white lies-第8节

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〃Je　le　veux；〃　was　the　cold　reply。

These　were　words　the　baroness　uttered　so　seldom　that　they　were　little　likely　to　be　disputed。

The　doctor　carved　and　helped　the　young　ladies　and　himself。

When　they　had　all　eaten　a　little；　a　discussion　was　observed　to　be　going　on　between　Rose　and　her　sister。　　At　last　Aubertin　caught　these　words；　〃It　will　be　in　vain；　even　you　have　not　influence　enough　for　that；　Rose。〃

〃We　shall　see；〃　was　the　reply；　and　Rose　put　the　wing　of　a　partridge　on　a　plate　and　rose　calmly　from　her　chair。　　She　took　the　plate　and　put　it　on　a　little　work…table　by　her　mother's　side。　　The　others　pretended　to　be　all　mouths；　but　they　were　all　ears。　　The　baroness　looked　in　Rose's　face　with　an　air　of　wonder　that　was　not　very　encouraging。　　Then；　as　Rose　said　nothing；　she　raised　her　aristocratic　hand　with　a　courteous　but　decided　gesture　of　refusal。

Undaunted　Rose　laid　her　palm　softly　on　the　baroness's　shoulder；　and　said　to　her　as　firmly　as　the　baroness　herself　had　just　spoken；

〃Il　le　veut。〃

The　baroness　was　staggered。　　Then　she　looked　with　moist　eyes　at　the　fair　young　face；　then　she　reflected。　　At　last　she　said；　with　an　exquisite　mixture　of　politeness　and　affection；　〃It　is　his　daughter　who　has　told　me　'Il　le　veut。'　　I　obey。〃

Rose　returning　like　a　victorious　knight　from　the　lists；　saucily　exultant；　and　with　only　one　wet　eyelash；　was　solemnly　kissed　and　petted　by　Josephine　and　the　doctor。

Thus　they　loved　one　another　in　this　great；　old；　falling　house。　Their　familiarity　had　no　coarse　side；　a　form；　not　of　custom　but　affection；　it　went　hand…in…hand　with　courtesy　by　day　and　night。

The　love　of　the　daughters　for　their　mother　had　all　the　tenderness；　subtlety；　and　unselfishness　of　womanly　natures；　together　with　a　certain　characteristic　of　the　female　character。　　And　whither　that　one　defect　led　them；　and　by　what　gradations；　it　may　be　worth　the　reader's　while　to　observe。

The　baroness　retired　to　rest　early；　and　she　was　no　sooner　gone　than　Josephine　leaned　over　to　Rose；　and　told　her　what　their　mother　had　said　to　the　oak…tree。　　Rose　heard　this　with　anxiety；　hitherto　they　had　carefully　concealed　from　their　mother　that　the　government　claimed　the　right　of　selling　the　chateau　to　pay　the　creditors；　etc。；　and　now　both　sisters　feared　the　old　lady　had　discovered　it　somehow；　or　why　that　strange　thing　she　had　said　to　the　oak…tree？　　But　Dr。　Aubertin　caught　their　remarks；　and　laid　down　his　immortal　MS。　on　French　insects；　to　express　his　hope　that　they　were　putting　a　forced　interpretation　on　the　baroness's　words。

〃I　think；〃　said　he；　〃she　merely　meant　how　short…lived　are　we　all　compared　with　this　ancient　oak。　　I　should　be　very　sorry　to　adopt　the　other　interpretation；　for　if　she　knows　she　can　at　any　moment　be　expelled　from　Beaurepaire；　it　will　be　almost　as　bad　for　her　as　the　calamity　itself；　THAT；　I　think；　would　kill　her。〃

〃Why　so？〃　said　Rose；　eagerly。　　〃What　is　this　house　or　that？　　Mamma　will　still　have　her　daughters'　love；　go　where　she　will。〃

Aubertin　replied；　〃It　is　idle　to　deceive　ourselves；　at　her　age　men　and　women　hang　to　life　by　their　habits；　take　her　away　from　her　chateau；　from　the　little　oratory　where　she　prays　every　day　for　the　departed；　from　her　place　in　the　sun　on　the　south　terrace；　and　from　all　the　memories　that　surround　her　here；　she　would　soon　pine；　and　die。〃

