the lily of the valley-第39节

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mine　that　was　still　more　moist。　I　pressed　it　with　a　force　to　which

Henriette　replied　with　an　equal　pressure。



〃Where　are　you？〃　cried　the　count；　who　came　towards　us；　bareheaded。



Ever　since　my　return　he　had　insisted　on　sharing　our　interviews；

either　because　he　wanted　amusement；　or　feared　the　countess　would　tell

me　her　sorrows　and　complain　to　me；　or　because　he　was　jealous　of　a

pleasure　he　did　not　share。



〃How　he　follows　me！〃　she　cried；　in　a　tone　of　despair。　〃Let　us　go　into

the　orchard；　we　shall　escape　him。　We　can　stoop　as　we　run　by　the　hedge；

and　he　will　not　see　us。〃



We　made　the　hedge　a　rampart　and　reached　the　enclosure；　where　we　were

soon　at　a　good　distance　from　the　count　in　an　alley　of　almond…trees。



〃Dear　Henriette；〃　I　then　said　to　her；　pressing　her　arm　against　my

heart　and　stopping　to　contemplate　her　in　her　sorrow；　〃you　have　guided

me　with　true　knowledge　along　the　perilous　ways　of　the　great　world；　let

me　in　return　give　you　some　advice　which　may　help　you　to　end　this　duel

without　witnesses；　in　which　you　must　inevitably　be　worsted；　for　you

are　fighting　with　unequal　weapons。　You　must　not　struggle　any　longer

with　a　madman〃



〃Hush！〃　she　said；　dashing　aside　the　tears　that　rolled　from　her　eyes。



〃Listen　to　me；　dear；〃　I　continued。　〃After　a　single　hour's　talk　with

the　count；　which　I　force　myself　to　endure　for　love　of　you；　my　thoughts

are　bewildered；　my　head　heavy；　he　makes　me　doubtful　of　my　own

intellect；　the　same　ideas　repeated　over　and　over　again　seem　to　burn

themselves　on　my　brain。　Well…defined　monomanias　are　not　communicated；

but　when　the　madness　consists　in　a　distorted　way　of　looking　at

everything；　and　when　it　lurks　under　all　discussions；　then　it　can　and

does　injure　the　minds　of　those　who　live　with　it。　Your　patience　is

sublime；　but　will　it　not　end　in　disordering　you？　For　your　sake；　for

that　of　your　children；　change　your　system　with　the　count。　Your

adorable　kindness　has　made　him　selfish；　you　have　treated　him　as　a

mother　treats　the　child　she　spoils；　but　now；　if　you　want　to　liveand

you　do　want　it；〃　I　said；　looking　at　her；　〃use　the　control　you　have

over　him。　You　know　what　it　is；　he　loves　you　and　he　fears　you；　make　him

fear　you　more；　oppose　his　erratic　will　with　your　firm　will。　Extend

your　power　over　him；　confine　his　madness　to　a　moral　sphere　just　as　we

lock　maniacs　in　a　cell。〃



〃Dear　child；〃　she　said；　smiling　bitterly；　〃a　woman　without　a　heart

might　do　it。　But　I　am　a　mother；　I　should　make　a　poor　jailer。　Yes；　I

can　suffer；　but　I　cannot　make　others　suffer。　Never！〃　she　said；　〃never！

not　even　to　obtain　some　great　and　honorable　result。　Besides；　I　should

have　to　lie　in　my　heart；　disguise　my　voice；　lower　my　head；　degrade　my

gesturedo　not　ask　of　me　such　falsehoods。　I　can　stand　between

Monsieur　de　Mortsauf　and　his　children；　I　willingly　receive　his　blows

that　they　may　not　fall　on　others；　I　can　do　all　that；　and　will　do　it　to

conciliate　conflicting　interests；　but　I　can　do　no　more。〃



〃Let　me　worship　thee；　O　saint；　thrice　holy！〃　I　exclaimed；　kneeling　at

her　feet　and　kissing　her　robe；　with　which　I　wiped　my　tears。　〃But　if　he

kills　you？〃　I　cried。



She　turned　pale　and　said；　lifting　her　eyes　to　heaven：



〃God's　will　be　done！〃



〃Do　you　know　that　the　king　said　to　your　father；　'So　that　devil　of　a

Mortsauf　is　still　living'？〃



〃A　jest　on　the　lips　of　the　king；〃　she　said；　〃is　a　crime　when　repeated

here。〃



In　spite　of　our　precautions　the　count　had　tracked　us；　he　now　arrived；

bathed　in　perspiration；　and　sat　down　under　a　walnut…tree　where　the

countess　had　stopped　to　give　me　that　rebuke。　I　began　to　talk　about　the

vintage；　the　count　was　silent；　taking　no　notice　of　the　dampness　under

the　tree。　After　a　few　insignificant　remarks；　interspersed　with　pauses

that　were　very　significant；　he　complained　of　nausea　and　headache；　but

he　spoke　gently；　and　did　not　appeal　to　our　pity；　or　describe　his

sufferings　in　his　usual　exaggerated　way。　We　paid　no　attention　to　him。

When　we　reached　the　house；　he　said　he　felt　worse　and　should　go　to　bed；

which　he　did；　quite　naturally　and　with　much　less　complaint　than　usual。

We　took　advantage　of　the　respite　and　went　down　to　our　dear　terrace

accompanied　by　Madeleine。



〃Let　us　get　that　boat　and　go　upon　the　river；〃　said　the　countess　after

we　had　made　a　few　turns。　〃We　might　go　and　look　at　the　fishing　which　is

going　on　to…day。〃



We　went　out　by　the　little　gate；　found　the　punt；　jumped　into　it　and

