a daughter of eve-第4节

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under　a　weight　of　troubles　too　heavy　for　her　soul　to　bear；　was　lying

back　on　the　sofa　with　bent　limbs；　and　her　head　tossing　restlessly。　She

had　rushed　to　her　sister's　house　after　a　brief　appearance　at　the

Opera。　Flowers　were　still　in　her　hair；　but　others　were　scattered　upon

the　carpet；　together　with　her　gloves；　her　silk　pelisse；　and　muff　and

hood。　Tears　were　mingling　with　the　pearls　on　her　bosom；　her　swollen

eyes　appeared　to　make　strange　confidences。　In　the　midst　of　so　much

luxury　her　distress　was　horrible；　and　she　seemed　unable　to　summon

courage　to　speak。



〃Poor　darling！〃　said　Madame　du　Tillet；　〃what　a　mistaken　idea　you　have

of　my　marriage　if　you　think　that　I　can　help　you！〃



Hearing　this　revelation；　dragged　from　her　sister's　heart　by　the

violence　of　the　storm　she　herself　had　raised　there；　the　countess

looked　with　stupefied　eyes　at　the　banker's　wife；　her　tears　stopped；

and　her　eyes　grew　fixed。



〃Are　you　in　misery　as　well；　my　dearest？〃　she　said；　in　a　low　voice。



〃My　griefs　will　not　ease　yours。〃



〃But　tell　them　to　me；　darling；　I　am　not　yet　too　selfish　to　listen。　Are

we　to　suffer　together　once　more；　as　we　did　in　girlhood？〃



〃But　alas！　we　suffer　apart；〃　said　the　banker's　wife。　〃You　and　I　live

in　two　worlds　at　enmity　with　each　other。　I　go　to　the　Tuileries　when

you　are　not　there。　Our　husbands　belong　to　opposite　parties。　I　am　the

wife　of　an　ambitious　banker；a　bad　man；　my　darling；　while　you　have　a

noble；　kind；　and　generous　husband。〃



〃Oh！　don't　reproach　me！〃　cried　the　countess。　〃To　understand　my

position；　a　woman　must　have　borne　the　weariness　of　a　vapid　and　barren

life；　and　have　entered　suddenly　into　a　paradise　of　light　and　love；　she

must　know　the　happiness　of　feeling　her　whole　life　in　that　of　another；

of　espousing；　as　it　were；　the　infinite　emotions　of　a　poet's　soul；　of

living　a　double　existence；going；　coming　with　him　in　his　courses

through　space；　through　the　world　of　ambition；　suffering　with　his

griefs；　rising　on　the　wings　of　his　high　pleasures；　developing　her

faculties　on　some　vast　stage；　and　all　this　while　living　calm；　serene；

and　cold　before　an　observing　world。　Ah！　dearest；　what　happiness　in

having　at　all　hours　an　enormous　interest；　which　multiplies　the　fibres

of　the　heart　and　varies　them　indefinitely！　to　feel　no　longer　cold

indifference！　to　find　one's　very　life　depending　on　a　thousand　trifles！

on　a　walk　where　an　eye　will　beam　to　us　from　a　crowd；　on　a　glance

which　pales　the　sun！　Ah！　what　intoxication；　dear；　to　live！　to　LIVE

when　other　women　are　praying　on　their　knees　for　emotions　that　never

come　to　them！　Remember；　darling；　that　for　this　poem　of　delight　there

is　but　a　single　moment；youth！　In　a　few　years　winter　comes；　and　cold。

Ah！　if　you　possessed　these　living　riches　of　the　heart；　and　were

threatened　with　the　loss　of　them〃



Madame　du　Tillet；　terrified；　had　covered　her　face　with　her　hands

during　the　passionate　utterance　of　this　anthem。



〃I　did　not　even　think　of　reproaching　you；　my　beloved；〃　she　said　at

last；　seeing　her　sister's　face　bathed　in　hot　tears。　〃You　have　cast

into　my　soul；　in　one　moment；　more　brands　than　I　have　tears　to　quench。

Yes；　the　life　I　live　would　justify　to　my　heart　a　love　like　that　you

picture。　Let　me　believe　that　if　we　could　have　seen　each　other　oftener；

we　should　not　now　be　where　we　are。　If　you　had　seen　my　sufferings；　you

must　have　valued　your　own　happiness　the　more；　and　you　might　have

strengthened　me　to　resist　my　tyrant；　and　so　have　won　a　sort　of　peace。

Your　misery　is　an　incident　which　chance　may　change；　but　mine　is　daily

and　perpetual。　To　my　husband　I　am　a　peg　on　which　to　hang　his　luxury；

the　sign…post　of　his　ambition；　a　satisfaction　to　his　vanity。　He　has　no

real　affection　for　me；　and　no　confidence。　Ferdinand　is　hard　and

polished　as　that　piece　of　marble；〃　she　continued；　striking　the

chimney…piece。　〃He　distrusts　me。　Whatever　I　may　want　for　myself　is

refused　before　I　ask　it；　but　as　for　what　flatters　his　vanity　and

proclaims　his　wealth；　I　have　no　occasion　to　express　a　wish。　He

decorates　my　apartments；　he　spends　enormous　sums　upon　my

entertainments；　my　servants；　my　opera…box；　all　external　matters　are

maintained　with　the　utmost　splendor。　His　vanity　spares　no　expense；　he

would　trim　his　children's　swaddling…clothes　with　lace　if　he　could；　but

he　would　never　hear　their　cries；　or　guess　their　needs。　Do　you

understand　me？　I　am　covered　with　diamonds　when　I　go　to　court；　I　wear

