登陆注册
5154600000243

第243章

The remorse he had expressed, and the distress he suffered could not be witnessed by Emily with indifference, and, had she not called to her recollection all the circumstances, of which Count De Villefort had informed her, and all he had said of the danger of confiding in repentance, formed under the influence of passion, she might perhaps have trusted to the assurances of her heart, and have forgotten his misconduct in the tenderness, which that repentance excited.

Valancourt, returning to the chair beside her, at length, said, in a calm voice, ''Tis true, I am fallen--fallen from my own esteem! but could you, Emily, so soon, so suddenly resign, if you had not before ceased to love me, or, if your conduct was not governed by the designs, I will say, the selfish designs of another person! Would you not otherwise be willing to hope for my reformation--and could you bear, by estranging me from you, to abandon me to misery--to myself!'--Emily wept aloud.--'No, Emily--no--you would not do this, if you still loved me.You would find your own happiness in saving mine.'

'There are too many probabilities against that hope,' said Emily, 'to justify me in trusting the comfort of my whole life to it.May I not also ask, whether you could wish me to do this, if you really loved me?'

'Really loved you!' exclaimed Valancourt--'is it possible you can doubt my love! Yet it is reasonable, that you should do so, since you see, that I am less ready to suffer the horror of parting with you, than that of involving you in my ruin.Yes, Emily--I am ruined--irreparably ruined--I am involved in debts, which I can never discharge!' Valancourt's look, which was wild, as he spoke this, soon settled into an expression of gloomy despair; and Emily, while she was compelled to admire his sincerity, saw, with unutterable anguish, new reasons for fear in the suddenness of his feelings and the extent of the misery, in which they might involve him.After some minutes, she seemed to contend against her grief and to struggle for fortitude to conclude the interview.'I will not prolong these moments,' said she, 'by a conversation, which can answer no good purpose.Valancourt, farewell!'

'You are not going?' said he, wildly interrupting her--'You will not leave me thus--you will not abandon me even before my mind has suggested any possibility of compromise between the last indulgence of my despair and the endurance of my loss!' Emily was terrified by the sternness of his look, and said, in a soothing voice, 'You have yourself acknowledged, that it is necessary we should part;--if you wish, that I should believe you love me, you will repeat the acknowledgment.'--'Never--never,' cried he--'I was distracted when Imade it.O! Emily--this is too much;--though you are not deceived as to my faults, you must be deluded into this exasperation against them.The Count is the barrier between us; but he shall not long remain so.'

'You are, indeed, distracted,' said Emily, 'the Count is not your enemy; on the contrary, he is my friend, and that might, in some degree, induce you to consider him as yours.'--'Your friend!' said Valancourt, hastily, 'how long has he been your friend, that he can so easily make you forget your lover? Was it he, who recommended to your favour the Monsieur Du Pont, who, you say, accompanied you from Italy, and who, I say, has stolen your affections? But I have no right to question you;--you are your own mistress.Du Pont, perhaps, may not long triumph over my fallen fortunes!' Emily, more frightened than before by the frantic looks of Valancourt, said, in a tone scarcely audible, 'For heaven's sake be reasonable--be composed.

Monsieur Du Pont is not your rival, nor is the Count his advocate.

You have no rival; nor, except yourself, an enemy.My heart is wrung with anguish, which must increase while your frantic behaviour shews me, more than ever, that you are no longer the Valancourt I have been accustomed to love.'

He made no reply, but sat with his arms rested on the table and his face concealed by his hands; while Emily stood, silent and trembling, wretched for herself and dreading to leave him in this state of mind.

'O excess of misery!' he suddenly exclaimed, 'that I can never lament my sufferings, without accusing myself, nor remember you, without recollecting the folly and the vice, by which I have lost you! Why was I forced to Paris, and why did I yield to allurements, which were to make me despicable for ever! O! why cannot I look back, without interruption, to those days of innocence and peace, the days of our early love!'--The recollection seemed to melt his heart, and the frenzy of despair yielded to tears.After a long pause, turning towards her and taking her hand, he said, in a softened voice, 'Emily, can you bear that we should part--can you resolve to give up an heart, that loves you like mine--an heart, which, though it has erred--widely erred, is not irretrievable from error, as, you well know, it never can be retrievable from love?' Emily made no reply, but with her tears.'Can you,' continued he, 'can you forget all our former days of happiness and confidence--when I had not a thought, that I might wish to conceal from you--when I had no taste--no pleasures, in which you did not participate?'

同类推荐
  • 一切智光明仙人慈心因缘不食肉经

    一切智光明仙人慈心因缘不食肉经

    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。
  • 春雪

    春雪

    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。
  • 艺堂

    艺堂

    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。
  • 轩辕黄帝传

    轩辕黄帝传

    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。
  • 佛说坚固女经

    佛说坚固女经

    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。
热门推荐
  • 漂泊者萧红

    漂泊者萧红

    我一生最大的痛苦和不幸,都是因为我是一个女人。——萧红。中国最东最北部的一座小城。松花江有一条支流叫呼兰河,就像一缕蓝色的丝线,从这圆点中间依稀穿过。早在一百年前,哈尔滨已经颇有点现代大都会的气派了,而呼兰仍然是闭塞的、守旧的。虽然这里也陆续有了商会、银行、邮局、工厂、学校之类,但是,骨子里头并没有什么变化。小城是平静的。人们默默地生存,默默地老去。萧红生于1911年,正值辛亥革命的年份。
  • 青石街上的大头倭瓜

