the lesser bourgeoisie-第74部分

快捷操作: 按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页 按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页 按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部! 如果本书没有阅读完，想下次继续接着阅读，可使用上方 "收藏到我的浏览器" 功能 和 "加入书签" 功能！


simple。　I　have　studied　Celeste；　and　in　that　dear　and　artless　child　I
find　a　moral　weight　and　value　which　would　make　me　grieve　to　see　her
sacrificed。〃

〃You　are　right；　madame；〃　said　Madame　Phellion。　〃Celeste　is；　indeed；　an
angel　of　sweetness。〃

〃As　for　monsieur　Felix；　I　venture　to　interest　myself　because；　in　the
first　place；　he　is　the　son　of　so　virtuous　a　father〃

〃Oh；　madame！　I　entreat〃　said　Phellion；　bowing　again。

〃and　he　also　attracts　me　by　the　awkwardness　of　true　love；　which
appears　in　all　his　actions　and　all　his　words。　We　mature　women　find　an
inexpressible　charm　in　seeing　the　tender　passion　under　a　form　which
threatens　us　with　no　deceptions　and　no　misunderstandings。〃

〃My　son　is　certainly　not　brilliant；〃　said　Madame　Phellion；　with　a
faint　tone　of　sharpness；　〃he　is　not　a　fashionable　young　man。〃

〃But　he　has　the　qualities　that　are　most　essential；〃　replied　the
countess；　〃and　a　merit　which　ignores　itself；a　thing　of　the　utmost
consequence　in　all　intellectual　superiority〃

〃Really；　madame；〃　said　Phellion；　〃you　force　us　to　hear　things　that〃

〃That　are　not　beyond　the　truth；〃　interrupted　the　countess。　〃Another
reason　which　leads　me　to　take　a　deep　interest　in　the　happiness　of
these　young　people　is　that　I　am　not　so　desirous　for　that　of　Monsieur
Theodose　de　la　Peyrade；　who　is　false　and　grasping。　On　the　ruin　of
their　hopes　that　man　is　counting　to　carry　out　his　swindling　purposes。〃

〃It　is　quite　certain；〃　said　Phellion；　〃that　there　are　dark　depths　in
Monsieur　de　la　Peyrade　where　light　does　not　penetrate。〃

〃And　as　I　myself　had　the　misfortune　to　marry　a　man　of　his　description；
the　thought　of　the　wretchedness　to　which　Celeste　would　be　condemned　by
so　fatal　a　connection；　impels　me；　in　the　hope　of　saving　her；　to　the
charitable　effort　which　now；　I　trust；　has　ceased　to　surprise　you。〃

〃Madame；〃　said　Phellion；　〃we　do　not　need　the　conclusive　explanations
by　which　you　illumine　your　conduct；　but　as　to　the　faults　on　our　part；
which　have　thwarted　your　generous　efforts；　I　must　declare　that　in
order　to　avoid　committing　them　in　future；　it　seems　to　me　not　a　little
desirable　that　you　should　plainly　indicate　them。〃

〃How　long　is　it；〃　asked　the　countess；　〃since　any　of　your　family　have
paid　a　visit　to　the　Thuilliers'？〃

〃If　my　memory　serves　me；〃　said　Phellion；　〃I　think　we　were　all　there
the　Sunday　after　the　dinner　for　the　house…warming。〃

〃Fifteen　whole　days　of　absence！〃　exclaimed　the　countess；　〃and　you
think　that　nothing　of　importance　could　happen　in　fifteen　days？〃

〃No；　indeed！　did　not　three　glorious　days　in　July；　1830；　cast　down　a
perjured　dynasty　and　found　the　noble　order　of　things　under　which　we
now　live？〃

〃You　see　it　yourself！〃　said　the　countess。　〃Now；　tell　me；　during　that
evening；　fifteen　days　ago；　did　nothing　serious　take　place　between　your
son　and　Celeste？〃

〃Something　did　occur；〃　replied　Phellion；〃a　very　disagreeable
conversation　on　the　subject　of　my　son's　religious　opinions；　it　must　be
owned　that　our　good　Celeste；　who　in　all　other　respects　has　a　charming
nature；　is　a　trifle　fanatic　in　the　matter　of　piety。〃

〃I　agree　to　that；〃　said　the　countess；　〃but　she　was　brought　up　by　the
mother　whom　you　know；　she　was　never　shown　the　face　of　true　piety；　she
saw　only　the　mimicry　of　it。　Repentant　Magdalens　of　the　Madame
Colleville　species　always　assume　an　air　of　wishing　to　retire　to　a
desert　with　their　death's…head　and　crossed　bones。　They　think　they
can't　get　salvation　at　a　cheaper　rate。　But　after　all；　what　did　Celeste
ask　of　Monsieur　Felix？　Merely　that　he　would　read　'The　Imitation　of
Christ。'〃

