samuel brohl & company-第1部分

快捷操作: 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! 如果本书没有阅读完，想下次继续接着阅读，可使用上方 "收藏到我的浏览器" 功能 和 "加入书签" 功能！



Samuel　Brohl　&　Company

by　Victor　Cherbuliez



CHAPTER　I

Were　the　events　of　this　nether　sphere　governed　by　the　calculus　of　probabilities；　Count　Abel　Larinski　and　Mlle。　Antoinette　Moriaz　would　almost　unquestionably　have　arrived　at　the　end　of　their　respective　careers　without　ever　having　met。　Count　Larinski　lived　in　Vienna；　Austria；　Mlle。　Moriaz　never　had　been　farther　from　Paris　than　Cormeilles；　where　she　went　every　spring　to　remain　throughout　the　fine　weather。　Neither　at　Cormeilles　nor　at　Paris　had　she　ever　heard　of　Count　Larinski；　and　he；　on　his　part；　was　wholly　unaware　of　the　existence　of　Mlle。　Moriaz。　His　mind　was　occupied　with　a　gun　of　his　own　invention；　which　should　have　made　his　fortune；　and　which　had　not　made　it。　He　had　hoped　that　this　warlike　weapon；　a　true　/chef…d'oeuvre/；　in　his　opinion　superior　in　precision　and　range　to　any　other　known；　would　be　appreciated；　according　to　its　merits；　by　competent　judges；　and　would　one　day　be　adopted　for　the　equipment　of　the　entire　Austro…　Hungarian　infantry。　By　means　of　unremitting　perseverance；　he　had　succeeded　in　obtaining　the　appointment　of　an　official　commission　to　examine　it。　The　commission　decided　that　the　Larinski　musket　possessed　certain　advantages；　but　that　it　had　three　defects：　it　was　too　heavy；　the　breech　became　choked　too　rapidly　with　oil　from　the　lubricator；　and　the　cost　of　manufacture　was　too　high。　Count　Abel　did　not　lose　courage。　He　gave　himself　up　to　study；　devoted　nearly　two　years　to　perfecting　his　invention；　and　applied　all　his　increased　skill　to　rendering　his　gun　lighter　and　less　costly。　When　put　under　test；　the　new　firearm　burst；　and　this　vexatious　incident　ruined　forever　the　reputation　of　the　Larinski　gun。　Far　from　becoming　enriched；　the　inventor　had　sunk　his　expenses；　his　advances　of　every　kind；　he　had　recklessly　squandered　both　revenue　and　capital；　which；　to　be　sure；　was　not　very　considerable。

Mlle。　Antoinette　Moriaz　had　a　more　fortunate　destiny　than　Count　Larinski。　She　did　not　plume　herself　on　having　invented　a　new　gun；　nor　did　she　depend　upon　her　ingenuity　for　a　livelihood；　she　had　inherited　from　her　mother　a　yearly　income　of　about　a　hundred　thousand　livres；　which　enabled　her　to　enjoy　life　and　make　others　happy；　for　she　was　very　charitable。　She　loved　the　world　without　loving　it　too　much；　she　knew　how　to　do　without　it；　having　abundant　resources　within　herself；　and　being　of　a　very　independent　disposition。　During　the　winter　she　went　out　a　great　deal　into　society；　and　received　freely　at　home。　Her　father；　member　of　the　Institute　and　Professor　of　Chemistry　at　the　College　of　France；　was　one　of　those　/savants/　who　enjoy　dining　out；　he　had　a　taste　also　for　music　and　for　the　theatre。　Antoinette　accompanied　him　everywhere；　they　scarcely　ever　remained　at　home　except　upon　their　reception　evenings；　but　with　the　return　of　the　swallows　it　was　a　pleasure　to　Mlle。　Moriaz　to　fly　to　Cormeilles　and　there　pass　seven　months；　reduced　to　the　society　of　Mlle。　Moiseney；　who；　after　having　been　her　instructress；　had　become　her　/demoiselle　de　compagnie/。　She　lived　pretty　much　in　the　open　air；　walking　about　in　the　woods；　reading；　or　painting；　and　the　woods；　her　books；　and　her　paint…brushes；　to　say　nothing　of　her　poor　people；　so　agreeably　occupied　her　time　that　she　never　experienced　a　quarter　of　an　hour's　/ennui/。　She　was　too　content　with　her　lot　to　have　the　slightest　inclination　to　change　it；　therefore　she　was　in　no　hurry　to　marry。　She　had　completed　twenty…four　years　of　her　existence；　had　refused　several　desirable　offers；　and　wished　nothing　better　than　to　retain　her　maidenhood。　It　was　the　sole　article　concerning　which　this　heiress　had　discussions　with　those　around　her。　When　her　father　took　it　into　his　head　to　grow　angry　and　cry；　〃You　must！〃　she　would　burst　out　laughing；　whereupon　he　would　laugh　also；　and　say：　〃I'm　not　the　master　here；　in　fact；　I　am　placed　in　the　position　of　a　ploughman　arguing　with　a　priest。〃

