albert savarus-第11节

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mute。　The　bark　came　nearer；　when　at　length　Francesca　could　distinguish
the　faces　on　board；　she　exclaimed；　〃Tito！〃　as　she　perceived　a　young
man。　She　stood　up；　and　remained　standing　at　the　risk　of　being　drowned。
〃Tito！　Tito！〃　cried　she；　waving　her　handkerchief。

Tito　desired　the　boatmen　to　slacken；　and　the　two　boats　pulled　side　by
side。　The　Italian　and　Tito　talked　with　such　extreme　rapidity；　and　in　a
dialect　unfamiliar　to　a　man　who　hardly　knew　even　the　Italian　of　books；
that　Rodolphe　could　neither　hear　nor　guess　the　drift　of　this
conversation。　But　Tito's　handsome　face；　Francesca's　familiarity；　and
Gina's　expression　of　delight；　all　aggrieved　him。　And　indeed　no　lover
can　help　being　ill　pleased　at　finding　himself　neglected　for　another；
whoever　he　may　be。　Tito　tossed　a　little　leather　bag　to　Gina；　full　of
gold　no　doubt；　and　a　packet　of　letters　to　Francesca；　who　began　to　read
them；　with　a　farewell　wave　of　the　hand　to　Tito。

〃Get　quickly　back　to　Gersau；〃　she　said　to　the　boatmen；　〃I　will　not　let
my　poor　Emilio　pine　ten　minutes　longer　than　he　need。〃

〃What　has　happened？〃　asked　Rodolphe；　as　he　saw　Francesca　finish
reading　the　last　letter。

〃/La　liberta/！〃　she　exclaimed；　with　an　artist's　enthusiasm。

〃/E　denaro/！〃　added　Gina；　like　an　echo；　for　she　had　found　her　tongue。

〃Yes；〃　said　Francesca；　〃no　more　poverty！　For　more　than　eleven　months
have　I　been　working；　and　I　was　beginning　to　be　tired　of　it。　I　am
certainly　not　a　literary　woman。〃

〃Who　is　this　Tito？〃　asked　Rodolphe。

〃The　Secretary　of　State　to　the　financial　department　of　the　humble　shop
of　the　Colonnas；　in　other　words；　the　son　of　our　/ragionato/。　Poor　boy！
he　could　not　come　by　the　Saint…Gothard；　nor　by　the　Mont…Cenis；　nor　by
the　Simplon；　he　came　by　sea；　by　Marseilles；　and　had　to　cross　France。
Well；　in　three　weeks　we　shall　be　at　Geneva；　and　living　at　our　ease。
Come；　Rodolphe；〃　she　added；　seeing　sadness　overspread　the　Parisian's
face；　〃is　not　the　Lake　of　Geneva　quite　as　good　as　the　Lake　of
Lucerne？〃

〃But　allow　me　to　bestow　a　regret　on　the　Bergmanns'　delightful　house；〃
said　Rodolphe；　pointing　to　the　little　promontory。

〃Come　and　dine　with　us　to　add　to　your　associations；　/povero　mio/；〃
said　she。　〃This　is　a　great　day；　we　are　out　of　danger。　My　mother　writes
that　within　a　year　there　will　be　an　amnesty。　Oh！　/la　cara　patria/！〃

These　three　words　made　Gina　weep。　〃Another　winter　here；〃　said　she；
〃and　I　should　have　been　dead！〃

〃Poor　little　Sicilian　kid！〃　said　Francesca；　stroking　Gina's　head　with
an　expression　and　an　affection　which　made　Rodolphe　long　to　be　so
caressed；　even　if　it　were　without　love。

The　boat　grounded；　Rodolphe　sprang　on　to　the　sand；　offered　his　hand　to
the　Italian　lady；　escorted　her　to　the　door　of　the　Bergmanns'　house；
and　went　to　dress　and　return　as　soon　as　possible。

