white lies-第66节

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Raynal　reported　the　evacuation　of　the　place；　and　that　Colonel　Dujardin　was　buried　under　the　bastion；　and　soon　after　rode　out　of　the　camp。

The　words　Camille　had　scratched　with　a　pencil；　and　sent　him　from　the　edge　of　the　grave；　were　few　but　striking。


〃A　dead　man　takes　you　once　more　by　the　hand。　　My　last　thought；　thank　God；　is　France。　　For　her　sake　and　mine；　Raynal。　　GO　FOR　GENERAL　BONAPARTE。　　Tell　him；　from　a　dying　soldier；　the　Rhine　is　a　river　to　these　generals；　but　to　him　a　field　of　glory。　　He　will　lay　out　our　lives；　not　waste　them。〃


There　was　nothing　to　hinder　Raynal　from　carrying　out　this　sacred　request：　for　the　24th　brigade　had　ceased　to　exist：　already　thinned　by　hard　service；　it　was　reduced　to　a　file　or　two　by　the　fatal　bastion。　　It　was　incorporated　with　the　12th；　and　Raynal　rode　heavy　at　heart　to　Paris；　with　a　black　scarf　across　his　breast。


CHAPTER　XXIII。


You　see　now　into　what　a　fatal　entanglement　two　high…minded　young　ladies　were　led；　step　by　step；　through　yielding　to　the　natural　foible　of　their　sexthe　desire　to　hide　everything　painful　from　those　they　love；　even　at　the　expense　of　truth。

A　nice　mess　they　made　of　it　with　their　amiable　dishonesty。　　And　pray　take　notice　that　after　the　first　White　Lie　or　two；　circumstances　overpowered　them；　and　drove　them　on　against　their　will。　　It　was　no　small　part　of　all　their　misery　that　they　longed　to　get　back　to　truth　and　could　not。

We　shall　see　presently　how　far　they　succeeded　in　that　pious　object；　for　the　sake　of　which　they　first　entered　on　concealments。　　But　first　a　word　is　due　about　one　of　the　victims　of　their　amiable；　self…　sacrificing　lubricity。　　Edouard　Riviere　fell　in　one　night；　from　happiness　and　confidence；　such　as　till　that　night　be　had　never　enjoyed；　to　deep　and　hopeless　misery。

He　lost　that　which；　to　every　heart　capable　of　really　loving；　is　the　greatest　earthly　blessing；　the　woman　he　adored。　　But　worse　than　that；　he　lost　those　prime　treasures　of　the　masculine　soul；　belief　in　human　goodness；　and　in　female　purity。　　To　him　no　more　could　there　be　in　nature　a　candid　eye；　a　virtuous　ready…mantling　cheek：　for　frailty　and　treachery　had　put　on　these　signs　of　virtue　and　nobility。　Henceforth；　let　him　live　a　hundred　years；　whom　could　he　trust　or　believe　in？

Here　was　a　creature　whose　virtues　seemed　to　make　frailty　impossible：　treachery；　doubly　impossible：　a　creature　whose　very　faultsfor　faults　she　hadhad　seemed　as　opposite　to　treachery　as　her　very　virtues　were。　　Yet　she　was　all　frailty　and　falsehood。

He　passed　in　that　one　night　of　anguish　from　youth　to　age。　　He　went　about　his　business　like　a　leaden　thing。　　His　food　turned　tasteless。　His　life　seemed　ended。　　Nothing　appeared　what　it　had　been。　　The　very　landscape　seemed　cut　in　stone；　and　he　a　stone　in　the　middle　of　it；　and　his　heart　a　stone　in　him。　　At　times；　across　that　heavy　heart　came　gushes　of　furious　rage　and　bitter　mortification；　his　heart　was　broken；　and　his　faith　was　gone；　for　his　vanity　had　been　stabbed　as　fiercely　as　his　love。　　〃Georges　Dandin！〃　he　would　cry；　〃curse　her！　curse　her！〃　　But　love　and　misery　overpowered　these　heats；　and　froze　him　to　stone　again。