It　is　very　dangerous　to　tax　one's　brains　too　much　when　one　dines　out　frequently。　During　the　winter　of　1875；　M。　Moriaz　had　undertaken　an　excess　of　work；　he　was　overdriven；　and　his　health　suffered。　He　was　attacked　by　one　of　those　anemic　disorders　of　which　we　hear　so　much　nowadays；　and　which　may　be　called　/la　maladie　a　la　mode/。　He　was　obliged　to　break　in　upon　his　daily　routine；　employ　an　assistant；　and　early　in　July　his　physician　ordered　him　to　set　out　for　Engadine；　and　try　the　chalybeate　water…cure　at　Saint　Moritz。　The　trip　from　Paris　to　Saint　Moritz　cannot　be　made　without　passing　through　Chur。　It　was　at　Chur　that　Mlle。　Antoinette　Moriaz；　who　accompanied　her　father；　met　for　the　first　time　Count　Abel　Larinski。　When　the　decree　of　Destiny　goes　forth；　the　spider　and　the　fly　must　inevitably　meet。

Abel　Larinski　had　arrived　at　Chur　from　Vienna；　having　taken　the　route　through　Milan　and　across　the　Splugen　Pass。　Although　he　was　very　short　of　funds；　upon　reaching　the　capital　of　the　canton　of　Grisons　he　had　put　up　at　the　Hotel　Steinbock；　the　best　and　most　expensive　in　the　place。　It　was　his　opinion　that　he　owed　this　mark　of　respect　to　Count　Larinski；　such　duties　he　held　to　be　very　sacred；　and　he　fulfilled　them　religiously。　He　was　in　a　very　melancholy　mood；　and　set　out　for　a　promenade　in　order　to　divert　his　mind。　In　crossing　the　Plessur　Bridge；　he　fixed　his　troubled　eyes　on　the　muddy　waters　of　the　stream；　and　he　felt　almost　tempted　to　take　the　fatal　leap；　but　in　such　a　project　there　is　considerable　distance　between　the　dream　and　its　fulfilment；　and　Count　Larinski　experienced　at　this　juncture　that　the　most　melancholy　man　in　the　world　may　find　it　difficult　to　conquer　his　passion　for　living。

He　had　no　reason　to　feel　very　cheerful。　He　had　quitted　Vienna　in　order　to　betake　himself　to　the　Saxon　Casino；　where　/roulette/　and　/trente…　et…quarante/　are　played。　His　ill…luck　would　have　it　that　he　stopped　on　the　way　at　Milan；　and　fell　in　with　a　circle　of　ill　repute；　where　this　most　imprudent　of　men　played　and　lost。　There　remained　to　him　just　enough　cash　to　carry　him　to　Saxon；　but　what　can　be　accomplished　in　a　casino　when　one　has　empty　pockets？　Before　crossing　the　Splugen　he　had　written　to　a　petty　Jew　banker　of　his　acquaintance　for　money。　He　counted　but　little　on　the　compliance　of　this　Hebrew；　and　this　was　why　he　paused　five　minutes　to　contemplate　the　Plessur；　after　which　he　retraced　his　steps。　Twenty　minutes　later　he　was　crossing　a　public　square；　ornamented　with　a　pretty　Gothic　fountain；　and　seeing　before　him　a　cathedral；　he　hastened　to　enter　it。

