selected writings-第44节

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they　were　married；　she　was　left　anything　but　well　off。



As　Wanda　had　grown　accustomed　to　luxury　and　amusement；　a　quiet

life　in　her　parents'　house　did　not　suit　her　any　longer。　Even

while　she　was　still　in　mourning　for　her　husband；　she　allowed　a

Hungarian　magnate　to　make　love　to　her。　She　went　off　with　him　at　a

venture；　and　continued　the　same　extravagant　life　which　she　had

led　when　her　husband　was　alive；　of　her　own　volition。　At　the　end

of　two　years；　however；　her　lover　left　her　in　a　town　in　North

Italy；　almost　without　means。　She　was　thinking　of　going　on　the

stage；　when　chance　provided　her　with　another　resource；　which

enabled　her　to　reassert　her　position　in　society。　She　became　a

secret　police　agent；　and　soon　was　one　of　their　most　valuable

members。　In　addition　to　the　proverbial　charm　and　wit　of　a　Polish

woman；　she　also　possessed　high　linguistic　attainments；　and　spoke

Polish；　Russian；　French；　German；　English；　and　Italian；　with

almost　equal　fluency　and　correctness。　Then　she　had　that

encyclopedic　polish　which　impresses　people　much　more　than　the

most　profound　learning　of　the　specialist；　She　was　very　attractive

in　appearance；　and　she　knew　how　to　set　off　her　good　looks　by　all

the　arts　of　dress　and　coquetry。



In　addition　to　this；　she　was　a　woman　of　the　world　in　the　widest

sense　of　the　term；　pleasure…loving；　faithless；　unstable；　and

therefore　never　in　any　danger　of　really　losing　her　heart；　and

consequently　her　head。　She　used　to　change　the　place　of　her　abode；

according　to　what　she　had　to　do。　Sometimes　she　lived　in　Paris

among　the　Polish　emigrants；　in　order　to　find　out　what　they　were

doing；　and　maintained　intimate　relations　with　the　Tuileries　and

the　Palais　Royal　at　the　same　time；　sometimes　she　went　to　London

for　a　short　time；　or　hurried　off　to　Italy　to　watch　the　Hungarian

exiles；　only　to　reappear　suddenly　in　Switzerland；　or　at　one　of

the　fashionable　German　watering…places。



In　revolutionary　circles；　she　was　looked　upon　as　an　active　member

of　the　great　League　of　Freedom；　and　diplomatists　regarded　her　as

an　influential　friend　of　Napoleon　III。



She　knew　everyone；　but　especially　those　men　whose　names　were　to

be　met　with　every　day　in　the　journals；　and　she　counted　Victor

Emmanuel；　Rouher；　Gladstone；　and　Gortschakoff　among　her　friends

as　well　as　Mazzini；　Kossuth；　Garibaldi；　Mieroslawsky；　and

Bakunin。



In　the　spring　of　185…　she　was　at　Vevey　on　the　lovely　lake　of

Geneva；　and　went　into　raptures　when　talking　to　an　old　German

diplomatist　about　the　beauties　of　nature；　and　about　Calame；

Stifter；　and　Turgenev；　whose　〃Diary　of　a　Hunter；〃　had　just　become

fashionable。　One　day　a　man　appeared　at　the　table　d'hote；　who

excited　unusual　attention；　and　hers　especially；　so　that　there　was

nothing　strange　in　her　asking　the　proprietor　of　the　hotel　what

his　name　was。　She　was　told　that　he　was　a　wealthy　Brazilian；　and

that　his　name　was　Don　Escovedo。



Whether　it　was　an　accident；　or　whether　he　responded　to　the

interest　which　the　young　woman　felt　for　him；　at　any　rate　she

constantly　met　him　whereever　she　went；　whether　taking　a　walk；　or

on　the　lake　or　looking　at　the　newspapers　in　the　reading…room。　At

last　she　was　obliged　to　confess　to　herself　that　he　was　the

handsomest　man　she　had　ever　seen。　Tall　slim；　and　yet　muscular；

the　young；　beardless　Brazilian　had　a　head　which　any　woman　might

envy；　features　not　only　beautiful　and　noble；　but　also　extremely

delicate；　dark　eyes　which　possessed　a　wonderful　charm；　and　thick；

auburn；　curly　hair；　which　completed　the　attractiveness　and　the

strangeness　of　his　appearance。



They　soon　became　acquainted；　through　a　Prussian　officer　whom　the

Brazilian　had　asked　for　an　introduction　to　the　beautiful　Polish

ladyfor　Frau　von　Chabert　was　taken　for　one　in　Vevey。　She；　cold

and　designing　as　she　was；　blushed　slightly　when　he　stood　before

her　for　the　first　time；　and　when　he　gave　her　his　arm；　he　could

feel　her　hand　tremble　slightly　on　it。　The　same　evening　they　went

out　riding　together；　the　next　he　was　lying　at　her　feet；　and　on

the　third　she　was　his。　For　four　weeks　the　lovely　Wanda　and　the

Brazilian　lived　together　as　if　they　had　been　in　Paradise；　but　he

could　not　deceive　her　searching　eyes　any　longer。



Her　sharp　and　practiced　eye　had　already　discovered　in　him　that

indefinable　something　which　makes　a　man　appear　a　suspicious

character。　Any　other　woman　would　have　been　pained　and　horrified

