Le Juif errant. English

by Eugène Sue

  CHAPTER LVIII. RUIN.

  It is the day after the death of Marshal Simon's daughters. Mdlle. deCardoville is yet ignorant of the sad end of her young relatives. Hercountenance is radiant with happiness, and never has she looked morebeautiful; her eye has never been more brilliant, her complexion moredazzling white, her lip of a richer coral. According to her somewhateccentric custom of dressing herself in her own house in a picturesquestyle, Adrienne wears to-day, though it is about three o'clock in theafternoon, a pale green watered-silk dress, with a very full skirt, thesleeves and bodice slashed with rose-colored ribbon, and adorned withwhite bugle-beads, of exquisite workmanship; while a slender network,also of white bugle-beads, concealing the thick plait of Adrienne'sback hair, forms an oriental head-dress of charming originality, andcontrasts agreeably with the long curls which fall in front almost tothe swell of the bosom. To the expression of indescribable happinesswhich marks the features of Mdlle. de Cardoville, is added a certainresolute, cutting, satirical air, which is not habitual to her. Hercharming head, and graceful, swan-like neck, are raised in an attitudeof defiance; her small, rose-colored nostrils seem to dilate withill-repressed ardor, and she waits with haughty impatience for themoment of an aggressive and ironical interview. Not far from Adrienne isMother Bunch. She has resumed in the house the place which she at firstoccupied. The young sempstress is in mourning for her sister, but hercountenance is expressive of a mild, calm sorrow. She looks at Mdlle. deCardoville with surprise; for never, till now, has she seen the featuresof the fair patrician impressed with such a character of ironicalaudacity. Mdlle. de Cardoville was exempt from the slightest coquetry,in the narrow and ordinary sense of the word. Yet she now cast aninquiring look at the glass before which she was standing, and, havingrestored the elastic smoothness to one of her long, golden curls, byrolling it for a moment round her ivory finger, she carefully effacedwith her hands some almost imperceptible folds, which had formedthemselves in the thick material of her elegant corsage. This movement,and that of turning her back to the glass, to see if her dress satperfectly on all points, revealed, in serpentine undulations, all thecharms and graces of her light and elegant figure; for, in spite of therich fulness of her shoulders, white and firm as sculptured alabaster,Adrienne belonged to that class of privileged persons, who are able atneed to make a girdle out of a garter.

  Having performed, with indescribable grace, these charming evolutions offeminine coquetry, Adrienne turned towards Mother Bunch, whose surprisewas still on the increase, and said to her, smiling: "My dear Magdalen,do not laugh at my question--but what would you say to a picture, thatshould represent me as I am now?"

  "Why, lady--"

  "There you are again, with your lady-ing," said Adrienne, in a tone ofgentle reproach.

  "Well, then, Adrienne," resumed Mother Bunch, "I think it would be acharming picture, for you are dressed, as usual with perfect taste."

  "But am I not better dressed than on other days, my dear poetess? Ibegan by telling you that I do not ask the question for my own sake,"said Adrienne, gayly.

  "Well, I suppose so," replied Mother Bunch, with a faint smile. "It iscertainly impossible to imagine anything that would suit you better. Thelight green and the pale rose-color, with the soft lustre of the whiteornaments, harmonize so well with your golden hair, that I cannotconceive, I tell you, a more graceful picture."

  The speaker felt what she said, and she was happy to be able to expressit, for we know the intense admiration of that poetic soul for all thatwas beautiful.

  "Well!" went on Adrienne, gayly, "I am glad, my dear, that you find mebetter dressed than usual."

  "Only," said the hunchback, hesitating.

  "Only?" repeated Adrienne, looking at her with an air of interrogation.

  "Why, only," continued the other, "if I have never seen you look morepretty, I have also never observed in your features the resolute andironical expression which they had just now. It was like an air ofimpatient defiance."

  "And so it was, my dear little Magdalen," said Adrienne, throwing herarms round the girl's neck with joyous tenderness. "I must kiss you, forhaving guessed it. You see, I expect a visit from my dear aunt."

  "The Princess de Saint-Dizier?" cried Mother Bunch, in alarm. "Thatwicked lady, who did you so much evil?"

  "The very same. She has asked for an interview, and I shall be delightedto receive her."

  "Delighted?"

  "Yes--a somewhat ironical and malicious delight, it is true," answeredAdrienne, still more gayly. "You shall judge for yourself. She regretsher gallantries, her beauty, her youth--even her size afflicts theholy woman!--and she will see me young, fair, beloved--and above allthin--yes, thin," added Mdlle. de Cardoville, laughing merrily. "And youmay imagine, my dear, how much envy and despair, the sight of a young,thin woman excites in a stout one of a certain age!"

