酷兔英语
    当前位置:
  1. 首页
  2. 文章
  3. 娱乐英语
  4. 原版小说
  5. 正文

The Collection of Antiquities-Part14_Honore de Balzac(1799-1850)_Translated Works(翻译文学)-第2页

0 收藏 0 分享 0 赞

章节正文
文章总共2页


I WILL FOLLOW YOU! Just so Mlle. Mars might have spoken those words to

send a thrill through two thousand listening men and women. When a



Duchesse de Maufrigneuse offers, in such words, to make such a

sacrifice to love, she has paid her debt. How should Victurnien speak



of sordid details after that? He could so much the better hide his

schemes, because Diane was particularly careful not to inquire into



them. She was now, and always, as de Marsay said, an invited guest at

a banquetwreathed with roses, a banquet which mankind, as in duty



bound, made ready for her.

Victurnien would not go till the promise had been sealed. He must draw



courage from his happiness before he could bring himself to do a deed

on which, as he inwardly told himself, people would be certain to put



a bad construction. Still (and this was the thought that decided him)

he counted on his aunt and father to hush up the affair; he even



counted on Chesnel. Chesnel would think of one more compromise.

Besides, "this business," as he called it in his thoughts, was the



only way of raising money on the family estate. With three hundred

thousand francs, he and Diane would lead a happy life hidden in some



palace in Venice; and there they would forget the world. They went

through their romance in advance.



Next day Victurnien made out a bill for three hundred thousand francs,

and took it to the Kellers. The Kellers advanced the money, for du



Croisier happened to have a balance at the time; but they wrote to let

him know that he must not draw again on them without giving them



notice. Du Croisier, much astonished, asked for a statement of

accounts. It was sent. Everything was explained. The day of his



vengeance had arrived.

When Victurnien had drawn "his" money, he took it to Mme. de



Maufrigneuse. She locked up the banknotes in her desk, and proposed to

bid the world farewell by going to the Opera to see it for the last



time. Victurnien was thoughtful, absent, and uneasy. He was beginning

to reflect. He thought that his seat in the Duchess' box might cost



him dear; that perhaps, when he had put the three hundred thousand

francs in safety, it would be better to travel post, to fall at



Chesnel's feet, and tell him all. But before they left the opera-

house, the Duchess, in spite of herself, gave Victurnien an adorable



glance, her eyes were shining with the desire to go back once more to

bid farewell to the nest which she loved so much. And boy that he was,



he lost a night.

The next day, at three o'clock, he was back again at the Hotel de



Maufrigneuse; he had come to take the Duchess' orders for that night's

escape. And, "Why should we go?" asked she; "I have thought it all



out. The Vicomtesse de Beauseant and the Duchesse de Langeais

disappeared. If I go too, it will be something quite commonplace. We



will brave the storm. It will be a far finer thing to do. I am sure of

success." Victurnien's eyes dazzled; he felt as if his skin were



dissolving and the blood oozing out all over him.

"What is the matter with you?" cried the fair Diane, noticing a



hesitation which a woman never forgives. Your truly adroit lover will

hasten to agree with any fancy that Woman may take into her head, and



suggest reasons for doing otherwise, while leaving her free exercise

of her right to change her mind, her intentions, and sentiments



generally as often as she pleases. Victurnien was angry for the first

time, angry with the wrath of a weak man of poetictemperament; it was



a storm of rain and lightning flashes, but no thunder followed. The

angel on whose faith he had risked more than his life, the honor of



his house, was very roughly handled.

"So," said she, "we have come to this after eighteen months of



tenderness! You are unkind, very unkind. Go away!--I do not want to

see you again. I thought that you loved me. You do not."



"I DO NOT LOVE YOU?" repeated he, thunderstruck by the reproach.

"No, monsieur."



"And yet----" he cried. "Ah! if you but knew what I have just done for

your sake!"



"And how have you done so much for me, monsieur? As if a man ought not

to do anything for a woman that has done so much for him."



"You are not worthy to know it!" Victurnien cried in a passion of




文章总共2页
文章标签:翻译  译文  翻译文  

章节正文
Copyright © 2023 Qeto All rights reserved.
商务合作 | 联系我们 | 关于我们 | 版权声明 | 隐私条款 | 如果智培

京ICP备05059198号-1 京公网安备 11011202003401号