an old maid-第12章

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

folds　of　human　history；　setting　them　in　relief　and　magnifying　them　in

the　eyes　of　those　who　still　have　Faith。　Besides；　if　there　be

stupidity；　why　not　concern　ourselves　with　the　sorrows　of　stupidity　as

well　as　with　the　sorrows　of　genius？　The　former　is　a　social　element

infinitely　more　abundant　than　the　latter。



So；　then；　Mademoiselle　Cormon　was　guilty　in　the　eyes　of　the　world　of

the　divine　ignorance　of　virgins。　She　was　no　observer；　and　her　behavior

with　her　suitors　proved　it。　At　this　very　moment；　a　young　girl　of

sixteen；　who　had　never　opened　a　novel；　would　have　read　a　hundred

chapters　of　a　love　story　in　the　eyes　of　Athanase　Granson；　where

Mademoiselle　Cormon　saw　absolutely　nothing。　Shy　herself；　she　never

suspected　shyness　in　others；　she　did　not　recognize　in　the　quavering

tones　of　his　speech　the　force　of　a　sentiment　he　could　not　utter。

Capable　of　inventing　those　refinements　of　sentimental　grandeur　which

hindered　her　marriage　in　her　early　years；　she　yet　could　not　recognize

them　in　Athanase。　This　moral　phenomenon　will　not　seem　surprising　to

persons　who　know　that　the　qualities　of　the　heart　are　as　distinct　from

those　of　the　mind　as　the　faculties　of　genius　are　from　the　nobility　of

soul。　A　perfect；　all…rounded　man　is　so　rare　that　Socrates；　one　of　the

noblest　pearls　of　humanity；　declared　（as　a　phrenologist　of　that　day）

that　he　was　born　to　be　a　scamp；　and　a　very　bad　one。　A　great　general

may　save　his　country　at　Zurich；　and　take　commissions　from　purveyors。　A

great　musician　may　conceive　the　sublimest　music　and　commit　a　forgery。

A　woman　of　true　feeling　may　be　a　fool。　In　short；　a　devote　may　have　a

sublime　soul　and　yet　be　unable　to　recognize　the　tones　of　a　noble　soul

beside　her。　The　caprices　produced　by　physical　infirmities　are　equally

to　be　met　with　in　the　mental　and　moral　regions。



This　good　creature；　who　grieved　at　making　her　yearly　preserves　for　no

one　but　her　uncle　and　herself；　was　becoming　almost　ridiculous。　Those

who　felt　a　sympathy　for　her　on　account　of　her　good　qualities；　and

others　on　account　of　her　defects；　now　made　fun　of　her　abortive

marriages。　More　than　one　conversation　was　based　on　what　would　become

of　so　fine　a　property；　together　with　the　old　maid's　savings　and　her

uncle's　inheritance。　For　some　time　past　she　had　been　suspected　of

being　au　fond；　in　spite　of　appearances；　an　〃original。〃　In　the

provinces　it　was　not　permissible　to　be　original：　being　original　means

having　ideas　that　are　not　understood　by　others；　the　provinces　demand

equality　of　mind　as　well　as　equality　of　manners　and　customs。



The　marriage　of　Mademoiselle　Cormon　seemed；　after　1804；　a　thing　so

problematical　that　the　saying　〃married　like　Mademoiselle　Cormon〃

became　proverbial　in　Alencon　as　applied　to　ridiculous　failures。　Surely

the　sarcastic　mood　must　be　an　imperative　need　in　France；　that　so

excellent　a　woman　should　excite　the　laughter　of　Alencon。　Not　only　did

she　receive　the　whole　society　of　the　place　at　her　house；　not　only　was

she　charitable；　pious；　incapable　of　saying　an　unkind　thing；　but　she

was　fully　in　accord　with　the　spirit　of　the　place　and　the　habits　and

customs　of　the　inhabitants；　who　liked　her　as　the　symbol　of　their

lives；　she　was　absolutely　inlaid　into　the　ways　of　the　provinces；　she

had　never　quitted　them；　she　imbibed　all　their　prejudices；　she　espoused

all　their　interests；　she　adored　them。



In　spite　of　her　income　of　eighteen　thousand　francs　from　landed

property；　a　very　considerable　fortune　in　the　provinces；　she　lived　on　a

footing　with　families　who　were　less　rich。　When　she　went　to　her

