章节正文
park, where he could not avoid her. "If it goes on like this,"
she called out to him in a mocking voice, "the next time I see
you, you will be king, of some negro tribe or other."
That time, however, the Brazilian did not deny his identity; on
the contrary, he surrendered at discretion, and implored her not
to betray him. As she was not revengeful she pardoned him, after
enjoying his terror for a time, and promised him that she would
hold her tongue, as long as he did nothing contrary to the laws.
"First of all, I must beg you not to gamble."
"You have only to command; and we do not know each other in the
future"
"I must certainly insist on that," she said maliciously.
The "Exotic Prince" had, however, made a conquest of the charming
daughter of a wealthy Austrian count, and had cut out an
excellent young officer, who was wooing her. The latter, in his
despair, began to make love to Frau von Chabert, and at last told
her he loved her. But she only laughed at him.
"You are very cruel," he stammered in confusion.
"I? What are you thinking about?" Wanda replied, still smiling;
"all I mean is that you have directed your love to the wrong
address, for Countess--"
"Do not speak of her; she is engaged to another man."
"As long as I choose to permit it," she said; "but what will you
do if I bring her back to your arms? Will you still call me
cruel?"
"Can you do this?" the young officer asked, in great excitement.
"Well, supposing I can do it, what shall I be then?"
"An angel, whom I shall thank on my knees."
A few days later, the rivals met at a coffee-house; the Greek
prince began to lie and boast, and the Austrian officer gave him
the lie direct. In consequence, it was arranged that they should
fight a duel with pistols next morning in a wood close to Baden.
But as the officer was leaving the house with his seconds the
next morning, a Police Commissary came up to him and begged him
not to trouble himself any further about the matter, but another
time to be more careful before accepting a challenge.
"What does it mean?" the officer asked, in some surprise.
"It means that this Maurokordatos is a dangerous swindler and
adventurer, whom we have just taken into custody."
"He is not a prince?"
"No; a circus rider."
An hour later, the officer received a letter from the charming
Countess, in which she humbly begged for pardon. The happy lover
set off to go and see her immediately, but on the way a sudden
thought struck him, and so he turned back in order to thank
beautiful Wanda, as he had promised, on his knees.
THE FALSE GEMS
M. Lantin had met the young woman at a soiree, at the home of the
assistant chief of his bureau, and at first sight had fallen
madly in love with her.
She was the daughter of a country physician who had died some
months previously. She had come to live in Paris, with her
mother, who visited much among her acquaintances, in the hope of
making a favorable marriage for her daughter. They were poor and
honest, quiet and unaffected.
The young girl was a perfect type of the virtuous woman whom
every sensible young man dreams of one day winning for life. Her
simple beauty had the charm of angelicmodesty, and the
imperceptible smile which constantly hovered about her lips
seemed to be the reflection of a pure and lovely soul. Her
praises resounded on every side. People were never tired of
saying: "Happy the man who wins her love! He could not find a
better wife."
Now M. Lantin enjoyed a snug little income of $700, and, thinking
he could safely assume the responsibilities of matrimony,
proposed to this model young girl and was accepted.
He was unspeakably happy with her; she governed his household so
cleverly and economically that they seemed to live in luxury. She
lavished the most delicate attentions on her husband, coaxed and
fondled him, and the charm of her presence was so great that six
years after their marriage M. Lantin discovered that he loved his
wife even more than during the first days of their honeymoon.
He only felt inclined to blame her for two things: her love of
the theater, and a taste for false jewelry. Her friends (she was
acquainted with some officers' wives) frequently procured for her
a box at the theater, often for the first representations of the
new plays; and her husband was obliged to accompany her, whether
he willed or not, to these amusements, though they bored him
excessively after a day's labor at the office.
After a time, M. Lantin begged his wife to get some lady of her
acquaintance to accompany her. She was at first opposed to such
an arrangement; but, after much persuasion on his part, she
finally consented--to the infinite delight of her husband.
