myself　if　I　gave　that　pitiless　being；　pitiless　like　all　weak
  creatures；　the　right　to　despise　me。　The　purity　of　my　conduct　is　my
  strength。　Virtue；　dear　friend；　is　holy　water　in　which　we　gain　fresh
  strength；　from　which　we　issue　renewed　in　the　love　of　God。〃
  〃Listen　to　me；　dear　Henriette；　I　have　only　another　week　to　stay　here；
  and　I　wish〃
  〃Ah；　you　mean　to　leave　us！〃　she　exclaimed。
  〃You　must　know　what　my　father　intends　to　do　with　me；〃　I　replied。　〃It
  is　now　three　months〃
  〃I　have　not　counted　the　days；〃　she　said；　with　momentary　self…
  abandonment。　Then　she　checked　herself　and　cried；　〃Come；　let　us　go　to
  Frapesle。〃
  She　called　the　count　and　the　children；　sent　for　a　shawl；　and　when　all
  were　ready　she；　usually　so　calm　and　slow　in　all　her　movements；　became
  as　active　as　a　Parisian；　and　we　started　in　a　body　to　pay　a　visit　at
  Frapesle　which　the　countess　did　not　owe。　She　forced　herself　to　talk　to
  Madame　de　Chessel；　who　was　fortunately　discursive　in　her　answers。　The
  count　and　Monsieur　de　Chessel　conversed　on　business。　I　was　afraid　the
  former　might　boast　of　his　carriage　and　horses；　but　he　committed　no
  such　solecisms。　His　neighbor　questioned　him　about　his　projected
  improvements　at　the　Cassine　and　the　Rhetoriere。　I　looked　at　the　count；
  wondering　if　he　would　avoid　a　subject　of　conversation　so　full　of
  painful　memories　to　all；　so　cruelly　mortifying　to　him。　On　the
  contrary；　he　explained　how　urgent　a　duty　it　was　to　better　the
  agricultural　condition　of　the　canton；　to　build　good　houses　and　make
  the　premises　salubrious；　in　short；　he　glorified　himself　with　his
  wife's　ideas。　I　blushed　as　I　looked　at　her。　Such　want　of　scruple　in　a
  man　who；　on　certain　occasions；　could　be　scrupulous　enough；　this
  oblivion　of　the　dreadful　scene；　this　adoption　of　ideas　against　which
  he　had　fought　so　violently；　this　confident　belief　in　himself；
  petrified　me。
  When　Monsieur　de　Chessel　said　to　him；　〃Do　you　expect　to　recover　your
  outlay？〃
  〃More　than　recover　it！〃　he　exclaimed；　with　a　confident　gesture。
  Such　contradictions　can　be　explained　only　by　the　word　〃insanity。〃
  Henriette；　celestial　creature；　was　radiant。　The　count　was　appearing　to
  be　a　man　of　intelligence；　a　good　administrator；　an　excellent
  agriculturist；　she　played　with　her　boy's　curly　head；　joyous　for　him；
  happy　for　herself。　What　a　comedy　of　pain；　what　mockery　in　this　drama；
  I　was　horrified　by　it。　Later　in　life；　when　the　curtain　of　the　world's
  stage　was　lifted　before　me；　how　many　other　Mortsaufs　I　saw　without　the
  loyalty　and　the　religious　faith　of　this　man。　What　strange；　relentless
  power　is　it　that　perpetually　awards　an　angel　to　a　madman；　to　a　man　of
  heart；　of　true　poetic　passion；　a　base　woman；　to　the　petty；　grandeur；
  to　this　demented　brain；　a　beautiful；　sublime　being；　to　Juana；　Captain
  Diard；　whose　history　at　Bordeaux　I　have　told　you；　to　Madame　de
  Beauseant；　an　Ajuda；　to　Madame　d'Aiglemont；　her　husband；　to　the
  Marquis　d'Espard；　his　wife！　Long　have　I　sought　the　meaning　of　this
