‘Your wife!’ she exclaimed. ‘Your wife, monsieur!’
A dark look passed over the Frenchman’s face. He bowed profoundly.
‘It is an honour which has been coveted3 by many, madame,’ he returned, ‘to be the wife of your humble4 serviteur; but I am proud to say it has been reserved for one who is truly worthy5 of it. Yes, Madeline, I will own it—at one time I thought the position too elevated for you; but when I saw you nobly rising to fame, I said to myself, “After all, I was wrong. She is a splendid creature; she will adorn6 our world of Art; at the right moment I will reveal the truth, and claim her”—and so, my dear Madeline, I claim you now!’
He smiled, he held forth7 his hand; but Madeline recoiled again.
‘Do not touch me,’ she cried wildly.
He shrugged8 his shoulders.
‘Eh bien—I have no wish to touch you, chère amie—but if you play the tragedy queen in the park you will gather a crowd about you, and that would not be pleasant for you.
He spoke with quiet malignity9; nevertheless Madeline knew that he spoke truly. She was utterly10 in his power, and for her own sake she dared not make a scene; whatever she said must be said quietly for fear of attracting attention. She cast a fearful glance around her, then, pale and trembling with disgust and shame, she turned again to the Frenchman.
‘This is another of your falsehoods. Why have you chosen to tell me it to-day?’
‘Mon Dieu! what a question! I do not choose to tell you a story. I came to claim my wife.’
‘It is false. I am not your wife.’
‘No? Then this little writing lies.’
As he spoke he drew forth a paper and waved it carelessly in the air.
‘Ah, my dear Madeline, there was once a time when you would joyfully11 have received the news I bring you to-day. You did not always scorn the thought of being madame my lady!’
‘You are right, monsieur,’ answered Madeline. ‘There was once a time when the news which you bring me today would have been welcome to me, but thank God that time has gone, and I am changed!’
‘Yes,’ he returned quietly, ‘you are changed, as you say; so also am I. At that period of my career to which you allude12 I was not perfect, and, pardon me for saying so, Madeline, neither were you. I confess with all humility13 that I told lies, and we both showed temper, but—nous avons changé tout14 cela! I come to-day to tell you the truth, and to offer you your rightful home.’
Again he moved as if to approach her. Again she shrank away.
‘It is not the truth,’ she returned vehemently15; ‘I refuse to believe you! You told me the truth once, but you are lying to me to-day!’
Again his face darkened, but when he spoke his voice was as sweet as it had been before.
‘Your judgment16 is harsh, chérie, but I have without doubt deserved it—that being so, I bear it with patience. I say to you that I lied to you before; therefore I must not expect you to believe me now. Before I could not prove the truth of my statement, but that is all changed at last!’
Again he produced his slip of paper; this time he held it out before Madeline’s eyes. In a dazed, troubled way she looked at it. She saw at a glance that it was the certificate, real or forged, of the marriage between Auguste Belleisle and Madeline Hazel mere17. Therefore she completely lost her self control, and did what, under the circumstances, it was most injudicious that she should do—she allowed the Frenchman to see that she was afraid.
‘I will not—I cannot—believe it,’ she cried. ‘If it is so, why did you tell me that wicked falsehood, when I did not know you well enough to doubt your word?’
‘I will tell you, dearest. When I induced you to fly with me from the school I was poor—miserably poor, and I believed I was eloping with a lady who would become possessed18 of a fortune when she was of age. Ah! forgive me, but I was wicked, corrupt19! Then I said to myself, “She is a charming girl; she will become the victim of fortune-hunters; she evidently adores me, and I care for her; the fortune must be mine!” Afterwards you repented20 of your mad folly21. I knew you did so too late—in spite of your wishes I married you. Shortly after our marriage you yourself informed me, chérie, that you were poor. I felt that I had been befooled, and I grew enraged22. Still, as I could not easily rid myself of my wife, I resolved to make her useful. I did so. You fell into my plans until you discovered them; then you showed temper, and threatened to become dangerous. I wondered for a second time what I should do with you. I determined23 to try a bold stroke, and succeed or fail. I succeeded. I told you a lie, mon ange, and in your charming innocence24 you believed it to be the truth. You asked for no proofs, which was lucky for me, since I could produce none. You believed that you had been my mistress. I knew that you were bound to me by a nearer and a dearer tie.’