Now, with her love for the theater came also the desire to adorn
her person. True, her costumes remained as before, simple, and in
the most correct taste; but she soon began to ornament her ears
with huge rhinestones which glittered and sparkled like real
diamonds. Around her neck she wore strings of false pearls, and
on her arms bracelets of imitation gold.
Her husband frequently remonstrated with her, saying:
"My dear, as you cannot afford to buy real diamonds, you ought to
appear adorned with your beauty and modesty alone, which are the
rarest ornaments of your sex."
But she would smile sweetly, and say:
"What can I do? I am so fond of jewelry. It is my only weakness.
We cannot change our natures."
Then she would roll the pearl necklaces around her fingers, and
hold up the bright gems for her husband's admiration, gently
coaxing him:
"Look! are they not lovely? One would swear they were real."
M. Lantin would then answer, smilingly:
"You have Bohemian tastes, my dear."
Often of an evening, when they were enjoying a tete-a-tete by the
fireside, she would place on the tea table the leather box
containing the "trash," as M. Lantin called it. She would examine
the false gems with a passionate attention as though they were in
some way connected with a deep and secret joy; and she often
insisted on passing a necklace around her husband's neck, and
laughing heartily would exclaim: "How droll you look!" Then she
would throw herself into his arms and kiss him affectionately.
One evening in winter she attended the opera, and on her return
was chilled through and through. The next morning she coughed,
and eight days later she died of inflammation of the lungs.
M. Lantin's despair was so great that his hair became white in
one month. He wept unceasingly; his heart was torn with grief,
and his mind was haunted by the remembrance, the smile, the
voice--by every charm of his beautiful, dead wife.
Time, the healer, did not assuage his grief. Often during office
hours, while his colleagues were discussing the topics of the
day, his eyes would suddenly fill with tears, and he would give
vent to his grief in heartrending sobs. Everything in his wife's
room remained as before her decease; and here he was wont to
seclude himself daily and think of her who had been his
treasure--the joy of his existence.
But life soon became a struggle. His income, which in the hands
of his wife had covered all household expenses, was now no longer
sufficient for his own immediate wants; and he wondered how she
could have managed to buy such excellent wines, and such rare
delicacies, things which he could no longer procure with his
modest resources.
He incurred some debts and was soon reduced to absolute poverty.
One morning, finding himself without a cent in his pocket, he
resolved to sell something, and, immediately, the thought
occurred to him of disposing of his wife's paste jewels. He
cherished in his heart a sort of rancor against the false gems.
They had always irritated him in the past, and the very sight of
them spoiled somewhat the memory of his lost darling.
To the last days of her life, she had continued to make
purchases; bringing home new gems almost every evening. He
decided to sell the heavy necklace which she seemed to prefer,
and which, he thought, ought to be worth about six or seven
francs; for although paste it was, nevertheless, of very fine
workmanship.
He put it in his pocket and started out in search of a jeweler's
shop. He entered the first one he saw--feeling a little ashamed
to expose his misery, and also to offer such a worthless article
for sale.
"Sir," said he to the merchant, "I would like to know what this
is worth."
The man took the necklace, examined it, called his clerk and made
some remarks in an undertone; then he put the ornament back on
the counter, and looked at it from a distance to judge of the
effect.
M. Lantin was annoyed by all this detail and was on the point of
saying: "Oh! I know well enough it is not worth anything," when
the jeweler said: "Sir, that necklace is worth from twelve to
fifteen thousand francs; but I could not buy it unless you tell
me now whence it comes."
The widower opened his eyes wide and remained gaping, not
comprehending the merchant's meaning. Finally he stammered:. "You
say--are you sure?" The other replied dryly: "You can search
elsewhere and see if anyone will offer you more. I consider it
worth fifteen thousand at the most. Come back here if you cannot
do better."
M. Lantin, beside himself with astonishment, took up the necklace
and left the store. He wished time for reflection.
Once outside, he felt inclined to laugh, and said to himself:
"The fool! Had I only taken him at his word! That jeweler cannot
distinguish real diamonds from paste."
