ferragus-第22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！


shudder；　the　rustle　of　a　silk　gown；　and　almost　recognized　by　their
sound　the　steps　of　his　wife。

〃Well；　father；〃　said　Clemence；　〃my　poor　father；　are　you　better？　What
courage　you　have　shown！〃

〃Come　here；　my　child；〃　replied　Ferragus；　holding　out　his　hand　to　her。

Clemence　held　her　forehead　to　him　and　he　kissed　it。

〃Now　tell　me；　what　is　the　matter；　my　little　girl？　What　are　these　new
troubles？〃

〃Troubles；　father！　it　concerns　the　life　or　death　of　the　daughter　you
have　loved　so　much。　Indeed　you　must；　as　I　wrote　you　yesterday；　you
/must/　find　a　way　to　see　my　poor　Jules　to…day。　If　you　knew　how　good　he
has　been　to　me；　in　spite　of　all　suspicions　apparently　so　legitimate。
Father；　my　love　is　my　very　life。　Would　you　see　me　die？　Ah！　I　have
suffered　so　much　that　my　life；　I　feel　it！　is　in　danger。〃

〃And　all　because　of　the　curiosity　of　that　miserable　Parisian？〃　cried
Ferragus。　〃I'd　burn　Paris　down　if　I　lost　you；　my　daughter。　Ha！　you　may
know　what　a　lover　is；　but　you　don't　yet　know　what　a　father　can　do。〃

〃Father；　you　frighten　me　when　you　look　at　me　in　that　way。　Don't　weigh
such　different　feelings　in　the　same　scales。　I　had　a　husband　before　I
knew　that　my　father　was　living〃

〃If　your　husband　was　the　first　to　lay　kisses　on　your　forehead；　I　was
the　first　to　drop　tears　upon　it；〃　replied　Ferragus。　〃But　don't　feel
frightened；　Clemence；　speak　to　me　frankly。　I　love　you　enough　to
rejoice　in　the　knowledge　that　you　are　happy；　though　I；　your　father；
may　have　little　place　in　your　heart；　while　you　fill　the　whole　of
mine。〃

〃Ah！　what　good　such　words　do　me！　You　make　me　love　you　more　and　more；
though　I　seem　to　rob　something　from　my　Jules。　But；　my　kind　father；
think　what　his　sufferings　are。　What　may　I　tell　him　to…day？〃

〃My　child；　do　you　think　I　waited　for　your　letter　to　save　you　from　this
threatened　danger？　Do　you　know　what　will　become　of　those　who　venture
to　touch　your　happiness；　or　come　between　us？　Have　you　never　been　aware
that　a　second　providence　was　guarding　your　life？　Twelve　men　of　power
and　intellect　form　a　phalanx　round　your　love　and　your　existence；
ready　to　do　all　things　to　protect　you。　Think　of　your　father；　who　has
risked　death　to　meet　you　in　the　public　promenades；　or　see　you　asleep
in　your　little　bed　in　your　mother's　home；　during　the　night…time。　Could
such　a　father；　to　whom　your　innocent　caresses　give　strength　to　live
when　a　man　of　honor　ought　to　have　died　to　escape　his　infamy；　could
/I/；　in　short；　I　who　breathe　through　your　lips；　and　see　with　your
eyes；　and　feel　with　your　heart；　could　I　fail　to　defend　with　the　claws
of　a　lion　and　the　soul　of　a　father；　my　only　blessing；　my　life；　my
daughter？　Since　the　death　of　that　angel；　your　mother；　I　have　dreamed
but　of　one　thing；the　happiness　of　pressing　you　to　my　heart　in　the
face　of　the　whole　earth；　of　burying　the　convict；〃　He　paused　a
moment；　and　then　added：　〃of　giving　you　a　father；　a　father　who　could
press　without　shame　your　husband's　hand；　who　could　live　without　fear
in　both　your　hearts；　who　could　say　to　all　the　world；　'This　is　my
daughter；'in　short；　to　be　a　happy　father。〃

