honorine-第7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！


there　were　male　heirs　was　an　excellent　provision；　whether　to　hinder
the　degeneration　of　the　race；　or　to　make　households　happier　by
abolishing　scandalous　unions　and　giving　the　sole　preference　to　moral
qualities　and　beauty。

〃　'But　then；'　he　exclaimed；　lifting　his　hand　with　a　gesture　of
disgust；　'how　are　we　to　perfect　legislation　in　a　country　which　insists
on　bringing　together　seven　or　eight　hundred　legislators！After　all；
if　I　am　sacrificed；'　he　added；　'I　have　a　child　to　succeed　me。'

〃　'Setting　aside　all　the　religious　question；'　my　uncle　said；　'I　would
remark　to　your　Excellency　that　Nature　only　owes　us　life；　and　that　it
is　society　that　owes　us　happiness。　Are　you　a　father？'　asked　my　uncle。

〃　'And　Ihave　I　any　children？'　said　Comte　Octave　in　a　hollow　voice；
and　his　tone　made　such　an　impression　that　there　was　no　more　talk　of
wives　or　marriage。

〃When　coffee　had　been　served；　the　two　Counts　and　the　two　priests　stole
away；　seeing　that　poor　Octave　had　fallen　into　a　fit　of　melancholy
which　prevented　his　noticing　their　disappearance。　My　patron　was
sitting　in　an　armchair　by　the　fire；　in　the　attitude　of　a　man　crushed。

〃　'You　now　know　the　secret　of　my　life；　said　he　to　me　on　noticing　that
we　were　alone。　'After　three　years　of　married　life；　one　evening　when　I
came　in　I　found　a　letter　in　which　the　Countess　announced　her　flight。
The　letter　did　not　lack　dignity；　for　it　is　in　the　nature　of　women　to
preserve　some　virtues　even　when　committing　that　horrible　sin。The
story　is　now　that　my　wife　went　abroad　in　a　ship　that　was　wrecked；　she
is　supposed　to　be　dead。　I　have　lived　alone　for　seven　years！Enough
for　this　evening；　Maurice。　We　will　talk　of　my　situation　when　I　have
grown　used　to　the　idea　of　speaking　of　it　to　you。　When　we　suffer　from　a
chronic　disease；　it　needs　time　to　become　accustomed　to　improvement。
That　improvement　often　seems　to　be　merely　another　aspect　of　the
complaint。'

〃I　went　to　bed　greatly　agitated；　for　the　mystery；　far　from　being
explained；　seemed　to　me　more　obscure　than　ever。　I　foresaw　some　strange
drama　indeed；　for　I　understood　that　there　could　be　no　vulgar
difference　between　the　woman　that　Count　could　choose　and　such　a
character　as　his。　The　events　which　had　driven　the　Countess　to　leave　a
man　so　noble；　so　amiable；　so　perfect；　so　loving；　so　worthy　to　be
loved；　must　have　been　singular；　to　say　the　least。　M。　de　Grandville's
remark　had　been　like　a　torch　flung　into　the　caverns　over　which　I　had
so　long　been　walking；　and　though　the　flame　lighted　them　but　dimly；　my
eyes　could　perceive　their　wide　extent！　I　could　imagine　the　Count's
sufferings　without　knowing　their　depths　or　their　bitterness。　That
sallow　face；　those　parched　temples；　those　overwhelming　studies；　those
moments　of　absentmindedness；　the　smallest　details　of　the　life　of　this
married　bachelor；　all　stood　out　in　luminous　relief　during　the　hour　of
mental　questioning；　which　is；　as　it　were；　the　twilight　before　sleep；
and　to　which　any　man　would　have　given　himself　up；　as　I　did。

