the ball at sceaux-第2章

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their　political　good　fortune　excited　no　envy。　In　those　early　days　of

the　constitutional　system；　few　persons　had　very　precise　ideas　of　the

peaceful　domain　of　the　civil　service；　where　astute　favorites　managed

to　find　an　equivalent　for　the　demolished　abbeys。　Monsieur　le　Comte　de

Fontaine；　who　till　lately　boasted　that　he　had　not　read　the　Charter；

and　displayed　such　indignation　at　the　greed　of　courtiers；　had；　before

long；　proved　to　his　august　master　that　he　understood；　as　well　as　the

King　himself；　the　spirit　and　resources　of　the　representative　system。

At　the　same　time；　notwithstanding　the　established　careers　open　to　his

three　sons；　and　the　pecuniary　advantages　derived　from　four　official

appointments；　Monsieur　de　Fontaine　was　the　head　of　too　large　a　family

to　be　able　to　re…establish　his　fortune　easily　and　rapidly。



His　three　sons　were　rich　in　prospects；　in　favor；　and　in　talent；　but　he

had　three　daughters；　and　was　afraid　of　wearying　the　monarch's

benevolence。　It　occurred　to　him　to　mention　only　one　by　one；　these

virgins　eager　to　light　their　torches。　The　King　had　too　much　good　taste

to　leave　his　work　incomplete。　The　marriage　of　the　eldest　with　a

Receiver…General；　Planat　de　Baudry；　was　arranged　by　one　of　those　royal

speeches　which　cost　nothing　and　are　worth　millions。　One　evening；　when

the　Sovereign　was　out　of　spirits；　he　smiled　on　hearing　of　the

existence　of　another　Demoiselle　de　Fontaine；　for　whom　he　found　a

husband　in　the　person　of　a　young　magistrate；　of　inferior　birth；　no

doubt；　but　wealthy；　and　whom　he　created　Baron。　When；　the　year　after；

the　Vendeen　spoke　of　Mademoiselle　Emilie　de　Fontaine；　the　King　replied

in　his　thin　sharp　tones；　〃Amicus　Plato　sed　magis　amica　Natio。〃　Then；　a

few　days　later；　he　treated　his　〃friend　Fontaine〃　to　a　quatrain；

harmless　enough；　which　he　styled　an　epigram；　in　which　he　made　fun　of

these　three　daughters　so　skilfully　introduced；　under　the　form　of　a

trinity。　Nay；　if　report　is　to　be　believed；　the　monarch　had　found　the

point　of　the　jest　in　the　Unity　of　the　three　Divine　Persons。



〃If　your　Majesty　would　only　condescend　to　turn　the　epigram　into　an

epithalamium？〃　said　the　Count；　trying　to　turn　the　sally　to　good

account。



〃Though　I　see　the　rhyme　of　it；　I　fail　to　see　the　reason；〃　retorted　the

King；　who　did　not　relish　any　pleasantry；　however　mild；　on　the　subject

of　his　poetry。



From　that　day　his　intercourse　with　Monsieur　de　Fontaine　showed　less

amenity。　Kings　enjoy　contradicting　more　than　people　think。　Like　most

youngest　children；　Emilie　de　Fontaine　was　a　Benjamin　spoilt　by　almost

everybody。　The　King's　coolness；　therefore；　caused　the　Count　all　the

more　regret；　because　no　marriage　was　ever　so　difficult　to　arrange　as

that　of　this　darling　daughter。　To　understand　all　the　obstacles　we　must

make　our　way　into　the　fine　residence　where　the　official　was　housed　at

the　expense　of　the　nation。　Emilie　had　spent　her　childhood　on　the

family　estate；　enjoying　the　abundance　which　suffices　for　the　joys　of

early　youth；　her　lightest　wishes　had　been　law　to　her　sisters；　her

brothers；　her　mother；　and　even　her　father。　All　her　relations　doted　on

her。　Having　come　to　years　of　discretion　just　when　her　family　was

loaded　with　the　favors　of　fortune；　the　enchantment　of　life　continued。

The　luxury　of　Paris　seemed　to　her　just　as　natural　as　a　wealth　of

flowers　or　fruit；　or　as　the　rural　plenty　which　had　been　the　joy　of　her

first　years。　Just　as　in　her　childhood　she　had　never　been　thwarted　in

the　satisfaction　of　her　playful　desires；　so　now；　at　fourteen；　she　was

still　obeyed　when　she　rushed　into　the　whirl　of　fashion。



