Complete Works of Joseph Conrad (Illustrated) (637 page)

“‘Your husband lives in his province?’

“‘Yes, sire.’

“‘Your husband employs much labour, I hear. I am grateful to him for giving work to the people. This is the proper use of wealth. Hasn’t he served in the English army in India?’

“His tone was friendly. I said I didn’t know that-but I did know that he had fought against them there.

“He smiled in a fascinating manner and said, ‘That’s very possible. A soldier of fortune. He is a native of Piedmont, is he not?’

“‘Yes, sire.’

“‘But you are French, entirely French. We have a claim on you. How old are you?’

“I told him. He said, ‘You look younger.’ Then he came nearer to me and, speaking in a confidential tone, said, ‘You have no children. I know. I know. It isn’t your fault, but you should try to make some other arrangement. Believe me, I am giving you good advice.’

“I was dumb with astonishment. He gave me again a very gracious smile and went on. That is the only conversation I ever had with the Emperor.”

She fell silent with downcast eyes, then she added: “It was very characteristic of him.” Cosmo was mainly struck by the fact that he knew so little of her, that this was the first intimation he had of the Monte-vessos being childless. He had never asked himself the question before, but this positive if indirect statement was agreeable to him.

“I did not make any other arrangements,” began Madame de Montevesso with a slightly ironic intonation. “I was only too thankful to be left alone. At the time the Russian campaign began I paid my annual visit to Monsieur de Montevesso. Except for the usual entertainments to local people I was alone with Count Helion, and as usual when we were quite alone he behaved in a tolerable way. There was nobody and nothing that could arouse his jealousy and the dormant hatred he nurses for me deep down in his heart. We had only the slight discussion, at the end of which he admitted, gnashing his teeth, that he had nothing to reproach me with except that I was what I was. I told him I could not help it and that as things were he ought rather to congratulate himself on that fact. He gave me only a black look. He can restrain himself wonderfully when he likes. Upon the whole I had a quiet time. I played and sang to myself, I read a little, I took long walks, I rode almost every day, attended by Bernard. That wasn’t so agreeable. You remember Bernard?”

Cosmo nodded.

“For years he had been a very devoted and faithful servant to us but I suppose he, too, like so many of his betters, fell under the spell of Monsieur de Mon- tevesso’s wealth. When my parents rejoined me in France he had his wish at last and married Aglae, my mulatto maid. He was quite infatuated with her and now he makes her terribly wretched. She is really devoted to me, and there cannot be any doubt that Bernard has been bribed by my husband to play the part of a spy. It seems incredible but I have had it from the Count in so many words. Bernard let himself be corrupted years ago, when M. de Montevesso first sent me back to my parents in a rage and next day was nearly out of his mind with agony at having done so. Yes, it dates as far back as that. That man so faithful to us in our misfortunes allowed himself to be bought with the greatest ease. Everybody, from the highest to the lowest, was in a conspiracy against a poor girl whose only sin was her perfect frankness. W^en Bernard came over to France with my parents I was already aware of this, but Aglae wanted to marry him and so I said nothing. She probably would not have believed me then.”

“And could you bear that wretch near you all those years?” exclaimed Cosmo, full of indignation. She smiled sadly. She had borne the disclosure and had kept the secret of greater infamies. She had all her illusions about rectitude destroyed so early that it did not matter to her now what she knew of the people about her.

“Oh, Cosmo,” she exclaimed suddenly, “I am a hardened woman now, but I assure you that sometimes when I remember the girl of sixteen I was, without an evil thought in her head and in her ignorance surrounded by the basest slanderers and intrigues, tears come into my eyes. And since the baseness of selfish passions I have seen seething round the detestable glory of that man in Elba, it seems to me that there is nowhere any honesty on earth — nowhere!” The energy of that outburst, contrasted with the immobility of the pose, gave to Cosmo the sensation of a chill.

“I will not mention us two,” said Cosmo, “herein this room. But I know of at least two honest men on earth. They are your father and mine. Why didn’t you write to Father, Adele?”

