selected writings-第45节

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！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！





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

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

address；　for　Countess〃



〃Do　not　speak　of　her；　she　is　engaged　to　another　man。〃



〃As　long　as　I　choose　to　permit　it；〃　she　said；　〃but　what　will　you

do　if　I　bring　her　back　to　your　arms？　Will　you　still　call　me

cruel？〃



〃Can　you　do　this？〃　the　young　officer　asked；　in　great　excitement。



〃Well；　supposing　I　can　do　it；　what　shall　I　be　then？〃



〃An　angel；　whom　I　shall　thank　on　my　knees。〃



A　few　days　later；　the　rivals　met　at　a　coffee…house；　the　Greek

prince　began　to　lie　and　boast；　and　the　Austrian　officer　gave　him

the　lie　direct。　In　consequence；　it　was　arranged　that　they　should

fight　a　duel　with　pistols　next　morning　in　a　wood　close　to　Baden。

But　as　the　officer　was　leaving　the　house　with　his　seconds　the

next　morning；　a　Police　Commissary　came　up　to　him　and　begged　him

not　to　trouble　himself　any　further　about　the　matter；　but　another

time　to　be　more　careful　before　accepting　a　challenge。



〃What　does　it　mean？〃　the　officer　asked；　in　some　surprise。



〃It　means　that　this　Maurokordatos　is　a　dangerous　swindler　and

adventurer；　whom　we　have　just　taken　into　custody。〃



〃He　is　not　a　prince？〃



〃No；　a　circus　rider。〃



An　hour　later；　the　officer　received　a　letter　from　the　charming

Countess；　in　which　she　humbly　begged　for　pardon。　The　happy　lover

set　off　to　go　and　see　her　immediately；　but　on　the　way　a　sudden

thought　struck　him；　and　so　he　turned　back　in　order　to　thank

beautiful　Wanda；　as　he　had　promised；　on　his　knees。







THE　FALSE　GEMS



M。　Lantin　had　met　the　young　woman　at　a　soiree；　at　the　home　of　the

assistant　chief　of　his　bureau；　and　at　first　sight　had　fallen

madly　in　love　with　her。



She　was　the　daughter　of　a　country　physician　who　had　died　some

months　previously。　She　had　come　to　live　in　Paris；　with　her

mother；　who　visited　much　among　her　acquaintances；　in　the　hope　of

making　a　favorable　marriage　for　her　daughter。　They　were　poor　and

honest；　quiet　and　unaffected。



The　young　girl　was　a　perfect　type　of　the　virtuous　woman　whom

every　sensible　young　man　dreams　of　one　day　winning　for　life。　Her

simple　beauty　had　the　charm　of　angelic　modesty；　and　the

imperceptible　smile　which　constantly　hovered　about　her　lips

seemed　to　be　the　reflection　of　a　pure　and　lovely　soul。　Her

praises　resounded　on　every　side。　People　were　never　tired　of

saying：　〃Happy　the　man　who　wins　her　love！　He　could　not　find　a

better　wife。〃



Now　M。　Lantin　enjoyed　a　snug　little　income　of　700；　and；　thinking

he　could　safely　assume　the　responsibilities　of　matrimony；

proposed　to　this　model　young　girl　and　was　accepted。



He　was　unspeakably　happy　with　her；　she　governed　his　household　so

cleverly　and　economically　that　they　seemed　to　live　in　luxury。　She

lavished　the　most　delicate　attentions　on　her　husband；　coaxed　and

fondled　him；　and　the　charm　of　her　presence　was　so　great　that　six

years　after　their　marriage　M。　Lantin　discovered　that　he　loved　his

wife　even　more　than　during　the　first　days　of　their　honeymoon。



He　only　felt　inclined　to　blame　her　for　two　things：　her　love　of

the　theater；　and　a　taste　for　false　jewelry。　Her　friends　（she　was

acquainted　with　some　officers'　wives）　frequently　procured　for　her

a　box　at　the　theater；　often　for　the　first　representations　of　the

new　plays；　and　her　husband　was　obliged　to　accompany　her；　whether

he　willed　or　not；　to　these　amusements；　though　they　bored　him

excessively　after　a　day's　labor　at　the　office。



After　a　time；　M。　Lantin　begged　his　wife　to　get　some　lady　of　her

acquaintance　to　accompany　her。　She　was　at　first　opposed　to　such

an　arrangement；　but；　after　much　persuasion　on　his　part；　she

finally　consentedto　the　infinite　delight　of　her　husband。



Now；　with　her　love　for　the　theater　came　also　the　desire　to　adorn

her　person。　True；　her　costumes　remained　as　before；　simple；　and　in

the　most　correct　taste；　but　she　soon　began　to　ornament　her　ears

with　huge　rhinestones　which　glittered　and　sparkled　like　real

diamonds。　Around　her　neck　she　wore　strings　of　false　pearls；　and

on　her　arms　bracelets　of　imitation　gold。



Her　husband　frequently　remonstrated　with　her；　saying：



〃My　dear；　as　you　cannot　afford　to　buy　real　diamonds；　you　ought　to

appear　adorned　with　your　beauty　and　modesty　alone；　which　are　the

rarest　ornaments　of　your　sex。〃



But　she　would　smile　sweetly；　and　say：



