the marriage contract-第26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！



her　husband。　I　have　heard　that　young　married　people　who　love　like

lovers；　do　not　want　children？　Is　pleasure　the　only　object　of　marriage？

I　say　that　object　should　be　the　joys　of　family。　Moreover；　in　this　case

I　am　afraid　you　will　think　me　too　much　of　notaryyour　marriage

contract　made　it　incumbent　upon　you　to　have　a　son。　Yes；　monsieur　le

comte；　you　ought　to　have　had　at　once　a　male　heir　to　consolidate　that

entail。　Why　not？　Madame　Evangelista　was　strong　and　healthy；　she　had

nothing　to　fear　in　maternity。　You　will　tell　me；　perhaps；　that　these

are　the　old…fashioned　notions　of　our　ancestors。　But　in　those　noble

families；　Monsieur　le　comte；　the　legitimate　wife　thought　it　her　duty

to　bear　children　and　bring　them　up　nobly；　as　the　Duchesse　de　Sully；

the　wife　of　the　great　Sully；　said；　a　wife　is　not　an　instrument　of

pleasure；　but　the　honor　and　virtue　of　her　household。〃



〃You　don't　know　women；　my　good　Mathias；〃　said　Paul。　〃In　order　to　be

happy　we　must　love　them　as　they　want　to　be　loved。　Isn't　there

something　brutal　in　at　once　depriving　a　wife　of　her　charms；　and

spoiling　her　beauty　before　she　has　begun　to　enjoy　it？〃



〃If　you　had　had　children　your　wife　would　not　have　dissipated　your

fortune；　she　would　have　stayed　at　home　and　looked　after　them。〃



〃If　you　were　right；　dear　friend；〃　said　Paul；　frowning；　〃I　should　be

still　more　unhappy　than　I　am。　Do　not　aggravate　my　sufferings　by

preaching　to　me　after　my　fall。　Let　me　go；　without　the　pang　of　looking

backward　to　my　mistakes。〃



The　next　day　Mathias　received　a　bill　of　exchange　for　one　hundred　and

fifty　thousand　francs　from　de　Marsay。



〃You　see；〃　said　Paul；　〃he　does　not　write　a　word　to　me。　He　begins　by

obliging　me。　Henri's　nature　is　the　most　imperfectly　perfect；　the　most

illegally　beautiful　that　I　know。　If　you　knew　with　what　superiority

that　man；　still　young；　can　rise　above　sentiments；　above　self…

interests；　and　judge　them；　you　would　be　astonished；　as　I　am；　to　find

how　much　heart　he　has。〃



Mathias　tried　to　battle　with　Paul's　determination；　but　he　found　it

irrevocable；　and　it　was　justified　by　so　many　cogent　reasons　that　the

old　man　finally　ceased　his　endeavors　to　retain　his　client。



It　is　seldom　that　vessels　sail　promptly　at　the　time　appointed；　but　on

this　occasion；　by　a　fateful　circumstance　for　Paul；　the　wind　was　fair

and　the　〃Belle…Amelie〃　sailed　on　the　morrow；　as　expected。　The　quay　was

lined　with　relations；　and　friends；　and　idle　persons。　Among　them　were

several　who　had　formerly　known　Manerville。　His　disaster；　posted　on　the

walls　of　the　town；　made　him　as　celebrated　as　he　was　in　the　days　of　his

wealth　and　fashion。　Curiosity　was　aroused；　every　one　had　their　word　to

say　about　him。　Old　Mathias　accompanied　his　client　to　the　quay；　and　his

sufferings　were　sore　as　he　caught　a　few　words　of　those　remarks：



〃Who　could　recognize　in　that　man　you　see　over　there；　near　old　Mathias；

the　dandy　who　was　called　the　Pink　of　Fashion　five　years　ago；　and　made；

as　they　say；　'fair　weather　and　foul'　in　Bordeaux。〃



〃What！　that　stout；　short　man　in　the　alpaca　overcoat；　who　looks　like　a

groom；is　that　Comte　Paul　de　Manerville？〃



〃Yes；　my　dear；　the　same　who　married　Mademoiselle　Evangelista。　Here　he

is；　ruined；　without　a　penny　to　his　name；　going　out　to　India　to　look

for　luck。〃



〃But　how　did　he　ruin　himself？　he　was　very　rich。〃



〃Oh！　Paris；　women；　play；　luxury；　gambling　at　the　Bourse〃



〃Besides；〃　said　another；　〃Manerville　always　was　a　poor　creature；　no

mind；　soft　as　papier…mache；　he'd　let　anybody　shear　the　wool　from　his

back；　incapable　of　anything；　no　matter　what。　He　was　born　to　be

ruined。〃



Paul　wrung　the　hand　of　the　old　man　and　went　on　board。　Mathias　stood

upon　the　pier；　looking　at　his　client；　who　leaned　against　the　shrouds；

defying　the　crowed　before　him　with　a　glance　of　contempt。　At　the　moment

when　the　sailors　began　to　weigh　anchor；　Paul　noticed　that　Mathias　was

making　signals　to　him　with　his　handkerchief。　The　old　housekeeper　had

hurried　to　her　master；　who　seemed　to　be　excited　by　some　sudden　event。

Paul　asked　the　captain　to　wait　a　moment；　and　send　a　boat　to　the　pier；

which　was　done。　Too　feeble　himself　to　go　aboard；　Mathias　gave　two

letters　to　a　sailor　in　the　boat。



〃My　friend；〃　he　said；　〃this　packet〃　（showing　one　of　the　two　letters）

〃is　important；　it　has　just　arrived　by　a　courier　from　Paris　in　thirty…

five　hours。　State　this　to　Monsieur　le　comte；　don't　neglect　to　do　so；

it　may　change　his　plans。〃



