the duchesse de langeais-第18节

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　be　so　good　as　to　belong　to　your　party；　you　that　might　be　its　Sylla　if　you　had　the　slightest　ambition　that　way。　　I　know　nothing　about　politics　myself；　I　argue　from　my　own　feelings；　but　still　I　know　enough　to　guess　that　society　would　be　overturned　if　people　were　always　calling　its　foundations　in　question〃

〃If　that　is　how　your　Court　and　your　Government　think；　I　am　sorry　for　you；〃　broke　in　Montriveau。　　〃The　Restoration；　madam；　ought　to　say；　like　Catherine　de　Medici；　when　she　heard　that　the　battle　of　Dreux　was　lost；　‘Very　well；　now　we　will　go　to　the　meeting…house。'　　Now　1815　was　your　battle　of　Dreux。　　Like　the　royal　power　of　those　days；　you　won　in　fact；　while　you　lost　in　right。　　Political　Protestantism　has　gained　an　ascendancy　over　people's　minds。　　If　you　have　no　mind　to　issue　your　Edict　of　Nantes；　or　if；　when　it　is　issued；　you　publish　a　Revocation；　if　you　should　one　day　be　accused　and　convicted　of　repudiating　the　Charter；　which　is　simply　a　pledge　given　to　maintain　the　interests　established　under　the　Republic；　then　the　Revolution　will　rise　again；　terrible　in　her　strength；　and　strike　but　a　single　blow。　　It　will　not　be　the　Revolution　that　will　go　into　exile；　she　is　the　very　soil　of　France。　　Men　die；　but　people's　interests　do　not　die。　。　。　。　　Eh；　great　Heavens！　what　are　France　and　the　crown　and　rightful　sovereigns；　and　the　whole　world　besides；　to　us？　　Idle　words　compared　with　my　happiness。　　Let　them　reign　or　be　hurled　from　the　throne；　little　do　I　care。　　Where　am　I　now？〃

〃In　the　Duchesse　de　Langeais's　boudoir；　my　friend。〃

〃No；　no。　　No　more　of　the　Duchess；　no　more　of　Langeais；　I　am　with　my　dear　Antoinette。〃

〃Will　you　do　me　the　pleasure　to　stay　where　you　are；〃　she　said；　laughing　and　pushing　him　back；　gently　however。

〃So　you　have　never　loved　me；〃　he　retorted；　and　anger　flashed　in　lightning　from　his　eyes。

〃No；　dear〃；　but　the　〃No〃　was　equivalent　to　〃Yes。〃

〃I　am　a　great　ass；〃　he　said；　kissing　her　hands。　　The　terrible　queen　was　a　woman　once　more。〃Antoinette；〃　he　went　on；　laying　his　head　on　her　feet；　〃you　are　too　chastely　tender　to　speak　of　our　happiness　to　anyone　in　this　world。〃

〃Oh！〃　she　cried；　rising　to　her　feet　with　a　swift；　graceful　spring；　〃you　are　a　great　simpleton。〃　　And　without　another　word　she　fled　into　the　drawing…room。

〃What　is　it　now？〃　wondered　the　General；　little　knowing　that　the　touch　of　his　burning　forehead　had　sent　a　swift　electric　thrill　through　her　from　foot　to　head。

In　hot　wrath　he　followed　her　to　the　drawing…room；　only　to　hear　divinely　sweet　chords。　　The　Duchess　was　at　the　piano。　　If　the　man　of　science　or　the　poet　can　at　once　enjoy　and　comprehend；　bringing　his　intelligence　to　bear　upon　his　enjoyment　without　loss　of　delight；　he　is　conscious　that　the　alphabet　and　phraseology　of　music　are　but　cunning　instruments　for　the　composer；　like　the　wood　and　copper　wire　under　the　hands　of　the　executant。　　For　the　poet　and　the　man　of　science　there　is　a　music　existing　apart；　underlying　the　double　expression　of　this　language　of　the　spirit　and　senses。　　Andiamo　mio　ben　can　draw　tears　of　joy　or　pitying　laughter　at　the　will　of　the　singer；　and　not　unfrequently　one　here　and　there　in　the　world；　some　girl　unable　to　live　and　bear　the　heavy　burden　of　an　unguessed　pain；　some　man　whose　soul　vibrates　with　the　throb　of　passion；　may　take　up　a　musical　theme；　and　lo！　heaven　is　opened　for　them；　or　they　find　a　language　for　themselves　in　some　sublime　melody；　some　song　lost　to　the　world。

