a second home-第16节

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fe；　have　sacrificed　it　to　me。　And　why　should　he？　Why？　To　bring　sunshine　into　my　few　remaining　yearsand　would　he　have　succeeded？　Might　I　not　have　accepted　such　generosity　as　a　debt？　But；　doctor；〃　and　the　Count　smiled　with　deep　irony；　〃it　is　not　for　nothing　that　we　teach　them　arithmetic　and　how　to　count。　At　this　moment　perhaps　they　are　waiting　for　my　money。〃

〃O　Monsieur　le　Comte；　how　could　such　an　idea　enter　your　headyou　who　are　kind；　friendly；　and　humane！　Indeed；　if　I　were　not　myself　a　living　proof　of　the　benevolence　you　exercise　so　liberally　and　so　nobly〃

〃To　please　myself；〃　replied　the　Count。　〃I　pay　for　a　sensation；　as　I　would　to…morrow　pay　a　pile　of　gold　to　recover　the　most　childish　illusion　that　would　but　make　my　heart　glow。I　help　my　fellow…　creatures　for　my　own　sake；　just　as　I　gamble；　and　I　look　for　gratitude　from　none。　I　should　see　you　die　without　blinking；　and　I　beg　of　you　to　feel　the　same　with　regard　to　me。　I　tell　you；　young　man；　the　events　of　life　have　swept　over　my　heart　like　the　lavas　of　Vesuvius　over　Herculaneum。　The　town　is　theredead。〃

〃Those　who　have　brought　a　soul　as　warm　and　as　living　as　yours　was　to　such　a　pitch　of　indifference　are　indeed　guilty！〃

〃Say　no　more；〃　said　the　Count；　with　a　shudder　of　aversion。

〃You　have　a　malady　which　you　ought　to　allow　me　to　treat；〃　said　Bianchon　in　a　tone　of　deep　emotion。

〃What；　do　you　know　of　a　cure　for　death？〃　cried　the　Count　irritably。

〃I　undertake；　Monsieur　le　Comte；　to　revive　the　heart　you　believe　to　be　frozen。〃

〃Are　you　a　match　for　Talma；　then？〃　asked　the　Count　satirically。

〃No；　Monsieur　le　Comte。　But　Nature　is　as　far　above　Talma　as　Talma　is　superior　to　me。Listen：　the　garret　you　are　interested　in　is　inhabited　by　a　woman　of　about　thirty；　and　in　her　love　is　carried　to　fanaticism。　The　object　of　her　adoration　is　a　young　man　of　pleasing　appearance　but　endowed　by　some　malignant　fairy　with　every　conceivable　vice。　This　fellow　is　a　gambler；　and　it　is　hard　to　say　which　he　is　most　addicted　towine　or　women；　he　has；　to　my　knowledge；　committed　acts　deserving　punishment　by　law。　Well；　and　to　him　this　unhappy　woman　sacrificed　a　life　of　ease；　a　man　who　worshiped　her；　and　the　father　of　her　children。　But　what　is　wrong；　Monsieur　le　Comte？〃

〃Nothing。　Go　on。〃

〃She　has　allowed　him　to　squander　a　perfect　fortune；　she　would；　I　believe；　give　him　the　world　if　she　had　it；　she　works　night　and　day；　and　many　a　time　she　has；　without　a　murmur；　seen　the　wretch　she　adores　rob　her　even　of　the　money　saved　to　buy　the　clothes　the　children　need；　and　their　food　for　the　morrow。　Only　three　days　ago　she　sold　her　hair；　the　finest　hair　I　ever　saw；　he　came　in；　she　could　not　hide　the　gold　piece　quickly　enough；　and　he　asked　her　for　it。　For　a　smile；　for　a　kiss；　she　gave　up　the　price　of　a　fortnight's　life　and　peace。　Is　it　not　dreadful；　and　yet　sublime？But　work　is　wearing　her　cheeks　hollow。　Her　children's　crying　has　broken　her　heart；　she　is　ill；　and　at　this　moment　on　her　wretched　bed。　This　evening　they　had　nothing　to　eat；　the　children　have　not　strength　to　cry；　they　were　silent　when　I　went　up。〃

