Gerfaut, Complete

en. And yet, when a strong emotion causes its corrosive waters to filtrate into the veins of these impressionable beings, it trickles there drop by drop, until it has hollowed out in the very depths

n sole master of its prey. If one tries to repeat the accustomed prayer, and invoke the aid of the Virgin, or the good angel who watches at the foot of young girls' beds, in order to keep away the charms of the tempter, the prayer is only on the lips, the Virgin is deaf, the angel sleeps! The breath of passion against which one struggles runs through every fibr

e away the time until sleep came to her. Christian left his room, like a good country gentleman, at sunrise; he left it either for the chase-or to oversee workmen, who were continually being employed upon some part of his domain. Ordinarily, he returned only in time for dinner, and rarely

tion. But when she lay in bed, with her head under her arm, like a swan with his neck under his wing, and almost in the attitude of Correggio's Magdalen, her

e her heart throb violently. She then recalled him as she next saw him, in the drawing-room by her husband's side, seated in the very chair that she had left but a moment before. This trifling circumstance impressed her; she saw in this a proof of sympathetic understanding, a

ogism, whose two premises she reconciled with an inconceivable subtlety. A feeling of shame had made her dread this meeting, which the most hardened coquette could never witness without embarrassment. A woman, between her husband and her lover, is like a plant one sprinkles with ice-cold water while a ray of sunlight is trying to comfort it. The sombre and jealous, or even tranquil and unsu

eyes and an archness in his smile, but his irregular features showed no mark of beauty; his face wore an habitually tired expression, peculiar to those people who have lived a great deal in a short time, and it made him look older

ergenheim's good qualities, his attachment and kindness to her, his loyal, generous ways; she recalled the striking instance that Marillac had related of his bravery, a quality without which there is no hope of success for a man in the eyes of any woman. She did all

I cannot

harshness of her judgment in examining her own actions. She felt herself more guilty than all the others, for her weakness appeared less excusable to her. She f

lamander. Is it not human fate to suffer? After Madame de Bergenheim had given vent, by convulsive sobs and stifled sighs, to her grief for this love which she could not tear from her breast, she formed a desperate resolution. From the manner in which M. de Gerfaut had taken possession of the chateau the very first day, she recogn

f in the midst of her tears. "Since this insupportable man has taken possession of my dr

at up and listened for a moment rather anxiously, as if Octave's dark eyes might suddenly glisten in the obscurity. When she had assured hers

hought that at least she was asleep. Suddenly she arose. Without stopping to put on her dressing-gown, she lighted a candle by the night-lamp, pushed the bolt of her door and then went to the windows, the space between them forming a rather deep projection on account of the thickness of the walls. A portrait of the Duke of Bordeaux hung the

her weakness? Was she not a virtuous wife, and had she not paid dearly enough for a moment of sad happiness? Was it a crime to breathe for an instant the balmy air of love through the gratings of this prison-cell, the doors of which she had just loc

ned; she allowed herself to be swayed at will by these melodies which lulled but did not benumb. When one of those invincible appeals of imploring passion awoke all the echoes of her love, and ran through her veins with a thrill, striking the innermost de

ore complete contrast than that between these two young women at this moment. Clemence, lying upon her bed motionless and white as the sheet which covered her, resembled Juliet sleeping in her tomb; Aline, rosy, vivacious, and more petulant than usual, looked very much the madcap Mademoiselle

f the rich future. She recalled a time when she was thus, when grief glided over her cheeks without paling them,

s for a kiss, wished to tease her as usual, but, with

girl anxiously, as she seated h

enheim smiled,

; I shall doubtless not be able to go down to dinner, and you must take my pl

ittle grimace

ng seriously, I would go and

ssary for you to become accustomed to it? It is an excellent opportunit

young woman knew that of all the possible mentors, Mademo

Is it the neuralgia of the day before yesterday you are suffering from? Do be a good sister,

ide at the dinner-table, you would

de Gerfaut," said the c

eeply agitating her, Madame de Bergenheim

t not downright ungrateful to be afraid of him

ver. But he has such black, piercing eyes that they seem to look into your very soul; and then, he is such a brilliant man! I am all the time afraid of saying something that

r own beautiful eye

ne bit, in spite of his big moustache. Tell me, does n

ed, in order to change the conversation, "how fine you look! You have certainly some plan of

ow the compliment you

jest of her

g! She told me that blue ribbons suited red hair very badly and adv

uestion with so much anxiety that her s

eye; only Justine waves it a little too tight; it curls naturally. She dresses your hair too high; it would be more becomi

e latter, adding a practical lesson to verbal advice,

rouble at the Sacred Heart. The sisters wished us to wear our hair plain, and I always had a terrible time to keep it in place. Ho

ut told you he lik

said she was of the most beautiful Jewish type; if he intended it as a compliment to me, I am very much obliged to him. Do you

ulled out half a dozen or more hairs from her sister-in-law'

ty compliments!" she said. "And you doubtless are v

e Holy Virgin, you know-Ah! I hear Mon

where, concealed behind the curtains, she could see

y. They must have just taken a long walk, for they are bespattered with mud

e Bergenheim, with a decided feeling of anger; t

enaded him, in the morning dew, through the lettuce in the kitchen garden and the underbrush in the park. But he knew through experience that all was not roses in a lover's

allest vista, advised the establishment of a new mill on the river, which, being navigable for rafts, might convey lumber to all the cities on the Moselle, and thus greatly increase the value of the owner's woods. They fraternized like Glaucus and Diomede; Gerfaut hop

whose indisposition had been reporte

he will stay with us a while. It is too bad that you are ill. He is a good musician, as well

de Gerfaut has loved me for more than a y

randeuil appeared, and with a prim

. It seems to me, however, that a relative of your family ought to be treated with more respect by you, above all, when you know how much I esteem him.

ence interrupted, sitting up in bed

secret between us, I advise you to get rid of your neuralg

ld lady had departed. "He has bewitched everybody! Aline, my aunt, and my husband; to say nothing o

nter this room under any pretext whatsoever, and do no

th a vivacity which betokened anger; she then seated herself at her desk and began to write rapidly, dashing her pen over the satin

s first finds an arabesque of this style at the bottom of a lady's letter, he o