A few minutes after, he entered another store in the Rue de la
Paix. As soon as the proprietor glanced at the necklace, he cried
out:
"Ah, parbleu! I know it well; it was bought here."
M. Lantin was disturbed, and asked:
"How much is it worth?"
"Well, I sold it for twenty thousand francs. I am willing to take
it back for eighteen thousand when you inform me, according to
our legal formality, how it comes to be in your possession."
This time M. Lantin was dumfounded. He replied:
"But--but--examine it well. Until this moment I was under the
impression that it was paste."
Said the jeweler:
"What is your name, sir?"
"Lantin--I am in the employ of the Minister of the Interior. I
live at No. 16 Rue des Martyrs."
The merchant looked through his books, found the entry, and said:
"That necklace was sent to Mme. Lantin's address, 16 Rue des
Martyrs, July 20, 1876."
The two men looked into each other's eyes--the widower speechless
with astonishment, the jeweler scenting a thief. The latter broke
the silence by saying:
"Will you leave this necklace here for twenty-four hours? I will
give you a receipt."
"Certainly," answered M. Lantin, hastily. Then, putting the
ticket in his pocket, he left the store.
He wandered aimlessly through the streets, his mind in a state of
dreadful confusion. He tried to reason, to understand. His wife
could not afford to purchase such a costlyornament. Certainly
not. But, then, it must have been a present!--a present!--a
present from whom? Why was it given her?
He stopped and remained standing in the middle of the street. A
she called out to him in a mocking voice, "the next time I see
you, you will be king, of some negro tribe or other."
That time, however, the Brazilian did not deny his identity; on
the contrary, he surrendered at discretion, and implored her not
to betray him. As she was not revengeful she pardoned him, after
enjoying his terror for a time, and promised him that she would
hold her tongue, as long as he did nothing contrary to the laws.
"First of all, I must beg you not to gamble."
"You have only to command; and we do not know each other in the
future"
"I must certainly insist on that," she said maliciously.
The "Exotic Prince" had, however, made a conquest of the charming
daughter of a wealthy Austrian count, and had cut out an
excellent young officer, who was wooing her. The latter, in his
despair, began to make love to Frau von Chabert, and at last told
her he loved her. But she only laughed at him.
"You are very cruel," he stammered in confusion.
"I? What are you thinking about?" Wanda replied, still smiling;
"all I mean is that you have directed your love to the wrong
address, for Countess--"
"Do not speak of her; she is engaged to another man."
"As long as I choose to permit it," she said; "but what will you
do if I bring her back to your arms? Will you still call me
cruel?"
"Can you do this?" the young officer asked, in great excitement.
"Well, supposing I can do it, what shall I be then?"
"An angel, whom I shall thank on my knees."
A few days later, the rivals met at a coffee-house; the Greek
prince began to lie and boast, and the Austrian officer gave him
the lie direct. In consequence, it was arranged that they should
fight a duel with pistols next morning in a wood close to Baden.
But as the officer was leaving the house with his seconds the
next morning, a Police Commissary came up to him and begged him
not to trouble himself any further about the matter, but another
time to be more careful before accepting a challenge.
"What does it mean?" the officer asked, in some surprise.
"It means that this Maurokordatos is a dangerous swindler and
adventurer, whom we have just taken into custody."
"He is not a prince?"
"No; a circus rider."
An hour later, the officer received a letter from the charming
Countess, in which she humbly begged for pardon. The happy lover
set off to go and see her immediately, but on the way a sudden
thought struck him, and so he turned back in order to thank
beautiful Wanda, as he had promised, on his knees.
THE FALSE GEMS
M. Lantin had met the young woman at a soiree, at the home of the
assistant chief of his bureau, and at first sight had fallen
madly in love with her.
She was the daughter of a country physician who had died some
months previously. She had come to live in Paris, with her
mother, who visited much among her acquaintances, in the hope of
making a favorable marriage for her daughter. They were poor and
honest, quiet and unaffected.
