the girl with the golden eyes-第16节

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〃Give　me　my　robe；〃　said　Henri；　insidiously。

〃No；　no！〃　she　answered　quickly；　〃be　what　you　are；　one　of　those　angels
whom　I　have　been　taught　to　hate；　and　in　whom　I　only　saw　ogres；　whilst
you　are　what　is　fairest　under　the　skies；〃　she　said；　caressing　Henri's
hair。　〃You　do　not　know　how　silly　I　am。　I　have　learned　nothing。　Since　I
was　twelve　years　old　I　have　been　shut　up　without　ever　seeing　any　one。
I　can　neither　read　nor　write；　I　can　only　speak　English　and　Spanish。〃

〃How　is　it；　then；　that　you　receive　letters　from　London？〃

〃My　letters？　。　。　。　See；　here　they　are！〃　she　said；　proceeding　to　take
some　papers　out　of　a　tall　Japanese　vase。

She　offered　De　Marsay　some　letters；　in　which　the　young　man　saw；　with
surprise；　strange　figures；　similar　to　those　of　a　rebus；　traced　in
blood；　and　illustrating　phrases　full　of　passion。

〃But；〃　he　cried；　marveling　at　these　hieroglyphics　created　by　the
alertness　of　jealousy；　〃you　are　in　the　power　of　an　infernal　genius？〃

〃Infernal；〃　she　repeated。

〃But　how；　then；　were　you　able　to　get　out？〃

〃Ah！〃　she　said；　〃that　was　my　ruin。　I　drove　Dona　Concha　to　choose
between　the　fear　of　immediate　death　and　anger　to　be。　I　had　the
curiosity　of　a　demon；　I　wished　to　break　the　bronze　circle　which　they
had　described　between　creation　and　me；　I　wished　to　see　what　young
people　were　like；　for　I　knew　nothing　of　man　except　the　Marquis　and
Cristemio。　Our　coachman　and　the　lackey　who　accompanies　us　are　old
men。　。　。　。〃

〃But　you　were　not　always　thus　shut　up？　Your　health　。　。　。　？〃

〃Ah；〃　she　answered；　〃we　used　to　walk；　but　it　was　at　night　and　in　the
country；　by　the　side　of　the　Seine；　away　from　people。〃

〃Are　you　not　proud　of　being　loved　like　that？〃

〃No；〃　she　said；　〃no　longer。　However　full　it　be；　this　hidden　life　is
but　darkness　in　comparison　with　the　light。〃

〃What　do　you　call　the　light？〃

〃Thee；　my　lovely　Adolphe！　Thee；　for　whom　I　would　give　my　life。　All　the
passionate　things　that　have　been　told　me；　and　that　I　have　inspired；　I
feel　for　thee！　For　a　certain　time　I　understood　nothing　of　existence；
but　now　I　know　what　love　is；　and　hitherto　I　have　been　the　loved　one
only；　for　myself；　I　did　not　love。　I　would　give　up　everything　for　you；
take　me　away。　If　you　like；　take　me　as　a　toy；　but　let　me　be　near　you
until　you　break　me。〃

〃You　will　have　no　regrets？〃

〃Not　one〃！　she　said；　letting　him　read　her　eyes；　whose　golden　tint　was
pure　and　clear。

〃Am　I　the　favored　one？〃　said　Henri　to　himself。　If　he　suspected　the
truth；　he　was　ready　at　that　time　to　pardon　the　offence　in　view　of　a
love　so　single　minded。　〃I　shall　soon　see；〃　he　thought。

If　Paquita　owed　him　no　account　of　the　past；　yet　the　least　recollection
of　it　became　in　his　eyes　a　crime。　He　had　therefore　the　sombre　strength
to　withhold　a　portion　of　his　thought；　to　study　her；　even　while
abandoning　himself　to　the　most　enticing　pleasures　that　ever　peri
descended　from　the　skies　had　devised　for　her　beloved。

