登陆注册
5168500000566

第566章

FARINGHEA'S AFFECTION.

It will, perhaps, be remembered that Djalma, when he heard for the first time that he was beloved by Adrienne, had, in the fulness of his joy, spoken thus to Faringhea, whose treachery he had just discovered, "You leagued with my enemies, and I had done you no harm.You are wicked, because you are no doubt unhappy.I will strive to make you happy, so that you may be good.Would you have gold?--you shall have it.Would you have a friend?--though you are a slave, a king's son offers you his friendship."

Faringhea had refused the gold, and appeared to accept the friendship of the son of Kadja-sing.Endowed with remarkable intelligence, and extraordinary power of dissimulation the half-breed had easily persuaded the prince of the sincerity of his repentance, and obtained credit for his gratitude and attachment from so confiding and generous a character.

Besides, what motives could Djalma have to suspect the slave, now become his friend? Certain of the love of Mdlle.de Cardoville, with whom he passed a portion of every day, her salutary influence would have guarded him against any dangerous counsels or calumnies of the half-caste, a faithful and secret instrument of Rodin, and attached by him to the Company.But Faringhea, whose tact was amazing, did not act so lightly;

he never spoke to the prince of Mdlle.de Cardoville, and waited unobtrusively for the confidential communications into which Djalma was sometimes hurried by his excessive joy.A few days after the interview last described between Adrienne and Djalma, and on the morrow of the day when Rodin, certain of the success of Ninny Moulin's mission to Sainte-

Colombe, had himself put a letter in the post to the address of Agricola Baudoin, the half-caste, who for some time had appeared oppressed with a violent grief, seemed to get so much worse, that the prince, struck with the desponding air of the man, asked him kindly and repeatedly the cause of his sorrow.But Faringhea, while he gratefully thanked the prince for the interest he took in him, maintained the most absolute silence and reserve on the subject of his grief.

These preliminaries will enable the reader to understand the following scene, which took place about noon in the house in the Rue de Clichy occupied by the Hindoo.Contrary to his habit, Djalma had not passed that morning with Adrienne.He had been informed the evening before, by the young lady, that she must ask of him the sacrifice of this whole day, to take the necessary measures to make their marriage sacred and acceptable in the eyes of the world, and yet free from the restrictions which she and Djalma disapproved.As for the means to be employed by Mdlle.de Cardoville to attain this end, and the name of the pure and honorable person who was to consecrate their union, these were secrets which, not belonging exclusively to the young lady, could not yet be communicated to Djalma.To the Indian, so long accustomed to devote every instant to Adrienne, this day seemed interminable.By turns a prey to the most burning agitation, and to a kind of stupor, in which he plunged himself to escape from the thoughts that caused his tortures, Djalma lay stretched upon a divan, with his face buried in his hands, as if to shut out the view of a too enchanting vision.Suddenly, without knocking at the door, as usual, Faringhea entered the prince's apartment.

At the noise the half-caste made in entering Djalma started, raised his head, and looked round him with surprise; but, on seeing the pale agitated countenance of the slave, he rose hastily, and advancing towards him, exclaimed, "What is the matter, Faringhea!"

After a moment's silence, and as if struggling with a painful feeling of hesitation, Faringhea threw himself at the feet of Djalma, and murmured in a weak, despairing, almost supplicating voice: "I am very miserable.

Pity me, my good lord!"

The tone was so touching, the grief under which the half-breed suffered seemed to give to his features, generally fixed and hard as bronze, such a heart-rending expression, that Djalma was deeply affected, and, bending to raise him from the ground, said to him, in a kindly voice: "Speak to me! Confidence appeases the torments of the heart.Trust me, friend--

for my angel herself said to me, that happy love cannot bear to see tears about him."

"But unhappy love, miserable love, betrayed love--weeps tears of blood,"

replied Faringhea, with painful dejection.

"Of what love dost thou speak?" asked Djalma, in surprise.

"I speak of my love," answered the half-caste, with a gloomy air.

"Of your love?" said Djalma, more and more astonished; not that the half-

caste, still young, and with a countenance of sombre beauty, appeared to him incapable of inspiring or feeling the tender passion, but that, until now, he had never imagined him capable of conceiving so deep a sorrow.

"My lord," resumed the half-caste, "you told me, that misfortune had made me wicked, and that happiness would make me good.In those words, I saw a presentiment, and a noble love entered my heart, at the moment when hatred and treachery departed from it.I, the half-savage, found a woman, beautiful and young, to respond to my passion.At least I thought so.But I had betrayed you, my lord, and there is no happiness for a traitor, even though he repent.In my turn, I have been shamefully betrayed."

Then, seeing the surprise of the prince, the half-caste added, as if overwhelmed with confusion: "Do not mock me, my lord! The most frightful tortures would not have wrung this confession from me; but you, the son of a king, deigned to call the poor slave your friend!"

"And your friend thanks you for the confidence," answered Djalma."Far from mocking, he will console you.Mock you! do you think it possible?"

"Betrayed love merits contempt and insult," said Faringhea, bitterly.

"Even cowards may point at one with scorn--for, in this country, the sight of the man deceived in what is dearest to his soul, the very life-

同类推荐
  • 历代兴衰演义

    历代兴衰演义

    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。
  • Robert Falconer

    Robert Falconer

    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。
  • 夢月軒詩鈔

    夢月軒詩鈔

    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。
  • 脉诀刊误

    脉诀刊误

    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。
  • 玄珠心镜注

    玄珠心镜注

    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
  • 两情相玥

    两情相玥

    一段痛苦的暗恋一段痛苦的往事你会是我命中注定的真命天子吗?
  • 南明皇妃流浪记

    南明皇妃流浪记

    南明朝偏安云南,晋王兵败,昆明城被吴三桂大军攻破,窦妃随永历帝南奔,经一路腥风血雨,最后流落缅北受尽缅酋欺辱,缅酋迫于清军,献帝于吴三桂先锋官高得捷押往昆明,窦妃和晋王追寻帝至极边小城腾冲,为救帝与清兵死战未成,帝死于昆明,窦妃和晋王自绝于腾冲……讲述一段悲楚的亡国故事,吹一曲凄美的爱情之歌。
  • 情深刻骨:早安,未婚夫!

