第21章

"Listentomeagain，monsieur，Iimploreyou。？IfI

donotgo，Ishalldiehereofgriefandlove。？IknowhowlongatimeIhavetolivethus。？Sendmeawayquickly，monsieur，oryouwillseemebaselydiebeforeyoureyes—inyourhouse—thisisstrongerthanmywill—strongerthanmystrength—youmayplainlyseethatwithinonemonthIhavelivedthirtyyears，andthatIapproachtheendofmylife。"

"Then，"

saidAthos，coldly，"yougowiththeintentionofgettingkilledinAfrica？？Oh，tellme！donotlie！"

Raoulgrewdeadlypale，andremainedsilentfortwoseconds，whichweretohisfathertwohoursofagony。？Then，allatonce:

"Monsieur，"saidhe，"IhavepromisedtodevotemyselftoGod。？InexchangeforthesacrificeImakeofmyyouthandliberty，IwillonlyaskofHimonething，andthatis，topreservemeforyou，becauseyouaretheonlytiewhichattachesmetothisworld。？GodalonecangivemethestrengthnottoforgetthatIoweyoueverything，andthatnothingoughttostandinmyesteembeforeyou。"

Athosembracedhissontenderly，andsaid:

"Youhavejustrepliedtomeonthewordofhonorofanhonestman;intwodaysweshallbewithM。deBeaufortatParis，andyouwillthendowhatwillbeproperforyoutodo。？Youarefree，Raoul;

adieu。"

Andheslowlygainedhisbedroom。？Raoulwentdownintothegarden，andpassedthenightinthealleyoflimes。

ChapterXXVIII:

PreparationsforDeparture。

Athoslostnomoretimeincombatingthisimmutableresolution。？Hegaveallhisattentiontopreparing，duringthetwodaysthedukehadgrantedhim，theproperappointmentsforRaoul。？ThislaborchieflyconcernedGrimaud，whoimmediatelyappliedhimselftoitwiththegood—willandintelligenceweknowhepossessed。？AthosgavethisworthyservantorderstotaketheroutetoPariswhentheequipmentsshouldbeready;and，nottoexposehimselftothedangerofkeepingthedukewaiting，ordelayingRaoul，sothatthedukeshouldperceivehisabsence，hehimself，thedayafterthevisitofM。deBeaufort，setoffforPariswithhisson。

Forthepooryoungmanitwasanemotioneasilytobeunderstood，thustoreturntoParisamongstallthepeoplewhohadknownandlovedhim。？Everyfacerecalledapangtohimwhohadsufferedsomuch;tohimwhohadlovedsomuch，somecircumstanceofhisunhappylove。？Raoul，onapproachingParis，feltasifheweredying。？OnceinParis，hereallyexistednolonger。？WhenhereachedGuiche\'sresidence，hewasinformedthatGuichewaswithMonsieur。？RaoultooktheroadtotheLuxembourg，andwhenarrived，withoutsuspectingthathewasgoingtotheplacewhereLaValli鑢ehadlived，heheardsomuchmusicandrespiredsomanyperfumes，heheardsomuchjoyouslaughter，andsawsomanydancingshadows，thatifithadnotbeenforacharitablewoman，whoperceivedhimsodejectedandpalebeneathadoorway，hewouldhaveremainedthereafewminutes，andthenwouldhavegoneaway，nevertoreturn。？But，aswehavesaid，inthefirstante—chamberhehadstopped，solelyforthesakeofnotmixinghimselfwithallthosehappybeingshefeltweremovingaroundhimintheadjacentsalons。？AndasoneofMonsieur\'sservants，recognizinghim，hadaskedhimifhewishedtoseeMonsieurorMadame，Raoulhadscarcelyansweredhim，buthadsunkdownuponabenchnearthevelvetdoorway，lookingataclock，whichhadstoppedfornearlyanhour。？Theservanthadpassedon，andanother，betteracquaintedwithhim，hadcomeup，andinterrogatedRaoulwhetherheshouldinformM。deGuicheofhisbeingthere。？ThisnamedidnotevenarousetherecollectionsofRaoul。？ThepersistentservantwentontorelatethatDeGuichehadjustinventedanewgameoflottery，andwasteachingittotheladies。？Raoul，openinghislargeeyes，liketheabsentmaninTheophrastus，madenoanswer，buthissadnessincreasedtwoshades。？Withhisheadhangingdown，hislimbsrelaxed，hismouthhalfopenfortheescapeofhissighs，Raoulremained，thusforgotten，intheante—chamber，whenallatoncealady\'srobepassed，rubbingagainstthedoorsofasidesalon，whichopenedonthegallery。？Alady，young，pretty，andgay，scoldinganofficerofthehousehold，enteredbythatway，andexpressedherselfwithmuchvivacity。？Theofficerrepliedincalmbutfirmsentences;itwasratheralittlelovepetthanaquarrelofcourtiers，andwasterminatedbyakissonthefingersofthelady。？Suddenly，onperceivingRaoul，theladybecamesilent，andpushingawaytheofficer:

