samuel brohl & company-第9节

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　inclined　to　sociability。　I　was　compelled　to　use　violence　in　bringing　him　here。〃

The　count　acknowledged　these　remarks　with　a　constrained　smile。　He　wore　the　manner　of　a　prisoner；　but；　as　he　prided　himself　on　his　good…　breeding　and　on　his　philosophy；　he　seemed　to　be　endeavouring　to　make　the　best　of　his　prison。　During　dinner　he　was　grave。　He　treated　Antoinette　with　frigid　politeness；　paid　some　attention　to　Mlle。　Moiseney；　but　reserved　his　chief　assiduities　for　Mr。　Moriaz。　He　addressed　his　conversation　more　particularly　to　him；　and　listened　to　him　with　profound　respect。　A　professor　is　always　sensible　to　this　kind　of　courtesy。

After　the　coffee　was　served；　the　crusting　of　ice　in　which　Count　Abel　had　incased　himself　began　to　thaw。　He　had　been　all　over　the　world；　he　knew　the　United　States　and　Turkey；　New　Orleans　and　Bucharest；　San　Francisco　and　Constantinople。　His　travels　had　been　profitable　to　him：　he　had　observed　men　and　things；　countries　and　institutions；　customs　and　laws；　the　indigenous　races　and　the　settlers；　all　but　the　transient　visitors；　with　whom　he　seemed　to　have　had　no　time　to　occupy　himself；　at　least　they　formed　no　part　of　his　conversation。　He　related　several　anecdotes；　with　some　show　of　sprightliness；　his　melancholy　began　to　melt　away；　he　even　indulged　in　little　bursts　of　gaiety；　and　Antoinette　could　not　avoid　comparing　him　and　his　discourse　to　some　of　the　more　rigorous　passages　of　the　Engadine；　where；　amid　the　black　shades　of　the　pines；　among　frowning　rocks；　there　are　to　be　found　lilies；　gentians；　and　lakes。

He　resumed　his　gravity　to　reply　to　a　question　of　M。　Moriaz　concerning　Poland。　〃Unhappy　Poland！〃　cried　he。　〃To…day　the　Jew　is　its　master。　Active；　adroit；　inventive；　little　scrupulous；　he　makes　capital　out　of　our　indolence　and　our　improvidence。　He　has　over　us　one　great　advantage；　which　is　simply　that；　while　we　live　from　day　to　day；　he　possesses　a　notion　of　a　to…morrow；　we　despise　him；　and　we　could　not　do　without　him。　We　are　always　thirsty；　and　he　supplies　us　with　drink；　we　never　have　ready　money；　and　he　loans　it　to　us　at　an　enormous　rate　of　interest；　we　cannot　return　it　to　him；　and　he　reimburses　himself　by　seizing　our　goods　and　chattels；　our　jewels；　our　land；　and　our　castles。　We　take　out　our　revenge　in　insolence；　and　from　time　to　time　in　petty　persecutions；　and　we　gradually　arrive　at　the　conclusion　that　the　sole　means　of　freeing　ourselves　from　the　yoke　of　the　Jew　would　be　to　conquer　the　vices　by　which　he　lives。〃　Count　Abel　added　that　for　his　part　he　had　no　prejudice　against　these　children　of　Abraham；　and　he　quoted　the　words　of　an　Austrian　publicist　who　said　that　each　country　had　the　kind　of　Jews　it　deserved。　〃In　fact；〃　he　continued；　〃in　England；　as　in　France；　and　in　every　country　where　they　are　placed　on　a　footing　of　equality；　they　become　one　of　the　most　wholesome；　most　vigorous　elements　of　the　nation；　while　they　are　the　scourge；　the　leeches；　of　the　countries　that　persecute　them。〃

〃And；　truly；　justice　demands　that　it　should　be　so；〃　cried　Mlle。　Moriaz。

For　the　first　time　the　count　addressed　himself　directly　to　her；　saying；　with　a　smile：　〃How　is　this；　mademoiselle？　You　are　a　woman；　and　you　love　justice！〃

