按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！
paradise。 All the gentlemen of Soulanges and Auxerre and Ville…aux…
Fayes will be there。 Ever since that first night I've loved the place
where those words rang in my ears like military music。 It's worthy
giving your eternity to hear such words said of you by a man you
love。〃
〃Yes； perhaps；〃 replied La Pechina； thoughtfully。
〃Then come； and get the praise of men； you're sure of it！〃 cried
Catherine。 〃Ha！ you'll have a fine chance； handsome as you are； to
pick up good luck。 There's the son of Monsieur Lupin； Amaury； he might
marry you。 But that's not all； if you only knew what comforts you can
find there against vexation and worry。 Why； Socquard's boiled wine
will make you forget every trouble you ever had。 Fancy！ it can make
you dream； and feel as light as a bird。 Didn't you ever drink boiled
wine？ Then you don't know what life is。〃
The privilege enjoyed by older persons to wet their throats with
boiled wine excites the curiosity of the children of the peasantry
over twelve years of age to such a degree that Genevieve had once put
her lips to a glass of boiled wine ordered by the doctor for her
grandfather when ill。 The taste had left a sort of magic influence in
the memory of the poor child； which may explain the interest with
which she listened； and on which the evil…minded Catherine counted to
carry out a plan already half…successful。 No doubt she was trying to
bring her victim； giddy from the fall； to the moral intoxication so
dangerous to young women living in the wilds of nature； whose
imagination； deprived of other nourishment； is all the more ardent
when the occasion comes to exercise it。 Boiled wine； which Catherine
had held in reserve； was to end the matter by intoxicating the victim。
〃What do they put into it？〃 asked La Pechina。
〃All sorts of things；〃 replied Catherine； glancing back to see if her
brother were coming； 〃in the first place； those what d' ye call 'ems
that come from India； cinnamon； and herbs that change you by magic；
you fancy you have everything you wish for； boiled wine makes you
happy！ you can snap your fingers at all your troubles！〃
〃I should be afraid to drink boiled wine at a dance；〃 said La Pechina。
〃Afraid of what？〃 asked Catherine。 〃There's not the slightest danger。
Think what lots of people there will be。 All the bourgeois will be
looking at us！ Ah！ it is one of those days that make up for all our
misery。 See it and die；for it's enough to satisfy any one。〃
〃If Monsieur and Madame Michaud would only take me！〃 cried La Pechina；
her eyes blazing。
〃Ask your grandfather Niseron； you have not given him up； poor dear
man； and he'd be pleased to see you admired like a little queen。 Why
do you like those Arminacs the Michauds better than your grandfather
and the Burgundians。 It's bad to neglect your own people。 Besides； why
should the Michauds object if your grandfather takes you to the fair？
Oh！ if you knew what it is to reign over a man and put him beside
himself； and say to him； as I say to Godain； 'Go there！' and he goes；
'Do that！' and he does it！ You've got it in you； little one； to turn
the head of a bourgeois like that son of Monsieur Lupin。 Monsieur
Amaury took a fancy to my sister Marie because she is fair and because
he is half…afraid of me； but he'd adore you； for ever since those
people at the pavilion have spruced you up a bit you've got the airs
of an empress。〃
Adroitly leading the innocent heart to forget Nicolas and so put it
off its guard； Catherine distilled into the girl the insidious nectar
of compliments。 Unawares； she touched a secret wound。 La Pechina；
without being other than a poor peasant girl； was a specimen of
alarming precocity； like many another creature doomed to die as
prematurely as it blooms。 Strange product of Burgundian and
Montenegrin blood； conceived and born amid the toils of war； the girl
was doubtless in many ways the result of her congenital circumstances。
Thin； slender； brown as a tobacco leaf； and short in stature； she
nevertheless possessed extraordinary strength；a strength unseen by
the eyes of peasants； to whom the mysteries of the nervous system are
unknown。 Nerves are not admitted into the medical rural mind。
At thirteen years of age Genevieve had completed her growth； though
she was hardly as tall as an ordinary girl of her age。 Did her face
owe its topaz skin； so dark and yet so brilliant； dark in tone and
brilliant in the quality of its tissue； giving a look of age to the
childish face； to her Montenegrin origin； or to the ardent sun of
Burgundy？ Medical science may dismiss the inquiry。 The premature old
age on the surface of the face was counterbalanced by the glow； the
fire； the wealth of light which made the eyes two stars。 Like all eyes
which fill with sunlight and need； perhaps； some sheltering screen；
the eyelids were fringed with lashes of extraordinary length。 The
hair； of a bluish black； long and fine and abundant； crowned a brow
moulded like that of the Farnese Juno。 That magnificent diadem of
hair； those grand Armenian eyes； that celestial brow eclipsed the rest
of the face。 The nose； though pure in form as it left the brow； and
graceful in curve； ended in flattened and flaring nostrils。 Anger
increased this effect at times； and then the face wore an absolutely
furious expression。 All the lower part of the face； like the lower
part of the nose； seemed unfinished； as if the clay in the hands of
the divine sculptor had proved insufficient。 Between the lower lip and
the chin the space was so short that any one taking La Pechina by the
chin would have rubbed the lip； but the teeth prevented all notice of
this defect。 One might almost believe those little bones had souls； so
brilliant were they； so polished； so transparent； so exquisitely
shaped； disclosed as they were by too wide a mouth； curved in lines
that bore resemblance to the fantastic shapes of coral。 The shells of
the ears were so transparent to the light that in the sunshine they
were rose…colored。 The complexion； though sun…burned； showed a
marvellous delicacy in the texture of the skin。 If； as Buffon
declared； love lies in touch； the softness of the girl's skin must
have had the penetrating and inciting influence of the fragrance of
daturas。 The chest and indeed the whole body was alarmingly thin； but
the feet and hands； of alluring delicacy； showed remarkable nervous
power； and a vigorous organism。
This mixture of diabolical imperfections and divine beauties；
harmonious in spite of discords； for they blended in a species of
savage dignity； also this triumph of a powerful soul over a feeble
body； as written in those eyes； made the child； when once seen；
unforgettable。 Nature had wished to make that frail young being a
woman； the circumstances of her conception moulded her with the face
and body of a boy。 A poet observing the strange creature would have
declared her native clime to be Arabia the Blest； she belonged to the
A