登陆注册
5196600000124

第124章

Newman sat down beside the mamma, and she talked a great deal, apparently with the design of convincing him that--if he would only see it--poor dear Claire did not belong to the most fascinating type of woman.She was too tall and thin, too stiff and cold; her mouth was too wide and her nose too narrow.

She had no dimples anywhere.And then she was eccentric, eccentric in cold blood; she was an Anglaise, after all.

Newman was very impatient; he was counting the minutes until his victims should reappear.He sat silent, leaning upon his cane, looking absently and insensibly at the little marquise.

At length Madame de Bellegarde said she would walk toward the gate of the park and meet her companions; but before she went she dropped her eyes, and, after playing a moment with the lace of her sleeve, looked up again at Newman.

"Do you remember," she asked, "the promise you made me three weeks ago?" And then, as Newman, vainly consulting his memory, was obliged to confess that the promise had escaped it, she declared that he had made her, at the time, a very queer answer--an answer at which, viewing it in the light of the sequel, she had fair ground for taking offense.

"You promised to take me to Bullier's after your marriage.

After your marriage--you made a great point of that.

Three days after that your marriage was broken off.Do you know, when I heard the news, the first thing I said to myself?

'Oh heaven, now he won't go with me to Bullier's!' And I really began to wonder if you had not been expecting the rupture.""Oh, my dear lady," murmured Newman, looking down the path to see if the others were not coming.

"I shall be good-natured," said Madame de Bellegarde."One must not ask too much of a gentleman who is in love with a cloistered nun.

Besides, I can't go to Bullier's while we are in mourning.

But I haven't given it up for that.The partie is arranged;I have my cavalier.Lord Deepmere, if you please! He has gone back to his dear Dublin; but a few months hence I am to name any evening and he will come over from Ireland, on purpose.

That's what I call gallantry!"

Shortly after this Madame de Bellegarde walked away with her little girl.

Newman sat in his place; the time seemed terribly long.

He felt how fiercely his quarter of an hour in the convent chapel had raked over the glowing coals of his resentment.Madame de Bellegarde kept him waiting, but she proved as good as her word.

At last she reappeared at the end of the path, with her little girl and her footman; beside her slowly walked her husband, with his mother on his arm.They were a long time advancing, during which Newman sat unmoved.Tingling as he was with passion, it was extremely characteristic of him that he was able to moderate his expression of it, as he would have turned down a flaring gas-burner.His native coolness, shrewdness, and deliberateness, his life-long submissiveness to the sentiment that words were acts and acts were steps in life, and that in this matter of taking steps curveting and prancing were exclusively reserved for quadrupeds and foreigners--all this admonished him that rightful wrath had no connection with being a fool and indulging in spectacular violence.

So as he rose, when old Madame de Bellegarde and her son were close to him, he only felt very tall and light.He had been sitting beside some shrubbery, in such a way as not to be noticeable at a distance;but M.de Bellegarde had evidently already perceived him.

His mother and he were holding their course, but Newman stepped in front of them, and they were obliged to pause.

He lifted his hat slightly, and looked at them for a moment;they were pale with amazement and disgust.

"Excuse me for stopping you," he said in a low tone, "but Imust profit by the occasion.I have ten words to say to you.

Will you listen to them?"

The marquis glared at him and then turned to his mother.

"Can Mr.Newman possibly have anything to say that is worth our listening to?""I assure you I have something," said Newman, "besides, it is my duty to say it.It's a notification--a warning.""Your duty?" said old Madame de Bellegarde, her thin lips curving like scorched paper."That is your affair, not ours."Madame Urbain meanwhile had seized her little girl by the hand, with a gesture of surprise and impatience which struck Newman, intent as he was upon his own words, with its dramatic effectiveness.

"If Mr.Newman is going to make a scene in public,"she exclaimed, "I will take my poor child out of the melee.

She is too young to see such naughtiness!" and she instantly resumed her walk.

"You had much better listen to me," Newman went on.

"Whether you do or not, things will be disagreeable for you;but at any rate you will be prepared."

"We have already heard something of your threats," said the marquis, "and you know what we think of them.""You think a good deal more than you admit.A moment,"Newman added in reply to an exclamation of the old lady.

"I remember perfectly that we are in a public place, and you see I am very quiet.I am not going to tell your secret to the passers-by;I shall keep it, to begin with, for certain picked listeners.

Any one who observes us will think that we are having a friendly chat, and that I am complimenting you, madam, on your venerable virtues."The marquis gave three short sharp raps on the ground with his stick.

"I demand of you to step out of our path!" he hissed.

Newman instantly complied, and M.de Bellegarde stepped forward with his mother.Then Newman said, "Half an hour hence Madame de Bellegarde will regret that she didn't learn exactly what I mean."The marquise had taken a few steps, but at these words she paused, looking at Newman with eyes like two scintillating globules of ice.

"You are like a peddler with something to sell," she said, with a little cold laugh which only partially concealed the tremor in her voice.

