gobseck-第13节

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〃Ernest　went　out　and　saw　his　mother　standing　in　the　next　room。



〃　'Ernest；'　said　she；　'come　here。'



〃She　sat　down；　drew　her　son　to　her　knees；　and　clasped　him　in　her　arms；

and　held　him　tightly　to　her　heart。



〃　'Ernest；　your　father　said　something　to　you　just　now。'



〃　'Yes；　mamma。'



〃　'What　did　he　say？'



〃　'I　cannot　repeat　it；　mamma。'



〃　'Oh；　my　dear　child！'　cried　the　Countess；　kissing　him　in　rapture。

'You　have　kept　your　secret；　how　glad　that　makes　me！　Never　tell　a　lie；

never　fail　to　keep　your　wordthose　are　two　principles　which　should

never　be　forgotten。'



〃　'Oh！　mamma；　how　beautiful　you　are！　YOU　have　never　told　a　lie；　I　am

quite　sure。'



〃　'Once　or　twice；　Ernest　dear；　I　have　lied。　Yes；　and　I　have　not　kept

my　word　under　circumstances　which　speak　louder　than　all　precepts。

Listen；　my　Ernest；　you　are　big　enough　and　intelligent　enough　to　see

that　your　father　drives　me　away；　and　will　not　allow　me　to　nurse　him；

and　this　is　not　natural；　for　you　know　how　much　I　love　him。'



〃　'Yes；　mamma。'



〃The　Countess　began　to　cry。　'Poor　child！'　she　said；　'this　misfortune

is　the　result　of　treacherous　insinuations。　Wicked　people　have　tried　to

separate　me　from　your　father　to　satisfy　their　greed。　They　mean　to　take

all　our　money　from　us　and　to　keep　it　for　themselves。　If　your　father

were　well；　the　division　between　us　would　soon　be　over；　he　would　listen

to　me；　he　is　loving　and　kind；　he　would　see　his　mistake。　But　now　his

mind　is　affected；　and　his　prejudices　against　me　have　become　a　fixed

idea；　a　sort　of　mania　with　him。　It　is　one　result　of　his　illness。　Your

father's　fondness　for　you　is　another　proof　that　his　mind　is　deranged。

Until　he　fell　ill　you　never　noticed　that　he　loved　you　more　than

Pauline　and　Georges。　It　is　all　caprice　with　him　now。　In　his　affection

for　you　he　might　take　it　into　his　head　to　tell　you　to　do　things　for

him。　If　you　do　not　want　to　ruin　us　all；　my　darling；　and　to　see　your

mother　begging　her　bread　like　a　pauper　woman；　you　must　tell　her

everything'



〃　'Ah！'　cried　the　Count。　He　had　opened　the　door　and　stood　there；　a

sudden；　half…naked　apparition；　almost　as　thin　and　fleshless　as　a

skeleton。



〃His　smothered　cry　produced　a　terrible　effect　upon　the　Countess；　she

sat　motionless；　as　if　a　sudden　stupor　had　seized　her。　Her　husband　was

as　white　and　wasted　as　if　he　had　risen　out　of　his　grave。



〃　'You　have　filled　my　life　to　the　full　with　trouble；　and　now　you　are

trying　to　vex　my　deathbed；　to　warp　my　boy's　mind；　and　make　a　depraved

man　of　him！'　he　cried；　hoarsely。



〃The　Countess　flung　herself　at　his　feet。　His　face；　working　with　the

last　emotions　of　life；　was　almost　hideous　to　see。



〃　'Mercy！　mercy！'　she　cried　aloud；　shedding　a　torrent　of　tears。



〃　'Have　you　shown　me　any　pity？'　he　asked。　'I　allowed　you　to　squander

your　own　money；　and　now　do　you　mean　to　squander　my　fortune；　too；　and

ruin　my　son？'



〃　'Ah！　well；　yes；　have　no　pity　for　me；　be　merciless　to　me！'　she　cried。

'But　the　children？　Condemn　your　widow　to　live　in　a　convent；　I　will

obey　you；　I　will　do　anything；　anything　that　you　bid　me；　to　expiate　the

wrong　I　have　done　you；　if　that　so　the　children　may　be　happy！　The

children！　Oh；　the　children！'



〃　'I　have　only　one　child；'　said　the　Count；　stretching　out　a　wasted

arm；　in　his　despair；　towards　his　son。



〃　'Pardon　a　penitent　woman；　a　penitent　woman！　。　。　。'　wailed　the

Countess；　her　arms　about　her　husband's　damp　feet。　She　could　not　speak

for　sobbing；　vague；　incoherent　sounds　broke　from　her　parched　throat。



〃　'You　dare　to　talk　of　penitence　after　all　that　you　said　to　Ernest！'

exclaimed　the　dying　man；　shaking　off　the　Countess；　who　lay　groveling

over　his　feet。'You　turn　me　to　ice！'　he　added；　and　there　was

something　appalling　in　the　indifference　with　which　he　uttered　the

words。　'You　have　been　a　bad　daughter；　you　have　been　a　bad　wife；　you

will　be　a　bad　mother。'



〃The　wretched　woman　fainted　away。　The　dying　man　reached　his　bed　and

lay　down　again；　and　a　few　hours　later　sank　into　unconsciousness。　The

priests　came　and　administered　the　sacraments。



〃At　midnight　he　died；　the　scene　that　morning　had　exhausted　his

remaining　strength；　and　on　the　stroke　of　midnight　I　arrived　with　Daddy

Gobseck。　The　house　was　in　confusion；　and　under　cover　of　it　we　walked

up　into　the　little　salon　adjoining　the　death…chamber。　The　three

children　were　there　in　tears；　with　two　priests；　who　had　come　to　watch

with　the　dead。　Ernest　came　over　to　me；　and　said　that　his　mother

desired　to　be　alone　in　the　Count's　room。



〃　'Do　not　go　in；'　he　said；　and　I　admired　the　child　for　his　tone　and

gesture；　'she　is　praying　there。'



