beatrix-第52部分

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〃Where　did　Savinien　and　Calyste　go　after　they　dined　with　you
yesterday？〃

〃Dined　with　me？〃　said　Ursula；　to　whom　her　husband　had　said　nothing；
not　expecting　such　immediate　inquiry。　〃Savinien　and　I　dined　alone
together　and　went　to　the　Opera　without　Calyste。〃

〃Ursula；　dearest；　in　the　name　of　your　love　for　Savinien；　keep　silence
about　what　you　have　just　said　to　me　and　what　I　shall　now　tell　you。　You
alone　shall　know　why　I　dieI　am　betrayed！　at　the　end　of　three　years；
at　twenty…two　years　of　age！〃

Her　teeth　chattered；　her　eyes　were　dull　and　frozen；　her　face　had　taken
on　the　greenish　tinge　of　an　old　Venetian　mirror。

〃You！　so　beautiful！　For　whom？〃

〃I　don't　know　yet。　But　Calyste　has　told　me　two　lies。　Do　not　pity　me；
do　not　seem　incensed；　pretend　ignorance　and　perhaps　you　can　find　out
who　/she/　is　through　Savinien。　Oh！　that　letter　of　yesterday！〃

Trembling；　shaking；　she　sprang　from　her　bed　to　a　piece　of　furniture
from　which　she　took　the　letter。

〃See；〃　she　said；　lying　down　again；　〃the　coronet　of　a　marquise！　Find
out　if　Madame　de　Rochefide　has　returned　to　Paris。　Am　I　to　have　a　heart
in　which　to　weep　and　moan？　Oh；　dearest！to　see　one's　beliefs；　one's
poesy；　idol；　virtue；　happiness；　all；　all　in　pieces；　withered；　lost！　No
God　in　the　sky！　no　love　upon　earth！　no　life　in　my　heart！　no　anything！
I　don't　know　if　there's　daylight；　I　doubt　the　sun。　I've　such　anguish
in　my　soul　I　scarcely　feel　the　horrible　sufferings　in　my　body。
Happily；　the　baby　is　weaned；　my　milk　would　have　poisoned　him。〃

At　that　idea　the　tears　began　to　flow　from　Sabine's　eyes　which　had
hitherto　been　dry。

Pretty　Madame　de　Portenduere；　holding　in　her　hand　the　fatal　letter；
the　perfume　of　which　Sabine　again　inhaled；　was　at　first　stupefied　by
this　true　sorrow；　shocked　by　this　agony　of　love；　without　as　yet
understanding　it；　in　spite　of　Sabine's　incoherent　attempts　to　relate
the　facts。　Suddenly　Ursula　was　illuminated　by　one　of　those　ideas　which
come　to　none　but　sincere　friends。

〃I　must　save　her！〃　she　thought　to　herself。　〃Trust　me；　Sabine；〃　she
cried。　〃Wait　for　my　return；　I　will　find　out　the　truth。〃

〃Ah！　in　my　grave　I'll　love　you；〃　exclaimed　Sabine。

The　viscountess　went　straight　to　the　Duchesse　de　Grandlieu；　pledged
her　to　secrecy；　and　then　explained　to　her　fully　her　daughter's
situation。

〃Madame；〃　she　said　as　she　ended；　〃do　you　not　think　with　me；　that　in
order　to　avoid　some　fatal　illnessperhaps；　I　don't　know；　even　madness
we　had　better　confide　the　whole　truth　to　the　doctor；　and　invent　some
tale　to　clear　that　hateful　Calyste　and　make　him　seem　for　the　time
being　innocent？〃

〃My　dear　child；〃　said　the　duchess；　who　was　chilled　to　the　heart　by
this　confidence；　〃friendship　has　given　you　for　the　moment　the
experience　of　a　woman　of　my　age。　I　know　how　Sabine　loves　her　husband；
you　are　right；　she　might　become　insane。〃

〃Or　lose　her　beauty；　which　would　be　worse；〃　said　the　viscountess。

〃Let　us　go　to　her！〃　cried　the　duchess。

Fortunately　they　arrived　a　few　moments　before　the　famous　/accoucheur/；
Dommanget；　the　only　one　of　the　two　men　of　science　whom　Calyste　had
been　able　to　find。

〃Ursula　has　told　me　everything；〃　said　the　duchess　to　her　daughter；
〃and　you　are　mistaken。　In　the　first　place；　Madame　de　Rochefide　is　not
in　Paris。　As　for　what　your　husband　did　yesterday；　my　dear；　I　can　tell
you　that　he　lost　a　great　deal　of　money　at　cards；　so　that　he　does　not
even　know　how　to　pay　for　your　dressing…table。〃