“ I tell you I was a child. What could I write to him? Hasn’t he retired out of the world for so many years only not to see and not to hear? That’s one of your honest men. And as to my poor father, who is the soul of honour, such is the effect of long misfortune on the best characters and of temptations associated with his restored rank, that there have been moments when I watched his conduct with dread. Caste prejudices are an awful thing, but thank God he had never a thought of vengeance in his mind. He is not a courtier.”

“I have heard about it,” interrupted Cosmo, “from the Marquis himself. He is a dear old man.”

The two by the mantelpiece exchanged dim smiles.

“I had to come here with him,” said Adele. “He cannot do without me. I too was glad to get away from the evil passions and the hopeless stupidities of all the people that had come back without a single patriotic feeling, without a single new idea in their heads, like merciless spectres out of a grave, hating the world to which they had returned. They had forgotten nothing and learned nothing.”

“I have seen something of that myself,” murmured Cosmo. “ But the world can’t be put back where it was before you and I were born.”

“No! But to see them trying to do it was intolerable. Then my husband appeared on the scene, hired this Palazzo, and insisted on us all living here. It was impossible to raise a rational objection to that. Father was never aware of half I went through in my life. 1 learned early to suppress every expression of feeling. But in the main we understand each other without talking. When he received Count Helion’s letter offering us this house he just looked at me and said, 41 suppose we must.’ For my part, I go through life without raising any objections to anything. One has to preserve one’s dignity in some way; and is there another way open to me? Yes, I have made up my mind; but I must tell you, Cosmo, that notwithstanding that amazing tour we made ten years ago amongst M. de Montevesso’s problematic relations, those two sisters and that niece have been a perfect novelty to me. I only hope I never betrayed my surprise or any feeling at all about it.” The Countess raised her eyes to Cosmo’s face. “I have spoken of it to you as I have never spoken to anybody in my life, because of old memories which are so much to me and because I could not mistrust anybody of your name. Have you been wearied by this long tale?”

“No,” said Cosmo. “But have you thought how it is going to end?”

“To end?” she said in a startled tone which affected Cosmo profoundly. “To end? WTiat do you mean? Everything is ended already.”

“I was thinking of your endurance,” said Cosmo.

“Do I look worn out?” she asked.

Cosmo raised his head and looked at her steadily. The impression of her grace and her strength filled his breast with an admiring and almost oppressive emotion. He could find nothing to say, not knowing what was uppermost in his mind, pity or admiration, mingled with a vague anger.

“Well, what do you see in my face?”

“I never have seen such serenity on any face,” said Cosmo. “How sure of itself your soul must be!”

Her colour became heightened for a moment, her eyes darkened as she said in a grateful tone, “You are right, Cosmo. My face is not a mask.”

But he hardly heard her. He was lost in wonder at the sudden disorder of his thoughts. When he regained his mental composure he noticed that Madame de Montevesso seemed to be listening.

“I wonder whether the Count is still with my father,” she said. “Ring that bell on the table at your hand* Cosmo.”

Cosmo did so and they waited, looking at each other. Presently the door swung open, and at the same time the cartel above it began to strike the hour. Cosmo counted eleven and then Madame de Montevesso spoke to Bernard, who waited in silence.

“Is M. le Comte still with my father?”

“I haven’t seen him come out yet, Madame la Comtesse.”

“Tell your wife not to wait for me, Bernard.”

“Yes, Madame la Comtesse.” Bernard backed out respectfully through the door.

“How fat he is, and what sleek hair,” marvelled Cosmo. “And what a solemn manner. No wonder I did not recognize him at once. He showed me into your father’s room, you know. He looks a Special Envoy’s confidential man all over. And to think that he is your household spy! I wonder at your patience.”

“Perhaps if I had anything to conceal I would have had less patience with the spy,” she said, equably. “I believe that when we lived in Paris he wrote every week to M. de Montevesso, because, you know, he can write quite well. I wonder what he found to write about.

Lists of names, I suppose. Or perhaps his own views of the people who called with bits of overheard con’ versations.”

“ It’s incredible,” murmured Cosmo. “ It’s fantastic. What contempt he must have for your husband.”

