an old maid-第25章

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willingly　have　sacrificed　all　to　him；　even　her　uncle。　Her　silly　little

forms　of　pleasure　deceived　even　the　poor　abbe　for　a　time；　who　endured

his　own　trials　all　the　better　for　thinking　that　his　niece　was　happy；

after　all。



Alencon　at　first　thought　the　same。　But　there　was　one　man　more

difficult　to　deceive　than　the　whole　town　put　together。　The　Chevalier

de　Valois；　who　had　taken　refuge　on　the　Sacred　Mount　of　the　upper

aristocracy；　now　passed　his　life　at　the　d'Esgrignons。　He　listened　to

the　gossip　and　the　gabble；　and　he　thought　day　and　night　upon　his

vengeance。　He　meant　to　strike　du　Bousquier　to　the　heart。



The　poor　abbe　fully　understood　the　baseness　of　this　first　and　last

love　of　his　niece；　he　shuddered　as；　little　by　little；　he　perceived　the

hypocritical　nature　of　his　nephew　and　his　treacherous　manoeuvres。

Though　du　Bousquier　restrained　himself；　as　he　thought　of　the　abbe's

property；　and　wished　not　to　cause　him　vexation；　it　was　his　hand　that

dealt　the　blow　that　sent　the　old　priest　to　his　grave。　If　you　will

interpret　the　word　INTOLERANCE　as　FIRMNESS　OF　PRINCIPLE；　if　you　do　not

wish　to　condemn　in　the　catholic　soul　of　the　Abbe　de　Sponde　the

stoicism　which　Walter　Scott　has　made　you　admire　in　the　puritan　soul　of

Jeanie　Deans'　father；　if　you　are　willing　to　recognize　in　the　Roman

Church　the　Potius　mori　quam　foedari　that　you　admire　in　republican

tenets；you　will　understand　the　sorrow　of　the　Abbe　de　Sponde　when　he

saw　in　his　niece's　salon　the　apostate　priest；　the　renegade；　the

pervert；　the　heretic；　that　enemy　of　the　Church；　the　guilty　taker　of

the　Constitutional　oath。　Du　Bousquier；　whose　secret　ambition　was　to

lay　down　the　law　to　the　town；　wished；　as　a　first　proof　of　his　power；

to　reconcile　the　minister　of　Saint…Leonard　with　the　rector　of　the

parish；　and　he　succeeded。　His　wife　thought　he　had　accomplished　a　work

of　peace　where　the　immovable　abbe　saw　only　treachery。　The　bishop　came

to　visit　du　Bousquier；　and　seemed　glad　of　the　cessation　of

hostilities。　The　virtues　of　the　Abbe　Francois　had　conquered　prejudice；

except　that　of　the　aged　Roman　Catholic；　who　exclaimed　with　Cornelle；

〃Alas！　what　virtues　do　you　make　me　hate！〃



The　abbe　died　when　orthodoxy　thus　expired　in　the　diocese。



In　1819；　the　property　of　the　Abbe　de　Sponde　increased　Madame　du

Bousquier's　income　from　real　estate　to　twenty…five　thousand　francs

without　counting　Prebaudet　or　the　house　in　the　Val…Noble。　About　this

time　du　Bousquier　returned　to　his　wife　the　capital　of　her　savings

which　she　had　yielded　to　him；　and　he　made　her　use　it　in　purchasing

lands　contiguous　to　Prebaudet；　which　made　that　domain　one　of　the　most

considerable　in　the　department；　for　the　estates　of　the　Abbe　de　Sponde

also　adjoined　it。　Du　Bousquier　thus　passed　for　one　of　the　richest　men

of　the　department。　This　able　man；　the　constant　candidate　of　the

liberals；　missing　by　seven　or　eight　votes　only　in　all　the　electoral

battles　fought　under　the　Restoration；　and　who　ostensibly　repudiated

the　liberals　by　trying　to　be　elected　as　a　ministerial　royalist

（without　ever　being　able　to　conquer　the　aversion　of　the

administration）；this　rancorous　republican；　mad　with　ambition；

resolved　to　rival　the　royalism　and　aristocracy　of　Alencon　at　the

moment　when　they　once　more　had　the　upper　hand。　He　strengthened　himself

with　the　Church　by　the　deceitful　appearance　of　a　well…feigned　piety：

he　accompanied　his　wife　to　mass；　he　gave　money　for　the　convents　of　the

town；　he　assisted　the　congregation　of　the　Sacre…Coeur；　he　took　sides

with　the　clergy　on　all　occasions　when　the　clergy　came　into　collision

