samuel brohl & company-第11节

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She　arose；　and　saluted　her　father　without　a　word。　In　crossing　the　/salon/　she　perceived　that　M。　Larinski　had　forgotten　a　book　he　had　left　on　the　piano　when　he　came　in。　She　opened　the　volume；　he　had　written　his　name　on　the　top　of　the　first　page；　and　Antoinette　recognised　the　handwriting　of　the　note。

Shut　up　in　her　own　room；　while　taking　down　and　combing　her　hair；　her　imagination　long　wandered　through　California　and　Poland。　She　compared　M。　Larinski　with　all　the　other　men　she　ever　had　known；　and　she　concluded　that　he　resembled　none　of　them。　And　it　was　he　who　had　written：　〃I　arrived　in　this　village　disgusted　with　life；　sorrowful　and　so　weary　that　I　longed　to　die。　I　saw　you　pass　by；　and　I　know　not　what　mysterious　virtue　entered　into　me。　I　will　live。〃

It　seemed　to　her　that　for　long　years　she　had　been　seeking　some　one；　and　that　she　had　done　well　to　come　to　the　Engadine；　because　here　she　had　found　the　object　of　her　search。



CHAPTER　III

Two；　three；　four　days　passed　without　Count　Larinski　reappearing　at　the　Hotel　Badrutt；　where　every　evening　he　was　expected。　This　prolonged　absence　keenly　affected　Mlle。　Moriaz。　She　sought　an　explanation　thereof；　the　search　occupied　part　of　her　days；　and　troubled　her　sleep。　She　had　too　much　character　not　to　conceal　her　trouble　and　anxiety。　Those　about　her　had　not　the　least　suspicion　that　she　asked　herself　a　hundred　times　in　the　twenty…four　hours：　〃Why　does　he　not　come？　will　he　never　come　again？　is　it　a　fixed　resolution？　Does　he　blame　us　for　drawing　out；　by　our　questions；　the　secret　of　his　life？　or　does　he　suspect　that　I　have　discovered　him　to　be　the　writer　of　the　anonymous　letter？　Will　he　leave　Engadine　without　bidding　us　good…bye？　Perhaps　he　has　already　gone；　and　we　shall　never　see　him　again。〃　This　thought　caused　Mlle。　Moriaz　a　heart…burn　that　she　had　never　before　experienced。　Her　day　had　come；　her　heart　was　no　longer　free：　the　bird　had　allowed　itself　to　be　caught。

Mlle。　Moiseney　said　to　her　one　evening：　〃It　seems　certain　to　me　that　we　never　shall　see　Count　Larinski　again。〃

She　replied　in　an　almost　indifferent　tone；　〃No　doubt　he　has　found　people　at　Cellarina；　or　elsewhere；　who　are　more　entertaining　than　we。〃

〃You　mean　to　say；〃　said　Mlle。　Moiseney；　〃that　M。　Moriaz　and　the　/bezique/　has　frightened　him　away。　I　would　not　for　worlds　speak　ill　of　your　father；　he　has　all　the　good　qualities　imaginable；　except　a　certain　delicacy　of　sentiment；　which　is　not　to　be　learned　in　dealing　with　acids。　Think　of　condemning　a　Count　Larinski　to　play　/bezique/！　There　are　some　things　that　your　father　does　not　and　never　will　understand。〃

M。　Moriaz　had　entered　meanwhile。　〃Please　oblige　me　by　explaining　what　it　is　that　I　do　not　understand；〃　said　he　to　Mlle。　Moiseney。

She　replied　with　some　embarrassment；　〃You　do　not　understand；　monsieur；　that　certain　visits　were　a　charming　diversion　to　us；　and　that　now　we　miss　them。〃

〃And　do　you　think　that　I　do　not　miss　them？　It　has　been　four　days　since　I　have　had　a　game　of　cards。　But　how　can　it　be　helped？　Poles　are　fickle　more　fools　they　who　trust　them。〃