〃But　/that？/〃　said　Sabine；　holding　out　to　her　mother　the　fatal　letter。

〃That！〃　said　the　duchess；　laughing；　〃why；　that　is　written　on　the
Jockey　Club　paper；　everybody　writes　nowadays　on　coroneted　paper；　even
our　stewards　will　soon　be　titled。〃

The　prudent　mother　threw　the　unlucky　paper　into　the　fire　as　she　spoke。

When　Calyste　and　Dommanget　arrived；　the　duchess；　who　had　given
instructions　to　the　servants；　was　at　once　informed。　She　left　Sabine　to
the　care　of　Madame　de　Portenduere　and　stopped　the　/accoucheur/　and
Calyste　in　the　salon。

〃Sabine's　life　is　at　stake；　monsieur；〃　she　said　to　Calyste；　〃you　have
betrayed　her　for　Madame　de　Rochefide。〃

Calyste　blushed；　like　a　girl　still　respectable；　detected　in　a　fault。

〃And；〃　continued　the　duchess；　〃as　you　do　not　know　how　to　deceive；　you
have　behaved　in　such　a　clumsy　manner　that　Sabine　has　guessed　the
truth。　But　I　have　for　the　present　repaired　your　blunder。　You　do　not
wish　the　death　of　my　daughter；　I　am　sureAll　this；　Monsieur
Dommanget；　will　put　you　on　the　track　of　her　real　illness　and　its
cause。　As　for　you；　Calyste；　an　old　woman　like　me　understands　your
error；　though　she　does　not　pardon　it。　Such　pardons　can　only　be　brought
by　a　lifetime　of　after　happiness。　If　you　wish　me　to　esteem　you；　you
must；　in　the　first　place；　save　my　daughter；　next；　you　must　forget
Madame　de　Rochefide；　she　is　only　worth　having　once。　Learn　to　lie；　have
the　courage　of　a　criminal；　and　his　impudence。　I　have　just　told　a　lie
myself；　and　I　shall　have　to　do　hard　penance　for　that　mortal　sin。〃

She　then　told　the　two　men　the　lies　she　had　invented。　The　clever
physician　sitting　at　the　bedside　of　his　patient　studied　in　her
symptoms　the　means　of　repairing　the　ill；　while　he　ordered　measures　the
success　of　which　depended　on　great　rapidity　of　execution。　Calyste
sitting　at　the　foot　of　the　bed　strove　to　put　into　his　glance　an
expression　of　tenderness。

〃So　it　was　play　which　put　those　black　circles　round　your　eyes？〃　Sabine
said　to　him　in　a　feeble　voice。

The　words　made　the　doctor；　the　mother；　and　the　viscountess　tremble；
and　they　all　three　looked　at　one　another　covertly。　Calyste　turned　as
red　as　a　cherry。

〃That's　what　comes　of　nursing　a　child；〃　said　Dommanget　brutally；　but
cleverly。　〃Husbands　are　lonely　when　separated　from　their　wives；　and
they　go　to　the　club　and　play。　But　you　needn't　worry　over　the　thirty
thousand　francs　which　Monsieur　le　baron　lost　last　night〃

〃Thirty　thousand　francs！〃　cried　Ursula；　in　a　silly　tone。

〃Yes；　I　know　it；〃　replied　Dommanget。　〃They　told　me　this　morning　at　the
house　of　the　young　Duchesse　Berthe　de　Maufrigneuse　that　it　was
Monsieur　de　Trailles　who　won　that　money　from　you；〃　he　added；　turning
to　Calyste。　〃Why　do　you　play　with　such　men？　Frankly；　monsieur　le
baron；　I　can　well　believe　you　are　ashamed　of　it。〃

Seeing　his　mother…in…law；　a　pious　duchess；　the　young　viscountess；　a
happy　woman；　and　the　old　/accoucheur/；　a　confirmed　egotist；　all　three
lying　like　a　dealer　in　bric…a…brac；　the　kind　and　feeling　Calyste
understood　the　greatness　of　the　danger；　and　two　heavy　tears　rolled
from　his　eyes　and　completely　deceived　Sabine。

〃Monsieur；〃　she　said；　sitting　up　in　bed　and　looking　angrily　at
Dommanget；　〃Monsieur　du　Guenic　can　lose　thirty；　fifty；　a　hundred
thousand　francs　if　it　pleases　him；　without　any　one　having　a　right　to
think　it　wrong　or　read　him　a　lesson。　It　is　far　better　that　Monsieur　de
Trailles　should　win　his　money　than　that　we　should　win　Monsieur　de
Trailles'。〃

