登陆注册
5419100000033

第33章

"Very well.Now, look here.Be as inexorable as she is herself.Try to humiliate her, to sting her vanity.Do NOT try to move her heart, nor her soul, but the woman's nerves and temperament, for she is both nervous and lymphatic.If you can once awaken desire in her, you are safe.But you must drop these romantic boyish notions of yours.If when once you have her in your eagle's talons you yield a point or draw back, if you so much as stir an eyelid, if she thinks that she can regain her ascendancy over you, she will slip out of your clutches like a fish, and you will never catch her again.Be as inflexible as law.Show no more charity than the headsman.Hit hard, and then hit again.Strike and keep on striking as if you were giving her the knout.Duchesses are made of hard stuff, my dear Armand;there is a sort of feminine nature that is only softened by repeated blows; and as suffering develops a heart in women of that sort, so it is a work of charity not to spare the rod.Do you persevere.Ah! when pain has thoroughly relaxed those nerves and softened the fibres that you take to be so pliant and yielding; when a shrivelled heart has learned to expand and contract and to beat under this discipline; when the brain has capitulated--then, perhaps, passion may enter among the steel springs of this machinery that turns out tears and affectations and languors and melting phrases; then you shall see a most magnificent conflagration (always supposing that the chimney takes fire).The steel feminine system will glow red-hot like iron in the forge; that kind of heat lasts longer than any other, and the glow of it may possibly turn to love.

"Still," he continued, "I have my doubts.And, after all, is it worth while to take so much trouble with the Duchess? Between ourselves a man of my stamp ought first to take her in hand and break her in; I would make a charming woman of her; she is a thoroughbred; whereas, you two left to yourselves will never get beyond the A B C.But you are in love with her, and just now you might not perhaps share my views on this subject----.A pleasant time to you, my children," added Ronquerolles, after a pause.

Then with a laugh: "I have decided myself for facile beauties;they are tender, at any rate, the natural woman appears in their love without any of your social seasonings.A woman that haggles over herself, my poor boy, and only means to inspire love! Well, have her like an extra horse--for show.The match between the sofa and confessional, black and white, queen and knight, conscientious scruples and pleasure, is an uncommonly amusing game of chess.And if a man knows the game, let him be never so little of a rake, he wins in three moves.Now, if I undertook a woman of that sort, I should start with the deliberate purpose of----" His voice sank to a whisper over the last words in Armand's ear, and he went before there was time to reply.

As for Montriveau, he sprang at a bound across the courtyard of the Hotel de Langeais, went unannounced up the stairs straight to the Duchess's bedroom.

"This is an unheard-of thing," she said, hastily wrapping her dressing-gown about her."Armand! this is abominable of you!

Come, leave the room, I beg.Just go out of the room, and go at once.Wait for me in the drawing-room.--Come now!""Dear angel, has a plighted lover no privilege whatsoever?""But, monsieur, it is in the worst possible taste of a plighted lover or a wedded husband to break in like this upon his wife."He came up to the Duchess, took her in his arms, and held her tightly to him.

"Forgive, dear Antoinette; but a host of horrid doubts are fermenting in my heart.""DOUBTS? Fie!--Oh, fie on you!"

"Doubts all but justified.If you loved me, would you make this quarrel? Would you not be glad to see me? Would you not have felt a something stir in your heart? For I, that am not a woman, feel a thrill in my inmost self at the mere sound of your voice.

Often in a ballroom a longing has come upon me to spring to your side and put my arms about your neck.""Oh! if you have doubts of me so long as I am not ready to spring to your arms before all the world, I shall be doubted all my life long, I suppose.Why, Othello was a mere child compared with you!""Ah!" he cried despairingly, "you have no love for me----""Admit, at any rate, that at this moment you are not lovable."Then I have still to find favour in your sight?""Oh, I should think so.Come," added she, "with a little imperious air, go out of the room, leave me.I am not like you;I wish always to find favour in your eyes."Never woman better understood the art of putting charm into insolence, and does not the charm double the effect? is it not enough to infuriate the coolest of men? There was a sort of untrammelled freedom about Mme de Langeais; a something in her eyes, her voice, her attitude, which is never seen in a woman who loves when she stands face to face with him at the mere sight of whom her heart must needs begin to beat.The Marquis de Ronquerolles's counsels had cured Armand of sheepishness; and further, there came to his aid that rapid power of intuition which passion will develop at moments in the least wise among mortals, while a great man at such a time possesses it to the full.He guessed the terrible truth revealed by the Duchess's nonchalance, and his heart swelled with the storm like a lake rising in flood.

"If you told me the truth yesterday, be mine, dear Antoinette,"he cried; "you shall----"

"In the first place," said she composedly, thrusting him back as he came nearer--"in the first place, you are not to compromise me.My woman might overhear you.Respect me, I beg of you.Your familiarity is all very well in my boudoir in an evening; here it is quite different.Besides, what may your `you shall' mean? `You shall.' No one as yet has ever used that word to me.It is quite ridiculous, it seems to me, absolutely ridiculous.

