selected writings of guy de maupassant(莫伯桑作品选)-第40部分

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could　not　afford　to　purchase　such　a　costly　ornament。　Certainly
not。　But；　then；　it　must　have　been　a　present！a　present！a
present　from　whom？　Why　was　it　given　her？

He　stopped　and　remained　standing　in　the　middle　of　the　street。　A
horrible　doubt　entered　his　mindshe？　Then　all　the　other　gems
must　have　been　presents；　too！　The　earth　seemed　to　tremble　beneath
him；the　tree　before　him　was　fallingthrowing　up　his　arms；　he
fell　to　the　ground；　unconscious。　He　recovered　his　senses　in　a
pharmacy　into　which　the　passers…by　had　taken　him；　and　was　then
taken　to　his　home。　When　he　arrived　he　shut　himself　up　in　his　room
and　wept　until　nightfall。　Finally；　overcome　with　fatigue；　he
threw　himself　on　the　bed；　where　he　passed　an　uneasy；　restless
night。

The　following　morning　he　arose　and　prepared　to　go　to　the　office。
It　was　hard　to　work　after　such　a；　shock。　He　sent　a　letter　to　his
employer　requesting　to　be　excused。　Then　he　remembered　that　he　had
to　return　to　the　jeweler's。　He　did　not　like　the　idea；　but　he
could　not　leave　the　necklace　with　that　man。　So　he　dressed　and
went　out。

It　was　a　lovely　day；　a　clear　blue　sky　smiled　on　the　busy　city
below；　and　men　of　leisure　were　strolling　about　with　their　hands
in　their　pockets。

Observing　them；　M。　Lantin　said　to　himself：　〃The　rich；　indeed；　are
happy。　With　money　it　is　possible　to　forget　even　the　deepest
sorrow。　One　can　go　where　one　pleases；　and　in　travel　find　that
distraction　which　is　the　surest　cure　for　grief。　Oh！　if　I　were
only　rich！〃

He　began　to　feel　hungry；　but　his　pocket　was　empty。　He　again
remembered　the　necklace。　Eighteen　thousand　francs！　Eighteen
thousand　francs！　What　a　sum！

He　soon　arrived　in　the　Rue　de　la　Paix；　opposite　the　jeweler's。
Eighteen　thousand　francs！　Twenty　times　he　resolved　to　go　in；　but
shame　kept　him　back。　He　was　hungry；　however；very　hungry；　and
had　not　a　cent　in　his　pocket。　He　decided　quickly；　ran　across　the
street　in　order　not　to　have　time　for　reflection；　and　entered　the
store。

The　proprietor　immediately　came　forward；　and　politely　offered　him
a　chair；　the　clerks　glanced　at　him　knowingly。

〃I　have　made　inquiries；　M。　Lantin；〃　said　the　jeweler；　〃and　if　you
are　still　resolved　to　dispose　of　the　gems；　I　am　ready　to　pay　you
the　price　I　offered。〃

〃Certainly；　sir；〃　stammered　M。　Lantin。

Whereupon　the　proprietor　took　from　a　drawer　eighteen　large　bills；
counted　and　handed　them　to　M。　Lantin；　who　signed　a　receipt　and
with　a　trembling　hand　put　the　money　into　his　pocket。

As　he　was　about　to　leave　the　store；　he　turned　toward　the
merchant；　who　still　wore　the　same　knowing　smile；　and　lowering　his
eyes；　said：

〃I　haveI　have　other　gems　which　I　have　received　from　the　same
source。　Will　you　buy　them　also？〃

The　merchant　bowed：　〃Certainly；　sir。〃

M。　Lantin　said　gravely：　〃I　will　bring　them　to　you。〃　An　hour　later
he　returned　with　the　gems。

The　large　diamond　earrings　were　worth　twenty　thousand　francs；　the
bracelets　thirty…five　thousand；　the　rings；　sixteen　thousand；　a
set　of　emeralds　and　sapphires；　fourteen　thousand；　a　gold　chain
with　solitaire　pendant；　forty　thousandmaking　the　sum　of　one
hundred　and　forty…three　thousand　francs。

The　jeweler　remarked；　jokingly：

〃There　was　a　person　who　invested　all　her　earnings　in　precious
stones。〃

M。　Lantin　replied；　seriously：

〃It　is　only　another　way　of　investing　one's　money。〃

That　day　he　lunched　at　Voisin's　and　drank　wine　worth　twenty
francs　a　bottle。　Then　he　hired　a　carriage　and　made　a　tour　of　the
Bois；　and　as　he　scanned　the　various　turn…outs　with　a　contemptuous
air　he　could　hardly　refrain　from　crying　out　to　the　occupants：

