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samual brohl & company(赛穆王·布洛公司)-第31节

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addressing       himself    to   Antoinette;     who    listened    without     a  word;    and 

sometimes to Mme。 de Lorcy; whose eyes were turned at intervals towards 

M。   Langis;   seeming   to   say   to   him:   〃Was   I   not   right?   Confess   that   your 

apprehensions lacked common…sense。 Do you hear him? he has only half 

an   hour   to   spend   with     her;   and   he   describes   the   Prater。   Are   you   still 

thinking of cutting his throat? Please say one polite and civil word to him。 

It is   not he;  it   is you   who are gloomy。 Throw off   your sinister   air。  How 

long   will   this   taciturn   reverie   last   in  which    you    are   sunk?   You    make 

yourself a laughing…stockyou act like a fool。 You resemble a sphinx of 

the   desert   engaged   in   meditating   upon   a   serpent;   and   who   mistakes   an 

innocent adder for a viper。〃 M。 Langis understood what she wished to say 

to him; but he did not throw off his sinister air。 

     After   praising   Vienna   and   its   environs;   Samuel   Brohl   eulogized   the 

easy;    careless    character    of  the   Viennese。     He   told;   in  a  sprightly    way; 

several     anecdotes。      His    gaiety   was     rather   feverishsomewhat          forced 



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studied;    and    abrupt;   but;  nevertheless;     it  was   gaiety。  Mme。     de   Lorcy 

responded to   him;   Mlle。  Moriaz   continued   silent;   she  crumpled   between 

her fingers the guipure lace of her Marie…Antoinette fichu; and; with fixed 

eye;   she   seemed   to   be   counting   the   stitches。   Samuel   Brohl   interrupted 

himself in the midst of a sentence; and rose suddenly。 He turned towards 

Antoinette; in a hollow voice he begged her to tell M。 Moriaz how much 

he regretted that his early departure would deprive him of the honour and 

pleasure of visiting him at Cormeilles; then he bowed to Mme。 de Lorcy; 

thanked     her   for  the  happy    moments      that   he  had   spent   with   her;  and 

charged her to commend him to the kind remembrance of Abbe Miollens。 

     〃We shall meet again; my dear count;〃 she said to him; in a clear voice; 

emphasizing her words; 〃and I hope that; before long; we shall make the 

acquaintance of the Countess Larinski。〃 

     He looked   at her  in   astonishment; and   murmured;  〃I lost   my  mother 

ten years ago。〃 

     Immediately; without giving Mme。 de Lorcy time to explain herself; he 

directed his steps hastily towards the door; followed by three glances; all 

three of   which spoke;   although they  did not   all   say  the same   thing。 The 

room was large; during the thirty seconds that it took him to cross it; the 

angel of silence hovered in the air。 

     He   was   about   passing   through   the   door;   when;   as   fatality   ordained; 

there occurred to him an unfortunate and disastrous thought。 He could not 

resist the desire to see Mlle。 Moriaz once more; to impress forever on his 

memory her adored image。 He turned; and their eyes met。 He paid dearly 

for this weakness of the will。 Apparently the violent restraint that he had 

exercised over himself for an hour had exhausted his strength。 It seemed to 

him that his heart ceased to beat; he felt his legs stiffen; and refuse to serve 

him;   his   teeth   clinched;   his   pupils   dilated;   consciousness   forsook   him。 

Suddenly; heavily as a mass of lead; he fell prone upon the floor; where he 

remained in a senseless condition。 

     Mlle。 Moriaz could not suppress a cry; and seemed for a moment on 

the   point   of   fainting   herself。   Mme。   de   Lorcy   drew   her   arm   around   her 

waist; and hurried her into the next room; throwing to M。 Langis a bottle 

of salts as she did so; and saying; 〃Take care of Count Larinski。〃 



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     The first thing that   M。  Langis did   was   to set  the bottle on   the  table; 

after which he went close up to Samuel Brohl; who; fainting and inanimate; 

bore   almost   the   appearance   of   death。   He   examined   him   an   instant;   bent 

over him; then; folding his arms and shrugging his shoulders; he said to 

him; 〃Monsieur; Mlle。 Moriaz is no longer here。〃 

     Samuel Brohl did not stir。 〃You did not hear me;〃 continued Camille。 

〃You   are   superb;   M。   le   Comte;   you   are   very  handsome;   your   attitude   is 

irreproachable; and   you   might   well   be   taken for   a   dead person。 You   fell 

admirably; I swear I never saw at the theatre a more successful fainting…fit; 

but   spare   yourself   further   trouble   for   the   performance。   I   repeat;   Mlle。 

