samual brohl & company(赛穆王·布洛公司)-第12章
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and added； smiling： 〃It certainly lacked common…sense； he who wrote it is
a fool； and I have nothing to say in his defence。〃
Crossing her hands on her breast； and uplifting to him her brown eyes；
that were as proud as gentle； she softly murmured； 〃What more？〃
〃I came to Chur；〃 he replied； 〃I entered a church； I there saw a fair
unknown； and I forgot myself in gazing at her。 That evening I saw her
again； she was walking in a garden where there was music； and this music
of harps and violins was grateful to me。 I said within myself： 'What a thing
is the heart of man！ The woman who has passed me by without seeing me
does not know me； will never know of my existence； I am ignorant of
even her name； and I wish to remain so； but I am conscious that she exists；
and I am glad； content； almost happy。 She will be for me the fair unknown；
she cannot prevent me from remembering her。 I will think sometimes of
the fair unknown of Chur。' 〃
〃Very good；〃 said she； 〃but this does not explain the letter。〃
〃We are coming to that；〃 he continued。 〃I was seated in a copse； by the
roadside。 I had the blueswas profoundly weary； there are times when life
weighs on me like a torturing burden。 I thought of disappointed
expectations； of dissipated illusions； of the bitterness of my youth and of
my future。 You passed by on the road； and I said to myself； 'There is good
in life； because of such encounters； in which we catch renewed glimpses
of what was once pleasant for us to see。' 〃
〃And the note？〃 she asked again； in a dreamy tone。
He went on： 〃I never was a philosopher； wisdom consists in
performing only useful actions； and I was born with a taste for the useless。
That evening I saw you climb a hill； in order to gather some flowers； the
hill was steep and you could not reach the flowers。 I gathered them for you；
and； in sending my bouquet； I could not resist the temptation of adding a
word。 'Before doing penance；' I said to myself； 'let me commit this one
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folly； it shall be the last。' We always flatter ourselves that each folly will
be our last。 The unfortunate note had scarcely gone； when I regretted
having sent it； I would have given much to have had it back； I felt all its
impropriety； I have dealt justly by it in tearing it to pieces。 My only excuse
was my firm resolution not to meet you； not to make your acquaintance。
Chance ordered otherwise： I was presented to you； you know by whom；
and how； I ended by coming here every evening； but I rebelled against my
own weakness； I condemned myself to absence for a few days； so as to
break a dangerous habit； and； thank God！ I have broken my chain。〃
She lightly tapped the floor with the tip of her foot； and demanded
with the air of a queen recalling a subject to his allegiance； 〃Are you to be
believed？〃
He had spoken in a half…serious； half…jesting tone； tinged with the
playful melancholy that was natural to him。 He changed countenance； his
face flushed； and he cried out abruptly； 〃I regained my strength and will on
the summit of Morteratsch； and I only return to bid you farewell； and to
give you the assurance that I never will see you again。〃
〃It is a strange case；〃 she replied； 〃but I pardon you； on condition that
you do not execute your threat。 You are resolved to be wise； the wise avoid
extremes。 You will remember that you have friends in Paris。 My father has
many connections； if we can be of service to you in any way〃
He did not permit her to finish； and responded proudly： 〃I thank you；
with all my heart。 I have sworn to be under obligations to none but
myself。〃
〃Very well；〃 she replied； 〃you will visit us for our pleasure。 In a month
we shall be at Cormeilles。〃
He shook his head in sign of refusal。 She looked fixedly at him； and
said； 〃It must be so。〃
This look； these words； sent to Count Abel's brain such a thrill of joy
and of hope that for a moment he thought he had betrayed himself。 He
nearly fell on his knees before Mlle。 Moriaz； but； speedily mastering his
emotions； he bowed gravely； casting down his eyes。 She herself
immediately resumed her usual voice and manner； and questioned him on
his journey。 He told her； in reply； that he proposed to go by the route of
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Soleure； and to stay there a day in order to visit in Gurzelengasse the
house where Kosciuszko； the greatest of Poles； had died。 He had thought
of this pilgrimage for a long time。 He added： 〃Still another useless action。
Ah！ when shall I improve？〃
〃Don't improve too much；〃 she said； smiling。 And then he went away。
M。 Moriaz returned to the hotel about noon： his guide being engaged
elsewhere； he had taken only a short ramble。 After breakfast his daughter