〃I；　too；　am　rich！I　am　worth　two　hundred　thousand　francs。〃

Suddenly　he　thought　of　his　employer。　He　drove　up　to　the　office；
and　entered　gaily；　saying：

〃Sir；　I　have　come　to　resign　my　position。　I　have　just　inherited
three　hundred　thousand　francs。〃

He　shook　hands　with　his　former　colleagues　and　confided　to　them
some　of　his　projects　for　the　future；　then　he　went　off　to　dine　at
the　Cafe　Anglais。

He　seated　himself　beside　a　gentleman　of　aristocratic　bearing；　and
during　the　meal　informed　the　latter　confidentially　that　he　had
just　inherited　a　fortune　of　four　hundred　thousand　francs。

For　the　first　time　in　his　life　he　was　not　bored　at　the　theater；
and　spent　the　remainder　of　the　night　in　a　gay　frolic。

Six　months　afterward　he　married　again。　His　second　wife　was　a　very
virtuous　woman；　with　a　violent　temper。　She　caused　him　much
sorrow。

　

COUNTESS　SATAN

I。

They　were　discussing　dynamite；　the　social　revolution；　Nihilism；
and　even　those　who　cared　least　about　politics　had　something　to
say。　Some　were　alarmed；　others　philosophized；　and　others　again
tried　to　smile。

〃Bah！〃　Nsaid；　〃when　we　are　all　blown　up；　we　shall　see　what　it
is　like。　Perhaps；　after　all；　it　may　be　an　amusing　sensation；
provided　one　goes　high　enough。〃

〃But　we　shall　not　be　blown　up　at　all；〃　G；　the　optimist；　said；
interrupting　him。　〃It　is　all　a　romance。〃

〃You　are　mistaken；　my　dear　fellow；〃　Jules　de　Creplied。　〃It　is
like　a　romance；　but　with　this　confounded　Nihilism；　everything　is
the　same；　it　would　be　a　mistake　to　trust　to　it。　For　instance；　the
manner　in　which　I　made　Bakounine's　acquaintance〃

They　knew　that　he　was　a　good　narrator；　and　it　was　no　secret　that
his　life　had　been　an　adventurous　one；　so　they　drew　closer　to　him；
and　listened　intently。　This　is　what　he　told　them：

II

〃I　met　Countess　Nioska　W；　that　strange　woman　who　was　usually
called　Countess　Satan；　in　Naples。　I　immediately　attached　myself
to　her　out　of　curiosity；　and　soon　fell　in　love　with　her。　Not　that
she　was　beautiful；　for　she　was　a　Russian　with　the　bad
characteristics　of　the　Russian　type。　She　was　thin　and　squat　at
the　same　time；　while　her　face　was　sallow　and　puffy；　with　high
cheek…bones　and　a　Cossack's　nose。　But　her　conversation　bewitched
everyone。

〃She　was　many…sided；　learned；　a　philosopher；　scientifically
depraved；　satanic。　Perhaps　the　word　is　rather　pretentious；　but　it
exactly　expresses　what　I　want　to　say；　for　in　other　words　she
loved　evil　for　the　sake　of　evil。　She　rejoiced　in　other　people's
vices；　she　liked　to　sow　the　seeds　of　evil；　in　order　to　see　it
flourish。　And　that；　too；　by　fraud　on　an　enormous　scale。　It　was
not　enough　for　her　to　corrupt　individuals；　she　only　did　that　to
keep　her　hand　in；　what　she　wished　to　do　was　to　corrupt　the
masses。　By　slightly　altering　it　after　her　own　fashion；　she　might
have　used　Caligula's　famous　wish。　She　also　might　have　wished　that
the　whole　human　race　had　but　one　head；　not　in　order　that　she
might　cut　it　off；　but　that　she　might　make　the　philosophy　of
Nihilism　flourish　there。

〃What　a　temptation　to　become　the　lord　and　master　of　such　a
monster！　I　allowed　myself　to　be　tempted；　and　undertook　the
adventure。　The　means　came　unsought　for　by　me；　and　the　only　thing
that　I　had　to　do　was　to　show　myself　more　perverted　and　satanic
than　she　was　herself。　And　so　I　played　the　devil。

