gobseck-第12章

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Merely　as　the　children　of　a　once…loved　wife；　now　fallen　from　her

position；　they　have　a　claim　to　an　assured　existence。　I　tell　you

plainly　that　I　cannot　accept　the　trust　with　which　you　propose　to　honor

me　unless　their　future　is　secured。'



〃The　Count　trembled　violently　at　the　words；　and　tears　came　into　his

eyes　as　he　grasped　my　hand；　saying；　'I　did　not　know　my　man　thoroughly。

You　have　made　me　both　glad　and　sorry。　We　will　make　provision　for　the

children　in　the　counter…deed。'



〃I　went　with　him　to　the　door；　it　seemed　to　me　that　there　was　a　glow　of

satisfaction　in　his　face　at　the　thought　of　this　act　of　justice。



〃Now；　Camille；　this　is　how　a　young　wife　takes　the　first　step　to　the

brink　of　a　precipice。　A　quadrille；　a　ballad；　a　picnic　party　is

sometimes　cause　sufficient　of　frightful　evils。　You　are　hurried　on　by

the　presumptuous　voice　of　vanity　and　pride；　on　the　faith　of　a　smile；

or　through　giddiness　and　folly！　Shame　and　misery　and　remorse　are　three

Furies　awaiting　every　woman　the　moment　she　oversteps　the　limits〃



〃Poor　Camille　can　hardly　keep　awake；〃　the　Vicomtesse　hastily　broke　in。

〃Go　to　bed；　child；　you　have　no　need　of　appalling　pictures　to　keep

you　pure　in　heart　and　conduct。〃



Camille　de　Grandlieu　took　the　hint　and　went。



〃You　were　going　rather　too　far；　dear　M。　Derville；〃　said　the

Vicomtesse；　〃an　attorney　is　not　a　mother　of　daughters　nor　yet　a

preacher。〃



〃But　any　newspaper　is　a　thousand　times〃



〃Poor　Derville！〃　exclaimed　the　Vicomtesse；　〃what　has　come　over　you？　Do

you　really　imagine　that　I　allow　a　daughter　of　mine　to　read　the

newspapers？Go　on；〃　she　added　after　a　pause。



〃Three　months　after　everything　was　signed　and　sealed　between　the　Count

and　Gobseck〃



〃You　can　call　him　the　Comte　de　Restaud；　now　that　Camille　is　not　here；〃

said　the　Vicomtesse。



〃So　be　it！　Well；　time　went　by；　and　I　saw　nothing　of　the　counter…deed；

which　by　rights　should　have　been　in　my　hands。　An　attorney　in　Paris

lives　in　such　a　whirl　of　business　that　with　certain　exceptions　which

we　make　for　ourselves；　we　have　not　the　time　to　give　each　individual

client　the　amount　of　interest　which　he　himself　takes　in　his　affairs。

Still；　one　day　when　Gobseck　came　to　dine　with　me；　I　asked　him　as　we

left　the　table　if　he　knew　how　it　was　that　I　had　heard　no　more　of　M。　de

Restaud。



〃　'There　are　excellent　reasons　for　that；'　he　said；　'the　noble　Count　is

at　death's　door。　He　is　one　of　the　soft　stamp　that　cannot　learn　how　to

put　an　end　to　chagrin；　and　allow　it　to　wear　them　out　instead。　Life　is

a　craft；　a　profession；　every　man　must　take　the　trouble　to　learn　that

business。　When　he　has　learned　what　life　is　by　dint　of　painful

experiences；　the　fibre　of　him　is　toughened；　and　acquires　a　certain

elasticity；　so　that　he　has　his　sensibilities　under　his　own　control；　he

disciplines　himself　till　his　nerves　are　like　steel　springs；　which

always　bend；　but　never　break；　given　a　sound　digestion；　and　a　man　in

such　training　ought　to　live　as　long　as　the　cedars　of　Lebanon；　and

famous　trees　they　are。'



〃　'Then　is　the　Count　actually　dying？'　I　asked。



〃　'That　is　possible；'　said　Gobseck；　'the　winding　up　of　his　estate　will

be　a　juicy　bit　of　business　for　you。'



〃I　looked　at　my　man；　and　said；　by　way　of　sounding　him：



〃　'Just　explain　to　me　how　it　is　that　we；　the　Count　and　I；　are　the　only

men　in　whom　you　take　an　interest？'



