beatrix-第65部分

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treat　Monsieur　du　Guenic　on　the　basis　of　the　following　proposition：

〃You　have　preferred　your　wife　and　the　opinion　of　the　world　to　me。　If
you　wish　to　prove　that　you　love　me；　sacrifice　your　wife　and　the　world
to　me。　Abandon　Sabine；　and　let　us　live　in　Switzerland；　Italy；　or
Germany。〃

Entrenched　in　that　hard　/ultimatum/；　she　established　the　blockade
which　women　declare　by　frigid　glances；　disdainful　gestures；　and　a
certain　fortress…like　demeanor；　if　we　may　so　call　it。　She　thought
herself　delivered　from　Calyste；　supposing　that　he　would　never　dare　to
break　openly　with　the　Grandlieus。　To　desert　Sabine；　to　whom
Mademoiselle　des　Touches　had　left　her　fortune；　would　doom　him　to
penury。

But　Calyste；　half…mad　with　despair；　had　secretly　obtained　a　passport；
and　had　written　to　his　mother　begging　her　to　send　him　at　once　a
considerable　sum　of　money。　While　awaiting　the　arrival　of　these　funds
he　set　himself　to　watch　Beatrix；　consumed　by　the　fury　of　Breton
jealousy。　At　last；　nine　days　after　the　communication　made　by　La
Palferine　to　Maxime　at　the　club；　Calyste；　to　whom　his　mother　had
forwarded　thirty　thousand　francs；　went　to　Madame　de　Rochefide's　house
with　the　firm　intention　of　forcing　the　blockade；　driving　away　La
Palferine；　and　leaving　Paris　with　his　pacified　angel。　It　was　one　of
those　horrible　alternatives　in　which　women　who　have　hitherto　retained
some　little　respect　for　themselves　plunge　at　once　and　forever　into　the
degradations　of　vice；though　it　is　possible　to　return　thence　to
virtue。　Until　this　moment　Madame　de　Rochefide　had　regarded　herself　as
a　virtuous　woman　in　heart；　upon　whom　two　passions　had　fallen；　but　to
adore　Charles…Edouard　and　still　let　Calyste　adore　her；　would　be　to
lose　her　self…esteem；for　where　deception　begins；　infamy　begins。　She
had　given　rights　to　Calyste；　and　no　human　power　could　prevent　the
Breton　from　falling　at　her　feet　and　watering　them　with　the　tears　of　an
absolute　repentance。　Many　persons　are　surprised　at　the　glacial
insensibility　under　which　women　extinguish　their　loves。　But　if　they
did　not　thus　efface　their　past；　their　lives　could　have　no　dignity；
they　could　never　maintain　themselves　against　the　fatal　familiarity　to
which　they　had　once　submitted。　In　the　entirely　new　situation　in　which
Beatrix　found　herself；　she　might　have　evaded　the　alternatives
presented　to　her　by　Calyste　had　La　Palferine　entered　the　room；　but　the
vigilance　of　her　old　footman；　Antoine；　defeated　her。

Hearing　a　carriage　stop　before　the　door；　she　said　to　Calyste；　〃Here
come　visitors！〃　and　she　rushed　forward　to　prevent　a　scene。

Antoine；　however；　as　a　prudent　man；　had　told　La　Palferine　that　Madame
la　marquise　was　out。

When　Beatrix　heard　from　the　old　servant　who　had　called　and　the　answer
he　had　given；　she　replied；　〃Very　good；〃　and　returned　to　the　salon；
thinking：　〃I　will　escape　into　a　convent；　I　will　make　myself　a　nun。〃

Calyste；　meantime；　had　opened　the　window　and　seen　his　rival。

〃Who　came？〃　he　said　to　Beatrix　on　her　return。

〃I　don't　know；　Antoine　is　still　below。〃

〃It　was　La　Palferine。〃

〃Possibly。〃

〃You　love　him；　and　that　is　why　you　are　blaming　and　reproaching　me；　I
saw　him！〃

〃You　saw　him？〃

〃I　opened　the　window。〃

Beatrix　fell　half　fainting　on　the　sofa。　Then　she　negotiated　in　order
to　gain　time；　she　asked　to　have　the　journey　postponed　for　a　week；
under　pretence　of　making　preparations；　inwardly　resolving　to　turn
Calyste　off　in　a　way　that　she　could　satisfy　La　Palferine；for　such
are　the　wretched　calculations　and　the　fiery　anguish　concealed　with
these　lives　which　have　left　the　rails　along　which　the　great　social
train　rolls　on。