  "My friend," said Mother Bunch, gravely, "you speak in jest. And yet, Iknow not why, the coming of this princess alarms me."

  "Dear, gentle soul, be satisfied!" answered Adrienne, affectionately. "Ido not fear this woman--I no longer have any fear of her--and to proveit to her confusion, I will treat her--a monster of hypocrisy andwickedness, who comes here, no doubt, on some abominable design--I willtreat her as an inoffensive, ridiculous fat woman!" And Adrienne againlaughed.

  A servant here entered the room, and interrupted the mirth of Adrienne,by saying: "The Princess de Saint-Dizier wishes to know if you canreceive her?"

  "Certainly," said Mdlle. de Cardoville; and the servant retired. MotherBunch was about to rise and quit the room; but Adrienne held her back,and said to her, taking her hand with an air of serious tenderness:"Stay, my dear friend, I entreat you."

  "Do you wish it?"

  "Yes; I wish--still in revenge, you know," said Adrienne, with a smile,"to prove to her highness of Saint-Dizier, that I have an affectionatefriend--that I have, in fact, every happiness."

  "But, Adrienne," replied the other, timidly, "consider--"

  "Silence! here is the princess. Remain! I ask it as a favor. Theinstinct of your heart will discover any snare she may have laid. Didnot your affection warn me of the plots of Rodin?"

  Mother Bunch could not refuse such a request. She remained, but wasabout to draw back from the fireplace. Adrienne, however, took her bythe hand, and made her resume her seat in the arm-chair, saying: "Mydear Magdalen, keep your place. You owe nothing to the lady. With me itis different; she comes to my house."

  Hardly had Adrienne uttered these words, than the princess entered withhead erect, and haughty air (we have said, she could carry herself mostloftily), and advanced with a firm step. The strongest minds have theirside of puerile weakness; a savage envy, excited by the elegance, wit,and beauty of Adrienne, bore a large part in the hatred of the princessfor her niece; and though it was idle to think of eclipsing Adrienne,and the Princess de Saint-Dizier did not seriously mean to attempt it,she could not forbear, in preparing for the interview she had demanded,taking more pains even than usual in the arrangement of her dress.Beneath her robe of shot silk, she was laced in and tightened toexcess--a pressure which considerably increased the color in her cheeks.The throng of jealous and hateful sentiments, which inspired her withregard to Adrienne, had so troubled the clearness of her ordinarily calmjudgment, that, instead of the plain and quiet style, in which, as awoman of tact and taste, she was generally attired, she now committedthe folly of wearing a dress of changing hues, and a crimson hat,adorned with a magnificent bird of paradise. Hate, envy, the pride oftriumph--for she thought of the skillful perfidy with which she hadsent to almost certain death the daughters of Marshal Simon--and theexecrable hope of succeeding in new plots, were all expressed in thecountenance of the Princess de Saint-Dizier, as she entered her niece'sapartment.

  Without advancing to meet her aunt, Adrienne rose politely from the sofaon which she was seated, made a half-curtsey, full of grace and dignity,and immediately resumed her former posture. Then, pointing to an armchair near the
fireplace, at one corner of which sat Mother Bunch, andshe herself at the other, she said: "Pray sit down, your highness."The princess turned very red, remained standing, and cast a disdainfulglance of insolent surprise at the sempstress, who, in compliance withAdrienne's wish, only bowed slightly at the entrance of the Princess deSaint-Dizier, without offering to give up her place. In acting thus, theyoung sempstress followed the dictates of her conscience, which told herthat the real superiority did not belong to this base, hypocritical, andwicked princess, but rather to such a person as herself, the admirableand devoted friend.

  "Let me beg your highness to sit down," resumed Adrienne, in a mildtone, as she pointed to the vacant chair.

  "The interview I have demanded, niece," said the princess "must be aprivate one."

  "I have no secrets, madame, from my best friend; you may speak in thepresence of this young lady."

  "I have long known," replied Madame de Saint-Dizier, with bitter irony,"that in all things you care little for secrecy, and that you are easyin the choice of what you call your friends. But you will permit me toact differently from you. If you have no secrets, madame, I have--and Ido not choose to confide them to the first comer."

  So saying, the pious lady glanced contemptuously at the sempstress. Thelatter, hurt at the insolent tone of the princess, answered mildly andsimply:

  "I do not see what can be the great difference between the first and thelast comer to Mdlle. de Cardoville's."

  "What! can it speak!" cried the princess, insolently.

  "It can at least answer, madame," replied Mother Bunch, in her calmvoice.

  "I wish to see you alone, niece--is that clear?" said the princess,impatiently, to her niece.

