an old maid-第11章

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

on　her　upper　lip；　about　the　corners；　began　to　spread　and　darken　like　a

trail　of　smoke；　her　temples　grew　shiny；　decadence　was　beginning！　It

was　authentic　in　Alencon　that　Mademoiselle　Cormon　suffered　from　rush

of　blood　to　the　head。　She　confided　her　ills　to　the　Chevalier　de

Valois；　enumerating　her　foot…baths；　and　consulting　him　as　to

refrigerants。　On　such　occasions　the　shrewd　old　gentleman　would　pull

out　his　snuff…box；　gaze　at　the　Princess　Goritza；　and　say；　by　way　of

conclusion：



〃The　right　composing　draught；　my　dear　lady；　is　a　good　and　kind

husband。〃



〃But　whom　can　one　trust？〃　she　replied。



The　chevalier　would　then　brush　away　the　snuff　which　had　settled　in　the

folds　of　his　waistcoat　or　his　paduasoy　breeches。　To　the　world　at　large

this　gesture　would　have　seemed　very　natural；　but　it　always　gave

extreme　uneasiness　to　the　poor　woman。



The　violence　of　this　hope　without　an　object　was　so　great　that　Rose　was

afraid　to　look　a　man　in　the　face　lest　he　should　perceive　in　her　eyes

the　feelings　that　filled　her　soul。　By　a　wilfulness；　which　was　perhaps

only　the　continuation　of　her　earlier　methods；　though　she　felt　herself

attracted　toward　the　men　who　might　still　suit　her；　she　was　so　afraid

of　being　accused　of　folly　that　she　treated　them　ungraciously。　Most

persons　in　her　society；　being　incapable　of　appreciating　her　motives；

which　were　always　noble；　explained　her　manner　towards　her　co…celibates

as　the　revenge　of　a　refusal　received　or　expected。　When　the　year　1815

began；　Rose　had　reached　that　fatal　age　which　she　dared　not　avow。　She

was　forty…two　years　old。　Her　desire　for　marriage　then　acquired　an

intensity　which　bordered　on　monomania；　for　she　saw　plainly　that　all

chance　of　progeny　was　about　to　escape　her；　and　the　thing　which　in　her

celestial　ignorance　she　desired　above　all　things　was　the　possession　of

children。　Not　a　person　in　all　Alencon　ever　attributed　to　this　virtuous

woman　a　single　desire　for　amorous　license。　She　loved；　as　it　were；　in

bulk　without　the　slightest　imagination　of　love。　Rose　was　a　Catholic

Agnes；　incapable　of　inventing　even　one　of　the　wiles　of　Moliere's

Agnes。



For　some　months　past　she　had　counted　on　chance。　The　disbandment　of　the

Imperial　troops　and　the　reorganization　of　the　Royal　army　caused　a

change　in　the　destination　of　many　officers；　who　returned；　some　on

half…pay；　others　with　or　without　a　pension；　to　their　native　towns；

all　having　a　desire　to　counteract　their　luckless　fate；　and　to　end

their　life　in　a　way　which　might　to　Rose　Cormon　be　a　happy　beginning　of

hers。　It　would　surely　be　strange　if；　among　those　who　returned　to

Alencon　or　its　neighborhood；　no　brave；　honorable；　and；　above　all；

sound　and　healthy　officer　of　suitable　age　could　be　found；　whose

character　would　be　a　passport　among　Bonaparte　opinions；　or　some　ci…

devant　noble　who；　to　regain　his　lost　position；　would　join　the　ranks　of

the　royalists。　This　hope　kept　Mademoiselle　Cormon　in　heart　during　the

early　months　of　that　year。　But；　alas！　all　the　soldiers　who　thus

returned　were　either　too　old　or　too　young；　too　aggressively

Bonapartist；　or　too　dissipated；　in　short；　their　several　situations

were　out　of　keeping　with　the　rank；　fortune；　and　morals　of　Mademoiselle

Cormon；　who　now　grew　daily　more　and　more　desperate。　The　poor　woman　in

vain　prayed　to　God　to　send　her　a　husband　with　whom　she　could　be

piously　happy：　it　was　doubtless　written　above　that　she　should　die　both

virgin　and　martyr；　no　man　suitable　for　a　husband　presented　himself。

The　conversations　in　her　salon　every　evening　kept　her　informed　of　the