When　he　joined　the　librarian　and　his　wife；　who　were　sitting　on　the
balcony；　Rodolphe　could　scarcely　repress　an　exclamation　of　surprise　at
seeing　the　prodigious　change　which　the　good　news　had　produced　in　the
old　man。　He　now　saw　a　man　of　about　sixty；　extremely　well　preserved；　a
lean　Italian；　as　straight　as　an　I；　with　hair　still　black；　though　thin
and　showing　a　white　skull；　with　bright　eyes；　a　full　set　of　white
teeth；　a　face　like　Caesar；　and　on　his　diplomatic　lips　a　sardonic
smile；　the　almost　false　smile　under　which　a　man　of　good　breeding　hides
his　real　feelings。

〃Here　is　my　husband　under　his　natural　form；〃　said　Francesca　gravely。

〃He　is　quite　a　new　acquaintance；〃　replied　Rodolphe；　bewildered。

〃Quite；〃　said　the　librarian；　〃I　have　played　many　a　part；　and　know　well
how　to　make　up。　Ah！　I　played　one　in　Paris　under　the　Empire；　with
Bourrienne；　Madame　Murat；　Madame　d'Abrantis　/e　tutte　quanti/。
Everything　we　take　the　trouble　to　learn　in　our　youth；　even　the　most
futile；　is　of　use。　If　my　wife　had　not　received　a　man's　educationan
unheard…of　thing　in　ItalyI　should　have　been　obliged　to　chop　wood　to
get　my　living　here。　/Povera/　Francesca！　who　would　have　told　me　that
she　would　some　day　maintain　me！〃

As　he　listened　to　this　worthy　bookseller；　so　easy；　so　affable；　so
hale；　Rodolphe　scented　some　mystification；　and　preserved　the　watchful
silence　of　a　man　who　has　been　duped。

〃/Che　avete；　signor/？〃　Francesca　asked　with　simplicity。　〃Does　our
happiness　sadden　you？〃

〃Your　husband　is　a　young　man；〃　he　whispered　in　her　ear。

She　broke　into　such　a　frank；　infectious　laugh　that　Rodolphe　was　still
more　puzzled。

〃He　is　but　sixty…five；　at　your　service；〃　said　she；　〃but　I　can　assure
you　that　even　that　is　somethingto　be　thankful　for！〃

〃I　do　not　like　to　hear　you　jest　about　an　affection　so　sacred　as　this；
of　which　you　yourself　prescribed　the　conditions。〃

〃/Zitto/！〃　said　she；　stamping　her　foot；　and　looking　whether　her
husband　were　listening。　〃Never　disturb　the　peace　of　mind　of　that　dear
man；　as　simple　as　a　child；　and　with　whom　I　can　do　what　I　please。　He　is
under　my　protection；〃　she　added。　〃If　you　could　know　with　what
generosity　he　risked　his　life　and　fortune　because　I　was　a　Liberal！　for
he　does　not　share　my　political　opinions。　Is　not　that　love；　Monsieur
Frenchman？But　they　are　like　that　in　his　family。　Emilio's　younger
brother　was　deserted　for　a　handsome　youth　by　the　woman　he　loved。　He
thrust　his　sword　through　his　own　heart　ten　minutes　after　he　had　said
to　his　servant；　'I　could　of　course　kill　my　rival；　but　that　would
grieve　the　/Diva/　too　deeply。'　〃

This　mixture　of　dignity　and　banter；　of　haughtiness　and　playfulness；
made　Francesca　at　this　moment　the　most　fascinating　creature　in　the
world。　The　dinner　and　the　evening　were　full　of　cheerfulness；
justified；　indeed；　by　the　relief　of　the　two　refugees；　but　depressing
to　Rodolphe。

〃Can　she　be　fickle？〃　he　asked　himself　as　he　returned　to　the　Stopfers'
house。　〃She　sympathized　in　my　sorrow；　and　I　cannot　take　part　in　her
joy！〃

He　blamed　himself；　justifying　this　girl…wife。

〃She　has　no　taint　of　hypocrisy；　and　is　carried　away　by　impulse；〃
thought　he；　〃and　I　want　her　to　be　like　a　Parisian　woman。〃



