the wandering jew, volume 10-第9节
按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页,按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页,按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部!
————未阅读完?加入书签已便下次继续阅读!
stronger; has been the more shaken; it will not be prudent; I am told; to
see her to…day。〃
〃I will wait then。 I can repress my impatience; I have so much to say to
you。〃
〃Dear; gentle Magdalen!〃
〃Oh; my friend!〃 cried the girl; interrupting Agricola; with tears of
joy: 〃I cannot tell you what I feel; when I hear you call me Magdalen。
It is so sweet; so soothing; that my heart expands with delight。〃
〃Poor girl! how dreadfully she must have suffered!〃 cried the smith; with
inexpressible emotion; 〃when she displays so much happiness; so much
gratitude; at being called by her own poor name!〃
〃But consider; my friend; that word in your mouth contains a new life for
me。 If you only knew what hopes; what pleasures I can now see gleaming
in the future! If you knew all the cherished longings of my tenderness!
Your wife; the charming Angela; with her angel face and angel…souloh!
in my turn; I can say to; you; ‘Look at me; and see how sweet that name
is to my lips and heart!' Yes; your charming; your good Angela will call
me Magdalenand your children; Agricola; your children!dear little
creatures!to them also I shall be Magdalentheir good Magdalenand
the love I shall bear them will make them mine; as well as their
mother'sand I shall have my part in every maternal careand they will
belong to us three; will they not; Agricola?Oh! let me; let me weep!
These tears without bitterness do me so much good; they are tears that
need not be concealed。 Thank heaven! thank you; my friend! those other
tears are I trust dried forever。〃
For some seconds; this affecting scene had been overlooked by an
invisible witness。 The smith and Mother Bunch had not perceived Mdlle。
de Cardoville standing on the threshold of the door。 As Mother Bunch had
said; this day; which dawned with all under such fatal auspices; had
become for all a day of ineffable felicity。 Adrienne; too; was full of
joy; for Djalma had been faithful to her; Djalma loved her with passion。
The odious appearances; of which she had been the dupe and victim;
evidently formed part of a new plot of Rodin; and it only remained for
Mdlle。 de Cardoville to discover the end of these machinations。
Another joy was reserved for her。 The happy are quick in detecting
happiness in others; and Adrienne guessed; by the hunchback's last words;
that there was no longer any secret between the smith and the sempstress。
She could not therefore help exclaiming; as she entered: 〃Oh! this
will be the brightest day of my life; for I shall not be happy alone!〃
Agricola and Mother Bunch turned round hastily。 〃Lady;〃 said the smith;
〃in spite of the promise I made you; I could not conceal from Magdalen
that I knew she loved me!〃
〃Now that I no longer blush for this love before Agricola; why should I
blush for it before you; lady; that told me to be proud of it; because it
is noble and pure?〃 said Mother Bunch; to whom her happiness gave
strength enough to rise; and to lean upon Agricola's arm。
〃It is well; my friend;〃 said Adrienne; as she threw her arms round her
to support her; 〃only one word; to excuse the indiscretion with which you
will perhaps reproach me。 If I told your secret to M。 Agricola〃
〃Do you know why it was; Magdalen?〃 cried the smith; interrupting
Adrienne。 〃It was only another proof of the lady's delicate generosity。
‘I long hesitate to confide to you this secret;' said she to me this
morning; ‘but I have at length made up my mind to it。 We shall probably
find your adopted sister; you have been to her the best of brothers: but
many times; without knowing it; you have wounded her feelings cruelly
and now that you know her secret; I trust in your kind heart to keep it
faithfully; and so spare the poor child a thousand pangspangs the more
bitter; because they come from you; and are suffered in silence。 Hence;
when you speak to her of your wife; your domestic happiness; take care
not to gall that noble and tender heart。'Yes; Magdalen; these were the
reasons that led the lady to commit what she called an indiscretion。〃
〃I want words to thank you now and ever;〃 said Mother Bunch。
〃See; my friend;〃 replied Adrienne; 〃how often the designs of the wicked
turn against themselves。 They feared your devotion to me; and therefore
employed that unhappy Florine to steal your journal〃
〃So as to drive me from your house with shame; lady; When I supposed my
most secret thoughts an object of ridicule to all。 There can be no doubt
