the collection of antiquities-第17节

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


n。　Women　beyond　the　Rhine　or　the　English　Channel　believe　nonsense　of　this　sort　when　they　utter　it；　while　your　Parisienne　makes　her　lover　believe　that　she　is　an　angel；　the　better　to　add　to　his　bliss　by　flattering　his　vanity　on　both　sidestemporal　and　spiritual。　Certain　persons；　detractors　of　the　Duchess；　maintain　that　she　was　the　first　dupe　of　her　own　white　magic。　A　wicked　slander。　The　Duchess　believed　in　nothing　but　herself。

By　the　end　of　the　year　1823　the　Kellers　had　supplied　Victurnien　with　two　hundred　thousand　francs；　and　neither　Chesnel　nor　Mlle。　Armande　knew　anything　about　it。　He　had　had；　besides；　two　thousand　crowns　from　Chesnel　at　one　time　and　another；　the　better　to　hide　the　sources　on　which　he　was　drawing。　He　wrote　lying　letters　to　his　poor　father　and　aunt；　who　lived　on；　happy　and　deceived；　like　most　happy　people　under　the　sun。　The　insidious　current　of　life　in　Paris　was　bringing　a　dreadful　catastrophe　upon　the　great　and　noble　house；　and　only　one　person　was　in　the　secret　of　it。　This　was　du　Croisier。　He　rubbed　his　hands　gleefully　as　he　went　past　in　the　dark　and　looked　in　at　the　Antiquities。　He　had　good　hope　of　attaining　his　ends；　and　his　ends　were　not；　as　heretofore；　the　simple　ruin　of　the　d'Esgrignons；　but　the　dishonor　of　their　house。　He　felt　instinctively　at　such　times　that　his　revenge　was　at　hand；　he　scented　it　in　the　wind！　He　had　been　sure　of　it　indeed　from　the　day　when　he　discovered　that　the　young　Count's　burden　of　debt　was　growing　too　heavy　for　the　boy　to　bear。

Du　Croisier's　first　step　was　to　rid　himself　of　his　most　hated　enemy；　the　venerable　Chesnel。　The　good　old　man　lived　in　the　Rue　du　Bercail；　in　a　house　with　a　steep…pitched　roof。　There　was　a　little　paved　courtyard　in　front；　where　the　rose…bushes　grew　and　clambered　up　to　the　windows　of　the　upper　story。　Behind　lay　a　little　country　garden；　with　its　box…edged　borders；　shut　in　by　damp；　gloomy…looking　walls。　The　prim；　gray…painted　street　door；　with　its　wicket　opening　and　bell　attached；　announced　quite　as　plainly　as　the　official　scutcheon　that　〃a　notary　lives　here。〃

It　was　half…past　five　o'clock　in　the　afternoon；　at　which　hour　the　old　man　usually　sat　digesting　his　dinner。　He　had　drawn　his　black　leather…　covered　armchair　before　the　fire；　and　put　on　his　armor；　a　painted　pasteboard　contrivance　shaped　like　a　top　boot；　which　protected　his　stockinged　legs　from　the　heat　of　the　fire；　for　it　was　one　of　the　good　man's　habits　to　sit　for　a　while　after　dinner　with　his　feet　on　the　dogs　and　to　stir　up　the　glowing　coals。　He　always　ate　too　much；　he　was　fond　of　good　living。　Alas！　if　it　had　not　been　for　that　little　failing；　would　he　not　have　been　more　perfect　than　it　is　permitted　to　mortal　man　to　be？　Chesnel　had　finished　his　cup　of　coffee。　His　old　housekeeper　had　just　taken　away　the　tray　which　had　been　used　for　the　purpose　for　the　last　twenty　years。　He　was　waiting　for　his　clerks　to　go　before　he　himself　went　out　for　his　game　at　cards；　and　meanwhile　he　was　thinking　no　need　to　ask　of　whom　or　what。　A　day　seldom　passed　but　he　asked　himself；　〃Where　is　HE？　What　is　HE　doing？〃　He　thought　that　the　Count　was　in　Italy　with　the　fair　Duchesse　de　Maufrigneuse。

