a daughter of eve-第15部分

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his　cab　at　the　gate；　Nathan's　vanity　was　stung；　he　resolved　to　have　a

cabriolet　himself；　and　its　accompanying　tiger；　too。　The　carriage　of

the　countess　was　in　the　court…yard；　and　the　sight　of　it　swelled

Raoul's　heart　with　joy。　Marie　was　advancing　under　the　pressure　of　her

desires　with　the　regularity　of　the　hands　of　a　clock　obeying　the

mainspring。　He　found　her　sitting　at　the　corner　of　the　fireplace　in　the

little　salon。　Instead　of　looking　at　Nathan　when　he　was　announced；　she

looked　at　his　reflection　in　a　mirror。



〃Monsieur　le　ministre；〃　said　Madame　d'Espard；　addressing　Nathan；　and

presenting　him　to　de　Marsay　by　a　glance；　〃was　maintaining；　when　you

came　in；　that　the　royalists　and　the　republicans　have　a　secret

understanding。　You　ought　to　know　something　about　it；　is　it　so？〃



〃If　it　were　so；〃　said　Raoul；　〃where's　the　harm？　We　hate　the　same

thing；　we　agree　as　to　our　hatreds；　we　differ　only　in　our　love。　That's

the　whole　of　it。〃



〃The　alliance　is　odd　enough；〃　said　de　Marsay；　giving　a　comprehensively

meaning　glance　at　the　Comtesse　Felix　and　Nathan。



〃It　won't　last；〃　said　Rastignac；　thinking；　perhaps；　wholly　of

politics。



〃What　do　you　think；　my　dear？〃　asked　Madame　d'Espard；　addressing　Marie。



〃I　know　nothing　of　public　affairs；〃　replied　the　countess。



〃But　you　soon　will；　madame；〃　said　de　Marsay；　〃and　then　you　will　be

doubly　our　enemy。〃



So　saying　he　left　the　room　with　Rastignac；　and　Madame　d'Espard

accompanied　them　to　the　door　of　the　first　salon。　The　lovers　had　the

room　to　themselves　for　a　few　moments。　Marie　held　out　her　ungloved　hand

to　Raoul；　who　took　and　kissed　it　as　though　he　were　eighteen　years　old。

The　eyes　of　the　countess　expressed　so　noble　a　tenderness　that　the

tears　which　men　of　nervous　temperament　can　always　find　at　their

service　came　into　Raoul's　eyes。



〃Where　can　I　see　you？　where　can　I　speak　with　you？〃　he　said。　〃It　is

death　to　be　forced　to　disguise　my　voice；　my　look；　my　heart；　my　love〃



Moved　by　that　tear　Marie　promised　to　drive　daily　in　the　Bois；　unless

the　weather　were　extremely　bad。　This　promise　gave　Raoul　more　pleasure

than　he　had　found　in　Florine　for　the　last　five　years。



〃I　have　so　many　things　to　say　to　you！　I　suffer　from　the　silence　to

which　we　are　condemned〃



The　countess　looked　at　him　eagerly　without　replying；　and　at　that

moment　Madame　d'Espard　returned　to　the　room。



〃Why　didn't　you　answer　de　Marsay？〃　she　said　as　she　entered。



〃We　ought　to　respect　the　dead；〃　replied　Raoul。　〃Don't　you　see　that　he

is　dying？　Rastignac　is　his　nurse；hoping　to　be　put　in　the　will。〃



The　countess　pretended　to　have　other　visits　to　pay；　and　left　the

house。



For　this　quarter　of　an　hour　Raoul　had　sacrificed　important　interests

and　most　precious　time。　Marie　was　perfectly　ignorant　of　the　life　of

such　men；　involved　in　complicated　affairs　and　burdened　with　exacting

toil。　Women　of　society　are　still　under　the　influence　of　the　traditions

of　the　eighteenth　century；　in　which　all　positions　were　definite　and

assured。　Few　women　know　the　harassments　in　the　life　of　most　men　who　in

these　days　have　a　position　to　make　and　to　maintain；　a　fame　to　reach；　a

fortune　to　consolidate。　Men　of　settled　wealth　and　position　can　now　be

counted；　old　men　alone　have　time　to　love；　young　men　are　rowing；　like

