the ball at sceaux-第14节

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out　a　flood　of　words；　I　have　already　acquired　the　art　of　not　telling

more　than　I　intend；　like　all　the　other　diplomatic　apprentices　I　know。〃



〃You　told　me；　I　assure　you。〃



Monsieur　de　Longueville　looked　at　Mademoiselle　de　Fontaine　with　a

surprise　that　was　full　of　perspicacity。　A　suspicion　flashed　upon　him。

He　glanced　inquiringly　from　his　brother　to　his　partner；　guessed

everything；　clasped　his　hands；　fixed　his　eyes　on　the　ceiling；　and

began　to　laugh；　saying；　〃I　am　an　idiot！　You　are　the　handsomest　person

here；　my　brother　keeps　stealing　glances　at　you；　he　is　dancing　in　spite

of　his　illness；　and　you　pretend　not　to　see　him。　Make　him　happy；〃　he

added；　as　he　led　her　back　to　her　old　uncle。　〃I　shall　not　be　jealous；

but　I　shall　always　shiver　a　little　at　calling　you　my　sister〃



The　lovers；　however；　were　to　prove　as　inexorable　to　each　other　as　they

were　to　themselves。　At　about　two　in　the　morning；　refreshments　were

served　in　an　immense　corridor；　where；　to　leave　persons　of　the　same

coterie　free　to　meet　each　other；　the　tables　were　arranged　as　in　a

restaurant。　By　one　of　those　accidents　which　always　happen　to　lovers；

Mademoiselle　de　Fontaine　found　herself　at　a　table　next　to　that　at

which　the　more　important　guests　were　seated。　Maximilien　was　of　the

group。　Emilie；　who　lent　an　attentive　ear　to　her　neighbors'

