登陆注册
5387500000015

第15章

"You see, my friend, all is a snare to the unhappy; the smallest matter brings the sick mind back to its woes; but the greatest evil of certain woes is the persistency which makes them a fixed idea pervading our lives. A constant sorrow ought rather to be a divine inspiration. You love flowers for themselves, whereas I love them as I love to listen to fine music. So, as I was saying, the secret of a mass of things escapes me. You, my old friend, you have a passion,--that of the horticulturist. When you return to town inspire me with that taste, so that I may rush to my greenhouse with eager feet, as you go to yours to watch the development of your plants, to bud and bloom with them, to admire what you create,--the new colors, the unexpected varieties, which expand and grow beneath your eyes by the virtue of your care.

"My greenhouse, the one I watch, is filled with suffering souls.

The miseries I try to lessen sadden my heart; and when I take them upon myself, when, after finding some young woman without clothing for her babe, some old man wanting bread, I have supplied their needs, the emotions their distress and its relief have caused me do not suffice my soul. Ah, friend, I feel within me untold powers --for evil, possibly,--which nothing can lower, which the sternest commands of our religion are unable to abase! Sometimes, when I go to see my mother, walking alone among the fields, I want to cry aloud, and I do so. It seems to me that my body is a prison in which some evil genius is holding a shuddering creature while awaiting the mysterious words which are to burst its obstructive form.

"But that comparison is not a just one. In me it seems to be the body that seeks escape, if I may say so. Religion fills my soul, books and their riches occupy my mind. Why, then, do I desire some anguish which shall destroy the enervating peace of my existence?

"Oh, if some sentiment, some mania that I could cultivate, does not come into my life, I feel I shall sink at last into the gulf where all ideas are dulled, where character deteriorates, motives slacken, virtues lose their backbone, and all the forces of the soul are scattered,--a gulf in which I shall no longer be the being Nature meant me to be!

"This is what my bitter complainings mean. But do not let them hinder you from sending me those flowers. Your friendship is so soothing and so full of loving kindness that it has for the last few months almost reconciled me to myself. Yes, it makes me happy to have you cast a glance upon my soul, at once so barren and so full of bloom; and I am thankful for every gentle word you say to one who rides the phantom steed of dreams, and returns worn-out."

At the end of the third year of his married life, Graslin, observing that his wife no longer used her horses, and finding a good market for them, sold them. He also sold the carriages, sent away the coachman, let the bishop have his man-cook, and contented himself with a woman.

He no longer gave the monthly sum to his wife, telling her that he would pay all bills. He thought himself the most fortunate of husbands in meeting no opposition whatever to these proceedings from the woman who had brought him a million of francs as a dowry. Madame Graslin, brought up from childhood without ever seeing money, or being made to feel that it was an indispensable element in life, deserved no praise whatever for this apparent generosity. Graslin even noticed in a corner of the secretary all the sums he had ever given her, less the money she had bestowed in charity or spent upon her dress, the cost of which was much lessened by the profusion of her wedding trousseau.

Graslin boasted of Veronique to all Limoges as being a model wife. He next regretted the money spent on the house, and he ordered the furniture to be all packed away or covered up. His wife's bedroom, dressing-room, and boudoir were alone spared from these protective measures; which protect nothing, for furniture is injured just as much by being covered up as by being left uncovered. Graslin himself lived almost entirely on the ground-floor of the house, where he had his office, and resumed his old business habits with avidity. He thought himself an excellent husband because he went upstairs to breakfast and dined with his wife; but his unpunctuality was so great that it was not more than ten times a month that he began a meal with he; he had exacted, out of courtesy, that she should never wait for him.

Veronique did, however, always remain in the room while her husband took his meals, serving him herself, that she might at least perform voluntarily some of the visible obligations of a wife.

The banker, to whom the things of marriage were very indifferent, and who had seen nothing in his wife but seven hundred and fifty thousand francs, had never once perceived Veronique's repugnance to him. Little by little he now abandoned Madame Graslin for his business. When he wished to put a bed in the room adjoining his office on the ground- floor, Veronique hastened to comply with the request. So that three years after their marriage these two ill-assorted beings returned to their original estate, each equally pleased and happy to do so. The moneyed man, possessing eighteen hundred thousand francs, returned with all the more eagerness to his old avaricious habits because he had momentarily quitted them. His two clerks and the office-boy were better lodged and rather better fed, and that was the only difference between the present and the past. His wife had a cook and maid (two indispensable servants); but except for the actual necessities of life, not a penny left his coffers for his household.

Happy in the turn which things were now taking, Veronique saw in the evident satisfaction of the banker the absolution for this separation which she would never have asked for herself. She had no conception that she was as disagreeable to Graslin as Graslin was repulsive to her. This secret divorce made her both sad and joyful. She had always looked to motherhood for an interest in life; but up to this time (1828) the couple had had no prospect of a family.

