登陆注册
4606300000214

第214章

O'Neilan was only twenty-three years old; his father, who was dead, had been a general, and the beautiful Countess Borsati was his sister. He presented me to the Countess Zanardi Nerli, still more lovely than his sister, but I was prudent enough not to burn my incense before either of them, for it seemed to me that everybody could guess the state of my health.

I have never met a young man more addicted to debauchery than O'Neilan. I have often spent the night rambling about with him, and I was amazed at his cynical boldness and impudence. Yet he was noble, generous, brave, and honourable. If in those days young officers were often guilty of so much immorality, of so many vile actions, it was not so much their fault as the fault of the privileges which they enjoyed through custom, indulgence, or party spirit. Here is an example:

One day O'Neilan, having drunk rather freely, rides through the city at full speed. A poor old woman who was crossing the street has no time to avoid him, she falls, and her head is cut open by the horse's feet. O'Neilan places himself under arrest, but the next day he is set at liberty. He had, only to plead that it was an accident.

The officer Laurent not having called upon me to redeem his promisory note of six sequins during the week, I told him in the street that I

would no longer consider myself bound to keep the affair secret.

Instead of excusing himself, he said, "I do not care!"

The answer was insulting, and I intended to compel him to give me reparation, but the next day O'Neilan told me that Captain Laurent had gone mad and had been locked up in a mad-house. He subsequently recovered his reason, but his conduct was so infamous that he was cashiered.

O'Neilan, who was as brave as Bayard, was killed a few years afterwards at the battle of Prague. A man of his complexion was certain to fall the victim of Mars or of Venus. He might be alive now if he had been endowed only with the courage of the fox, but he had the courage of the lion. It is a virtue in a soldier, but almost a fault in an officer. Those who brave danger with a full knowledge of it are worthy of praise, but those who do not realize it escape only by a miracle, and without any merit attaching itself to them.

Yet we must respect those great warriors, for their unconquerable courage is the offspring of a strong soul, of a virtue which places them above ordinary mortals.

Whenever I think of Prince Charles de Ligne I cannot restrain my tears. He was as brave as Achilles, but Achilles was invulnerable.

He would be alive now if he had remembered during the fight that he was mortal. Who are they that, having known him, have not shed tears in his memory? He was handsome, kind, polished, learned, a lover of the arts, cheerful, witty in his conversation, a pleasant companion, and a man of perfect equability. Fatal, terrible revolution! A

cannon ball took him from his friends, from his family, from the happiness which surrounded him.

The Prince de Waldeck has also paid the penalty of his intrepidity with the loss of one arm. It is said that he consoles himself for that loss with the consciousness that with the remaining one he can yet command an army.

O you who despise life, tell me whether that contempt of life renders you worthy of it?

The opera opened immediately after Easter, and I was present at every performance. I was then entirely cured, and had resumed my usual life. I was pleased to see that Baletti shewed off Marina to the best advantage. I never visited her, but Baletti was in the habit of breakfasting with me almost every morning.

He had often mentioned an old actress who had left the stage for more than twenty years, and pretended to have been my father's friend.

同类推荐
  • 佛说一切功德庄严王经

    佛说一切功德庄严王经

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 舍利弗悔过经

    舍利弗悔过经

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 石室秘录

    石室秘录

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 钦定宪法大纲

    钦定宪法大纲

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 酒食

    酒食

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
热门推荐
  • 正一法文法箓部仪

    正一法文法箓部仪

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 凤舞霓裳:绝色太子妃

    凤舞霓裳:绝色太子妃

    【推荐新书】独家挚爱:神秘帝少高冷妻平天下,笑群雄,凤舞九州落苍穹;醉红尘,定四海,霓裳飘动翔八荒。她是亡国帝女,身负一身血海深仇,却偏偏遇见了他,从此收敛锋芒,只为伴他一世相守。他是强国之王,肩担统一天下重任,怎奈何邂逅了她,甘愿画地为牢,只为护她一生安好。江湖乱,儿女情长,又何惧血雨腥风?烽烟起,硝烟弥漫,又何妨四方征战?片段一:“国仇家恨,我定要报,谁都阻挡不了我。”“若是你的心愿,那就是我的责任,我不介意替你手刃仇人。”“却是为何?”“我愿为你挡去所有风雨,只为还你纯净无暇。”片段二:“为何你能认出我?”“因为是你,因为是我,便是于千万人中我也同样能够认出你。”“有你,真好。”
  • 机械玩家

