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第47节

white lies-第47节

小说: white lies 字数: 每页4000字

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wo roads; you know。〃

Edouard hesitated; but he ended by sending Dard to the town on his own horse; with orders to leave him at the inn; and borrow a fresh horse。  〃I shall just have time;〃 said he。  He rode to Frejus; and inquired at the inns and post…office for Mademoiselle de Beaurepaire。  They did not know her; then he inquired for Madame Raynal。  No such name known。  He rode by the seaside upon the chance of their seeing him。  He paraded on horseback throughout the place; in hopes every moment that a window would open; and a fair face shine at it; and call him。  At last his time was up; and he was obliged to ride back; sick at heart; to Beaurepaire。  He told the baroness; with some natural irritation; what had happened。  She was as much surprised as he was。

〃I write to Madame Raynal at the post…office; Frejus;〃 said she。

〃And Madame Raynal gets your letters?〃

〃Of course she does; since she answers them; you cannot have inquired at the post。〃

〃Why; it was the first place I inquired at; and neither Mademoiselle de Beaurepaire nor Madame Raynal were known there。〃

Jacintha; who could have given the clew; seemed so puzzled herself; that they did not even apply to her。  Edouard took a sorrowful leave of the baroness; and set out on his journey home。

Oh! how sad and weary that ride seemed now by what it had been coming。  His disappointment was deep and irritating; and ere he had ridden half way a torturer fastened on his heart。  That torture is suspicion; a vague and shadowy; but gigantic phantom that oppresses and rends the mind more terribly than certainty。  In this state of vague; sickening suspicion; he remained some days: then came an affectionate letter from Rose; who had actually returned home。  In this she expressed her regret and disappointment at having missed him; blamed herself for misleading him; but explained that their stay at Frejus had been prolonged from day to day far beyond her expectation。  〃The stupidity of the post…office was more than she could account for;〃 said she。  But; what went farthest to console Edouard; was; that after this contretemps she never ceased to invite him to come to Beaurepaire。  Now; before this; though she said many kind and pretty things in her letters; she had never invited him to visit the chateau; he had noticed this。  〃Sweet soul;〃 thought he; 〃she really is vexed。  I must be a brute to think any more about it。 Still〃

So this wound was skinned over。

At last; what he called his lucky star ordained that he should be transferred to the very post his Commandant Raynal had once occupied。  He sought and obtained permission to fix his quarters in the little village near Beaurepaire; and though this plan could not be carried out for three months; yet the prospect of it was joyful all that timejoyful to both lovers。  Rose needed this consolation; for she was very unhappy: her beloved sister; since their return from Frejus; had gone back。  The flush of health was faded; and so was her late energy。  She fell into deep depression and languor; broken occasionally by fits of nervous irritation。

She would sit for hours together at one window languishing and fretting。  Can the female reader guess which way that window looked?

Now; Edouard was a favorite of Josephine's; so Rose hoped he would help to distract her attention from those sorrows which a lapse of years alone could cure。

On every account; then; his visit was looked forward to with hope and joy。

He came。  He was received with open arms。  He took up his quarters at his old lodgings; but spent his evenings and every leisure hour at the chateau。

He was very much in love; and showed it。  He adhered to Rose like a leech; and followed her about like a little dog。

This would have made her very happy if there had been nothing great to distract her attention and her heart; but she had Josephine; whose deep depression and fits of irritation and terror filled her with anxiety; and so Edouard was in the way now and then。  On these occasions he was too vain to see what she was too polite to show him offensively。

But on this she became vexed at his obtuseness。

〃Does he think I can be always at his beck and call?〃 thought she。

〃She is always after her sister;〃 said he。

He was just beginning to be jealous of Josephine when the following incident occurred:

Rose and the doctor were discussing Josephine。  Edouard pretended to be reading a book; but he listened to every word。

Dr。 Aubertin gave it as his opinion that Madame Raynal did not make enough blood。

〃Oh! if I thought that!〃 cried Rose。

〃Well; then; it is so; I assure you。〃

〃Doctor;〃 said Rose; 〃do you remember; one day you said healthy blood could be drawn from robust veins and poured into a sick person's?〃

