the lily of the valley-第46节

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Monsieur　de　Mortsauf　came　to　me　with　open　arms；　pressed　me　to　him　and

kissed　me　on　both　cheeks　crying　out；　〃Felix；　I　know　now　that　I　owed

you　my　life。〃



Madame　de　Mortsauf　stood　with　her　back　towards　me　during　this　little

scene；　under　pretext　of　showing　the　horse　to　Madeleine。



〃Ha；　the　devil！　that's　what　women　are；〃　cried　the　count；　〃admiring

your　horse！〃



Madeleine　turned；　came　up　to　me；　and　I　kissed　her　hand；　looking　at　the

countess；　who　colored。



〃Madeleine　seems　much　better；〃　I　said。



〃Poor　little　girl！〃　said　the　countess；　kissing　her　on　her　forehead。



〃Yes；　for　the　time　being　they　are　all　well；〃　answered　the　count。

〃Except　me；　Felix；　I　am　as　battered　as　an　old　tower　about　to　fall。〃



〃The　general　is　still　depressed；〃　I　remarked　to　Madame　de　Mortsauf。



〃We　all　have　our　blue　devilsis　not　that　the　English　term？〃　she

replied。



The　whole　party　walked　on　towards　the　vineyard　with　the　feeling　that

some　serious　event　had　happened。　She　had　no　wish　to　be　alone　with　me。

Still；　I　was　her　guest。



〃But　about　your　horse？　why　isn't　he　attended　to？〃　said　the　count。



〃You　see　I　am　wrong　if　I　think　of　him；　and　wrong　if　I　do　not；〃

remarked　the　countess。



〃Well；　yes；〃　said　her　husband；　〃there　is　a　time　to　do　things；　and　a

time　not　to　do　them。〃



〃I　will　attend　to　him；〃　I　said；　finding　this　sort　of　greeting

intolerable。　〃No　one　but　myself　can　put　him　into　his　stall；　my　groom

is　coming　by　the　coach　from　Chinon；　he　will　rub　him　down。〃



〃I　suppose　your　groom　is　from　England；〃　she　said。



〃That　is　where　they　all　come　from；〃　remarked　the　count；　who　grew

cheerful　in　proportion　as　his　wife　seemed　depressed。　Her　coldness　gave

him　an　opportunity　to　oppose　her；　and　he　overwhelmed　me　with

friendliness。



〃My　dear　Felix；〃　he　said；　taking　my　hand；　and　pressing　it

affectionately；　〃pray　forgive　Madame　de　Mortsauf；　women　are　so

whimsical。　But　it　is　owing　to　their　weakness；　they　cannot　have　the

evenness　of　temper　we　owe　to　our　strength　of　character。　She　really

loves　you；　I　know　it；　only〃



While　the　count　was　speaking　Madame　de　Mortsauf　gradually　moved　away

from　us　so　as　to　leave　us　alone。



〃Felix；〃　said　the　count；　in　a　low　voice；　looking　at　his　wife；　who　was

now　going　up　to　the　house　with　her　two　children；　〃I　don't　know　what　is

going　on　in　Madame　de　Mortsauf's　mind；　but　for　the　last　six　weeks　her

disposition　has　completely　changed。　She；　so　gentle；　so　devoted

hitherto；　is　now　extraordinarily　peevish。〃



Manette　told　me　later　that　the　countess　had　fallen　into　a　state　of

depression　which　made　her　indifferent　to　the　count's　provocations。　No

longer　finding　a　soft　substance　in　which　he　could　plant　his　arrows；

the　man　became　as　uneasy　as　a　child　when　the　poor　insect　it　is

tormenting　ceases　to　move。　He　now　needed　a　confidant；　as　the　hangman

needs　a　helper。



〃Try　to　question　Madame　de　Mortsauf；〃　he　said　after　a　pause；　〃and　find

out　what　is　the　matter。　A　woman　always　has　secrets　from　her　husband；

but　perhaps　she　will　tell　you　what　troubles　her。　I　would　sacrifice

everything　to　make　her　happy；　even　to　half　my　remaining　days　or　half

my　fortune。　She　is　necessary　to　my　very　life。　If　I　have　not　that　angel

at　my　side　as　I　grow　old　I　shall　be　the　most　wretched　of　men。　I　do

desire　to　die　easy。　Tell　her　I　shall　not　be　here　long　to　trouble　her。

Yes；　Felix；　my　poor　friend；　I　am　going　fast；　I　know　it。　I　hide　the

fatal　truth　from　every　one；　why　should　I　worry　them　beforehand？　The

trouble　is　in　the　orifice　of　the　stomach；　my　friend。　I　have　at　last

discovered　the　true　cause　of　this　disease；　it　is　my　sensibility　that

is　killing　me。　Indeed；　all　our　feelings　affect　the　gastric　centre。〃



〃Then　do　you　mean；〃　I　said；　smiling；　〃that　the　best…hearted　people　die

of　their　stomachs？〃



〃Don't　laugh；　Felix；　nothing　is　more　absolutely　true。　Too　keen　a

sensibility　increases　the　play　of　the　sympathetic　nerve；　these

excitements　of　feeling　keep　the　mucous　membrane　of　the　stomach　in　a

state　of　constant　irritation。　If　this　state　continues　it　deranges；　at

first　insensibly；　the　digestive　functions；　the　secretions　change；　the

appetite　is　impaired；　and　the　digestion　becomes　capricious；　sharp

pains　are　felt；　they　grow　worse　day　by　day；　and　more　frequent；　then

the　disorder　comes　to　a　crisis；　as　if　a　slow　poison　were　passing　the

alimentary　canal；　the　mucous　membrane　thickens；　the　valve　of　the

pylorus　becomes　indurated　and　forms　a　scirrhus；　of　which　the　patient