  enigma。　I　have　ransacked　many　mysteries；　I　have　discovered　the　reason
  of　many　natural　laws；　the　purport　of　some　divine　hieroglyphics；　of　the
  meaning　of　this　dark　secret　I　know　nothing。　I　study　it　as　I　would　the
  form　of　an　Indian　weapon；　the　symbolic　construction　of　which　is　known
  only　to　the　Brahmans。　In　this　dread　mystery　the　spirit　of　Evil　is　too
  visibly　the　master；　I　dare　not　lay　the　blame　to　God。　Anguish
  irremediable；　what　power　finds　amusement　in　weaving　you？　Can　Henriette
  and　her　mysterious　philosopher　be　right？　Does　their　mysticism　contain
  the　explanation　of　humanity？
  The　autumn　leaves　were　falling　during　the　last　few　days　which　I　passed
  in　the　valley；　days　of　lowering　clouds；　which　do　sometimes　obscure　the
  heaven　of　Touraine；　so　pure；　so　warm　at　that　fine　season。　The　evening
  before　my　departure　Madame　de　Mortsauf　took　me　to　the　terrace　before
  dinner。
  〃My　dear　Felix；〃　she　said；　after　we　had　taken　a　turn　in　silence　under
  the　leafless　trees；　〃you　are　about　to　enter　the　world；　and　I　wish　to
  go　with　you　in　thought。　Those　who　have　suffered　much　have　lived　and
  known　much。　Do　not　think　that　solitary　souls　know　nothing　of　the
  world；　on　the　contrary；　they　are　able　to　judge　it。　Hear　me：　If　I　am　to
  live　in　and　for　my　friend　I　must　do　what　I　can　for　his　heart　and　for
  his　conscience。　When　the　conflict　rages　it　is　hard　to　remember　rules；
  therefore　let　me　give　you　a　few　instructions；　the　warnings　of　a　mother
  to　her　son。　The　day　you　leave　us　I　shall　give　you　a　letter；　a　long
  letter；　in　which　you　will　find　my　woman's　thoughts　on　the　world；　on
  society；　on　men；　on　the　right　methods　of　meeting　difficulty　in　this
  great　clash　of　human　interests。　Promise　me　not　to　read　this　letter
  till　you　reach　Paris。　I　ask　it　from　a　fanciful　sentiment；　one　of　those
  secrets　of　womanhood　not　impossible　to　understand；　but　which　we　grieve
  to　find　deciphered；　leave　me　this　covert　way　where　as　a　woman　I　wish
  to　walk　alone。〃
  〃Yes；　I　promise　it；〃　I　said；　kissing　her　hand。
  〃Ah；〃　she　added；　〃I　have　one　more　promise　to　ask　of　you；　but　grant　it
  first。〃
  〃Yes；　yes！〃　I　cried；　thinking　it　was　surely　a　promise　of　fidelity。
  〃It　does　not　concern　myself；〃　she　said　smiling；　with　some　bitterness。
  〃Felix；　do　not　gamble　in　any　house；　no　matter　whose　it　be；　I　except
  none。〃
  〃I　will　never　play　at　all；〃　I　replied。
  〃Good；〃　she　said。　〃I　have　found　a　better　use　for　your　time　than　to
  waste　it　on　cards。　The　end　will　be　that　where　others　must　sooner　or
  later　be　losers　you　will　invariably　win。〃
  〃How　so？〃
  〃The　letter　will　tell　you；〃　she　said；　with　a　playful　smile；　which　took
  from　her　advice　the　serious　tone　which　might　certainly　have　been　that
  of　a　grandfather。
  The　countess　talked　to　me　for　an　hour；　and　proved　the　depth　of　her
  affection　by　the　study　she　had　made　of　my　nature　during　the　last　three
  months。　She　penetrated　the　recesses　of　my　heart；　entering　it　with　her
  own；　the　tones　of　her　voice　were　changeful　and　convincing；　the　words
