登陆注册
5224700000053

第53章 LOUISE DE MACUMER TO RENEE DE L'ESTORADE March(2)

"I repeat it,your happiness is my object.Never allow yourself,then,to forget that the first three months of your married life may work your misery if you do not submit to the yoke with the same forbearance,tenderness,and intelligence that you have shown during the days of courtship.For,my little rogue,you know very well that you have indulged in all the innocent pleasures of a clandestine love affair.If the culmination of your love begins with disappointment,dislike,nay,even with pain,well,come and tell me about it.Don't hope for too much from marriage at first;it will perhaps give you more discomfort than joy.The happiness of your life requires at least as patient cherishing as the early shoots of love.

"To conclude,if by chance you should lose the lover,you will find in his place the father of your children.In this,my dear child,lies the whole secret of social life.Sacrifice everything to the man whose name you bear,the man whose honor and reputation cannot suffer in the least degree without involving you in frightful consequences.Such sacrifice is thus not only an absolute duty for women of our rank,it is also their wisest policy.This,indeed,is the distinctive mark of great moral principles,that they hold good and are expedient from whatever aspect they are viewed.But I need say no more to you on this point.

"I fancy you are of a jealous disposition,and,my dear,if you knew how jealous I am!But you must not be stupid over it.To publish your jealousy to the world is like playing at politics with your cards upon the table,and those who let their own game be seen learn nothing of their opponents'.Whatever happens,we must know how to suffer in silence."She added that she intended having some plain talk about me with Macumer the evening before the wedding.

Raising my mother's beautiful arm,I kissed her hand and dropped on it a tear,which the tone of real feeling in her voice had brought to my eyes.In the advice she had given me,I read high principle worthy of herself and of me,true wisdom,and a tenderness of heart unspoilt by the narrow code of society.Above all,I saw that she understood my character.These few simple words summed up the lessons which life and experience had brought her,perhaps at a heavy price.She was moved,and said,as she looked at me:

"Dear little girl,you've got a nasty crossing before you.And most women,in their ignorance or their disenchantment,are as wise as the Earl of Westmoreland!"We both laughed;but I must explain the joke.The evening before,a Russian princess had told us an anecdote of this gentleman.He had suffered frightfully from sea-sickness in crossing the Channel,and turned tail when he got near Italy,because he had heard some one speak of "crossing"the Alps."Thank you;I've had quite enough crossings already,"he said.

You will understand,Renee,that your gloomy philosophy and my mother's lecture were calculated to revive the fears which used to disturb us at Blois.The nearer marriage approached,the more did Ineed to summon all my strength,my resolution,and my affection to face this terrible passage from maidenhood to womanhood.All our conversations came back to my mind,I re-read your letters and discerned in them a vague undertone of sadness.

This anxiety had one advantage at least;it helped me to the regulation expression for a bride as commonly depicted.The consequence was that on the day of signing the contract everybody said I looked charming and quite the right thing.This morning,at the Mairie,it was an informal business,and only the witnesses were present.

I am writing this tail to my letter while they are putting out my dress for dinner.We shall be married at midnight at the Church of Sainte-Valere,after a very gay evening.I confess that my fears give me a martyr-like and modest air to which I have no right,but which will be admired--why,I cannot conceive.I am delighted to see that poor Felipe is every whit as timorous as I am;society grates on him,he is like a bat in a glass shop.

"Thank Heaven,the day won't last for ever!"he whispered to me in all innocence.

In his bashfulness and timidity he would have liked to have no one there.

The Sardinian ambassador,when he came to sign the contract,took me aside in order to present me with a pearl necklace,linked together by six splendid diamonds--a gift from my sister-in-law,the Duchess de Soria.Along with the necklace was a sapphire bracelet,on the under side of which were engraved the words,"/Though unknown,beloved/."Two charming letters came with these presents,which,however,I could not accept without consulting Felipe.

"For,"I said,"I should not like to see you wearing ornaments that came from any one but me."He kissed my hand,quite moved,and replied:

"Wear them for the sake of the inion,and also for the kind feeling,which is sincere."Saturday evening.

Here,then,my poor Renee,are the last words of your girl friend.

After the midnight Mass,we set off for an estate which Felipe,with kind thought for me,has bought in Nivernais,on the way to Provence.

Already my name is Louise de Macumer,but I leave Paris in a few hours as Louise de Chaulieu.However I am called,there will never be for you but one Louise.

