a woman of thirty-第21部分

快捷操作: 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! 如果本书没有阅读完，想下次继续接着阅读，可使用上方 "收藏到我的浏览器" 功能 和 "加入书签" 功能！


d　gave　my　wife　such　a　shock　that　it　will　be　a　twelvemonth　before　she　gets　over　it；　so　the　doctor　says。　You　marry　a　pretty　wife；　and　her　looks　fall　off；　you　marry　a　girl　in　blooming　health；　and　she　turns　into　an　invalid。　You　think　she　has　a　passionate　temperament；　and　find　her　cold；　or　else　under　her　apparent　coldness　there　lurks　a　nature　so　passionate　that　she　is　the　death　of　you；　or　she　dishonors　your　name。　Sometimes　the　meekest　of　them　will　turn　out　crotchety；　though　the　crotchety　ones　never　grow　any　sweeter。　Sometimes　the　mere　child；　so　simple　and　silly　at　first；　will　develop　an　iron　will　to　thwart　you　and　the　ingenuity　of　a　fiend。　I　am　tired　of　marriage。〃

〃Or　of　your　wife？〃

〃That　would　be　difficult。　By…the…by；　do　you　feel　inclined　to　go　to　Saint…Thomas　d'Aquin　with　me　to　attend　Lord　Grenville's　funeral？〃

〃A　singular　way　of　spending　time。Is　it　really　known　how　he　came　by　his　death？〃　added　Ronquerolles。

〃His　man　says　that　he　spent　a　whole　night　sitting　on　somebody's　window　sill　to　save　some　woman's　character；　and　it　has　been　infernally　cold　lately。〃

〃Such　devotion　would　be　highly　creditable　to　one　of　us　old　stagers；　but　Lord　Grenville　was　a　youngster　andan　Englishman。　Englishmen　never　can　do　anything　like　anybody　else。〃

〃Pooh！〃　returned　d'Aiglemont；　〃these　heroic　exploits　all　depend　upon　the　woman　in　the　case；　and　it　certainly　was　not　for　one　that　I　know；　that　poor　Arthur　came　by　his　death。〃



II。

A　HIDDEN　GRIEF

Between　the　Seine　and　the　little　river　Loing　lies　a　wide　flat　country；　skirted　on　the　one　side　by　the　Forest　of　Fontainebleau；　and　marked　out　as　to　its　southern　limits　by　the　towns　of　Moret；　Montereau；　and　Nemours。　It　is　a　dreary　country；　little　knolls　of　hills　appear　only　at　rare　intervals；　and　a　coppice　here　and　there　among　the　fields　affords　for　game；　and　beyond；　upon　every　side；　stretches　the　endless　gray　or　yellowish　horizon　peculiar　to　Beauce；　Sologne；　and　Berri。

In　the　very　centre　of　the　plain；　at　equal　distances　from　Moret　and　Montereau；　the　traveler　passes　the　old　chateau　of　Saint…Lange；　standing　amid　surroundings　which　lack　neither　dignity　nor　stateliness。　There　are　magnificent　avenues　of　elm…trees；　great　gardens　encircled　by　the　moat；　and　a　circumference　of　walls　about　a　huge　manorial　pile　which　represents　the　profits　of　the　/maltote/；　the　gains　of　farmers…　general；　legalized　malversation；　or　the　vast　fortunes　of　great　houses　now　brought　low　beneath　the　hammer　of　the　Civil　Code。

Should　any　artist　or　dreamer　of　dreams　chance　to　stray　along　the　roads　full　of　deep　ruts；　or　over　the　heavy　land　which　secures　the　place　against　intrusion；　he　will　wonder　how　it　happened　that　this　romantic　old　place　was　set　down　in　a　savanna　of　corn…land；　a　desert　of　chalk；　and　sand；　and　marl；　where　gaiety　dies　away；　and　melancholy　is　a　natural　product　of　the　soil。　The　voiceless　solitude；　the　monotonous　horizon　line　which　weigh　upon　the　spirits　are　negative　beauties；　which　only　suit　with　sorrow　that　refuses　to　be　comforted。

Hither；　at　the　close　of　the　year　1820；　came　a　woman；　still　young；　well　known　in　Paris　for　her　charm；　her　fair　face；　and　her　wit；　and　to　the　immense　astonishment　of　the　little　village　a　mile　away；　this　woman　of　high　rank　and　corresponding　fortune　took　up　her　abode　at　Saint…Lange。

From　time　immemorial；　farmers　and　laborers　had　seen　no　gentry　at　the　chateau。　The　estate；　considerable　though　it　was；　had　been　left　in　charge　of　a　land…steward　and　the　house　to　the　old　servants。　Wherefore　the　appearance　of　the　lady　of　the　manor　caused　a　kind　of　sensation　in　the　district。

