the gambler-第30部分

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of　horses　for　a　pair　which　cost　sixteen　thousand　francs。

〃Bibi；〃　she　said　on　the　latter　occasion　as　she　approached　me；　
〃surely　you　are　not　angry？〃

〃No…o…o：　I　am　merely　tired；〃　was　my　reply　as　I　pushed　her　
from　me。　This　seemed　to　her　so　curious　that　straightway　she　
seated　herself　by　my　side。

〃You　see；〃　she　went　on；　〃I　decided　to　spend　so　much　upon　these
horses　only　because　I　can　easily　sell　them　again。　They　would
go　at　any　time　for　TWENTY　thousand　francs。〃

〃Yes；　yes。　They　are　splendid　horses；　and　you　have　got　a
splendid　turn…out。　I　am　quite　content。　Let　me　hear　no　more　of
the　matter。〃

〃Then　you　are　not　angry？〃

〃No。　Why　should　I　be？　You　are　wise　to　provide　yourself　with
what　you　need；　for　it　will　all　come　in　handy　in　the　future。
Yes；　I　quite　see　the　necessity　of　your　establishing　yourself　on
a　good　basis；　for　without　it　you　will　never　earn　your　million。
My　hundred　thousand　francs　I　look　upon　merely　as　a　beginningas
a　mere　drop　in　the　bucket。〃

Blanche；　who　had　by　no　means　expected　such　declarations　from　me；
but；　rather；　an　uproar　and　protests；　was　rather　taken　aback。

〃Well；　well；　what　a　man　you　are！　〃　she　exclaimed。　〃　Mais　tu　as
l'esprit　pour　comprendre。　Sais…tu；　mon　garcon；　although　you　are
a　tutor；　you　ought　to　have　been　born　a　prince。　Are　you　not　sorry
that　your　money　should　be　going　so　quickly？〃

〃No。　The　quicker　it　goes　the　better。〃

〃Maissais…tu…mais　dis　donc；　are　you　really　rich？　Mais　sais…tu；
you　have　too　much　contempt　for　money。　Qu'est…ce　que　tu　feras
apres；　dis　donc？〃

〃Apres　I　shall　go　to　Homburg；　and　win　another　hundred　thousand
francs。〃

〃Oui；　oui；　c'est　ca；　c'est　magnifique！　Ah；　I　know　you　will　win
them；　and　bring　them　to　me　when　you　have　done　so。　Dis　doncyou
will　end　by　making　me　love　you。　Since　you　are　what　you　are；　I
mean　to　love　you　all　the　time；　and　never　to　be　unfaithful　to
you。　You　see；　I　have　not　loved　you　before　parce　que　je　croyais
que　tu　n'es　qu'un　utchitel　（quelque　chose　comme　un　lacquais；
n'est…ce　pas？）　Yet　all　the　time　I　have　been　true　to　you；　parce
que　je　suis　bonne　fille。〃

〃You　lie！〃　I　interrupted。　〃Did　I　not　see　you；　the　other　day；
with　Albertwith　that　black…jowled　officer？〃

〃Oh；　oh！　Mais　tu　es〃

〃Yes；　you　are　lying　right　enough。　But　what　makes　you　suppose
that　I　should　be　angry？　Rubbish！　Il　faut　que　jeunesse　se　passe。
Even　if　that　officer　were　here　now；　I　should　refrain　from
putting　him　out　of　the　room　if　I　thought　you　really　cared　for
him。　Only；　mind　you；　do　not　give　him　any　of　my　money。　You　hear？〃

〃You　say；　do　you；　that　you　would　not　be　angry？　Mais　tu　es　un
vrai　philosophe；　sais…tu？　Oui；　un　vrai　philosophe！　Eh　bien；　je
t'aimerai；　je　t'aimerai。　Tu　verras…tu　seras　content。〃

True　enough；　from　that　time　onward　she　seemed　to　attach　herself
only　to　me；　and　in　this　manner　we　spent　our　last　ten　days
together。　The　promised　〃etoiles〃　I　did　not　see；　but　in　other
respects　she；　to　a　certain　extent；　kept　her　word。　Moreover；　she
introduced　me　to　Hortense；　who　was　a　remarkable　woman　in　her
way；　and　known　among　us　as　Therese　Philosophe。

