confidence-第25章

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pened　to　him　by　a　mysterious　old　woman　in　a　nightcap　and　meagre　accessories；　whose　identity　he　failed　to　ascertain；　and　he　laid　himself　down　to　resthe　was　very　tiredwith　his　attention　fastened；　as　I　say；　on　the　ideaon　the　very　imageof　departure。

On　waking　up　the　next　morning；　rather　late；　he　found；　however；　that　it　had　attached　itself　to　a　very　different　object。　　His　vision　was　filled　with　the　brightness　of　the　delightful　fact　itself；　which　seemed　to　impregnate　the　sweet　morning　air　and　to　flutter　in　the　light；　fresh　breeze　that　came　through　his　open　window　from　the　sea。　He　saw　a　great　patch　of　the　sea　between　a　couple　of　red…tiled　roofs；　it　was　bluer　than　any　sea　had　ever　been　before。　　He　had　not　slept　long　only　three　or　four　hours；　but　he　had　quite　slept　off　his　dread。　The　shadow　had　dropped　away　and　nothing　was　left　but　the　beauty　of　his　love；　which　seemed　to　shine　in　the　freshness　of　the　early　day。　He　felt　absurdly　happyas　if　he　had　discovered　El　Dorado；　quite　apart　from　consequenceshe　was　not　thinking　of　consequences；　which　of　course　were　another　affairthe　feeling　was　intrinsically　the　finest　one　he　had　ever　had；　andas　a　mere　feelinghe　had　not　done　with　it　yet。　The　consideration　of　consequences　could　easily　be　deferred；　and　there　would；　meanwhile；　be　no　injury　to　any　one　in　his　extracting；　very　quietly；　a　little　subjective　joy　from　the　state　of　his　heart。　He　would　let　the　flower　bloom　for　a　day　before　plucking　it　up　by　the　roots。　　Upon　this　latter　course　he　was　perfectly　resolved；　and　in　view　of　such　an　heroic　resolution　the　subjective　interlude　appeared　no　more　than　his　just　privilege。　　The　project　of　leaving　Blanquais…les…Galets　at　nine　o'clock　in　the　morning　dropped　lightly　from　his　mind；　making　no　noise　as　it　fell；　but　another　took　its　place；　which　had　an　air　of　being　still　more　excellent　and　which　consisted　of　starting　off　on　a　long　walk　and　absenting　himself　for　the　day。　Bernard　grasped　his　stick　and　wandered　away；　he　climbed　the　great　shoulder　of　the　further　cliff　and　found　himself　on　the　level　downs。　Here　there　was　apparently　no　obstacle　whatever　to　his　walking　as　far　as　his　fancy　should　carry　him。　　The　summer　was　still　in　a　splendid　mood；　and　the　hot　and　quiet　dayit　was　a　Sunday　seemed　to　constitute　a　deep；　silent　smile　on　the　face　of　nature。　The　sea　glistened　on　one　side；　and　the　crops　ripened　on　the　other；　the　larks；　losing　themselves　in　the　dense　sunshine；　made　it　ring　here　and　there　in　undiscoverable　spots；　this　was　the　only　sound　save　when　Bernard；　pausing　now　and　then　in　his　walk；　found　himself　hearing　far　below　him；　at　the　base　of　the　cliff；　the　drawling　murmur　of　a　wave。　　He　walked　a　great　many　miles　and　passed　through　half　a　dozen　of　those　rude　fishing…hamlets；　lodged　in　some　sloping　hollow　of　the　cliffs；　so　many　of　which；　of　late　years；　all　along　the　Norman　coast；　have　adorned　themselves　with　a　couple　of　hotels　and　a　row　of　bathing…machines。　He　walked　so　far　that　the　shadows　had　begun　to　lengthen　before　he　bethought　himself　of　stopping；　the　afternoon　had　come　on　and　had　already　begun　to　wane。　The　grassy　downs　still　stretched　before　him；　shaded　here　and　there　with　shallow　but　windless　dells。　　He　looked　for　the　softest　place　and　then　flung　himself　down　on　the　grass；　he　lay　there　for　a　long　time；　thinking　of　many　things。　　He　had　determined　to　give　himself　up　to　a　day's　happiness；　it　was　happiness　of　a　very　harmless　kind　the　satisfaction　of　thought；　the　bliss　of　mere　consciousness；　but　such　as　it　was　it　did　not　elude　him　nor　turn　bitter　in　his　heart；　and　the　long　summer　day　closed　upon　him　before　his　spirit；　hovering　in　perpetual　circles　round　the　idea　of　what　might　be；　had　begun　to　rest　its　wing。　　When　he　rose　to　his　feet　again　it　was　too　late　to　return　to　Blanquais　in　the　same　way　that　he　had　come；　the　evening　was　at　hand；　the　light　was　already　fading；　and　the　walk　he　had　taken　was　one　which　even　if　he　had　not　felt　very　tired；　he　would　have　thought　it　imprudent　to　attempt　to　repeat　in　the　darkness。　He　made　his　way　to　the　nearest　village；　where　he　was　able　to　hire　a　rustic　carriole；　in　which　primitive　conveyance；　gaining　the　high…road；　he　jogged　and　jostled　through　the　hours　of　the　evening　slowly　back　to　his　starting…point。　It　wanted　an　hour　of　midnight　by　the　time　he　reached　his　inn；　and　there　was　nothing　left　for　him　but　to　go　to　bed。