"Oh, no, not to sell," Newman rejoined; "I give it to you for nothing."And he approached nearer to her, looking her straight in the eyes.

同类推荐
  • 渔樵闲话录

    渔樵闲话录

    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。
  • 易林补遗

    易林补遗

    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。
  • 大威灯光仙人问疑经

    大威灯光仙人问疑经

    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。
  • 五灯会元目录

    五灯会元目录

    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。
  • 请宾头卢法

    请宾头卢法

    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
  • 八零女医神

    八零女医神

    新书《槿秀》同步更新中!!还望各位宝贝支持!!!轮回往生不由天,一念留魂赛神仙。九鼎神域一代医神,穿越重生到地球八零年代。既入我门,就得按我的规矩来,想以势压人?对不起,请另请高明.....
  • 妃常定制:殿下,我不劫色

    妃常定制:殿下,我不劫色

    “穿越时空?你真是我见过最帅的神棍!”某女暗想,这年头搭讪的方法也是绝了。“我不是骗子!”“怎么证明?”“我带你穿越一次,怎么样?”信你就有鬼了。心里这么想着,脸上却笑得灿烂。“好呀!那你答应我几个条件。”深吸了一口气,她笑着说道“我要穿越过去之后,数不完的钱,吃不完的美食,看不完的美男,一张倾城倾国的脸蛋,一个爱我到死的男人,一个绝无仅有的外挂,没有白莲花,没有绿茶婊,天不敢诛,地不敢灭。”男人嘴角抽搐。穿越的套路么,我比你熟多了,“怎么样?”……煜王是西澜国的传奇人物。传说,他喜欢男子,可是却娶了出家的尼姑做王妃。“嫁给你,只是因为贫尼上错了花轿。”“嫁给我,你是嫁对了郎君。”
  • 重生之覆国女相

    重生之覆国女相

    前世,那个男人为了坐稳皇位,利用她的感情,在除掉权倾天下的太后之后,便联合当朝左丞相,给顾氏一族按了一个谋反之罪,最终顾氏一族满门抄斩。他废她的后位,却不杀她,而是在左丞相之女折磨了她几年后,才赐得毒酒一杯,将她的尊严狠狠地践踏……临终前,她明白了一切,于是许下誓言:若有来生,定要让苍国的江山易主。今世,她是苍国第一位异姓王的女儿,但却因为一些不得已的原因,女扮男装……几年的陪伴,那个父亲送来的护卫走进了她的心里……在朝庭上玩阴谋诡计的她,只为那个让她动心的护卫,留下了一份温柔。
  • 琉璃王经

    琉璃王经

    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。
  • 年轻人不可不知的100位世界名人

    年轻人不可不知的100位世界名人

    本书通过凝缩的文字,收录了100位影响力巨大、创造性强、发人深思的世界各领域的大师精英。既向读者展现了100位名人的成长记录,又向人们揭示了一个简单而深刻的真理:天才和名人都不是天生的,正是他们通过自己的努力和奋斗,用自己的热情和艰苦卓绝的斗争通向了事业的顶端和荣誉的高峰。在这里,你可以看见在穷苦中潦倒而不懈奋斗的梵·高、在压迫中带领俄国人民奋起抗击的列宁、还有从来没有上过大学却成为一代文学巨匠的高尔基,还有巴尔扎克、诺贝尔、松下幸之助、全身瘫痪依旧奋斗的霍金……
  • 农女的如意庄园

    农女的如意庄园

    上有眼睛不好使的奶奶,中有软弱无能母亲,下有一个两岁的奶娃弟弟。穿到这样的一个家庭,她,欲哭无泪。一到雨天,外边下雨,家里下雨,冷不防摔一跤,鞋破脓流。一无所有的家庭,餐餐野菜。没房咱想法盖,没田咱想法买,没吃的咱挣钱!可是,为嘛好不容易一切都变好了,她也成了小富婆了,那个渣爹竟然带着女人回来了?!且看她凭着这21世纪的文化精髓以及新新人类的无穷智慧,如何斗智斗勇的拼搏自己所要的生活吧!
  • 所谓伊人,陷阱那边

    所谓伊人,陷阱那边

    当可爱女生遇见所谓的富二代,俗套的灰姑娘戏码再次上演,但是童话仅仅是童话,他们遇见的不仅仅是爱情,还有陷阱!即使一切已经尘埃落定,阴谋的味道也未曾减退。
  • 学校文化建设的理论与实践

    学校文化建设的理论与实践

    一所学校是一部历史,沉积着各个历史时期的校园文化生活,记载和延续着学校的学术传统和文化精神。从某种意义上说,学校的发展可视为对历史文化的传承和开拓。
  • 九转灵砂大丹

    九转灵砂大丹

    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。
  • 花烛京华

    花烛京华

    都说当今皇帝高冷面瘫,却是著名的宠妻狂魔,凤凰殿里凤位上那个不知道被他宠成了什么样子,骄扬跋扈,天下无敌。