the chateau of prince polignac-第5节

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expressed　in　his　face　than　in　his　words。　　But；　then；　you　can　neither
accept　nor　reject　a　gentleman　by　what　he　says　in　his　face。　　He
blushed；　too；　up　to　his　grizzled　hair；　and；　turning　round；　walked　a
step　or　two　away　from　the　widow's　seat；　and　back　again。

Mrs。　Thompson　the　while　sat　quite　still。　　The　displaced　fragment；
lying；　as　it　did；　near　a　corner　of　the　building；　made　not　an
uncomfortable　chair。　　She　had　only　to　be　careful　that　she　did　not
injure　her　hat　or　crush　her　clothes；　and　throw　in　a　word　here　and
there　to　assist　the　gentleman；　should　occasion　permit　it。

〃Madame！〃　said　M。　Lacordaire；　on　his　return　from　a　second　little
walk。

〃Monsieur！〃　replied　Mrs。　Thompson；　perceiving　that　M。　Lacordaire
paused　in　his　speech。

〃Madame；〃　he　began　again；　and　then；　as　he　again　paused；　Mrs。
Thompson　looked　up　to　him　very　sweetly；　〃madame；　what　I　am　going　to
say　will；　I　am　afraid；　seem　to　evince　by　far　too　great　audacity　on
my　part。〃

Mrs。　Thompson　may；　perhaps；　have　thought　that；　at　the　present
moment；　audacity　was　not　his　fault。　　She　replied；　however；　that　she
was　quite　sure　that　monsieur　would　say　nothing　that　was　in　any　way
unbecoming　either　for　him　to　speak　or　for　her　to　hear。

〃Madame；　may　I　have　ground　to　hope　that　such　may　be　your　sentiments
after　I　have　spoken！　　Madame〃and　now　he　went　down；　absolutely　on
his　knees；　on　the　hard　stones；　and　Mrs。　Thompson；　looking　about　into
the　distance；　almost　thought　that　she　saw　the　top　of　the　guide's
cap〃Madame；　I　have　looked　forward　to　this　opportunity　as　one　in
which　I　may　declare　for　you　the　greatest　passion　that　I　have　ever
yet　felt。　Madame；　with　all　my　heart　and　soul　I　love　you。　　Madame；　I
offer　to　you　the　homage　of　my　heart；　my　hand；　the　happiness　of　my
life；　and　all　that　I　possess　in　this　world；〃　and　then；　taking　her
hand　gracefully　between　his　gloves；　he　pressed　his　lips　against　the
tips　of　her　fingers。

If　the　thing　was　to　be　done；　this　way　of　doing　it　was；　perhaps；　as
good　as　any　other。　　It　was　one；　at　any　rate；　which　left　no　doubt
whatever　as　to　the　gentleman's　intentions。　　Mrs。　Thompson；　could　she
have　had　her　own　way；　would　not　have　allowed　her　lover　of　fifty　to
go　down　upon　his　knees；　and　would　have　spared　him　much　of　the
romance　of　his　declaration。　　So　also　would　she　have　spared　him　his
yellow　gloves　and　his　polished　boots。　　But　these　were　a　part　of　the
necessity　of　the　situation；　and　therefore　she　wisely　took　them　as
matters　to　be　passed　over　with　indifference。　　Seeing；　however；　that
M。　Lacordaire　still　remained　on　his　knees；　it　was　necessary　that　she
should　take　some　step　toward　raising　him；　especially　as　her　two
children　and　the　guide　would　infallibly　be　upon　them　before　long。

〃M。　Lacordaire；〃　she　said；　〃you　surprise　me　greatly；　but　pray　get
up。〃

〃But　will　madame　vouchsafe　to　give　me　some　small　ground　for　hope？〃

〃The　girls　will　be　here　directly；　M。　Lacordaire；　pray　get　up。　　I　can
talk　to　you　much　better　if　you　will　stand　up；　or　sit　down　on　one　of
these　stones。〃

