She had been writing for nearly half an hour when the need of some document forced her to engage in a long search among the portfolios4 heaped upon her table. She rose, stirred up some other papers, and sat down again with her hands full; and whilst she was classifying various loose documents she came upon some religious pictures, an illuminated5 view of the Holy Sepulchre, and a prayer surrounded by emblems6 of the Passion, guaranteed to ensure salvation7 in those distressful8 moments when the soul is in peril9. She then remembered that her brother, like the pious10 fellow he was, had bought the pictures at Jerusalem. Emotion suddenly overcame her, and tears moistened her cheeks. Ah! that brother of hers, so intelligent, so long unappreciated, how happy he was in being able to believe, in being able to[Pg 220] refrain from smiling at that na?f view of the Holy Sepulchre, executed in the style of the pictures which are used to decorate sweetmeat boxes! And how happy he was, too, in being able to derive11 a serene12 strength from his faith in the efficacy of that rhymed prayer, which, poetically13, was on a par14 with the verses found in Christmas crackers15! She again beheld16 him, ever trustful, too easily imposed upon perhaps, but so upright and tranquil17, never revolting, never struggling even. And she, who had been struggling and suffering for two months past, she who no longer believed, whose mind was scorched18 by reading, worn out by reasoning, how ardently19 in her hours of weakness did she not wish that she had remained simple and ingenuous20 like him, so that she might lull21 her bleeding heart to sleep by thrice repeating, morn and eve alike, that childlike prayer, around which were depicted22 the nails and the lance, the crown and the sponge of the Passion!
On the morrow of the day when chance had so brutally23 made her acquainted with the truth concerning Saccard and the Baroness24 Sandorff she had exerted all her will power to resist her desire to watch them. She was not this man's wife, and did not wish to carry jealousy25 to the point of scandal. She was no longer twenty, but six and thirty, and the terrible experience of her married life had made her tolerant. Still it was in vain that she practised abnegation; her nature revolted, and she experienced intense suffering. There were times when she longed to sever26 the ties which bound her to Saccard, to provoke a violent scene and hurl27 in his face the wrong that he had done her. However, she succeeded in mastering herself, in forcing herself to remain not only silent, but calm and smiling; and never indeed in her existence, hitherto so hard, had she been in greater need of strength than now.
Still holding the religious pictures, she bent28 her eyes upon them for a moment longer, smiling the sorrowful smile of one who cannot believe, and her heart melting with affection for her brother. But a moment later she no longer beheld them. Her mind had wandered away, as it always did directly[Pg 221] she ceased to occupy it, and she was again thinking of Saccard, of what he had done the day before, of what he might that day be doing. He seemed to be leading his usual life, devoting his mornings to his worrying duties at the Bank, his afternoons to the Bourse, his evenings to the invitations to dinner which he received, to the first performances given at the theatres, to the society of actresses whom she was not jealous of, to everything, in fact, which is supposed to make up a life of pleasure. And yet she felt that some new interest absorbed him, an interest, no doubt, in that woman, whom he met somewhere. No doubt she had prohibited herself from trying to ascertain29 where and when it was that they met; yet it all made her distrustful and suspicious, and, as her brother laughingly expressed it, she had begun playing the gendarme30 again, even with regard to the affairs of the Bank, which she had previously31 ceased watching, so great at one moment had her confidence become. At the present time, however, she was struck and grieved by certain irregular practices; and then was quite surprised to find that she really cared nothing about the matter at bottom, lacking the strength alike to speak and act, so completely did a single anguish32 fill her heart—anguish for that betrayal, which she would have condoned33, but the thought of which stifled34 her, despite all her efforts. And now, ashamed at last to find her tears flowing again, she went and hid the religious pictures, deeply regretting that she, who had no faith, could not go and kneel in some church, and find relief by weeping and praying.
Having at last calmed herself, she set to work on the memoir again, and had been writing for some ten minutes or so when the valet came to inform her that Charles, Saccard's coachman who had been dismissed on the previous day, absolutely insisted upon speaking to her. Saccard himself had detected the fellow stealing the horses' oats. She hesitated for a moment, and then consented to see him.
Tall, good-looking, with shaven face and confident, conceited35 gait, Charles came into the room and insolently36 exclaimed: 'I've come, madame, about the two shirts of mine which the laundress has lost, and won't make an allowance[Pg 222] for. Madame surely doesn't suppose that I can put up with such a loss. And, as Madame is responsible, I wish Madame to pay me for my shirts. Yes, I want fifteen francs.'
She was very severe in all these household matters. Perhaps she would have paid the fifteen francs to avoid any discussion. But she was disgusted by the effrontery37 of this man, who had been caught thieving only the day before.
'I owe you nothing, and I shall give you nothing,' said she; 'besides, Monsieur warned me, and absolutely forbade me to do anything for you.'
Charles took a step forward with a threatening air. 'Oh, Monsieur said that, did he? I suspected as much, and Monsieur made a great mistake, for now we shall have some fun. For I know all about Monsieur and his goings on. Yes, indeed, I know all about them!'
Madame Caroline had risen to her feet, intending to order him out of the room; but before she could do so he had forced the whole horrid38 story upon her unwilling39 ears. She tried to get rid of him by handing him the fifteen francs that he had asked for, and he took them and even became polite; but nothing could stop his venomous tongue. And thus she learnt everything; the meetings of Saccard and the Baroness, and a horribly scandalous scene in which Delcambre, the Public Prosecutor40, long the woman's lover, had taken part.
But at last the coachman went off, and after remaining for a few moments motionless Madame Caroline sank with a prolonged wail41 on to a chair beside her work-table, giving free course to the tears which had so long been stifling42 her. For a long while she wept in silent agony, but the time came when amidst all her grief for self, her grief for the wrong which had been done her, she felt the many suspicions, the many fears respecting other matters that she had sought to bury, reviving.