with　the　town；　the　department；　or　the　State。　Secretly　supported　by　the

liberals；　protected　by　the　Church；　calling　himself　a　constitutional

royalist；　he　kept　beside　the　aristocracy　of　the　department　in　the　one

hope　of　ruining　it；and　he　did　ruin　it。　Ever　on　the　watch　for　the

faults　and　blunders　of　the　nobility　and　the　government；　he　laid　plans

for　his　vengeance　against　the　〃chateau…people；〃　and　especially　against

the　d'Esgrignons；　in　whose　bosom　he　was　one　day　to　thrust　a　poisoned

dagger。



Among　other　benefits　to　the　town　he　gave　money　liberally　to　revive　the

manufacture　of　point　d'Alencon；　he　renewed　the　trade　in　linens；　and

the　town　had　a　factory。　Inscribing　himself　thus　upon　the　interests　and

heart　of　the　masses；　by　doing　what　the　royalists　did　not　do；　du

Bousquier　did　not　really　risk　a　farthing。　Backed　by　his　fortune；　he

could　afford　to　wait　results　which　enterprising　persons　who　involve

themselves　are　forced　to　abandon　to　luckier　successors。



Du　Bousquier　now　posed　as　a　banker。　This　miniature　Lafitte　was　a

partner　in　all　new　enterprises；　taking　good　security。　He　served

himself　while　apparently　serving　the　interests　of　the　community。　He

was　the　prime　mover　of　insurance　companies；　the　protector　of　new

enterprises　for　public　conveyance；　he　suggested　petitions　for　asking

the　administration　for　the　necessary　roads　and　bridges。　Thus　warned；

the　government　considered　this　action　an　encroachment　of　its　own

authority。　A　struggle　was　begun　injudiciously；　for　the　good　of　the

community　compelled　the　authorities　to　yield　in　the　end。　Du　Bousquier

embittered　the　provincial　nobility　against　the　court　nobility　and　the

peerage；　and　finally　he　brought　about　the　shocking　adhesion　of　a

strong　party　of　constitutional　royalists　to　the　warfare　sustained　by

the　〃Journal　des　Debats；〃　and　M。　de　Chateaubriand　against　the　throne；

an　ungrateful　opposition　based　on　ignoble　interests；　which　was　one

cause　of　the　triumph　of　the　bourgeoisie　and　journalism　in　1830。



Thus　du　Bousquier；　in　common　with　the　class　he　represented；　had　the

satisfaction　of　beholding　the　funeral　of　royalty。　The　old　republican；

smothered　with　masses；　who　for　fifteen　years　had　played　that　comedy　to

satisfy　his　vendetta；　himself　threw　down　with　his　own　hand　the　white

flag　of　the　mayoralty　to　the　applause　of　the　multitude。　No　man　in

France　cast　upon　the　new　throne　raised　in　August；　1830；　a　glance　of

more　intoxicated；　joyous　vengeance。　The　accession　of　the　Younger

Branch　was　the　triumph　of　the　Revolution。　To　him　the　victory　of　the

tricolor　meant　the　resurrection　of　Montagne；　which　this　time　should

surely　bring　the　nobility　down　to　the　dust　by　means　more　certain　than

that　of　the　guillotine；　because　less　violent。　The　peerage　without

heredity；　the　National　Guard；　which　puts　on　the　same　camp…bed　the

corner　grocer　and　the　marquis；　the　abolition　of　the　entails　demanded

by　a　bourgeois　lawyer；　the　Catholic　Church　deprived　of　its　supremacy；

and　all　the　other　legislative　inventions　of　August；　1830；were　to　du

Bousquier　the　wisest　possible　application　of　the　principles　of　1793。



Since　1830　this　man　has　been　a　receiver…general。　He　relied　for　his

advancement　on　his　relations　with　the　Duc　d'Orleans；　father　of　Louis

Philippe；　and　with　Monsieur　de　Folmon；　formerly　steward　to　the

Duchess…dowager　of　Orleans。　He　receives　about　eighty　thousand　francs　a

year。　In　the　eyes　of　the　people　about　him　Monsieur　du　Bousquier　is　a

man　of　means；a　respectable　man；　steady　in　his　principles；　upright；

and　obliging。　Alencon　owes　to　him　its　connection　with　the　industrial

movement　by　which　Brittany　may　possibly　some　day　be　joined　to　what　is

popularly　called　modern　civilization。　Alencon；　which　up　to　1816　could

