modeste mignon-第13章

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　　she　marries　him；　she　must　train　herself　to　the　charity　of　angels；

　　to　their　forbearance；　to　all　the　virtues　of　motherhood。　Such

　　qualities；　mademoiselle；　are　but　germs　in　a　young　girl。



　　Hear　the　whole　truth；do　I　not　owe　it　to　you　in　return　for　your

　　intoxicating　flattery？　If　it　is　a　glorious　thing　to　marry　a　great

　　renown；　remember　also　that　you　must　soon　discover　a　superior　man

　　to　be；　in　all　that　makes　a　man；　like　other　men。　He　therefore

　　poorly　realizes　the　hopes　that　attach　to　him　as　a　phoenix。　He

　　becomes　like　a　woman　whose　beauty　is　over…praised；　and　of　whom　we

　　say：　〃I　thought　her　far　more　lovely。〃　She　has　not　warranted　the

　　portrait　painted　by　the　fairy　to　whom　I　owe　your　letter；the

　　fairy　whose　name　is　Imagination。



　　Believe　me；　the　qualities　of　the　mind　live　and　thrive　only　in　a

　　sphere　invisible；　not　in　daily　life；　the　wife　of　a　poet　bears　the

　　burden；　she　sees　the　jewels　manufactured；　but　she　never　wears

　　them。　If　the　glory　of　the　position　fascinates　you；　hear　me　now

　　when　I　tell　you　that　its　pleasures　are　soon　at　an　end。　You　will

　　suffer　when　you　find　so　many　asperities　in　a　nature　which；　from　a

　　distance；　you　thought　equable；　and　such　coldness　at　the　shining

　　summit。　Moreover；　as　women　never　set　their　feet　within　the　world

　　of　real　difficulties；　they　cease　to　appreciate　what　they　once

　　admired　as　soon　as　they　think　they　see　the　inner　mechanism　of　it。



　　I　close　with　a　last　thought；　in　which　there　is　no　disguised

　　entreaty；　it　is　the　counsel　of　a　friend。　The　exchange　of　souls　can

　　take　place　only　between　persons　who　are　resolved　to　hide　nothing

　　from　each　other。　Would　you　show　yourself　for　such　as　you　are　to　an

　　unknown　man？　I　dare　not　follow　out　the　consequences　of　that　idea。



　　Deign　to　accept；　mademoiselle；　the　homage　which　we　owe　to　all

　　women；　even　those　who　are　disguised　and　masked。



So　this　was　the　letter　she　had　worn　between　her　flesh　and　her　corset

above　her　palpitating　heart　throughout　one　whole　day！　For　this　she　had

postponed　the　reading　until　the　midnight　hour　when　the　household

slept；　waiting　for　the　solemn　silence　with　the　eager　anxiety　of　an

imagination　on　fire！　For　this　she　had　blessed　the　poet　by

anticipation；　reading　a　thousand　letters　ere　she　opened　one；fancying

all　things；　except　this　drop　of　cold　water　falling　upon　the　vaporous

forms　of　her　illusion；　and　dissolving　them　as　prussic　acid　dissolves

life。　What　could　she　do　but　hide　herself　in　her　bed；　blow　out　her

candle；　bury　her　face　in　the　sheets　and　weep？



All　this　happened　during　the　first　days　of　July。　But　Modeste　presently

got　up；　walked　across　the　room　and　opened　the　window。　She　wanted　air。

The　fragrance　of　the　flowers　came　to　her　with　the　peculiar　freshness

of　the　odors　of　the　night。　The　sea；　lighted　by　the　moon；　sparkled　like

a　mirror。　A　nightingale　was　singing　in　a　tree。　〃Ah；　there　is　the

poet！〃　thought　Modeste；　whose　anger　subsided　at　once。　Bitter

reflections　chased　each　other　through　her　mind。　She　was　cut　to　the

quick；　she　wished　to　re…read　the　letter；　and　lit　a　candle；　she　studied

the　sentences　so　carefully　studied　when　written；　and　ended　by　hearing

the　wheezing　voice　of　the　outer　world。



〃He　is　right；　and　I　am　wrong；〃　she　said　to　herself。　〃But　who　could

ever　believe　that　under　the　starry　mantle　of　a　poet　I　should　find

nothing　but　one　of　Moliere's　old　men？〃



When　a　woman　or　young　girl　is　taken　in　the　act；　〃flagrante　delicto；〃

she　conceives　a　deadly　hatred　to　the　witness；　the　author；　or　the

object　of　her　fault。　And　so　the　true；　the　single…minded；　the　untamed