A　group　had　gathered　in　the　yard　of　the　wretched　little　wineshop　at　the　end　of　the　village　（where　the　road　forks　to　Nemours　and　Moret）　to　see　the　carriage　pass。　It　went　by　slowly；　for　the　Marquise　had　come　from　Paris　with　her　own　horses；　and　those　on　the　lookout　had　ample　opportunity　of　observing　a　waiting…maid；　who　sat　with　her　back　to　the　horses　holding　a　little　girl；　with　a　somewhat　dreamy　look；　upon　her　knee。　The　child's　mother　lay　back　in　the　carriage；　she　looked　like　a　dying　woman　sent　out　into　the　country　air　by　her　doctors　as　a　last　resource。　Village　politicians　were　by　no　means　pleased　to　see　the　young；　delicate；　downcast　face；　they　had　hoped　that　the　new　arrival　at　Saint…Lange　would　bring　some　life　and　stir　into　the　neighborhood；　and　clearly　any　sort　of　stir　or　movement　must　be　distasteful　to　the　suffering　invalid　in　the　traveling　carriage。

That　evening；　when　the　notables　of　Saint…Lange　were　drinking　in　the　private　room　of　the　wineshop；　the　longest　head　among　them　declared　that　such　depression　could　admit　of　but　one　constructionthe　Marquise　was　ruined。　His　lordship　the　Marquis　was　away　in　Spain　with　the　Duc　d'Angouleme　（so　they　said　in　the　papers）；　and　beyond　a　doubt　her　ladyship　had　come　to　Saint…Lange　to　retrench　after　a　run　of　ill…luck　on　the　Bourse。　The　Marquis　was　one　of　the　greatest　gamblers　on　the　face　of　the　globe。　Perhaps　the　estate　would　be　cut　up　and　sold　in　little　lots。　There　would　be　some　good　strokes　of　business　to　be　made　in　that　case；　and　it　behooved　everybody　to　count　up　his　cash；　unearth　his　savings　and　to　see　how　he　stood；　so　as　to　secure　his　share　of　the　spoil　of　Saint…Lange。

So　fair　did　this　future　seem；　that　the　village　worthies；　dying　to　know　whether　it　was　founded　on　fact；　began　to　think　of　ways　of　getting　at　the　truth　through　the　servants　at　the　chateau。　None　of　these；　however；　could　throw　any　light　on　the　calamity　which　had　brought　their　mistress　into　the　country　at　the　beginning　of　winter；　and　to　the　old　chateau　of　Saint…Lange　of　all　places；　when　she　might　have　taken　her　choice　of　cheerful　country…houses　famous　for　their　beautiful　gardens。

His　worship　the　mayor　called　to　pay　his　respects；　but　he　did　not　see　the　lady。　Then　the　land…steward　tried　with　no　better　success。

Madame　la　Marquise　kept　her　room；　only　leaving　it；　while　it　was　set　in　order；　for　the　small　adjoining　drawing…room；　where　she　dined；　if；　indeed；　to　sit　down　to　a　table；　to　look　with　disgust　at　the　dishes；　and　take　the　precise　amount　of　nourishment　required　to　prevent　death　from　sheer　starvation；　can　be　called　dining。　The　meal　over；　she　returned　at　once　to　the　old…fashioned　low　chair；　in　which　she　had　sat　since　the　morning；　in　the　embrasure　of　the　one　window　that　lighted　her　room。

Her　little　girl　she　only　saw　for　a　few　minutes　daily；　during　the　dismal　dinner；　and　even　for　a　short　time　she　seemed　scarcely　able　to　bear　the　child's　presence。　Surely　nothing　but　the　most　unheard…of　anguish　could　have　extinguished　a　mother's　love　so　early。

None　of　the　servants　were　suffered　to　come　near；　her　own　woman　was　the　one　creature　whom　she　liked　to　have　about　her；　the　chateau　must　be　perfectly　quiet；　the　child　must　play　at　the　other　end　of　the　house。　The　slightest　sound　had　grown　so　intolerable；　that　any　human　voice；　even　the　voice　of　her　own　child；　jarred　upon　her。

At　first　the　whole　countryside　was　deeply　interested　in　these　eccentricities；　but　time　passed　on；　every　possible　hypothesis　had　been　advanced　to　account　for　them　and　the　peasants　and　dwellers　in　the　little　country　towns　thought　no　more　of　the　invalid　lady。

So　the　Marquise　was　left　to　herself。　She　might　live　on；　perfectly　silent；　amid　the　silence