samual brohl & company(赛穆王·布洛公司)-第11章
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SAMUEL BROHL & COMPANY
〃If you would pledge your word of honour to that； mademoiselle；〃 he
replied； making her a profound bow； 〃you may well feel assured that the
French Government would not hesitate a moment。〃
Mlle。 Moriaz took no part in this conversation。 Her face slightly
contracted； buried in her thoughts as in a solitude inaccessible to earthly
sounds； her cheek resting in the palm of her left hand； she held in her right
hand a paper…cutter； and she kept pricking the point into one of the grooves
of the table on which her elbow rested； while her half…closed eyes were
fixed on a knot of the mahogany。 She saw in this knot the Isthmus of
Panama； San Francisco； the angelic countenance of the beautiful Polish
woman who had given birth to Count Abel Larinski； she saw there also
fields of snow； ambuscades； retreats more glorious than victories； and；
beyond all else； the bursting of a gun and of a man's heart。
She arose； and saluted her father without a word。 In crossing the
/salon/ she perceived that M。 Larinski had forgotten a book he had left on
the piano when he came in。 She opened the volume； he had written his
name on the top of the first page； and Antoinette recognised the
handwriting of the note。
Shut up in her own room； while taking down and combing her hair； her
imagination long wandered through California and Poland。 She compared
M。 Larinski with all the other men she ever had known； and she concluded
that he resembled none of them。 And it was he who had written： 〃I arrived
in this village disgusted with life； sorrowful and so weary that I longed to
die。 I saw you pass by； and I know not what mysterious virtue entered into
me。 I will live。〃
It seemed to her that for long years she had been seeking some one；
and that she had done well to come to the Engadine； because here she had
found the object of her search。
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CHAPTER III
Two； three； four days passed without Count Larinski reappearing at the
Hotel Badrutt； where every evening he was expected。 This prolonged
absence keenly affected Mlle。 Moriaz。 She sought an explanation thereof；
the search occupied part of her days； and troubled her sleep。 She had too
much character not to conceal her trouble and anxiety。 Those about her
had not the least suspicion that she asked herself a hundred times in the
twenty…four hours： 〃Why does he not come？ will he never come again？ is
it a fixed resolution？ Does he blame us for drawing out； by our questions；
the secret of his life？ or does he suspect that I have discovered him to be
the writer of the anonymous letter？ Will he leave Engadine without
bidding us good…bye？ Perhaps he has already gone； and we shall never see
him again。〃 This thought caused Mlle。 Moriaz a heart…burn that she had
never before experienced。 Her day had come； her heart was no longer free：
the bird had allowed itself to be caught。
Mlle。 Moiseney said to her one evening： 〃It seems certain to me that
we never shall see Count Larinski again。〃
She replied in an almost indifferent tone； 〃No doubt he has found
people at Cellarina； or elsewhere； who are more entertaining than we。〃
〃You mean to say；〃 said Mlle。 Moiseney； 〃that M。 Moriaz and the
/bezique/ has frightened him away。 I would not for worlds speak ill of your
father； he has all the good qualities imaginable； except a certain delicacy
of sentiment； which is not to be learned in dealing with acids。 Think of
condemning a Count Larinski to play /bezique/！ There are some things
that your father does not and never will understand。〃
M。 Moriaz had entered meanwhile。 〃Please oblige me by explaining
what it is that I do not understand；〃 said he to Mlle。 Moiseney。
She replied with some embarrassment； 〃You do not understand；
monsieur； that certain visits were a charming diversion to us； and that now
we miss them。〃
〃And do you think that I do not miss them？ It has been four days since
I have had a game of cards。 But how can it be helped？ Poles are fickle
more fools they who trust them。〃
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〃It may be simply that M。 Larinski has been ill；〃 interrupted Antoinette；
with perfect tranquility。 〃I think； father； that it would be right for us to
make inquiries。〃
The following day M。 Moriaz went to Cellarina。 He brought back
word that M。 Larinski had gone on a walking…excursion through the
mountains； that he had started out with the intention of climbing to the
summit of Piz…Morteratsch； and of attempting the still more difficult
ascent of Piz…Roseg。 Mlle。 Moriaz found it hard to decide whether this
