at the sign of the cat and racket-第13节

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herself；　at　receiving　such　homage　from　the　most　perfect　virtue　perhaps
in　Paris。　She　took　the　young　wife's　handkerchief；　and　herself　wiped
the　tears　from　her　eyes；　soothing　her　by　a　few　monosyllables　murmured
with　gracious　compassion。　After　a　moment's　silence　the　Duchess；
grasping　poor　Augustine's　hands　in　both　her　ownhands　that　had　a　rare
character　of　dignity　and　powerful　beautysaid　in　a　gentle　and
friendly　voice：　〃My　first　warning　is　to　advise　you　not　to　weep　so
bitterly；　tears　are　disfiguring。　We　must　learn　to　deal　firmly　with　the
sorrows　that　make　us　ill；　for　love　does　not　linger　long　by　a　sick…bed。
Melancholy；　at　first；　no　doubt；　lends　a　certain　attractive　grace；　but
it　ends　by　dragging　the　features　and　blighting　the　loveliest　face。　And
besides；　our　tyrants　are　so　vain　as　to　insist　that　their　slaves　should
be　always　cheerful。〃

〃But；　madame；　it　is　not　in　my　power　not　to　feel。　How　is　it　possible；
without　suffering　a　thousand　deaths；　to　see　the　face　which　once　beamed
with　love　and　gladness　turn　chill；　colorless；　and　indifferent？　I
cannot　control　my　heart！〃

〃So　much　the　worse；　sweet　child。　But　I　fancy　I　know　all　your　story。　In
the　first　place；　if　your　husband　is　unfaithful　to　you；　understand
clearly　that　I　am　not　his　accomplice。　If　I　was　anxious　to　have　him　in
my　drawing…room；　it　was；　I　own；　out　of　vanity；　he　was　famous；　and　he
went　nowhere。　I　like　you　too　much　already　to　tell　you　all　the　mad
things　he　has　done　for　my　sake。　I　will　only　reveal　one；　because　it　may
perhaps　help　us　to　bring　him　back　to　you；　and　to　punish　him　for　the
audacity　of　his　behavior　to　me。　He　will　end　by　compromising　me。　I　know
the　world　too　well；　my　dear；　to　abandon　myself　to　the　discretion　of　a
too　superior　man。　You　should　know　that　one　may　allow　them　to　court
one；　but　marry　themthat　is　a　mistake！　We　women　ought　to　admire　men
of　genius；　and　delight　in　them　as　a　spectacle；　but　as　to　living　with
them？　Never。No；　no。　It　is　like　wanting　to　find　pleasure　in
inspecting　the　machinery　of　the　opera　instead　of　sitting　in　a　box　to
enjoy　its　brilliant　illusions。　But　this　misfortune　has　fallen　on　you；
my　poor　child；　has　it　not？　Well；　then；　you　must　try　to　arm　yourself
against　tyranny。〃

〃Ah；　madame；　before　coming　in　here；　only　seeing　you　as　I　came　in；　I
already　detected　some　arts　of　which　I　had　no　suspicion。〃

〃Well；　come　and　see　me　sometimes；　and　it　will　not　be　long　before　you
have　mastered　the　knowledge　of　these　trifles；　important；　too；　in　their
way。　Outward　things　are；　to　fools；　half　of　life；　and　in　that　matter
more　than　one　clever　man　is　a　fool；　in　spite　of　all　his　talent。　But　I
dare　wager　you　never　could　refuse　your　Theodore　anything！〃

〃How　refuse　anything；　madame；　if　one　loves　a　man？〃

〃Poor　innocent；　I　could　adore　you　for　your　simplicity。　You　should　know
that　the　more　we　love　the　less　we　should　allow　a　man；　above　all；　a
husband；　to　see　the　whole　extent　of　our　passion。　The　one　who　loves
most　is　tyrannized　over；　and；　which　is　worse；　is　sooner　or　later
neglected。　The　one　who　wishes　to　rule　should〃