When　Calyste　had　left　her；　Beatrix　felt　so　wretched；　so　profoundly
humiliated；　that　she　went　to　bed；　she　was　really　ill；　the　violent
struggle　which　wrung　her　heart　seemed　to　reach　a　physical　reaction；
and　she　sent　for　the　doctor；　but　at　the　same　time　she　despatched　to　La
Palferine　the　following　letter；　in　which　she　revenged　herself　on
Calyste　with　a　sort　of　rage：

　　To　Monsieur　le　Comte　de　la　Palferine。

　　My　Friend；Come　and　see　me；　I　am　in　despair。　Antoine　sent　you
　　away　when　your　arrival　would　have　put　an　end　to　one　of　the　most
　　horrible　nightmares　of　my　life　and　delivered　me　from　a　man　I　hate；
　　and　whom　I　trust　never　to　see　again。　I　love　you　only　in　this
　　world；　and　I　can　never　again　love　any　one　but　you；　though　I　have
　　the　misfortune　not　to　please　you　as　I　fain　would

She　wrote　four　pages　which；　beginning　thus；　ended　in　an　exaltation　too
poetic　for　typography；　in　which　she　compromised　herself　so　completely
that　the　letter　closed　with　these　words：　〃Am　I　sufficiently　at　your
mercy？　Ah！　nothing　will　cost　me　anything　if　it　only　proves　to　you　how
much　you　are　loved。〃　And　she　signed　the　letter；　a　thing　she　had　never
done　for　Conti　or　Calyste。

The　next　day；　at　the　hour　when　La　Palferine　called；　Beatrix　was　in　her
bath；　and　Antoine　begged　him　to　wait。　He；　in　his　turn；　saw　Calyste
sent　away；　for　du　Guenic；　hungry　for　love；　came　early。　La　Palferine
was　standing　at　the　window；　watching　his　rival's　departure；　when
Beatrix　entered　the　salon。

〃Ah！　Charles；〃　she　cried；　expecting　what　had　happened；　〃you　have
ruined　me！〃

〃I　know　it；　madame；〃　replied　La　Palferine；　tranquilly。　〃You　have　sworn
to　love　me　alone；　you　have　offered　to　give　me　a　letter　in　which　you
will　write　your　motives　for　destroying　yourself；　so　that；　in　case　of
infidelity；　I　may　poison　you　without　fear　of　human　justice；as　if
superior　men　needed　to　have　recourse　to　poison　for　revenge！　You　have
written　to　me：　'Nothing　will　cost　me　anything　if　it　only　proves　to　you
how　much　you　are　loved。'　Well；　after　that；　I　find　a　contradiction
between　those　words　and　your　present　remark　that　I　have　ruined　you。　I
must　know　now　if　you　have　had　the　courage　to　break　with　du　Guenic。〃

〃Ah！　you　have　your　revenge　upon　him　in　advance；〃　she　cried；　throwing
her　arms　around　his　neck。　〃Henceforth；　you　and　I　are　forever　bound
together。〃

〃Madame；〃　said　the　prince　of　Bohemia；　coldly；　〃if　you　wish　me　for　your
friend；　I　consent；　but　on　one　condition　only。〃

〃Condition！〃　she　exclaimed。

〃Yes；　the　following　condition。　You　must　be　reconciled　to　Monsieur　de
Rochefide；　you　must　recover　the　honor　of　your　position；　you　must
return　to　your　handsome　house　in　the　due　d'Anjou　and　be　once　more　one
of　the　queens　of　Paris。　You　can　do　this　by　making　Rochefide　play　a
part　in　politics；　and　putting　into　your　own　conduct　the　persistency
which　Madame　d'Espard　has　displayed。　That　is　the　situation　necessary
for　the　woman　to　whom　I　do　the　honor　to　give　myself。〃

〃But　you　forget　that　Monsieur　de　Rochefide's　consent　is　necessary。〃

〃Oh；　my　dear　child；〃　said　La　Palferine；　〃we　have　arranged　all　that；　I
have　given　my　word　of　honor　as　a　gentleman　that　you　are　worth　all　the
Schontzes　of　the　quartier　Saint…Georges；　and　you　must　fulfil　my
pledge。〃

