samuel brohl & company-第3节

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Count　Larinski　pursued　his　soliloquy　as　long　as　Mlle。　Moriaz　promenaded　in　the　garden。　As　soon　as　she　re…entered　the　hotel；　it　appeared　to　him　that　the　garden　had　become　empty；　and　that　the　musicians　were　playing　out　of　tune。　He　closed　his　window。　He　gave　up　his　plan　of　starting　the　next　day　for　Saxon。　He　had　decided　that　he　would　set　out　for　Saint　Moritz；　to　pass　there　at　least　two　or　three　days。　He　said　to　himself；　〃It　seems　absurd；　but　who　can　tell？〃

Thereupon　he　proceeded　to　investigate　the　state　of　his　finances；　and　he　weighed　and　re…weighed　his　purse；　which　was　very　light。　Formerly　Count　Larinski　had　possessed　a　very　pretty　collection　of　jewellery。　He　had　looked　upon　this　as　a　reserve　fund；　to　which　he　would　have　recourse　only　in　cases　of　extreme　distress。　Alas！　there　remained　to　him　now　only　two　articles　of　his　once　considerable　storethe　bracelet　that　was　in　the　hands　of　M。　Guldenthal；　and　a　diamond　ring　that　he　wore　on　his　finger。　He　decided　that；　before　quitting　Chur；　he　would　borrow　money　on　this　ring；　or　that　he　would　try　to　sell　it。

He　remained　some　time　seated　at　the　foot　of　his　bed；　dangling　his　legs　to　and　fro；　his　eyes　closed。　He　had　closed　them；　in　order　to　better　call　up　a　vision　of　Mlle。　Moriaz；　and　he　repeated　the　words：　〃It　seems　absurd；　but　who　can　tell？　The　fact　is；　we　can　know　nothing　of　a　surety；　and　anything　may　happen。〃　Then　he　recalled　one　of　Goethe's　poems；　entitled　〃Vanitas！　vanitatum　vanitas！〃　and　he　recited　several　time　in　German　these　two　lines：

　〃Nun　hab'　ich　mein'　Sach'　auf　nichts　gestellt；　　　Und　mein　gehort　die　ganze　Welt！〃

This　literally　signifies；　〃Now　that　I　no　longer　count　on　anything；　the　whole　world　is　mine。〃　Abel　Larinski　recited　these　lines　with　a　purity　of　accent　that　would　have　astonished　M。　Moses　Guldenthal。

M。　Moriaz；　after　wishing　his　daughter　good…night；　and　imprinting　a　kiss　upon　her　brow；　as　was　his　custom；　had　retired　to　his　chamber。　He　was　preparing　for　bed；　when　there　came　a　knock　at　his　door。　Opening　this；　he　saw　before　him　a　fair…haired　youth；　who　rushed　eagerly　towards　him；　seized　both　his　hands；　and　pressed　them　with　effusion。　M。　Moriaz　disengaged　his　hands；　and　regarded　the　intruder　with　a　bewildered　air。

〃How？〃　cried　the　latter。　〃You　do　not　know　me？　So　sure　as　you　are　one　of　the　most　illustrious　chemists　of　the　day；　I　am　Camille　Langis；　son　of　your　best　friend；　a　young　man　of　great　expectations；　who　admires　you　truly；　who　has　followed　you　here；　and　who　is　now　ready　to　begin　all　over　again。　There；　my　dear　master；　do　you　recognise　me？〃

〃Ay；　to　be　sure　I　recognise　you；　my　boy；〃　replied　M。　Moriaz；　〃although；　to　tell　the　truth；　you　have　greatly　changed。　When　you　left　us　you　were　a　mere　youth。〃

〃And　now？〃

〃And　now　you　have　the　air　of　a　young　man；　but；　I　beg　of　you；　where　have　you　come　from？　I　thought　you　were　in　the　heart　of　Transylvania。〃

