the red inn-第6章

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It　was　not　without　deep　emotion　that　I　burned　the　letter　of　which　I

was　the　bearer。　You　will　perhaps　smile　at　my　German　imagination；　but　I

see　a　drama　of　sad　sublimity　in　the　eternal　secrecy　which　engulfed

those　parting　words　cast　between　two　graves；　unknown　to　all　creation；

like　the　cry　uttered　in　a　desert　by　some　lonely　traveller　whom　a　lion

seizes。〃



〃And　if；〃　I　said；　interrupting　him；　〃you　were　brought　face　to　face

with　a　man　now　in　this　room；　and　were　told；　'This　is　the　murderer！'

would　not　that　be　another　drama？　And　what　would　you　do？〃



Monsieur　Hermann　looked　for　his　hat　and　went　away。



〃You　are　behaving　like　a　young　man；　and　very　heedlessly；〃　said　my

neighbor。　〃Look　at　Taillefer！there；　seated　on　that　sofa　at　the

corner　of　the　fireplace。　Mademoiselle　Fanny　is　offering　him　a　cup　of

coffee。　He　smiles。　Would　a　murderer　to　whom　that　tale　must　have　been

torture；　present　so　calm　a　face？　Isn't　his　whole　air　patriarchal？〃



〃Yes；　but　go　and　ask　him　if　he　went　to　the　war　in　Germany；〃　I　said。



〃Why　not？〃



And　with　that　audacity　which　is　seldom　lacking　to　women　when　some

action　attracts　them；　or　their　minds　are　impelled　by　curiosity；　my

neighbor　went　up　to　the　purveyor。



〃Were　you　ever　in　Germany？〃　she　asked。



Taillefer　came　near　dropping　his　cup　and　saucer。



〃I；　madame？　No；　never。〃



〃What　are　you　talking　about；　Taillefer〃；　said　our　host；　interrupting

him。　〃Were　you　not　in　the　commissariat　during　the　campaign　of　Wagram？〃



〃Ah；　true！〃　replied　Taillefer；　〃I　was　there　at　that　time。〃



〃You　are　mistaken；〃　said　my　neighbor；　returning　to　my　side；　〃that's　a

good　man。〃



〃Well；〃　I　cried；　〃before　the　end　of　this　evening；　I　will　hunt　that

murderer　out　of　the　slough　in　which　he　is　hiding。〃



Every　day；　before　our　eyes；　a　moral　phenomenon　of　amazing　profundity

takes　place　which　is；　nevertheless；　so　simple　as　never　to　be　noticed。

If　two　men　meet　in　a　salon；　one　of　whom　has　the　right　to　hate　or

despise　the　other；　whether　from　a　knowledge　of　some　private　and　latent

fact　which　degrades　him；　or　of　a　secret　condition；　or　even　of　a　coming

revenge；　those　two　men　divine　each　other's　souls；　and　are　able　to

measure　the　gulf　which　separates　or　ought　to　separate　them。　They

observe　each　other　unconsciously；　their　minds　are　preoccupied　by

themselves；　through　their　looks；　their　gestures；　an　indefinable

emanation　of　their　thought　transpires；　there's　a　magnet　between　them。

I　don't　know　which　has　the　strongest　power　of　attraction；　vengeance　or

crime；　hatred　or　insult。　Like　a　priest　who　cannot　consecrate　the　host

in　presence　of　an　evil　spirit；　each　is　ill　at　ease　and　distrustful；

one　is　polite；　the　other　surly；　but　I　know　not　which；　one　colors　or

turns　pale；　the　other　trembles。　Often　the　avenger　is　as　cowardly　as

the　victim。　Few　men　have　the　courage　to　invoke　an　evil；　even　when　just

or　necessary；　and　men　are　silent　or　forgive　a　wrong　from　hatred　of

uproar　or　fear　of　some　tragic　ending。



This　introsusception　of　our　souls　and　our　sentiments　created　a

mysterious　struggle　between　Taillefer　and　myself。　Since　the　first

inquiry　I　had　put　to　him　during　Monsieur　Hermann's　narrative；　he　had

steadily　avoided　my　eye。　Possibly　he　avoided　those　of　all　the　other

guests。　He　talked　with　the　youthful；　inexperienced　daughter　of　the

banker；　feeling；　no　doubt；　like　many　other　criminals；　a　need　of

drawing　near　to　innocence；　hoping　to　find　rest　there。　But；　though　I

was　a　long　distance　from　him；　I　heard　him；　and　my　piercing　eye

fascinated　his。　When　he　thought　he　could　watch　me　unobserved　our　eyes