〃Oh；　father！　father！〃

〃After　infinite　difficulty；　after　searching　the　whole　globe；〃
continued　Ferragus；　〃my　friends　have　found　me　the　skin　of　a　dead　man
in　which　to　take　my　place　once　more　in　social　life。　A　few　days　hence；
I　shall　be　Monsieur　de　Funcal；　a　Portuguese　count。　Ah！　my　dear　child；
there　are　few　men　of　my　age　who　would　have　had　the　patience　to　learn
Portuguese　and　English；　which　were　spoken　fluently　by　that　devil　of　a
sailor；　who　was　drowned　at　sea。〃

〃But；　my　dear　father〃

〃All　has　been　foreseen；　and　prepared。　A　few　days　hence；　his　Majesty
John　VI。；　King　of　Portugal　will　be　my　accomplice。　My　child；　you　must
have　a　little　patience　where　your　father　has　had　so　much。　But　ah！　what
would　I　not　do　to　reward　your　devotion　for　the　last　three　years；
coming　religiously　to　comfort　your　old　father；　at　the　risk　of　your　own
peace！〃

〃Father！〃　cried　Clemence；　taking　his　hands　and　kissing　them。

〃Come；　my　child；　have　courage　still；　keep　my　fatal　secret　a　few　days
longer；　till　the　end　is　reached。　Jules　is　not　an　ordinary　man；　I　know；
but　are　we　sure　that　his　lofty　character　and　his　noble　love　may　not
impel　him　to　dislike　the　daughter　of　a〃

〃Oh！〃　cried　Clemence；　〃you　have　read　my　heart；　I　have　no　other　fear
than　that。　The　very　thought　turns　me　to　ice；〃　she　added；　in　a　heart…
rending　tone。　〃But；　father；　think　that　I　have　promised　him　the　truth
in　two　hours。〃

〃If　so；　my　daughter；　tell　him　to　go　to　the　Portuguese　embassy　and　see
the　Comte　de　Funcal；　your　father。　I　will　be　there。〃

〃But　Monsieur　de　Maulincour　has　told　him　of　Ferragus。　Oh；　father；　what
torture；　to　deceive；　deceive；　deceive！〃

〃Need　you　say　that　to　me？　But　only　a　few　days　more；　and　no　living　man
will　be　able　to　expose　me。　Besides；　Monsieur　de　Maulincour　is　beyond
the　faculty　of　remembering。　Come；　dry　your　tears；　my　silly　child；　and
think〃

At　this　instant　a　terrible　cry　rang　from　the　room　in　which　Jules
Desmarets　was　stationed。

The　clamor　was　heard　by　Madame　Jules　and　Ferragus　through　the　opening
of　the　wall；　and　struck　them　with　terror。

〃Go　and　see　what　it　means；　Clemence；〃　said　her　father。

Clemence　ran　rapidly　down　the　little　staircase；　found　the　door　into
Madame　Gruget's　apartment　wide　open；　heard　the　cries　which　echoed　from
the　upper　floor；　went　up　the　stairs；　guided　by　the　noise　of　sobs；　and
caught　these　words　before　she　entered　the　fatal　chamber：

〃You；　monsieur；　you；　with　your　horrid　inventions；you　are　the　cause
of　her　death！〃

〃Hush；　miserable　woman！〃　replied　Jules；　putting　his　handkerchief　on
the　mouth　of　the　old　woman；　who　began　at　once　to　cry　out；　〃Murder！
help！〃

At　this　instant　Clemence　entered；　saw　her　husband；　uttered　a　cry；　and
fled　away。

〃Who　will　save　my　child？〃　cried　the　widow　Gruget。　〃You　have　murdered
her。〃

〃How？〃　asked　Jules；　mechanically；　for　he　was　horror…struck　at　being
seen　by　his　wife。

〃Read　that；〃　said　the　old　woman；　giving　him　a　letter。　〃Can　money　or
annuities　console　me　for　that？〃