〃It　is　possible　to　return　from　there；　as　you　see。　Three　days　ago　I　arrived　in　Paris　and　flew　to　Maisons…Lafitte。　Mme。　De　Lorcy；　who　bears　the　double　insignia　of　honour　of　being　my　aunt　and　the　godmother　of　AntoinetteI　beg　your　pardon；　I　mean　Mlle。　Antoinette　Moriaz　informed　me　that　you　were　in　ill…health；　and　that　your　physician　had　sent　you　to　Switzerland；　to　Saint　Moritz；　to　recruit。　I　hastened　after　you；　this　morning　I　missed　you　by　one　hour　at　Zurich；　but　I　have　you　now；　and　you　will　listen　to　me。〃

〃I　warn　you；　my　dear　child；　that　I　am　at　this　moment　a　most　detestable　auditor。　We　have　done　to…day　one　/hotel　de　ville/；　one　episcopal　palace；　one　cathedral；　and　some　relics　of　St。　Lucius。　To　speak　plainly；　I　am　overpowered　with　sleep。　Is　there　any　great　haste　for　what　you　have　to　say　to　me？〃

〃Is　there　any　great　haste？　Why；　I　arrive　breathless　from　Hungary　to　demand　your　daughter　in　marriage。〃

M。　Moriaz　threw　up　his　arms；　then；　seating　himself　on　the　edge　of　his　bed；　he　piteously　gasped：

〃You　could　not　wait　until　to…morrow？　If　a　judge　is　desired　to　take　a　favourable　view　of　a　case；　he　surely　should　not　be　disturbed　in　his　first　sleep　to　consider　it。〃

〃My　dear　master；　I　am　truly　distressed　to　be　compelled　to　be　disagreeable　to　you；　but　it　is　absolutely　necessary　that　you　should　listen　to　me。　Two　years　ago；　for　the　first　time；　I　asked　of　you　your　daughter's　hand。　After　having　consulted　Antoinetteyou　will　permit　me　to　call　her　Antoinette；　will　you　not？after　having　consulted　her；　you　told　me　that　I　was　too　young；　that　she　would　not　listen　seriously　to　my　proposal；　and　you　gave　me　your　permission　to　try　again　in　two　years。　I　have　employed　these　two　mortal　years　in　constructing　a　railroad　and　a　wire　bridge　in　Hungary；　and；　believe　me；　I　took　infinite　pains　to　forget　Antoinette。　In　vain！　She　is　the　romance　of　my　youth；　I　never　can　have　another。　On　July　5；　1873；　did　you　not　tell　me　to　return　in　two　years？　We　are　now　at　July　5；　1875；　and　I　return。　Am　I　a　punctual　man？〃

〃As　punctual　as　insupportable；〃　rejoined　M。　Moriaz；　casting　a　melancholy　look　at　his　pillow。　〃Now；　candidly；　is　it　the　thing　to　seek　the　presence　of　the　President　of　the　Academy　of　Sciences　between　eleven　o'clock　and　midnight；　to　pour　such　silly　stuff　into　his　ear？　You　are　wanting　in　respect　for　the　Institute。　Besides；　my　dear　boy；　people　change　in　two　years；　you　are　a　proof　of　it。　You　have　developed　from　boyhood　almost　into　manhood；　and　you　have　done　well　to　let　your　imperial　grow；　it　gives　you　quite　a　dashing　military　airone　would　divine　at　first　sight　that　you　were　fresh　from　Hungary。　But；　while　you　have　changed　for　the　better；　are　you　sure　that　Antoinette　has　not　changed　for　the　worse？　Are　you　sure　that　she　is　still　the　Antoinette　of　your　romance？〃

〃I　beg　your　pardon；　I　saw　her　just　now；　without　her　seeing　me。　She　was　promenading　on　your　arm　in　the　hotel…garden；　which　was　lit　up　in　her　honour。　Formerly　she　was　enchanting；　she　has　become　adorable。　If　you　would　have　the　immense　goodness　to　give　her　to　me；　I　would　be　capable　of　doing　anything　agreeable　to　you。　I　would　relieve　you　of　all　your　little　troublesome　jobs；　I　would　clean　your　retorts；　I　would　put　labels　on　your　bottles　and　jars；　I　would　sweep　out　your　laboratory。　I　know　German　very　wellI　would　read　all　the　large　German　books　it　might　please　you　to　consult；　I　would　read　them；　pen　in　hand；　I　would　make　extractswritten　extractsand　such　extracts！　/Grand　Dieu！/　they　would　be　like　copperplate。　My　dear　master；　will　you　give　her　to　me？〃

