paz-第1章

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Paz



by　Honore　de　Balzac



Translated　by　Katharine　Prescott　Wormeley






DEDICATION



Dedicated　to　the　Comtesse　Clara　Maffei。









PAZ

（LA　FAUSSE　MAITRESSE）







I



In　September；　1835；　one　of　the　richest　heiresses　of　the　faubourg

Saint…Germain；　Mademoiselle　du　Rouvre；　the　only　daughter　of　the

Marquis　du　Rouvre；　married　Comte　Adam　Mitgislas　Laginski；　a　young

Polish　exile。



We　ask　permission　to　write　these　Polish　names　as　they　are　pronounced；

to　spare　our　readers　the　aspect　of　the　fortifications　of　consonants　by

which　the　Slave　language　protects　its　vowels；probably　not　to　lose

them；　considering　how　few　there　are。



The　Marquis　du　Rouvre　had　squandered　nearly　the　whole　of　a　princely

fortune；　which　he　obtained　originally　through　his　marriage　with　a

Demoiselle　de　Ronquerolles。　Therefore；　on　her　mother's　side　Clementine

du　Rouvre　had　the　Marquis　de　Ronquerolles　for　uncle；　and　Madame　de

Serizy　for　aunt。　On　her　father's　side　she　had　another　uncle　in　the

eccentric　person　of　the　Chevalier　du　Rouvre；　a　younger　son　of　the

house；　an　old　bachelor　who　had　become　very　rich　by　speculating　in

lands　and　houses。　The　Marquis　de　Ronquerolles　had　the　misfortune　to

lose　both　his　children　at　the　time　of　the　cholera；　and　the　only　son　of

Madame　de　Serizy；　a　young　soldier　of　great　promise；　perished　in　Africa

in　the　affair　of　the　Makta。　In　these　days　rich　families　stand　between

the　danger　of　impoverishing　their　children　if　they　have　too　many；　or

of　extinguishing　their　names　if　they　have　too　few；a　singular　result

of　the　Code　which　Napoleon　never　thought　of。　By　a　curious　turn　of

fortune　Clementine　became；　in　spite　of　her　father　having　squandered

his　substance　on　Florine　（one　of　the　most　charming　actresses　in

Paris）；　a　great　heiress。　The　Marquis　de　Ronquerolles；　a　clever

diplomatist　under　the　new　dynasty；　his　sister；　Madame　de　Serizy；　and

the　Chevalier　du　Rouvre　agreed；　in　order　to　save　their　fortunes　from

the　dissipations　of　the　marquis；　to　settle　them　on　their　niece；　to

whom；　moreover；　they　each　pledged　themselves　to　pay　ten　thousand

francs　a　year　from　the　day　of　her　marriage。



It　is　quite　unnecessary　to　say　that　the　Polish　count；　though　an　exile；

was　no　expense　to　the　French　government。　Comte　Adam　Laginski　belonged

to　one　of　the　oldest　and　most　illustrious　families　in　Poland；　which

was　allied　to　many　of　the　princely　houses　of　Germany；Sapieha；

Radziwill；　Mniszech；　Rzewuski；　Czartoryski；　Leczinski；　Lubormirski；

and　all　the　other　great　Sarmatian　SKIS。　But　heraldic　knowledge　is　not

the　most　distinguishing　feature　of　the　French　nation　under　Louis…

Philippe；　and　Polish　nobility　was　no　great　recommendation　to　the

bourgeoisie　who　were　lording　it　in　those　days。　Besides；　when　Adam

first　made　his　appearance；　in　1833；　on　the　boulevard　des　Italiens；　at

Frascati；　and　at　the　Jockey…Club；　he　was　leading　the　life　of　a　young

man　who；　having　lost　his　political　prospects；　was　taking　his　pleasure

in　Parisian　dissipation。　At　first　he　was　thought　to　be　a　student。



The　Polish　nationality　had　at　this　period　fallen　as　low　in　French

estimation；　thanks　to　a　shameful　governmental　reaction；　as　the

republicans　had　sought　to　raise　it。　The　singular　struggle　of　the

Movement　against　Resistance　（two　words　which　will　be　inexplicable

thirty　years　hence）　made　sport　of　what　ought　to　have　been　truly

respected；the　name　of　a　conquered　nation　to　whom　the　French　had

offered　hospitality；　for　whom　fetes　had　been　given　（with　songs　and

dances　by　subscription）；　above　all；　a　nation　which　in　the　Napoleonic

struggle　between　France　and　Europe　had　given　us　six　thousand　men；　and

