honorine-第19节

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shall　die　in　Italy　of　the　joys　I　have　had。　。　。　。　Wherein　lay　the
discord　between　two　natures；　equally　noble；　I　dare　assert？'　〃

For　some　minutes　profound　silence　reigned　on　the　terrace。

Then　the　Consul；　turning　to　the　two　women；　asked；　〃Was　she　virtuous？〃

Mademoiselle　des　Touches　rose；　took　the　Consul's　arm；　went　a　few　steps
away；　and　said　to　him：

〃Are　not　men　wrong　too　when　they　come　to　us　and　make　a　young　girl　a
wife　while　cherishing　at　the　bottom　of　their　heart　some　angelic　image；
and　comparing　us　to　those　unknown　rivals；　to　perfections　often
borrowed　from　a　remembrance；　and　always　finding　us　wanting？〃

〃Mademoiselle；　you　would　be　right　if　marriage　were　based　on　passion；
and　that　was　the　mistake　of　those　two；　who　will　soon　be　no　more。
Marriage　with　heart…deep　love　on　both　sides　would　be　Paradise。〃

Mademoiselle　des　Touches　turned　from　the　Consul；　and　was　immediately
joined　by　Claude　Vignon；　who　said　in　her　ear：

〃A　bit　of　a　coxcomb　is　M。　de　l'Hostal。〃

〃No；〃　replied　she；　whispering　to　Claude　these　words：　〃for　he　has　not
yet　guessed　that　Honorine　would　have　loved　him。Oh！〃　she　exclaimed；
seeing　the　Consul's　wife　approaching；　〃his　wife　was　listening！　Unhappy
man！〃

Eleven　was　striking　by　all　the　clocks；　and　the　guests　went　home　on
foot　along　the　seashore。

〃Still；　that　is　not　life；〃　said　Mademoiselle　des　Touches。　〃That　woman
was　one　of　the　rarest；　and　perhaps　the　most　extraordinary　exceptions
in　intellecta　pearl！　Life　is　made　up　of　various　incidents；　of　pain
and　pleasure　alternately。　The　Paradise　of　Dante；　that　sublime
expression　of　the　ideal；　that　perpetual　blue；　is　to　be　found　only　in
the　soul；　to　ask　it　of　the　facts　of　life　is　a　luxury　against　which
nature　protests　every　hour。　To　such　souls　as　those　the　six　feet　of　a
cell；　and　the　kneeling　chair　are　all　they　need。〃

〃You　are　right；〃　said　Leon　de　Lora；　〃but　good…for…nothing　as　I　may　be；
I　cannot　help　admiring　a　woman　who　is　capable；　as　that　one　was；　of
living　by　the　side　of　a　studio；　under　a　painter's　roof；　and　never
coming　down；　nor　seeing　the　world；　nor　dipping　her　feet　in　the　street
mud。〃

〃Such　a　thing　has　been　knownfor　a　few　months；〃　said　Claude　Vignon；
with　deep　irony。

〃Comtesse　Honorine　is　not　unique　of　her　kind；〃　replied　the　Ambassador
to　Mademoiselle　des　Touches。　〃A　man；　nay；　and　a　politician；　a　bitter
writer；　was　the　object　of　such　a　passion；　and　the　pistol　shot　which
killed　him　hit　not　him　alone；　the　woman　who　loved　lived　like　a　nun
ever　after。〃

〃Then　there　are　yet　some　great　souls　in　this　age！〃　said　Camille
Maupin；　and　she　stood　for　some　minutes　pensively　leaning　on　the
balustrade　of　the　quay。









End