She had forced herself to tranquillity43 and hope in the affairs of the Universal, becoming in her loving blindness an accomplice44 in all that was not told her and that she did not seek to learn. And now, in a fit of violent remorse45, she reproached herself for writing that reassuring46 letter to her[Pg 223] brother at the time of the last shareholders47' meeting. For, since jealousy had again opened her eyes and ears, she had known that the irregular practices were continuing, ever growing worse and worse. The Sabatani account had increased to a yet higher figure, the Bank was speculating more and more extensively under cover of Sabatani's name, to say nothing of the monstrous48 lying puffs49 which were being disseminated50, the foundations of sand and mud on which had been reared that colossal51 edifice52, whose rise, so rapid that it seemed miraculous53, inspired her with far more terror than delight. And it was especially the terrible pace which distressed54 her—the continual gallop55 at which the Universal was driven along, like some engine stuffed full of coals and set upon diabolical56 rails that it might rush on until a final great shock should make everything burst and smash.
She was not a simpleton, a booby, who could be deceived; albeit57 ignorant of the technicalities of banking58, she fully59 understood the reasons of this overdriving, this feverishness60 destined61 to intoxicate62 the mob and plunge63 it into epidemical madness. Each morning must bring its rise; it was necessary to keep on inspiring a belief in fresh successes, in streamlets of gold converted into great rivers, oceans of the precious metal. Her poor brother, so credulous64, fascinated, carried away—did she mean to betray him, to abandon him to the mercy of that flood which threatened to drown them all some day? At thought of her inaction, her powerlessness, she was once more filled with despair.
Meantime the twilight65 was darkening the workroom; there was not even a reflection from the fire-place to illumine it, for she had let the fire go out; and in the increasing gloom Madame Caroline wept more and more bitterly. It was cowardly to weep in this fashion, for she was perfectly66 conscious that all these tears were not due to her anxiety about the affairs of the Universal. Assuredly it was Saccard alone who was forcing that terrible gallop, lashing67 the monster on and on with extraordinary ferocity and moral unconsciousness, careless as to whether he killed it or not. He was the only guilty one, and she shuddered68 as she tried to read him,[Pg 224] to read that murky69 financier's soul, of which even he himself was ignorant, a miry Infinite of all degradations70, hidden one from another by the darkness in which they were enveloped71. Though there were things which she did not yet clearly distinguish, she suspected them and trembled at them. But the mere72 discovery of so many sores, the fear of a possible catastrophe73, would not have sufficed to bow her in this fashion over that table, weeping and strengthless; it would, on the contrary, have set her erect74, eager for struggle and cure. She knew herself; she was a warrior75. No, if she sobbed76 so bitterly, like a weak child, it was because she loved Saccard, and because Saccard at that very moment was betraying her. And this avowal77 which she was obliged to make to herself filled her with shame, redoubled her tears until she almost choked. 'To think that I have no pride left, my God!' she stammered78 aloud; 'to be so weak and miserable80! to be unable when I would!'
But just then she was astonished to hear a voice address her in the darkness. It was the voice of Maxime, who had just entered, like one at home. 'What! you in the dark and crying?' said he.
Confused at being thus surprised, she strove to master her sobs81, while he added: 'I beg your pardon, but I thought that my father had come back from the Bourse. A lady asked me to bring him to dinner at her house.'
However, the valet now brought a lamp, and, after placing it on the table, withdrew. The whole of the spacious82 room was illumined by the soft light that fell from the shade.
'It is nothing,' Madame Caroline tried to explain—'merely a woman's fretting83, and yet I seldom give way to my nerves.'
Her eyes dry and her figure erect, she was already smiling with the brave mien84 of a fighter. For a moment the young man looked at her, as she thus proudly drew herself up with her large clear eyes, her thick lips, her expression of virile85 kindness, which her thick crown of hair softened86 and endowed with a great charm; and he found her still young, white-haired though she was, her teeth also very white—indeed an adorable woman, who had become beautiful. And then he[Pg 225] thought of his father and shrugged87 his shoulders with contemptuous pity. 'It is on account of him, is it not,' said he; 'that you have put yourself in this fearful state?'
She wished to deny it, but she was choking, tears were again coming to her eyelids88.
'Ah! my poor lady,' resumed Maxime; 'I told you, you will remember, that you entertained illusions about papa, and that you would be ill rewarded. It was inevitable89.'
Thereupon she remembered the day when she had gone to borrow those two thousand francs of the young man in order to pay part of Victor's ransom90. Had he not then promised to have a chat with her whenever she might desire to know the truth? Was not this an opportunity to learn all the past by questioning him? And an irresistible91 need of knowing urged her on. Now that she had commenced the descent she must go to the bottom. That course alone would be brave, worthy92 of her, useful to all.
Still the inquiry93 was repugnant to her, and, instead of boldly starting upon it, she took a circuitous94 course, as though with the object of changing the conversation. 'I still owe you two thousand francs,' said she; 'I hope you are not too angry with me for keeping you waiting.'
He made a gesture as though to imply that she might take all the time she needed, and then abruptly95 said: 'By the way, and my little brother, that monster?'
'I am greatly grieved about him. I have so far said nothing about him to your father. I should so much like to cleanse96 the poor boy a little, so that it might be possible for your father to love him.'
A burst of laughter from Maxime disturbed her, and as she gave him a questioning look he exclaimed: 'Well, I think that you are wasting time and trouble in that respect also! Papa will hardly understand your taking all this trouble. He has experienced so many family annoyances97.'
She was still looking at him, so demurely98 egotistical in his enjoyment99 of life, so disengaged from all human ties, even from those which a life of pleasure creates. He had smiled, alone enjoying the covert100 maliciousness101 of his last words.[Pg 226] And she was conscious that she was at last about to discover the secret of these two men.
'You lost your mother at an early age?' she said.
'Yes, I scarcely knew her. I was still at Plassans, at school, when she died here in Paris. Our uncle, Doctor Pascal, has kept my sister Clotilde with him there; I have only once seen her since.'
'But your father married again?'
He hesitated. A kind of ruddy vapour seemed to dim his empty eyes, usually so clear.
