derues-第8节

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it　seems　odd　to　you　that　a　man　of　my　age　should　be　anxious　about　so　little；　as　though　he　were　a　love…sick　youth；　but　for　some　time　past　I　have　had　presentiments　of　evil；　and　I　am　really　becoming　superstitious！〃

He　again　stood　still；　gazing　up　the　river；　and；　seeing　nothing；　resumed　his　place　between　the　two　priests；　who　had　continued　their　walk。

〃Yes；〃　he　continued；　〃I　have　presentiments　which　refuse　to　be　shaken　off。　　I　am　not　so　old　that　age　can　have　weakened　my　powers　and　reduced　me　to　childishness；　I　cannot　even　say　what　I　am　afraid　of；　but　separation　is　painful　and　causes　an　involuntary　terror。　　Strange；　is　it　not？　　Formerly；　I　used　to　leave　my　wife　for　months　together；　when　she　was　young　and　my　son　only；　an　infant；　I　loved　her　passionately；　yet　I　could　go　with　pleasure。　　Why；　I　wonder；　is　it　so　different　now？　　Why　should　a　journey　to　Paris　on　business；　and　a　few　hours'　delay；　make；　me　so　terribly　uneasy？　　Do　you　remember；　my　father；〃　he　resumed；　after　a　pause；　turning　to　the　cure；〃　do　you　remember　how　lovely　Marie　looked　on　our　wedding…day？　　Do　you　remember　her　dazzling　complexion　and　the　innocent　candour　of　her　expression？…　…the　sure　token　of　the　most　truthful　and　purest　of　minds！　　That　is　why　I　love　her　so　much　now；　we　do　not　now　sigh　for　one　another；　but　the　second　love　is　stronger　than　the　first；　for　it　is　founded　on　recollection；　and　is　tranquil　and　confident　in　friendship　。　　。　　。　　。　It　is　strange　that　they　have　not　returned；　something　must　have　happened！　　If　they　do　not　return　this　evening；　and　I　do　not　now　think　it　possible；　I　shall　go　to　Paris　myself　to…morrow。〃

〃I　think；〃　said　the　other　priest；　〃that　at　twenty　you　must　indeed　have　been　excitable；　a　veritable　tinder…box；　to　have　retained　so　much　energy！　　Come；　monsieur；　try　to　calm　yourself　and　have　patience：　you　yourself　admit　it　can　only　be　a　few　hours'　delay。〃

〃But　my　son　accompanied　his　mother；　and　he　is　our　only　one；　and　so　delicate！　　He　alone　remains　of　our　three　children；　and　you　do　not　realise　how　the　affection　of　parents　who　feel　age　approaching　is　concentrated　on　an　only　child！　　If　I　lost　Edouard　I　should　die！〃

〃I　suppose；　then；　as　you　let　him　go；　his　presence　at　Paris　was　necessary？〃

〃No；　his　mother　went　to　obtain　a　loan　which　is　needed　for　the　improvements　required　on　the　estate。〃

〃Why；　then；　did　you　let　him　go？〃

〃I　would　willingly　have　kept　him　here；　but　his　mother　wished　to　take　him。　　A　separation　is　as　trying　to　her　as　to　me；　and　we　all　but　quarrelled　over　it。　　I　gave　way。〃

〃There　was　one　way　of　satisfying　all　threeyou　might　have　gone　also。〃

〃Yes；　but　Monsieur　le　cure　will　tell　you　that　a　fortnight　ago　I　was　chained　to　my　arm…chair；　swearing　under　my　breath　like　a　pagan；　and　cursing　the　follies　of　my　youth！Forgive　me；　my　father；　I　mean　that　I　had　the　gout；　and　I　forgot　that　I　am　not　the　only　sufferer；　and　that　it　racks　the　old　age　of　the　philosopher　quite　as　much　as　that　of　the　courtier。〃