〃　'Yes；'　I　said；　'we　writers　are　the　best　workmen　for　doing　evil；
as　our　books　may　be　bottles　of　poison。　The　so…called　men　of
action　only　turn　the　handle　of　the　mitrailleuse　which　we　have
loaded。　Formulas　will　destroy　the　world；　and　it　is　we　who　invent
them。'

〃　'That　is　true；'　said　she；　'and　that　is　what　is　wanting　in
Bakounine；　I　am　sorry　to　say。'

〃That　name　was　constantly　in　her　mouth。　So　I　asked　her　for
details；　which　she　gave　me；　as　she　knew　the　man　intimately。

〃　'After　all；'　she　said；　with　a　contemptuous　grimace；　'he　is　only
a　kind　of　Garibaldi。'

〃She　told　me；　although　she　made　fun　of　him　as　she　did　so；　about
that　'Odyssey'　of　the　barricades　and　of　the　hulks　which　made　up
Bakounine's　history；　and　which　is；　nevertheless；　the　exact　truth；
about　his　adventures　as　chief　of　the　insurgents　at　Prague　and
then　at　Dresden；　of　his　first　death　sentence；　about　his
imprisonment　at　Olmutz；　in　the　casemates　of　the　fortress　of　St。
Peter　and　St。　Paul；　and　in　a　subterranean　dungeon　at
Schusselburg；　about　his　exile　to　Siberia　and　his　wonderful　escape
down　the　river　Amour；　on　a　Japanese　coasting…vessel；　and　about
his　final　arrival；　by　way　of　Yokohama　and　San　Francisco；　in　London；
whence　he　was　directing　all　the　operations　of　Nihilism。

〃　'You　see；'　she　said；　'he　is　a　thorough　adventurer；　and　now　all
his　adventures　are　over。　He　got　married　at　Tobolsk　and　became　a
mere　respectable；　middle…class　man。　And　then　he　has　no　individual
ideas。　Herzen；　the　pamphleteer　of　〃Kolokol；〃　inspired　him　with
the　only　fertile　phrase　that　he　ever　uttered：　〃Land　and　Liberty！〃
But　that　is　not　yet　the　definite　formula；　the　general
formulawhat　I　may　call　the　dynamite　formula。　At　best；　Bakounine
would　only　become　an　incendiary；　and　burn　down　cities。　And　what
is　that；　I　ask　you？　Bah！　A　second…hand　Rostoptchin！　He　wants　a
prompter；　and　I　offered　to　become　his；　but　he　did　not　take　me
seriously。'

　*　*　*　*　*　*　*

〃It　would　be　useless　to　enter　into　all　the　psychological　details
which　marked　the　course　of　my　passion　for　the　Countess；　and　to
explain　to　you　more　fully　the　curious　and　daily　growing
attraction　which　she　had　for　me。　It　was　getting　exasperating；　and
the　more　so　as　she　resisted　me　as　stoutly　as　the　shyest　of
innocents　could　have　done。　At　the　end　of　a　month　of　mad　Satanism；
I　saw　what　her　game　was。　Do　you　know　what　she　intended？　She　meant
to　make　me　Bakounine's　prompter；　or；　at　any　rate；　that　is　what
she　said。　But　no　doubt　she　reserved　the　right　to　herselfat
least　that　is　how　I　understood　herto　prompt　the　prompter；　and
my　passion　for　her；　which　she　purposely　left　unsatisfied；　assured
her　that　absolute　power　over　me。

〃All　this　may　appear　madness　to　you；　but　it　is；　nevertheless；　the
exact　truth。　In　short；　one　morning　she　bluntly　made　the　offer：

〃　'Become　Bakounine's　soul；　and　you　shall　possess　me。'

〃Of　course　I　accepted；　for　it　was　too　fantastically　strange　to
refuse。　Don't　you　think　so？　What　an　adventure！　What　luck！　A
number　of　letters　between　the　Countess　and　Bakounine　prepared　the
way；　I　was　introduced　to　him　at　his　house；　and　they　discussed　me
there。　I　became　a　sort　of　Western　prophet；　a　mystic　charmer　who
was　ready　to　nihilize　the　Latin　races；　the　Saint　Paul　of　the　new
religion　of　nothingness；　and　at　last　a　day　was　fixed　for　us　to
meet　in　London。　He　lived　in　a　sm