an old maid-第15章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！





〃Good　gracious！　Monsieur　de　Valois；〃　she　replied；　〃his　mother　is

always　telling　me　he　has　so　much　mind；　and　yet　he　can't　say　two　words；

he　stands　planted　before　me　as　mum　as　a　post〃



〃Which　doesn't　think　at　all！〃　cried　the　recorder　of　mortgages。　〃I

caught　your　words　on　the　fly。　I　present　my　compliments　to　Monsieur　de

Valois；〃　he　added；　bowing　to　that　gentleman　with　much　emphasis。



The　chevalier　returned　the　salutation　stiffly；　and　drew　Mademoiselle

Cormon　toward　some　flower…pots　at　a　little　distance；　in　order　to　show

the　interrupter　that　he　did　not　choose　to　be　spied　upon。



〃How　is　it　possible；〃　he　continued；　lowering　his　voice；　and　leaning

towards　Mademoiselle　Cormon's　ear；　〃that　a　young　man　brought　up　in

those　detestable　lyceums　should　have　ideas？　Only　sound　morals　and

noble　habits　will　ever　produce　great　ideas　and　a　true　love。　It　is　easy

to　see　by　a　mere　look　at　him　that　the　poor　lad　is　likely　to　be

imbecile；　and　come；　perhaps；　to　some　sad　end。　See　how　pale　and　haggard

he　is！〃



〃His　mother　declares　he　works　too　hard；〃　replied　the　old　maid；

innocently。　〃He　sits　up　late；　and　for　what？　reading　books　and　writing！

What　business　ought　to　require　a　young　man　to　write　at　night？〃



〃It　exhausts　him；〃　replied　the　chevalier；　trying　to　bring　the　old

maid's　thoughts　back　to　the　ground　where　he　hoped　to　inspire　her　with

horror　for　her　youthful　lover。　〃The　morals　of　those　Imperial　lyceums

are　really　shocking。〃



〃Oh；　yes！〃　said　the　ingenuous　creature。　〃They　march　the　pupils　about

with　drums　at　their　head。　The　masters　have　no　more　religion　than

pagans。　And　they　put　the　poor　lads　in　uniform；　as　if　they　were　troops。

What　ideas！〃



〃And　behold　the　product！〃　said　the　chevalier；　motioning　to　Athanase。

〃In　my　day；　young　men　were　not　so　shy　of　looking　at　a　pretty　woman。　As

for　him；　he　drops　his　eyes　whenever　he　sees　you。　That　young　man

frightens　me　because　I　am　really　interested　in　him。　Tell　him　not　to

intrigue　with　the　Bonapartists；　as　he　is　now　doing　about　that　theatre。

When　all　these　petty　folks　cease　to　ask　for　it　insurrectionally；

which　to　my　mind　is　the　synonym　of　constitutionally；the　government

will　build　it。　Besides　which；　tell　his　mother　to　keep　an　eye　on　him。〃



〃Oh；　I'm　sure　she　will　prevent　him　from　seeing　those　half…pay；

questionable　people。　I'll　talk　to　her；〃　said　Mademoiselle　Cormon；　〃for

he　might　lose　his　place　in　the　mayor's　office；　and　then　what　would　he

and　his　mother　have　to　live　on？　It　makes　me　shudder。〃



As　Monsieur　de　Talleyrand　said　of　his　wife；　so　the　chevalier　said　to

himself；　looking　at　Mademoiselle　Cormon：



〃Find　me　another　as　stupid！　Good　powers！　isn't　virtue　which　drives　out

intellect　vice？　But　what　an　adorable　wife　for　a　man　of　my　age！　What

principles！　what　ignorance！〃



Remember　that　this　monologue；　addressed　to　the　Princess　Goritza；　was

mentally　uttered　while　he　took　a　pinch　of　snuff。



Madame　Granson　had　divined　that　the　chevalier　was　talking　about

Athanase。　Eager　to　know　the　result　of　the　conversation；　she　followed

Mademoiselle　Cormon；　who　was　now　approaching　the　young　man　with　much

dignity。　But　at　this　moment　Jacquelin　appeared　to　announce　that

mademoiselle　was　served。　The　old　maid　gave　a　glance　of　appeal　to　the

chevalier；　but　the　gallant　recorder　of　mortgages；　who　was　beginning　to

see　in　the　manners　of　that　gentleman　the　barrier　which　the　provincial

nobles　were　setting　up　about　this　time　between　themselves　and　the

bourgeoisie；　made　the　most　of　his　chance　to　cut　out　Monsieur　de

Valois。　He　was　close　to　Mademoiselle　Cormon；　and　promptly　offered　his

