albert savarus-第26部分

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　　woman；　who　must　have　had　I　know　not　what　in　her　heart。　For　seven
　　months　Albert　had　traveled　in　pursuit　of　a　cruel　creature　who
　　thought　it　sport　to　escape　him；　he　knew　not　where　or　how　to　catch
　　her。

　　〃I　saw　him　on　his　way　through　Paris；　and　if　you　had　seen　him；　as　I
　　did；　you　would　have　felt　that　not　a　word　might　be　spoken　about　the
　　Duchess；　at　the　risk　of　bringing　on　an　attack　which　might　have
　　wrecked　his　reason。　If　he　had　known　what　his　crime　was；　he　might
　　have　found　means　to　justify　himself；　but　being　falsely　accused　of
　　being　married！what　could　he　do？　Albert　is　dead；　quite　dead　to
　　the　world。　He　longed　for　rest；　let　us　hope　that　the　deep　silence
　　and　prayer　into　which　he　has　thrown　himself　may　give　him　happiness
　　in　another　guise。　You；　monsieur；　who　have　known　him；　must　greatly
　　pity　him；　and　pity　his　friends　also。

〃Yours；　etc。〃


As　soon　as　he　received　this　letter　the　good　Vicar…General　wrote　to　the
General　of　the　Carthusian　order；　and　this　was　the　letter　he　received
from　Albert　Savarus：

　　〃Brother　Albert　to　Monsieur　l'Abbe　de　Grancey；
　　　　Vicar…General　of　the　Diocese　of　Besancon。


〃LA　GRANDE　CHARTREUSE。

　　〃I　recognized　your　tender　soul；　dear　and　well…beloved　Vicar…
　　General；　and　your　still　youthful　heart；　in　all　that　the　reverend
　　Father　General　of　our　Order　has　just　told　me。　You　have　understood
　　the　only　wish　that　lurks　in　the　depths　of　my　heart　so　far　as　the
　　things　of　the　world　are　concernedto　get　justice　done　to　my
　　feelings　by　her　who　has　treated　me　so　badly！　But　before　leaving　me
　　at　liberty　to　avail　myself　of　your　offer；　the　General　wanted　to
　　know　that　my　vocation　was　sincere；　he　was　so　kind　as　to　tell　me
　　his　idea；　on　finding　that　I　was　determined　to　preserve　absolute
　　silence　on　this　point。　If　I　had　yielded　to　the　temptation　to
　　rehabilitate　the　man　of　the　world；　the　friar　would　have　been
　　rejected　by　this　monastery。　Grace　has　certainly　done　her　work；
　　but；　though　short；　the　struggle　was　not　the　less　keen　or　the　less
　　painful。　Is　not　this　enough　to　show　you　that　I　could　never　return
　　to　the　world？

　　〃Hence　my　forgiveness；　which　you　ask　for　the　author　of　so　much
　　woe；　is　entire　and　without　a　thought　of　vindictiveness。　I　will
　　pray　to　God　to　forgive　that　young　lady　as　I　forgive　her；　and　as　I
　　shall　beseech　Him　to　give　Madame　de　Rhetore　a　life　of　happiness。
　　Ah！　whether　it　be　death；　or　the　obstinate　hand　of　a　young　girl
　　madly　bent　on　being　loved；　or　one　of　the　blows　ascribed　to　chance；
　　must　we　not　all　obey　God？　Sorrow　in　some　souls　makes　a　vast　void
　　through　which　the　Divine　Voice　rings。　I　learned　too　late　the
　　bearings　of　this　life　on　that　which　awaits　us；　all　in　me　is　worn
　　out；　I　could　not　serve　in　the　ranks　of　the　Church　Militant；　and　I
　　lay　the　remains　of　an　almost　extinct　life　at　the　foot　of　the
　　altar。

　　〃This　is　the　last　time　I　shall　ever　write。　You　alone；　who　loved
　　me；　and　whom　I　loved　so　well；　could　make　me　break　the　law　of
　　oblivion　I　imposed　on　myself　when　I　entered　these　headquarters　of
　　Saint　Bruno；　but　you　are　always　especially　named　in　the　prayers　of

