the girl with the golden eyes-第4章

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have　a　thousand　secret　causes　which；　here　more　than　elsewhere；　destroy
their　physiognomy；　there　are　to　be　found　in　the　feminine　world　little
happy　colonies；　who　live　in　Oriental　fashion　and　can　preserve　their
beauty；　but　these　women　rarely　show　themselves　on　foot　in　the　streets；
they　lie　hid　like　rare　plants　who　only　unfold　their　petals　at　certain
hours；　and　constitute　veritable　exotic　exceptions。　However；　Paris　is
essentially　the　country　of　contrasts。　If　true　sentiments　are　rare
there；　there　also　are　to　be　found；　as　elsewhere；　noble　friendships　and
unlimited　devotion。　On　this　battlefield　of　interests　and　passions；
just　as　in　the　midst　of　those　marching　societies　where　egoism
triumphs；　where　every　one　is　obliged　to　defend　himself；　and　which　we
call　/armies/；　it　seems　as　though　sentiments　liked　to　be　complete　when
they　showed　themselves；　and　are　sublime　by　juxtaposition。　So　it　is
with　faces。　In　Paris　one　sometimes　sees　in　the　aristocracy；　set　like
stars；　the　ravishing　faces　of　young　people；　the　fruit　of　quite
exceptional　manners　and　education。　To　the　youthful　beauty　of　the
English　stock　they　unite　the　firmness　of　Southern　traits。　The　fire　of
their　eyes；　a　delicious　bloom　on　their　lips；　the　lustrous　black　of
their　soft　locks；　a　white　complexion；　a　distinguished　caste　of
features；　render　them　the　flowers　of　the　human　race；　magnificent　to
behold　against　the　mass　of　other　faces；　worn；　old；　wrinkled；　and
grimacing。　So　women；　too；　admire　such　young　people　with　that　eager
pleasure　which　men　take　in　watching　a　pretty　girl；　elegant；　gracious；
and　embellished　with　all　the　virginal　charms　with　which　our
imagination　pleases　to　adorn　the　perfect　woman。　If　this　hurried　glance
at　the　population　of　Paris　has　enabled　us　to　conceive　the　rarity　of　a
Raphaelesque　face；　and　the　passionate　admiration　which　such　an　one
must　inspire　at　the　first　sight；　the　prime　interest　of　our　history
will　have　been　justified。　/Quod　erat　demonstrandum/if　one　may　be
permitted　to　apply　scholastic　formulae　to　the　science　of　manners。

Upon　one　of　those　fine　spring　mornings；　when　the　leaves；　although
unfolded；　are　not　yet　green；　when　the　sun　begins　to　gild　the　roofs；
and　the　sky　is　blue；　when　the　population　of　Paris　issues　from　its
cells　to　swarm　along　the　boulevards；　glides　like　a　serpent　of　a
thousand　coils　through　the　Rue　de　la　Paix　towards　the　Tuileries；
saluting　the　hymeneal　magnificence　which　the　country　puts　on；　on　one
of　these　joyous　days；　then；　a　young　man　as　beautiful　as　the　day
itself；　dressed　with　taste；　easy　of　mannerto　let　out　the　secret　he
was　a　love…child；　the　natural　son　of　Lord　Dudley　and　the　famous
Marquise　de　Vordacwas　walking　in　the　great　avenue　of　the　Tuileries。
This　Adonis；　by　name　Henri　de　Marsay；　was　born　in　France；　when　Lord
Dudley　had　just　married　the　young　lady；　already　Henri's　mother；　to　an
old　gentleman　called　M。　de　Marsay。　This　faded　and　almost　extinguished
butterfly　recognized　the　child　as　his　own　in　consideration　of　the　life
interest　in　a　fund　of　a　hundred　thousand　francs　definitively　assigned
to　his　putative　son；　a　generosity　which　did　not　cost　Lord　Dudley　too
dear。　French　funds　were　worth　at　that　time　seventeen　francs；　fifty
centimes。　The　old　gentleman　died　without　having　ever　known　his　wife。
Madame　de　Marsay　subsequently　married　the　Marquis　de　Vordac；　but
before　becoming　a　marquise　she　showed　very　little　anxiety　as　to　her
son　and　Lord　Dudley。　To　begin　with；　the　declaration　of　war　between
France　and　England　had　separated　the　two　lovers；　and　fidelity　at　all
costs　was　not；　and　never　will　be；　the　fashion　of　Paris。　Then　the
successes　of　the　woman；　elegant；　pretty；　universally　adored；　crushed
in　the　Parisienne　the　maternal　sentiment。　Lord　Dudley　was　no　more
troubled　about　his　offspring　than　was　the　mother；the　speedy
infidelity　of　a　young　girl　he　had　ardently　loved　gave　him；　perhaps；　a
sort　of　aversion　for　all　that　issued　from　her。　Moreover；　fathers　can；
perhaps；　only　love　the　children　with　whom　they　are　fully　acquainted；　a
social　belief　of　the　utmost　importance　for　the　peace　of　families；
which　should　be　held　by　all　the　celibate；　proving　as　it　does　that
paternity　is　a　sentiment　nourished　artificially　by　woman；　custom；　and
the　law。