arm；　which　she　found　herself　compelled　to　accept。　The　chevalier　then

darted；　out　of　policy；　upon　Madame　Granson。



〃Mademoiselle　Cormon；　my　dear　lady；〃　he　said　to　her；　walking　slowly

after　all　the　other　guests；　〃feels　the　liveliest　interest　in　your　dear

Athanase；　but　I　fear　it　will　vanish　through　his　own　fault。　He　is

irreligious　and　liberal；　he　is　agitating　this　matter　of　the　theatre；

he　frequents　the　Bonapartists；　he　takes　the　side　of　that　rector。　Such

conduct　may　make　him　lose　his　place　in　the　mayor's　office。　You　know

with　what　care　the　government　is　beginning　to　weed　out　such　opinions。

If　your　dear　Athanase　loses　his　place；　where　can　he　find　other

employment？　I　advise　him　not　to　get　himself　in　bad　odor　with　the

administration。〃



〃Monsieur　le　Chevalier；〃　said　the　poor　frightened　mother；　〃how

grateful　I　am　to　you！　You　are　right：　my　son　is　the　tool　of　a　bad　set

of　people；　I　shall　enlighten　him。〃



The　chevalier　had　long　since　fathomed　the　nature　of　Athanase；　and

recognized　in　it　that　unyielding　element　of　republican　convictions　to

which　in　his　youth　a　young　man　is　willing　to　sacrifice　everything；

carried　away　by　the　word　〃liberty；〃　so　ill…defined　and　so　little

understood；　but　which　to　persons　disdained　by　fate　is　a　banner　of

revolt；　and　to　such；　revolt　is　vengeance。　Athanase　would　certainly

persist　in　that　faith；　for　his　opinions　were　woven　in　with　his

artistic　sorrows；　with　his　bitter　contemplation　of　the　social　state。

He　was　ignorant　of　the　fact　that　at　thirty…six　years　of　age；the

period　of　life　when　a　man　has　judged　men　and　social　interests　and

relations；the　opinions　for　which　he　was　ready　to　sacrifice　his

future　would　be　modified　in　him；　as　they　are　in　all　men　of　real

superiority。　To　remain　faithful　to　the　Left　side　of　Alencon　was　to

gain　the　aversion　of　Mademoiselle　Cormon。　There；　indeed；　the　chevalier

saw　true。



Thus　we　see　that　this　society；　so　peaceful　in　appearance；　was

internally　as　agitated　as　any　diplomatic　circle；　where　craft；　ability；

and　passions　group　themselves　around　the　grave　questions　of　an　empire。

The　guests　were　now　seated　at　the　table　laden　with　the　first　course；

which　they　ate　as　provincials　eat；　without　shame　at　possessing　a　good

appetite；　and　not　as　in　Paris；　where　it　seems　as　if　jaws　gnashed　under

sumptuary　laws；　which　made　it　their　business　to　contradict　the　laws　of

anatomy。　In　Paris　people　eat　with　their　teeth；　and　trifle　with　their

pleasure；　in　the　provinces　things　are　done　naturally；　and　interest　is

perhaps　rather　too　much　concentrated　on　the　grand　and　universal　means

of　existence　to　which　God　has　condemned　his　creatures。



It　was　at　the　end　of　the　first　course　that　Mademoiselle　Cormon　made

the　most　celebrated　of　her　〃speeches〃；　it　was　talked　about　for　fully

two　years；　and　is　still　told　at　the　gatherings　of　the　lesser

bourgeoisie　whenever　the　topic　of　her　marriage　comes　up。



The　conversation；　becoming　lively　as　the　penultimate　entree　was

reached；　had　turned　naturally　on　the　affair　of　the　theatre　and　the

constitutionally　sworn　rector。　In　the　first　fervor　of　royalty；　during

the　year　1816；　those　who　later　were　called　Jesuits　were　all　for　the

expulsion　of　the　Abbe　Francois　from　his　parish。　Du　Bousquier；

suspected　by　Monsieur　de　Valois　of　sustaining　the　priest　and　being　at

the　bottom　of　the　theatre　intrigues；　and　on　whose　back　the　adroit

chevalier　would　in　any　case　have　put　those　sins　with　his　customary

cleverness；　was　in　the　dock　with　no　lawyer　to　defend　him。　Athanase；

the　only　guest　loyal　enough　to　stand　by　du　Bousquier；　had　not　the

nerve　to　emit　his　ideas　in　the　presence　of　those　potentates　of

Alencon；　whom　in　his　heart　he　thought　stupid。　None　but　provincial

