gobseck-第11节

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we　make　for　ourselves；　we　have　not　the　time　to　give　each　individual

client　the　amount　of　interest　which　he　himself　takes　in　his　affairs。

Still；　one　day　when　Gobseck　came　to　dine　with　me；　I　asked　him　as　we

left　the　table　if　he　knew　how　it　was　that　I　had　heard　no　more　of　M。　de

Restaud。



〃　'There　are　excellent　reasons　for　that；'　he　said；　'the　noble　Count　is

at　death's　door。　He　is　one　of　the　soft　stamp　that　cannot　learn　how　to

put　an　end　to　chagrin；　and　allow　it　to　wear　them　out　instead。　Life　is

a　craft；　a　profession；　every　man　must　take　the　trouble　to　learn　that

business。　When　he　has　learned　what　life　is　by　dint　of　painful

experiences；　the　fibre　of　him　is　toughened；　and　acquires　a　certain

elasticity；　so　that　he　has　his　sensibilities　under　his　own　control；　he

disciplines　himself　till　his　nerves　are　like　steel　springs；　which

always　bend；　but　never　break；　given　a　sound　digestion；　and　a　man　in

such　training　ought　to　live　as　long　as　the　cedars　of　Lebanon；　and

famous　trees　they　are。'



〃　'Then　is　the　Count　actually　dying？'　I　asked。



〃　'That　is　possible；'　said　Gobseck；　'the　winding　up　of　his　estate　will

be　a　juicy　bit　of　business　for　you。'



〃I　looked　at　my　man；　and　said；　by　way　of　sounding　him：



〃　'Just　explain　to　me　how　it　is　that　we；　the　Count　and　I；　are　the　only

men　in　whom　you　take　an　interest？'



〃　'Because　you　are　the　only　two　who　have　trusted　me　without

finessing；'　he　said。



〃Although　this　answer　warranted　my　belief　that　Gobseck　would　act

fairly　even　if　the　counter…deed　were　lost；　I　resolved　to　go　to　see　the

Count。　I　pleaded　a　business　engagement；　and　we　separated。



〃I　went　straight　to　the　Rue　du　Helder；　and　was　shown　into　a　room　where

the　Countess　sat　playing　with　her　children。　When　she　heard　my　name；

she　sprang　up　and　came　to　meet　me；　then　she　sat　down　and　pointed

without　a　word　to　a　chair　by　the　fire。　Her　face　wore　the　inscrutable

mask　beneath　which　women　of　the　world　conceal　their　most　vehement

emotions。　Trouble　had　withered　that　face　already。　Nothing　of　its

beauty　now　remained；　save　the　marvelous　outlines　in　which　its

principal　charm　had　lain。



〃　'It　is　essential；　madame；　that　I　should　speak　to　M。　le　Comte〃



〃　'If　so；　you　would　be　more　favored　than　I　am；'　she　said；　interrupting

me。　'M。　de　Restaud　will　see　no　one。　He　will　hardly　allow　his　doctor　to

come；　and　will　not　be　nursed　even　by　me。　When　people　are　ill；　they

have　such　strange　fancies！　They　are　like　children；　they　do　not　know

what　they　want。'



〃　'Perhaps；　like　children；　they　know　very　well　what　they　want。'



〃The　Countess　reddened。　I　almost　repented　a　thrust　worthy　of　Gobseck。

So；　by　way　of　changing　the　conversation；　I　added；　'But　M。　de　Restaud

cannot　possibly　lie　there　alone　all　day；　madame。'



〃　'His　oldest　boy　is　with　him；'　she　said。



〃It　was　useless　to　gaze　at　the　Countess；　she　did　not　blush　this　time；

and　it　looked　to　me　as　if　she　were　resolved　more　firmly　than　ever　that

I　should　not　penetrate　into　her　secrets。



〃　'You　must　understand；　madame；　that　my　proceeding　is　no　way

indiscreet。　It　is　strongly　to　his　interest'　I　bit　my　lips；　feeling

that　I　had　gone　the　wrong　way　to　work。　The　Countess　immediately　took

advantage　of　my　slip。



〃　'My　interests　are　in　no　way　separate　from　my　husband's；　sir；'　said

she。　'There　is　nothing　to　prevent　your　addressing　yourself　to　me'



〃　'The　business　which　brings　me　here　concerns　no　one　but　M。　le　Comte；'

I　said　firmly。



〃　'I　will　let　him　know　of　your　wish　to　see　him。'