what　men！



Do　not　infer　from　this　that　either　side　is　taken　here；　either　that　of

the　Emperor　Nicholas　against　Poland；　or　that　of　Poland　against　the

Emperor。　It　would　be　a　foolish　thing　to　slip　political　discussion　into

tales　that　are　intended　to　amuse　or　interest。　Besides；　Russia　and

Poland　were　both　right；one　to　wish　the　unity　of　its　empire；　the

other　to　desire　its　liberty。　Let　us　say　in　passing　that　Poland　might

have　conquered　Russia　by　the　influence　of　her　morals　instead　of

fighting　her　with　weapons；　she　should　have　imitated　China　which；　in

the　end；　Chinesed　the　Tartars；　and　will；　it　is　to　be　hoped；　Chinese

the　English。　Poland　ought　to　have　Polonized　Russia。　Poniatowski　tried

to　do　so　in　the　least　favorable　portion　of　the　empire；　but　as　a　king

he　was　little　understood；because；　possibly；　he　did　not　fully

understand　himself。



But　how　could　the　Parisians　avoid　disliking　an　unfortunate　people　who

were　the　cause　of　that　shameful　falsehood　enacted　during　the　famous

review　at　which　all　Paris　declared　its　will　to　succor　Poland？　The

Poles　were　held　up　to　them　as　the　allies　of　the　republican　party；　and

they　never　once　remembered　that　Poland　was　a　republic　of　aristocrats。

From　that　day　forth　the　bourgeoisie　treated　with　base　contempt　the

exiles　of　the　nation　it　had　worshipped　a　few　days　earlier。　The　wind　of

a　riot　is　always　enough　to　veer　the　Parisians　from　north　to　south

under　any　regime。　It　is　necessary　to　remember　these　sudden

fluctuations　of　feeling　in　order　to　understand　why　it　was　that　in　1835

the　word　〃Pole〃　conveyed　a　derisive　meaning　to　a　people　who　consider

themselves　the　wittiest　and　most　courteous　nation　on　earth；　and　their

city　of　Paris　the　focus　of　enlightenment；　with　the　sceptre　of　arts　and

literature　within　its　grasp。



There　are；　alas！　two　sorts　of　Polish　exiles；the　republican　Poles；

sons　of　Lelewel；　and　the　noble　Poles；　at　the　head　of　whom　is　Prince

Adam　Czartoryski。　The　two　classes　are　like　fire　and　water；　but　why

complain　of　that？　Such　divisions　are　always　to　be　found　among　exiles；

no　matter　of　what　nation　they　may　be；　or　in　what　countries　they　take

refuge。　They　carry　their　countries　and　their　hatreds　with　them。　Two

French　priests；　who　had　emigrated　to　Brussels　during　the　Revolution；

showed　the　utmost　horror　of　each　other；　and　when　one　of　them　was　asked

why；　he　replied　with　a　glance　at　his　companion　in　misery：　〃Why？

because　he's　a　Jansenist！〃　Dante　would　gladly　have　stabbed　a　Guelf　had

he　met　him　in　exile。　This　explains　the　virulent　attacks　of　the　French

against　the　venerable　Prince　Adam　Czartoryski；　and　the　dislike　shown

to　the　better　class　of　Polish　exiles　by　the　shopkeeping　Caesars　and

the　licensed　Alexanders　of　Paris。



In　1834；　therefore；　Adam　Mitgislas　Laginski　was　something　of　a　butt

for　Parisian　pleasantry。



〃He　is　rather　nice；　though　he　is　a　Pole；〃　said　Rastignac。



〃All　these　Poles　pretend　to　be　great　lords；〃　said　Maxime　de　Trailles；

〃but　this　one　does　pay　his　gambling　debts；　and　I　begin　to　think　he

must　have　property。〃



Without　wishing　to　offend　these　banished　men；　it　may　be　allowable　to

remark　that　the　light…hearted；　careless　inconsistency　of　the　Sarmatian

character　does　justify　in　some　degree　the　satire　of　the　Parisians；

who；　by　the　bye；　would　behave　in　like　circumstances　exactly　as　the

Poles　do。　The　French　aristocracy；　so　nobly　succored　during　the

Revolution　by　the　Polish　lords；　certainly　did　not　return　the　kindness

in　1832。　Let　us　have　the　melancholy　courage　to　admit　this；　and　to　say

that　the　faubourg　Saint…Germain　is　still　the　debtor　of　Poland。



Was　Comte　Adam　rich；　or　was　he　poor；　or　was　he　an　adventurer？　This

