第496章

第496章ellenhadaccompaniedthecourtonitsreturnfromvilnatopetersburg，andtherefoundherselfinadifficultposition.

inpetersburgellenhadenjoyedthespecialpatronageofagreatpersonage，whooccupiedoneofthehighestpositionsinthegovernment.invilnashehadformedaliaisonwithayoungforeignprince.

whenshereturnedtopetersburgtheprinceandthegreatdignitarywerebothinthattown；bothclaimedtheirrights，andellenwasconfrontedwithaproblemthathadnotpreviouslyariseninhercareer—thepreservationoftheclosestrelationswithboth，withoutgivingoffencetoeither.

whatmighthaveseemedtoanyotherwomanadifficultorimpossibletasknevercostamoment’sthoughttocountessbezuhov，whoplainlydeservedthereputationsheenjoyedofbeingamostintelligentwoman.hadsheattemptedconcealment；hadsheallowedherselftogetoutofherawkwardpositionbysubterfuges，shewouldhavespoiltherowncasebyacknowledgingherselftheguiltyparty.butlikeatrulygreatman，whocanalwaysdoeverythinghechooses，ellenatonceassumedtherectitudeofherownposition，ofwhichshewasindeedgenuinelyconvinced，andtheguiltyresponsibilityofeveryoneelseconcerned.

thefirsttimetheyoungforeignprinceventuredtoreproachher，sheliftedherbeautifulhead，and，withahaughtytonetowardshim，saidfirmly：

“thisistheegoismandthecrueltyofmen.iexpectednothingelse.womansacrificesherselfforyou；shesuffers，andthisisherreward.whatrighthaveyou，yourhighness，tocallmetoaccountformyfriendships，myaffections？heisamanwhohasbeenmorethanafathertome！”

theprincewouldhavesaidsomething.elleninterruptedhim.

“well，yes，perhapshehassentimentsformeotherthanthoseofafather，butthatisnotareasonishouldshutmydooronhim.iamnotapersontobeungrateful.know，yourhighness，thatinallthatrelatestomyprivatesentimentsiwillaccountonlytogodandtomyconscience！”sheconcluded，layingherhandonherbeautiful，heavingbosom，andlookinguptoheaven.

“butlistentome，ingod’sname！”…

“marryme，andiwillbeyourslave！”

“butitisimpossible.”

“youdonotdeigntostooptome，you…”ellenburstintotears.

theprinceattemptedtoconsoleher.ellen，asthoughutterlydistraught，declaredthroughhertearsthattherewasnothingtopreventhermarrying；thattherewereprecedents（theywerebutfewatthattime，butellenquotedthecaseofnapoleonandsomeotherpersonsofexaltedrank）；thatshehadneverbeenarealwifetoherhusband；thatshehadbeenedanunwillingvictimintothemarriage.

“butthelaw，religion…”murmuredtheprince，onthepointofyielding.

“religion，laws…whatcantheyhavebeeninventedfor，iftheyareunabletomanagethat？”saidellen.

theprincewasastonishedthatsosimpleareflectionhadneveroccurredtohim，andappliedtothecouncilofthebrotherhoodofthesocietyofjesus，withwhichhewasincloserelations.

afewdayslater，atoneofthefascinatingfêtesellenusedtogiveathersummervillaatkamennyostrov，acertainfascinatingm.jobertwaspresentedtoher；amannolongeryoung，withsnow-whitehairandbrilliantblackeyes，unfésuiteàrobecourte，whowalkedforalongwhilewithellenamongtheilluminationsinthegardentothestrainsofmusic，conversingwithheroftheloveofgod，ofchrist，oftheheartoftheholymother，andoftheconsolationsaffordedinthislifeandthenextbytheonetruecatholicfaith.ellenwastouched，andseveraltimestearsstoodbothinhereyesandinm.jobert’s，andtheirvoicestrembled.adance，towhichherpartnerfetchedellenaway，cutshortherconversationwiththefuture“directorofherconscience，”butthenexteveningm.jobertcamealonetoseeellen，andfromthatdayhewasafrequentvisitor.