He paused and looked at her. Her face was ghastly, her eyes wildly fixed25; she shivered through all her frame.
‘Madame, you are not well.’
Again she shrank away. He smiled and nodded.
‘Mon ange, I know I have done wrong, but you must forget and forgive. I came to make amends26. Since those days of which I have spoken I also have changed. I am no longer a penniless, nameless Frenchman. I have risen to a position which henceforth I hope to adorn. The divine Muse27 has entered into my soul. Art is now my adored mistress; the great men and women of the land are pleased, so to speak, to prostrate28 themselves before me. I offer you a position which thousands would give their lives to fill. Bien! I care nothing for them. I accept their adulation, but I am willing to place you beside me and say to the world, “This charming creature is my wife!”’
What wonderful self-sacrifice!—what condescension29!
He stood as if expecting her to fall in ecstasy30 at his feet. She simply stared at him in dumb amazement31, till, disgusted at her silence, Gavrolles, who had all his wits about him, spoke again.
‘Mon Dieu, but am I not generous!’ he said. ‘I say to you, “Come to me, my wife;” while you think, “Alas32! it is too late. I have taken to myself another husband.” Well, that shall make no difference to me. I take the blame of that, since it was I who deceived you. Yes, mon ange, I forgive you from my soul! *
She looked at him in deepening horror, while she said in a hollow voice—
‘What of my husband, monsieur?’
‘Parbleu, I had no thought of him. What is he?—a common tradesman, I believe; a dull creature, incapable33 of comprehending the splendours of a nature like mine; there is no poetry in his soul. He adds up his accounts now; he will add them up when you are gone—that is all!’
Madeline’s face grew even whiter, but her eyes flashed fire.
‘Take care,’ she cried, ‘take care. Say what you like of me, do what you can to me, but don’t dare to put a slight on him.’
It was now the Frenchman’s turn to be astonished. For a moment the lackadaisical34 look of condescension passed completely from his eyes.
‘What do you mean?’ he asked sharply.
‘Only this, monsieur, that the gentleman whom you are pleased to denounce as commonplace is as far above you as the sun is above the earth. That after you had tried to destroy me it was he who nobly put out his hand to save me. That sooner than let you bring disgrace and sorrow to him I will make a sacrifice of myself, perhaps of you!’
‘Parbleu, but you are heroic,’ sneered35 the Frenchman.
‘What I am,’ continued Madeline, ‘I am; thanks to you, and you only. I have been dragged as low almost as the women who nightly walk the streets. Now you come to me and ask me to return to shame and degradation36. Your wife I may be, as you say, but sooner than return to you and live with you—in honourable37 wedlock38, as the world would call it—I would destroy myself. I expect no mercy from you. Well, you may do you worst—what that may be I neither know nor care.’
And before the Frenchman could utter a word she turned from him and walked swiftly away.
He did not attempt to follow her. This sudden and unexpected onslaught of his victim had found him quite unprepared, and he gazed after her with eyes full of perplexity and amazement. Then he, too, turned and walked away. He strolled slowly through the park in the direction of the Serpentine39; having reached it, he paused on one of the bridges, leant over the parapet, and watched the swans. He felt in his pocket, threw them some broken biscuits, and watched them eat.
While so watching, he soliloquised. ‘As I suspected,’ he murmured, ‘she still possesses a spirit and a temper—-eh bien, it is for me to manage both. If this little piece of paper (touching the certificate) were genuine, if that spirited creature were indeed my wife, I should find my work easy. The law would give her to me, and there would be an end to the whole matter. I would place her again upon the stage; she would make me a rich man, while I could pursue my dream, mount rapidly up the ladder of fame, become the idol40 of mankind, and make my name immortal41. But, alas! that cannot be. The charming creature detests42 me, and means to resist me. I dare not appeal to the law, for it would require more proofs of my sagacity than my charming Madeline does. Parbleu! what must I do now?’
