a daughter of eve-第25章

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

for　emotions；　and　now　she　had　them；terrible；　cruel；　and　yet　most

precious。　She　lived　a　deeper　life　in　pain　than　in　pleasure。　With　what

delight　she　said　to　herself：　〃I　have　saved　him　once；　and　I　will　save

him　again。〃　She　heard　him　cry　out　when　he　felt　her　lips　upon　his

forehead；　〃Many　a　poor　wretch　does　not　know　what　love　is！〃



〃Are　you　ill？〃　said　her　husband；　coming　into　her　room　to　take　her　to

breakfast。



〃I　am　dreadfully　worried　about　a　matter　that　is　happening　at　my

sister's；〃　she　replied；　without　actually　telling　a　lie。



〃Your　sister　has　fallen　into　bad　hands；〃　replied　Felix。　〃It　is　a　shame

for　any　family　to　have　a　du　Tillet　in　it；a　man　without　honor　of　any

kind。　If　disaster　happened　to　her　she　would　get　no　pity　from　him。〃



〃What　woman　wants　pity？〃　said　the　countess；　with　a　convulsive　motion。

〃A　man's　sternness　is　to　us　our　only　pardon。〃



〃This　is　not　the　first　time　that　I　read　your　noble　heart；〃　said　the

count。　〃A　woman　who　thinks　as　you　do　needs　no　watching。〃



〃Watching！〃　she　said；　〃another　shame　that　recoils　on　you。〃



Felix　smiled；　but　Marie　blushed。　When　women　are　secretly　to　blame　they

often　show　ostensibly　the　utmost　womanly　pride。　It　is　a　dissimulation

of　mind　for　which　we　ought　to　be　obliged　to　them。　The　deception　is

full　of　dignity；　if　not　of　grandeur。　Marie　wrote　two　lines　to　Nathan

under　the　name　of　Monsieur　Quillet；　to　tell　him　that　all　went　well；

and　sent　them　by　a　street　porter　to　the　hotel　du　Mail。　That　night；　at

the　Opera；　Felix　thought　it　very　natural　that　she　should　wish　to　leave

her　box　and　go　to　that　of　her　sister；　and　he　waited　till　du　Tillet　had

left　his　wife　to　give　Marie　his　arm　and　take　her　there。　Who　can　tell

what　emotions　agitated　her　as　she　went　through　the　corridors　and

entered　her　sister's　box　with　a　face　that　was　outwardly　serene　and

calm！



〃Well？〃　she　said；　as　soon　as　they　were　alone。



Eugenie's　face　was　an　answer；　it　was　bright　with　a　joy　which　some

persons　might　have　attributed　to　the　satisfaction　of　vanity。



〃He　can　be　saved；　dear；　but　for　three　months　only；　during　which　time

we　must　plan　some　other　means　of　doing　it　permanently。　Madame　de

Nucingen　wants　four　notes　of　hand；　each　for　ten　thousand　francs；

endorsed　by　any　one；　no　matter　who；　so　as　not　to　compromise　you。　She

explained　to　me　how　they　were　made；　but　I　couldn't　understand　her。

Monsieur　Nathan；　however；　can　make　them　for　us。　I　thought　of　Schmucke；

our　old　master。　I　am　sure　he　could　be　very　useful　in　this　emergency；

he　will　endorse　the　notes。　You　must　add　to　the　four　notes　a　letter　in

which　you　guarantee　their　payment　to　Madame　de　Nucingen；　and　she　will

give　you　the　money　to…morrow。　Do　the　whole　thing　yourself；　don't　trust

it　to　any　one。　I　feel　sure　that　Schmucke　will　make　no　objection。　To

divert　all　suspicion　I　told　Madame　de　Nucingen　you　wanted　to　oblige

our　old　music…master　who　was　in　distress；　and　I　asked　her　to　keep　the

matter　secret。〃



〃You　have　the　sense　of　angels！　I　only　hope　Madame　de　Nucingen　won't

tell　of　it　until　after　she　gives　me　the　money；〃　said　the　countess。



〃Schmucke　lives　in　the　rue　de　Nevers　on　the　quai　Conti；　don't　forget

the　address；　and　go　yourself。〃



〃Thanks！〃　said　the　countess；　pressing　her　sister's　hand。　〃Ah！　I'd　give

ten　years　of　life〃



〃Out　of　your　old　age〃



〃If　I　could　put　an　end　to　these　anxieties；〃　said　the　countess；　smiling

at　the　interruption。



The　persons　who　were　at　that　moment　levelling　their　opera…glasses　at

the　two　sisters　might　well　have　supposed　them　engaged　in　some　light…

hearted　talk；　but　any　observer　who　had　come　to　the　Opera　more　for　the

pleasure　of　watching　faces　than　for　mere　idle　amusement　might　have

guessed　them　in　trouble；　from　the　anxious　look　which　followed　the

momentary　smiles　on　their　charming　faces。　Raoul；　who　did　not　fear　the

bailiffs　at　night；　appeared；　pale　and　ashy；　with　anxious　eye　and

