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第21章

a daughter of eve-第21章

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said; as she gave him the four notes; which the cashier had meantime

brought to her:



〃Don't forget your promise。〃



So little did Vandenesse forget this illusive promise that he used it

again on Baron Eugene de Rastignac to obtain from him certain other

information。 Leaving Rastignac's apartments; he dictated to a street

amanuensis the following note to Florine。



  〃If Mademoiselle Florine wishes to know of a part she may play she

  is requested to come to the masked opera at the Opera next Sunday

  night; accompanied by Monsieur Nathan。〃



To this ball he determined to take his wife and let her own eyes

enlighten her as to the relations between Nathan and Florine。 He knew

the jealous pride of the countess; he wanted to make her renounce her

love of her own will; without causing her to blush before him; and

then to return to her her own letters; sold by Florine; from whom he

expected to be able to buy them。 This judicious plan; rapidly

conceived and partly executed; might fail through some trick of chance

which meddles with all things here below。



After dinner that evening; Felix brought the conversation round to the

masked balls of the Opera; remarking that Marie had never been to one;

and proposing that she should accompany him the following evening。



〃I'll find you some one to 'intriguer;'〃 he said。



〃Ah! I wish you would;〃 she replied。



〃To do the thing well; a woman ought to fasten upon some good prey; a

celebrity; a man of enough wit to give and take。 There's Nathan; will

you have him? I know; through a friend of Florine; certain secrets of

his which would drive him crazy。〃



〃Florine?〃 said the countess。 〃Do you mean the actress?〃



Marie had already heard that name from the lips of the watchman

Quillet; it now shot like a flash of lightning through her soul。



〃Yes; his mistress;〃 replied the count。 〃What is there so surprising

in that?〃



〃I thought Monsieur Nathan too busy to have a mistress。 Do authors

have time to make love?〃



〃I don't say they love; my dear; but they are forced to LODGE

somewhere; like other men; and when they haven't a home of their own

they LODGE with their mistresses; which may seem to you rather loose;

but it is far more agreeable than lodging in a prison。〃



Fire was less red than Marie's cheeks。



〃Will you have him for a victim? I can help you to terrify him;〃

continued the count; not looking at his wife's face。 〃I'll put you in

the way of proving to him that he is being tricked like a child by

your brother…in…law du Tillet。 That wretch is trying to put Nathan in

prison so as to make him ineligible to stand against him in the

electoral college。 I know; through a friend of Florine; the exact sum

derived from the sale of her furniture; which she gave to Nathan to

found his newspaper; I know; too; what she sent him out of her

summer's harvest in the departments and in Belgium;money which has

really gone to the profit of du Tillet; Nucingen; and Massol。 All

three of them; unknown to Nathan; have privately sold the paper to the

new ministry; so sure are they of ejecting him。〃



〃Monsieur Nathan is incapable of accepting money from an actress。〃



〃You don't know that class of people; my dear;〃 said the count。 〃He

would not deny the fact if you asked him。〃



〃I will certainly go to the ball;〃 said the countess。



〃You will be very much amused;〃 replied Vandenesse。 〃With such weapons

in hand you can cut Nathan's complacency to the quick; and you will

also do him a great service。 You will put him in a fury; he'll try to

be calm; though inwardly fuming; but; all the same; you will enlighten

a man of talent as to the peril in which he really stands; and you

will also have the satisfaction of laming the horses of the 'juste…

milieu' in their stalls But you are not listening to me; my dear。〃



〃On the contrary; I am listening intently;〃 she said。 〃I will tell you

later why I feel desirous to know the truth of all this。〃



〃You shall know it;〃 said Vandenesse。 〃If you stay masked I will take

you to supper with Nathan and Florine; it would be rather amusing for

a woman of your rank to fool an actress after bewildering the wits of

a clever man about these important facts; you can harness them both to

the same hoax。 I'll make some inquiries about Nathan's infidelities;

and if I discover any of his recent adventures you shall enjoy the

sight of a courtesan's fury; it is magnificent。 Florine will boil and

foam like an Alpine torrent; she adores Nathan; he is everything to

her; she clings to him like flesh to the bones or a lioness to her

cubs。 I remember seeing; in my youth; a celebrated actress (who wrote

like a scullion) when she came to a friend of mine to demand her

letters。 I have never seen such a sight again; such calm fury; such

insolent majesty; such savage self…control Are you ill; Marie?〃



〃No; they have made too much fire。〃 The countess turned away and threw

herself on a sofa。 Suddenly; with an unforeseen movement; impelled by

the horrible anguish of her jealousy; she rose on her trembling legs;

