the brotherhood of consolation-第14章

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must　excuse　me　if　the　words　of　so　poor　a　speaker　as　I　are　beneath　the
level　of　its　actions　and　catastrophes。　Remember　that　it　is　long　since
I　left　school；　and　that　I　am　the　child　of　a　century　in　which　men　cared
more　for　thought　than　for　effect；a　prosaic　century　which　knew　only
how　to　call　things　by　their　right　names。〃

Godefroid　made　an　acquiescing　gesture；　with　an　expression　of　sincere
admiration；　and　said　simply；　〃I　am　listening。〃

〃You　have　just　had　a　proof；　my　young　friend；〃　resumed　the　old　man；
〃that　it　is　impossible　you　should　remain　among　us　without　knowing　at
least　some　of　the　terrible　facts　in　the　life　of　that　saintly　woman。
There　are　ideas　and　illusions　and　fatal　words　which　are　completely
interdicted　in　this　house；　lest　they　reopen　wounds　in　Madame's　heart；
and　cause　a　suffering　which；　if　again　renewed；　might　kill　her。〃

〃Good　God！〃　cried　Godefroid；　〃what　have　I　done？〃

〃If　Monsieur　Joseph　had　not　stopped　the　words　on　your　lips；　you　were
about　to　speak　of　that　fatal　instrument　of　death；　and　that　would　have
stricken　down　Madame　de　la　Chanterie　like　a　thunderbolt。　It　is　time
you　should　know　all；　for　you　will　really　belong　to　us　before　long；we
all　think　so。　Here；　then；　is　the　history　of　her　life：

〃Madame　de　la　Chanterie；〃　he　went　on；　after　a　pause；　〃comes　from　one
of　the　first　families　of　Lower　Normandy。　Her　maiden　name　was
Mademoiselle　Barbe…Philiberte　de　Champignelles；　of　the　younger　branch
of　that　house。　She　was　destined　to　take　the　veil　unless　she　could　make
a　marriage　which　renounced　on　the　husband's　side　the　dowry　her　family
could　not　give　her。　This　was　frequently　the　case　in　the　families　of
poor　nobles。

〃A　Sieur　de　la　Chanterie；　whose　family　had　fallen　into　obscurity；
though　it　dates　from　the　Crusade　of　Philip　Augustus；　was　anxious　to
recover　the　rank　and　position　which　this　ancient　lineage　properly　gave
him　in　the　province　of　Normandy。　This　gentleman　had　doubly　derogated
from　his　rightful　station；　for　he　had　amassed　a　fortune　of　nearly　a
million　of　francs　as　purveyor　to　the　armies　of　the　king　at　the　time　of
the　war　in　Hanover。　The　old　man　had　a　son；　and　this　son；　presuming　on
his　father's　wealth　（greatly　exaggerated　by　rumor）；　was　leading　a　life
in　Paris　that　greatly　disquieted　his　father。

〃The　word　of　Mademoiselle　de　Champignelle's　character　was　well　known
in　the　Bessin；that　beautiful　region　of　Lower　Normandy　near　Bayeux；
where　the　family　lived。　The　old　man；　whose　little　estate　of　la
Chanterie　was　between　Caen　and　Saint…Lo；　often　heard　regrets　expressed
before　him　that　so　perfect　a　young　girl；　and　one　so　capable　of
rendering　a　husband　happy；　should　be　condemned　to　pass　her　life　in　a
convent。　When；　on　reflection；　he　expressed　a　desire　to　know　more　of
the　young　lady；　the　hope　was　held　out　to　him　of　obtaining　the　hand　of
Mademoiselle　Philiberte　for　his　son；　provided　he　would　take　her
without　dowry。　He　went　to　Bayeux；　had　several　interviews　with　the
Champignelles's　family；　and　was　completely　won　by　the　noble　qualities
of　the　young　girl。

〃At　sixteen　years　of　age；　Mademoiselle　de　Champignelles　gave　promise
of　what　she　would　ultimately　become。　It　was　easy　to　see　in　her　a
living　piety；　an　unalterable　good　sense；　an　inflexible　uprightness；
and　one　of　those　souls　which　never　detach　themselves　from　an　affection
under　any　compulsion。　The　old　father；　enriched　by　his　extortions　in
the　army；　recognized　in　this　charming　girl　a　woman　who　could　restrain
his　son　by　the　power　of　virtue；　and　by　the　ascendancy　of　a　nature　that
was　firm　without　rigidity。

