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the ball at sceaux-第10章

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〃Nor is it the first time you have looked for him;〃 replied the

admiral with a laugh。



Emilie colored。 Her uncle amused himself for some time with her

embarrassment; then he said: 〃Emilie; you know that I love you as my

own child; precisely because you are the only member of the family who

has the legitimate pride of high birth。 Devil take it; child; who

could have believed that sound principles would become so rare? Well;

I will be your confidant。 My dear child; I see that his young

gentleman is not indifferent to you。 Hush! All the family would laugh

at us if we sailed under the wrong flag。 You know what that means。 We

two will keep our secret; and I promise to bring him straight into the

drawing…room。〃



〃When; uncle?〃



〃To…morrow。〃



〃But; my dear uncle; I am not committed to anything?〃



〃Nothing whatever; and you may bombard him; set fire to him; and leave

him to founder like an old hulk if you choose。 He won't be the first;

I fancy?〃



〃You ARE kind; uncle!〃



As soon as the Count got home he put on his glasses; quietly took the

card out of his pocket; and read; 〃Maximilien Longueville; Rue de

Sentier。〃



〃Make yourself happy; my dear niece;〃 he said to Emilie; 〃you may hook

him with any easy conscience; he belongs to one of our historical

families; and if he is not a peer of France; he infallibly will be。〃



〃How do you know so much?〃



〃That is my secret。〃



〃Then do you know his name?〃



The old man bowed his gray head; which was not unlike a gnarled oak…

stump; with a few leaves fluttering about it; withered by autumnal

frosts; and his niece immediately began to try the ever…new power of

her coquettish arts。 Long familiar with the secret of cajoling the old

man; she lavished on him the most childlike caresses; the tenderest

names; she even went so far as to kiss him to induce him to divulge so

important a secret。 The old man; who spent his life in playing off

these scenes on his niece; often paying for them with a present of

jewelry; or by giving her his box at the opera; this time amused

himself with her entreaties; and; above all; her caresses。 But as he

spun out this pleasure too long; Emilie grew angry; passed from

coaxing to sarcasm and sulks; then; urged by curiosity; she recovered

herself。 The diplomatic admiral extracted a solemn promise from his

niece that she would for the future be gentler; less noisy; and less

wilful; that she would spend less; and; above all; tell him

everything。 The treaty being concluded; and signed by a kiss impressed

on Emilie's white brow; he led her into a corner of the room; drew her

on to his knee; held the card under the thumbs so as to hide it; and

then uncovered the letters one by one; spelling the name of

Longueville; but he firmly refused to show her anything more。



This incident added to the intensity of Mademoiselle de Fontaine's

secret sentiment; and during chief part of the night she evolved the

most brilliant pictures from the dreams with which she had fed her

hopes。 At last; thanks to chance; to which she had so often appealed;

Emilie could now see something very unlike a chimera at the fountain…

head of the imaginary wealth with which she gilded her married life。

Ignorant; as all young girls are; of the perils of love and marriage;

she was passionately captivated by the externals of marriage and love。

Is not this as much as to say that her feeling had birth like all the

feelings of extreme youthsweet but cruel mistakes; which exert a

fatal influence on the lives of young girls so inexperienced as to

trust their own judgment to take care of their future happiness?



Next morning; before Emilie was awake; her uncle had hastened to

Chevreuse。 On recognizing; in the courtyard of an elegant little

villa; the young man he had so determinedly insulted the day before;

he went up to him with the pressing politeness of men of the old

court。



〃Why; my dear sir; who could have guessed that I should have a brush;

at the age of seventy…three; with the son; or the grandson; of one of

my best friends。 I am a vice…admiral; monsieur; is not that as much as

to say that I think no more of fighting a duel than of smoking a

cigar? Why; in my time; no two young men could be intimate till they

had seen the color of their blood! But 'sdeath; sir; last evening;

sailor…like; I had taken a drop too much grog on board; and I ran you

down。 Shake hands; I would rather take a hundred rebuffs from a

Longueville than cause his family the smallest regret。〃



However coldly the young man tried to behave to the Comte de

Kergarouet; he could not resist the frank cordiality of his manner;

and presently gave him his hand。



〃You were going out riding;〃 said the Count。 〃Do not let me detain

you。 But; unless you have other plans; I beg you will come to dinner

to…day at the Villa Planat。 My nephew; the Comte de Fontaine; is a man

it is essential that you should know。 Ah; ha! And I propose to make up

to you for my clumsiness by introducing you to five of the prettiest

women in Paris。 So; so; young man; your brow is clearing! I am fond of

young people; and I like to see them happy。 Their happiness reminds me

of the good times of my youth; when adventures were not lacking; any

more than duels。 We were gay dogs then! Nowadays you think and worry

over everything; as though there had never been a fifteenth and a

sixteenth century。〃



〃But; monsieur; are we not in the right? The sixteenth century only

gave religious liberty to Europe; and the nineteenth will give it

political lib〃



〃Oh; we will not talk politics。 I am a perfect old womanultra you

see。 But I do not hinder young men from being revolutionary; so long

as they leave the King at liberty to disperse their assemblies。〃



When they had gone a little way; and the Count and his companion were

in the heart of the woods; the old sailor pointed out a slender young

birch sapling; pulled up his horse; took out one of his pistols; and

the bullet was lodged in the heart of the tree; fifteen paces away。



〃You see; my dear fellow; that I am not afraid of a duel;〃 he said

with comical gravity; as he looked at Monsieur Longueville。



〃Nor am I;〃 replied the young man; promptly cocking his pistol; he

aimed at the hole made by the Comte's bullet; and sent his own close

to it。



〃That is what I call a well…educated man;〃 cried the admiral with

enthusiasm。



During this ride with the youth; whom he already regarded as his

nephew; he found endless opportunities of catechizing him on all the

trifles of which a perfect knowledge constituted; according to his

private code; an accomplished gentleman。



〃Have you any debts?〃 he at last asked of his companion; after many

other inquiries。



〃No; monsieur。〃



〃What; you pay for all you have?〃



〃Punctually; otherwise we should lose our credit; and every sort of

respect。〃



〃But at least you have more than one mistress? Ah; you blush; comrade!

Well; manners have changed。 All these notions of lawful order;

Kantism; and liberty have spoilt the young men。 You have no Guimard

now; no Duthe; no creditorsand you know nothing of heraldry; why; my

dear young friend; you are not fully fledged。 The man who does not sow

his wild oats in the spring sows them in the winter。 If I have but

eighty thousand francs a year at the age of seventy; it is because I

ran through the capital at thirty。 Oh! with my wifein decency and

honor。 However; your imperfections will not interfere with my

introducing you at the Pavillon Planat。 Remember; you have promised to

come; and I shall expect you。〃



〃What an odd little old man!〃 said Longueville to himself。 〃He is so

jolly and hale; but though he wishes to seem a good fellow; I will not

trust him too far。〃



Next day; at about four o'clock; when the house party were dispersed

in the drawing…rooms and billiard…room; a servant announced to the

inhabitants of the Vil
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