the lily of the valley-第43部分

快捷操作: 按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页 按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页 按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部! 如果本书没有阅读完，想下次继续接着阅读，可使用上方 "收藏到我的浏览器" 功能 和 "加入书签" 功能！


impulse；　but　solemnly；　with　tenderness。　Was　she　willing　to　make　the

sacrifice；　or　did　she　merely　come；　as　I　did　once；　to　the　verge　of　the

precipice？　If　love　were　leading　her　to　give　herself　could　she　have

worn　that　calm；　that　holy　look；　would　she　have　asked；　in　that　pure

voice　of　hers；　〃You　are　not　angry　with　me；　are　you？〃



I　left　that　evening；　she　wished　to　accompany　me　on　the　road　to

Frapesle；　and　we　stopped　under　my　walnut…tree。　I　showed　it　to　her；　and

told　her　how　I　had　first　seen　her　four　years　earlier　from　that　spot。

〃The　valley　was　so　beautiful　then！〃　I　cried。



〃And　now？〃　she　said　quickly。



〃You　are　beneath　my　tree；　and　the　valley　is　ours！〃



She　bowed　her　head　and　that　was　our　farewell；　she　got　into　her

carriage　with　Madeleine；　and　I　into　mine　alone。



On　my　return　to　Paris　I　was　absorbed　in　pressing　business　which　took

all　my　time　and　kept　me　out　of　society；　which　for　a　while　forgot　me。　I

corresponded　with　Madame　de　Mortsauf；　and　sent　her　my　journal　once　a

week。　She　answered　twice　a　month。　It　was　a　life　of　solitude　yet

teeming；　like　those　sequestered　spots；　blooming　unknown；　which　I　had

sometimes　found　in　the　depths　of　woods　when　gathering　the　flowers　for

my　poems。



Oh；　you　who　love！　take　these　obligations　on　you；　accept　these　daily

duties；　like　those　the　Church　imposes　upon　Christians。　The　rigorous

observances　of　the　Roman　faith　contain　a　great　idea；　they　plough　the

furrow　of　duty　in　the　soul　by　the　daily　repetition　of　acts　which　keep

alive　the　sense　of　hope　and　fear。　Sentiments　flow　clearer　in　furrowed

channels　which　purify　their　stream；　they　refresh　the　heart；　they

fertilize　the　life　from　the　abundant　treasures　of　a　hidden　faith；　the

source　divine　in　which　the　single　thought　of　a　single　love　is

multiplied　indefinitely。



My　love；　an　echo　of　the　Middle　Ages　and　of　chivalry；　was　known；　I　know

not　how；　possibly　the　king　and　the　Duc　de　Lenoncourt　had　spoken　of　it。

From　that　upper　sphere　the　romantic　yet　simple　story　of　a　young　man

piously　adoring　a　beautiful　woman　remote　from　the　world；　noble　in　her

solitude；　faithful　without　support　to　duty；　spread；　no　doubt　quickly；

through　the　faubourg　St。　Germain。　In　the　salons　I　was　the　object　of

embarrassing　notice；　for　retired　life　has　advantages　which　if　once

experienced　make　the　burden　of　a　constant　social　intercourse

insupportable。　Certain　minds　are　painfully　affected　by　violent

contrasts；　just　as　eyes　accustomed　to　soft　colors　are　hurt　by　glaring

light。　This　was　my　condition　then；　you　may　be　surprised　at　it　now；　but

have　patience；　the　inconsistencies　of　the　Vandenesse　of　to…day　will　be

explained　to　you。



I　found　society　courteous　and　women　most　kind。　After　the　marriage　of

the　Duc　de　Berry　the　court　resumed　its　former　splendor　and　the　glory

of　the　French　fetes　revived。　The　Allied　occupation　was　over；

prosperity　reappeared；　enjoyments　were　again　possible。　Noted

personages；　illustrious　by　rank；　prominent　by　fortune；　came　from　all

parts　of　Europe　to　the　capital　of　the　intellect；　where　the　merits　and

the　vices　of　other　countries　were　found　magnified　and　whetted　by　the

charms　of　French　intellect。



Five　months　after　leaving　Clochegourde　my　good　angel　wrote　me；　in　the

middle　of　the　winter；　a　despairing　letter；　telling　me　of　the　serious

illness　of　her　son。　He　was　then　out　of　danger；　but　there　were　many

fears　for　the　future；　the　doctor　said　that　precautions　were　necessary

for　his　lungsthe　suggestion　of　a　terrible　idea　which　had　put　the

mother's　heart　in　mourning。　Hardly　had　Jacques　begun　to　convalesce；

and　she　could　breathe　again；　when　Madeleine　made　them　all　uneasy。　That

pretty　plant；　whose　bloom　had　lately　rewarded　the　mother's　culture；

was　now　frail　and　pallid　and　anemic。　The　countess；　worn…out　by

Jacques'　long　illness；　found　no　courage；　she　said；　to　bear　this

additional　blow；　and　the　ever　present　spectacle　of　these　two　dear

failing　creatures　made　her　insensible　to　the　redoubled　torment　of　her

husband's　temper。　Thus　the　storms　were　again　raging；　tearing　up　by　the

roots　the　hopes　that　were　planted　deepest　in　her　bosom。　She　was　now　at

the　mercy　of　the　count；　weary　of　the　struggle；　she　allowed　him　to

regain　all　the　ground　he　had　lost。



〃When　all　my　strength　is　employed　in　caring　for　my　children；〃　she

wrote；　〃how　is　it　possible　to　employ　it　against　Monsieur　de　Mortsauf；