〃You　have　seen　her；〃　said　Monsieur　Alain；　pausing　in　his　narrative；
〃and　you　know　that　no　one　can　be　gentler　than　Madame　de　la　Chanterie；
and　also；　I　may　tell　you；　that　no　one　is　more　confiding。　She　has　kept；
even　to　her　declining　years；　the　candor　and　simplicity　of　innocence；
she　has　never　been　willing　to　believe　in　evil；　and　the　little　mistrust
you　may　have　noticed　in　her　is　due　only　to　her　terrible　misfortunes。

〃The　old　man；〃　said　Monsieur　Alain；　continuing；　〃agreed　with　the
Champignelles　family　to　give　a　receipt　for　the　legal　dower　of
Mademoiselle　Philiberte　（this　was　necessary　in　those　days）；　but　in
return；　the　Champignelles；　who　were　allied　to　many　of　the　great
families；　promised　to　obtain　the　erection　of　the　little　fief　of　la
Chanterie　into　a　barony；　and　they　kept　their　word。　The　aunt　of　the
future　husband；　Madame　de　Boisfrelon；　the　widow　of　a　parliamentary
councillor；　promised　to　bequeath　her　whole　fortune　to　her　nephew。

〃When　these　arrangements　had　been　completed　by　the　two　families；　the
father　sent　for　the　son。　At　this　time　the　latter　was　Master　of
petitions　to　the　Grand　Council。　He　was　twenty…five　years　of　age；　and
had　already　lived　a　life　of　folly　with　all　the　young　seigneurs　of　the
period；　in　fact；　the　old　purveyor　had　been　forced　more　than　once　to
pay　his　debts。　The　poor　father；　foreseeing　further　follies；　was　only
too　glad　to　make　a　settlement　on　his　daughter…in…law　of　a　certain　sum；
and　he　entailed　the　estate　of　la　Chanterie　on　the　heirs　male　of　the
marriage。

〃But　the　Revolution；〃　said　Monsieur　Alain　in　a　parenthesis；　〃made　that
last　precaution　useless。

〃Gifted　with　the　beauty　of　an　angel；〃　he　continued；　〃and　with
wonderful　grace　and　agility　in　all　exercises　of　the　body；　the　young
Master　of　petitions　possessed　the　gift　of　/charm/。　Mademoiselle　de
Champignelles　became；　as　you　can　readily　believe；　very　much　in　love
with　her　husband。　The　old　man；　delighted　with　the　outset　of　the
marriage；　and　believing　in　the　reform　of　his　son；　sent　the　young
couple　to　Paris。　All　this　happened　about　the　beginning　of　the　year
1788。

〃Nearly　a　whole　year　of　happiness　followed。　Madame　de　la　Chanterie
enjoyed　during　that　time　the　tenderest　care　and　the　most　delicate
attentions　that　a　man　deeply　in　love　can　bestow　upon　a　loving　woman。
However　short　it　may　have　been；　the　honeymoon　did　shine　into　the　heart
of　that　noble　and　most　unfortunate　woman。　You　know　that　in　those　days
women　nursed　their　children。　Madame　de　la　Chanterie　had　a　daughter。
That　period　during　which　a　woman　ought　to　be　the　object　of　redoubled
care　and　tenderness　proved；　in　this　case；　the　beginning　of　untold
miseries。　The　Master　of　petitions　was　obliged　to　sell　all　the　property
he　could　lay　his　hands　on　to　pay　former　debts　（which　he　had　not
acknowledged　to　his　father）　and　fresh　losses　at　play。　Then　the
National　Assembly　decreed　the　dissolution　of　the　Grand　Council；　the
parliament；　and　all　the　law　offices　so　dearly　bought。

〃The　young　household；　increased　by　a　daughter；　was　soon　without　other
means　than　those　settled　upon　Madame　de　la　Chanterie　by　her　father…in…
law。　In　twenty　months　that　charming　woman；　now　only　seventeen　and　a
half　years　old；　was　obliged　to　liveshe　and　the　child　she　was　nursing
in　an　obscure　quarter；　and　by　the　labor　of　her　hands。　She　was　then
entirely　abandoned　by　her　husband；　who　fell　by　degrees　lower　and
lower；　into　the　society　of　women　of　the　worst　kind。　Never　did　she
reproach　her　husband；　never　has　she　allowed　herself　to　blame　him。　She
has　sometimes　told　us　how；　during　those　wretched　days；　she　would　pray
for　her　'dear　Henri。'

〃That　scamp　was　named　Henri；〃　said　the　worthy　man　interrupting
himself。　〃We　never　mention　that　name　here；　nor　that　of　Henriette。　I
resume：