〃Oh！　how　I　loved　my　poor　master！　He　seemed　to　me　sublime。　I　read　a
poem　of　melancholy；　I　saw　perpetual　activity　in　the　heart　I　had
accused　of　being　torpid。　Must　not　supreme　grief　always　come　at　last　to
stagnation？　Had　this　judge；　who　had　so　much　in　his　power；　ever
revenged　himself？　Was　he　feeding　himself　on　her　long　agony？　Is　it　not
a　remarkable　thing　in　Paris　to　keep　anger　always　seething　for　ten
years？　What　had　Octave　done　since　this　great　misfortunefor　the
separation　of　husband　and　wife　is　a　great　misfortune　in　our　day；　when
domestic　life　has　become　a　social　question；　which　it　never　was　of　old？

〃We　allowed　a　few　days　to　pass　on　the　watch；　for　great　sorrows　have　a
diffidence　of　their　own；　but　at　last；　one　evening；　the　Count　said　in　a
grave　voice：

〃　'Stay。'



〃This；　as　nearly　as　may　be；　is　his　story。

〃　'My　father　had　a　ward；　rich　and　lovely；　who　was　sixteen　at　the　time
when　I　came　back　from　college　to　live　in　this　old　house。　Honorine；　who
had　been　brought　up　by　my　mother；　was　just　awakening　to　life。　Full　of
grace　and　of　childish　ways；　she　dreamed　of　happiness　as　she　would　have
dreamed　of　jewels；　perhaps　happiness　seemed　to　her　the　jewel　of　the
soul。　Her　piety　was　not　free　from　puerile　pleasures；　for　everything；
even　religion；　was　poetry　to　her　ingenuous　heart。　She　looked　to　the
future　as　a　perpetual　fete。　Innocent　and　pure；　no　delirium　had
disturbed　her　dream。　Shame　and　grief　had　never　tinged　her　cheek　nor
moistened　her　eye。　She　did　not　even　inquire　into　the　secret　of　her
involuntary　emotions　on　a　fine　spring　day。　And　then；　she　felt　that　she
was　weak　and　destined　to　obedience；　and　she　awaited　marriage　without
wishing　for　it。　Her　smiling　imagination　knew　nothing　of　the　corruption
necessary　perhapswhich　literature　imparts　by　depicting　the
passions；　she　knew　nothing　of　the　world；　and　was　ignorant　of　all　the
dangers　of　society。　The　dear　child　had　suffered　so　little　that　she　had
not　even　developed　her　courage。　In　short；　her　guilelessness　would　have
led　her　to　walk　fearless　among　serpents；　like　the　ideal　figure　of
Innocence　a　painter　once　created。　We　lived　together　like　two　brothers。

〃　'At　the　end　of　a　year　I　said　to　her　one　day；　in　the　garden　of　this
house；　by　the　basin；　as　we　stood　throwing　crumbs　to　the　fish：

〃　'　〃Would　you　like　that　we　should　be　married？　With　me　you　could　do
whatever　you　please；　while　another　man　would　make　you　unhappy。〃

〃　'　〃Mamma；〃　said　she　to　my　mother；　who　came　out　to　join　us；　〃Octave
and　I　have　agreed　to　be　married〃

〃　'　〃What！　at　seventeen？〃　said　my　mother。　〃No；　you　must　wait　eighteen
months；　and　if　eighteen　months　hence　you　like　each　other；　well；　your
birth　and　fortunes　are　equal；　you　can　make　a　marriage　which　is
suitable；　as　well　as　being　a　love　match。〃

〃　'When　I　was　six…and…twenty；　and　Honorine　nineteen；　we　were　married。
Our　respect　for　my　father　and　mother；　old　folks　of　the　Bourbon　Court；
hindered　us　from　making　this　house　fashionable；　or　renewing　the
furniture；　we　lived　on；　as　we　had　done　in　the　past；　as　children。
However；　I　went　into　society；　I　initiated　my　wife　into　the　world　of
fashion；　and　I　regarded　it　as　one　of　my　duties　to　instruct　her。

