the lily of the valley-第9节

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within　it；　would　probably　not　have　lived　in　the　atmosphere　of　a　city。

Country　air　and　her　mother's　brooding　care　had　kept　the　life　in　that

frail　body；　delicate　as　a　hot…house　plant　growing　in　a　harsh　and

foreign　climate。　Though　in　nothing　did　she　remind　me　of　her　mother；

Madeleine　seemed　to　have　her　soul；　and　that　soul　held　her　up。　Her　hair

was　scanty　and　black；　her　eyes　and　cheeks　hollow；　her　arms　thin；　her

chest　narrow；　showing　a　battle　between　life　and　death；　a　duel　without

truce　in　which　the　mother　had　so　far　been　victorious。　The　child　willed

to　live；perhaps　to　spare　her　mother；　for　at　times；　when　not

observed；　she　fell　into　the　attitude　of　a　weeping…willow。　You　might

have　thought　her　a　little　gypsy　dying　of　hunger；　begging　her　way；

exhausted　but　always　brave　and　dressed　up　to　play　her　part。



〃Where　have　you　left　Jacques？〃　asked　the　countess；　kissing　the　white

line　which　parted　the　child's　hair　into　two　bands　that　looked　like　a

crow's　wings。



〃He　is　coming　with　papa。〃



Just　then　the　count　entered；　holding　his　son　by　the　hand。　Jacques；　the

image　of　his　sister；　showed　the　same　signs　of　weakness。　Seeing　these

sickly　children　beside　a　mother　so　magnificently　healthy　it　was

impossible　not　to　guess　at　the　causes　of　the　grief　which　clouded　her

brow　and　kept　her　silent　on　a　subject　she　could　take　to　God　only。　As

he　bowed；　Monsieur　de　Mortsauf　gave　me　a　glance　that　was　less

observing　than　awkwardly　uneasy；the　glance　of　a　man　whose　distrust

grows　out　of　his　inability　to　analyze。　After　explaining　the

circumstances　of　our　visit；　and　naming　me　to　him；　the　countess　gave

him　her　place　and　left　the　room。　The　children；　whose　eyes　were　on

those　of　their　mother　as　if　they　drew　the　light　of　theirs　from　hers；

tried　to　follow　her；　but　she　said；　with　a　finger　on　her　lips；　〃Stay

dears！〃　and　they　obeyed；　but　their　eyes　filled。　Ah！　to　hear　that　one

word　〃dears〃　what　tasks　they　would　have　undertaken！




Like　the　children；　I　felt　less　warm　when　she　had　left　us。　My　name

seemed　to　change　the　count's　feeling　toward　me。　Cold　and　supercilious

in　his　first　glance；　he　became　at　once；　if　not　affectionate；　at　least

politely　attentive；　showing　me　every　consideration　and　seeming　pleased

to　receive　me　as　a　guest。　My　father　had　formerly　done　devoted　service

to　the　Bourbons；　and　had　played　an　important　and　perilous；　though

secret　part。　When　their　cause　was　lost　by　the　elevation　of　Napoleon；

he　took　refuge　in　the　quietude　of　the　country　and　domestic　life；

accepting　the　unmerited　accusations　that　followed　him　as　the

inevitable　reward　of　those　who　risk　all　to　win　all；　and　who　succumb

after　serving　as　pivot　to　the　political　machine。　Knowing　nothing　of

the　fortunes；　nor　of　the　past；　nor　of　the　future　of　my　family；　I　was

unaware　of　this　devoted　service　which　the　Comte　de　Mortsauf　well

remembered。　Moreover；　the　antiquity　of　our　name；　the　most　precious

quality　of　a　man　in　his　eyes；　added　to　the　warmth　of　his　greeting。　I

knew　nothing　of　these　reasons　until　later；　for　the　time　being　the

sudden　transition　to　cordiality　put　me　at　my　ease。　When　the　two

children　saw　that　we　were　all　three　fairly　engaged　in　conversation；

Madeleine　slipped　her　head　from　her　father's　hand；　glanced　at　the　open

door；　and　glided　away　like　an　eel；　Jacques　following　her。　They

rejoined　their　mother；　and　I　heard　their　voices　and　their　movements；

sounding　in　the　distance　like　the　murmur　of　bees　about　a　hive。



I　watched　the　count；　trying　to　guess　his　character；　but　I　became　so

interested　in　certain　leading　traits　that　I　got　no　further　than　a

superficial　examination　of　his　personality。　Though　he　was　only　forty…

five　years　old；　he　seemed　nearer　sixty；　so　much　had　the　great

shipwreck　at　the　close　of　the　eighteenth　century　aged　him。　The

crescent　of　hair　which　monastically　fringed　the　back　of　his　head；

otherwise　completely　bald；　ended　at　the　ears　in　little　tufts　of　gray

mingled　with　black。　His　face　bore　a　vague　resemblance　to　that　of　a

white　wolf　with　blood　about　its　muzzle；　for　his　nose　was　inflamed　and

gave　signs　of　a　life　poisoned　at　its　springs　and　vitiated　by　diseases

of　long　standing。　His　flat　forehead；　too　broad　for　the　face　beneath

it；　which　ended　in　a　point；　and　transversely　wrinkled　in　crooked

lines；　gave　signs　of　a　life　in　the　open　air；　but　not　of　any　mental

activity；　it　also　showed　the　burden　of　constant　misfortunes；　but　not

of　any　efforts　made　to　surmount　them。　His　cheekbones；　which　were　brown