met；　and　his　eyelids　dropped　immediately。



Weary　of　this　torture；　Taillefer　seemed　determined　to　put　an　end　to　it

by　sitting　down　at　a　card…table。　I　at　once　went　to　bet　on　his

adversary；　hoping　to　lose　my　money。　The　wish　was　granted；　the　player

left　the　table　and　I　took　his　place；　face　to　face　with　the　murderer。



〃Monsieur；〃　I　said；　while　he　dealt　the　cards；　〃may　I　ask　if　you　are

Monsieur　Frederic　Taillefer；　whose　family　I　know　very　well　at

Beauvais？〃



〃Yes；　monsieur；〃　he　answered。



He　dropped　the　cards；　turned　pale；　put　his　hands　to　his　head　and　rose；

asking　one　of　the　bettors　to　take　his　hand。



〃It　is　too　hot　here；〃　he　cried；　〃I　fear〃



He　did　not　end　the　sentence。　His　face　expressed　intolerable　suffering；

and　he　went　out　hastily。　The　master　of　the　house　followed　him　and

seemed　to　take　an　anxious　interest　in　his　condition。　My　neighbor　and　I

looked　at　each　other；　but　I　saw　a　tinge　of　bitter　sadness　or　reproach

upon　her　countenance。



〃Do　you　think　your　conduct　is　merciful？〃　she　asked；　drawing　me　to　the

embrasure　of　a　window　just　as　I　was　leaving　the　card…table；　having

lost　all　my　money。　〃Would　you　accept　the　power　of　reading　hearts？　Why

not　leave　things　to　human　justice　or　divine　justice？　We　may　escape　one

but　we　cannot　escape　the　other。　Do　you　think　the　privilege　of　a　judge

of　the　court　of　assizes　so　much　to　be　envied？　You　have　almost　done　the

work　of　an　executioner。〃



〃After　sharing　and　stimulating　my　curiosity；　why　are　you　now　lecturing

me　on　morality？〃



〃You　have　made　me　reflect；〃　she　answered。



〃So；　then；　peace　to　villains；　war　to　the　sorrowful；　and　let's　deify

gold！　However；　we　will　drop　the　subject；〃　I　added；　laughing。　〃Do　you

see　that　young　girl　who　is　just　entering　the　salon？〃



〃Yes；　what　of　her？〃



〃I　met　her；　three　days　ago；　at　the　ball　of　the　Neapolitan　ambassador；

and　I　am　passionately　in　love　with　her。　For　pity's　sake　tell　me　her

name。　No　one　was　able〃



〃That　is　Mademoiselle　Victorine　Taillefer。〃



I　grew　dizzy。



〃Her　step…mother；〃　continued　my　neighbor；　〃has　lately　taken　her　from　a

convent；　where　she　was　finishing；　rather　late　in　the　day；　her

education。　For　a　long　time　her　father　refused　to　recognize　her。　She

comes　here　for　the　first　time。　She　is　very　beautiful　and　very　rich。〃



These　words　were　accompanied　by　a　sardonic　smile。



At　this　moment　we　heard　violent；　but　smothered　outcries；　they　seemed

to　come　from　a　neighboring　apartment　and　to　be　echoed　faintly　back

through　the　garden。



〃Isn't　that　the　voice　of　Monsieur　Taillefer？〃　I　said。



We　gave　our　full　attention　to　the　noise；　a　frightful　moaning　reached

our　ears。　The　wife　of　the　banker　came　hurriedly　towards　us　and　closed

the　window。



〃Let　us　avoid　a　scene；〃　she　said。　〃If　Mademoiselle　Taillefer　hears　her

father；　she　might　be　thrown　into　hysterics。〃



The　banker　now　re…entered　the　salon；　looked　round　for　Victorine；　and

said　a　few　words　in　her　ear。　Instantly　the　young　girl　uttered　a　cry；

ran　to　the　door；　and　disappeared。　This　event　produced　a　great

sensation。　The　card…players　paused。　Every　one　questioned　his　neighbor。

The　murmur　of　voices　swelled；　and　groups　gathered。



〃Can　Monsieur　Taillefer　be〃　I　began。



〃dead？〃　said　my　sarcastic　neighbor。　〃You　would　wear　the　gayest

mourning；　I　fancy！〃



〃But　what　has　happened　to　him？〃



〃The　poor　dear　man；〃　said　the　mistress　of　the　house；　〃is　subject　to

attacks　of　a　disease　the　name　of　which　I　never　can　remember；　though

Monsieur　Brousson　has　often　told　it　to　me；　and　he　has　just　been　seized

with　one。〃



〃What　is　the　nature　of　the　disease？〃　asked　an　examining…judge。



〃Oh；　it　is　something　terrible；　monsieur；〃　she　replied。　〃The　doctors

