登陆注册
5201800000079

第79章

"Before seeing her, I saw--at Count Olenski's request--Mr.Lovell Mingott, with whom I had several talks before going to Boston.I understand that he represents his mother's view; and that Mrs.Manson Mingott's influence is great throughout her family."Archer sat silent, with the sense of clinging to the edge of a sliding precipice.The discovery that he had been excluded from a share in these negotiations, and even from the knowledge that they were on foot, caused him a surprise hardly dulled by the acuter wonder of what he was learning.He saw in a flash that if the family had ceased to consult him it was because some deep tribal instinct warned them that he was no longer on their side; and he recalled, with a start of comprehension, a remark of May's during their drive home from Mrs.Manson Mingott's on the day of the Archery Meeting: "Perhaps, after all, Ellen would be happier with her husband."Even in the tumult of new discoveries Archer remembered his indignant exclamation, and the fact that since then his wife had never named Madame Olenska to him.Her careless allusion had no doubt been the straw held up to see which way the wind blew; the result had been reported to the family, and thereafter Archer had been tacitly omitted from their counsels.He admired the tribal discipline which made May bow to this decision.

She would not have done so, he knew, had her conscience protested; but she probably shared the family view that Madame Olenska would be better off as an unhappy wife than as a separated one, and that there was no use in discussing the case with Newland, who had an awkward way of suddenly not seeming to take the most fundamental things for granted.

Archer looked up and met his visitor's anxious gaze.

"Don't you know, Monsieur--is it possible you don't know--that the family begin to doubt if they have the right to advise the Countess to refuse her husband's last proposals?""The proposals you brought?"

"The proposals I brought."

It was on Archer's lips to exclaim that whatever he knew or did not know was no concern of M.Riviere's;but something in the humble and yet courageous tenacity of M.Riviere's gaze made him reject this conclusion, and he met the young man's question with another.

"What is your object in speaking to me of this?"He had not to wait a moment for the answer."To beg you, Monsieur--to beg you with all the force I'm capable of--not to let her go back.--Oh, don't let her!" M.Riviere exclaimed.

Archer looked at him with increasing astonishment.

There was no mistaking the sincerity of his distress or the strength of his determination: he had evidently resolved to let everything go by the board but the supreme need of thus putting himself on record.Archer considered.

"May I ask," he said at length, "if this is the line you took with the Countess Olenska?"M.Riviere reddened, but his eyes did not falter.

"No, Monsieur: I accepted my mission in good faith.Ireally believed--for reasons I need not trouble you with--that it would be better for Madame Olenska to recover her situation, her fortune, the social consideration that her husband's standing gives her.""So I supposed: you could hardly have accepted such a mission otherwise.""I should not have accepted it."

"Well, then--?" Archer paused again, and their eyes met in another protracted scrutiny.

"Ah, Monsieur, after I had seen her, after I had listened to her, I knew she was better off here.""You knew--?"

"Monsieur, I discharged my mission faithfully: I put the Count's arguments, I stated his offers, without adding any comment of my own.The Countess was good enough to listen patiently; she carried her goodness so far as to see me twice; she considered impartially all Ihad come to say.And it was in the course of these two talks that I changed my mind, that I came to see things differently.""May I ask what led to this change?"

"Simply seeing the change in HER," M.Riviere replied.

"The change in her? Then you knew her before?"The young man's colour again rose."I used to see her in her husband's house.I have known Count Olenski for many years.You can imagine that he would not have sent a stranger on such a mission."Archer's gaze, wandering away to the blank walls of the office, rested on a hanging calendar surmounted by the rugged features of the President of the United States.

That such a conversation should be going on anywhere within the millions of square miles subject to his rule seemed as strange as anything that the imagination could invent.

"The change--what sort of a change?"

"Ah, Monsieur, if I could tell you!" M.Riviere paused.

"Tenez--the discovery, I suppose, of what I'd never thought of before: that she's an American.And that if you're an American of HER kind--of your kind--things that are accepted in certain other societies, or at least put up with as part of a general convenient give-and-take--become unthinkable, simply unthinkable.If Madame Olenska's relations understood what these things were, their opposition to her returning would no doubt be as unconditional as her own; but they seem to regard her husband's wish to have her back as proof of an irresistible longing for domestic life." M.Riviere paused, and then added: "Whereas it's far from being as simple as that."Archer looked back to the President of the United States, and then down at his desk and at the papers scattered on it.For a second or two he could not trust himself to speak.During this interval he heard M.

Riviere's chair pushed back, and was aware that the young man had risen.When he glanced up again he saw that his visitor was as moved as himself.

"Thank you," Archer said simply.

"There's nothing to thank me for, Monsieur: it is I, rather--" M.Riviere broke off, as if speech for him too were difficult."I should like, though," he continued in a firmer voice, "to add one thing.You asked me if I was in Count Olenski's employ.I am at this moment:

I returned to him, a few months ago, for reasons of private necessity such as may happen to any one who has persons, ill and older persons, dependent on him.But from the moment that I have taken the step of coming here to say these things to you I consider myself discharged, and I shall tell him so on my return, and give him the reasons.That's all, Monsieur."M.Riviere bowed and drew back a step.

"Thank you," Archer said again, as their hands met.

