an old maid-第4章

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

on　which　we　have　an　eye。　Besides；　we　are　patriotic；　we　want　to　help

France　in　getting　back　her　money　from　the　pockets　of　those　gentry。

Hey！　hey！　my　dear　little　devil's　duck！　it　isn't　a　bad　plan。　The　world

you　live　in　may　cry　out　a　bit；　but　success　justifies　all　things。　The

worst　thing　in　this　world；　my　dear；　is　to　be　without　money；　that's　our

disease；　yours　and　mine。　Now　inasmuch　as　we　have　plenty　of　wit；　we

thought　it　would　be　a　good　thing　to　parade　our　dear　little　honor；　or

dishonor；　to　catch　an　old　boy；　but　that　old　boy；　my　dear　heart；　knows

the　Alpha　and　Omega　of　female　tricks；which　means　that　you　could

easier　put　salt　on　a　sparrow's　tail　than　to　make　me　believe　I　have

anything　to　do　with　your　little　affair。　Go　to　Paris；　my　dear；　go　at

the　cost　of　an　old　celibate；　I　won't　prevent　it；　in　fact；　I'll　help

you；　for　an　old　bachelor；　Suzanne；　is　the　natural　money…box　of　a　young

girl。　But　don't　drag　me　into　the　matter。　Listen；　my　queen；　you　who

know　life　pretty　well；　you　would　me　great　harm　and　give　me　much　pain；

harm；　because　you　would　prevent　my　marriage　in　a　town　where　people

cling　to　morality；　pain；　because　if　you　are　in　trouble　（which　I　deny；

you　sly　puss！）　I　haven't　a　penny　to　get　you　out　of　it。　I'm　as　poor　as

a　church　mouse；　you　know　that；　my　dear。　Ah！　if　I　marry　Mademoiselle

Cormon；　if　I　am　once　more　rich；　of　course　I　would　prefer　you　to

Cesarine。　You've　always　seemed　to　me　as　fine　as　the　gold　they　gild　on

lead；　you　were　made　to　be　the　love　of　a　great　seigneur。　I　think　you　so

clever　that　the　trick　you　are　trying　to　play　off　on　me　doesn't

surprise　me　one　bit；　I　expected　it。　You　are　flinging　the　scabbard

after　the　sword；　and　that's　daring　for　a　girl。　It　takes　nerve　and

superior　ideas　to　do　it；　my　angel；　and　therefore　you　have　won　my

respectful　esteem。〃



〃Monsieur　le　chevalier；　I　assure　you；　you　are　mistaken；　and〃



She　colored；　and　did　not　dare　to　say　more。　The　chevalier；　with　a

single　glance；　had　guessed　and　fathomed　her　whole　plan。



〃Yes；　yes！　I　understand：　you　want　me　to　believe　it；〃　he　said。　〃Well！　I

do　believe　it。　But　take　my　advice：　go　to　Monsieur　du　Bousquier。

Haven't　you　taken　linen　there　for　the　last　six　or　eight　months？　I'm

not　asking　what　went　on　between　you；　but　I　know　the　man：　he　has

immense　conceit；　he　is　an　old　bachelor；　and　very　rich；　and　he　only

spends　a　quarter　of　a　comfortable　income。　If　you　are　as　clever　as　I

suppose；　you　can　go　to　Paris　at　his　expense。　There；　run　along；　my

little　doe；　go　and　twist　him　round　your　finger。　Only；　mind　this：　be　as

supple　as　silk；　at　every　word　take　a　double　turn　round　him　and　make　a

knot。　He　is　a　man　to　fear　scandal；　and　if　he　has　given　you　a　chance　to

put　him　in　the　pilloryin　short；　understand；　threaten　him　with　the

ladies　of　the　Maternity　Hospital。　Besides；　he's　ambitious。　A　man

succeeds　through　his　wife；　and　you　are　handsome　and　clever　enough　to

make　the　fortune　of　a　husband。　Hey！　the　mischief！　you　could　hold　your

own　against　all　the　court　ladies。〃



Suzanne；　whose　mind　took　in　at　a　flash　the　chevalier's　last　words；　was

eager　to　run　off　to　du　Bousquier；　but；　not　wishing　to　depart　too

abruptly；　she　questioned　the　chevalier　about　Paris；　all　the　while

helping　him　to　dress。　The　chevalier；　however；　divined　her　desire　to　be

off；　and　favored　it　by　asking　her　to　tell　Cesarine　to　bring　up　his

chocolate；　which　Madame　Lardot　made　for　him　every　morning。　Suzanne

then　slipped　away　to　her　new　victim；　whose　biography　must　here　be

given。



Born　of　an　old　Alencon　family；　du　Bousquier　was　a　cross　between　the