conversation；　overheard　one　of　those　dialogues　into　which　a　young

woman　so　easily　falls　with　a　young　man　who　has　the　grace　and　style　of

Maximilien　Longueville。　The　lady　talking　to　the　young　banker　was　a

Neapolitan　duchess；　whose　eyes　shot　lightning　flashes；　and　whose　skin

had　the　sheen　of　satin。　The　intimate　terms　on　which　Longueville

affected　to　be　with　her　stung　Mademoiselle　de　Fontaine　all　the　more

because　she　had　just　given　her　lover　back　twenty　times　as　much

tenderness　as　she　had　ever　felt　for　him　before。



〃Yes；　monsieur；　in　my　country　true　love　can　make　every　kind　of

sacrifice；〃　the　Duchess　was　saying；　in　a　simper。



〃You　have　more　passion　than　Frenchwomen；〃　said　Maximilien；　whose

burning　gaze　fell　on　Emilie。　〃They　are　all　vanity。〃



〃Monsieur；〃　Emilie　eagerly　interposed；　〃is　it　not　very　wrong　to

calumniate　your　own　country？　Devotion　is　to　be　found　in　every　nation。〃



〃Do　you　imagine；　mademoiselle；〃　retorted　the　Italian；　with　a　sardonic

smile；　〃that　a　Parisian　would　be　capable　of　following　her　lover　all

over　the　world？〃



〃Oh；　madame；　let　us　understand　each　other。　She　would　follow　him　to　a

desert　and　live　in　a　tent　but　not　to　sit　in　a　shop。〃



A　disdainful　gesture　completed　her　meaning。　Thus；　under　the　influence

of　her　disastrous　education；　Emile　for　the　second　time　killed　her

budding　happiness；　and　destroyed　its　prospects　of　life。　Maximilien's

apparent　indifference；　and　a　woman's　smile；　had　wrung　from　her　one　of

those　sarcasms　whose　treacherous　zest　always　let　her　astray。



〃Mademoiselle；〃　said　Longueville；　in　a　low　voice；　under　cover　of　the

noise　made　by　the　ladies　as　they　rose　from　the　table；　〃no　one　will

ever　more　ardently　desire　your　happiness　than　I；　permit　me　to　assure

you　of　this；　as　I　am　taking　leave　of　you。　I　am　starting　for　Italy　in　a

few　days。〃



〃With　a　Duchess；　no　doubt？〃



〃No；　but　perhaps　with　a　mortal　blow。〃



〃Is　not　that　pure　fancy？〃　asked　Emilie；　with　an　anxious　glance。



〃No；〃　he　replied。　〃There　are　wounds　which　never　heal。〃



〃You　are　not　to　go；〃　said　the　girl；　imperiously；　and　she　smiled。



〃I　shall　go；〃　replied　Maximilien；　gravely。



〃You　will　find　me　married　on　your　return；　I　warn　you；〃　she　said

coquettishly。



〃I　hope　so。〃



〃Impertinent　wretch！〃　she　exclaimed。　〃How　cruel　a　revenge！〃



A　fortnight　later　Maximilien　set　out　with　his　sister　Clara　for　the

warm　and　poetic　scenes　of　beautiful　Italy；　leaving　Mademoiselle　de

Fontaine　a　prey　to　the　most　vehement　regret。　The　young　Secretary　to

the　Embassy　took　up　his　brother's　quarrel；　and　contrived　to　take

signal　vengeance　on　Emilie's　disdain　by　making　known　the　occasion　of

the　lovers'　separation。　He　repaid　his　fair　partner　with　interest　all

the　sarcasm　with　which　she　had　formerly　attacked　Maximilien；　and　often

made　more　than　one　Excellency　smile　by　describing　the　fair　foe　of　the

counting…house；　the　amazon　who　preached　a　crusade　against　bankers；　the

young　girl　whose　love　had　evaporated　before　a　bale　of　muslin。　The

Comte　de　Fontaine　was　obliged　to　use　his　influence　to　procure　an

appointment　to　Russia　for　Auguste　Longueville　in　order　to　protect　his

daughter　from　the　ridicule　heaped　upon　her　by　this　dangerous　young

persecutor。



Not　long　after；　the　Ministry　being　compelled　to　raise　a　levy　of　peers

to　support　the　aristocratic　party；　trembling　in　the　Upper　Chamber

under　the　lash　of　an　illustrious　writer；　gave　Monsieur　Guiraudin　de

Longueville　a　peerage；　with　the　title　of　Vicomte。　Monsieur　de　Fontaine

also　obtained　a　peerage；　the　reward　due　as　much　to　his　fidelity　in

evil　days　as　to　his　name；　which　claimed　a　place　in　the　hereditary

Chamber。



About　this　time　Emilie；　now　of　age；　made；　no　doubt；　some　serious

reflections　on　life；　for　her　tone　and　manners　changed　perceptibly。

Instead　of　amusing　herself　by　saying　spiteful　things　to　her　uncle；　she

lavished　on　him　the　most　affectionate　attentions；　she　brought　him　his

stick　with　a　persevering　devotion　that　made　the　cynical　smile；　she

gave　him　her　arm；　rode　in　his　carriage；　and　accompanied　him　in　all　his

drives；　she　even　persuaded　him　that　she　liked　the　smell　of　tobacco；

and　read　him　his　favorite　paper　La　Quotidienne　in　the　midst　of　clouds

of　smoke；　which　the　malicious　old　sailor　intentionally　blew　over　her；

she　learned　piquet　to　be　a　match　for　the　old　count；　and　this　fantastic

damsel　even　listened　without　impatience　to　his　periodical　narratives

of　the　battles　of　the　Belle…Poule；　the　manoeuvres　of　the　Ville　de

Paris；　M。　de　Suffren's　first　expedition；　or　the　battle　of　Aboukir。



Though　the　old　sailor　had　often　said　that　he　knew　his　longitude　and

latitude　too　well　to　allow　himself　to　be　captured　by　a　young　corvette；

one　fine　morning　Paris　drawing…rooms　heard　the　news　of　the　marriage　of

Mademoiselle　de　Fontaine　to　the　Comte　de　Kergarouet。　The　young

Countess　gave　splendid　entertainments　to　drown　thought；　but　she；　no

doubt；　found　a　void　at　the　bottom　of　the　whirlpool；　luxury　was

ineffectual　to　disguise　the　emptiness　and　grief　of　her　sorrowing　soul；

for　the　most　part；　in　spite　of　the　flashes　of　assumed　gaiety；　her

beautiful　face　expressed　unspoken　melancholy。　Emilie　appeared；

however；　full　of　attentions　and　consideration　for　her　old　husband；

who；　on　retiring　to　his　rooms　at　night；　to　the　sounds　of　a　lively

band；　would　often　say；　〃I　do　not　know　myself。　Was　I　to　wait　till　the

age　of　seventy…two　to　embark　as　pilot　on　board　the　Belle　Emilie　after

twenty　years　of　matrimonial　galleys？〃



The　conduct　of　the　young　Countess　was　marked　by　such　strictness　that

the　most　clear…sighted　criticism　had　no　fault　to　find　with　her。

Lookers　on　chose　to　think　that　the　vice…admiral　had　reserved　the　right

of　disposing　of　his　fortune　to　keep　his　wife　more　tightly　in　hand；　but

this　was　a　notion　as　insulting　to　the　uncle　as　to　the　niece。　Their

conduct　was　indeed　so　delicately　judicious　that　the　men　who　were　most

interested　in　guessing　the　secrets　of　the　couple　could　never　decide

whether　the　old　Count　regarded　her　as　a　wife　or　as　a　daughter。　He　was

often　heard　to　say　that　he　had　rescued　his　niece　as　a　castaway　after

shipwreck；　and　that；　for　his　part；　he　had　never　taken　a　mean　advantage

of　hospitality　when　he　had　saved　an　enemy　from　the　fury　of　the　storm。

Though　the　Countess　aspired　to　reign　in　Paris　and　tried　to　keep　pace

with　Mesdames　the　Duchesses　de　Maufrigneuse　and　du　Chaulieu；　the

Marquises　d'Espard　and　d'Aiglemont；　the　Comtesses　Feraud；　de

Montcornet；　and　de　Restaud；　Madame　de　Camps；　and　Mademoiselle　des

Touches；　she　did　not　yield　to　the　addresses　of　the　young　Vicomte　de

Portenduere；　who　made　her　his　idol。



Two　years　after　her　marriage；　in　one　of　the　old　drawing…rooms　in　the

Faubourg　Saint…Germain；　where　she　was　admired　for　her　character；

worthy　of　the　old　school；　Emilie　heard　the　Vicomte　de　Longueville

announced。　In　the　corner　of　the　room　where　she　was　sitting；　playing

piquet　with　the　Bishop　of　Persepolis；　her　agitation　was　not　observed；

she　turned　her　head　and　saw　her　former　lover　come　in；　in　all　the

freshness　of　youth。　His　father's　death；　and　then　that　of　his　brother；

killed　by　the　severe　climate　of　Saint…Petersburg；　had　placed　on

Maximilien's　head　the　hereditary　plumes　of　the　French　peer's　hat。　His

fortune　matched　his　learning　and　his　merits；　only　the　day　before　his

youthful　and　fervid　eloquence　had　dazzled　the　Assembly。　At　this　moment

he　stood　before　the　Countess；　free；　and　graced　with　all　the　advantages

she　had　formerly　required　of　her　ideal。　Every　mother　with　a　daughter

to　marry　made　amiable　advances　to　a　man　gifted　with　the　virtues　which

they　attributed　to　him；　as　they　admired　his　attractive　person；　but