〃BROTHER　ALBERT。

　　〃November　1836。〃


〃Everything　is　for　the　best　perhaps；〃　thought　the　Abbe　de　Grancey。

When　he　showed　this　letter　to　Rosalie；　who；　with　a　pious　impulse；
kissed　the　lines　which　contained　her　forgiveness；　he　said　to　her：

〃Well；　now　that　he　is　lost　to　you；　will　you　not　be　reconciled　to　your
mother　and　marry　the　Comte　de　Soulas？〃

〃Only　if　Albert　should　order　it；〃　said　she。

〃But　you　see　it　is　impossible　to　consult　him。　The　General　of　the　Order
would　not　allow　it。〃

〃If　I　were　to　go　to　see　him？〃

〃No　Carthusian　sees　any　visitor。　Besides；　no　woman　but　the　Queen　of
France　may　enter　a　Carthusian　monastery；〃　said　the　Abbe。　〃So　you　have
no　longer　any　excuse　for　not　marrying　young　Monsieur　de　Soulas。〃

〃I　do　not　wish　to　destroy　my　mother's　happiness；〃　retorted　Rosalie。

〃Satan！〃　exclaimed　the　Vicar…General。

Towards　the　end　of　that　winter　the　worthy　Abbe　de　Grancey　died。　This
good　friend　no　longer　stood　between　Madame　de　Watteville　and　her
daughter；　to　soften　the　impact　of　those　two　iron　wills。

The　event　he　had　foretold　took　place。　In　the　month　of　August　1837
Madame　de　Watteville　was　married　to　Monsieur　de　Soulas　in　Paris；
whither　she　went　by　Rosalie's　advice；　the　girl　making　a　show　of
kindness　and　sweetness　to　her　mother。　Madame　de　Watteville　believed　in
this　affection　on　the　part　of　her　daughter；　who　simply　desired　to　go
to　Paris　to　give　herself　the　luxury　of　a　bitter　revenge；　she　thought
of　nothing　but　avenging　Savarus　by　torturing　her　rival。

Mademoiselle　de　Watteville　had　been　declared　legally　of　age；　she　was；
in　fact；　not　far　from　one…and…twenty。　Her　mother；　to　settle　with　her
finally；　had　resigned　her　claims　on　les　Rouxey；　and　the　daughter　had
signed　a　release　for　all　the　inheritance　of　the　Baron　de　Watteville。
Rosalie　encouraged　her　mother　to　marry　the　Comte　de　Soulas　and　settle
all　her　own　fortune　on　him。

〃Let　us　each　be　perfectly　free；〃　she　said。

Madame　de　Soulas；　who　had　been　uneasy　as　to　her　daughter's　intentions；
was　touched　by　this　liberality；　and　made　her　a　present　of　six　thousand
francs　a　year　in　the　funds　as　conscience　money。　As　the　Comtesse　de
Soulas　had　an　income　of　forty…eight　thousand　francs　from　her　own
lands；　and　was　quite　incapable　of　alienating　them　in　order　to　diminish
Rosalie's　share；　Mademoiselle　de　Watteville　was　still　a　fortune　to
marry；　of　eighteen　hundred　thousand　francs；　les　Rouxey；　with　the
Baron's　additions；　and　certain　improvements；　might　yield　twenty
thousand　francs　a　year；　besides　the　value　of　the　house；　rents；　and
preserves。　So　Rosalie　and　her　mother；　who　soon　adopted　the　Paris　style
and　fashions；　easily　obtained　introductions　to　the　best　society。　The
golden　keyeighteen　hundred　thousand　francs　embroidered　on
Mademoiselle　de　Watteville's　stomacher；　did　more　for　the　Comtesse　de
Soulas　than　her　pretensions　/a　la/　de　Rupt；　her　inappropriate　pride；
or　even　her　rather　distant　great　connections。