〃It　may　be　simply　that　M。　Larinski　has　been　ill；〃　interrupted　Antoinette；　with　perfect　tranquility。　〃I　think；　father；　that　it　would　be　right　for　us　to　make　inquiries。〃

The　following　day　M。　Moriaz　went　to　Cellarina。　He　brought　back　word　that　M。　Larinski　had　gone　on　a　walking…excursion　through　the　mountains；　that　he　had　started　out　with　the　intention　of　climbing　to　the　summit　of　Piz…Morteratsch；　and　of　attempting　the　still　more　difficult　ascent　of　Piz…Roseg。　Mlle。　Moriaz　found　it　hard　to　decide　whether　this　news　was　good　or　bad　news。　All　depended　on　what　point　of　view　was　taken；　and　she　changed　hers　every　hour。

Since　his　mishap；　M。　Moriaz　had　become　less　rash　than　formerly。　Experience　had　taught　him　that　there　are　treacherous　rocks　that　can　be　climbed　without　much　difficulty；　but　from　which　it　is　impossible　to　descendrocks　exposing　one　to　the　danger　of　ending　one's　days　in　their　midst；　if　there　is　no　Pole　near　at　hand。　Certain　truths　stamp　themselves　indelibly　on　the　mind；　so　M。　Moriaz　never　ventured　again　on　the　mountains　without　being　attended　by　a　guide；　who　received　orders　from　Antoinette　not　to　leave　him；　and　not　to　let　him　expose　himself。　One　day　he　came　in　later　than　usual；　and　his　daughter　reproached　him；　with　some　vivacity；　for　the　continual　anxiety　he　caused　her。　〃The　glaciers　and　precipices　will　end　by　giving　me　the　nightmare；〃　she　said　to　him。

〃Pray　on　whose　account；　my　dear？〃　he　playfully　rejoined。　〃I　assure　you　the　ascent　that　I　have　just　made　was　neither　more　difficult　nor　more　dangerous　than　that　of　Montmartre；　nor　of　the　Sannois　Hill；　and　as　to　glaciers；　I　have　firmly　resolved　to　keep　shy　of　them。　I　have　passed　the　age　of　prowess。　My　guide　has　been　making　me　tremble　by　relating　the　dangers　to　which　he　was　exposed　in　1864　on　Morteratsch；　where　he　had　accompanied　Professor　Tyndall　and　another　English　tourist。　They　were　all　swept　away　by　an　avalanche。　Attached　to　the　same　rope；　they　went　down　with　the　snow。　A　fall　of　three　hundred　metres！　They　would　have　been　lost；　if；　through　the　presence　of　mind　of　one　of　the　guides；　they　had　not　succeeded　in　stopping　themselves　two　feet　from　a　frightful　precipice；　which　was　about　to　swallow　them　up。　I　am　a　father；　and　I　do　not　despise　life。　Let　him　ascend　Morteratsch　who　likes！　I　wish　our　friend　Larinski　had　made　the　descent　safe　and　sound。　If　he　has　met　an　avalanche　on　the　way；　he　will　invent　no　more　guns。〃

Antoinette　was　no　longer　mistress　of　her　nerves：　during　the　entire　evening　she　was　so　preoccupied　that　M。　Moriaz　could　not　fail　to　notice　it；　but　he　had　no　suspicion　of　the　cause。　He　was　profoundly　versed　in　qualitative　and　quantitative　analysis；　but　less　skilled　in　the　analysis　of　his　daughter's　heart。　〃How　pale　you　are！〃　he　said　to　her。　〃Are　you　not　well？　You　are　cold。Pray；　Mlle。　Moiseney；　make　yourself　useful　and　prepare　her　a　mulled　egg；　you　know　I　do　not　permit　her　to　be　sick。〃

