"Very well," I replied, "very well, Madame, but let's spend a moment reasoning in terms of your own principles: what right have you to require that my conscience be as impregnable as yours when since childhood it has not been accustomed to vanquishing¹ the same prejudices? By what title do you require that my mind, which is not constituted like your own, be able to adopt the same systems? You acknowledge sums of good and evil in Nature, you admit that, in consequence, there must be a certain quantity of beings who practice good and another group which devotes itself to evil; the course I elect is hence natural; therefore, how would you be able to demand that I take leave of the rules Nature prescribes to me ? You say you find happiness in the career you pursue; very well, Madame, why should it be that I do not also find it in the career I pursue ? Do not suppose, furthermore, that the law's vigilance long leaves in peace him who violates its codes, you have just had a striking example of the contrary; of the fifteen scoundrels with whom I was living, fourteen perish ignominiously²...."

 

"And is that what you call a misfortune ?" Dubois asked. "But what does this ignominy mean to him who has principles no longer? When one has trespassed³ every frontier, when in our eyes honor is no more than a hallucination, reputation of perfect indifference⁴, religion an illusion, death a total annihilation; is it then not the same thing, to die on the scaffold or in bed? There are two varieties of rascals⁵ in the world, Therese: the one a powerful fortune or prodigious⁶ influence shelters from this tragic⁷ end; the other one who is unable to avoid it when taken. The latter, born unprovided with possessions, must have but one desire if he has any esprit: to become rich at no matter what price; if he succeeds, he obtains what he wanted and should be content; if he is put on the rack, what's he to regret since he has nothing to lose? Those laws decreed against banditry are null if they are not extended to apply to the powerful bandit; that the law inspire any dread⁸ in the miserable⁹ is impossible, for the sword is the miserable man's only resource."

 

"And do you believe," I broke in, "that in another world Celestial¹⁰ Justice does not await him whom crime has not affrighted in this one?"

 

"I believe," this dangerous woman answered, "that if there were a God there would be less evil on earth; I believe that since evil exists, these disorders¹¹ are either expressly ordained¹² by this God, and there you have a barbarous fellow, or he is incapable¹³ of preventing them and right away you have a feeble God; in either case, an abominable¹⁴ being, a being whose lightning I should defy and whose laws contemn¹⁵. Ah, Therese I is not atheism¹⁶ preferable to the one and the other of these extremes? that's my doctrine¹⁷, dear lass, it's been mine since childhood and I'll surely not renounce¹⁸ it while I live."

 

"You make me shudder¹⁹, Madame," I said, getting to my feet; "will you pardon me? for I am unable to listen any longer to your sophistries²⁰ and blasphemies²¹."

 

"One moment, Therese," said Dubois, holding me back, "if I cannot conquer your reason, I may at least captivate your heart. I have need of you, do not refuse me your aid; here are a thousand louis: they will be yours as soon as the blow is struck."

 

Heedless of all but my penchant²² for doing good, I immediately asked Dubois what was involved so as to forestall²³, if 'twere possible, the crime she was getting ready to commit.

 

"Here it is," she said: "have you noticed that young tradesman from Lyon who has been taking his meals here for the past four or five days?"

 

"Who? Dubreuil?"

 

"Precisely²⁴."

 

"Well?"

 

"He is in love with you, he told me so in confidence, your modest and gentle air pleases him infinitely²⁵, he adores your candor²⁶, your virtue²⁷ enchants²⁸ him; this romantic fellow has eight hundred thousand francs in gold or paper, it's all in a little coffer he keeps near his bed; let me give the man to understand you consent to hear him, whether that be true or not; for, does it matter? I'll get him to propose you a drive, you'll take a carriage out of the town, I'll persuade him he will advance matters with you during your promenade²⁹; you'll amuse him, you'll keep him away as long as possible, meanwhile I'll rob him, but I'll not flee; his belongings³⁰ will reach Turin before I quit Grenoble, we will employ all imaginable art to dissuade³¹ him from settling his eyes upon us, we'll pretend to assist his searches; however, my departure will be announced, he'll not be surprised thereby³², you'll follow me, and the thousand louis will be counted out to you immediately we get to the Piedmont."#p#分页标题#e#

 

"Agreed, Madame," I said to Dubois, fully³³ determined³⁴ to warn Dubreuil of the concerted theft, "but consider," I added in order more thoroughly³⁵ to deceive this villain³⁶, "that if Dubreuil is fond of me, by revealing the business or by giving myself to him, I might get much more from him than you offer me to betray him."

 

"Bravo," replied Dubois, "that's what I call an adept³⁷ scholar, I'm beginning to believe Heaven gave you a greater talent for crime than you pretend: ah well," she continued, picking up a quill³⁸, "here's my note for twenty thousand crowns, now dare say no to me."

 

"Not for the world, Madame," quoth I, taking her note, "but, at least, my weakness and my wrong in surrendering to your seductions are to be attributed only to my impecunious³⁹ circumstances."