dies。　Well；　I　have　reached　that　point；　my　dear　friend。　The　induration

is　proceeding　and　nothing　checks　it。　Just　look　at　my　yellow　skin；　my

feverish　eyes；　my　excessive　thinness。　I　am　withering　away。　But　what　is

to　be　done？　I　brought　the　seeds　of　the　disease　home　with　me　from　the

emigration；　heaven　knows　what　I　suffered　then！　My　marriage；　which

might　have　repaired　the　wrong；　far　from　soothing　my　ulcerated　mind

increased　the　wound。　What　did　I　find？　ceaseless　fears　for　the

children；　domestic　jars；　a　fortune　to　remake；　economies　which　required

great　privations；　which　I　was　obliged　to　impose　upon　my　wife；　but

which　I　was　the　one　to　suffer　from；　and　then；I　can　tell　this　to　none

but　you；　Felix；I　have　a　worse　trouble　yet。　Though　Blanche　is　an

angel；　she　does　not　understand　me；　she　knows　nothing　of　my　sufferings

and　she　aggravates　them；　but　I　forgive　her。　It　is　a　dreadful　thing　to

say；　my　friend；　but　a　less　virtuous　woman　might　have　made　me　more

happy　by　lending　herself　to　consolations　which　Blanche　never　thinks

of；　for　she　is　as　silly　as　a　child。　Moreover　my　servants　torment　me；

blockheads　who　take　my　French　for　Greek！　When　our　fortune　was　finally

remade　inch　by　inch；　and　I　had　some　relief　from　care；　it　was　too　late；

the　harm　was　done；　I　had　reached　the　period　when　the　appetite　is

vitiated。　Then　came　my　severe　illness；　so　ill…managed　by　Origet。　In

short；　I　have　not　six　months　to　live。〃



I　listened　to　the　count　in　terror。　On　meeting　the　countess　I　had　been

struck　with　her　yellow　skin　and　the　feverish　brilliancy　of　her　eyes。　I

led　the　count　towards　the　house　while　seeming　to　listen　to　his

complaints　and　his　medical　dissertations；　but　my　thoughts　were　all

with　Henriette；　and　I　wanted　to　observe　her。　We　found　her　in　the

salon；　where　she　was　listening　to　a　lesson　in　mathematics　which　the

Abbe　Dominis　was　giving　Jacques；　and　at　the　same　time　showing

Madeleine　a　stitch　of　embroidery。　Formerly　she　would　have　laid　aside

every　occupation　the　day　of　my　arrival　to　be　with　me。　But　my　love　was

so　deeply　real　that　I　drove　back　into　my　heart　the　grief　I　felt　at

this　contrast　between　the　past　and　the　present；　and　thought　only　of

the　fatal　yellow　tint　on　that　celestial　face；　which　resembled　the　halo

of　divine　light　Italian　painters　put　around　the　faces　of　their　saints。

I　felt　the　icy　wind　of　death　pass　over　me。　Then　when　the　fire　of　her

eyes；　no　longer　softened　by　the　liquid　light　in　which　in　former　times

they　moved；　fell　upon　me；　I　shuddered；　I　noticed　several　changes；

caused　by　grief；　which　I　had　not　seen　in　the　open　air。　The　slender

lines　which；　at　my　last　visit；　were　so　lightly　marked　upon　her

forehead　had　deepened；　her　temples　with　their　violet　veins　seemed

burning　and　concave；　her　eyes　were　sunk　beneath　the　brows；　their

circles　browned；alas！　she　was　discolored　like　a　fruit　when　decay　is

beginning　to　show　upon　the　surface；　or　a　worm　is　at　the　core。　I；　whose

whole　ambition　had　been　to　pour　happiness　into　her　soul；　I　it　was　who

embittered　the　spring　from　which　she　had　hoped　to　refresh　her　life　and

renew　her　courage。　I　took　a　seat　beside　her　and　said　in　a　voice　filled

with　tears　of　repentance；　〃Are　you　satisfied　with　your　own　health？〃



〃Yes；〃　she　answered；　plunging　her　eyes　into　mine。　〃My　health　is

there；〃　she　added；　motioning　to　Jacques　and　Madeleine。



The　latter；　just　fifteen；　had　come　victoriously　out　of　her　struggle

with　anaemia；　and　was　now　a　woman。　She　had　grown　tall；　the　Bengal

roses　were　blooming　in　her　once　sallow　cheeks。　She　had　lost　the

unconcern　of　a　child　who　looks　every　one　in　the　face；　and　now　dropped

her　eyes；　her　movements　were　slow　and　infrequent；　like　those　of　her

mother；　her　figure　was　slim；　but　the　gracefulness　of　the　bust　was

already　developing；　already　an　instinct　of　coquetry　had　smoothed　the

magnificent　black　hair　which　lay　in　bands　upon　her　Spanish　brow。　She

was　like　those　pretty　statuettes　of　the　Middle　Ages；　so　delicate　in

outline；　so　slender　in　form　that　the　eye　as　it　seizes　their　charm

fears　to　break　them。　Health；　the　fruit　of　untold　efforts；　had　made　her

cheeks　as　velvety　as　a　peach　and　given　to　her　throat　the　silken　down

which；　like　her　mother's；　caught　the　light。　She　was　to　live！　God　had

written　it；　dear　bud　of　the　loveliest　of　human　flowers；　on　the　long

lashes　of　her　eyelids；　on　the　curve　of　those　shoulders　which　gave

promise　of　a　development　as　superb　as　her　mother's！　This　brown　young

girl；　erect　as　a　poplar；　contrasted　with　Jacques；　a　fragile　youth　of

seventeen；　whose　head　h