samuel brohl & company-第31部分

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some　very　delicate　experiments；　which　he　did　not　always　carry　out　to　his　satisfaction；　his　movements　were　brusque；　his　hands　all　thumbs；　very　often　he　chanced　to　ruin　everything　by　breaking　his　vessels。　Samuel　proposed　to　assist　him　in　a　manipulation　requiring　considerable　dexterity；　he　had　very　flexible　fingers；　was　as　expert　as　a　juggler；　and　the　manipulation　succeeded　beyond　all　hopes。

Mme。　de　Lorcy　was　furious　at　having　been　outwitted　by　Count　Larinski；　she　retracted　all　the　concessions　she　had　made　concerning　him；　her　rancour　had　decided　that　the　man　of　fainting…fits　could　not　be　other　than　an　imposter。　She　had　disputes　on　this　subject　with　M。　Langis；　who　persisted　in　maintaining　that　M。　Larinski　was　a　great　comedian；　but　that　this；　strictly　considered；　did　not　prevent　his　being　a　true　count；　in　the　course　of　his　travels　he　had　met　specimens　of　them　who　cheated　at　cards　and　pocketed　affronts。　Mme。　de　Lorcy；　in　return；　accused　him　of　being　a　simpleton。　She　had　written　again　to　Vienna；　in　hopes　of　obtaining　some　further　intelligence；　she　had　been　able　to　learn　nothing　satisfactory。　She　did　not　lose　courage；　she　well　knew　that；　in　the　important　affairs　of　life；　M。　Moriaz　found　it　difficult　to　dispense　with　her　approbation；　and　she　promised　herself　to　choose　with　discretion　the　moment　to　make　a　decisive　assault　upon　him。　In　the　meanwhile　she　gave　herself　the　pleasure　of　tormenting　him　by　her　silence；　and　of　grieving　him　by　her　long…continued　pouting。　One　day　M。　Moriaz　said　to　his　daughter：

〃Mme。　de　Lorcy　is　displeased　with　us；　this　grieves　me。　I　fear　you　have　dropped　some　word　that　has　wounded　her。　I　shall　be　greatly　obliged　to　you　if　you　will　go　and　see　her　and　coax　her　into　good…humour。〃

〃You　gave　me　a　far　from　agreeable　commission；〃　she　rejoined；　〃but　I　can　refuse　you　nothing；　I　shall　go　to…morrow　to　Maisons。〃

At　the　precise　moment　when　this　conversation　was　taking　place；　Mme。　de　Lorcy；　who　was　passing　the　day　in　Paris；　entered　the　Ecole　des　Beaux…　Arts。　The　exhibition　of　the　work　of　a　celebrated　painter；　recently　deceased；　had　attracted　thither　a　great　throng　of　people。　Mme。　de　Lorcy　moved　to　and　fro；　when　suddenly　she　descried　a　little　old　woman；　sixty　years　of　age；　with　a　snub　nose；　whose　little　gray　eyes　gleamed　with　malice　and　impertinence。　Her　chin　in　the　air；　holding　up　her　eye…　glasses　with　her　hand；　she　scrutinized　all　the　pictures　with　a　critical；　disdainful　air。

〃Ah！　truly　it　is　the　Princess　Gulof；〃　said　Mme。　de　Lorcy　to　herself；　and　turned　away　to　avoid　an　encounter。　It　was　at　Ostend；　three　years　previous；　during　the　season　of　the　baths；　that　she　had　made　the　acquaintance　of　the　princess；　she　did　not　care　to　renew　it。　This　haughty；　capricious　Russian；　with　whom　a　chance　occurrence　at　the　/table　d'hote/　had　thrown　her　into　intercourse；　had　not　taken　a　place　among　her　pleasantest　reminiscences。

