an old maid-第7章

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the　richest　persons　in　the　town：　the　poor　lad　had　therefore　been　led

to　love　her　by　desires　for　material　happiness；　by　the　hope；　long

indulged；　of　gilding　with　comfort　his　mother's　last　years；　by　eager

longing　for　the　ease　of　life　so　needful　to　men　who　live　by　thought；

but　this　most　innocent　point　of　departure　degraded　his　passion　in　his

own　eyes。　Moreover；　he　feared　the　ridicule　the　world　would　cast　upon

the　love　of　a　young　man　of　twenty…three　for　an　old　maid　of　forty。



And　yet　his　passion　was　real；　whatever　may　seem　false　about　such　a

love　elsewhere；　it　can　be　realized　as　a　fact　in　the　provinces；　where；

manners　and　morals　being　without　change　or　chance　or　movement　or

mystery；　marriage　becomes　a　necessity　of　life。　No　family　will　accept　a

young　man　of　dissolute　habits。　However　natural　the　liaison　of　a　young

man；　like　Athanase；　with　a　handsome　girl；　like　Suzanne；　for　instance；

might　seem　in　a　capital；　it　alarms　provincial　parents；　and　destroys

the　hopes　of　marriage　of　a　poor　young　man　when　possibly　the　fortune　of

a　rich　one　might　cause　such　an　unfortunate　antecedent　to　be

overlooked。　Between　the　depravity　of　certain　liaisons　and　a　sincere

love；　a　man　of　honor　and　no　fortune　will　not　hesitate：　he　prefers　the

misfortunes　of　virtue　to　the　evils　of　vice。　But　in　the　provinces　women

with　whom　a　young　man　call　fall　in　love　are　rare。　A　rich　young　girl　he

cannot　obtain　in　a　region　where　all　is　calculation；　a　poor　young　girl

he　is　prevented　from　loving；　it　would　be；　as　provincials　say；　marrying

hunger　and　thirst。　Such　monkish　solitude　is；　however；　dangerous　to

youth。



These　reflections　explain　why　provincial　life　is　so　firmly　based　on

marriage。　Thus　we　find　that　ardent　and　vigorous　genius；　forced　to　rely

on　the　independence　of　its　own　poverty；　quits　these　cold　regions　where

thought　is　persecuted　by　brutal　indifference；　where　no　woman　is

willing　to　be　a　sister　of　charity　to　a　man　of　talent；　of　art；　of

science。



Who　will　really　understand　Athanase　Granson's　love　for　Mademoiselle

Cormon？　Certainly　neither　rich　menthose　sultans　of　society　who　fill

their　haremsnor　middle…class　men；　who　follow　the　well…beaten　high…

road　of　prejudices；　nor　women　who；　not　choosing　to　understand　the

passions　of　artists；　impose　the　yoke　of　their　virtues　upon　men　of

genius；　imagining　that　the　two　sexes　are　governed　by　the　same　laws。



Here；　perhaps；　we　should　appeal　to　those　young　men　who　suffer　from　the

repression　of　their　first　desires　at　the　moment　when　all　their　forces

are　developing；　to　artists　sick　of　their　own　genius　smothering　under

the　pressure　of　poverty；　to　men　of　talent；　persecuted　and　without

influence；　often　without　friends　at　the　start；　who　have　ended　by

triumphing　over　that　double　anguish；　equally　agonizing；　of　soul　and

body。　Such　men　will　well　understand　the　lancinating　pains　of　the

cancer　which　was　now　consuming　Athanase；　they　have　gone　through　those

long　and　bitter　deliberations　made　in　presence　of　some　grandiose

purpose　they　had　not　the　means　to　carry　out；　they　have　endured　those

secret　miscarriages　in　which　the　fructifying　seed　of　genius　falls　on

arid　soil。　Such　men　know　that　the　grandeur　of　desires　is　in　proportion

to　the　height　and　breadth　of　the　imagination。　The　higher　they　spring；

the　lower　they　fall；　and　how　can　it　be　that　ties　and　bonds　should　not

be　broken　by　such　a　fall？　Their　piercing　eye　has　seenas　did　Athanase

the　brilliant　future　which　awaited　them；　and　from　which　they　fancied

that　only　a　thin　gauze　parted　them；　but　that　gauze　through　which　their

eyes　could　see　is　changed　by　Society　into　a　wall　of　iron。　Impelled　by