〃What　can　I　do？　I　am　so　fond　of　jewelry。　It　is　my　only　weakness。

We　cannot　change　our　natures。〃



Then　she　would　roll　the　pearl　necklaces　around　her　fingers；　and

hold　up　the　bright　gems　for　her　husband's　admiration；　gently

coaxing　him：



〃Look！　are　they　not　lovely？　One　would　swear　they　were　real。〃



M。　Lantin　would　then　answer；　smilingly：



〃You　have　Bohemian　tastes；　my　dear。〃



Often　of　an　evening；　when　they　were　enjoying　a　tete…a…tete　by　the

fireside；　she　would　place　on　the　tea　table　the　leather　box

containing　the　〃trash；〃　as　M。　Lantin　called　it。　She　would　examine

the　false　gems　with　a　passionate　attention　as　though　they　were　in

some　way　connected　with　a　deep　and　secret　joy；　and　she　often

insisted　on　passing　a　necklace　around　her　husband's　neck；　and

laughing　heartily　would　exclaim：　〃How　droll　you　look！〃　Then　she

would　throw　herself　into　his　arms　and　kiss　him　affectionately。



One　evening　in　winter　she　attended　the　opera；　and　on　her　return

was　chilled　through　and　through。　The　next　morning　she　coughed；

and　eight　days　later　she　died　of　inflammation　of　the　lungs。



M。　Lantin's　despair　was　so　great　that　his　hair　became　white　in

one　month。　He　wept　unceasingly；　his　heart　was　torn　with　grief；

and　his　mind　was　haunted　by　the　remembrance；　the　smile；　the

voiceby　every　charm　of　his　beautiful；　dead　wife。



Time；　the　healer；　did　not　assuage　his　grief。　Often　during　office

hours；　while　his　colleagues　were　discussing　the　topics　of　the

day；　his　eyes　would　suddenly　fill　with　tears；　and　he　would　give

vent　to　his　grief　in　heartrending　sobs。　Everything　in　his　wife's

room　remained　as　before　her　decease；　and　here　he　was　wont　to

seclude　himself　daily　and　think　of　her　who　had　been　his

treasurethe　joy　of　his　existence。



But　life　soon　became　a　struggle。　His　income；　which　in　the　hands

of　his　wife　had　covered　all　household　expenses；　was　now　no　longer

sufficient　for　his　own　immediate　wants；　and　he　wondered　how　she

could　have　managed　to　buy　such　excellent　wines；　and　such　rare

delicacies；　things　which　he　could　no　longer　procure　with　his

modest　resources。



He　incurred　some　debts　and　was　soon　reduced　to　absolute　poverty。

One　morning；　finding　himself　without　a　cent　in　his　pocket；　he

resolved　to　sell　something；　and；　immediately；　the　thought

occurred　to　him　of　disposing　of　his　wife's　paste　jewels。　He

cherished　in　his　heart　a　sort　of　rancor　against　the　false　gems。

They　had　always　irritated　him　in　the　past；　and　the　very　sight　of

them　spoiled　somewhat　the　memory　of　his　lost　darling。



To　the　last　days　of　her　life；　she　had　continued　to　make

purchases；　bringing　home　new　gems　almost　every　evening。　He

decided　to　sell　the　heavy　necklace　which　she　seemed　to　prefer；

and　which；　he　thought；　ought　to　be　worth　about　six　or　seven

francs；　for　although　paste　it　was；　nevertheless；　of　very　fine

workmanship。



He　put　it　in　his　pocket　and　started　out　in　search　of　a　jeweler's

shop。　He　entered　the　first　one　he　sawfeeling　a　little　ashamed

to　expose　his　misery；　and　also　to　offer　such　a　worthless　article

for　sale。



〃Sir；〃　said　he　to　the　merchant；　〃I　would　like　to　know　what　this

is　worth。〃



The　man　took　the　necklace；　examined　it；　called　his　clerk　and　made

some　remarks　in　an　undertone；　then　he　put　the　ornament　back　on

the　counter；　and　looked　at　it　from　a　distance　to　judge　of　the

effect。



M。　Lantin　was　annoyed　by　all　this　detail　and　was　on　the　point　of

saying：　〃Oh！　I　know　well　enough　it　is　not　worth　anything；〃　when

the　jeweler　said：　〃Sir；　that　necklace　is　worth　from　twelve　to

fifteen　thousand　francs；　but　I　could　not　buy　it　unless　you　tell

me　now　whence　it　comes。〃



The　widower　opened　his　eyes　wide　and　remained　gaping；　not

comprehending　the　merchant's　meaning。　Finally　he　stammered：。　〃You

sayare　you　sure？〃　The　other　replied　dryly：　〃You　can　search

elsewhere　and　see　if　anyone　will　offer　you　more。　I　consider　it

worth　fifteen　thousand　at　the　most。　Come　back　here　if　you　cannot

do　better。〃



M。　Lantin；　beside　himself　with　astonishment；　took　up　the　necklace

and　left　the　store。　He　wished　time　for　reflection。



Once　outside；　he　felt　inclined　to　laugh；　and　said　to　himself：

〃The　fool！　Had　I　only　taken　him　at　his　word！　That　jeweler　cannot

distinguish　real　diamonds　from　paste。〃



A　few　minutes　after；　he　entered　another　store　in　the　Rue　de　la

Paix。　As　soon　as　the　proprietor　glanced　at　the　necklace；　he　cried

out：



〃Ah；　parbleu！　I　know　it　well；　it　was　bought　here。〃



M。　Lantin　was　disturbed；　and　asked：



〃How　much　is　it　worth？〃