samuel brohl & company-第40节

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〃Ah；　I　beg　of　you；　let　us　talk　a　little　of　the　man…monkey；〃　he　observed；　in　a　rather　more　pliant　tone　than　he　had　at　first　assumed。　〃That　is　a　question　that　has　the　advantage　of　being　neither　Russian　nor　Polish。〃

〃You　will　not　succeed　that　way　in　throwing　me　off　the　track。　I　mean　to　tell　you　all　the　evil　I　think　of　you；　no　matter　how　it　may　incense　you。　You　uttered；　at　table；　theories　that　displeased　me。　You　are　not　only　a　Polish　patriot；　you　are　an　idealist；　a　true　disciple　of　Plato；　and　you　do　not　know　how　I　always　have　detested　this　man。　In　all　these　sixty　years　that　I　have　been　in　this　world；　I　have　seen　nothing　but　selfishness；　and　grasping　after　self…gratification。　Twice　during　dinner　you　spoke　of　an　ideal　world。　What　is　an　ideal　world？　Where　is　it　situated？　You　speak　of　it　as　of　a　house　whose　inhabitants　you　are　well　acquainted　with；　whose　key　is　in　your　pocket。　Can　you　show　me　the　key？　I　promise　not　to　steal　it　from　you。　O　poet！for　you　are　quite　as　much　of　a　poet　as　of　a　Pole；　which　is　not　saying　much〃

〃Nothing　remains　but　to　hang　me；〃　he　interposed；　smilingly。

〃No；　I　shall　not　hang　you。　Opinions　are　free；　and　there　is　room　enough　in　the　world　for　all；　even　idealists。　Besides；　if　you　were　to　be　hanged；　it　would　bring　to　the　verge　of　despair　a　charming　girl　who　adores　you；　who　was　created　expressly　for　you；　and　whom　you　will　shortly　marry。　When　will　the　ceremony　take　place？〃

〃If　I　dared　hope　that　you　would　do　me　the　honour　of　being　present；　princess；　I　should　postpone　it　until　your　return　from　England。〃

〃You　are　too　amiable；　but　I　could　not　on　any　consideration　retard　the　happiness　of　Mlle。　Moriaz。　There；　my　dear　count；　I　congratulate　you　sincerely。　I　had　the　pleasure　to　meet　here　the　future　Countess　Larinski。　She　is　adorable！　It　is　an　exquisite　nature；　hersa　true　poet's　wife。　She　must　have　brains；　discernment；　she　has　chosen　you　that　says　everything。　As　to　her　fortune；　I　dare　not　ask　you　if　she　has　any；　you　would　turn　away　from　me　in　disgust。　Do　idealists　trouble　their　heads　with　such　vile　questions？〃

She　leaned　towards　him；　and；　fanning　herself　excitedly；　added：　〃These　poor　idealists！　they　have　one　misfortune。〃

〃And　what　is　that；　princess？〃

〃They　dream　with　open　eyes；　and　the　awakening　is　sometimes　disagreeable。　Ah；　my　dear　Count　Larinski；　this；　that；　and　the　other；　/et　cetera/。　Thus　endeth　the　adventure。〃

Then；　stretching　out　her　neck　until　her　face　was　close　to　his；　she　darted　at　him　a　venomous；　viper…like　look；　and；　in　a　voice　that　seemed　to　cut　into　his　tympanum　like　a　sharp…toothed　saw；　she　hissed；　〃Samuel　Brohl；　the　man　with　the　green　eyes；　sooner　or　later　the　mountains　must　meet！〃

It　seemed　to　him　that　the　candelabra　on　the　mantel…piece　darted　out　jets　of　flame；　whose　green；　blue；　and　rose…coloured　tongues　ascended　to　the　ceiling；　and　it　appeared　to　him　as　though　his　heart　was　beating　as　noisily　as　a　clock…pendulum；　and　that　every　one　would　turn　to　inquire　whence　came　the　noise。　But　every　one　was　occupied；　no　one　turned　round；　no　one　suspected　that　there　was　a　man　present　on　whom　a　thunderbolt　had　just　fallen。

