a daughter of eve-第24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！





〃At　Mademoiselle　Florine's；　probably；〃　replied　the　man；　taking　Marie

for　a　rival　who　intended　to　make　a　scene。



〃Where　does　he　work？〃



〃In　his　office；　the　key　of　which　he　carries　in　his　pocket。〃



〃I　wish　to　go　there。〃



The　man　took　her　to　a　dark　little　room　looking　out　on　a　rear　court…

yard。　The　office　was　at　right　angles。　Opening　the　window　of　the　room

she　was　in；　the　countess　could　look　through　into　the　window　of　the

office；　and　she　saw　Nathan　sitting　there　in　the　editorial　arm…chair。



〃Break　in　the　door；　and　be　silent　about　all　this；　I'll　pay　you　well；〃

she　said。　〃Don't　you　see　that　Monsieur　Nathan　is　dying？〃



The　man　got　an　iron　bar　from　the　press…room；　with　which　he　burst　in

the　door。　Raoul　had　actually　smothered　himself；　like　any　poor　work…

girl；　with　a　pan　of　charcoal。　He　had　written　a　letter　to　Blondet；

which　lay　on　the　table；　in　which　he　asked　him　to　ascribe　his　death　to

apoplexy。　The　countess；　however；　had　arrived　in　time；　she　had　Raoul

carried　to　her　coach；　and　then；　not　knowing　where　else　to　care　for

him；　she　took　him　to　a　hotel；　engaged　a　room；　and　sent　for　a　doctor。

In　a　few　hours　Raoul　was　out　of　danger；　but　the　countess　did　not　leave

him　until　she　had　obtained　a　general　confession　of　the　causes　of　his

act。　When　he　had　poured　into　her　heart　the　dreadful　elegy　of　his　woes；

she　said；　in　order　to　make　him　willing　to　live：



〃I　can　arrange　all　that。〃



But；　nevertheless；　she　returned　home　with　a　heart　oppressed　with　the

same　anxieties　and　ideas　that　had　darkened　Nathan's　brow　the　night

before。



〃Well；　what　was　the　matter　with　your　sister？〃　said　Felix；　when　his

wife　returned。　〃You　look　distressed。〃



〃It　is　a　dreadful　history　about　which　I　am　bound　to　secrecy；〃　she

said；　summoning　all　her　nerve　to　appear　calm　before　him。



In　order　to　be　alone　and　to　think　at　her　ease；　she　went　to　the　Opera

in　the　evening；　after　which　she　resolved　to　go　（as　we　have　seen）　and

discharge　her　heart　into　that　of　her　sister；　Madame　du　Tillet；

relating　to　her　the　horrible　scene　of　the　morning；　and　begging　her

advice　and　assistance。　Neither　the　one　nor　the　other　could　then　know

that　du　Tillet　himself　had　lighted　the　charcoal　of　the　vulgar　brazier；

the　sight　of　which　had　so　justly　terrified　the　countess。



〃He　has　but　me　in　all　the　world；〃　said　Marie　to　her　sister；　〃and　I

will　not　fail　him。〃



That　speech　contains　the　secret　motive　of　most　women；　they　can　be

heroic　when　they　are　certain　of　being　all　in　all　to　a　grand　and

irreproachable　being。







CHAPTER　VIII



A　LOVER　SAVED　AND　LOST



Du　Tillet　had　heard　some　talk　even　in　financial　circles　of　the　more　or

less　possible　adoration　of　his　sister…in…law　for　Nathan；　but　he　was

one　of　those　who　denied　it；　thinking　it　incompatible　with　Raoul's

known　relations　with　Florine。　The　actress　would　certainly　drive　off

the　countess；　or　vice　versa。　But　when；　on　coming　home　that　evening；　he

found　his　sister…in…law　with　a　perturbed　face；　in　consultation　with

his　wife　about　money；　it　occurred　to　him　that　Raoul　had；　in　all

probability；　confided　to　her　his　situation。　The　countess　must

therefore　love　him；　she　had　doubtless　come　to　obtain　from　her　sister

the　sum　due　to　old　Gigonnet。　Madame　du　Tillet；　unaware；　of　course；　of

the　reasons　for　her　husband's　apparently　supernatural　penetration；　had

shown　such　stupefaction　when　he　told　her　the　sum　wanted；　that　du

Tillet's　suspicions　became　certainties。　He　was　sure　now　that　he　held

the　thread　of　all　Nathan's　possible　manoeuvres。



No　one　knew　that　the　unhappy　man　himself　was　in　bed　in　a　small　hotel

in　the　rue　du　Mail；　under　the　name　of　the　office　watchman；　to　whom

Marie　had　promised　five　hundred　francs　if　he　kept　silence　as　to　the

events　of　the　preceding　night　and　morning。　Thus　bribed；　the　man；　whose

name　was　Francois　Quillet；　went　back　to　the　office　and　left　word　with

the　portress　that　Monsieur　Nathan　had　been　taken　ill　in　consequence　of