Princess　Gulof　was　the　wife　of　a　governor…general　whom　she　had　wedded　in　second　marriage　after　a　long　widowhood。　He　did　not　see　her　often；　two　or　three　times　a　year；　that　was　all。　Floating　about　from　one　end　of　Europe　to　another；　they　kept　up　a　regular　exchange　of　letters；　the　prince　never　took　any　step　without　consulting　his　wife；　who　usually　gave　him　sound　advice。　During　the　first　years　of　their　marriage；　he　had　committed　the　error　of　being　seriously　in　love　with　her：　there　are　some　species　of　ugliness　that　inspire　actually　insane　passions。　The　princess　found　this　in　the　most　wretched　taste；　and　soon　brought　Dimitri　Paulovitch　to　his　senses。　From　that　moment　perfect　concord　reigned　between　this　wedded　couple；　who　were　parted　by　the　entire　continent　of　Europe；　united　by　the　mail…bags。　The　princess　did　not　bear　a　very　irreproachable　record。　She　looked　upon　morality　as　pure　matter　of　conventionality；　and　she　made　no　secret　of　her　thoughts。　She　was　always　on　the　alert　for　new　discoveries；　fresh　experiences；　she　never　waited　to　read　a　book　to　the　end　before　flinging　it　into　the　waste…paper　basket；　most　frequently　the　first　chapter　sufficed；　she　had　met　with　many　disappointments；　she　had　wearied　of　many　caprices；　and　she　had　arrived　at　the　conclusion　that　man　is；　after　all；　of　but　small　account。　Nevertheless；　there　had　come　to　her　late　in　life　a　comparatively　lasting　caprice；　during　nearly　five　years　she　had　flattered　herself　that　she　had　found　what　she　sought。　Alas！　for　the　first　time　she　had　been　abandoned；　forsaken；　and　that　before　she　had　herself　grown　tired　of　her　fancy。　This　desertion　had　inflicted　a　sharp　wound　on　her　pride；　she　had　conceived　an　implacable　hatred　for　the　faithless　one；　and　then　she　had　forgotten　him。　She　had　plunged　into　the　natural　sciences；　she　had　made　dissectionsit　was　her　way　of　being　avenged。　She　held　very　advanced　ideas；　she　believed　in　the　most　radical　of　the　doctrines　of　evolution；　she　deemed　it　a　clearly　demonstrated　fact　that　man　is　a　development　of　the　monkey；　the　monkey　of　the　monad。　She　profoundly　despised　any　one　who　permitted　himself　to　doubt　this。　She　did　not　count　melancholy；　to　analyze　or　dissect　everything；　that　was　her　way　of　being　happy。

During　their　common　sojourn　at　Ostend；　Mme。　de　Lorcy　had　gained　the　good　graces　of　the　Princess　Gulof　through　the　dexterity　with　which　she　had　dressed　the　wounds　of　Moufflard；　her　lapdog；　whose　paw　had　been　injured　by　some　awkward　individual。　She　had　been　quite　pleased　with　Mme。　de　Lorcy；　her　sympathy　and　her　kindly　services；　and　she　had　bestowed　her　most　amiable　attentions　upon　her。　Mme。　de　Lorcy　had　done　her　best　to　respond　to　her　advances；　but　she　found　herself　revolted　by　this　old　magpie　whose　prattling　never　ceased；　and　whose　chief　delight　was　in　the　recital　of　the　secret　chronicles　of　every　capital　of　Europe；　Mme。　de　Lorcy；　in　fact；　soon　grew　disgusted　with　her　cosmopolitan　gossip　and　her　physiology；　she　found　her　cynical　and　evil…minded。　In　meeting　her　at　the　Ecole　des　Beaux…Arts；　her　first　impulse　was　to　evade　her；　but　suddenly　she　changed　her　mind。　For　some　weeks　past　she　had　been　governed　by　a　fixed　idea；　about　which　all　else　revolved；　an　inspiration　came　over　her；　which　doubtless　fell　directly　from　the　skies。

〃Princess　Gulof；〃　said　she　to　herself；　〃has　passed　her　life　in　running　around　the　world；　her　real　home　is　a　railroad…car；　there　is　not　a　large　city　where　she　has　failed　to　make　a　sojourn；　she　is　acquainted　with　the　whole　world：　is　it　not　possible　that　she　knows　Count　Larinski？〃

Mme。　de　Lorcy　retraced　her　steps；　cut　her　way　through　the　crowd；　succeeded　in　approaching　the　princess；　and；　taking　her　by　the　arm；　exclaimed：　〃Ah！　is　it　you；　princess！　How　is　Moufflard？〃

The　princess　turned　her　head；　regarded　her　fixedly　a　moment；　and　then　pressing　her　hand　between　her　thumb　and　forefinger　she　rejoined　with　as　little　ceremony　as　though　they　had　met　the　day　before：　〃Moufflard　does　very　poorly　indeed；　my　dear。　He　died　two　months　ago　of　indigestion。〃