〃This　astonishes　you；　monsieur？〃　she　rejoined。　〃You　do　not　think　justice　one　of　our　virtues？〃

〃A　woman　of　my　acquaintance；〃　he　replied；　〃always　maintained　that　it　would　be　rendering　a　very　bad　service　to　this　poor　world　of　ours　to　suppress　all　injustice；　because　with　the　same　stroke　would　also　be　suppressed　all　charity。〃

〃That　is　not　my　opinion；〃　said　she。　〃When　I　give；　it　seems　to　me　that　I　make　restitution。〃

〃She　is　somewhat　of　a　socialist；〃　cried　M。　Moriaz。　〃I　perceive　it　every　January　in　making　out　her　accounts；　and　it　is　fortunate　that　she　intrusts　this　to　me；　for　she　never　takes　the　trouble　to　look　at　the　memorandum　her　banker　sends　her。〃

〃I　am　proud　for　Poland　that　Mlle。　Moriaz　has　a　Polish　failing；〃　said　Abel　Larinski；　gallantly。

〃Is　it　a　failing？〃　queried　Antoinette。

〃Arithmetic　is　the　most　beautiful　of　the　sciences　and　the　mother　of　certainty；〃　said　M。　Moriaz。　And　turning　towards　the　count；　he　added：　〃She　is　very　wrong…headed；　this　girl　of　mine；　she　holds　absolutely　revolutionary　principles；　dangerous　to　public　order　and　the　preservation　of　society。　Why；　she　maintains　that　people　who　are　in　need　have　a　right　to　the　superfluities　of　others！〃

〃This　appears　to　me　self…evident；〃　said　she。

〃And；　for　example；〃　further　continued　M。　Moriaz；　〃she　has　among　her　/proteges/　a　certain　Mlle。　Galard〃

〃Galet；〃　said　Mlle。　Moiseney；　bridling　up；　for　she　had　been　impatiently　awaiting　an　opportunity　to　put　in　a　word。

〃This　Mlle。　Leontine　Galet；　who　lives　at　No。　25　Rue　Mouffetard〃

〃No。　27；〃　again　interposed　Mlle。　Moiseney；　in　a　magisterial　tone。

〃As　usual；　you　are　sure　of　it；　perfectly　sure。　Very　good！　This　Mlle。　Galard　or　Galet；　residing　at　No。　25　or　No。　27　Rue　Mouffetard；　was　formerly　a　florist　by　trade；　and　now　she　has　not　a　sou。　I　do　not　wish　to　fathom　the　mysteries　of　her　pastit　is　very　apt　to　be　'lightly　come；　lightly　go'　with　the　money　of　these　peoplebut　certain　it　is　that　Mlle。　Galard〃

〃Galet；〃　put　in　Mlle。　Moiseney；　sharply。

〃Is　to…day　an　infirm　old　woman；　a　worthy　object　of　the　compassion　of　charitable　people；〃　continued　M。　Moriaz；　heedless　of　this　last　interruption。　〃Mlle。　Moriaz　allows　her　a　pension；　with　which　I　find　no　fault；　but　Mlle。　GaletI　mistake；　Mlle。　Galardhas　retained　from　her　former　calling　her　passion　for　flowers；　and　during　the　winter　Mlle。　Moriaz　sends　her　every　week　a　bouquet　costing　from　ten　to　twelve　francs；　which　shows；　according　to　my　opinion；　a　lack　of　common…sense。　In　the　month　of　January　last；　she　sent　for　Parma　violets　for　this　/protégé/　of　hers。　Now；　I　appeal　to　M。　Larinskiis　this　reasonable；　or　is　it　absurd？〃

〃It　is　admirably　absurd　and　foolishly　admirable；〃　replied　the　count。

〃The　flowers　I　give　her　are　never　so　beautiful　as　some　that　were　sent　me　the　other　day；〃　exclaimed　Mlle。　Moriaz。

She　went　then　into　the　next　room；　and　returned；　carrying　the　vase　of　water　containing　the　mysterious　bouquet。　〃What　do　you　think　of　these？〃　she　asked　the　count。　〃They　are　already　much　faded；　and　yet　I　think　they　are　beautiful　still。〃

