the duchesse de langeais-第20节

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ppy？〃

〃Oh　yes；　I　am　happy　when　I　have　not　a　doubt　left。　　Antoinette；　doubt　in　love　is　a　kind　of　death；　is　it　not？〃

In　a　moment　he　showed　himself　as　he　was；　as　all　men　are　under　the　influence　of　that　hot　fever；　he　grew　eloquent；　insinuating。　　And　the　Duchess　tasted　the　pleasures　which　she　reconciled　with　her　conscience　by　some　private；　Jesuitical　ukase　of　her　own；　Armand's　love　gave　her　a　thrill　of　cerebral　excitement　which　custom　made　as　necessary　to　her　as　society；　or　the　Opera。　　To　feel　that　she　was　adored　by　this　man；　who　rose　above　other　men；　whose　character　frightened　her；　to　treat　him　like　a　child；　to　play　with　him　as　Poppaea　played　with　Neromany　women；　like　the　wives　of　King　Henry　VIII；　have　paid　for　such　a　perilous　delight　with　all　the　blood　in　their　veins。　　Grim　presentiment！　　Even　as　she　surrendered　the　delicate；　pale；　gold　curls　to　his　touch；　and　felt　the　close　pressure　of　his　hand；　the　little　hand　of　a　man　whose　greatness　she　could　not　mistake；　even　as　she　herself　played　with　his　dark；　thick　locks；　in　that　boudoir　where　she　reigned　a　queen；　the　Duchess　would　say　to　herself

〃This　man　is　capable　of　killing　me　if　he　once　finds　out　that　I　am　playing　with　him。〃

Armand　de　Montriveau　stayed　with　her　till　two　o'clock　in　the　morning。　　From　that　moment　this　woman；　whom　he　loved；　was　neither　a　duchess　nor　a　Navarreins；　Antoinette；　in　her　disguises；　had　gone　so　far　as　to　appear　to　be　a　woman。　　On　that　most　blissful　evening；　the　sweetest　prelude　ever　played　by　a　Parisienne　to　what　the　world　calls　〃a　slip〃；　in　spite　of　all　her　affectations　of　a　coyness　which　she　did　not　feel；　the　General　saw　all　maidenly　beauty　in　her。　　He　had　some　excuse　for　believing　that　so　many　storms　of　caprice　had　been　but　clouds　covering　a　heavenly　soul；　that　these　must　be　lifted　one　by　one　like　the　veils　that　hid　her　divine　loveliness。　　The　Duchess　became；　for　him；　the　most　simple　and　girlish　mistress；　she　was　the　one　woman　in　the　world　for　him；　and　he　went　away　quite　happy　in　that　at　last　he　had　brought　her　to　give　him　such　pledges　of　love；　that　it　seemed　to　him　impossible　but　that　he　should　be　but　her　husband　henceforth　in　secret；　her　choice　sanctioned　by　Heaven。

Armand　went　slowly　home；　turning　this　thought　in　his　mind　with　the　impartiality　of　a　man　who　is　conscious　of　all　the　responsibilities　that　love　lays　on　him　while　he　tastes　the　sweetness　of　its　joys。　　He　went　along　the　Quais　to　see　the　widest　possible　space　of　sky；　his　heart　had　grown　in　him；　he　would　fain　have　had　the　bounds　of　the　firmament　and　of　earth　enlarged。　　It　seemed　to　him　that　his　lungs　drew　an　ampler　breath。

In　the　course　of　his　self…examination；　as　he　walked；　he　vowed　to　love　this　woman　so　devoutly；　that　every　day　of　her　life　she　should　find　absolution　for　her　sins　against　society　in　unfailing　happiness。　　Sweet　stirrings　of　life　when　life　is　at　the　full！　　The　man　that　is　strong　enough　to　steep　his　soul　in　the　colour　of　one　emotion；　feels　infinite　joy　as　glimpses　open　out　for　him　of　an　ardent　lifetime　that　knows　no　diminution　of　passion　to　the　end；　even　so　it　is　permitted　to　certain　mystics；　in　ecstasy；　to　behold　the　Light　of　God。　　Love　would　be　naught　without　the　belief　that　it　would　last　forever；　love　grows　great　through　constancy。　　It　was　thus　that；　wholly　absorbed　by　his　happiness；　Montriveau　understood　passion。