〃Never　leaving　her　little　room　in　the　rue　de　la　Corderie　du　Temple；
except　to　buy　provisions　or　to　fetch　her　work；　Madame　de　la　Chanterie
contrived　to　get　along；　thanks　to　a　hundred　francs　which　her　father…
in…law；　touched　by　her　goodness；　sent　to　her　once　a　month。
Nevertheless；　foreseeing　that　that　resource　might　fail　her；　the　poor
young　woman　had　taken　up　the　hard　and　toilsome　work　of　corset…making
in　the　service　of　a　celebrated　dressmaker。　This　precaution　proved　a
wise　one。　The　father　died；　and　his　property　was　obtained　by　the　son
（the　old　monarchical　laws　of　entail　being　then　overthrown）　and
speedily　dissipated　by　him。　The　former　Master　of　petitions　was　now　one
of　the　most　ferocious　presidents　of　the　Revolutionary　tribunals　of
that　period；　he　became　the　terror　of　Normandy；　and　was　able　to　satisfy
all　his　passions。　Imprisoned　in　his　turn　after　the　fall　of
Robespierre；　the　hatred　of　his　department　doomed　him　to　certain　death。

〃Madame　de　la　Chanterie　heard　of　this　through　a　letter　of　farewell
which　her　husband　wrote　to　her。　Instantly；　giving　her　little　girl　to
the　care　of　a　neighbor；　she　went　to　the　town　where　that　wretch　was
imprisoned；　taking　with　her　the　few　louis　which　were　all　that　she
owned。　These　louis　enabled　her　to　make　her　way　into　the　prison。　She
succeeded　in　saving　her　husband　by　dressing　him　in　her　own　clothes；
under　circumstances　almost　identical　with　those　which；　sometime　later；
were　so　serviceable　to　Madame　de　la　Valette。　She　was　condemned　to
death；　but　the　government　was　ashamed　to　carry　out　the　sentence；　and
the　Revolutionary　tribunal　（the　one　over　which　her　husband　had
formerly　presided）　connived　at　her　escape。　She　returned　to　Paris　on
foot；　without　means；　sleeping　in　farm　buildings　and　fed　by　charity。〃

〃Good　God！〃　cried　Godefroid。

〃Ah！　wait；〃　said　Monsieur　Alain；　〃that　is　nothing。　In　eight　years　the
poor　woman　saw　her　husband　three　times。　The　first　time　he　stayed
twenty…four　hours　in　the　humble　lodging　of　his　wife；　and　carried　away
with　him　all　her　money；　having　showered　her　with　marks　of　tenderness
and　made　her　believe　in　his　complete　conversion。　'I　could　not；'　she
said；　'refuse　a　husband　for　whom　I　prayed　daily　and　of　whom　I　thought
exclusively。'　On　the　second　occasion；　Monsieur　de　la　Chanterie　arrived
almost　dying；　and　with　what　an　illness！　She　nursed　him　and　saved　his
life。　Then　she　tried　to　bring　him　to　better　sentiments　and　a　decent
life。　After　promising　all　that　angel　asked；　the　jacobin　plunged　back
into　frightful　profligacy；　and　finally　escaped　the　hands　of　justice
only　by　again　taking　refuge　with　his　wife；　in　whose　care　he　died　in
safety。

〃Oh！　but　that　is　nothing！〃　cried　the　goodman；　seeing　the　pain　on
Godefroid's　face。　〃No　one；　in　the　world　in　which　he　lived；　had　known
he　was　a　married　man。　Two　years　after　his　death　Madame　de　la　Chanterie
discovered　that　a　second　Madame　de　la　Chanterie　existed；　widowed　like
herself；　and；　like　her；　ruined。　That　bigamist　had　found　two　angels
incapable　of　discarding　him。

〃Towards　1803；〃　resumed　Alain　after　a　pause；　〃Monsieur　de　Boisfrelon；
uncle　of　Madame　de　la　Chanterie；　came　to　Paris；　his　name　having　been
erased　from　the　list　of　/emigres/；　and　brought　Madame　the　sum　of　two
hundred　thousand　francs　which　her　father…in…law；　the　old　purveyor；　had
formerly　entrusted　to　him　for　the　benefit　of　his　son's　children。　He
persuaded　the　widow　to　return　to　Normandy；　where　she　completed　the
education　of　her　daughter　and　purchased　on　excellent　terms　and　still
by　the　advice　of　her　uncle；　a　patrimonial　estate。〃

〃Ah！〃　cried　Godefroid。

〃All　that　is　still　nothing；〃　said　Monsieur　Alain；　〃we　have　not　yet
reached　the　period　of　storms　and　darkness。　I　resume：

〃In　1807；　after　four　years　of　rest　and　peace；　Madame　de　la　Chanterie
married　her　daughter　to　a　gentleman　of　rank；　whose　piety；　antecedents；
and　fortune　offered　every　guarantee　that　could　be　given；a　man　who；
to　use　a　popular　saying；　'was　after　every　one's　own　hea