For　the　next　week　Calyste　went　every　day　to　Madame　de　Rochefide's
door；　only　to　be　refused　by　Antoine；　who　said　with　a　studied　face；
〃Madame　is　ill。〃

From　there　Calyste　hurried　to　La　Palferine's　lodging；　where　the　valet
answered；　〃Monsieur　le　comte　is　away；　hunting。〃　Each　time　this
happened　the　Breton　baron　left　a　letter　for　La　Palferine。

On　the　ninth　day　Calyste　received　a　line　from　La　Palferine；　making　an
appointment　to　receive　him。　He　hurried　to　his　lodgings　and　found　the
count；　but　in　company　with　Maxime　de　Trailles；　to　whom　the　young
/roue/　no　doubt　wished　to　give　proof　of　his　/savoir…faire/　by　making
him　a　witness　of　this　scene。

〃Monsieur　le　baron；〃　began　Charles…Edouard；　tranquilly；　〃here　are　the
six　letters　you　have　done　me　the　honor　to　write　to　me。　They　are；　as
you　see；　safe　and　sound；　they　have　not　been　unsealed。　I　knew　in
advance　what　they　were　likely　to　contain；　having　learned　that　you　have
been　seeking　me　since　the　day　when　I　looked　at　you　from　the　window　of
a　house　from　which　you　had　looked　at　me　on　the　previous　day。　I　thought
I　had　better　ignore　all　mistaken　provocations。　Between　ourselves；　I　am
sure　you　have　too　much　good　taste　to　be　angry　with　a　woman　for　no
longer　loving　you。　It　is　always　a　bad　means　of　recovering　her　to　seek
a　quarrel　with　the　one　preferred。　But；　in　the　present　case；　your
letters　have　a　radical　fault；　a　nullity；　as　the　lawyers　say。　You　have
too　much　good　sense；　I　am　sure；　to　complain　of　a　husband　who　takes
back　his　wife。　Monsieur　de　Rochefide　has　felt　that　the　position　of　the
marquise　was　undignified。　You　will；　therefore；　no　longer　find　Madame
de　Rochefide　in　the　rue　de　Chartres；　butsix　months　hence；　next
winterin　the　hotel　de　Rochefide。　You　flung　yourself　rather
heedlessly　into　the　midst　of　a　reconciliation　between　husband　and
wife；which　you　provoked　yourself　by　not　saving　Madame　de　Rochefide
from　the　humiliation　to　which　she　was　subjected　at　the　Opera。　On
coming　away；　the　marquise；　to　whom　I　had　already　carried　certain
amicable　proposals　from　her　husband；　took　me　up　in　her　carriage；　and
her　first　words　were；　'Bring　Arthur　back　to　me！'〃

〃Ah！　yes；〃　cried　Calyste；　〃she　was　right；　I　was　wanting　in　true
devotion。〃

〃Unhappily；　monsieur；　Rochefide　was　living　with　one　of　those　atrocious
women；　Madame　Schontz；　who　had　long　been　expecting　him　to　leave　her。
She　had　counted　on　Madame　de　Rochefide's　failure　in　health；　and
expected　some　day　to　see　herself　marquise；　finding　her　castles　in　the
air　thus　scattered；　she　determined　to　revenge　herself　on　husband　and
wife。　Such　women；　monsieur；　will　put　out　one　of　their　own　eyes　to　put
out　two　of　their　enemy。　La　Schontz；　who　has　just　left　Paris；　has　put
out　six！　If　I　had　had　the　imprudence　to　love　the　marquise；　Madame
Schontz　would　have　put　out　eight。　You　see　now　that　you　are　in　need　of
an　oculist。〃

Maxime　could　not　help　smiling　at　the　change　that　came　over　Calyste's
face；　which　turned　deadly　pale　as　his　eyes　were　opened　to　his
situation。

〃Would　you　believe；　Monsieur　le　baron；　that　that　unworthy　woman　has
given　her　hand　to　the　man　who　furnished　the　means　for　her　revenge？　Ah！
these　women！　You　can　understand　now　why　Arthur　and　his　wife　should
have　retired　for　a　time　to　their　delightful　little　country…house　at
Nogent…sur…Marne。　They'll　recover　their　eyesight　there。　During　their
stay　in　the　country　the　hotel　de　Rochefide　is　to　be