Thus；　accustomed　by　degrees　to　the　enjoyment　of　money；　elegance　of

dress；　of　gilded　drawing…rooms　and　fine　carriages；　became　as　necessary

to　her　as　the　compliments　of　flattery；　sincere　or　false；　and　the

festivities　and　vanities　of　court　life。　Like　most　spoiled　children；

she　tyrannized　over　those　who　loved　her；　and　kept　her　blandishments

for　those　who　were　indifferent。　Her　faults　grew　with　her　growth；　and

her　parents　were　to　gather　the　bitter　fruits　of　this　disastrous

education。　At　the　age　of　nineteen　Emilie　de　Fontaine　had　not　yet　been

pleased　to　make　a　choice　from　among　the　many　young　men　whom　her

father's　politics　brought　to　his　entertainments。　Though　so　young；　she

asserted　in　society　all　the　freedom　of　mind　that　a　married　woman　can

enjoy。　Her　beauty　was　so　remarkable　that；　for　her；　to　appear　in　a　room

was　to　be　its　queen；　but；　like　sovereigns；　she　had　no　friends；　though

she　was　everywhere　the　object　of　attentions　to　which　a　finer　nature

than　hers　might　perhaps　have　succumbed。　Not　a　man；　not　even　an　old

man；　had　it　in　him　to　contradict　the　opinions　of　a　young　girl　whose

lightest　look　could　rekindle　love　in　the　coldest　heart。



She　had　been　educated　with　a　care　which　her　sisters　had　not　enjoyed；

painted　pretty　well；　spoke　Italian　and　English；　and　played　the　piano

brilliantly；　her　voice；　trained　by　the　best　masters；　had　a　ring　in　it

which　made　her　singing　irresistibly　charming。　Clever；　and　intimate

with　every　branch　of　literature；　she　might　have　made　folks　believe

that；　as　Mascarille　says；　people　of　quality　come　into　the　world

knowing　everything。　She　could　argue　fluently　on　Italian　or　Flemish

painting；　on　the　Middle　Ages　or　the　Renaissance；　pronounced　at

haphazard　on　books　new　or　old；　and　could　expose　the　defects　of　a　work

with　a　cruelly　graceful　wit。　The　simplest　thing　she　said　was　accepted

by　an　admiring　crowd　as　a　fetfah　of　the　Sultan　by　the　Turks。　She　thus

dazzled　shallow　persons；　as　to　deeper　minds；　her　natural　tact　enabled

her　to　discern　them；　and　for　them　she　put　forth　so　much　fascination

that；　under　cover　of　her　charms；　she　escaped　their　scrutiny。　This

enchanting　veneer　covered　a　careless　heart；　the　opinioncommon　to

many　young　girlsthat　no　one　else　dwelt　in　a　sphere　so　lofty　as　to　be

able　to　understand　the　merits　of　her　soul；　and　a　pride　based　no　less

on　her　birth　than　on　her　beauty。　In　the　absence　of　the　overwhelming

sentiment　which；　sooner　or　later；　works　havoc　in　a　woman's　heart；　she

spent　her　young　ardor　in　an　immoderate　love　of　distinctions；　and

expressed　the　deepest　contempt　for　persons　of　inferior　birth。

Supremely　impertinent　to　all　newly…created　nobility；　she　made　every

effort　to　get　her　parents　recognized　as　equals　by　the　most　illustrious

families　of　the　Saint…Germain　quarter。



These　sentiments　had　not　escaped　the　observing　eye　of　Monsieur　de

Fontaine；　who　more　than　once；　when　his　two　elder　girls　were　married；

had　smarted　under　Emilie's　sarcasm。　Logical　readers　will　be　surprised

to　see　the　old　Royalist　bestowing　his　eldest　daughter　on　a　Receiver…

General；　possessed；　indeed；　of　some　old　hereditary　estates；　but　whose

name　was　not　preceded　by　the　little　word　to　which　the　throne　owed　so

many　partisans；　and　his　second　to　a　magistrate　too　lately　Baronified

to　obscure　the　fact　that　his　father　had　sold　firewood。　This　noteworthy

change　in　the　ideas　of　a　noble　on　the　verge　of　his　sixtieth　yearan

age　when　men　rarely　renounce　their　convictionswas　due　not　merely　to

his　unfortunate　residence　in　the　modern　Babylon；　where；　sooner　or

later；　country　folks　all　get　their　corners　rubbed　down；　the　Comte　de

Fontaine's　new　political　conscience　was　also　a　result　of　the　King's