gloomy　brow；　on　the　step　of　the　staircase　where　he　regularly　took　his

stand。　He　looked　for　the　Countess　in　her　box　and；　finding　it　empty；

buried　his　face　in　his　hands；　leaning　his　elbows　on　the　balustrade。



〃Can　she　be　here！〃　he　thought。



〃Look　up；　unhappy　hero；〃　whispered　Mme。　du　Tillet。



As　for　Marie；　at　all　risks　she　fixed　on　him　that　steady　magnetic　gaze；

in　which　the　will　flashes　from　the　eye；　as　rays　of　light　from　the　sun。

Such　a　look；　mesmerizers　say；　penetrates　to　the　person　on　whom　it　is

directed；　and　certainly　Raoul　seemed　as　though　struck　by　a　magic　wand。

Raising　his　head；　his　eyes　met　those　of　the　sisters。　With　that

charming　feminine　readiness　which　is　never　at　fault；　Mme。　de

Vandenesse　seized　a　cross；　sparkling　on　her　neck；　and　directed　his

attention　to　it　by　a　swift　smile；　full　of　meaning。　The　brilliance　of

the　gem　radiated　even　upon　Raoul's　forehead；　and　he　replied　with　a

look　of　joy；　he　had　understood。



〃Is　it　nothing　then；　Eugenie；〃　said　the　Countess；　〃thus　to　restore

life　to　the　dead？〃



〃You　have　a　chance　yet　with　the　Royal　Humane　Society；〃　replied

Eugenie；　with　a　smile。〃



〃How　wretched　and　depressed　he　looked　when　he　came；　and　how　happy　he

will　go　away！〃



At　this　moment　du　Tillet；　coming　up　to　Raoul　with　every　mark　of

friendliness；　pressed　his　hand；　and　said：



〃Well；　old　fellow；　how　are　you？〃



〃As　well　as　a　man　is　likely　to　be　who　has　just　got　the　best　possible

news　of　the　election。　I　shall　be　successful；〃　replied　Raoul；　radiant。



〃Delighted；〃　said　du　Tillet。　〃We　shall　want　money　for　the　paper。〃



〃The　money　will　be　found；〃　said　Raoul。



〃The　devil　is　with　these　woemn！〃　exclaimed　du　Tillet；　still

unconvinced　by　the　words　of　Raoul；　whom　he　had　nicknamed　Charnathan。



〃What　are　you　talking　about？〃　said　Raoul。



〃My　sister…in…law　is　there　with　my　wife；　and　they　are　hatching

something　together。　You　seem　in　high　favor　with　the　Countess；　she　is

bowing　to　you　right　across　the　house。〃



〃Look；〃　said　Mme。　du　Tillet　to　her　sister；　〃they　told　us　wrong。　See

how　my　husband　fawns　on　M。　Nathan；　and　it　is　he　who　they　declared　was

trying　to　get　him　put　in　prison！〃



〃And　men　call　us　slanderers！〃　cried　the　Countess。　〃I　will　give　him　a

warning。〃



She　rose；　took　the　arm　of　Vandenesse；　who　was　waiting　in　the　passage；

and　returned　jubilant　to　her　box；　by　and　by　she　left　the　Opera　and

ordered　her　carriage　for　the　next　morning　before　eight　o'clock。



The　next　morning；　by　half…past　eight；　Marie　had　driven　to　the　quai

Conti；　stopping　at　the　hotel　du　Mail　on　her　way。　The　carriage　could

not　enter　the　narrow　rue　de　Nevers；　but　as　Schmucke　lived　in　a　house

at　the　corner　of　the　quai　she　was　not　obliged　to　walk　up　its　muddy

pavement；　but　could　jump　from　the　step　of　her　carriage　to　the　broken

step　of　the　dismal　old　house；　mended　like　porter's　crockery；　with　iron

rivets；　and　bulging　out　over　the　street　in　a　way　that　was　quite

alarming　to　pedestrians。　The　old　chapel…master　lived　on　the　fourth

floor；　and　enjoyed　a　fine　view　of　the　Seine　from　the　pont　Neuf　to　the

heights　of　Chaillot。



The　good　soul　was　so　surprised　when　the　countess's　footman　announced

the　visit　of　his　former　scholar　that　in　his　stupefaction　he　let　her

enter　without　going　down　to　receive　her。　Never　did　the　countess

suspect　or　imagine　such　an　existence　as　that　which　suddenly　revealed

itself　to　her　eyes；　though　she　had　long　known　Schmucke's　contempt　for

dress；　and　the　little　interest　he　held　in　the　affairs　of　this　world。

But　who　could　have　believed　in　such　complete　indifference；　in　the

utter　laisser…aller　of　such　a　life？　Schmucke　was　a　musical　Diogenes；

and　he　felt　no　shame　whatever　in　his　untidiness；　in　fact；　he　was　so

accustomed　to　it　that　he　would　probably　have　denied　its　existence。　The

incessant　smoking　of　a　stout　German　pipe　had　spread　upon　the　ceiling

and　over　a　wretched　wall…paper；　scratched　and　defaced　by　the　cat；　a

yellowish　tinge。　The　cat；　a　magnificently　long…furred；　fluffy　animal；

the　envy　of　all　p