modeste mignon-第10章

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existence。　She　performed　with　humble；　loving　care　all　the　minute

duties　of　the　homely　life　at　the　Chalet；　using　them　as　a　rein　to　guide

the　poetry　of　her　ideal　life；　like　the　Carthusian　monks　who　labor

methodically　on　material　things　to　leave　their　souls　the　freer　to

develop　in　prayer。　All　great　minds　have　bound　themselves　to　some　form

of　mechanical　toil　to　obtain　greater　mastery　of　thought。　Spinosa

ground　glasses　for　spectacles；　Bayle　counted　the　tiles　on　the　roof；

Montesquieu　gardened。　The　body　being　thus　subdued；　the　soul　could

spread　its　wings　in　all　security。



Madame　Mignon；　reading　her　daughter's　soul；　was　therefore　right。

Modeste　loved；　she　loved　with　that　rare　platonic　love；　so　little

understood；　the　first　illusion　of　a　young　girl；　the　most　delicate　of

all　sentiments；　a　very　dainty　of　the　heart。　She　drank　deep　draughts

from　the　chalice　of　the　unknown；　the　vague；　the　visionary。　She　admired

the　blue　plumage　of　the　bird　that　sings　afar　in　the　paradise　of　young

girls；　which　no　hand　can　touch；　no　gun　can　cover；　as　it　flits　across

the　sight；　she　loved　those　magic　colors；　like　sparkling　jewels

dazzling　to　the　eye；　which　youth　can　see；　and　never　sees　again　when

Reality；　the　hideous　hag；　appears　with　witnesses　accompanied　by　the

mayor。　To　live　the　very　poetry　of　love　and　not　to　see　the　loverah；

what　sweet　intoxication！　what　visionary　rapture！　a　chimera　with

flowing　man　and　outspread　wings！



The　following　is　the　puerile　and　even　silly　event　which　decided　the

future　life　of　this　young　girl。



Modeste　happened　to　see　in　a　bookseller's　window　a　lithographic

portrait　of　one　of　her　favorites；　Canalis。　We　all　know　what　lies　such

pictures　tell；being　as　they　are　the　result　of　a　shameless

speculation；　which　seizes　upon　the　personality　of　celebrated

individuals　as　if　their　faces　were　public　property。



In　this　instance　Canalis；　sketched　in　a　Byronic　pose；　was　offering　to

public　admiration　his　dark　locks　floating　in　the　breeze；　a　bare

throat；　and　the　unfathomable　brow　which　every　bard　ought　to　possess。

Victor　Hugo's　forehead　will　make　more　persons　shave　their　heads　than

the　number　of　incipient　marshals　ever　killed　by　the　glory　of　Napoleon。

This　portrait　of　Canalis　（poetic　through　mercantile　necessity）　caught

Modeste's　eye。　The　day　on　which　it　caught　her　eye　one　of　Arthez's　best

books　happened　to　be　published。　We　are　compelled　to　admit；　though　it

may　be　to　Modeste's　injury；　that　she　hesitated　long　between　the

illustrious　poet　and　the　illustrious　prose…writer。　Which　of　these

celebrated　men　was　free？that　was　the　question。



Modeste　began　by　securing　the　co…operation　of　Francoise　Cochet；　a　maid

taken　from　Havre　and　brought　back　again　by　poor　Bettina；　whom　Madame

Mignon　and　Madame　Dumay　now　employed　by　the　day；　and　who　lived　in

Havre。　Modeste　took　her　to　her　own　room　and　assured　her　that　she　would

never　cause　her　parents　any　grief；　never　pass　the　bounds　of　a　young

girl's　propriety；　and　that　as　to　Francoise　herself　she　would　be　well

provided　for　after　the　return　of　Monsieur　Mignon；　on　condition　that

she　would　do　a　certain　service　and　keep　it　an　inviolable　secret。　What

was　it？　Why；　a　nothingperfectly　innocent。　All　that　Modeste　wanted　of

her　accomplice　was　to　put　certain　letters　into　the　post　at　Havre　and

to　bring　some　back　which　would　be　directed　to　herself；　Francoise

Cochet。　The　treaty　concluded；　Modeste　wrote　a　polite　note　to　Dauriat；

publisher　of　the　poems　of　Canalis；　asking；　in　the　interest　of　that

great　poet；　for　some　particulars　about　him；　among　others　if　he　were

married。　She　requested　the　publisher　to　address　his　answer　to

