samuel brohl & company-第44节

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〃I　find　you　too　greedy；〃　replied　Camille；　casting　on　him　a　crushing　glance。

〃Do　not　be　angry。　I　am　accustomed　to　exercise　methodical　precision　in　business　affairs。　My　father　always　sold　at　a　fixed　price；　and　I；　too；　never　lower　my　charges。　You　will　readily　understand　that　what　is　worth　five　thousand　francs　to　a　friend　is　worth　double　to　a　lover。　This　gem　is　worth　ten　thousand　francs。　You　can　take　it　or　leave　it。〃

〃I　will　take　it；〃　replied　M。　Langis。

〃Since　we　agree；〃　continued　Samuel；　〃I　possess　still　other　articles　which　might　suit　you。〃

〃Why；　do　you　think　of　selling　me　your　clothing？〃

〃Let　us　come　to　an　understanding。　I　have　other　articles　of　the　same　lot。〃

And　he　brought　from　a　closet　the　red　hood；　which　he　spread　out　on　the　table。

〃Here　is　an　article　of　clothingto　use　your　own　wordsthat　may　be　of　interest　to　you。　Its　colour　is　beautiful；　if　you　saw　it　in　the　sunshine；　it　would　dazzle　you。　I　grant　that　the　stuff　is　commonit　is　very　ordinary　cashmerebut　if　you　deign　to　examine　it　closely；　you　will　be　struck　by　the　peculiar　perfume　that　it　exhales。　The　Italians　call　it　'/l'odor　femminino/。'　〃

〃And　what　is　your　rate　of　charge　for　the　'/odor　femminino/？'　〃

〃I　will　be　moderate。　I　will　let　you　have　this　article　and　its　perfume　for　five　thousand　francs。　It　is　actually　giving　it　away。〃

〃Assuredly。　We　will　say　ten　and　fivethat　makes　fifteen　thousand。〃

〃One　moment。　You　can　pay　for　all　together。　I　have　other　things　to　offer　you。　One　would　say　that　the　floor　burned　your　feet；　and　that　you　could　not　endure　being　in　this　room。〃

〃I　allow　that　I　long　to　leave　thiswhat　shall　I　say？this　shop；　lair；　or　den。〃

〃You　are　young；　monsieur；　it　never　does　to　hurry；　haste　causes　us　acts　of　forgetfulness　that　we　afterwards　regret。　You　would　be　sorry　not　to　take　away　with　you　these　two　scraps　of　paper。〃

At　these　words　he　drew　from　his　note…book　two　letters；　which　he　unfolded。

〃Is　there　much　more？〃　demanded　Camille。　〃I　fear　that　I　shall　become　short　of　funds；　and　be　obliged　to　go　back　for　more。〃

〃Ah！　these　two　letters；　I　will　not　part　with　them　for　a　trifle；　the　second　especially。　It　is　only　twelve　lines　in　length；　but　what　pretty　English　handwriting！　Only　see！　and　the　style　is　loving　and　tender。　I　will　add　that　it　is　signed。　Ah！　monsieur；　Mlle。　Moriaz　will　be　charmed　to　see　these　scrawls　again。　Under　what　obligations　she　will　be　to　you！　You　will　make　the　most　of　it；　you　will　tell　her　that　you　wrested　them　from　me；　your　dagger　at　my　throatthat　you　terrified　me。　With　what　a　gracious　smile　she　will　reward　your　heroism！　According　to　my　opinion；　that　smile　is　as　well　worth　ten　thousand　francs　as　the　medallionthe　two　gems　are　of　equal　value。〃

〃If　you　want　more；　it　makes　no　difference。〃

〃No；　monsieur；　I　have　told　you　I　have　only　one　price。〃

〃At　this　rate；　it　is　twenty…five　thousand　francs　that　I　owe　you。　You　have　nothing　more　to　sell　me？〃

〃Alas！　that　is　all。〃

〃Will　you　swear　it？〃

〃What；　monsieur！　you　admit；　then；　that　Samuel　Brohl　has　a　word　of　honourthat　when　he　has　sworn；　he　can　be　believed？〃