a　vocation；　by　a　sentiment　of　art；　they　endeavor　again　and　again　to

live　by　sentiments　which　society　as　incessantly　materializes。　Alas！

the　provinces　calculate　and　arrange　marriage　with　the　one　view　of

material　comfort；　and　a　poor　artist　or　man　of　science　is　forbidden　to

double　its　purpose　and　make　it　the　saviour　of　his　genius　by　securing

to　him　the　means　of　subsistence！



Moved　by　such　ideas；　Athanase　Granson　first　thought　of　marriage　with

Mademoiselle　Cormon　as　a　means　of　obtaining　a　livelihood　which　would

be　permanent。　Thence　he　could　rise　to　fame；　and　make　his　mother　happy；

knowing　at　the　same　time　that　he　was　capable　of　faithfully　loving　his

wife。　But　soon　his　own　will　created；　although　he　did　not　know　it；　a

genuine　passion。　He　began　to　study　the　old　maid；　and；　by　dint　of　the

charm　which　habit　gives；　he　ended　by　seeing　only　her　beauties　and

ignoring　her　defects。



In　a　young　man　of　twenty…three　the　senses　count　for　much　in　love；

their　fire　produces　a　sort　of　prism　between　his　eyes　and　the　woman。

From　this　point　of　view　the　clasp　with　which　Beaumarchis'　Cherubin

seizes　Marceline　is　a　stroke　of　genius。　But　when　we　reflect　that　in

the　utter　isolation　to　which　poverty　condemned　poor　Athanase；

Mademoiselle　Cormon　was　the　only　figure　presented　to　his　gaze；　that

she　attracted　his　eye　incessantly；　that　all　the　light　he　had　was

concentrated　on　her；　surely　his　love　may　be　considered　natural。



This　sentiment；　so　carefully　hidden；　increased　from　day　to　day。

Desires；　sufferings；　hopes；　and　meditations　swelled　in　quietness　and

silence　the　lake　widening　ever　in　the　young　man's　breast；　as　hour　by

hour　added　its　drop　of　water　to　the　volume。　And　the　wider　this　inward

circle；　drawn　by　the　imagination；　aided　by　the　senses；　grew；　the　more

imposing　Mademoiselle　Cormon　appeared　to　Athanase；　and　the　more　his

own　timidity　increased。



The　mother　had　divined　the　truth。　Like　all　provincial　mothers；　she

calculated　candidly　in　her　own　mind　the　advantages　of　the　match。　She

told　herself　that　Mademoiselle　Cormon　would　be　very　lucky　to　secure　a

husband　in　a　young　man　of　twenty…three；　full　of　talent；　who　would

always　be　an　honor　to　his　family　and　the　neighborhood；　at　the　same

time　the　obstacles　which　her　son's　want　of　fortune　and　Mademoiselle

Cormon's　age　presented　to　the　marriage　seemed　to　her　almost

insurmountable；　she　could　think　of　nothing　but　patience　as　being　able

to　vanquish　them。　Like　du　Bousquier；　like　the　Chevalier　de　Valois；　she

had　a　policy　of　her　own；　she　was　on　the　watch　for　circumstances；

awaiting　the　propitious　moment　for　a　move　with　the　shrewdness　of

maternal　instinct。　Madame　Granson　had　no　fears　at　all　as　to　the

chevalier；　but　she　did　suppose　that　du　Bousquier；　although　refused；

retained　certain　hopes。　As　an　able　and　underhand　enemy　to　the　latter；

she　did　him　much　secret　harm　in　the　interests　of　her　son；　from　whom；

by　the　bye；　she　carefully　concealed　all　such　proceedings。



After　this　explanation　it　is　easy　to　understand　the　importance　which

Suzanne's　lie；　confided　to　Madame　Granson；　was　about　to　acquire。　What

a　weapon　put　into　the　hands　of　this　charitable　lady；　the　treasurer　of

the　Maternity　Society！　How　she　would　gently　and　demurely　spread　the

news　while　collecting　assistance　for　the　chaste　Suzanne！



At　the　present　moment　Athanase；　leaning　pensively　on　his　elbow　at　the

breakfast　table；　was　twirling　his　spoon　in　his　empty　cup　and

contemplating　with　a　preoccupied　eye　the　poor　room　with　its　red　brick

floor；　its　straw　chairs；　its　painted　wooden　buffet；　its　pink　and　white

curtains　chequered　like　a　backgammon　board；　which　communicated　with

