a daughter of eve-第25节

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longer　influenced　by　the　thought　of　an　imminent　danger　in　that

direction。　But　she　remembered　the　vehement　energy　with　which　the

countess　had　declared　that　she　would　fly　with　Nathan　if　that　would

save　him。　She　saw　that　the　man　might　determine　her　sister　in　some

paroxysm　of　gratitude　and　love　to　take　a　step　which　was　nothing　short

of　madness。　There　were　recent　examples　in　the　highest　society　of　just

such　flights　which　paid　for　doubtful　pleasures　by　lasting　remorse　and

the　disrepute　of　a　false　position。　Du　Tillet's　speech　brought　her

fears　to　a　point；　she　dreaded　lest　all　should　be　discovered；　she　knew

her　sister's　signature　was　in　Nucingen's　hands；　and　she　resolved　to

entreat　Marie　to　save　herself　by　confessing　all　to　Felix。



She　drove　to　her　sister's　house；　but　Marie　was　not　at　home。　Felix　was

there。　A　voice　within　her　cried　aloud　to　Eugenie　to　save　her　sister；

the　morrow　might　be　too　late。　She　took　a　vast　responsibility　upon

herself；　but　she　resolved　to　tell　all　to　the　count。　Surely　he　would　be

indulgent　when　he　knew　that　his　honor　was　still　safe。　The　countess　was

deluded　rather　than　sinful。　Eugenie　feared　to　be　treacherous　and　base

in　revealing　secrets　that　society　（agreeing　on　this　point）　holds　to　be

inviolable；　butshe　saw　her　sister's　future；　she　trembled　lest　she

should　some　day　be　deserted；　ruined　by　Nathan；　poor；　suffering；

disgraced；　wretched；　and　she　hesitated　no　longer；　she　sent　in　her　name

and　asked　to　see　the　count。



Felix；　astonished　at　the　visit；　had　a　long　conversation　with　his

sister…in…law；　in　which　he　seemed　so　calm；　so　completely　master　of

himself；　that　she　feared　he　might　have　taken　some　terrible　resolution。



〃Do　not　be　uneasy；〃　he　said；　seeing　her　anxiety。　〃I　will　act　in　a

manner　which　shall　make　your　sister　bless　you。　However　much　you　may

dislike　to　keep　the　fact　that　you　have　spoken　to　me　from　her

knowledge；　I　must　entreat　you　to　do　so。　I　need　a　few　days　to　search

into　mysteries　which　you　don't　perceive；　and；　above　all；　I　must　act

cautiously。　Perhaps　I　can　learn　all　in　a　day。　I；　alone；　my　dear

sister；　am　the　guilty　person。　All　lovers　play　their　game；　and　it　is

not　every　woman　who　is　able；　unassisted；　to　see　life　as　it　is。〃



Madame　du　Tillet　returned　home　comforted。　Felix　de　Vandenesse　drew

forty　thousand　francs　from　the　Bank　of　France；　and　went　direct　to

Madame　de　Nucingen　He　found　her　at　home；　thanked　her　for　the

confidence　she　had　placed　in　his　wife；　and　returned　the　money；

explaining　that　the　countess　had　obtained　this　mysterious　loan　for　her

charities；　which　were　so　profuse　that　he　was　trying　to　put　a　limit　to

them。



〃Give　me　no　explanations；　monsieur；　since　Madame　de　Vandenesse　has

told　you　all；〃　said　the　Baronne　de　Nucingen。



〃She　knows　the　truth；〃　thought　Vandenesse。



Madame　de　Nucingen　returned　to　him　Marie's　letter　of　guarantee；　and

sent　to　the　bank　for　the　four　notes。　Vandenesse；　during　the　short　time

that　these　arrangements　kept　him　waiting；　watched　the　baroness　with

the　eye　of　a　statesman；　and　he　thought　the　moment　propitious　for

further　negotiation。



〃We　live　in　an　age；　madame；　when　nothing　is　sure；〃　he　said。　〃Even

thrones　rise　and　fall　in　France　with　fearful　rapidity。　Fifteen　years

have　wreaked　their　will　on　a　great　empire；　a　monarchy；　and　a

revolution。　No　one　can　now　dare　to　count　upon　the　future。　You　know　my

attachment　to　the　cause　of　legitimacy。　Suppose　some　catastrophe；　would

you　not　be　glad　to　have　a　friend　in　the　conquering　party？〃



〃Undoubtedly；〃　she　said；　smiling。



〃Very　good；　then；　will　you　have　in　me；　secretly；　an　obliged　friend　who

could　be　of　use　to　Monsieur　de　Nucingen　in　such　a　case；　by　supporting

his　claim　to　the　peerage　he　is　seeking？〃



〃What　do　you　want　of　me？〃　she　asked。



〃Very　little；〃　he　replied。　〃All　that　you　know　about　Nathan's　affairs。〃



The　baroness　repeated　to　him　her　conversation　with　Rastignac；　and

said；　as　she　gave　him　the　four　notes；　which　the　cashier　had　meantime

brought　to　her：



〃Don't　forget　your　promise。〃



So　little　did　Vandenesse　forget　this　illusive　promise　that　he　used　it

again　on　Baron　Eugene　de　Rastignac　to　obtain　from　him　certain　other

information。　Leaving　Rastignac's　apartments；　he　dictated　to　a　street

amanuensis　the　following　note　to　Florine。



　　〃If　Mademoiselle　Florine　wishes　to　know　of　a　part　she　may　play　she

　　is　requested　to　come　to　the　masked　opera　at　the　Opera　next　Sunday

　　night；　accompanied　by　Monsieur　Nathan。〃



