beatrix-第10部分

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


thousand　francs　a　year；　went　to　see　Mademoiselle　de　Pen…Hoel；　and
filled　her　mind　with　tales　about　Mademoiselle　des　Touches　which　lasted
seven　hours。　It　is　now　striking　a　quarter　to　ten；　and　Calyste　is　not
home；　he　is　at　Les　Touches；perhaps　he　won't　come　in　all　night。〃

The　baroness　listened　to　the　rector；　who　was　substituting　monologue
for　dialogue　unconsciously　as　he　looked　at　this　lamb　of　his　fold；　on
whose　face　could　be　read　her　anxiety。　She　colored　and　trembled。　When
the　worthy　man　saw　the　tears　in　the　beautiful　eyes　of　the　mother；　he
was　moved　to　compassion。

〃I　will　see　Mademoiselle　de　Pen…Hoel　to…morrow；〃　he　said。　〃Don't　be
too　uneasy。　The　harm　may　not　be　as　great　as　they　say　it　is。　I　will
find　out　the　truth。　Mademoiselle　Jacqueline　has　confidence　in　me。
Besides；　Calyste　is　our　child；　our　pupil；he　will　never　let　the　devil
inveigle　him；　neither　will　he　trouble　the　peace　of　his　family　or
destroy　the　plans　we　have　made　for　his　future。　Therefore；　don't　weep；
all　is　not　lost；　madame；　one　fault　is　not　vice。〃

〃You　are　only　informing　me　of　details；〃　said　the　baroness。　〃Was　not　I
the　first　to　notice　the　change　in　my　Calyste？　A　mother　keenly　feels
the　shock　of　finding　herself　second　in　the　heart　of　her　son。　She
cannot　be　deceived。　This　crisis　in　a　man's　life　is　one　of　the　trials
of　motherhood。　I　have　prepared　myself　for　it；　but　I　did　not　think　it
would　come　so　soon。　I　hoped；　at　least；　that　Calyste　would　take　into
his　heart　some　noble　and　beautiful　being；not　a　stage…player；　a
masquerader；　a　theatre　woman；　an　author　whose　business　it　is　to　feign
sentiments；　a　creature　who　will　deceive　him　and　make　him　unhappy！　She
has　had　adventures〃

〃With　several　men；〃　said　the　rector。　〃And　yet　this　impious　creature
was　born　in　Brittany！　She　dishonors　her　land。　I　shall　preach　a　sermon
upon　her　next　Sunday。〃

〃Don't　do　that！〃　cried　the　baroness。　〃The　peasants　and　the　/paludiers/
would　be　capable　of　rushing　to　Les　Touches。　Calyste　is　worthy　of　his
name；　he　is　Breton；　some　dreadful　thing　might　happen　to　him；　for　he
would　surely　defend　her　as　he　would　the　Blessed　Virgin。〃

〃It　is　now　ten　o'clock；　I　must　bid　you　good…night；〃　said　the　abbe；
lighting　the　wick　of　his　lantern；　the　glass　of　which　was　clear　and　the
metal　shining；　which　testified　to　the　care　his　housekeeper　bestowed　on
the　household　property。　〃Who　could　ever　have　told　me；　madame；〃　he
added；　〃that　a　young　man　brought　up　by　you；　trained　by　me　to　Christian
ideas；　a　fervent　Catholic；　a　child　who　has　lived　as　a　lamb　without
spot；　would　plunge　into　such　mire？〃

〃But　is　it　certain？〃　said　the　mother。　〃How　could　any　woman　help　loving
Calyste？〃

〃What　other　proof　is　needed　than　her　staying　on　at　Les　Touches。　In　all
the　twenty…four　years　since　she　came　of　age　she　has　never　stayed　there
so　long　as　now；　her　visits　to　these　parts；　happily　for　us；　were　few
and　short。〃

〃A　woman　over　forty　years　old！〃　exclaimed　the　baroness。　〃I　have　heard
say　in　Ireland　that　a　woman　of　this　description　is　the　most　dangerous
mistress　a　young　man　can　have。〃

〃As　to　that；　I　have　no　knowledge；〃　replied　the　rector；　〃and　I　shall
die　in　my　ignorance。〃

〃And　I；　too；　alas！〃　said　the　baroness；　naively。　〃I　wish　now　that　I　had
loved　with　love；　so　as　to　understand　and　counsel　and　comfort　Calyste。〃

