of your life。 No！ you women can never know to what a degree a true
lover is interested in these trifles。 It was an immense pleasure
to see the pattern of your new dress。 Can it be a matter of
indifference to me to know what you wear？ If your lofty brow is
knit？ If our writers amuse you？ If Canalis' songs delight you？ I
read the books you read。 Even to your boating on the lake every
incident touched me。 Your letter is as lovely； as sweet as your
soul！ Oh！ flower of heaven； perpetually adored； could I have lived
without those dear letters； which for eleven years have upheld me
in my difficult path like a light； like a perfume； like a steady
chant； like some divine nourishment； like everything which can
soothe and comfort life。
〃Do not fail me！ If you knew what anxiety I suffer the day before
they are due； or the pain a day's delay can give me！ Is she ill？
Is /he/？ I am midway between hell and paradise。
〃/O mia cara diva/； keep up your music； exercise your voice；
practise。 I am enchanted with the coincidence of employments and
hours by which； though separated by the Alps； we live by precisely
the same rule。 The thought charms me and gives me courage。 The
first time I undertook to plead hereI forget to tell you thisI
fancied that you were listening to me； and I suddenly felt the
flash of inspiration which lifts the poet above mankind。 If I am
returned to the Chamberoh！ you must come to Paris to be present
at my first appearance there！
〃30th； Evening。
〃Good heavens； how I love you！ Alas！ I have intrusted too much to
my love and my hopes。 An accident which should sink that
overloaded bark would end my life。 For three years now I have not
seen you； and at the thought of going to Belgirate my heart beats
so wildly that I am forced to stop。To see you； to hear that
girlish caressing voice！ To embrace in my gaze that ivory skin；
glistening under the candlelight； and through which I can read
your noble mind！ To admire your fingers playing on the keys； to
drink in your whole soul in a look； in the tone of an /Oime/ or an
/Alberto/！ To walk by the blossoming orange…trees； to live a few
months in the bosom of that glorious scenery！That is life。 What
folly it is to run after power； a name； fortune！ But at Belgirate
there is everything； there is poetry； there is glory！ I ought to
have made myself your steward； or； as that dear tyrant whom we
cannot hate proposed to me； live there as /cavaliere servente/；
only our passion was too fierce to allow of it。
〃Farewell； my angel； forgive me my next fit of sadness in
consideration of this cheerful mood； it has come as a beam of
light from the torch of Hope； which has hitherto seemed to me a
Will…o'…the…wisp。〃
〃How he loves her！〃 cried Rosalie； dropping the letter； which seemed
heavy in her hand。 〃After eleven years to write like this！〃
〃Mariette；〃 said Mademoiselle de Watteville to her maid next morning；
〃go and post this letter。 Tell Jerome that I know all I wish to know；
and that he is to serve Monsieur Albert faithfully。 We will confess
our sins； you and I； without saying to whom the letters belonged； nor
to whom they were going。 I was in the wrong； I alone am guilty。〃
〃Mademoiselle has been crying？〃 said Mariette。
〃Yes； but I do not want that my mother should perceive it； give me
some very cold water。〃
In the midst of the storms of her passion Rosalie often listened to
the voice of conscience。 Touched by the beautiful fidelity of these
two hearts； she had just said her prayers； telling herself that there
was nothing left to her but to be resigned； and to respect the
happiness of two beings worthy of each other； submissive to fate；
looking to God for everything； without allowing themselves any
criminal acts or wishes。 She felt a better woman； and had a certain
sense of satisfaction after coming to this resolution； inspired by the
natural rectitude of youth。 And she was confirmed in it by a girl's
idea： She was sacrificing herself for /him/。
〃She does not know how to love；〃 thought she。 〃Ah！ if it were II
would give up everything to a man who loved me so。To be loved！
When； by whom shall I be loved？ That little Monsieur de Soulas only
loves my money； if I were poor； he would not even look at me。〃
〃Rosalie； my child； what are you thinking about？ You are working
beyond the outline；〃 said the Baroness to her daughter； who was making
worsted…work slippers for the Baron。
Rosalie spent the winter of 1834…35 torn by secret tumults； but in the
spring； in the month of April； when she reached the age of nineteen；
she sometimes thought that it would be a fine thing to triumph over a
Duchesse d'Argaiolo。 In silence and solitude the prospect of this
struggle had fanned her passion and her evil thoughts。 She encouraged
her romantic daring by making plan after plan。 Although such
characters are an exception； there are； unfortunately； too many
Rosalies in the world； and this story contains a moral that ought to
serve them as a warning。
In the course of this winter Albert de Savarus had quietly made
