the ball at sceaux-第8章

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it　is　essential　that　you　should　know。　Ah；　ha！　And　I　propose　to　make　up

to　you　for　my　clumsiness　by　introducing　you　to　five　of　the　prettiest

women　in　Paris。　So；　so；　young　man；　your　brow　is　clearing！　I　am　fond　of

young　people；　and　I　like　to　see　them　happy。　Their　happiness　reminds　me

of　the　good　times　of　my　youth；　when　adventures　were　not　lacking；　any

more　than　duels。　We　were　gay　dogs　then！　Nowadays　you　think　and　worry

over　everything；　as　though　there　had　never　been　a　fifteenth　and　a

sixteenth　century。〃



〃But；　monsieur；　are　we　not　in　the　right？　The　sixteenth　century　only

gave　religious　liberty　to　Europe；　and　the　nineteenth　will　give　it

political　lib〃



〃Oh；　we　will　not　talk　politics。　I　am　a　perfect　old　womanultra　you

see。　But　I　do　not　hinder　young　men　from　being　revolutionary；　so　long

as　they　leave　the　King　at　liberty　to　disperse　their　assemblies。〃



When　they　had　gone　a　little　way；　and　the　Count　and　his　companion　were

in　the　heart　of　the　woods；　the　old　sailor　pointed　out　a　slender　young

birch　sapling；　pulled　up　his　horse；　took　out　one　of　his　pistols；　and

the　bullet　was　lodged　in　the　heart　of　the　tree；　fifteen　paces　away。



〃You　see；　my　dear　fellow；　that　I　am　not　afraid　of　a　duel；〃　he　said

with　comical　gravity；　as　he　looked　at　Monsieur　Longueville。



〃Nor　am　I；〃　replied　the　young　man；　promptly　cocking　his　pistol；　he

aimed　at　the　hole　made　by　the　Comte's　bullet；　and　sent　his　own　close

to　it。



〃That　is　what　I　call　a　well…educated　man；〃　cried　the　admiral　with

enthusiasm。



During　this　ride　with　the　youth；　whom　he　already　regarded　as　his

nephew；　he　found　endless　opportunities　of　catechizing　him　on　all　the

trifles　of　which　a　perfect　knowledge　constituted；　according　to　his

private　code；　an　accomplished　gentleman。



〃Have　you　any　debts？〃　he　at　last　asked　of　his　companion；　after　many

other　inquiries。



〃No；　monsieur。〃



〃What；　you　pay　for　all　you　have？〃



〃Punctually；　otherwise　we　should　lose　our　credit；　and　every　sort　of

respect。〃



〃But　at　least　you　have　more　than　one　mistress？　Ah；　you　blush；　comrade！

Well；　manners　have　changed。　All　these　notions　of　lawful　order；

Kantism；　and　liberty　have　spoilt　the　young　men。　You　have　no　Guimard

now；　no　Duthe；　no　creditorsand　you　know　nothing　of　heraldry；　why；　my

dear　young　friend；　you　are　not　fully　fledged。　The　man　who　does　not　sow

his　wild　oats　in　the　spring　sows　them　in　the　winter。　If　I　have　but

eighty　thousand　francs　a　year　at　the　age　of　seventy；　it　is　because　I

ran　through　the　capital　at　thirty。　Oh！　with　my　wifein　decency　and

honor。　However；　your　imperfections　will　not　interfere　with　my

introducing　you　at　the　Pavillon　Planat。　Remember；　you　have　promised　to

come；　and　I　shall　expect　you。〃



〃What　an　odd　little　old　man！〃　said　Longueville　to　himself。　〃He　is　so

jolly　and　hale；　but　though　he　wishes　to　seem　a　good　fellow；　I　will　not

trust　him　too　far。〃



Next　day；　at　about　four　o'clock；　when　the　house　party　were　dispersed

in　the　drawing…rooms　and　billiard…room；　a　servant　announced　to　the

inhabitants　of　the　Villa　Planat；　〃Monsieur　DE　Longueville。〃　On　hearing

the　name　of　the　old　admiral's　protege；　every　one；　down　to　the　player

who　was　about　to　miss　his　stroke；　rushed　in；　as　much　to　study

Mademoiselle　de　Fontaine's　countenance　as　to　judge　of　this　phoenix　of

men；　who　had　earned　honorable　mention　to　the　detriment　of　so　many

rivals。　A　simple　but　elegant　style　of　dress；　an　air　of　perfect　ease；

polite　manners；　a　pleasant　voice　with　a　ring　in　it　which　found　a

response　in　the　hearer's　heart…strings；　won　the　good…will　of　the

family　for　Monsieur　Longueville。　He　did　not　seem　unaccustomed　to　the