When　every　franc　of　a　man's　fortune　has　come　to　him；　not　by　inheritance；　but　through　his　own　earning　and　saving；　it　is　one　of　his　sweetest　pleasures　to　look　back　upon　the　pains　that　have　gone　to　the　making　of　it；　and　then　to　plan　out　a　future　for　his　crowns。　This　it　is　to　conjugate　the　verb　〃to　enjoy〃　in　every　tense。　And　the　old　lawyer；　whose　affections　were　all　bound　up　in　a　single　attachment；　was　thinking　that　all　the　carefully…chosen；　well…tilled　land　which　he　had　pinched　and　scraped　to　buy　would　one　day　go　to　round　the　d'Esgrignon　estates；　and　the　thought　doubled　his　pleasure。　His　pride　swelled　as　he　sat　at　his　ease　in　the　old　armchair；　and　the　building　of　glowing　coals；　which　he　raised　with　the　tongs；　sometimes　seemed　to　him　to　be　the　old　noble　house　built　up　again；　thanks　to　his　care。　He　pictured　the　young　Count's　prosperity；　and　told　himself　that　he　had　done　well　to　live　for　such　an　aim。　Chesnel　was　not　lacking　in　intelligence；　sheer　goodness　was　not　the　sole　source　of　his　great　devotion；　he　had　a　pride　of　his　own；　he　was　like　the　nobles　who　used　to　rebuild　a　pillar　in　a　cathedral　to　inscribe　their　name　upon　it；　he　meant　his　name　to　be　remembered　by　the　great　house　which　he　had　restored。　Future　generations　of　d'Esgrignons　should　speak　of　old　Chesnel。　Just　at　this　point　his　old　housekeeper　came　in　with　signs　of　alarm　in　her　countenance。

〃Is　the　house　on　fire；　Brigitte？〃

〃Something　of　the　sort；〃　said　she。　〃Here　is　M。　du　Croisier　wanting　to　speak　to　you〃

〃M。　du　Croisier；〃　repeated　the　old　lawyer。　A　stab　of　cold　misgiving　gave　him　so　sharp　a　pang　at　the　heart　that　he　dropped　the　tongs。　〃M。　du　Croisier　here！〃　thought　he；　〃our　chief　enemy！〃

Du　Croisier　came　in　at　that　moment；　like　a　cat　that　scents　milk　in　a　dairy。　He　made　a　bow；　seated　himself　quietly　in　the　easy…chair　which　the　lawyer　brought　forward；　and　produced　a　bill　for　two　hundred　and　twenty…seven　thousand　francs；　principal　and　interest；　the　total　amount　of　sums　advanced　to　M。　Victurnien　in　bills　of　exchange　drawn　upon　du　Croisier；　and　duly　honored　by　him。　Of　these；　he　now　demanded　immediate　payment；　with　a　threat　of　proceeding　to　extremities　with　the　heir…　presumptive　of　the　house。　Chesnel　turned　the　unlucky　letters　over　one　by　one；　and　asked　the　enemy　to　keep　the　secret。　This　he　engaged　to　do　if　he　were　paid　within　forty…eight　hours。　He　was　pressed　for　money　he　had　obliged　various　manufacturers；　and　there　followed　a　series　of　the　financial　fictions　by　which　neither　notaries　nor　borrowers　are　deceived。　Chesnel's　eyes　were　dim；　he　could　scarcely　keep　back　the　tears。　There　was　but　one　way　of　raising　the　money；　he　must　mortgage　his　own　lands　up　to　their　full　value。　But　when　du　Croisier　learned　the　difficulty　in　the　way　of　repayment；　he　forgot　that　he　was　hard　pressed；　he　no　longer　wanted　ready　money；　and　suddenly　came　out　with　a　proposal　to　buy　the　old　lawyer's　property。　The　sale　was　completed　within　two　days。　Poor　Chesnel　could　not　bear　the　thought　of　the　son　of　the　house　undergoing　a　five　years'　imprisonment　for　debt。　So　in　a　few　days'　time　nothing　remained　to　him　but　his　practice；　the　sums　that　were　due　to　him；　and　the　house　in　which　he　lived。　Chesnel；　stripped　of　all　his　lands；　paced　to　and　fro　in　his　private　office；　paneled　with　dark　oak；　his　eyes　fixed　on　the　beveled　edges　of　the　chestnut　cross…　beams　of　the　ceiling；　or　on　the　trellised　vines　in　the　garden　outside。　He　was　not　thinking　of　his　farms　now；　or　of　Le　Jard；　his　dear　house　in　the　country；　not　he。

