samuel brohl & company-第45节

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idea　of　government？　You　of　all　men　were　the　most　incapable　of　making　your　way；　I　aped　a　poor　model　indeed。　Abel　Larinski；　I　break　off　all　connection　with　you；　I　wind　up　the　affairs　of　our　firm；　I　put　the　key　under　the　door；　or　drop　it　down　the　well。　O　my　great　Pole！　I　return　to　you　your　title；　your　name；　and　with　your　name　all　that　you　gave　meyour　pride；　your　pretensions；　your　dangerous　delicacy；　your　attitudes；　your　sentimental　grimaces；　and　your　waving　plume。〃

It　was　thus　that　Samuel　Brohl　took　a　decisive　farewell　of　Count　Abel　Larinski；　who　might　henceforth　rest　quietly　in　his　grave；　there　was　no　further　danger　of　a　dead　man　being　compromised　by　a　living　one。　What　name　did　Samuel　Brohl　mean　now　to　assume？　Out　of　spite　to　his　destiny；　he　chose　for　the　time　the　humblest　of　all；　he　decided　to　call　himself　Kicks；　which　was　his　mother's　name。

His　melancholy　would　have　known　no　bounds；　had　he　suspected　that　Camille　Langis　was　still　in　the　world。　Camille　Langis　for　two　weeks　lay　between　life　and　death；　but　the　ball　had　finally　been　successfully　extracted。　Mme。　de　Lorcy　hastened　to　Mons　and　nursed　him　like　a　mother；　she　had　the　joy　of　bringing　him　back　alive　to　Paris。

Care　was　taken　that　no　mention　of　the　duel　should　be　made　to　Mlle。　Moriaz；　and　not　a　word　concerning　it　reached　her；　her　condition　for　a　long　time　caused　the　gravest　anxiety。　After　she　became　convalescent　she　remained　sunk　in　a　gloomy；　taciturn　sadness。　She　never　made　the　least　allusion　to　what　had　passed；　and　would　not　permit　any　one　to　speak　of　it　to　her。　She　had　been　deceived；　and　a　mortification；　mingled　with　dread；　was　the　result　of　her　mistake。　It　seemed　to　her　that　nothing　remained　in　life　for　her　but　remembrance　and　silence。

Towards　the　end　of　November；　M。　Moriaz　proposed　to　her　that　they　should　return　to　Paris。　She　expressed　her　desire　not　to　leave　Cormeillesto　pass　the　winter　in　solitude；　the　human　face　terrified　her。　M。　Moriaz　tried　to　represent　to　her　that　she　was　unreasonable。

〃Will　you　wear　eternal　mourning　for　a　stranger？〃　he　asked；　〃for；　in　reality；　the　man　that　you　loved　you　never　saw。　Ah！　/mon　Dieu/；　you　deceived；　you　deluded　yourself。　Is　there；　I　will　not　say　a　single　woman；　but　a　single　member　of　the　Institute；　who　has　not　once　been　grossly　imposed　on？　It　is　through　the　means　of　failures　in　experiments　that　science　progresses。〃

And　he　rose　to　still　higher　considerations；　he　endeavoured　to　prove　to　her　that；　if　it　is　bad　to　have　erred；　an　excessive　fear　of　erring　is　a　still　worse　evil；　because　it　is　better　to　lose　one's　way　than　not　to　walk　at　all。

When　he　had　finished　his　harangue；　she　said；　shaking　her　head；　〃I　have　no　longer　faith　in　any　one。〃

〃What！　not　even　in　the　brave　fellow　to　whom　you　owe　the　recovery　of　your　portrait　and　your　letters？〃

〃Of　whom　do　you　speak？〃　she　exclaimed。

Then　he　declared　to　her　how　M。　Langis　had　effected　the　descent　into　the　den；　without　telling　her　what　had　resulted　therefrom。

〃Ah！　that　was　kind；　very　kind；〃　she　said。　〃I　never　doubted　that　Camille　was　a　true　friend。〃

〃A　friend？　Are　you　very　sure　that　it　is　only　friendship　that　he　feels　for　you？〃

Whereupon　M。　Moriaz　told　her　all　the　rest。　She　grew　pensive　and　sank　into　a　reverie。　Suddenly　the　door　of　the　/salon/　opened；　and　Camille　entered。　After　inquiring　after　her　health；　he　informed　her　that　in　consequence　of　a　cold　he；　too；　had　been　sick；　and；　as　he　was　now　free　from　business　engagements；　his　physician　was　sending　him　to　pass　the　winter　in　Sorrento。

She　replied：　〃That　is　a　journey　that　I　would　like　to　make。　Will　you　take　me　with　you？〃

She　gazed　fixedly　at　him；　there　was　everything　in　her　gaze。　He　bent　his　knee　before　her；　and　for　some　moments　they　remained　hand…in…hand；　and　eye　to　eye。　In　the　midst　of　this；　Mlle。　Moiseney　appeared；　who；　at　sight　of　this　/tableau　vivant/；　stood　perfectly　confounded。

〃You　are　very　much　astonished；　mademoiselle；〃　said　M。　Moriaz　to　her。

〃Not　so　much　as　you　fancy；　monsieur；〃　replied　she；　recovering　herself。　〃I　did　not　dare　to　say　it；　but　in　my　heart　I　always　believed；　always　thought　Yes；　I　always　was　sure　that　it　would　end　thus。〃

〃God　bless　Pope　Joan！〃　he　cried；　〃I　shall　cease　to　correct　her。〃

We　have　failed　to　learn　what　Samuel　Brohl　is　doing　in　America。　In　waiting　for　something　better；　has　he　become　an　humble　teacher？　has　he　attempted　a　new　matrimonial　enterprise？　has　he　become　a　reporter　of　the　/New　York　Herald/；　or　a　politician　in　one　of　the　Northern　States；　or　a　carpet…bagger　in　South　Carolina？　does　he　dream　of　being　some　day　President　of　the　glorious　republic　with　the　starry　banner？

Up　to　the　present　time；　no　American　journal　has　devoted　the　shortest　paragraph　to　him。　Adventurers　are　beings　who　constantly　vanish　and　reappear；　they　belong　to　the　family　of　divers；　but；　after　many　plunges；　they　always　end　by　some　catastrophe。　The　wave　supports　the　drowning　man　an　instant；　then　bears　him　away　and　drags　him　down　to　the　depths　of　the　briny　abyss；　there　is　heard　a　splash；　a　ripple；　a　hoarse　cry；　followed　by　a　smothered　groan；　and　Samuel　Brohl　is　no　more！　For　some　days　the　question　is　agitated　whether　his　real　name　is　Brohl；　Kicks；　or　Larinski；　soon　something　else　is　talked　about；　and　his　memory　becomes　a　prey　to　eternal　silence。





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