The young girl was a perfect type of the virtuous woman whom
every sensible young man dreams of one day winning for life. Her
simple beauty had the charm of angelicmodesty, and the
imperceptible smile which constantly hovered about her lips
seemed to be the reflection of a pure and lovely soul. Her
praises resounded on every side. People were never tired of
saying: "Happy the man who wins her love! He could not find a
better wife."
Now M. Lantin enjoyed a snug little income of $700, and, thinking
he could safely assume the responsibilities of matrimony,
proposed to this model young girl and was accepted.
He was unspeakably happy with her; she governed his household so
cleverly and economically that they seemed to live in luxury. She
lavished the most delicate attentions on her husband, coaxed and
fondled him, and the charm of her presence was so great that six
years after their marriage M. Lantin discovered that he loved his
wife even more than during the first days of their honeymoon.
He only felt inclined to blame her for two things: her love of
the theater, and a taste for false jewelry. Her friends (she was
acquainted with some officers' wives) frequently procured for her
a box at the theater, often for the first representations of the
new plays; and her husband was obliged to accompany her, whether
he willed or not, to these amusements, though they bored him
excessively after a day's labor at the office.
After a time, M. Lantin begged his wife to get some lady of her
acquaintance to accompany her. She was at first opposed to such
an arrangement; but, after much persuasion on his part, she
finally consented--to the infinite delight of her husband.
Now, with her love for the theater came also the desire to adorn
her person. True, her costumes remained as before, simple, and in
the most correct taste; but she soon began to ornament her ears
with huge rhinestones which glittered and sparkled like real
diamonds. Around her neck she wore strings of false pearls, and
on her arms bracelets of imitation gold.
Her husband frequently remonstrated with her, saying:
"My dear, as you cannot afford to buy real diamonds, you ought to
appear adorned with your beauty and modesty alone, which are the
rarest ornaments of your sex."
But she would smile sweetly, and say:
"What can I do? I am so fond of jewelry. It is my only weakness.
We cannot change our natures."
Then she would roll the pearl necklaces around her fingers, and
hold up the bright gems for her husband's admiration, gently
coaxing him:
"Look! are they not lovely? One would swear they were real."
M. Lantin would then answer, smilingly:
"You have Bohemian tastes, my dear."
Often of an evening, when they were enjoying a tete-a-tete by the
fireside, she would place on the tea table the leather box
containing the "trash," as M. Lantin called it. She would examine
the false gems with a passionate attention as though they were in
some way connected with a deep and secret joy; and she often
insisted on passing a necklace around her husband's neck, and
laughing heartily would exclaim: "How droll you look!" Then she
would throw herself into his arms and kiss him affectionately.
One evening in winter she attended the opera, and on her return
was chilled through and through. The next morning she coughed,
and eight days later she died of inflammation of the lungs.
M. Lantin's despair was so great that his hair became white in
one month. He wept unceasingly; his heart was torn with grief,
and his mind was haunted by the remembrance, the smile, the
voice--by every charm of his beautiful, dead wife.
Time, the healer, did not assuage his grief. Often during office
hours, while his colleagues were discussing the topics of the
day, his eyes would suddenly fill with tears, and he would give
vent to his grief in heartrending sobs. Everything in his wife's
room remained as before her decease; and here he was wont to
seclude himself daily and think of her who had been his
treasure--the joy of his existence.
But life soon became a struggle. His income, which in the hands
of his wife had covered all household expenses, was now no longer
sufficient for his own immediate wants; and he wondered how she
could have managed to buy such excellent wines, and such rare
delicacies, things which he could no longer procure with his
modest resources.
He incurred some debts and was soon reduced to absolute poverty.
One morning, finding himself without a cent in his pocket, he
resolved to sell something, and, immediately, the thought
occurred to him of disposing of his wife's paste jewels. He
cherished in his heart a sort of rancor against the false gems.
They had always irritated him in the past, and the very sight of
them spoiled somewhat the memory of his lost darling.
To the last days of her life, she had continued to make
purchases; bringing home new gems almost every evening. He
decided to sell the heavy necklace which she seemed to prefer,
and which, he thought, ought to be worth about six or seven
francs; for although paste it was, nevertheless, of very fine
workmanship.