Poor　Henri　de　Marsay　knew　no　other　father　than　that　one　of　the　two　who
was　not　compelled　to　be　one。　The　paternity　of　M。　de　Marsay　was
naturally　most　incomplete。　In　the　natural　order；　it　is　but　for　a　few
fleeting　instants　that　children　have　a　father；　and　M。　de　Marsay
imitated　nature。　The　worthy　man　would　not　have　sold　his　name　had　he
been　free　from　vices。　Thus　he　squandered　without　remorse　in　gambling
hells；　and　drank　elsewhere；　the　few　dividends　which　the　National
Treasury　paid　to　its　bondholders。　Then　he　handed　over　the　child　to　an
aged　sister；　a　Demoiselle　de　Marsay；　who　took　much　care　of　him；　and
provided　him；　out　of　the　meagre　sum　allowed　by　her　brother；　with　a
tutor；　an　abbe　without　a　farthing；　who　took　the　measure　of　the　youth's
future；　and　determined　to　pay　himself　out　of　the　hundred　thousand
livres　for　the　care　given　to　his　pupil；　for　whom　he　conceived　an
affection。　As　chance　had　it；　this　tutor　was　a　true　priest；　one　of
those　ecclesiastics　cut　out　to　become　cardinals　in　France；　or　Borgias
beneath　the　tiara。　He　taught　the　child　in　three　years　what　he　might
have　learned　at　college　in　ten。　Then　the　great　man；　by　name　the　Abbe
de　Maronis；　completed　the　education　of　his　pupil　by　making　him　study
civilization　under　all　its　aspects：　he　nourished　him　on　his
experience；　led　him　little　into　churches；　which　at　that　time　were
closed；　introduced　him　sometimes　behind　the　scenes　of　theatres；　more
often　into　the　houses　of　courtesans；　he　exhibited　human　emotions　to
him　one　by　one；　taught　him　politics　in　the　drawing…rooms；　where　they
simmered　at　the　time；　explained　to　him　the　machinery　of　government；
and　endeavored　out　of　attraction　towards　a　fine　nature；　deserted；　yet
rich　in　promise；　virilely　to　replace　a　mother：　is　not　the　Church　the
mother　of　orphans？　The　pupil　was　responsive　to　so　much　care。　The
worthy　priest　died　in　1812；　a　bishop；　with　the　satisfaction　of　having
left　in　this　world　a　child　whose　heart　and　mind　were　so　well　moulded
that　he　could　outwit　a　man　of　forty。　Who　would　have　expected　to　have
found　a　heart　of　bronze；　a　brain　of　steel；　beneath　external　traits　as
seductive　as　ever　the　old　painters；　those　naive　artists；　had　given　to
the　serpent　in　the　terrestrial　paradise？　Nor　was　that　all。　In
addition；　the　good…natured　prelate　had　procured　for　the　child　of　his
choice　certain　acquaintances　in　the　best　Parisian　society；　which　might
equal　in　value；　in　the　young　man's　hand；　another　hundred　thousand
invested　livres。　In　fine；　this　priest；　vicious　but　politic；　sceptical
yet　learned；　treacherous　yet　amiable；　weak　in　appearance　yet　as
vigorous　physically　as　intellectually；　was　so　genuinely　useful　to　his
pupil；　so　complacent　to　his　vices；　so　fine　a　calculator　of　all　kinds
of　strength；　so　profound　when　it　was　needful　to　make　some　human
reckoning；　so　youthful　at　table；　at　Frascati；　atI　know　not　where；
that　the　grateful　Henri　de　Marsay　was　hardly　moved　at　aught　in　1814；
except　when　he　looked　at　the　portrait　of　his　beloved　bishop；　the　only
personal　possession　which　the　prelate　had　been　able　to　bequeath　him
（admirable　type　of　the　men　whose　genius　will　preserve　the　Catholic；
Apostolic；　and　Roman　Church；　compromised　for　the　moment　by　the
feebleness　of　its　recruits　and　the　decrepit　age　of　its　pontiffs；　but
if　the　church　likes！）。

