gobseck-第13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！


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

must　of　necessity　have　some　kind　of　document　in　his　possession　by

which　any　remaining　property　could　be　recovered　and　handed　over　to　his

son。



〃So　she　made　up　her　mind　to　keep　the　strictest　possible　watch　over　the

sick…room。　She　ruled　despotically　in　the　house；　and　everything　in　it

was　submitted　to　this　feminine　espionage。　All　day　she　sat　in　the　salon

adjoining　her　husband's　room；　so　that　she　could　hear　every　syllable

that　he　uttered；　every　least　movement　that　he　made。　She　had　a　bed　put

there　for　her　of　a　night；　but　she　did　not　sleep　very　much。　The　doctor

was　entirely　in　her　interests。　Such　wifely　devotion　seemed

praiseworthy　enough。　With　the　natural　subtlety　of　perfidy；　she　took

care　to　disguise　M。　de　Restaud's　repugnance　for　her；　and　feigned

distress　so　perfectly　that　she　gained　a　sort　of　celebrity。　Strait…

laced　women　were　even　found　to　say　that　she　had　expiated　her　sins。

Always　before　her　eyes　she　beheld　a　vision　of　the　destitution　to

follow　on　the　Count's　death　if　her　presence　of　mind　should　fail　her；

and　in　these　ways　the　wife；　repulsed　from　the　bed　of　pain　on　which　her

husband　lay　and　groaned；　had　drawn　a　charmed　circle　round　about　it。　So

near；　yet　kept　at　a　distance；　all…powerful；　but　in　disgrace；　the

apparently　devoted　wife　was　lying　in　wait　for　death　and　opportunity；

crouching　like　the　ant…lion　at　the　bottom　of　his　spiral　pit；　ever　on

the　watch　for　the　prey　that　cannot　escape；　listening　to　the　fall　of

every　grain　of　sand。



〃The　strictest　censor　could　not　but　recognize　that　the　Countess　pushed

maternal　sentiment　to　the　last　degree。　Her　father's　death　had　been　a

lesson　to　her；　people　said。　She　worshiped　her　children。　They　were　so

young　that　she　could　hide　the　disorders　of　her　life　from　their　eyes；

and　could　win　their　love；　she　had　given　them　the　best　and　most

brilliant　education。　I　confess　that　I　cannot　help　admiring　her　and

feeling　sorry　for　her。　Gobseck　used　to　joke　me　about　it。　Just　about

that　time　she　had　discovered　Maxime's　baseness；　and　was　expiating　the

sins　of　the　past　in　tears　of　blood。　I　was　sure　of　it。　Hateful　as　were

the　measures　which　she　took　for　regaining　control　of　her　husband's

money；　were　they　not　the　result　of　a　mother's　love；　and　a　desire　to

repair　the　wrongs　she　had　done　her　children？　And　again；　it　may　be；

like　many　a　woman　who　has　experienced　the　storm　of　lawless　love；　she

felt　a　longing　to　lead　a　virtuous　life　again。　Perhaps　she　only　learned

the　worth　of　that　life　when　she　came　to　reap　the　woeful　harvest　sown

by　her　errors。



〃Every　time　that　little　Ernest　came　out　of　his　father's　room；　she　put

him　through　a　searching　examination　as　to　all　that　his　father　had　done

or　said。　The　boy　willingly　complied　with　his　mother's　wishes；　and　told

her　even　more　than　she　asked　in　her　anxious　affection；　as　he　thought。



〃My　visit　was　a　ray　of　light　for　the　Countess。　She　was　determined　to

see　in　me　the　instrument　of　the　Count's　vengeance；　and　resolved　that　I

should　not　be　allowed　to　go　near　the　dying　man。　I　augured　ill　of　all

this；　and　earnestly　wished　for　an　interview；　for　I　was　not　easy　in　my

mind　about　the　fate　of　the　counter…deed。　If　it　should　fall　into　the

Countess'　hands；　she　might　turn　it　to　her　own　account；　and　that　would

be　the　beginning　of　a　series　of　interminable　lawsuits　between　her　and

Gobseck。　I　knew　the　usurer　well　enough　to　feel　convinced　that　he　would

never　give　up　the　property　to　her；　there　was　room　for　plenty　of　legal

quibbling　over　a　series　of　transfers；　and　I　alone　knew　all　the　ins　and

outs　of　the　matter。　I　was　minded　to　prevent　such　a　tissue　of

misfortune；　so　I　went　to　the　Countess　a　second　time。



〃I　have　noticed；　madame；〃　said　Derville；　turning　to　the　Vicomtesse；

and　speaking　in　a　confidential　tone；　〃certain　moral　phenomena　to　which

we　do　not　pay　enough　attention。　I　am　naturally　an　observer　of　human

nature；　and　instinctively　I　bring　a　spirit　of　analysis　to　the　business

