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〃 'Oh！ I know what you are about to say；' cried the Count； seeing a
question in my eyes and on my lips。 'Yes； yes； I have made the
attempt。 My wife was formerly living in the Faubourg Saint…Antoine。
One day when； from what Gobain told me； I believed in some chance of a
reconciliation； I wrote by post a letter； in which I tried to
propitiate my wifea letter written and re…written twenty times！ I
will not describe my agonies。 I went from the Rue Payenne to the Rue
de Reuilly like a condemned wretch going from the Palais de Justice to
his execution； but he goes on a cart； and I was on foot。 It was dark
there was a fog； I went to meet Madame Gobain； who was to come and
tell me what my wife had done。 Honorine； on recognizing my writing；
had thrown the letter into the fire without reading it。〃Madame
Gobain；〃 she had exclaimed； 〃I leave this to…morrow。〃
〃 'What a dagger…stroke was this to a man who found inexhaustible
pleasure in the trickery by which he gets the finest Lyons velvet at
twelve francs a yard； a pheasant； a fish； a dish of fruit； for a tenth
of their value； for a woman so ignorant as to believe that she is
paying ample wages with two hundred and fifty francs to Madame Gobain；
a cook fit for a bishop。
〃 'You have sometimes found me rubbing my hands in the enjoyment of a
sort of happiness。 Well； I had just succeeded in some ruse worthy of
the stage。 I had just deceived my wifeI had sent her by a purchaser
of wardrobes an Indian shawl； to be offered to her as the property of
an actress who had hardly worn it； but in which Ithe solemn lawyer
whom you knowhad wrapped myself for a night！ In short； my life at
this day may be summed up in the two words which express the extremes
of tormentI love； and I wait！ I have in Madame Gobain a faithful spy
on the heart I worship。 I go every evening to chat with the old woman；
to hear from her all that Honorine has done during the day； the
lightest word she has spoken； for a single exclamation might betray to
me the secrets of that soul which is wilfully deaf and dumb。 Honorine
is pious； she attends the Church services and prays； but she has never
been to confession or taken the Communion； she foresees what a priest
would tell her。 She will not listen to the advice； to the injunction；
that she should return to me。 This horror of me overwhelms me； dismays
me； for I have never done her the smallest harm。 I have always been
kind to her。 Granting even that I may have been a little hasty when
teaching her； that my man's irony may have hurt her legitimate girlish
pride； is that a reason for persisting in a determination which only
the most implacable hatred could have inspired？ Honorine has never
told Madame Gobain who she is； she keeps absolute silence as to her
marriage； so that the worthy and respectable woman can never speak a
word in my favor； for she is the only person in the house who knows my
secret。 The others know nothing； they live under the awe caused by the
name of the Prefect of Police； and their respect for the power of a
Minister。 Hence it is impossible for me to penetrate that heart； the
citadel is mine； but I cannot get into it。 I have not a single means
of action。 An act of violence would ruin me for ever。
〃 'How can I argue against reasons of which I know nothing？ Should I
write a letter； and have it copied by a public writer； and laid before
Honorine？ But that would be to run the risk of a third removal。 The
last cost me fifty thousand francs。 The purchase was made in the first
instance in the name of the secretary whom you succeeded。 The unhappy
man； who did not know how lightly I sleep； was detected by me in the
act of opening a box in which I had put the private agreement； I
coughed； and he was seized with a panic； next day I compelled him to
sell the house to the man in whose name it now stands； and I turned
him out。
〃 'If it were not that I feel all my noblest faculties as a man
satisfied； happy； expansive； if the part I am playing were not that of
divine fatherhood； if I did not drink in delight by every pore； there
are moments when I should believe that I was a monomaniac。 Sometimes
at night I hear the jingling bells of madness。 I dread the violent
transitions from a feeble hope； which sometimes shines and flashes up；
to complete despair； falling as low as man can fall。 A few days since
I was seriously considering the horrible end of the story of Lovelace
and Clarissa Harlowe； and saying to myself； if Honorine were the
mother of a child of mine； must she not necessarily return under her
husband's roof？