He　went　in　the　unshaken　faith　that　he　should　leave　Blanquais　early　on　the　morrow。　　But　early　on　the　morrow　it　occurred　to　him　that　it　would　be　simply　grotesque　to　go　off　without　taking　leave　of　Mrs。　Vivian　and　her　daughter；　and　offering　them　some　explanation　of　his　intention。　　He　had　given　them　to　understand　that；　so　delighted　was　he　to　find　them　there；　he　would　remain　at　Blanquais　at　least　as　long　as　they。　He　must　have　seemed　to　them　wanting　in　civility；　to　spend　a　whole　bright　Sunday　without　apparently　troubling　his　head　about　them；　and　if　the　unlucky　fact　of　his　being　in　love　with　the　girl　were　a　reason　for　doing　his　duty；　it　was　at　least　not　a　reason　for　being　rude。　　He　had　not　yet　come　to　that　to　accepting　rudeness　as　an　incident　of　virtue；　it　had　always　been　his　theory　that　virtue　had　the　best　manners　in　the　world；　and　he　flattered　himself　at　any　rate　that　he　could　guard　his　integrity　without　making　himself　ridiculous。　　So；　at　what　he　thought　a　proper　hour；　in　the　course　of　the　morning；　he　retraced　his　steps　along　the　little　lane　through　which；　two　days　ago；　Angela　Vivian　had　shown　him　the　way　to　her　mother's　door。　At　this　humble　portal　he　knocked；　the　windows　of　the　little　chalet　were　open；　and　the　white　curtains；　behind　the　flower…pots；　were　fluttering　as　he　had　seen　them　before。　　The　door　was　opened　by　a　neat　young　woman；　who　informed　him　very　promptly　that　Madame　and　Mademoiselle　had　left　Blanquais　a　couple　of　hours　earlier。　　They　had　gone　to　Parisyes；　very　suddenly；　taking　with　them　but　little　luggage；　and　they　had　left　her　she　had　the　honor　of　being　the　femme　de　chambre　of　ces　dames　to　put　up　their　remaining　possessions　and　follow　as　soon　as　possible。　On　Bernard's　expressing　surprise　and　saying　that　he　had　supposed　them　to　be　fixed　at　the　sea…side　for　the　rest　of　the　season；　the　femme　de　chambre；　who　seemed　a　very　intelligent　person；　begged　to　remind　him　that　the　season　was　drawing　to　a　close；　that　Madame　had　taken　the　chalet　but　for　five　weeks；　only　ten　days　of　which　period　were　yet　to　expire；　that　ces　dames；　as　Monsieur　perhaps　knew；　were　great　travellers；　who　had　been　half　over　the　world　and　thought　nothing　of　breaking　camp　at　an　hour's　notice；　and　that；　in　fine；　Madame　might　very　well　have　received　a　telegram　summoning　her　to　another　part　of　the　country。

〃And　where　have　the　ladies　gone？〃　asked　Bernard。

〃For　the　moment；　to　Paris。〃

〃And　in　Paris　where　have　they　gone？〃

〃Dame；　chez　ellesto　their　house；〃　said　the　femme　de　chambre；　who　appeared　to　think　that　Bernard　asked　too　many　questions。

But　Bernard　persisted。

〃Where　is　their　house？〃

The　waiting…maid　looked　at　him　from　head　to　foot。

〃If　Monsieur　wishes　to　write；　many　of　Madame's　letters　come　to　her　banker；〃　she　said；　inscrutably。