'Oh! yes, yes; he married again, the daughter of a magistrate102, one Béraud du Chatel—Renée her name was; she was not a mother to me, but a good friend.' Then, sitting down beside her in a familiar way, he went on: 'You see, one must understand papa. Mon Dieu! he isn't worse than others. Only children, wives—in short, all around him—hold in his mind a second place to money. Oh! let us understand each other; he doesn't love money like a miser79, for the sake of having a huge pile of it and hiding it in his cellar. No; if he wishes to make it gush103 forth104 on every side, if he draws it from no matter what sources, it is to see it flow around him in torrents105; it is for the sake of all the enjoyments106 he derives107 from it—luxury, pleasure, power. What can you expect? It is in his blood. He would sell us—you, me, no matter whom—if we were a part of some bargain. And he would do it as an unconscious and superior man; for he is really the poet of the million, so mad and rascally108 does money make him—oh! rascally on a very grand scale!'
This was just what Madame Caroline had understood, and while listening to Maxime she nodded her head in token of assent109. Ah! money, that all-corrupting poisonous money, which withered110 souls and drove from them all kindness, tenderness, and love for others! Money alone was the great culprit, the agent of all human cruelties and abominations. At that moment she cursed it, execrated112 it, in the indignant revolt of her woman's nobility and uprightness. Ah! if she had had the power, she would with a gesture have annihilated113 all the money in the world, even as one would crush disease[Pg 227] with a stamp of the heel in order to preserve the world in health.
'And your father married again,' she slowly repeated after a pause, with a tinge114 of embarrassment115 in her voice as vague memories began awaking within her. Who was it that had alluded116 to the story in her presence? She could not have told. But doubtless it had been some woman, some friend, in the early days of her residence in the Rue111 Saint Lazare, when Saccard had rented the first floor of the mansion117. Had there not been some question of a marriage which he had contracted, some marriage for money, some shameful118 bargain? And later on had not crime quietly taken its seat at the hearth119, abominable120 depravity, tolerated, suffered to abide121 there without let or hindrance122?
'Renée,' replied Maxime in a very low tone, and as though despite himself, 'was only a few years older than me.'
He raised his head and looked at Madame Caroline. And then, suddenly throwing off all self-restraint, with unreasoning confidence in this woman, who seemed to him so healthy and so sensible, he told the story of the shameful past, not in consecutive123 phrases, it is true, but in shreds—involuntary, imperfect confessions124 which it was for her to connect together. So, in this wise, Madame Caroline learnt the frightful125 story: Saccard selling his name, marrying a girl in trouble for money's sake; completing the unhinging of the poor child's ailing126 mind by means of this same money, by the mad, prodigal127, dazzling life he led; and then, because he was in need of money and required her signature, closing his eyes to whatever she might do. Ah! money, money the King, money the deity128, beside which tears and blood were as nothing! Money adored for its infinite power far above all vain human scruples129! And in proportion as the might of money increased in her eyes, and Saccard stood revealed to her in all his diabolical grandeur130, Madame Caroline was seized with real terror, frozen, distracted by the thought that she too had become this monster's prey131, after so many others.
'There!' said Maxime, concluding. 'It pains me to see you like this; it is better that you should be warned. But[Pg 228] don't let this make trouble between you and my father. I should be very grieved if such were the case, for you would be the one to weep over it, not he. And now do you understand why I refuse to lend him a sou?'
As she did not answer, for her throat was contracted and a terrible pang132 tortured her heart, he rose, and glanced at a mirror, with the tranquil ease of a handsome man who is certain of his correctness in life. Then, coming back, he stood before her.
'Such examples age you quickly, do they not?' he said. 'For my part, I promptly133 settled down; I married a young girl who was ill and is now dead; I swear to-day that no one shall ever induce me to act foolishly again. No! But papa, you see, is incorrigible134, because he has no moral sense.'
He took her hand, and, holding it for a moment in his own, felt that it was quite cold.
'I am going, since he doesn't come back. But pray don't grieve like this. I thought you so strong! And you ought to thank me, for there is only one thing that is stupid in life—to let oneself be duped.'
Finally he started off, but at the door he stopped to add, with a laugh: 'I was forgetting; tell him that Madame de Jeumont expects him to dinner.'
Left to herself, Madame Caroline did not stir. Bowed down on her chair in the spacious room, which had sunk into an oppressive silence, she gazed fixedly136 at the lamp with dilated137 eyes. It seemed to her that the veil had been suddenly torn aside. All that she had hitherto been unwilling to distinguish plainly, which she had only tremblingly suspected, now appeared before her in its frightful crudity138, so clear that it would henceforth be impossible to doubt it, to gloss139 it over. She beheld Saccard naked, with the ravaged140, complicated soul of a man of money, murky and rotting. For him there were neither bonds nor barriers; he rushed on to the satisfaction of his appetites with the unbridled instincts of a man who knows no other limit than powerlessness. He had sold his son, his wife, all who had fallen into his clutches; he had sold himself, and he would sell her too, and sell her brother, dispose of[Pg 229] their hearts and their brains for money. He was nothing but a maker141 of money, one who threw beings and things into the melting-pot to coin them into money. In a brief interval142 of lucidity143 she saw the Universal diffusing144 money like perspiration145 in all directions—a lake, an ocean of money, into the midst of which, all at once, with a frightful crash, the whole house would topple down. Ah! money, horrible money, that smirches and devours146!
Madame Caroline rose up in angry haste. No, no, it was monstrous; it was all over; she could no longer remain near that man. She would have forgiven him his betrayal; but loathing147 seized upon her at thought of all that old-time filth148; terror distracted her at thought of the crimes which were possible in the future. There was nothing left for her but to start off at once if she did not wish to be splashed with mud herself, crushed beneath the ruins. And a pressing desire came to her to go far, far away, to join her brother in the distant East, less to warn him than to disappear herself. Yes, she must start, start at once! It was not yet six o'clock; she could take the rapide for Marseilles at seven fifty-five; for it seemed to her that to see Saccard again would be beyond her strength. She would make whatever purchases were necessary at Marseilles before embarking149. A little linen150 in a trunk, one spare dress, and she would be off. In a quarter of an hour she could be ready.
