sarrasine-第9节

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〃　'A　woman's　heart　was　to　me　a　place　of　refuge；　a　fatherland。　Have　you
sisters　who　resemble　you？　No。　Then　die！　But　no；　you　shall　live。　To
leave　you　your　life　is　to　doom　you　to　a　fate　worse　than　death。　I
regret　neither　my　blood　nor　my　life；　but　my　future　and　the　fortune　of
my　heart。　Your　weak　hand　has　overturned　my　happiness。　What　hope　can　I
extort　from　you　in　place　of　all　those　you　have　destroyed？　You　have
brought　me　down　to　your　level。　/To　love；　to　be　loved！/　are　henceforth
meaningless　words　to　me；　as　to　you。　I　shall　never　cease　to　think　of
that　imaginary　woman　when　I　see　a　real　woman。'

〃He　pointed　to　the　statue　with　a　gesture　of　despair。

〃　'I　shall　always　have　in　my　memory　a　divine　harpy　who　will　bury　her
talons　in　all　my　manly　sentiments；　and　who　will　stamp　all　other　women
with　a　seal　of　imperfection。　Monster！　you；　who　can　give　life　to
nothing；　have　swept　all　women　off　the　face　of　the　earth。'

〃Sarrasine　seated　himself　in　front　of　the　terrified　singer。　Two　great
tears　came　from　his　dry　eyes；　rolled　down　his　swarthy　cheeks；　and　fell
to　the　floortwo　tears　of　rage；　two　scalding；　burning　tears。

〃　'An　end　of　love！　I　am　dead　to　all　pleasure；　to　all　human　emotions！'

〃As　he　spoke；　he　seized　a　hammer　and　hurled　it　at　the　statue　with　such
excessive　force　that　he　missed　it。　He　thought　that　he　had　destroyed
that　monument　of　his　madness；　and　thereupon　he　drew　his　sword　again；
and　raised　it　to　kill　the　singer。　Zambinella　uttered　shriek　after
shriek。　Three　men　burst　into　the　studio　at　that　moment；　and　the
sculptor　fell；　pieced　by　three　daggers。

〃　'From　Cardinal　Cicognara；'　said　one　of　the　men。

〃　'A　benefaction　worthy　of　a　Christian；'　retorted　the　Frenchman；　as　he
breathed　his　last。

〃These　ominous　emissaries　told　Zambinella　of　the　anxiety　of　his
patron；　who　was　waiting　at　the　door　in　a　closed　carriage　in　order　to
take　him　away　as　soon　as　he　was　set　at　liberty。〃

〃But；〃　said　Madame　de　Rochefide；　〃what　connection　is　there　between
this　story　and　the　little　old　man　we　saw　at　the　Lantys'？〃

〃Madame；　Cardinal　Cicognara　took　possession　of　Zambinella's　statue　and
had　it　reproduced　in　marble；　it　is　in　the　Albani　Museum　to…day。　In
1794　the　Lanty　family　discovered　it　there；　and　asked　Vien　to　copy　it。
The　portrait　which　showed　you　Zambinella　at　twenty；　a　moment　after　you
had　seen　him　as　a　centenarian；　afterward　figured　in　Girodet's
/Endymion/；　you　yourself　recognized　the　type　in　/Adonis/。〃

〃But　this　Zambinella；　male　or　female〃

〃Must　be；　madame；　Marianina's　maternal　great　uncle。　You　can　conceive
now　Madame　de　Lanty's　interest　in　concealing　the　source　of　a　fortune
which　comes〃

〃Enough！〃　said　she；　with　an　imperious　gesture。

We　remained　for　a　moment　in　the　most　profound　silence。

〃Well？〃　I　said　at　last。

〃Ah！〃　she　cried；　rising　and　pacing　the　floor。

She　came　and　looked　me　in　the　face；　and　said　in　an　altered　voice：

〃You　have　disgusted　me　with　life　and　passion　for　a　long　time　to　come。
Leaving　monstrosities　aside；　are　not　all　human　sentiments　dissolved
thus；　by　ghastly　disillusionment？　Children　torture　mothers　by　their
bad　conduct；　or　their　lack　of　affection。　Wives　are　betrayed。
Mistresses　are　cast　aside；　abandoned。　Talk　of　friendship！　Is　there
such　a　thing！　I　would　turn　pious　to…morrow　if　I　did　not　know　that　I
can　remain　like　the　inaccessible　summit　of　a　cliff　amid　the　tempests
of　life。　If　the　future　of　the　Christian　is　an　illusion　too；　at　all
events　it　is　not　destroyed　until　after　death。　Leave　me　to　myself。〃

〃Ah！〃　said　I；　〃you　know　how　to　punish。〃

〃Am　I　in　the　wrong？〃

〃Yes；〃　I　replied；　with　a　sort　of　desperate　courage。　〃By　finishing　this
story；　which　is　well　known　in　Italy；　I　can　give　you　an　excellent　idea
of　the　progress　made　by　the　civilization　of　the　present　day。　There　are
none　of　those　wretched　creatures　now。〃

〃Paris；〃　said　she；　〃is　an　exceedingly　hospitable　place；　it　welcomes
one　and　all；　fortunes　stained　with　shame；　and　fortunes　stained　with
blood。　Crime　and　infamy　have　a　right　of　asylum　here；　virtue　alone　is
without　altars。　But　pure　hearts　have　a　fatherland　in　heaven！　No　one
will　have　known　me！　I　am　proud　of　it。〃

And　the　marchioness　was　lost　in　thought。








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