samuel brohl & company-第35节

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〃Princess　Gulof；〃　said　she　to　herself；　〃has　passed　her　life　in　running　around　the　world；　her　real　home　is　a　railroad…car；　there　is　not　a　large　city　where　she　has　failed　to　make　a　sojourn；　she　is　acquainted　with　the　whole　world：　is　it　not　possible　that　she　knows　Count　Larinski？〃

Mme。　de　Lorcy　retraced　her　steps；　cut　her　way　through　the　crowd；　succeeded　in　approaching　the　princess；　and；　taking　her　by　the　arm；　exclaimed：　〃Ah！　is　it　you；　princess！　How　is　Moufflard？〃

The　princess　turned　her　head；　regarded　her　fixedly　a　moment；　and　then　pressing　her　hand　between　her　thumb　and　forefinger　she　rejoined　with　as　little　ceremony　as　though　they　had　met　the　day　before：　〃Moufflard　does　very　poorly　indeed；　my　dear。　He　died　two　months　ago　of　indigestion。〃

〃How　you　must　have　mourned　his　loss！〃

〃I　am　still　inconsolable。〃

〃Ah！　well；　princess；　I　shall　undertake　to　console　you。　I　own　a　lapdog；　not　yet　six　months　old：　you　never　saw　a　more　charming　one　or　one　with　a　shorter　nose　or　whiter　and　more　delicate　hair。　I　am　a　great　utilitarian；　as　you　know。　I　only　care　for　large　dogs　that　are　of　some　use。　Will　you　accept　of　me　Moufflard　II？　But　you　must　come　and　fetch　him　yourself；　which　will　procure　me　the　pleasure　of　seeing　you　at　Maisons。〃

The　princess　replied　that　she　was　on　her　way　to　England；　that　she　was　merely　taking　Paris　in　passing；　that　her　hours　were　numbered；　and　two　minutes　later　she　announced　to　Mme。　de　Lorcy　that　she　would　call　on　her　the　following　day；　in　the　afternoon。

True　to　her　appointment；　Princess　Gulof　entered　Mme。　de　Lorcy's　/salon/　the　following　day。　The　ladies　occupied　themselves　first　of　all　with　the　lapdog；　which　was　found　charming　and　quite　worthy　to　succeed　to　Moufflard　I。　Mme。　de　Lorcy　watched　all　the　time　for　a　suitable　opportunity　of　introducing　the　subject　nearest　to　her　heart；　when　she　thought　it　had　come；　she　observed：

〃Apropos；　princess；　you　who　know　everything；　you　who　are　a　true　cosmopolitan；　have　you　ever　heard　of　a　mysterious　personage　who　calls　himself　Count　Abel　Larinski？〃

〃Not　that　I　am　aware　of；　my　dear；　although　his　name　may　not　be　absolutely　unknown　to　me。〃

〃Search　among　your　reminiscences；　you　must　have　encountered　him　somewhere；　you　have　visited　all　the　countries　of　the　world〃

〃Of　the　habitable　world；〃　she　interposed；　〃but　according　to　my　especial　point　of　view　Siberia　scarcely　can　be　called　so；　and　it　is　there；　if　I　mistake　not；　that　your　Count　Larinski　must　have　been　sent。〃

〃Would　to　heaven！　Perhaps　there　was　question　of　procuring　this　little　pleasure　for　his　father；　but；　unfortunately；　he　took　the　precaution　to　emigrate　to　America。　The　inconvenience　of　America　is；　that　people　can　return　from　there；　for　my　Larinski　has　returned；　and　it　is　that　that　grieves　me。〃

〃What　has　he　done　to　you？〃　inquired　the　princess　pinching　the　ears　of　the　dog　who　was　slumbering　in　her　lap。

〃I　spoke　to　you　at　Ostend　about　my　goddaughter　Mlle。　Moriaz；　who　is　an　adorable　creature。　I　proposed　to　marry　her　to　my　nephew；　M。　Langis；　a　most　highly　accomplished　young　man。　This　Larinski　came　suddenly　on　the　scene；　he　cast　a　charm　over　the　child；　and　he　will　marry　her。〃

