the secrets of the princesse de cadignan-第12节

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dumbfounded。　In　his　eyes　convicts　sent　to　the　galleys　for　murder；　or

aggravated　robbery；　or　for　putting　a　wrong　name　to　checks；　were　saints

compared　to　the　men　and　women　of　society。　This　atrocious　elegy；　forged

in　the　arsenal　of　lies；　and　steeped　in　the　waters　of　the　Parisian

Styx；　had　been　poured　into　his　ears　with　the　inimitable　accent　of

truth。　The　grave　author　contemplated　for　a　moment　that　adorable　woman

lying　back　in　her　easy…chair；　her　two　hands　pendant　from　its　arms　like

dewdrops　from　a　rose…leaf；　overcome　by　her　own　revelation；　living　over

again　the　sorrows　of　her　life　as　she　told　themin　short　an　angel　of

melancholy。



〃And　judge；〃　she　cried；　suddenly　lifting　herself　with　a　spring　and

raising　her　hand；　while　lightning　flashed　from　eyes　where　twenty

chaste　years　shone〃judge　of　the　impression　the　love　of　a　man　like

Michel　must　have　made　upon　me。　But　by　some　irony　of　fateor　was　it

the　hand　of　God？well；　he　died；　died　in　saving　the　life　of；　whom　do

you　suppose？　of　Monsieur　de　Cadignan。　Are　you　now　surprised　to　find　me

thoughtful？〃



This　was　the　last　drop；　poor　d'Arthez　could　bear　no　more。　He　fell　upon

his　knees；　and　laid　his　head　on　Diane's　hand；　weeping　soft　tears　such

as　the　angels　shed；if　angels　weep。　As　Daniel　was　in　that　bent

posture；　Madame　de　Cadignan　could　safely　let　a　malicious　smile　of

triumph　flicker　on　her　lips；　a　smile　such　as　the　monkeys　wear　after

playing　a　sly　trickif　monkeys　smile。



〃Ah！　I　have　him；〃　thought　she；　and；　indeed；　she　had　him　fast。



〃But　you　are〃　he　said；　raising　his　fine　head　and　looking　at　her　with

eyes　of　love。



〃Virgin　and　martyr；〃　she　replied；　smiling　at　the　commonness　of　that

hackneyed　expression；　but　giving　it　a　freshness　of　meaning　by　her

smile；　so　full　of　painful　gayety。　〃If　I　laugh；〃　she　continued；　〃it　is

that　I　am　thinking　of　that　princess　whom　the　world　thinks　it　knows；

that　Duchesse　de　Maufrigneuse　to　whom　it　gives　as　lovers　de　Marsay；

that　infamous　de　Trailles　（a　political　cutthroat）；　and　that　little

fool　of　a　d'Esgrignon；　and　Rastignac；　Rubempre；　ambassadors；

ministers；　Russian　generals；　heaven　knows　who！　all　Europe！　They　have

gossiped　about　that　album　which　I　ordered　made；　believing　that　those

who　admired　me　were　my　friends。　Ah！　it　is　frightful！　I　wonder　that　I

allow　a　man　at　my　feet！　Despise　them　all；　THAT　should　be　my　religion。〃



She　rose　and　went　to　the　window　with　a　gait　and　bearing　magnificent　in

motifs。



D'Arthez　remained　on　the　low　seat　to　which　he　had　returned　not　daring

to　follow　the　princess；　but　he　looked　at　her；　he　heard　her　blowing　her

nose。　Was　there　ever　a　princess　who　blew　her　nose？　but　Diane　attempted

the　impossible　to　convey　an　idea　of　her　sensibility。　D'Arthez　believed

his　angel　was　in　tears；　he　rushed　to　her　side；　took　her　round　the

waist；　and　pressed　her　to　his　heart。



〃No；　no；　leave　me！〃　she　murmured　in　a　feeble　voice。　〃I　have　too　many