bourgeois　and　the　country　squire。　Finding　himself　without　means　on　the

death　of　his　father；　he　went；　like　other　ruined　provincials；　to　Paris。

On　the　breaking　out　of　the　Revolution　he　took　part　in　public　affairs。

In　spite　of　revolutionary　principles；　which　made　a　hobby　of　republican

honesty；　the　management　of　public　business　in　those　days　was　by　no

means　clean。　A　political　spy；　a　stock…jobber；　a　contractor；　a　man　who

confiscated　in　collusion　with　the　syndic　of　a　commune　the　property　of

emigres　in　order　to　sell　them　and　buy　them　in；　a　minister；　and　a

general　were　all　equally　engaged　in　public　business。　From　1793　to　1799

du　Bousquier　was　commissary　of　provisions　to　the　French　armies。　He

lived　in　a　magnificent　hotel　and　was　one　of　the　matadors　of　finance；

did　business　with　Ouvrard；　kept　open　house；　and　led　the　scandalous

life　of　the　period；the　life　of　a　Cincinnatus；　on　sacks　of　corn

harvested　without　trouble；　stolen　rations；　〃little　houses〃　full　of

mistresses；　in　which　were　given　splendid　fetes　to　the　Directors　of　the

Republic。



The　citizen　du　Bousquier　was　one　of　Barras'　familiars；　he　was　on　the

best　of　terms　with　Fouche；　stood　very　well　with　Bernadotte；　and　fully

expected　to　become　a　minister　by　throwing　himself　into　the　party　which

secretly　caballed　against　Bonaparte　until　Marengo。　If　it　had　not　been

for　Kellermann's　charge　and　Desaix's　death；　du　Bousquier　would

probably　have　become　a　minister。　He　was　one　of　the　chief　assistances

of　that　secret　government　whom　Napoleon's　luck　send　behind　the　scenes

in　1793。　（See　〃An　Historical　Mystery。〃）　The　unexpected　victory　of

Marengo　was　the　defeat　of　that　party　who　actually　had　their

proclamations　printed　to　return　to　the　principles　of　the　Montagne　in

case　the　First　Consul　succumbed。



Convinced　of　the　impossibility　of　Bonaparte's　triumph；　du　Bousquier

staked　the　greater　part　of　his　property　on　a　fall　in　the　Funds；　and

kept　two　couriers　on　the　field　of　battle。　The　first　started　for　Paris

when　Melas'　victory　was　certain；　the　second；　starting　four　hours

later；　brought　the　news　of　the　defeat　of　the　Austrians。　Du　Bousquier

cursed　Kellermann　and　Desaix；　he　dared　not　curse　Bonaparte；　who　might

owe　him　millions。　This　alternative　of　millions　to　be　earned　and

present　ruin　staring　him　in　the　face；　deprived　the　purveyor　of　most　of

his　faculties：　he　became　nearly　imbecile　for　several　days；　the　man　had

so　abused　his　health　by　excesses　that　when　the　thunderbolt　fell　upon

him　he　had　no　strength　to　resist。　The　payment　of　his　bills　against　the

Exchequer　gave　him　some　hopes　for　the　future；　but；　in　spite　of　all

efforts　to　ingratiate　himself；　Napoleon's　hatred　to　the　contractors

who　had　speculated　on　his　defeat　made　itself　felt；　du　Bousquier　was

left　without　a　sou。　The　immorality　of　his　private　life；　his　intimacy

with　Barras　and　Bernadotte；　displeased　the　First　Consul　even　more　than

his　manoeuvres　at　the　Bourse；　and　he　struck　du　Bousquier's　name　from

the　list　of　the　government　contractors。



Out　of　all　his　past　opulence　du　Bousquier　saved　only　twelve　hundred

francs　a　year　from　an　investment　in　the　Grand　Livre；　which　he　had

happened　to　place　there　by　pure　caprice；　and　which　saved　him　from

penury。　A　man　ruined　by　the　First　Consul　interested　the　town　of

Alencon；　to　which　he　now　returned；　where　royalism　was　secretly

dominant。　Du　Bousquier；　furious　against　Bonaparte；　relating　stories

against　him　of　his　meanness；　of　Josephine's　improprieties；　and　all　the

other　scandalous　anecdotes　of　the　last　ten　years；　was　well　received。



About　this　time；　when　he　was　somewhere　between　forty　and　fifty；　du

Bousquier's　appearance　was　that　of　a　bachelor　of　thirty…six；　of　medium