country…place　at　Prebaudet；　she　drove　there　in　an　old　wicker　carriole；

hung　on　two　straps　of　white　leather；　drawn　by　a　wheezy　mare；　and

scarcely　protected　by　two　leather　curtains　rusty　with　age。　This

carriole；　known　to　all　the　town；　was　cared　for　by　Jacquelin　as　though

it　were　the　finest　coupe　in　all　Paris。　Mademoiselle　valued　it；　she　had

used　it　for　twelve　years；a　fact　to　which　she　called　attention　with

the　triumphant　joy　of　happy　avarice。　Most　of　the　inhabitants　of　the

town　were　grateful　to　Mademoiselle　Cormon　for　not　humiliating　them　by

the　luxury　she　could　have　displayed；　we　may　even　believe　that　had　she

imported　a　caleche　from　Paris　they　would　have　gossiped　more　about　that

than　about　her　various　matrimonial　failures。　The　most　brilliant

equipage　would；　after　all；　have　only　taken　her；　like　the　old　carriole；

to　Prebaudet。　Now　the　provinces；　which　look　solely　to　results；　care

little　about　the　beauty　or　elegance　of　the　means；　provided　they　are

efficient。







CHAPTER　V



AN　OLD　MAID'S　HOUSEHOLD



To　complete　the　picture　of　the　internal　habits　and　ways　of　this　house；

it　is　necessary　to　group　around　Mademoiselle　Cormon　and　the　Abbe　de

Sponde　Jacquelin；　Josette；　and　Mariette；　the　cook；　who　employed

themselves　in　providing　for　the　comfort　of　uncle　and　niece。



Jacquelin；　a　man　of　forty；　short；　fat；　ruddy；　and　brown；　with　a　face

like　a　Breton　sailor；　had　been　in　the　service　of　the　house　for　twenty…

two　years。　He　waited　at　table；　groomed　the　mare；　gardened；　blacked　the

abbe's　boots；　went　on　errands；　chopped　the　wood；　drove　the　carriole；

and　fetched　the　oats；　straw；　and　hay　from　Prebaudet。　He　sat　in　the

antechamber　during　the　evening；　where　he　slept　like　a　dormouse。　He　was

in　love　with　Josette；　a　girl　of　thirty；　whom　Mademoiselle　would　have

dismissed　had　she　married　him。　So　the　poor　fond　pair　laid　by　their

wages；　and　loved　each　other　silently；　waiting；　hoping　for

mademoiselle's　own　marriage；　as　the　Jews　are　waiting　for　the　Messiah。

Josette；　born　between　Alencon　and　Mortagne；　was　short　and　plump；　her

face；　which　looked　like　a　dirty　apricot；　was　not　wanting　in　sense　and

character；　it　was　said　that　she　ruled　her　mistress。　Josette　and

Jacquelin；　sure　of　results；　endeavored　to　hide　an　inward　satisfaction

which　allows　it　to　be　supposed　that；　as　lovers；　they　had　discounted

the　future。　Mariette；　the　cook；　who　had　been　fifteen　years　in　the

household；　knew　how　to　make　all　the　dishes　held　in　most　honor　in

Alencon。



Perhaps　we　ought　to　count　for　much　the　fat　old　Norman　brown…bay　mare；

which　drew　Mademoiselle　Cormon　to　her　country…seat　at　Prebaudet；　for

the　five　inhabitants　of　the　house　bore　to　this　animal　a　maniacal

affection。　She　was　called　Penelope；　and　had　served　the　family　for

eighteen　years；　but　she　was　kept　so　carefully　and　fed　with　such

regularity　that　mademoiselle　and　Jacquelin　both　hoped　to　use　her　for

ten　years　longer。　This　beast　was　the　subject　of　perpetual　talk　and

occupation；　it　seemed　as　if　poor　Mademoiselle　Cormon；　having　no

children　on　whom　her　repressed　motherly　feelings　could　expend

themselves；　had　turned　those　sentiments　wholly　on　this　most　fortunate

animal。



The　four　faithful　servantsfor　Penelope's　intelligence　raised　her　to

the　level　of　the　other　good　servants；　while　they；　on　the　other　hand；

had　lowered　themselves　to　the　mute；　submissive　regularity　of　the　beast

went　and　came　daily　in　the　same　occupations　with　the　infallible

accuracy　of　mechanism。　But；　as　they　said　in　their　idiom；　they　had

eaten　their　white　bread　first。　Mademoiselle　Cormon；　like　all　persons

nervously　agitated　by　a　fixed　idea；　became　hard　to　please；　and

