gobseck-第14章

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

mineral　water　had　not　been　taken　away。　The　sense　of　coming　dissolution

pervaded　all　the　details　of　an　unsightly　chaos。　Signs　of　death

appeared　in　things　inanimate　before　the　Destroyer　came　to　the　body　on

the　bed。　The　Comte　de　Restaud　could　not　bear　the　daylight；　the

Venetian　shutters　were　closed；　darkness　deepened　the　gloom　in　the

dismal　chamber。　The　sick　man　himself　had　wasted　greatly。　All　the　life

in　him　seemed　to　have　taken　refuge　in　the　still　brilliant　eyes。　The

livid　whiteness　of　his　face　was　something　horrible　to　see；　enhanced　as

it　was　by　the　long　dank　locks　of　hair　that　straggled　along　his　cheeks；

for　he　would　never　suffer　them　to　cut　it。　He　looked　like　some

religious　fanatic　in　the　desert。　Mental　suffering　was　extinguishing

all　human　instincts　in　this　man　of　scarce　fifty　years　of　age；　whom　all

Paris　had　known　as　so　brilliant　and　so　successful。



〃One　morning　at　the　beginning　of　December　1824；　he　looked　up　at

Ernest；　who　sat　at　the　foot　of　his　bed　gazing　at　his　father　with

wistful　eyes。



〃　'Are　you　in　pain？'　the　little　Vicomte　asked。



〃　'No；'　said　the　Count；　with　a　ghastly　smile；　'it　all　lies　HERE　AND

ABOUT　MY　HEART！'



〃He　pointed　to　his　forehead；　and　then　laid　his　wasted　fingers　on　his

hollow　chest。　Ernest　began　to　cry　at　the　sight。



〃　'How　is　it　that　M。　Derville　does　not　come　to　me？'　the　Count　asked

his　servant　（he　thought　that　Maurice　was　really　attached　to　him；　but

the　man　was　entirely　in　the　Countess'　interest）'What！　Maurice！'　and

the　dying　man　suddenly　sat　upright　in　his　bed；　and　seemed　to　recover

all　his　presence　of　mind；　'I　have　sent　for　my　attorney　seven　or　eight

times　during　the　last　fortnight；　and　he　does　not　come！'　he　cried。　'Do

you　imagine　that　I　am　to　be　trifled　with？　Go　for　him；　at　once；　this

very　instant；　and　bring　him　back　with　you。　If　you　do　not　carry　out　my

orders；　I　shall　get　up　and　go　myself。'



〃　'Madame；'　said　the　man　as　he　came　into　the　salon；　'you　heard　M。　le

Comte；　what　ought　I　to　do？'



〃　'Pretend　to　go　to　the　attorney；　and　when　you　come　back　tell　your

master　that　his　man　of　business　is　forty　leagues　away　from　Paris　on　an

important　lawsuit。　Say　that　he　is　expected　back　at　the　end　of　the

week。Sick　people　never　know　how　ill　they　are；'　thought　the　Countess；

'he　will　wait　till　the　man　comes　home。'



〃The　doctor　had　said　on　the　previous　evening　that　the　Count　could

scarcely　live　through　the　day。　When　the　servant　came　back　two　hours

later　to　give　that　hopeless　answer；　the　dying　man　seemed　to　be　greatly

agitated。



〃　'Oh　God！'　he　cried　again　and　again；　'I　put　my　trust　in　none　but

Thee。'



〃For　a　long　while　he　lay　and　gazed　at　his　son；　and　spoke　in　a　feeble

voice　at　last。



〃　'Ernest；　my　boy；　you　are　very　young；　but　you　have　a　good　heart；　you

can　understand；　no　doubt；　that　a　promise　given　to　a　dying　man　is

sacred；　a　promise　to　a　father　。　。　。　Do　you　feel　that　you　can　be

trusted　with　a　secret；　and　keep　it　so　well　and　so　closely　that　even

your　mother　herself　shall　not　know　that　you　have　a　secret　to　keep？

There　is　no　one　else　in　this　house　whom　I　can　trust　to…day。　You　will

not　betray　my　trust；　will　you？'



〃　'No；　father。'



〃　'Very　well；　then；　Ernest；　in　a　minute　or　two　I　will　give　you　a

sealed　packet　that　belongs　to　M。　Derville；　you　must　take　such　care　of

it　that　no　one　can　know　that　you　have　it；　then　you　must　slip　out　of

the　house　and　put　the　letter　into　the　post…box　at　the　corner。'



〃　'Yes；　father。'



〃　'Can　I　depend　upon　you？'



〃　'Yes；　father。'



〃　'Come　and　kiss　me。　You　have　made　death　less　bitter　to　me；　dear　boy。

In　six　or　seven　years'　time　you　will　understand　the　importance　of　this

secret；　and　you　will　be　well　rewarded　then　for　your　quickness　and

obedience；　you　will　know　then　how　much　I　love　you。　Leave　me　alone　for

a　minute；　and　let　no　oneno　matter　whomcome　in　meanwhile。'



〃Ernest　went　out　and　saw　his　mother　standing　in　the　next　room。



〃　'Ernest；'　said　she；　'come　here。'