and　untamable　Modeste　conceived　within　her　soul　an　unquenchable　desire

to　get　the　better　of　that　righteous　spirit；　to　drive　him　into　some

fatal　inconsistency；　and　so　return　him　blow　for　blow。　This　girl；　this

child；　as　we　may　call　her；　so　pure；　whose　head　alone　had　been

misguided；partly　by　her　reading；　partly　by　her　sister's　sorrows；　and

more　perhaps　by　the　dangerous　meditations　of　her　solitary　life；was

suddenly　caught　by　a　ray　of　sunshine　flickering　across　her　face。　She

had　been　standing　for　three　hours　on　the　shores　of　the　vast　sea　of

Doubt。　Nights　like　these　are　never　forgotten。　Modeste　walked　straight

to　her　little　Chinese　table；　a　gift　from　her　father；　and　wrote　a

letter　dictated　by　the　infernal　spirit　of　vengeance　which　palpitates

in　the　hearts　of　young　girls。







CHAPTER　VIII



BLADE　TO　BLADE



　　To　Monsieur　de　Canalis：



　　Monsieur；You　are　certainly　a　great　poet；　and　you　are　something

　　more；an　honest　man。　After　showing　such　loyal　frankness　to　a

　　young　girl　who　was　stepping　to　the　verge　of　an　abyss；　have　you

　　enough　left　to　answer　without　hypocrisy　or　evasion　the　following

　　question？



　　Would　you　have　written　the　letter　I　now　hold　in　answer　to　mine；

　　would　your　ideas；　your　language　have　been　the　same；had　some　one

　　whispered　in　your　ear　（what　may　prove　true）；　Mademoiselle　O。

　　d'Este　M。　has　six　millions　and　does　intend　to　have　a　dunce　for　a

　　master？



　　Admit　the　supposition　for　a　moment。　Be　with　me　what　you　are　with

　　yourself；　fear　nothing。　I　am　wiser　than　my　twenty　years；　nothing

　　that　is　frank　can　hurt　you　in　my　mind。　When　I　have　read　your

　　confidence；　if　you　deign　to　make　it；　you　shall　receive　from　me　an

　　answer　to　your　first　letter。



　　Having　admired　your　talent；　often　so　sublime；　permit　me　to　do

　　homage　to　your　delicacy　and　your　integrity；　which　force　me　to

　　remain　always；



Your　humble　servant；

O。　d'Este　M。





When　Ernest　de　La　Briere　had　held　this　letter　in　his　hands　for　some

little　time　he　went　to　walk　along　the　boulevards；　tossed　in　mind　like

a　tiny　vessel　by　a　tempest　when　the　wind　is　blowing　from　all　points　of

the　compass。　Most　young　men；　specially　true　Parisians；　would　have

settled　the　matter　in　a　single　phrase；　〃The　girl　is　a　little　hussy。〃

But　for　a　youth　whose　soul　was　noble　and　true；　this　attempt　to　put

him；　as　it　were；　upon　his　oath；　this　appeal　to　truth；　had　the　power　to

awaken　the　three　judges　hidden　in　the　conscience　of　every　man。　Honor；

Truth；　and　Justice；　getting　on　their　feet；　cried　out　in　their　several

ways　energetically。



〃Ah；　my　dear　Ernest；〃　said　Truth；　〃you　never　would　have　read　that

lesson　to　a　rich　heiress。　No；　my　boy；　you　would　have　gone　in　hot　haste

to　Havre　to　find　out　if　the　girl　were　handsome；　and　you　would　have

been　very　unhappy　indeed　at　her　preference　for　genius；　and　if　you

could　have　tripped　up　your　friend　and　supplanted　him　in　her

affections；　Mademoiselle　d'Este　would　have　been　a　divinity。〃



〃What？〃　cried　Justice；　〃are　you　not　always　bemoaning　yourselves；　you

penniless　men　of　wit　and　capacity；　that　rich　girls　marry　beings　whom

you　wouldn't　take　as　your　servants？　You　rail　against　the　materialism

of　the　century　which　hastens　to　join　wealth　to　wealth；　and　never

marries　some　fine　young　man　with　brains　and　no　money　to　a　rich　girl。

What　an　outcry　you　make　about　it；　and　yet　here　is　a　young　woman　who

revolts　against　that　very　spirit　of　the　age；　and　behold！　the　poet

replies　with　a　blow　at　her　heart！〃



〃Rich　or　poor；　young　or　old；　ugly　or　handsome；　the　girl　is　right；　she

has　sense　and　judgment；　she　has　tripped　you　over　into　the　slough　of

self…interest　and　lets　you　know　it；〃　cried　Honor。　〃She　deserves　an