〃He　has　read　it；　madame；〃　said　Phellion；　〃and　he　thinks　it　a　book
extremely　well　written；　but　his　convictionsand　that　is　a　misfortune
have　not　been　affected　by　the　perusal。〃

〃And　do　you　think　he　shows　much　cleverness　in　not　assuring　his
mistress　of　some　little　change　in　his　inflexible　convictions？〃

〃My　son；　madame；　has　never　received　from　me　the　slightest　lesson　in
cleverness；　loyalty；　uprightness；　those　are　the　principles　I　have
endeavored　to　inculcate　in　him。〃

〃It　seems　to　me；　monsieur；　that　there　is　no　want　of　loyalty　when；　in
dealing　with　a　troubled　mind；　we　endeavor　to　avoid　wounding　it。　But
let　us　agree　that　Monsieur　Felix　owed　it　to　himself　to　be　that　iron
door　against　which　poor　Celeste's　applications　beat　in　vain；　was　that
a　reason　for　keeping　away　from　her　and　sulking　in　his　tent　for　fifteen
whole　days？　Above　all；　ought　he　to　have　capped　these　sulks　by　a
proceeding　which　I　can't　forgive；　and　whichonly　just　made　known　to
ushas　struck　the　girl's　heart　with　despair；　and　also　with　a　feeling
of　extreme　irritation？〃

〃My　son　capable　of　any　such　act！　it　is　quite　impossible；　madame！〃
cried　Phellion。　〃I　know　nothing　of　this　proceeding；　but　I　do　not
hesitate　to　affirm　that　you　have　been　ill…informed。〃

〃And　yet；　nothing　is　more　certain。　Young　Colleville；　who　came　home
to…day　for　his　half…holiday；　has　just　told　us　that　Monsieur　Felix；　who
had　previously　gone　with　the　utmost　punctuality　to　hear　him　recite　has
ceased　entirely　to　have　anything　to　do　with　him。　Unless　your　son　is
ill；　I　do　not　hesitate　to　say　that　this　neglect　is　the　greatest　of
blunders；　in　the　situation　in　which　he　now　stands　with　the　sister　he
ought　not　to　have　chosen　this　moment　to　put　an　end　to　these　lessons。〃

The　Phellions　looked　at　each　other　as　if　consulting　how　to　reply。

〃My　son；〃　said　Madame　Phellion；　〃is　not　exactly　ill；　but　since　you
mention　a　fact　which　is；　I　acknowledge；　very　strange　and　quite　out　of
keeping　with　his　nature　and　habits；　I　think　it　right　to　tell　you　that
from　the　day　when　Celeste　seemed　to　signify　that　all　was　at　an　end
between　them；　a　very　extraordinary　change　has　come　over　Felix；　which
is　causing　Monsieur　Phellion　and　myself　the　deepest　anxiety。〃

〃Yes；　madame；〃　said　Phellion；　〃the　young　man　is　certainly　not　in　his
normal　condition。〃

〃But　what　is　the　matter　with　him？〃　asked　the　countess；　anxiously。

〃The　night　of　that　scene　with　Celeste；〃　replied　Phellion；　〃after　his
return　home；　he　wept　a　flood　of　hot　tears　on　his　mother's　bosom；　and
gave　us　to　understand　that　the　happiness　of　his　whole　life　was　at　an
end。〃

〃And　yet；〃　said　Madame　de　Godollo；　〃nothing　very　serious　happened；　but
lovers　always　make　the　worst　of　things。〃

〃No　doubt；〃　said　Madame　Phellion；　〃but　since　that　night　Felix　has　not
made　the　slightest　allusion　to　his　misfortune；　and　the　next　day　he
went　back　to　his　work　with　a　sort　of　frenzy。　Does　that　seem　natural　to
you？〃

〃It　is　capable　of　explanation；　work　is　said　to　be　a　great　consoler。〃

〃That　is　most　true；〃　said　Phellion；　〃but　in　Felix's　whole　personality
there　is　something　excited；　and　yet　repressed；　which　is　difficult　to
describe。　You　speak　to　him；　and　he　hardly　seems　to　hear　you；　he　sits
down　to　table　and　forgets　to　eat；　or　takes　his　food　with　an　absent…
mindedness　which　the　medical　faculty　consider　most　injurious　to　the
process　of　digestion；　his　duties；　his　regular　occupations；　we　have　to
remind　him　ofhim；　so　extremely　regular；　so　punctual！　The　other　day；
when　he　was　at　the　Observatory；　where　he　now　spends　all　his　evenings；
only　coming　home　in　the　small　hours；　I　took　it　upon　myself　to　enter
his　room　and　examine　h