"Makeyourescape，Malicorne，"saidshe;"Ididnotthinktherewasanyonehere。？Ishallcurseyou，iftheyhaveeitherheardorseenus！"

Malicornehastenedaway。？TheyoungladyadvancedbehindRaoul，andstretchingherjoyousfaceoverhimashelay:

"Monsieurisagallantman，"saidshe，"andnodoubt—"

Shehereinterruptedherselfbyutteringacry。？"Raoul！"saidshe，blushing。

"MademoiselledeMontalais！"saidRaoul，palerthandeath。

Heroseunsteadily，andtriedtomakehiswayacrosstheslipperymosaicofthefloor;butshehadcomprehendedthatsavageandcruelgrief;shefeltthatintheflightofRaoultherewasanaccusationofherself。？Awoman，evervigilant，shedidnotthinksheoughttolettheopportunityslipofmakinggoodherjustification;butRaoul，thoughstoppedbyherinthemiddleofthegallery，didnotseemdisposedtosurrenderwithoutacombat。？Hetookitupinatonesocoldandembarrassed，thatiftheyhadbeenthussurprised，thewholecourtwouldhavenodoubtabouttheproceedingsofMademoiselledeMontalais。

"Ah！

monsieur，"saidshewithdisdain，"whatyouaredoingisveryunworthyofagentleman。？Myheartinclinesmetospeaktoyou;youcompromisemebyareceptionalmostuncivil;youarewrong，monsieur;andyouconfoundyourfriendswithenemies。？Farewell！"

RaoulhadswornnevertospeakofLouise，nevereventolookatthosewhomighthaveseenLouise;hewasgoingintoanotherworld，thathemightnevermeetwithanythingLouisehadseen，oreventouched。？Butafterthefirstshockofhispride，afterhavinghadaglimpseofMontalais，thecompanionofLouise—Montalais，whoremindedhimoftheturretofBloisandthejoysofyouth—allhisreasonfadedaway。

"Pardonme，mademoiselle;itentersnot，itcannotenterintomythoughtstobeuncivil。"

"Doyouwishtospeaktome？"saidshe，withthesmileofformerdays。？"Well！comesomewhereelse;forwemaybesurprised。"

"Oh！\'

saidhe。

Shelookedattheclock，doubtingly，then，havingreflected:

"Inmyapartment，"saidshe，"weshallhaveanhourtoourselves。"？Andtakinghercourse，lighterthanafairy，sheranuptoherchamber，followedbyRaoul。？Shuttingthedoor，andplacinginthehandsofhercam閞istethemantleshehadhelduponherarm:

"YouwereseekingM。deGuiche，wereyounot？"saidshetoRaoul。

"Yes，mademoiselle。"

"I

willgoandaskhimtocomeuphere，presently，afterIhavespokentoyou。"

"Doso，mademoiselle。"

"Areyouangrywithme？"

Raoullookedatherforamoment，then，castingdownhiseyes，"Yes，"saidhe。

"YouthinkIwasconcernedintheplotwhichbroughtabouttherupture，doyounot？"

"Rupture！"

saidhe，withbitterness。？"Oh！

mademoiselle，therecanbenorupturewheretherehasbeennolove。"

"Youareinerror，"repliedMontalais;"Louisedidloveyou。"

Raoulstarted。

"Notwithlove，Iknow;butshelikedyou，andyououghttohavemarriedherbeforeyousetout

后续内容为VIP可读请开通VIP，或购买此章节