the red inn-第8节

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Monsieur　Brousson；　who　is　now　his　physician；　has　forbidden　that

remedy；　declaring　that　the　trouble　is　a　nervous　affection；　an

inflammation　of　the　nerves；　for　which　leeches　should　be　applied　to　the

neck；　and　opium　to　the　head。　As　a　result；　the　attacks　are　not　so

frequent；　they　appear　now　only　about　once　a　year；　and　always　late　in

the　autumn。　When　he　recovers；　Taillefer　says　repeatedly　that　he　would

far　rather　die　than　endure　such　torture。〃



〃Then　he　must　suffer　terribly！〃　said　a　broker；　considered　a　wit；　who

was　present。



〃Oh；〃　continued　the　mistress　of　the　house；　〃last　year　he　nearly　died

in　one　of　these　attacks。　He　had　gone　alone　to　his　country…house　on

pressing　business。　For　want；　perhaps；　of　immediate　help；　he　lay

twenty…two　hours　stiff　and　stark　as　though　he　were　dead。　A　very　hot

bath　was　all　that　saved　him。〃



〃It　must　be　a　species　of　lockjaw；〃　said　one　of　the　guests。



〃I　don't　know；〃　she　answered。　〃He　got　the　disease　in　the　army　nearly

thirty　years　ago。　He　says　it　was　caused　by　a　splinter　of　wood　entering

his　head　from　a　shot　on　board　a　boat。　Brousson　hopes　to　cure　him。　They

say　the　English　have　discovered　a　mode　of　treating　the　disease　with

prussic　acid〃



At　that　instant　a　still　more　piercing　cry　echoed　through　the　house；

and　froze　us　with　horror。



〃There！　that　is　what　I　listened　to　all　day　long　last　year；〃　said　the

banker's　wife。　〃It　made　me　jump　in　my　chair　and　rasped　my　nerves

dreadfully。　But；　strange　to　say；　poor　Taillefer；　though　he　suffers

untold　agony；　is　in　no　danger　of　dying。　He　eats　and　drinks　as　well　as

ever　during　even　short　cessations　of　the　painnature　is　so　queer！　A

German　doctor　told　him　it　was　a　form　of　gout　in　the　head；　and　that

agrees　with　Brousson's　opinion。〃



I　left　the　group　around　the　mistress　of　the　house　and　went　away。　On

the　staircase　I　met　Mademoiselle　Taillefer；　whom　a　footman　had　come　to

fetch。



〃Oh！〃　she　said　to　me；　weeping；　〃what　has　my　poor　father　ever　done　to

deserve　such　suffering？so　kind　as　he　is！〃



I　accompanied　her　downstairs　and　assisted　her　in　getting　into　the

carriage；　and　there　I　saw　her　father　bent　almost　double。



Mademoiselle　Taillefer　tried　to　stifle　his　moans　by　putting　her

handkerchief　to　his　mouth；　unhappily　he　saw　me；　his　face　became　even

more　distorted；　a　convulsive　cry　rent　the　air；　and　he　gave　me　a

dreadful　look　as　the　carriage　rolled　away。



That　dinner；　that　evening　exercised　a　cruel　influence　on　my　life　and

on　my　feelings。　I　loved　Mademoiselle　Taillefer；　precisely；　perhaps；

because　honor　and　decency　forbade　me　to　marry　the　daughter　of　a

murderer；　however　good　a　husband　and　father　he　might　be。　A　curious

fatality　impelled　me　to　visit　those　houses　where　I　knew　I　could　meet

Victorine；　often；　after　giving　myself　my　word　of　honor　to　renounce　the

happiness　of　seeing　her；　I　found　myself　that　same　evening　beside　her。

My　struggles　were　great。　Legitimate　love；　full　of　chimerical　remorse；

assumed　the　color　of　a　criminal　passion。　I　despised　myself　for　bowing

to　Taillefer　when；　by　chance；　he　accompanied　his　daughter；　but　I　bowed

to　him　all　the　same。



Alas！　for　my　misfortune　Victorine　is　not　only　a　pretty　girl；　she　is

also　educated；　intelligent；　full　of　talent　and　of　charm；　without　the

slightest　pedantry　or　the　faintest　tinge　of　assumption。　She　converses

with　reserve；　and　her　nature　has　a　melancholy　grace　which　no　one　can

resist。　She　loves　me；　or　at　least　she　lets　me　think　so；　she　has　a

certain　smile　which　she　keeps　for　me　alone；　for　me；　her　voice　grows

softer　still。　Oh；　yes！　she　loves　me！　But　she　adores　her　father；　she

tells　me　of　his　kindness；　his　gentleness；　his　excellent　qualities。

Those　praises　are　so　many　dagger…thrusts　with　which　she　stabs　me　to

the　heart。



One　day　I　came　near　making　myself　the　accomplice；　as　it　were；　of　the

crime　which　led　to　the　opulence　of　the　Taillefer　family。　I　was　on　the

point　of　asking　the　father　for　Victorine's　hand。　But　I　fled；　I

travelled；　I　went　to　Germany；　to　Andernach；　and　thenI　returned！　I

found　Victorine　pale；　and　thinner；　if　I　had　seen　her　well　in　health

and　gay；　I　should　certainly　have　been　saved。　Instead　of　which　my　love

burst　out　again　with　untold　violence。　Fearing　that　my　scruples　might

degenerate　into　monomania；　I　resolved　to　convoke　a　sanhedrim　of　sound

consciences；　and　obtain　from　them　some　light　on　this　problem　of　high

morality　and　philosophy；a　problem　which　had　been；　as　we　shall　see；

