Chapter 95.docx
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Chapter 95.docx
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Chapter95
Chapter9
TheBallThesplendourofthedresses,theblazeofthecandles,theperfumes;allthoseroundedarms,andfineshoulders;bouquets,thesoundofRossini'smusic,picturesbyCiceri!
Iambesidemyself!
TravelsofUzeri'Youarefeelingcross,'theMarquisedeLaMolesaidtoher;'Iwarnyou,thatisnotgoodmannersataball.'
'Itisonlyaheadache,'repliedMathildecontemptuously,'itistoohotinhere.'
Atthatmoment,asthoughtocorroborateMademoiselledeLaMole,theoldBarondeTollyfaintedandfelltotheground;hehadtobecarriedout.Therewastalkofapoplexy,itwasadisagreeableincident.
Mathildedidnotgiveitathought.Itwasoneofherdefinitehabitsnevertolookatanoldmanoratanyoneknowntobegiventotalkingaboutsadthings.
Shedancedtoescapetheconversationabouttheapoplexy,whichwasnothingofthesort,foradayortwolatertheBaronreappeared.
'ButM.Soreldoesnotappear,'shesaidtoherselfagainaftershehadfinisheddancing.Shewasalmostsearchingforhimwithhereyeswhenshecaughtsightofhiminanotherroom.Strangetosay,heseemedtohaveshedthetoneofimpassivecoldnesswhichwassonaturaltohim;hehadnolongertheairofanEnglishman.
'HeistalkingtoConteAltamira,mycondemnedman!
'Mathildesaidtoherself.'Hiseyeisablazewithasombrefire;hehastheairofaPrinceindisguise;thearroganceofhisgazehasincreased.'
Julienwascomingtowardsthespotwhereshewas,stilltalkingtoAltamira;shelookedfixedlyathim,studyinghisfeaturesinsearchofthoseloftyqualitieswhichmayentitleamantothehonourofbeingsentencedtodeath.
Ashepassedbyher:
'Yes,'hewassayingtoConteAltamira,'Dantonwasaman!
'
'Oh,heavens!
IshetobeanotherDanton,'thoughtMathilde;'buthehassuchanobleface,andthatDantonwassohorriblyugly,abutcher,Ifancy.'Julienwasstillquitenearher,shehadnohesitationincallingtohim;shewasconsciousandproudofaskingaquestionthatwasextraordinary,comingfromagirl.
'WasnotDantonabutcher?
'sheaskedhim.
'Yes,intheeyesofcertainpeople,'Julienansweredherwithanexpressionofthemostill-concealedscorn,hiseyestillablazefromhisconversationwithAltamira,'butunfortunatelyforpeopleofbirth,hewasalawyeratMery-sur-Seine;thatistosay,Mademoiselle,'hewentonwithanairofsarcasm,'thathebeganlifelikeseveralofthePeerswhomIseeherethisevening.ItistruethatDantonhadanenormousdisadvantageintheeyesofbeauty:
hewasextremelyugly.'
Thelastwordswereutteredrapidly,withanextraordinaryandcertainlyfarfromcourteousair.
Julienwaitedforamoment,bowingslightlyfromthewaistandwithanarrogantlyhumbleair.Heseemedtobesaying:
'Iampaidtoansweryou,andIliveuponmypay.'Hedidnotdeigntoraisehiseyestoherface.She,withherfineeyesopenedextraordinarilywideandfasteneduponhim,seemedlikehisslave.Atlength,asthesilencecontinued,helookedatherasaservantlooksathismaster,whenreceivingorders.AlthoughhiseyeslookedfullintothoseofMathilde,stillfasteneduponhimwithastrangegaze,hewithdrewwithmarkedalacrity.
'Thathe,whoreallyissohandsome,'Mathildesaidtoherselfatlength,awakeningfromherdreams,'shouldpaysuchatributetougliness!
Neverathoughtofhimself!
HeisnotlikeCaylusorCroisenois.ThisSorelhassomethingoftheairmyfatheradoptswhenheisplayingtheNapoleon,ataball.'ShehadentirelyforgottenDanton.'Nodoubtaboutit,Iamboredthisevening.'Sheseizedherbrotherbythearm,and,greatlytohisdisgust,forcedhimtotakeherforatouroftherooms.Theideaoccurredtoheroffollowingthecondemnedman'sconversationwithJulien.
Thecrowdwasimmense.Shesucceeded,however,inovertakingthematthemomentwhen,justinfrontofher,Altamirahadstoppedbyatrayoficestohelphimself.HewastalkingtoJulien,halfturningtowardshim.Hesawanarminabraidedsleevestretchedouttotakeanicefromthesametray.Thegoldlaceseemedtoattracthisattention;heturnedroundbodilytoseewhosethisarmwas.Immediatelyhiseyes,sonobleandunaffected,assumedaslightexpressionofscorn.
'Youseethatman,'hemurmuredtoJulien;'heisthePrinciped'Araceli,the——Ambassador.ThismorningheappliedformyextraditiontoyourFrenchForeignMinister,M.deNerval.Look,thereheisoverthere,playingwhist.M.deNervalisquitereadytogivemeup,forwegaveyoubacktwoorthreeconspiratorsin1816.IftheysurrendermetomyKingIshallbehangedwithintwenty-fourhours.Anditwillbeoneofthoseprettygentlemenwithmoustacheswhowillseizeme.'
'Thewretches!
'exclaimedJulien,halfaloud.
Mathildedidnotloseasyllableoftheirconversation.Herboredomhadvanished.