height；　plump　as　a　purveyor；　proud　of　his　vigorous　calves；　with　a

strongly　marked　countenance；　a　flattened　nose；　the　nostrils　garnished

with　hair；　black　eyes　with　thick　lashes；　from　which　darted　shrewd

glances　like　those　of　Monsieur　de　Talleyrand；　though　somewhat　dulled。

He　still　wore　republican　whiskers　and　his　hair　very　long；　his　hands；

adorned　with　bunches　of　hair　on　each　knuckle；　showed　the　power　of　his

muscular　system　in　their　prominent　blue　veins。　He　had　the　chest　of　the

Farnese　Hercules；　and　shoulders　fit　to　carry　the　stocks。　Such

shoulders　are　seen　nowadays　only　at　Tortoni's。　This　wealth　of

masculine　vigor　counted　for　much　in　du　Bousquier's　relations　with

others。　And　yet　in　him；　as　in　the　chevalier；　symptoms　appeared　which

contrasted　oddly　with　the　general　aspect　of　their　persons。　The　late

purveyor　had　not　the　voice　of　his　muscles。　We　do　not　mean　that　his

voice　was　a　mere　thread；　such　as　we　sometimes　hear　issuing　from　the

mouth　of　these　walruses；　on　the　contrary；　it　was　a　strong　voice；　but

stifled；　an　idea　of　which　can　be　given　only　by　comparing　it　with　the

noise　of　a　saw　cutting　into　soft　and　moistened　wood；the　voice　of　a

worn…out　speculator。



In　spite　of　the　claims　which　the　enmity　of　the　First　Consul　gave

Monsieur　du　Bousquier　to　enter　the　royalist　society　of　the　province；

he　was　not　received　in　the　seven　or　eight　families　who　composed　the

faubourg　Saint…Germain　of　Alencon；　among　whom　the　Chevalier　de　Valois

was　welcome。　He　had　offered　himself　in　marriage；　through　her　notary；

to　Mademoiselle　Armande；　sister　of　the　most　distinguished　noble　in　the

town；　to　which　offer　he　received　a　refusal。　He　consoled　himself　as

best　he　could　in　the　society　of　a　dozen　rich　families；　former

manufacturers　of　the　old　point　d'Alencon；　owners　of　pastures　and

cattle；　or　merchants　doing　a　wholesale　business　in　linen；　among　whom；

as　he　hoped；　he　might　find　a　wealthy　wife。　In　fact；　all　his　hopes　now

converged　to　the　perspective　of　a　fortunate　marriage。　He　was　not

without　a　certain　financial　ability；　which　many　persons　used　to　their

profit。　Like　a　ruined　gambler　who　advises　neophytes；　he　pointed　out

enterprises　and　speculations；　together　with　the　means　and　chances　of

conducting　them。　He　was　thought　a　good　administrator；　and　it　was　often

a　question　of　making　him　mayor　of　Alencon；　but　the　memory　of　his

underhand　jobbery　still　clung　to　him；　and　he　was　never　received　at　the

prefecture。　All　the　succeeding　governments；　even　that　of　the　Hundred

Days；　refused　to　appoint　him　mayor　of　Alencon；a　place　he　coveted；

which；　could　he　have　had　it；　would；　he　thought；　have　won　him　the　hand

of　a　certain　old　maid　on　whom　his　matrimonial　views　now　turned。



Du　Bousquier's　aversion　to　the　Imperial　government　had　thrown　him　at

first　into　the　royalist　circles　of　Alencon；　where　he　remained　in　spite

of　the　rebuffs　he　received　there；　but　when；　after　the　first　return　of

the　Bourbons；　he　was　still　excluded　from　the　prefecture；　that

mortification　inspired　him　with　a　hatred　as　deep　as　it　was　secret

against　the　royalists。　He　now　returned　to　his　old　opinions；　and　became

the　leader　of　the　liberal　party　in　Alencon；　the　invisible　manipulator

of　elections；　and　did　immense　harm　to　the　Restoration　by　the

cleverness　of　his　underhand　proceedings　and　the　perfidy　of　his　outward

behavior。　Du　Bousquier；　like　all　those　who　live　by　their　heads　only；

carried　on　his　hatreds　with　the　quiet　tranquillity　of　a　rivulet；

feeble　apparently；　but　inexhaustible。　His　hatred　was　that　of　a　negro；

so　peaceful　that　it　deceived　the　enemy。　His　vengeance；　brooded　over

for　fifteen　years；　was　as　yet　satisfied　by　no　victory；　not　even　that

of　July；