〃What；　madame；　must　I　then　dissimulate；　calculate；　become　false；　form
an　artificial　character；　and　live　in　it？　How　is　it　possible　to　live　in
such　a　way？　Can　you〃　she　hesitated；　the　Duchess　smiled。

〃My　dear　child；〃　the　great　lady　went　on　in　a　serious　tone；　〃conjugal
happiness　has　in　all　times　been　a　speculation；　a　business　demanding
particular　attention。　If　you　persist　in　talking　passion　while　I　am
talking　marriage；　we　shall　soon　cease　to　understand　each　other。　Listen
to　me；〃　she　went　on；　assuming　a　confidential　tone。　〃I　have　been　in　the
way　of　seeing　some　of　the　superior　men　of　our　day。　Those　who　have
married　have　for　the　most　part　chosen　quite　insignificant　wives。　Well；
those　wives　governed　them；　as　the　Emperor　governs　us；　and　if　they　were
not　loved；　they　were　at　least　respected。　I　like　secretsespecially
those　which　concern　womenwell　enough　to　have　amused　myself　by
seeking　the　clue　to　the　riddle。　Well；　my　sweet　child；　those　worthy
women　had　the　gift　of　analyzing　their　husbands'　nature；　instead　of
taking　fright；　like　you；　at　their　superiority；　they　very　acutely　noted
the　qualities　they　lacked；　and　either　by　possessing　those　qualities；
or　by　feigning　to　possess　them；　they　found　means　of　making　such　a
handsome　display　of　them　in　their　husbands'　eyes　that　in　the　end　they
impressed　them。　Also；　I　must　tell　you；　all　these　souls　which　appear　so
lofty　have　just　a　speck　of　madness　in　them；　which　we　ought　to　know　how
to　take　advantage　of。　By　firmly　resolving　to　have　the　upper　hand　and
never　deviating　from　that　aim；　by　bringing　all　our　actions　to　bear　on
it；　all　our　ideas；　our　cajolery；　we　subjugate　these　eminently
capricious　natures；　which；　by　the　very　mutability　of　their　thoughts；
lend　us　the　means　of　influencing　them。〃

〃Good　heavens！〃　cried　the　young　wife　in　dismay。　〃And　this　is　life。　It
is　a　warfare〃

〃In　which　we　must　always　threaten；〃　said　the　Duchess；　laughing。　〃Our
power　is　wholly　factitious。　And　we　must　never　allow　a　man　to　despise
us；　it　is　impossible　to　recover　from　such　a　descent　but　by　odious
manoeuvring。　Come；〃　she　added；　〃I　will　give　you　a　means　of　bringing
your　husband　to　his　senses。〃

She　rose　with　a　smile　to　guide　the　young　and　guileless　apprentice　to
conjugal　arts　through　the　labyrinth　of　her　palace。　They　came　to　a
back…staircase；　which　led　up　to　the　reception　rooms。　As　Madame　de
Carigliano　pressed　the　secret　springlock　of　the　door　she　stopped；
looking　at　Augustine　with　an　inimitable　gleam　of　shrewdness　and　grace。
〃The　Duc　de　Carigliano　adores　me；〃　said　she。　〃Well；　he　dare　not　enter
by　this　door　without　my　leave。　And　he　is　a　man　in　the　habit　of
commanding　thousands　of　soldiers。　He　knows　how　to　face　a　battery；　but
before　me；he　is　afraid！〃

Augustine　sighed。　They　entered　a　sumptuous　gallery；　where　the
painter's　wife　was　led　by　the　Duchess　up　to　the　portrait　painted　by
Theodore　of　Mademoiselle　Guillaume。　On　seeing　it；　Augustine　uttered　a
cry。

