an old maid-第10章

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supped。　These　two　salons　communicated　by　means　of　certain　mixed

individuals　with　the　house　of　Cormon；　and　vice…versa；　but　the　Cormon

establishment　sat　severely　in　judgment　on　the　two　other　camps。　The

luxury　of　their　dinners　was　criticised；　the　ices　at　their　balls　were

pondered；　the　behavior　of　the　women；　the　dresses；　and　〃novelties〃

there　produced　were　discussed　and　disapproved。



Mademoiselle　Cormon；　a　species　of　firm；　as　one　might　say；　under　whose

name　was　comprised　an　imposing　coterie；　was　naturally　the　aim　and

object　of　two　ambitious　men　as　deep　and　wily　as　the　Chevalier　de

Valois　and　du　Bousquier。　To　the　one　as　well　as　to　the　other；　she　meant

election　as　deputy；　resulting；　for　the　noble；　in　the　peerage；　for　the

purveyor；　in　a　receiver…generalship。　A　leading　salon　is　a　difficult

thing　to　create；　whether　in　Paris　or　the　provinces；　and　here　was　one

already　created。　To　marry　Mademoiselle　Cormon　was　to　reign　in　Alencon。

Athanase　Granson；　the　only　one　of　the　three　suitors　for　the　hand　of

the　old　maid　who　no　longer　calculated　profits；　now　loved　her　person　as

well　as　her　fortune。



To　employ　the　jargon　of　the　day；　is　there　not　a　singular　drama　in　the

situation　of　these　four　personages？　Surely　there　is　something　odd　and

fantastic　in　three　rivalries　silently　encompassing　a　woman　who　never

guessed　their　existence；　in　spite　of　an　eager　and　legitimate　desire　to

be　married。　And　yet；　though　all　these　circumstances　make　the

spinsterhood　of　this　old　maid　an　extraordinary　thing；　it　is　not

difficult　to　explain　how　and　why；　in　spite　of　her　fortune　and　her

three　lovers；　she　was　still　unmarried。　In　the　first　place；

Mademoiselle　Cormon；　following　the　custom　and　rule　of　her　house；　had

always　desired　to　marry　a　nobleman；　but　from　1788　to　1798　public

circumstances　were　very　unfavorable　to　such　pretensions。　Though　she

wanted　to　be　a　woman　of　condition；　as　the　saying　is；　she　was　horribly

afraid　of　the　Revolutionary　tribunal。　The　two　sentiments；　equal　in

force；　kept　her　stationary　by　a　law　as　true　in　ethics　as　it　is　in

statics。　This　state　of　uncertain　expectation　is　pleasing　to　unmarried

women　as　long　as　they　feel　themselves　young；　and　in　a　position　to

choose　a　husband。　France　knows　that　the　political　system　of　Napoleon

resulted　in　making　many　widows。　Under　that　regime　heiresses　were

entirely　out　of　proportion　in　numbers　to　the　bachelors　who　wanted　to

marry。　When　the　Consulate　restored　internal　order；　external

difficulties　made　the　marriage　of　Mademoiselle　Cormon　as　difficult　to

arrange　as　it　had　been　in　the　past。　If；　on　the　one　hand；　Rose…Marie…

Victoire　refused　to　marry　an　old　man；　on　the　other；　the　fear　of

ridicule　forbade　her　to　marry　a　very　young　one。



In　the　provinces；　families　marry　their　sons　early　to　escape　the

conscription。　In　addition　to　all　this；　she　was　obstinately　determined

not　to　marry　a　soldier：　she　did　not　intend　to　take　a　man　and　then　give

him　up　to　the　Emperor；　she　wanted　him　for　herself　alone。　With　these

views；　she　found　it　therefore　impossible；　from　1804　to　1815；　to　enter

the　lists　with　young　girls　who　were　rivalling　each　other　for　suitable

matches。



Besides　her　predilection　for　the　nobility；　Mademoiselle　Cormon　had

another　and　very　excusable　mania：　that　of　being　loved　for　herself。　You

could　hardly　believe　the　lengths　to　which　this　desire　led　her。　She

employed　her　mind　on　setting　traps　for　her　possible　lovers；　in　order

to　test　their　real　sentiments。　Her　nets　were　so　well　laid　that　the

luckless　suitors　were　all　caught；　and　succumbed　to　the　test　she

applied　to　them　without　their　knowledge。　Mademoiselle　Cormon　did　not