〃She　sat　down；　drew　her　son　to　her　knees；　and　clasped　him　in　her　arms；

and　held　him　tightly　to　her　heart。



〃　'Ernest；　your　father　said　something　to　you　just　now。'



〃　'Yes；　mamma。'



〃　'What　did　he　say？'



〃　'I　cannot　repeat　it；　mamma。'



〃　'Oh；　my　dear　child！'　cried　the　Countess；　kissing　him　in　rapture。

'You　have　kept　your　secret；　how　glad　that　makes　me！　Never　tell　a　lie；

never　fail　to　keep　your　wordthose　are　two　principles　which　should

never　be　forgotten。'



〃　'Oh！　mamma；　how　beautiful　you　are！　YOU　have　never　told　a　lie；　I　am

quite　sure。'



〃　'Once　or　twice；　Ernest　dear；　I　have　lied。　Yes；　and　I　have　not　kept

my　word　under　circumstances　which　speak　louder　than　all　precepts。

Listen；　my　Ernest；　you　are　big　enough　and　intelligent　enough　to　see

that　your　father　drives　me　away；　and　will　not　allow　me　to　nurse　him；

and　this　is　not　natural；　for　you　know　how　much　I　love　him。'



〃　'Yes；　mamma。'



〃The　Countess　began　to　cry。　'Poor　child！'　she　said；　'this　misfortune

is　the　result　of　treacherous　insinuations。　Wicked　people　have　tried　to

separate　me　from　your　father　to　satisfy　their　greed。　They　mean　to　take

all　our　money　from　us　and　to　keep　it　for　themselves。　If　your　father

were　well；　the　division　between　us　would　soon　be　over；　he　would　listen

to　me；　he　is　loving　and　kind；　he　would　see　his　mistake。　But　now　his

mind　is　affected；　and　his　prejudices　against　me　have　become　a　fixed

idea；　a　sort　of　mania　with　him。　It　is　one　result　of　his　illness。　Your

father's　fondness　for　you　is　another　proof　that　his　mind　is　deranged。

Until　he　fell　ill　you　never　noticed　that　he　loved　you　more　than

Pauline　and　Georges。　It　is　all　caprice　with　him　now。　In　his　affection

for　you　he　might　take　it　into　his　head　to　tell　you　to　do　things　for

him。　If　you　do　not　want　to　ruin　us　all；　my　darling；　and　to　see　your

mother　begging　her　bread　like　a　pauper　woman；　you　must　tell　her

everything'



〃　'Ah！'　cried　the　Count。　He　had　opened　the　door　and　stood　there；　a

sudden；　half…naked　apparition；　almost　as　thin　and　fleshless　as　a

skeleton。



〃His　smothered　cry　produced　a　terrible　effect　upon　the　Countess；　she

sat　motionless；　as　if　a　sudden　stupor　had　seized　her。　Her　husband　was

as　white　and　wasted　as　if　he　had　risen　out　of　his　grave。



〃　'You　have　filled　my　life　to　the　full　with　trouble；　and　now　you　are

trying　to　vex　my　deathbed；　to　warp　my　boy's　mind；　and　make　a　depraved

man　of　him！'　he　cried；　hoarsely。



〃The　Countess　flung　herself　at　his　feet。　His　face；　working　with　the

last　emotions　of　life；　was　almost　hideous　to　see。



〃　'Mercy！　mercy！'　she　cried　aloud；　shedding　a　torrent　of　tears。



〃　'Have　you　shown　me　any　pity？'　he　asked。　'I　allowed　you　to　squander

your　own　money；　and　now　do　you　mean　to　squander　my　fortune；　too；　and

ruin　my　son？'



〃　'Ah！　well；　yes；　have　no　pity　for　me；　be　merciless　to　me！'　she　cried。

'But　the　children？　Condemn　your　widow　to　live　in　a　convent；　I　will

obey　you；　I　will　do　anything；　anything　that　you　bid　me；　to　expiate　the

wrong　I　have　done　you；　if　that　so　the　children　may　be　happy！　The

children！　Oh；　the　children！'



〃　'I　have　only　one　child；'　said　the　Count；　stretching　out　a　wasted

arm；　in　his　despair；　towards　his　son。



〃　'Pardon　a　penitent　woman；　a　penitent　woman！　。　。　。'　wailed　the

Countess；　her　arms　about　her　husband's　damp　feet。　She　could　not　speak

for　sobbing；　vague；　incoherent　sounds　broke　from　her　parched　throat。



〃　'You　dare　to　talk　of　penitence　after　all　that　you　said　to　Ernest！'

exclaimed　the　dying　man；　shaking　off　the　Countess；　who　lay　groveling

over　his　feet。'You　turn　me　to　ice！'　he　added；　and　there　was

something　appalling　in　the　indifference　with　which　he　uttered　the

words。　'You　have　been　a　bad　daughter；　you　have　been　a　bad　wife；　you

will　be　a　bad　mother。'



〃The　wretched　woman　fainted　away。　The　dying　man　reached　his　bed　and

lay　down　again；　and　a　few　hours　later　sank　into　unconsciousness。　The

priests　came　an