the secrets of the princesse de cadignan-第10节

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suffered？〃



〃Yes；〃　she　said；　breathing　forth　the　syllable　like　the　most

mellifluous　note　that　Tulou's　flute　had　ever　sighed。



Then　she　fell　into　a　revery；　and　her　eyes　were　veiled。　Daniel　remained

in　a　state　of　anxious　expectation；　impressed　with　the　solemnity　of　the

occasion。　His　poetic　imagination　made　him　see；　as　it　were；　clouds

slowly　dispersing　and　disclosing　to　him　the　sanctuary　where　the

wounded　lamb　was　kneeling　at　the　divine　feet。



〃Well？〃　he　said；　in　a　soft；　still　voice。



Diane　looked　at　the　tender　petitioner；　then　she　lowered　her　eyes

slowly；　dropping　their　lids　with　a　movement　of　noble　modesty。　None　but

a　monster　would　have　been　capable　of　imagining　hypocrisy　in　the

graceful　undulation　of　the　neck　with　which　the　princess　again　lifted

her　charming　head；　to　look　once　more　into　the　eager　eyes　of　that　great

man。



〃Can　I？　ought　I？〃　she　murmured；　with　a　gesture　of　hesitation；　gazing

at　d'Arthez　with　a　sublime　expression　of　dreamy　tenderness。　〃Men　have

so　little　faith　in　things　of　this　kind；　they　think　themselves　so

little　bound　to　be　discreet！〃



〃Ah！　if　you　distrust　me；　why　am　I　here？〃　cried　d'Arthez。



〃Oh；　friend！〃　she　said；　giving　to　the　exclamation　the　grace　of　an

involuntary　avowal；　〃when　a　woman　attaches　herself　for　life；　think　you

she　calculates？　It　is　not　question　of　refusal　（how　could　I　refuse　you

anything？）；　but　the　idea　of　what　you　may　think　of　me　if　I　speak。　I

would　willingly　confide　to　you　the　strange　position　in　which　I　am　at

my　age；　but　what　would　you　think　of　a　woman　who　could　reveal　the

secret　wounds　of　her　married　life？　Turenne　kept　his　word　to　robbers；

do　I　not　owe　to　my　torturers　the　honor　of　a　Turenne？〃



〃Have　you　passed　your　word　to　say　nothing？〃



〃Monsieur　de　Cadignan　did　not　think　it　necessary　to　bind　me　to

secrecy　You　are　asking　more　than　my　soul！　Tyrant！　you　want　me　to

bury　my　honor　itself　in　your　breast；〃　she　said；　casting　upon　d'Arthez

a　look；　by　which　she　gave　more　value　to　her　coming　confidence　than　to

her　personal　self。



〃You　must　think　me　a　very　ordinary　man；　if　you　fear　any　evil；　no

matter　what；　from　me；〃　he　said；　with　ill…concealed　bitterness。



〃Forgive　me；　friend；〃　she　replied；　taking　his　hand　in　hers

caressingly；　and　letting　her　fingers　wander　gently　over　it。　〃I　know

your　worth。　You　have　related　to　me　your　whole　life；　it　is　noble；　it　is

beautiful；　it　is　sublime；　and　worthy　of　your　name；　perhaps；　in　return；

I　owe　you　mine。　But　I　fear　to　lower　myself　in　your　eyes　by　relating

secrets　which　are　not　wholly　mine。　How　can　you　believeyou；　a　man　of

solitude　and　poesythe　horrors　of　social　life？　Ah！　you　little　think

when　you　invent　your　dramas　that　they　are　far　surpassed　by　those　that

are　played　in　families　apparently　united。　You　are　wholly　ignorant　of

certain　gilded　sorrows。〃



〃I　know　all！〃　he　cried。



〃No；　you　know　nothing。〃



D'Arthez　felt　like　a　man　lost　on　the　Alps　of　a　dark　night；　who　sees；

at　the　first　gleam　of　dawn；　a　precipice　at　his　feet。　He　looked　at　the

princess　with　a　bewildered　air；　and　felt　a　cold　chill　running　down　his

back。　Diane　thought　for　a　moment　that　her　man　of　genius　was　a

weakling；　but　a　flash　from　his　eyes　reassured　her。



〃You　have　become　to　me　almost　my　judge；〃　she　said；　with　a　desperate

air。　〃I　must　speak　now；　in　virtue　of　the　right　that　all　calumniated

beings　have　to　show　their　innocence。　I　have　been；　I　am　still　（if　a

poor　recluse　forced　by　the　world　to　renounce　the　world　is　still

remembered）　accused　of　such　light　conduct；　and　so　many　evil　things；

that　it　may　be　allowed　me　to　find　in　one　strong　heart　a　haven　from

which　I　cannot　be　driven。　Hitherto　I　have　always　considered　self…

justification　an　insult　to　innocence；　and　that　is　why　I　have　disdained

to　defend　myself。　Besides；　to　whom　could　I　appeal？　Such　cruel　things

can　be　confided　to　none　but　God　or　to　one　who　seems　to　us　very　near

Hima　priest；　or　another　self。　Well！　I　do　know　this；　if　my　secrets

are　not　as　safe　there；〃　she　said；　laying　her　hand　on　d'Arthez's　heart；

〃as　they　are　here〃　（pressing　the　upper　end　of　her　busk　beneath　her

fingers）；　〃then　you　are　not　the　grand　d'Arthez　I　think　youI　shall

have　been　deceived。〃



A　tear　moistened　d'Arthez's　eyes；　and　Diane　drank　it　in　with　a　side

look；　which；　however；　gave　no　motion　either　to　the　pupils　or　the　lids

of　her　eyes。　It　was　quick　and　neat；　like　the　action　of　a　cat　pouncing

on　a　mouse。



