太子爷小说网 > 英语电子书 > paz >

第4节

paz-第4节

小说: paz 字数: 每页4000字

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!




neither the one nor the other; a poor relation; an embarrassing

friend。



〃Because; countess;〃 he answered with perfect ease of manner; 〃there

are no thanks due。 I am Adam's friend; and it gives me pleasure to

take care of his interests。〃



〃And you remain standing for your pleasure; too;〃 remarked Comte Adam。



Paz sat down on a chair near the door。



〃I remember seeing you about the time I was married; and afterwards in

the courtyard;〃 said Clementine。 〃But why do you put yourself in a

position of inferiority;you; Adam's friend?〃



〃I am perfectly indifferent to the opinion of the Parisians;〃 he

replied。 〃I live for myself; or; if you like; for you two。〃



〃But the opinion of the world as to a friend of my husband is not

indifferent to me〃



〃Ah; madame; the world will be satisfied if you tell them I am 'an

original。'〃



After a moment's silence he added; 〃Are you going out to…day?〃



〃Will you come with us to the Bois?〃



〃Certainly。〃



So saying; Paz bowed and withdrew。



〃What a good soul he is!〃 said Adam。 〃He has all the simplicity of a

child。〃



〃Now tell me all about your relations with him;〃 said Clementine。



〃Paz; my dear;〃 said Laginski; 〃belongs to a noble family as old and

illustrious as our own。 One of the Pazzi of Florence; at the time of

their disasters; fled to Poland; where he settled with some of his

property and founded the Paz family; to which the title of count was

granted。 This family; which distinguished itself greatly in the

glorious days of our royal republic; became rich。 The graft from the

tree that was felled in Italy flourished so vigorously in Poland that

there are several branches of the family still there。 I need not tell

you that some are rich and some are poor。 Our Paz is the scion of a

poor branch。 He was an orphan; without other fortune than his sword;

when he served in the regiment of the Grand Duke Constantine at the

time of our revolution。 Joining the Polish cause; he fought like a

Pole; like a patriot; like a man who has nothing;three good reasons

for fighting well。 In his last affair; thinking he was followed by his

men; he dashed upon a Russian battery and was taken prisoner。 I was

there。 His brave act roused me。 'Let us go and get him!' I said to my

troop; and we charged the battery like a lot of foragers。 I got PazI

was the seventh man; we started twenty and came back eight; counting

Paz。 After Warsaw was sold we were forced to escape those Russians。 By

a curious chance; Paz and I happened to come together again; at the

same hour and the same place; on the other side of the Vistula。 I saw

the poor captain arrested by some Prussians; who made themselves the

blood…hounds of the Russians。 When we have fished a man out of the

Styx we cling to him。 This new danger for poor Paz made me so unhappy

that I let myself be taken too; thinking I could help him。 Two men can

get away where one will perish。 Thanks to my name and some family

connections in Prussia; the authorities shut their eyes to my escape。

I got my dear captain through as a man of no consequence; a family

servant; and we reached Dantzic。 There we got on board a Dutch vessel

and went to London。 It took us two months to get there。 My mother was

ill in England; and expecting me。 Paz and I took care of her till her

death; which the Polish troubles hastened。 Then we left London and

came to France。 Men who go through such adversities become like

brothers。 When I reached Paris; at twenty…two years of age; and found

I had an income of over sixty thousand francs a year; without counting

the proceeds of the diamonds and the pictures sold by my mother; I

wanted to secure the future of my dear Paz before I launched into

dissipation。 I had often noticed the sadness in his eyessometimes

tears were in them。 I had had good reason to understand his soul;

which is noble; grand; and generous to the core。 I thought he might

not like to be bound by benefits to a friend who was six years younger

than himself; unless he could repay them。 I was careless and

frivolous; just as a young fellow is; and I knew I was certain to ruin

myself at play; or get inveigled by some woman; and Paz and I might

then be parted; and though I had every intention of always looking out

for him; I knew I might sometime or other forget to provide for him。

In short; my dear angel; I wanted to spare him the pain and

mortification of having to ask me for money; or of having to hunt me

up if he got into distress。 SO; one morning; after breakfast; when we

were sitting with our feet on the andirons smoking pipes; I produced;

with the utmost precaution; for I saw him look at me uneasily;a

certificate of the Funds payable to bearer for a certain sum of money

a year。〃



Clementine jumped up and went and seated herself on Adam's knee; put

her arms round his neck; and kissed him。 〃Dear treasure!〃 she said;