The　rector　did　not　cross　the　clean　little　court…yard　alone；　the
baroness　accompanied　him　to　the　gate；　hoping　to　hear　Calyste's　step
coming　through　the　town。　But　she　heard　nothing　except　the　heavy　tread
of　the　rector's　cautious　feet；　which　grew　fainter　in　the　distance；　and
finally　ceased　when　the　closing　of　the　door　of　the　parsonage　echoed
behind　him。



V

CALYSTE

The　poor　mother　returned　to　the　salon　deeply　distressed　at　finding
that　the　whole　town　was　aware　of　what　she　had　thought　was　known　to　her
alone。　She　sat　down；　trimmed　the　wick　of　the　lamp　by　cutting　it　with　a
pair　of　old　scissors；　took　up　once　more　the　worsted…work　she　was
doing；　and　awaited　Calyste。　The　baroness　fondly　hoped　to　induce　her
son　by　this　means　to　come　home　earlier　and　spend　less　time　with
Mademoiselle　des　Touches。　Such　calculations　of　maternal　jealousy　were
wasted。　Day　after　day；　Calyste's　visits　to　Les　Touches　became　more
frequent；　and　every　night　he　came　in　later。　The　night　before　the　day
of　which　we　speak　it　was　midnight　when　he　returned。

The　baroness；　lost　in　maternal　meditation；　was　setting　her　stitches
with　the　rapidity　of　one　absorbed　in　thought　while　engaged　in　manual
labor。　Whoever　had　seen　her　bending　to　the　light　of　the　lamp　beneath
the　quadruply　centennial　hangings　of　that　ancient　room　would　have
admired　the　sublimity　of　the　picture。　Fanny's　skin　was　so　transparent
that　it　was　possible　to　read　the　thoughts　that　crossed　her　brow
beneath　it。　Piqued　with　a　curiosity　that　often　comes　to　a　pure　woman；
she　asked　herself　what　devilish　secrets　these　daughters　of　Baal
possessed　to　so　charm　men　as　to　make　them　forgetful　of　mother；　family；
country；　and　self…interests。　Sometimes　she　longed　to　meet　this　woman
and　judge　her　soberly　for　herself。　Her　mind　measured　to　its　full
extent　the　evils　which　the　innovative　spirit　of　the　agedescribed　to
her　as　so　dangerous　for　young　souls　by　the　rectorwould　have　upon　her
only　child；　until　then　so　guileless；　as　pure　as　an　innocent　girl；　and
beautiful　with　the　same　fresh　beauty。

Calyste；　that　splendid　offspring　of　the　oldest　Breton　race　and　the
noblest　Irish　blood；　had　been　nurtured　by　his　mother　with　the　utmost
care。　Until　the　moment　when　the　baroness　made　over　the　training　of　him
to　the　rector　of　Guerande；　she　was　certain　that　no　impure　word；　no
evil　thought　had　sullied　the　ears　or　entered　the　mind　of　her　precious
son。　After　nursing　him　at　her　bosom；　giving　him　her　own　life　twice；　as
it　were；　after　guiding　his　footsteps　as　a　little　child；　the　mother　had
put　him　with　all　his　virgin　innocence　into　the　hands　of　the　pastor；
who；　out　of　true　reverence　for　the　family；　had　promised　to　give　him　a
thorough　and　Christian　education。　Calyste　thenceforth　received　the
instruction　which　the　abbe　himself　had　received　at　the　Seminary。　The
baroness　taught　him　English；　and　a　teacher　of　mathematics　was　found；
not　without　difficulty；　among　the　employes　at　Saint…Nazaire。　Calyste
was　therefore　necessarily　ignorant　of　modern　literature；　and　the
advance　and　present　progress　of　the　sciences。　His　education　had　been
limited　to　geography　and　the　circumspect　history　of　a　young　ladies'
boarding…school；　the　Latin　and　Greek　of　seminaries；　the　literature　of
the　dead　languages；　and　to　a　very　restricted　choice　of　French　writers。
When；　at　sixteen；　he　began　what　the　Abbe　Grimont　called　his
philosophy；　he　was　neither　more　nor　less　than　what　he　was　when　Fanny
placed　him　in　the　abbe's　hands。　The　Church　had　proved　as　maternal　as
the　mother。　Without　being　over…pious　or　ridiculous；　the　idolized　young
lad　was　a　fervent　Catholic。

