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第7节

paz-第7节

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soul reached her sensibilities。 What was Adam's merit in her eyes? It

was natural enough to have courage and generosity。 But Thaddeus

surely Thaddeus possessed; or seemed to possess; some great

superiority over Adam。 They were dangerous thoughts which took

possession of the countess's mind as she again noticed the contrast of

the fine presence that distinguished Thaddeus; and the puny frame in

which Adam showed the degenerating effects of intermarriage among the

Polish aristocratic families。 The devil alone knew the thoughts that

were in Clementine's head; for she sat still; with thoughtful; dreamy

eyes; and without saying a word until they reached home。



〃You will dine with us; I shall be angry if you disobey me;〃 she said

as the carriage turned in。 〃You are Thaddeus to me; as you are to

Adam。 I know your obligations to him; but I also know those we are

under to you。 Both generosities are naturalbut you are generous

every day and all day。 My father dines here to…day; also my uncle

Ronquerolles and my aunt Madame de Serizy。 Dress yourself therefore;〃

she said; taking the hand he offered to assist her from the carriage。



Thaddeus went to his own room to dress with a joyful heart; though

shaken by an inward dread。 He went down at the last moment and behaved

through dinner as he had done on the first occasion; that is; like a

soldier fit only for his duties as a steward。 But this time Clementine

was not his dupe; his glance had enlightened her。 The Marquis de

Ronquerolles; one of the ablest diplomates after Talleyrand; who had

served with de Marsay during his short ministry; had been informed by

his niece of the real worth and character of Comte Paz; and knew how

modestly he made himself the steward of his friend Laginski。



〃And why is this the first time I have the pleasure of seeing Comte

Paz?〃 asked the marquis。



〃Because he is so shy and retiring;〃 replied Clementine with a look at

Paz telling him to change his behavior。



Alas! that we should have to avow it; at the risk of rendering the

captain less interesting; but Paz; though superior to his friend Adam;

was not a man of parts。 His apparent superiority was due to his

misfortunes。 In his lonely and poverty…stricken life in Warsaw he had

read and taught himself a good deal; he had compared and meditated。

But the gift of original thought which makes a great man he did not

possess; and it can never be acquired。 Paz; great in heart only;

approached in heart to the sublime; but in the sphere of sentiments;

being more a man of action than of thought; he kept his thoughts to

himself; and they only served therefore to eat his heart out。 What;

after all; is a thought unexpressed?



After Clementine's little speech; the Marquis de Ronquerolles and his

sister exchanged a singular glance; embracing their niece; Comte Adam;

and Paz。 It was one of those rapid scenes which take place only in

France and Italy;the two regions of the world (all courts excepted)

where eyes can say everything。 To communicate to the eye the full

power of the soul; to give it the value of speech; needs either the

pressure of extreme servitude; or complete liberty。 Adam; the Marquis

du Rouvre; and Clementine did not observe this luminous by…play of the

old coquette and the old diplomatist; but Paz; the faithful watchdog;

understood its meaning。 It was; we must remark; an affair of two

seconds; but to describe the tempest it roused in the captain's soul

would take far too much space in this brief history。



〃What!〃 he said to himself; 〃do the aunt and uncle think I might be

loved? Then my happiness only depends on my own audacity! But Adam〃



Ideal love and desire clashed with gratitude and friendship; all

equally powerful; and; for a moment; love prevailed。 The lover would

have his day。 Paz became brilliant; he tried to please; he told the

story of the Polish insurrection in noble words; being questioned

about it by the diplomatist。 By the end of dinner Paz saw Clementine

hanging upon his lips and regarding him as a hero; forgetting that

Adam too; after sacrificing a third of his vast fortune; had been an

exile。 At nine o'clock; after coffee had been served; Madame de Serizy

kissed her niece on the forehead; pressed her hand; and went away;

