samuel brohl & company-第5节

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　voice；　we　have　chanted　vespers　well　to…day！〃　M。　Moriaz　excused　her　for　finding　his　daughter　charming；　but　could　not　so　readily　approve　of　her　upholding　Antoinette's　ideas；　her　decisions；　her　prejudices。　〃This　woman　is　no　chaperon；〃　said　he；　〃she　is　an　admiration…point！〃　He　would　have　been　very　glad　to　have　routed　her　from　the　field；　and　to　give　her　place　to　a　person　of　good　sound　sense　and　judgment；　one　who　might　gain　some　influence　over　Antoinette。　It　would　have　greatly　surprised　Mlle。　Moiseney　had　he　represented　to　her　that　she　lacked　good　sense。　This　good　creature　flattered　herself　that　she　had　an　inexhaustible　stock　of　this　commodity；　she　placed　the　highest　estimate　on　her　own　judgment；　she　believed　herself　to　be　well…　nigh　infallible。　She　discoursed　in　the　tone　of　an　oracle　on　future　contingencies；　she　prided　herself　on　being　able　to　divine　all　things；　to　foresee　all　things；　to　predict　all　thingsin　a　word；　to　be　in　the　secret　of　the　gods。　As　her　Christian　name　was　Joan；　M。　Moriaz；　who　set　little　store　by　his　calendar；　sometimes　called　her　Pope　Joan；　which　wounded　her　deeply。

Mlle。　Moiseney　had　two　weaknesses；　she　was　a　gormand；　and　she　admired　handsome　men。　Let　us　understand　the　case：　she　knew　perfectly　well　that　they　were　not　created　for　her；　that　she　had　no　attractions　to　offer　them；　that　they　had　nothing　to　give　her。　She　admired　them　naively　and　innocently；　as　a　child　might　admire　a　beautiful　Epinal　engraving；　she　would　willingly　have　cut　out　their　likenesses　to　hang　on　a　nail　on　her　wall；　and　contemplate　while　rereading　〃Gonzalve　de　Cordue〃　and　〃Le　Dernier　des　Cavaliers；〃　her　two　favourite　romances。　At　Bergun；　during　the　repast；　her　brain　had　been　working；　and　she　had　made　two　reflections。　The　first　was；　that　the　trout　of　Albula　were　incomparable；　the　second　that　the　stranger　seated　opposite　her　had　a　remarkably　handsome　head；　and　was　altogether　a　fine…looking　man。　Several　times；　with　fork　halfway　to　mouth；　and　nose　in　the　air；　she　had　forgotten　herself　in　her　scrutiny　of　him。

Antoinette；　rather　weary；　had　retired　early　to　her　chamber。　Mlle。　Moiseney　repaired　thither　to　see　if　she　needed　anything；　and；　as　she　was　about　leaving　her　for　the　night；　candle　in　hand；　she　suddenly　inquired；　〃Do　not　you　think；　as　I　do；　that　this　stranger　is　a　remarkable…looking　person？〃

〃Of　whom　do　you　speak？〃　rejoined　Antoinette。

〃Why；　of　the　traveller　who　sat　opposite　me。〃

〃I　confess　that　I　scarcely　looked　at　him。〃

〃Indeed！　He　has　superb　eyes；　nearly　green；　with　fawn…coloured　tinting。〃

〃Most　astonishing！　And　his　hair；　is　it　green　also？〃

〃Chestnut　brown；　almost　hazel。〃

〃Pray　be　more　exact；　is　it　hazel　or　not？〃

〃You　need　not　laugh　at　mehis　whole　appearance　is　striking；　his　figure　singular；　but　full　of　character；　full　of　expression；　and　as　handsome　as　singular。〃

〃What　enthusiasm！　It　seemed　to　me；　so　far　as　I　noticed；　that　he　was　inclined　to　stoop；　and　that　his　head　was　very　badly　poised。〃

〃What　do　you　say？〃　cried　Mlle。　Moiseney；　greatly　scandalized。　〃How　came　you　to　think　his　head　badly　poised？〃