    机械玩家

    丁易,新联邦机械军团中的一员,因为落水导致芯片损坏,被改造并被装入了人类身份芯片,开始了一段与其他机器人不一样的机械人生。他的目标是远方长河,彼岸繁星,终有一日,他要在灰暗的星系里点亮属于AI的那一颗。(本书半科幻半网游,会有异能元素,有些毒性。)
  • 最强女帝在校园

    最强女帝在校园

    她是修仙界第一女帝,却没想到新婚夜被人毒死。一朝重生到地球的高中生身上,亲父不爱,继母恶毒,任谁都要踩她一脚只因她是顾家的白痴女。当白痴变为天才,重新绽放光芒,左手修仙右手医术,尔等全部跪下!当那个最最腹黑的男人,宠溺笑道:“女人,玩够了咱就回家。”
  • 海洋馆漫游:海洋知识浏览

    海洋馆漫游:海洋知识浏览

    海洋是一个富饶而未充分开发的自然资源宝库。海洋自然资源包括海域(海洋空间)资源、海洋生物资源、海洋能源、海洋矿产资源、海洋旅游资源、海水资源等。这一切都等待着我们去发现、去开采。青少年认真学习海洋知识,不仅能为未来开发海洋及早储备知识,还能海洋研究事业做出应有的贡献。
  • 无敌捡漏系统

    无敌捡漏系统

    【都市灵气复苏】没人采集的杂草捡回来浇灌一下,竟是千年灵芝。没人狩猎的灵兽捡回来饲养一下,竟是蛮荒神兽。没人重视的废材妹子捡回来培养一下,竟是女帝血脉。锈迹斑斑的断剑,残缺破烂的卷轴,捡回来补一补,不是上古魔器,就是绝世秘籍。遗迹、秘境、拍卖会,甚至大街小巷……哪里能捡漏,哪里就有叶风的身影。
  • 弃后,惹不起!

    弃后,惹不起!

    前世,她荣华尽享,却惨遭毒手,含恨而死。今生,她携子归来,风光无限……小萌娃:“娘亲,你不是说不要父皇了吗?为什么又怀了小宝宝?”某男:“嗯,因为你娘亲昨日刚给我喝了迷魂药。”小萌娃:“娘亲,那您给父皇多喝几碗,给我再多添几个妹妹。”苏子诩:“……”
  • 漂浮的城

    漂浮的城

    留级一年的李秋岑在新的学校遇见了美丽可爱的路小雨,两人恋爱,然而路小雨不知道以前的李秋岑和他的秘密···
  • 人间帝仙

    人间帝仙

    古老的墓地传闻有仙埋葬,世上从此再无仙。一位从墓地走出的少。誓要成为人间帝仙。
  • 风华天下之摄政狂妃

    风华天下之摄政狂妃

    她冷血无情,素手掌乾坤,搅乱天下风云。摄政王,郡主,魔教教主,古隐四族之一的少主……身份多重,面孔千张,让人分不清究竟哪个才是真正的她。天下于她,不过是一场博弈,而她不会输。他腹黑妖孽,看似放荡不羁,实则拥有颠覆天下的力量。视万物如尘,却唯独暗自里将她放在了心间。那年繁花灼灼,紫樱树下,漫天花雨,一个精灵般的女孩不经意间撞进他的眼底,成为了痴缠他一生的梦魇。于是乎,她强他要更强,处处与她作对,霸道地占据她的整个生活。她不知,她谋天下,他谋她。当她撞上他,在这场苍茫棋局中,王者与王者之间的对决,谁胜谁负?谁又能征服谁?“以日月星辰为幕,万里山河作赌,赢你归我,输我归你。”