〃Gobseck　began　to　laugh　that　soundless　laugh　of　his；　but　I　felt　too

much　touched　by　the　feeling　in　Ernest's　little　face　to　join　in　the

miser's　sardonic　amusement。　When　Ernest　saw　that　we　moved　towards　the

door；　he　planted　himself　in　front　of　it；　crying　out；　'Mamma；　here　are

some　gentlemen　in　black　who　want　to　see　you。！'



〃Gobseck　lifted　Ernest　out　of　the　way　as　if　the　child　had　been　a

feather；　and　opened　the　door。



〃What　a　scene　it　was　that　met　our　eyes！　The　room　was　in　frightful

disorder；　clothes　and　papers　and　rags　lay　tossed　about　in　a　confusion

horrible　to　see　in　the　presence　of　Death；　and　there；　in　the　midst；

stood　the　Countess　in　disheveled　despair；　unable　to　utter　a　word；　her

eyes　glittering。　The　Count　had　scarcely　breathed　his　last　before　his

wife　came　in　and　forced　open　the　drawers　and　the　desk；　the　carpet　was

strewn　with　litter；　some　of　the　furniture　and　boxes　were　broken；　the

signs　of　violence　could　be　seen　everywhere。　But　if　her　search　had　at

first　proved　fruitless；　there　was　that　in　her　excitement　and　attitude

which　led　me　to　believe　that　she　had　found　the　mysterious　documents　at

last。　I　glanced　at　the　bed；　and　professional　instinct　told　me　all　that

had　happened。　The　mattress　had　been　flung　contemptuously　down　by　the

bedside；　and　across　it；　face　downwards；　lay　the　body　of　the　Count；

like　one　of　the　paper　envelopes　that　strewed　the　carpethe　too　was

nothing　now　but　an　envelope。　There　was　something　grotesquely　horrible

in　the　attitude　of　the　stiffening　rigid　limbs。



〃The　dying　man　must　have　hidden　the　counter…deed　under　his　pillow　to

keep　it　safe　so　long　as　life　should　last；　and　his　wife　must　have

guessed　his　thought；　indeed；　it　might　be　read　plainly　in　his　last

dying　gesture；　in　the　convulsive　clutch　of　his　claw…like　hands。　The

pillow　had　been　flung　to　the　floor　at　the　foot　of　the　bed；　I　could　see

the　print　of　her　heel　upon　it。　At　her　feet　lay　a　paper　with　the

Count's　arms　on　the　seals；　I　snatched　it　up；　and　saw　that　it　was

addressed　to　me。　I　looked　steadily　at　the　Countess　with　the　pitiless

clear…sightedness　of　an　examining　magistrate　confronting　a　guilty

creature。　The　contents　were　blazing　in　the　grate；　she　had　flung　them

on　the　fire　at　the　sound　of　our　approach；　imagining；　from　a　first

hasty　glance　at　the　provisions　which　I　had　suggested　for　her　children；

that　she　was　destroying　a　will　which　disinherited　them。　A　tormented

conscience　and　involuntary　horror　of　the　deed　which　she　had　done　had

taken　away　all　power　of　reflection。　She　had　been　caught　in　the　act；

and　possibly　the　scaffold　was　rising　before　her　eyes；　and　she　already

felt　the　felon's　branding　iron。



〃There　she　stood　gasping　for　breath；　waiting　for　us　to　speak；　staring

at　us　with　haggard　eyes。



〃I　went　across　to　the　grate　and　pulled　out　an　unburned　fragment。　'Ah；

madame！'　I　exclaimed；　'you　have　ruined　your　children！　Those　papers

were　their　titles　to　their　property。'



〃Her　mouth　twitched；　she　looked　as　if　she　were　threatened　by　a

paralytic　seizure。



〃　'Eh！　eh！'　cried　Gobseck；　the　harsh；　shrill　tone　grated　upon　our　ears

like　the　sound　of　a　brass　candlestick　scratching　a　marble　surface。



〃There　was　a　pause；　then　the　old　man　turned　to　me　and　said　quietly：



〃　'Do　you　intend　Mme。　la　Comtesse　to　suppose　that　I　am　not　the

rightful　owner　of　the　property　sold　to　me　by　her　late　husband？　This

house　belongs　to　me　now。'



〃A　sudden　blow　on　the　head　from　a　bludgeon　would　have　given　me　less

pain　and　astonishment。　The　Countess　saw　the　look　of　hesitation　in　my

face。



〃　'Monsieur；'　she　cried；　'Monsieur！'　She　could　find　no　other　words。



〃　'You　are　a　trustee；　are　you　not？'　I　asked。



〃　'That　is　possible。'



〃　'Then　do　you　mean　to　take　advantage　of　this　crime　of　hers？'



〃　'Precisely。'



〃I　went　at　that；　leaving　the　Countess　sitting　by　her　husband's

bedside；　shedding　hot　tears。　Gobseck　followed　me。　Outside　in　the

street　I　separated　from　him；　but　he　came　after　me；　flung　me　one　of

those　searching　glances　with　which　he　probed　men's　minds；　and　said　in

the　husky　flute…tones；　pitched　in　a　shriller　key：



〃　'Do　you　take　it　upon　yourself　to　judge　me？'







〃From　that　time　forward　we　saw　little　of　each　other。　Gobseck　let　the

Count's　mansion　on　lease；　he　spent　the　summers　on　the　country　estates。

He　was　a　lord