problem　was　long　unsolved。　The　diplomatic　salons；　faithful　to

instructions；　imitated　the　silence　of　the　Emperor　Nicholas；　who　held

that　all　Polish　exiles　were　virtually　dead　and　buried。　The　court　of

the　Tuileries；　and　all　who　took　their　cue　from　it；　gave　striking　proof

of　the　political　quality　which　was　then　dignified　by　the　name　of

sagacity。　They　turned　their　backs　on　a　Russian　prince　with　whom　they

had　all　been　on　intimate　terms　during　the　Emigration；　merely　because

it　was　said　that　the　Emperor　Nicholas　gave　him　the　cold　shoulder。

Between　the　caution　of　the　court　and　the　prudence　of　the　diplomates；

the　Polish　exiles　of　distinction　lived　in　Paris　in　the　Biblical

solitude　of　〃super　flumina　Babylonis；〃　or　else　they　haunted　a　few

salons　which　were　the　neutral　ground　of　all　opinions。　In　a　city　of

pleasure；　like　Paris；　where　amusements　abound　on　all　sides；　the

heedless　gayety　of　a　Pole　finds　twice　as　many　encouragements　as　it

needs　to　a　life　of　dissipation。



It　must　be　said；　however；　that　Adam　had　two　points　against　him；his

appearance；　and　his　mental　equipment。　There　are　two　species　of　Pole；

as　there　are　two　species　of　Englishwoman。　When　an　Englishwoman　is　not

very　handsome　she　is　horribly　ugly。　Comte　Adam　belonged　in　the　second

category　of　human　beings。　His　small　face；　rather　sharp　in　expression；

looked　as　if　it　had　been　pressed　in　a　vise。　His　short　nose；　and　fair

hair；　and　reddish　beard　and　moustache　made　him　look　all　the　more　like

a　goat　because　he　was　small　and　thin；　and　his　tarnished　yellow　eyes

caught　you　with　that　oblique　look　which　Virgil　celebrates。　How　came

he；　in　spite　of　such　obvious　disadvantages；　to　possess　really

exquisite　manners　and　a　distinguished　air？　The　problem　is　solved

partly　by　the　care　and　elegance　of　his　dress；　and　partly　by　the

training　given　him　by　his　mother；　a　Radziwill。　His　courage　amounted　to

daring；　but　his　mind　was　not　more　than　was　needed　for　the　ephemeral

talk　and　pleasantry　of　Parisian　conversation。　And　yet　it　would　have

been　difficult　to　find　among　the　young　men　of　fashion　in　Paris　a

single　one　who　was　his　superior。　Young　men　talk　a　great　deal　too　much

in　these　days　of　horses；　money；　taxes；　deputies；　French　CONVERSATION

is　no　longer　what　it　was。　Brilliancy　of　mind　needs　leisure　and　certain

social　inequalities　to　bring　it　out。　There　is；　probably；　more　real

conversation　in　Vienna　or　St。　Petersburg　than　in　Paris。　Equals　do　not

need　to　employ　delicacy　or　shrewdness　in　speech；　they　blurt　out　things

as　they　are。　Consequently　the　dandies　of　Paris　did　not　discover　the

great　seigneur　in　the　rather　heedless　young　fellow　who；　in　their

talks；　would　flit　from　one　subject　to　another；　all　the　more　intent

upon　amusement　because　he　had　just　escaped　from　a　great　peril；　and；

finding　himself　in　a　city　where　his　family　was　unknown；　felt　at

liberty　to　lead　a　loose　life　without　the　risk　of　disgracing　his　name。



But　one　fine　day　in　1834　Adam　suddenly　bought　a　house　in　the　rue　de　la

Pepiniere。　Six　months　later　his　style　of　living　was　second　to　none　in

Paris。　About　the　time　when　he　thus　began　to　take　himself　seriously　he

had　seen　Clementine　du　Rouvre　at　the　Opera　and　had　fallen　in　love　with

her。　A　year　later　the　marriage　took　place。　The　salon　of　Madame

d'Espard　was　the　first　to　sound　his　praises。　Mothers　of　daughters　then

learned　too　late　that　as　far　back　as　the　year　900　the　family　of　the

Laginski　was　among　the　most　illustrious　of　the　North。　By　an　act　of

prudence　which　was　very　unPolish；　the　mother　of　the　young　count　had

mortgaged　her　entire　property　on　the　breaking　out　of　the　insurrection

for　an　immense　sum　lent　by　two　Jewish　bankers