a daughter of eve-第12章

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declared　she　would　sell　everything　at　public　auction　if　they　did　not

offer　her　a　proper　price。　She　had　had　the　luck　to　please；　she　said；　an

English　lord；　and　she　wanted　to　get　rid　of　all　her　property　and　look

poor；　so　that　he　might　give　her　a　fine　house　and　furniture；　fit　to

rival　the　Rothschilds。　But　in　spite　of　these　persuasions　and

subterfuges；　all　the　dealers　would　offer　her　for　a　mass　of　belongings

worth　a　hundred　and　fifty　thousand　was　seventy　thousand。　Florine

thereupon　offered　to　deliver　over　everything　in　eight　days　for　eighty

thousand；〃To　take　or　leave；〃　she　said；and　the　bargain　was

concluded。　After　the　men　had　departed　she　skipped　for　joy；　like　the

hills　of　King　David；　and　performed　all　manner　of　follies；　not　having

thought　herself　so　rich。



When　Raoul　came　back　she　made　him　a　little　scene；　pretending　to　be

hurt；　she　declared　that　he　abandoned　her；　that　she　had　reflected；　men

did　not　pass　from　one　party　to　another；　from　the　stage　to　the　Chamber；

without　some　reason；　there　was　a　woman　at　the　bottom；　she　had　a　rival！

In　short；　she　made　him　swear　eternal　fidelity。　Five　days　later　she

gave　a　splendid　feast。　The　new　journal　was　baptized　in　floods　of　wine

and　wit；　with　oaths　of　loyalty；　fidelity；　and　good…fellowship。　The

name；　forgotten　now　like　those　of　the　Liberal；　Communal；　Departmental；

Garde　National；　Federal；　Impartial；　was　something　in　〃al〃　that　was

equally　imposing　and　evanescent。　At　three　in　the　morning　Florine　could

undress　and　go　to　bed　as　if　alone；　though　no　one　had　left　the　house；

these　lights　of　the　epoch　were　sleeping　the　sleep　of　brutes。　And　when；

early　in　the　morning；　the　packers　and　vans　arrived　to　remove　Florine's

treasures　she　laughed　to　see　the　porters　moving　the　bodies　of　the

celebrated　men　like　pieces　of　furniture　that　lay　in　their　way。　〃Sic

transit〃　all　her　fine　things！　all　her　presents　and　souvenirs　went　to

the　shops　of　the　various　dealers；　where　no　one　on　seeing　them　would

know　how　those　flowers　of　luxury　had　been　originally　paid　for。　It　was

agreed　that　a　few　little　necessary　articles　should　be　left；　for

Florine's　personal　convenience　until　evening；her　bed；　a　table；　a　few

chairs；　and　china　enough　to　give　her　guests　their　breakfast。



Having　gone　to　sleep　beneath　the　draperies　of　wealth　and　luxury；　these

distinguished　men　awoke　to　find　themselves　within　bare　walls；　full　of

nail…holes；　degraded　into　abject　poverty。



〃Why；　Florine！The　poor　girl　has　been　seized　for　debt！〃　cried　Bixiou；

who　was　one　of　the　guests。　〃Quick！　a　subscription　for　her！〃



On　this　they　all　roused　up。　Every　pocket　was　emptied　and　produced　a

total　of　thirty…seven　francs；　which　Raoul　carried　in　jest　to　Florine's

bedside。　She　burst　out　laughing　and　lifted　her　pillow；　beneath　which

lay　a　mass　of　bank…notes　to　which　she　pointed。



Raoul　called　to　Blondet。



〃Ah！　I　see！〃　cried　Blondet。　〃The　little　cheat　has　sold　herself　out

without　a　word　to　us。　Well　done；　you　little　angel！〃



Thereupon；　the　actress　was　borne　in　triumph　into　the　dining…room　where

most　of　the　party　still　remained。　The　lawyer　and　du　Tillet　had

departed。



That　evening　Florine　had　an　ovation　at　the　theatre；　the　story　of　her

sacrifice　had　circulated　among　the　audience。



〃I'd　rather　be　applauded　for　my　talent；〃　said　her　rival　in　the　green…

room。



〃A　natural　desire　in　an　actress　who　has　never　been　applauded　at　all；〃

remarked　Florine。



During　the　evening　Florine's　maid　installed　her　in　Raoul's　apartment

in　the　Passage　Sandrie。　Raoul　himself　was　to　encamp　in　the　house　where

the　office　of　the　new　journal　was　established。