“The most remarkable thing,” said Madame de Montevesso, “is that I am convinced that he doesn’t write any lies.”

“Yes,” said Cosmo, “I assume that. And do you mean that the Count is paying him every week for that sort of thing. It’s an ugly farce.”

“Don’t you think,” said the Countess, “that something serious may come of it some day? “ Cosmo made a hopeless gesture.

“The man you married is mad,” he said with intense conviction.

“There have been times when I felt as if I were mad myself,” murmured Madame de Montevesso. “Take up your hat,” she added quickly.

She had heard footsteps outside the door. A moment after, Count Helion came in and fixed his black glance on his wife and Cosmo. He did not open his lips and remained ominously by the door for a time. The strain of the silence was made sinister by the stiff bearing of the man, the immobility of the carven brown face, crossed by the inky-black moustache in harsh contrast with the powdered head. He might have been a sergeant come at the stroke of the hour to tell those two people that the firing squad was waiting for them outside the door. Madame de Montevesso broke the dumb spell.

“I did my best to entertain Mr. Latham, but we had given you up. He was just going.”

She glanced serenely at Cosmo, whom the sweetness of her tone, her easy self-possession before that barrack’ room figure, stung to the heart. At that moment no words could have expressed the intensity of his hatred for the Count de Montevesso, at whom he was looking with a smile of the utmost banality. The latter moved forward stiffly.

“Your father hopes you will see him for a moment presently,” he said to his wife. “He has not gone to bed yet.”

“Then I will go to him at once.”

Madame de Montevesso extended her hand to Cosmo, who raised the tips of her fingers to his lips ceremoniously.

“I will see Mr. Latham out,” said the Count, bowing to his wife, who went out of the room without looking at him. Cosmo, following her with his eyes, forgot Count Helion’s existence. He forgot it so thoroughly that it was with a perceptible start that he perceived the Count’s eyes fixed on him in an odd way. “He will never look at ease anywhere,” thought Cosmo scornfully. A great part of his hatred had evaporated. “I suppose he means to be pilot. I wonder how he looked on the back of an elephant.”

“It was very good of you to wait so long for my return,” said Count Helion. “I have been detained by an absurd discussion arising out of probably false reports.”

“The time passed quickly,” said truthful Cosmo; but, before the black weary glance of the other, hastened to add with assumed care, “We talked of old times.”

“Old times,” repeated Count Helion without any particular aocent. “My wife is very young yet, though she must be older than you are. Isn’t she older? “

Cosmo said curtly that he really did not know. Wlien they were running about as children together she was the tallest of the three.

“And now,” took up the inexpressive voice of Count de Montevesso, “without her high heels she would be a little shorter than you. As you stood together you looked to me exactly the same height. And so you renewed the memories of your youth. They must have been delightful.”

“They were no doubt more delightful for me than they could have been for Mme. la Comtesse,” said Cosmo, making a motion towards taking leave.

“A moment. Let me have the honour to see you out.” Count Helion walked round the room blowing out the candles in three candelabras in succession and taking up the fourth in his hand.

“Why take this trouble?” protested Cosmo. “I know my way.”

“Every light has been extinguished in the reception rooms; or at least ought to have been. I detest waste of all kinds. It is perhaps because I have made my own fortune, and by God’s favour it is so considerable in its power for good that it requires the most careful management. It is perhaps a peculiar point of view, but I have explained it to Mme. de Montevesso.”

“She must have been interested,” muttered Cosmo between his teeth, following across the room and round the screen the possessor of these immensely important riches, who, candelabra in hand, preceded him by a pace or two and threw open the door behind the screen. Cosmo, crossing in the wake of Count Helion the room of the evening reception, saw dimly the disarranged furniture about the mantelpiece, the armchair in which Lady William had sat, the great sofa in which little Countess Bubna had been shyly ensconced, the card table with the chairs pushed back and all the cards in a heap in the middle. The swaying flames of the candles, leaping from one long strip of mirror to another, pre- ceded him into the next salon where all the furniture stood ranged expectantly against the walls. The next two salons were exactly alike except for the colour of the hangings and the size of the pictures on the walls. As to their subjects, Cosmo could not make them out.