介绍:
（下拉有中英对照文本）
Maître Tardieu returned to the letter and read the last paragraph, in which the count inquired after Sido’s health and asked for reassurance that she was being
well cared for.
At this the marquis looked most uncomfortable.
“The count ends his letter by saying that he is looking for a wife. He believes your daughter could well be suitable. If that is the case and you agree to the marriage, all your debts will be canceled.”
“She will, of course, be married into an aristocratic family. That goes without saying,”
One redeeming sentence, thought Maître Tardieu. Still, he was sure it had more to do with the marquis’s pride than his daughter’s well-being.
Maître Tardieu接着读信的最后一段，信中伯爵问了Sido的健康状况，要确认她生活的很好。
这时侯爵显得有些不自在。
伯爵在信中说他想要成婚。他相信Sido很合适。如果你同意这桩婚事，你所有的债务都会一笔勾销。”
“她当然会嫁入一个贵族家庭。这不用说，“
毋庸置疑，Maître Tardieu的想法仍然令他确信侯爵的尊严比女儿的幸福更重要。
“And for how long do you intend to keep her imprisoned in her chamber?” Asked the lawyer
“What? Do you expect me to have her run around under my feet? She is well cared for and out of sight.” The marquis dusted his thin, mean lips with a napkin. “I regret to say that she is most decidedly plain. Then there is her limp. She is, in my view, a broken vase, never to be made whole.”
Tardieu’s dislike of this man was growing with every remark he made. And he said:” not without a touch of irony, I agree that for Sido to marry the count is not ideal. His title is unfamiliar and his lineage does not, I am sure, stretch back as far as the grand and honorable name of Villeduval. But that aside, are you aware of the significance of such a marriage?”
“If you mean she will be off my hands, all well and good.
“你打算把她关在卧室里多久？”律师问道。
“什么？你觉得我会让她乱跑吗？她生活的很好。”侯爵用餐巾轻轻擦拭薄嘴唇。“我很遗憾地说她绝对是个普通人，还有些瘸。在我看来，她是一个破碎的花瓶，永远也不会完整。”
Tardieu讨厌这个人所说的每一句话。他说：“我说这话绝不是讽刺，我认为Sido这样结婚并不好。我肯定，伯爵的爵位够高，血统也足够高贵，这可以追溯到villeduval这个宏伟而光荣的名字。但是，撇开这些，你知道这种婚姻的意义吗？”
“如果你是说她将要离开我，那么一切都很好。
“Your father’s will—”
“What of it?” said the marquis with a dismissive wave of his hand. “The subject bores me.”
“I take it, then, that you have no objection to the fact that once your daughter is married she comes into the inheritance from her grandfather’s will, which of
course her new husband will have at his disposal.”
“I still have my estates in Normandy,”the marquis said loudly
“No,” said the lawyer, “you have the right to take all the income from the land On her wedding day they will become her property and that of her husband, Count Kalliovski.”
“Impossible! I will not allow it!” said the marquis.“How much do the estates bring in?”
“Not as much as they should. Your tenants have taken flight without paying their rents. The crops have failed. Your barns have been ransacked by starving peasants. Instead of attending to these matters you have remained here and built a garden
and a wall. In short, there is no money to pay off your debts, if that is what you were hoping.”
“你父亲的遗嘱——”
“怎么了？侯爵轻蔑地挥了挥手，“这个问题让我很烦。”
“我认为，你无法否认一个事实：一旦你的女儿结婚了，她会按她祖父的遗嘱，继承遗产。当然，这笔钱将由她的丈夫支配。”
“在诺曼底的地产仍然是我的，”侯爵大声说
“不，”律师说，“你有权获得土地的全部收益。举行婚礼的那天，那将成为Sido和她的丈夫，Kalliovski伯爵的财产。”
“不可能的！我不会允许这样的事情发生！侯爵说，“这些庄园能带来多少收益？”
“不会像应收到的那么多。你的房客没有付房租就逃跑了，庄稼没收成，饥饿的农民将谷仓洗劫一空。你没有留下任何东西，而是在这里建造了一座花园，还有一堵墙。简而言之，你没有钱偿还债务。”
Finally the marquis understood. “I don’t want to hear any more,” he said, putting his hands over his ears.“Your sermons are putting me out of humor.”
Maître Tardieu had no intention of stopping. “There is something written at the very bottom of the letter, not in white ink but in red.
‘Remember your wife.’
The lawyer observe with interest the marquis shaking hand.
“Write and tell him I will give his proposition some thought.”
“And what, pray, will you do if the situation in Paris worsens and there is a revolution?”
侯爵终于明白了。“我不想再听了，”他把手放在耳朵上说，“你的话让我很不高兴。”
Maître Tardieu并不想停下。信的底部还写着些东西，不是用白色墨水而是用红色墨水写的。
“记住你的妻子。”
律师饶有兴趣地注视着侯爵颤抖的手。
“写信告诉他，我会考虑他的建议的。”
“那么，如果巴黎局势恶化，发生革命，你会怎么办？”“
For a moment the marquis said nothing, just stared fixedly at the candle. “That is inconceivable,” he said at last. “The king will put down any such revolt.”
There was a sudden din outside in the corridor. The marquis ordered Jacques, the butler, to go and investigate. He returned with the marquis’ valet, who could hardly contain his excitement.
“What is going on?” said the marquis, standing up.
“Sir,” said Luc, “we have just received extraordinary news from Paris. The Bastille has fallen.”
“Fallen?” Repeated the marquis. “What do you mean, fallen?”
“The citizens have stormed it. They fired cannons at the wall and brought it tumbling down.”
“The Bastille is no more!” said Jacques. “The governor and the provost have both been killed. Their heads are being carried through the city on pikes!” He
was carried away by his enthusiasm. “Vive la Nation!”He cried.
The marquis collapsed on his chair.
侯爵有很长一段时间什么也没说，只是目不转睛地盯着蜡烛。“那太不可思议了，”最后他说。“国王将镇压这样的叛乱。”
走廊外面突然发出了一阵喧闹声。侯爵命令管家Jacques去看看怎么回事。Jacques带着侯爵的侍从回来了，他几乎控制不住自己的兴奋之情。
“发生什么事了？”侯爵站起来说。
“先生，”Luc说，“我们刚刚收到来自巴黎的消息。巴士底狱倒了。”
“倒了”？侯爵重复了一遍。“什么叫做倒了？“
“市民们已经攻击了巴士底狱。他们炸了墙，把巴士底狱击倒了。
“巴士底狱已经不复存在了！Luc说。“省长和监狱长都死了。他们的头被扎在矛上，在城市里示众！“他被自己的热情冲昏了头脑。“国家万岁！“Luc哭了。
侯爵瘫倒在椅子上。
----每周一/三/五晚更----
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