paz-第4节

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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