luxury　of　the　Receiver…General's　ostentatious　mansion。　Though　his

conversation　was　that　of　a　man　of　the　world；　it　was　easy　to　discern

that　he　had　had　a　brilliant　education；　and　that　his　knowledge　was　as

thorough　as　it　was　extensive。　He　knew　so　well　the　right　thing　to　say

in　a　discussion　on　naval　architecture；　trivial；　it　is　true；　started　by

the　old　admiral；　that　one　of　the　ladies　remarked　that　he　must　have

passed　through　the　Ecole　Polytechnique。



〃And　I　think；　madame；〃　he　replied；　〃that　I　may　regard　it　as　an　honor

to　have　got　in。〃



In　spite　of　urgent　pressing；　he　refused　politely　but　firmly　to　be　kept

to　dinner；　and　put　an　end　to　the　persistency　of　the　ladies　by　saying

that　he　was　the　Hippocrates　of　his　young　sister；　whose　delicate　health

required　great　care。



〃Monsieur　is　perhaps　a　medical　man？〃　asked　one　of　Emilie's　sisters…in…

law　with　ironical　meaning。



〃Monsieur　has　left　the　Ecole　Polytechnique；〃　Mademoiselle　de　Fontaine

kindly　put　in；　her　face　had　flushed　with　richer　color；　as　she　learned

that　the　young　lady　of　the　ball　was　Monsieur　Longueville's　sister。



〃But；　my　dear；　he　may　be　a　doctor　and　yet　have　been　to　the　Ecole

Polytechniqueis　it　not　so；　monsieur？〃



〃There　is　nothing　to　prevent　it；　madame；〃　replied　the　young　man。



Every　eye　was　on　Emilie；　who　was　gazing　with　uneasy　curiosity　at　the

fascinating　stranger。　She　breathed　more　freely　when　he　added；　not

without　a　smile；　〃I　have　not　the　honor　of　belonging　to　the　medical

profession；　and　I　even　gave　up　going　into　the　Engineers　in　order　to

preserve　my　independence。〃



〃And　you　did　well；〃　said　the　Count。　〃But　how　can　you　regard　it　as　an

honor　to　be　a　doctor？〃　added　the　Breton　nobleman。　〃Ah；　my　young

friend；　such　a　man　as　you〃



〃Monsieur　le　Comte；　I　respect　every　profession　that　has　a　useful

purpose。〃



〃Well；　in　that　we　agree。　You　respect　those　professions；　I　imagine；　as

a　young　man　respects　a　dowager。〃



Monsieur　Longueville　made　his　visit　neither　too　long　nor　too　short。　He

left　at　the　moment　when　he　saw　that　he　had　pleased　everybody；　and　that

each　one's　curiosity　about　him　had　been　roused。



〃He　is　a　cunning　rascal！〃　said　the　Count；　coming　into　the　drawing…room

after　seeing　him　to　the　door。



Mademoiselle　de　Fontaine；　who　had　been　in　the　secret　of　this　call；　had

dressed　with　some　care　to　attract　the　young　man's　eye；　but　she　had　the

little　disappointment　of　finding　that　he　did　not　bestow　on　her　so　much

attention　as　she　thought　she　deserved。　The　family　were　a　good　deal

surprised　at　the　silence　into　which　she　had　retired。　Emilie　generally

displayed　all　her　arts　for　the　benefit　of　newcomers；　her　witty

prattle；　and　the　inexhaustible　eloquence　of　her　eyes　and　attitudes。

Whether　it　was　that　the　young　man's　pleasing　voice　and　attractive

manners　had　charmed　her；　that　she　was　seriously　in　love；　and　that　this

feeling　had　worked　a　change　in　her；　her　demeanor　had　lost　all　its

affectations。　Being　simple　and　natural；　she　must；　no　doubt；　have

seemed　more　beautiful。　Some　of　her　sisters；　and　an　old　lady；　a　friend

of　the　family；　saw　in　this　behavior　a　refinement　of　art。　They　supposed

that　Emilie；　judging　the　man　worthy　of　her；　intended　to　delay

revealing　her　merits；　so　as　to　dazzle　him　suddenly　when　she　found　that

she　pleased　him。　Every　member　of　the　family　was　curious　to　know　what

this　capricious　creature　thought　of　the　stranger；　but　when；　during

dinner；　every　one　chose　to　endow　Monsieur　Longueville　with　some　fresh

quality　which　no　one　else　had　discovered；　Mademoiselle　de　Fontaine　sat

for　some　time　in　silence。　A　sarcastic　remark　of　her　uncle's　suddenly