Here　the　savant　seeing　a　hobby…horse　near；　caught　him　and　jumped　on。　He　launched　into　a　treatise　upon　the　vitality　of　human　beings；　and　proved　that　it　is　the　mind　which　keeps　the　body　of　a　man　alive　for　so　great　a　length　of　time　as　fourscore　years；　for　that　he　had　in　the　earlier　part　of　his　studies　carefully　dissected　a　multitude　of　animals；frogs；　rabbits；　dogs；　men；　horses；　sheep；　squirrels；　foxes；　cats；　etc。；and　discovered　no　peculiarity　in　man's　organs　to　account　for　his　singular　longevity；　except　in　the　brain　or　organ　of　mind。　　Thence　he　went　to　the　longevity　of　men　with　contented　minds；　and　the　rapid　decay　of　the　careworn。　　Finally　he　succeeded　in　convincing　them　the　baroness　was　so　constituted；　physically　and　mentally；　that　she　would　never　move　from　Beaurepaire　except　into　her　grave。　　However；　having　thus　terrified　them；　he　proceeded　to　console　them。　　〃You　have　a　friend；〃　said　he；　〃a　powerful　friend；　and　here　in　my　pocketsomewhereis　a　letter　that　proves　it。〃

The　letter　was　from　Mr。　Perrin　the　notary。　　It　appeared　by　it　that　Dr。　Aubertin　had　reminded　the　said　Perrin　of　his　obligations　to　the　late　baron；　and　entreated　him　to　use　all　his　influence　to　keep　the　estate　in　this　ancient　family。

Perrin　had　replied　at　first　in　a　few　civil　lines；　but　his　present　letter　was　a　long　and　friendly　one。　　It　made　both　the　daughters　of　Beaurepaire　shudder　at　the　peril　they　had　so　narrowly　escaped。　　For　by　it　they　now　learned　for　the　first　time　that　one　Jaques　Bonard；　a　small　farmer；　to　whom　they　owed　but　five　thousand　francs；　had　gone　to　the　mayor　and　insisted；　as　he　had　a　perfect　right；　on　the　estate　being　put　up　to　public　auction。　　This　had　come　to　Perrin's　ears　just　in　time；　and　he　had　instantly　bought　Bonard's　debt；　and　stopped　the　auction；　not；　however；　before　the　very　bills　were　printed；　for　which　he；　Perrin；　had　paid；　and　now　forwarded　the　receipt。　　He　concluded　by　saying　that　the　government　agent　was　personally　inert；　and　would　never　move　a　step　in　the　matter　unless　driven　by　a　creditor。

〃But　we　have　so　many；〃　said　Rose　in　dismay。　　〃We　are　not　safe　a　day。〃

Aubertin　assured　her　the　danger　was　only　in　appearance。　　〃Your　large　creditors　are　men　of　property；　and　such　men　let　their　funds　lie　unless　compelled　to　move　them。　　The　small　mortgagee；　the　petty　miser；　who　has；　perhaps；　no　investment　to　watch　but　one　small　loan；　about　which　he　is　as　anxious　and　as　noisy　as　a　hen　with　one　chicken；　he　is　the　clamorous　creditor；　the　harsh　little　egoist；　who　for　fear　of　risking　a　crown　piece　would　bring　the　Garden　of　Eden　to　the　hammer。　　Now　we　are　rid　of　that　little　wretch；　Bonard；　and　have　Perrin　on　our　side；　so　there　is　literally　nothing　to　fear。〃

The　sisters　thanked　him　warmly；　and　Rose　shared　his　hopes；　and　said　so；　but　Josephine　was　silent　and　thoughtful。　　Nothing　more　worth　recording　passed　that　night。　　But　the　next　day　was　the　first　of　May；　Josephine's　birthday。