and　prominent　amid　the　general　pallor　of　his　skin；　showed　a　physical

structure　which　was　likely　to　ensure　him　a　long　life。　His　hard；　light…

yellow　eye　fell　upon　mine　like　a　ray　of　wintry　sun；　bright　without

warmth；　anxious　without　thought；　distrustful　without　conscious　cause。

His　mouth　was　violent　and　domineering；　his　chin　flat　and　long。　Thin

and　very　tall；　he　had　the　bearing　of　a　gentleman　who　relies　upon　the

conventional　value　of　his　caste；　who　knows　himself　above　others　by

right；　and　beneath　them　in　fact。　The　carelessness　of　country　life　had

made　him　neglect　his　external　appearance。　His　dress　was　that　of　a

country…man　whom　peasants　and　neighbors　no　longer　considered　except

for　his　territorial　worth。　His　brown　and　wiry　hands　showed　that　he

wore　no　gloves　unless　he　mounted　a　horse；　or　went　to　church；　and　his

shoes　were　thick　and　common。



Though　ten　years　of　emigration　and　ten　years　more　of　farm…life　had

changed　his　physical　condition；　he　still　retained　certain　vestiges　of

nobility。　The　bitterest　liberal　（a　term　not　then　in　circulation）　would

readily　have　admitted　his　chivalric　loyalty　and　the　imperishable

convictions　of　one　who　puts　his　faith　to　the　〃Quotidienne〃；　he　would

have　felt　respect　for　the　man　religiously　devoted　to　a　cause；　honest

in　his　political　antipathies；　incapable　of　serving　his　party　but　very

capable　of　injuring　it；　and　without　the　slightest　real　knowledge　of

the　affairs　of　France。　The　count　was　in　fact　one　of　those　upright　men

who　are　available　for　nothing；　but　stand　obstinately　in　the　way　of

all；　ready　to　die　under　arms　at　the　post　assigned　to　them；　but

preferring　to　give　their　life　rather　than　to　give　their　money。



During　dinner　I　detected；　in　the　hanging　of　his　flaccid　cheeks　and　the

covert　glances　he　cast　now　and　then　upon　his　children；　the　traces　of

some　wearing　thought　which　showed　for　a　moment　upon　the　surface。

Watching　him；　who　could　fail　to　understand　him？　Who　would　not　have

seen　that　he　had　fatally　transmitted　to　his　children　those　weakly

bodies　in　which　the　principle　of　life　was　lacking。　But　if　he　blamed

himself　he　denied　to　others　the　right　to　judge　him。　Harsh　as　one　who

knows　himself　in　fault；　yet　without　greatness　of　soul　or　charm　to

compensate　for　the　weight　of　misery　he　had　thrown　into　the　balance；

his　private　life　was　no　doubt　the　scene　of　irascibilities　that　were

plainly　revealed　in　his　angular　features　and　by　the　incessant

restlessness　of　his　eye。　When　his　wife　returned；　followed　by　the

children　who　seemed　fastened　to　her　side；　I　felt　the　presence　of

unhappiness；　just　as　in　walking　over　the　roof　of　a　vault　the　feet

become　in　some　way　conscious　of　the　depths　below。　Seeing　these　four

human　beings　together；　holding　them　all　as　it　were　in　one　glance；

letting　my　eye　pass　from　one　to　the　other；　studying　their　countenances

and　their　respective　attitudes；　thoughts　steeped　in　sadness　fell　upon

my　heart　as　a　fine　gray　rain　dims　a　charming　landscape　after　the　sun

has　risen　clear。



When　the　immediate　subject　of　conversation　was　exhausted　the　count

told　his　wife　who　I　was；　and　related　certain　circumstances　connected

with　my　family　that　were　wholly　unknown　to　me。　He　asked　me　my　age。

When　I　told　it；　the　countess　echoed　my　own　exclamation　of　surprise　at

her　daughter's　age。　Perhaps　she　had　thought　me　fifteen。　Later　on；　I

discovered　that　this　was　still　another　tie　which　bound　her　strongly　to

me。　Even　then　I　read　her　soul。　Her　motherhood　quivered　with　a　tardy

ray　of　hope。　Seeing　me　at　over　twenty　years　of　age　so　slight　and

delicate　and　yet　so　nervously　strong；　a　voice　cried　to　her；　〃They　too

will　live！〃　She　looked　at　me　searchingly；　and　in　that　moment　I　felt

the　barriers　of　ice　melting　between　us。　She　seemed　to　have　many

questions　to　ask；　but　uttered　none。



〃If　study　has　made　you　ill；〃　she　said；　〃the　air　of　our　valley　will

soon　restore　you。〃



〃Modern　education　is　fatal　to　children；〃　remarked　the　count。　〃We　stuff

them　with　mathematics　and　ruin　their　health　with　sciences；　and　make

them　old　before　their　time。　You　must　stay　and　rest　here；〃　he　added；

turning　to　me。　〃You　are　crushed　by　the　avalanche　of　ideas　that　have

rolled　down　upon　you。　What　sort　of　future　will　this　universal

education　bring　upon　us　unless　we　prevent　its　evils　by　replacing

public　education　in　the　hands　of　the　religious　bodies？〃



These　words　were　in　harmony　with　a　speech　he　afterwards　made　at　the

elections　when　he　refused　his　support　to　a　man　whose　gifts　would　have

done　good　service　to　the　royalist　cause。　〃I