He put it in his pocket and started out in search of a jeweler's
shop. He entered the first one he saw--feeling a little ashamed
to expose his misery, and also to offer such a worthless article
for sale.
"Sir," said he to the merchant, "I would like to know what this
is worth."
The man took the necklace, examined it, called his clerk and made
some remarks in an undertone; then he put the ornament back on
the counter, and looked at it from a distance to judge of the
effect.
M. Lantin was annoyed by all this detail and was on the point of
saying: "Oh! I know well enough it is not worth anything," when
the jeweler said: "Sir, that necklace is worth from twelve to
fifteen thousand francs; but I could not buy it unless you tell
me now whence it comes."
The widower opened his eyes wide and remained gaping, not
comprehending the merchant's meaning. Finally he stammered:. "You
say--are you sure?" The other replied dryly: "You can search
elsewhere and see if anyone will offer you more. I consider it
worth fifteen thousand at the most. Come back here if you cannot
do better."
M. Lantin, beside himself with astonishment, took up the necklace
and left the store. He wished time for reflection.
Once outside, he felt inclined to laugh, and said to himself:
"The fool! Had I only taken him at his word! That jeweler cannot
distinguish real diamonds from paste."
A few minutes after, he entered another store in the Rue de la
Paix. As soon as the proprietor glanced at the necklace, he cried
out:
"Ah, parbleu! I know it well; it was bought here."
M. Lantin was disturbed, and asked:
"How much is it worth?"
"Well, I sold it for twenty thousand francs. I am willing to take
it back for eighteen thousand when you inform me, according to
our legal formality, how it comes to be in your possession."
This time M. Lantin was dumfounded. He replied:
"But--but--examine it well. Until this moment I was under the
impression that it was paste."
Said the jeweler:
"What is your name, sir?"
"Lantin--I am in the employ of the Minister of the Interior. I
live at No. 16 Rue des Martyrs."
The merchant looked through his books, found the entry, and said:
"That necklace was sent to Mme. Lantin's address, 16 Rue des
Martyrs, July 20, 1876."
The two men looked into each other's eyes--the widower speechless
with astonishment, the jeweler scenting a thief. The latter broke
the silence by saying:
"Will you leave this necklace here for twenty-four hours? I will
give you a receipt."
"Certainly," answered M. Lantin, hastily. Then, putting the
ticket in his pocket, he left the store.
He wandered aimlessly through the streets, his mind in a state of
dreadful confusion. He tried to reason, to understand. His wife
could not afford to purchase such a costlyornament. Certainly
not. But, then, it must have been a present!--a present!--a
