the marriage contract-第24章

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　　month　of　my　married　life　I　saw　that　I　could　not　keep　up　the　style

　　in　which　I　started。　I　knew　the　result；　but　I　chose　to　shut　my

　　eyes；　I　could　not　say　to　my　wife；　〃We　must　leave　Paris　and　live　at

　　Lanstrac。〃　I　have　ruined　myself　for　her　as　men　ruin　themselves　for

　　a　mistress；　but　I　knew　it　all　along。　Between　ourselves；　I　am

　　neither　a　fool　nor　a　weak　man。　A　fool　does　not　let　himself　be

　　ruled　with　his　eyes　open　by　a　passion；　and　a　man　who　starts　for

　　India　to　reconstruct　his　fortune；　instead　of　blowing　out　his

　　brains；　is　not　weak。



　　I　shall　return　rich；　or　I　shall　never　return　at　all。　Only；　my　dear

　　friend；　as　I　want　wealth　solely　for　HER；　as　I　must　be　absent　six

　　years　at　least；　and　as　I　will　not　risk　being　duped　in　any　way；　I

　　confide　to　you　my　wife。　I　know　no　better　guardian。　Being

　　childless；　a　lover　might　be　dangerous　to　her。　Henri！　I　love　her

　　madly；　basely；　without　proper　pride。　I　would　forgive　her；　I　think；

　　an　infidelity；　not　because　I　am　certain　of　avenging　it；　but

　　because　I　would　kill　myself　to　leave　her　free　and　happysince　I

　　could　not　make　her　happiness　myself。　But　what　have　I　to　fear？

　　Natalie　feels　for　me　that　friendship　which　is　independent　of　love；

　　but　which　preserves　love。　I　have　treated　her　like　a　petted　child。

　　I　took　such　delight　in　my　sacrifices；　one　led　so　naturally　to

　　another；　that　she　can　never　be　false；　she　would　be　a　monster　if

　　she　were。　Love　begets　love。



　　Alas！　shall　I　tell　you　all；　my　dear　Henri？　I　have　just　written　her

　　a　letter　in　which　I　let　her　think　that　I　go　with　heart　of　hope　and

　　brow　serene；　that　neither　jealousy；　nor　doubt；　nor　fear　is　in　my

　　soul；a　letter；　in　short；　such　as　a　son　might　write　to　his

　　mother；　aware　that　he　is　going　to　his　death。　Good　God！　de　Marsay；

　　as　I　wrote　it　hell　was　in　my　soul！　I　am　the　most　wretched　man　on

　　earth。　Yes；　yes；　to　you　the　cries；　to　you　the　grinding　of　my

　　teeth！　I　avow　myself　to　you　a　despairing　lover；　I　would　rather

　　live　these　six　years　sweeping　the　streets　beneath　her　windows　than

　　return　a　millionaire　at　the　end　of　themif　I　could　choose。　I

　　suffer　agony；　I　shall　pass　from　pain　to　pain　until　I　hear　from　you

　　that　you　will　take　the　trust　which　you　alone　can　fulfil　or

　　accomplish。



　　Oh！　my　dear　de　Marsay；　this　woman　is　indispensable　to　my　life；　she

　　is　my　sun；　my　atmosphere。　Take　her　under　your　shield　and　buckler；

　　keep　her　faithful　to　me；　even　if　she　wills　it　not。　Yes；　I　could　be

　　satisfied　with　a　half…happiness。　Be　her　guardian；　her　chaperon；

　　for　I　could　have　no　distrust　of　you。　Prove　to　her　that　in

　　betraying　me　she　would　do　a　low　and　vulgar　thing；　and　be　no　better

　　than　the　common　run　of　women；　tell　her　that　faithfulness　will

　　prove　her　lofty　spirit。



　　She　probably　has　fortune　enough　to　continue　her　life　of　luxury　and

　　ease。　But　if　she　lacks　a　pleasure；　if　she　has　caprices　which　she

　　cannot　satisfy；　be　her　banker；　and　do　not　fear；　I　WILL　return　with

　　wealth。



　　But；　after　all；　these　fears　are　in　vain！　Natalie　is　an　angel　of

　　purity　and　virtue。　When　Felix　de　Vandenesse　fell　deeply　in　love

　　with　her　and　began　to　show　her　certain　attentions；　I　had　only　to

　　let　her　see　the　danger；　and　she　instantly　thanked　me　so

　　affectionately　that　I　was　moved　to　tears。　She　said　that　her

　　dignity　and　reputation　demanded　that　she　should　not　close　her

　　doors　abruptly　to　any　man；　but　that　she　knew　well　how　to　dismiss

　　him。　She　did；　in　fact；　receive　him　so　coldly　that　the　affair　all

　　ended　for　the　best。　We　have　never　had　any　other　subject　of　dispute