〃And　who　is　her　banker？〃

〃He　lives　in　the　Rue　de　Provence。〃

〃Very　goodI　will　find　him　out；〃　said　our　hero；　turning　away。

The　discriminating　reader　who　has　been　so　good　as　to　interest　himself　in　this　little　narrative　will　perhaps　at　this　point　exclaim　with　a　pardonable　consciousness　of　shrewdness：　〃Of　course　he　went　the　next　day　to　the　Rue　de　Provence！〃　Of　course；　yes；　only　as　it　happens　Bernard　did　nothing　of　the　kind。　He　did　one　of　the　most　singular　things　he　ever　did　in　his　life　a　thing　that　puzzled　him　even　at　the　time；　and　with　regard　to　which　he　often　afterward　wondered　whence　he　had　drawn　the　ability　for　so　remarkable　a　feathe　simply　spent　a　fortnight　at　Blanquais…les…Galets。　It　was　a　very　quiet　fortnight；　he　spoke　to　no　one；　he　formed　no　relations；　he　was　company　to　himself。　　It　may　be　added　that　he　had　never　found　his　own　company　half　so　good。　　He　struck　himself　as　a　reasonable；　delicate　fellow；　who　looked　at　things　in　such　a　way　as　to　make　him　refrainrefrain　successfully；　that　was　the　point　from　concerning　himself　practically　about　Angela　Vivian。　His　saying　that　he　would　find　out　the　banker　in　the　Rue　de　Provence　had　been　for　the　benefit　of　the　femme　de　chambre；　whom　he　thought　rather　impertinent；　he　had　really　no　intention　whatever　of　entering　that　classic　thoroughfare。　He　took　long　walks；　rambled　on　the　beach；　along　the　base　of　the　cliffs　and　among　the　brown　sea…caves；　and　he　thought　a　good　deal　of　certain　incidents　which　have　figured　at　an　earlier　stage　of　this　narrative。　　He　had　forbidden　himself　the　future；　as　an　object　of　contemplation；　and　it　was　therefore　a　matter　of　necessity　that　his　imagination　should　take　refuge　among　the　warm　and　familiar　episodes　of　the　past。　　He　wondered　why　Mrs。　Vivian　should　have　left　the　place　so　suddenly；　and　was　of　course　struck　with　the　analogy　between　this　incident　and　her　abrupt　departure　from　Baden。　　It　annoyed　him；　it　troubled　him；　but　it　by　no　means　rekindled　the　alarm　he　had　felt　on　first　perceiving　the　injured　Angela　on　the　beach。　That　alarm　had　been　quenched　by　Angela's　manner　during　the　hour　that　followed　and　during　their　short　talk　in　the　evening。　This　evening　was　to　be　forever　memorable；　for　it　had　brought　with　it　the　revelation　which　still；　at　moments；　suddenly　made　Bernard　tremble；　but　it　had　also　brought　him　the　assurance　that　Angela　cared　as　little　as　possible　for　anything　that　a　chance　acquaintance　might　have　said　about　her。　It　is　all　the　more　singular；　therefore；　that　one　evening；　after　he　had　been　at　Blanquais　a　fortnight；　a　train　of　thought　should　suddenly　have　been　set　in　motion　in　his　mind。　It　was　kindled　by　no　outward　occurrence；　but　by　some　wandering　spark　of　fancy　or　of　memory；　and　the　immediate　effect　of　it　was　to　startle　our　hero　very　much　as　he　had　been　startled　on　the　evening　I　have　described。　　The　circumstances　were　the　same；　he　had　wandered　down　to　the　beach　alone；　very　late；　and　he　stood　looking　at　the　duskily…tumbling　sea。　Suddenly　the　same　voice　that　had　spoken　before　murmured　another　phrase　in　the　darkness；　and　it　rang　upon　his　ear　for　the　rest　of　the　night。　　It　startled　him；　as　I　have　said；　at　first；　then；　the　next　morning；　it　led　him　to　take　his　departure　for　Paris。　　During　the　journey　it　lingered　in　his　ear；　he　sat　in　the　corner　of　the　railway…carriage　with　his　eyes　closed；　abstracted；　on　purpose　to　prolong　the　reverberation。　If　it　were　not　true　it　was　at　least；　as　the　Italians　have　it；　ben　trovato；　and　it　was　wonderful　how　well　it　bore　thinking　of。　It　bears　telling　less　well；　but　I　can　at　least　give　a　hint　of　it。　The　theory　that　Angela　hated　him　had　evaporated　in　her　presence；　and　another　of　a　very　different　sort　had　sprung　into　being。　It　fitted　a　great　many　of　the　facts；　it　explained　a　great　many　contradictions；　anomalies；　mysteries；　and　it　accounted　for　Miss　Vivian's　insisting　upon　her　mother's　leaving　Blanquais　at　a　few　hours'　notice；　even　better　than　the　theory　of　her　resentment　could　have　done。　　At　any　rate；　it　obliterated　Bernard's　scruples　very　effectually；　and　led　him　on　his　arrival　in　Paris　to　repair　instantly　to　the　Rue　de　Provence。　This　street　contains　more　than　one　banker；　but　there　is　one　with　whom　Bernard　deemed　Mrs。　Vivian　most　likely　to　have　dealings。　He　found　he