M。　Lacordaire　did　as　he　was　bid；　he　got　up；　wiped　the　knees　of　his
pantaloons　with　his　handkerchief；　sat　down　beside　her；　and　then
pressed　the　handle　of　his　cane　to　his　heart。

〃You　really　have　so　surprised　me　that　I　hardly　know　how　to　answer
you；〃　said　Mrs。　Thompson。　　〃Indeed；　I　cannot　bring　myself　to　imagine
that　you　are　in　earnest。〃

〃Ah；　madame；　do　not　be　so　cruel！　　How　can　I　have　lived　with　you　so
long；　sat　beside　you　for　so　many　days；　without　having　received　your
image　into　my　heart？　　I　am　in　earnest！　　Alas！　　I　fear　too　much　in
earnest！〃　　And　then　he　looked　at　her　with　all　his　eyes；　and　sighed
with　all　his　strength。

Mrs。　Thompson's　prudence　told　her　that　it　would　be　well　to　settle
the　matter；　in　one　way　or　the　other；　as　soon　as　possible。　　Long
periods　of　love…making　were　fit　for　younger　people　than　herself　and
her　future　possible　husband。　　Her　object　would　be　to　make　him
comfortable　if　she　could；　and　that　he　should　do　the　same　for　her；　if
that　also　were　possible。　　As　for　lookings　and　sighings　and　pressings
of　the　hand；　she　had　gone　through　all　that　some　twenty　years　since
in　India；　when　Thompson　had　been　young；　and　she　was　still　in　her
teens。

〃But；　M。　Lacordaire；　there　are　so　many　things　to　be　considered。
There！　　I　hear　the　children　coming！　　Let　us　walk　this　way　for　a
minute。〃　　And　they　turned　behind　a　wall　which　placed　them　out　of
sight；　and　walked　on　a　few　paces　till　they　reached　a　parapet；　which
stood　on　the　uttermost　edge　of　the　high　rock。　　Leaning　upon　this
they　continued　their　conversation。

〃There　are　so　many　things　to　be　considered；〃　said　Mrs。　Thompson
again。

〃Yes；　of　course；〃　said　M。　Lacordaire。　　〃But　my　one　great
consideration　is　this；that　I　love　madame　to　distraction。〃

〃I　am　very　much　flattered；　of　course；　any　lady　would　so　feel。　　But；
M。　Lacordaire〃

〃Madame；　I　am　all　attention。　　But；　if　you　would　deign　to　make　me
happy；　say　that　one　word；　'I　love　you！'〃　　M。　Lacordaire；　as　he
uttered　these　words；　did　not　look；　as　the　saying　is；　at　his　best。
But　Mrs。　Thompson　forgave　him。　　She　knew　that　elderly　gentlemen
under　such　circumstances　do　not　look　at　their　best。

〃But　if　I　consented　tototo　such　an　arrangement；　I　could　only　do
so　on　seeing　that　it　would　be　beneficialor；　at　any　rate；　not
injuriousto　my　children；　and　that　it　would　offer　to　ourselves　a
fair　promise　of　future　happiness。〃

〃Ah；　madame；　it　would　be　the　dearest　wish　of　my　heart　to　be　a　second
father　to　those　two　young　ladies；　except；　indeed〃　and　then　M。
Lacordaire　stopped　the　flow　of　his　speech。

〃In　such　matters　it　is　so　much　the　best　to　be　explicit　at　once；〃
said　Mrs。　Thompson。

〃Oh；　yes；　certainly！　　Nothing　can　be　more　wise　than　madame。〃

〃And　the　happiness　of　a　household　depends　so　much　on　money。〃

〃Madame！〃

〃Let　me　say　a　word　or　two；　Monsieur　Lacordaire。　　I　have　enough　for
myself　and　my　children；　and；　should　I　every　marry　again；　I　should
not；　I　hope；　be　felt　as　a　burden　by　my　husband；　but　it　would；　of
course；　be　my　duty　to　know　what　were　his　circumstances　before　I
accepted　him。　　Of　yourself；　personally；　I　have　seen　nothing　that　I
do　not　like。〃