doubts　to　be　good　for　anything。　To　reconcile　me　with　life　is　a　task

beyond　the　powers　of　any　man。〃



〃Diane！　I　will　love　you　for　your　whole　lost　life。〃



〃No；　don't　speak　to　me　thus；〃　she　answered。　〃At　this　moment　I　tremble；

I　am　ashamed　as　though　I　had　committed　the　greatest　sins。〃



She　was　now　entirely　restored　to　the　innocence　of　little　girls；　and

yet　her　bearing　was　august；　grand；　noble　as　that　of　a　queen。　It　is

impossible　to　describe　the　effect　of　these　manoeuvres；　so　clever　that

they　acted　like　the　purest　truth　on　a　soul　as　fresh　and　honest　as　that

of　d'Arthez。　The　great　author　remained　dumb　with　admiration；　passive

beside　her　in　the　recess　of　that　window　awaiting　a　word；　while　the

princess　awaited　a　kiss；　but　she　was　far　too　sacred　to　him　for　that。

Feeling　cold；　the　princess　returned　to　her　easy…chair；　her　feet　were

frozen。



〃It　will　take　a　long　time；〃　she　said　to　herself；　looking　at　Daniel's

noble　brow　and　head。



〃Is　this　a　woman？〃　thought　that　profound　observer　of　human　nature。

〃How　ought　I　to　treat　her？〃



Until　two　o'clock　in　the　morning　they　spent　their　time　in　saying　to

each　other　the　silly　things　that　women　of　genius；　like　the　princess；

know　how　to　make　adorable。　Diane　pretended　to　be　too　worn；　too　old；

too　faded；　D'Arthez　proved　to　her　（facts　of　which　she　was　well

convinced）　that　her　skin　was　the　most　delicate；　the　softest　to　the

touch；　the　whitest　to　the　eye；　the　most　fragrant；　she　was　young　and　in

her　bloom；　how　could　she　think　otherwise？　Thus　they　disputed；　beauty

by　beauty；　detail　by　detail　with　many：　〃Oh！　do　you　think　so？〃〃You

are　beside　yourself！〃〃It　is　hope；　it　is　fancy！〃〃You　will　soon　see

me　as　I　am。I　am　almost　forty　years　of　age。　Can　a　man　love　so　old　a

woman？〃



D'Arthez　responded　with　impetuous　and　school…boy　eloquence；　larded

with　exaggerated　epithets。　When　the　princess　heard　this　wise　and　witty

writer　talking　the　nonsense　of　an　amorous　sub…lieutenant　she　listened

with　an　absorbed　air　and　much　sensibility；　but　she　laughed　in　her

sleeve。



When　d'Arthez　was　in　the　street；　he　asked　himself　whether　he　might　not

have　been　rather　less　respectful。　He　went　over　in　memory　those　strange

confidenceswhich　have；　naturally；　been　much　abridged　here；　for　they

needed　a　volume　to　convey　their　mellifluous　abundance　and　the　graces

which　accompanied　them。　The　retrospective　perspicacity　of　this　man；　so

natural；　so　profound；　was　baffled　by　the　candor　of　that　tale　and　its

poignancy；　and　by　the　tones　of　the　princess。



〃It　is　true；〃　he　said　to　himself；　being　unable　to　sleep；　〃there　are

such　dramas　as　that　in　society。　Society　covers　great　horrors　with　the

flowers　of　its　elegance；　the　embroidery　of　its　gossip；　the　wit　of　its

lies。　We　writers　invent　no　more　than　the　truth。　Poor　Diane！　Michel　had

penetrated　that　enigma；　he　said　that　beneath　her　covering　of　ice　there

lay　volcanoes！　Bianchon　and　Rastignac　were　right；　when　a　man　can　join

the　grandeurs　of　the　ideal　and　the　enjoyments　of　human　passion　in

