第24章

THECOMTESSEDEL’ESTORADETOTHEBARONNEDEMACUMER

January1827。

MyfatherhasbeenelectedtotheChamber，myfather-in-lawisdead，andIamonthepointofmysecondconfinement；thesearethechiefeventsmarkingtheendoftheyearforus。Imentionthematonce，lestthesightoftheblacksealshouldfrightenyou。

Mydear，yourletterfromRomemademyfleshcreep。Youarenothingbutapairofchildren。Felipeiseitheradissemblingdiplomatorelsehisloveforyouistheloveamanmighthaveforacourtesan，onwhomhesquandershisall，knowingallthetimethatsheisfalsetohim。Enoughofthis。YousayIrave，soIhadbetterholdmytongue。

OnlythiswouldIsay，fromthecomparisonofourtwoverydifferentdestiniesIdrawthisharshmoral——Lovenotifyouwouldbeloved。

Mydear，whenLouiswaselectedtotheprovincialCouncil，hereceivedthecrossoftheLegionofHonor。Thatisnownearlythreeyearsago；

andasmyfather——whomyouwillnodoubtseeinParisduringthecourseofthesession——hasaskedtherankofOfficeroftheLegionforhisson-in-law，Iwanttoknowifyouwilldomethekindnesstotakeinhandthebigwig，whoeverhemaybe，towhomthispatronagebelongs，andtokeepaneyeuponthelittleaffair。But，whateveryoudo，don’tgetentangledintheconcernsofmyhonoredfather。TheComtedeMaucombeisfishingforthetitleofMarquisforhimself；butkeepyourgoodservicesforme，please。WhenLouisisadeputy——nextwinterthatis——weshallcometoParis，andthenwewillmoveheavenandearthtogetsomeGovernmentappointmentforhim，sothatwemaybeabletosaveourincomebylivingonhissalary。Myfathersitsbetweenthecentreandtheright；atitlewillcontenthim。OurfamilywasdistinguishedeveninthedaysofKingRene，andCharlesX。willhardlysaynotoaMaucombe；butwhatIfearisthatmyfathermaytakeitintohisheadtoasksomefavorformyyoungerbrother。Now，ifthemarquisateisdangledoutofhisreach，hewillhavenothoughtstosparefromhimself。

January15th。

Ah!Louise，Ihavebeeninhell。IfIcanbeartotellyouofmyanguish，itisbecauseyouareanotherself；evenso，Idon’tknowwhetherIshalleverbeabletoliveagaininthoughtthosefiveghastlydays。Themereword“convulsions“makesmyveryheartsick。

Fivedays!tometheywerefivecenturiesoftorture。Amotherwhohasnotbeenthroughthismartyrdomdoesnotknowwhatsufferingis。SofrenziedwasIthatIevenenviedyou，whoneverhadachild!

Theeveningbeforethatterribledaytheweatherwasclose，almosthot，andIthoughtmylittleArmandwasaffectedbyit。Generallysosweetandcaressing，hewaspeevish，criedfornothing，wantedtoplay，andthenbrokehistoys。Perhapsthissortoffractiousnessistheusualsignofapproachingillnesswithchildren。WhileIwaswonderingaboutit，InoticedArmand’scheeksflush，butthisIsetdowntoteething，forheiscuttingfourlargeteethatonce。SoIputhimtobedbesideme，andkeptconstantlywakingthroughthenight。Hewasalittlefeverish，butnotenoughtomakemeuneasy，mymindbeingstillfulloftheteething。Towardsmorninghecried“Mamma!“andaskedbysignsforsomethingtodrink；butthecrywasspasmodic，andtherewereconvulsivetwitchingsinthelimbs，whichturnedmetoice。

Ijumpedoutofbedtofetchhimadrink。Imaginemyhorrorwhen，onmyhandinghimthecup，heremainedmotionless，onlyrepeating“Mamma!“inthatstrange，unfamiliarvoice，whichwasindeedbythistimehardlyavoiceatall。Itookhishand，butitdidnotrespondtomypressure；itwasquitestiff。Iputthecuptohislips；thepoorlittlefellowgulpeddownthreeorfourmouthfulsinaconvulsivemannerthatwasterribletosee，andthewatermadeastrangesoundinhisthroat。Heclungtomedesperately，andIsawhiseyesroll，asthoughsomehiddenforcewithinwerepullingatthem，tillonlythewhiteswerevisible；hislimbswereturningrigid。Iscreamedaloud，andLouiscame。

“Adoctor!quick!……heisdying，“Icried。

Louisvanished，andmypoorArmandagaingasped，“Mamma!Mamma!“Thenextmomenthelostallconsciousnessofhismother’sexistence。Theprettyveinsonhisforeheadswelled，andtheconvulsionsbegan。Forawholehourbeforethedoctorscame，Iheldinmyarmsthatmerrybaby，allliliesandroses，theblossomofmylife，mypride，andmyjoy，lifelessasapieceofwood；andhiseyes!Icannotthinkofthemwithouthorror。MyprettyArmandwasameremummy——black，shrive

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