camille-第26部分

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　not　answer。

〃Well？〃　said　he　in　a　trembling　voice。

〃Well；　father；　I　can　promise　nothing；〃　I　said　at　last；　〃what　you　ask　of　me　is　beyond　my　power。　Believe　me；〃　I　continued；　seeing　him　make　an　impatient　movement；　〃you　exaggerate　the　effects　of　this　liaison。　Marguerite　is　a　different　kind　of　a　woman　from　what　you　think。　This　love；　far　from　leading　me　astray；　is　capable；　on　the　contrary；　of　setting　me　in　the　right　direction。　Love　always　makes　a　man　better；　no　matter　what　woman　inspires　it。　If　you　knew　Marguerite；　you　would　understand　that　I　am　in　no　danger。　She　is　as　noble　as　the　noblest　of　women。　There　is　as　much　disinterestedness　in　her　as　there　is　cupidity　in　others。〃

〃All　of　which　does　not　prevent　her　from　accepting　the　whole　of　your　fortune；　for　the　sixty　thousand　francs　which　come　to　you　from　your　mother；　and　which　you　are　giving　her；　are；　understand　me　well；　your　whole　fortune。〃

My　father　had　probably　kept　this　peroration　and　this　threat　for　the　last　stroke。　I　was　firmer　before　these　threats　than　before　his　entreaties。

〃Who　told　you　that　I　was　handing　this　sum　to　her？〃　I　asked。

〃My　solicitor。　Could　an　honest　man　carry　out　such　a　procedure　without　warning　me？　Well；　it　is　to　prevent　you　from　ruining　yourself　for　a　prostitute　that　I　am　now　in　Paris。　Your　mother；　when　she　died；　left　you　enough　to　live　on　respectably；　and　not　to　squander　on　your　mistresses。〃

〃I　swear　to　you；　father；　that　Marguerite　knew　nothing　of　this　transfer。〃

〃Why；　then；　do　you　make　it？〃

〃Because　Marguerite；　the　woman　you　calumniate；　and　whom　you　wish　me　to　abandon；　is　sacrificing　all　that　she　possesses　in　order　to　live　with　me。〃

〃And　you　accept　this　sacrifice？　What　sort　of　a　man　are　you；　sir；　to　allow　Mlle。　Gautier　to　sacrifice　anything　for　you？　Come；　enough　of　this。　You　will　leave　this　woman。　Just　now　I　begged　you；　now　I　command　you。　I　will　have　no　such　scandalous　doings　in　my　family。　Pack　up　your　things　and　get　ready　to　come　with　me。〃

〃Pardon　me；　father；〃　I　said；　〃but　I　shall　not　come。〃

〃And　why？〃

〃Because　I　am　at　an　age　when　no　one　any　longer　obeys　a　command。〃

My　father　turned　pale　at　my　answer。

〃Very　well；　sir；〃　he　said；　〃I　know　what　remains　to　be　done。〃

He　rang　and　Joseph　appeared。

〃Have　my　things　taken　to　the　Hotel　de　Paris；〃　he　said　to　my　servant。　And　thereupon　he　went　to　his　room　and　finished　dressing。　When　he　returned；　I　went　up　to　him。

〃Promise　me；　father；〃　I　said；　〃that　you　will　do　nothing　to　give　Marguerite　pain？〃

My　father　stopped；　looked　at　me　disdainfully；　and　contented　himself　with　saying；　〃I　believe　you　are　mad。〃　After　this　he　went　out；　shutting　the　door　violently　after　him。

I　went　downstairs；　took　a　cab；　and　returned　to　Bougival。

Marguerite　was　waiting　for　me　at　the　window。



Chapter　21

〃At　last　you　have　come；〃　she　said；　throwing　her　arms　round　my　neck。　〃But　how　pale　you　are！〃

I　told　her　of　the　scene　with　my　father。

〃My　God！　I　was　afraid　of　it；〃　she　said。　〃When　Joseph　came　to　tell　you　of　your　father's　arrival　I　trembled　as　if　he　had　brought　news　of　some　misfortune。　My　poor　friend；　I　am　the　cause　of　all　your　distress。　You　will　be　better　off；　perhaps；　if　you　leave　me　and　do　not　quarrel　with　your　father　on　my　account。　He　knows　that　you　are　sure　to　have　a　mistress；　and　he　ought　to　be　thankful　that　it　is　I；　since　I　love　you　and　do　not　want　more　of　you　than　your　position　allows。　Did　you　tell　him　how　we　had　arranged　our　future？〃

