an old maid-第2章

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all　the　more　because；　as　the　present　Scene　will　show；　he　had　lost　a

hope　long　cherished　to　which　he　had　made　many　sacrifices。



Madame　Lardot　leased　to　the　chevalier　two　rooms　on　the　second　floor　of

her　house；　for　the　modest　sum　of　one　hundred　francs　a　year。　The　worthy

gentleman　dined　out　every　day；　returning　only　in　time　to　go　to　bed。

His　sole　expense　therefore　was　for　breakfast；　invariably　composed　of　a

cup　of　chocolate；　with　bread　and　butter　and　fruits　in　their　season。　He

made　no　fire　except　in　the　coldest　winter；　and　then　only　enough　to　get

up　by。　Between　eleven　and　four　o'clock　he　walked　about；　went　to　read

the　papers；　and　paid　visits。　From　the　time　of　his　settling　in　Alencon

he　had　nobly　admitted　his　poverty；　saying　that　his　whole　fortune

consisted　in　an　annuity　of　six　hundred　francs　a　year；　the　sole　remains

of　his　former　opulence；a　property　which　obliged　him　to　see　his　man

of　business　（who　held　the　annuity　papers）　quarterly。　In　truth；　one　of

the　Alencon　bankers　paid　him　every　three　months　one　hundred　and　fifty

francs；　sent　down　by　Monsieur　Bordin　of　Paris；　the　last　of　the

procureurs　du　Chatelet。　Every　one　knew　these　details　because　the

chevalier　exacted　the　utmost　secrecy　from　the　persons　to　whom　he　first

confided　them。



Monsieur　de　Valois　gathered　the　fruit　of　his　misfortunes。　His　place　at

table　was　laid　in　all　the　most　distinguished　houses　in　Alencon；　and　he

was　bidden　to　all　soirees。　His　talents　as　a　card…player；　a　narrator；

an　amiable　man　of　the　highest　breeding；　were　so　well　known　and

appreciated　that　parties　would　have　seemed　a　failure　if　the　dainty

connoisseur　was　absent。　Masters　of　houses　and　their　wives　felt　the

need　of　his　approving　grimace。　When　a　young　woman　heard　the　chevalier

say　at　a　ball；　〃You　are　delightfully　well…dressed！〃　she　was　more

pleased　at　such　praise　than　she　would　have　been　at　mortifying　a　rival。

Monsieur　de　Valois　was　the　only　man　who　could　perfectly　pronounce

certain　phrases　of　the　olden　time。　The　words；　〃my　heart；〃　〃my　jewel；〃

〃my　little　pet；〃　〃my　queen；〃　and　the　amorous　diminutives　of　1770；　had

a　grace　that　was　quite　irresistible　when　they　came　from　his　lips。　In

short；　the　chevalier　had　the　privilege　of　superlatives。　His

compliments；　of　which　he　was　stingy；　won　the　good　graces　of　all　the

old　women；　he　made　himself　agreeable　to　every　one；　even　to　the

officials　of　the　government；　from　whom　he　wanted　nothing。　His　behavior

at　cards　had　a　lofty　distinction　which　everybody　noticed：　he　never

complained；　he　praised　his　adversaries　when　they　lost；　he　did　not

rebuke　or　teach　his　partners　by　showing　them　how　they　ought　to　have

played。　When；　in　the　course　of　a　deal；　those　sickening　dissertations

on　the　game　would　take　place；　the　chevalier　invariably　drew　out　his

snuff…box　with　a　gesture　that　was　worthy　of　Mole；　looked　at　the

Princess　Goritza；　raised　the　cover　with　dignity；　shook；　sifted；　massed

the　snuff；　and　gathered　his　pinch；　so　that　by　the　time　the　cards　were

dealt　he　had　decorated　both　nostrils　and　replaced　the　princess　in　his

waistcoat　pocket；always　on　his　left　side。　A　gentleman　of　the　〃good〃

century　（in　distinction　from　the　〃grand〃　century）　could　alone　have

invented　that　compromise　between　contemptuous　silence　and　a　sarcasm

which　might　not　have　been　understood。　He　accepted　poor　players　and

knew　how　to　make　the　best　of　them。　His　delightful　equability　of　temper

made　many　persons　say；



〃I　do　admire　the　Chevalier　de　Valois！〃



His　conversation；　his　manners；　seemed　bland；　like　his　person。　He

endeavored　to　shock　neither　man　nor　woman。　Indulgent　to　defects　both