boast　of　only　two　private　carriages；　saw；　without　amazement；　in　the

course　of　ten　years；　coupes；　landaus；　tilburies；　and　cabriolets

rolling　through　her　streets。　The　burghers　and　the　land…owners；　alarmed

at　first　lest　the　price　of　everything　should　increase；　recognized

later　that　this　increase　in　the　style　of　living　had　a　contrary　effect

upon　their　revenues。　The　prophetic　remark　of　du　Ronceret；　〃Du

Bousquier　is　a　very　strong　man；〃　was　adopted　by　the　whole　country…

side。



But；　unhappily　for　the　wife；　that　saying　has　a　double　meaning。　The

husband　does　not　in　any　way　resemble　the　public　politician。　This　great

citizen；　so　liberal　to　the　world　about　him；　so　kindly　inspired　with

love　for　his　native　place；　is　a　despot　in　his　own　house；　and　utterly

devoid　of　conjugal　affection。　This　man；　so　profoundly　astute；

hypocritical；　and　sly；　this　Cromwell　of　the　Val…Noble；behaves　in　his

home　as　he　behaves　to　the　aristocracy；　whom　he　caresses　in　hopes　to

throttle　them。　Like　his　friend　Bernadotte；　he　wears　a　velvet　glove

upon　his　iron　hand。　His　wife　has　given　him　no　children。　Suzanne's

remark　and　the　chevalier's　insinuations　were　therefore　justified。　But

the　liberal　bourgeoisie；　the　constitutional…royalist…bourgeoisie；　the

country…squires；　the　magistracy；　and　the　〃church　party〃　laid　the　blame

on　Madame　du　Bousquier。　〃She　was　too　old；〃　they　said；　〃Monsieur　du

Bousquier　had　married　her　too　late。　Besides；　it　was　very　lucky　for　the

poor　woman；　it　was　dangerous　at　her　age　to　bear　children！〃　When　Madame

du　Bousquier　confided；　weeping；　her　periodic　despair　to　Mesdames　du

Coudrai　and　du　Ronceret；　those　ladies　would　reply；



〃But　you　are　crazy；　my　dear；　you　don't　know　what　you　are　wishing　for；

a　child　would　be　your　death。〃



Many　men；　whose　hopes　were　fastened　on　du　Bousquier's　triumph；　sang

his　praises　to　their　wives；　who　in　turn　repeated　them　to　the　poor　wife

in　some　such　speech　as　this：



〃You　are　very　lucky；　dear；　to　have　married　such　an　able　man；　you'll

escape　the　misery　of　women　whose　husbands　are　men　without　energy；

incapable　of　managing　their　property；　or　bringing　up　their　children。〃



〃Your　husband　is　making　you　queen　of　the　department；　my　love。　He'll

never　leave　you　embarrassed；　not　he！　Why；　he　leads　all　Alencon。〃



〃But　I　wish；〃　said　the　poor　wife；　〃that　he　gave　less　time　to　the

public　and〃



〃You　are　hard　to　please；　my　dear　Madame　du　Bousquier。　I　assure　you

that　all　the　women　in　town　envy　you　your　husband。〃



Misjudged　by　society；　which　began　by　blaming　her；　the　pious　woman

found　ample　opportunity　in　her　home　to　display　her　virtues。　She　lived

in　tears；　but　she　never　ceased　to　present　to　others　a　placid　face。　To

so　Christian　a　soul　a　certain　thought　which　pecked　forever　at　her

heart　was　a　crime：　〃I　loved　the　Chevalier　de　Valois；〃　it　said；　〃but　I

have　married　du　Bousquier。〃　The　love　of　poor　Athanase　Granson　also

rose　like　a　phantom　of　remorse；　and　pursued　her　even　in　her　dreams。

The　death　of　her　uncle；　whose　griefs　at　the　last　burst　forth；　made　her

life　still　more　sorrowful；　for　she　now　felt　the　suffering　her　uncle

must　have　endured　in　witnessing　the　change　of　political　and　religious

opinion　in　the　old　house。　Sorrow　often　falls　like　a　thunderbolt；　as　it

did　on　Madame　Granson；　but　in　this　old　maid　it　slowly　spread　like　a

drop　of　oil；　which　never　leaves　the　stuff　that　slowly　imbibes　it。



The　Chevalier　de　Valois　was　the　malicious　manipulator　who　brought

about　the　crowning　misfortune　of　Madame　du　Bousquier's　life。　His　heart

was　set　on　undeceiving　her　pious　simplicity；　for　the　chevalier；　expert

in　love；　divined　du　Bousquier；　the　married　man；　as　he　had　divined　du

Bousqui