that　I　transact　in　the　interest　of　others；　when　human　passions　are

called　into　lively　play。　Now；　I　have　often　noticed；　and　always　with

new　wonder；　that　two　antagonists　almost　always　divine　each　other's

inmost　thoughts　and　ideas。　Two　enemies　sometimes　possess　a　power　of

clear　insight　into　mental　processes；　and　read　each　other's　minds　as

two　lovers　read　in　either　soul。　So　when　we　came　together；　the　Countess

and　I；　I　understood　at　once　the　reason　of　her　antipathy　for　me；

disguised　though　it　was　by　the　most　gracious　forms　of　politeness　and

civility。　I　had　been　forced　to　be　her　confidant；　and　a　woman　cannot

but　hate　the　man　before　whom　she　is　compelled　to　blush。　And　she　on　her

side　knew　that　if　I　was　the　man　in　whom　her　husband　placed　confidence；

that　husband　had　not　as　yet　given　up　his　fortune。



〃I　will　spare　you　the　conversation；　but　it　abides　in　my　memory　as　one

of　the　most　dangerous　encounters　in　my　career。　Nature　had　bestowed　on

her　all　the　qualities　which；　combined；　are　irresistibly　fascinating；

she　could　be　pliant　and　proud　by　turns；　and　confiding　and　coaxing　in

her　manner；　she　even　went　so　far　as　to　try　to　subjugate　me。　It　was　a

failure。　As　I　took　my　leave　of　her；　I　caught　a　gleam　of　hate　and　rage

in　her　eyes　that　made　me　shudder。　We　parted　enemies。　She　would　fain

have　crushed　me　out　of　existence；　and　for　my　own　part；　I　felt　pity　for

her；　and　for　some　natures　pity　is　the　deadliest　of　insults。　This

feeling　pervaded　the　last　representations　I　put　before　her；　and　when　I

left　her；　I　left；　I　think；　dread　in　the　depths　of　her　soul；　by

declaring　that；　turn　which　way　she　would；　ruin　lay　inevitably　before

her。



〃　'If　I　were　to　see　M。　le　Comte；　your　children's　property　at　any　rate

would'



〃　'I　should　be　at　your　mercy；'　she　said；　breaking　in　upon　me；　disgust

in　her　gesture。



〃Now　that　we　had　spoken　frankly；　I　made　up　my　mind　to　save　the　family

from　impending　destitution。　I　resolved　to　strain　the　law　at　need　to

gain　my　ends；　and　this　was　what　I　did。　I　sued　the　Comte　de　Restaud　for

a　sum　of　money；　ostensibly　due　to　Gobseck；　and　gained　judgment。　The

Countess；　of　course；　did　not　allow　him　to　know　of　this；　but　I　had

gained　on　my　point；　I　had　a　right　to　affix　seals　to　everything　on　the

death　of　the　Count。　I　bribed　one　of　the　servants　in　the　housethe　man

undertook　to　let　me　know　at　any　hour　of　the　day　or　night　if　his　master

should　be　at　the　point　of　death；　so　that　I　could　intervene　at　once；

scare　the　Countess　with　a　threat　of　affixing　seals；　and　so　secure　the

counter…deed。



〃I　learned　later　on　that　the　woman　was　studying　the　Code；　with　her

husband's　dying　moans　in　her　ears。　If　we　could　picture　the　thoughts　of

those　who　stand　about　a　deathbed；　what　fearful　sights　should　we　not

see？　Money　is　always　the　motive…spring　of　the　schemes　elaborated；　of

all　the　plans　that　are　made　and　the　plots　that　are　woven　about　it！　Let

us　leave　these　details；　nauseating　in　the　nature　of　them；　but　perhaps

they　may　have　given　you　some　insight　into　all　that　this　husband　and

wife　endured；　perhaps　too　they　may　unveil　much　that　is　passing　in

secret　in　other　houses。



〃For　two　months　the　Comte　de　Restaud　lay　on　his　bed；　alone；　and

resigned　to　his　fate。　Mortal　disease　was　slowly　sapping　the　strength

of　mind　and　body。　Unaccountable　and　grotesque　sick　fancies　preyed　upon

him；　he　would　not　suffer　them　to　set　his　room　in　order；　no　one　could

nurse　him；　he　would　not　even　allow　them　to　make　his　bed。　All　his

surroundings　bore　the　marks　of　this　last　degree　of　apathy；　the

furniture　was　out　of　place；　the　daintiest　trifles　were　covered　with

dust　and　cobwebs。　In　health　he　had　been　a　man　of　refined　and　expensive

tastes；　now　he　positively　delighted　in　the　comfortless　look　of　the

room。　A　host　of　objects　required　in　illnessrows　of　medicine　bottles；

empty　and　full；　most　of　them　dirty；　crumpled　linen；　and　broken　plates；

littered　the　writing…table；　chairs；　and　chimney…piece。　An　open

warming…pan　lay　on　the　floor　before　the　grate；　a　bath；　still　f