a woman of thirty-第15部分

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what　the　cause　of　her　ill…health　and　seclusion　could　be。

〃Well；　now；　my　dear　Ronquerolles；〃　said　the　Marquis；　addressing　Mme。　de　Serizy's　brother；　〃you　used　to　envy　me　my　good　fortune；　and　you　used　to　blame　me　for　my　infidelities。　Pshaw；　you　would　not　find　much　to　envy　in　my　lot；　if；　like　me；　you　had　a　pretty　wife　so　fragile　that　for　the　past　two　years　you　might　not　so　much　as　kiss　her　hand　for　fear　of　damaging　her。　Do　not　you　encumber　yourself　with　one　of　those　fragile　ornaments；　only　fit　to　put　in　a　glass　case；　so　brittle　and　so　costly　that　you　are　always　obliged　to　be　careful　of　them。　They　tell　me　that　you　are　afraid　of　snow　or　wet　for　that　fine　horse　of　yours；　how　often　do　you　ride　him？　That　is　just　my　own　case。　It　is　true　that　my　wife　gives　me　no　ground　for　jealousy；　but　my　marriage　is　purely　ornamental　business；　if　you　think　that　I　am　a　married　man；　you　are　grossly　mistaken。　So　there　is　some　excuse　for　my　unfaithfulness。　I　should　dearly　like　to　know　what　you　gentlemen　who　laugh　at　me　would　do　in　my　place。　Not　many　men　would　be　so　considerate　as　I　am。　I　am　sure；〃　（here　he　lowered　his　voice）　〃that　Mme。　d'Aiglemont　suspects　nothing。　And　then；　of　course；　I　have　no　right　to　complain　at　all；　I　am　very　well　off。　Only　there　is　nothing　more　trying　for　a　man　who　feels　things　than　the　sight　of　suffering　in　a　poor　creature　to　whom　you　are　attached〃

〃You　must　have　a　very　sensitive　nature；　then；〃　said　M。　de　Ronquerolles；　〃for　you　are　not　often　at　home。〃

Laughter　followed　on　the　friendly　epigram；　but　Arthur；　who　made　one　of　the　group；　maintained　a　frigid　imperturbability　in　his　quality　of　an　English　gentleman　who　takes　gravity　for　the　very　basis　of　his　being。　D'Aiglemont's　eccentric　confidence；　no　doubt；　had　kindled　some　kind　of　hope　in　Arthur；　for　he　stood　patiently　awaiting　an　opportunity　of　a　word　with　the　Marquis。　He　had　not　to　wait　long。

〃My　Lord　Marquis；〃　he　said；　〃I　am　unspeakably　pained　to　see　the　state　of　Mme。　d'Aiglemont's　health。　I　do　not　think　that　you　would　talk　jestingly　about　it　if　you　knew　that　unless　she　adopts　a　certain　course　of　treatment　she　must　die　miserably。　If　I　use　this　language　to　you；　it　is　because　I　am　in　a　manner　justified　in　using　it；　for　I　am　quite　certain　that　I　can　save　Mme。　d'Aiglemont's　life　and　restore　her　to　health　and　happiness。　It　is　odd；　no　doubt；　that　a　man　of　my　rank　should　be　a　physician；　yet　nevertheless　chance　determined　that　I　should　study　medicine。　I　find　life　dull　enough　here；〃　he　continued；　affecting　a　cold　selfishness　to　gain　his　ends；　〃it　makes　no　difference　to　me　whether　I　spend　my　time　and　travel　for　the　benefit　of　a　suffering　fellow…creature；　or　waste　it　in　Paris　on　some　nonsense　or　other。　It　is　very；　very　seldom　that　a　cure　is　completed　in　these　complaints；　for　they　require　constant　care；　time；　and　patience；　and；　above　all　things；　money。　Travel　is　needed；　and　a　punctilious　following　out　of　prescriptions；　by　no　means　unpleasant；　and　varied　daily。　Two　/gentlemen/〃　（laying　a　stress　on　the　word　in　its　English　sense）　〃can　understand　each　other。　I　give　you　warning　that　if　you　accept　my　proposal；　you　shall　be　a　judge　of　my　conduct　at　every　moment。　I　will　do　nothing　without　consulting　you；　without　your　superintendence；　and　I　will　answer　for　the　success　of　my　method　if　you　will　consent　to　follow　it。　Yes；　unless　you　wish　to　be　Mme。　d'Aiglemont's　husband　no　longer；　and　that　before　long；〃　he　added　in　the　Marquis'　ear。