Moriaz is no longer here。〃 

     Samuel Brohl remained inert and rigid。 

     〃Perhaps you want to try the strength of my wrists;〃 continued Camille。 

〃Very well; I will give you that satisfaction。〃 

     And; with these words; he seized him round his waist; summoned all 

his   strength   in   order   to lift him;  and   deposited   him  at   full length on the 

sofa。 

     He examined him again; and said: 〃Will this tragi…comedy last much 

longer? Shall I not find a secret to resuscitate you? Listen to me; monsieur。 

I love with all my soul the woman that you pretend to love。 Does that not 

suffice?     Monsieur;     you   are   a  Polish   adventurer;     and   I  have   as  much 

admiration for your social talents as I have little esteem for yourself。 Does 

that not suffice yet? I would not; however; lift my hand to you。 I entreat 

you to consider the affront received。〃 

     It seemed as if the dead man trembled slightly; and Camille exclaimed: 

〃Thank God! this time you have given sign of life; and the insult found the 

way   to   your   heart。   I   would   be   charmed   to   restore   you   to   your   senses。   I 

await   your   commands。   The   day;   the   place;   and   the   weapons;   I   leave   to 

your choice。 And; stay! You can count on my absolute discretion。 No one; 

I give you my word;  shall learn from  me   that your fainting…fit had   ears; 

and resented insults。 Here is my address; monsieur。〃 

     And; drawing from his pocket a visiting…card; he tried to slip it into the 

cold; listless; pendent hand; which let it fall to the ground。 

     〃What obstinacy!〃 he said。 〃As you will; M。 le Comte; I am at the end 



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of my eloquence。〃 

     He turned his back; seated himself in a chair; and taking a paper; he 

unfolded it。 Meanwhile the door opened; and Mme。 de Lorcy appeared。 

     〃What are you doing here; Camille?〃 she exclaimed。 

     〃You     see;  madame;〃      he  answered;     〃I  am    waiting    until  this  great 

comedian has finished playing his piece。〃 

     He was not aware that Mlle。 Moriaz also had just entered the /salon/。 

She cast him an angry; indignant; threatening glance; in which he read his 

condemnation。   He   tried   to   find   some   word   of   excuse   or   explanation   to 

disarm her anger; but his voice failed him。 He bowed low; took his hat; and 

went away。 

     Mme。 de Lorcy; very much agitated; opened a window; then she threw 

water   into   Samuel   Brohl's   face;   rubbed   his   temples   with   a   vivacity   that 

was not altogether exempt from roughness; and made him smell English 

salts。 

     〃Ah; my dear! pray go away;〃 she said to Antoinette; 〃this is no place 

for you。〃 

     Antoinette did not go away; her face contracted; her lips trembling; she 

seated herself aside at some distance from the sofa。 

     Mme。     de   Lorcy's   energetic    exertions    at  last  produced    their  effect。 

Samuel   Brohl   was   not   dead;   a   quiver   ran   through   his   frame;   his   limbs 

relaxed;   and   at   the   end   of   a   few   instants   he   reopened   his   eyes;   then   his 

mouth; he sat up; and stammered: 〃Where am I? What has happened? Ah; 

my God! it was but a moment ago that she was here!〃 

     Mme。 de Lorcy laid her hand on his mouth; and; bending over his ears; 

she said; in a severe; imperious tone; 〃She is here still!〃 

     She did not succeed in making herself understood。 One only recovers 

by degrees from such a fainting…fit。 Samuel Brohl was again overcome by 

weakness; his eyes closed once more; and he let his head sink between his 

hands。 After a silence of a few moments he said; in a choked voice: 〃Ah! 

pardon me; madame。 I am ashamed of myself。 My courage failed me; my 

strength betrayed me。 I love her madly; and I had sworn never to see her 

again。 It was in order to fly from her that I was going away。〃 

     He   raised   his   head;   he   saw   Antoinette;   he   looked   wildly   at   her;   

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