同类推荐
  • 道德真经集解

    道德真经集解

    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。
  • 明伦汇编人事典颈部

    明伦汇编人事典颈部

    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。
  • Bardelys the Magnificent

    Bardelys the Magnificent

    Speak of the Devil," whispered La Fosse in my ear, and, moved by the words and by the significance of his glance, I turned in my chair.汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 搜玉小集

    搜玉小集

    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。
  • 永嘉八面锋

    永嘉八面锋

    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
  • 果果偶遇真爱

    果果偶遇真爱

    偶遇总裁,天真的她本以为自己只是他拒绝别人的挡箭牌,却没想到,他愿意为她排除万难,势要永不分离。
  • 苍茫山下部落崛起

    苍茫山下部落崛起

    当森林里的部落暴露于世界,将是人类王国的尽头;兽人氏族的末日;弱小者们的曙光。且看一个原始的野蛮人部落,如何一步步接纳各个种族,在他们身具双魂的酋长下,逐渐成长为无可匹敌的帝国。{PS:异界!领主!种田!全战!暴兵!魔法!黑科技!}
  • 母亲的疾病

    母亲的疾病

    死亡的恐惧,暂时还没有攫住母亲的身心,但是,死神已经朝她一步一步逼近。母亲的意识是清晰的,心性也是明朗的。25日凌晨,救护车在鲁甸县城短暂停留,以便护送母亲的亲友到我朋友家里简单吃点东西,那时,母亲甚至要求去一趟县城家中,因为,她担心父亲寻找不到之前从昆明带回的冰糖,收拾不妥准备带到徐家寨子的行李。我制止了母亲,如今想来,当时我的态度过于粗暴,几乎是吼道,“都什么时候了,还这样操心!”仿佛经我提醒,母亲才回到自己的病情中来。实际上,她让我解开担架床上的带子,却全身瘫软,无法下来……
  • 重生之悔过

    重生之悔过

    叶青的一生就是一部悲剧,20岁结婚,26岁离婚,之后一直时而清醒,时而疯癫,直到35岁结束生命。如果人生能够重来,你会去做什么?叶青一定是选择永远也不要认识那个男人,那个毁了自己一生的男人。
  • 嘉陵江文化与区域发展

    嘉陵江文化与区域发展

    本书收录了全国各地研究嘉陵江流域地区经济、文化、历史、地理等学科的专家、学者的文章30余篇,主要从嘉陵江历史地理及沿革、嘉陵江流域的经济研究、嘉陵江流域的文化研究三个方面的不同角度就挖掘整理嘉陵江文化的历史资源,探寻嘉陵江文化的内涵、特色,加强区域合作,增进文化交流,促进文化创新与产业发展进行了深入探讨。
  • 大气婉成

    大气婉成

    父母早早外出打工,剩下舞婉嫣与奶奶相依为命,性格内向的她难以融入到新的学校,不敢与人交流,时常被人欺负,在18岁生日这天,她无意的走到了一个不为人知的地方,改变了她的生活…
  • 憩园词话

    憩园词话

    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。
  • 闪击鏖战(第二次世界大战史丛书)

    闪击鏖战(第二次世界大战史丛书)

    德国在法、比、荷的胜利,不仅将英国的势力逐出西欧,同时也大大地削弱它在东南欧的影响。东南欧诸国在现代军备方面都很落后,因此竭力避免与这个欧洲大陆的头号军事强国发生冲突。匈牙利、保加利亚、罗马尼亚等巴尔干国家间的紧张关系,因德意两国(没有苏联参加)于1940年8月30日在维也纳强行裁决而趋于缓和。这个裁决使罗马尼亚损失最大。尽管如此,它却寻求和德国建立更加亲密的关系。这是因为它清楚地认识到由于英国在欧洲大陆的势力已不复存在,德国便成了能保卫它的剩余领土和对付苏俄威胁的唯一强国。希特勒准备在一定程度上满足罗马尼亚的愿望,因为首先他对普洛耶什蒂油田感兴趣,德国继续作战的能力在很大程度上就是要依赖它。
  • 促销管理

    促销管理

    促销作为企业各种营销组合策略的重要组成部分,是企业应对竞争,扩大市场、争夺顾客、树立形象的基本营销手段。一个零售企业,如果不经常地组织合理有效的促销活动,终将被市场淘汰!促销的方式与技巧、组织与管理等问题已成为营销理们的、经常探讨的问题。本书重点阐述了企业促销的策略、技巧、操作,以及如何使促销的实施符合企业战略目标,改善促销流程、隆低促销成本、提高工作效率、从而真正提高企业的核心竞争力。是营销经理人的案头必备书籍。
  • 总裁心上宠:夫人太难追

    总裁心上宠:夫人太难追

    张聪聪怎么也想不到,不过是去面个试,遇到前男友也就罢了,居然还惹到了总裁,妈妈咪呀,这下可咋整,她可不想和总裁来一段虐恋情深的爱情。