 

"I'd prefer to interpret it as a meritorious⁴⁰ act of your intelligence," said Dubois, "but if you prefer me to blame your poverty, why then, as you like; serve me and you will always be content."

 

Everything was arranged; the same evening I began in earnest to play my game with Dubreuil, and indeed I discovered he had some taste for me.

 

Nothing could have been more embarrassing than my situation: I was without any doubt far from lending myself to the proposed crime even had it been worth ten thousand times as much gold; but the idea of denouncing this woman was also painful for me; I was exceedingly loath⁴¹ to expose to death a creature to whom I had owed my freedom ten years before. I should have liked to have been able to find a way of preventing the crime without having it punished, and with anyone else but a consummate⁴² villain like Dubois I should have succeeded; here then is what I resolved to do, all the while unaware⁴³ that this horrible woman's base maneuvers⁴⁴ would not only topple the entire edifice⁴⁵ of my honorable schemes but even punish me for having dreamt of them.

 

Upon the day fixed⁴⁶ for the projected outing, Dubois invites us both to dine in her room, we accept, and the meal over, Dubreuil and I descend⁴⁷ to summon the carriage that has been prepared for us; Dubois does not accompany us, I find myself alone with Dubreuil the moment before we set out.

 

"Monsieur," I say, speaking very rapidly, "listen closely to me, don't be alarmed, no noise, and above all pay strict attention to what I am going to recommend; have you a reliable friend at this hotel ?"

 

"Yes, I have a young associate upon whom I can count with absolute confidence."

 

"Then, Monsieur, go promptly⁴⁸ and order him not to leave your room for a second while we are on our drive."

 

"But I have the key to the room; what does this excess of precaution signify7"

 

"It is more essential than you believe, Monsieur, I beg you to employ it, or else I shall not go out with you; the woman with whom we dined is a bandit, she only arranged our outing in order more easily to rob you while we are gone; make haste, Monsieur, she is watching us, she is dangerous; quickly, turn your key over to your friend, have him go and install himself in your room and let him not budge⁴⁹ until we're back. I'll explain the rest as soon as we are in the carriage."

 

Dubreuil heeds⁵⁰ me, presses my hand in token of thanks, flies to give orders relative to the warning he has received, and returns; we leave; when en route, I disclose the entire adventure to him, I recite mine and inform him of the unhappy circumstances in my life which have caused me to make the acquaintance of such a woman. This correct and sensible young man expresses the deepest gratitude⁵¹ for the service I have just so kindly⁵² rendered him, he takes an interest in my misfortunes, and proposes to alleviate⁵³ them with the bestowal⁵⁴ of his hand.

 

"I am only too happy to be able to make you restitution⁵⁵ for the wrongs fortune has done you, Mademoiselle," says he; "I am my own master, dependent upon no one, I am going on to Geneva to make a considerable investment with the funds your timely warning has saved me from losing; accompany me to Switzerland; when we arrive there I shall become your husband and you will not appear in Lyon under any other title, or, if you prefer, Mademoiselle, if you have any misgivings⁵⁶, it will only be in my own country I will give you my name."

 

Such an offer, so very flattering, was one I dared not refuse; but it did not on the other hand become me to accept it without making Dubreuil aware of all that might cause him to repent⁵⁷ it; he was grateful for my delicacy⁵⁸ and only insisted the more urgently... unhappy creature that I was! 'twas necessary that happiness be offered me only in order that I be more deeply penetrated⁵⁹ with grief at never being able to seize it! it was then ordained that no virtue could be born in my heart without preparing torments⁶⁰ for me!#p#分页标题#e#

 

Our conversation had already taken us two leagues from the city, and we were about to dismount in order to enjoy the fresh air along the bank of the Isere, when all of a sudden Dubreuil told me he felt very ill.... He got down, he was seized by dreadful vomitings; I had him climb into the carriage at once and we flew back posthaste to Grenoble. Dubreuil is so sick he has to be borne to his room; his condition startles his associate whom we find there and who, in accordance with instructions, has not stirred from the chamber⁶¹; a doctor comes, Just Heaven! Dubreuil has been poisoned! I no sooner learn the fatal news than I dash to Dubois' apartment; the infamous⁶² creature! she's gone; I rush to my room, my armoire has been forced open, the little money and odds⁶³ and ends I possess have been removed; Dubois, they tell me, left three hours ago in the direction of Turin. There was no doubt she was the author of this multitude of crimes; she had gone to Dubreuil's door; annoyed to find his room occupied, she revenged herself upon me and had envenomed Dubreuil at dinner so that upon our return, if she had succeeded with her theft, that unhappy young man would be more busied with his own failing life than concerned to pursue her who had made off with his fortune and would let her fly in safety; the accident of his death, occurring, so to speak, while he was in my arms, would make me appear more suspect than herself; nothing directly informed us of the scheme she had contrived⁶⁴, but could it have been different?

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