Then the sight of her work on the table, the memoir which she had begun writing, made her pause for a moment. But what would be the use of taking that with her, since the whole thing was rotten at the foundation and was bound to fall? Nevertheless she began carefully arranging the documents and memoranda151, like a good housewife who never likes to leave things in disorder152. And the task occupied her for some moments, calming the first fever of her decision. She was again fully mistress of herself, when she gave a last glance round the room before leaving it. But just then the valet came in again, bringing a number of papers and letters.
In a mechanical kind of way Madame Caroline looked at the superscriptions, and perceived in the pile a letter from her[Pg 230] brother addressed to herself. It came from Damascus, where Hamelin was then staying, making arrangements for the proposed branch line from that city to Beyrout. At first she began to glance over the letter, standing153 near the lamp, and resolving that she would read it more carefully later on in the train. But each sentence held her attention, she was unable to skip a word; and she finally sat down again at the table, and gave herself up to the absorbing perusal154 of this long letter, which filled twelve pages.
Hamelin happened to be in one of his gayest moods. He thanked his sister for the last good news which she had sent him from Paris, and sent her still better news in return, for everything, said he, was going to his liking155. The first balance-sheet of the United Steam Navigation Company promised well; the new steamships156 were realising large receipts, thanks to their perfect equipment and superior speed. He jokingly said that folks travelled in them for pleasure, and pointed157 to the sea-ports invaded by tourists from the Western world, and declared that he could not make a journey by highway or byway without coming face to face with some Parisian of the Boulevards. As he had foreseen, it was really the East opened up to France. Cities, said he, would before long spring up on the fertile slopes of the Lebanon range. But particularly did he give a vivid picture of the lonely Carmel gorge158, where the silver mine was now being actively159 worked. The savage160 site was being humanised; springs had been discovered amidst the gigantic pile of fallen rocks which barred the valley on the north; and fields were being formed, wheat was replacing the mastic-trees, whilst a whole village had sprung up near the mines, at first merely some wooden cabins, huts to shelter the workmen, but now little stone-built houses with gardens—the beginning of a city which would continue growing so long as the veins161 were not exhausted162. There were now nearly five hundred inhabitants on the spot, and a road had just been finished connecting the village with Saint Jean d'Acre. From morning till night the extraction machines were roaring, waggons163 set out amid the loud cracking of whips, women sang, and children played and cried[Pg 231] where formerly164 there had been a desert and death-like silence, which only the eagles had broken with the sound of their slowly beating pinions165. And myrtle and broom still perfumed the atmosphere, which was so delightfully167 pure.
On the subject of the first railway which he had to lay, the line from Broussa to Beyrout by way of Angora and Aleppo, Hamelin wrote at great length. All the formalities had been concluded at Constantinople. He was delighted with certain happy alterations168 which he had made in the line of route, so as to overcome the difficult passage through the Taurus passes; and of these passes and of the plains that stretched away at the foot of the mountains he wrote with the rapture169 of a man of science who had found new coal deposits there, and expected to see the country covered with factories. He had located his guiding points, and chosen the sites of his stations, some in the midst of the wild solitudes—one here, another farther on. Cities would spring up around those stations at the intersection170 of the natural highways. The seed was already sown for the crop of men and grand things of the future; everything was already germinating171; within a few years there would here be a new world. And he concluded with a loving kiss for his dear sister, happy at being able to associate her in this resurrection of a people, telling her that much of it would be due to her, to her who had so long helped him, buoyed172 him up by her fine bravery and health.
Madame Caroline had finished her perusal, the letter lay open on the table, and she remained there thinking, her eyes once more fixed135 upon the lamp. Then her glances involuntarily rose and strayed round the walls, lingering for a moment on each of the plans, each of the water-colour drawings she saw there. The pavilion for the manager of the United Steam Navigation Company was now built at Beyrout, and was surrounded by vast store-houses. That deep, wild gorge of Mount Carmel, blocked up with brambles and stones, was now being peopled; the huge nest, as it were, of some new-born race. Those levellings in the Taurus range were changing the aspect of the horizon, opening the way for[Pg 232] free commerce. And from all those geometrically outlined designs, secured to the walls by a few tacks173, there sprang up before her a complete vision of the far-off country where she had formerly travelled, and which she had loved so dearly for its beautiful sky of unchanging blue and its ever fertile soil.
Again she beheld the gardens of Beyrout rising up in tiers, the valleys of Mount Lebanon with their great forests of olive and mulberry trees, the plains of Antioch and Aleppo with their immense orchards174 of delightful166 fruits. Again she beheld herself with her brother continually journeying through that marvellous country, whose incalculable wealth was lost, ignored, or misapplied, which had had no roads, no industry, no agriculture, no schools, but had been solely175 the abode176 of idleness and ignorance. Now, however, all was springing to life again, thanks to an extraordinary flow of fresh sap. This vision of the East of to-morrow already set prosperous cities, cultivated fields, happy people before her eyes. And she saw them, and heard the busy hum of the workshops; and realised that this old soil, so long asleep, was reawakened at last, and was entering upon the work of parturition177.
Then Madame Caroline acquired the sudden conviction that money was the dung-heap in which grew the humanity of to-morrow. Some of Saccard's remarks, scraps178 of his theories respecting speculation179, came back to her mind. She recalled that idea of his that without speculation there would be no great fruitful enterprises, just in the same way as without love, though love may have its horrid aspects, there would be no life. If life is to continue in the world, there must be passion. If her brother over yonder in the East was in such high spirits, shouting victory amidst the workshops and yards which were being got in order, and the buildings which were springing from the soil, it was because the passion for gambling180 was making money rain down and rot everything in Paris. Poisonous and destructive money became the ferment181 of all social vegetation, served as the necessary compost for the execution of the great works which would draw the nations nearer together and pacify182 the earth.
[Pg 233]
She had cursed money, and now she fell in awe-stricken admiration183 before it; for was not money the sole force that can level a mountain, fill up an arm of the sea—briefly, render the earth inhabitable by men, who, once relieved of labour, would become but the conductors of machines. From this force, which was the root of all evil, there also sprang everything that was good. And, shaken to the depths of her being, she no longer knew what to do, for although she had already decided184 that she would not go away, since success seemed complete in the East and it was at Paris that the battle raged, she was yet unable to calm herself, to heal her bleeding heart.