proposed to him that he should go down with her to the banks of the lake。
They made the descent； which is not difficult。 This pretty piece of water；
that has been falsely accused of resembling a shaving…dish； is said to be
not less than a mile in length。 When the father and daughter reached the
entrance of the woods that pedestrians pass through in going to Pontresina；
they seated themselves on the grass at the foot of a larch。 They remained
some time silent。 Antoinette watched the cows grazing； and stroked the
smooth； glossy leaves of a yellow gentian with the end of her parasol。 M。
Moriaz busied himself with neither the cows nor the yellow gentianhe
thought of M。 Camille Langis； and felt more than a little guilty in that
quarter； he had not written to him； having nothing satisfactory to tell him。
He could see the young man waiting in vain； at the Hotel Steinbock。 To
pass a fortnight at Chur is a torture that the most robust constitution
scarcely can endure； and it is an increased torture to watch every evening
and every morning for a letter that never comes。 M。 Moriaz resolved to
open hostilities； to begin a new assault on the impregnable place。 He was
seeking in his mind for a beginning for his first phrase。 He had just found
it； when suddenly Antoinette said to him； in a low； agitated； but distinct
voice： 〃I have a question for you。 What would you think if I should some
day marry M。 Abel Larinski？〃
M。 Moriaz started up； and his cane； slipping from his hand； rolled to
the bottom of the declivity。 He looked at his daughter； and said to her： 〃I
beg of you to repeat what you just said to me。 I fear I have misunderstood
you。〃
She answered in a firmer voice； 〃I am curious to know what you
would think if I should marry； some day or other； Count Larinski。〃
He was startled； thunderstruck。 He never had foreseen that such a
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catastrophe could occur； nor had the least suspicion that anything had
passed between his daughter and M。 Larinski。 Of all the ideas that had
suggested themselves to him； this seemed the least admissible； the most
improbable and ridiculous。 After a long silence； he said to Antoinette；
〃You want to frighten methis is not serious。〃
〃Do you dislike M。 Larinski？〃 she asked。
〃Certainly not； I by no means dislike him。 He has good manners； he
speaks well； and I must acknowledge that he had a very graceful way of
taking me from off my rock； where I should still be had it not been for him。
I am grateful to him for it； but； from that to giving him my daughter； there
is a wide margin。 If he wanted me to give him a medal he should have it。〃
〃Let us talk seriously；〃 said she。 〃What objections have you to make？〃
〃First； M。 Larinski is a stranger； and I mistrust strangers。 Then； I know
him but slightly。 I naturally demand additional information。 Finally； I own
that the state of his affairs〃
〃Ah！ that is the main point；〃 she interrupted。 〃He is poor； that is his
crime； which he has not disguised。 How differently we think！ I have some
fortune； its only advantage that I can see is that it makes me free to marry
the man I esteem； though he be poor。〃
〃And perhaps a little because of that very reason；〃 interrupted M。
Moriaz； in his turn。 〃Come； I entreat you； let me explain the anxieties
arising from my miserable good sense。 M。 Larinski has related his history
to us。 Frankly； do you not think that it is rather thatwhat shall I sayof an
adventurer？ The word shocks youI take it backbut you must admit that
this Pole belongs to theambulatory family。〃
〃Or family of heroes；〃 she replied。
〃That is it； of wandering heroes。 I wish all manner of good to heroes；
although I never have clearly discovered their use。 At all events； I am not
sure that they are the best qualified men in the world to make a wife happy；
and I intend that my daughter shall be happy。〃
〃You are not convinced as I am that M。 Larinski has a superior mind；
and a heart of gold？〃
〃A heart of gold！ I should be glad to believe it。 I have no reason to
doubt it； but many very skilful persons are deceived by false jewellery。 Ah！
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my dear； if you were better versed in chemistry； you would know how
easy it is to manufacture a false trinket。 Formerly； after having cleaned the
piece to be gilded； a gold amalgam was applied。 Now； the brass or copper
trinket is steeped in a solution of perchloride of gold and bicarbonate of
potash； and in less than a minute the thing is accomplished。 It is called
gilding by immersion。 There is another process in which galvanism But
let us admit that M。 Larinski's heart is real gold。 In the purest gold there is
usually some alloy； to dispense with which resort must be had to the cupel。
Do you not know what a cupel is？ It is a small capsule or cup of a porous
substance； used in the refining process； and possessing the property of