study　them；　she　watched　them。　A　single　word　said　heedlessly；　a　joke

（that　she　often　was　unable　to　understand）；　sufficed　to　make　her　reject

an　aspirant　as　unworthy：　this　one　had　neither　heart　nor　delicacy；　that

one　told　lies；　and　was　not　religious；　a　third　only　wanted　to　coin

money　under　the　cloak　of　marriage；　another　was　not　of　a　nature　to　make

a　woman　happy；　here　she　suspected　hereditary　gout；　there　certain

immoral　antecedents　alarmed　her。　Like　the　Church；　she　required　a　noble

priest　at　her　altar；　she　even　wanted　to　be　married　for　imaginary

ugliness　and　pretended　defects；　just　as　other　women　wish　to　be　loved

for　the　good　qualities　they　have　not；　and　for　imaginary　beauties。

Mademoiselle　Cormon's　ambition　took　its　rise　in　the　most　delicate　and

sensitive　feminine　feeling；　she　longed　to　reward　a　lover　by　revealing

to　him　a　thousand　virtues　after　marriage；　as　other　women　then　betray

the　imperfections　they　have　hitherto　concealed。　But　she　was　ill

understood。　The　noble　woman　met　with　none　but　common　souls　in　whom　the

reckoning　of　actual　interests　was　paramount；　and　who　knew　nothing　of

the　nobler　calculations　of　sentiment。



The　farther　she　advanced　towards　that　fatal　epoch　so　adroitly　called

the　〃second　youth；〃　the　more　her　distrust　increased。　She　affected　to

present　herself　in　the　most　unfavorable　light；　and　played　her　part　so

well　that　the　last　wooers　hesitated　to　link　their　fate　to　that　of　a

person　whose　virtuous　blind…man's…buff　required　an　amount　of

penetration　that　men　who　want　the　virtuous　ready…made　would　not　bestow

upon　it。　The　constant　fear　of　being　married　for　her　money　rendered　her

suspicious　and　uneasy　beyond　all　reason。　She　turned　to　the　rich　men；

but　the　rich　are　in　search　of　great　marriages；　she　feared　the　poor

men；　in　whom　she　denied　the　disinterestedness　she　sought　so　eagerly。

After　each　disappointment　in　marriage；　the　poor　lady；　led　to　despise

mankind；　began　to　see　them　all　in　a　false　light。　Her　character

acquired；　necessarily；　a　secret　misanthropy；　which　threw　a　tinge　of

bitterness　into　her　conversation；　and　some　severity　into　her　eyes。

Celibacy　gave　to　her　manners　and　habits　a　certain　increasing　rigidity；

for　she　endeavored　to　sanctify　herself　in　despair　of　fate。　Noble

vengeance！　she　was　cutting　for　God　the　rough　diamond　rejected　by　man。

Before　long　public　opinion　was　against　her；　for　society　accepts　the

verdict　an　independent　woman　renders　on　herself　by　not　marrying；

either　through　losing　suitors　or　rejecting　them。　Everybody　supposed

that　these　rejections　were　founded　on　secret　reasons；　always　ill

interpreted。　One　said　she　was　deformed；　another　suggested　some　hidden

fault；　but　the　poor　girl　was　really　as　pure　as　a　saint；　as　healthy　as

an　infant；　and　full　of　loving　kindness；　Nature　had　intended　her　for

all　the　pleasures；　all　the　joys；　and　all　the　fatigues　of　motherhood。



Mademoiselle　Cormon　did　not　possess　in　her　person　an　obliging

auxiliary　to　her　desires。　She　had　no　other　beauty　than　that　very

improperly　called　la　beaute　du　diable；　which　consists　of　a　buxom

freshness　of　youth　that　the　devil；　theologically　speaking；　could　never

have；though　perhaps　the　expression　may　be　explained　by　the　constant

desire　that　must　surely　possess　him　to　cool　and　refresh　himself。　The

feet　of　the　heiress　were　broad　and　flat。　Her　leg；　which　she　often

exposed　to　sight　by　her　manner　（be　it　said　without　malice）　of　lifting

her　gown　when　it　rained；　could　never　have　been　taken　for　the　leg　of　a

woman。　It　was　sinewy；　with　a　thick　projecting　calf　like　a　sailor's。　A

stout　waist；　the　plumpness　of　a　wet…nurse；　strong　dimpled　arms；　red

hands；　were　all　in　keeping　with　the　swelling　outlines　and　the　fat