The　poor　boy　pined　and　pined。　　His　clothes　hung　loose　about　him；　his　face　was　so　drawn　with　suffering；　you　would　not　have　known　him。　　He　hated　company。　　The　things　he　was　expected　to　talk　about！he　with　his　crushed　heart。　　He　could　not。　　He　would　not。　　He　shunned　all　the　world；　he　went　alone　like　a　wounded　deer。　　The　good　doctor；　on　his　return　from　Paris；　called　on　him　to　see　if　he　was　ill：　since　he　had　not　come　for　days　to　the　chateau。　　He　saw　the　doctor　coming　and　bade　the　servant　say　he　was　not　in　the　village。

He　drew　down　the　blind；　that　he　might　never　see　the　chateau　again。　He　drew　it　up　again：　he　could　not　exist　without　seeing　it。　　〃She　will　be　miserable；　too；〃　he　cried；　gnashing　his　teeth。　　〃She　will　see　whether　she　has　chosen　well。〃　　At　other　times；　all　his　courage；　and　his　hatred；　and　his　wounded　vanity；　were　drowned　in　his　love　and　its　despair；　and　then　he　bowed　his　head；　and　sobbed　and　cried　as　if　his　heart　would　burst。　　One　morning　he　was　so　sobbing　with　his　head　on　the　table；　when　his　landlady　tapped　at　his　door。　　He　started　up　and　turned　his　head　away　from　the　door。

〃A　young　woman　from　Beaurepaire；　monsieur。〃

〃From　Beaurepaire？〃　his　heart　gave　a　furious　leap。　　〃Show　her　in。〃

He　wiped　his　eyes　and　seated　himself　at　a　table；　and；　all　in　a　flutter；　pretended　to　be　the　state's。

It　was　not　Jacintha；　as　he　expected；　but　the　other　servant。　　She　made　a　low　reverence；　cast　a　look　of　admiration　on　him；　and　gave　him　a　letter。　　His　eye　darted　on　it：　his　hand　trembled　as　he　took　it。　He　turned　away　again　to　open　it。　　He　forced　himself　to　say；　in　a　tolerably　calm　voice；　〃I　will　send　an　answer。〃

The　letter　was　apparently　from　the　baroness　de　Beaurepaire；　a　mere　line　inviting　him　to　pay　her　a　visit。　　It　was　written　in　a　tremulous　hand。　　Edouard　examined　the　writing；　and　saw　directly　it　was　written　by　Rose。

Being　now；　naturally　enough；　full　of　suspicion；　he　set　this　down　as　an　attempt　to　disguise　her　hand。　　〃So；〃　said　he；　to　himself；　〃this　is　the　game。　　The　old　woman　is　to　be　drawn　into　it；　too。　　She　is　to　help　to　make　Georges　Dandin　of　me。　　I　will　go。　　I　will　baffle　them　all。　　I　will　expose　this　nest　of　depravity；　all　ceremony　on　the　surface；　and　voluptuousness　and　treachery　below。　　O　God！　who　could　believe　that　creature　never　loved　me！　　They　shall　none　of　them　see　my　weakness。　　Their　benefactor　shall　be　still　their　superior。　　They　shall　see　me　cold　as　ice；　and　bitter　as　gall。〃

But　to　follow　him　farther　just　now；　would　be　to　run　too　far　in　advance　of　the　main　story。　　I　must；　therefore；　return　to　Beaurepaire；　and　show；　amongst　other　things；　how　this　very　letter　came　to　be　written。


When　Josephine　and　Rose　awoke　from　that　startled　slumber　that　followed　the　exhaustion　of　that　troubled　night；　Rose　was　the　more　wretched　of　the　two。　　She　had　not　only　dishonored　herself；　but　stabbed　the　man　she　loved。

Josephine；　on　the　other　hand；　was　exhausted；　but　calm。　　The　fearful　escape　she　had　had　softened　down　by　contrast　her　more　distant　terrors。

She　began　to　shut　her　eyes　again；　and　let　herself　drift。　　Above　all；　the　doctor's　promise　comforted　her：　that　she　should　go　to　Paris　with　him；　and　have　her　boy。