The　fresh　wind　which　often　rises　just　at　sunset　was　already　rustling　in　the　leaves；　long　shadows　darkened　the　course　of　the　Yonne　and　stretched　across　the　plain；　the　water；　slightly　troubled；　reflected　a　confused　outline　of　its　banks　and　the　clouded　blue　of　the　sky。　　The　three　gentlemen　stopped　at　the　end　of　the　terrace　and　gazed　into　the　already　fading　distance。　　A　black　spot；　which　they　had　just　observed　in　the　middle　of　the　river；　caught　a　gleam　of　light　in　passing　a　low　meadow　between　two　hills；　and　for　a　moment　took　shape　as　a　barge；　then　was　lost　again；　and　could　not　be　distinguished　from　the　water。　Another　moment；　and　it　reappeared　more　distinctly；　it　was　indeed　a　barge；　and　now　the　horse　could　be　seen　towing　it　against　the　current。　Again　it　was　lost　at　a　bend　of　the　river　shaded　by　willows；　and　they　had　to　resign　themselves　to　incertitude　for　several　minutes。　　Then　a　white　handkerchief　was　waved　on　the　prow　of　the　boat；　and　Monsieur　de　Lamotte　uttered　a　joyful　exclamation。

〃It　is　indeed　they！〃　he　cried。　　〃Do　you　see　them；　Monsieur　le　cure？　I　see　my　boy；　he　is　waving　the　handkerchief；　and　his　mother　is　with　him。　　But　I　think　there　is　a　third　personyes；　there　is　a　man；　is　there　not？　　Look　well。〃

〃Indeed；〃　said　the　cure；　〃if　my　bad　sight　does　not　deceive　me；　I　should　say　there　was　someone　seated　near　the　rudder；　but　it　looks　like　a　child。〃

〃Probably　someone　from　the　neighbourhood；　who　has　profited　by　the　chance　of　a　lift　home。〃

The　boat　was　advancing　rapidly；　they　could　now　hear　the　cracking　of　the　whip　with　which　the　servant　urged　on　the　tow…horse。　　And　now　it　stopped；　at　an　easy　landing…place；　barely　fifty　paces　from　the　terrace。　　Madame　de　Lamotte　landed　with　her　son　and　the　stranger；　and　her　husband　descended　from　the　terrace　to　meet　her。　　Long　before　he　arrived　at　the　garden　gate；　his　son's　arms　were　around　his　neck。

〃Are　you　quite　well；　Edouard　？〃

〃Oh　yes；　perfectly。〃

〃And　your　mother？〃

〃Quite　well　too。　　She　is　behind；　in　as　great　a　hurry　to　meet　you　as　I　am。　　But　she　can't　run　as　I　do；　and　you　must　go　half…way。〃

〃Whom　have　you　brought　with　you？〃

〃A　gentleman　from　Paris。〃

〃From　Paris？〃

〃Yes；　a　Monsieur　Derues。　　But　mamma　will　tell　you　all　about　that。　Here　she　is。〃

The　cure　and　the　monk　arrived　just　as　Monsieur　de　Lamotte　folded　his　wife　in　his　arms。　　Although　she　had　passed　her　fortieth　year；　she　was　still　beautiful　enough　to　justify　her　husband's　eulogism。　　A　moderate　plumpness　had　preserved　the　freshness　and　softness　of　her　skin；　her　smile　was　charming；　and　her　large　blue　eyes　expressed　both　gentleness　and　goodness。　　Seen　beside　this　smiling　and　serene　countenance；　the　appearance　of　the　stranger　was　downright　repulsive；　and　Monsieur　de　Lamotte　could　hardly　repress　a　start　of　disagreeable　surprise　at　the　pitiful　and　sordid　aspect　of　this　diminutive　person；　who　stood　apart；　looking　overwhelmed　by　conscious　inferiority。　　He　was　still　more　astonished　when　he　saw　his　son　take　him　by　the　hand　with　friendly　kindness；　and　heard　him　say