〃Yes；　that　is　what　annoyed　him　the　most；　for　he　saw　how　much　we　really　love　one　another。〃

〃What　are　we　to　do；　then？〃

〃Hold　together；　my　good　Marguerite；　and　let　the　storm　pass　over。〃

〃Will　it　pass？〃

〃It　will　have　to。〃

〃But　your　father　will　not　stop　there。〃

〃What　do　you　suppose　he　can　do？〃

〃How　do　I　know？　Everything　that　a　father　can　do　to　make　his　son　obey　him。　He　will　remind　you　of　my　past　life；　and　will　perhaps　do　me　the　honour　of　inventing　some　new　story；　so　that　you　may　give　me　up。〃

〃You　know　that　I　love　you。〃

〃Yes；　but　what　I　know；　too；　is　that；　sooner　or　later；　you　will　have　to　obey　your　father；　and　perhaps　you　will　end　by　believing　him。〃

〃No；　Marguerite。　It　is　I　who　will　make　him　believe　me。　Some　of　his　friends　have　been　telling　him　tales　which　have　made　him　angry；　but　he　is　good　and　just；　he　will　change　his　first　impression；　and　then；　after　all；　what　does　it　matter　to　me？〃

〃Do　not　say　that；　Armand。　I　would　rather　anything　should　happen　than　that　you　should　quarrel　with　your　family；　wait　till　after　to…day；　and　to…morrow　go　back　to　Paris。　Your　father；　too；　will　have　thought　it　over　on　his　side；　and　perhaps　you　will　both　come　to　a　better　understanding。　Do　not　go　against　his　principles；　pretend　to　make　some　concessions　to　what　he　wants；　seem　not　to　care　so　very　much　about　me；　and　he　will　let　things　remain　as　they　are。　Hope；　my　friend；　and　be　sure　of　one　thing；　that　whatever　happens；　Marguerite　will　always　be　yours。〃

〃You　swear　it？〃

〃Do　I　need　to　swear　it？〃

How　sweet　it　is　to　let　oneself　be　persuaded　by　the　voice　that　one　loves！　Marguerite　and　I　spent　the　whole　day　in　talking　over　our　projects　for　the　future；　as　if　we　felt　the　need　of　realizing　them　as　quickly　as　possible。　At　every　moment　we　awaited　some　event；　but　the　day　passed　without　bringing　us　any　new　tidings。

Next　day　I　left　at　ten　o'clock；　and　reached　the　hotel　about　twelve。　My　father　had　gone　out。

I　went　to　my　own　rooms；　hoping　that　he　had　perhaps　gone　there。　No　one　had　called。　I　went　to　the　solicitor's。　No　one　was　there。　I　went　back　to　the　hotel；　and　waited　till　six。　M。　Duval　did　not　return；　and　I　went　back　to　Bougival。

I　found　Marguerite　not　waiting　for　me；　as　she　had　been　the　day　before；　but　sitting　by　the　fire；　which　the　weather　still　made　necessary。　She　was　so　absorbed　in　her　thoughts　that　I　came　close　to　her　chair　without　her　hearing　me。　When　I　put　my　lips　to　her　forehead　she　started　as　if　the　kiss　had　suddenly　awakened　her。　

〃You　frightened　me；〃　she　said。　〃And　your　father？〃

〃I　have　not　seen　him。　I　do　not　know　what　it　means。　He　was　not　at　his　hotel；　nor　anywhere　where　there　was　a　chance　of　my　finding　him。〃

〃Well；　you　must　try　again　to…morrow。〃

〃I　am　very　much　inclined　to　wait　till　he　sends　for　me。　I　think　I　have　done　all　that　can　be　expected　of　me。〃

〃No；　my　friend；　it　is　not　enough；　you　must　call　on　your　father　again；　and　you　must　call　to…morrow。〃

〃Why　to…morrow　rather　than　any　other　day？〃

〃Because；〃　said　Marguerite；　and　it　seemed　to　me　that　she　blushed　slightly　at　this　question；　〃because　it　will　show　that　you　are　the　more　keen　about　it；　and　he　will　forgive　us　the　sooner。〃

For　the　remainder　of　the　day　Marguerite　was　sad　and　preoccupied。　I　had　to　repeat　twice　over　everything　I　said　to　her　to　obtain　an　answer。　She　ascribed　this　preoccupation　to　her　anxiety　in　regard　to　the　events　which　had　happened　during　the　last　two　days。　I　spent　the　night　in　reassuring　her；　and　she　sent　me　away　in　the　morning　with　an　insistent　disquietude　that　I　could　not　explain　to　myself。