Mademoiselle　Francoise；　〃poste　restante；〃　Havre。



Dauriat；　incapable　of　taking　the　epistle　seriously；　wrote　a　reply　in

presence　of　four　or　five　journalists　who　happened　to　be　in　his　office

at　the　time；　each　of　whom　added　his　particular　stroke　of　wit　to　the

production。



　　Mademoiselle；Canalis　（Baron　of）；　Constant　Cys　Melchior；　member

　　of　the　French　Academy；　born　in　1800；　at　Canalis　（Correze）；　five

　　feet　four　inches　in　height；　of　good　standing；　vaccinated；　spotless

　　birth；　has　given　a　substitute　to　the　conscription；　enjoys　perfect

　　health；　owns　a　small　patrimonial　estate　in　the　Correze；　and　wishes

　　to　marry；　but　the　lady　must　be　rich。



　　He　beareth　per　pale；　gules　an　axe　or；　sable　three　escallops

　　argent；　surmounted　by　a　baron's　coronet；　supporters；　two　larches；

　　vert。　Motto：　〃Or　et　fer〃　（no　allusion　to　Ophir　or　auriferous）。



　　The　original　Canalis；　who　went　to　the　Holy　Land　with　the　First

　　Crusade；　is　cited　in　the　chronicles　of　Auvergne　as　being　armed

　　with　an　axe　on　account　of　the　family　indigence；　which　to　this　day

　　weighs　heavily　on　the　race。　This　noble　baron；　famous　for

　　discomfiting　a　vast　number　of　infidels；　died；　without　〃or〃　or

　　〃fer；〃　as　naked　as　a　worm；　near　Jerusalem；　on　the　plains　of

　　Ascalon；　ambulances　not　being　then　invented。



　　The　chateau　of　Canalis　（the　domain　yields　a　few　chestnuts）

　　consists　of　two　dismantled　towers；　united　by　a　piece　of　wall

　　covered　by　a　fine　ivy；　and　is　taxed　at　twenty…two　francs。



　　The　undersigned　（publisher）　calls　attention　to　the　fact　that　he

　　pays　ten　thousand　francs　for　every　volume　of　poetry　written　by

　　Monsieur　de　Canalis；　who　does　not　give　his　shells；　or　his　nuts

　　either；　for　nothing。



　　The　chanticler　of　the　Correze　lives　in　the　rue　de　Paradis…

　　Poissoniere；　number　29；　which　is　a　highly　suitable　location　for　a

　　poet　of　the　angelic　school。　Letters　must　be　POST…PAID。



　　Noble　dames　of　the　faubourg　Saint…Germain　are　said　to　take　the

　　path　to　Paradise　and　protect　its　god。　The　king；　Charles　X。；　thinks

　　so　highly　of　this　great　poet　as　to　believe　him　capable　of

　　governing　the　country；　he　has　lately　made　him　officer　of　the

　　Legion　of　honor；　and　（what　pays　him　better）　president　of　the　court

　　of　Claims　at　the　foreign　office。　These　functions　do　not　hinder

　　this　great　genius　from　drawing　an　annuity　out　of　the　fund　for　the

　　encouragement　of　the　arts　and　belles　letters。



　　The　last　edition　of　the　works　of　Canalis；　printed　on　vellum；　royal

　　8vo；　from　the　press　of　Didot；　with　illustrations　by　Bixiou；　Joseph

　　Bridau；　Schinner；　Sommervieux；　etc。；　is　in　five　volumes；　price；

　　nine　francs　post…paid。



This　letter　fell　like　a　cobble…stone　on　a　tulip。　A　poet；　secretary　of

claims；　getting　a　stipend　in　a　public　office；　drawing　an　annuity；

seeking　a　decoration；　adored　by　the　women　of　the　faubourg　Saint…

Germainwas　that　the　muddy　minstrel　lingering　along　the　quays；　sad；

dreamy；　worn　with　toil；　and　re…entering　his　garret　fraught　with

poetry？　However；　Modeste　perceived　the　irony　of　the　envious

bookseller；　who　dared　to　say；　〃I　invented　Canalis；　I　made　Nathan！〃

Besides；　she　re…read　her　hero's　poems；verses　extremely　seductive；

insincere；　and　hypocritical；　which　require　a　word　of　analysis；　were　it

only　to　explain　her　infatuation。



Canalis　may　be　distinguished　from　Lamartine；　chief　of　the　angelic

school；　by　a　wheedling　tone　like　that　of　a　sick…nurse；　a　treacherous

sweetness；　and　a　delightful　correctness　of　diction。　If　the　chief　with

his　strident　cry　is　an　eagle；　Canalis；　rose　and　white；　is　a　flamingo。

In　him　women　find　the　friend　they　seek；　their　interpreter；　a　being　who