〃Therethere！　Don't　let　us　quarrel　about　it；　I　am　ready　to　retract。　Good…night；　mademoiselle。　Apropos；　did　you　know　that　M。　Camille　Langis　had　returned　to　Paris？〃

〃I　did　not　know　it；　but　I　am　not　surprised。　I　had　surmised　it；　in　fact；　I　was　quite　sure　that　he　would　be　back　about　this　time；　perfectly　sure。　And；　of　course；　you　think　he　has　returned　with　the　intention〃

〃I　think；〃　interrupted　Antoinette；　〃that　it　costs　me　more　to　pain　M。　Langis　than　any　other　man　in　the　world。　I　think；　also；　that　he　possesses　most　tiresome　fidelity；　it　is　always　the　way；　one　never　loses　one's　dog　when　one　wants　to　lose　him；　and　I　think；　moreover；　that　a　woman　makes　a　poor　bargain　when　she　marries　a　man　for　whom　she　feels　friendship；　for；　if　she　gains　a　husband；　she　is　very　sure　to　lose　a　friend。〃

〃How　true　your　words　are！〃　exclaimed　Mlle。　Moiseney。　〃But　you　are　always　right。　Has　M。　Langis　forgotten　that　you　thought　him　too　young　only　twenty…three？〃

〃He　has　so　little　forgotten　it　that　he　has　managed；　I　don't　know　how；　to　be　at　present　twenty…five。　How　resist　such　a　mark　of　affection？　I　shall　be　compelled　to　marry　him。〃

〃That　will　never　do。　People　do　not　marry　for　charity；〃　replied　Mlle。　Moiseney；　deprecatingly。

〃Adieu；　my　dear；〃　said　Antoinette；　dismissing　her。　〃Do　not　dream　too　much　about　your　unknown　charmer。　I　assure　you　he　had　a　decided　stoop　in　his　shoulders。　However；　that　makes　small　difference；　if　your　heart　speaks；　I　will　see　to　arranging　this　affair　for　you。〃　And　she　added；　musingly；　〃How　amusing　it　must　be　to　marry　other　people！〃

The　next　morning　Mlle。　Moiseney　made　the　acquaintance　of　her　unknown　charmer。　Before　leaving　Bergun　Mlle。　Moriaz　wished　to　make　a　sketch；　and　she　had　gone　out　early　with　her　father。　Mlle。　Moiseney　descended　to　the　hotel　/salon/；　and；　espying　a　piano；　she　opened　it　and　played　a　/fantasia/　by　Schumann；　she　was　a　tolerably　good　musician。　When　she　had　finished；　Count　Abel　Larinski；　the　man　with　green　eyes；　who　had　entered　the　/salon/　without　her　hearing　him；　approached　to　thank　her　for　the　pleasure　he　had　had　in　listening　to　her；　but　he　begged　to　take　the　liberty　to　tell　her　that　she　failed　to　properly　observe　the　movement；　and　had　taken　an　/andantino/　for　an　/andante/。　At　her　solicitation　he　took　her　place　at　the　instrument；　and　executed　the　/andantino/　as　few　but　professional　artists　could　do。　Mlle。　Moiseney；　ever　ready　with　her　enthusiasm；　declared　that　he　must　be　a　Liszt　or　a　Chopin；　and　implored　him　to　play　her　something　else；　to　which　he　consented　with　good　grace。　After　this　they　talked　about　music　and　many　other　things。　The　man　with　the　green　eyes　possessed　one　quality　in　common　with　Socrates；　he　was　master　in　the　art　of　interrogating；　and　Mlle。　Moiseney　loved　to　talk。　The　subject　on　which　she　discoursed　most　willingly　was　Mlle。　Antoinette　Moriaz；　when　she　was　started　under　this　heading　she　became　eloquent。　At　the　end　of　half　an　hour　Count　Abel　was　thoroughly　/au　fait/　on　the　character　and　position　of　Mlle。　Moriaz。　He　knew　that　she　had　a　heart　of　gold；　a　mind　free　from　all　narrow　prejudices；　a　generous　soul；　and　a　love　for　all　that　was　chivalrous　and　heroic；　he　knew　that　two　days　of　every　week　were　devoted　by　her　to　visiting　the　poor；　and　that　she　looked　upon　these　as　natural　creditors　to　whom　it　was　her　duty　to　make　restitution。　He　knew　also　that　Mlle。　Moriaz　could　all　the　better　satisfy　her　charitable　inclinations；　as　her　mother　had　left　her　an　income　of　one　hundred　thousand　livres。　He　learned　that　she　danced　to　perfection；　that　she　drew　like　an　angel；　and　that　she　read　Italian　and　spoke　English。　This　last　seemed　of　mediocre　importance　to　Count　Abel。　St。　Paul　said：　〃Though　I　speak　with　the　tongues　of　men　and　of　angels；　and　have　not　charity；　I　am　become　as　sounding　brass；　or　a　tinkling　cymbal。〃　The　count　was　of　St。　Paul's　opinion；　and　had　Mlle。　Moriaz　known　neither　how　to　speak　English；　nor　to　draw；　nor　yet　to　dance；　it　would　not　in　the　least　have　diminished　the　esteem　with　which　he　honoured　her。　The　main　essential　in　his　eyes　was　that　she　was　benevolent　to　the　poor；　and　that　she　cherished　a　little　tenderness　for　heroes。