　　Farewell；　mother！　I　bequeeth　you　what　I　have。　I　beg　your　pardon
　　for　my　forlts；　and　the　last　greef　to　which　I　put　you　by　ending　my
　　life　in　the　river。　Henry；　who　I　love　more　than　myself；　says　I　have
　　made　his　misfortune；　and　as　he　has　drifen　me　away；　and　I　have　lost
　　all　my　hops　of　merrying　him；　I　am　going　to　droun　myself。　I　shall
　　go　abov　Neuilly；　so　that　they　can't　put　me　in　the　Morg。　If　Henry
　　does　not　hate　me　anny　more　after　I　am　ded；　ask　him　to　berry　a　pore
　　girl　whose　hart　beet　for　him　only；　and　to　forgif　me；　for　I　did
　　rong　to　meddle　in　what　didn't　consern　me。　Tak　care　of　his　wounds。
　　How　much　he　sufered；　pore　fellow！　I　shall　have　as　much　corage　to
　　kill　myself　as　he　had　to　burn　his　bak。　Carry　home　the　corsets　I
　　have　finished。　And　pray　God　for　your　daughter。

Ida。


〃Take　this　letter　to　Monsieur　de　Funcal；　who　is　upstairs；〃　said　Jules。
〃He　alone　can　save　your　daughter；　if　there　is　still　time。〃

So　saying　he　disappeared；　running　like　a　man　who　has　committed　a
crime。　His　legs　trembled。　The　hot　blood　poured　into　his　swelling　heart
in　torrents　greater　than　at　any　other　moment　of　his　life；　and　left　it
again　with　untold　violence。　Conflicting　thoughts　struggled　in　his
mind；　and　yet　one　thought　predominated；he　had　not　been　loyal　to　the
being　he　loved　most。　It　was　impossible　for　him　to　argue　with　his
conscience；　whose　voice；　rising　high　with　conviction；　came　like　an
echo　of　those　inward　cries　of　his　love　during　the　cruel　hours　of　doubt
he　had　lately　lived　through。

He　spent　the　greater　part　of　the　day　wandering　about　Paris；　for　he
dared　not　go　home。　This　man　of　integrity　and　honor　feared　to　meet　the
spotless　brow　of　the　woman　he　had　misjudged。　We　estimate　wrongdoing　in
proportion　to　the　purity　of　our　conscience；　the　deed　which　is　scarcely
a　fault　in　some　hearts；　takes　the　proportions　of　a　crime　in　certain
unsullied　souls。　The　slightest　stain　on　the　white　garment　of　a　virgin
makes　it　a　thing　ignoble　as　the　rags　of　a　mendicant。　Between　the　two
the　difference　lies　in　the　misfortune　of　the　one；　the　wrong…doing　of
the　other。　God　never　measures　repentance；　he　never　apportions　it。　As
much　is　needed　to　efface　a　spot　as　to　obliterate　the　crimes　of　a
lifetime。　These　reflections　fell　with　all　their　weight　on　Jules；
passions；　like　human　laws；　will　not　pardon；　and　their　reasoning　is
more　just；　for　are　they　not　based　upon　a　conscience　of　their　own　as
infallible　as　an　instinct？

Jules　finally　came　home　pale；　despondent；　crushed　beneath　a　sense　of
his　wrong…doing；　and　yet　expressing　in　spite　of　himself　the　joy　his
wife's　innocence　had　given　him。　He　entered　her　room　all　throbbing　with
emotion；　she　was　in　bed　with　a　high　fever。　He　took　her　hand；　kissed
it；　and　covered　it　with　tears。

〃Dear　angel；〃　he　said；　when　they　were　alone；　〃it　is　repentance。〃

〃And　for　what？〃　she　answered。

As　she　made　that　reply；　she　laid　her　head　back　upon　the　pillow；　closed
her　eyes；　and　remained　motionless；　keeping　the　secret　of　her
sufferings　that　she　might　not　frighten　her　husband；the　tenderness　of
a　mother；　the　delicacy　of　an　angel！　All　the　woman　was　in　her　answer。

The　silence　lasted　long。　Jules；　thinking　her　aslee