crossed her arms; and came slowly to her husband。



〃What do you know?〃 she asked。 〃You are not a man to torture me; you

would crush me without making me suffer if I were guilty。〃



〃What do you expect me to know; Marie?〃



〃Well! about Nathan。〃



〃You think you love him;〃 he replied; 〃but you love a phantom made of

words。〃



〃Then you know〃



〃All;〃 he said。



The word fell on Marie's head like the blow of a club。



〃If you wish it; I will know nothing;〃 he continued。 〃You are standing

on the brink of a precipice; my child; and I must draw you from it。 I

have already done something。 See!〃



He drew from his pocket her letter of guarantee and the four notes

endorsed by Schmucke; and let the countess recognize them; then he

threw them into the fire。



〃What would have happened to you; my poor Marie; three months hence?〃

he said。 〃The sheriffs would have taken you to a public court…room。

Don't bow your head; don't feel humiliated; you have been the dupe of

noble feelings; you have coquetted with poesy; not with a man。 All

womenall; do you hear me; Marie?would have been seduced in your

position。 How absurd we should be; we men; we who have committed a

thousand follies through a score of years; if we were not willing to

grant you one imprudence in a lifetime! God keep me from triumphing

over you or from offering you a pity you repelled so vehemently the

other day。 Perhaps that unfortunate man was sincere when he wrote to

you; sincere in attempting to kill himself; sincere in returning that

same night to Florine。 Men are worth less than women。 It is not for my

own sake that I speak at this moment; but for yours。 I am indulgent;

but the world is not; it shuns a woman who makes a scandal。 Is that

just? I know not; but this I know; the world is cruel。 Society refuses

to calm the woes itself has caused; it gives its honors to those who

best deceive it; it has no recompense for rash devotion。 I see and

know all that。 I can't reform society; but this I can do; I can

protect you; Marie; against yourself。 This matter concerns a man who

has brought you trouble only; and not one of those high and sacred

loves which do; at times; command our abnegation; and even bear their

own excuse。 Perhaps I have been wrong in not varying your happiness;

in not providing you with gayer pleasures; travel; amusements;

distractions for the mind。 Besides; I can explain to myself the

impulse that has driven you to a celebrated man; by the jealous envy

you have roused in certain women。 Lady Dudley; Madame d'Espard; and my

sister…in…law Emilie count for something in all this。 Those women;

against whom I ought to have put you more thoroughly on your guard;

have cultivated your curiosity more to trouble me and cause me

unhappiness; than to fling you into a whirlpool which; as I believe;

you would never have entered。〃



As she listened to these words; so full of kindness; the countess was

torn by many conflicting feelings; but the storm within her breast was

ruled by one of them;a keen admiration for her husband。 Proud and

noble souls are prompt to recognize the delicacy with which they are

treated。 Tact is to sentiments what grace is to the body。 Marie

appreciated the grandeur of the man who bowed before a woman in fault;

that he might not see her blush。 She ran from the room like one beside

herself; but instantly returned; fearing lest her hasty action might

cause him uneasiness。



〃Wait;〃 she said; and disappeared again。



Felix had ably prepared her excuse; and he was instantly rewarded for

his generosity。 His wife returned with Nathan's letters in her hand;

and gave them to him。



〃Judge me;〃 she said; kneeling down beside him。



〃Are we able to judge where we love?〃 he answered; throwing the

letters into the fire; for he felt that later his wife might not

forgive him for having read them。 Marie; with her head upon his knee;

burst into tears。



〃My child;〃 he said; raising her head; 〃where are your letters?〃



At this question the poor woman no longer felt the intolerable burning

of her cheeks; she turned cold。



〃That you may not suspect me of calumniating a man whom you think

worthy of you; I will make Florine herself return you those letters。〃



〃Oh! Surely he would give them back to me himself。〃



〃Suppose that he refused to do so?〃



The countess dropped her head。



〃The world disgusts me;〃 she said。 〃I don't want to enter it again。 I

want to live alone with you; if you forgive me。〃



〃But you might get bored again。 Besides; what would the world say if

you left it so abruptly? In the spring we will travel; we will go to

Italy; and all over Europe; you shall see life。 But to…morrow night we

must go to the Opera…ball; there is no other way to get those letters

without compromising you; besides; by giving them up; Florine will

prove to you her power。〃



〃And must I see that?〃 said the countess; frightened。



〃To…morrow night。〃



The next evening; about midnight; Nathan was walking about the foyer

of the Opera with a mask on his arm; to whom he was attending in a

sufficiently conjugal manner。 Presently two masked women came up to

him。



〃You poor fool! Marie is here and is watching you;〃 said one of them;

who was Vandenesse; disguised as a woman。



〃If you choose to listen to me I will tell you secrets that Nathan is

hiding from you;〃 said the other woman; who was the countess; to

Florine。



Nathan had abruptly dropped Florine's arm to follow the count; who

adroitly slipped into the crowd and was out of sight in a moment。

Florine followed the countess; who sat down on a seat close at hand;

to which the count; doubling on Nathan; returned almost immediately to

guard his wife。



〃Explain yourself; my dear;〃 said Florine; 〃and d

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