The　man　passed　his　hand　over　his　brow；　which　was　covered　with　a　cold　sweat；　then　dispelling；　by　an　effort　of　will；　the　cloud　that　veiled　his　eyes；　he；　in　turn；　leaned　towards　the　princess；　and　with　quivering　lip　and　evil；　sardonic　glance；　said　to　her；　in　a　low　voice：

〃Princess；　I　have　a　slight　acquaintance　with　this　Samuel　Brohl　of　whom　you　speak。　He　is　not　a　man　who　will　allow　himself　to　be　strangled　without　a　great　deal　of　outcry。　You　are　not　much　in　the　habit　of　writing；　nevertheless　he　received　from　you　two　letters；　which　he　copied；　placing　the　originals　in　safety。　If　ever　he　sees　the　necessity　of　appearing　in　a　court　of　justice；　these　two　letters　can　be　made　to　create　quite　a　sensation；　and　unquestionably　they　will　be　the　delight　of　all　the　petty　journals　of　Paris。〃

Thereupon　he　made　a　profound　bow；　respectfully　took　leave　of　Mme。　de　Lorcy；　and　retired；　followed　by　Abbe　Miollens；　who　inflicted　a　real　torture　by　insisting　on　accompanying　him　to　the　station。

No　longer　restrained　by　Mme。　de　Lorcy's　presence；　the　abbe　spoke　freely　of　the　happy　event　in　which　he　prided　himself　to　have　been　a　co…operator；　he　overwhelmed　him　with　congratulation；　and　all　the　good　wishes　he　could　possibly　think　of　for　his　happiness。　During　a　quarter　of　an　hour　he　lavished　on　him　his　myrrh　and　honey。　Samuel　would　gladly　have　wrung　his　neck。　He　could　not　breathe　until　the　abbe　had　freed　him　from　his　obtrusive　society。

A　storm　muttered　in　the　almost　cloudless　sky。　It　was　a　dry　storm；　the　rain　fell　elsewhere。　The　incessant　lightning；　accompanied　by　distant　thunder；　gleamed　from　all　quarters　of　the　horizon；　and　darted　its　luminous　flashes　over　the　whole　extent　of　the　plain。　At　intervals　the　hills　seemed　to　be　on　fire。　Several　times　Samuel；　who　stood　with　his　nose　against　the　glass　of　the　car…door；　thought　that　he　saw　in　the　direction　of　Cormeilles　the　flaring　light　of　a　conflagration；　in　which　were　blazing　his　dream　and　two　millions；　to　say　nothing　of　his　great　expectations。

He　bitterly　reproached　himself　for　his　folly　of　the　previous　day。　〃If　I　had　passed　yesterday　evening　with　her；〃　he　thought；　〃surely　she　would　have　spoken　of　the　Princess　Gulof。　I　would　have　taken　measures　accordingly；　and　nothing　would　have　happened。〃　It　was　all　M。　Langis's　fault；　it　was　to　him　that　he　imputed　the　disaster；　and　he　hated　him　all　the　more。

However；　as　he　approached　Paris；　he　felt　his　courage　returning。

〃Those　two　letters　frightened　the　old　fairy；〃　he　thought。　〃She　will　think　twice　before　she　declares　war　with　me。　No；　she　will　not　dare。〃　He　added：　〃And　if　she　dared；　Antoinette　loves　me　so　much　that　I　can　make　her　believe　what　I　please。〃

And　he　prepared　in　his　mind　what　he　should　say；　in　case　the　event　occurred。

At　that　very　moment　Mme。　de　Lorcy；　who　was　alone　with　Princess　Gulof；　was　saying：　〃Well；　my　dear；　you　have　talked　with　my　man。　What　do　you　think　of　him？〃

