the duchesse de langeais-第16节

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He　sat　down　on　the　sofa　in　the　boudoir；　and　leant　his　head　on　his　hands。

〃Do　you　love　me；　madame？〃　he　asked　at　length；　raising　his　head；　and　turning　a　face　full　of　resolution　upon　her。　　〃Say　it　straight　out；　Yes　or　No！〃

His　direct　question　dismayed　the　Duchess　more　than　a　threat　of　suicide　could　have　done；　indeed；　the　woman　of　the　nineteenth　century　is　not　to　be　frightened　by　that　stale　stratagem；　the　sword　has　ceased　to　be　part　of　the　masculine　costume。　　But　in　the　effect　of　eyelids　and　lashes；　in　the　contraction　of　the　gaze；　in　the　twitching　of　the　lips；　is　there　not　some　influence　that　communicates　the　terror　which　they　express　with　such　vivid　magnetic　power？

〃Ah；　if　I　were　free；　if〃

〃Oh！　is　it　only　your　husband　that　stands　in　the　way？〃　the　General　exclaimed　joyfully；　as　he　strode　to　and　fro　in　the　boudoir。　　〃Dear　Antoinette；　I　wield　a　more　absolute　power　than　the　Autocrat　of　all　the　Russias。　　I　have　a　compact　with　Fate；　I　can　advance　or　retard　destiny；　so　far　as　men　are　concerned；　at　my　fancy；　as　you　alter　the　hands　of　a　watch。　　If　you　can　direct　the　course　of　fate　in　our　political　machinery；　it　simply　means　（does　it　not？）　that　you　understand　the　ins　and　outs　of　it。　　You　shall　be　free　before　very　long；　and　then　you　must　remember　your　promise。〃

〃Armand！〃　she　cried。　　〃What　do　you　mean？　　Great　heavens！　　Can　you　imagine　that　I　am　to　be　the　prize　of　a　crime？　　Do　you　want　to　kill　me？　　Why！　you　cannot　have　any　religion　in　you！　　For　my　own　part；　I　fear　God。　　M。　de　Langeais　may　have　given　me　reason　to　hate　him；　but　I　wish　him　no　manner　of　harm。〃

M。　de　Montriveau　beat　a　tattoo　on　the　marble　chimneypiece；　and　only　looked　composedly　at　the　lady。

〃Dear；〃　continued　she；　〃respect　him。　　He　does　not　love　me；　he　is　not　kind　to　me；　but　I　have　duties　to　fulfil　with　regard　to　him。　　What　would　I　not　do　to　avert　the　calamities　with　which　you　threaten　him？Listen；〃　she　continued　after　a　pause；　〃I　will　not　say　another　word　about　separation；　you　shall　come　here　as　in　the　past；　and　I　will　still　give　you　my　forehead　to　kiss。　　If　I　refused　once　or　twice；　it　was　pure　coquetry；　indeed　it　was。　　But　let　us　understand　each　other；〃　she　added　as　he　came　closer。　　〃You　will　permit　me　to　add　to　the　number　of　my　satellites；　to　receive　even　more　visitors　in　the　morning　than　heretofore；　I　mean　to　be　twice　as　frivolous；　I　mean　to　use　you　to　all　appearance　very　badly；　to　feign　a　rupture；　you　must　come　not　quite　so　often；　and　then；　afterwards〃

While　she　spoke；　she　had　allowed　him　to　put　an　arm　about　her　waist；　Montriveau　was　holding　her　tightly　to　him；　and　she　seemed　to　feel　the　exceeding　pleasure　that　women　usually　feel　in　that　close　contact；　an　earnest　of　the　bliss　of　a　closer　union。　　And　then；　doubtless　she　meant　to　elicit　some　confidence；　for　she　raised　herself　on　tiptoe；　and　laid　her　forehead　against　Armand's　burning　lips。

〃And　then；〃　Montriveau　finished　her　sentence　for　her；　〃you　shall　not　speak　to　me　of　your　husband。　　You　ought　not　to　think　of　him　again。〃

