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juana-第11章

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superiority。 But if by chance she seems really imposing to him; he

feels the need of foisting faults upon her。 After that; between man

and wife; trifles increase and grow till they swell to Alps。



But Juana; patient and without pride; gentle and without that

bitterness which women know so well how to cast into their submission;

left Diard no chance for planned ill…humor。 Besides; she was one of

those noble creatures to whom it is impossible to speak

disrespectfully; her glance; in which her life; saintly and pure;

shone out; had the weight of a fascination。 Diard; embarrassed at

first; then annoyed; ended by feeling that such high virtue was a yoke

upon him。 The goodness of his wife gave him no violent emotions; and

violent emotions were what he wanted。 What myriads of scenes are

played in the depths of his souls; beneath the cold exterior of lives

that are; apparently; commonplace! Among these dramas; lasting each

but a short time; though they influence life so powerfully and are

frequently the forerunners of the great misfortune doomed to fall on

so many marriages; it is difficult to choose an example。 There was a

scene; however; which particularly marked the moment when in the life

of this husband and wife estrangement began。 Perhaps it may also serve

to explain the finale of this narrative。



Juana had two children; happily for her; two sons。 The first was born

seven months after her marriage。 He was called Juan; and he strongly

resembled his mother。 The second was born about two years after her

arrival in Paris。 The latter resembled both Diard and Juana; but more

particularly Diard。 His name was Francisque。 For the last five years

Francisque had been the object of Juana's most tender and watchful

care。 The mother was constantly occupied with that child; to him her

prettiest caresses; to him the toys; but to him; especially; the

penetrating mother…looks。 Juana had watched him from his cradle; she

had studied his cries; his motions; she endeavored to discern his

nature that she might educate him wisely。 It seemed at times as if she

had but that one child。 Diard; seeing that the eldest; Juan; was in a

way neglected; took him under his own protection; and without

inquiring even of himself whether the boy was the fruit of that

ephemeral love to which he owed his wife; he made him his Benjamin。



Of all the sentiments transmitted to her through the blood of her

grandmothers which consumed her; Madame Diard accepted one alone;

maternal love。 But she loved her children doubly: first with the noble

violence of which her mother the Marana had given her the example;

secondly; with grace and purity; in the spirit of those social virtues

the practice of which was the glory of her life and her inward

recompense。 The secret thought; the conscience of her motherhood;

which gave to the Marana's life its stamp of untaught poesy; was to

Juana an acknowledged life; an open consolation at all hours。 Her

mother had been virtuous as other women are criminal;in secret; she

had stolen a fancied happiness; she had never really tasted it。 But

Juana; unhappy in her virtue as her mother was unhappy in her vice;

could enjoy at all moments the ineffable delights which her mother had

so craved and could not have。 To her; as to her mother; maternity

comprised all earthly sentiments。 Each; from differing causes; had no

other comfort in their misery。 Juana's maternal love may have been the

strongest because; deprived of all other affections; she put the joys

she lacked into the one joy of her children; and there are noble

passions that resemble vice; the more they are satisfied the more they

increase。 Mothers and gamblers are alike insatiable。



When Juana saw the generous pardon laid silently on the head of Juan

by Diard's fatherly affection; she was much moved; and from the day

when the husband and wife changed parts she felt for him the true and

deep interest she had hitherto shown to him as a matter of duty only。

If that man had been more consistent in his life; if he had not

destroyed by fitful inconstancy and restlessness the forces of a true

though excitable sensibility; Juana would doubtless have loved him in

the end。 Unfortunately; he was a type of those southern natures which

are keen in perceptions they cannot follow out; capable of great

things over…night; and incapable the next morning; often the victim of

their own virtues; and often lucky through their worst passions;

admirable men in some respects; when their good qualities are kept to

a steady energy by some outward bond。 For two years after his retreat

from active life Diard was held captive in his home by the softest

chains。 He lived; almost in spite of himself; under the influence of

his wife; who made herself gay and amusing to cheer him; who used the

resources of feminine genius to attract and seduce him to a love of

virtue; but whose ability and cleverness did not go so far as to

simulate love。



At this time all Paris was talking of the affair of a captain in the

army who in a paroxysm of libertine jealousy had killed a woman。

Diard; on coming home to dinner; told his wife that the officer was

dead。 He had killed himself to avoid the dishonor of a trial and the

shame of death upon the scaffold。 Juana did not see at first the logic

of such conduct; and her husband was obliged to explain to her the

fine jurisprudence of French law; which does not prosecute the dead。



〃But; papa; didn't you tell us the other day that the king could

pardon?〃 asked Francisque。



〃The king can give nothing but life;〃 said Juan; half scornfully。



Diard and Juana; the spectators of this little scene; were differently

affected by it。 The glance; moist with joy; which his wife cast upon

her eldest child was a fatal revelation to the husband of the secrets

of a heart hitherto impenetrable。 That eldest child was all Juana;

Juana comprehended him; she was sure of his heart; his future; she

adored him; but her ardent love was a secret between herself; her

child; and God。 Juan instinctively enjoyed the seeming indifference of

his mother in presence of his father and brother; for she pressed him

to her heart when alone。 Francisque was Diard; and Juana's incessant

care and watchfulness betrayed her desire to correct in the son the

vices of the father and to encourage his better qualities。 Juana;

unaware that her glance had said too much and that her husband had

rightly interpreted it; took Francisque in her lap and gave him; in a

gentle voice still trembling with the pleasure that Juan's answer had

brought her; a lesson upon honor; simplified to his childish

intelligence。



〃That boy's character requires care;〃 said Diard。



〃Yes;〃 she replied simply。



〃How about Juan?〃



Madame Diard; struck by the tone in which the words were uttered;

looked at her husband。



〃Juan was born perfect;〃 he added。



Then he sat down gloomily; and reflected。 Presently; as his wife

continued silent; he added:



〃You love one of YOUR children better than the other。〃



〃You know that;〃 she said。



〃No;〃 said Diard; 〃I did not know until now which of them you

preferred。〃



〃But neither of them have ever given me a moment's uneasiness;〃 she

answered quickly。



〃But one of them gives you greater joys;〃 he said; more quickly still。



〃I never counted them;〃 she said。



〃How false you women are!〃 cried Diard。 〃Will you dare to say that

Juan is not the child of your heart?〃



〃If that were so;〃 she said; with dignity; 〃do you think it a

misfortune?〃



〃You have never loved me。 If you had chosen; I would have conquered

worlds for your sake。 You know all that I have struggled to do in

life; supported by the hope of pleasing you。 Ah! if you had only loved

me!〃



〃A woman who loves;〃 said Juana; 〃likes to live in solitude; far from

the world; and that is what we are doing。〃



〃I know; Juana; that YOU are never in the wrong。〃



The words were said bitterly; and cast; for the rest of their lives

together; a coldness between them。



On the morrow of that fatal day Diard went back to his old companions

and found distractions for his mind in play。 Unfortunately; he won

much money; and continued playing。 Little by little; he returned to

the dissipated life he had formerly lived。 Soon he ceased even to dine

in his own home。



Some months went by in the enjoyment of this new independence; he was

determined to preserve it; and in order to do so he separated himself

from his wife; giving her the large apartments and lodging himself in

the entresol。 By the end of the year Diard and Juana only saw each

other in the morning at breakfast。



Like all gamblers; he had his alternations of loss and gain。 Not

wishing to cut into the capital of his fortune; he felt the necessity

of withdrawing from his wife the management of their income; and the

day came when he took from her all she had hitherto f
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