But　I　need　not　enlarge　further；　for　to　do　so　would
require　a　story　to　itself；　and　entail　a　colouring　which
I　am　lothe　to　impart　to　the　present　narrative。　The　point
is　that　with　all　my　faculties　I　desired　the　episode　to
come　to　an　end　as　speedily　as　possible。　Unfortunately；
our　hundred　thousand　francs　lasted　us；　as　I　have　said；
for　very　nearly　a　monthwhich　greatly　surprised　me。　At　all
events；　Blanche　bought　herself　articles　to　the　tune　of　eighty
thousand　francs；　and　the　rest　sufficed　just　to　meet　our　expenses
of　living。　Towards　the　close　of　the　affair；　Blanche　grew　almost
frank　with　me　（at　least；　she　scarcely　lied　to　me　at
all）declaring；　amongst　other　things；　that　none　of　the　debts
which　she　had　been　obliged　to　incur　were　going　to　fall　upon　my
head。　〃I　have　purposely　refrained　from　making　you　responsible
for　my　bills　or　borrowings；〃　she　said；　〃for　the　reason　that　I
am　sorry　for　you。　Any　other　woman　in　my　place　would　have　done
so；　and　have　let　you　go　to　prison。　See；　then；　how　much　I　love
you；　and　how　good…hearted　I　am！　Think；　too；　what　this　accursed
marriage　with　the　General　is　going　to　cost　me！〃

True　enough；　the　marriage　took　place。　It　did　so　at　the　close　of
our　month　together；　and　I　am　bound　to　suppose　that　it　was
upon　the　ceremony　that　the　last　remnants　of　my　money　were　spent。
With　it　the　episodethat　is　to　say；　my　sojourn　with　the
Frenchwomancame　to　an　end；　and　I　formally　retired　from　the
scene。

It　happened　thus：　A　week　after　we　had　taken　up　our　abode　in
Paris　there　arrived　thither　the　General。　He　came　straight　to　see
us；　and　thenceforward　lived　with　us　practically　as　our　guest；
though　he　had　a　flat　of　his　own　as　well。　Blanche　met　him　with
merry　badinage　and　laughter；　and　even　threw　her　arms　around　him。
In　fact；　she　managed　it　so　that　he　had　to　follow　everywhere　in
her　trainwhether　when　promenading　on　the　Boulevards；　or　when
driving；　or　when　going　to　the　theatre；　or　when　paying　calls；　and
this　use　which　she　made　of　him　quite　satisfied　the　General。　
Still　of　imposing　appearance　and　presence；　as　well　as　of　fair
height；　he　had　a　dyed　moustache　and　whiskers　（he　had　formerly
been　in　the　cuirassiers）；　and　a　handsome；　though　a　somewhat
wrinkled；　face。　Also；　his　manners　were　excellent；　and　he　could
carry　a　frockcoat　wellthe　more　so　since；　in　Paris；　he　took　to
wearing　his　orders。　To　promenade　the　Boulevards　with　such　a　man
was　not　only　a　thing　possible；　but　also；　so　to　speak；　a　thing
advisable；　and　with　this　programme　the　good　but　foolish
General　had　not　a　fault　to　find。　The　truth　is　that　he　had　never
counted　upon　this　programme　when　he　came　to　Paris　to　seek　us
out。　On　that　occasion　he　had　made　his　appearance　nearly　shaking
with　terror；　for　he　had　supposed　that　Blanche　would　at　once
raise　an　outcry；　and　have　him　put　from　the　door；　wherefore；　he
was　the　more　enraptured　at　the　turn　that　things　had　taken；　and
spent　the　month　in　a　state　of　senseless　ecstasy。　Already　I　had
learnt　that；　after　our　unexpected　departure　from　Roulettenberg；
he　had　had　a　sort　of　a　fitthat　he　had　fallen　into　a　swoon；　and
spent　a　week　in　a　species　of　garrulous　delirium。　Doctors　had
been　summoned　to　him；　but　he　had　broken　away　from　them；　and
suddenly　taken　a　train　to　Paris。　Of　course　Blanche's　reception　of
him　had　acted　as　the　best　of　all　possible　cures；　but　for　long
enough　he　carried　the　marks　of　his　affliction；　despite　his
present　condition　of　rapture　and　delight。　To　think　clearly；　or
even　to　engage　in　any　serious　conversation；　had　now　become
impossible　for　him；　he　could　only　ejaculate　after　each　word　
〃Hm！〃　and　then　nod　his　head　in　confirmation。　Sometimes；　also；　he
would　laugh；　but　only　in　a　nervous；　hysterical　sort　of　a
fashion；　while　at　other　times　he　would　sit　for　hours　looking　as
black　as　night；　with　his　heavy　eyebrows　knitted。　Of　much　that
went　on　he　remained　wholly　oblivious；　for　he　grew　extremely
absent…minded；　and　took　to　talking　to　himself。　Only　Blanche
could　awake　him　to　any　semblance　of　life。　His　fits　of　depression
and　moodiness　in　corners　always　meant　either　that　he　had　not
seen　her　for　some　while；　or　that　she　had　gone　out　without　taking
him　with　her；　or　that　she　had　omitted　to　caress　him　before
departing。　When　in　this　condition；　he　would　refuse　to　say　what　he
wanted　nor　had　he　the　least　idea　that　he　was　thus　sulking　and
moping。　Next；　after　remaining　in　this　condition　for　an　hour　or
two　（this　I　remarked　on　two　occasions　when　Blanche　had　gone　out
for　the　dayprobably　to　see　Albert）；　he　would　begin　to　look
about　him；　and　to　grow　uneasy；　and　to　hurry　about　with　an　air　as
though　he　had　suddenly　remembered　something；　and　must　try　and
find　it；　after　which；　not　perceiving　the　object　of　his　search；
nor　succeeding　in　recalling　what　that　object　had　been；　he　would
as　suddenly　relapse　into　oblivion；　and　continue　so　until　the
reappearance　of　Blanchemerry；　wanton；　half…dressed；　and
laughing　her　strident　laugh　as　she　approached　to　pet　him；　and
even　to　kiss　him　（though　the　latter　reward　he　seldom　received）。
Once；　he　was　so　overjoyed　at　her　doing　so　that　he　burst　into
tears。　Even　I　myself　was　surprised。