were　presently　paddling　up　the　Loire。　Like　three　children　amused　with

trifles；　we　looked　at　the　sedges　along　the　banks　and　the　blue　and

green　dragon…flies；　the　countess　wondered　perhaps　that　she　was　able　to

enjoy　such　peaceful　pleasures　in　the　midst　of　her　poignant　griefs；　but

Nature's　calm；　indifferent　to　our　struggles；　has　a　magic　gift　of

consolation。　The　tumults　of　a　love　full　of　restrained　desires

harmonize　with　the　wash　of　the　water；　the　flowers　that　the　hand　of　man

has　never　wilted　are　the　voice　of　his　secret　dreams；　the　voluptuous

swaying　of　the　boat　vaguely　responds　to　the　thoughts　that　are　floating

in　his　soul。　We　felt　the　languid　influence　of　this　double　poesy。

Words；　tuned　to　the　diapason　of　nature；　disclosed　mysterious　graces；

looks　were　impassioned　rays　sharing　the　light　shed　broadcast　by　the

sun　on　the　glowing　meadows。　The　river　was　a　path　along　which　we　flew。

Our　spirit；　no　longer　kept　down　by　the　measured　tread　of　our

footsteps；　took　possession　of　the　universe。　The　abounding　joy　of　a

child　at　liberty；　graceful　in　its　motions；　enticing　in　its　play；　is

the　living　expression　of　two　freed　souls；　delighting　themselves　by

becoming　ideally　the　wondrous　being　dreamed　of　by　Plato　and　known　to

all　whose　youth　has　been　filled　with　a　blessed　love。　To　describe　to

you　that　hour；　not　in　its　indescribable　details　but　in　its　essence；　I

must　say　to　you　that　we　loved　each　other　in　all　the　creations　animate

and　inanimate　which　surrounded　us；　we　felt　without　us　the　happiness

our　own　hearts　craved；　it　so　penetrated　our　being　that　the　countess

took　off　her　gloves　and　let　her　hands　float　in　the　water　as　if　to　cool

an　inward　ardor。　Her　eyes　spoke；　but　her　mouth；　opening　like　a　rose　to

the　breeze；　gave　voice　to　no　desire。　You　know　the　harmony　of　deep

tones　mingling　perfectly　with　high　ones？　Ever；　when　I　hear　it　now；　it

recalls　to　me　the　harmony　of　our　two　souls　in　this　one　hour；　which

never　came　again。



〃Where　do　you　fish？〃　I　asked；　〃if　you　can　only　do　so　from　the　banks

you　own？〃



〃Near　Pont…de…Ruan；〃　she　replied。　〃Ah！　we　now　own　the　river　from　Pont…

de…Ruan　to　Clochegourde；　Monsieur　de　Mortsauf　has　lately　bought　forty

acres　of　the　meadow　lands　with　the　savings　of　two　years　and　the

arrearage　of　his　pension。　Does　that　surprise　you？〃



〃Surprise　me？〃　I　cried；　〃I　would　that　all　the　valley　were　yours。〃　She

answered　me　with　a　smile。　Presently　we　came　below　the　bridge　to　a

place　where　the　Indre　widens　and　where　the　fishing　was　going　on。



〃Well；　Martineau？〃　she　said。



〃Ah；　Madame　la　comtesse；　such　bad　luck！　We　have　fished　up　from　the

mill　the　last　three　hours；　and　have　taken　nothing。〃



We　landed　near　them　to　watch　the　drawing　in　of　the　last　net；　and　all

three　of　us　sat　down　in　the　shade　of　a　〃bouillard；〃　a　sort　of　poplar

with　a　white　bark；　which　grows　on　the　banks　of　the　Danube　and　the

Loire　（probably　on　those　of　other　large　rivers）；　and　sheds；　in　the

spring　of　the　year；　a　white　and　silky　fluff；　the　covering　of　its

flower。　The　countess　had　recovered　her　august　serenity；　she　half

regretted　the　unveiling　of　her　griefs；　and　mourned　that　she　had　cried

aloud　like　Job；　instead　of　weeping　like　the　Magdalen；a　Magdalen

without　loves；　or　galas；　or　prodigalities；　but　not　without　beauty　and

fragrance。　The　net　came　in　at　her　feet　full　of　fish；　tench；　barbels；

pike；　perch；　and　an　enormous　carp；　which　floundered　about　on　the

grass。



〃Madame　brings　luck！〃　exclaimed　the　keeper。



All　the　laborers　opened　their　eyes　as　they　looked　with　admiration　at

the　woman　whose　fairy　wand　seemed　to　have　touched　the　nets。　Just　then

the　huntsman　was　seen　urging　his　horse　over　the　meadows　at　a　full

gallop。　Fear　took　possession　of　her。　Jacques　was　not　with　us；　and　the

mother's　first　thought；　as　Virgil　so　poetically　says；　is　to　press　her

children　to　her　breast　when　danger　threatens。



〃Jacques！　Where　is　Jacques？　What　has　happened　to　my　boy？〃



She　did　not　love　me！　If　she　had　loved　me　I　should　have　seen　upon　her

face　when　confronted　with　my　sufferings　that　expression　of　a　lioness

in　despair。



〃Madame　la　comtesse；　Monsieur　le　comte　is　worse。〃



She　breathed　more　freely　and　started　to　run　towards　Clochegourde；

followed　by　me　and　by　Madeleine。



〃Follow　me　slowly；〃　she　said；　looking　back；　〃don't　let　the　dear　child

overheat　herself。　You　see　how　it　is；　Monsieur　de　Mortsauf　took　that

walk　in　the　sun　which　put　him　into　a　perspiration；　and　sitting　under

the　walnut…tree　may　be　the　cause　of　a　great　misfortune。〃



The　words；　said　in　the