〃Would　he　come　ashore？〃



〃Possibly；　my　friend；〃　said　the　notary；　imprudently。



The　sailor　is；　in　all　lands；　a　being　of　a　race　apart；　holding　all

land…folk　in　contempt。　This　one　happened　to　be　a　bas…Breton；　who　saw

but　one　thing　in　Maitre　Mathias's　request。



〃Come　ashore；　indeed！〃　he　thought；　as　he　rowed。　〃Make　the　captain　lose

a　passenger！　If　one　listened　to　those　walruses　we'd　have　nothing　to　do

but　embark　and　disembark　'em。　He's　afraid　that　son　of　his　will　catch

cold。〃



The　sailor　gave　Paul　the　letter　and　said　not　a　word　of　the　message。

Recognizing　the　handwriting　of　his　wife　and　de　Marsay；　Paul　supposed

that　he　knew　what　they　both　would　urge　upon　him。　Anxious　not　to　be

influenced　by　offers　which　he　believed　their　devotion　to　his　welfare

would　inspire；　he　put　the　letters　in　his　pocket　unread；　with　apparent

indifference。



Absorbed　in　the　sad　thoughts　which　assail　the　strongest　man　under　such

circumstances；　Paul　gave　way　to　his　grief　as　he　waved　his　hand　to　his

old　friend；　and　bade　farewell　to　France；　watching　the　steeples　of

Bordeaux　as　they　fled　out　of　sight。　He　seated　himself　on　a　coil　of

rope。　Night　overtook　him　still　lost　in　thought。　With　the　semi…darkness

of　the　dying　day　came　doubts；　he　cast　an　anxious　eye　into　the　future。

Sounding　it；　and　finding　there　uncertainty　and　danger；　he　asked　his

soul　if　courage　would　fail　him。　A　vague　dread　seized　his　mind　as　he

thought　of　Natalie　left　wholly　to　herself；　he　repented　the　step　he　had

taken；　he　regretted　Paris　and　his　life　there。　Suddenly　sea…sickness

overcame　him。　Every　one　knows　the　effect　of　that　disorder。　The　most

horrible　of　its　sufferings　devoid　of　danger　is　a　complete　dissolution

of　the　will。　An　inexplicable　distress　relaxes　to　their　very　centre　the

cords　of　vitality；　the　soul　no　longer　performs　its　functions；　the

sufferer　becomes　indifferent　to　everything；　the　mother　forgets　her

child；　the　lover　his　mistress；　the　strongest　man　lies　prone；　like　an

inert　mass。　Paul　was　carried　to　his　cabin；　where　he　stayed　three　days；

lying　on　his　back；　gorged　with　grog　by　the　sailors；　or　vomiting；

thinking　of　nothing；　and　sleeping　much。　Then　he　revived　into　a　species

of　convalescence；　and　returned　by　degrees　to　his　ordinary　condition。

The　first　morning　after　he　felt　better　he　went　on　deck　and　passed　the

poop；　breathing　in　the　salt　breezes　of　another　atmosphere。　Putting　his

hands　into　his　pockets　he　felt　the　letters。　At　once　he　opened　them；

beginning　with　that　of　his　wife。



In　order　that　the　letter　of　the　Comtesse　de　Manerville　be　fully

understood；　it　is　necessary　to　give　the　one　which　Paul　had　written　to

her　on　the　day　that　he　left　Paris。



　　From　Paul　de　Manerville　to　his　wife：



　　My　beloved；When　you　read　this　letter　I　shall　be　far　away　from

　　you；　perhaps　already　on　the　vessel　which　is　to　take　me　to　India；

　　where　I　am　going　to　repair　my　shattered　fortune。



　　I　have　not　found　courage　to　tell　you　of　my　departure。　I　have

　　deceived　you；　but　it　was　best　to　do　so。　You　would　only　have　been

　　uselessly　distressed；　you　would　have　wished　to　sacrifice　your

　　fortune；　and　that　I　could　not　have　suffered。　Dear　Natalie；　feel　no

　　remorse；　I　have　no　regrets。　When　I　return　with　millions　I　shall

　　imitate　your　father　and　lay　them　at　your　feet；　as　he　laid　his　at

　　the　feet　of　your　mother；　saying　to　you：　〃All　I　have　is　yours。〃



　　I　love　you　madly；　Natalie；　I　say　this　without　fear　that　the

　　avowal　will　lead　you　to　strain　a　power　which　none　but　weak　men

　　fear；　yours　has　been　boundless　from　the　day　I　knew　you　first。　My

　　love　is　the　only　accomplice　in　my　disaster。　I　have　felt；　as　my

　　ruin　progressed；　the　delirious　joys　of　a　gambler；　as　the　money

　　diminished；　so　my　enjoyment　grew。　Each　fragment　of　my　fortune

　　turned　into　some　little　pleasure　for　you　gave　me　untold　happiness。

　　I　could　have　wished　that　you　had　more　caprices　that　I　might

　　gratify　them　all。　I　knew　I　was　marching　to　a　precipice；　but　I　went

　　on　crowned　with　joys　of　which　a　common　heart　knows　nothing。　I　have

　　acted　like　those　lovers　who　take　refuge　in　a　cottage　on　the　shores

　　of　some　lake　for　a　year　or　two；　resolved　to　kill　themselves　at

　　last；　dying　thus　in　all　the　glory　of　their　illusions　and　their

　　love。　I　have　always　thought　such　persons　infinitely　sensible。



　　You　have　known　nothing　of　my　pleasures　or　my　sacrifices。　The

　　greatest　joy　of　all　was　to　hide　from　the　one　beloved　the　cost　of

　　her　desires。　I　can　reveal　these　secrets　to　you　now；　for　when　you

　　hold　this　paper；