physical　and　mental；　he　listened　patiently　（by　the　help　of　the

Princess　Goritza）　to　the　many　dull　people　who　related　to　him　the　petty

miseries　of　provincial　life；an　egg　ill…boiled　for　breakfast；　coffee

with　feathered　cream；　burlesque　details　about　health；　disturbed　sleep；

dreams；　visits。　The　chevalier　could　call　up　a　languishing　look；　he

could　take　on　a　classic　attitude　to　feign　compassion；　which　made　him　a

most　valuable　listener；　he　could　put　in　an　〃Ah！〃　and　a　〃Bah！〃　and　a

〃What　DID　you　do？〃　with　charming　appropriateness。　He　died　without　any

one　suspecting　him　of　even　an　allusion　to　the　tender　passages　of　his

romance　with　the　Princess　Goritza。　Has　any　one　ever　reflected　on　the

service　a　dead　sentiment　can　do　to　society；　how　love　may　become　both

social　and　useful？　This　will　serve　to　explain　why；　in　spite　of　his

constant　winning　at　play　（he　never　left　a　salon　without　carrying　off

with　him　about　six　francs）；　the　old　chevalier　remained　the　spoilt

darling　of　the　town。　His　losseswhich；　by　the　bye；　he　always

proclaimed；　were　very　rare。



All　who　know　him　declare　that　they　have　never　met；　not　even　in　the

Egyptian　museum　at　Turin；　so　agreeable　a　mummy。　In　no　country　in　the

world　did　parasitism　ever　take　on　so　pleasant　a　form。　Never　did

selfishness　of　a　most　concentrated　kind　appear　less　forth…putting；

less　offensive；　than　in　this　old　gentleman；　it　stood　him　in　place　of

devoted　friendship。　If　some　one　asked　Monsieur　de　Valois　to　do　him　a

little　service　which　might　have　discommoded　him；　that　some　one　did　not

part　from　the　worthy　chevalier　without　being　truly　enchanted　with　him；

and　quite　convinced　that　he　either　could　not　do　the　service　demanded；

or　that　he　should　injure　the　affair　if　he　meddled　in　it。



To　explain　the　problematic　existence　of　the　chevalier；　the　historian；

whom　Truth；　that　cruel　wanton；　grasps　by　the　throat；　is　compelled　to

say　that　after　the　〃glorious〃　sad　days　of　July；　Alencon　discovered

that　the　chevalier's　nightly　winnings　amounted　to　about　one　hundred

and　fifty　francs　every　three　months；　and　that　the　clever　old　nobleman

had　had　the　pluck　to　send　to　himself　his　annuity　in　order　not　to

appear　in　the　eyes　of　a　community；　which　loves　the　main　chance；　to　be

entirely　without　resources。　Many　of　his　friends　（he　was　by　that　time

dead；　you　will　please　remark）　have　contested　mordicus　this　curious

fact；　declaring　it　to　be　a　fable；　and　upholding　the　Chevalier　de

Valois　as　a　respectable　and　worthy　gentleman　whom　the　liberals

calumniated。　Luckily　for　shrewd　players；　there　are　people　to　be　found

among　the　spectators　who　will　always　sustain　them。　Ashamed　of　having

to　defend　a　piece　of　wrong…doing；　they　stoutly　deny　it。　Do　not　accuse

them　of　wilful　infatuation；　such　men　have　a　sense　of　their　dignity；

governments　set　them　the　example　of　a　virtue　which　consists　in　burying

their　dead　without　chanting　the　Misere　of　their　defeats。　If　the

chevalier　did　allow　himself　this　bit　of　shrewd　practice；which；　by

the　bye；　would　have　won　him　the　regard　of　the　Chevalier　de　Gramont；　a

smile　from　the　Baron　de　Foeneste；　a　shake　of　the　hand　from　the　Marquis

de　Moncade；was　he　any　the　less　that　amiable　guest；　that　witty

talker；　that　imperturbable　card…player；　that　famous　teller　of

anecdotes；　in　whom　all　Alencon　took　delight？　Besides；　in　what　way　was

this　action；　which　is　certainly　within　the　rights　of　a　man's　own　will；

in　what　way　was　it　contrary　to　the　ethics　of　a　gentleman？　When　so

many　persons　are　forced　to　pay　annuities　to　others；　what　more　natural

than　to　pay　one　to　his　own　best　friend？　But　Laius　is　dead



To　return　to　the　period　of　which　we　are　writing：　after　about　fifteen