present from whom? Why was it given her?
He stopped and remained standing in the middle of the street. A
- contrary [´kɔntrəri]
a.相反的 n.相反 (初中英语单词) - betray [bi´trei] vt.背叛；辜负；暴露 (初中英语单词)
- terror [´terə] n.恐怖；惊骇 (初中英语单词)
- conquest [´kɔŋkwest] n.赢得；获得；占领地 (初中英语单词)
- wealthy [´welθi] a.富有的；丰富的 (初中英语单词)
- consequence [´kɔnsikwəns] n.结果；后果；推断 (初中英语单词)
- pardon [´pɑ:dən] n.&vt.原谅；饶恕；赦免 (初中英语单词)
- bureau [´bjuərəu] n.局；编辑部；事务所 (初中英语单词)
- physician [fi´ziʃən] n.(内科)医生 (初中英语单词)
- favorable [´feivərəbəl] a.赞成的；顺利的 (初中英语单词)
- sensible [´sensəbəl] a.感觉得到的 (初中英语单词)
- constantly [´kɔnstəntli] ad.经常地；不断地 (初中英语单词)
- reflection [ri´flekʃən] n.反射；映象；想法 (初中英语单词)
- income [´inkʌm] n.收入，所得 (初中英语单词)
- safely [´seifli] ad.安全地；平安地 (初中英语单词)
- luxury [´lʌkʃəri] n.奢侈(品)；享受 (初中英语单词)
- delicate [´delikət] a.精美的；微妙的 (初中英语单词)
- arrangement [ə´reindʒmənt] n.整理；排列；筹备 (初中英语单词)
- persuasion [pə´sweiʒən] n.说服(力)；劝说；见解 (初中英语单词)
- ornament [´ɔ:nəmənt] n.装饰(物) vt.装饰 (初中英语单词)
- admiration [,ædmə´reiʃən] n.赞赏，钦佩 (初中英语单词)
- despair [di´speə] vi.&n.绝望 (初中英语单词)
- haunted [´hɔ:tid] a.常出现鬼的，闹鬼的 (初中英语单词)
- procure [prə´kjuə] v.获得；完(达)成；实现 (初中英语单词)
- absolute [´æbsəlu:t] a.绝对的 n.绝对 (初中英语单词)
- nevertheless [,nevəðə´les] conj.&ad.然而；不过 (初中英语单词)
- expose [ik´spəuz] vt.揭露，暴露；陈列 (初中英语单词)
- misery [´mizəri] n.痛苦；悲惨；穷困 (初中英语单词)
- astonishment [ə´stɔniʃmənt] n.吃惊；惊异 (初中英语单词)
- willing [´wiliŋ] a.情愿的，乐意的 (初中英语单词)
- minister [´ministə] n.部长；大臣 v.伺候 (初中英语单词)
- interior [in´tiəriə] n.&a.内部地(的) (初中英语单词)
- hastily [´heistili] ad.急速地；草率地 (初中英语单词)
- confusion [kən´fju:ʒən] n.混乱(状态)；骚乱 (初中英语单词)
- costly [´kɔstli] a.昂贵的；费用大的 (初中英语单词)
- standing [´stændiŋ] n.持续 a.直立的 (初中英语单词)
- circus [´sə:kəs] n.马戏(团)；圆形广场 (高中英语单词)
- previously [´pri:viəsli] ad.预先；以前 (高中英语单词)
- jewelry [´dʒu:əlri] n.珠宝(饰物) (高中英语单词)
- infinite [´infinit] a.无限的，无穷的 (高中英语单词)
- imitation [,imi´teiʃən] n.模仿；仿制品；赝品 (高中英语单词)
- sweetly [´swi:tli] ad.甜蜜地；美妙地 (高中英语单词)
- passionate [´pæʃənit] a.易动情的；易怒的 (高中英语单词)
- heartily [´hɑ:tili] ad.衷心地；亲切地 (高中英语单词)
- remembrance [ri´membrəns] n.记忆(力)；回忆 (高中英语单词)
- finding [´faindiŋ] n.发现物；判断；结果 (高中英语单词)
- worthless [´wə:θləs] a.无价值的 (高中英语单词)
- counter [´kauntə] n.计算者；柜台；计算机 (高中英语单词)
- proprietor [prə´praiətə] n.所有人；业主；经营者 (高中英语单词)
- brazilian [brə´ziljən] a.&n.巴西(人)(的) (英语四级单词)
- discretion [di´skreʃən] n.谨慎；判断(力) (英语四级单词)
- humbly [´hʌmbli] ad.恭顺地，谦卑地 (英语四级单词)
- virtuous [´və:tjuəs] a.道德的；善良的 (英语四级单词)
- winning [´winiŋ] n.&a.胜利(的) (英语四级单词)
- modesty [´mɔdisti] n.谨慎；端庄；羞怯 (英语四级单词)
- necklace [´neklis] n.项链 (英语四级单词)
- decease [di´si:s] n.&vi.死，死亡 (英语四级单词)
- whence [wens] ad.从何处；从那里 (英语四级单词)
- formality [fɔ:´mæliti] n.形式；礼仪；拘谨 (英语四级单词)
- identity [ai´dentiti] n.身份；同一性；一致 (英语六级单词)
- angelic [æn´dʒelik] a.天使(般)的 (英语六级单词)
- jeweler [´dʒu:ələ] n.珠宝商；宝石工人 (英语六级单词)
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