    青石街上的大头倭瓜

    青石街全长不过500米,始建于明代万历年间,清时有过大修整,拓路建房,雕梁画柱,地面铺满质量上好的青石,并不宽敞的街道显得庄重气派。如今年代久远,旧建筑拆得差不多了,但当年铺满青石的地面,虽有损坏却也不断修补,依然散发着青色幽光,历史和岁月尽显其中。青石街虽然不长,却也塞满了各行各业,擦鞋、理发、茶社、酒馆、棋牌室、录像厅等等,把一条街装点得五颜六色,热闹非凡。
  • 佛说相应相可经

    佛说相应相可经

    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。
  • 爱情反应堆

    爱情反应堆

    这个成人大学的男生宿舍里,住着一伙离开老婆想再寻求一次浪漫的男生。周尚文遇到师范时的情人栗晓慧,又一次燃起爱的火苗,却偏偏受到了校花一号美女的青睐。自信的金浩瀚以为二号美女对他有意,愈发坚定了离婚的信心,谁知歪打正着,收获了难以排在美女行列却不乏性感的何玲。史大可靓丽的小媳妇,引起舍民们一片艳羡与嫉妒,这种心理很快就转化为舍友们离婚与寻求新爱的加速剂。老古董王天翔的老婆却异常贤惠,贤惠女人感动了宿舍每一个男人,而她的结局却促成老古董的古怪婚恋。怪癖的李三儿,患着怪癖的病,最终抗争不过怪癖的命运。所有的迹象都证明了大班长冯格是个不沾女色的人物,却爆出不可思议的绯闻。
  • 穿越之庶女为妃

    穿越之庶女为妃

    昨天晚上临时接到一项紧急任务,到这里追捕某个境外恐怖分子的成员。没想到一到就遭到了对方的埋伏,显然有人出卖了他们的消息。于初秋同去的所有队员都没有能活着出来,她却仗着高人一等的搏斗本领和敏捷准确的枪法得以幸存,不过也身受重伤,她在获救之前就昏了过去,结果穿越了。【情节虚构,请勿模仿】
  • 光头老大

    光头老大

    尹守国,2006年开始小说创作,发表中短篇小说70多万字,作品多次被《新华文摘》、《小说选刊》、《北京文学中篇小说月报》等选载,中国作家协会会员,辽宁省作协签约作家。
  • 流氓(中国好小说)

    流氓(中国好小说)

    一场电影,一个小小的意外,一句玩笑式的“流氓”,引来了一群看电影的人的集体围殴,所有人在不分青红皂白的情形下,充当着正义的“打手”,将一个无辜的农村少年振东活活打死。他们是作为正义的代言者审判着,却又被置于历史的荒谬中被审视着。小说用辐辏式的结构,将形形色色的的几个农村人的命运聚焦到围殴的场面上,集中展示了人性的残酷与荒谬。
  • 颜总她总想搞事情

    颜总她总想搞事情

    萧少:“听说,萧煜显此人,阴险狡诈,诡谲多变,笑里藏刀。听说,这是颜家主的评价。”“咳!”颜董:“听说,颜琬珺此人,善变多疑,诡计多端,心狠手辣。”萧少心虚:“你听谁说的?说这话的人,绝对是嫉妒你的才华和美貌,故意抹黑你的!”颜董微笑:“成小姐说,这是萧家太子的看法。”“……”萧少:“胡说!我说的明明是,颜家琬珺,温良贤淑,善解人意,沉鱼落雁,闭月羞花!”众人:“呸!你刚刚还和别人说她阴险恶毒,喜欢算计人呢!”颜董挑眉,“哦?是吗?”“别听他们胡说,我明明是在问一个问题。”“什么问题?”“山有木兮木有枝,”“心悦君兮君不知。”“我知。我知你心悦我,我也心悦琬珺。”众人,“口区!有被冒犯到!”
  • 剑道杀神

    剑道杀神

    一代剑帝秦辰意外遭人暗杀,夺舍重生后,开始了传奇的缔造之旅!天才?我踩得就是天才!规矩?我破得就是规矩!“剑在手,杀护由心,一切顺我心意,亲者护,仇者杀,哪怕以杀入道,我亦不悔!”
  • 权少的契约爱妻

    权少的契约爱妻

    一场不算美丽的遇见,却勾动了两颗缱绻的心。初见,她遭人暗算,身中媚药,不得不有求于他。“简少,帮帮我,带我走,好么……”她颤抖的身躯偶尔溢出破碎的呻吟。“我凭什么帮你?”男人挑起好看的眉峰,晃动着手里的酒杯,漫不经心。“如果不是你,我也不会这样。”柯清的目光恨恨的,如果不是这个男人点她陪酒,她怎么会这样?“哦?这就是你求人的样子么?”简骁离不以为然,似笑非笑的看着脸色酡红的女人。柯清紧咬着下唇,“你要怎样才肯帮我?”“陪我一夜。”“我不……”“由不得你!”说吧,男人就起身。没等柯清说完,她的身体已经被男人横空抬起,不顾他人阻拦抱着出了包厢。*在他伤过她以后……得知她要走,简骁离鼓起勇气大步走过去不由分说的一把将柯清揽在了怀里,禁锢住。“骁离。你先放开我……”柯清被简骁离抱的有些喘不过气,声音也弱了不少。“我不放……柯清,我们重新开始好不好?我发誓不再伤害你,好好和你在一起,努力的对你好。”“骁离,我们现在在一起,是不会幸福的……”柯清的声音很轻飘,一字一句落在简骁离的耳朵里却直击他心里的要害之处。“不试试你怎么知道不会幸福?柯清,不要走好不好?就当我求你……给我一个机会,我一定不会让你为自己的选择后悔的……”简骁离的声音越来越低沉,柯清能听得出他是在刻意压制。到底,他还有没有这个机会?