Next　day　and　the　following　days；　in　fact；　for　twenty　days　after；
Rodolphe　spent　all　his　time　at　the　Bergmanns'；　watching　Francesca
without　having　determined　to　watch　her。　In　some　souls　admiration　is
not　independent　of　a　certain　penetration。　The　young　Frenchman
discerned　in　Francesca　the　imprudence　of　girlhood；　the　true　nature　of
a　woman　as　yet　unbroken；　sometimes　struggling　against　her　love；　and　at
other　moments　yielding　and　carried　away　by　it。　The　old　man　certainly
behaved　to　her　as　a　father　to　his　daughter；　and　Francesca　treated　him
with　a　deeply　felt　gratitude　which　roused　her　instinctive　nobleness。
The　situation　and　the　woman　were　to　Rodolphe　an　impenetrable　enigma；
of　which　the　solution　attracted　him　more　and　more。

These　last　days　were　full　of　secret　joys；　alternating　with　melancholy
moods；　with　tiffs　and　quarrels　even　more　delightful　than　the　hours
when　Rodolphe　and　Francesca　were　of　one　mind。　And　he　was　more　and　more
fascinated　by　this　tenderness　apart　from　wit；　always　and　in　all　things
the　same；　an　affection　that　was　jealous　of　mere　nothingsalready！

〃You　care　very　much　for　luxury？〃　said　he　one　evening　to　Francesca；　who
was　expressing　her　wish　to　get　away　from　Gersau；　where　she　missed　many
things。

〃I！〃　cried　she。　〃I　love　luxury　as　I　love　the　arts；　as　I　love　a　picture
by　Raphael；　a　fine　horse；　a　beautiful　day；　or　the　Bay　of　Naples。
Emilio；〃　she　went　on；　〃have　I　ever　complained　here　during　our　days　of
privation。〃

〃You　would　not　have　been　yourself　if　you　had；〃　replied　the　old　man
gravely。

〃After　all；　is　it　not　in　the　nature　of　plain　folks　to　aspire　to
grandeur？〃　she　asked；　with　a　mischievous　glance　at　Rodolphe　and　at　her
husband。　〃Were　my　feet　made　for　fatigue？〃　she　added；　putting　out　two
pretty　little　feet。　〃My　hands〃and　she　held　one　out　to　Rodolphe
〃were　those　hands　made　to　work？Leave　us；〃　she　said　to　her　husband；
〃I　want　to　speak　to　him。〃

The　old　man　went　into　the　drawing…room　with　sublime　good　faith；　he　was
sure　of　his　wife。

〃I　will　not　have　you　come　with　us　to　Geneva；〃　she　said　to　Rodolphe。
〃It　is　a　gossiping　town。　Though　I　am　far　above　the　nonsense　the　world
talks；　I　do　not　choose　to　be　calumniated；　not　for　my　own　sake；　but　for
his。　I　make　it　my　pride　to　be　the　glory　of　that　old　man；　who　is；　after
all；　my　only　protector。　We　are　leaving；　stay　here　a　few　days。　When　you
come　on　to　Geneva；　call　first　on　my　husband；　and　let　him　introduce　you
to　me。　Let　us　hide　our　great　and　unchangeable　affection　from　the　eyes
of　the　world。　I　love　you；　you　know　it；　but　this　is　how　I　will　prove　it
to　you　you　shall　never　discern　in　my　conduct　anything　whatever　that
may　arouse　your　jealousy。〃

She　drew　him　into　a　corner　of　the　balcony；　kissed　him　on　the　forehead；
and　fled；　leaving　him　in　amazement。

Next　day　Rodolphe　heard　that　the　lodgers　at　the　Bergmanns'　had　left　at
daybreak。　It　then　seemed　to　him　intolerable　to　remain　at　Gersau；　and
he　set　out　for　Vevay　by　the　longest　route；　starting　sooner　than　was
necessary。　Attracted　to　the　waters　of　the　lake　where　the　beautiful
Italian　awaited　him；　he　reached　Geneva　by　the　end　of　October。　To　avoid
the　discomforts　of　the　town　he　took　rooms　in　a　house　at　Eaux…Vives；
outside　the　walls。　As　soon　as　he　was　settled；