〃　'Because　you　are　the　only　two　who　have　trusted　me　without

finessing；'　he　said。



〃Although　this　answer　warranted　my　belief　that　Gobseck　would　act

fairly　even　if　the　counter…deed　were　lost；　I　resolved　to　go　to　see　the

Count。　I　pleaded　a　business　engagement；　and　we　separated。



〃I　went　straight　to　the　Rue　du　Helder；　and　was　shown　into　a　room　where

the　Countess　sat　playing　with　her　children。　When　she　heard　my　name；

she　sprang　up　and　came　to　meet　me；　then　she　sat　down　and　pointed

without　a　word　to　a　chair　by　the　fire。　Her　face　wore　the　inscrutable

mask　beneath　which　women　of　the　world　conceal　their　most　vehement

emotions。　Trouble　had　withered　that　face　already。　Nothing　of　its

beauty　now　remained；　save　the　marvelous　outlines　in　which　its

principal　charm　had　lain。



〃　'It　is　essential；　madame；　that　I　should　speak　to　M。　le　Comte〃



〃　'If　so；　you　would　be　more　favored　than　I　am；'　she　said；　interrupting

me。　'M。　de　Restaud　will　see　no　one。　He　will　hardly　allow　his　doctor　to

come；　and　will　not　be　nursed　even　by　me。　When　people　are　ill；　they

have　such　strange　fancies！　They　are　like　children；　they　do　not　know

what　they　want。'



〃　'Perhaps；　like　children；　they　know　very　well　what　they　want。'



〃The　Countess　reddened。　I　almost　repented　a　thrust　worthy　of　Gobseck。

So；　by　way　of　changing　the　conversation；　I　added；　'But　M。　de　Restaud

cannot　possibly　lie　there　alone　all　day；　madame。'



〃　'His　oldest　boy　is　with　him；'　she　said。



〃It　was　useless　to　gaze　at　the　Countess；　she　did　not　blush　this　time；

and　it　looked　to　me　as　if　she　were　resolved　more　firmly　than　ever　that

I　should　not　penetrate　into　her　secrets。



〃　'You　must　understand；　madame；　that　my　proceeding　is　no　way

indiscreet。　It　is　strongly　to　his　interest'　I　bit　my　lips；　feeling

that　I　had　gone　the　wrong　way　to　work。　The　Countess　immediately　took

advantage　of　my　slip。



〃　'My　interests　are　in　no　way　separate　from　my　husband's；　sir；'　said

she。　'There　is　nothing　to　prevent　your　addressing　yourself　to　me'



〃　'The　business　which　brings　me　here　concerns　no　one　but　M。　le　Comte；'

I　said　firmly。



〃　'I　will　let　him　know　of　your　wish　to　see　him。'



〃The　civil　tone　and　expression　assumed　for　the　occasion　did　not　impose

upon　me；　I　divined　that　she　would　never　allow　me　to　see　her　husband。　I

chatted　on　about　indifferent　matters　for　a　little　while；　so　as　to

study　her；　but；　like　all　women　who　have　once　begun　to　plot　for

themselves；　she　could　dissimulate　with　the　rare　perfection　which；　in

your　sex；　means　the　last　degree　of　perfidy。　If　I　may　dare　to　say　it；　I

looked　for　anything　from　her；　even　a　crime。　She　produced　this　feeling

in　me；　because　it　was　so　evident　from　her　manner　and　in　all　that　she

did　or　said；　down　to　the　very　inflections　of　her　voice；　that　she　had

an　eye　to　the　future。　I　went。



〃Now；　I　will　pass　on　to　the　final　scenes　of　this　adventure；　throwing

in　a　few　circumstances　brought　to　light　by　time；　and　some　details

guessed　by　Gobseck's　perspicacity　or　by　my　own。



〃When　the　Comte　de　Restaud　apparently　plunged　into　the　vortex　of

dissipation；　something　passed　between　the　husband　and　wife；　something

which　remains　an　impenetrable　secret；　but　the　wife　sank　even　lower　in

the　husband's　eyes。　As　soon　as　he　became　so　ill　that　he　was　obliged　to

take　to　his　bed；　he　manifested　his　aversion　for　the　Countess　and　the

two　youngest　children。　He　forbade　them　to　enter　his　room；　and　any

attempt　to　disobey　his　wishes　brought　on　such　dangerous　attacks　that

the　doctor　implored　the　Countess　to　submit　to　her　husband's　wish。



〃Mme。　de　Restaud　had　seen　the　family　estates　and　property；　nay；　the

very　mansion　in　which　she　lived；　pass　into　the　hands　of　Gobseck；　who

appeared　to　play　the　fantastic　ogre　so　far　as　their　wealth　was

concerned。　She　partially　understood　what　her　husband　was　doing；　no

doubt。　M。　de　Trailles　was　traveling　in　England　（his　creditors　had　been

a　little　too　pressing　of　late）；　and　no　one　else　was　in　a　position　to

enlighten　the　lady；　and　explain　that　her　husband　was　taking

precautions　against　her　at　Gobseck's　suggestion。　It　is　said　that　she

held　out　for　a　long　while　before　she　gave　the　signature　required　by

French　law　for　the　sale　of　the　property；　nevertheless　the　Count　gained

his　point。　The　Countess　was　convinced　that　her　husband　was　realizing

his　fortune；　and　that　somewhere　or　other　there　would　be　a　little　bunch

of　notes　representing　the　amount；　they　had　been　deposited　with　a

notary；　or　perhaps　at　the　bank；　or　in　some　safe　hiding…place。

Following　out　her　train　of　thought；　it　was　evident　that　M。　de　Restaud

must　of　necessity　have　som