Such　was　the　rival　of　the　innocent　Madame　de　Vandenesse。　Raoul　was　the

connecting　link　between　the　actress　and　the　countess；a　knot　severed

by　a　duchess　in　the　days　of　Louis　XV。　by　the　poisoning　of　Adrienne

Lecouvreur；　a　not　inconceivable　vengeance；　considering　the　offence。



Florine；　however；　was　not　in　the　way　of　Raoul's　dawning　passion。　She

foresaw　the　lack　of　money　in　the　difficult　enterprise　he　had

undertaken；　and　she　asked　for　leave　of　absence　from　the　theatre。　Raoul

conducted　the　negotiation　in　a　way　to　make　himself　more　than　ever

valuable　to　her。　With　the　good　sense　of　the　peasant　in　La　Fontaine's

fable；　who　makes　sure　of　a　dinner　while　the　patricians　talk；　the

actress　went　into　the　provinces　to　cut　faggots　for　her　celebrated　man

while　he　was　employed　in　hunting　power。







CHAPTER　VI



ROMANTIC　LOVE



On　the　morrow　of　the　ball　given　by　Lady　Dudley；　Marie；　without　having

received　the　slightest　declaration；　believed　that　she　was　loved　by

Raoul　according　to　the　programme　of　her　dreams；　and　Raoul　was　aware

that　the　countess　had　chosen　him　for　her　lover。　Though　neither　had

reached　the　incline　of　such　emotions　where　preliminaries　are　abridged；

both　were　on　the　road　to　it。　Raoul；　wearied　with　the　dissipations　of

life；　longed　for　an　ideal　world；　while　Marie；　from　whom　the　thought　of

wrong…doing　was　far；　indeed；　never　imagined　the　possibility　of　going

out　of　such　a　world。　No　love　was　ever　more　innocent　or　purer　than

theirs；　but　none　was　ever　more　enthusiastic　or　more　entrancing　in

thought。



The　countess　was　captivated　by　ideas　worthy　of　the　days　of　chivalry；

though　completely　modernized。　The　glowing　conversation　of　the　poet　had

more　echo　in　her　mind　than　in　her　heart。　She　thought　it　fine　to　be　his

providence。　How　sweet　the　thought　of　supporting　by　her　white　and

feeble　hand　this　colossus；whose　feet　of　clay　she　did　not　choose　to

see；　of　giving　life　where　life　was　needed；　of　being　secretly　the

creator　of　a　career；　of　helping　a　man　of　genius　to　struggle　with　fate

and　master　it。　Ah！　to　embroider　his　scarf　for　the　tournament！　to

procure　him　weapons！　to　be　his　talisman　against　ill…fortune！　his　balm

for　every　wound！　For　a　woman　brought　up　like　Marie；　religious　and

noble　as　she　was；　such　a　love　was　a　form　of　charity。　Hence　the

boldness　of　it。　Pure　sentiments　often　compromise　themselves　with　a

lofty　disdain　that　resembles　the　boldness　of　courtesans。



As　soon　as　by　her　specious　distinctions　Marie　had　convinced　herself

that　she　did　not　in　any　way　impair　her　conjugal　faith；　she　rushed　into

the　happiness　of　loving　Raoul。　The　least　little　things　of　her　daily

life　acquired　a　charm。　Her　boudoir；　where　she　thought　of　him；　became　a

sanctuary。　There　was　nothing　there　that　did　not　rouse　some　sense　of

pleasure；　even　her　ink…stand　was　the　coming　accomplice　in　the

pleasures　of　correspondence；　for　she　would　now　have　letters　to　read

and　answer。　Dress；　that　splendid　poesy　of　the　feminine　life；　unknown

or　exhausted　by　her；　appeared　to　her　eyes　endowed　with　a　magic

hitherto　unperceived。　It　suddenly　became　clear　to　her　what　it　is　to

most　women；　the　manifestation　of　an　inward　thought；　a　language；　a

symbol。　How　many　enjoyments　in　a　toilet　arranged　to　please　HIM；　to　do

HIM　honor！　She　gave　herself　up　ingenuously　to　all　those　gracefully

charming　things　in　which　so　many　Parisian　women　spend　their　lives；　and

which　give　such　significance　to　all　that　we　see　about　them；　and　in

them；　and　on　them。　Few　women　go　to　milliners　and　dressmakers　for　their

own　pleasure　and　interest。　When　old　they　never　think　of　adornment。　The

next　time　you　meet　in　the　street　a　young　woman　stopping　for　a　moment