同类推荐
  • 红楼梦

    红楼梦

    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。
  • 青囊序

    青囊序

    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。
  • 医学实在易

    医学实在易

    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。
  • 先唐文

    先唐文

    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。
  • 戒子孙

    戒子孙

    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
  • 夫妻地狱

    夫妻地狱

    《夫妻地狱》是一本小说合集,辑录了作者三部小说《猫》、《伦敦来的男人》、《不幸时刻》。在本书中,西默农力图通过小说这一文学载体重现现实生活里某些婚姻中夫妻彼此间的相互折磨、相互伤害,反思人性的残酷之处。
  • 自信自强的故事(崇尚品德的故事)

    自信自强的故事(崇尚品德的故事)

    美德是“1”,任何名誉、财富等都是“0”,只有写好了前面的“1”,后面才可以有无数个“0”,否则一切都只是“0”。植根于爱的土壤,吸取古今中外伟大先贤的美德智慧,致力于帮助父母、老师和儿童,为中国培育有品格的下一代而努力。
  • 重生之君瑶

    重生之君瑶

    君瑶的梦想,有饭食饱腹,有片瓦遮身,没有战争……最后是,报答师傅和师兄的恩情。但是,只实现了前两样,她就来到了师兄的世界师兄说,这叫做穿越。
  • The Moscow Census

    The Moscow Census

    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。
  • 无盐王妃

    无盐王妃

    她很美,从穿越到古代的第一天就知道,可是她的身份是受人指使,身份卑贱的丫鬟,过人的美貌对她来说只是一种灾难而不是福气。一朵梅花,两下眉笔,成功的遮挡了她的美貌。他是恶魔,端俊王朝历史上最恐怖的恶魔,明明有着一张讨喜的娃娃脸,却少言寡语,阴狠暴戾,杀人如麻,最喜欢的把戏就是将人一刀劈成两半,却偏心脏一分,让那将死之人哀哀的挣扎。成亲第一晚,他嫌弃说:“这个女人好丑!”她笑嘻嘻的扯了恶魔的脸蛋,用力的扯扯,顺道揉捏一下,让他做出各种鬼脸,亲切的喊一句:“小鬼!”“小鬼?”这个丑女人仿佛不知道“死”字怎么写,他很乐意告诉她!风云小妖的最新作品《王爷个个太狂野》正在更新中,喜欢小妖文的亲一定去看看亲们,小妖力作新文《【狼】性诱惑》一经完结,网址,请亲们多多的收藏,多多的支持,感谢中。小妖的唯一的一篇现代文《滥情总裁》<p>风云小妖的完结文文:《色妃驾到》完结<p>《调教太子妃》一样的精彩,不一样的故事,已经完结哦,亲亲们可以一口气读完,不用辛苦的等待!<p>《天外飞仙》已经完结<p>《美女保镖》已经完结<p>《妖媚金陵》已经完结都是妖妖的文文哦,非常的精彩哦,亲亲们一定去看看哦!推荐好友的文文哦醉恋《鸨儿》<p>柳少夫人《落红》推荐好友如雪的文文哦《妖妻斗邪王》不错的说,亲们一定要去看看哦
  • 见鬼的青梅竹马

    见鬼的青梅竹马

    巫昕,天生有一双阴阳眼,能看见鬼怪,有一小鬼朋友,天性善良。初一时,遇见因车祸,父母双亡,被林父母收留的游青峰。两人相伴成长,巫昕的秘密也渐渐被游青峰所知。遇险,旅游,遇到黑猫妖,拜师傅,最终踏上与师傅一起抓妖猎鬼的道路。两人也两情相悦,修成正果。
  • 爆萌小宠:仙君也吸猫

    爆萌小宠:仙君也吸猫

    历劫失败,她意外成了若浮山庄庄主的小宠,为了吃鱼和若浮刀,日常卖萌撒娇加耍赖。“温小喵,湖里的鱼怎么又少了一条?”温越捏着某只猫的小肉垫,微眯了眸子问。某只猫一歪头,装傻,“喵?”你说什么?她听不懂啊~她本打算拿到若浮刀就潇洒走人,岂料庄主冷冷一笑:“温小喵,你敢跑我就打断你的腿。”吃了他那么多鱼还想跑?
  • 孢子进化

    孢子进化

    随身携带孢子进化系统,一切都从单细胞开始,看陈天豪如何凭借孢子进化系统,带领自己的种族走向世界、走向那波澜壮阔的星辰大海。
  • 弃妇哪里逃

    弃妇哪里逃

    想我一现代女性,有知识,有头脑,有手段,懂情趣.即上得了厅堂,又下得了厨房.我这种千百年难遇的奇女子,竟然被老公给踹了?!踹了就踹了吧,大不了让你光着屁股滚蛋,咱带着"宝贝"另觅良人.可咱还没将伟大的计划实施.竟然挂了,这一挂不要紧,竟然挂到了莫名其妙的年代?!不可一世的安平王,咱可不稀罕,冷得跟个二五八万似的,咱又不欠你啥.包袱款款,老娘走啦!......
  • 流年,不负你我

    流年,不负你我

    等待总是漫长无比,但等一个熟悉的陌生人更加寂寞。雨露每次都会去老地方等待,她只要一个理由,他给的理由,直到再次遇见。她以为时间会抹去以前的不好,没想到这次却得知一个连她自己都无法原谅自己的事情,因她的间接因素导致他父母离世,他选择一个人承受也不愿她愧疚一生,只是他再也无法面对,就在她选择离开时一切似乎变了。