Nathan；　the　galleys　of　ambition。　Women　are　not　yet　resigned　to　this

change　of　customs；　they　suppose　the　same　leisure　of　which　they　have

too　much　in　those　who　have　none；　they　cannot　imagine　other

occupations；　other　ends　in　life　than　their　own。　When　a　lover　has

vanquished　the　Lernean　hydra　in　order　to　pay　them　a　visit　he　has　no

merit　in　their　eyes；　they　are　only　grateful　to　him　for　the　pleasure　he

gives；　they　neither　know　nor　care　what　it　costs。　Raoul　became　aware　as

he　returned　from　this　visit　how　difficult　it　would　be　to　hold　the

reins　of　a　love…affair　in　society；　the　ten…horsed　chariot　of

journalism；　his　dramas　on　the　stage；　and　his　generally　involved

affairs。



〃The　paper　will　be　wretched　to…night；〃　he　thought；　as　he　walked　away。

〃No　article　of　mine；　and　only　the　second　number；　too！〃



Madame　Felix　de　Vandenesse　drove　three　times　to　the　Bois　de　Boulogne

without　finding　Raoul；　the　third　time　she　came　back　anxious　and

uneasy。　The　fact　was　that　Nathan　did　not　choose　to　show　himself　in　the

Bois　until　he　could　go　there　as　a　prince　of　the　press。　He　employed　a

whole　week　in　searching　for　horses；　a　phantom　and　a　suitable　tiger；

and　in　convincing　his　partners　of　the　necessity　of　saving　time　so

precious　to　them；　and　therefore　of　charging　his　equipage　to　the　costs

of　the　journal。　His　associates；　Massol　and　du　Tillet　agreed　to　this　so

readily　that　he　really　believed　them　the　best　fellows　in　the　world。

Without　this　help；　however；　life　would　have　been　simply　impossible　to

Raoul；　as　it　was；　it　became　so　irksome　that　many　men；　even　those　of

the　strongest　constitutions；　could　not　have　borne　it。　A　violent　and

successful　passion　takes　a　great　deal　of　space　in　an　ordinary　life；

but　when　it　is　connected　with　a　woman　in　the　social　position　of　Madame

de　Vandenesse　it　sucks　the　life　out　of　a　man　as　busy　as　Raoul。　Here　is

a　list　of　the　obligations　his　passion　imposed　upon　him。



Every　day；　or　nearly　every　day；　he　was　obliged　to　be　on　horseback　in

the　Bois；　between　two　and　three　o'clock；　in　the　careful　dress　of　a

gentleman　of　leisure。　He　had　to　learn　at　what　house　or　theatre　he

could　meet　Madame　de　Vandenesse　in　the　evening。　He　was　not　able　to

leave　the　party　or　the　play　until　long　after　midnight；　having　obtained

nothing　better　than　a　few　tender　sentences；　long　awaited；　said　in　a

doorway；　or　hastily　as　he　put　her　into　her　carriage。　It　frequently

happened　that　Marie；　who　by　this　time　had　launched　him　into　the　great

world；　procured　for　him　invitations　to　dinner　in　certain　houses　where

she　went　herself。　All　this　seemed　the　simplest　life　in　the　world　to

her。　Raoul　moved　by　pride　and　led　on　by　his　passion　never　told　her　of

his　labors。　He　obeyed　the　will　of　this　innocent　sovereign；　followed　in

her　train；　followed；　also；　the　parliamentary　debates；　edited　and　wrote

for　his　newspaper；　and　put　upon　the　stage　two　plays；　the　money　for

which　was　absolutely　indispensable　to　him。　It　sufficed　for　Madame　de

Vandenesse　to　make　a　little　face　of　displeasure　when　he　tried　to

excuse　himself　from　attending　a　ball；　a　concert；　or　from　driving　in

the　Bois；　to　compel　him　to　sacrifice　his　most　pressing　interests　to

her　good　pleasure。　When　he　left　society　between　one　and　two　in　the

morning　he　went　straight　to　work　until　eight　or　nine。　He　was　scarcely