〃What　will　become　of　him？　He　ought　to　come　back；　they　must　marry　him　to　some　rich　heiress；〃　he　said　to　himself；　and　his　eyes　were　dim；　his　head　heavy。

How　to　approach　Mlle。　Armande；　and　in　what　words　to　break　the　news　to　her；　he　did　not　know。　The　man　who　had　just　paid　the　debts　of　the　family　quaked　at　the　thought　of　confessing　these　things。　He　went　from　the　Rue　du　Bercail　to　the　Hotel　d'Esgrignon　with　pulses　throbbing　like　some　girl's　heart　when　she　leaves　her　father's　roof　by　stealth；　not　to　return　again　till　she　is　a　mother　and　her　heart　is　broken。

Mlle。　Armande　had　just　received　a　charming　letter；　charming　in　its　hypocrisy。　Her　nephew　was　the　happiest　man　under　the　sun。　He　had　been　to　the　baths；　he　had　been　traveling　in　Italy　with　Mme。　de　Maufrigneuse；　and　now　sent　his　journal　to　his　aunt。　Every　sentence　was　instinct　with　love。　There　were　enchanting　descriptions　of　Venice；　and　fascinating　appreciations　of　the　great　works　of　Venetian　art；　there　were　most　wonderful　pages　full　of　the　Duomo　at　Milan；　and　again　of　Florence；　he　described　the　Apennines；　and　how　they　differed　from　the　Alps；　and　how　in　some　village　like　Chiavari　happiness　lay　all　around　you；　ready　made。

The　poor　aunt　was　under　the　spell。　She　saw　the　far…off　country　of　love；　she　saw；　hovering　above　the　land；　the　angel　whose　tenderness　gave　to　all　that　beauty　a　burning　glow。　She　was　drinking　in　the　letter　at　long　draughts；　how　should　it　have　been　otherwise？　The　girl　who　had　put　love　from　her　was　now　a　woman　ripened　by　repressed　and　pent…up　passion；　by　all　the　longings　continually　and　gladly　offered　up　as　a　sacrifice　on　the　altar　of　the　hearth。　Mlle。　Armande　was　not　like　the　Duchess。　She　did　not　look　like　an　angel。　She　was　rather　like　the　little；　straight；　slim　and　slender；　ivory…tinted　statues；　which　those　wonderful　sculptors；　the　builders　of　cathedrals；　placed　here　and　there　about　the　buildings。　Wild　plants　sometimes　find　a　hold　in　the　damp　niches；　and　weave　a　crown　of　beautiful　bluebell　flowers　about　the　carved　stone。　At　this　moment　the　blue　buds　were　unfolding　in　the　fair　saint's　eyes。　Mlle。　Armande　loved　the　charming　couple　as　if　they　stood　apart　from　real　life；　she　saw　nothing　wrong　in　a　married　woman's　love　for　Victurnien；　any　other　woman　she　would　have　judged　harshly；　but　in　this　case；　not　to　have　loved　her　nephew　would　have　been　the　unpardonable　sin。　Aunts；　mothers；　and　sisters　have　a　code　of　their　own　for　nephews　and　sons　and　brothers。

Mlle。　Armande　was　in　Venice；　she　saw　the　lines　of　fairy　palaces　that　stand　on　either　side　of　the　Grand　Canal；　she　was　sitting　in　Victurnien's　gondola；　he　was　telling　her　what　happiness　it　had　been　to　feel　t