    情深刻骨:早安,未婚夫!

    作为演艺圈骨灰级的龙套兼死尸专业户,秦绮为了得到梦寐以求的角色,硬着头皮陪笑灌酒!“女一?当然可以。但你知道我想要什么。”他似笑非笑。她恨得咬牙切齿,但转念一想,不就是扯个证吗?豁出去了……然而,原本单纯的交易关系,在什么时候悄悄变了性质呢?
  • 雄霸楚汉

    雄霸楚汉

    特种部队年轻教官龙天羽,因参与一次保护神秘皇陵出土的宝物,而意外穿越时空,来到了秦朝末年,此时的大秦帝国已经风雨飘摇,龙蛇起陆,金戈铁马,狼烟四起,生灵涂炭,龙天羽踏秦川,战霸王,醉枕佳人,指点江山,震撼各路群雄!
  • 重生狂野时代

    重生狂野时代

    重生1992,会尽风云人物,活出一世精彩。打造全球第一商业王国;投资无数明星企业;扶持无数大佬;他是名人的偶像;他是时代的传奇!
  • 重生之鬼帝医妃

    重生之鬼帝医妃

    她是暗夜国医学世家传人——沈七,被剁她双手双足最终一枪毙命。她是本朝将军府名贵命薄的庶女——沈荣华,到死都不知道是谁在害她!当沈七再睁眼竟喜获新生——且看她医学世家穿越女如何在这陌生的古代捍卫她的医世荣华!!【初时】她悄悄的重生了,慢慢的开始在高门大户里斗嫡打庶的无聊日子,一时失手救了一只人神共愤的鬼畜——从此走上不归路。他本该是这天下之主,却因年幼不谙事而被‘惨害’,为了复仇隐忍偷生,只待有朝一日夺下这本该属于他的一切,不曾想却遇上了她——从此君王不早朝【后来】某男阴鸷的对她说:“沈荣华,你这丑八怪怎么配嫁给本皇子为正妃,本皇子要娶那女子,容貌比你美千倍,才情比你高万倍。你敢不退婚,本皇子定休你为弃妇,所以识相的赶紧拒绝这门婚事吧!”沈荣华哭的一脸泪花依依不舍:“殿下,殿下,既然如此,那我,我就依了皇子殿下,只盼他日再见时,殿下能念着荣华点好来。”某男错愕,不是说爱他爱的死去活来,非他不嫁的么?怎么这么轻易就答应了?【再后来】沈荣华退了某皇子的婚约后。三皇子,五皇子,六皇子都请皇上赐婚,都说要娶那沈荣华!五国圣宴,东倾、西华、南疆、北漠四国的皇子求娶沈荣华!然,只有他:“荣华,我以这万里江山为聘,娶你为妻可好?”她粲然一笑:“好,那——就把这万里江山送人可好?”他点头,得她失了这天下又如何?没有她,这万里山河也不过一片永寂!【文艺版】他:江山拱手,为她一笑。她:心若不动,风又奈何,你若不伤,岁月无恙。他:终于为那一身江南烟雨覆了天下,容华谢后,不过一场,山河永寂。他:谁眼角朱红的泪痣成全了你的繁华一世,你金戈铁马的江山赠与谁一场石破惊天的空欢喜。【一句话简介】这就是个医学世家的穿越医女不小心救个残暴的美男而后携手踏平三川五岳共造美好家园的故事。【好友古言精品完结推荐】《重生之天价弃妇》【我的古言重生完结文推荐】《嫡妃重生》
  • 静思集

    静思集

    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。
  • 魔纪断空

    魔纪断空

    本该在深山中与世无争的少年因一纸婚书走上了爱恨情仇的道路,没落的王朝,梦中的世界,一个一个谜题的浮现,而答案似乎总在呼之欲出的时候沉寂下去……
  • 王的现代迷糊妻

    王的现代迷糊妻

    她的前世是行医济世的灵芝仙子,为了他舍弃仙籍,香消玉损,遁入轮回,了却一世情缘,他却纠缠不放。为了他,灵芝魂魄不肯归位,诱得她从21世纪来到秦朝,与嬴政再续不了情缘,无奈情再续,缘难接,让他如何甘心放手?他是暴君,却缘由于她,她让今生的灵儿穿越回秦替她赎罪,导他入轮回,却让他不放手,变作千年僵尸,只为寻她到21世纪,因为他要三续不了情缘!情节虚构,切勿模仿。
  • 海外飞鸿

    海外飞鸿

    叙伦兄:今日偷得半日闲,给您写下这封信。周末通越洋电话,仍觉得有许多话没有说尽。远居在英伦是孤独的,每次拿话筒都不忍放下,但每每又都克制自己必须长话短说,否则到月底接电话公司帐单时又吓了一跳。我们这些穷留学生,确实还没有奢侈到可随心所欲用太平洋上空的国际通讯卫星来煲电话粥的地步。和朋友们通话,总给我一种愉快和温馨,我从内心真感激您和家乡的朋友们竟还那么惦记着我!说起来,我辞国远行三年了,何尝不也是无时不刻地思念着我的家乡,我的亲朋好友们,思恋着我们在一起欢聚时无拘无束的快乐时光。