The　continental　war　prevented　young　De　Marsay　from　knowing　his　real
father。　It　is　doubtful　whether　he　was　aware　of　his　name。　A　deserted
child；　he　was　equally　ignorant　of　Madame　de　Marsay。　Naturally；　he　had
little　regret　for　his　putative　father。　As　for　Mademoiselle　de　Marsay；
his　only　mother；　he　built　for　her　a　handsome　little　monument　in　Pere
Lachaise　when　she　died。　Monseigneur　de　Maronis　had　guaranteed　to　this
old　lady　one　of　the　best　places　in　the　skies；　so　that　when　he　saw　her
die　happy；　Henri　gave　her　some　egotistical　tears；　he　began　to　weep　on
his　own　account。　Observing　this　grief；　the　abbe　dried　his　pupil's
tears；　bidding　him　observe　that　the　good　woman　took　her　snuff　most
offensively；　and　was　becoming　so　ugly　and　deaf　and　tedious　that　he
ought　to　return　thanks　for　her　death。　The　bishop　had　emancipated　his
pupil　in　1811。　Then；　when　the　mother　of　M。　de　Marsay　remarried；　the
priest　chose；　in　a　family　council；　one　of　those　honest　dullards；
picked　out　by　him　through　the　windows　of　his　confessional；　and　charged
him　with　the　administration　of　the　fortune；　the　revenues　of　which　he
was　willing　to　apply　to　the　needs　of　the　community；　but　of　which　he
wished　to　preserve　the　capital。

Towards　the　end　of　1814；　then；　Henri　de　Marsay　had　no　sentiment　of
obligation　in　the　world；　and　was　as　free　as　an　unmated　bird。　Although
he　had　lived　twenty…two　years　he　appeared　to　be　barely　seventeen。　As　a
rule　the　most　fastidious　of　his　rivals　considered　him　to　be　the
prettiest　youth　in　Paris。　From　his　father；　Lord　Dudley；　he　had　derived
a　pair　of　the　most　amorously　deceiving　blue　eyes；　from　his　mother　the
bushiest　of　black　hair；　from　both　pure　blood；　the　skin　of　a　young
girl；　a　gentle　and　modest　expression；　a　refined　and　aristocratic
figure；　and　beautiful　hands。　For　a　woman；　to　see　him　was　to　lose　her
head　for　him；　do　you　understand？　to　conceive　one　of　those　desires
which　eat　the　heart；　which　are　forgotten　because　of　the　impossibility
of　satisfying　them；　because　women　in　Paris　are　commonly　without
tenacity。　Few　of　them　say　to　themselves；　after　the　fashion　of　men；　the
〃/Je　Maintiendrai/；〃　of　the　House　of　Orange。

Underneath　this　fresh　young　life；　and　in　spite　of　the　limpid　springs
in　his　eyes；　Henri　had　a　lion's　courage；　a　monkey's　agility。　He　could
cut　a　ball　in　half　at　ten　paces　on　the　blade　of　a　knife；　he　rode　his
horse　in　a　way　that　made　you　realize　the　fable　of　the　Centaur；　drove　a
four…in…hand　with　grace；　was　as　light　as　a　cherub　and　quiet　as　a　lamb；
but　knew　how　to　beat　a　townsman　at　the　terrible　game　of　/savate/　or
cudgels；　moreover；　he　played　the　piano　in　a　fashion　which　would　have
enabled　him　to　become　an　artist　should　he　fall　on　calamity；　and　owned
a　voice　which　would　have　been　worth　to　Barbaja　fifty　thousand　francs　a
season。　Alas；　that　all　these　fine　qualities；　these　pretty　faults；　were
tarnished　by　one　abominable　vice：　he　believed　neither　in　man　nor
woman；　God　nor　Devil。　Capricious　nature　had　commenced　by　endowing　him；
a　priest　had　completed　the　work。

To　render　this　adventure　comprehensible；　it　is　necessary　to　add　here
that　Lord　Dudley　naturally　found　many　women　disposed　to　reproduce
samples　of　such　a　delicious　pattern。　His　second　masterpiece　of　this
kind　was　a　young　girl　named　Euphemie；　born　of　a　Spanish　lady；　reared
in　Havana；　and　brought　to　Madrid　with　a　young　Creole　woman　of　the
Antilles；　and　with　all　the　ruinous　tastes　of　the　Colonies；　but
fortunately　married　to　an　old　and　extremely　rich　Spanish　noble；　Don
Hijos；　Marquis　de　San…Real；　who；　since　the　occupation　of　Spain　by
French　troops；　had　taken　up　his　abode　in　Paris；　and　lived　in　the　Rue
St。　Lazare。　As　much　from　indifference　as　from　any　respect　for　the
innocence　of　youth；　Lord　Dudley　was　not　in　the　habit　of　kee