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THE WANDERING JEW - VOLUME 10
THE WANDERING JEW - VOLUME 10 EUGENE SUE BOOK X.
XXXIII. Confessions
XXXIV. More Confessions
XXXV. The Rivals
XXXVI. The Interview
XXXVII. Soothing Words
XXXVIII. The Two Carriages
XXXIX. The Appointment
XL. Anxiety
XLI. Adrienne and Djalma
XLII. "The Imitation"
XLIII. Prayer
XLIV. Remembrances
XLV. The Blockhead
XLVI. The Anonymous Letters
XLVII. The Golden City
XLVIII. The Stung Lion
XLIX. The Test
CHAPTER XXXIII.
CONFESSIONS.
During the painful scene that we have just described a lively emotion
glowed in the countenance of Mdlle. de Cardoville grown pale and thin
with sorrow. Her cheeks once so full were now slightly hollowed
whilst a faint line of transparent azure encircled those large black
eyes no longer so bright as formerly. But the charming lips though
contracted by painful anxiety had retained their rich and velvet
moisture. To attend more easily to Mother Bunch Adrienne had thrown
aside her bonnet and the silky waves of her beautiful golden hair almost
concealed her face as she bent over the mattress rubbing the thin ivory
hands of the poor sempstress completely called to life by the salubrious
freshness of the air and by the strong action of the salts which
Adrienne carried in her smelling-bottle. Luckily Mother Bunch had
fainted rather from emotion and weakness than from the effects of
suffocation the senses of the unfortunate girl having failed her before
the deleterious gas had attained its highest degree of intensity.
Before continuing the recital of the scene between the sempstress and the
patrician a few retrospective words will be necessary. Since the
strange adventure at the theatre of the Porte-Saint-Martin where Djalma
at peril of his life rushed upon the black panther in sight of Mdlle.
de Cardoville the young lady had been deeply affected in various ways.
Forgetting her jealousy and the humiliation she had suffered in presence
of Djalma--of Djalma exhibiting himself before every one with a woman so
little worthy of him--Adrienne was for a moment dazzled by the chivalrous
and heroic action of the prince and said to herself: "In spite of odious
appearances Djalma loves me enough to brave death in order to pick up my
nosegay."
But with a soul so delicate as that of this young lady a character so
generous and a mind so true reflection was certain soon to demonstrate
the vanity of such consolations powerless to cure the cruel wounds of
offended dignity an love.
"How many times" said Adrienne to herself and with reason "has the
prince encountered in hunting from pure caprice and with no gain such
danger as he braved in picking up my bouquet! and then who tells me he
did not mean to offer it to the woman who accompanied him?"
Singular (it may be) in the eyes of the world but just and great in
those of heaven the ideas which Adrienne cherished with regard to love
joined to her natural pride presented an invincible obstacle to the
thought of her succeeding this woman (whoever she might be) thus
publicly displayed by the prince as his mistress. And yet Adrienne
hardly dared avow to herself that she experienced a feeling of jealousy
only the more painful and humiliating the less her rival appeared worthy
to be compared to her.
At other times on the contrary in spite of a conscious sense of her own
value Mdlle. de Cardoville remembering the charming countenance of
Rose-Pompon asked herself if the bad taste and improper manners of this
pretty creature resulted from precocious and depraved effrontery or from
a complete ignorance of the usages of society. In the latter case such
ignorance arising from a simple and ingenuous nature might in itself
have a great charm; and if to this attraction combined with that of
incontestable beauty were added sincere love and a pure soul the
obscure birth or neglected education of the girl might be of little
consequence and she might be capable of inspiring Djalma with a profound
passion. If Adrienne hesitated to see a lost creature in Rose-Pompon
notwithstanding unfavorable appearances it was because remembering what
so many travellers had related of Djalma's greatness of soul and
recalling the conversation she had overheard between him and Rodin she
could not bring herself to believe that a man of such remarkable
intelligence with so tender a heart so poetical imaginative and
enthusiastic a mind could be capable of loving a depraved and vulgar
creature and of openly exhibiting himself in public along with her.
There was a mystery in the transaction which Adrienne sought in vain to
penetrate. These trying doubts this cruel curiosity only served to
nourish Adrienne's fatal love; and we may imagine her incurable despair
when she found that the indifference or even disdain of Djalma was
unable to stifle a passion that now burned more fiercely than ever.
Sometimes having recourse to notions of fatality she fancied that she
was destined to feel this love; that Djalma must therefore deserve it
and that one day whatever was incomprehensible in the conduct of the
prince would be explained to his advantage. At other times on the
contrary she felt ashamed of excusing Djalma and the consciousness of
this weakness was for Adrienne a constant occasion for remorse and
torture. The victim of all these agonies she lived in perfect solitude.
The cholera soon broke out startling as a clap of thunder. Too unhappy
to fear the pestilence on her own account Adrienne was only moved by the
sorrows of others. She was amongst the first to contribute to those
charitable donations which were now flowing in from all sides in the
admirable spirit of benevolence. Florine was suddenly attacked by the
epidemic. In spite of the danger her mistress insisted on seeing her
and endeavored to revive her failing courage. Conquered by this new mark
of kindness Florine could no longer conceal the treachery in which she
had borne a part. Death was about to deliver her from the odious tyranny
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