how　can　I　struggle　against　his　aggressions　when　I　am　fighting　against

death？　Standing　here　to…day；　alone　and　much　enfeebled；　between　these

two　young　images　of　mournful　fate；　I　am　overpowered　with　disgust；

invincible　disgust　for　life。　What　blow　can　I　feel；　to　what　affection

can　I　answer；　when　I　see　Jacques　motionless　on　the　terrace；　scarcely　a

sign　of　life　about　him；　except　in　those　dear　eyes；　large　by

emaciation；　hollow　as　those　of　an　old　man　and；　oh；　fatal　sign；　full　of

precocious　intelligence　contrasting　with　his　physical　debility。　When　I

look　at　my　pretty　Madeleine；　once　so　gay；　so　caressing；　so　blooming；

now　white　as　death；　her　very　hair　and　eyes　seem　to　me　to　have　paled；

she　turns　a　languishing　look　upon　me　as　if　bidding　me　farewell；

nothing　rouses　her；　nothing　tempts　her。　In　spite　of　all　my　efforts　I

cannot　amuse　my　children；　they　smile　at　me；　but　their　smile　is　only　in

answer　to　my　endearments；　it　does　not　come　from　them。　They　weep

because　they　have　no　strength　to　play　with　me。　Suffering　has　enfeebled

their　whole　being；　it　has　loosened　even　the　ties　that　bound　them　to

me。



〃Thus　you　can　well　believe　that　Clochegourde　is　very　sad。　Monsieur　de

Mortsauf　now　rules　everythingOh　my　friend！　you；　my　glory！〃　she

wrote；　farther　on；　〃you　must　indeed　love　me　well　to　love　me　still；　to

love　me　callous；　ungrateful；　turned　to　stone　by　grief。〃







CHAPTER　III



THE　TWO　WOMEN



It　was　at　this　time；　when　I　was　never　more　deeply　moved　in　my　whole

being；　when　I　lived　in　that　soul　to　which　I　strove　to　send　the

luminous　breeze　of　the　mornings　and　the　hope　of　the　crimsoned

evenings；　that　I　met；　in　the　salons　of　the　Elysee…Bourbon；　one　of

those　illustrious　ladies　who　reign　as　sovereigns　in　society。　Immensely

rich；　born　of　a　family　whose　blood　was　pure　from　all　misalliance　since

the　Conquest；　married　to　one　of　the　most　distinguished　old　men　of　the

British　peerage；　it　was　nevertheless　evident　that　these　advantages

were　mere　accessories　heightening　this　lady's　beauty；　graces；　manners；

and　wit；　all　of　which　had　a　brilliant　quality　which　dazzled　before　it

charmed。　She　was　the　idol　of　the　day；　reigning　the　more　securely　over

Parisian　society　because　she　possessed　the　quality　most　necessary　to

success；the　hand　of　iron　in　the　velvet　glove　spoken　of　by

Bernadotte。



You　know　the　singular　characteristics　of　English　people；　the　distance

and　coldness　of　their　own　Channel　which　they　put　between　them　and

whoever　has　not　been　presented　to　them　in　a　proper　manner。　Humanity

seems　to　be　an　ant…hill　on　which　they　tread；　they　know　none　of　their

species　except　the　few　they　admit　into　their　circle；　they　ignore　even

the　language　of　the　rest；　tongues　may　move　and　eyes　may　see　in　their

presence　but　neither　sound　nor　look　has　reached　them；　to　them；　the

people　are　as　if　they　were　not。　The　British　present　an　image　of　their

own　island；　where　law　rules　everything；　where　all　is　automatic　in

every　station　of　life；　where　the　exercise　of　virtue　appears　to　be　the

necessary　working　of　a　machine　which　goes　by　clockwork。　Fortifications

of　polished　steel　rise　around　the　Englishwoman　behind　the　golden　wires

of　her　household　cage　（where　the　feed…box　and　the　drinking…cup；　the

perches　and　the　food　are　exquisite　in　quality）；　but　they　make　her

irresistibly　attractive。　No　people　ever　trained　married　women　so

carefully　to　hypocrisy　by　holding　them　rigidly　between　the　two

extremes　of　death　or　social　station；　for　them　there　is　no　middle　path

between　shame　and　honor；　either　the　wrong　is　completed　or　it　does　not

exist；　it　is　all　or　nothing；Hamlet's　〃To　be　or　not　to　be。〃　This

alternative；　coupled　with　the　scorn　to　which　the　customs　of　her

country　have　trained　her；　make　an　Englishwoman　a　being　apart　in　the

world。　She　is　a　helpless　creature；　forced　to　be　virtuous　yet　ready　to

yield；　condemned　to　live　a　lie　in　her　heart；　yet　delightful　in　outward

appearancefor　these　English　rest　everything　on　appearances。　Hence

the　special　charms　of　their　women：　the　enthusiasm　for　a　love　which　is

all　their　life；　the　minuteness　of　their　care　for　their　persons；　the

delicacy　of　their　passion；　so　charmingly　rendered　in　the　famous　scene

of　Romeo　and　Juliet　in　which；　with　one　stroke；　Shakespeare's　genius

depicted　his　country…women。



You；　who　envy　them　so　many　things；　what　can　I　tell　you　that　you　do　not

know　of　these　white　sirens；　impenetrable　apparently　but　easily

fathomed；　who　believe　that　love　suffices　love；　and　turn　enjoyments　to

satiety　by　never　varying　them；　whose　soul　has　one　note　only；　their

voice　one　syllablean　ocean　of　love　in　themselves；　it　is　true；　and　he

wh