She rose, and with her forehead pressed against a pane185 of one of the windows commanding the garden of the Beauvilliers mansion, she looked out. It was now night; and she could only distinguish a faint gleam in the lonely little room in which the Countess and her daughter confined themselves, so that they might economise firing and avoid soiling the other apartments. Behind the thin muslin curtains she could vaguely186 distinguish the figure of the Countess, who was mending some linen, whilst Alice was busy with some water-colour sketches187, which she painted hurriedly by the dozen and secretly sold. A misfortune had lately happened to them; their horse had contracted some illness, and for a fortnight they had been confined to the house, obstinately188 refusing to show themselves on foot in the streets, and reluctant to hire another horse from a livery stable. Nevertheless, amidst the poverty which they so heroically concealed189, they were now buoyed up, inspirited by one hope—a hope that the rise in the value of Universal shares would continue, that their gain, already very considerable, would fall upon them in a golden rain when the day came for them to realise their shares at the highest possible figure. The Countess promised herself a really new dress, and dreamt of being able to give four dinners a month without having to live on bread and water for a fortnight in order to do so. Alice, too, no longer laughed with an affected190 air of indifference191 when her mother spoke192 to her of marriage, but listened with a slight trembling of the hands, beginning to believe that this dream would[Pg 234] perhaps be realised, and that, like others, she might have a husband and children of her own.
As Madame Caroline stood looking at the little lamp which lighted them, she felt great calmness, a soft affectionate feeling, penetrating193 her, struck as she was by the circumstance that money, merely the hope of money, sufficed for the happiness of those poor creatures. If Saccard should enrich them, would they not bless him—would he not remain charitable and good in the estimation of both of them? So goodness was to be found everywhere, even in the worst, who are always good to someone, and who always, amidst the curses of a crowd, have humble194, isolated195 voices thanking and adoring them. At this thought her mind turned towards the Institute of Work. On the day before she had, on Saccard's behalf, distributed some toys and sweetmeats there, in celebration of an anniversary; and she smiled involuntarily at the recollection of the children's noisy joy. For the last month Victor had given greater satisfaction; she had read some notes about him when calling on the Princess d'Orviedo, with whom, twice a week, she had a long chat respecting the institution. But as the image of Victor suddenly appeared to her, she felt astonished at having forgotten him in her crisis of despair, when she had made up her mind to flee from Paris. Could she have thus abandoned him—compromised the success of the good action which she had carried so far with so much trouble? A more and more penetrating feeling of gentle affection came upon her as she gazed into the obscurity of the tall trees, a flood of ineffable196 renunciation, of divine tolerance197, which enlarged her heart; and it seemed to her that the common little lamp of the Beauvilliers ladies was now shining forth like a star.
When Madame Caroline came back to her table she was shivering a little. What! was she cold then? The idea amused her, she who boasted of passing the winter without fires. She felt, however, as though she had come from an icy bath, rejuvenated198 and strong, with her pulse very calm. It was thus with her on the mornings when she rose feeling particularly well. Then it occurred to her to put a log in the[Pg 235] fire-place; and, seeing that the fire was out, she amused herself in lighting199 it again, without ringing for a servant. It was quite a job, for she had no small wood, but she at last managed to ignite the logs by means of some old newspapers, which she burned one after another. On her knees before the hearth she laughed all alone; and for a moment she remained there, feeling happy and surprised. She had again passed through one of her great crises, and now she again hoped. For what? She knew nothing of the eternal unknown that lay at the end of life, at the end of humanity. To live, that must suffice, in order that life might continually bring her the cure for the wounds which life inflicted200. Once more did she remember the catastrophes201 of her existence—her frightful marriage, her poverty in Paris, her abandonment by the only man whom she had loved; and after every fall she had recovered that tenacious202 energy, that immortal203 joy which ever placed her on her feet again amid the ruins. Had not everything just collapsed204 again? She could no longer esteem205 Saccard, confronted as she had been by his frightful past, even as holy women are confronted by the unclean wounds which they go, morning and evening, to dress, not hoping ever to heal them. But, albeit she knew the truth, she was going to continue her wonted life. She was going to live in a fire, in the panting forge of speculation, under the incessant206 threat of a final catastrophe, in which her brother might lose his honour and his life. Nevertheless, there she stood, almost reckless, as on the morning of a fine day, tasting the joy of battle in confronting danger. Why? for nothing in reason, but for the sole pleasure of being! Her brother told her truly she was the incarnation of invincible207 hope.
When Saccard returned he found Madame Caroline buried in her work, finishing in her firm handwriting a page of the memoir on the Oriental railways. She raised her head and smiled at him peacefully, while his lips lightly touched her beautiful, radiant, white hair.
'You have been very busy, my friend?'
'Oh, endless business! I saw the Minister of Public[Pg 236] Works; I went to meet Huret, then I had to return to the Ministry208, where I only found a secretary, but at last I have the promise they want over yonder.'
Having handed him Hamelin's letter, which delighted him, she watched him as he exulted209 over the approaching triumph, and said to herself that she would henceforth look after him more closely in order to prevent the follies210 of which he would otherwise certainly be guilty. However, she could not bring herself to treat him with severity.
'Your son came here to invite you to dinner,' she said, 'on behalf of Madame de Jeumont.'
'Oh, she had already written to me!' he exclaimed. 'I forgot to tell you that I am going there this evening. It bores me terribly, tired as I am.'
Then he went off, after once more kissing her white hair. She returned to her work again, with her wonted kindly211, indulgent smile. She had forced herself to subdue212 her feelings. Was she not, after all, but a friend—a friend in all things? The thought of jealousy caused her shame. She wished to rise superior to the pain it might bring her. For, despite everything, she loved him with all her courageous213, charitable heart. It was the triumph of love—that fellow Saccard, that financial bandit of the streets, loved so completely, so absolutely by that adorable woman because she beheld him, brave and active, creating a world, making life.