nagging；　less　by　nature　than　from　the　need　of　employing　her　activity。

Having　no　husband　or　children　to　occupy　her；　she　fell　back　on　petty

details。　She　talked　for　hours　about　mere　nothings；　on　a　dozen　napkins

marked　〃Z；〃　placed　in　the　closet　before　the　〃O's。〃



〃What　can　Josette　be　thinking　of？〃　she　exclaimed。　〃Josette　is

beginning　to　neglect　things。〃



Mademoiselle　inquired　for　eight　days　running　whether　Penelope　had　had

her　oats　at　two　o'clock；　because　on　one　occasion　Jacquelin　was　a

trifle　late。　Her　narrow　imagination　spent　itself　on　trifles。　A　layer

of　dust　forgotten　by　the　feather…duster；　a　slice　of　toast　ill…made　by

Mariette；　Josette's　delay　in　closing　the　blinds　when　the　sun　came

round　to　fade　the　colors　of　the　furniture；all　these　great　little

things　gave　rise　to　serious　quarrels　in　which　mademoiselle　grew　angry。

〃Everything　was　changing；〃　she　would　cry；　〃she　did　not　know　her　own

servants；　the　fact　was　she　spoiled　them！〃　On　one　occasion　Josette　gave

her　the　〃Journee　du　Chretien〃　instead　of　the　〃Quinzaine　de　Paques。〃

The　whole　town　heard　of　this　disaster　the　same　evening。　Mademoiselle

had　been　forced　to　leave　the　church　and　return　home；　and　her　sudden

departure；　upsetting　the　chairs；　made　people　suppose　a　catastrophe　had

happened。　She　was　therefore　obliged　to　explain　the　facts　to　her

friends。



〃Josette；〃　she　said　gently；　〃such　a　thing　must　never　happen　again。〃



Mademoiselle　Cormon　was；　without　being　aware　of　it；　made　happier　by

such　little　quarrels；　which　served　as　cathartics　to　relieve　her

bitterness。　The　soul　has　its　needs；　and；　like　the　body；　its

gymnastics。　These　uncertainties　of　temper　were　accepted　by　Josette　and

Jacquelin　as　changes　in　the　weather　are　accepted　by　husbandmen。　Those

worthy　souls　remark；　〃It　is　fine　to…day；〃　or　〃It　rains；〃　without

arraigning　the　heavens。　And　so　when　they　met　in　the　morning　the

servants　would　wonder　in　what　humor　mademoiselle　would　get　up；　just　as

a　farmer　wonders　about　the　mists　at　dawn。



Mademoiselle　Cormon　had　ended；　as　it　was　natural　she　should　end；　in

contemplating　herself　only　in　the　infinite　pettinesses　of　her　life。

Herself　and　God；　her　confessor　and　the　weekly　wash；　her　preserves　and

the　church　services；　and　her　uncle　to　care　for；　absorbed　her　feeble

intellect。　To　her　the　atoms　of　life　were　magnified　by　an　optic

peculiar　to　persons　who　are　selfish　by　nature　or　self…absorbed　by　some

accident。　Her　perfect　health　gave　alarming　meaning　to　the　least　little

derangement　of　her　digestive　organs。　She　lived　under　the　iron　rod　of

the　medical　science　of　our　forefathers；　and　took　yearly　four

precautionary　doses；　strong　enough　to　have　killed　Penelope；　though

they　seemed　to　rejuvenate　her　mistress。　If　Josette；　when　dressing　her；

chanced　to　discover　a　little　pimple　on　the　still　satiny　shoulders　of

mademoiselle；　it　became　the　subject　of　endless　inquiries　as　to　the

various　alimentary　articles　of　the　preceding　week。　And　what　a　triumph

when　Josette　reminded　her　mistress　of　a　certain　hare　that　was　rather

〃high；〃　and　had　doubtless　raised　that　accursed　pimple！　With　what　joy

they　said　to　each　other：　〃No　doubt；　no　doubt；　it　WAS　the　hare！〃



〃Mariette　over…seasoned　it；〃　said　mademoiselle。　〃I　am　always　telling

her　to　do　so　lightly　for　my　uncle　and　for　me；　but　Mariette　has　no　more

memory　than〃



〃The　hare；〃　said　Josette。



〃Just　so；〃　replied　Mademoiselle；　〃she　has　no　more　memory　than　a　hare；

a　very　just　remark。〃



Four　times　a　year；　at　the　beginning　of　each　season；　Mademoiselle

Cormon　went　to　pass　a　certain　number　of　days　on　her　estate　of

Prebaudet。　It　was　now　the　middle　of　May；　the　period　at　which　she

wished　to　see　how　her　apple…trees　had　〃snow