Again　my　father　was　absent；　but　he　had　left　this　letter　for　me：

〃If　you　call　again　to…day；　wait　for　me　till　four。　If　I　am　not　in　by　four；　come　and　dine　with　me　to…morrow。　I　must　see　you。〃

I　waited　till　the　hour　he　had　named；　but　he　did　not　appear。　I　returned　to　Bougival。

The　night　before　I　had　found　Marguerite　sad；　that　night　I　found　her　feverish　and　agitated。　On　seeing　me；　she　flung　her　arms　around　my　neck；　but　she　cried　for　a　long　time　in　my　arms。　I　questioned　her　as　to　this　sudden　distress；　which　alarmed　me　by　its　violence。　She　gave　me　no　positive　reason；　but　put　me　off　with　those　evasions　which　a　woman　resorts　to　when　she　will　not　tell　the　truth。

When　she　was　a　little　calmed　down；　I　told　her　the　result　of　my　visit；　and　I　showed　her　my　father's　letter；　from　which；　I　said；　we　might　augur　well。　At　the　sight　of　the　letter　and　on　hearing　my　comment；　her　tears　began　to　flow　so　copiously　that　I　feared　an　attack　of　nerves；　and；　calling　Nanine；　I　put　her　to　bed；　where　she　wept　without　a　word；　but　held　my　hands　and　kissed　them　every　moment。

I　asked　Nanine　if；　during　my　absence；　her　mistress　had　received　any　letter　or　visit　which　could　account　for　the　state　in　which　I　found　her；　but　Nanine　replied　that　no　one　had　called　and　nothing　had　been　sent。

Something；　however；　had　occurred　since　the　day　before；　something　which　troubled　me　the　more　because　Marguerite　concealed　it　from　me。

In　the　evening　she　seemed　a　little　calmer；　and；　making　me　sit　at　the　foot　of　the　bed；　she　told　me　many　times　how　much　she　loved　me。　She　smiled　at　me；　but　with　an　effort；　for　in　spite　of　herself　her　eyes　were　veiled　with　tears。

I　used　every　means　to　make　her　confess　the　real　cause　of　her　distress；　but　she　persisted　in　giving　me　nothing　but　vague　reasons；　as　I　have　told　you。　At　last　she　fell　asleep　in　my　arms；　but　it　was　the　sleep　which　tires　rather　than　rests　the　body。　From　time　to　time　she　uttered　a　cry；　started　up；　and；　after　assuring　herself　that　I　was　beside　her；　made　me　swear　that　I　would　always　love　her。

I　could　make　nothing　of　these　intermittent　paroxysms　of　distress；　which　went　on　till　morning。　Then　Marguerite　fell　into　a　kind　of　stupor。　She　had　not　slept　for　two　nights。

Her　rest　was　of　short　duration；　for　toward　eleven　she　awoke；　and；　seeing　that　I　was　up；　she　looked　about　her；　crying：

〃Are　you　going　already？〃

〃No；〃　said　I；　holding　her　hands；　〃but　I　wanted　to　let　you　sleep　on。　It　is　still　early。〃

〃What　time　are　you　going　to　Paris？〃

〃At　four。〃

〃So　soon？　But　you　will　stay　with　me　till　then？〃

〃Of　course。　Do　I　not　always？〃

〃I　am　so　glad！　Shall　we　have　lunch？〃　she　went　on　absentmindedly。

〃If　you　like。〃

〃And　then　you　will　be　nice　to　me　till　the　very　moment　you　go？〃

〃Yes；　and　I　will　come　back　as　soon　as　I　can。〃

〃You　will　come　back？〃　she　said；　looking　at　me　with　haggard　eyes。

〃Naturally。〃

〃Oh；　yes；　you　will　come　back　to…night。　I　shall　wait　for　you；　as　I　always　do；　and　you　will　love　me；　and　we　shall　be　happy；　as　we　have　been　ever　since　we　have　known　each　other。〃

All　these　words　were　said　in　such　a　strained　voice；　they　seemed　to　hide　so　persistent　and　so　sorrowful　a　thought；　that　I　trembled　every　moment　lest　Marguerite　should　become　delirious。

〃Listen；〃　I　said。　〃You　are　ill。　I　can　not　leave　you　like　this。　I　will　write　and　t