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1
minor
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| adj.较小(少)的，较次要的；n.辅修学科；vi.辅修 | |
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memoir
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| n.[pl.]回忆录，自传；记事录 | |
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hue
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| n.色度；色调；样子 | |
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portfolios
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| n.投资组合( portfolio的名词复数 )；（保险）业务量；（公司或机构提供的）系列产品；纸夹 | |
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illuminated
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| adj.被照明的；受启迪的 | |
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emblems
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| n.象征，标记( emblem的名词复数 ) | |
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salvation
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| n.（尤指基督）救世，超度，拯救，解困 | |
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distressful
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| adj.苦难重重的，不幸的，使苦恼的 | |
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peril
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| n.(严重的)危险；危险的事物 | |
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pious
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| adj.虔诚的；道貌岸然的 | |
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derive
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| v.取得；导出；引申；来自；源自；出自 | |
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serene
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| adj. 安详的，宁静的，平静的 | |
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poetically
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| adv.有诗意地，用韵文 | |
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par
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| n.标准，票面价值，平均数量；adj.票面的，平常的，标准的 | |
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crackers
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| adj.精神错乱的，癫狂的n.爆竹( cracker的名词复数 )；薄脆饼干；（认为）十分愉快的事；迷人的姑娘 | |
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16
beheld
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| v.看，注视( behold的过去式和过去分词 )；瞧；看呀；（叙述中用于引出某人意外的出现）哎哟 | |
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17
tranquil
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| adj. 安静的, 宁静的, 稳定的, 不变的 | |
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18
scorched
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| 烧焦，烤焦( scorch的过去式和过去分词 )； 使（植物）枯萎，把…晒枯； 高速行驶； 枯焦 | |
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ardently
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| adv.热心地，热烈地 | |
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20
ingenuous
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| adj.纯朴的，单纯的；天真的；坦率的 | |
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21
lull
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| v.使安静，使入睡，缓和，哄骗；n.暂停，间歇 | |
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22
depicted
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| 描绘，描画( depict的过去式和过去分词 )； 描述 | |
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23
brutally
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| adv.残忍地，野蛮地，冷酷无情地 | |
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24
baroness
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| n.男爵夫人，女男爵 | |
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25
jealousy
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| n.妒忌，嫉妒，猜忌 | |
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26
sever
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| v.切开，割开；断绝，中断 | |
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27
hurl
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| vt.猛投，力掷，声叫骂 | |
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28
bent
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| n.爱好，癖好；adj.弯的；决心的，一心的 | |
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29
ascertain
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| vt.发现，确定，查明，弄清 | |
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30
gendarme
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| n.宪兵 | |
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previously
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| adv.以前，先前（地） | |
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anguish
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| n.(尤指心灵上的)极度痛苦，烦恼 | |
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33
condoned
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| v.容忍，宽恕，原谅( condone的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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stifled
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| （使）窒息， （使）窒闷( stifle的过去式和过去分词 )； 镇压，遏制； 堵 | |
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35
conceited
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| adj.自负的，骄傲自满的 | |
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insolently
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| adv.自豪地，自傲地 | |
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37
effrontery
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| n.厚颜无耻 | |
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horrid
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| adj.可怕的；令人惊恐的；恐怖的；极讨厌的 | |
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39
unwilling
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| adj.不情愿的 | |
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prosecutor
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| n.起诉人；检察官，公诉人 | |
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41
wail
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| vt./vi.大声哀号，恸哭；呼啸，尖啸 | |
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42
stifling
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| a.令人窒息的 | |
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43
tranquillity
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| n. 平静, 安静 | |
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44
accomplice
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| n.从犯，帮凶，同谋 | |
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45
remorse
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| n.痛恨，悔恨，自责 | |
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46
reassuring
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| a.使人消除恐惧和疑虑的，使人放心的 | |
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47
shareholders
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| n.股东( shareholder的名词复数 ) | |
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48
monstrous
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| adj.巨大的；恐怖的；可耻的，丢脸的 | |
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49
puffs
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| n.吸( puff的名词复数 )；（烟斗或香烟的）一吸；一缕（烟、蒸汽等）；（呼吸或风的）呼v.使喷出( puff的第三人称单数 )；喷着汽（或烟）移动；吹嘘；吹捧 | |
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50
disseminated
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| 散布，传播( disseminate的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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51
colossal
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| adj.异常的，庞大的 | |
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52
edifice
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| n.宏伟的建筑物(如宫殿，教室) | |
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53
miraculous
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| adj.像奇迹一样的，不可思议的 | |
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54
distressed
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| 痛苦的 | |
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55
gallop
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| v./n.(马或骑马等)飞奔；飞速发展 | |
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56
diabolical
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| adj.恶魔似的，凶暴的 | |
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57
albeit
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| conj.即使；纵使；虽然 | |
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58
banking
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| n.银行业，银行学，金融业 | |
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59
fully
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| adv.完全地，全部地，彻底地；充分地 | |
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60
feverishness
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61
destined
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| adj.命中注定的；(for)以…为目的地的 | |
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62
intoxicate
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| vt.使喝醉，使陶醉，使欣喜若狂 | |
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63
plunge
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| v.跳入，(使)投入，(使)陷入；猛冲 | |
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64
credulous
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| adj.轻信的，易信的 | |
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65
twilight
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| n.暮光，黄昏；暮年，晚期，衰落时期 | |
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66
perfectly
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| adv.完美地，无可非议地，彻底地 | |
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67
lashing
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| n.鞭打；痛斥；大量；许多v.鞭打( lash的现在分词 )；煽动；紧系；怒斥 | |
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68
shuddered
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| v.战栗( shudder的过去式和过去分词 )；发抖；（机器、车辆等）突然震动；颤动 | |
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69
murky
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| adj.黑暗的，朦胧的；adv.阴暗地，混浊地；n.阴暗；昏暗 | |
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70
degradations
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| 堕落( degradation的名词复数 )； 下降； 陵削； 毁坏 | |
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71
enveloped
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| v.包围，笼罩，包住( envelop的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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72
mere
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| adj.纯粹的；仅仅，只不过 | |