〃How　you　must　have　mourned　his　loss！〃

〃I　am　still　inconsolable。〃

〃Ah！　well；　princess；　I　shall　undertake　to　console　you。　I　own　a　lapdog；　not　yet　six　months　old：　you　never　saw　a　more　charming　one　or　one　with　a　shorter　nose　or　whiter　and　more　delicate　hair。　I　am　a　great　utilitarian；　as　you　know。　I　only　care　for　large　dogs　that　are　of　some　use。　Will　you　accept　of　me　Moufflard　II？　But　you　must　come　and　fetch　him　yourself；　which　will　procure　me　the　pleasure　of　seeing　you　at　Maisons。〃

The　princess　replied　that　she　was　on　her　way　to　England；　that　she　was　merely　taking　Paris　in　passing；　that　her　hours　were　numbered；　and　two　minutes　later　she　announced　to　Mme。　de　Lorcy　that　she　would　call　on　her　the　following　day；　in　the　afternoon。

True　to　her　appointment；　Princess　Gulof　entered　Mme。　de　Lorcy's　/salon/　the　following　day。　The　ladies　occupied　themselves　first　of　all　with　the　lapdog；　which　was　found　charming　and　quite　worthy　to　succeed　to　Moufflard　I。　Mme。　de　Lorcy　watched　all　the　time　for　a　suitable　opportunity　of　introducing　the　subject　nearest　to　her　heart；　when　she　thought　it　had　come；　she　observed：

〃Apropos；　princess；　you　who　know　everything；　you　who　are　a　true　cosmopolitan；　have　you　ever　heard　of　a　mysterious　personage　who　calls　himself　Count　Abel　Larinski？〃

〃Not　that　I　am　aware　of；　my　dear；　although　his　name　may　not　be　absolutely　unknown　to　me。〃

〃Search　among　your　reminiscences；　you　must　have　encountered　him　somewhere；　you　have　visited　all　the　countries　of　the　world〃

〃Of　the　habitable　world；〃　she　interposed；　〃but　according　to　my　especial　point　of　view　Siberia　scarcely　can　be　called　so；　and　it　is　there；　if　I　mistake　not；　that　your　Count　Larinski　must　have　been　sent。〃

〃Would　to　heaven！　Perhaps　there　was　question　of　procuring　this　little　pleasure　for　his　father；　but；　unfortunately；　he　took　the　precaution　to　emigrate　to　America。　The　inconvenience　of　America　is；　that　people　can　return　from　there；　for　my　Larinski　has　returned；　and　it　is　that　that　grieves　me。〃

〃What　has　he　done　to　you？〃　inquired　the　princess　pinching　the　ears　of　the　dog　who　was　slumbering　in　her　lap。

〃I　spoke　to　you　at　Ostend　about　my　goddaughter　Mlle。　Moriaz；　who　is　an　adorable　creature。　I　proposed　to　marry　her　to　my　nephew；　M。　Langis；　a　most　highly　accomplished　young　man。　This　Larinski　came　suddenly　on　the　scene；　he　cast　a　charm　over　the　child；　and　he　will　marry　her。〃

〃What　a　pity！　Is　he　handsome？〃

〃Yes；　that；　to　tell　the　truth；　is　his　sole　merit。〃

〃It　is　merit　sufficient；〃　replied　the　princess；　whose　gray　eyes　twinkled　as　she　spoke。　〃There　is　nothing　certain　but　a　man's　beauty；　all　else　is　open　to　discussion。〃

〃Pray；　allow　me　to　consider　matters　from　a　more　matter…of…fact　point　of　view；：　said　Mme。　de　Lorcy。　〃Also　I　may　as　well　confide　to　you　my　whole　perplexity：　I　suspect　Count　Larinski　of　being　neither　a　true　Larinski　nor　a　true　count；　I　would　stake　my　life　that　the　Larinskis　are　all　dead；　and　that　this　man　is　some　adventurer。〃

〃You　will　end　by　interesting　me；〃　rejoined　the　princess。　〃Do　not　speak　too　severely　of　adventurers；　however；　they　are　one　of　the　most　curious　varieties　of　the　human　family。　Let　your　goddaughter　marry　hers；　it　will　bring　a　piquant　element　into　her　life；　the　poor　world　is　so　generally　a　prey　to　ennui。〃

〃Thank　you！　my　goddaughter　was　not　born　to　marry　an　adventurer。　I　detest　this　Larinski；　and　I　have　vowed　that　I　will　play　him　some　abominable　trick！〃