overwork；　and　was　resting。　Du　Tillet　was　therefore　not　surprised　at

Raoul's　absence。　It　was　natural　for　the　journalist　to　hide　under　any

such　pretence　to　avoid　arrest。　When　the　sheriff's　spies　made　inquiries

they　learned　that　a　lady　had　carried　him　away　in　a　public　coach　early

in　the　morning；　but　it　took　three　days　to　ferret　out　the　number　of　the

coach；　question　the　driver；　and　find　the　hotel　where　the　debtor　was

recovering　his　strength。　Thus　Marie's　prompt　action　had　really　gained

for　Nathan　a　truce　of　four　days。



Both　sisters　passed　a　cruel　night。　Such　a　catastrophe　casts　the　lurid

gleams　of　its　charcoal　over　the　whole　of　life；　showing　reefs；　pools；

depths；　where　the　eye　has　hitherto　seen　only　summits　and　grandeurs。

Struck　by　the　horrible　picture　of　a　young　man　lying　back　in　his　chair

to　die；　with　the　last　proofs　of　his　paper　before　him；　containing　in

type　his　last　thoughts；　poor　Madame　du　Tillet　could　think　of　nothing

else　than　how　to　save　him　and　restore　a　life　so　precious　to　her

sister。　It　is　the　nature　of　our　mind　to　see　effects　before　we　analyze

their　causes。　Eugenie　recurred　to　her　first　idea　of　consulting　Madame

Delphine　de　Nucingen；　with　whom　she　was　to　dine；　and　she　resolved　to

make　the　attempt；　not　doubting　of　success。　Generous；　like　all　persons

who　are　not　bound　in　the　polished　steel　armor　of　modern　society；

Madame　du　Tillet　resolved　to　take　the　whole　matter　upon　herself。



The　countess；　on　the　other　hand；　happy　in　the　thought　that　she　had

saved　Raoul's　life；　spent　the　night　in　devising　means　to　obtain　the

forty　thousand　francs。　In　emergencies　like　these　women　are　sublime；

they　find　contrivances　which　would　astonish　thieves；　business　men；　and

usurers；　if　those　three　classes　of　industrials　were　capable　of　being

astonished。　First；　the　countess　sold　her　diamonds　and　decided　on

wearing　paste；　then　she　resolved　to　ask　the　money　from　Vandenesse　on

her　sister's　account；　but　these　were　dishonorable　means；　and　her　soul

was　too　noble　not　to　recoil　at　them；　she　merely　conceived　them；　and

cast　them　from　her。　Ask　money　of　Vandenesse　to　give　to　Nathan！　She

bounded　in　her　bed　with　horror　at　such　baseness。　Wear　false　diamonds

to　deceive　her　husband！　Next　she　thought　of　borrowing　the　money　from

the　Rothschilds；　who　had　so　much；　or　from　the　archbishop　of　Paris；

whose　mission　it　was　to　help　persons　in　distress；　darting　thus　from

thought　to　thought；　seeking　help　in　all。　She　deplored　belonging　to　a

class　opposed　to　the　government。　Formerly；　she　could　easily　have

borrowed　the　money　on　the　steps　of　the　throne。　She　thought　of

appealing　to　her　father；　the　Comte　de　Granville。　But　that　great

magistrate　had　a　horror　of　illegalities；　his　children　knew　how　little

he　sympathized　with　the　trials　of　love；　he　was　now　a　misanthrope　and

held　all　affairs　of　the　heart　in　horror。　As　for　the　Comtesse　de

Granville；　she　was　living　a　retired　life　on　one　of　her　estates　in

Normandy；　economizing　and　praying；　ending　her　days　between　priests　and

money…bags；　cold　as　ever　to　her　dying　moment。　Even　supposing　that

Marie　had　time　to　go　to　Bayeux　and　implore　her；　would　her　mother　give

her　such　a　sum　unless　she　explained　why　she　wanted　it？　Could　she　say

she　had　debts？　Yes；　perhaps　her　mother　would　be　softened　by　the　wants

of　her　favorite　child。　Well；　then！　in　case　all　other　means　failed；　she

WOULD　go　to　Normandy。　The　dreadful　sight　of　the　morning；　the　effects

she　had　made　to　revive　Nathan；　the　hours　passed　beside　his　pillow；　his

broken　confession；　the　agony　of　a　great　soul；　a　vast　genius　stopped　in

its　upward　flight　by　a　sordid　vulgar　obstacle；all　these　things

rushed　into　her　memory　and　stimulated　her　love。　She　went　over　and　over

her　emotions；　and　felt　her　love　to　be　deeper　in　these　days　of　misery

than　in　those　of　Nathan's　fame　and　grandeur。　She　felt　the　nobility　of

his　last　words　said　to　her　in　Lady　Dudley's　boudoir。　What　sacredness

in　that　farewell！　What　grandeur　in　the　immolation　of　a　selfish

happiness　which　would　have　been　her　torture！　The　countess　had　longed

for　em