an old maid-第3章

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

chevalier　was　putting　on　his　old　green…flowered　damask　dressing…gown；

he　heard；　despite　the　cotton　in　his　ears；　the　light　step　of　a　young

girl　who　was　running　up　the　stairway。　Presently　three　taps　were

discreetly　struck　upon　the　door；　then；　without　waiting　for　any

response；　a　handsome　girl　slipped　like　an　eel　into　the　room　occupied

by　the　old　bachelor。



〃Ah！　is　it　you；　Suzanne？〃　said　the　Chevalier　de　Valois；　without

discontinuing　his　occupation；　which　was　that　of　stropping　his　razor。

〃What　have　you　come　for；　my　dear　little　jewel　of　mischief？〃



〃I　have　come　to　tell　you　something　which　may　perhaps　give　you　as　much

pleasure　as　pain？〃



〃Is　it　anything　about　Cesarine？〃



〃Cesarine！　much　I　care　about　your　Cesarine！〃　she　said　with　a　saucy

air；　half　serious；　half　indifferent。



This　charming　Suzanne；　whose　present　comical　performance　was　to

exercise　a　great　influence　in　the　principal　personages　of　our　history；

was　a　work…girl　at　Madame　Lardot's。　One　word　here　on　the　topography　of

the　house。　The　wash…rooms　occupied　the　whole　of　the　ground　floor。　The

little　courtyard　was　used　to　hang　out　on　wire　cords　embroidered

handkerchiefs；　collarets；　capes；　cuffs；　frilled　shirts；　cravats；

laces；　embroidered　dresses；in　short；　all　the　fine　linen　of　the　best

families　of　the　town。　The　chevalier　assumed　to　know　from　the　number　of

her　capes　in　the　wash　how　the　love…affairs　of　the　wife　of　the　prefect

were　going　on。　Though　he　guessed　much　from　observations　of　this　kind；

the　chevalier　was　discretion　itself；　he　was　never　betrayed　into　an

epigram　（he　had　plenty　of　wit）　which　might　have　closed　to　him　an

agreeable　salon。　You　are　therefore　to　consider　Monsieur　de　Valois　as　a

man　of　superior　manners；　whose　talents；　like　those　of　many　others；

were　lost　in　a　narrow　sphere。　Onlyfor；　after　all；　he　was　a　manhe

permitted　himself　certain　penetrating　glances　which　could　make　some

women　tremble；　although　they　all　loved　him　heartily　as　soon　as　they

discovered　the　depth　of　his　discretion　and　the　sympathy　that　he　felt

for　their　little　weaknesses。



The　head　woman；　Madame　Lardot's　factotum；　an　old　maid　of　forty…six；

hideous　to　behold；　lived　on　the　opposite　side　of　the　passage　to　the

chevalier。　Above　them　were　the　attics　where　the　linen　was　dried　in

winter。　Each　apartment　had　two　rooms；one　lighted　from　the　street；

the　other　from　the　courtyard。　Beneath　the　chevalier's　room　there　lived

a　paralytic；　Madame　Lardot's　grandfather；　an　old　buccaneer　named

Grevin；　who　had　served　under　Admiral　Simeuse　in　India；　and　was　now

stone…deaf。　As　for　Madame　Lardot；　who　occupied　the　other　lodging　on

the　first　floor；　she　had　so　great　a　weakness　for　persons　of　condition

that　she　may　well　have　been　thought　blind　to　the　ways　of　the

chevalier。　To　her；　Monsieur　de　Valois　was　a　despotic　monarch　who　did

right　in　all　things。　Had　any　of　her　workwomen　been　guilty　of　a

happiness　attributed　to　the　chevalier　she　would　have　said；　〃He　is　so

lovable！〃　Thus；　though　the　house　was　of　glass；　like　all　provincial

houses；　it　was　discreet　as　a　robber's　cave。



A　born　confidant　to　all　the　little　intrigues　of　the　work…rooms；　the

chevalier　never　passed　the　door；　which　usually　stood　open；　without

giving　something　to　his　little　ducks；chocolate；　bonbons；　ribbons；

laces；　gilt　crosses；　and　such　like　trifles　adored　by　grisettes；

consequently；　the　kind　old　gentleman　was　adored　in　return。　Women　have

an　instinct　which　enables　them　to　divine　the　men　who　love　them；　who

like　to　be　near　them；　and　exact　no　payment　for　gallantries。　In　this

respect　women　have　the　instinct　of　dogs；　who　in　a　mixed　company　will