〃I　knew　it　was　no　longer　in　my　house；〃　she　said；　〃buthere！〃

〃My　dear　child；　I　asked　for　it　merely　to　see　what　pitch　of　idiocy　a
man　of　genius　may　attain　to。　Sooner　or　later　I　should　have　returned　it
to　you；　for　I　never　expected　the　pleasure　of　seeing　the　original　here
face　to　face　with　the　copy。　While　we　finish　our　conversation　I　will
have　it　carried　down　to　your　carriage。　And　if；　armed　with　such　a
talisman；　you　are　not　your　husband's　mistress　for　a　hundred　years；　you
are　not　a　woman；　and　you　deserve　your　fate。〃

Augustine　kissed　the　Duchess'　hand；　and　the　lady　clasped　her　to　her
heart；　with　all　the　more　tenderness　because　she　would　forget　her　by
the　morrow。　This　scene　might　perhaps　have　destroyed　for　ever　the
candor　and　purity　of　a　less　virtuous　woman　than　Augustine；　for　the
astute　politics　of　the　higher　social　spheres　were　no　more　consonant　to
Augustine　than　the　narrow　reasoning　of　Joseph　Lebas；　or　Madame
Guillaume's　vapid　morality。　Strange　are　the　results　of　the　false
positions　into　which　we　may　be　brought　by　the　slightest　mistake　in　the
conduct　of　life！　Augustine　was　like　an　Alpine　cowherd　surprised　by　an
avalanche；　if　he　hesitates；　if　he　listens　to　the　shouts　of　his
comrades；　he　is　almost　certainly　lost。　In　such　a　crisis　the　heart
steels　itself　or　breaks。

Madame　de　Sommervieux　returned　home　a　prey　to　such　agitation　as　it　is
difficult　to　describe。　Her　conversation　with　the　Duchesse　de
Carigliano　had　roused　in　her　mind　a　crowd　of　contradictory　thoughts。
Like　the　sheep　in　the　fable；　full　of　courage　in　the　wolf's　absence；
she　preached　to　herself；　and　laid　down　admirable　plans　of　conduct；　she
devised　a　thousand　coquettish　stratagems；　she　even　talked　to　her
husband；　finding；　away　from　him；　all　the　springs　of　true　eloquence
which　never　desert　a　woman；　then；　as　she　pictured　to　herself
Theodore's　clear　and　steadfast　gaze；　she　began　to　quake。　When　she
asked　whether　monsieur　were　at　home　her　voice　shook。　On　learning　that
he　would　not　be　in　to　dinner；　she　felt　an　unaccountable　thrill　of　joy。
Like　a　criminal　who　has　appealed　against　sentence　of　death；　a　respite；
however　short；　seemed　to　her　a　lifetime。　She　placed　the　portrait　in
her　room；　and　waited　for　her　husband　in　all　the　agonies　of　hope。　That
this　venture　must　decide　her　future　life；　she　felt　too　keenly　not　to
shiver　at　every　sound；　even　the　low　ticking　of　the　clock；　which　seemed
to　aggravate　her　terrors　by　doling　them　out　to　her。　She　tried　to　cheat
time　by　various　devices。　The　idea　struck　her　of　dressing　in　a　way
which　would　make　her　exactly　like　the　portrait。　Then；　knowing　her
husband's　restless　temper；　she　had　her　room　lighted　up　with　unusual
brightness；　feeling　sure　that　when　he　came　in　curiosity　would　bring
him　there　at　once。　Midnight　had　struck　when；　at　the　call　of　the　groom；
the　street　gate　was　opened；　and　the　artist's　carriage　rumbled　in　over
the　stones　of　the　silent　courtyard。

〃What　is　the　meaning　of　this　illumination？〃　asked　Theodore　in　glad
tones；　as　he　came　into　her　room。

Augustine　skilfully　seized　the　auspicious　moment；　she　threw　herself
into　her　husband's　arms；　and　pointed　to　the　portrait。　The　artist　stood
rigid　as　a　rock；　and　his　eyes　turned　alternately　on　Augustine；　on　the
accusing　dress。　The　frightened　wife