taking Adam with her and leaving the Marquis de Ronquerolles and the

Marquis du Rouvre; who soon followed。 Paz and Clementine were alone

together。



〃I will leave you now; madame;〃 said Thaddeus。 〃You will of course

rejoin them at the Opera?〃



〃No;〃 she answered; 〃I don't like dancing; and they give an odious

ballet to…night 'La Revolte au Serail。'〃



There was a moment's silence。



〃Two years ago Adam would not have gone to the Opera without me;〃 said

Clementine; not looking at Paz。



〃He loves you madly;〃 replied Thaddeus。



〃Yes; and because he loves me madly he is all the more likely not to

love me to…morrow;〃 said the countess。



〃How inexplicable Parisian women are!〃 exclaimed Thaddeus。 〃When they

are loved to madness they want to be loved reasonably: and when they

are loved reasonably they reproach a man for not loving them at all。〃



〃And they are quite right。 Thaddeus;〃 she went on; smiling; 〃I know

Adam well; I am not angry with him; he is volatile and above all grand

seigneur。 He will always be content to have me as his wife and he will

never oppose any of my tastes; but〃



〃Where is the marriage in which there are no 'buts'?〃 said Thaddeus;

gently; trying to give another direction to Clementine's mind。



The least presuming of men might well have had the thought which came

near rendering this poor lover beside himself; it was this: 〃If I do

not tell her now that I love her I am a fool;〃 he kept saying to

himself。



Neither spoke; and there came between the pair one of those deep

silences that are crowded with thoughts。 The countess examined Paz

covertly; and Paz observed her in a mirror。 Buried in an armchair like

a man digesting his dinner; the image of a husband or an indifferent

old man; Paz crossed his hands upon his stomach and twirled his thumbs

mechanically; looking stupidly at them。



〃Why don't you tell me something good of Adam?〃 cried Clementine

suddenly。 〃Tell me that he is not volatile; you who know him so well。〃



The cry was fine。



〃Now is the time;〃 thought poor Paz; 〃to put an insurmountable barrier

between us。 Tell you good of Adam?〃 he said aloud。 〃I love him; you

would not believe me; and I am incapable of telling you harm。 My

position is very difficult between you。〃



Clementine lowered her head and looked down at the tips of his

varnished boots。



〃You Northern men have nothing but physical courage;〃 she said

complainingly; 〃you have no constancy in your opinions。〃



〃How will you amuse yourself alone; madame?〃 said Paz; assuming a

careless air。



〃Are not you going to keep me company?〃



〃Excuse me for leaving you。〃



〃What do you mean? Where are you going?〃



The thought of a heroic falsehood had come into his head。



〃II am going to the Circus in the Champs Elysees; it opens to…night;

and I can't miss it。〃



〃Why not?〃 said Clementine; questioning him by a look that was half…

anger。



〃Must I tell you why?〃 he said; coloring; 〃must I confide to you what

I hide from Adam; who thinks my only love is Poland。〃



〃Ah! a secret in our noble captain?〃



〃A disgraceful onewhich you will perhaps understand; and pity。〃



〃You; disgraced?〃



〃Yes; I; Comte Paz; I am madly in love with a girl who travels all

over France with the Bouthor family;people who have the rival circus

to Franconi; but they play only at fairs。 I have made the director at

the Cirque…Olympique engage her。〃



〃Is she handsome?〃



〃To my thinking;〃 said Paz; in a melancholy tone。 〃Malaga (that's her

stage name) is strong; active; and supple。 Why do I prefer her to all

other women in the world?well; I can't tell you。 When I look at her;

with her black hair tied with a blue satin ribbon; floating on her

bare and olive…colored shoulders; and when she is dressed in a white

tunic with a gold edge; and a knitted silk bodice that makes her look

like a living Greek statue; and when I see her carrying those flags in

her hand to the sound of martial music; and jumping through the paper

hoops which tear as she goes through; and lighting so gracefully on

the galloping horse to such applause;no hired clapping;well; all

that moves me。〃



〃More than a handsome woman in a ballroom?〃 asked Clementine; with

amazement and curiosity。



〃Yes;〃 answered Paz; in a choking voice。 〃Such agility; such grace

under constant danger seems to me the height of triumph for a woman。

Yes; madame; Cinti and Malibran; Grisi and Taglioni; Pasta and

Ellsler; all who reign or have reigned on the stage; can't be

compared; to my mind; with Malaga; who can jump on or off a horse at

full gallop; or stand on the point of one

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