This　deceitful　calm　of　the　heart　lasted　three　days。

Carefully　encouraged　by　Rose；　it　was　destroyed　by　Jacintha。

Jacintha；　conscious　that　she　had　betrayed　her　trust；　was　almost　heart…broken。　　She　was　ashamed　to　appear　before　her　young　mistress；　and；　coward…like；　wanted　to　avoid　knowing　even　how　much　harm　she　had　done。

She　pretended　toothache；　bound　up　her　face；　and　never　stirred　from　the　kitchen。　　But　she　was　not　to　escape：　the　other　servant　came　down　with　a　message：　〃Madame　Raynal　wanted　to　see　her　directly。〃

She　came　quaking；　and　found　Josephine　all　alone。

Josephine　rose　to　meet　her；　and　casting　a　furtive　glance　round　the　room　first；　threw　her　arms　round　Jacintha's　neck；　and　embraced　her　with　many　tears。

〃Was　ever　fidelity　like　yours？　how　COULD　you　do　it；　Jacintha？　and　how　can　I　ever　repay　it？　　But；　no；　it　is　too　base　of　me　to　accept　such　a　sacrifice　from　any　woman。〃

Jacintha　was　so　confounded　she　did　not　know　what　to　say。　　But　it　was　a　mystification　that　could　not　endure　long　between　two　women；　who　were　both　deceived　by　a　third。　　Between　them　they　soon　discovered　that　it　must　have　been　Rose　who　had　sacrificed　herself。

〃And　Edouard　has　never　been　here　since；〃　said　Josephine。

〃And　never　will；　madame。〃

〃Yes；　he　shall！　there　must　be　some　limit　even　to　my　feebleness；　and　my　sister's　devotion。　　You　shall　take　a　line　to　him　from　me。　　I　will　write　it　this　moment。〃

The　letter　was　written。　　But　it　was　never　sent。　　Rose　found　Josephine　and　Jacintha　together；　saw　a　letter　was　being　written；　asked　to　see　it；　on　Josephine's　hesitating；　snatched　it　out　of　her　hand；　read　it；　tore　it　to　pieces；　and　told　Jacintha　to　leave　the　room。　　She　hated　the　sight　of　poor　Jacintha；　who　had　slept　at　the　very　moment　when　all　depended　on　her　watchfulness。

〃So　you　were　going　to　send　to　HIM；　unknown　to　me。〃

〃Forgive　me；　Rose。〃　　Rose　burst　out　crying。

〃O　Josephine！　is　it　come　to　this？　　Would　you　deceive　ME？〃

〃You　have　deceived　ME！　　Yes！　it　has　come　to　that。　　I　know　all。　Twill　not　consent　to　destroy　ALL　I　love。〃

She　then　begged　hard　for　leave　to　send　the　letter。

Rose　gave　an　impetuous　refusal。　　〃What　could　you　say　to　him？　foolish　thing；　don't　you　know　him；　and　his　vanity？　　When　you　had　exposed　yourself　to　him；　and　showed　him　I　had　insulted　him　for　you；　do　you　think　he　would　forgive　me？　　No！　this　is　to　make　light　of　my　loveto　make　me　waste　the　sacrifice　I　have　made。　　I　feel　that　sacrifice　as　much　as　you　do；　more　perhaps；　and　I　would　rather　die　in　a　convent　than　waste　that　night　of　shame　and　agony。　　Come；　promise　me；　no　more　attempts　of　that　kind；　or　we　are　sisters　no　more；　friends　no　more；　one　heart　and　one　blood　no　more。〃

The　weaker　nature；　weakened　still　more　by　ill…health　and　grief；　was　terrified　into　submission；　or　rather　temporized。　　〃Kiss　me　then；〃　said　Josephine；　〃and　love　me　to　the　end。　　Ah；　if　I　was　only　in　my　grave！〃

Rose　kissed　her　with　many　sighs；　but　Josephine　smiled。　　Rose　eyed　her　with　suspicion