considerable progress in Besancon。 Confident of success； he now
impatiently awaited the dissolution of the Chamber。 Among the men of
the moderate party he had won the suffrages of one of the makers of
Besancon； a rich contractor； who had very wide influence。
Wherever they settled the Romans took immense pains； and spent
enormous sums to have an unlimited supply of good water in every town
of their empire。 At Besancon they drank the water from Arcier； a hill
at some considerable distance from Besancon。 The town stands in a
horseshoe circumscribed by the river Doubs。 Thus； to restore an
aqueduct in order to drink the same water that the Romans drank； in a
town watered by the Doubs； is one of those absurdities which only
succeed in a country place where the most exemplary gravity prevails。
If this whim could be brought home to the hearts of the citizens； it
would lead to considerable outlay； and this expenditure would benefit
the influential contractor。
Albert Savaron de Savarus opined that the water of the river was good
for nothing but to flow under the suspension bridge； and that the only
drinkable water was that from Arcier。 Articles were printed in the
/Review/ which merely expressed the views of the commercial interest
of Besancon。 The nobility and the citizens； the moderates and the
legitimists； the government party and the opposition； everybody； in
short； was agreed that they must drink the same water as the Romans；
and boast of a suspension bridge。 The question of the Arcier water was
the order of the day at Besancon。 At Besanconas in the matter of the
two railways to Versaillesas for every standing abusethere were
private interests unconfessed which gave vital force to this idea。 The
reasonable folk in opposition to this scheme； who were indeed but few；
were regarded as old women。 No one talked of anything but of Savaron's
two projects。 And thus； after eighteen months of underground labor；
the ambitious lawyer had succeeded in stirring to its depths the most
stagnant town in France； the most unyielding to foreign influence； in
finding the length of its foot； to use a vulgar phrase； and exerting a
preponderant influence without stirring from his own room。 He had
solved the singular problem of how to be powerful without being
popular。
In the course of this winter he won seven lawsuits for various priests
of Besancon。 At moments he could breathe freely at the thought of his
coming triumph。 This intense desire； which made him work so many
interests and devise so many springs； absorbed the last strength of
his terribly overstrung soul。 His disinterestedness was lauded； and he
took his clients' fees without comment。 But this disinterestedness
was； in truth； moral usury； he counted on a reward far greater to him
than all the gold in the world。
In the month of October 1834 he had brought； ostensibly to serve a
merchant who was in difficulties； with money lent him by Leopold
Hannequin； a house which gave him a qualification for election。 He had
not seemed to seek or desire this advantageous bargain。
〃You are really a remarkable man；〃 said the Abbe de Grancey； who； of
course； had watched and understood the lawyer。 The Vicar…General had
come to introduce to him a Canon who needed his professional advice。
〃You are a priest who has taken the wrong turning。〃 This observation
struck Savarus。
Rosalie； on her part； had made up her mind； in her strong girl's head；
to get Monsieur de Savarus into the drawing…room and acquainted with
the society of the Hotel de Rupt。 So far she had limited her desires
to seeing and hearing Albert。 She had compounded； so to speak； and a
composition is often no more than a truce。
Les Rouxey； the inherited estate of the Wattevilles； was worth just
ten thousand francs a year； but in other hands it would have yielded a
great deal more。 The Baron in his indifferencefor his wife was to
have； and in fact had； forty thousand francs a yearleft the
management of les Rouxey to a sort of factotum； an old servant of the
Wattevilles named Modinier。 Nevertheless； whenever the Baron and his
wife wished to go out of the town； they went to les Rouxey； which is
very picturesquely situated。 The chateau and the park were； in fact；
created by the famous Watteville； who in his active old age was
passionately attached to this magnificent spot。
Between two precipitous hillslittle peaks with bare summits known as
the great and the little Rouxeyin the heart of a ravine where the
torrents from the heights； with the Dent de Vilard at their head； come
tumbling to join the lovely upper waters of the Doubs； Watteville had
a huge dam constructed； leaving two cuttings for the overflow。 Above
this dam he made a beautiful lake； and below it two cascades； and
these； uniting a few yards below the falls； formed a lovely little
river to irrigate the barren； uncultivated valley； and these two hills
he enclosed in a ring fence； and built himself a retreat on the dam；
which he widened to two acres by accumulating above it all the soil
which had to be removed to make a c