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73
catastrophe
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| n.大灾难，大祸 | |
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74
erect
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| n./v.树立，建立，使竖立；adj.直立的，垂直的 | |
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75
warrior
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| n.勇士，武士，斗士 | |
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76
sobbed
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| 哭泣，啜泣( sob的过去式和过去分词 )； 哭诉，呜咽地说 | |
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77
avowal
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| n.公开宣称，坦白承认 | |
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78
stammered
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| v.结巴地说出( stammer的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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79
miser
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| n.守财奴，吝啬鬼 (adj.miserly) | |
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80
miserable
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| adj.悲惨的，痛苦的；可怜的，糟糕的 | |
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81
sobs
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| 啜泣（声），呜咽（声）( sob的名词复数 ) | |
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82
spacious
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| adj.广阔的，宽敞的 | |
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83
fretting
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| n. 微振磨损 adj. 烦躁的, 焦虑的 | |
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84
mien
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| n.风采；态度 | |
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85
virile
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| adj.男性的；有男性生殖力的；有男子气概的；强有力的 | |
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86
softened
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| （使）变软( soften的过去式和过去分词 )； 缓解打击； 缓和； 安慰 | |
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87
shrugged
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| vt.耸肩（shrug的过去式与过去分词形式） | |
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88
eyelids
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| n.眼睑( eyelid的名词复数 )；眼睛也不眨一下；不露声色；面不改色 | |
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89
inevitable
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| adj.不可避免的，必然发生的 | |
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90
ransom
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| n.赎金，赎身；v.赎回，解救 | |
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91
irresistible
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| adj.非常诱人的，无法拒绝的，无法抗拒的 | |
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92
worthy
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| adj.(of)值得的，配得上的；有价值的 | |
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93
inquiry
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| n.打听，询问，调查，查问 | |
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94
circuitous
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| adj.迂回的路的，迂曲的，绕行的 | |
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95
abruptly
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| adv.突然地，出其不意地 | |
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96
cleanse
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| vt.使清洁，使纯洁，清洗 | |
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97
annoyances
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| n.恼怒( annoyance的名词复数 )；烦恼；打扰；使人烦恼的事 | |
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98
demurely
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| adv.装成端庄地，认真地 | |
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99
enjoyment
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| n.乐趣；享有；享用 | |
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100
covert
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| adj.隐藏的；暗地里的 | |
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101
maliciousness
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| [法] 恶意 | |
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magistrate
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| n.地方行政官，地方法官，治安官 | |
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103
gush
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| v.喷，涌；滔滔不绝(说话)；n.喷，涌流；迸发 | |
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104
forth
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| adv.向前；向外，往外 | |
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105
torrents
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| n.倾注；奔流( torrent的名词复数 )；急流；爆发；连续不断 | |
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106
enjoyments
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| 愉快( enjoyment的名词复数 )； 令人愉快的事物； 享有； 享受 | |
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107
derives
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| v.得到( derive的第三人称单数 )；（从…中）得到获得；源于；（从…中）提取 | |
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108
rascally
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| adj. 无赖的，恶棍的 adv. 无赖地，卑鄙地 | |
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109
assent
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| v.批准，认可；n.批准，认可 | |
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110
withered
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| adj. 枯萎的，干瘪的，（人身体的部分器官）因病萎缩的或未发育良好的 动词wither的过去式和过去分词形式 | |
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111
rue
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| n.懊悔，芸香，后悔；v.后悔，悲伤，懊悔 | |
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112
execrated
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| v.憎恶( execrate的过去式和过去分词 )；厌恶；诅咒；咒骂 | |
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113
annihilated
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| v.（彻底）消灭( annihilate的过去式和过去分词 )；使无效；废止；彻底击溃 | |
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114
tinge
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| vt.(较淡)着色于，染色；使带有…气息；n.淡淡色彩，些微的气息 | |
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115
embarrassment
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| n.尴尬；使人为难的人(事物)；障碍；窘迫 | |
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116
alluded
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| 提及，暗指( allude的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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117
mansion
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| n.大厦，大楼；宅第 | |
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118
shameful
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| adj.可耻的，不道德的 | |
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119
hearth
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| n.壁炉炉床，壁炉地面 | |
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120
abominable
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| adj.可厌的，令人憎恶的 | |
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121
abide
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| vi.遵守；坚持；vt.忍受 | |
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122
hindrance
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| n.妨碍，障碍 | |
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123
consecutive
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| adj.连续的，联贯的，始终一贯的 | |
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124
confessions
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| n.承认( confession的名词复数 )；自首；声明；（向神父的）忏悔 | |
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125
frightful
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| adj.可怕的；讨厌的 | |
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126
ailing
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| v.生病 | |
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127
prodigal
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| adj.浪费的，挥霍的，放荡的 | |
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128
deity
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| n.神，神性；被奉若神明的人(或物) | |
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129
scruples
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| n.良心上的不安( scruple的名词复数 )；顾虑，顾忌v.感到于心不安，有顾忌( scruple的第三人称单数 ) | |
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130
grandeur
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| n.伟大，崇高，宏伟，庄严，豪华 | |
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131
prey
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| n.被掠食者，牺牲者，掠食；v.捕食，掠夺，折磨 | |
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132
pang
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| n.剧痛，悲痛，苦闷 | |
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133
promptly
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| adv.及时地，敏捷地 | |
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134
incorrigible
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| adj.难以纠正的，屡教不改的 | |
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135
fixed
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| adj.固定的，不变的，准备好的；(计算机)固定的 | |
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136
fixedly
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| adv.固定地；不屈地，坚定不移地 | |
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137
dilated
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| adj.加宽的，扩大的v.（使某物）扩大，膨胀，张大( dilate的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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138
crudity
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| n.粗糙，生硬；adj.粗略的 | |
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139
gloss
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| n.光泽，光滑；虚饰；注释；vt.加光泽于；掩饰 | |
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140
ravaged
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| 毁坏( ravage的过去式和过去分词 )； 蹂躏； 劫掠； 抢劫 | |
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141
maker
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| n.制造者，制造商 | |
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142
interval
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| n.间隔，间距；幕间休息，中场休息 | |
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143
lucidity
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| n.明朗，清晰，透明 | |