The　General　was　listening　now　to　such　a　song；　a　mysterious　music　unknown　to　all　other　ears；　as　the　solitary　plaint　of　some　mateless　bird　dying　alone　in　a　virgin　forest。

〃Great　Heavens！　what　are　you　playing　there？〃　he　asked　in　an　unsteady　voice。

〃The　prelude　of　a　ballad；　called；　I　believe；　Fleuve　du　Tage。〃

〃I　did　not　know　that　there　was　such　music　in　a　piano；〃　he　returned。

〃Ah！〃　she　said；　and　for　the　first　time　she　looked　at　him　as　a　woman　looks　at　the　man　she　loves；　〃nor　do　you　know；　my　friend；　that　I　love　you；　and　that　you　cause　me　horrible　suffering；　and　that　I　feel　that　I　must　utter　my　cry　of　pain　without　putting　it　too　plainly　into　words。　　If　I　did　not；　I　should　yieldBut　you　see　nothing。〃

〃And　you　will　not　make　me　happy！〃

〃Armand；　I　should　die　of　sorrow　the　next　day。〃

The　General　turned　abruptly　from　her　and　went。　　But　out　in　the　street　he　brushed　away　the　tears　that　he　would　not　let　fall。

The　religious　phase　lasted　for　three　months。　　At　the　end　of　that　time　the　Duchess　grew　weary　of　vain　repetitions；　the　Deity；　bound　hand　and　foot；　was　delivered　up　to　her　lover。　　Possibly　she　may　have　feared　that　by　sheer　dint　of　talking　of　eternity　she　might　perpetuate　his　love　in　this　world　and　the　next。　　For　her　own　sake；　it　must　be　believed　that　no　man　had　touched　her　heart；　or　her　conduct　would　be　inexcusable。　　She　was　young；　the　time　when　men　and　women　feel　that　they　cannot　afford　to　lose　time　or　to　quibble　over　their　joys　was　still　far　off。　　She；　no　doubt；　was　on　the　verge　not　of　first　love；　but　of　her　first　experience　of　the　bliss　of　love。　　And　from　inexperience；　for　want　of　the　painful　lessons　which　would　have　taught　her　to　value　the　treasure　poured　out　at　her　feet；　she　was　playing　with　it。　　Knowing　nothing　of　the　glory　and　rapture　of　the　light；　she　was　fain　to　stay　in　the　shadow。

Armand　was　just　beginning　to　understand　this　strange　situation；　he　put　his　hope　in　the　first　word　spoken　by　nature。　　Every　evening；　as　he　came　away　from　Mme　de　Langeais's；　he　told　himself　that　no　woman　would　accept　the　tenderest；　most　delicate　proofs　of　a　man's　love　during　seven　months；　nor　yield　passively　to　the　slighter　demands　of　passion；　only　to　cheat　love　at　the　last。　　He　was　waiting　patiently　for　the　sun　to　gain　power；　not　doubting　but　that　he　should　receive　the　earliest　fruits。　　The　married　woman's　hesitations　and　the　religious　scruples　he　could　quite　well　understand。　　He　even　rejoiced　over　those　battles。　　He　mistook　the　Duchess's　heartless　coquetry　for　modesty；　and　he　would　not　have　had　her　otherwise。　　So　he　had　loved　to　see　her　devising　obstacles；　was　he　not　gradually　triumphing　over　them？　　Did　not　every　victory　won　swell　the　meagre　sum　of　lovers'　intimacies　long　denied；　and　at　last　conceded　with　every　sign　of　love？　　Still；　he　had　had　such　leisure　to　taste　the　full　sweetness　of　every　small　successive　conquest　on　which　a　lover　feeds　his　love；　that　these　had　come　to　be　matters　of　use　and　wont。　　So　far　as　obstacles　went；　there　were　none　now　save　his　own　awe　of　her；　nothing　else　left　between　him　and　his　desire　save　the　whims　of　her　who　allowed　him　to　call　her　Antoinette。　　So　he　made　up　his　mind　to　demand　more；　to　demand　all。　　Embarrassed　like　a　young　lover　who　cannot　dare　to　believe　that　his　idol　can　stoop　so　low；　he　hesitated　for　a　long　time。　　He　passed　through　the　experience　of　terrible　reactions　within　himself。　　A　set　purpose　was　annihilated　by　a　word；　and　definite　resolves　died　within　him　on　the　threshold。　　He　despised　himself　for　his　weakness；　and　still　his　desire　remained　unuttered。