roused　her　from　her　apathy；　she　said；　somewhat　epigrammatically；　that

such　heavenly　perfection　must　cover　some　great　defect；　and　that　she

would　take　good　care　how　she　judged　so　gifted　a　man　at　first　sight。



〃Those　who　please　everybody；　please　nobody；〃　she　added；　〃and　the　worst

of　all　faults　is　to　have　none。〃



Like　all　girls　who　are　in　love；　Emilie　cherished　the　hope　of　being

able　to　hide　her　feelings　at　the　bottom　of　her　heart　by　putting　the

Argus…eyes　that　watched　on　the　wrong　tack；　but　by　the　end　of　a

fortnight　there　was　not　a　member　of　the　large　family　party　who　was　not

in　this　little　domestic　secret。　When　Monsieur　Longueville　called　for

the　third　time；　Emilie　believed　it　was　chiefly　for　her　sake。　This

discovery　gave　her　such　intoxicating　pleasure　that　she　was　startled　as

she　reflected　on　it。　There　was　something　in　it　very　painful　to　her

pride。　Accustomed　as　she　was　to　be　the　centre　of　her　world；　she　was

obliged　to　recognize　a　force　that　attracted　her　outside　herself；　she

tried　to　resist；　but　she　could　not　chase　from　her　heart　the

fascinating　image　of　the　young　man。



Then　came　some　anxiety。　Two　of　Monsieur　Longueville's　qualities；　very

adverse　to　general　curiosity；　and　especially　to　Mademoiselle　de

Fontaine's；　were　unexpected　modesty　and　discretion。　He　never　spoke　of

himself；　of　his　pursuits；　or　of　his　family。　The　hints　Emilie　threw　out

in　conversation；　and　the　traps　she　laid　to　extract　from　the　young

fellow　some　facts　concerning　himself；　he　could　evade　with　the

adroitness　of　a　diplomatist　concealing　a　secret。　If　she　talked　of

painting；　he　responded　as　a　connoisseur；　if　she　sat　down　to　play；　he

showed　without　conceit　that　he　was　a　very　good　pianist；　one　evening　he

delighted　all　the　party　by　joining　his　delightful　voice　to　Emilie's　in

one　of　Cimarosa's　charming　duets。　But　when　they　tried　to　find　out

whether　he　were　a　professional　singer；　he　baffled　them　so　pleasantly

that　he　did　not　afford　these　women；　practised　as　they　were　in　the　art

of　reading　feelings；　the　least　chance　of　discovering　to　what　social

sphere　he　belonged。　However　boldly　the　old　uncle　cast　the　boarding…

hooks　over　the　vessel；　Longueville　slipped　away　cleverly；　so　as　to

preserve　the　charm　of　mystery；　and　it　was　easy　to　him　to　remain　the

〃handsome　Stranger〃　at　the　Villa；　because　curiosity　never　overstepped

the　bounds　of　good　breeding。



Emilie；　distracted　by　this　reserve；　hoped　to　get　more　out　of　the

sister　than　the　brother；　in　the　form　of　confidences。　Aided　by　her

uncle；　who　was　as　skilful　in　such　manoeuvres　as　in　handling　a　ship；

she　endeavored　to　bring　upon　the　scene　the　hitherto　unseen　figure　of

Mademoiselle　Clara　Longueville。　The　family　party　at　the　Villa　Planat

soon　expressed　the　greatest　desire　to　make　the　acquaintance　of　so

amiable　a　young　lady；　and　to　give　her　some　amusement。　An　informal

dance　was　proposed　and　accepted。　The　ladies　did　not　despair　of　making

a　young　girl　of　sixteen　talk。



Notwithstanding　the　little　clouds　piled　up　by　suspicion　and　created　by

curiosity；　a　light　of　joy　shone　in　Emilie's　soul；　for　she　found　life

delicious　when　thus　intimately　connected　with　another　than　herself。

She　began　to　understand　the　relations　of　life。　Whether　it　is　that

happiness　makes　us　better；　or　that　she　was　too　fully　occupied　to

torment　other　people；　she　became　less　caustic；　more　gentle；　and

indulgent。　This　change　in　her　temper　enchanted　and　amazed　her　family。

Perhaps；　at　last；　her　selfishness　was　being　transformed　to　love。　It

was　a　deep　delight　to　her　to　look　for　the　arrival　of　her　bashful　and

unconfessed　adorer。　Though　they　had　not　uttered　a　word　of　passion；　she

knew　that　she　was　loved；　and　with　what　art　di