The　Marquis　laughed。　〃One　thing　is　certainthat　only　an　Englishman　could　make　me　such　an　extraordinary　proposal；〃　he　said。　〃Permit　me　to　leave　it　unaccepted　and　unrejected。　I　will　think　it　over；　and　my　wife　must　be　consulted　first　in　any　case。〃

Julie　had　returned　to　the　piano。　This　time　she　sang　a　song　from　/Semiramide；　Son　regina；　son　guerriera/；　and　the　whole　room　applauded；　a　stifled　outburst　of　wellbred　acclamation　which　proved　that　the　Faubourg　Saint…Germain　had　been　roused　to　enthusiasm　by　her　singing。

The　evening　was　over。　D'Aiglemont　brought　his　wife　home；　and　Julie　saw　with　uneasy　satisfaction　that　her　first　attempt　had　at　once　been　successful。　Her　husband　had　been　roused　out　of　indifference　by　the　part　which　she　had　played；　and　now　he　meant　to　honor　her　with　such　a　passing　fancy　as　he　might　bestow　upon　some　opera　nymph。　It　amused　Julie　that　she；　a　virtuous　married　woman；　should　be　treated　thus。　She　tried　to　play　with　her　power；　but　at　the　outset　her　kindness　broke　down　once　more；　and　she　received　the　most　terrible　of　all　the　lessons　held　in　store　for　her　by　fate。

Between　two　and　three　o'clock　in　the　morning　Julie　sat　up；　sombre　and　moody；　beside　her　sleeping　husband；　in　the　room　dimly　lighted　by　the　flickering　lamp。　Deep　silence　prevailed。　Her　agony　of　remorse　had　lasted　near　an　hour；　how　bitter　her　tears　had　been　none　perhaps　can　realize　save　women　who　have　known　such　an　experience　as　hers。　Only　such　natures　as　Julie's　can　feel　her　loathing　for　a　calculated　caress；　the　horror　of　a　loveless　kiss；　of　the　heart's　apostasy　followed　by　dolorous　prostitution。　She　despised　herself；　she　cursed　marriage。　She　could　have　longed　for　death；　perhaps　if　it　had　not　been　for　a　cry　from　her　child；　she　would　have　sprung　from　the　window　and　dashed　herself　upon　the　pavement。　M。　d'Aiglemont　slept　on　peacefully　at　her　side；　his　wife's　hot　dropping　tears　did　not　waken　him。

But　next　morning　Julie　could　be　gay。　She　made　a　great　effort　to　look　happy；　to　hide；　not　her　melancholy；　as　heretofore；　but　an　insuperable　loathing。　From　that　day　she　no　longer　regarded　herself　as　a　blameless　wife。　Had　she　not　been　false　to　herself？　Why　should　she　not　play　a　double　part　in　the　future；　and　display　astounding　depths　of　cunning　in　deceiving　her　husband？　In　her　there　lay　a　hitherto　undiscovered　latent　depravity；　lacking　only　opportunity；　and　her　marriage　was　the　cause。

Even　now　she　had　asked　herself　why　she　should　struggle　with　love；　when；　with　her　heart　and　her　whole　nature　in　revolt；　she　gave　herself　to　the　husband　whom　she　loved　no　longer。　Perhaps；　who　knows？　some　piece　of　fallacious　reasoning；　some　bit　of　special　pleading；　lies　at　the　root　of　all　sins；　of　all　crimes。　How　shall　society　exist　unless　every　individual　of　which　it　is　composed　will　make　the　necessary　sacrifices　of　inclination　demanded　by　its　laws？　If　you　accept　the　benefits　of　civilized　society；　do　you　not　by　implication　engage　to　observe　the　conditions；　the　conditions　of　its　very　existence？　And　yet；　starving　wretches；　compelled　to　respect　the　laws　of　property；　are　not　less　to　be　pitied　than　women　whose　natural　instincts　and　sensitiveness　are　turned　to　so　many　avenues　of　pain。

A　few　days　after　that　scene　of　which　the　secret　lay　buried　in　the　midnight　couch；　d'Aiglemont　introduced　Lord　Grenville。　Julie　gave　the　guest　a　stiffly　polite　reception；　which　did　credit　to　her　powers　of　dissimulation。　Resolutely　she　silenced　her　heart；　veiled　her　eyes；　steadied　her　voice；　and　she　kept　her　future　in　her　own　hands。　Then；　when　by　these　devices；　this　innate　woman…craft；　as　it　may　be　called；　she　had　discovered　the　full　extent　of　the　love　which　she　inspired；　Mme。　d'Aiglemont　welcomed　the　hope　of　a　speedy　cure；　and　no　longer　opposed　her　husband；　who　pressed　her　to　accept　the　young　doctor's　offer。　Yet　she　declined　to　trust　herself　with