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144
diffusing
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| （使光）模糊，漫射，漫散( diffuse的现在分词 )； （使）扩散； （使）弥漫； （使）传播 | |
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145
perspiration
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| n.汗水；出汗 | |
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146
devours
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| 吞没( devour的第三人称单数 )； 耗尽； 津津有味地看； 狼吞虎咽地吃光 | |
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147
loathing
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| n.厌恶，憎恨v.憎恨，厌恶( loathe的现在分词)；极不喜欢 | |
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148
filth
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| n.肮脏，污物，污秽；淫猥 | |
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149
embarking
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| 乘船( embark的现在分词 )； 装载； 从事 | |
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150
linen
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| n.亚麻布，亚麻线，亚麻制品；adj.亚麻布制的，亚麻的 | |
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151
memoranda
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| n. 备忘录, 便条 名词memorandum的复数形式 | |
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152
disorder
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| n.紊乱，混乱；骚动，骚乱；疾病，失调 | |
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153
standing
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| n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的 | |
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154
perusal
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| n.细读，熟读；目测 | |
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155
liking
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| n.爱好；嗜好；喜欢 | |
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156
steamships
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| n.汽船，大轮船( steamship的名词复数 ) | |
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157
pointed
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| adj.尖的，直截了当的 | |
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158
gorge
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| n.咽喉，胃，暴食，山峡；v.塞饱，狼吞虎咽地吃 | |
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159
actively
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| adv.积极地，勤奋地 | |
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160
savage
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| adj.野蛮的；凶恶的，残暴的；n.未开化的人 | |
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161
veins
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| n.纹理；矿脉( vein的名词复数 )；静脉；叶脉；纹理 | |
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162
exhausted
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| adj.极其疲惫的，精疲力尽的 | |
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163
waggons
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| 四轮的运货马车( waggon的名词复数 )； 铁路货车； 小手推车 | |
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164
formerly
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| adv.从前，以前 | |
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165
pinions
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| v.抓住[捆住]（双臂）( pinion的第三人称单数 ) | |
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166
delightful
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| adj.令人高兴的，使人快乐的 | |
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167
delightfully
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| 大喜，欣然 | |
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168
alterations
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| n.改动( alteration的名词复数 )；更改；变化；改变 | |
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169
rapture
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| n.狂喜；全神贯注；着迷；v.使狂喜 | |
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170
intersection
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| n.交集，十字路口，交叉点；[计算机] 交集 | |
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171
germinating
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| n.& adj.发芽（的）v.（使）发芽( germinate的现在分词 ) | |
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172
buoyed
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| v.使浮起( buoy的过去式和过去分词 )；支持；为…设浮标；振奋…的精神 | |
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173
tacks
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| 大头钉( tack的名词复数 )； 平头钉； 航向； 方法 | |
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174
orchards
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| （通常指围起来的）果园( orchard的名词复数 ) | |
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175
solely
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| adv.仅仅，唯一地 | |
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176
abode
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| n.住处，住所 | |
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177
parturition
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| n.生产，分娩 | |
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178
scraps
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| 油渣 | |
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179
speculation
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| n.思索，沉思；猜测；投机 | |
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180
gambling
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| n.赌博；投机 | |
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181
ferment
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| vt.使发酵；n./vt.（使）激动，（使）动乱 | |
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182
pacify
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| vt.使(某人)平静(或息怒)；抚慰 | |
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183
admiration
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| n.钦佩，赞美，羡慕 | |
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184
decided
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| adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的 | |
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185
pane
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| n.窗格玻璃，长方块 | |
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186
vaguely
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| adv.含糊地，暖昧地 | |
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187
sketches
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| n.草图( sketch的名词复数 )；素描；速写；梗概 | |
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188
obstinately
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| ad.固执地，顽固地 | |
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189
concealed
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| a.隐藏的，隐蔽的 | |
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190
affected
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| adj.不自然的，假装的 | |
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191
indifference
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| n.不感兴趣，不关心，冷淡，不在乎 | |
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192
spoke
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| n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说 | |
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193
penetrating
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| adj.（声音）响亮的，尖锐的adj.（气味）刺激的adj.（思想）敏锐的，有洞察力的 | |
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194
humble
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| adj.谦卑的，恭顺的；地位低下的；v.降低，贬低 | |
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195
isolated
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| adj.与世隔绝的 | |
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196
ineffable
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| adj.无法表达的，不可言喻的 | |
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197
tolerance
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| n.宽容；容忍，忍受；耐药力；公差 | |
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198
rejuvenated
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| 更生的 | |
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199
lighting
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| n.照明，光线的明暗，舞台灯光 | |
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200
inflicted
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| 把…强加给，使承受，遭受( inflict的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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201
catastrophes
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| n.灾祸( catastrophe的名词复数 )；灾难；不幸事件；困难 | |
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202
tenacious
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| adj.顽强的，固执的，记忆力强的，粘的 | |
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203
immortal
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| adj.不朽的；永生的，不死的；神的 | |
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204
collapsed
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| adj.倒塌的 | |
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205
esteem
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| n.尊敬，尊重；vt.尊重，敬重；把…看作 | |
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206
incessant
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| adj.不停的，连续的 | |
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207
invincible
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| adj.不可征服的，难以制服的 | |
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208
ministry
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| n.(政府的)部；牧师 | |
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209
exulted
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| 狂喜，欢跃( exult的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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210
follies
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| 罪恶，时事讽刺剧； 愚蠢，蠢笨，愚蠢的行为、思想或做法( folly的名词复数 ) | |
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211
kindly
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| adj.和蔼的，温和的，爽快的；adv.温和地，亲切地 | |
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212
subdue
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| vt.制服，使顺从，征服；抑制，克制 | |
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213
courageous
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| adj.勇敢的，有胆量的 | |
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