at　such　a　discovery；　but　she　found　the　strange　consolation　in　it

that　her　handsome　adorer　promised　also　to　become　a　very

interesting　object　for　pursuit；　and　so　she　began　systematically

to　watch　the　man　who　lay　unsuspectingly　at　her　feet。



She　soon　found　out　that　he　was　no　conspirator；　but　she　asked

herself　in　vain　whether　she　was　to　look　for　a　common　swindler；　an

impudent　adventurer；　or　perhaps　even　a　criminal　in　him。　The　day

that　she　had　foreseen　soon　came；　the　Brazilian's　banker

〃unaccountably〃　had　omitted　to　send　him　any　money；　and　so　he

borrowed　some　of　her。　〃So　he　is　a　male　courtesan；〃　she　said　to

herself。　The　handsome　man　soon　required　money　again；　and　she　lent

it　to　him　again。　Then　at　last　he　left　suddenly　and　nobody　knew

where　he　had　gone　to；　only　this　much；　that　he　had　left　Vevey　as

the　companion　of　an　old　but　wealthy　Wallachian　lady。　So　this　time

clever　Wanda　was　duped。



A　year　afterward　she　met　the　Brazilian　unexpectedly　at　Lucca；

with　an　insipid…looking；　light…haired；　thin　Englishwoman　on　his

arm。　Wanda　stood　still　and　looked　at　him　steadily；　but　he　glanced

at　her　quite　indifferently；　he　did　not　choose　to　know　her　again。



The　next　morning；　however；　his　valet　brought　her　a　letter　from

him；　which　contained　the　amount　of　his　debt　in　Italian

hundred…lire　notes；　accompanied　by　a　very　cool　excuse。　Wanda　was

satisfied；　but　she　wished　to　find　out　who　the　lady　was；　in　whose

company　she　constantly　saw　Don　Escovedo。



〃Don　Escovedo。〃



An　Austrian　count；　who　had　a　loud　and　silly　laugh；　said：



〃Who　has　saddled　you　with　that　yarn？　The　lady　is　Lady

Nitingsdale；　and　his　name　is　Romanesco。〃



〃Romanesco？〃



〃Yes；　he　is　a　rich　Boyar　from　Moldavia；　where　he　has　extensive

estates。〃



Romanesco　ran　a　faro　bank　in　his　apartments；　and　certainly

cheated；　for　he　nearly　always　won；　it　was　not　long；　therefore；

before　other　people　in　good　society　at　Lucca　shared　Madame　von

Chabert's　suspicions；　and；　consequently；　Romanesco　thought　it

advisable　to　vanish　as　suddenly　from　Lucca　as　Escovedo　had　done

from　Vevey；　and　without　leaving　any　more　traces　behind　him。



Some　time　afterward；　Madame　von　Chabert　was　on　the　Island　of

Heligoland；　for　the　sea…bathing；　and　one　day　she　saw

Escovedo…Romanesco　sitting　opposite　to　her　at　the　table　d'hote；

in　very　animated　conversation　with　a　Russian　lady；　only　his　hair

had　turned　black　since　she　had　seen　him　last。　Evidently　his　light

hair　had　become　too　compromising　for　him。



〃The　sea…water　seems　to　have　a　very　remarkable　effect　upon　your

hair；〃　Wanda　said　to　him　spitefully；　in　a　whisper。



〃Do　you　think　so？〃　he　replied；　condescendingly。



〃I　fancy　that　at　one　time　your　hair　was　fair。〃



〃You　are　mistaking　me　for　somebody　else；〃　the　Brazilian　replied；

quietly。



〃I　am　not。〃



〃For　whom　do　you　take　me；　pray？〃　he　said　with　an　insolent　smile。



〃For　Don　Escovedo。〃



〃I　am　Count　Dembizki　from　Valkynia；〃　the　former　Brazilian　said

with　a　bow；　〃perhaps　you　would　like　to　see　my　passport。〃



〃Well；　perhaps〃



And　he　had　the　impudence　to　show　her　his　false　passport。



A　year　afterward　Wanda　met　Count　Dembizki　in　Baden；　near　Vienna。

His　hair　was　still　black；　but　he　had　a　magnificent；　full；　black

beard；　he　had　become　a　Greek　prince；　and　his　name　was　Anastasio

Maurokordatos。　She　met　him　once　in　one　of　the　side　walks　in　the

park；　where　he　could　not　avoid　her。　〃If　it　goes　on　like　this；〃

she　called　out　to　him　in　a　mocking　voice；　〃the　next　time　I　see

you；　you　will　be　king；　of　some　negro　tribe　or　other。〃



That　time；　however；　the　Brazilian　did　not　deny　his　identity；　on

the　contrary；　he　surrendered　at　discretion；　and　implored　her　not

to　betray　him。　As　she　was　not　revengeful　she　pardoned　him；　after

enjoying　his　terror　for　a　time；　and　promised　him　that　she　would

hold　her　tongue；　as　long　as　he　did　nothing　contrary　to　the　laws。



〃First　of　all；　I　must　beg　you　not　to　gamble。〃



〃You　have　only　to　command；　and　we　do　not　know　each　other　in　the

future〃



〃I　must　certainly　insist　on　that；〃　she　said　maliciously。



The　〃Exotic　Prince〃　had；　however；　made　a　conquest　of　the　charming

daughter　of　a　wealthy　Austrian　count；　and　had　cut　out　an

excellent　young　officer；　who　was　wooing　her。　The　latter；　in　his

despair；　began　to　make　love　to　Frau　von　Chabert；　and　at　last　told

her　he　loved　her。　But　she　only　laughed　at　him。



〃You　are　very　cruel；〃　he　stammered　in　confusion。



〃I？　What　are　you　thinking　about？〃　Wanda　replied；　still　smiling；

〃all　I　mean　is　that　you　have　directed　your　love　to　the　wrong