loving　a　woman　of　perfect　manners；　of　intellect；　of　delicacy；　it　must

be　happiness　beyond　words。〃



So　thinking；　he　sounded　the　love　that　was　in　him　and　found　it

infinite。







CHAPTER　V



A　TRIAL　OF　FAITH



The　next　day；　about　two　in　the　afternoon；　Madame　d'Espard；　who　had

seen　and　heard　nothing　of　the　princess　for　more　than　a　month；　went　to

see　her　under　the　impulse　of　extreme　curiosity。　Nothing　was　ever　more

amusing　of　its　kind　than　the　conversation　of　these　two　crafty　adders

during　the　first　half…hour　of　this　visit。



Diane　d'Uxelles　cautiously　avoided；　as　she　would　the　wearing　of　a

yellow　gown；　all　mention　of　d'Arthez。　The　marquise　circled　round　and

round　that　topic　like　a　Bedouin　round　a　caravan。　Diane　amused　herself；

the　marquise　fumed。　Diane　waited；　she　intended　to　utilize　her　friend

and　use　her　in　the　chase。　Of　these　two　women；　both　so　celebrated　in

the　social　world；　one　was　far　stronger　than　the　other。　The　princess

rose　by　a　head　above　the　marquise；　and　the　marquise　was　inwardly

conscious　of　that　superiority。　In　this；　perhaps；　lay　the　secret　of

their　intimacy。　The　weaker　of　the　two　crouched　low　in　her　false

attachment；　watching　for　the　hour；　long　awaited　by　feeble　beings；　of

springing　at　the　throat　of　the　stronger　and　leaving　the　mark　of　a

joyful　bite。　Diane　saw　clear；　but　the　world　was　the　dupe　of　the　wile

caresses　of　the　two　friends。



The　instant　that　the　princess　perceived　a　direct　question　on　the　lips

of　her　friend；　she　said：



〃Ah！　dearest；　I　owe　you　a　most　complete；　immense；　infinite；　celestial

happiness。〃



〃What　can　you　mean？〃



〃Have　you　forgotten　what　we　ruminated　three　months　ago　in　the　little

garden；　sitting　on　a　bench　in　the　sun；　under　the　jasmine？　Ah！　there

are　none　but　men　of　genius　who　know　how　to　love！　I　apply　to　my　grand

Daniel　d'Arthez　the　Duke　of　Alba's　saying　to　Catherine　de'　Medici：

'The　head　of　a　single　salmon　is　worth　all　the　frogs　in　the　world。'〃



〃I　am　not　surprised　that　I　no　longer　see　you；〃　said　Madame　d'Espard。



〃Promise　me；　if　you　meet　him；　not　to　say　to　him　one　word　about　me；　my

angel；〃　said　the　princess；　taking　her　friend's　hand。　〃I　am　happy；　oh！

happy　beyond　all　expression；　but　you　know　that　in　society　a　word；　a

mere　jest　can　do　much　harm。　One　speech　can　kill；　for　they　put　such

venom　into　a　single　sentence！　Ah！　if　you　knew　how　I　long　that　you

might　meet　with　a　love　like　this！　Yes；　it　is　a　sweet；　a　precious

triumph　for　women　like　ourselves　to　end　our　woman's　life　in　this　way；

to　rest　in　an　ardent；　pure；　devoted；　complete　and　absolute　love；　above

all；　when　we　have　sought　it　long。〃



〃Why　do　you　ask　me　to　be　faithful　to　my　dearest　friend？〃　said　Madame

d'Espard。　〃Do　you　think　me　capable　of　playing　you　some　villainous

trick？〃



〃When　a　woman　possesses　such　a　treasure　the　fear　of　losing　it　is　so

strong　that　it　naturally　inspires　a　feeling　of　terror。　I　am　absurd；　I

know；　forgive　me；　dear。〃



A　few　moments　later　the　marquise　departed；　as　she　watched　her　go　the

princess　said　to　herself：



〃How　she