〃We　belong　to　each　other　forever！〃

The　thought　was　like　a　talisman　fulfilling　the　wishes　of　his　life。　　He　did　not　ask　whether　the　Duchess　might　not　change；　whether　her　love　might　not　last。　　No；　for　he　had　faith。　　Without　that　virtue　there　is　no　future　for　Christianity；　and　perhaps　it　is　even　more　necessary　to　society。　　A　conception　of　life　as　feeling　occurred　to　him　for　the　first　time；　hitherto　he　had　lived　by　action；　the　most　strenuous　exertion　of　human　energies；　the　physical　devotion；　as　it　may　be　called；　of　the　soldier。

Next　day　M。　de　Montriveau　went　early　in　the　direction　of　the　Faubourg　Saint…Germain。　　He　had　made　an　appointment　at　a　house　not　far　from　the　Hotel　de　Langeais；　and　the　business　over；　he　went　thither　as　if　to　his　own　home。　　The　General's　companion　chanced　to　be　a　man　for　whom　he　felt　a　kind　of　repulsion　whenever　he　met　him　in　other　houses。　　This　was　the　Marquis　de　Ronquerolles；　whose　reputation　had　grown　so　great　in　Paris　boudoirs。　　He　was　witty；　clever；　and　what　was　morecourageous；　he　set　the　fashion　to　all　the　young　men　in　Paris。　　As　a　man　of　gallantry；　his　success　and　experience　were　equally　matters　of　envy；　and　neither　fortune　nor　birth　was　wanting　in　his　case；　qualifications　which　add　such　lustre　in　Paris　to　a　reputation　as　a　leader　of　fashion。

〃Where　are　you　going？〃　asked　M。　de　Ronquerolles。

〃To　Mme　de　Langeais's。〃

〃Ah；　true。　　I　forgot　that　you　had　allowed　her　to　lime　you。　　You　are　wasting　your　affections　on　her　when　they　might　be　much　better　employed　elsewhere。　　I　could　have　told　you　of　half　a　score　of　women　in　the　financial　world；　any　one　of　them　a　thousand　times　better　worth　your　while　than　that　titled　courtesan；　who　does　with　her　brains　what　less　artificial　women　do　with〃

〃What　is　this；　my　dear　fellow？〃　Armand　broke　in。　　〃The　Duchess　is　an　angel　of　innocence。〃

Ronquerolles　began　to　laugh。

〃Things　being　thus；　dear　boy；〃　said　he；　〃it　is　my　duty　to　enlighten　you。　　Just　a　word；　there　is　no　harm　in　it　between　ourselves。　　Has　the　Duchess　surrendered？　　If　so；　I　have　nothing　more　to　say。　　Come；　give　me　your　confidence。　　There　is　no　occasion　to　waste　your　time　in　grafting　your　great　nature　on　that　unthankful　stock；　when　all　your　hopes　and　cultivation　will　come　to　nothing。〃

Armand　ingenuously　made　a　kind　of　general　report　of　his　position；　enumerating　with　much　minuteness　the　slender　rights　so　hardly　won。　　Ronquerolles　burst　into　a　peal　of　laughter　so　heartless；　that　it　would　have　cost　any　other　man　his　life。　　But　from　their　manner　of　speaking　and　looking　at　each　other　during　that　colloquy　beneath　the　wall；　in　a　corner　almost　as　remote　from　intrusion　as　the　desert　itself；　it　was　easy　to　imagine　the　friendship　between　the　two　men　knew　no　bounds；　and　that　no　power　on　earth　could　estrange　them。