whiteness　of　Norman　beauty。　Projecting　eyes；　undecided　in　color；　gave

to　her　face；　the　rounded　outline　of　which　had　no　dignity；　an　air　of

surprise　and　sheepish　simplicity；　which　was　suitable　perhaps　for　an

old　maid。　If　Rose　had　not　been；　as　she　was；　really　innocent；　she　would

have　seemed　so。　An　aquiline　nose　contrasted　curiously　with　the

narrowness　of　her　forehead；　for　it　is　rare　that　that　form　of　nose　does

not　carry　with　it　a　fine　brow。　In　spite　of　her　thick　red　lips；　a　sign

of　great　kindliness；　the　forehead　revealed　too　great　a　lack　of　ideas

to　allow　of　the　heart　being　guided　by　intellect；　she　was　evidently

benevolent　without　grace。　How　severely　we　reproach　Virtue　for　its

defects；　and　how　full　of　indulgence　we　all　are　for　the　pleasanter

qualities　of　Vice！



Chestnut　hair　of　extraordinary　length　gave　to　Rose　Cormon's　face　a

beauty　which　results　from　vigor　and　abundance；the　physical　qualities

most　apparent　in　her　person。　In　the　days　of　her　chief　pretensions；

Rose　affected　to　hold　her　head　at　the　three…quarter　angle；　in　order　to

exhibit　a　very　pretty　ear；　which　detached　itself　from　the　blue…veined

whiteness　of　her　throat　and　temples；　set　off；　as　it　was；　by　her　wealth

of　hair。　Seen　thus　in　a　ball…dress；　she　might　have　seemed　handsome。

Her　protuberant　outlines　and　her　vigorous　health　did；　in　fact；　draw

from　the　officers　of　the　Empire　the　approving　exclamation；



〃What　a　fine　slip　of　a　girl！〃



But；　as　years　rolled　on；　this　plumpness；　encouraged　by　a　tranquil；

wholesome　life；　had　insensibly　so　ill　spread　itself　over　the　whole　of

Mademoiselle　Cormon's　body　that　her　primitive　proportions　were

destroyed。　At　the　present　moment；　no　corset　could　restore　a　pair　of

hips　to　the　poor　lady；　who　seemed　to　have　been　cast　in　a　single　mould。

The　youthful　harmony　of　her　bosom　existed　no　longer；　and　its　excessive

amplitude　made　the　spectator　fear　that　if　she　stooped　its　heavy　masses

might　topple　her　over。　But　nature　had　provided　against　this　by　giving

her　a　natural　counterpoise；　which　rendered　needless　the　deceitful

adjunct　of　a　bustle；　in　Rose　Cormon　everything　was　genuine。　Her　chin；

as　it　doubled；　reduced　the　length　of　her　neck；　and　hindered　the　easy

carriage　of　her　head。　Rose　had　no　wrinkles；　but　she　had　folds　of

flesh；　and　jesters　declared　that　to　save　chafing　she　powdered　her　skin

as　they　do　an　infant's。



This　ample　person　offered　to　a　young　man　full　of　ardent　desires　like

Athanase　an　attraction　to　which　he　had　succumbed。　Young　imaginations；

essentially　eager　and　courageous；　like　to　rove　upon　these　fine　living

sheets　of　flesh。　Rose　was　like　a　plump　partridge　attracting　the　knife

of　a　gourmet。　Many　an　elegant　deep　in　debt　would　very　willingly　have

resigned　himself　to　make　the　happiness　of　Mademoiselle　Cormon。　But；

alas！　the　poor　girl　was　now　forty　years　old。　At　this　period；　after

vainly　seeking　to　put　into　her　life　those　interests　which　make　the

Woman；　and　finding　herself　forced　to　be　still　unmarried；　she　fortified

her　virtue　by　stern　religious　practices。　She　had　recourse　to　religion；

the　great　consoler　of　oppressed　virginity。　A　confessor　had；　for　the

last　three　years；　directed　Mademoiselle　Cormon　rather　stupidly　in　the

path　of　maceration；　he　advised　the　use　of　scourging；　which；　if　modern

medical　science　is　to　be　believed；　produces　an　effect　quite　the

contrary　to　that　expected　by　the　worthy　priest；　whose　hygienic

knowledge　was　not　extensive。



These　absurd　practices　were　beginning　to　shed　a　monastic　tint　over　the

face　of　Rose　Cormon；　who　now　saw　with　something　like　despair　her　white

skin　assuming　the　yellow　tones　which　proclaim　maturity。　A　slight　down

on　her　upper　lip；