news was good or bad news。 All depended on what point of view was
taken； and she changed hers every hour。
Since his mishap； M。 Moriaz had become less rash than formerly。
Experience had taught him that there are treacherous rocks that can be
climbed without much difficulty； but from which it is impossible to
descendrocks exposing one to the danger of ending one's days in their
midst； if there is no Pole near at hand。 Certain truths stamp themselves
indelibly on the mind； so M。 Moriaz never ventured again on the
mountains without being attended by a guide； who received orders from
Antoinette not to leave him； and not to let him expose himself。 One day he
came in later than usual； and his daughter reproached him； with some
vivacity； for the continual anxiety he caused her。 〃The glaciers and
precipices will end by giving me the nightmare；〃 she said to him。
〃Pray on whose account； my dear？〃 he playfully rejoined。 〃I assure
you the ascent that I have just made was neither more difficult nor more
dangerous than that of Montmartre； nor of the Sannois Hill； and as to
glaciers； I have firmly resolved to keep shy of them。 I have passed the age
of prowess。 My guide has been making me tremble by relating the dangers
to which he was exposed in 1864 on Morteratsch； where he had
accompanied Professor Tyndall and another English tourist。 They were all
swept away by an avalanche。 Attached to the same rope； they went down
with the snow。 A fall of three hundred metres！ They would have been lost；
if； through the presence of mind of one of the guides； they had not
succeeded in stopping themselves two feet from a frightful precipice；
which was about to swallow them up。 I am a father； and I do not despise
life。 Let him ascend Morteratsch who likes！ I wish our friend Larinski had
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made the descent safe and sound。 If he has met an avalanche on the way；
he will invent no more guns。〃
Antoinette was no longer mistress of her nerves： during the entire
evening she was so preoccupied that M。 Moriaz could not fail to notice it；
but he had no suspicion of the cause。 He was profoundly versed in
qualitative and quantitative analysis； but less skilled in the analysis of his
daughter's heart。 〃How pale you are！〃 he said to her。 〃Are you not well？
You are cold。Pray； Mlle。 Moiseney； make yourself useful and prepare her
a mulled egg； you know I do not permit her to be sick。〃
It was not the mulled egg that restored Mlle。 Moriaz's color。 The next
morning as she was giving a drawing lesson to her /protegee/； Count Abel
was announced。 She trembled； the blood rose in her cheeks； and she could
not conceal her agitation from the penetrating gaze of the audacious
charmer。 It might easily be seen that he had just descended from where the
eagles themselves seldom ascend。 His face was weather… beaten by the ice
and snow。 He had successfully accomplished the double ascent； of which
he was compelled to give an account。 In descending from Morteratsch he
had been overtaken by a storm； and had come very near never again seeing
the valley or Mlle。 Moriaz。 He owed his life to the presence of mind and
courage of his guide； on whom he could not bestow sufficient praise。
While he modestly narrated his exploits； Antoinette had dismissed her
pupil。 He seemed embarrassed by the /tete…a…tete/ which； nevertheless； he
had sought。 He rose； saying： 〃I regret not being able to see M。 Moriaz； I
came to bid him farewell。 I leave this evening。〃
She summoned courage and replied： 〃You did well to come； you left a
volume of Shakespearehere it is。〃 Then drawing from her notebook a
paper〃I have still another restitution to make to you。 I have had the
misfortune to discover that it was you who wrote this letter。〃
With these words she handed him the anonymous note。 He changed
countenance； and it was now his turn to grow red。 〃Who can prove to
you；〃 he demanded； 〃that I am the author of this offence； or rather crime？〃
〃Every bad case may be denied； but do not you deny。〃
After a moment's silence； he replied： 〃I will not lie； I am not capable of
lying。 Yes； I am the guilty one； I confess it with sorrow； because you are
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offended by my audacity。〃
〃I never liked madrigals； either in prose or verse； signed or
anonymous；〃 she returned； rather dryly。
He exclaimed； 〃You took this letter for a madrigal？〃 Then； having
reread it； he deliberately tore it up； throwing the pieces into the fireplace；
and added； smiling： 〃It certainly lacked common…sense； he who wrote it is
a fool； and I have nothing to say in his d