〃You　are　right；　I　am　still　very　young。〃

〃That　is　all；　then；　I　swear　to　you；〃　affirmed　Samuel；　sighing。　〃My　shop　is　poorly　stocked；　I　had　begun　laying　in　a　supply；　but　an　unfortunate　accident　deranged　my　little　business。〃

〃Bah！　be　consoled；〃　replied　M。　Langis；　〃you　will　find　another　opportunity；　a　genius　of　such　lofty　flights　as　yours　never　is　at　a　loss。　You　have　been　unfortunate；　some　day　Fortune　will　compensate　you　for　the　wrongs　she　has　done　you；　and　the　world　will　accord　justice　to　your　fine　talents。〃

Speaking　thus；　he　laid　on　the　table　twenty…five　notes　of　a　thousand　francs　each。　He　counted　them；　Samuel　counted　them　after　him；　and　at　once　delivered　to　him　the　medallion；　the　hood；　and　the　two　letters。

Camille　rose　to　leave。　〃Monsieur　Brohl；〃　he　said；　〃from　the　first　day　I　saw　you；　I　formed　the　highest　opinion　of　your　character。　The　reality　surpasses　my　expectations。　I　am　charmed　to　have　made　your　acquaintance；　and　I　venture　to　hope　that　you　are　not　sorry　to　have　made　mine。　However；　I　shall　not　say；　/au　revoir/。〃

〃Who　knows？〃　replied　Samuel；　suddenly　changing　his　countenance　and　attitude。　And　he　added；　〃If　you　are　fond　of　being　astonished；　monsieur；　will　you　remain　still　another　instant　in　this　den？〃

He　rolled　and　twisted　the　twenty…five　one…thousand…franc　notes　into　lamp…lighters；　then；　with　a　grand　gesture；　/a　la　Poniatowski/；　he　approached　the　candle；　held　them　in　the　flame　until　they　blazed；　and　then　threw　them　on　the　hearth；　where　they　were　soon　consumed。

Turning　towards　M。　Langis；　he　cried；　〃Will　you　now　do　me　the　honour　of　fighting　with　me？〃

〃After　such　a　noble　act　as　that；　I　can　refuse　you　nothing；〃　returned　Camille。　〃I　will　do　you　that　signal　honour。〃

〃Just　what　I　desire；〃　replied　Samuel。　〃I　am　the　offended；　I　have　the　choice　of　arms。〃　And；　in　showing　M。　Langis　out；　he　said；　〃I　will　not　conceal　from　you　that　I　have　frequented　the　shooting…galleries；　and　that　I　am　a　first…class　pistol…shot。〃

Camille　bowed　and　went　out。

The　next　day；　in　a　lucid　interval；　Mlle。　Moriaz　saw　at　the　foot　of　her　bed　a　medallion　laid　on　a　red　hood。　From　that　moment　the　physician　announced　an　improvement　in　her　symptoms。



CHAPTER　XII

Six　days　after　these　events；　Samuel　Brohl；　having　passed　through　Namur　and　Liege　without　stopping　at　either　place；　arrived　by　rail　at　Aix…la…　Chapelle。　He　went　directly　to　the　Hotel　Royal；　close　to　the　railroad…　station；　he　ordered　a　hearty　dinner　to　be　served　him；　which　he　washed　down　with　foaming　champagne。　He　had　an　excellent　appetite；　his　soul　kept　holiday；　his　heart　was　expanded；　inflated　with　joy；　and　his　brain　intoxicated。　He　had　revenged　himself；　he　had　meted　out　justice　to　that　insolent　fellow；　his　rival。　Mlle。　Moriaz　did　not　belong　to　Samuel　Brohl；　but　she　never　would　belong　to　Camille　Langis。　Near　the　Franco…　Belgian　frontier；　on　the　verge　of　a　forest；　a　man　had　been　shot　in　the　breast；　Samuel　Brohl　had　seen　him　fall；　and　some　one　had　cried；　〃He　is　dead！〃　It　is　asserted　that　Aix…la…Chapelle　is　a　very　dull　city；　that　the　very　dogs　suffer　so　sadly　from　ennui　that　they　piteously　beg　passers…by　to　kick　them；　with　a　view　to　having　a　little　excitement。　Samuel　never　felt　one　moment's　ennui　during　the　evening　that　he　spent　in　Charlemagne's　city。　He　had　constantly　in　mind　a　certain　spot　in　a　forest；　and　a　man　falling；　and　he　experienced　a　thrill　of　delight。