such was their plan;〃 said Mother Bunch。
〃None; my child。 Well! this horrible wickedness; which nearly caused
your death; now turns to the confusion of the criminals。 Their plot is
discoveredand; luckily; many other of their designs;〃 said Adrienne; as
she thought of Rose…Pompon。
Then she resumed; with heartfelt joy: 〃At last; we are again united;
happier than ever; and in our very happiness we shall find new resources
to combat our enemies。 I say our enemiesfor all that love me are
odious to these wretches。 But courage; the hour is come; and the good
people will have their turn。〃
〃Thank heaven; lady;〃 said the smith; 〃or my part; I shall not be wanting
in zeal。 What delight to strip them of their mask!〃
〃Let me remind you; M。 Baudoin; that you have an appointment for to…
morrow with M。 Hardy。〃
〃I have not forgotten it; lady; any more than the generous offers I am to
convey to him。〃
〃That is nothing。 He belongs to my family。 Tell him (what indeed I
shall write to him this evening); that the funds necessary to reopen his
factory are at his disposal; I do not say so for his sake only; but for
that of a hundred families reduced to want。 Beg him to quit immediately
the fatal abode to which they have taken him: for a thousand reasons he
should be on his guard against all that surround him。〃
〃Be satisfied; lady。 The letter he wrote to me in reply to the one I got
secretly delivered to him; was short; affectionate; sadbut he grants me
the interview I had asked for; and I am sure I shall be able to persuade
him to leave that melancholy dwelling; and perhaps to depart with me; he
has always had so much confidence in my attachment。〃
〃Well; M。 Baudoin; courage!〃 said Adrienne; as she threw her cloak over
the workgirl's shoulders; and wrapped her round with care。 〃Let us be
gone; for it is late。 As soon as we get home; I will give you a letter
for M。 Hardy; and to…morrow you will come and tell me the result of your
visit。 No; not to…morrow;〃 she added; blushing slightly。 〃Write to me
to…morrow; and the day after; about twelve; come to me。〃
Some minutes later; the young sempstress; supported by Agricola and
Adrienne; had descended the stairs of that gloomy house; and; being
placed in the carriage by the side of Mdlle。 de Cardoville; she earnestly
entreated to be allowed to see Cephyse; it was in vain that Agricola
assured her it was impossible; and that she should see her the next day。
Thanks to the information derived from Rose…Pompon; Mdlle。 de Cardoville
was reasonably suspicious of all those who surrounded Djalma; and she
therefore took measures; that; very evening; to have a letter delivered
to the prince by what she considered a sure hand。
CHAPTER XXXVIII。
THE TWO CARRIAGES。
It is the evening of the day on which Mdlle。 de Cardoville prevented the
sewing…girl's suicide。 It strikes eleven; the night is dark; the wind
blows with violence; and drives along great black clouds; which
completely hide the pale lustre of the moon。 A hackney…coach; drawn by
two broken…winded horses; ascends slowly and with difficulty the slope of
the Rue Blanche; which is pretty steep near the barrier; in the part
where is situated the house occupied by Djalma。
The coach stops。 The coachman; cursing the length of an interminable
drive 〃within the circuit;〃 leading at last to this difficult ascent;
turns round on his box; leans over towards the front window of the
vehicle; and says in a gruff tone to the person he is driving: 〃Come! are
we almost there? From the Rue de Vaugirard to the Barriere Blanche; is a
pretty good stretch; I think; without reckoning that the night is so
dark; that one can hardly see two steps before oneand the street…lamps
not lighted because of the moon; which doesn't shine; after all!〃
〃Look out for a little door with a portico…drive on about twenty yards
beyondand then stop close to the wall;〃 answered a squeaking voice;
impatiently; and with an Italian accent。
〃Here is a beggarly Dutchman; that will make me as savage as a bear?〃
muttered the angry Jehu to himself。 Then he added: 〃Thousand thunders! I
tell you that I can't see。 How the devil can I find out your little
door?〃
〃Have you no sense? Follow the wall to the right; brush against it; and
you will easily find the little door。 It is next to No。 50。 If you do
not find it; you must be drunk;〃 answered the Italian; with increased
bitterness。
The coachman only replied by swearing like a trooper; and whipping up his
jaded horses。 Then; keeping close to the wall; he strained his eyes in
trying to read the numbers of the houses; by the aid of his carriage…
lamps。
After some moments; the coach again stopped。 〃I have passed