understands　them；　who　explains　them　to　themselves；　and　a　safe

confidant。　The　wide　margins　given　by　Didot　to　the　last　edition　were

crowded　with　Modeste's　pencilled　sentiments；　expressing　her　sympathy

with　this　tender　and　dreamy　spirit。　Canalis　does　not　possess　the　gift

of　life；　he　cannot　breathe　existence　into　his　creations；　but　he　knows

how　to　calm　vague　sufferings　like　those　which　assailed　Modeste。　He

speaks　to　young　girls　in　their　own　language；　he　can　allay　the　anguish

of　a　bleeding　wound　and　lull　the　moans；　even　the　sobs　of　woe。　His　gift

lies　not　in　stirring　words；　nor　in　the　remedy　of　strong　emotions；　he

contents　himself　with　saying　in　harmonious　tones　which　compel　belief；

〃I　suffer　with　you；　I　understand　you；　come　with　me；　let　us　weep

together　beside　the　brook；　beneath　the　willows。〃　And　they　follow　him！

They　listen　to　his　empty　and　sonorous　poetry　like　infants　to　a　nurse's

lullaby。　Canalis；　like　Nodier；　enchants　the　reader　by　an　artlessness

which　is　genuine　in　the　prose　writer　and　artificial　in　the　poet；　by

his　tact；　his　smile；　the　shedding　of　his　rose…leaves；　in　short　by　his

infantile　philosophy。　He　imitates　so　well　the　language　of　our　early

youth　that　he　leads　us　back　to　the　prairie…land　of　our　illusions。　We

can　be　pitiless　to　the　eagles；　requiring　from　them　the　quality　of　the

diamond；　incorruptible　perfection；　but　as　for　Canalis；　we　take　him　for

what　he　is　and　let　the　rest　go。　He　seems　a　good　fellow；　the

affectations　of　the　angelic　school　have　answered　his　purpose　and

succeeded；　just　as　a　woman　succeeds　when　she　plays　the　ingenue

cleverly；　and　simulates　surprise；　youth；　innocence　betrayed；　in　short；

the　wounded　angel。



Modeste；　recovering　her　first　impression；　renewed　her　confidence　in

that　soul；　in　that　countenance　as　ravishing　as　the　face　of　Bernadin　de

Saint…Pierre。　She　paid　no　further　attention　to　the　publisher。　And　so；

about　the　beginning　of　the　month　of　August　she　wrote　the　following

letter　to　this　Dorat　of　the　sacristy；　who　still　ranks　as　a　star　of　the

modern　Pleiades。



　　To　Monsieur　de　Canalis；Many　a　time；　monsieur；　I　have　wished　to

　　write　to　you；　and　why？　Surely　you　guess　why；to　tell　you　how　much

　　I　admire　your　genius。　Yes；　I　feel　the　need　of　expressing　to　you

　　the　admiration　of　a　poor　country　girl；　lonely　in　her　little

　　corner；　whose　only　happiness　is　to　read　your　thoughts。　I　have　read

　　Rene；　and　I　come　to　you。　Sadness　leads　to　reverie。　How　many　other

　　women　are　sending　you　the　homage　of　their　secret　thoughts？　What

　　chance　have　I　for　notice　among　so　many？　This　paper；　filled　with　my

　　soul；can　it　be　more　to　you　than　the　perfumed　letters　which

　　already　beset　you。　I　come　to　you　with　less　grace　than　others；　for

　　I　wish　to　remain　unknown　and　yet　to　receive　your　entire　confidence

　　as　though　you　had　long　known　me。



　　Answer　my　letter　and　be　friendly　with　me。　I　cannot　promise　to　make

　　myself　known　to　you；　though　I　do　not　positively　say　I　will　not

　　some　day　do　so。



　　What　shall　I　add？　Read　between　the　lines　of　this　letter；　monsieur；

　　the　great　effort　which　I　am　making：　permit　me　to　offer　you　my

　　hand；that　of　a　friend；　ah！　a　true　friend。



Your　servant；　　　　　　　O。　d'Este　M。





　　P。S。If　you　do　me　the　favor　to　answer　this　letter　address　your

　　reply；　if　you　please；　to　Mademoiselle　F。　Cochet；　〃poste　restante；〃

　　Havre。







CHAPTER　VII



A　POET　OF　THE　ANGELIC　SCHOOL



All　young　girls；　romantic　or　otherwise；　can　imagine　the　impatience　in

which　Modeste　lived　for　the　next　few　days。　The　air　was　full　of　tongues

of　fire。　The　trees　were　like　a　plumage。　She　was　not　conscious　of　a

body；　she　hovered　in　space；　the　earth　melted　away　under　her　feet