know　no　remedy。　It　causes　the　most　dreadful　suffering。　One　day；　while

the　unfortunate　man　was　staying　at　my　country…house；　he　had　an　attack；

and　I　was　obliged　to　go　away　and　stay　with　a　neighbor　to　avoid　hearing

him；　his　cries　were　terrible；　he　tried　to　kill　himself；　his　daughter

was　obliged　to　have　him　put　into　a　strait…jacket　and　fastened　to　his

bed。　The　poor　man　declares　there　are　live　animals　in　his　head　gnawing

his　brain；　every　nerve　quivers　with　horrible　shooting　pains；　and　he

writhes　in　torture。　He　suffers　so　much　in　his　head　that　he　did　not

even　feel　the　moxas　they　used　formerly　to　apply　to　relieve　it；　but

Monsieur　Brousson；　who　is　now　his　physician；　has　forbidden　that

remedy；　declaring　that　the　trouble　is　a　nervous　affection；　an

inflammation　of　the　nerves；　for　which　leeches　should　be　applied　to　the

neck；　and　opium　to　the　head。　As　a　result；　the　attacks　are　not　so

frequent；　they　appear　now　only　about　once　a　year；　and　always　late　in

the　autumn。　When　he　recovers；　Taillefer　says　repeatedly　that　he　would

far　rather　die　than　endure　such　torture。〃



〃Then　he　must　suffer　terribly！〃　said　a　broker；　considered　a　wit；　who

was　present。



〃Oh；〃　continued　the　mistress　of　the　house；　〃last　year　he　nearly　died

in　one　of　these　attacks。　He　had　gone　alone　to　his　country…house　on

pressing　business。　For　want；　perhaps；　of　immediate　help；　he　lay

twenty…two　hours　stiff　and　stark　as　though　he　were　dead。　A　very　hot

bath　was　all　that　saved　him。〃



〃It　must　be　a　species　of　lockjaw；〃　said　one　of　the　guests。



〃I　don't　know；〃　she　answered。　〃He　got　the　disease　in　the　army　nearly

thirty　years　ago。　He　says　it　was　caused　by　a　splinter　of　wood　entering

his　head　from　a　shot　on　board　a　boat。　Brousson　hopes　to　cure　him。　They

say　the　English　have　discovered　a　mode　of　treating　the　disease　with

prussic　acid〃



At　that　instant　a　still　more　piercing　cry　echoed　through　the　house；

and　froze　us　with　horror。



〃There！　that　is　what　I　listened　to　all　day　long　last　year；〃　said　the

banker's　wife。　〃It　made　me　jump　in　my　chair　and　rasped　my　nerves

dreadfully。　But；　strange　to　say；　poor　Taillefer；　though　he　suffers

untold　agony；　is　in　no　danger　of　dying。　He　eats　and　drinks　as　well　as

ever　during　even　short　cessations　of　the　painnature　is　so　queer！　A

German　doctor　told　him　it　was　a　form　of　gout　in　the　head；　and　that

agrees　with　Brousson's　opinion。〃



I　left　the　group　around　the　mistress　of　the　house　and　went　away。　On

the　staircase　I　met　Mademoiselle　Taillefer；　whom　a　footman　had　come　to

fetch。



〃Oh！〃　she　said　to　me；　weeping；　〃what　has　my　poor　father　ever　done　to

deserve　such　suffering？so　kind　as　he　is！〃



I　accompanied　her　downstairs　and　assisted　her　in　getting　into　the

carriage；　and　there　I　saw　her　father　bent　almost　double。



Mademoiselle　Taillefer　tried　to　stifle　his　moans　by　putting　her

handkerchief　to　his　mouth；　unhappily　he　saw　me；　his　face　became　even

more　distorted；　a　convulsive　cry　rent　the　air；　and　he　gave　me　a

dreadful　look　as　the　carriage　rolled　away。



That　dinner；　that　evening　exercised　a　cruel　influence　on　my　life　and

on　my　feelings。　I　loved　Mademoiselle　Taillefer；　precisely；　perhaps；

because　honor　and　decency　forbade　me　to　marry　the　daughter　of　a

murderer；　however　good　a　husband　and　father　he　might　be。　A　curious

fatality　impelled　me　to　visit　those　houses　where　I　knew　I　could　meet

Victorine；　often；　after　giving　myself　my　word　of　honor　to　renounce　the

happiness　of　seeing　her；　I　found　myself　that　same　evening　beside　her。

My　struggles　were　great。　Legitimate　love；　full　of　chimerical　remorse；

assumed　the　color　of　a　criminal　passion。　I　despised　myself　for　bowing