第 40 节
作者:尘小春      更新:2021-03-08 19:23      字数:4243
  articles;〃 said she; with a subtle smile。〃I have not such a sum as
  you need; but come to…morrow at eight; the bailiff will surely wait
  till nine; especially if you bring him away to pay him。〃
  She must; she felt; dismiss Lousteau; who affected to be unable to
  look at her; she herself felt such pity as might cut every social
  Gordian knot。
  〃Thank you;〃 she added; rising and offering her hand to Lousteau。
  〃Your confidence has done me good! It is long indeed since my heart
  has known such joy〃
  Lousteau took her hand and pressed it tenderly to his heart。
  〃A drop of water in the desertand sent by the hand of an angel! God
  always does things handsomely!〃
  He spoke half in jest and half pathetically; but; believe me; as a
  piece of acting it was as fine as Talma's in his famous part of
  /Leicester/; which was played throughout with touches of this kind。
  Dinah felt his heart beating through his coat; it was throbbing with
  satisfaction; for the journalist had had a narrow escape from the
  hulks of justice; but it also beat with a very natural fire at seeing
  Dinah rejuvenescent and restored by wealth。
  Madame de la Baudraye; stealing an examining glance at Etienne; saw
  that his expression was in harmony with the flowers of love; which; as
  she thought; had blossomed again in that throbbing heart; she tried to
  look once into the eyes of the man she had loved so well; but the
  seething blood rushed through her veins and mounted to her brain。
  Their eyes met with the same fiery glow as had encouraged Lousteau on
  the Quay by the Loire to crumple Dinah's muslin gown。 The Bohemian put
  his arm round her waist; she yielded; and their cheeks were touching。
  〃Here comes my mother; hide!〃 cried Dinah in alarm。 And she hurried
  forward to intercept Madame Piedefer。
  〃Mamma;〃 said shethis word was to the stern old lady a coaxing
  expression which never failed of its effect〃will you do me a great
  favor? Take the carriage and go yourself to my banker; Monsieur
  Mongenod; with a note I will give you; and bring back six thousand
  francs。 Come; comeit is an act of charity; come into my room。〃
  And she dragged away her mother; who seemed very anxious to see who it
  was that her daughter had been talking with in the boudoir。
  Two days afterwards; Madame Piedefer held a conference with the cure
  of the parish。 After listening to the lamentations of the old mother;
  who was in despair; the priest said very gravely:
  〃Any moral regeneration which is not based on a strong religious
  sentiment; and carried out in the bosom of the Church; is built on
  sand。The many means of grace enjoined by the Catholic religion;
  small as they are; and not understood; are so many dams necessary to
  restrain the violence of evil promptings。 Persuade your daughter to
  perform all her religious duties; and we shall save her yet。〃
  Within ten days of this meeting the Hotel de la Baudraye was shut up。
  The Countess; the children; and her mother; in short; the whole
  household; including a tutor; had gone away to Sancerre; where Dinah
  intended to spend the summer。 She was everything that was nice to the
  Count; people said。
  And so the Muse of Sancerre had simply come back to family and married
  life; but certain evil tongues declared that she had been compelled to
  come back; for that the little peer's wishes would no doubt be
  fulfilledhe hoped for a little girl。
  Gatien and Monsieur Gravier lavished every care; every servile
  attention on the handsome Countess。 Gatien; who during Madame de la
  Baudraye's long absence had been to Paris to learn the art of
  /lionnerie/ or dandyism; was supposed to have a good chance of finding
  favor in the eyes of the disenchanted 〃Superior Woman。〃 Others bet on
  the tutor; Madame Piedefer urged the claims of religion。
  In 1844; about the middle of June; as the Comte de la Baudraye was
  taking a walk on the Mall at Sancerre with the two fine little boys;
  he met Monsieur Milaud; the Public Prosecutor; who was at Sancerre on
  business; and said to him:
  〃These are my children; cousin。〃
  〃Ah; ha! so these are our children!〃 replied the lawyer; with a
  mischievous twinkle。
  PARIS; June 1843…August 1844。
  End