'Notsuchwretchesasallthat,'repliedConteAltamira.'Ihavespokentoyouofmyselftoimpressyouwitharealinstance.LookatPrinciped'Araceli;everyfiveminuteshecastsaglanceathisGoldenFleece;hecannotgetoverthepleasureofseeingthattrinketonhisbreast.Thepoormanisreallynothingworsethanananachronism.Ahundredyearsago,theGoldenFleecewasasignalhonour,butthenitwouldhavebeenfarabovehishead.Today,amongpeopleofbreeding,onemustbeanAracelitobethrilledbyit.Hewouldhavehangedawholetowntoobtainit.'
'Wasthatthepricehepaidforit?
'saidJulien,withanxiety.
'Notexactly,'repliedAltamiracoldly;'heperhapshadsomethirtywealthylandownersofhiscountry,whoweresupposedtobeLiberals,flungintotheriver.'
'Whatamonster!
'saidJulienagain.
MademoiselledeLaMole,leaningforwardwiththekeenestinterest,wassoclosetohimthatherbeautifulhairalmostbrushedhisshoulder.
'Youareveryyoung!
'repliedAltamira.'ItoldyouthatIhaveamarriedsisterinProvence;sheisstillpretty,good,gentle;sheisanexcellentmother,faithfultoallherduties,piouswithoutbigotry.'
'Whatisheleadingupto?
'thoughtMademoiselledeLaMole.
'Sheishappy,'ConteAltamiracontinued;'shewashappyin1815.AtthattimeIwasinhidingthere,onherpropertynearAntibes;well,assoonassheheardoftheexecutionofMarshalNey,shebegantodance!
'
'Isitpossible?
'saidthehorrifiedJulien.
'Itisthepartisanspirit,'repliedAltamira.Therearenolongeranygenuinepassionsinthenineteenthcentury;thatiswhypeoplearesoboredinFrance.Wecommitthegreatestcruelties,butwithoutcruelty.'
'Alltheworse!
'saidJulien;'atleast,whenwecommitcrimes,weshouldcommitthemwithpleasure:
thatistheonlygoodthingaboutthem,andtheonlyexcusethatcaninanywayjustifythem.'
MademoiselledeLaMole,entirelyforgettingwhatsheowedtoherself,hadplacedherselfalmostbodilybetweenAltamiraandJulien.Herbrother,uponwhosearmsheleaned,beingaccustomedtoobeyher,waslookingabouttheroom,and,tohidehislackofcomposure,pretendingtobeheldupbythecrowd.
'Youareright,'saidAltamira;'wedoeverythingwithoutpleasureandwithoutrememberingitafterwards,evenourcrimes.Icanpointouttoyouatthisballtenmen,perhaps,whowillbedamnedasmurderers.
Theyhaveforgottenit,andtheworldalso.11'Manyofthemaremovedtotearsiftheirdogbreaksitspaw.AtPere-Lachaise,whenpeoplestrewflowersontheirgraves,asyousocharminglysayinParis,wearetoldthattheycombinedallthevirtuesoftheknightsofold,andwehearofthegreatdeedsoftheirancestorwholivedinthedaysofHenriIV:
If,despitethegoodofficesofPrinciped'Araceli,Iamnothanged,andifIevercometoenjoymyfortuneinParis,Ihopetoinviteyoutodinewithnineortenmurdererswhoarehonouredandfeelnoremorse.
'YouandI,atthatdinner,willbetheonlytwowhosehandsarefreefromblood,butIshallbedespisedandalmosthated,asabloodyandJacobinicalmonster,andyouwillsimplybedespisedasaplebeianwhohasthrusthiswayintogoodsociety.'
'Nothingcouldbemoretrue,'saidMademoiselledeLaMole.
Altamiralookedatherinastonishment;Juliendidnotdeigntolookather.
'NotethattherevolutionattheheadofwhichIfoundmyself,'ConteAltamirawenton,'wasunsuccessful,solelybecauseIwouldnotcutoffthreeheads,anddistributeamongoursupporterssevenoreightmillionswhichhappenedtobeinasafeofwhichIheldthekey.MyKing,whoisnowburningtohavemehanged,andwho,beforetherevolt,usedtoaddressmeastu,wouldhavegivenmetheGrandCordonofhisOrderifIhadcutoffthosethreeheadsanddistributedthemoneyinthosesafes:
11.'Amalcontentisspeaking.'(NotebyMolieretoTartuffe.)forthenIshouldhavescoredatleastapartialsuccess,andmycountrywouldhavehadaCharterofsorts…Suchisthewayoftheworld,itisagameofchess.'
'Then,'repliedJulien,hiseyesablaze,'youdidnotknowthegame;now…'
'Ishouldcutofftheheads,youmean,andIshouldnotbeaGirondinasyougavemetounderstandtheotherday?
Iwillansweryou,'saidAltamirasadly,'whenyouhavekilledamaninaduel,andthatisagreatdeallessunpleasantthanhavinghimputtodeathbyaheadsman.'
'Faith!
'saidJulien,'theendjustifiesthemeans;if,insteadofbeingamereatom,Ihadanypower,Iwouldhangthreementosavethelivesoffour.'
Hiseyesexpressedthefireofconscienceandacontemptforthevainjudgmentsofmen;theymetthoseofMademoiselledeLaMolewhostoodclosebesidehim,andthiscontempt,insteadofchangingintoanairofgraciouscivility,seemedtointensify.
Itshockedherprofoundly;butitnolongerlayinherpowertoforgetJulien;shemovedindifferentlyaway,takingherbrotherwithhe
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