同类推荐
  • 金匮方歌括

    金匮方歌括

    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。
  • 上清无上金元玉清金真飞元步虚玉章

    上清无上金元玉清金真飞元步虚玉章

    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。
  • 三楚新录

    三楚新录

    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。
  • 观自在菩萨心真言一印念诵法

    观自在菩萨心真言一印念诵法

    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。
  • 证道歌颂

    证道歌颂

    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
  • 彩云新天遇有时

    彩云新天遇有时

    本书精选近两年的散文、随笔75篇有余,其有爬崂山游记,作者多以赋、兴笔法,描述一个“驴友”眼中的自然物象与自在物象。与野人为善,成野人之美,感纯粹诗意之流转,想神圣华夏之道统,山水之爱,山水之心,野的行走,野的善美。部分文章已在网络发表,受到众多“驴友”与读者的喜爱。
  • 不一样的青梅:爱上迷糊小女警

    不一样的青梅:爱上迷糊小女警

    “小韩妞,你不认识我了吗?”这是他们久别重逢后她对她说的第一句话。她却一脸懵逼“我应该认识你吗?”还有,谁是小韩妞?自此,她的生活彻底变了,她走到哪他都如影随形,平时也就算了,可相亲什么的,他跟来干什么?不说大老板都走高冷范吗?可面前这个大膏药是怎么回事?
  • 归来之脱团团长

    归来之脱团团长

    这个世界上真有长得一模一样的人?古易表示不信,为了查明她的真身,他放弃基业,开始另一段传奇人生。
  • 将门嫡女不好惹

    将门嫡女不好惹

    一朝穿越,她成了将军府中的嫡长女。却是祖母厌弃,姨娘算计,庶妹伪善,还有一群极品亲戚。不给点颜色看看,还真以为她好欺负?祖母厌弃?谁在乎你了!姨娘算计?免费送你一打野男人!庶妹伪善?那就抢了你喜欢的男人!还有极品亲戚?那本小姐就让你们倾家荡产!以牙还牙,以眼还眼,人若欺我,我定奉还!*某女:自大男人我不要!某男:娘子,那不是自大,是自信!某女:我讨厌大男子主义的男人!某男:没关系,娘子看着看着就会顺眼了!某女:本小姐最讨厌麻烦,你就是个大麻烦!某男:娘子,为夫太优秀,有麻烦在所难免!*【片段一】一男一女对峙。“我贪财!”“本王以名下所有资产为聘!若你嫌少,本王立刻抢了国库!”“我好色!”“本王的美名,天下皆知!”“我讨厌处男!”某王脸一红,万分羞涩的说道:“你记得吗,很早以前,你就毁了我的清白!”某女:“……”一失足成千古恨呐!某女捶胸顿足!*【片段二】“王爷,王妃要拆了镇国公府!”某王皱眉不悦。侍卫暗喜,王爷终于要发怒了!“拆就拆了,随王妃高兴,有什么好大惊小怪的!”侍卫绝倒:王爷,那可是您外祖的府上啊!“好生照看王妃,少了一根汗毛,为你是问!算了,还是本王亲自前去!”侍卫吐血三升,倒地不起!*PS:文风轻松,各种阴谋,各种算计,各种JQ,轮番上演,敬请期待!
  • 佛说十地经

    佛说十地经

    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。
  • 煞星萌妻:宝宝我就是要闹

    煞星萌妻:宝宝我就是要闹

    倒霉的时候连喝水都能够被呛死,第一天上班路上就丢了钱包和手机,然后整整一天莫名其妙的被老板骂,晚上回家还跌进了下水道!最最最重要的是竟然在下水道里碰见一个浑身发光悬浮在半空中自称是煞星的男人,说什么这一年里他都要跟随着她,说什么看她的表现以后带她去他的世界当什么X女战警!!啥?她这是闯进了科幻片拍摄现场了吗?!!
  • 前闻记

    前闻记

    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。
  • 音乐的历史

    音乐的历史

    《音乐的历史》评述了世界音乐史上各个时期伟大的音乐家的心路历程。在众多人物面前,作者按时间先后顺序,以平易近人的语气、独特的犀利目光,对西方音乐发展历史进行了梳理。静心读来,高雅的音乐,经典的旋律,名垂乐史的大师,仿佛就在你的身边。该书逻辑和条理清晰,读者可以读一本故事书的状态来品读房龙的音乐思想,并由此大体把握欧洲音乐史的发展脉络,知晓那些光鲜的音乐家的别样人生。
  • 驴行职场

    驴行职场

    给那些进入职场有一段时间,但却陷入困惑之中的“白(领)骨(干)精(英)”们,以及更多的职场“菜鸟”们一些案例式的启发,同时也给从事人力资源管理工作的同行以及执掌“驴”运的老板们一些有益的分享。本书所有寓吾故事均来自于职场实境,但故事情节均属虚构,如有雷同,纯属巧合,请勿对号入座。
  • 揭秘梵蒂冈:《天使长迷案》史海钩沉

    揭秘梵蒂冈:《天使长迷案》史海钩沉

    本书是《天使长迷案:耶稣会崛起》出版以后,为解答读者的疑问,作者所写的一部梵蒂冈简史,既是理解《天使长迷案:耶稣会崛起》的背景知识,同时也是了解欧洲宗教史上一些神秘事件的一个窗口。《天使长迷案:耶稣会崛起》是小说,是虚构的,本书则是相关的历史事件及其来龙去脉。美国亚马逊给本书的分类很有意思:教皇&梵蒂冈;有组织的犯罪。其销量总排名非常靠前,超过了大部分悬疑推理小说。