〃The　civil　tone　and　expression　assumed　for　the　occasion　did　not　impose

upon　me；　I　divined　that　she　would　never　allow　me　to　see　her　husband。　I

chatted　on　about　indifferent　matters　for　a　little　while；　so　as　to

study　her；　but；　like　all　women　who　have　once　begun　to　plot　for

themselves；　she　could　dissimulate　with　the　rare　perfection　which；　in

your　sex；　means　the　last　degree　of　perfidy。　If　I　may　dare　to　say　it；　I

looked　for　anything　from　her；　even　a　crime。　She　produced　this　feeling

in　me；　because　it　was　so　evident　from　her　manner　and　in　all　that　she

did　or　said；　down　to　the　very　inflections　of　her　voice；　that　she　had

an　eye　to　the　future。　I　went。



〃Now；　I　will　pass　on　to　the　final　scenes　of　this　adventure；　throwing

in　a　few　circumstances　brought　to　light　by　time；　and　some　details

guessed　by　Gobseck's　perspicacity　or　by　my　own。



〃When　the　Comte　de　Restaud　apparently　plunged　into　the　vortex　of

dissipation；　something　passed　between　the　husband　and　wife；　something

which　remains　an　impenetrable　secret；　but　the　wife　sank　even　lower　in

the　husband's　eyes。　As　soon　as　he　became　so　ill　that　he　was　obliged　to

take　to　his　bed；　he　manifested　his　aversion　for　the　Countess　and　the

two　youngest　children。　He　forbade　them　to　enter　his　room；　and　any

attempt　to　disobey　his　wishes　brought　on　such　dangerous　attacks　that

the　doctor　implored　the　Countess　to　submit　to　her　husband's　wish。



〃Mme。　de　Restaud　had　seen　the　family　estates　and　property；　nay；　the

very　mansion　in　which　she　lived；　pass　into　the　hands　of　Gobseck；　who

appeared　to　play　the　fantastic　ogre　so　far　as　their　wealth　was

concerned。　She　partially　understood　what　her　husband　was　doing；　no

doubt。　M。　de　Trailles　was　traveling　in　England　（his　creditors　had　been

a　little　too　pressing　of　late）；　and　no　one　else　was　in　a　position　to

enlighten　the　lady；　and　explain　that　her　husband　was　taking

precautions　against　her　at　Gobseck's　suggestion。　It　is　said　that　she

held　out　for　a　long　while　before　she　gave　the　signature　required　by

French　law　for　the　sale　of　the　property；　nevertheless　the　Count　gained

his　point。　The　Countess　was　convinced　that　her　husband　was　realizing

his　fortune；　and　that　somewhere　or　other　there　would　be　a　little　bunch

of　notes　representing　the　amount；　they　had　been　deposited　with　a

notary；　or　perhaps　at　the　bank；　or　in　some　safe　hiding…place。

Following　out　her　train　of　thought；　it　was　evident　that　M。　de　Restaud

must　of　necessity　have　some　kind　of　document　in　his　possession　by

which　any　remaining　property　could　be　recovered　and　handed　over　to　his

son。



〃So　she　made　up　her　mind　to　keep　the　strictest　possible　watch　over　the

sick…room。　She　ruled　despotically　in　the　house；　and　everything　in　it

was　submitted　to　this　feminine　espionage。　All　day　she　sat　in　the　salon

adjoining　her　husband's　room；　so　that　she　could　hear　every　syllable

that　he　uttered；　every　least　movement　that　he　made。　She　had　a　bed　put

there　for　her　of　a　night；　but　she　did　not　sleep　very　much。　The　doctor

was　entirely　in　her　interests。　Such　wifely　devotion　seemed

praiseworthy　enough。　With　the　natural　subtlety　of　perfidy；　she　took

care　to　disguise　M。　de　Restaud's　repugnance　for　her；　and　feigned

distress　so　perfectly　that　she　gained　a　sort　of　celebrity。　Strait…

laced　women　were　even　found　to　say　that　she　had　expiated　her　sins。

Always　before　her　eyes　she　beheld　a　vision　of　the　destitution　to

follow　on　the　Count's　death　if　her　presence　of　mind　should　fail　her；

and　in　these　ways　the　wife；　repulsed　from　the　bed　of　pain　on　which　her

husband　lay　and　groaned；　had　drawn　a　charmed　circle　round　about　it。　So

near；　yet　kept　at　a　distance；　all…powerful；　but　in　disgrace；　the

apparently　devoted　wife　was　lying　in　wait　for　death　and　opportunity；

crouching　like　the　ant…lion　at　the　bottom　of　his　spiral　pit；　ever　on

the　watch　for　the　prey　that　cannot　escape；　listening　to　the　fall　of

every　grain　of　sand。



〃The　strictest　censor　could　not　but　recognize　that　the　Countess　pushed

maternal　sentiment　to　the　last　degree。　Her　father's　death　had　been　a

lesson　to　her；　people　said。　She　worshiped　her　children。　They　were　so

young　that　she　could　hide　the　disorders　of　her　life　from　their　eyes；

and　could　win　their　love；　she　had　given　them　the　best　and　most

brilliant　education。　I　confess　that　I　cannot　help　admiring　her　and

feeling　sorry　for　her。　Gobseck　used　to　joke　me　about　it。　Just　about

that　time　she　had　discovered　Maxime's　baseness；　and　was　expiating　the

sins　of　the　past　in　tears　of　blood。　I　was　sure　of　it。　Hateful　as　were

the　measures　which　she　took　for　regaining　control　of　her　husband's

money；　were　they　not　the　result　of　a　mother's　love；　and　a　desire　to

repair　the　wrongs　she　had　done　her　children？　And　again；　it　may　be；

like　many　a　woman　who　has　experienced　the　storm　of　lawless　love；　she

felt　a　longing　to　lead　a　virtuous　life　again。　Perhaps　she　only　learned

the　worth　of　that　life　when　she　came　to　reap　the　woeful　harvest　sown

by　her　errors。



〃Every　time　that　little　Ernest　came　out　of　his　father's　room；　she　put

him　through　a　searching　examination　as　to　all　that　his　father　had　done

or　said。　The　boy　willingly　complied　with　his　mother's　wishes；　and　told

her　even　more　than　she　asked　in　her　anxious　affection；　as　he　thought。



〃My　visit　was　a　ray　of　light　for　the　Countess。　She　was　determined　to

see　in　me　the　instrument　of　the　Count's　vengeance；　and　resolved　that　I

should　not　be　allowed　to　go　near　the　dying　man。　I　augured　ill　of　all

this；　and　earnes