He　admired　the　bouquet；　but；　although　Antoinette　regarded　him　fixedly；　she　detected　neither　blush　nor　confusion　on　his　face。　〃It　was　not　he；〃　she　said　to　herself。

There　was　a　piano　in　the　room　where　they　had　dined。　As　Count　Abel　was　taking　leave；　Mlle。　Moiseney　begged　him　to　give　Mlle。　Moriaz　proof　of　his　talent。　He　slightly　knit　his　brows　at　this　request；　and　resumed　that　sombre；　almost　savage；　air　he　had　worn　when　he　met　Antoinette　at　the　foot　of　the　mountain。　He　urged　in　excuse　the　lateness　of　the　hour；　but　he　allowed　the　promise　to　be　wrested　from　him　that　he　would　be　more　complaisant　the　next　day。

When　he　was　gone；　accompanied　by　M。　Moriaz；　who　said　he　would　walk　a　little　distance　with　him；　Antoinette　exclaimed：　〃You　see；　my　dearit　was　not　he。〃

〃Suppose　I　was　wrong；〃　replied　Mlle。　Moiseney；　in　a　piqued　tone〃you　will　at　least　grant　that　he　is　handsome？〃

〃As　handsome　as　you　please。　Do　you　know　what　I　think　of　when　I　look　at　him？　A　haunted　castle。　And　I　feel　curious　to　make　the　acquaintance　of　the　goblins　that　visit　it。〃

Notwithstanding　his　promise；　Count　Larinski　did　not　reappear　before　the　lapse　of　three　days；　but　this　time　he　gave　all　the　music　that　was　asked　of　him。　His　memory　was　surprising；　and　his　whole　soul　seemed　to　be　at　the　ends　of　his　fingers；　and　he　drew　marvellous　strains　from　an　instrument　which；　in　itself；　was　far　from　being　a　marvel。　He　sang；　too；　he　had　a　barytone　voice；　mellow　and　resonant。　After　having　hummed　in　a　low　tone　some　Roumanic　melodies；　he　struck　up　one　of　his　own　national　songs。　This　he　failed　to　finish；　tears　started　in　his　eyes；　emotion　overpowered　his　voice。　He　broke　off　abruptly；　asking　pardon　for　the　weakness　that　had　caused　him　to　make　himself　ridiculous；　but　one　glance　at　Mlle。　Moriaz　convinced　him　that　she　did　not　find　him　ridiculous。

A　most　invaluable　resource；　indeed；　in　a　mountain…country　where　the　evenings　are　long；　is　a　Pole　who　knows　how　to　talk　and　to　sing。　M。　Moriaz　liked　music；　but　he　liked　something　else　besides。　When　he　could　not　go　into　society　and　was　forbidden　to　work；　he　grew　sleepy　after　dinner；　in　order　to　rouse　himself　he　was　glad　to　play　a　hand　of　/bezique/　or　/ecarte/。　For　want　of　some　one　better；　he　played　with　Mlle。　Moiseney；　but　this　make…shift　was　little　to　his　taste；　he　disliked　immensely　coming　into　too　close　proximity　with　the　pinched　visage　and　yellow　ribbons　of　Pope　Joan。　He　proposed　to　Count　Larinski　to　take　a　hand　with　him；　and　his　proposal　was　accepted　with　the　best　grace　in　the　world。　〃Decidedly　this　man　is　good　for　everything；〃　thought　M。　Moriaz；　and　he　conceived　a　great　liking　for　him。　The　result　was；　that　during　an　entire　week　Count　Abel　passed　every　evening　at　the　Hotel　Badrutt。

〃Your　father　is　a　most　peculiar　man；〃　said　Mlle。　Moiseney；　indignantly；　to　Antoinette。　〃He　is　shockingly　egotistical。　He　has　confiscated　M。　Larinski。　The　idea　of　employing　such　a　man　as　that　to　play　/bezique/！　He　will　stop　coming。〃

But　the　count's　former　savageness　seemed　wholly　subdued。　He　did　not　stop　coming。

One　evening　M。　Moriaz　committed　a