Horace　Bianchon　stood　still。　Just　then　the　Comte　de　Granville；　in　spite　of　himself；　as　it　were；　had　put　his　hand　into　his　waistcoat　pocket。

〃I　can　guess；　my　young　friend；　how　it　is　that　she　is　yet　alive　if　you　attend　her；〃　said　the　elder　man。

〃O　poor　soul！〃　cried　the　doctor；　〃who　could　refuse　to　help　her？　I　only　wish　I　were　richer；　for　I　hope　to　cure　her　of　her　passion。〃

〃But　how　can　you　expect　me　to　pity　a　form　of　misery　of　which　the　joys　to　me　would　seem　cheaply　purchased　with　my　whole　fortune！〃　exclaimed　the　Count；　taking　his　hand　out　of　his　pocket　empty　of　the　notes　which　Bianchon　had　supposed　his　patron　to　be　feeling　for。　〃That　woman　feels；　she　is　alive！　Would　not　Louis　XV。　have　given　his　kingdom　to　rise　from　the　grave　and　have　three　days　of　youth　and　life！　And　is　not　that　the　history　of　thousands　of　dead　men；　thousands　of　sick　men；　thousands　of　old　men？〃

〃Poor　Caroline！〃　cried　Bianchon。

As　he　heard　the　name　the　Count　shuddered；　and　grasped　the　doctor's　arm　with　the　grip　of　an　iron　vise；　as　it　seemed　to　Bianchon。

〃Her　name　is　Caroline　Crochard？〃　asked　the　President；　in　a　voice　that　was　evidently　broken。

〃Then　you　know　her？〃　said　the　doctor；　astonished。

〃And　the　wretch's　name　is　Solvet。Ay；　you　have　kept　your　word！〃　exclaimed　Granville；　〃you　have　roused　my　heart　to　the　most　terrible　pain　it　can　suffer　till　it　is　dust。　That　emotion；　too；　is　a　gift　from　hell；　and　I　always　know　how　to　pay　those　debts。〃

By　this　time　the　Count　and　the　doctor　had　reached　the　corner　of　the　Rue　de　la　Chaussee　d'Antin。　One　of　those　night…birds　who　wonder　round　with　a　basket　on　their　back　and　crook　in　hand；　and　were；　during　the　Revolution；　facetiously　called　the　Committee　of　Research；　was　standing　by　the　curbstone　where　the　two　men　now　stopped。　This　scavenger　had　a　shriveled　face　worthy　of　those　immortalized　by　Charlet　in　his　caricatures　of　the　sweepers　of　Paris。

〃Do　you　ever　pick　up　a　thousand…franc　note？〃

〃Now　and　then；　master。〃

〃And　you　restore　them？〃

〃It　depends　on　the　reward　offered。〃

〃You're　the　man　for　me；〃　cried　the　Count；　giving　the　man　a　thousand…　franc　note。　〃Take　this；　but；　remember；　I　give　it　to　you　on　condition　of　your　spending　it　at　the　wineshop；　of　your　getting　drunk；　fighting；　beating　your　wife；　blacking　your　friends'　eyes。　That　will　give　work　to　the　watch；　the　surgeon；　the　druggistperhaps　to　the　police；　the　public　prosecutor；　the　judge；　and　the　prison　warders。　Do　not　try　to　do　anything　else；　or　the　devil　will　be　revenged　on　you　sooner　or　later。〃

A　draughtsman　would　need　at　once　the　pencil　of　Charlet　and　of　Callot；　the　brush　of　Teniers　and　of　Rembrandt；　to　give　a　true　notion　of　this　night…scene。