arrival　of　all　strangers　in　Alencon；　and　of　the　facts　of　their

fortunes；　rank；　and　habits。　But　Alencon　is　not　a　town　which　attracts

visitors；　it　is　not　on　the　road　to　any　capital；　even　sailors；

travelling　from　Brest　to　Paris；　never　stop　there。　The　poor　woman　ended

by　admitting　to　herself　that　she　was　reduced　to　the　aborigines。　Her

eye　now　began　to　assume　a　certain　savage　expression；　to　which　the

malicious　chevalier　responded　by　a　shrewd　look　as　he　drew　out　his

snuff…box　and　gazed　at　the　Princess　Goritza。　Monsieur　de　Valois　was

well　aware　that　in　the　feminine　ethics　of　love　fidelity　to　a　first

attachment　is　considered　a　pledge　for　the　future。



But　Mademoiselle　Cormonwe　must　admit　itwas　wanting　in　intellect；

and　did　not　understand　the　snuff…box　performance。　She　redoubled　her

vigilance　against　〃the　evil　spirit〃；　her　rigid　devotion　and　fixed

principles　kept　her　cruel　sufferings　hidden　among　the　mysteries　of

private　life。　Every　evening；　after　the　company　had　left　her；　she

thought　of　her　lost　youth；　her　faded　bloom；　the　hopes　of　thwarted

nature；　and；　all　the　while　immolating　her　passions　at　the　feet　of　the

Cross　（like　poems　condemned　to　stay　in　a　desk）；　she　resolved　firmly

that　if；　by　chance；　any　suitor　presented　himself；　to　subject　him　to　no

tests；　but　to　accept　him　at　once　for　whatever　he　might　be。　She　even

went　so　far　as　to　think　of　marrying　a　sub…lieutenant；　a　man　who　smoked

tobacco；　whom　she　proposed　to　render；　by　dint　of　care　and　kindness；

one　of　the　best　men　in　the　world；　although　he　was　hampered　with　debts。



But　it　was　only　in　the　silence　of　night　watches　that　these　fantastic

marriages；　in　which　she　played　the　sublime　role　of　guardian　angel；

took　place。　The　next　day；　though　Josette　found　her　mistress'　bed　in　a

tossed　and　tumbled　condition；　Mademoiselle　Cormon　had　recovered　her

dignity；　and　could　only　think　of　a　man　of　forty；　a　land…owner；　well

preserved；　and　a　quasi…young　man。



The　Abbe　de　Sponde　was　incapable　of　giving　his　niece　the　slightest　aid

in　her　matrimonial　manoeuvres。　The　worthy　soul；　now　seventy　years　of

age；　attributed　the　disasters　of　the　French　Revolution　to　the　design

of　Providence；　eager　to　punish　a　dissolute　Church。　He　had　therefore

flung　himself　into　the　path；　long　since　abandoned；　which　anchorites

once　followed　in　order　to　reach　heaven：　he　led　an　ascetic　life　without

proclaiming　it；　and　without　external　credit。　He　hid　from　the　world　his

works　of　charity；　his　continual　prayers；　his　penances；　he　thought　that

all　priests　should　have　acted　thus　during　the　days　of　wrath　and

terror；　and　he　preached　by　example。　While　presenting　to　the　world　a

calm　and　smiling　face；　he　had　ended　by　detaching　himself　utterly　from

earthly　interests；　his　mind　turned　exclusively　to　sufferers；　to　the

needs　of　the　Church；　and　to　his　own　salvation。　He　left　the　management

of　his　property　to　his　niece；　who　gave　him　the　income　of　it；　and　to

whom　he　paid　a　slender　board　in　order　to　spend　the　surplus　in　secret

alms　and　gifts　to　the　Church。



All　the　abbe's　affections　were　concentrated　on　his　niece；　who　regarded

him　as　a　father；　but　an　abstracted　father；　unable　to　conceive　the

agitations　of　the　flesh；　and　thanking　God　for　maintaining　his　dear

daughter　in　a　state　of　celibacy；　for　he　had；　from　his　youth　up；

adopted　the　principles　of　Saint　John　Chrysostom；　who　wrote　that　〃the

virgin　state　is　as　far　above　the　marriage　state　as　the　angel　is　above

humanity。〃　Accustomed　to　reverence　her　uncle；　Mademoiselle　Cormon

dared　not　initiate　him　into　the　desires　which　filled　her　soul　for　a

change　of　state。　The　worthy　man；　accustomed；　on　his　side；　to　the　ways

of　the　house；　would　scarcely　have　liked　the　introduction　of　a　husband。