  fell　from　maternal　lips；　showing　by　their　tone　as　well　as　by　their
  meaning　how　many　ties　already　bound　us　to　each　other。
  〃If　you　knew；〃　she　said　in　conclusion；　〃with　what　anxiety　I　shall
  follow　your　course；　what　joy　I　shall　feel　if　you　walk　straight；　what
  tears　I　must　shed　if　you　strike　against　the　angles！　Believe　that　my
  affection　has　no　equal；　it　is　involuntary　and　yet　deliberate。　Ah；　I
  would　that　I　might　see　you　happy；　powerful；　respected；you　who　are　to
  me　a　living　dream。〃
  She　made　me　weep；　so　tender　and　so　terrible　was　she。　Her　feelings　came
  boldly　to　the　surface；　yet　they　were　too　pure　to　give　the　slightest
  hope　even　to　a　young　man　thirsting　for　pleasure。　Ignoring　my　tortured
  flesh；　she　shed　the　rays；　undeviating；　incorruptible；　of　the　divine
  love；　which　satisfies　the　soul　only。　She　rose　to　heights　whither　the
  prismatic　pinions　of　a　love　like　mine　were　powerless　to　bear　me。　To
  reach　her　a　man　must　needs　have　won　the　white　wings　of　the　seraphim。
  〃In　all　that　happens　to　me　I　will　ask　myself；〃　I　said；　〃'What　would　my
  Henriette　say？'〃
  〃Yes；　I　will　be　the　star　and　the　sanctuary　both；〃　she　said；　alluding
  to　the　dreams　of　my　childhood。
  〃You　are　my　light　and　my　religion；〃　I　cried；　〃you　shall　be　my　all。〃
  〃No；〃　she　answered；　〃I　can　never　be　the　source　of　your　pleasures。〃
  She　sighed；　the　smile　of　secret　pain　was　on　her　lips；　the　smile　of　the
  slave　who　momentarily　revolts。　From　that　day　forth　she　was　to　me；　not
  merely　my　beloved；　but　my　only　love；　she　was　not　IN　my　heart　as　a
  woman　who　takes　a　place；　who　makes　it　hers　by　devotion　or　by　excess　of
  pleasure　given；　but　she　was　my　heart　itself；it　was　all　hers；　a
  something　necessary　to　the　play　of　my　muscles。　She　became　to　me　as
  Beatrice　to　the　Florentine；　as　the　spotless　Laura　to　the　Venetian；　the
  mother　of　great　thoughts；　the　secret　cause　of　resolutions　which　saved
  me；　the　support　of　my　future；　the　light　shining　in　the　darkness　like　a
  lily　in　a　wood。　Yes；　she　inspired　those　high　resolves　which　pass
  through　flames；　which　save　the　thing　in　peril；　she　gave　me　a　constancy
  like　Coligny's　to　vanquish　conquerors；　to　rise　above　defeat；　to　weary
  the　strongest　wrestler。
  The　next　day；　having　breakfasted　at　Frapesle　and　bade　adieu　to　my　kind
  hosts；　I　went　to　Clochegourde。　Monsieur　and　Madame　de　Mortsauf　had
  arranged　to　drive　with　me　to　Tours；　whence　I　was　to　start　the　same
  night　for　Paris。　During　the　drive　the　countess　was　silent；　she
  pretended　at　first　to　have　a　headache；　then　she　blushed　at　the
  falsehood；　and　expiated　it　by　saying　that　she　could　not　see　me　go
  without　regret。　The　count　invited　me　to　stay　with　them　whenever；　in
  the　absence　of　the　Chessels；　I　might　long　to　see　the　valley　of　the
  Indre　once　more。　We　parted　heroically；　without　apparent　tears；　but
  Jacques；　who　like　other　delicate　children　was　quickly　touched；　began
  to　cry；　while　Madeleine；　already　a　woman；　pressed　her　mother's　hand。
  〃Dear　little　one！〃　said　the　countess；　kissing　Jacques　p