〃Will　you　come　with　me；　my　friend？　　We　will　follow　my　father　and　mother。〃

Madame　de　Lamotte；　having　greeted　the　cure；　looked　at　the　monk；　who　was　a　stranger　to　her。　　A　word　or　two　explained　matters；　and　she　took　her　husband's　arm；　declining　to　answer　any　questions　until　she　reached　the　louse；　and　laughing　at　his　curiosity。

Pierre…Etienne　de　Saint…Faust　de　Lamotte；　one　of　the　king's　equerries；　seigneur　of　Grange…Flandre；　Valperfond；　etc。；　had　married　Marie…Francoise　Perier　in　1760。　　Their　fortune　resembled　many　others　of　that　period：　it　was　more　nominal　than　actual；　more　showy　than　solid。　　Not　that　the　husband　and　wife　had　any　cause　for　self…reproach；　or　that　their　estates　had　suffered　from　dissipation；　unstained　by　the　corrupt　manners　of　the　period；　their　union　had　been　a　model　of　sincere　affection；　of　domestic　virtue　and　mutual　confidence。　　Marie…Francoise　was　quite　beautiful　enough　to　have　made　a　sensation　in　society；　but　she　renounced　it　of　her　own　accord；　in　order　to　devote　herself　to　the　duties　of　a　wife　and　mother。　　The　only　serious　grief　she　and　her　husband　had　experienced　was　the　loss　of　two　young　children。　　Edouard；　though　delicate　from　his　birth；　had　nevertheless　passed　the　trying　years　of　infancy　and　early　adolescence；　he　was　them　nearly　fourteen。　　With　a　sweet　and　rather　effeminate　expression；　blue　eyes　and　a　pleasant　smile；　he　was　a　striking　likeness　of　his　mother。　　His　father's　affection　exaggerated　the　dangers　which　threatened　the　boy；　and　in　his　eyes　the　slightest　indisposition　became　a　serious　malady；　his　mother　shared　these　fears；　and　in　consequence　of　this　anxiety　Edouard's　education　had　been　much　neglected。　　He　had　been　brought　up　at　Buisson…Souef；　and　allowed　to　run　wild　from　morning　till　night；　like　a　young　fawn；　exercising　the　vigour　and　activity　of　its　limbs。　　He　had　still　the　simplicity　and　general　ignorance　of　a　child　of　nine　or　ten。

The　necessity　of　appearing　at　court　and　suitably　defraying　the　expenses　of　his　office　had　made　great　inroads　on　Monsieur　de　Lamotte's　fortune。　　He　had　of　late　lived　at　Buisson…Souef　in　the　most　complete　retirement；　but　notwithstanding　this　too　long　deferred　attention　to　his　affairs；　his　property　was　ruining　him；　for　the　place　required　a　large　expenditure；　and　absorbed　a　large　amount　of　his　income　without　making　any　tangible　return。　　He　had　always　hesitated　to　dispose　of　the　estate　on　account　of　its　associations；　it　was　there　he　had　met；　courted；　and　married　his　beloved　wife；　there　that　the　happy　days　of　their　youth　had　been　spent；　there　that　they　both　wished　to　grow　old　together。

Such　was　the　family　to　which　accident　had　now　introduced　Derues。　　The　unfavourable　impression　made　on　Monsieur　de　Lamotte　had　not　passed　unperceived　by　him；　but；　being　quite　accustomed　to　the　instinctive　repugnance　which　his　first　appearance　generally　inspired；　Derues　had　made　a　successful　study　of　how　to　combat　and　efface　this　antagonistic　feeling；　and　replace　it　by　confidence；　using　different　means　according　to　the　persons　he　had　to　deal　with。　　He　understood　at　once　that　vulgar　methods　would　be　useless　with　Monsieur　de　Lamotte；　whose　appearance　and　manners　indicated　both　the　man　of　the　world　and　the　man　of　intelligence；　and　also　he　had　to　consider　the　two　priests；　who　were　both　observing　him　attentively。　　Fearing　a　false