From　the　first　moment　of　his　arrival　in　Paris；　Blanche　set
herself　to　plead　with　me　on　his　behalf；　and　at　such　times　she
even　rose　to　heights　of　eloquencesaying　that　it　was　for　ME
she　had　abandoned　him；　though　she　had　almost　become　his
betrothed　and　promised　to　become　so；　that　it　was　for　HER　sake　he
had　deserted　his　family；　that；　having　been　in　his　service；　I
ought　to　remember　the　fact；　and　to　feel　ashamed。　To　all　this　I
would　say　nothing；　however　much　she　chattered　on；　until　at
length　I　would　burst　out　laughing；　and　the　incident　would　come
to　an　end　（at　first；　as　I　have　said；　she　had　thought　me　a　fool；
but　since　she　had　come　to　deem　me　a　man　of　sense　and
sensibility）。　In　short；　I　had　the　happiness　of　calling　her
better　nature　into　play；　for　though；　at　first；　I　had　not　deemed
her　so；　she　was；　in　reality；　a　kind…hearted　woman　after　her　own
fashion。　〃You　are　good　and　clever；〃　she　said　to　me　towards　the
finish；　〃and　my　one　regret　is　that　you　are　also　so
wrong…headed。　You　will　NEVER　be　a　rich　man！〃　

〃Un　vrai　Russeun　Kalmuk〃　she　usually　called　me。

Several　times　she　sent　me　to　give　the　General　an　airing　in　the
streets；　even　as　she　might　have　done　with　a　lacquey　and　her
spaniel；　but；　I　preferred　to　take　him　to　the　theatre；　to　the　Bal
Mabille；　and　to　restaurants。　For　this　purpose　she　usually
allowed　me　some　money；　though　the　General　had　a　little　of　his
own；　and　enjoyed　taking　out　his　purse　before　strangers。　Once　I
had　to　use　actual　force　to　prevent　him　from　buying　a　phaeton　at
a　price　of　seven　hundred　francs；　after　a　vehicle　had　caught　his
fancy　in　the　Palais　Royal　as　seeming　to　be　a　desirable　present
for　Blanche。　What　could　SHE　have　done　with　a　seven…hundred…franc
phaeton？and　the　General　possessed　in　the　world　but　a　thousand
francs！　The　origin　even　of　those　francs　I　could　never　determine；
but　imagined　them　to　have　emanated　from　Mr。　Astleythe　more　so
since　the　latter　had　paid　the　family's　hotel　bill。　

As　for　what　view　the　General　took　of　myself；　I　think　that　he　never　divined
the　footing　on　which　I　stood　with　Blanche。　True；　he　had　h