go　straight　to　the　man　to　whom　animals　are　sacred。



The　poor　Chevalier　de　Valois　retained　from　his　former　life　the　need　of

bestowing　gallant　protection；　a　quality　of　the　seigneurs　of　other

days。　Faithful　to　the　system　of　the　〃petite　maison；〃　he　liked　to

enrich　women；the　only　beings　who　know　how　to　receive；　because　they

can　always　return。　But　the　poor　chevalier　could　no　longer　ruin　himself

for　a　mistress。　Instead　of　the　choicest　bonbons　wrapped　in　bank…bills；

he　gallantly　presented　paper…bags　full　of　toffee。　Let　us　say　to　the

glory　of　Alencon　that　the　toffee　was　accepted　with　more　joy　than　la

Duthe　ever　showed　at　a　gilt　service　or　a　fine　equipage　offered　by　the

Comte　d'Artois。　All　these　grisettes　fully　understood　the　fallen

majesty　of　the　Chevalier　de　Valois；　and　they　kept　their　private

familiarities　with　him　a　profound　secret　for　his　sake。　If　they　were

questioned　about　him　in　certain　houses　when　they　carried　home　the

linen；　they　always　spoke　respectfully　of　the　chevalier；　and　made　him

out　older　than　he　really　was；　they　talked　of　him　as　a　most　respectable

monsieur；　whose　life　was　a　flower　of　sanctity；　but　once　in　their　own

regions　they　perched　on　his　shoulders　like　so　many　parrots。　He　liked

to　be　told　the　secrets　which　washerwomen　discover　in　the　bosom　of

households；　and　day　after　day　these　girls　would　tell　him　the　cancans

which　were　going　the　round　of　Alencon。　He　called　them　his　〃petticoat

gazettes；〃　his　〃talking　feuilletons。〃　Never　did　Monsieur　de　Sartines

have　spies　more　intelligent　and　less　expensive；　or　minions　who　showed

more　honor　while　displaying　their　rascality　of　mind。　So　it　may　be　said

that　in　the　mornings；　while　breakfasting；　the　chevalier　usually　amused

himself　as　much　as　the　saints　in　heaven。



Suzanne　was　one　of　his　favorites；　a　clever；　ambitious　girl；　made　of

the　stuff　of　a　Sophie　Arnold；　and　handsome　withal；　as　the　handsomest

courtesan　invited　by　Titian　to　pose　on　black　velvet　for　a　model　of

Venus；　although　her　face；　fine　about　the　eyes　and　forehead；

degenerated；　lower　down；　into　commonness　of　outline。　Hers　was　a　Norman

beauty；　fresh；　high…colored；　redundant；　the　flesh　of　Rubens　covering

the　muscles　of　the　Farnese　Hercules；　and　not　the　slender　articulations

of　the　Venus　de'　Medici；　Apollo's　graceful　consort。



〃Well；　my　child；　tell　me　your　great　or　your　little　adventure；　whatever

it　is。〃



The　particular　point　about　the　chevalier　which　would　have　made　him

noticeable　from　Paris　to　Pekin；　was　the　gentle　paternity　of　his　manner

to　grisettes。　They　reminded　him　of　the　illustrious　operatic　queens　of

his　early　days；　whose　celebrity　was　European　during　a　good　third　of

the　eighteenth　century。　It　is　certain　that　the　old　gentleman；　who　had

lived　in　days　gone　by　with　that　feminine　nation　now　as　much　forgotten

as　many　other　great　things；like　the　Jesuits；　the　Buccaneers；　the

Abbes；　and　the　Farmers…General；had　acquired　an　irresistible　good…

humor；　a　kindly　ease；　a　laisser…aller　devoid　of　egotism；　the　self…

effacement　of　Jupiter　with　Alcmene；　of　the　king　intending　to　be　duped；

who　casts　his　thunderbolts　to　the　devil；　wants　his　Olympus　full　of

follies；　little　suppers；　feminine　profusionsbut　with　Juno　out　of　the

way；　be　it　understood。



In　spite　of　his　old　green　damask　dressing…gown　and　the　bareness　of　the

room　in　which　he　sat；　where　the　floor　was　covered　with　a　shabby

tapestry　in　place　of　carpet；　and　the　walls　were　hung　with　tavern…paper

presenting　the　profiles　of　Louis　XVI。　and　members　of　his　family；

traced　among　the　branches　of　a　weeping　willow　with　other


sentimentalities　invented　by　royalism　during　the　Terror；in　spite　of