To　this　ball　he　determined　to　take　his　wife　and　let　her　own　eyes

enlighten　her　as　to　the　relations　between　Nathan　and　Florine。　He　knew

the　jealous　pride　of　the　countess；　he　wanted　to　make　her　renounce　her

love　of　her　own　will；　without　causing　her　to　blush　before　him；　and

then　to　return　to　her　her　own　letters；　sold　by　Florine；　from　whom　he

expected　to　be　able　to　buy　them。　This　judicious　plan；　rapidly

conceived　and　partly　executed；　might　fail　through　some　trick　of　chance

which　meddles　with　all　things　here　below。



After　dinner　that　evening；　Felix　brought　the　conversation　round　to　the

masked　balls　of　the　Opera；　remarking　that　Marie　had　never　been　to　one；

and　proposing　that　she　should　accompany　him　the　following　evening。



〃I'll　find　you　some　one　to　'intriguer；'〃　he　said。



〃Ah！　I　wish　you　would；〃　she　replied。



〃To　do　the　thing　well；　a　woman　ought　to　fasten　upon　some　good　prey；　a

celebrity；　a　man　of　enough　wit　to　give　and　take。　There's　Nathan；　will

you　have　him？　I　know；　through　a　friend　of　Florine；　certain　secrets　of

his　which　would　drive　him　crazy。〃



〃Florine？〃　said　the　countess。　〃Do　you　mean　the　actress？〃



Marie　had　already　heard　that　name　from　the　lips　of　the　watchman

Quillet；　it　now　shot　like　a　flash　of　lightning　through　her　soul。



〃Yes；　his　mistress；〃　replied　the　count。　〃What　is　there　so　surprising

in　that？〃



〃I　thought　Monsieur　Nathan　too　busy　to　have　a　mistress。　Do　authors

have　time　to　make　love？〃



〃I　don't　say　they　love；　my　dear；　but　they　are　forced　to　LODGE

somewhere；　like　other　men；　and　when　they　haven't　a　home　of　their　own

they　LODGE　with　their　mistresses；　which　may　seem　to　you　rather　loose；

but　it　is　far　more　agreeable　than　lodging　in　a　prison。〃



Fire　was　less　red　than　Marie's　cheeks。



〃Will　you　have　him　for　a　victim？　I　can　help　you　to　terrify　him；〃

continued　the　count；　not　looking　at　his　wife's　face。　〃I'll　put　you　in

the　way　of　proving　to　him　that　he　is　being　tricked　like　a　child　by

your　brother…in…law　du　Tillet。　That　wretch　is　trying　to　put　Nathan　in

prison　so　as　to　make　him　ineligible　to　stand　against　him　in　the

electoral　college。　I　know；　through　a　friend　of　Florine；　the　exact　sum

derived　from　the　sale　of　her　furniture；　which　she　gave　to　Nathan　to

found　his　newspaper；　I　know；　too；　what　she　sent　him　out　of　her

summer's　harvest　in　the　departments　and　in　Belgium；money　which　has

really　gone　to　the　profit　of　du　Tillet；　Nucingen；　and　Massol。　All

three　of　them；　unknown　to　Nathan；　have　privately　sold　the　paper　to　the

new　ministry；　so　sure　are　they　of　ejecting　him。〃



〃Monsieur　Nathan　is　incapable　of　accepting　money　from　an　actress。〃



〃You　don't　know　that　class　of　people；　my　dear；〃　said　the　count。　〃He

would　not　deny　the　fact　if　you　asked　him。〃



〃I　will　certainly　go　to　the　ball；〃　said　the　countess。



〃You　will　be　very　much　amused；〃　replied　Vandenesse。　〃With　such　weapons

in　hand　you　can　cut　Nathan's　complacency　to　the　quick；　and　you　will

also　do　him　a　great　service。　You　will　put　him　in　a　fury；　he'll　try　to

be　calm；　though　inwardly　fuming；　but；　all　the　same；　you　will　enlighten

a　man　of　talent　as　to　the　peril　in　which　he　really　stands；　and　you

will　also　have　the　satisfaction　of　laming　the　horses　of　the　'juste…

milieu'　in　their　stalls　But　you　are　not　listening　to　me；　my　dear。〃



〃On　the　contrary；　I　am　listening　intently；〃　she　said。　〃I　will　tell　you

later　why　I　feel　desirous　to　know　the　truth　of　all　this。〃



〃You　shall　know　it；〃　said　Vandenesse。　〃If　you　stay　masked　I　will　take

you　to　supper　with　Nathan　and　Florine；　it　would　be　rather　amusing　for

a　woman　of　your　rank　to　fool　an　actress　after　bewildering　the　wits　of

a　clever　man　about　these　important　facts；　you　can　harness　them　both　to

the　same　hoax。　I'll　make　some　inquiries　about　Nathan's　infidelities；

and　if　I　discover　any　of　his　recent　adventures　you　shall　enjoy　the

sight　of　a　courtesan's　fury；　it　is　magnificent。　Florine　will　boil　and

foam　like　an　Alpine　torrent；　she　adores　Nathan；　he　is　everything　to

her；　she　clings　to　him　like　flesh　to　the　bones　or　a　lioness　to　her

cubs。　I　remember　seeing；　in　my　youth；　a　celebrated　actress　（who　wrote

like　a　scullion）　when　she　came　to　a　friend　of　mine　to　demand　her

letters。　I　have　never　seen　such　a　sight　again；　such　calm　fury；　such

insolent　majesty；　such　savage　self…control　Are　you　ill；　Marie？〃



〃No；　they　have　made　too　much　fire。〃　The　countess　turned　away　and　threw

herself　on　a　sofa。　Suddenly；　with　an　unforeseen　movement；　impelled　by

the　horrible　anguish　o