For　this　son；　so　noble；　so　innocent；　the　baroness　desired　to　provide　a
happy　life　in　obscurity。　She　expected　to　inherit　some　property；　two　or
three　thousand　pounds　sterling；　from　an　aunt。　This　sum；　joined　to　the
small　present　fortune　of　the　Guenics；　might　enable　her　to　find　a　wife
for　Calyste；　who　would　bring　him　twelve　or　even　fifteen　thousand
francs　a　year。　Charlotte　de　Kergarouet；　with　her　aunt's　fortune；　a
rich　Irish　girl；　or　any　other　good　heiress　would　have　suited　the
baroness；　who　seemed　indifferent　as　to　choice。　She　was　ignorant　of
love；　having　never　known　it；　and；　like　all　the　other　persons　grouped
about　her；　she　saw　nothing　in　marriage　but　a　means　of　fortune。　Passion
was　an　unknown　thing　to　these　Catholic　souls；　these　old　people
exclusively　concerned　about　salvation；　God；　the　king；　and　their
property。　No　one　should　be　surprised；　therefore；　at　the　foreboding
thoughts　which　accompanied　the　wounded　feelings　of　the　mother；　who
lived　as　much　for　the　future　interests　of　her　son　as　by　her　love　for
him。　If　the　young　household　would　only　listen　to　wisdom；　she　thought；
the　coming　generation　of　the　du　Guenics；　by　enduring　privations；　and
saving；　as　people　do　save　in　the　provinces；　would　be　able　to　buy　back
their　estates　and　recover；　in　the　end；　the　lustre　of　wealth。　The
baroness　prayed　for　a　long　age　that　she　might　see　the　dawn　of　this
prosperous　era。　Mademoiselle　du　Guenic　had　understood　and　fully
adopted　this　hope　which　Mademoiselle　des　Touches　now　threatened　to
overthrow。

The　baroness　heard　midnight　strike；　with　tears；　her　mind　conceived　of
many　horrors　during　the　next　hour；　for　the　clock　struck　one；　and
Calyste　was　still　not　at　home。

〃Will　he　stay　there？〃　she　thought。　〃It　would　be　the　first　time。　Poor
child！〃

At　that　moment　Calyste's　step　resounded　in　the　lane。　The　poor　mother；
in　whose　heart　rejoicing　drove　out　anxiety；　flew　from　the　house　to　the
gate　and　opened　it　for　her　boy。

〃Oh！〃　cried　Calyste；　in　a　grieved　voice；　〃my　darling　mother；　why　did
you　sit　up　for　me？　I　have　a　pass…key　and　the　tinder…box。〃

〃You　know　very　well；　my　child；　that　I　cannot　sleep　when　you　are　out；〃
she　said；　kissing　him。

When　the　baroness　reached　the　salon；　she　looked　at　her　son　to
discover；　if　possible；　from　the　expression　of　his　face　the　events　of
the　evening。　But　he　caused　her；　as　usual；　an　emotion　that　frequency
never　weakened；an　emotion　which　all　loving　mothers　feel　at　sight　of
a　human　masterpiece　made　by　them；　this　sentiment　blues　their　sight　and
supersedes　all　others　for　the　moment。

Except　for　the　black　eyes；　full　of　energy　and　the　heat　of　the　sun；
which　he　derived　from　his　father；　Calyste　in　other　respects　resembled
his　mother；　he　had　her　beautiful　golden　hair；　her　lovable　mouth；　the
same　curving　fingers；　the　same　soft；　delicate；　and　purely　white　skin。
Though　slightly　resembling　a　girl　disguised　as　a　man；　his　physical
strength　was　Herculean。　His　muscles　had　the　suppleness　and　vigor　of
steel　springs；　and　the　singularity　of　his　black　eyes　and　fair
complexion　was　by　no　means　without　charm。　His　beard　had　not　yet
sprouted；　this　delay；　it　is　said；　is　a　promise　of　longevity。　The
chevalier　was　dressed　in　a　short　coat　of　black　velvet　like　that　of　his
mother's　gown；　trimmed　with　silver　buttons；　a　blue　foulard　necktie；
trousers　of　gray　jean；　and　a　becoming　pair　of　gaiters。　His　white　brow
bore　the