his　ruins；　the　chevalier；　trimming　his　beard　before　a　shabby　old

toilet…table；　draped　with　trumpery　lace；　exhaled　an　essence　of　the

eighteenth　century。　All　the　libertine　graces　of　his　youth　reappeared；

he　seemed　to　have　the　wealth　of　three　hundred　thousand　francs　of　debt；

while　his　vis…a…vis　waited　before　the　door。　He　was　grand；like

Berthier　on　the　retreat　from　Moscow；　issuing　orders　to　an　army　that

existed　no　longer。



〃Monsieur　le　chevalier；〃　replied　Suzanne；　drolly；　〃seems　to　me　I

needn't　tell　you　anything；　you've　only　to　look。〃



And　Suzanne　presented　a　side　view　of　herself　which　gave　a　sort　of

lawyer's　comment　to　her　words。　The　chevalier；　who；　you　must　know；　was

a　sly　old　bird；　lowered　his　right　eye　on　the　grisette；　still　holding

the　razor　at　his　throat；　and　pretended　to　understand。



〃Well；　well；　my　little　duck；　we'll　talk　about　that　presently。　But　you

are　rather　previous；　it　seems　to　me。〃



〃Why；　Monsieur　le　chevalier；　ought　I　to　wait　until　my　mother　beats　me

and　Madame　Lardot　turns　me　off？　If　I　don't　get　away　soon　to　Paris；　I

shall　never　be　able　to　marry　here；　where　men　are　so　ridiculous。〃



〃It　can't　be　helped；　my　dear；　society　is　changing；　women　are　just　as

much　victims　to　the　present　state　of　things　as　the　nobility

themselves。　After　political　overturn　comes　the　overturn　of　morals。

Alas！　before　long　woman　won't　exist〃　（he　took　out　the　cotton…wool　to

arrange　his　ears）：　〃she'll　lose　everything　by　rushing　into　sentiment；

she'll　wring　her　nerves；　good…bye　to　all　the　good　little　pleasures　of

our　time；　desired　without　shame；　accepted　without　nonsense。〃　（He

polished　up　the　little　negroes'　heads。）　〃Women　had　hysterics　in　those

days　to　get　their　ends；　but　now〃　（he　began　to　laugh）　〃their　vapors　end

in　charcoal。　In　short；　marriage〃　（here　he　picked　up　his　pincers　to

remove　a　hair）　〃will　become　a　thing　intolerable；　whereas　it　used　to　be

so　gay　in　my　day！　The　reigns　of　Louis　XIV。　and　Louis　XV。remember

this；　my　childsaid　farewell　to　the　finest　manners　and　morals　ever

known　to　the　world。〃



〃But；　Monsieur　le　chevalier；〃　said　the　grisette；　〃the　matter　now

concerns　the　morals　and　honor　of　your　poor　little　Suzanne；　and　I　hope

you　won't　abandon　her。〃



〃Abandon　her！〃　cried　the　chevalier；　finishing　his　hair；　〃I'd　sooner

abandon　my　own　name。〃



〃Ah！〃　exclaimed　Suzanne。



〃Now；　listen　to　me；　you　little　mischief；〃　said　the　chevalier；　sitting

down　on　a　huge　sofa；　formerly　called　a　duchesse；　which　Madame　Lardot

had　been　at　some　pains　to　find　for　him。



He　drew　the　magnificent　Suzanne　before　him；　holding　her　legs　between

his　knees。　She　let　him　do　as　he　liked；　although　in　the　street　she　was

offish　enough　to　other　men；　refusing　their　familiarities　partly　from

decorum　and　partly　for　contempt　for　their　commonness。　She　now　stood

audaciously　in　front　of　the　chevalier；　who；　having　fathomed　in　his　day

many　other　mysteries　in　minds　that　were　far　more　wily；　took　in　the

situation　at　a　single　glance。　He　knew　very　well　that　no　young　girl

would　joke　about　a　real　dishonor；　but　he　took　good　care　not　to　knock

over　the　pretty　scaffolding　of　her　lie　as　he　touched　it。



〃We　slander　ourselves；〃　he　said　with　inimitable　craft；　〃we　are　as

virtuous　as　that　beautiful　biblical　girl　whose　name　we　bear；　we　can

always　marry　as　we　please；　but　we　are　thirsty　for　Paris；　where

charming　creaturesand　we　are　no　foolget　rich　without　trouble。　We

want　to　go　and　see　if　the　great　capital　of　pleasures　hasn't　some　young

Chevalier　de　Valois　in　store　for　us；　with　a　carriage；　diamonds；　an

opera…box；　and　so　forth。　Russians；　Austrians；　Britons；　have　millions

on　which　we　have　an　eye。　Besides