The　cathedral　of　Chur　possesses；　among　other　curiosities；　a　painting　by　Albert　Durer；　a　St。　Lawrence　on　the　gridiron；　attributed　to　Holbein；　a　piece　of　the　true　cross；　and　some　relics　of　St。　Lucius　and　his　sister　Ernesta。　Count　Abel　only　accorded　a　wandering　attention　to　either　St。　Lucius　or　St。　Lawrence。　Scarcely　had　he　made　his　way　into　the　nave　of　the　building；　when　he　beheld　something　that　appeared　to　him　far　more　interesting　than　paintings　or　relics。　An　English　poet　has　said　that　at　times　there　is　revealed　to　us　a　glimpse　of　paradise　in　a　woman's　face；　and　it　was　such　a　rare　blessing　that　was　at　this　moment　vouchsafed　unto　Count　Larinski。　He　was　not　a　romantic　man；　and　yet　he　remained　for　some　moments　motionless；　rooted　to　the　spot　in　admiration。　Was　it　a　premonition　of　his　destiny？　The　fact　is　that；　in　beholding　for　the　first　time　Mlle。　Antoinette　Moriaz；　for　it　was　none　other　than　she　who　thus　riveted　his　attention；　he　experienced　an　inexplicable　surprise；　a　thrilling　of　the　heart；　such　as　he　never　before　had　experienced。　In　his　first　impression　of　this　charming　girl　he　made　one　slight　mistake。　He　divined　at　once　that　the　man　by　whom　she　was　accompanied；　who　had　gray　hair；　a　broad；　open　brow；　vivacious　eyes；　shaded　by　beautiful；　heavy　eye…brows；　belonged　to　some　learned　fraternity；　but　he　imagined　that　this　individual　with　a　white　cravat；　who　had　evidently　preserved　his　freshness　of　heart；　although　past　sixty　years　of　age；　was　the　fortunate　suitor　of　the　beautiful　girl　by　his　side。

There　are　some　women　whom　it　is　impossible　not　to　gaze　upon。　Wherever　Mlle。　Antoinette　Moriaz　appeared　she　was　the　object　of　universal　observation：　first；　because　she　was　charming；　and；　then；　because　she　had　a　way　of　her　own　of　dressing　and　of　arranging　her　hair；　a　peculiar　movement　of　the　head；　a　grace　of　carriage；　which　inevitably　must　attract　notice。　There　were　those　who　made　so　bold　as　to　assert　that　she　assumed　certain　little　peculiarities　solely　for　the　purpose　of　attracting　the　chance　observer。　Do　not　believe　a　word　of　it。　She　was　altogether　indifferent　to　public　opinion　and　consulted　her　own　taste　alone；　which　was　certainly　impregnated　with　a　touch　of　audacity；　but　she　did　not　seek　to　appear　audaciousshe　merely　acted　according　to　her　natural　bent。　Observing　her　from　a　distance；　people　were　apt　to　fancy　her　affected；　and　somewhat　inclined　to　be　fantastic；　but　on　approaching　her；　their　minds　were　speedily　disabused　of　this　fancy。　The　purity　of　her　countenance；　her　air　of　refinement　and　thorough　modesty；　speedily　dispelled　any　suspicious　thoughts；　and　those　who　had　for　a　moment　harboured　them　would　say　mentally；　〃Pardon　me；　mademoiselle；　I　mistook。〃　Such；　at　least；　was　the　mental　comment　of　Count　Abel；　as　she　passed　close　by　him　on　leaving　the　church。　Her　father