He ran his thin fingers through his long hair; he gazed again meditatively43 at the water; he threw some more biscuits to the swans. Suddenly the perplexed44 look passed away from his face, which lit up into positive ecstasy.
‘The husband! 5 he cried. ‘Mon Dieu! but she adores the husband even more cordially than she detests me. Let me think of him; let my plans involve him, and my success is tolerably sure.’
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1
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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2
recoiled
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| v.畏缩( recoil的过去式和过去分词 )；退缩；报应；返回 | |
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3
coveted
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| adj.令人垂涎的；垂涎的，梦寐以求的v.贪求，觊觎(covet的过去分词)；垂涎；贪图 | |
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4
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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5
worthy
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| adj.(of)值得的，配得上的；有价值的 | |
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6
adorn
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| vt.使美化，装饰 | |
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7
forth
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| adv.向前；向外，往外 | |
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8
shrugged
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| vt.耸肩（shrug的过去式与过去分词形式） | |
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9
malignity
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| n.极度的恶意，恶毒；（病的）恶性 | |
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10
utterly
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| adv.完全地，绝对地 | |
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joyfully
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| adv. 喜悦地, 高兴地 | |
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12
allude
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| v.提及，暗指 | |
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humility
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| n.谦逊，谦恭 | |
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14
tout
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| v.推销，招徕；兜售；吹捧，劝诱 | |
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15
vehemently
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| adv. 热烈地 | |
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16
judgment
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| n.审判；判断力，识别力，看法，意见 | |
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17
mere
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| adj.纯粹的；仅仅，只不过 | |
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18
possessed
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| adj.疯狂的；拥有的，占有的 | |
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19
corrupt
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| v.贿赂，收买；adj.腐败的，贪污的 | |
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20
repented
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| 对（自己的所为）感到懊悔或忏悔( repent的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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21
folly
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| n.愚笨，愚蠢，蠢事，蠢行，傻话 | |
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22
enraged
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| 使暴怒( enrage的过去式和过去分词 )； 歜； 激愤 | |
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23
determined
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| adj.坚定的；有决心的 | |
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24
innocence
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| n.无罪；天真；无害 | |
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25
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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26
amends
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| n. 赔偿 | |
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27
muse
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| n.缪斯（希腊神话中的女神），创作灵感 | |
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28
prostrate
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| v.拜倒，平卧，衰竭；adj.拜倒的，平卧的，衰竭的 | |
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29
condescension
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| n.自以为高人一等，贬低(别人) | |
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30
ecstasy
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| n.狂喜，心醉神怡，入迷 | |
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31
amazement
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| n.惊奇，惊讶 | |
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32
alas
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| int.唉(表示悲伤、忧愁、恐惧等) | |
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33
incapable
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| adj.无能力的，不能做某事的 | |
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34
lackadaisical
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| adj.无精打采的，无兴趣的；adv.无精打采地，不决断地 | |
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35
sneered
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| 讥笑，冷笑( sneer的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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36
degradation
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| n.降级；低落；退化；陵削；降解；衰变 | |
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37
honourable
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| adj.可敬的；荣誉的，光荣的 | |
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38
wedlock
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| n.婚姻，已婚状态 | |
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39
serpentine
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| adj.蜿蜒的，弯曲的 | |
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40
idol
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| n.偶像，红人，宠儿 | |
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41
immortal
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| adj.不朽的；永生的，不死的；神的 | |
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42
detests
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| v.憎恶，嫌恶，痛恨( detest的第三人称单数 ) | |
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43
meditatively
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| adv.冥想地 | |
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44
perplexed
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| adj.不知所措的 | |
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