Preoccupied　by　the　sufferings　he　soothed；　lost　in　the　depths　of

prayer；　the　Abbe　de　Sponde　had　periods　of　abstraction　which　the

habitues　of　the　house　regarded　as　absent…mindedness。　In　any　case；　he

talked　little；　but　his　silence　was　affable　and　benevolent。　He　was　a

man　of　great　height　and　spare；　with　grave　and　solemn　manners；　though

his　face　expressed　all　gentle　sentiments　and　an　inward　calm；　while　his

mere　presence　carried　with　it　a　sacred　authority。　He　was　very　fond　of

the　Voltairean　chevalier。　Those　two　majestic　relics　of　the　nobility

and　clergy；　though　of　very　different　habits　and　morals；　recognized

each　other　by　their　generous　traits。　Besides；　the　chevalier　was　as

unctuous　with　the　abbe　as　he　was　paternal　with　the　grisettes。



Some　persons　may　fancy　that　Mademoiselle　Cormon　used　every　means　to

attain　her　end；　and　that　among　the　legitimate　lures　of　womanhood　she

devoted　herself　to　dress；　wore　low…necked　gowns；　and　employed　the

negative　coquetries　of　a　magnificent　display　of　arms。　Not　at　all！　She

was　as　heroic　and　immovable　in　her　high…necked　chemisette　as　a　sentry

in　his　box。　Her　gowns；　bonnets；　and　chiffons　were　all　cut　and　made　by

the　dressmaker　and　the　milliner　of　Alencon；　two　hump…backed　sisters；

who　were　not　without　some　taste。　In　spite　of　the　entreaties　of　these

artists；　Mademoiselle　Cormon　refused　to　employ　the　airy　deceits　of

elegance；　she　chose　to　be　substantial　in　all　things；　flesh　and

feathers。　But　perhaps　the　heavy　fashion　of　her　gowns　was　best　suited

to　her　cast　of　countenance。　Let　those　laugh　who　will　at　this　poor

girl；　you　would　have　thought　her　sublime；　O　generous　souls！　who　care

but　little　what　form　true　feeling　takes；　but　admire　it　where　it　IS。



Here　some　light…minded　person　may　exclaim　against　the　truth　of　this

statement；　they　will　say　that　there　is　not　in　all　France　a　girl　so

silly　as　to　be　ignorant　of　the　art　of　angling　for　men；　that

Mademoiselle　Cormon　is　one　of　those　monstrous　exceptions　which

commonsense　should　prevent　a　writer　from　using　as　a　type；　that　the

most　virtuous　and　also　the　silliest　girl　who　desires　to　catch　her　fish

knows　well　how　to　bait　the　hook。　But　these　criticisms　fall　before　the

fact　that　the　noble　catholic；　apostolic；　and　Roman　religion　is　still

erect　in　Brittany　and　in　the　ancient　duchy　of　Alencon。　Faith　and　piety

admit　of　no　subtleties。　Mademoiselle　Cormon　trod　the　path　of

salvation；　preferring　the　sorrows　of　her　virginity　so　cruelly

prolonged　to　the　evils　of　trickery　and　the　sin　of　a　snare。　In　a　woman

armed　with　a　scourge　virtue　could　never　compromise；　consequently　both

love　and　self…interest　were　forced　to　seek　her；　and　seek　her

resolutely。　And　here　let　us　have　the　courage　to　make　a　cruel

observation；　in　days　when　religion　is　nothing　more　than　a　useful　means

to　some；　and　a　poesy　to　others。　Devotion　causes　a　moral　ophthalmia。　By

some　providential　grace；　it　takes　from　souls　on　the　road　to　eternity

the　sight　of　many　little　earthly　things。　In　a　word；　pious　persons；

devotes；　are　stupid　on　various　points。　This　stupidity　proves　with　what

force　they　turn　their　minds　to　celestial　matters；　although　the

Voltairean　Chevalier　de　Valois　declared　that　it　was　difficult　to

decide　whether　stupid　people　became　naturally　pious；　or　whether　piety

had　the　effect　of　making　intelligent　young　women　stupid。　But　reflect

upon　this　carefully：　the　purest　catholic　virtue；　with　its　loving

acceptance　of　all　cups；　with　its　pious　submission　to　the　will　of　God；

with　its　belief　in　the　print　of　the　divine　finger　on　the　clay　of　all

earthly　life；　is　the　mysterious　light　which　glides　into　the　innermost

folds　of　human　history；