Paquita　seemed　to　have　been　created　for　love　by　a　particular　effort　of
nature。　In　a　night　her　feminine　genius　had　made　the　most　rapid
progress。　Whatever　might　be　the　power　of　this　young　man；　and　his
indifference　in　the　matter　of　pleasures；　in　spite　of　his　satiety　of
the　previous　night；　he　found　in　the　girl　with　the　golden　eyes　that
seraglio　which　a　loving　woman　knows　how　to　create　and　which　a　man
never　refuses。　Paquita　responded　to　that　passion　which　is　felt　by　all
really　great　men　for　the　infinitethat　mysterious　passion　so
dramatically　expressed　in　Faust；　so　poetically　translated　in　Manfred；
and　which　urged　Don　Juan　to　search　the　heart　of　women；　in　his　hope　to
find　there　that　limitless　thought　in　pursuit　of　which　so　many　hunters
after　spectres　have　started；　which　wise　men　think　to　discover　in
science；　and　which　mystics　find　in　God　alone。　The　hope　of　possessing
at　last　the　ideal　being　with　whom　the　struggle　could　be　constant　and
tireless　ravished　De　Marsay；　who；　for　the　first　time　for　long；　opened
his　heart。　His　nerves　expanded；　his　coldness　was　dissipated　in　the
atmosphere　of　that　ardent　soul；　his　hard　and　fast　theories　melted
away；　and　happiness　colored　his　existence　to　the　tint　of　the　rose　and
white　boudoir。　Experiencing　the　sting　of　a　higher　pleasure；　he　was
carried　beyond　the　limits　within　which　he　had　hitherto　confined
passion。　He　would　not　be　surpassed　by　this　girl；　whom　a　somewhat
artificial　love　had　formed　all　ready　for　the　needs　of　his　soul；　and
then　he　found　in　that　vanity　which　urges　a　man　to　be　in　all　things　a
victor；　strength　enough　to　tame　the　girl；　but；　at　the　same　time；　urged
beyond　that　line　where　the　soul　is　mistress　over　herself；　he　lost
himself　in　these　delicious　limboes；　which　the　vulgar　call　so　foolishly
〃the　imaginary　regions。〃　He　was　tender；　kind；　and　confidential。　He
affected　Paquita　almost　to　madness。

〃Why　should　we　not　go　to　Sorrento；　to　Nice；　to　Chiavari；　and　pass　all
our　life　so？　Will　you？〃　he　asked　of　Paquita；　in　a　penetrating　voice。

〃Was　there　need　to　say　to　me：　'Will　you'？〃　she　cried。　〃Have　I　a　will？
I　am　nothing　apart　from　you；　except　in　so　far　as　I　am　a　pleasure　for
you。　If　you　would　choose　a　retreat　worthy　of　us；　Asia　is　the　only
country　where　love　can　unfold　his　wings。　。　。　。〃

〃You　are　right；〃　answered　Henri。　〃Let　us　go　to　the　Indies；　there　where
spring　is　eternal；　where　the　earth　grows　only　flowers；　where　man　can
display　the　magnificence　of　kings　and　none　shall　say　him　nay；　as　in
the　foolish　lands　where　they　would　realize　the　dull　chimera　of
equality。　Let　us　go　to　the　country　where　one　lives　in　the　midst　of　a
nation　of　slaves；　where　the　sun　shines　ever　on　a　palace　which　is
always　white；　where　the　air　sheds　perfumes；　the　birds　sing　of　love　and
where；　when　one　can　love　no　more；　one　dies。　。　。　。〃

〃And　where　one　dies　together！〃　said　Paquita。　〃But　do　not　let　us　start
to…morrow；　let　us　start　this　moment　。　。　。　take　Cristemio。〃

〃Faith！　pleasure　is　the　fairest　climax　of　life。　Let　us　go　to　Asia；　but
to　start；　my　child；　one　needs　much　gold；　and　to　have　gold　one　must　set
one's　affairs　in　order。〃