〃Now　I　have　squared　accounts　with　hell；　and　had　some　pleasure　for　my　money；〃　said　the　Count　in　a　deep　voice；　pointing　out　the　indescribable　physiognomy　of　the　gaping　scavenger　to　the　doctor；　who　stood　stupefied。　〃As　for　Caroline　Crochard！she　may　die　of　hunger　and　thirst；　hearing　the　heartrending　shrieks　of　her　starving　children；　and　convinced　of　the　baseness　of　the　man　she　loves。　I　will　not　give　a　sou　to　rescue　her；　and　because　you　have　helped　her；　I　will　see　you　no　more〃

The　Count　left　Bianchon　standing　like　a　statue；　and　walked　as　briskly　as　a　young　man　to　the　Rue　Saint…Lazare；　soon　reaching　the　little　house　where　he　resided；　and　where；　to　his　surprise；　he　found　a　carriage　waiting　at　the　door。

〃Monsieur；　your　son；　the　attorney…general；　came　about　an　hour　since；〃　said　the　man…servant；　〃and　is　waiting　for　you　in　your　bedroom。〃

Granville　signed　to　the　man　to　leave　him。

〃What　motive　can　be　strong　enough　to　require　you　to　infringe　the　order　I　have　given　my　children　never　to　come　to　me　unless　I　send　for　them？〃　asked　the　Count　of　his　son　as　he　went　into　the　room。

〃Father；〃　replied　the　younger　man　in　a　tremulous　voice；　and　with　great　respect；　〃I　venture　to　hope　that　you　will　forgive　me　when　you　have　heard　me。〃

〃Your　reply　is　proper；〃　said　the　Count。　〃Sit　down；〃　and　he　pointed　to　a　chair；　〃But　whether　I　walk　up　and　down；　or　take　a　seat；　speak　without　heeding　me。〃

〃Father；〃　the　son　went　on；　〃this　afternoon；　at　four　o'clock；　a　very　young　man　who　was　arrested　in　the　house　of　a　friend　of　mine；　whom　he　had　robbed　to　a　considerable　extent；　appealed　to　you。He　says　he　is　your　son。〃

〃His　name？〃　asked　the　Count　hoarsely。

〃Charles　Crochard。〃

〃That　will　do；〃　said　the　father；　with　an　imperious　wave　of　the　hand。

Granville　paced　the　room　in　solemn　silence；　and　his　son　took　care　not　to　break　it。

〃My　son；〃　he　began；　and　the　words　were　pronounced　in　a　voice　so　mild　and　fatherly；　that　the　young　lawyer　started；　〃Charles　Crochard　spoke　the　truth。I　am　glad　you　came　to　me　to…night；　my　good　Eugene；〃　he　added。　〃Here　is　a　considerable　sum　of　money〃and　he　gave　him　a　bundle　of　banknotes〃you　can　make　any　use　of　them　you　think　proper　in　this　matter。　I　trust　you　implicitly；　and　approve　beforehand　whatever　arrangements　you　may　make；　either　in　the　present　or　for　the　future。　Eugene　my　dear　son；　kiss　me。　We　part　perhaps　for　the　last　time。　I　shall　to…morrow　crave　my　dismissal　from　the　King；　and　I　am　going　to　Italy。

〃Though　a　father　owes　no　account　of　his　life　to　his　children；　he　is　bound　to　bequeath　to　them　the　experience　Fate　sells　him　so　dearlyis　it　not　a　part　of　their　inheritance？When　you　marry；〃　the　count　went　on；　with　a　little　involuntary　shudder；　〃do　not　undertake　it　lightly；　that　act　is　the　most　important　of　all　which　society　requires　of　us。　Remember　to　study　at　your　leisure　the　character　of　the　woman　who　is　to　be　your　partner；　but　consult　me　too；　I　will　judge　of　her　myself。　A　lack　of　union　between　husband　and　wife；　from　whatever　cause；　leads　to　terrible　misfortune；　sooner　or　later　we　are　always　punished　for　contravening　the　social　law。But　I　will　write　to　you　on　this　subject　from　Florence。　A　father　who　has　the　honor　of　presiding　over　a　supreme　court　of　justice　must　not　have　to　blush　in　the　presence　of　his　son。　Good…bye。〃



PARIS；　February　1830…January　1842。








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