D'Arthez；　for　the　first　time；　after　sixty　days　of　protocols；　ventured

to　take　that　warm　and　perfumed　hand；　and　press　it　to　his　lips　with　a

long…drawn　kiss；　extending　from　the　wrist　to　the　tip　of　the　fingers；

which　made　the　princess　augur　well　of　literature。　She　thought　to

herself　that　men　of　genius　must　know　how　to　love　with　more　perfection

than　conceited　fops；　men　of　the　world；　diplomatists；　and　even

soldiers；　although　such　beings　have　nothing　else　to　do。　She　was　a

connoisseur；　and　knew　very　well　that　the　capacity　for　love　reveals

itself　chiefly　in　mere　nothings。　A　woman　well　informed　in　such　matters

can　read　her　future　in　a　simple　gesture；　just　as　Cuvier　could　say　from

the　fragment　of　a　bone：　This　belonged　to　an　animal　of　such　or　such

dimensions；　with　or　without　horns；　carnivorous；　herbivorous；

amphibious；　etc。；　age；　so　many　thousand　years。　Sure　now　of　finding　in

d'Arthez　as　much　imagination　in　love　as　there　was　in　his　written

style；　she　thought　it　wise　to　bring　him　up　at　once　to　the　highest

pitch　of　passion　and　belief。



She　withdrew　her　hand　hastily；　with　a　magnificent　movement　full　of

varied　emotions。　If　she　had　said　in　words：　〃Stop；　or　I　shall　die；〃　she

could　not　have　spoken　more　plainly。　She　remained　for　a　moment　with　her

eyes　in　d'Arthez's　eyes；　expressing　in　that　one　glance　happiness；

prudery；　fear；　confidence；　languor；　a　vague　longing；　and　virgin

modesty。　She　was　twenty　years　old！　but　remember；　she　had　prepared　for

this　hour　of　comic　falsehood　by　the　choicest　art　of　dress；　she　was

there　in　her　armchair　like　a　flower；　ready　to　blossom　at　the　first

kiss　of　sunshine。　True　or　false；　she　intoxicated　Daniel。



It　if　is　permissible　to　risk　a　personal　opinion　we　must　avow　that　it

would　be　delightful　to　be　thus　deceived　for　a　good　long　time。

Certainly　Talma　on　the　stage　was　often　above　and　beyond　nature；　but

the　Princesse　de　Cadignan　is　the　greatest　true　comedian　of　our　day。

Nothing　was　wanting　to　this　woman　but　an　attentive　audience。

Unfortunately；　at　epochs　perturbed　by　political　storms；　women

disappear　like　water…lilies　which　need　a　cloudless　sky　and　balmy

zephyrs　to　spread　their　bloom　to　our　enraptured　eyes。



The　hour　had　come；　Diane　was　now　to　entangle　that　great　man　in　the

inextricable　meshes　of　a　romance　carefully　prepared；　to　which　he　was

fated　to　listen　as　the　neophyte　of　early　Christian　times　listened　to

the　epistles　of　an　apostle。



〃My　friend；〃　began　Diane；　〃my　mother；　who　still　lives　at　Uxelles；

married　me　in　1814；　when　I　was　seventeen　years　old　（you　see　how　old　I

am　now！）　to　Monsieur　de　Maufrigneuse；　not　out　of　affection　for　me；　but

out　of　regard　for　him。　She　discharged　her　debt　to　the　only　man　she　had

ever　loved；　for　the　happiness　she　had　once　received　from　him。　Oh！　you

need　not　be　astonished　at　so　horrible　a　conspiracy；　it　frequently

takes　place。　Many　women　are　more　lovers　than　mothers；　though　the

majority　are　more　mothers　than　wives。　The　two　sentiments；　love　and

motherhood；　developed　as　they　are　by　our　manners　and　customs；　often

struggle　together　in　the　hearts　of　women；　one　or　other　must　succumb

when　they　are　not　of　equal　strength；　when　they　are；　they　produce　some

exceptional　women；　the　glory　of　our　sex。　A　man　of　your　genius　must

surely　comprehend　many　things　that　bewilder　fools　but　are　none　the

less　true；　indeed　I　may　go　further　and　call　them　justifiable　through

difference　of　characters；　temperaments；　attachments；　situations。　I；

for　example；　at　this　moment；　after　twenty　years　of　misfortunes；　of

deceptions；　of　calumnies　endured；　and　weary　days　and　hollow　pleasures；

is　it　not　natural　that　I　should　incline　to　fall　at　the　feet　of　a　man

who　would　love　me　sincerely　and　forever？　And　yet；　the　world　would

condemn　me。　But　twenty　years　of　suffering　might　well　excuse　a　few

brief　years　which　may　still　remain　to　me　of　youth　given　to　a　sacred

and　real　love。　This　will　not　happen。　I　am　not　so　rash　as　to　sacrifice

my　hopes　of　heaven。　I　have　borne　the　burden　and　heat　of　the　day；　I

shall　finish　my　course　and　win　my　recompense。〃



〃Angel！〃　thought　d'Arthez。



〃After　all；　I　have　never　blamed　my　mother；　she　knew　little　of　me。

Mothers　who　lead　a　life　like　that　of　the　Duchesse　d'Uxelles　keep　their

children　at　a　distance。　I　saw　and　knew　nothing　of　the　world　until　my

marriage。　You　can　judge　of　my　innocence！　I　knew　nothing；　I　was

incapable　of　understanding　the　causes　of　my　marriage。　I　had　a　fine

fortune；　sixty　thousand　francs　a　year　in　forests；　which　the　Revolution

overlooked　（or　had　not　been　able　to　sell）　in　the　Nivernais；　with　the