years　of　this　way　of　life　the　chevalier　had　amassed　ten　thousand　and

some　odd　hundred　francs。　On　the　return　of　the　Bourbons；　one　of　his　old

friends；　the　Marquis　de　Pombreton；　formerly　lieutenant　in　the　Black

mousquetaires；　returned　to　himso　he　saidtwelve　hundred　pistoles

which　he　had　lent　to　the　marquis　for　the　purpose　of　emigrating。　This

event　made　a　sensation；　it　was　used　later　to　refute　the　sarcasms　of

the　〃Constitutionnel；〃　on　the　method　employed　by　some　emigres　in

paying　their　debts。　When　this　noble　act　of　the　Marquis　de　Pombreton

was　lauded　before　the　chevalier；　the　good　man　reddened　even　to　his

right　cheek。　Every　one　rejoiced　frankly　at　this　windfall　for　Monsieur

de　Valois；　who　went　about　consulting　moneyed　people　as　to　the　safest

manner　of　investing　this　fragment　of　his　past　opulence。　Confiding　in

the　future　of　the　Restoration；　he　finally　placed　his　money　on　the

Grand…Livre　at　the　moment　when　the　funds　were　at　fifty…six　francs　and

twenty…five　centimes。　Messieurs　de　Lenoncourt；　de　Navarreins；　de

Verneuil；　de　Fontaine；　and　La　Billardiere；　to　whom　he　was　known；　he

said；　obtained　for　him；　from　the　king's　privy　purse；　a　pension　of

three　hundred　francs；　and　sent　him；　moreover；　the　cross　of　Saint…

Louis。　Never　was　it　known　positively　by　what　means　the　old　chevalier

obtained　these　two　solemn　consecrations　of　his　title　and　merits。　But

one　thing　is　certain；　the　cross　of　Saint…Louis　authorized　him　to　take

the　rank　of　retired　colonel　in　view　of　his　service　in　the　Catholic

armies　of　the　West。



Besides　his　fiction　of　an　annuity；　about　which　no　one　at　the　present

time　knew　anything；　the　chevalier　really　had；　therefore；　a　bona　fide

income　of　a　thousand　francs。　But　in　spite　of　this　bettering　of　his

circumstances；　he　made　no　change　in　his　life；　manners；　or　appearance；

except　that　the　red　ribbon　made　a　fine　effect　on　his　maroon…colored

coat；　and　completed；　so　to　speak；　the　physiognomy　of　a　gentleman。

After　1802；　the　chevalier　sealed　his　letters　with　a　very　old　seal；

ill…engraved　to　be　sure；　by　which　the　Casterans；　the　d'Esgrignons；　the

Troisvilles　were　enabled　to　see　that　he　bore：　Party　of　France；　two

cottises　gemelled　gules；　and　gules；　five　mascles　or；　placed　end　to

end；　on　a　chief　sable；　a　cross　argent。　For　crest；　a　knight's　helmet。

For　motto：　〃Valeo。〃　Bearing　such　noble　arms；　the　so…called　bastard　of

the　Valois　had　the　right　to　get　into　all　the　royal　carriages　of　the

world。



Many　persons　envied　the　quiet　existence　of　this　old　bachelor；　spent　on

whist；　boston；　backgammon；　reversi；　and　piquet；　all　well　played；　on

dinners　well　digested；　snuff　gracefully　inhaled；　and　tranquil　walks

about　the　town。　Nearly　all　Alencon　believed　this　life　to　be　exempt

from　ambitions　and　serious　interests；　but　no　man　has　a　life　as　simple

as　envious　neighbors　attribute　to　him。　You　will　find　in　the　most　out…


of…the　way　villages　human　mollusks；　creatures　apparently　dead；　who

have　passions　for　lepidoptera　or　for　conchology；　let　us　say；beings

who　will　give　themselves　infinite　pains　about　moths；　butterflies；　or

the　concha　Veneris。　Not　only　did　the　chevalier　have　his　own　particular

shells；　but　he　cherished　an　ambitious　desire　which　he　pursued　with　a

craft　so　profound　as　to　be　worthy　of　Sixtus　the　Fifth：　he　wanted　to

marry　a　certain　rich　old　maid；　with　the　intention；　no　doubt；　of　making

her　a　stepping…stone　by　which　to　reach　the　more　elevated　regions　of

the　court。　There；　then；　lay　the　secret　of　his　royal　bearing　and　of　his

residence　in　Alencon。







CHAPTER　II



SUSANNAH　AND　THE　ELDERS



On　a　Wednesday　morning；　early；　toward　the　middle　of　spring；　in　the

year　16；such　was　his　mode　of　reckoning；at　the　moment　when　the

chevalier　was　putting　on