Now　they　always　celebrated　this　day　as　well　as　they　could；　and　used　to　plant　a　tree；　for　one　thing。　　Dard；　well　spurred　by　Jacintha；　had　got　a　little　acacia；　and　they　were　all　out　in　the　Pleasaunce　to　plant　it。　　Unhappily；　they　were　a　preposterous　time　making　up　their　feminine　minds　where　to　have　it　set；　so　Dard　turned　rusty　and　said　the　park　was　the　best　place　for　it。　　There　it　could　do　no　harm；　stick　it　where　you　would。

〃And　who　told　you　to　put　in　your　word？〃　inquired　Jacintha。　　〃You're　here　to　dig　the　hole　where　mademoiselle　chooses；　not　to　argufy。〃

Josephine　whispered　Rose；　〃I　admire　the　energy　of　her　character。　Could　she　be　induced　to　order　once　for　all　where　the　poor　thing　is　to　be　planted？〃

〃Then　where　WILL　you　have　it；　mademoiselle？〃　asked　Dard；　sulkily。

〃Here；　I　think；　Dard；〃　said　Josephine　sweetly。

Dard　grinned　malignantly；　and　drove　in　his　spade。　　〃It　will　never　be　much　bigger　than　a　stinging　nettle；〃　thought　he；　〃for　the　roots　of　the　oak　have　sucked　every　atom　of　heart　out　of　this。〃　　His　black　soul　exulted　secretly。

Jacintha　stood　by　Dard；　inspecting　his　work；　the　sisters　intertwined；　a　few　feet　from　him。　　The　baroness　turned　aside；　and　went　to　look　for　a　moment　at　the　chaplet　she　had　placed　yesterday　on　the　oak…tree　bough。　　Presently　she　uttered　a　slight　ejaculation；　and　her　daughters　looked　up　directly。

〃Come　here；　children；〃　said　she。　　They　glided　to　her　in　a　moment；　and　found　her　eyes　fixed　upon　an　object　that　lay　on　the　knights'　bough。

It　was　a　sparkling　purse。

I　dare　say　you　have　noticed　that　the　bark　on　the　boughs　of　these　very　ancient　trees　is　as　deeply　furrowed　as　the　very　stem　of　an　oak　tree　that　boasts　but　a　few　centuries；　and　in　one　of　these　deep　furrows　lay　a　green　silk　purse　with　gold　coins　glittering　through　the　glossy　meshes。

Josephine　and　Rose　eyed　it　a　moment　like　startled　deer；　then　Rose　pounced　on　it。　　〃Oh；　how　heavy！〃　she　cried。　　This　brought　up　Dard　and　Jacintha；　in　time　to　see　Rose　pour　ten　shining　gold　pieces　out　of　the　purse　into　her　pink…white　palm；　while　her　face　flushed　and　her　eyes　glittered　with　excitement。　　Jacintha　gave　a　scream　of　joy；　〃Our　luck　is　turned；〃　she　cried；　superstitiously。　　Meanwhile；　Josephine　had　found　a　slip　of　paper　close　to　the　purse。　　She　opened　it　with　nimble　fingers；　it　contained　one　line　in　a　hand　like　that　of　a　copying　clerk：　FROM　A　FRIEND：　IN　PART　PAYMENT　OF　A　GREAT　DEBT。

Keen；　piquant　curiosity　now　took　the　place　of　surprise。　　Who　could　it　be？　　The　baroness's　suspicion　fell　at　once　on　Dr。　Aubertin。　　But　Rose　maintained　he　had　not　ten　gold　pieces　in　the　world。　　The　baroness　appealed　to　Josephine。　　She　only　blushed　in　an　extraordinary　way；　and　said　nothing。　　They　puzzled；　and　puzzled；　and　were　as　much　in　the　dark　as　ever；　when　lo！　one　of　the　suspected　parties　delivered　himself　into　the　hands　of　justice　with　ludicrous　simplicity。　　It　happened　to　be　Dr。　Aubertin's　hour　of　out…a…door　study；　and　he　came　mooning　along；　buried　in　a　book；　and　walked　slowly　into　the　groupstarted；　made　a　slight　apology；　and　was　mo