Mme　de　Langeais　was　silent　awhile。

〃At　least；〃　she　said；　after　a　significant　pause；　〃at　least　you　will　do　all　that　I　wish　without　grumbling；　you　will　not　be　naughty；　tell　me　so；　my　friend？　　You　wanted　to　frighten　me；　did　you　not？　　Come；　now；　confess　it　？　。　。　。　　You　are　too　good　ever　to　think　of　crimes。　　But　is　it　possible　that　you　can　have　secrets　that　I　do　not　know？　　How　can　you　control　Fate？〃　

〃Now；　when　you　confirm　the　gift　of　the　heart　that　you　have　already　given　me；　I　am　far　too　happy　to　know　exactly　how　to　answer　you。　　I　can　trust　you；　Antoinette；　I　shall　have　no　suspicion；　no　unfounded　jealousy　of　you。　　But　if　accident　should　set　you　free；　we　shall　be　one〃

〃Accident；　Armand？〃　（With　that　little　dainty　turn　of　the　head　that　seems　to　say　so　many　things；　a　gesture　that　such　women　as　the　Duchess　can　use　on　light　occasions；　as　a　great　singer　can　act　with　her　voice。）　　〃Pure　accident；〃　she　repeated。　　〃Mind　that。　　If　anything　should　happen　to　M。　de　Langeais　by　your　fault；　I　should　never　be　yours。〃

And　so　they　parted；　mutually　content。　　The　Duchess　had　made　a　pact　that　left　her　free　to　prove　to　the　world　by　words　and　deeds　that　M。　de　Montriveau　was　no　lover　of　hers。　　And　as　for　him；　the　wily　Duchess　vowed　to　tire　him　out。　　He　should　have　nothing　of　her　beyond　the　little　concessions　snatched　in　the　course　of　contests　that　she　could　stop　at　her　pleasure。　　She　had　so　pretty　an　art　of　revoking　the　grant　of　yesterday；　she　was　so　much　in　earnest　in　her　purpose　to　remain　technically　virtuous；　that　she　felt　that　there　was　not　the　slightest　danger　for　her　in　preliminaries　fraught　with　peril　for　a　woman　less　sure　of　her　self…command。　　After　all；　the　Duchess　was　practically　separated　from　her　husband；　a　marriage　long　since　annulled　was　no　great　sacrifice　to　make　to　her　love。