the　richest　jewels　in　society；　but　I　have　not　one　farthing　I　can　use。

Madame　du　Tillet；　who；　they　say；　is　envied；　who　appears　to　float　in

gold；　has　not　a　hundred　francs　she　can　call　her　own。　If　the　father

cares　little　for　his　child；　he　cares　less　for　its　mother。　Ah！　he　has

cruelly　made　me　feel　that　he　bought　me；　and　that　in　marrying　me

without　a　〃dot〃　he　was　wronged。　I　might　perhaps　have　won　him　to　love

me；　but　there's　an　outside　influence　against　it；that　of　a　woman；　who

is　over　fifty　years　of　age；　the　widow　of　a　notary；　who　rules　him。　I

shall　never　be　free；　I　know　that；　so　long　as　he　lives。　My　life　is

regulated　like　that　of　a　queen；　my　meals　are　served　with　the　utmost

formality；　at　a　given　hour　I　must　drive　to　the　Bois；　I　am　always

accompanied　by　two　footmen　in　full　dress；　I　am　obliged　to　return　at　a

certain　hour。　Instead　of　giving　orders；　I　receive　them。　At　a　ball；　at

the　theatre；　a　servant　comes　to　me　and　says：　'Madame's　carriage　is

ready；'　and　I　am　obliged　to　go；　in　the　midst；　perhaps；　of　something　I

enjoy。　Ferdinand　would　be　furious　if　I　did　not　obey　the　etiquette　he

prescribes　for　his　wife；　he　frightens　me。　In　the　midst　of　this　hateful

opulence；　I　find　myself　regretting　the　past；　and　thinking　that　our

mother　was　kind；　she　left　us　the　nights　when　we　could　talk　together；

at　any　rate；　I　was　living　with　a　dear　being　who　loved　me　and　suffered

with　me；　whereas　here；　in　this　sumptuous　house；　I　live　in　a　desert。〃



At　this　terrible　confession　the　countess　caught　her　sister's　hand　and

kissed　it；　weeping。



〃How；　then；　can　I　help　you；〃　said　Eugenie；　in　a　low　voice。　〃He　would

be　suspicious　at　once　if　he　surprised　us　here；　and　would　insist　on

knowing　all　that　you　have　been　saying　to　me。　I　should　be　forced　to

tell　a　lie；　which　is　difficult　indeed　with　so　sly　and　treacherous　a

man；　he　would　lay　traps　for　me。　But　enough　of　my　own　miseries；　let　us

think　of　yours。　The　forty　thousand　francs　you　want　would　be；　of

course；　a　mere　nothing　to　Ferdinand；　who　handles　millions　with　that

fat　banker；　Baron　de　Nucingen。　Sometimes；　at　dinner；　in　my　presence；

they　say　things　to　each　other　which　make　me　shudder。　Du　Tillet　knows

my　discretion；　and　they　often　talk　freely　before　me；　being　sure　of　my

silence。　Well；　robbery　and　murder　on　the　high…road　seem　to　me　merciful

compared　to　some　of　their　financial　schemes。　Nucingen　and　he　no　more

mind　destroying　a　man　than　if　he　were　an　animal。　Often　I　am　told　to

receive　poor　dupes　whose　fate　I　have　heard　them　talk　of　the　night

before；men　who　rush　into　some　business　where　they　are　certain　to

lose　their　all。　I　am　tempted；　like　Leonardo　in　the　brigand's　cave；　to

cry　out；　'Beware！'　But　if　I　did；　what　would　become　of　me？　So　I　keep

silence。　This　splendid　house　is　a　cut…throat's　den！　But　Ferdinand　and

Nucingen　will　lavish　millions　for　their　own　caprices。　Ferdinand　is　now

buying　from　the　other　du　Tillet　family　the　site　of　their　old　castle；

he　intends　to　rebuild　it　and　add　a　forest　with　large　domains　to　the

estate；　and　make　his　son　a　count；　he　declares　that　by　the　third

generation　the　family　will　be　noble。　Nucingen；　who　is　tired　of　his

house　in　the　rue　Saint…Lazare；　is　building　a　palace。　His　wife　is　a

friend　of　mineAh！〃　she　cried；　interrupting　herself；　〃she　might　help

us；　she　is　very　bold　with　her　husband；　her　fortune　is　in　her　own

right。　Yes；　she　could　save　you。〃



〃Dear　heart；　I　have　but　a　few　hours　left；　let　us　go　to　her　this

evening；　now；　instantly；〃　said　Madame　de　Vandenesse；　throwing　herself

into　Madame　du　Tillet's　arms　with　a　burst　of　tears。



〃I　can't　go　out　at　eleven　o'clock　at　night；〃　replied　her　sister。



〃My　carriage　is　here。〃



〃What　are　you　two　plotting　together？〃　said　du　Tillet；　pushing　open　the

door　of　the　boudoir。



He　came　in　showing　a　torpid　face　lighted　now　by　a　speciously　amiable

expression。　The　carpets　had　dulled　his　steps　and　the　preoccupation　of

the　two　sisters　had　kept　them　from　noticing　the　noise　of　his　carriage…

wheels　on　entering　the　court…yard。　The　countess；　in　whom　the　habits　of

social　life　and　the　freedom　in　which　her　husband　had　left　her　had

developed　both　wit　and　shrewdness；qualities　repressed　in　her　sister

by　marital　despotism；　which　simply　continued　that　of　their　mother；

saw　that　Eugenie's　terror　was　on　the　point　of　betraying　them；　and　she

evaded　that　danger　by　a　frank　answer。



〃I　thought　my　sister　richer　than　she　is；〃　she　replied；　looking

straight　at　her　brother…in…law。　〃Women　are　sometimes　embarrassed　for

money；　and　do　not　wish　to　tell　their　husbands；　like　Josephine　with

Napo