〃　'I　recognized　afterwards　that　marriages　contracted　under　such
circumstances　as　ours　bear　in　themselves　a　rock　against　which　many
affections　are　wrecked；　many　prudent　calculations；　many　lives。　The
husband　becomes　a　pedagogue；　or；　if　you　like；　a　professor；　and　love
perishes　under　the　rod　which；　sooner　or　later；　gives　pain；　for　a　young
and　handsome　wife；　at　once　discreet　and　laughter…loving；　will　not
accept　any　superiority　above　that　with　which　she　is　endowed　by　nature。
Perhaps　I　was　in　the　wrong？　During　the　difficult　beginnings　of　a
household　I；　perhaps；　assumed　a　magisterial　tone？　On　the　other　hand；　I
may　have　made　the　mistake　of　trusting　too　entirely　to　that　artless
nature；　I　kept　no　watch　over　the　Countess；　in　whom　revolt　seemed　to　me
impossible？　Alas！　neither　in　politics　nor　in　domestic　life　has　it　yet
been　ascertained　whether　empires　and　happiness　are　wrecked　by　too　much
confidence　or　too　much　severity！　Perhaps　again；　the　husband　failed　to
realize　Honorine's　girlish　dreams？　Who　can　tell；　while　happy　days
last；　what　precepts　he　has　neglected？'

〃I　remember　only　the　broad　outlines　of　the　reproaches　the　Count
addressed　to　himself；　with　all　the　good　faith　of　an　anatomist　seeking
the　cause　of　a　disease　which　might　be　overlooked　by　his　brethren；　but
his　merciful　indulgence　struck　me　then　as　really　worthy　of　that　of
Jesus　Christ　when　He　rescued　the　woman　taken　in　adultery。

〃　'It　was　eighteen　months　after　my　father's　deathmy　mother　followed
him　to　the　tomb　in　a　few　monthswhen　the　fearful　night　came　which
surprised　me　by　Honorine's　farewell　letter。　What　poetic　delusion　had
seduced　my　wife？　Was　it　through　her　senses？　Was　it　the　magnetism　of
misfortune　or　of　genius？　Which　of　these　powers　had　taken　her　by　storm
or　misled　her？I　would　not　know。　The　blow　was　so　terrible；　that　for　a
month　I　remained　stunned。　Afterwards；　reflection　counseled　me　to
continue　in　ignorance；　and　Honorine's　misfortunes　have　since　taught　me
too　much　about　all　these　things。So　far；　Maurice；　the　story　is
commonplace　enough；　but　one　word　will　change　it　all：　I　love　Honorine；
I　have　never　ceased　to　worship　her。　From　the　day　when　she　left　me　I
have　lived　on　memory；　one　by　one　I　recall　the　pleasures　for　which
Honorine　no　doubt　had　no　taste。

〃　'Oh！'　said　he；　seeing　the　amazement　in　my　eyes；　'do　not　make　a　hero
of　me；　do　not　think　me　such　a　fool；　as　the　Colonel　of　the　Empire　would
say；　as　to　have　sought　no　diversion。　Alas；　my　boy！　I　was　either　too
young　or　too　much　in　love；　I　have　not　in　the　whole　world　met　with
another　woman。　After　frightful　struggles　with　myself；　I　tried　to
forget；　money　in　hand；　I　stood　on　the　very　threshold　of　infidelity；
but　there　the　memory　of　Honorine　rose　before　me　like　a　white　statue。
As　I　recalled　the　infinite　delicacy　of　that　exquisite　skin；　through
which　the　blood　might　be　seen　coursing　and　the　nerves　quivering；　as　I
saw　in　fancy　that　ingenuous　face；　as　guileless　on　the　eve　of　my
sorrows　as　on　the　day　when　I　said　to　her；　〃Shall　we　marry？〃　as　I
remembered　a　heavenly　fragrance；　the　very　odor　of　virtue；　and　the
lig