　a　Spanish　circus。



〃You　may　kick　as　you　please；　but　you　can't　make　a　solitude　about　you；〃

whispered　Blondet。



The　words　brought　Raoul　to　his　senses；　and　he　ceased　to　exhibit　his

irritation　to　the　company。　Madame　d'Espard　came　up　to　offer　him　a　cup

of　tea；　and　said　loud　enough　for　Madame　de　Vandenesse　to　hear：



〃You　are　certainly　very　amusing；　come　and　see　me　sometimes　at　four

o'clock。〃



The　word　〃amusing〃　offended　Raoul；　though　it　was　used　as　the　ground　of

an　invitation。　Blondet　took　pity　on　him。



〃My　dear　fellow；〃　he　said；　taking　him　aside　into　a　corner；　〃you　are

behaving　in　society　as　if　you　were　at　Florine's。　Here　no　one　shows

annoyance；　or　spouts　long　articles；　they　say　a　few　words　now　and　then；

they　look　their　calmest　when　most　desirous　of　flinging　others　out　of

the　window；　they　sneer　softly；　they　pretend　not　to　think　of　the　woman

they　adore；　and　they　are　careful　not　to　roll　like　a　donkey　on　the

high…road。　In　society；　my　good　Raoul；　conventions　rule　love。　Either

carry　off　Madame　de　Vandenesse；　or　show　yourself　a　gentleman。　As　it

is；　you　are　playing　the　lover　in　one　of　your　own　books。〃



Nathan　listened　with　his　head　lowered；　he　was　like　a　lion　caught　in　a

toil。



〃I'll　never　set　foot　in　this　house　again；〃　he　cried。　〃That　papier…

mache　marquise　sells　her　tea　too　dear。　She　thinks　me　amusing！　I

understand　now　why　Saint…Just　wanted　to　guillotine　this　whole　class　of

people。〃



〃You'll　be　back　here　to…morrow。〃



Blondet　was　right。　Passions　are　as　mean　as　they　are　cruel。　The　next

day　after　long　hesitation　between　〃I'll　goI'll　not　go；〃　Raoul　left

his　new　partners　in　the　midst　of　an　important　discussion　and　rushed　to

Madame　d'Espard's　house　in　the　faubourg　Saint…Honore。　Beholding

Rastignac's　elegant　cabriolet　enter　the　court…yard　while　he　was　paying

his　cab　at　the　gate；　Nathan's　vanity　was　stung；　he　resolved　to　have　a

cabriolet　himself；　and　its　accompanying　tiger；　too。　The　carriage　of

the　countess　was　in　the　court…yard；　and　the　sight　of　it　swelled

Raoul's　heart　with　joy。　Marie　was　advancing　under　the　pressure　of　her

desires　with　the　regularity　of　the　hands　of　a　clock　obeying　the

mainspring。　He　found　her　sitting　at　the　corner　of　the　fireplace　in　the

little　salon。　Instead　of　looking　at　Nathan　when　he　was　announced；　she

looked　at　his　reflection　in　a　mirror。



〃Monsieur　le　ministre；〃　said　Madame　d'Espard；　addressing　Nathan；　and

presenting　him　to　de　Marsay　by　a　glance；　〃was　maintaining；　when　you

came　in；　that　the　royalists　and　the　republicans　have　a　secret

understanding。　You　ought　to　know　something　about　it；　is　it　so？〃



〃If　it　were　so；〃　said　Raoul；　〃where's　the　harm？　We　hate　the　same

thing；　we　agree　as　to　our　hatreds；　we　differ　only　in　our　love。　That's

the　whole　of　it。〃



〃The　alliance　is　odd　enough；〃　said　de　Marsay；　giving　a　comprehensively

meaning　glance　at　the　Comtesse　Felix　and　Nathan。



〃It　won't　last；〃　said　Rastignac；　thinking；　perhaps；　wholly　of

politics。



〃What　do　you　think；　my　dear？〃　asked　Madame　d'Espard；　addressing　Marie。



〃I　know　nothing　of　public　affairs；〃　replied　the　countess。



〃But　you　soon　will；　madame；〃　said　de　Marsay；　〃and　then　you　will　be

doubly　our　enemy。〃



So　saying　he　left　the　room　with　Rastignac；　and　Madame　d'Espard

accompanied　them　to　the　door　of　the　first　salon。　The　lovers　had　the

room　to　themselves　for　a　few　moments。　Marie　held　out　her　ungloved　hand

to　Raoul；　who　took　and　kissed　it　as　though　he　were　eighteen　years　old。

The　eyes　of　the　countess　expressed　so　noble　a　tenderness　that　the

tears　which　men　of　nervous　temperament　can　always　find　at　their

service　came　into　Raoul's　eyes。



〃Where　can　I　see　you？　where　can　I　speak　with　you？〃　he　said。　〃It　is

death　to　be　forced　to　disguise　my　voice；　my　look；　my　heart；　my　love〃



Moved　by　that　tear　Marie　promised　to　drive　daily　in　the　Bois；　unless

the　weather　were　extremely　bad。　This　promise　gave　Raoul　more　pleasure

than　he　had　found　in　Florine　for　the　last　five　years。



〃I　have　so　many　things　to　say　to　you！　I　suffer　from　the　silence　to

which　we　are　condemned〃



The　countess　looked　at　him　eagerly　without　replying；　and　at　that

moment　Madame　d'Espard　returned　to　the　room。



〃Why　didn't　you　answer　de　Marsay？〃　she　said　as　she　entered。



〃We　ought　to　respect　the　dead；〃　replied　Raoul。　〃Don't　you　see　that　he

is　dying？　Rastignac　is　his　nurse；hoping　to　be　put　in　the　will。〃



The　countess　pretended　to　have　other　visits　to　pay；　and　left　the

house。



For　this　quarter　of　an　hour　Raoul　had　sacrificed　important　interests

and　most　precious　time。　Marie　was　perfectly　ignorant　of　the　life　of

such　men；　involved　in　complicated　affairs　and　burdened　with　exacting

toil。　Women　of　society　are　still　under　the　influence　of　the　traditions

of　the　eighteenth　century；　in　which　all　positions　were　definite　and

assured。　Few　women　know　the　harassments　in　the　life　of　most　men　who　in

these　days　have　a　position　to　make　and　to　maintain；　a　fame　to　reach；　a

fortune　to　consolidate。　Men　of　settled　wealth　and　position　can　now　be

counted；　old　men　alone　have　time　to　love；　young　men　are　rowing；　like

Nathan；　the　galleys　of　ambition。　Women　are　not　yet　resigned　to　this

change　of　customs；　they　suppose　the　same　leisure　of　which　they　have

too　much　in　those　who　have　none；　they　cannot　imagine　other

occupations；　other　ends　in　life　than　their　own。　When　a　lover　has

vanquished　the　Lernean　hydra　in　order　to　pay　them　a　visit　he　has　no

merit　in　their　eyes；　they　are　only　grateful　to　him　for　the　pleasure　he

gives；　they　neither　know　nor　care　what　it　costs。　Raoul　became　aware　as

he　returned　from　this　visit　how　difficult　it　would　be　to　hold　the

reins　of　a　love…affair　in　society；　the　ten…horsed　chariot　of

journalism；　his　dramas　on　the　stage；　and　his　generally　involved

affairs。



〃The　paper　will　be　wretched　to…night；〃　he　thought；　as　he　walked　away。

〃No　article　of　mine；　and　only　the　s