asleep　before　he　was　obliged　to　be　up　and　concocting　the　opinions　of

his　journal　with　the　men　of　political　influence　on　whom　he　depended；

not　to　speak　of　the　thousand　and　one　other　details　of　the　paper。

Journalism　is　connected　with　everything　in　these　days；　with　industrial

concerns；　with　public　and　private　interests；　with　all　new　enterprises；

and　all　the　schemes　of　literature；　its　self…loves；　and　its　products。



When　Nathan；　harassed　and　fatigued；　would　rush　from　his　editorial

office　to　the　theatre；　from　the　theatre　to　the　Chamber；　from　the

Chamber　to　face　certain　creditors；　he　was　forced　to　appear　in　the　Bois

with　a　calm　countenance；　and　gallop　beside　Marie's　carriage　in　the

leisurely　style　of　a　man　devoid　of　cares　and　with　no　other　duties　than

those　of　love。　When　in　return　for　this　toilsome　and　wholly　ignored

devotion　all　he　won　were　a　few　sweet　words；　the　prettiest　assurances

of　eternal　attachment；　ardent　pressures　of　the　hand　on　the　very　few

occasions　when　they　found　themselves　alone；　he　began　to　feel　he　was

rather　duped　by　leaving　his　mistress　in　ignorance　of　the　enormous

costs　of　these　〃little　attentions；〃　as　our　fathers　called　them。　The

occasion　for　an　explanation　arrived　in　due　time。



On　a　fine　April　morning　the　countess　accepted　Nathan's　arm　for　a　walk

through　the　sequestered　path　of　the　Bois　de　Boulogne。　She　intended　to

make　him　one　of　those　pretty　little　quarrels　apropos　of　nothing；　which

women　are　so　fond　of　exciting。　Instead　of　greeting　him　as　usual；　with

a　smile　upon　her　lips；　her　forehead　illumined　with　pleasure；　her　eyes

bright　with　some　gay　or　delicate　thought；　she　assumed　a　grave　and

serious　aspect。



〃What　is　the　matter？〃　said　Nathan。



〃Why　do　you　pretend　to　such　ignorance？〃　she　replied。　〃You　ought　to

know　that　a　woman　is　not　a　child。〃



〃Have　I　displeased　you？〃



〃Should　I　be　here　if　you　had？〃



〃But　you　don't　smile　to　me；　you　don't　seem　happy　to　see　me。〃



〃Oh！　do　you　accuse　me　of　sulking？〃　she　said；　looking　at　him　with　that

submissive　air　which　women　assume　when　they　want　to　seem　victims。



Nathan　walked　on　a　few　steps　in　a　state　of　real　apprehension　which

oppressed　him。



〃It　must　be；〃　he　said；　after　a　moment's　silence；　〃one　of　those

frivolous　fears；　those　hazy　suspicions　which　women　dwell　on　more　than

they　do　on　the　great　things　of　life。　You　all　have　a　way　of　tipping　the

world　sideways　with　a　straw；　a　cobweb〃



〃Sarcasm！〃　she　said；　〃I　might　have　expected　it！〃



〃Marie；　my　angel；　I　only　said　those　words　to　wring　your　secret　out　of

you。〃



〃My　secret　would　be　always　a　secret；　even　if　I　told　it　to　you。〃



〃But　all　the　same；　tell　it　to　me。〃



〃I　am　not　loved；〃　she　said；　giving　him　one　of　those　sly　oblique

glances　with　which　women　question　so　maliciously　the　men　they　are

trying　to　torment。



〃Not　loved！〃　cried　Nathan。



〃No；　you　are　too　occupied　with　other　things。　What　am　I　to　you　in　the

midst　of　them？　forgotten　on　the　least　occasion！　Yesterday　I　came　to

the　Bois　and　you　were　not　here〃



〃But〃



〃I　had　put　on　a　new　dress　expressly　to　please　you；　you　did　not　come；

where　were　you？〃



〃But〃



〃I　did　not　know　where。　I　went　to　Madame　d'Espard's；　you　were　not

there。〃



〃But〃



〃That　evening　at　the　Opera；　I　watched　the　balcony；　every　time　a　door

opened　my　heart　was　beating！〃



〃But〃



〃What　an　evening　I