Calyste　rose；　took　his　wife　round　the　neck；　kissed　her　on　both　cheeks
and　whispered：

〃Sabine；　you　are　an　angel！〃

Two　days　later　the　young　wife　was　thought　to　be　out　of　danger；　and　the
next　day　Calyste　was　at　Madame　de　Rochefide's　making　a　merit　of　his
infamy。

〃Beatrix；〃　he　said；　〃you　owe　me　happiness。　I　have　sacrificed　my　poor
little　wife　to　you；　she　has　discovered　all。　That　fatal　paper　on　which
you　made　me　write；　bore　your　name　and　your　coronet；　which　I　never
noticedI　saw　but　you！　Fortunately　the　'B'　was　by　chance　effaced。　But
the　perfume　you　left　upon　me　and　the　lies　in　which　I　involved　myself
like　a　fool　have　betrayed　my　happiness。　Sabine　nearly　died　of　it；　her
milk　went　to　the　head；　erysipelas　set　in；　and　possibly　she　may　bear
the　marks　for　the　rest　of　her　days。〃

As　Beatrix　listened　to　this　tirade　her　face　was　due　North；　icy　enough
to　freeze　the　Seine　had　she　looked　at　it。

〃So　much　the　better；〃　she　said；　〃perhaps　it　will　whiten　her　for　you。〃

And　Beatrix；　now　become　as　hard　as　her　bones；　sharp　as　her　voice；
harsh　as　her　complexion；　continued　a　series　of　atrocious　sarcasms　in
the　same　tone。　There　is　no　greater　blunder　than　for　a　man　to　talk　of
his　wife；　if　she　is　virtuous；　to　his　mistress；　unless　it　be　to　talk　of
his　mistress；　if　she　is　beautiful；　to　his　wife。　But　Calyste　had　not
received　that　species　of　Parisian　education　which　we　must　call　the
politeness　of　the　passions。　He　knew　neither　how　to　lie　to　his　wife；
nor　how　to　tell　his　mistress　the　truth；two　apprenticeships　a　man　in
his　position　must　make　in　order　to　manage　women。　He　was　therefore
compelled　to　employ　all　the　power　of　passion　to　obtain　from　Beatrix　a
pardon　which　she　forced　him　to　solicit　for　two　hours；　a　pardon　refused
by　an　injured　angel　who　raised　her　eyes　to　the　ceiling　that　she　might
not　see　the　guilty　man；　and　who　put　forth　reasons　sacred　to　marquises
in　a　voice　quivering　with　tears　which　were　furtively　wiped　with　the
lace　of　her　handkerchief。

〃To　speak　to　me　of　your　wife　on　the　very　day　after　my　fall！〃　she
cried。　〃Why　did　you　not　tell　me　she　is　a　pearl　of　virtue？　I　know　she
thinks　you　handsome；　pure　depravity！　I；　I　love　your　soul！　for　let　me
tell　you；　my　friend；　you　are　ugly　compared　to　many　shepherds　on　the
Campagna　of　Rome；〃　etc。；　etc。

Such　speeches　may　surprise　the　reader；　but　they　were　part　of　a　system
profoundly　meditated　by　Beatrix　in　this　her　third　incarnation；for　at
each　passion　a　woman　becomes　another　being　and　advances　one　step　more
into　profligacy；　the　only　word　which　properly　renders　the　effect　of
the　experience　given　by　such　adventures。　Now；　the　Marquise　de
Rochefide　had　sat　in　judgment　on　herself　before　the　mirror。　Clever
women　are　never　deceived　about　themselves；　they　count　their　wrinkles；
they　assist　at　the　birth　of　their　crow's…feet；　they　know　themselves　by
heart；　and　even　own　it　by　the　greatness　of　their　efforts　at
preservation。　Therefore　to　struggle　successfully　against　a　splendid
young　woman；　to　carry　away　from　her　six　triumphs　a　week；　Beatrix　had
recourse　to　the　knowledge　and　the　science　of　courtesans。　Without
acknowledging　to　herself　the　baseness　of　this　plan；　led　away　to　the
employment　of　such　means　by　a　Turkish　passion　for　Calyste's　beauty；
she　had　resolved　to　make　him　think　himself　unpleasant；　ugly；　ill…made；
and　to　behave　as　if　s