She　understood　no　part　of　these　ideas。

〃Gold！　There　is　a　pile　of　it　hereas　high　as　that；〃　she　said　holding
up　her　hand。

〃It　is　not　mine。〃

〃What　does　that　matter？〃　she　went　on；　〃if　we　have　need　of　it　let　us
take　it。〃

〃It　does　not　belong　to　you。〃

〃Belong！〃　she　repeated。　〃Have　you　not　taken　me？　When　we　have　taken　it；
it　will　belong　to　us。〃

He　gave　a　laugh。

〃Poor　innocent！　You　know　nothing　of　the　world。〃

〃Nay；　but　this　is　what　I　know；〃　she　cried；　clasping　Henri　to　her。

At　the　very　moment　when　De　Marsay　was　forgetting　all；　and　conceiving
the　desire　to　appropriate　this　creature　forever；　he　received　in　the
midst　of　his　joy　a　dagger…thrust；　which　Paquita；　who　had　lifted　him
vigorously　in　the　air；　as　though　to　contemplate　him；　exclaimed：　〃Oh；
Margarita！〃

〃Margarita！〃　cried　the　young　man；　with　a　roar；　〃now　I　know　all　that　I
still　tried　to　disbelieve。〃

He　leaped　upon　the　cabinet　in　which　the　long　poniard　was　kept。　Happily
for　Paquita　and　for　himself；　the　cupboard　was　shut。　His　fury　waxed　at
this　impediment；　but　he　recovered　his　tranquillity；　went　and　found　his
cravat；　and　advanced　towards　her　with　an　air　of　such　ferocious　meaning
that；　without　knowing　of　what　crime　she　had　been　guilty；　Paquita
understood；　none　the　less；　that　her　life　was　in　question。　With　one
bound　she　rushed　to　the　other　end　of　the　room　to　escape　the　fatal　knot
which　De　Marsay　tried　to　pass　round　her　neck。　There　was　a　struggle。　On
either　side　there　was　an　equality　of　strength；　agility；　and
suppleness。　To　end　the　combat　Paquita　threw　between　the　legs　of　her
lover　a　cushion　which　made　him　fall；　and　profited　by　the　respite　which
this　advantage　gave　to　her；　to　push　the　button　of　the　spring　which
caused　the　bell　to　ring。　Promptly　the　mulatto　arrived。　In　a　second
Cristemio　leaped　on　De　Marsay　and　held　him　down　with　one　foot　on　his
chest；　his　heel　turned　towards　the　throat。　De　Marsay　realized　that；　if
he　struggled；　at　a　single　sign　from　Paquita　he　would　be　instantly
crushed。

〃Why　did　you　want　to　kill　me；　my　beloved？〃　she　said。　De　Marsay　made　no
reply。

〃In　what　have　I　angered　you？〃　she　asked。　〃Speak；　let　us　understand
each　other。〃

Henri　maintained　the　phlegmatic　attitude　of　a　strong　man　who　feels
himself　vanquished；　his　countenance；　cold；　silent；　entirely　English；
revealed　the　consciousness　of　his　dignity　in　a　momentary　resignation。
Moreover；　he　had　already　thought；　in　spite　of　the　vehemence　of　his
anger；　that　it　was　scarcely　prudent　to　compromise　himself　with　the　law
by　killing　this　girl　on　the　spur　of　the　moment；　before　he　had　arranged
the　murder　in　such　a　manner　as　should　insure　his　impunity。

〃My　beloved；〃　went　on　Paquita；　〃speak　to　me；　do　not　leave　me　without
one　loving　farewell！　I　would　not　keep　in　my　heart　the　terror　which　you
have　just　inspired　in　it。　。　。　。　Will　you　speak？〃　she　said；　stamping
her　foot　with　anger。

De　Marsay；　for　all　reply；　gave　her　a　glance；　which　signified　so
plainly；　〃/You　must　die！/〃　that　Paquita　threw　herself　upon　him。

〃Ah；　well；　you　want　to　kill　me！　。　。　。　If　my　death　can　give　you　any
pleasurekill　me！〃

She　made　a　sign　to　Cristemio；　who　withdrew　his　foot　from　the　body　of
the　young　man；　and　retired　without　lett