answer；　a　sincere　and　loyal　and　frank　answer；　and；　above　all；　the

honest　expression　of　your　thought。　Examine　yourself！　sound　your　heart

and　purge　it　of　its　meannesses。　What　would　Moliere's　Alceste　say？〃



And　La　Briere；　having　started　from　the　boulevard　Poissoniere；　walked

so　slowly；　absorbed　in　these　reflections；　that　he　was　more　than　an

hour　in　reaching　the　boulevard　des　Capucines。　Then　he　followed　the

quays；　which　led　him　to　the　Cour　des　Comptes；　situated　in　that　time

close　to　the　Saint…Chapelle。　Instead　of　beginning　on　the　accounts　as

he　should　have　done；　he　remained　at　the　mercy　of　his　perplexities。



〃One　thing　is　evident；〃　he　said　to　himself；　〃she　hasn't　six　millions；

but　that's　not　the　point〃



Six　days　later；　Modeste　received　the　following　letter：



　　Mademoiselle；You　are　not　a　D'Este。　The　name　is　a　feigned　one　to

　　conceal　your　own。　Do　I　owe　the　revelations　which　you　solicit　to　a

　　person　who　is　untruthful　about　herself？　Question　for　question：　Are

　　you　of　an　illustrious　family？　or　a　noble　family？　or　a　middle…class

　　family？　Undoubtedly　ethics　and　morality　cannot　change；　they　are

　　one：　but　obligations　vary　in　the　different　states　of　life。　Just　as

　　the　sun　lights　up　a　scene　diversely　and　produces　differences　which

　　we　admire；　so　morality　conforms　social　duty　to　rank；　to　position。

　　The　peccadillo　of　a　soldier　is　a　crime　in　a　general；　and　vice…

　　versa。　Observances　are　not　alike　in　all　cases。　They　are　not　the

　　same　for　the　gleaner　in　the　field；　for　the　girl　who　sews　at

　　fifteen　sous　a　day；　for　the　daughter　of　a　petty　shopkeeper；　for

　　the　young　bourgoise；　for　the　child　of　a　rich　merchant；　for　the

　　heiress　of　a　noble　family；　for　a　daughter　of　the　house　of　Este。　A

　　king　must　not　stoop　to　pick　up　a　piece　of　gold；　but　a　laborer

　　ought　to　retrace　his　steps　to　find　ten　sous；　though　both　are

　　equally　bound　to　obey　the　laws　of　economy。　A　daughter　of　Este；　who

　　is　worth　six　millions；　has　the　right　to　wear　a　broad…brimmed　hat

　　and　plume；　to　flourish　her　whip；　press　the　flanks　of　her　barb；　and

　　ride　like　an　amazon　decked　in　gold　lace；　with　a　lackey　behind　her；

　　into　the　presence　of　a　poet　and　say：　〃I　love　poetry；　and　I　would

　　fain　expiate　Leonora's　cruelty　to　Tasso！〃　but　a　daughter　of　the

　　people　would　cover　herself　with　ridicule　by　imitating　her。　To　what

　　class　do　you　belong？　Answer　sincerely；　and　I　will　answer　the

　　question　you　have　put　to　me。



　　As　I　have　not　the　honor　of　knowing　you　personally；　and　yet　am

　　bound　to　you；　in　a　measure；　by　the　ties　of　poetic　communion；　I　am

　　unwilling　to　offer　any　commonplace　compliments。　Perhaps　you　have

　　already　won　a　malicious　victory　by　thus　embarrassing　a　maker　of

　　books。



The　young　man　was　certainly　not　wanting　in　the　sort　of　shrewdness

which　is　permissible　to　a　man　of　honor。　By　return　courier　he　received

an　answer：



　　To　Monsieur　de　Canalis；You　grow　more　and　more　sensible；　my　dear

　　poet。　My　father　is　a　count。　The　chief　glory　of　our　house　was　a

　　cardinal；　in　the　days　when　cardinals　walked　the　earth　by　the　side

　　of　kings。　I　am　the　last　of　our　family；　which　ends　in　me；　but　I

　　have　the　necessary　quarterings　to　make　my　entry　into　any　court　or

　　chapter…house　in　Europe。　We　are　quite　the　equals　of　the　Canalis。

　　You　will　be　so　kind　as　to　excuse　me　from　sending　you　our　arms。



　　Endeavor　to　answer　me　as　truthfully　as　I　have　now　answered　you。　I

　　await　your　response　to　know　if　I　can　then　sign　myself　as　I　do　now；



Your　servant；　　　　　　　O。　d'Este　M。





〃The　little　mischief！　how　she　abuses　her　privileges；〃　cried　La　Briere；

〃but　isn't　she　frank！〃



No　young　man　can　be　four