〃Oh；　madame！〃

〃But　as　yet　I　know　nothing　of　your　circumstances。〃

M。　Lacordaire；　perhaps；　did　feel　that　Mrs。　Thompson's　prudence　was
of　a　strong；　masculine　description；　but　he　hardly　liked　her　the　less
on　this　account。　　To　give　him　his　due　he　was　not　desirous　of
marrying　her　solely　for　her　money's　sake。　　He　also　wished　for　a
comfortable　home；　and　proposed　to　give　as　much　as　he　got；　only　he
had　been　anxious　to　wrap　up　the　solid　cake　of　this　business　in　a
casing　of　sugar　of　romance。　　Mrs。　Thompson　would　not　have　the　sugar
but　the　cake　might　not　be　the　worse　on　that　account。

〃No；　madame；　not　as　yet；　but　they　shall　all　be　made　open　and　at　your
disposal；〃　said　M。　Lacordaire；　and　Mrs。　Thompson　bowed　approvingly。

〃I　am　in　business；〃　continued　M。　Lacordaire；　〃and　my　business　gives
me　eight　thousand　francs　a　year。〃

〃Four　times　eight　are　thirty…two；〃　said　Mrs。　Thompson　to　herself；
putting　the　francs　into　pounds　sterling；　in　the　manner　that　she　had
always　found　to　be　the　readiest。　　Well；　so　far　the　statement　was
satisfactory。　　An　income　of　three　hundred　and　twenty　pounds　a　year
from　business；　joined　to　her　own；　might　do　very　well。　　She　did　not
in　the　least　suspect　M。　Lacordaire　of　being　false；　and　so　far　the
matter　sounded　well。

　〃And　what　is　the　business？〃　she　asked；　in　a　tone　of　voice　intended
to　be　indifferent；　but　which　nevertheless　showed　that　she　listened
anxiously　for　an　answer　to　her　question。

　They　were　both　standing　with　their　arms　upon　the　wall；　looking　down
upon　the　town　of　Le　Puy；　but　they　had　so　stood　that　each　could　see
the　other's　countenance　as　they　talked。　　Mrs。　Thompson　could　now
perceive　that　M。　Lacordaire　became　red　in　the　face；　as　he　paused
before　answering　her。　　She　was　near　to　him；　and　seeing　his　emotion
gently　touched　his　arm　with　her　hand。　　This　she　did　to　reassure　him；
for　she　saw　that　he　was　ashamed　of　having　to　declare　that　he　was　a
tradesman。　　As　for　herself；　she　had　made　up　her　mind　to　bear　with
this；　if　she　found；　as　she　felt　sure　she　would　find；　that　the　trade
was　one　which　would　not　degrade　either　him　or　her。　　Hitherto；
indeed；in　her　early　days；she　had　looked　down　on　trade；　but　of
what　benefit　had　her　grand　ideas　been　to　her　when　she　had　returned
to　England？　　She　had　tried　her　hand　at　English　genteel　society；　and
no　one　had　seemed　to　care　for　her。　　Therefore；　she　touched　his　arm
lightly　with　her　fingers　that　she　might　encourage　him。

He　paused　for　a　moment；　as　I　have　said；　and　became　red；　and　then
feeling　that　he　had　shown　some　symptoms　of　shameand　feeling　also；
probably；　that　it　was　unmanly　in　him　to　do　so；　he　shook　himself
slightly；　raised　his　head　up　somewhat　more　proudly　than　was　his
wont；　looked　her　full　in　the　face　with　more　strength　of　character
than　she　had　yet　seen　him　assume；　and　then；　declared　his　business。

〃Madame；〃　he　said；　in　a　very　audible；　but　not　in　a　loud　voice；
〃madameje　suis　tailleur。〃　　And　having　so　spoken；　he　turned
slightly　from　her　and　looked　down　over　the　valley　towards　Le　Puy。

There　was　nothing　more　said　upon　the　subject　as　they　drove　down　from
the　rock　of　Poli