Montriveau　on　his　side　was　quite　happy　to　win　the　vaguest　promise；　glad　once　for　all　to　sweep　aside；　with　all　scruples　of　conjugal　fidelity；　her　stock　of　excuses　for　refusing　herself　to　his　love。　　He　had　gained　ground　a　little；　and　congratulated　himself。　　And　so　for　a　time　he　took　unfair　advantage　of　the　rights　so　hardly　won。　　More　a　boy　than　he　had　ever　been　in　his　life；　he　gave　himself　up　to　all　the　childishness　that　makes　first　love　the　flower　of　life。　　He　was　a　child　again　as　he　poured　out　all　his　soul；　all　the　thwarted　forces　that　passion　had　given　him；　upon　her　hands；　upon　the　dazzling　forehead　that　looked　so　pure　to　his　eyes；　upon　her　fair　hair；　on　the　tufted　curls　where　his　lips　were　pressed。　　And　the　Duchess；　on　whom　his　love　was　poured　like　a　flood；　was　vanquished　by　the　magnetic　influence　of　her　lover's　warmth；　she　hesitated　to　begin　the　quarrel　that　must　part　them　forever。　　She　was　more　a　woman　than　she　thought；　this　slight　creature；　in　her　effort　to　reconcile　the　demands　of　religion　with　the　ever…new　sensations　of　vanity；　the　semblance　of　pleasure　which　turns　a　Parisienne's　head。　　Every　Sunday　she　went　to　Mass；　she　never　missed　a　service；　then；　when　evening　came；　she　was　steeped　in　the　intoxicating　bliss　of　repressed　desire。　　Armand　and　Mme　de　Langeais；　like　Hindoo　fakirs；　found　the　reward　of　their　continence　in　the　temptations　to　which　it　gave　rise。　　Possibly；　the　Duchess　had　ended　by　resolving　love　into　fraternal　caresses；　harmless　enough；　as　it　might　have　seemed　to　the　rest　of　the　world；　while　they　borrowed　extremes　of　degradation　from　the　licence　of　her　thoughts。　　How　else　explain　the　incomprehensible　mystery　of　her　continual　fluctuations？　　Every　morning　she　proposed　to　herself　to　shut　her　door　on　the　Marquis　de　Montriveau；　every　evening；　at　the　appointed　hour；　she　fell　under　the　charm　of　his　presence。　　There　was　a　languid　defence；　then　she　grew　less　unkind。　　Her　words　were　sweet　and　soothing。　　They　were　loverslovers　only　could　have　been　thus。　　For　him　the　Duchess　would　display　her　most　sparkling　wit；　her　most　captivating　wiles；　and　when　at　last　she　had　wrought　upon　his　senses　and　his　soul；　she　might　submit　herself　passively　to　his　fierce　caresses；　but　she　had　her　nec　plus　ultra　of　passion；　and　when　once　it　was　reached；　she　grew　angry　if　he　lost　the　mastery　of　himself　and　made　as　though　he　would　pass　beyond。　　No　woman　on　earth　can　brave　the　consequences　of　refusal　without　some　motive；　nothing　is　more　natural　than　to　yield　to　love；　wherefore　Mme　de　Langeais　promptly　raised　a　second　line　of　fortification；　a　stronghold　less　easy　to　carry　than　the　first。　　She　evoked　the　terrors　of　religion。　　Never　did　Father　of　the　Church；　however　eloquent；　plead　the　cause　of　God　better　than　the　Duchess。　　Never　was　the　wrath　of　the　Most　High　better　justified　than　by　her　voice。　　She　used　no　preacher's　commonplaces；　no　rhetorical　amplifications。　　No。　　She　had　a　〃pulpit…tremor〃　of　her　own。　　To　Armand's　most　passionate　entreaty；　she　replied　with　a　tearful　gaze；　and　a　gesture　in　which　a　terrible　plenitude　of　emotion　found　expression。　　She　stopped　his　mouth　with　an　appeal　for　mercy。　　She　would　not　hear　another　word；　if　she　did；　she　must　succumb；　and　better　death　than　criminal　happiness。

〃Is　it　nothing　to　disobey　God？〃　she　asked　him；　recovering　a　voice　grown　faint　in　the　crises　of　inward　struggles；　through　which　the　fair　actress　appeared　to　find　it　hard　to　preserve　her　self…control。　　〃I　would　sacrifice　society；　I　would　give　up　the　whole　world　for　you；　gladly；　but　it　is　very　selfish　of　you　to　ask　my　whole　after…life　of　me　for　a　moment　of　pleasure。　　Come；　now！　are　you　not　happy？〃　she　added；　holding　out　her　hand；　and　certainly　in　her　careless　toilette　the　sight　of　her　afforded　consolations　to　her　lover；　who　made　the　most　of　them。

Sometimes　from　policy；　to　keep　her　hold　on　a　man　whose　ardent　passion　gave　her　emotions　unknown　before；　sometimes　in　weakness；　she　suffered　him　to　snatch　a　swift　kiss；　and　immediately；　in　feigned　terror；　she　flushed　red　and　exiled　Armand　from　the　sofa　so　soon　as　the　sofa　became　dangerous　ground。

〃Your　joys　are　sins　for　me　to　expiate；　Armand；　they　are　paid　for　by　penitence　and　remorse；〃　she　cried。

And　Montriveau；　now　at　two　chairs'　distance　from　that　aristocratic　petticoat；　betook　himself　to　blasphemy　and　railed　against　Providence。　　The　Duchess　grew　angry　at　such　times。

〃My　friend；〃　she　said　drily；　〃I　do　not　understand　why　you　decline　to　believe　in　God；　for　it　is　impossible　to　believe　in　man。