〃My　dear　Armand；　why　did　you　not　tell　me　that　the　Duchess　was　a　puzzle　to　you？　　I　would　have　given　you　a　little　advice　which　might　have　brought　your　flirtation　properly　through。　　You　must　know；　to　begin　with；　that　the　women　of　our　Faubourg；　like　any　other　women；　love　to　steep　themselves　in　love；　but　they　have　a　mind　to　possess　and　not　to　be　possessed。　　They　have　made　a　sort　of　compromise　with　human　nature。　　The　code　of　their　parish　gives　them　a　pretty　wide　latitude　short　of　the　last　transgression。　　The　sweets　enjoyed　by　this　fair　Duchess　of　yours　are　so　many　venial　sins　to　be　washed　away　in　the　waters　of　penitence。　　But　if　you　had　the　impertinence　to　ask　in　earnest　for　the　moral　sin　to　which　naturally　you　are　sure　to　attach　the　highest　importance；　you　would　see　the　deep　disdain　with　which　the　door　of　the　boudoir　and　the　house　would　be　incontinently　shut　upon　you。　　The　tender　Antoinette　would　dismiss　everything　from　her　memory；　you　would　be　less　than　a　cipher　for　her。　　She　would　wipe　away　your　kisses；　my　dear　friend；　as　indifferently　as　she　would　perform　her　ablutions。

She　would　sponge　love　from　her　cheeks　as　she　washes　off　rouge。　　We　know　women　of　that　sortthe　thorough…bred　Parisienne。　　Have　you　ever　noticed　a　grisette　tripping　along　the　street？　　Her　face　is　as　good　as　a　picture。　　A　pretty　cap；　fresh　cheeks；　trim　hair；　a　guileful　smile；　and　the　rest　of　her　almost　neglected。　　Is　not　this　true　to　the　life？　　Well；　that　is　the　Parisienne。　　She　knows　that　her　face　is　all　that　will　be　seen；　so　she　devotes　all　her　care；　finery；　and　vanity　to　her　head。　　The　Duchess　is　the　same；　the　head　is　everything　with　her。　　She　can　only　feel　through　her　intellect；　her　heart　lies　in　her　brain；　she　is　a　sort　of　intellectual　epicure；　she　has　a　head…voice。　　We　call　that　kind　of　poor　creature　a　Lais　of　the　intellect。　　You　have　been　taken　in　like　a　boy。　　If　you　doubt　it；　you　can　have　proof　of　it　tonight；　this　morning；　this　instant。　　Go　up　to　her；　try　the　demand　as　an　experiment；　insist　peremptorily　if　it　is　refused。　　You　might　set　about　it　like　the　late　Marechal　de　Richelieu；　and　get　nothing　for　your　pains。〃

Armand　was　dumb　with　amazement。

〃Has　your　desire　reached　the　point　of　infatuation？〃

〃I　want　her　at　any　cost！〃　Montriveau　cried　out　despairingly。

〃Very　well。　　Now；　look　here。　　Be　as　inexorable　as　she　is　herself。　　Try　to　humiliate　her；　to　sting　her　vanity。　　Do　NOT　try　to　move　her　heart；　nor　her　soul；　but　the　woman's　nerves　and　temperament；　for　she　is　both　nervous　and　lymphatic。　　If　you　can　once　awaken　desire　in　her；　you　are　safe。　　But　you　must　drop　these　romantic　boyish　notions　of　yours。　　If　when　once　you　have　her　in　your　eagle's　talons　you　yield　a　point　or　draw　back；　if　you　so　much　as　stir　an　eyelid；　if　she　thinks　that　she　can　regain　her　ascendancy　over　you；　she　will　slip　out　of　your　clutches　like　a　fish；　and　you　will　never　catch　her　again。　　Be　as　inflexible　as　law。　　Show　no　more　charity　than　the　headsman。　　Hit　hard；　and　then　hit　again。　　Strike　and　keep　on　striking　as　if　you　were　giving　her　the　knout。　　Duchesses　are　made　of　hard　stuff；　my　dear　Armand；　there　is　a　sort　of　feminine　nature　that　is　only　softened　by　repeated　blows；　and　as　suff