〃 'And I have such complete faith in a happy future； that ten months
ago I bought and paid for one of the handsomest houses in the Faubourg
Saint…Honore。 If I win back Honorine； I will not allow her to see this
house again； nor the room from which she fled。 I mean to place my idol
in a new temple； where she may feel that life is altogether new。 That
house is being made a marvel of elegance and taste。 I have been told
of a poet who； being almost mad with love for an actress； bought the
handsomest bed in Paris without knowing how the actress would reward
his passion。 Well； one of the coldest of lawyers； a man who is
supposed to be the gravest adviser of the Crown； was stirred to the
depths of his heart by that anecdote。 The orator of the Legislative
Chamber can understand the poet who fed his ideal on material
possibilities。 Three days before the arrival of Maria Louisa； Napoleon
flung himself on his wedding bed at Compiegne。 All stupendous passions
have the same impulses。 I love as a poetas an emperor！'
〃As I heard the last words； I believed that Count Octave's fears were
realized； he had risen； and was walking up and down； and
gesticulating； but he stopped as if shocked by the vehemence of his
own words。
〃 'I am very ridiculous；' he added； after a long pause； looking at me；
as if craving a glance of pity。
〃 'No； monsieur； you are very unhappy。'
〃 'Ah yes！' said he； taking up the thread of his confidences。 'From
the violence of my speech you may； you must believe in the intensity
of a physical passion which for nine years has absorbed all my
faculties； but that is nothing in comparison with the worship I feel
for the soul； the mind； the heart； all in that woman； the enchanting
divinities in the train of Love； with whom we pass our life； and who
form the daily poem of a fugitive delight。 By a phenomenon of
retrospection I see now the graces of Honorine's mind and heart； to
which I paid little heed in the time of my happinesslike all who are
happy。 From day to day I have appreciated the extent of my loss；
discovering the exquisite gifts of that capricious and refractory
young creature who has grown so strong and so proud under the heavy
hand of poverty and the shock of the most cowardly desertion。 And that
heavenly blossom is fading in solitude and hiding！Ah！ The law of
which we were speaking；' he went on with bitter irony； 'the law is a
squad of gendarmesmy wife seized and dragged away by force！ Would
not that be to triumph over a corpse？ Religion has no hold on her； she
craves its poetry； she prays； but she does not listen to the
commandments of the Church。 I； for my part； have exhausted everything
in the way of mercy； of kindness； of love； I am at my wits' end。 Only
one chance of victory is left to me； the cunning and patience with
which bird…catchers at last entrap the wariest birds； the swiftest；
the most capricious； and the rarest。 Hence； Maurice； when M。 de
Grandville's indiscretion betrayed to you the secret of my life； I
ended by regarding this incident as one of the decrees of fate； one of
the utterances for which gamblers listen and pray in the midst of
their most impassioned play。 。 。 。 Have you enough affection for me to
show me romantic devotion？'
〃 'I see what you are coming to； Monsieur le Comte；' said I；
interrupting him； 'I guess your purpose。 Your first secretary tried to
open your deed box。 I know the heart of your secondhe might fall in
love with your wife。 And can you devote him to destruction by sending
him into the fire？ Can any one put his hand into a brazier without
burning it？'
〃 'You are a foolish boy；' replied the Count。 'I will send you well
gloved。 It is no secretary of mine that will be lodged in the Rue
Saint…Maur in the little garden…house which I have at his disposal。 It
is my distant cousin； Baron de l'Hostal； a lawyer high in
office 。 。 。〃
〃After a moment of silent surprise； I heard the gate bell ring； and a
carriage came into the courtyard。 Presently the footman announced
Madame de Courteville and her daughter。 The Count had a large family
connection on his mother's side。 Madame de Courteville； his cousin；
was the widow of a judge on the bench of the Seine division； who had
left her a daughter and no fortune whatever。 What could a woman of
nine…and…twenty be in comparison with a young girl of twenty； as
lovely as imagination could wish for an ideal mistress？
〃 'Baron； and Master of Appeals； till you get something better； and
this old house settled on her；would not you have enough good reasons
for not falling in love with the Countess？' he said to me in a
whisper； as he took me by