　　if；　indeed；　a　friendly　talk　could　be　called　a　disputein　all

　　our　married　life。



　　And　now；　my　dear　Henri；　I　bid　you　farewell　in　the　spirit　of　a　man。

　　Misfortune　has　come。　No　matter　what　the　cause；　it　is　here。　I　strip

　　to　meet　it。　Poverty　and　Natalie　are　two　irreconcilable　terms。　The

　　balance　may　be　close　between　my　assets　and　my　liabilities；　but　no

　　one　shall　have　cause　to　complain　of　me。　But；　should　any　unforeseen

　　event　occur　to　imperil　my　honor；　I　count　on　you。



　　Send　letters　under　cover　to　the　Governor　of　India　at　Calcutta。　I

　　have　friendly　relations　with　his　family；　and　some　one　there　will

　　care　for　all　letters　that　come　to　me　from　Europe。　Dear　friend；　I

　　hope　to　find　you　the　same　de　Marsay　on　my　return；the　man　who

　　scoffs　at　everything　and　yet　is　receptive　of　the　feelings　of

　　others　when　they　accord　with　the　grandeur　he　is　conscious　of　in

　　himself。　You　stay　in　Paris；　friend；　but　when　you　read　these　words；

　　I　shall　be　crying　out；　〃To　Carthage！〃





　　The　Marquis　Henri　de　Marsay　to　Comte　Paul　de　Manerville：



　　So；　so；　Monsieur　le　comte；　you　have　made　a　wreck　of　it！　Monsieur

　　l'ambassadeur　has　gone　to　the　bottom！　Are　these　the　fine　things

　　that　you　were　doing？



　　Why；　Paul；　why　have　you　kept　away　from　me？　If　you　had　said　a

　　single　word；　my　poor　old　fellow；　I　would　have　made　your　position

　　plain　to　you。　Your　wife　has　refused　me　her　endorsement。　May　that

　　one　word　unseal　your　eyes！　But；　if　that　does　not　suffice；　learn

　　that　your　notes　have　been　protested　at　the　instigation　of　a　Sieur

　　Lecuyer；　formerly　head…clerk　to　Maitre　Solonet；　a　notary　in

　　Bordeaux。　That　usurer　in　embryo　（who　came　from　Gascony　for

　　jobbery）　is　the　proxy　of　your　very　honorable　mother…in…law；　who　is

　　the　actual　holder　of　your　notes　for　one　hundred　thousand　francs；

　　on　which　I　am　told　that　worthy　woman　doled　out　to　you　only　seventy

　　thousand。　Compared　with　Madame　Evangelista；　papa　Gobseck　is

　　flannel；　velvet；　vanilla　cream；　a　sleeping　draught。　Your　vineyard

　　of　Belle…Rose　is　to　fall　into　the　clutches　of　your　wife；　to　whom

　　her　mother　pays　the　difference　between　the　price　it　goes　for　at

　　the　auction　sale　and　the　amount　of　her　dower　claim　upon　it。　Madame

　　Evangelista　will　also　have　the　farms　at　Guadet　and　Grassol；　and

　　the　mortgages　on　your　house　in　Bordeaux　already　belong　to　her；　in

　　the　names　of　straw　men　provided　by　Solonet。



　　Thus　these　two　excellent　women　will　make　for　themselves　a　united

　　income　of　one　hundred　and　twenty　thousand　francs　a　year　out　of

　　your　misfortunes　and　forced　sale　of　property；　added　to　the　revenue

　　of　some　thirty…odd　thousand　on　the　Grand…livre　which　these　cats

　　already　possess。



　　The　endorsement　of　your　wife　was　not　needed；　for　this　morning　the

　　said　Sieur　Lecuyer　came　to　offer　me　a　return　of　the　sum　I　had　lent

　　you　in　exchange　for　a　legal　transfer　of　my　rights。　The　vintage　of

　　1825　which　your　mother…in…law　keeps　in　the　cellars　at　Lanstrac

　　will　suffice　to　pay　me。



　　These　two　women　have　calculated；　evidently；　that　you　are　now　upon

　　the　ocean；　but　I　send　this　letter　by　courier；　so　that　you　may　have

　　time　to　follow　the　advice　I　now　give　you。



　　I　made　Lecuyer　talk。　I　disentangled　from　his　lies；　his　language；

　　and　his　reticence；　the　threads　I　lacked　to　bring　to　light　the

　　whole　plot　of　the　domestic　conspiracy　hatched　against　you。　This

　　evening；　at　the　Spanish　embassy；　I　shall　offer　my　admiring

　　compliments　to　your　mother…in…law　and　your　wife。　I　shall　pay

　　court　to　Madame　Evangelista；　I　intend　to　desert　you　basely；　and

　　say　sly　things　to　your　discredit；nothing　openly；　or　that

　　Mascarille　in　petticoats　would　detect　my　purpose。　How　did　you　make