After　the　champagne；　he　drank　punch；　an　after　that　he　slept　like　a　dormouse；　unfortunately；　sleep　dissipated　his　exhilaration；　and　when　he　awoke　his　gaiety　had　left　him。　He　had　the　fatal　custom　of　reflecting；　his　reflections　saddened　him；　he　was　revenged；　but　what　then？　He　thought　for　a　long　while　of　Mlle。　Moriaz；　he　gazed　with　melancholy　eye　at　his　two　hands；　which　had　allowed　her　and　good　fortune　to　elude　their　grasp。

He　recited　in　a　low　voice　some　German　verses；　signifying：

〃I　have　resolved　to　bury　my　songs　and　my　dreams；　bring　me　a　large　coffin。　Why　is　this　coffin　so　heavy？　Because　in　it　with　my　dreams　I　have　laid　away　my　love　and　my　sorrows。〃

When　he　had　recited　these　verses　Samuel　felt　sadder　than　before；　and　he　cursed　the　poets。　〃They　did　me　great　harm；〃　he　said；　bitterly。　〃Without　them　I　had　spent　days　interwoven　with　gold　and　silk。　My　future　was　secure：　it　was　they　who　gave　me　a　distaste　for　my　position。　I　believed　in　them；　I　was　the　dupe　of　their　hollow　declamation；　they　taught　me　thoughtless　contempt；　and　they　gave　me　the　sickly　ambition　to　play　the　silly　part　of　a　man　of　fine　sentiments。　I　despised　the　mud。　Where　am　I　now？〃

He　had　formed　the　project　of　going　to　Holland　and　of　embarking　thence　for　America。　What　would　he　do　in　the　United　States？　He　did　not　know　yet。　He　passed　in　review　all　the　professions　that　at　all　suited　him；　they　all　required　an　outlay　for　first　expenses。　Thanks　to　God　and　to　M。　Guldenthal；　whose　loan　was　in　the　greatest　danger；　he　was　not　destitute　of　all　supplies。　But　a　week　previous　he　had　held　into　the　flames　and　burned　twenty…five　one…thousand…franc　bills　of　the　Bank　of　France。　He　felt　some　remorse　for　the　act；　he　could　not　help　thinking　that　a　revenge　that　cost　twenty…five　thousand　francs　was　an　article　of　luxury　of　which　poor　devils　should　deprive　themselves。　In　thinking　over　this　adventure；　it　seemed　to　him　that　it　was　another　than　himself　who　had　burned　those　bills；　or　at　least　that　he　had　mechanically　executed　this　/auto…da…fe/　through　a　sort　of　thoughtless　impulse；　like　a　puppet　moved　by　an　invisible　string。　Suddenly　the　phantom　with　whom　he　had　had　frequent　conversations　appeared；　and　there　was　a　sneer　on　its　lips。　Samuel　addressed　it　once　morethis　was　to　be　the　last　time；　he　said：

〃Imbecile！　You　are　my　evil　genius。　It　was　you　who　caused　me　to　commit　this　extravagance。　You　yourself　lighted　the　candle；　you　put　the　bills　into　my　hands；　you　guided　my　arm；　extended　it；　held　it　above　the　fatal　flame。　This　act　of　supreme　heroism　was　your　work；　it　is　not　I；　it　is　you；　who　paid　so　dearly　for　the　pleasure　of　astonishing　one　who　wantonly　insulted　me；　and　of　killing　him。　Cursed　forever　be　the　day　when　I　assumed　your　name；　and　when　I　conceived　the　foolish　notion　of　becoming　your　second　self！　I　made　myself　a　Pole：　did　Poland　ever　have　the　least　idea　of　go