When　he　had　learned；　with　an　air　of　indifference；　all　that　he　cared　to　learn；　he　respectfully　bowed　himself　away　from　Mlle。　Moiseney；　to　whom　he　had　not　mentioned　his　name；　and；　buckling　his　haversack；　he　put　it　on　his　back；　paid　his　bill；　and　set　out　on　foot　to　make　a　hasty　ascent　of　the　culminating　point　of　the　Albula　Pass；　which　leads　into　the　Engadine　Valley。　One　would　have　difficulty　in　finding　throughout　the　Alps　a　more　completely　barren；　rugged；　desolate　spot；　than　this　portion　of　the　Albula　Pass。　The　highway　lies　among　masses　of　rocks；　heaped　up　in　terrible　disorder。　Arrived　at　the　culminating　point；　Count　Abel　felt　the　necessity　of　taking　breath。　He　clambered　up　a　little　hillock；　where　he　seated　himself。　At　his　feet　were　wide　open　the　yawning　jaws　of　a　cavern；　obstructed　by　great　tufts　of　aconite　（wolf's…bane）；　with　sombre　foliage；　one　would　have　said　that　they　kept　guard　over　some　crime　in　which　they　had　been　accomplices。　Count　Abel　contemplated　the　awful　silence　that　surrounded　him；　everywhere　enormous　boulders；　heaped　together；　or　scattered　about　in　isolated　grandeur；　some　pitched　on　their　sides；　others　standing　erect；　still　others　suspended；　as　it　were；　in　mid…air。　It　seemed　to　him　that　these　boulders　had　formerly　served　for　the　games　of　bacchanalian　Titans；　who；　after　having　used　them　as　skittles　or　jack…stones；　had　ended　by　hurling　them　at　one　another's　heads。　It　is　most　probable　that　He　who　constructed　the　Albula　Pass；　alarmed　and　confused　by　the　hideous　aspect　of　his　work；　did　justice　to　it　by　breaking　it　into　fragments　with　his　gigantic　hammer。

Count　Abel　heard　a　tinkling　of　bells；　and；　looking　up；　he　saw　approaching　a　post…chaise；　making　its　way　from　Engadine　to　Bergun。　It　was　a　large；　uncovered　berlin；　and　in　it　sat　a　woman　of　about　sixty　years　of　age；　accompanied　by　her　attendants　and　her　pug…dog。　This　woman　had　rather　a　bulky　head；　a　long　face；　a　snub…nose；　high　cheek…　bones；　a　keen；　bright　eye；　a　large　mouth；　about　which　played　a　smile；　at　the　same　time　/spirituel/；　imperious；　and　contemptuous。　Abel　grew　pale；　and　became　at　once　convulsed　wit