Nevertheless；　one　evening；　after　sitting　in　gloomy　melancholy；　he　brought　out　a　fierce　demand　for　his　illegally　legitimate　rights。　　The　Duchess　had　not　to　wait　for　her　bond…slave's　request　to　guess　his　desire。　　When　was　a　man's　desire　a　secret？　　And　have　not　women　an　intuitive　knowledge　of　the　meaning　of　certain　changes　of　countenance？

〃What！　you　wish　to　be　my　friend　no　longer？〃　she　broke　in　at　the　first　words；　and　a　divine　red　surging　like　new　blood　under　the　transparent　skin；　lent　brightness　to　her　eyes。　　〃As　a　reward　for　my　generosity；　you　would　dishonour　me？　　Just　reflect　a　little。　　I　myself　have　thought　much　over　this；　and　I　think　always　for　us　BOTH。　　There　is　such　a　thing　as　a　woman's　loyalty；　and　we　can　no　more　fail　in　it　than　you　can　fail　in　honour。　　_I_　cannot　blind　myself。　　If　I　am　yours；　how；　in　any　sense；　can　I　be　M。　de　Langeais's　wife？　　Can　you　require　the　sacrifice　of　my　position；　my　rank；　my　whole　life　in　return　for　a　doubtful　love　that　could　not　wait　patiently　for　seven　months？　　What！　already　you　would　rob　me　of　my　right　to　dispose　of　myself？　　No；　no；　you　must　not　talk　like　this　again。　　No；　not　another　word。　　I　will　not；　I　cannot　listen　to　you。〃

Mme　de　Langeais　raised　both　hands　to　her　head　to　push　back　the　tufted　curls　from　her　hot　forehead；　she　seemed　very　much　excited。

〃You　come　to　a　weak　woman　with　your　purpose　definitely　planned　out。　　You　say‘For　a　certain　length　of　time　she　will　talk　to　me　of　her　husband；　then　of　God；　and　then　of　the　inevitable　consequences。　　But　I　will　use　and　abuse　the　ascendancy　I　shall　gain　over　her；　I　will　make　myself　indispensable；　all　the　bonds　of　habit；　all　the　misconstructions　of　outsiders；　will　make　for　me；　and　at　length；　when　our　liaison　is　taken　for　granted　by　all　the　world；　I　shall　be　this　woman's　master。'Now；　be　frank；　these　are　your　thoughts！　　Oh！　you　calculate；　and　you　say　that　you　love。　　Shame　on　you！　　You　are　enamoured？　　Ah！　that　I　well　believe！　　You　wish　to　possess　me；　to　have　me　for　your　mistress；　that　is　all！　　Very　well　then；　No！　　The　DUCHESSE　DE　LANGEAIS　will　not　descend　so　far。　　Simple　bourgeoises　may　be　the　victims　of　your　treacheryI；　never！　　Nothing　gives　me　assurance　of　your　love。　　You　speak　of　my　beauty；　I　may　lose　every　trace　of　it　in　six　months；　like　the　dear　Princess；　my　neighbour。　　You　a