〃What　a　pity！　Is　he　handsome？〃

〃Yes；　that；　to　tell　the　truth；　is　his　sole　merit。〃

〃It　is　merit　sufficient；〃　replied　the　princess；　whose　gray　eyes　twinkled　as　she　spoke。　〃There　is　nothing　certain　but　a　man's　beauty；　all　else　is　open　to　discussion。〃

〃Pray；　allow　me　to　consider　matters　from　a　more　matter…of…fact　point　of　view；：　said　Mme。　de　Lorcy。　〃Also　I　may　as　well　confide　to　you　my　whole　perplexity：　I　suspect　Count　Larinski　of　being　neither　a　true　Larinski　nor　a　true　count；　I　would　stake　my　life　that　the　Larinskis　are　all　dead；　and　that　this　man　is　some　adventurer。〃

〃You　will　end　by　interesting　me；〃　rejoined　the　princess。　〃Do　not　speak　too　severely　of　adventurers；　however；　they　are　one　of　the　most　curious　varieties　of　the　human　family。　Let　your　goddaughter　marry　hers；　it　will　bring　a　piquant　element　into　her　life；　the　poor　world　is　so　generally　a　prey　to　ennui。〃

〃Thank　you！　my　goddaughter　was　not　born　to　marry　an　adventurer。　I　detest　this　Larinski；　and　I　have　vowed　that　I　will　play　him　some　abominable　trick！〃

〃Do　not　become　excited；　my　dear。　What　colour　are　his　eyes？〃

〃Green　as　those　of　the　cats　or　of　the　owls。〃

Once　more　the　eyes　of　Princess　Gulof　flashed　and　twinkled；　and　she　cried：　〃An　adventurer　with　green　eyes！　Why；　it　is　a　superb　match；　and　I　find　you　hard　to　please。〃

〃You　grieve　me；　princess；〃　said　Mme。　de　Lorcy。　〃I　had　promised　myself　that　you　would　lend　me　the　assistance　of　your　judgment；　your　incomparable　penetration；　your　experienced　eye；　that　you　would　aid　me　in　unmasking　this　Pole；　in　detecting　in　him　some　irremediable　vice　that　would　at　once　prove　an　insurmountable　obstacle　to　the　marriage。　Be　good；　for　once　in　your　life；　may　I　present　him　to　you？〃

〃I　repeat　to　you　that　I　am　merely　taking　Paris　in　passing；〃　replied　the　princess；　〃and　I　am　expected　in　England。　Besides；　you　do　too　much　honour　to　my　incomparable　penetration。　I　swear　to　you　that　I　am　no　connoisseur　in　Larinskis；　you　may　as　well　spare　yourself　the　pains　of　presenting　to　me　yours。　I　am　a　good…natured　woman；　who　has　often　been　made　a　good　dupe；　and　I　do　not　complain　of　it。　The　best　reminiscences　of　my　past　are　of　sundry　agreeable　errors；　and　of　men　skilled　in　deception。　I　have　found　it　the　wisest　way　to　judge　by　the　labels；　and　never　to　ask　any　one　to　show　me　the　contents　of　his　sack；　for　I　long　ago　discovered　that　sacks　are　very　apt　to　be　empty　or　at　best　only　poorly　filled。　Let　your　goddaughter　act　according　to　her　own　head；　if　she　deceives　herself；　it　is　because　she　wishes　to　be　deceived；　and　she　knows　better　than　you　what　suits　her。　/Eh！　bon　Dieu/；　what　matters　it　if　there　be　one　more　unhappy　household　under　the　broad　canopy　of　heaven？　Besides；　it　is　only　fools　who　are　unhappy；　and　who　stupidly　pause　before　a　closed　portal；　others　manage　in　some　way　to　find　a　loop…hole　of　escape。　Marriage；　my　dear；　is　an　institution　worn　threadbare。　Ten　years　hence　there　will　be　only　free　women　and　husbands　on　trial。　Ten　years　hence　the　Countess　Larinski　will　be　a　liberated　countess。　Let　her　serve　her　time　as　a　galley…slave；　and　she　will　come　out　entirely　cured　of　her　follies。〃