to　look　into　a　shop…window；　examine　her　face　carefully。　〃Will　he　think

I　look　better　in　that？〃　are　the　words　written　on　that　fair　brow；　in

the　eyes　sparkling　with　hope；　in　the　smile　that　flickers　on　the　lips。



Lady　Dudley's　ball　took　place　on　a　Saturday　night。　On　the　following

Monday　the　countess　went　to　the　Opera；　feeling　certain　of　seeing

Raoul；　who　was；　in　fact；　watching　for　her　on　one　of　the　stairways

leading　down　to　the　stalls。　With　what　delight　did　she　observe　the

unwonted　care　he　had　bestowed　upon　his　clothes。　This　despiser　of　the

laws　of　elegance　had　brushed　and　perfumed　his　hair；　his　waistcoat

followed　the　fashion；　his　cravat　was　well　tied；　the　bosom　of　his　shirt

was　irreproachably　smooth。　Raoul　was　standing　with　his　arms　crossed　as

if　posed　for　his　portrait；　magnificently　indifferent　to　the　rest　of

the　audience　and　full　of　repressed　impatience。　Though　lowered；　his

eyes　were　turned　to　the　red　velvet　cushion　on　which　lay　Marie's　arm。

Felix；　seated　in　the　opposite　corner　of　the　box；　had　his　back　to

Nathan。



So；　in　a　moment；　as　it　were；　Marie　had　compelled　this　remarkable　man

to　abjure　his　cynicism　in　the　line　of　clothes。　All　women；　high　or　low；

are　filled　with　delight　on　seeing　a　first　proof　of　their　power　in　one

of　these　sudden　metamorphoses。　Such　changes　are　an　admission　of

serfdom。



〃Those　women　were　right；　there　is　a　great　pleasure　in　being

understood；〃　she　said　to　herself；　thinking　of　her　treacherous　friends。



When　the　two　lovers　had　gazed　around　the　theatre　with　that　glance　that

takes　in　everything；　they　exchanged　a　look　of　intelligence。　It　was　for

each　as　if　some　celestial　dew　had　refreshed　their　hearts；　burned…up

with　expectation。



〃I　have　been　here　for　an　hour　in　purgatory；　but　now　the　heavens　are

opening；〃　said　Raoul's　eyes。



〃I　knew　you　were　waiting；　but　how　could　I　help　it？〃　replied　those　of

the　countess。



Thieves；　spies；　lovers；　diplomats；　and　slaves　of　any　kind　alone　know

the　resources　and　comforts　of　a　glance。　They　alone　know　what　it

contains　of　meaning；　sweetness；　thought；　anger；　villainy；　displayed　by

the　modification　of　that　ray　of　light　which　conveys　the　soul。　Between

the　box　of　the　Comtesse　Felix　de　Vandenesse　and　the　step　on　which

Raoul　had　perched　there　were　barely　thirty　feet；　and　yet　it　was

impossible　to　wipe　out　that　distance。　To　a　fiery　being；　who　had

hitherto　known　no　space　between　his　wishes　and　their　gratification；

this　imaginary　but　insuperable　gulf　inspired　a　mad　desire　to　spring　to

the　countess　with　the　bound　of　a　tiger。　In　a　species　of　rage　he

determined　to　try　the　ground　and　bow　openly　to　the　countess。　She

returned　the　bow　with　one　of　those　slight　inclinations　of　the　head

with　which　women　take　from　their　adorers　all　desire　to　continue　their

attempt。　Comte　Felix　turned　round　to　see　who　had　bowed　to　his　wife；　he

saw　Nathan；　but　did　not　bow；　and　seemed　to　inquire　the　meaning　of　such

audacity；　then　he　turned　back　slowly　and　said　a　few　words　to　his　wife。

Evidently　the　door　of　that　box　was　closed　to　Nathan；　who　cast　a

terrible　look　of　hatred　upon　Felix。



Madame　d'Espard　had　seen　the　whole　thing　from　her　box；　which　was　just

above　where　Raoul　was　standing。　She　raised　her　voice　in　crying　bravo

to　some　singer；　which　caused　Nathan　to　look　up　to　her；　he　bowed　and

received　in　return　a　gracious　smile　which　seemed　to　say：



〃If　they　won't　admit　you　there　come　here　to　me。〃



Raoul　obeyed　the　silent　summons　and　went　to　her　box。　He　felt　the　need

of　showing　himself　in　a　place　which　might　teach　that　little　Vandenesse

that　fame　was　every　whit　as　good　as　nobility；　and　that　all　doors

turned　on　their　hinges　to　admit　him。　The　marquise　made　him　s