〃The　absurd　creature！　He　imagines　that　it　only　depends　upon　me　to　give　him　my　daughter。　I　could　as　easily　dispose　of　the　moon。　Since　she　has　had　teeth；　she　had　made　me　desire　everything　she　desires。〃

〃At　least　you　will　give　me　permission　to　pay　my　addresses　to　her　to…morrow？〃

〃Beware；　unlucky　youth！〃　cried　M。　Moriaz。　〃You　will　ruin　your　case　forever。　Since　you　have　been　away　she　has　refused　two　offers；　one　of　them　from　a　second　secretary　of　legation；　Viscount　de　R…；　and　at　the　present　moment　she　holds　in　holy　horror　all　suitors。　She　is　accompanying　me　to　Saint　Moritz　in　order　to　gather　flowers　and　paint　aquarelle　sketches　of　them。　Should　you　presume　to　interrupt　her　in　her　favourite　occupations；　should　you　present　yourself　before　her　like　a　creditor　on　the　day　of　maturity；　I　swear　to　you　that　your　note　would　be　protested；　and　that　you　would　have　nothing　better　to　do　than　return　to　Hungary。〃

〃You　are　sure　of　it？〃

〃As　sure　as　that　sulphuric　acid　will　turn　litmus　red。〃

〃And　you　have　the　heart　to　sent　me　back　to　Paris　without　having　spoken　with　her？〃

〃What　I　have　said　is　for　your　good；　and　you　know　whether　I　mean　you　well　or　not。〃

〃It　is　agreed；　then；　that　you　will　take　charge　of　my　interests；　that　you　will　plead　my　cause？〃

〃It　is　understood　that　I　will　sound　the　premises；　that　I　will　prepare　the　way〃

〃And　that　you　will　send　me　tidings　shortly；　and　that　these　tidings　will　be　good。　I　shall　await　them　here；　at　the　Hotel　Steinbock。〃

〃As　you　please；　but；　for　the　love　of　Heaven；　let　me　sleep！〃

M。　Camille　Langis　pressed　his　two　arms　and　said；　with　much　emotion：　〃I　place　myself　in　your　hands；　take　care　how　you　answer　for　my　life！〃

〃O　youth！〃　murmured　M。　Moriaz；　actually　thrusting　Camille　from　the　room。　〃One　might　search　in　vain　for　a　more　beautiful　invention。〃

Ten　hours　later；　a　post…chaise　bore　in　the　direction　of　Engadine　Mlle。　Antoinette　Moriaz；　her　father；　her　/demoiselle　de　compagnie/；　and　her　/femme　de　chambre/。　They　breakfasted　tolerably　well　in　a　village　situated　in　the　lower　portion　of　a　notch；　called　Tiefenkasten；　which　means；　literally；　/deep　chest/；　and　certainly　a　deeper　never　has　been　seen。　After　breakfast　they　pursued　their　way　farther；　and　towards　four　o'clock　in　the　afternoon　they　reached　the　entrance　of　the　savage　defile　of　Bergunerstein；　which　deserves　to　be　compared　with　that　of　Via　Mala。　The　road　lies　between　a　wall　of　rocks　and　a　precipice　of　nearly　two　hundred　metres；　at　the　bottom　of　which　rush　the　swift　waters　of　the　Albula。　This　wild　scenery　deeply　moved　Mlle。　Moriaz；　she　never　had　seen　anything　like　it　at　Cormeilles　or　anywhere　about　Paris。　She　alighted；　and；　moving　towards　the　parapet；　leaned　over　it；　contemplating　at　her　ease　the　depths　below；　which　the　foaming　torrent　beneath　filled　with　its　roars。

Her　father　speedily　joined　her。

〃Do　you　not　find　this　music　charming？〃　she　asked　of　him。

〃Ch