  "I beg your pardon, but I do not quite understand your highness," saidAdrienne, with an air of surprise. "This young lady, who honors me withher friendship, is willing to be present at this interview, which youhave asked for--I say she has consented to be present, for it needs,I confess, the kindest condescension in her to resign herself, fromaffection for me, to hear all the graceful, obliging, and charmingthings which you have no doubt come hither to communicate."

  "Madame--" began the princess, angrily.

  "Permit me to interrupt your highness," returned Adrienne, in a toneof perfect amenity, as if she were addressing the most flatteringcompliments to her visitor. "To put you quite at your ease with the ladyhere, I will begin by informing you that she is quite aware of all theholy perfidies, pious wrongs, and devout infamies, of which you nearlymade me the victim. She knows that you are a mother of the Church, suchas one sees but few of in these days. May I hope, therefore, that yourhighness will dispense with this delicate and interesting reserve?"

  "Really," said the princess, with a sort of incensed amazement, "Iscarcely know if I wake or sleep."

  "Dear me!" said Adrienne, in apparent alarm; "this doubt as to the stateof your faculties is very shocking, madame. I see that the blood fliesto your head, for your face sufficiently shows it; you seem oppressed,confined, uncomfortable--perhaps (we women may say so betweenourselves), perhaps you are laced a little too tightly, madame?"

  These words, pronounced by Adrienne with an air of warm interest andperfect simplicity, almost choked the princess with rage. She becamecrimson, seated herself abruptly, and exclaimed: "Be it so, madame! Iprefer this reception to any other. It puts me at my ease, as you say."

  "Does it indeed, madame?" said Adrienne, with a smile. "You may now atleast speak frankly all that you feel, which must for you have the charmof novelty! Confess that you are obliged to me for enabling you, evenfor a moment, to lay aside that mask of piety, amiability, and goodness,which must be so troublesome to you."

  As she listened to the sarcasms of Adrienne (an innocent and excusablerevenge, if we consider all the wrongs she had suffered), Mother Bunchfelt her heart sink within her; for she dreaded the malignity of theprincess, who replied, with the utmost calmness: "A thousand thanks,madame, for your excellent intentions and sentiments. I appreciate themas I ought, and I hope in a short time to prove it to you."

  "Well, madame," said Adrienne, playfully, "let us have it all at once. Iam full of impatient curiosity."

  "And yet," said the princess, feigning in her turn a bitter and ironicaldelight, "you are far from having the least notion of what I am about toannounce to you."

  "Indeed! I fear that your highness's candor and modesty deceive you,"replied Adrienne, with the same mocking affability; "for there are veryfew things on your part that can surprise me, madame. You must be awarethat from your highness, I am prepared for anything."

  "Perhaps, madame," said the princess, laying great stress on herwords, "if, for instance, I were to tell you that within twenty-fourhours--suppose between this and to-morrow-thou will be reduced topoverty--"

  This was so unexpected, that Mdlle. de Cardoville started in spite ofherself, and Mother Bunch shuddered.

  "Ah, madame!" said the princess, with triumphant joy and cruel mildness,as she watched the growing surprise of her niece, "confess that I haveastonished you a little. You were right in giving to our interview theturn it has taken. I should have needed all sorts of circumlocution tosay to you, 'Niece, to-morrow you will be as poor as you are rich today.' But now I can tell you the fact quite plainly and simply."

  Recovering from her first amazement, Adrienne replied, with a calmsmile, which checked the joy of the princess: "Well, I confess frankly,madame, that you have surprised me; I expected from you one of thoseblack pieces of malignity, one of those well-laid plots, in which youare known to excel, and I did not think you would make all this fussabout such a trifle."

  "To be ruined--completely ruined," cried the princess, "and that by tomorrow--you that have been so prodigal, will see your house, furniture,horses, jewels, even the ridiculous dresses of which you are so vain,all taken from you--do you call that a trifle? You, that spend withindifference thousands of louis, will be reduced to a pension inferiorto the wages you gave your foot-boy--do you call that a trifle?"

  To her aunt's cruel disappointment, Adrienne, who appeared quite to haverecovered her serenity was about to answer accordingly, when the doorsuddenly opened, and, without being announced, Prince Djalma entered theroom. A proud and tender expression of delight beamed from the radiantbrow of Adrienne at sight of the prince, and it is impossible todescribe the look of triumphant happiness and high disdain that she castupon the Princess de Saint-Dizier. Djalma himself had never looked morehandsome, and never had more intense happiness been impressed on a humancountenance. The Hindoo wore a long robe of white Cashmere, adorned withinnumerable stripes of gold and purple; his turban was of the same colorand material; a magnificent figured shawl was twisted about his waist.On seeing the Indian, whom she had not hoped to meet at Mdlle. deCardoville's, the Princess de Saint-Dizier could not at first concealher extreme surprise. It was between these four, then, that thefollowing scene took place.