Claude's Confession and Other Early Novels of Émile Zola. Эмиль Золя

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СКАЧАТЬ Then she is full of fun, and one could not possibly be dull with her.”

      This praise of Jeanne from such a mouth angered Daniel extremely; yet he concealed his wrath, and tried to assume an air of indifference.

      “But no money, my dear fellow,” went on Lorin; “not a fraction! Madame Tellier, who is well disposed towards me, had the kindness to warn me. The little girl is as beautiful as an angel, but she is one of those angels who is not satisfied with the clothing her wings give her, but goes to a frightful expense in silks and satins. She would make a charming wife; the worst of it is, she would cost abominably dear.”

      After that he was silent a moment or two and seemed to be reflecting. Then suddenly he said:

      “Raimboult, would you marry a woman who had not a sou?”

      “I do not know,” answered Daniel, astonished at this abrupt question; “I have never considered the matter. I believe I should marry the woman I loved.”

      “Perhaps you would be right,” slowly answered Lorin. “As far as I am concerned, I should think I was committing an act of egregious folly.” Then, hesitating, he stopped.

      “Pooh!” exclaimed he at last. “Follies are committed every day.” And he changed the subject. He boasted of his fortune. Then he noticed Madame Tellier coming in, being quickly surrounded by a circle of admirers.

      “Would you like,” he asked Daniel, “to be introduced to the queen of these regions?”

      “There is no need to introduce me,” answered the other; “she is already acquainted with me.”

      “But I have never seen you here.”

      “It is the first time I have come downstairs. I live in the house. I have been Monsieur Tellier’s secretary the last fortnight.”

      Those three short, dry sentences had a most disagreeable effect on Lorin.

      “You have?” said he.

      And this “you have” in his mouth meant distinctly, “Why the devil did you not inform me of this sooner? I would not have strolled about with you so long.”

      He gently dropped Daniel’s arm, and went and joined the group round Madame Tellier. The moment he found out his old comrade was only a secretary, a paid servant, he considered it compromising to be seen with him.

      Daniel smiled contemptuously, and regretted not having spoken out sooner, so as to have been the quicker rid of his obnoxious presence. He also, in turn, approached Madame Tellier, keeping, however, a few steps off.

      The lady was most elaborately and carefully rejuvenated, having aimed at a youthful appearance, although her face already bore traces of wrinkles. From time to time she cast a furtive look towards Jeanne, and was overjoyed at noticing that she herself was still surrounded by the largest circle, and was still the most courted. The young girl merely represented an object of comparison for her that reassured her against the first signs of old age.

      Lorin was there, attentive and gallant. He had far too much hypocritical diplomacy to break off suddenly with a power. He loved and admired the niece, but recollected that the aunt might be useful to him.

      Madame Tellier, vain as she was, was yet by no means deceived as to the young man’s inmost thoughts. At the end of a few minutes she said to him in a mischievous, mocking way:

      “Monsieur Lorin, pray go and entertain my niece a little; she seems rather dull out there by herself.”

      The moment she had spoken, she was sorry. Lorin, annoyed at her guessing his thoughts, bowed and went across to Jeanne. He was followed by some other young men, who hastened to take Madame Tellier’s words literally. A circle was formed round the young girl. Daniel succeeded in gaining the first row.

      Jeanne was no longer absent-minded or indifferent. Her eyes brightened and her mouth assumed a mocking expression. She entered feverishly into the worldly gossip carried on around her, stirring up the flippant talk with all the vivacity of her active spirit. Her heart had no share in it. Daniel listened in pained silence. He thought that she was not foolish like the others, but had all their hardness of heart. Then he remembered the dying woman’s words, and began to feel that the room was suffocating, and that his heart must soon cease beating in it.

      Jeanne railed on like a spoiled child. She had taken Lorin apart and was saying to him: “So you are quite sure that I am adorable?”

      “Most adorable,” emphatically repeated Lorin.

      “Would you dare confess this before my aunt?”

      “She herself has sent me to tell you so.”

      “I am much obliged for her kindness, but I am merciful, and I warn you you are running a great risk.”

      “What risk, may I ask?”

      “That of my taking seriously what you have just said to me out of compliment.... You must know that I am about to set keepers near me.”

      “Keepers! For what reason?” asked Lorin, for her vivacity had cut him to the quick.

      Jeanne shrugged her shoulders and set off laughing.

      “Can you not guess?” added she. “To prevent fools from falling into the dark pit dug for them by a dowerless girl.”

      “I do not understand you,” muttered Lorin.

      The young girl looked him in the face and made him lower his eyes.

      “All the better,” said she. “Then you must have told me a falsehood; you do not find me adorable.” And she began speaking of other things.

      “Have you heard of the terrible accident that took place yesterday at the ‘de la Marche’ races?” suddenly asked Lorin.

      “No,” answered Jeanne. “What happened?”

      “A jockey broke his ribs in taking the third obstacle. The wretched man uttered groans of agony, and the worst of it was that the horse following his broke his leg also.”

      “I was there,” joined in a young man. “I never saw a more dreadful sight.”

      A slight shudder contracted Jeanne’s calm face. A pang of pain shot through her form, and then she quietly said: “He must have been an awkward fellow. One ought never to fall off a horse.”

      Daniel, so far, had listened in silence. The young girl’s last words made his heart bound in his breast Now he said: “Pardon me, these gentlemen do not know the whole story.” Every one turned towards the interrupter, who spoke with emotion.

      “This morning,” continued he, “I read a full account of the accident in the paper. The awkward fellow, who committed the folly of getting killed, was carried, covered in blood, to his mother. This woman, a poor old thing of sixty, went mad with despair. At the present moment her son’s corpse is still unburied; and there is, in a little cell of the ‘Salprêtrière’ (lunatic asylum), a shrieking, lamenting mother.”

      Lorin thought his former comrade’s sally in very bad taste, and considered the barbarian was decidedly incorrigible.

      Whilst СКАЧАТЬ