〃It is a well…known fact;〃 said Aubertin。

〃I don't believe it;〃 said Rose; dryly。

〃Then you place a very narrow limit to science;〃 said the doctor; coldly。

〃Did you ever see it done?〃 asked Rose; slyly。

〃I have not only seen it done; but have done it myself。〃

〃Then do it for us。  There's my arm; take blood from that for dear Josephine!〃 and she thrust a white arm out under his eye with such a bold movement and such a look of fire and love as never beamed from common eyes。

A keen; cold pang shot through the human heart of Edouard Riviere。

The doctor started and gazed at her with admiration: then he hung his head。  〃I could not do it。  I love you both too well to drain either of life's current。〃

Rose veiled her fire; and began to coax。  〃Once a week; just once a week; dear; dear doctor; you know I should never miss it。  I am so full of that health; which Heaven denies to her I love。〃

〃Let us try milder measures first;〃 said the doctor。  〃I have most faith in time。〃

〃What if I were to take her to Frejus? hitherto; the sea has always done wonders for her。〃

〃Frejus; by all means;〃 said Edouard; mingling suddenly in the conversation; 〃and this time I will go with you; and then I shall find out where you lodged before; and how the boobies came to say they did not know you。〃

Rose bit her lip。  She could not help seeing then how much dear Edouard was in her way and Josephine's。  Their best friends are in the way of all who have secrets。  Presently the doctor went to his study。  Then Edouard let fall a mock soliloquy。  〃I wonder;〃 said he; dropping out his words one by one; 〃whether any one will ever love me well enough to give a drop of their blood for me。〃

〃If you were in sickness and sorrow; who knows?〃 said Rose; coloring up。

〃I would soon be in sickness and sorrow if I thought that。〃

〃Don't jest with such matters; monsieur。〃

〃I am serious。  I wish I was as ill as Madame Raynal is; to be loved as she is。〃

〃You must resemble her in some other things to be loved as she is。

〃You have often made me feel that of late; dear Rose。〃

This touched her。  But she fought down the kindly feeling。  〃I am glad of it;〃 said she; out of perverseness。  She added after a while; 〃Edouard; you are naturally jealous。〃

〃Not the least in the world; Rose; I assure you。  I have many faults; but jealous I am not。〃

〃Oh; yes; you are; and suspicious; too; there is something in your character that alarms me for our happiness。〃

〃Well; if you come to that; there are things in YOUR conduct I could wish explained。〃

〃There! I said so。  You have not confidence in me。〃

〃Pray don't say that; dear Rose。  I have every confidence in you; only please don't ask me to divest myself of my senses and my reason。〃

〃I don't ask you to do that or anything else for me; good…by; for the present。〃

〃Where are you going now? tic! tic! I never can get a word in peace with you。〃

〃I am not going to commit murder。  I'm only going up…stairs to my sister。〃

〃Poor Madame Raynal; she makes it very hard for me not to dislike her。〃

〃Dislike my Josephine?〃 and Rose bristled visibly。

〃She is an angel; but I should hate an angel if it came forever between you and me。〃

〃Excuse me; she was here long before you。  It is you that came between her and me。〃

〃I came because I was told I should be welcome;〃 said Edouard bitterly; and equivocating a little; he added; 〃and I dare say I shall go when I am told I am one too many。〃

〃Bad heart! who says you are one too many in the house?  But you are too exigent; monsieur; you assume the husband; and you tease me。  It is selfish; can you not see I am anxious and worried? you ought to be kind to me; and soothe me; that is what I look for from you; and; instead of that; I declare you are getting to be quite a worry。〃

〃I should not be if you loved me as I love you。  I give YOU no rival。  Shall I tell you the cause of all this? you have secrets。〃

〃What secrets?〃

〃Is it me you ask? am I trusted with them?  Secrets are a bond that not even love can overcome。  It is to talk secrets you run away from me to Madame Raynal。  Where did you lodge at Frejus; Mademoiselle the Reticent?〃

〃In a grotto; dry at low water; Monsieur the Inquisitive。〃

〃That is enough: since you will not tell me; I will find it out before I am a week older。〃

This alarmed Rose terribly; and drove her to extremities。  She decided to quarrel。

〃Sir;〃 said she; 〃I thank you for playing the tyrant a l

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