同类推荐
  • 袁氏世范

    袁氏世范

    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。
  • 佛说九横经

    佛说九横经

    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。
  • The Comedy of Errors

    The Comedy of Errors

    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。
  • 缁门警训

    缁门警训

    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。
  • 小品方

    小品方

    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
  • 随笔杂语

    随笔杂语

    观天地之理,查万物之机。寻天机之密,思百家之言。
  • 重生校园之金牌商女

    重生校园之金牌商女

    前世,天天被人辱,日日被人欺,亲戚看不起,朋友耍心机!母亲大哥相继早逝,她咬紧牙根,独自一人在逆境中求生存,却终究只活了二十六年!在睁眼,一切竟回到了十二年前。忍气吞声,重蹈覆辙?若一切都无法改变,她重活这一回又有何用!逆天命数,异能初现,谁能阻止她的脚步?人前,她是被同学孤立,性格漠然的普通学生。人后,她步步为营,运筹了一张璀璨非凡的商业大网。
  • 凤于飞天舞

    凤于飞天舞

    凤凰于飞!凤于飞!凰去再无寻,只凤共谁飞,一啸冲霄汉,凤独舞九天
  • 冷王霸宠:邪妃誓不低头

    冷王霸宠:邪妃誓不低头

    瑾月身为袁氏继承人无辜被害,是她爱渣男宠渣妹,才导致全家惨死,沦为渣男渣妹联手的牺牲品。没成想柳暗花明让她重活一世,她发誓再不要向邪恶低头。然而还没搞清楚状况已经嫁给了来复仇的冷冽王爷,这个人总是想尽办法折磨她还不能让她死?他道:“舒瑾月,你别想逃跑,你今生就是来赎罪的,你是我的!”她怒:“冷霄,你怎么不去死!”他笑:“你做梦!”她亦笑:“你找死!”发誓终有一天宴冷皇朝有她横着走……
  • 特工傲妃:医女风华

    特工傲妃:医女风华

    她一朝穿越,再睁眼,剧毒攻心,一头银丝白发,就连眼睛也被毒瞎,然而却依然难掩智谋锋芒,光华万丈,人人唾骂的柳家废柴从此破茧成蝶,翻手为云覆手为雨!废柴变天才,她夺目耀眼。家族相争,皇权相迫,她步步惊心,一夜蜕变,脱胎换骨,颠我众生,覆之天下!
  • 大蕃沙洲释门教法和尚洪辩修功德记

    大蕃沙洲释门教法和尚洪辩修功德记

    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。
  • 我的爱在这里

    我的爱在这里

    全新的生活,全新的开始,告别了大山,再次来到都市的上官婉君突然感觉有些不太适应的看着矗立在城市的各个角落的高楼大厦。这跟大山里的砖瓦平方相比,简直就是一擎冲天的摩天之塔。独属夏日的那烈阳光,向四周散落了难以逝去的浮热。这座城,那栋房,记载着属于她们的故事。
  • 杀戮修神

    杀戮修神

    重情重义,侠骨柔情。血腥屠戮,屹立天地。岳峰手中的巨剑蓦地形成一道百余丈长,宽约数丈的巨形剑影,猛的向那雷电光柱斩去,只听的轰的一声,随后就听岳峰大喊道:“我不甘心呐。”就在岳峰抱着必死之心做临死前的挣扎时,就听得一声龙吟、虎啸、凤鸣、龟叫,就见一头数百丈大的白虎虚影、一条数百丈长的巨龙虚影、一只数百丈大小的鸟兽虚影出现在自己面前,向那雷电光柱撞击而去,另一个数百丈大小的龟影将自己罩在下面。
  • 做“财”女有“钱”途:女人一定要知道的理财知识

    做“财”女有“钱”途:女人一定要知道的理财知识

    本书共分六篇,前五篇分别从管钱、赚钱、省钱、生钱、花钱几个方面为你做"财女"指明了"钱"途;第六篇辑录了世界各地财富女性找到"钱"途的成功事例,为你走向财富之路树立了成功的典范。与传统妇女把钱放在银行里的理财方法相比。当今的“财女”已经不满足于只“吃”利息。关注投资领域,关注时尚潮流,关注自己的生活品质,已成为“财女”们营造美丽人生的三大法宝。不管是炒股票、买基金、做房地产,还是投资书画、古董,她们都没问题。“财女”们相信,只要认准投资目标并聪明理财,就能过上美满幸福的生活。
  • 第七情报员

    第七情报员

    诺博士,一个有着机械钳子手的险恶的、残酷成性的迷恋痛苦的隐遁者,将詹姆斯·邦德牢牢抓在他那钢铁制成的手里。邦德和他美丽而迷人的女助手,秘密进入诺博士隐藏在加勒比海岛的基地时被捕获。诺博士发现了一个机会,既可以处置他的敌人又可以进一步进行他的恶魔研究计划。而邦德则为了自己的生命而战……