youths　now　retain　a　respectful　demeanor　before　men　of　a　certain　age；

and　dare　neither　to　censure　nor　contradict　them。　The　talk；　diminished

under　the　effect　of　certain　delicious　ducks　dressed　with　olives；　was

falling　flat。　Mademoiselle　Cormon；　feeling　the　necessity　of

maintaining　it　against　her　own　ducks；　attempted　to　defend　du

Bousquier；　who　was　being　represented　as　a　pernicious　fomenter　of

intrigues；　capable　of　any　trickery。



〃As　for　me；〃　she　said；　〃I　thought　that　Monsieur　du　Bousquier　cared

chiefly　for　childish　things。〃



Under　existing　circumstances　the　remark　had　enormous　success。

Mademoiselle　Cormon　obtained　a　great　triumph；　she　brought　the　nose　of

the　Princess　Goritza　flat　on　the　table。　The　chevalier；　who　little

expected　such　an　apt　remark　from　his　Dulcinea；　was　so　amazed　that　he

could　at　first　find　no　words　to　express　his　admiration；　he　applauded

noiselessly；　as　they　do　at　the　Opera；　tapping　his　fingers　together　to

imitate　applause。



〃She　is　adorably　witty；〃　he　said　to　Madame　Granson。　〃I　always　said

that　some　day　she　would　unmask　her　batteries。〃



〃In　private　she　is　always　charming；〃　replied　the　widow。



〃In　private；　madame；　all　women　have　wit；〃　returned　the　chevalier。



The　Homeric　laugh　thus　raised　having　subsided；　Mademoiselle　Cormon

asked　the　reason　of　her　success。　Then　began　the　FORTE　of　the　gossip。

Du　Bousquier　was　depicted　as　a　species　of　celibate　Pere　Gigogne；　a

monster；　who　for　the　last　fifteen　years　had　kept　the　Foundling

Hospital　supplied。　His　immoral　habits　were　at　last　revealed！　these

Parisian　saturnalias　were　the　result　of　them；　etc。；　etc。　Conducted　by

the　Chevalier　de　Valois；　a　most　able　leader　of　an　orchestra　of　this

kind；　the　opening　of　the　CANCAN　was　magnificent。



〃I　really　don't　know；〃　he　said；　〃what　should　hinder　a　du　Bousquier

from　marrying　a　Mademoiselle　Suzanne　What's…her…name。　What　IS　her

name；　do　you　know？　Suzette！　Though　I　have　lodgings　at　Madame　Lardot's；

I　know　her　girls　only　by　sight。　If　this　Suzette　is　a　tall；　fine；　saucy

girl；　with　gray　eyes；　a　slim　waist；　and　a　pretty　foot；　whom　I　have

occasionally　seen；　and　whose　behavior　always　seemed　to　me　extremely

insolent；　she　is　far　superior　in　manners　to　du　Bousquier。　Besides；　the

girl　has　the　nobility　of　beauty；　from　that　point　of　view　the　marriage

would　be　a　poor　one　for　her；　she　might　do　better。　You　know　how　the

Emperor　Joseph　had　the　curiosity　to　see　the　du　Barry　at　Luciennes。　He

offered　her　his　arm　to　walk　about；　and　the　poor　thing　was　so　surprised

at　the　honor　that　she　hesitated　to　accept　it：　'Beauty　is　ever　a

queen；'　said　the　Emperor。　And　he；　you　know；　was　an　Austrian…German；〃

added　the　chevalier。　〃But　I　can　tell　you　that　Germany；　which　is

thought　here　very　rustic；　is　a　land　of　noble　chivalry　and　fine

manners；　especially　in　Poland　and　Hungary；　where〃



Here　the　chevalier　stopped；　fearing　to　slip　into　some　allusion　to　his

personal　happiness；　he　took　out　his　snuff…box；　and　confided　the　rest

of　his　remarks　to　the　princess；　who　had　smiled　upon　him　for　thirty…six

years　and　more。



〃That　speech　was　rather　a　delicate　one　for　Louis　XV。；〃　said　du

Ronceret。



〃But　it　was；　I　think；　the　Emperor　Joseph　who　made　it；　and　not　Louis

XV。；〃　remarked　Mademoiselle　Cormon；　in　a　correcting　tone。



〃Mademoiselle；〃　said　the　chevalier；　observing　the　malicious　glance

exchanged　between　the　judge；　the　notary；　and　the　recorder；　〃Madame　du

Barry　was　the　Suzanne　of　Louis　XV。；a　circumstance　well　known　to

scamps　like　ourselves；　but　unsuitable　for　the　knowledge　of　young

ladies。　Your　ignorance　proves　you　to　be　a　flawless　diamond；　historical

corruptions　do　not　enter　your　mind。〃