〃how handsome he is! Well; what did Paz do?〃



〃Thaddeus turned pale;〃 said the count; 〃but he didn't say a word。〃



〃Oh! his name is Thaddeus; is it?〃



〃Yes; Thaddeus folded the paper and gave it back to me; and then he

said: 'I thought; Adam; that we were one for life or death; and that

we should never part。 Do you want to be rid of me?' 'Oh!' I said; 'if

you take it that way; Thaddeus; don't let us say another word about

it。 If I ruin myself you shall be ruined too。' 'You haven't fortune

enough to live as a Laginski should;' he said; 'and you need a friend

who will take care of your affairs; and be a father and a brother and

a trusty confidant。' My dear child; as Paz said that he had in his

look and voice; calm as they were; a maternal emotion; and also the

gratitude of an Arab; the fidelity of a dog; the friendship of a

savage;not displayed; but ever ready。 Faith! I seized him; as we

Poles do; with a hand on each shoulder; and I kissed him on the lips。

'For life and death; then! all that I have is yoursdo what you will

with it。' It was he who found me this house and bought it for next to

nothing。 He sold my Funds high and bought in low; and we have paid for

this barrack with the profits。 He knows horses; and he manages to buy

and sell at such advantage that my stable really costs very little;

and yet I have the finest horses and the most elegant equipages in all

Paris。 Our servants; brave Polish soldiers chosen by him; would go

through fire and water for us。 I seem; as you say; to be ruining

myself; and yet Paz keeps the house with such method and economy that

he has even repaired some of my foolish losses at play;the

thoughtless folly of a young man。 My dear; Thaddeus is as shrewd as

two Genoese; as eager for gain as a Polish Jew; and provident as a

good housekeeper。 I never could force him to live as I did when I was

a bachelor。 Sometimes I had to use a sort of friendly coercion to make

him go to the theatre with me when I was alone; or to the jovial

little dinners I used to give at a tavern。 He doesn't like social

life。〃



〃What does he like; then?〃 asked Clementine。



〃Poland; he loves Poland and pines for it。 His only spendings are sums

he gives; more in my name than in his own; to some of our poor

brother…exiles。〃



〃Well; I shall love him; the fine fellow!〃 said the countess; 〃he

looks to me as simple…hearted as he is grand。〃



〃All these pretty things you have about you;〃 continued Adam; who

praised his friend in the noblest sincerity; 〃he picked up; he bought

them at auction; or as bargains from the dealers。 Oh! he's keener than

they are themselves。 If you see him rubbing his hands in the

courtyard; you may be sure he has traded away one good horse for a

better。 He lives for me; his happiness is to see me elegant; in a

perfectly appointed equipage。 The duties he takes upon himself are all

accomplished without fuss or emphasis。 One evening I lost twenty

thousand francs at whist。 'What will Paz say?' thought I as I walked

home。 Paz paid them to me; not without a sigh; but he never reproached

me; even by a look。 But that sigh of his restrained me more than the

remonstrances of uncles; mothers; or wives could have done。 'Do you

regret the money?' I said to him。 'Not for you or me; no;' he replied;

'but I was thinking that twenty poor Poles could have lived a year on

that sum。' You must understand that the Pazzi are fully the equal of

the Laginski; so I couldn't regard my dear Paz as an inferior。 I never

went out or came in without going first to Paz; as I would to my

father。 My fortune is his; and Thaddeus knows that if danger

threatened him I would fling myself into it and drag him out; as I

have done before。〃



〃And that is saying a good deal; my dear friend;〃 said the countess。

〃Devotion is like a flash of lightning。 Men devote themselves in

battle; but they no longer have the heart for it in Paris。〃



〃Well;〃 replied Adam; 〃I am always ready; as in battle; to devote

myself to Paz。 Our two characters have kept their natur

返回目录 上一页 下一页 回到顶部 0 0

你可能喜欢的