Just　as　Princess　Gulof　was　finishing　this　remarkable　declaration　of　her　principles；　the　door　opened　and　Mlle。　Moriaz　entered。　Whatever　it　might　cost　her　to　do　so；　the　future　Countess　Larinski　faithfully　kept　the　promise　she　had　made　to　her　father。　Mme。　de　Lorcy　was　strictly　on　her　guard；　she　hastened　to　meet　her；　held　out　both　hands；　kissed　her　on　both　cheeks；　and　reproached　her；　in　the　most　affectionate　tone　in　the　world；　for　the　rarity　of　her　visits。　Then　she　presented　her　to　the　princess；　who　said：　〃Come　here；　my　beauty；　that　I　may　look　at　you；　I　have　been　told　that　you　are　adorable。〃

When　Antoinette　approached；　she　fixed　on　her　a　keen；　penetrating　glance；　examined　her　from　head　to　foot；　passed　all　her　perfections　in　review：　one　might　have　taken　her　for　some　Normandy　farmer　at　a　cattle…　fair。　The　result　of　this　investigation　was　satisfactory；　the　princess　cried；　〃Truly　she　does　very　well！〃　and　proceeded　to　assert　that　Mlle。　Moriaz　greatly　resembled　a　certain　person　who　had　played　a　certain　role　in　a　certain　adventure　that　she　undertook　to　narrate。　She　had　scarcely　finished　this　recital　when　she　entered　on　another。　Mme。　de　Lorcy　was　on　thorns。　She　knew　by　experience　that　the　anecdotes　of　Princess　Gulof　were　ordinarily　somewhat　indelicate　and　ill…suited　to　maiden　ears。　She　watched　Antoinette　anxiously；　and；　when　she　saw　the　approach　of　an　especially　objectionable　passage；　she　was　suddenly　seized　with　a　fit　of　coughing。　The　princess；　comprehending　the　significance　of　that；　made　an　effort　to　gloss　over；　but　her　glossings　were　very　transparent。　Mme。　de　Lorcy　coughed　anew；　and　the　princess　ended　by　losing　patience；　and；　brusquely　interrupting　herself；　exclaimed：　〃And　this；　that；　and　the　other；　etc。　Thus　ended　the　adventure。〃

Mlle。　Moriaz　listened　with　an　astonished　air；　not　in　the　least　understanding　these　attacks　of　coughing　and　these　interruptions；　nor　divining　the　significance　of　the　constant　repetition　of　〃this；　that；　and　the　other；　etc。〃　Princess　Gulof　struck　her　as　a　very　eccentric　and　unpleasantly　brusque　person；　she　even　suspected　her　of　being　slightly　deranged　or　at　least　rather　crack…brained；　yet　she　was　pleased　with　her　for　being　present　upon　this　especial　occasion　and　sparing　her　a　/tete…a…tete/　with　Mme。　de　Lorcy　with　its　disagreeable　explanations　and　unpleasant　discussions。

She　remained　nearly　an　hour；　planted　on　a　chair；　watching　with　a　sort　of　stupor　the　turning　of　the　fan　of　this　word…mill；　whose　clapper　kept　up　such　an　incessant　noise。　After　having　criticised　to　her　heart's　content　her　neighbours；　including　under　that　title　emperors　and　grand…　dukes；　and　having　abundantly　multiplied　the　et　ceteras；　Princess　Gulof　suddenly　turned　the　conversation　to　physiology：　this　science；　whose　depths　she　believed　herself　to　have　fathomed；　was；　in　her　estimation；　the　secret　of　everything；　the　Alpha　and　Omega　of　human　life。　She　exposed　certain　materialistic　views；　making　use　of　expressions　that　shocked　the　modest　and　delicate　ears　of　Mlle。　Moriaz。　The　astonishment