The　princess　distressed　her　by　her　reply。　〃I　think；　my　dear；〃　she　rejoined；　〃that　Count　Larinski　is　the　last　of　the　heroes　of　romance　or；　if　you　like　better；　the　last　of　the　troubadours；　but　I　have　no　reason　to　believe　him　to　be　an　adventurer。〃

Mme。　de　Lorcy　could　get　nothing　further　from　Princess　Gulof；　she　had　invited　her　to　remain　overnight；　she　got　no　pay　for　her　hospitality。　The　princess　spent　part　of　the　night　in　reflecting　and　deliberating。　Samuel　Brohl's　insolent　menace　had　produced　some　effect。　She　sought　to　remember　the　exact　purport　of　the　two　letters　that　formerly　she　had　had　the　imprudence　to　write　him　from　London；　while　he　was　fulfilling　a　business　commission　for　her　in　Paris。　On　his　return　she　had　required　Samuel　to　burn　these　two　compromising　epistles；　in　her　presence；　he　had　deceived　her；　he　burned　the　envelopes　and　blank　paper。　The　thought　of　some　day　having　her　composition　quoted　in　court；　and　printed　verbatim　in　the　petty　journals；　terrified　her；　and　made　her　blood　boil　in　her　veins；　she　hardly　cared　to　take　Paris　and　St。　Petersburg　into　her　confidence　concerning　an　experience　the　recollection　of　which　caused　her　disgustbut　to　let　such　an　admirable　opportunity　of　vengeance　escape　her！　renounce　the　delight　of　the　gods　and　of　princesses！　permit　this　man　who　had　just　defied　her　to　accomplish　his　underhand　intrigue！　She　could　not　resign　herself　to　the　idea；　and　the　consequence　was　that；　during　the　night　she　spent　at　Maisons；　she　scarcely　closed　her　eyes。



CHAPTER　XI

The　following　day；　after　breakfast；　Mlle。　Moriaz　was　walking　alone　on　the　terrace。　The　weather　was　delightfully　mild。　She　was　bare…headed；　and　had　opened　her　white　silk　umbrella　to　protect　herself　from　the　sun；　for　Samuel　Brohl　had　been　a　true　prophetthere　was　sunshine。　She　looked　up　at　the　sky；　where　no　trace　was　left　of　the　wind…storm　of　the　preceding　evening；　and　it　seemed　to　her　that　she　never　had　seen　the　sky　so　blue。　She　looked　at　her　flower…beds；　and　the　flowers　that　she　saw　were　perhaps　not　there。　She　looked　at　the　orchard；　growing　on　the　slope　that　bordered　the　terrace；　and　she　admired　the　foliage　of　the　apple…trees；　over　which　Autumn；　with　liberal　hand；　had　scattered　gold　and　purple；　the　grass　there　was　as　high　as　her　knee；　and　was　fragrant　and　glossy。　Above　the　apple…trees　she　saw　the　spire　of　the　church　at　Cormeilles；　it　seemed　to　amuse　itself　watching　the　flying　clouds。　It　was　a　high…festival　day。　The　bells　were　ringing　out　a　full　peal；　they　spoke　to　this　happy　girl　of　that　far…off；　mysterious　land　which　we　remember；　without　ever　having　seen　it。　Their　silvery　voices　were　answered　by　the　cheerful　cackling　of　the　hens。　She　at　once　understood　that　a　joyful　event　was　occurring　in　the　poultry…yard；　as　well　as　in　the　belfry；　that　below；　as　well　as　above；　an　arrival　was　being　celebrated。　But　what　pleased　her　more　than　all　the　rest　was　the　little　deep…set　gateway　with　its　ivy…hung　arch　at　the　end　of　the　orchard。　It　was　through　this　gate　that　he　would　come。

She　walked　several　times　around　the　terrace。　The　gravel　was　elastic；　and　rebounded　under　her　step。　Never　had　Mlle。　Moriaz　felt　so　light：　life；　the　present；　the　future；　weighed　no　heavier　on　her　brow　than　a　bird　in　the　hand　that　holds　it　and　feels　it　tremble。　Her　heart　fluttered　like　a　bi