the　kitchen　through　a　glass　door。　As　his　back　was　to　the　chimney　which

his　mother　faced；　and　as　the　chimney　was　opposite　to　the　door；　his

pallid　face；　strongly　lighted　from　the　window；　framed　in　beautiful

black　hair；　the　eyes　gleaming　with　despair　and　fiery　with　morning

thoughts；　was　the　first　object　which　met　the　eyes　of　the　incoming

Suzanne。　The　grisette；　who　belonged　to　a　class　which　certainly　has　the

instinct　of　misery　and　the　sufferings　of　the　heart；　suddenly　felt　that

electric　spark；　darting　from　Heaven　knows　where；　which　can　never　be

explained；　which　some　strong　minds　deny；　but　the　sympathetic　stroke　of

which　has　been　felt　by　many　men　and　many　women。　It　is　at　once　a　light

which　lightens　the　darkness　of　the　future；　a　presentiment　of　the

sacred　joys　of　a　shared　love；　the　certainty　of　mutual　comprehension。

Above　all；　it　is　like　the　touch　of　a　firm　and　able　hand　on　the

keyboard　of　the　senses。　The　eyes　are　fascinated　by　an　irresistible

attraction；　the　heart　is　stirred；　the　melodies　of　happiness　echo　in

the　soul　and　in　the　ears；　a　voice　cries　out；　〃It　is　he！〃　Often

reflection　casts　a　douche　of　cold　water　on　this　boiling　emotion；　and

all　is　over。



In　a　moment；　as　rapid　as　the　flash　of　the　lightning；　Suzanne　received

the　broadside　of　this　emotion　in　her　heart。　The　flame　of　a　real　love

burned　up　the　evil　weeds　fostered　by　a　libertine　and　dissipated　life。

She　saw　how　much　she　was　losing　of　decency　and　value　by　accusing

herself　falsely。　What　had　seemed　to　her　a　joke　the　night　before　became

to　her　eyes　a　serious　charge　against　herself。　She　recoiled　at　her　own

success。　But　the　impossibility　of　any　result；　the　poverty　of　the　young

man；　a　vague　hope　of　enriching　herself；　of　going　to　Paris；　and

returning　with　full　hands　to　say；　〃I　love　you！　here　are　the　means　of

happiness！〃　or　mere　fate；　if　you　will　have　it　so；　dried　up　the　next

moment　this　beneficent　dew。



The　ambitious　grisette　asked　with　a　timid　air　for　a　moment's　interview

with　Madame　Granson；　who　took　her　at　once　into　her　bedchamber。　When

Suzanne　came　out　she　looked　again　at　Athanase；　he　was　still　in　the

same　position；　and　the　tears　came　into　her　eyes。　As　for　Madame

Granson；　she　was　radiant　with　joy。　At　last　she　had　a　weapon；　and　a

terrible　one；　against　du　Bousquier；　she　could　now　deal　him　a　mortal

blow。　She　had　of　course　promised　the　poor　seduced　girl　the　support　of

all　charitable　ladies　and　that　of　the　members　of　the　Maternity　Society

in　particular；　she　foresaw　a　dozen　visits　which　would　occupy　her　whole

day；　and　brew　up　a　frightful　storm　on　the　head　of　the　guilty　du

Bousquier。　The　Chevalier　de　Valois；　while　foreseeing　the　turn　the

affair　would　take；　had　really　no　idea　of　the　scandal　which　would

result　from　his　own　action。



〃My　dear　child；〃　said　Madame　Granson　to　her　son；　〃we　are　to　dine；　you

know；　with　Mademoiselle　Cormon；　do　take　a　little　pains　with　your

appearance。　You　are　wrong　to　neglect　your　dress　as　you　do。　Put　on　that

handsome　frilled　shirt　and　your　green　coat　of　Elbeuf　cloth。　I　have　my

reasons；〃　she　added　slyly。　〃Besides；　Mademoiselle　Cormon　is　going　to

Prebaudet；　and　many　persons　will　doubtless　call　to　bid　her　good…bye。

When　a　young　man　is　marriageable　he　ought　to　take　every　means　to　make

himself　agreeable。　If　girls　would　only　tell　the　truth；　heavens！　my

dear　boy；　you'd　be　astonished　at　what　makes　them　fall　in　love。　Often

it　suffices　for　a　man　to　ride　past　them　at　the　head　of　a　company　of

artillery；　or　show　himself　at　a　ball　in　tight　clothes。　Sometimes　a

mere　turn　of　the　head；　a　melancholy　attitude；　makes　them　suppose　a

man's　whole　life；　they'll　invent　a　romance　to　match　the　herowho　is

often　a　mere　brute；　but　the　marriage　is　made。　Watch　the　Chev