It　was　not　the　mulled　egg　that　restored　Mlle。　Moriaz's　color。　The　next　morning　as　she　was　giving　a　drawing　lesson　to　her　/protegee/；　Count　Abel　was　announced。　She　trembled；　the　blood　rose　in　her　cheeks；　and　she　could　not　conceal　her　agitation　from　the　penetrating　gaze　of　the　audacious　charmer。　It　might　easily　be　seen　that　he　had　just　descended　from　where　the　eagles　themselves　seldom　ascend。　His　face　was　weather…　beaten　by　the　ice　and　snow。　He　had　successfully　accomplished　the　double　ascent；　of　which　he　was　compelled　to　give　an　account。　In　descending　from　Morteratsch　he　had　been　overtaken　by　a　storm；　and　had　come　very　near　never　again　seeing　the　valley　or　Mlle。　Moriaz。　He　owed　his　life　to　the　presence　of　mind　and　courage　of　his　guide；　on　whom　he　could　not　bestow　sufficient　praise。

While　he　modestly　narrated　his　exploits；　Antoinette　had　dismissed　her　pupil。　He　seemed　embarrassed　by　the　/tete…a…tete/　which；　nevertheless；　he　had　sought。　He　rose；　saying：　〃I　regret　not　being　able　to　see　M。　Moriaz；　I　came　to　bid　him　farewell。　I　leave　this　evening。〃

She　summoned　courage　and　replied：　〃You　did　well　to　come；　you　left　a　volume　of　Shakespearehere　it　is。〃　Then　drawing　from　her　notebook　a　paper〃I　have　still　another　restitution　to　make　to　you。　I　have　had　the　misfortune　to　discover　that　it　was　you　who　wrote　this　letter。〃

With　these　words　she　handed　him　the　anonymous　note。　He　changed　countenance；　and　it　was　now　his　turn　to　grow　red。　〃Who　can　prove　to　you；〃　he　demanded；　〃that　I　am　the　author　of　this　offence；　or　rather　crime？〃

〃Every　bad　case　may　be　denied；　but　do　not　you　deny。〃

After　a　moment's　silence；　he　replied：　〃I　will　not　lie；　I　am　not　capable　of　lying。　Yes；　I　am　the　guilty　one；　I　confess　it　with　sorrow；　because　you　are　offended　by　my　audacity。〃

〃I　never　liked　madrigals；　either　in　prose　or　verse；　signed　or　anonymous；〃　she　returned；　rather　dryly。

He　exclaimed；　〃You　took　this　letter　for　a　madrigal？〃　Then；　having　reread　it；　he　deliberately　tore　it　up；　throwing　the　pieces　into　the　fireplace；　and　added；　smiling：　〃It　certainly　lacked　common…sense；　he　who　wrote　it　is　a　fool；　and　I　have　nothing　to　say　in　his　defence。〃

Crossing　her　hands　on　her　breast；　and　uplifting　to　him　her　brown　eyes；　that　were　as　proud　as　gentle；　she　softly　murmured；　〃What　more？〃

〃I　came　to　Chur；〃　he　replied；　〃I　entered　a　church；　I　there　saw　a　fair　unknown；　and　I　forgot　myself　in　gazing　at　her。　That　evening　I　saw　her　again；　she　was　walking　in　a　garden　where　there　was　music；　and　this　music　of　harps　and　violins　was　grateful　to　me。　I　said　within　myself：　'What　a　thing　is　the　heart　of　man！　The　woman　who　has　passed　me　by　without　seeing　me　does　not　know　me；　will　never　know　of　my　existence；　I　am　ignorant　of　even　her　name；　and　I　wish　to　remain　so；　but　I　am　conscious　that　she　exists；　and　I　am　glad；　content；　almost　happy。　She　will　be　for　me　the　fair　unknown；　she　cannot　prevent　me　from　remembering　her。　I　will　think　sometimes　of　the　fair　unknown　of　Chur。'　〃

〃Very　good；〃　said　she；　〃but　this　does　not　explain　the　letter。〃

〃We　are　coming　to　that；〃　he　continued。　〃I　was　seated　in　a　copse；　by　the　roadside。　I　had　the　blueswas　profoundly　weary；　there　are　times　when　life　weighs　on　me　like　a　torturing　burden。　I　thought　of　disappointed　expectations；　of　dissipated　illusions；　of　the　bitterness　of　my　youth　and　of　my　future。