still　further　complicated　since　my　return。



Two　days　ago；　therefore；　I　collected　those　of　my　friends　to　whom　I

attribute　most　delicacy；　probity；　and　honor。　I　invited　two　Englishmen；

the　secretary　of　an　embassy；　and　a　puritan；　a　former　minister；　now　a

mature　statesman；　a　priest；　an　old　man；　also　my　former　guardian；　a

simple…hearted　being　who　rendered　so　loyal　a　guardianship　account　that

the　memory　of　it　is　still　green　at　the　Palais；　besides　these；　there

were　present　a　judge；　a　lawyer；　and　a　notary；in　short；　all　social

opinions；　and　all　practical　virtues。



We　began　by　dining　well；　talking　well；　and　making　some　noise；　then；　at

dessert；　I　related　my　history　candidly；　and　asked　for　advice；

concealing；　of　course；　the　Taillefer　name。



A　profound　silence　suddenly　fell　upon　the　company。　Then　the　notary

took　leave。　He　had；　he　said；　a　deed　to　draw。



The　wine　and　the　good　dinner　had　reduced　my　former　guardian　to

silence；　in　fact　I　was　obliged　later　in　the　evening　to　put　him　under

guardianship；　to　make　sure　of　no　mishap　to　him　on　his　way　home。



〃I　understand！〃　I　cried。　〃By　not　giving　an　opinion　you　tell　me

energetically　enough　what　I　ought　to　do。〃



On　this　there　came　a　stir　throughout　the　assembly。



A　capitalist　who　had　subscribed　for　the　children　and　tomb　of　General

Foy　exclaimed：



〃Like　Virtue's　self；　a　crime　has　its　degrees。〃



〃Rash　tongue！〃　said　the　former　minister；　in　a　low　voice；　nudging　me

with　his　elbow。



〃Where's　your　difficulty？〃　asked　a　duke　whose　fortune　is　derived　from

the　estates　of　stubborn　Protestants；　confiscated　on　the　revocation　of

the　Edict　of　Nantes。



The　lawyer　rose；　and　said：



〃In　law；　the　case　submitted　to　us　presents　no　difficulty。　Monsieur　le

duc　is　right！〃　cried　the　legal　organ。　〃There　are　time　limitations。

Where　should　we　all　be　if　we　had　to　search　into　the　origin　of

fortunes？　This　is　simply　an　affair　of　conscience。　If　you　must

absolutely　carry　the　case　before　some　tribunal；　go　to　that　of　the

confessional。〃



The　Code　incarnate　ceased　speaking；　sat　down；　and　drank　a　glass　of

champagne。　The　man　charged　with　the　duty　of　explaining　the　gospel；　the

good　priest；　rose。



〃God　has　made　us　all　frail　beings；〃　he　said　firmly。　〃If　you　love　the

heiress　of　that　crime；　marry　her；　but　content　yourself　with　the

property　she　derives　from　her　mother；　give　that　of　the　father　to　the

poor。〃



〃But；〃　cried　one　of　those　pitiless　hair…splitters　who　are　often　to　be

met　with　in　the　world；　〃perhaps　the　father　could　make　a　rich　marriage

only　because　he　was　rich　himself；　consequently；　the　marriage　was　the

fruit　of　the　crime。〃



〃This　discussion　is；　in　itself；　a　verdict。　There　are　some　things　on

which　a　man　does　not　deliberate；〃　said　my　former　guardian；　who　thought

to　enlighten　the　assembly　with　a　flash　of　inebriety。



〃Yes！〃　said　the　secretary　of　an　embassy。



〃Yes！〃　said　the　priest。



But　the　two　men　did　not　mean　the　same　thing。



A　〃doctrinaire；〃　who　had　missed　his　election　to　the　Chamber　by　one

hundred　and　fifty　votes　out　of　one　hundred　and　fifty…five；　here　rose。



〃Messieurs；〃　he　said；　〃this　phenomenal　incident　of　intellectual　nature

is　one　of　those　which　stand　out　vividly　from　the　normal　condition　to

which　sobriety　is　subjected。　Consequently　the　decision　to　be　made

ought　to　be　the　spontaneous　act　of　our　consciences；　a　sudden

conception；　a　prompt　inward　verdict；　a　fugitive　shadow　of　our　mental

apprehension；　much　like　the　flashes　of　sentiment　which　constitute

taste。　Let　us　vote。〃



〃Let　us　vote！〃　cried　all　my　guests。



I　have　each　two　balls；　one　white；　one　red。　The　white；　symbol　of

virginity；　was　to　forbid　the　marriage；　the　red　ball　sanctioned　it。　I

myself　abstained　from　voting；　out　of　delicacy。



My　friends　were　seventeen　in　number；　nine　was　therefore　the　majority。

Each　man　put　his　ball　into　the　wicker　basket　with　a　narrow　throat；

used　to　hold　the　numbered　balls　when　card…players　draw　for　their

places　at　pool。　We　were　all　roused　to　a　more　or　less　keen　curiosity；

for　this　balloting　to　clarify　morality　was　certainly　original。

Inspection　of　the　ballot…box　showed　the　presence　of　nine　white　balls！

The　result　did　not　surprise　me；　but　it　came　into　my　heard　to　count　the

young　men　of　my　own　age　whom　I　had　brought　to　sit　in　judgment。　These

casuists　were　precisely　nine　in　number；　they　all　had　the　same　thought。



〃Oh；　oh！〃　I　said　to　myself；　〃here　is　secret　unanimity　to　forbid　the

marriage；　and　secret　unanimity　to　sanction　it！　How　shall　I　solve　that

problem？