In　the　month　of　February　1838　Rosalie；　who　was　eagerly　courted　by　many
young　men；　achieved　the　purpose　which　had　brought　her　to　Paris。　This
was　to　meet　the　Duchesse　de　Rhetore；　to　see　this　wonderful　woman；　and
to　overwhelm　her　with　perennial　remorse。　Rosalie　gave　herself　up　to
the　most　bewildering　elegance　and　vanities　in　order　to　face　the
Duchess　on　an　equal　footing。

They　first　met　at　a　ball　given　annually　after　1830　for　the　benefit　of
the　pensioners　on　the　old　Civil　List。　A　young　man；　prompted　by
Rosalie；　pointed　her　out　to　the　Duchess；　saying：

〃There　is　a　very　remarkable　young　person；　a　strong…minded　young　lady
too！　She　drove　a　clever　man　into　a　monasterythe　Grand　Chartreusea
man　of　immense　capabilities；　Albert　de　Savarus；　whose　career　she
wrecked。　She　is　Mademoiselle　de　Watteville；　the　famous　Besancon
heiress〃

The　Duchess　turned　pale。　Rosalie's　eyes　met　hers　with　one　of　those
flashes　which；　between　woman　and　woman；　are　more　fatal　than　the　pistol
shots　of　a　duel。　Francesca　Soderini；　who　had　suspected　that　Albert
might　be　innocent；　hastily　quitted　the　ballroom；　leaving　the　speaker
at　his　wits'　end　to　guess　what　terrible　blow　he　had　inflicted　on　the
beautiful　Duchesse　de　Rhetore。

〃If　you　want　to　hear　more　about　Albert；　come　to　the　Opera　ball　on
Tuesday　with　a　marigold　in　your　hand。〃

This　anonymous　note；　sent　by　Rosalie　to　the　Duchess；　brought　the
unhappy　Italian　to　the　ball；　where　Mademoiselle　de　Watteville　placed
in　her　hand　all　Albert's　letters；　with　that　written　to　Leopold
Hannequin　by　the　Vicar…General；　and　the　notary's　reply；　and　even　that
in　which　she　had　written　her　confession　to　the　Abbe　de　Grancey。

〃I　do　not　choose　to　be　the　only　sufferer；〃　she　said　to　her　rival；　〃for
one　has　been　as　ruthless　as　the　other。〃

After　enjoying　the　dismay　stamped　on　the　Duchess'　beautiful　face；
Rosalie　went　away；　she　went　out　no　more；　and　returned　to　Besancon　with
her　mother。



Mademoiselle　de　Watteville；　who　lived　alone　on　her　estate　of　les
Rouxey；　riding；　hunting；　refusing　two　or　three　offers　a　year；　going　to
Besancon　four　or　five　times　in　the　course　of　the　winter；　and　busying
herself　with　improving　her　land；　was　regarded　as　a　very　eccentric
personage。　She　was　one　of　the　celebrities　of　the　Eastern　provinces。

Madame　de　Soulas　has　two　children；　a　boy　and　a　girl；　and　she　has　grown
younger；　but　Monsieur　de　Soulas　has　aged　a　good　deal。

〃My　fortune　has　cost　me　dear；〃　said　he　to　young　Chavoncourt。　〃Really
to　know　a　bigot　it　is　unfortunately　necessary　to　marry　her！〃

Mademoiselle　de　Watteville　behaves　in　the　most　extraordinary　manner。
〃She　has　vagaries；〃　people　say。　Every　year　she　goes　to　gaze　at　the
walls　of　the　Grande　Chartreuse。　Perhaps　she　dreams　of　imitating　her
grand…uncle　by　forcing　the　walls　of　the　monastery　to　find　a　husband；
as　Watteville　broke　through　those　of　his　monastery　to　recover　his
liberty。

She　left　Besancon　in　1841；　intending；　it　was　said；　to　get　married；　but
the　real　reason　of　this　expedition　is　still　unknown；　for　she　returned
home　in　a　state　which　forbids　her　ever　appearing　in　society　again。　By
one　of　those　chances　of　which　the　Abbe　de　Grancey　had　spoken；　she
happene