advice　and　friendship。　The　philosophical　prince　had　taken　pleasure　in

converting　the　Vendeen　to　the　ideas　required　by　the　advance　of　the

nineteenth　century；　and　the　new　aspect　of　the　Monarchy。　Louis　XVIII。

aimed　at　fusing　parties　as　Napoleon　had　fused　things　and　men。　The

legitimate　King；　who　was　not　less　clever　perhaps　than　his　rival；　acted

in　a　contrary　direction。　The　last　head　of　the　House　of　Bourbon　was

just　as　eager　to　satisfy　the　third　estate　and　the　creations　of　the

Empire；　by　curbing　the　clergy；　as　the　first　of　the　Napoleons　had　been

to　attract　the　grand　old　nobility；　or　to　endow　the　Church。　The　Privy

Councillor；　being　in　the　secret　of　these　royal　projects；　had

insensibly　become　one　of　the　most　prudent　and　influential　leaders　of

that　moderate　party　which　most　desired　a　fusion　of　opinion　in　the

interests　of　the　nation。　He　preached　the　expensive　doctrines　of

constitutional　government；　and　lent　all　his　weight　to　encourage　the

political　see…saw　which　enabled　his　master　to　rule　France　in　the　midst

of　storms。　Perhaps　Monsieur　de　Fontaine　hoped　that　one　of　the　sudden

gusts　of　legislation；　whose　unexpected　efforts　then　startled　the

oldest　politicians；　might　carry　him　up　to　the　rank　of　peer。　One　of　his

most　rigid　principles　was　to　recognize　no　nobility　in　France　but　that

of　the　peeragethe　only　families　that　might　enjoy　any　privileges。



〃A　nobility　bereft　of　privileges；〃　he　would　say；　〃is　a　tool　without　a

handle。〃



As　far　from　Lafayette's　party　as　he　was　from　La　Bourdonnaye's；　he

ardently　engaged　in　the　task　of　general　reconciliation；　which　was

to　result　in　a　new　era　and　splendid　fortunes　for　France。　He

strove　to　convince　the　families　who　frequented　his　drawing…room；

or　those　whom　he　visited；　how　few　favorable　openings　would

henceforth　be　offered　by　a　civil　or　military　career。　He　urged

mothers　to　give　their　boys　a　start　in　independent　and　industrial

professions；　explaining　that　military　posts　and　high　Government

appointments　must　at　last　pertain；　in　a　quite　constitutional

order；　to　the　younger　sons　of　members　of　the　peerage。　According

to　him；　the　people　had　conquered　a　sufficiently　large　share　in

practical　government　by　its　elective　assembly；　its　appointments

to　law…offices；　and　those　of　the　exchequer；　which；　said　he；　would

always；　as　heretofore；　be　the　natural　right　of　the　distinguished

men　of　the　third　estate。



These　new　notions　of　the　head　of　the　Fontaines；　and　the　prudent

matches　for　his　eldest　girls　to　which　they　had　led；　met　with　strong

resistance　in　the　bosom　of　his　family。　The　Comtesse　de　Fontaine

remained　faithful　to　the　ancient　beliefs　which　no　woman　could　disown；

who；　through　her　mother；　belonged　to　the　Rohans。　Although　she　had　for

a　while　opposed　the　happiness　and　fortune　awaiting　her　two　eldest

girls；　she　yielded　to　those　private　considerations　which　husband　and

wife　confide　to　each　other　when　their　heads　are　resting　on　the　same

pillow。　Monsieur　de　Fontaine　calmly　pointed　out　to　his　wife；　by　exact

arithmetic　that　their　residence　in　Paris；　the　necessity　for

entertaining；　the　magnificence　of　the　house　which　made　up　to　them　now

for　the　privations　so　bravely　shared　in　La　Vendee；　and　the　expenses　of

their　sons；　swallowed　up　the　chief　part　of　their　income　from　salaries。

They　must　therefore　seize；　as　a　boon　from　heaven；　the　opportunities

which　offered　for　settling　their　girls　with　such　wealth。　Would　they

not　some　day　enjoy　sixtyeightya　hundred　thousand　francs　a　year？

Such　advantageous　matches　were　not　to　be　met　with　every　day　for　girls

without　a　portion。　Again；　it　was　time　that　they　should　begin　to　think

of　economizing；　to　add　to　the　estate　of　Fontaine；　and　re…establish　the

old　territo