　　her　such　an　enemy？　That　is　what　I　want　to　know。　If　you　had　had　the

　　wit　to　be　in　love　with　that　woman　before　you　married　her　daughter；

　　you　would　to…day　be　peer　of　France；　Duc　de　Manerville；　and；

　　possibly；　ambassador　to　Madrid。



　　If　you　had　come　to　me　at　the　time　of　your　marriage；　I　would　have

　　helped　you　to　analyze　and　know　the　women　to　whom　you　were　binding

　　yourself；　out　of　our　mutual　observations　safety　might　have　been

　　yours。　But；　instead　of　that；　these　women　judged　me；　became　afraid

　　of　me；　and　separated　us。　If　you　had　not　stupidly　given　in　to　them

　　and　turned　me　the　cold　shoulder；　they　would　never　have　been　able

　　to　ruin　you。　Your　wife　brought　on　the　coldness　between　us；

　　instigated　by　her　mother；　to　whom　she　wrote　two　letters　a　week；a

　　fact　to　which　you　paid　no　attention。　I　recognized　my　Paul　when　I

　　heard　that　detail。



　　Within　a　month　I　shall　be　so　intimate　with　your　mother…in…law　that

　　I　shall　hear　from　her　the　reasons　of　the　hispano…italiano　hatred

　　which　she　feels　for　you；for　you；　one　of　the　best　and　kindest　men

　　on　earth！　Did　she　hate　you　before　her　daughter　fell　in　love　with

　　Felix　de　Vandenesse；　that's　a　question　in　my　mind。　If　I　had　not

　　taken　a　fancy　to　go　to　the　East　with　Montriveau；　Ronquerolles；　and

　　a　few　other　good　fellows　of　your　acquaintance；　I　should　have　been

　　in　a　position　to　tell　you　something　about　that　affair；　which　was

　　beginning　just　as　I　left　Paris。　I　saw　the　first　gleams　even　then

　　of　your　misfortune。　But　what　gentleman　is　base　enough　to　open　such

　　a　subject　unless　appealed　to？　Who　shall　dare　to　injure　a　woman；　or

　　break　that　illusive　mirror　in　which　his　friend　delights　in　gazing

　　at　the　fairy　scenes　of　a　happy　marriage？　Illusions　are　the　riches

　　of　the　heart。



　　Your　wife；　dear　friend；　is；　I　believe　I　may　say；　in　the　fullest

　　application　of　the　word；　a　fashionable　woman。　She　thinks　of

　　nothing　but　her　social　success；　her　dress；　her　pleasures；　she　goes

　　to　opera　and　theatre　and　balls；　she　rises　late　and　drives　to　the

　　Bois；　dines　out；　or　gives　a　dinner…party。　Such　a　life　seems　to　me

　　for　women　very　much　what　war　is　for　men；　the　public　sees　only　the

　　victors；　it　forgets　the　dead。　Many　delicate　women　perish　in　this

　　conflict；　those　who　come　out　of　it　have　iron　constitutions；

　　consequently　no　heart；　but　good　stomachs。　There　lies　the　reason　of

　　the　cold　insensibility　of　social　life。　Fine　souls　keep　themselves

　　reserved；　weak　and　tender　natures　succumb；　the　rest　are

　　cobblestones　which　hold　the　social　organ　in　its　place；　water…worn

　　and　rounded　by　the　tide；　but　never　worn…out。　Your　wife　has

　　maintained　that　life　with　ease；　she　looks　made　for　it；　she　is

　　always　fresh　and　beautiful。　To　my　mind　the　deduction　is　plain；

　　she　has　never　loved　you；　and　you　have　loved　her　like　a　madman。



　　To　strike　out　love　from　that　siliceous　nature　a　man　of　iron　was

　　needed。　After　standing；　but　without　enduring；　the　shock　of　Lady

　　Dudley；　Felix　was　the　fitting　mate　to　Natalie。　There　is　no　great

　　merit　in　divining　that　to　you　she　was　indifferent。　In　love　with

　　her　yourself；　you　have　been　incapable　of　perceiving　the　cold

　　nature　of　a　young　woman　whom　you　have　fashioned　and　trained　for　a

　　man　like　Vandenesse。　The　coldness　of　your　wife；　if　you　perceived

　　it；　you　set　down；　with　the　stupid　jurisprudence　of　married　people；

　　to　the　honor　of　her　reserve　and　her　innocence。　Like　all　husbands；

　　you　thought　you　could　keep　her　virtuous　in　a　society　where　women

　　whisper　from　ear　to　ear　that　which　men　are　afraid　to　say。



　　No；　your　wife　has　liked　the　social　benefits　she　derived　from

　　marri